Queer News [Archive]

TheGodlessUtopian

3rd October 2011, 01:55

Not so much "news" as interesting facts but I think people might be enriched to know some lesbian poetry before Stonewall.
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NEW ON glbtq

Actor and designer Bryan Batt (b. 1963) achieved fame playing a closeted advertising executive on television, but in his own life he has been active in affirming the naturalness of homosexuality.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/batt_bryan.html

Australian Olympic medalist Daniel Kowalski (b. 1975) remained closeted during his competitive swimming career but found the courage to come out publicly in 2010.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/kowalski_daniel.html

Evan Wolfson (b. 1957) has participated in some of the crucial legal battles in the struggle for glbtq rights, and has been particularly visible in the quest for marriage equality.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/wolfson_evan.html

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Lesbian and Bisexual Female Poetry before Stonewall

Even though no canonical list of pre-Stonewall Lesbian Poetry exists, a significant number of women wrote and read a wide range of poems that expressed their sensibilities as woman-loving women.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/poetry_lesbian.html

In addition to being the muse and inspiration of other writers, American expatriate Natalie Barney (1876-1972), known as the Amazon, was a poet, memoirist, and epigrammatist in her own right.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/barney_nc.html

Aphra Behn (ca 1640-1689), an English writer known to her contemporaries as a "scandal" for her writings and her flamboyant personal life, was one of the most influential dramatists of the late seventeenth century. Today, she is better known as a poet and novelist with a fascinating biography.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/behn_a.html

Widely acknowledged as one of the finest twentieth-century American poets, Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979) encoded a lesbian identity in her poems.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/bishop_e.html

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), a reclusive American poet more appreciated after her death than before, wrote poems and letters to her sister-in-law Susan that are both passionate and elusive in their homoeroticism.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/dickinson_e.html

Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961), a bisexual poet and novelist who published under the initials H. D., wrote poems and autobiographical prose works that celebrate women's romantic relationships with each other.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/doolittle_h.html

Katherine Bradley (1846-1914) and Edith Cooper (1862-1913), writing as Michael Field, collaborated on a number of plays and eight volumes of verse, many of which had lesbian contents.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/field_m.html

Elsa Gidlow (1898-1986), known to many as the "poet-warrior," was unabashedly visible as an independent woman, a lesbian, a writer, and a bohemian-anarchist at a time when such visibility was both unusual and potentially dangerous.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/gidlow_e.html

Angelina Weld Grimké (1880-1958) was the first African American to have a play staged. In addition to that historic achievement, her poetry regularly appeared in journals, newspapers, and anthologies during the era now known as the Harlem Renaissance, though she faded into near obscurity after the 1920s.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/grimke_aw.html
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/harlem_renaissance.html

The Ladies of Llangollen, Lady Eleanor Butler (1739-1829) and Sarah Ponsonby (1755-1831), are an enduring emblem of female romantic friendship. Though they are not known to have been writers themselves, they entertained several important literary figures including poet Anna Seward.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/butler_ponsonby.html
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/romantic_friendship_f.html
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/seward_a.html

Amy Lowell (1874-1925) was a poet, translator, essayist, literary biographer, and public speaker. Her poetry is extremely frank, forthrightly sensual, and often overtly lesbian.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/lowell_a.html

Charlotte Mew (1869-1928), an English poet, does not explicitly mention her lesbianism but encodes the emotional pain of hiding her sexuality in complex dramatic monologues
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/mew_c.html

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), an American poet and playwright, expressed her bisexuality in both her life and her work. She achieved fame early on in life as the pretty, petite "It Girl" of poetry, but was criticized for turning to social politics and activism starting in the 1930s.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/millay_e.html

Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) was a Chilean educator, journalist, feminist, diplomat, and Nobel laureate who celebrated women and motherhood in poems and essays that are frequently homoerotic.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/mistral_g.html

Sophia Parnok (1885-1933) was Russia's only openly lesbian poet during her lifetime. The lyrics in her first book of verse, Poems (1916), presented the first, revolutionarily nondecadent, lesbian desiring subject ever to be heard in a book of Russian poetry.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/parnok_s.html

Geneviève Pastre (b. 1924), one of France's leading lesbian theorists and political activists, was a respected French poet and academic in her fifties when she came out as a lesbian and made radical lesbian feminism the root of her political and literary work.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/pastre_g.html

Katherine Philips (1632-1664) was called called "The Matchless Orinda" and considered "The English Sappho” of her day. Two-thirds of her poems concern erotic relationships among women.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/philips_k.html
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/sappho.html

Adrienne Rich (b. 1929) has aestheticized politics and politicized aesthetics and is America's most widely read lesbian poet. Her work has won both fans and many critical accolades including the National Book Award.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/rich_a.html

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) was such a devout Anglo-Catholic that one doctor diagnosed her with "religious mania." Though her piety repressed her sexuality, she wrote poetry that included vividly erotic female-to-female affection.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/rossetti_c.html

Muriel Rukeyser (1913-1980) wrote poetry that broke the silence of many aspects of female experience such as sex, menstruation, breast-feeding, mother-daughter relationships, and female aging. Her work has been enormously important to many feminist and lesbian readers.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/rukeyser_m.html

Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962) was a prolific author of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, though she is best known for her relationship with Virginia Woolf and for her scandalous love affairs.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/sackvillewest_v.html
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/woolf_v.html

Sappho (ca 630? B.C.E.), an ancient Greek poet born on the Isle of Lesbos, has been admired through the ages as one of the greatest lyric poets. Today, she is esteemed by lesbians around the world as the archetypal lesbian and their symbolic mother.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/sappho.html

May Sarton (1912-1996), the author of more than forty books, gradually revealed her lesbianism in her writing. Sarton worked successfully in poetry, the novel, essays, and the journal.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/sarton_m.html

Anna Seward (1742-1809) was one of the best known English women poets of her time. She had several romantic friendships with women and celebrated the Ladies of Llangollen in verse.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/seward_a.html
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/butler_ponsonby.html

Throughout her life, poet and novelist Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) surrounded herself with gay men, some of whom became her artistic collaborators. Although it is not clear that she ever experienced a sustained sexual relationship with anyone of either sex, her closest emotional bond was with another woman.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/sitwell_e.html

Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), in addition to becoming--with Alice B. Toklas--half of an iconic lesbian couple, was an important innovator and transformer of the English language.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/stein_g.html

One of America's most inventive and incisive poets, May Swenson (1913-1989) wrote many love poems celebrating lesbian sexuality.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/swenson_m.html

Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) reflected in her poetry the reality that the strongest emotional relationships in her life were with women.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/teasdale_s.html

Maria Tsvetaeva (1892-1941) is widely considered one of the four greatest twentieth-century Russian poets. She described herself as bisexual, but the lesbian theme found throughout her poetry, prose, letters, and journals has been ignored or minimized by Western biographers and concealed by Russian scholars.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/tsvetaeva_mi.html

Renée Vivien (1877-1909), who had many affairs with women, openly celebrated lesboerotic love in her poetry and dreamed of women-controlled spaces in an era when most women were still domestically confined.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/vivien_r.html

The poet, novelist, and short story writer Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893-1978) is an important lesbian voice of the earlier twentieth century.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/warner_st.html

_____________________________________________
NOTABLE BIRTHDAYS, August 1 through August 31

August 1: American novelist Herman Melville, 1819; fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent, 1936

August 2: African-American writer James Baldwin, 1924

August 3: English poet Rupert Brooke, 1887

August 4: English critic and aesthete Walter Pater, 1839; psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing, 1840; choreographer Rudi Van Dantzig, 1933; African-American writer Sapphire (Ramona Lofton), 1950

August 6: Swiss writer Heinrich Hössli, 1784; poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1809; classical scholar and memoirist Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson, 1862; artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol, 1928; historian Martin Bauml Duberman, 1930; filmmaker Paul Bartel, 1938; activist Steve Endean, 1948

August 7: California writer Charles Warren Stoddard, 1843; German writer Anna Elisabet Weirauch, 1887; film director Nicholas Ray, 1911; Indian playwright and director Mahesh Dattani, 1958

August 8: Poet Sara Teasdale, 1884; fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, 1922; lyricist Fred Ebb, 1932; journalist Randy Shilts, 1951; disabled accident victim Sharon Kowalski, 1956

August 9: French poet Jean Lorrain, 1855; furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray, 1878; artist and author Tove Jannson, 1914

August 10: Mystery writer Ellen Hart, 1949; social and political commentator Andrew Sullivan, 1963

August 11: Russian poet Sophia Parnok, 1885; English novelist Sir Angus Wilson, 1913

August 12: British writer Radclyffe Hall, 1880; actor Alfred Lunt, 1892; blues singer Gladys Bentley, 1907; poet J. D. McClatchy, 1945

August 13: British artist Gluck (Hannah Gluckenstein), 1895; photographer Herb Ritts, 1952; fashion designer Domenico Dolce, 1958

August 14: Choreographer and producer Rupert Doone, 1903; photographer Horst P. Horst, 1906; poet Alfred Corn, 1943; activist for the rights of the intersexed Cheryl Chase, 1956; lead singer for the Scissor Sisters Ana Lynch (Ana Matronic), 1974

August 15: Soldier and writer T.E. Lawrence, 1888

August 16: Holocaust survivor Pierre Seel, 1923; Native American poet Maurice Kenny, 1929; Australian academic and activist Dennis Altman, 1943; journalist Neil Miller, 1945; activist and political advisor David Mixner, 1946; photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, 1968

August 17: German author and activist Kurt Hiller, 1885; French writer Roger Peyrefitte, 1907; American artist Larry Rivers, 1923

August 18: French filmmaker Marcel Carné, 1906

August 19: Transsexual tennis champion and physician Renee Richards, 1934

August 20: Canadian filmmaker Patricia Rozema, 1958

August 21: Decadent artist Aubrey Beardsley, 1872; Los Angeles-based activist Don Slater, 1923; playwright Mart Crowley, 1935; filmmaker George Kuchar, 1942

August 22: French homophile leader André Émile Baudry, 1922; writer James Kirkwood, 1934

August 23: Literary critic Newton Arvin, 1900; British painter Keith Vaughan, 1912; writer and performance artist Terry Wolverton, 1954; actor and writer Charles Busch, 1954; British writer Neil Bartlett, 1958

August 24: British actor, writer, and director Stephen Fry, 1957

August 25: Patron and king, Ludwig II of Bavaria, 1845; American composer Leonard Bernstein, 1919; French historian and writer Dominique Fernandez, 1929; heavy metal vocalist Rob Halford, 1951

August 26: Anglo-American writer Christopher Isherwood, 1904; photographer Mel Roberts, 1923; actor Michael Jeter, 1952

August 27: Colombian painter Luis Caballero, 1943; novelist Jeannette Winterson, 1959; fashion designer Tom Ford, 1961

August 28: German activist and theorist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, 1825; actress Nancy Kulp, 1921; activist and author Keith Boykin, 1965

August 29: English writer and theorist Edward Carpenter, 1844; Anglo-American poet Thom Gunn, 1929; choreographer Mark Morris, 1956; singer, songwriter, bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, 1968

August 30: Argentinean-born artist Léonor Fini, 1908; Spanish writer Esther Tusquets, 1936

August 31: Lead guitarist for the Scissor Sisters Derek Gruen (Del Marquis), 1977
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Source: http://www.glbtq.com/ (Newsletter)

Misanthrope

3rd October 2011, 03:42

Please sticky, mods.

RedRose

3rd October 2011, 20:53

Fantastic thread, got my vouch for sticky!

Something that caught my eye before on pinknews, a right-wing Canadian group ran an ad in a newspaper basically saying that by telling children about trans* or gender-variant people will somehow make children gender-variant. They even went low enough to show a depressed looking little girl on the cover. Just appalls me that people still think that sexuality and gender are learnt behaviours.

Not allowed to post links yet, but if you google 'pinknews right wing canada' it's the first link that comes up if you're interested.

TheGodlessUtopian

5th October 2011, 01:25

Another couple stories to enrage and bewilder you.

"We, as a country, have to have a serious discussion about religious views that cause enormous harm to other people… I would say this, that clergy people who stand at their pulpit and they speak about gay people as sinners and an abomination, that is bullying a young kid. That is really—and I know this may sound exaggerated — but that is nothing less than child molestation of a child’s mind. It is devastating to a 14-year-old-kid to hear their rabbi or their imam or their priest or clergy person say that they are a sinner or an abomination… and I’m here to tell them, they are full and whole and wonderful and they will (http://www.queerty.com/is-bullying-a-gay-kid-the-same-as-molesting-them-20111004/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29#) learn as life goes on that there are many, many people who feel that way."

- Faith in America’s Mitchell Gold talking to MSNBC (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/10/04/335646/mitchell-gold-religious-groups-that-bully-gay-youth-engage-in-nothing-less-than-child-molestation/) about bullying and the anti-marriage amendment passed by the North Carolina legislature. Though we have no idea how “mental molestation” is any different from “mental abuse” we are happy that an LGBT community member has started calling (http://www.queerty.com/is-bullying-a-gay-kid-the-same-as-molesting-them-20111004/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29#) our foes child molesters, something they have called us (http://www.queerty.com/mn-family-council-quietly-removes-pages-about-gays-eating-poo-raping-children-20110526/) for a loooooonnnnngggg time.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/is-bullying-a-gay-kid-the-same-as-molesting-them-20111004/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29 (Video on link)

After everyone *****ed and moaned about the stupidity (http://www.queerty.com/french-ipad-app-answers-is-my-son-gay-and-am-i-stupid-20110926/) of the stereotype-ridden Android app, “Is My Son Gay,” Google unilaterally pulled it (http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1593555/-Is-My-Son-Gay---Android-app-pulled) from their Android Market (http://www.queerty.com/gay-creator-of-is-my-son-gay-doesnt-understand-why-google-axed-his-app-20111004/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29#) app store. But here’s something you may not have known: the developer was a gay man. Openly gay app-trepeneur Christophe de Baran commissioned the program’s development. He developed the program in part to help promote an upcoming comedic novel, also titled “Is My Son Gay?” which treats “difficult moments for families to go through, such as coming out” with “fun and humor.”
The Android Market site still carries other apps like ‘R U Gay Quiz’ and the ‘Gaydar Radar’ which identifies homos based on their pictures. But unlike “Is My Son Gay” both of the aforementioned apps state upfront that their product is a joke.
Not even the ladies of The View (http://www.queerty.com/could-androids-is-my-son-gay-app-actually-help-parents-accept-their-gay-kids-20110929/) found anything worth laughing at in de Baran’s app.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-creator-of-is-my-son-gay-doesnt-understand-why-google-axed-his-app-20111004/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

TheGodlessUtopian

5th October 2011, 06:38

Truth Wins Out Slams Herman Cain For Calling (http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2011/10/19103/#) Homosexuality a ‘Choice’

Cain Panders to Extremists with Ignorance and Misinformation about Sexual Orientation, Says TWO

BURLINGTON, Vt – Truth Wins Out slammed GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain today for making anti-gay statements on ABC’s The View. Cain confirmed to View co-host Joy Behar that as president, he would roll back the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and that he believes homosexuality to be a choice. Said Cain to Behar: “You show me the science that says that it’s not [a choice], and I could be persuaded. Right now it’s my opinion against the opinion of others who feel differently. That’s just a difference of opinion.”
“Herman Cain ought to apologize for his misinformed remarks, which show that he harbors dangerously outdated beliefs about gay and lesbian Americans,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “The lie that homosexuality is a choice is directly responsible for the suffering of tens of thousands of LGBT people around the world who are falsely told that they can ‘pray away the gay.’”
“Cain’s statement is demonstrably false,” added John Becker, Truth Wins Out’s Director of Communications and Development. “Years of research in the mainstream medical and mental health communities show that while the exact causes of sexual orientation are still unknown, an individual’s orientation cannot be chosen or changed. Herman Cain’s willingness to disregard reality in order to justify his anti-LGBT bigotry makes him unfit for the office of the presidency.”
Aside from the fact that many of the Religious Right’s leading “ex-gay” poster boys such as John Paulk, Michael (http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2011/10/19103/#) Johnston and George Rekers have failed to live as advertised, there actually is a growing body of evidence that shows biological factors to sexual orientation:

In 1993, research from the National Institute of Health’s Dean Hamer showed that homosexuality might be inherited from the mother (http://viasheepdatabase.com/ppc-ad-click.php?id=53&kid=314&bid=24&vid=0&vip=e54f53302e0d4d9d24898a656ba7b48d) by her sons through a specific region of the X chromosome (Xq28). Hamer demonstrated this by noting that 33 out of 40 pairs of homosexual brothers whom he studied showed the same variation in the tip of the chromosome.

A June 2006 Canadian study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said that nature, not nurture, explains the origins of homosexuality. The study’s author, Prof. Anthony F. Bogaert of Brock University in Ontario, explored the causes behind what is known as the fraternal birth order. The research showed a correlation between the number of biological older brothers a man has and his sexual orientation. Dividing his sample of more than 900 heterosexual and homosexual men into four groups, Bogaert examined the impact of all types of older brothers, including step and adopted siblings, and the amount of time brothers spent together while growing up. His research found that only the number of biological brothers had an impact on sexuality, regardless of whether the boys were raised together.

A study released in May 2006 by Swedish scientists demonstrated that biology plays a key role in determining a person’ sexuality. The research showed that the portion of the brain that helps regulate sexuality — the hypothalamus – reacted the exact same way in straight women and gay men when exposed to male pheromones, which are chemicals designed to provoke a behavior, such as sexual arousal. The same area of the brain only became stimulated in heterosexual men when introduced to female pheromones.

In 2005, Dr. Brian Mustanski of the University of Illinois at Chicago published a study in the esteemed biomedical journal Human Genetics claiming that he identified three chromosomal regions linked to sexual orientation in men: 7q36, 8p12 and 10q26.

In 2003, University of Texas psychoacoustics specialist Dennis McFadden found that when measuring the way the brain reacts to sound, lesbians fell in between heterosexual men and straight women, suggesting they might be exposed to higher than normal levels of male hormones in utero.

In 2003, University of Liverpool biologist John T. Manning found that the lesbians whom he studied have a hand pattern that resembles a man’s hand “more than a straight female.” Manning concluded from his study that this “strongly tells us that female homosexuals have had higher levels of exposure to testosterone before birth.

A 1991 study by Dr. Simon LeVay found that a specific region of the hypothalamus is twice as large in heterosexual men as it is in women or gay men. This strongly points to the role of biology in sexual orientation.

Another 1991 study by scientists Richard Pillard and John M. Bailey examined homosexuality among brothers and found that 53 percent of identical twins were both gay. In adoptive brothers, 11 percent were both homosexual. Of non-twin biological siblings, 9 percent were gay. Again, this points to solid evidence that homosexuality is a matter of nature.

The June/July 2006 issue of Seed Magazine points out that at least 450 vertebrate species engage in homosexual behavior.

In recent years, the main proponents of “ex-gay” therapy have also had their studies and spokespeople debunked and discredited:

Irving Bieber’s outdated 1962 study, Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study of Male Homosexuals, tried to prove that gay men had overbearing mothers, distant fathers, and “fit the sissy stereotype.” The study was rendered invalid by the psychiatric establishment because of his deeply flawed research sample. Out of 106 gay male subjects, 28 were schizophrenic, 31 neurotic, and 42 were diagnosed with character disorders

Masters & Johnson’s 1979 book, Homosexuality in Perspective, claimed to cure homosexuality. In his groundbreaking new book, Masters of Sex, author Thomas Maier recently discovered through investigative reporting that the results of Masters & Johnson’s study were entirely fabricated. Virginia Johnson (http://viasheepdatabase.com/ppc-ad-click.php?id=53&kid=338&bid=24&vid=0&vip=e54f53302e0d4d9d24898a656ba7b48d) acknowledged that the results were fake.

A 1970 study by UCLA’s Gender Identity Clinic, led by Dr. George Rekers, claimed that the doctor cured the homosexuality of a boy named Kirk. Earlier this year, blogger Jim Burroway discovered that the Rekers study was a fraud. In fact, Kirk remained gay and his family believes that he committed suicide as a result of the trauma caused in this study. Last year, George Rekers resigned from the board of the so-called “National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality” after he was discovered vacationing with a male escort he hired from RentBoy.com. The incident was covered in a three-part series on CNN’s AC360.

The Family Research Institute’s Paul Cameron was expelled from the American Psychological Association and the Nebraska Psychological Association for fabricating research against LGBT people.

The International Healing Foundation’s Richard Cohen was expelled from the American Counseling Association for multiple ethics violations.

Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that fights anti-LGBT religious extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.

Source: http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2011/10/19103/

TheGodlessUtopian

5th October 2011, 21:33

Another history segment based on prominent Queer hindus.
_________________
IN MEMORIAM: Arthur Evans (1941-2011)

Philosopher and activist Arthur Evans died on September 11, 2011 in San Francisco. Evans was one of the founders of the Gay Activist Alliance and spearheaded a number of direct action zaps against homophobic politicians and publishers in the 1970s. His philosophical work included "Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture" (1978), which influenced the Radical Faeries movement. He co-authored "Critique of Patriarchal Reason" (1997), which demonstrated the influence of homophobia and misogyny on such supposedly objective fields as physics and logic. Evans is survived by a brother.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/gay_activists_alliance.html
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/radical_faeries.html

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NEW ON glbtq

Acclaimed Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas (b. 1974) is among the small number of professional athletes who have found the courage to come out as gay at the height of their careers.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/thomas_gareth.html

One of the most distinguished and discerning British men of letters of the mid-twentieth century, John Lehmann (1907-1987) is best known as an editor and publisher.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/lehmann_john.html

Proposition 8, also known as the California Marriage Protection Act, is the ballot proposition that amended the California state constitution to ban same-sex marriage; it is the subject of ongoing litigation that may restore marriage equality to California.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/proposition_8.html

__________________________
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Hinduism

Hinduism is the dominant religion of modern India. Though it is no longer as tolerant of same-sex sexual relations as it seems to have been in the past, Hinduism has inspired glbtq writers and spiritual seekers from both the West and the South Asian Diaspora.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/hinduism.html
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/india.html

Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha or "awakened one," who developed new teaching based on the Brahmanic or Hindu religion. Buddhism is unusual among world religions in that it generally expresses neutrality on the issue of homosexuality.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/buddhism.html

Sir Richard F. Burton (1821-1890) was regarded with suspicion during his lifetime because of his knowledge and understanding of same-sex sexual activity, though evidence of his own homosexual leanings is inconclusive. He was the first to translate the "Kama Sutra" and several other Indian and Arab erotic works into English.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/burton_rf.html

Mahesh Dattani (b. 1958) is an Indian playwright, screenwriter, dancer, director, and actor who is an important figure in South Asian gay culture by virtue of his recurrent depiction of queer characters.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/dattani_m.html

Sunil Gupta (b. 1953), who has gained international recognition as photographer, curator, and cultural activist, has explored multiple sexual, racial, and cultural identities and challenged restrictive conventions.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/gupta_sunil.html

Hijras are Indian men who dress and act like women. They have been a presence in India for generations, maintaining a third-gender role that has become institutionalized through tradition.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/hijras.html

India is the largest nation in South Asia, and one of the largest in the world. The country's ancient mythology is replete with stories of both male and female sex change, androgynous gods, and same-sex eroticism, but India today harbors negative attitudes toward homoeroticism and gender variance that largely reflect colonial influences.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/india.html

Indian Art not only celebrates sexuality, but also reflects the fact that many of India's gods consider gender to be a fluid affair, sometimes manifesting as androgynes and sometimes switching gender altogether.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/indian1_art.html

Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986) was a major Anglo-American novelist and pioneer in the gay liberation movement. He converted to Vedantism in 1940, and set his last novel, "A Meeting by the River" (1967), in a Hindu monastery on the banks of the Ganges.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/isherwood_c.html

Firdaus Kanga (b. 1959) is an Indian writer who has explored the intersection of two kinds of marginality: that based on being a member of a sexual minority and that based on being a disabled person. He is the first Indian author to produce a novel with a gay protagonist.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/kanga_f.html

Bhupen Khakhar (1934-2003) earned an international reputation for paintings that are explicitly homosexual in theme, but also address universal human needs. In his painting "Yayati," (1987), Khakar combines blunt homoeroticism with references to traditional Indian mythology.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/khakhar_b.html

Terrence McNally (b. 1939) emerged as America's most important gay playwright since Tennessee Williams in the 1990s. India and Hinduism form an important part of his personal mythology.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/mcnally_t.html

South Asian Diaspora Literatures rarely address homosexuality, though the South Asian diaspora has recently produced a number of gay and lesbian writers.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/south_asian_lit.html

Today's glbtq spirituality movements must be seen as part of a long history in which gender-special people were considered sacred to their tribe or family. Some seekers have turned to the teachings and practices of Eastern mystics for aid in discovering a universal spirit or consciousness dwelling within themselves.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/spirituality.html

______________________________

Source: http://www.glbtq.com/ (Newsletter)

TheGodlessUtopian

6th October 2011, 02:26

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/maccartoon.jpgThe cartoon showed a gay couple at a hotel check-in desk

A Daily Mail cartoon appears to depict a gay couple as neo-Nazis.
Referring to the case this week in which a gay couple sued a pair of Christian hoteliers, yesterday’s Mac cartoon showed two burly men holding hands in front of a hotel check-in desk, which has a sign saying “Christian hotel”.
The cartoon couple have shaved heads, heavy boots and arms covered in tattoos. The man on the left has a swastika tattooed on his right arm.
Underneath, a line says: “Isn’t that romantic, George, dear? Mr and Mr Smith would like the bridal suite.”
Jewish Chronicle writer Jennifer Lipman commented: “I don’t really get where the cartoonist was going with it, but it’s unnecessary, offensive to both gay and Jewish people in my view – and it’s not the sort of thing I expect to see on the pages of a national newspaper in 2011.”

Source: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/01/20/daily-mail-cartoon-depicts-gay-couple-as-neo-nazis/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Pinknews+%28Pink+News%29

http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2010/04/gilladoptkids.jpg
Martin Gill, the Florida man who’s been battling for years to adopt his two foster sons (http://www.queerty.com/florida-gay-adoption-ban-overturned-20081125/), and who conquered the state’s ban on gays adopting back in October (http://www.queerty.com/is-bill-mccollum-going-to-let-his-chance-to-fight-for-gay-adoption-ban-expire-today-20101022/), has finally been granted his legal adoption (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/19/national/main7262861.shtml). Best wishes, gents.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/florida-finally-recognizes-martin-gill-as-the-legal-father-to-his-sons-20110119/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Gay advocates are commending Sen. Joseph Lieberman for the work he’s done during his career (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/01/19/gays-applaud-lieberman-upon-retirement-announcement/#) on LGBT issues — particularly repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — in the wake of the lawmaker’s announcement that he’ll retire from the U.S. Senate next year.
Lieberman, who ran as a vice-presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket in 2000, announced he would not seek a fifth term as a U.S. senator on Wednesday during a speech at the Mariott hotel in Stanford, Conn.
“At the end of this term, I will (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/01/19/gays-applaud-lieberman-upon-retirement-announcement/#) have served 24 years in the U.S. Senate and 40 years in elective office,” Lieberman said. “By my count, I’ve run at least 15 full-fledged campaigns — and that’s just in Connecticut, not counting the national campaigns I was involved in. So for me, it is time for another season, another purpose under Heaven.”
Lieberman said he’ll continue to work as a public servant for the remainder of his term and said his planned retirement enables to devote his “full measure of [his] energy and attention to getting things done for Connecticut and our country.”
“I will keep doing everything in my power (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/01/19/gays-applaud-lieberman-upon-retirement-announcement/#) to keep building strong bridges across party lines, to keep our country safe to win the wars we are in and to make sure America’s leadership on the world stage is principled and strong,” Lieberman said.
While credited as an LGBT advocate, Lieberman is unpopular among voters in Connecticut, according to one poll, which possibly prompted his decision to retire.
A Public Policy Poll published in October found that he had a 57 percent disapproval rating and 66 percent of voters said they would vote against him in the 2012 election.
Lieberman invoked the ire of many in the liberal base for supporting Republican (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/01/19/gays-applaud-lieberman-upon-retirement-announcement/#) John McCain over now President Obama in the 2008 election and for opposing the public option and Medicare expansion as part of health care reform.
Despite the disappointment he inspired in many Democrats, the Connecticut senator leaves a legacy of being the champion of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal after his long fight to push a measure overturning the law through the Senate.
An opponent of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” since its passage in 1993, Lieberman in March introduced standalone legislation that would have repealed the military’s gay ban.
In May, Lieberman succeeded in attaching a repeal amendment in Senate Armed Services Committee to a major defense spending bill. After opposition successfully blocked the legislation from coming to the floor, Lieberman introduced new standalone repeal that found its way to the President Obama’s desk.
Alex Nicholson, executive director of Servicemembers United, said the importance of Lieberman’s contribution to the ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal effort is difficult to describe in words.
“There are few people that I can say ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ simply would not have happened if it weren’t for them, and he’s one of them,” Nicholson said. “So his contribution has been immeasurable, literally.”
Nicholson said Lieberman’s ability to “put a lot of personal, moderate capital” into the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal effort was responsible for bringing Republican support to the legislation.
“His staff really did work on this issue for hours and hours a day at senior levels on his staff,” Nicholson said. “I felt a huge commitment there that hasn’t been matched in any other office that I’ve seen.”

Source: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/01/19/gays-applaud-lieberman-upon-retirement-announcement/

TheGodlessUtopian

6th October 2011, 21:22

Some direct action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__B-1jK-HH0&feature=player_embedded

Source: http://www.gayshamesf.org/index2.php

Misanthrope

10th October 2011, 04:55

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/10/two-gay-candidates-run-for-san-diego-mayor.html

Two Gay Candidates Run for Mayor in San Diego
And they're both Republicans!

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/09/us-presbyterian-minister-idUSTRE7981UN20111009

The Presbyterian Church (USA) ordained its first openly gay minister on Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin, three months after lifting its long-standing ban on homosexual clergy.

TheGodlessUtopian

13th October 2011, 05:22

A Closed World, from The Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab (http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/aclosedworld.php), is a flash-based role playing game that is designed to cater to the LGBTQ community. The game’s main purpose is to show players what it’s like growing up as a queer individual.
This game has a different approach than your traditional RPG games as it doesn’t involve fighting the enemy. Rather than using attack or magic (http://gay-nerds.com/site/videogames/a-closed-world-a-lgbtq-friendly-rpg/#), players use either logic or compassion in an attempt to make the enemy understand you. In this prototype game, which is playable in a browser, players have to fight the protagonist’s demons as they choose their own way against negative social situations and toward their partner.

A Closed World was created to be a digital game with LGBTQ-friendly content, something that’s very uncommon in games right now. Game designers and marketing professionals alike have cited a number of reasons for this, ranging from a perception of institutional homophobia in game culture to a genuine desire on the part of game designers to “get it right” and create games with compelling queer content, rather than feeling that the element is merely “tacked on” in the end (http://gay-nerds.com/site/videogames/a-closed-world-a-lgbtq-friendly-rpg/#). The goal of this research was to present the design team with the challenge of creating a game that had this compelling queer content, and to observe the ideas and hardships they considered and encountered along the way, so that we could learn more about how to approach those challenges in other design contexts. The project left the ultimate message of the game open to the creators; what was important to discover were the challenges the team faced trying to include queer content in the game, and the strategies they used to tell the story they wanted to tell. The result is a game that asks us to carefully consider what we think of as “normal,” and what is needed to live in the world and be true to one’s self."

Source: http://gay-nerds.com/site/videogames/a-closed-world-a-lgbtq-friendly-rpg/

Play for free: http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/summer2011/aclosedworld_play.php

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd November 2011, 17:11

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: November 20

The Transgender Day of Remembrance has been observed every year since its inception in 1998. For information about events planned for the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, 2010, please visit the International Day of Remembrance website.
http://www.transgenderdor.org/
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/holidays_observances.html
_____________
NEW ON glbtq

U. S. Representative David Cicilline (b. 1961), who made history as the first openly gay mayor of a state capital, has a long record of public service.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/cicilline_david.html

A noted director of Hollywood's Golden Age, Mitchell Leisen (1898-1972) is credited with more than 40 feature films, which are celebrated for their stylishness and visual elegance.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/leisen_mitchel.html

The American pop band Scissor Sisters was spawned in New York City's gay club scene; frequently addressing issues of transgressive sexuality, the band has cultivated a large glbtq fan base.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/scissor_sisters.html
_____________________________________________
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Transgender Issues and Activism

The term Transgender was most probably coined by Virginia Charles Prince in the 1980s, but people we would now call Transgender Activists began fighting against oppression and discrimination more than a hundred years ago.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/transgender.html
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/prince_vc.html
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/transgender_activism.html

Dr. Harry Benjamin (1885-1986) was a medical doctor now best remembered for his pioneering work with transsexuals. Benjamin first treated a transsexual in San Francisco in 1949 and by 1966, when he published The Transsexual Phenomenon, Benjamin was justly regarded at the world's most prominent expert on the subject.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/benjamin_h.html

Georgina Beyer (b. 1957) was the first open transgender person in New Zealand to be elected to the offices of mayor and Member of Parliament. Though a career in politics seemed an unlikely choice for a Maori woman who began life as a farmboy and worked as a drag queen, stripper, and prostitute, Beyer's deep concern for both her queer community and for the working farmers she grew up with earned her the trust of her constituents.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/beyer_georgina.html

Chaz Bono (b. 1969), the child of one of the most flamboyant couples to emerge from the 1960s rock scene, came out as a lesbian shortly after finishing high school in 1987. By the 1990s, she had become a prominent lesbian activist. Soon after her fortieth birthday, Bono underwent gender-reassignment surgery and continues to be a prominent and highly visible advocate for the glbtq community.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/bono_chaz_arts.html

Kate Bornstein (b. 1948) is one of the best known transgender activists. In her accessible and frequently humorous books and performances, Bornstein challenges audiences to buck the gender system.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/bornstein_k.html

Patrick Califia (b. 1954) is a gender outlaw whose books and articles have stimulated controversy. Califia, who recently underwent sexual reassignment surgery, is widely admired by those who treasure sexual freedom.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/califia_p.html

Cheryl Chase (b. 1956), founder of the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), has led efforts to educate both medical professionals and parents of intersexed children so that unnecessary surgeries may be avoided and intersexed people may have happier and healthier lives.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/chase_c.html

Roberta Close (b. 1964), one of the world's most famous transsexual celebrities, is a beautiful Brazilian model, actress, and television performer. When officials refused to recognize her chosen gender, Close took her case to Brazil's Supreme Court.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/close_r.html

Cross-Dressing is an important aspect of transgender experience, but it can meet a variety of needs for gay and straight men and women as well.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/cross_dressing_ssh.html

Michael Dillon (1915-1962) is the first person known to have transitioned both hormonally and surgically from female to male, but his pioneering writings at the intersection of ethics, medicine, biology, religion, philosophy, and transsexuality also made a significant contribution to glbtq history.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/dillon_m_ssh.html

For most of her life, Lili Elbe (1886-1931) was better known as Einar Wegener, a male Danish painter of some renown who specialized in landscapes and paintings of Paris. Her series of sexual reassignment surgeries in the early twentieth century was a remarkable and pioneering feat, making her one of the world's first post-operative male-to-female transsexuals.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/elbe_l.html

Reed Erickson (1917-1992) was an early transsexual who contributed a substantial portion of his personal fortune to a variety of glbtq causes in the 1960s and 1970s.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/erickson_r.html

Leslie Feinberg (b. 1949), an influential political organizer, grassroots historian, and writer, is a pioneer of transgender activism and culture.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/feinberg_l.html

GenderPAC was a national organization whose mission entailed ending discrimination on the basis of gender identification and stereotypes. The organization, which was active from 1996 through 2009, was founded by Riki Ann Wilchins.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/gender_public_advocacy.html

Genderqueer is a term for people who feel that their gender identities and expression do not correspond to the gender assigned to them at birth, but do not want to transition to the "opposite" gender.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/genderqueer.html

Hate Crimes is a recent category in the law that distinguishes crimes against a person or his or her property when motivated by bias towards a group or groups from the same crimes when not animated by the offending bias. Glbtq people suffer particularly violent bias-motivated crimes. Murders of transgender people are memorialized each year in November on the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/hate_crimes.html

Hijras are men who dress and act like women. They have been a presence in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan for generations, maintaining a third-gender role that has become institutionalized through tradition.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/hijras.html

Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935) was a German-born sexologist known as the "Einstein of Sex" by many of those who read him or heard him speak. Hirschfeld challenged homophobia and the enforcement of gender norms as a leading activist against Germany's now infamous Paragraph 175, a prolific writer, an internationally renowned public speaker, and as the founder of the Institute for Sexual Science.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/hirschfeld_m.html
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/paragraph_175.html

Intersexuals are people born with congenital anomalies of sexual differentiation. The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), an activist and advocacy organization, was founded by Cheryl Chase in 1993.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/intersexuality.html

Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989) was an actress, singer, and writer who underwent the first surgical sex change to be highly publicized in the United States. Jorgensen used her notoriety to educate the public about transsexuality and the differences between homosexuality, transvestism, and transsexuality.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/jorgensen_c.html

Charlotte von Mahlsdorf (1928-2002) was an East German preservationist and museum founder who is admired by many for her bravery in the face of persecution and for her openness as a transgendered public figure in perilous times. She has been the subject of an acclaimed autobiography, a film in which she played herself, and a Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/mahlsdorf_c.html

Jan Morris (b. 1926) is a talented and prolific Anglo-Welsh journalist, historian, and travel writer. Morris was one of the first transsexuals to tell her story publicly in a memoir, Conundrum.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/morris_j.html

Passing is generally defined as seeking or allowing oneself to be identified with a race, class, or other social group to which one does not genuinely belong. The term is usually used pejoratively, but transgender people have begun using the word in a more positive sense to mean being able to live and work in the gender with which they identify.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/passing.html

Virginia Charles Prince (1913-2009) was a pioneer in organizing social and support groups for heterosexually-identified male cross-dressers. Because of the popularity of her magazines and books within the transvestite community, Prince's philosophies were, and continue to be, influential--and controversial.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/prince_vc.html

Renee Richards (b. 1934), a transsexual tennis player, successfully sued the United States Tennis Association when it barred her from competing in the U.S. Women's Open.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/richards_r.html

Sylvia Rivera (1951-2002), a legendary veteran of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, spent most of her life at the forefront of transgender and gay activism.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/rivera_s.html

Sissies are sometimes reviled by heterosexuals and homosexuals alike, but the sissy has historically helped define gay culture, and has questioned dominant constructions of sex and gender.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/sissies.html

Sissy Boy Syndrome or "Gender Identity Disorder in Childhood" is a diagnosis created by the American Psychiatric Association that was added to its official list of mental disorders in 1980. The late queer theorist Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick was a particularly outspoken critic of the diagnosis.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/sissy_boy_syndrome.html

The Stonewall Riots were a series of confrontations between police and demonstrators that occurred at the Stonewall Inn in New York City during the weekend of June 27-29, 1969. They mark the beginning of the modern glbtq movement for equal rights. During the riots, police arrested a disproportionate number of "deviant" patrons--drag queens and butch lesbians--especially if they were people of color.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/stonewall_riots.html

Brandon Teena (1972-1993) was just twenty years old when he was murdered on December 31, 1993 on account of his gender non-conformity.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/teena_b.html

Tomboys must contend with the often false assumptions that they are lesbian or want to be male, but for many the tomboy stage is the first manifestation of a gender-fluid life journey.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/tomboys.html

Transgender has become an umbrella term representing a political alliance between all gender variant people who do not conform to social norms for typical men and women and who suffer political oppression as a result.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/transgender.html

Transgender Activism began in the late nineteenth century. Ever since, transgendered people have advocated legal and social reforms that would ameliorate the oppression they suffer.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/transgender_activism.html

Transgender Issues in Education have grown more pressing as transgender people become more visible at secondary and post-secondary schools. If institutions are to be welcoming to people of all genders, issues of discrimination and equal access to facilities and health care need to be addressed.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/transgender_issues_education.html

Transgender Issues in Sports largely surround fears of male athletes masquerading as women, but in 2000, the International Olympic Committee quietly stopped sex testing for Olympic athletes.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/sports_transgender_issues.html

Transgender Issues in the Law include transgender legal rights in areas such as employment policies, marriage and family law, medical care, hate crimes, and the need for sensitivity to transgender people's needs in schools, prisons, and other public institutions. While progress has been made, even a modicum of equality still often remains elusive.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/transgender_issues_law.html

Transsexual Autobiographers not only tell the stories of their lives, but most also seek to educate others in an effort to gain greater acceptance for transgender people.
http://www.glbtq.com/literature/autobio_transsexual.html

Transsexuals of Brazil--people who were born male but present themselves as female--are Brazil's single most marginalized group.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/transsexuals_brazil.html

_________________________________________________
NOTABLE BIRTHDAYS, November 1 through November 30

November 1: Italian Renaissance sculptor Benvenuto Cellini, 1500; German artist Hannah Höch, 1889; Olympic decathlete and founder of the Gay Games Tom Waddell, 1937; gay rights activist and environmentalist Robert Hattoy, 1950

November 2: Filmmaker Luchino Visconti, 1906; novelist Michelle Cliff, 1946; singer k.d. lang, 1961

November 3: Bibliographer Jeannette Howard Foster, 1895; playwright Terrence McNally, 1939; artist and writer Tee Corinne, 1943

November 4: Writer and editor J. R. Ackerley, 1896; jazz singer and pianist Frances Faye, 1912; editor and publisher Barbara Grier, 1933; photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, 1946; playwright Jon Robin Baitz, 1961

November 5: Writer Lesléa Newman, 1955

November 6: Actor Brad Davis, 1949; novelist Michael Cunningham, 1952; memoirist and comic performer and writer Frank DeCaro, 1962

November 8: American painter Charles Demuth, 1883

November 9: British film director Anthony Asquith, 1902; composer and arranger Roger Edens, 1905; poet James Schuyler, 1923

November 10: Filmmaker and poet James Broughton, 1913; activist Phyllis Lyon, 1924; British filmmaker Terence Davies, 1945

November 12: French literary theorist Roland Barthes, 1915

November 13: Writer and saint Augustine of Hippo, 354; professional golfer and golf commentator Rosie Jones, 1959

November 14: William III, King of England, 1650; German editor and activist Adolf Brand, 1874; American composer Aaron Copland, 1900; fashion designer Stefano Gabbana, 1962

November 15: English poet Charlotte Mew, 1869; painter Cady Wells, 1904

November 16: Playwright Paula Vogel, 1951; major league baseball player Glenn Burke, 1952; lyricist and director Scott Wittman, 1955

November 17: Mannerist artist Agnolo Bronzini, 1503; Louis XVIII, King of France, 1755; actor Rock Hudson, 1925; drag entertainer RuPaul, 1960

November 18: German writer Klaus Mann, 1906

November 19: Actor Clifton Webb, 1891; murderer Nathan Leopold, 1904; composer Billy Strayhorn, 1915; Los Angeles-based activist Morris Kight, 1919; fashion designer Calvin Klein, 1942; film actress, director, and producer Jodie Foster, 1962

November 20: Nobel laureate novelist Selma Lagerlöf; Finnish social scientist and philosopher Edward Westermarck, 1862; French theorist Geneviève Pastre, 1924

November 21: German artist Jeanne Mammen, 1890; Australian artist James Gleeson, 1915; acclaimed actress Cherry Jones, 1956

November 22: French Nobel laureate André Gide, 1869; British composer Benjamin Britten, 1913; tennis champion Billie Jean King, 1943; British Classical pianist Stephen Hough, 1961

November 23: Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, 1876; designer and artist Erté (Romain de Tirtoff), 1892; comic writer and performer Bruce Vilanch, 1948

November 24: Editor and writer Margaret Anderson, 1886; photographer Arthur Tress, 1940

November 25: American composer Virgil Thomson, 1896; American-Israeli poet and translator Robert Friend, 1913; German filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim, 1942; novelist David B. Feinberg, 1956

November 26: Novelist Isabel Miller (Alma Routsong), 1924; writer and editor Richard Hall, 1926; ventriloquist Wayland Flowers, 1939; South African activist Tseko Simon Nkoli, 1957; former professional basketball player John Amaechi, 1970; Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, 1983

November 27: Québécoise writer and editor Nicole Brossard, 1943

November 28: French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, 1632; Nazi Ernst Röhm, 1887; political activist Midge Costanza, 1932; novelist Rita Mae Brown, 1944; fashion designer John Galliano, 1960

November 29: Writer Peter Cameron, 1976

November 30: Director and screenwriter Tommy O'Haver, 1967
- - - -
Source: glbtq newsletter (www.glbtq.com (http://www.glbtq.com))

TheGodlessUtopian

10th November 2011, 14:51

Last Friday U.S. District Judge Morrison England told ProtectMarriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage that they can’t skirt California campaign-finance law (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/11/09/365080/judge-dismisses-anti-gay-groups-self-victimization-meme-evidence-is-quite-simply-stale/) by keeping the names of their Prop 8 donors secret.
The two anti-gay groups argued that their donors would face threats and harassment if their names were made public. It was an argument made by the NAACP in the 1950s—one which allowed the civil-rights group to keep its membership rolls sealed.
Wait, you mean that NOM isn’t just like the NAACP?
Judge England also pointed out that the names on the contributors list were actually disclosed in 2009 and yet NOM and ProtectMarriage.com haven’t been able to show any negative ramification. “It makes no sense to buy in to the argument that disclosure may result in repercussions when there is simply no real evidence in the record that such repercussions actually did occur in the past three years,” England said in his ruling. “Plaintiffs’ evidence is, quite simply, stale.”
Snap!
NOM plans to appeal, of course, because no one should be allowed to stick their noses into other people’s private business. Unless those other people are homosexuals, that is.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/judge-requires-nom-to-disclose-prop-8-donors-because-nom-is-not-the-naacp-20111109/

Alex Morse, had a good Tuesday: The 22-year-old Brown graduate was just elected mayor of Holyoke, MA—no mean feat for an out gay guy who’s barely legal to drink. http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Picture-170-600x378.png

Born and raised in Holyoke, a town of some 40,000 people not far from Springfield, Morse has spent most of his life in public service: He founded the LGBT nonprofit Holyoke for All, served on the Massachusetts Governor’s LGBT Commission, worked in City Hall in Providence, RI, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Holyoke Community Land Trust, the Latino Scholarship Association and the Friends of the Holyoke Public Library.
Heck, he even started a youth baseball league.
“Alex is a force of nature, and proof that young LGBT Americans are determined to live authentic lives as they build their careers. We’re incredibly proud of the campaign he ran,” said Chuck Wolfe, president of the Victory Fund, which heartily endorsed Morse early on.
God, do we feel old and lazy.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/even-more-good-election-news-ma-city-elects-americas-youngest-gay-mayor-20111109/

In some ways, yesterday’s election results were a referendum on the GOP and its plan to turn America into a right-wing, reactionary regime, state by state. The good news is many of their high-profile campaigns—like Mississippi’s anti-choice “personhood” ballot measure and Ohio’s union-busting Issue 2—failed.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/chris-seelbach-600x600.jpgWant a cherry on top? Chris Seelbach became the first out city council (http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20111108/NEWS0108/111090344/Cincinnati-voters-shake-up-City-Council) member in Cincinnati, a town not exactly known for its progressive values.
Seelbach, 31, a former staffer for Vice Mayor David Crowley, worked to overturn a law that banned labeling LGBT people as a protected class in 2004. He now works as a vice president at a local marketing firm and co-chairs the Cincinnati branch of HRC.
All in all, voters in Cincinnati (a.k.a. the Queen city) ousted four Republicans from the council—in part a backlash against Issue 2, which would’ve limited the collective bargaining rights of unions.
“I think the voters clearly decided they wanted a progressive council,” said Mayor Mark Mallory. “I am thrilled for the city of Cincinnati.”
Seelbach—a Kentucky transplant lives with his partner, Craig, in Cincinnati’s historic Over the Rhine neighborhood—seems like a right-on dude,. And he’s not exactly hard on the eyes either. Check him out in a campaign commercial below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AZ1qvLj8ls&feature=player_embedded

Source: http://www.queerty.com/more-good-election-news-cincinnati-elects-its-first-gay-council-member-20111109/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UCbs0Xmelvs

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-progress-in-me-wa-md-and-nj%E2%80%94and-flight-attendants-rally-for-marriage-equality-20111108/

Smyg

11th November 2011, 17:50

Uganda jails murderer of gay activist (http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/11/2011111114502449448.html) - Al Jazeera.

TheGodlessUtopian

14th November 2011, 18:40

BEAT (http://www.queerty.com/study-fbi-hate-crimes-report-has-bad-news-for-black-gay-jewish-men-20111114/) STUDY: FBI Hate-Crime Report Has Bad News For Gay Men (http://www.queerty.com/study-fbi-hate-crimes-report-has-bad-news-for-black-gay-jewish-men-20111114/)

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/graph.jpg
Federal Bureau of Investigation just released its Hate Crime Statistics report for 2010 (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010). And while the figures haven’t changed so much from last year’s, they’re still troubling.
Local law enforcement agencies reported 8,208 hate-crime victims. A majority of the victims fell prey to racist violence (47.3 percent). Of the 3,949 victims of racially-motivated attacks, 70 percent were attacked for being black and 17.7 for being white. Of the 6,008 known offenders in all hate crimes, 58.6 percent were white and 18.4 were black.
It’s interesting to note that religion and sexual orientation got targeted for attacks at similar rates (20 to 19.3 percent or 1,552 to 1,528 victims respectively). But before you go believing NOM’s line that Christians and “marriage defenders” are being targeted for their faith (http://www.queerty.com/nom-offshoot-defends-teachers-right-to-vomit-and-gayterrorist-comparisons-20110930/), keep in mind that Jewish and Islamic faiths faced the brunt with of violence (accounting for 67 to 12.7 percent of the the 1,552 anti-religious attacks) while Christians ranked just over seven percent.
Furthermore, of the 1,528 attacks motivated by sexual orientation, gay men got targeted 57.3 percent of the time and lesbians got targeted 11.8 percent of the time—presumably including bisexuals. Sadly, the report does not include anti-trans crime yet, but thanks to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009, local authorities have begun tracking such data.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/study-fbi-hate-crimes-report-has-bad-news-for-black-gay-jewish-men-20111114/

On Saturday, more than 2,000 people marched through downtown Hong Kong’s for the city-state’s annual gay pride parade (http://hkpride.net/2011/tc).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/hong-kong-gay-pride.jpg.pngThe event, which drew members of the LGBT community and their allies from Taiwan and mainland China as well, spotlighted the discrimination still felt by sexual minorities—with a theme of “For queer, for love, for equality.” Though Hong Kong decriminalized homosexuality in 1991, there a few legal protections for gay people and just this year the government hired a reparative-therapy to train counselors.
“We are here today because we want the society to know who we are and we hope they don’t discriminate against the LGBT community,” Mic Au, 21, told the AP (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hYOorR-D_yky6uVGwv3i5cytLlkA?docId=CNG.cbc3ed79698bb9cab8 ad6a92169ceb0c.151). “I hope the government will enact laws that ban discrimination against homosexuals, at workplace or at schools.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-thousands-rally-at-hong-kong-pride-parade-20111114/

The Dutch Children’s Ombudsman, a governmental child-rights group in Holland is tackling bullying (http://lemonscentedtea.com/2011/10/support-childrens-rights-support-the-childrens-ombudsman/) in a new PSA, and they’re not pussyfooting around.
In the above clip, created by media firm Lemon Scented Tea (http://lemonscentedtea.com/2011/10/support-childrens-rights-support-the-childrens-ombudsman/) and directed by Anne de Clercq, we follow the story of Dave, a Dutch 16-year-old who endures daily beatings and harassment at school because he’s gay. It’s one of four videos (http://www.dekinderombudsman.nl/) created as part of the “Every child has the right to…” campaign that puts children’s rights in the spotlight.
What’s truly unique, though, is that these stories are true. In fact, that’s David himself you see from behind in the video. Queerty reader David Pfister, who brought the campaign to our attention, says, “the film it is shaking up Holland.”
We were pretty shaken up after watching it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZVifKGmW3Yo

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-holland-goes-way-beyond-it-gets-better-in-new-anti-bullying-psa-20111113/

TheGodlessUtopian

16th November 2011, 20:40

Though it debuted more than 25 years ago, The Normal Heart continues to amaze, entertain and inform audiences with insights into the early days of the AIDS epidemic.So it’s great news that the Tony-winning drama is touring the nation, beginning with a Washington, DC, production debuting June 6, 2012 at Arena Stage.
“The Normal Heart is a play that deserves to be seen by audiences everywhere,” said producer Daryl Roth, “and I am fiercely committed to making sure that happens—especially in Washington, DC, during ‘AIDS 2012’, the biennial international AIDS conference that returns to the United States for the first time in 22 years.”
AIDS might still be here three decades on, but Normal Heart helps remind us that we’re still here, too.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/seminal-aids-drama-the-normal-heart-hits-the-road-20111116/

It seems like everytime a basketball player (http://www.queerty.com/joakim-noah-says-nbas-faggot-fine-is-fair-but-is-kobe-still-appealing-his-20110525/), Oscar producer (http://www.queerty.com/hollywood-sleaze-bret-ratner-apologizes-for-f-bomb-still-gets-to-screw-up-the-oscars-20111108/) or random goon (http://www.queerty.com/watch-security-guard-drops-f-bomb-on-gay-veteran-at-occupy-wall-street-20111115/) in New York City says “faggot”, GLAAD and everyone else gets all riled up and tries to publicly shame whoever said it.
That’s fine, but it’s also kinda like Holden Caulfield trying to erase all the “fuck yous” in the world—”If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn’t rub out even half the ‘Fuck you’ signs in the world. It’s impossible.”
So maybe it’s time we reclaim “faggot” by using it to denote positive things instead.
HuffPo Gay Voices writer Domenick Scudera has a plan (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/domenick-scudera/reclaiming-the-gay-fword_b_1092157.html):
You have probably heard of other people reclaiming offensive language to remove the sting, and now it is the gays’ turn… Here is what I propose: designate one day a week, say, a Friday, as Fag Friday or, simply, Fagday. During the course of the day, substitute words that have positive connotations with the word “fag” or “faggot.” For instance, instead of saying, “Have a nice day!” say, “Have a fag day!” “Nice” = “fag.” … If we all do this all day long on Fagdays, then the whole nation will be equating “faggots” with happy, joyful things…
The general public will overhear statements like these all day long:
• “You look absolutely fagtastic today!”
• “Fag morning. How may I help you?”
• “Oh, Karen, your baby is just faggy! Look at that faggoty face!”
…It’s just a word. It will hurt you only if you let it.
May the Fag be with you!
He’s only kidding of course as he suggests bringing up his plan at the next “Gay Agenda meeting.” But he raises an interesting point. Especially when gays are increasingly known as socially adept creatives who are sometimes well-cultured and quite fashionable, when will “gay” stop working as a synonym for “stupid, un-original and lifeless” and start meaning “well put together and unconventionally clever”?
Like so:
“You’re son and his purple fanny pack are totally gay.”
“Why thank you! He made the fanny pack himself and uses it to raise money for women who have had their faces kicked off by horses.”
“I wish my son was as gay as yours.”
“Oooooh gurl, please.”
See? Magical.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/its-time-to-reclaim-the-f-word-by-using-it-a-million-times-every-friday-20111116/

New York-based AIDS services nonprofit Housing Works has filed suit (http://www.housingworks.org/advocate/detail/housing-works-files-suit-against-phoenix-house-on-behalf-of-transgender-bro) against the Brooklyn chapter of Phoenihttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/housing-works.jpg.pngx House, an alcohol-and-drug rehabilitation center, for discriminating against the rights of a trans woman enrolled in its treatment program.
The plaintiff, identified as “Ms. Wilson,” has identified as female since age 14 and entered Phoenix House as an alternative to jailtime. But she was barred from dressing as a woman while there and not allowed to join a women’s support group. Eventually Wilson was terminated from the program, relapsed into drug use and was jailed for more than two years.
“Phoenix House and its Brooklyn director violated Ms. Wilson’s fundamental human right to express her gender identity, and expelled her from the program as a result of her attempts to do so,” said Housing Works Staff Attorney Ignacio Jaureguilorda. “Phoenix House is supposed to help people but instead exacerbated Ms. Wilson’s struggles with substance use.”
Jaureguilorda’s team claims that by denying Wilson’s right to gender expression, Phoenix House was in violation of New York State and City human rights laws. (Housing Works is also one of the main architects of the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination against transgender New Yorkers.)
They are seeking damages as well as changes at the center that would make it more welcoming to transgender participants.
Source: Housing Works (http://www.housingworks.org/advocate/detail/housing-works-files-suit-against-phoenix-house-on-behalf-of-transgender-bro)

Source: http://www.queerty.com/trans-woman-sues-brooklyn-drug-treatment-center-for-discrimination-20111115/
(http://www.housingworks.org/advocate/detail/housing-works-files-suit-against-phoenix-house-on-behalf-of-transgender-bro)

TheGodlessUtopian

16th November 2011, 20:46

On Tuesday, a Joint Judiciary Committee in the Massachusetts legislature advanced a six-year-old bill (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/15/Transgender_Equal_Rights_Bill_Advances_in_Mass_Leg islature/) that would include trans people as a “protected class” in the state’s hate crime laws, prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in jobs, housing, insurance, mortgage loans and credit—that’s good, right?
Well… the bill also shares a big flaw with a similar trans rights measure that died in Maryland (http://www.queerty.com/why-are-marylands-trans-activists-celebrating-the-death-of-the-gender-identity-anti-discrimination-bill-20110401/) just this last April—it doesn’t guarantee trans people the right to recieve proper “public accommodations” in hospitals, bathrooms gyms, restaurants, hotels or public transit.
The bill’s sponsors dropped public accommodation protections to garner Republican support for the bill—because letting trans people use public restroom will endanger daughters and wives (http://www.queerty.com/who-is-behind-mas-transphobic-bathroom-bill-radio-ads-20110714/), naturally. Jennifer Levi, director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders’ Transgender Rights Project says that the bill is at least a good start that takes political reality into account while laying the groundwork for public accommodation inclusion later on. But trans blogger Monica Roberts has called the bill an “unjust… civil rights malpractice” (http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/11/unjust-trans-right-bills-advancing-in.html):
When will you white trans activists get it through your thick fracking heads that taking public accommodations out of a civil rights bill or settling so you can get a legislative win is NEVER a fracking option?…
I know it’s a pain in the rear to get comprehensive trans rights laws passed in the first place. That’s why it’s even more important you get it right the first time and don’t do it half assed.
And once again who will pay for your lack of civil rights vision?… POC (people of color) and low income transpeople in Massachusetts.”
Roberts argues that without laws expressly forbidding trans discrimination in public places, we’ll get more McDonald’s bathroom beatdowns like the one inflicted on Crissy Polis (http://www.queerty.com/mickey-ds-transbashers-get-hate-crimes-charges-with-side-of-assault-20110516/). Polis was a white trans person and a public accommodations law probably wouldn’t have stopped her attackers from stomping and dragging her by her hair across the Mickey D’s floor, but whatever.
Roberts at least raises one particularly powerful point: if cisgendered Massachusetts politicians wouldn’t accept a civil rights bill that denied them public access to bathrooms, transportation and hospitals, why should trans citizens?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/why-wont-mas-trans-rights-bill-protect-trans-people-from-public-discrimination-20111115/

When 10-year-old Ashlynn Conner began cheerleading for the youth football team in her small Illinois town, the fifth grader got a bob haircut and the other children at Ridge Farm Elementary School began calling her “a boy,” “fat,” “ugly” and “slut.” Over time, the teasing got so bad that Ashlynn asked her mother if she could be home schooled, and her mother promised to talk with her school principal about the teasing.
Then on Friday night, Conner’s mother overheard her daughter talking on the phone to a friend about being teased. Barely 30 minutes later, Conner’s 14-year-old sister discovered her hanging in the closet. Conner’s grandmother untied Ashlynn and tried administering CPR to save her granddaughter’s life, but it was too late—Conner was already dead (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-family-teasing-pushed-10yearold-to-suicide-20111115,0,3791314.story).
County Sheriff Pat Hartshorn has promised to investigate claims of bullying but says, “We don’t have any firm evidence to support bullying.” Nevertheless, Conner’s tragic death illustrates the role gender norms and identity play in LGBT related bullying.
While there’s nothing suggesting that Conner was LGBT, the expectation that she look and act “like a normal girl” may have played a role in her death. Anti-queer bullying doesn’t require the victim to be LGBT; it only requires that the bullies torment someone for acting different than they expect a young man or woman to act.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/10-year-old-ashlynn-conner-may-not-have-been-lesbian-but-she-killed-herself-over-gender-identity-20111116/

Ranker.com generally lists fun things like “The 5 Dumbest Doritos-Related Arrests of All Time (http://www.ranker.com/list/the-5-dumbest-doritos-related-arrests-of-all-time/robert-wabash)” and “Ugly Photos of Usually Hot Celebrities (http://www.ranker.com/list/the-18-ugliest-photos-of-_usually-hot_-famous-chicks/greg).” But the site got serious this week with a rundown of religious parents (http://www.ranker.com/list/fundamentalist-parents-who-have-attacked-their-own-gay-child/ballerina-tatyana) who put their LGBT kids through physical, mental and emotional abuse to knock the queer out of them. In some cases, they even killed them. How very Christian!
Here’s a look at Ranker’s list of Asshat Parents Hall of Fame. (Check out their post (http://www.ranker.com/list/fundamentalist-parents-who-have-attacked-their-own-gay-child/ballerina-tatyana) for more details):
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/10/sam_brinton_ifdw-100x100.jpgSam Brinton
Though some on the blogosphere have questioned the extent of his accusations, Brinton says that, as part of his ex-gay “therapy (http://www.queerty.com/punching-burning-electrocuting-and-stabbing-your-gay-son-will-probably-not-make-him-straight-20111007/),” he was given electric shocks while being made to watch gay porn. His father hoped to make the boy associate homosexuality with pain.
Lyn Duff
After telling her family that she was gay in 1991, when she was just 15, Duff was sent to a Utah psychiatric center for conversion therapy. Like Brinton, she was abused while being forced to watch gay porn in hopes of creating a negative reaction. It didn’t work—Duff escaped, got herself emancipated from her nutbag mother and was adopted by a loving lesbian couple. She’s now a successful journalist.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/10/pittman_lee_th-100x100.jpgJeremy Pittman, Jr.
When Jerry Pittman and his boyfriend, Dustin Lee, arrived at the Grace Fellowship Church in Fruitland, TN, church members—including Pittman’s uncle and father, the church’s minister—attacked the couple (http://www.queerty.com/gay-bashing-child-abusing-tn-pastor-also-a-thief-20111007/) with punches and gay slurs. The cops came, but wouldn’t let Lee and Pittman press charges. (The sheriff later allowed them to do so.)
Steen Fenrich
At just 19, Fenrich was murdered by his stepfather because of his homosexuality. Briefly enlisted in the Army, Fenrich went missing in 1999. Six months later his remains were found, dismembered and partially disolved in acid.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/10/Ronnie_Paris-100x100.jpgRonnie Antonio Paris
Even we didn’t know we were gay when we were in diapers, but apparently Ronnie’s dad could tell his toddler was “that way” when he was just a one-year-old, and began beating and slapping him for being “a sissy.” When Child Services finally removed him from the home, Ronnie was malnourished and had a broken arm. Two years later, after he was returned to his parents—and the cycle of abuse, Ronnie slipped into a coma and died. His parents were at Bible study at the time.

Source: Ranker.com (http://www.ranker.com/)
(http://www.ranker.com/)
Source: http://www.queerty.com/6-fundamentalist-parents-who-horribly-abused-their-gay-kids-20111015/

TheGodlessUtopian

17th November 2011, 16:44

Daniel Avila, a recent Douche of the Week recipient (http://www.queerty.com/daniel-avilas-satan-makes-babies-gay-idea-is-too-crazy-even-for-catholics-20111104/) for his stunning insight that homosexuality is caused in utero by the Devil, has come out with the “real” reason he was forced to resign.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/daniel-avila1.jpg
Somehow we think it’s gonna have to do with Satan.
On November 4, Avila stepped down as a marriage advisor due to his Boston Pilot column that said, in regards to homosexuality, “the ultimate responsibility, on a theological level, is and should be imputed to the evil one, not God.”
Now, in a letter to the National Catholic Register (http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/former-adviser-to-u.s.-bishops-explains-his-resignation/), he claims he resigned because the furor over his essay was so “radioactive,” it was distracting the Church from its main mission: stopping gay marriage.
He also says he wasn’t wrong about old Nick Scratch making sissy fetuses, he just didn’t explain himself well enough.
Is this gonna be one of those “I’m sorry you feel that way” apologies?
In the letter, Avila explains:

” …I offered to apologize and resign voluntarily based on my own conscience and assessments. I was in a hole that I dug all on my own, and it was time to stop digging. My superiors and colleagues treated me with understanding, compassion and prudence. My resignation was not offered nor do I believe that it was accepted because anyone involved thinks that the Church’s role in the definition-of-marriage debate should be reduced. Instead, there is unanimity that the Church’s involvement should be strengthened without distraction.
My column touched inexpertly and incompletely on speculative matters (see e.g. the online critique (http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/articles.cfm?id=512) by Jeff Mirus; see also Proverbs 12:1), on which the USCCB has taken no position, and yet which were related to the issues of marriage and family that were within the ambit of my official concerns. USCCB must advance the Church’s policy positions recognizing the inviolable dignity of every human being and the inalterable nature of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. These are not matters of speculation for the Church, but risked being obscured by the aftermath from my own speculations…
Unfortunately, some will take away from this the opposite and erroneous lesson that the Church and people of faith should refrain altogether from speaking out to influence policymakers and recede entirely from the arena of debate, or else risk being hounded from the podium as if the Church’s teaching on marriage itself harmed the common good.
So, Mr. Avila was a victim, not a bigot. Shame on all of you!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-devil-makes-gay-babies-columnist-daniel-avila-comes-out-swinging-20111116/

After Andrea Jones had gender reassignment surgery and was recognized as female by the Social Security office, she went into a Tennessee DMV office to change the gender on her driver’s license—but they denied her request.
So she walked out into the parking lot, removed her shirt and the police arrested her for indecent exposure (http://www.wate.com/story/16039917/morristown-transgendered-woman-says-she-went-topless-to-make-a-statement), though it’s completely legal for men to go around shirtless.
Even the police report refers to Jones as a man, something she has responded to thusly: “If I was a male, I had the right to, when I stepped out the door, take off my shirt. It’s not right for the state to ask me to be both male and female. A choice needs to be made. They cannot hold me to both standards.”
She’s right. In the meanwhile she’s a female to the Social Security Administration, a male to the Department of Motor Vehicles and somewhere in between to the police.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/tn-couldnt-decide-whether-andrea-jones-is-male-or-female-so-they-arrested-her-20111116/

The National Organization for Marriage has picked its next “traditional marriage defender,” fired for expressing beliefs that gays deserve second-class citizenship. His name is Damian Goddard, he was a Canadian sportscaster and NOM probably chose him because they couldn’t find an American dumb enough to lose their job via Twitter.
When New York Rangers hockey player made a video in support of marriage equality, Todd Reynolds the vice president of Canadian hockey management group Uptown Sports sent out a flurry of tweets (http://www.queerty.com/why-the-eff-does-a-canadian-hockey-agency-oppose-new-york-marriage-equality-20110510/) calling Avery’s support “misguided,” marriage equality “wrong” and his beliefs “just my personal viewpoint” adding, “I do not hate anyone.”
Canadian sportscaster Damian Goddard says the “awful, hateful things” tweeted in response to Reynolds made him feel compelled to help. And so in May he tweeted, “I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and true meaning of marriage.” Very soon after, the broadcast company where he worked tweeted, “Today’s tweet from Damian Goddard does not reflect the views of Rogers Sportsnet.” And the next day they fired him, saying “it had become clear that [Goddard] is not the right fit for our organization.”
In NOM’s video (the same kind that they made (http://www.queerty.com/nom-offshoot-defends-teachers-right-to-vomit-and-gayterrorist-comparisons-20110930/) for Jerry “gays make me vomit” Buell and Frank “gays are pedophiliac terrorists” Turek), Goddard says that he filed a Human Rights complaint against his employer because, “If we do not do anything or say anything or put pressure on our government leaders to make sure that this does not happen again, if we don’t do that it’s going to get worse.”
So, NOM is worried about Canadian employment practices now? Are they worried that Canada will export marriage equality over to the United States? Are they completely clueless that tweeting against marriage equality is like publicly advocating Jim Crow laws? If legalizing marriage equality will create many more cases like Damian Goddard, does NOM have hundreds of others who have lost their jobs just for “defending traditional marriage”?
The answer to all these questions is no. Because NOM know there’s no connection between marriage equality and what happened to Goddard. The high-profile TV personality was fired for making a negative political statement against his employer’s wishes, period. They didn’t want their company represented by a man who just told tens of thousands of viewers that he considers their marriages false, dishonest and wrong. Keeping him just would have been bad business, plain and simple.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PYtGrP68VwQ

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nom-chooses-damian-goddard-as-their-posterboy-because-they-care-about-canada-or-something-20111117/

With income disparity on the rise, the safety net for the poor increasingly in shreds, and a void in serious policy debate, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are rising to the challenge before them by completely ignoring all of the above and focusing instead on marriage equality and women’s reproductive rights. Proving yet again that the Catholic bishops are basically Republicans in Roman collars, the bishops announced at their annual confab this week that they will be launching a new campaign on religious liberty–by which they mean, the liberty of everyone to practice the type of religion the bishops deem fit.
“We see in our culture a drive to neuter religion,” Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the bishops conference, said (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/us/bishops-renew-fight-on-abortion-and-gay-marriage.html?src=me&ref=us). Dolan added that “well-financed, well-oiled sectors”–and you know who you are–were trying “to push religion back into the sacristy.” Which begs the question of where it should be in a society dedicated to the separation of church and state.
Some of this is no doubt sour grapes on Dolan’s part because of his blessed ineptitude (http://www.queerty.com/ny-archbishop-fears-gay-marriage-will-make-us-asian-20110616/) during the marriage equality battle in New York state. Also, losing high profile battles is no way to get a promotion from the Vatican, and Dolan would no doubt dearly like to get a cardinal’s red hat.
The bishops have formed a religious “liberty” committee, which sounds a little bit like a Tea Party event with incense burners, to promote their ideas. They even established a website (http://www.marriageuniqueforareason.org/) to tell us why they only support mixed marriage (i.e., between a man and woman). As if we had to ask.
Of course, the bishops have picked issues with which their flock doesn’t agree with them (http://www.queerty.com/study-catholics-arent-nearly-as-anti-gay-or-pro-child-rape-as-their-pope-20111026/). That doesn’t seem to faze them, though. And the bishops do acknowledge that there is an increased call for Church social services in these tough times. Too bad that evil gays are stopping poor people from getting the help they need. “The services which the Catholic Church and other denominations provide are more crucial than ever, but it is becoming more and more difficult for us to deliver these services in a manner that respects the very faith that impels us to provide them,” Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport told the Conference. In other words, the bishops will choose principle over charity every time, no matter who suffers as a result. Some principles are worth suffering for, particularly if you aren’t the one doing the suffering.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/catholic-bishops-hate-you-they-just-formed-a-committee-to-prove-it-20111116/

TheGodlessUtopian

17th November 2011, 16:54

A tragic romance between a lesbian couple will be the first gay feature film in the 60-year history of Nepalese cinema. It also is the first time a French cinematographer, Sarah Cornu, has worked in a Nepali movie.
The movie, Snow Flowers, is directed by Parisian film-maker Subarna Thapa, and stars well known Nepalese actresses, Dia Maskey and Nisha Adhikari (R-L, below), in a story of two women in love but unable to come out and be together.

http://cdn.shewired.com/sites/shewired.com/files/imce/lebso_diyamaskeyandnishaadhikari.jpg
The lesbian love story at the core of the film has afforded Snow Flowers the nickname "Brokeback Everest," in the local media, as it’s 2012 spring film release approaches. There is doubt as “whether the public in the deeply-religious nation will accept the project,” the AFP reports (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h_EwZE3xk9Orwco85x86NkQiWDnA?docId=CNG.fca11 6c64091d56b372d5ceeb38ebcad.831).
"It's two individuals falling in love and facing all the controversy and restrictions, and mental, emotional and physical traumas of being a lesbian in Nepal," star Adhikari, who chopped off her long dark locks for the part, told AFP. "It's a simple love story with a lot of complications."
Adhikari, 25, believes the film sheds light on the turmoil, pressures, and depression that same-sex couples often experience in Nepal. Usually, LGBT characters are relegated to cartoonish, campy, comedic relief roles.
"The entire movie is based on the trauma, Adhikari summarizes. “What it is like not being able to come out and live your life because there are so many restrictions…”

http://cdn.shewired.com/sites/shewired.com/files/imce/nepal-nisha-adhikari-snow-flowers-AFP-543.jpg

The complex issue same-sex couples face will be on the big screen for the first time. For Sunil Pant, the country's only openly gay parliamentarian, the film could be a breakthrough for society as well as the small local cinema industry, according to AFP.

"Nepal has always been tolerant and we are now really ready to treat each other equally," he said. "It's also about freedom of expression and our right to be able to watch films about our lives and issues. I am excited and can't wait to see the film released in Nepal."
Source: http://www.shewired.com/news/2011/11/16/nepals-first-gay-film-snow-flower-dubbed-brokeback-everest-lesbian

Russian City Tries to Outlaw Gay Events

Lawmakers in St. Petersburg, Russia, have tentatively approved legislation that would prohibit gay pride parades and other public LGBT events.
By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-16/st-petersburg-russia.jpg

Lawmakers in St. Petersburg, Russia, have tentatively approved legislation that would prohibit gay pride parades and any public event or discussion dealing with LGBT issues that could be observed by minors.

The Moscow Times (http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/st-pete-may-fine-gays-who-are-open/447995.html) described the bill as “curiously equating such acts to promotion of pedophilia.” LGBT activists called it “medieval,” and legal experts thought it vulnerable to court challenges, but proponents said it is, if anything, insufficiently harsh. “The rising popularity of sexual deviations influences our children in a negative way,” said its author, Vitaly Milonov.

The city’s legislature passed the bill in a first reading Tuesday with a vote of 37-1, with one abstention. It needs to pass two more readings, which have not been scheduled.

Igor Kochetkov of the LGBT group Vykhod said the legislation “smacks of the Middle Ages” and called it a ploy to increase the popularity of the United Russia political party in advance of the state election December 4. Activists staged a series of one-person pickets, the only form of public protest that doesn’t require government permission, on Tuesday. They also said they would ask the European Court of Human Rights to intervene.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/16/Russian_City_Tries_to_Outlaw_Gay_Events/

TheGodlessUtopian

18th November 2011, 15:38

The Moscow legislature is considering passing a bill that would penalize anyone who publicly promotes “sodomy, homosexuality, bisexuality or transgender identity to minors.” St. Petersburg has already started the legislative process to pass a similar bill that would fine individuals 3,000 rubles ($97.50) and organizations 10,000 to 50,000 rubles ($325 to $1,625) for promoting LGBT causes.
Disturbingly the bill offers no definition to what “publicly promoting” entails, so it could conceivably include anything from handing out condoms to picketing, protesting or walking in a Pride march.
And while the bills haven’t been made into law just yet, you and your comrades may still wanna pack a bunch of singles just if you ever decide to go on gay holiday in the former USSR.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/it-may-soon-cost-100-to-be-gay-in-moscow-and-st-petersburg-20111117/

Iowa’s top state senator is standing firm on his commitment to block any legislative movement to constitutionally ban gay marriage in the only Midwestern state where it is legal.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, a Democrat, reiterated his opposition during a Thursday interview on Iowa Public Television. The minority leader, Jerry Behn, said that Republicans will still bring up the issue in session. Lawmakers would have to vote in favor of a constitutional amendment during two consecutive legislative sessions before the issue would go before voters.

But the Democrats maintain a majority in the senate, following the victory of Liz Mathis in a special election last week.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that laws barring same-sex couples from marrying violated the state constitution, though voters a year later ousted three justices who were up for retention votes.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/18/Iowa_Pol_No_Means_No_on_Antigay_Amendment/

A new report highlights the health and lifestyle disparities of LGBT seniors, including social isolation and unequal treatment.
The Public Policy & Aging Report, from the groups Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders and the National Academy on an Aging Society, is designed to be the first step in bringing concrete change to this population segment. It's estimated that there will be over 3 million LGBT people over the age of 65 by 2030.
"Given the voluminous gerontological literature that has built up over the past half-century, it is hard to imagine that any set of aging populations has been largely ignored or under-investigated. Yet, LGBT older adults have remained nearly invisible to the community of advocates, researchers, practitioners, administrators, and politicians who associate themselves with the modern aging enterprise," study editor Robert Hudson, chair of the department of social policy at the Boston University School of Social Work, said in a statement.
Highlighted in the Public Policy & Aging Reportwere the differences in health between heterosexual and LGBT seniors — rates of smoking and breast cancer are higher among gays than straights, for example. Economic gaps are also glaring, and many LGBT seniors find themselves without children to help them in their later years. HIV is also a major issue — one demographic estimate states that one in two Americans living with HIV will be 50 or older by 2015.
"Despite recent policy advances, LGBT older adults still face significant barriers to successful aging, such as... unequal treatment under the law and in programs aimed at aging populations," Michael Adams, executive director of Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders, said in a statement. Read more about the report here. (http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-highlights-lgbt-older-adults-policy.html)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/17/The_Shocking_Truth_About_LGBT_Seniors/

TheGodlessUtopian

19th November 2011, 16:23

In August when Obama promised (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-has-obama-just-promised-to-stop-deporting-all-bi-national-same-sex-couples-20110818/) that the Department of Homeland Security would stop tearing apart “low priority” LGBT bi-national couples and focus on “high-priority” security risks instead, we cheered. But now the DHS has just released guidelines (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/11/18/new-dhs-guidance-on-immigration-omits-same-sex-couples/) to attorneys with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and immigrants in same-sex relationships with U.S. citizens are not listed as those who could be considered low priority. Have we just been played?
According to Chris Johnson at The Washington Blade (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/11/18/new-dhs-guidance-on-immigration-omits-same-sex-couples/), even though LGBT couples don’t get explicitly mentioned in the DHS guidelines, the guidelines do identify as another low category an undocumented immigrant “who has a very long-term presence in the United States, has a immediate family member who is a United States citizen, and has established compelling ties and made compelling contributions to the United States.”
A DHS official who spoke on condition of anonymity said:
“One of the strongest reasons why we go with a family approach — focusing on the family relationship and not a marital relationship — is because we want to include individuals who are in long standing domestic partnerships so we can capture more same-sex couples. We used the term the family members largely so that domestic partnerships would be included in the standard.”
That’s nice and all. But Steve Ralls, spokesperson for Immigration Equality explains why the new guidelines should have explicitly mentioned LGBT couples:
“By declining to address, in writing, the unique circumstances surrounding those couples, DHS has left too much room for interpretation and left too many couples vulnerable to separation… the fact that [the] DHS does not say so in its written guidelines, leav[es] the definition of ‘immediate family member’ open to interpretation by DHS and ICE officers. That’s problematic because, without that explicit guidance, there is no documentation mandating that officers use an inclusive definition as they review pending deportation cases.”
Ralls goes onto say that without such explicit documentation, a foreign-born spouse could get shipped back to their homophobic country of origin.
We guess we’ll have to wait until the next high profile bi-national deportation case to see if Obama will make good on his seemingly weak fall season promise.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/obama-promised-to-stop-deporting-lgbt-spouses-but-forgot-to-tell-immigration-officials-20111118/

Sunday is International Transgender Day of Remembrance (http://www.transgenderdor.org/), commemorating trans people whose lives have been lost to violence.
Over 119 trans people were murdered (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/16/us-transgender-idUKTRE7AF1UA20111116) in the first nine months of 2011 alone.
Now, sadly, we can add Cassidy Vickers to that list.
Vickers was killed by an unknown assailant last night around 10pm, near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Gower Street in Hollywood. The suspect, said to be a 5’ 9” black man between the ages of 20 aand 30, shot Vickers in the chest (http://www.lgbtpov.com/2011/11/alert-transgender-woman-murdered-in-hollywood-another-shot-at-in-plummer-park/) with a semi-automatic pistol and ran off. Nearly an hour later, the same assailant is believed to have shot another black trans woman. She, fortunately, survived to contact the police.
According to authorities, the man is still at large, still armed and still dangerous.
Light a candle for Ms. Vickers on Sunday, and pray that others like her might stay safe.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/trans-woman-shot-to-death-in-hollywood-as-transgender-day-of-remembrance-nears-20111118/

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True to their word (http://www.queerty.com/stop-sb48-failures-promises-a-second-attack-on-cas-lgbt-education-law-20111102/), the failures that failed (http://www.queerty.com/stop-sb48-fails-to-get-lgbt-education-bill-on-the-ballot-20111013/) to bring the LGBT-inclusive FAIR Education Act (http://www.queerty.com/amazeballs-ca-gov-jerry-brown-signs-lgbt-education-bill-20110714/) (a.k.a. Bill SB48) to a vote has mounted a new effort (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/11/17/371503/anti-gay-coalition-files-for-ballot-initiative-to-overturn-fair-education-act/)—only this time, they’re not trying to repeal the entire law, they just want to remove LGBT Americans and sexual orientation from the topics covered in public school social studies classes.
Stop SB48′s original tagline was “It costs too much, it goes too far.” If they keep it, they will basically be saying that LGBT Americans somehow cost more money to cover than all the other ethnic and cultural groups inlcuded in the Fair Education Act. Or they could always go with the scare-mongering “indoctrination” (http://www.queerty.com/can-we-please-just-start-admitting-that-we-do-actually-want-to-indoctrinate-kids-20110512/) claim—that old chestnut seems to always squeeze out a couple of dedicated whackos. Or they could always just lie again (http://www.queerty.com/ca-anti-gay-activists-use-child-molesters-to-help-kill-lgbt-history-law-20110927/) and tell people they’re signing a petition against child molestation.
Regardless, the group has 150 days to collect more than 504,760 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. That places their deadline almost four months after the January 1st law goes into effect. Perhaps Californians will be less likely to sign on when they realize that LGBT-inclusive history lessons haven’t turned their schoolchildren into a bunch of meth-snorting, queer disco sluts.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/how-will-ca-bigots-frame-their-second-attempt-to-erase-lgbts-from-history-20111118/

Quick recap: John Becker from Truth Wins Out posed as a patient in Marcus Bachmann’s clinic in order to collect hidden camera footage of the clinic’s ex-gay therapy. As part of his ruse, Becker signed a contract promising to pay for any missed sessions. And afterwards he cancelled his two last sessions as required in the contract. Months after Becker aired the expose, Marcus Bachmann personally called Becker (http://www.queerty.com/should-lgbt-activist-john-becker-pay-marcus-bachmann-the-150-he-owes-for-ex-gay-therapy-20111117/) and threatened to hire a collection agency if Becker did not pay the $150 owed for his missed sessions. Now a lawyer with Truth Wins Out has called out Bachmann’s bluff, calling his therapy “dubious and questionable [and] not worthy of any billing at all.”
Bust out your popcorn, girls! This is getting good.
Here are the choicest cuts from an oh so withering letter (http://www.truthwinsout.org/opinion/2011/11/20217/) sent to Marcus Bachmann & Associates, Inc. by Norm Kent, Esquire, lawyer for Truth Wins Out:
you have personally called my client demanding he remit immediate payment to Bachmann & Associates in the amount of $150.00 for cancelled appointments. In truth and in fact, these so called appointments were timely canceled pursuant to and in compliance with your clinic’s stated procedures.
According to Bachmann & Associates’ no-show policy, patients are assessed a $75 fee for each appointment that they miss without giving prior notification. Becker’s telephone records indicate that he called the clinic in early July to cancel his remaining sessions, giving Bachmann & Associates ample time to schedule appointments with other clients…
To be quite frank, in reputable and ethical mental health practices, the billing department usually handles collections. We are gravely concerned that you contacted my client out of spite, because he disclosed the truth about the discredited and outmoded techniques practiced in your office, instead exposing the way you misled the public- by denying that this “therapy” was even taking place…
Accordingly, should you take any action against Mr. Becker, we will also allege that your actions constitute a purposeful and malicious prosecution, albeit for a ridiculously small stipend. We will be interested in the civil discovery process to find out from you in a deposition how often you personally call up clients to collect on an alleged $150 debt. Your answer under oath will be most probative.-
It appears that the goal of your unwarranted attacks is to publicly defame and discredit Mr. Becker and impugn his reputation by portraying him as a deadbeat unwilling to pay his bills.
At another point Kent says:
As you know, the American Psychiatric Association says that attempts to alter one’s sexual orientation can lead to “anxiety, depression, and self-destructive behavior.” Truth Wins Out has conclusively documented your office engaging in this discredited “therapy” while masquerading it as treatment.
If you go forward with your claim, we are prepared to show that your clinic’s presentations and practices are specious and surreptitious, unworthy of financial compensation. In furtherance of our assertion, we are going to ask the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General to investigate your policies, practices, and procedures. Specifically, we are going to ask them to evaluate the purported ‘scientific’ basis for your patently false representations that your clinic offers ‘therapeutic’ services…
And then Kent delivers the coup de grace:
Therefore, we hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist from your harassment and intimidation of my client and his employer. Please do not embarrass yourself or your firm further by attempting to collect a debt that you are not owed for a point you cannot make.
Sweet Jesus that was fun to read! “Please do not embarrass yourself or your firm further.” Brilliant! Has Norm Kent, Esquire written any novels? Because if he has, we definitely wanna get our greedy little paws all over that little masterpiece.
Anyway, the letter goes onto say that Bachmann has 72 hours to dismiss his claim against Becker and that if he doesn’t, Kent will “engage counsel and institute appropriate legal actions of our own against your firm” based on the three following arguments:
1) Becker followed the rules and cancelled his last sessions in a way that should have incurred no debt,
2) Bachmann’s ex-gay therapy practice is a sham meant “to defraud otherwise innocent parties” of their cash and mental well-being and
3) Bachmann is a petty dillhole who has personally targeted Becker’s $150 as malicious retaliation for exposing the ex-gay therapy that Bachmann said wasn’t happening there.
There’s even an online petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/president-bachmann-associates-stop-harassing-lgbt-rights-group-end-harmful-ex-gay-therapy) pressuring Bachmann into quitting his miserly ways and ending his practice of ex-gay therapy.
Nevertheless, you bet your asses we’re gonna be waiting with Orville Redenbacher, some SweetTarts and a bucket of Diet Shasta to see what happens in 72 hours. It’ll be like Christmas, only gayer and with more lawsuits!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-spectacular-*****fight-brewing-between-marcus-bachmann-and-truth-wins-out-20111118/

TheGodlessUtopian

21st November 2011, 15:46

.

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/trans.jpgNo jokes today—it’s International Transgender Day Of Remembrance (http://www.transgenderdor.org/), when we recall those who have been lost to violence simply because of their gender identity or gender expression. Our plan had been to profile several victims from this year, but we were shocked by their sheer number (more than 200 in 2011 alone). Also disturbing is how few of these crimes have been solved, how many of the victims were trans women of color, and how much mainstream coverage focused on the victim’s gender and possible links to illicit activities.
Today we recount just some of these tragic losses, but we pray for all the members of the global trans community who have been attacked or murdered.

(http://www.queerty.com/transgender-day-of-remembrance-paying-tribute-to-10-victims-of-violence-20111120/3/)

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Chrissie Bates, 45
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Died: January 11, 2011
Chrissie Bates was stabbed to death (http://www.queerty.com/is-this-the-man-that-stabbed-trans-woman-chrissie-bates-to-death-20110120/) in her downtown Minneapolis apartment on January 11, the city’s first homicide of the year. Arnold Darwin Waukazo, who was allegedly dating Bates, was arrested for her murder several days later and, as of November 8, is currently on trial.
Bates’ death was caused by “complex homicidal violence,” according to the medical examiner’s office, referring to the variety and number of her wounds. “In LGBT homicide, it’s common to see overkill,” said researcher Dallas Drake. “Excessive wounding, more injury than what is necessary to cause the death… When you see overkill it typically points toward an intimate-partner killing.”

(http://www.queerty.com/transgender-day-of-remembrance-paying-tribute-to-10-victims-of-violence-20111120/4/)

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Briget Makaligton, 25 (?)
Location: Comayagüela City, Honduras
Died: January 7, 2011
Makalington, who strangled to death by an unknown assailant, was one of six trans women killed in a two-month period (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/02/01/six-trans-women-killed-in-honduras-in-two-months/) near the start of 2011. The attacks, which ranged from shootings to stonings, took place in urban areas including the capital, Tegucigalpa, as well as Comayagüela and San Pedro Sula. Human rights groups say that, since January 2010, there have been more than 50 murders of LGBT people (http://www.queerty.com/lgbt-deaths-plague-already-murder-ridden-honduras-20110927/) in the country, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

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Tyra Trent, 25
Location: Baltimore, MD
Died: February 19, 2011
Tyra Trent, 25, was a trans sex worker found strangled to death (http://www.queerty.com/who-killed-tyra-trent-20110223/) in the basement of an empty apartment building in Baltimore. She had been reported missing two weeks prior, although sources say it wasn’t unusual for her to spend a few days at a time away from her mother’s home. Born Anthony Trent, Tyra was in the process of legally changing her name and getting her GED.

Marcal Camero Tye, 25
Location: Forrest City, Arkansas
Died: March 8, 2011
After the body of trans woman Marcal Camero Tye was discovered on the Arizona highway (http://www.queerty.com/marcal-camero-tye-may-have-been-dragged-300ft-after-being-shot-but-her-murder-wasnt-a-hate-crime-20110311/) having been shot and dragged behind a car 300 feet, the St. Francis County Sheriff’s department insisted her death wasn’t a hate crime. “Though Sheriff Bobby May says he hasn’t ruled out anything, he believes this is a routine murder case and not a hate crime,” reported FM 89 News at the time, “he conjectured that Tye might have been out looking for sexual encounters at 2am., [and] then gotten involved in a liaison that somehow went bad.”
Oh that’s all? What a relief.

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Priscila Brandão
Location: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Trans woman Priscila Brandão was shot seven times in the back of the head, execution-style, in a grisly murder captured on surveillance cameras. Her killing—which is still unsolved—was followed by the murder of another Belo Horizonte trans woman (“travesti” in Brazilian Portuguese), just 20 hours later. Despite its reputation as a gay-friendly destination, Brazil has one of the highest murder rates of LGBT people in the world.

(http://www.queerty.com/transgender-day-of-remembrance-paying-tribute-to-10-victims-of-violence-20111120/8/)

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Lashai Mclean, 23
Location: Washington, D.C.
Died: July 20, 2011
At 4:30 am on a Wednesday morning, Lashai McLean was shot (http://www.queerty.com/were-prostitution-or-transphobia-factors-in-the-shooting-death-of-transwoman-lashai-mclean-20110722/) in the back just a few blocks from the LGBT-youth shelter McLean had been staying at in Northeast DC. A vigil was held days after her death and though police interrogated two suspects, no arrests have been made in the case. At least Washington, DC, Mayor Vincent Gray had the right reaction: “Every homicide in the District of Columbia is a tragedy for which the perpetrators must be brought to swift justice,” he told reporters. “However, if the investigation concludes that this shooting was the result of bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity… my administration will see that there is an appropriate response to this kind of violence, which cannot be tolerated.”

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Camila Guzman, 38
Location: New York, NY
Died: August 1, 2011
Camila Guzman, who came from Chile to New York in 2002, was stabbed repeatedly in her back (http://www.queerty.com/transwoman-camila-guzman-literally-stabbed-in-the-back-by-her-murdering-boyfriend-20110824/) by Equan Southall, her 25-year-old-boyfriend who had previously been arrested for grand larceny and possession of a concealed weapon. Southall was arrested and plead guilty to murder charges.

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Ramazan Çetin, 24
Location: Gaziantep, Turkey
Died: October 6, 2011
After a bad fall Çetin was at a local hospital seeking treatment, when her brother, Fevzi, barged in and shot her (source:%20http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Trans_Woman_Murdered_By_Brother) three times in front of witnesses. When he turned himself in to authorities later the same day, he calmly stated, “My brother was engaged in travestism. I killed him. I cleaned my honor!”
Hopefully that’s now how the legal system will see it.

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Shelley Hilliard, 19
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Died: October 23, 2011
Hilliard’s death (http://www.queerty.com/trans-woman-shelley-hilliard-died-by-fire-why-the-deadly-new-trend-in-queer-bashing-20111111/) was one of the most gruesome we can recall in recent history, especially considering how young she was: After she was strangled to death, Hilliard’s body was decapitated, dismembered and set on fire. Her mother could only identify Hilliard’s mutilated corpse by the tattoos on her arm.

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Cassidy Vickers, 32
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Died: November 17, 2011
Just last week near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Gower Street in Hollywood, Cassidy Vickers was shot in the chest (http://www.queerty.com/trans-woman-shot-to-death-in-hollywood-as-transgender-day-of-remembrance-nears-20111118/) by an unknown assailant and died. Nearly an hour later, the same assailant is believed to have shot another black trans woman. No suspects have been found so far.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/transgender-day-of-remembrance-paying-tribute-to-10-victims-of-violence-20111120/

TheGodlessUtopian

21st November 2011, 15:51

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Even though today, the 13th annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance, is a day to grieve, memorialize and celebrate those who have died because of transphobic hate—it’s also a day to check our own transphobia, its causes and what we can do to stop the violence. So here’s 3 thoughts from trans thinkers that will help.

Transgender identities often elicit reactions of confusion, judgment and dismissal, even from progressive liberals. We sometimes hear people say that individuals undergoing these sorts of physical changes are dealing more with psychological problems than hormonal. That most of us have clear sexes, so we can have clear genders. That pushing the stereotypes around clothing, work and relationships are one thing, but pushing the boundaries around bodies are another. I will say to this that I have heard all of it before referring to gay and lesbian men and women. I have been told that my love for another man is a psychological problem — that my hormones are not the real issue.
I imagine that most women may have heard the same sorts of things regarding their lives, their careers, their families. They are willful for seeking that job, or that position, or that relationship. They are disrespecting their family or their culture when they delay marriage, or move in with a lover before marriage, or postpone having children in favor of their career. Although some men certainly do hear the same sorts of critiques, I find that most males have another set of guidelines to live up to. Simply put, the rules are different for different genders. And while the situation is all the more confusing when gender isn’t clear, we can choose to go a little deeper and find the commonalities to which each of us can relate…
I believe that American culture has been trumping our religious values of compassion and love. Transgender identity scares us because it suggests that maybe we’ve got it all wrong. Maybe women are just as good as men. Maybe relationships are defined by the horizon of our love. Maybe people ought to have agency over their own bodies. Maybe the world isn’t all that clear right from birth. Maybe the phrase “men and women” is still leaving someone out.
- Rev. G. Jude Geiger discussing how transphobia affects everyone at HuffPo Gay Voices (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-g-jude-geiger/transgender-day-of-remembrance_b_1097622.html)

Transgender people live at the intersections of systemic oppressions. Our gender identities don’t conform to the expectations of society. And if we are transwomen of color, we are subject to additional stigmatization and harassment. Transmisogyny is at the root of much of the violence against transwomen, and racism plays a large part in this violence.
Murders of transgender persons are often characterized by extreme violence committed by persons filled with deep-seated hatred. This hatred is often born of the language of marginalization that characterizes much of the everyday rhetoric against transgender people and communities…
Much of this extreme violence against transgender people begins in the violence of language that represents what is all too often an acceptable prejudice in our society. This in turn leads to stigmatization of our community and feeds the dehumanization and transphobia that can ultimately erupt in physical violence. What can we do to end this vicious cycle of murders of transgender people that brings us together every Nov. 20? We need gender-conforming allies to interrupt the language and actions that feed the fear of transgender people. We need transgender and gender-conforming people who are willing and able to educate others about the lives of transgender people and the oppression that we experience. We need allies who will work for passage of legislation that will give true justice to trans people. We need allies from secular and faith communities who are willing to fight for justice for all people and to work to end systemic oppression.
- Jamie Ann Meyers, Transgender Representative to the North American Board of Lutherans Concerned talking about how transphobic language fuels violence

As we recite the names of all those who we have lost to the violent hearts and hands of our fellow human beings, may we remember that these names don’t just represent another statistic in the growing number of people who lost the grace of their lives to the indignity of transphobia. These names represent lives, real lives of people who lived, walked, cried, smiled, and loved among us. These names represent lives that deserved to be treated with nothing less than dignity…
These names represent lives that matter and they should matter, for these names represent people who were somebody’s children, partners, friends, siblings, students, teachers, workers, citizens! So as we recite these names, we are calling on all institutions – from the families to schools to religions to governments, from Amsterdam to Ankara, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe – we are calling on everyone, everywhere to reclaim compassion from hate, to reclaim care from apathy, and to reclaim everyday kindness from transphobia…
Let each name be a monument of courage! Let this courage stir a restless defiance in our hearts – a restless defiance that would urge us to stand up for justice and dignity for everyone, everywhere! Let this restless defiance keep on awakening our enormous strength to face our fears about this world. And let’s keep on awakening this enormous strength so we can keep on touching the hearts and spirits of those who are afraid to understand and accept difference; so we can keep on expanding the field of social inclusion and acceptance; so we can keep on inspiring the minds and hearts that matter to craft social policies that are designed to facilitate the fulfillment of happiness!
- Transgriot remembers (http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/11/let-each-name.html) Sass Rogando Sasot’s speech during the 2011 Amsterdam Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/why-everyone-contributes-to-transphobia-and-how-they-can-stop-20111120/4/

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd November 2011, 22:51

The Salvation Army bell ringers standing outside of local businesses with their hanging donation kettles aren’t just raising money for the homeless, they’re also lobbying against LGBT rights (http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/why_you_shouldnt_donate_to_the_salvation_army_bell .php) around the world. This Chrismahannukwanza, tell the cooperating business fronts that the S.A. discriminates against queers and give your change to a local LGBT organization or a pro-LGBT politician instead.
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Source: http://www.queerty.com/remember-to-ignore-the-salvation-army-bell-ringers-this-holiday-season-20111122/

For every woman who just wants to grab a drink with her homo friends or legitimately likes the music, there are sixty more who show up for all the wrong reasons. Most of those I’ve laid out in previous articles (http://jezebel.com/5856455/a-girls-guide-to-guy+on+guy-sex-everything-but-the-butt). The summation is that if if you think gay men can give you something that straight men can’t, you are in the wrong place. Follow grade-school levels of decorum around strangers and you’ll be fine. Don’t overshare—your bodies and your sex lives aren’t necessarily of interest to us. Don’t expect us to dance with you. It’s not my senior prom. Do not use us as as fonts of information about all gay men, either in general or at that bar. We are not all gay men. We are ourselves. Fawning over couples as being “soooo cute” comes off as condescension at best and overcompensation at worst.
And if you take away one thing from this article, let it be this: keep your fucking bachelorette party out of our bars. If you treat my safe space like your zoo, I will seduce your fiance while you’re out selecting stationary.”

—From blogger Zach Rosen’s “A Girl’s Guide to Attending A Gay Bar” in Jezebel.com (http://jezebel.com/5861472/a-girls-guide-to-attending-a-gay-bar?mid=535&fb_source=message)
Source: http://www.queerty.com/an-etiquette-guide-for-straight-girls-in-gay-bars-20111122/

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd November 2011, 22:57

Listen up, fans! Major League Baseball has added “sexual orientation” (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2011/11/source-mlb-adds-sexual-orientation-wording-to-cba) to the discrimination protections listed in their new Collective Bargaining Agreement, offering some legal protections should a player ever decide to come out. But as you probably know, there are no openly gay players (http://www.queerty.com/it-gets-better-sounds-weird-coming-from-major-leagues-with-no-out-players-20110701/) in MLB, even despite multiple teams making “It Gets Better” videos.
Which closeted player will be the first to step up to the plate?
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/gay_mlb.jpg
Source: http://www.queerty.com/major-league-baseball-adds-protections-for-nonexistent-gay-players-20111122/

Did you know that The X-Men‘s Wolverine had a bisexual son (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daken#Sexual_orientation) named Daken? In addition to claws and a healing factor, he’s got special pheromones that can make anyone attracted to him—but he basically sleeps with people to play mind games and gain access to secret files. Not exactly good boyfriend material.
Anyway, Marvel just announced his comic book, Daken: Dark Wolverine, is being canceled because it wasn’t making enough money (http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/marvel_comics_cancels_their_only_lgbt_solo_lead_co .php).
Did Marvel market him enough to the LGBT mutant community?
Readers bummed about Daken’s exit (February’s issue #21 is expected to be the series’ last) should know that he’ll still pop up in other series. And in the meantime, you can still enjoy the greater universe of LGBT comic-book characters, (http://www.queerty.com/search/comic%20book) including The X-Men‘s bossy bottom, Northstar (http://www.queerty.com/northstar-the-x-mens-bossy-bottom-has-a-new-boyfriend-heres-what-comes-next-20100107/).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/daken-hawkeye.png
Source: http://www.queerty.com/wolverines-bisexual-son-gets-sliced-out-of-marvel-lineup-20111122/

First Person: “My Partner Was Told He Had ‘That Faggot’ Disease” (http://www.queerty.com/first-person-my-partner-was-told-he-had-that-faggot-disease-20111122/)
[/URL]
In 1985, I was just out of the Air Force and wanted to nest. Then on December 1, 1986, my partner, Steve Nowak, was told that he had ‘that faggot disease’ and to go die somewhere else.
So he went home and blew his head off.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/407514.jpgThat’s how I learned I was HIV+.
In the early days, ‘death sentence’ was the word of the day—there was no hope for any future whatsoever. So I had no choice but to try to make sense of my life and live. Live with the promise that this virus ends with me, that I’d never put anyone else at risk, never cause the pain I had endured.
I realized I had two choices: I could be a victim or I could rally the troops and lead—in my own humble way.
So I became an activist of sorts: learning, sharing, teaching and spreading the word about how to protect yourself. I joined ACT UP and became part of a movement that changed people’s opinions about AIDS and HIV.
I became a sponge, wanting to learn everything I could about this disease. What was I facing? I knew I had to move to New York City to get answers. I met like-minded individuals [whose disease] was far more advanced and I lost many beautiful people whom I miss terribly.
Having AIDS, heart failure, leukemia and so on; adjusting to the diminished capacity from all the side effects of treatments; as well as recognizing the advancement of the different stages worries me. But this is a battle I volunteered for—I know what to expect.
The negative of this disease and being HIV+ is easy: Twenty-six years of knowledge—and the means to stop its spread—and still there are those who attend conversion parties. On a more personal level, I’m taking it on the chin with all the subsequent disease diagnoses and more meds—and meds to counter the negatives of those meds.
So many people are responding to the glamorization of HIV by the pharmaceutical companies and their ‘It’s just one pill a day’ campaign. They don’t know the true costs of living 15, 20, 25 years with this life-altering disease.”

[B]Dino Rossi, 49
Occupation: AIDS outreach volunteer
Date of diagnosis: 12/1/86

December 1, 2011 is [URL="http://www.queerty.com/first-person-my-partner-was-told-he-had-that-faggot-disease-20111122/www.worldaidsday.org"]World AIDS Day (http://www.queerty.com/first-person-my-partner-was-told-he-had-that-faggot-disease-20111122/#comments). Throughout the next several weeks, we’ll be publishing first-person accounts from the first 30 years of the epidemic.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/first-person-my-partner-was-told-he-had-that-faggot-disease-20111122/

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd November 2011, 19:27

the streets of san francisco are alive with queer art (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/)

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/jeremy-novy-360x217.jpgsan francisco (http://sanfrancisco.gaycities.com/), being the gay mecca that it is, has world-renowned art galleries and museums (http://sanfrancisco.gaycities.com/arts/) to get lost in. But the city’s appreciation for art and culture spreads out far beyond the museum and gallery walls and can be found right on the streets. (the work of jeremy novy, whose stencils are featured here and on our home page, is a prime example.)
recently, our sister site gaycities tracked down (http://www.gaycities.com/outthere/tag/queer-street-art/) the works of five major bay area artists using the city’s hidden alleys and unexplored sidewalks as their canvas.

« prev (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/) 1 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/) 2 3 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/3/) 4 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/4/) 5 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/5/) 6 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/6/)next » (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/3/)

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dinostore by wendy macnaughton (http://www.gaycities.com/outthere/17899/sf-art-spotting-wendy-macnaughton/)
this shop has designer sneakers in every color. But if you lift your gaze you’ll find that the walls, in just plain black and white, are what give the store its artsy flair. The black-marker stylings, pointing to different directions of the sf “street” community, were done by out illustrator macnaughton, who also created gaycities (http://www.gaycities.com/)’ the world according to gays (http://www.gaycities.com/best-of-gaycities/) map.

« prev (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/2/) 1 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/) 2 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/2/) 3 4 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/4/) 5 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/5/) 6 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/6/)next » (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/4/)

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pride bears by jeremy novy
(http://www.gaycities.com/outthere/17859/sf-art-spotting-jeremy-novy/)not to be outdone by the teletubbies, the care bears have always been a little gay. These guys appeared overnight on a construction site on the three-way intersection of market, noe, and 16th streets in the castro. Below is a different take on the cuddly cartoon characters.

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/pride-bears.jpg-360x251.png

« prev (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/3/) 1 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/) 2 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/2/) 3 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/3/) 4 5 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/5/) 6 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/6/)next » (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/5/)

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homo riot stickers (http://www.gaycities.com/outthere/18180/san-francisco-art-spotting-homo-riot/)
los angeles (http://losangeles.gaycities.com/) artist homo riot (http://www.homoriot.com/) does most of his work in southern california, but luckily for sf street-art aficionados, he’s taken several trips up to the city by the bay.

« prev (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/4/) 1 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/) 2 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/2/) 3 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/3/) 4 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/4/) 5 6 (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/6/)next » (http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/6/)

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“we’re queer, we’re here” by eddie colla
(http://www.gaycities.com/outthere/17901/san-francisco-art-spotting-eddie-colla/) during pride season, local street artist eddie colla (http://eddiecolla.wordpress.com/) did all the out-of-towners a big favor by stenciling arrows pointing towards the gay festivities at the civic center. “we’re queer; we’re here; we’re glittery, feathery, half-naked men,” was probably too long to fit in the stencil.

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/photo-1-23.jpeg

Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-streets-of-san-francisco-are-alive-with-queer-art-20111123/jeremy-novy/

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd November 2011, 19:40

José Benítez the mayor of Huarmey, Peru, is worried that high levels of strontium in his town’s tap water will turn citizens gay (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/22/peruvian-mayor-concerned-tap-water-will-turn-town-gay/) by reducing their male hormone production.
The drinking water used in Huarmey comes from Tabalosos, a town which a Lima-based television station once infamously claimed was inhabited by 14,000 gay men. (Sounds like a fun place.)
But silly mayor Benítez should know that too much strontium doesn’t cause lower hormone production—it causes cause bone cancer, anaemia and cardiovascular problems. But of course, he probably doesn’t want to tell that to his constituents.
Besides, everyone knows that drinking soy (http://www.queerty.com/evangelical-gym-tells-members-drinking-soy-will-turn-your-boy-gay-20100124/) is what makes people gay.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-tap-water-in-huarmey-peru-turns-people-gay-20111122/

Just because Spain has elected a bunch of anti-gay bigots (http://www.queerty.com/spains-new-conservative-government-may-kill-off-marriage-equality-20111121/) into office doesn’t mean that homosexuality itself has been outlawed. In fact, two handsome men defiantly showed their Spanish gay spirit by passionately kissing one another during Al Jazeera’s election coverage. !Vive la pasión!

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WUeoo2p54ms

Source: http://www.queerty.com/spanish-men-defy-anti-gay-elections-with-spicy-televised-kissing-20111123/

Right now, the so-called National Organization for Marriage has five different court cases (http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2010/06/28/how-many-times-does-nom-want-to-lose-in-washington/) fighting campaign finance and public records laws in California, Iowa, Maine and Washington. NOM wants to hide its cash cows under the guise of protecting their donors from pro-LGBT harassment because those dastardly queers are known to boycott and even kick over lawn signs which are both hate crimes!
But yesterday that the Supreme Court of the United States rejected a request (http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2011/11/22/u-s-supreme-court-refuses-to-block-r-71-petitions/) by NOM-affiliate Protect Marriage Washington to block the release of the Referendum 71 petitioners who sought to repeal the state’s domestic partnership law. Though PMW has also appealed (http://www.queerty.com/was-138000-homophobes-stay-hidden-thanks-to-last-minute-appeal-20111021/) to the 9th Circuit Federal Court to prevent the release of names, it doesn’t really matter since many of the names have already been posted online (http://www.queerty.com/what-should-lgbts-do-with-the-names-of-was-138k-anti-gay-petitioners-20111025/) anyway.
But the plum part of SCOTUS’ ruling is that it basically sets a precedent for all NOM’s other court battles and all but ensures that we’ll know their donors’ names and dollar amounts before too long. And you can bet that once that happens that knowing that future supporters will think twice before publicly declaring their intolerance against LGBTs. After all, no one wants to be known as a bigot.
Well, no one except for the people working with NOM.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/scotus-basically-guarantees-that-no-one-will-ever-donate-to-nom-again-20111123/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/spanksgiving_3.jpg
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s Thanksgiving campaign (http://www.glaad.org/thanksgiving) says there no better opportunity to bring up LGBT issues than at an overwrought meal surrounded by judgmental blood relatives. GLAAD says, “Of those who were now more supportive of LGBT equality, four out of five cited personally knowing someone who was LGBT as a primary reason” and add, “[If Aunt Betty can talk about] a year’s worth of ailments and medical treatments… you can talk about your partner.”
Not only do we agree, but we also made two promotional banners to join in the awkward fun!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/spanksgiving_4.jpg
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/spanksgiving_6.jpg
Oh and if you’re looking for some dinnertime innuendo, the list of 18 dirty things you can only say on Thanksgiving (http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/18_dirty_things_you_can_only_say_on_thanksgiving.p hp) including “Don’t play with your meat” and “Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/queerty-and-glaad-suggest-making-thanksgiving-extra-queer-and-awkward-this-year-20111123/

Despite speculation (http://www.queerty.com/will-jamey-rodemeyers-bullies-actually-face-criminal-charges-20110923/), the tormentors of bullycide victim Jamie Rodemeyer (http://www.queerty.com/after-another-teen-suicide-can-we-do-better-than-it-gets-better-20110921/) will not face criminal charges (http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/cops-no-charges-in-1237634.html). After examining Rodemeyer’s computer and cellphone, investigators found “insensitive” and “inappropriate” online remarks, but no criminal offenses that would constitute aggravated harassment or a hate crime. But as we said earlier, we’re not sure that prosecuting the bullies (http://www.queerty.com/jamey-rodemeyers-bullies-are-happy-hes-dead-but-is-it-a-bad-idea-to-prosecute-them-20110927/) would have helped future LGBT bullying victims either.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/jamie-rodemeyers-bullies-will-get-off-scott-free-20111122/

TheGodlessUtopian

25th November 2011, 01:45

[/URL]
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/neo-nazi_logos.jpg
Last month a Polish court allowed (http://www.queerty.com/behold-the-official-court-approved-logos-of-polands-neo-nazis-20111123/#comments) the country’s Neo-Nazi movement to register a Celtic Cross and a “no gay sex” image as their official logos. When the Neo-Nazis mentioned the two-year-long court victory on their website, Poland’s first openly-gay member of parliament Robert Biedron responded by calling the images “neo-facist”, “xenophobic” and homophobic and has urged the justice ministry to revoke the court’s decision.
You have to hand it to the Nazis though, while people may not know that the Celtic Cross is used by far-right movements internationally, there’s no mistaking the meaning behind their second symbol.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/behold-the-official-court-approved-logos-of-polands-neo-nazis-20111123/

GLAAD has already served up its suggestions (http://www.queerty.com/queerty-and-glaad-suggest-making-thanksgiving-extra-queer-and-awkward-this-year-20111123/) on how to discuss LGBT issues over the Thanksgiving dinner table, so now let’s hear from the anti-LGBT side. Margaret “I Hate My Foreign Husband’s Surname” Srivastav (aka NOM’s Maggie Gallagher) has made a video on behalf of the creepy-sounding Culture War Victory Fund offering helpful tips on how relatives can voice their bigoted views on marriage equality and quickly retreat while shaming anyone who disagrees.
Here’s Mrs. Srivastav’s three helpful suggestions (with our own comments in italics):
1. State your position briefly. - Say that any marriages that don’t produce or children aren’t marriages. Watch your sterile cousin and his infertile wife squirm uncomfortably.
2. Refute briefly the charge of bigotry. - Say, “It’s not bigoted or hateful or discriminatory to treat different things differently.” Just like it’s not discriminatory to treat different people differently. Heck, it’s almost an American tradition!
3. A call to tolerance. - Say that it’s neither kind nor tolerant to point out the unkind and intolerant beliefs of other family members. Emphasize “family members” by wagging a fork with meat on it for extra gravitas.
Note that she repeats the word “briefly” in the first two steps and then finally instructs people to keep saying, “Let’s not fight, we’re family!” over and over until everyone else shuts up. Nothing makes good political conversation like terse responses and calling all disagreements “intolerant.”
Note also the hair on the left side of her face that flops about as she speaks. Who cut your hair, gurl? Sue them.
We say that if any family member tries to pass off their discrimination as “moral beliefs” you simply point out that marriage is about commitment (not kids) and that all committed, tax-paying American couples should have the same civil (not religious) rights.
The only part of the video we agree with is the part where Srivastav says, “If you don’t think two men in a union are a marriage, you are a bigot like people who wanted to hold back African Americans.”

Youtube link to bigot's video: [URL]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3wfcc4wfv5A

Source: http://www.queerty.com/maggie-gallaghers-3-step-thanksgiving-day-recipe-for-serving-up-anti-gay-rhetoric-20111123/

TheGodlessUtopian

25th November 2011, 13:17

While Oxford University is lauded for its heavy-handed traditions and Hogwarts-style buildings, the 38 colleges that make up the prestigious academy all have their own reputations. Wadham College, a 17th-century castle at the center of the university, is often considered the progressive college. This week it proved worthy of that reputation by flying a rainbow flag over its spires to mark the annual weeklong celebration Queerfest. While the gay community is supported at Oxford, the flying of the flag is thought to be the first official symbol of LGBT support displayed in the university’s 900-year history. Michael Brooks, a 19-year-old undergraduate and organizer (or organiser, if you will) of Queerfest told Pink News (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/23/oxford-college-flies-first-ever-rainbow-flag-above-university/) that the idea to raise the flag was welcomed

“Putting up the flag was such a simple thing to do, but it had a huge effect on Oxford. I heard many people from different colleges talking about it. I saw tourists stopping outside Wadham to take photos of it… It challenges the stereotypes people have of Oxford and I hope that it will make those within Oxford who do hold very conservative views concerning LGBTQ rights to think differently.”
We hope that flying the rainbow flag becomes a tradition for the next 900 years.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/oxford-university-raises-the-rainbow-flag-for-the-first-time-in-900-years-20111123/

TheGodlessUtopian

25th November 2011, 16:01

Cameroon jails men over gay sex

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54676000/jpg/_54676366__46554976_41421176-1.jpg Homosexual acts are banned in many African countries

Three men in Cameroon have been sentenced to five years in prison for homosexual acts, which are illegal in the central African nation.
Two of the accused were in court in the capital, Yaounde, but a third man was sentenced in absentia as he had jumped bail.
Police said the men were arrested for having oral sex in a car.
They denied the allegations and their lawyer Alice Nkom told the BBC they were arrested for looking feminine.
"How can people be jailed just for dressing like women?" she said, adding that her clients would appeal.
"This is really an embarrassment for Cameroon," said Ms Nkom who also runs Cameroon's Association for the Defence of Homosexuals.
At the start of the trial, she told the BBC the case was a "crime of fashion, not homosexuality".
The BBC's Randy Joe Sa'ah in Yaounde says homophobia is widespread in Cameroon, as in most African countries.
'Homophobic innuendos' “Start Quote

Amnesty International considers these men to be prisoners of conscience who are being punished solely because of their perceived sexual orientation”
Jean-Eric Nkurikiye Amnesty's Central Africa campaigner
He says as well as the five-year jail term, the men were each fined 200,000 CFA francs (about $400; £260) - both the maximum penalties for homosexual acts in Cameroon.
One of men's other lawyers, Michel Togue, said it was a bad ruling and he accused the judge of peppering the hearing with homophobic innuendos, AFP news agency reports.
The two men who were in court were denied bail in August. The third defendant was granted bail after their arrest in July and never appeared in court for the trial.
Amnesty International has said Cameroon's homosexuality law is draconian and discriminatory and should be scrapped.
"Amnesty International considers these men to be prisoners of conscience who are being punished solely because of their perceived sexual orientation," Amnesty's Central Africa campaigner Jean-Eric Nkurikiye told the BBC in a statement.
"The use of criminal law to punish private sexual activity between consenting adults contravenes international human rights laws that Cameroon has signed and ratified."
Our reporter says it is not common for men to be taken to court over homosexual acts but in March, a man was jailed for three years on such charges.
Homosexual acts are banned in most African countries. In neighbouring Nigeria, MPs are currently debating proposed legislation to tighten homosexuality laws, including a ban on same-sex marriages.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15871386

Op-ed: Thankful for Those Who Paved the Way

Video from a memorial service held last week for the gay rights pioneer shows why our movement’s political leaders are so thankful for Frank Kameny.
By Melanie Nathan, op-ed contributor (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/NEWS_FEATURES/2011/KAMENY_MEMORIALX390.jpg

“His life cleared the path that I and countless others followed into public service.” —John Berry, who in 2009 became the Obama administration’s highest-level gay appointment, during a memorial service for Frank Kameny

America paid tribute last week to a gay icon. The director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, John Berry and several members of the U.S. Congress said farewell to Dr. Frank Edward Kameny by thanking him for paving a path toward the equality that LGBT America is set to realize.
The video below reflects highlights from the service held in the historic Cannon Caucus Room, featuring a remembrance by William Eskridge Jr., a professor of jurisprudence at Yale University, and Reps. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.
When in college, Baldwin, the first openly lesbian congresswoman who is now running for U.S. Senate, notes she had little by way of resources to look to and credits Kameny’s example during this time of her need.
Kameny became known as the first gay person to fight the federal government because of his dismissal on the grounds of homosexuality from his job as an astronomer in 1957. Norton compared this act by Kameny to Rosa Parks’ refusal to sit in the back of the bus as an act of defiance of the South’s segregation laws.
Frank, who is known for some straightforward talk of his own, said one of Kameny’s many accomplishments in the gay rights movement was his “self-confidence and aggressive and assertive demeanor in informing the world that his cause was just and right.”
Yet an eye-opening moment came when, as an aside, the co-founder of the Kameny Papers, Charles Francis, walked up to the young videographer who submitted this piece and said: “It is especially good to see a young person here acknowledging what the older generation has done. Your generation will be picking up the torch.”
Indeed Kameny’s flame burns brightly and that is why we were in D.C. last week. The story of his life inspires those of us who march on.

MELANIE NATHAN is a lawyer and human rights activist who is author of the GAY U.S.A. the Blog, which is run in conjunction with GAY U.S.A. the Movie.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Oped_Thankful_for_Those_Who_Paved_the_Way/

Bullying Tales: In Your Own Words, Part 4

For many LGBT teens, bullying is as much a part of life as Noxzema and Facebook. Our readers share their bullying stories so others see they're not alone; there's a light at the end of the hallway.
By Neal Broverman and Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/YOUTH/2011/TuesdaeYoungberg.jpg

Almost every week we find ourselves at The Advocate running a new story about an LGBT middle- or high-school student being beaten, harassed, or bullied — many have taken their own lives because of such abuse. So we asked our readers to send us their bullying stories and share how they're surviving this treatment or how they got past it. Here's the third installment in a series of tales from the trenches.
PART IV

Tuesdae Youngberg: A Change of Scenery Led to a Happier Education
Seventh grade started out very quiet for me. I was fairly invisible around my middle school. Then, around November 2005, I cut off all my hair into a pixie cut. Suddenly I was the most visible presence in the school, and not in a good way. I was called "fat," "ugly," "dyke," "lesbian," and basically any and all other insults that 12- to 14-year-olds could come up with. I was miserable, I hated myself, and I attempted suicide in February 2006, just three months after cutting my hair.

Before I finally transferred to a much more tolerant school in February 2008, I was bullied extensively for four years, ranging from verbal and mental to physical and sexual abuse from classmates. At the new school, I wasn't bullied, and I actually felt safe. I officially came out in September 2010, and I have never been so happy or so comfortable in my own skin.

Logan Hall: Taking Teachers to Task

Many teachers discriminate without even knowing it. This became apparent to me last weekend at my homecoming dance, when my freshman English teacher tried to kick me out of the dance because my "pants were too tight." Although she claimed to be following regulation, there were countless girls at this dance wearing dresses that fit like gloves and were shockingly short. Now, don't get me wrong girls, if you've got it, flaunt it, there ain't nothin' wrong with that! But, I think it is extremely hypocritical of my teacher to let all of the scantily clad girls by without batting an eyelash, and then inform me that I have to go home and change my pants before I can enter the dance.

This was not the first time this teacher had targeted me, but it was the time that made me aware as to how little tolerance is actually shown by many teachers who claim to be progressive. The first time she targeted me was one day in freshman English when I referred to her as "Mrs. G" rather than her full last name. She pulled me out of class and told me that "my level of enthusiasm could be interpreted as sexual harassment." I was so taken aback by this that I lost my composure and replied that, "I would love to see her write me up for sexual harassment." She then backed down, but warned me about being so "enthusiastic," in the future.

I live in a very liberal area. While I have experienced this and several other run-ins with neglectful teachers, I cannot imagine what LGBTQ youth in areas that are more conservative undergo in schools. Negligence and discrimination on the part of teachers is not only morally wrong, it is barring our education. Teachers need to understand that no matter what they believe themselves, if they let it affect their teaching, it immediately becomes inappropriate and unprofessional. My love of learning has definitely at times been called to question when I have reflected on the way some of my teachers have treated me, and I want to make a change so that other kids in similar or worse positions than mine can be truly successful in an open environment.

PART III
James Ryder: The Bullying Starts Early for Some
I have noticed that very little attention is given to LGBTQ bullying prior to middle and high school. For those of us whose gender expression is slightly different than our heterosexual counterparts, verbally denying any homosexual tendency is no defense against bullying. In elementary school I was constantly tormented by my peers. Daily I was called names, treated like I was disgusting, and, in one case, had bodily injuries of mine [a broken arm from a fall] applauded. Do you think that kids in elementary schools are unable to feel depression? Do you think kids in elementary school aren't capable of being just as vicious, if not more, than their middle school and high school counterparts?

There was some resolution, however, and I believe it is the reason I was largely ignored by my peers later in my education. One of my teachers, Ms. Amy, overheard the students in my fifth-grade classroom bullying me, throwing things at me, and calling me names like, "Gay faggot." Angered by this, my teacher stood up and took me and the apparent ringleader of the group out into the hallway.
"Are you calling him gay?" she asked him.
The kid was speechless, and probably afraid of being punished. "Being gay," she said, "Is a terrible, horrible, disgusting thing. You should never call anyone that." She then asked me, "Are you gay?" Of course, being only 10 years old or so and totally fearful of any label, I quickly answered, "No."
The students did not pester me after that point until an incident in the eighth grade that was settled rather quickly by one of my strong female friends. And while Ms. Amy's intention was misguided (she did send the message to the students that being gay was "disgusting") her accomplishment of ending the students' bullying makes one point strikingly clear: teacher intervention in classrooms does influence bullies' behavior, and can potentially stop bullying altogether.

David Mansfield: When Parents Condone Violence
Jeff followed me home from school. As onlookers cheered and taunted, he beat me up and broke my jaw. When I returned to school, I was called into Wolfe’s office, where I met Jeff’s father. His father admitted to both of us that he instructed his son to assault me.
Immediately following this, Wolfe turned to me and told me he thought I brought the attack on myself, followed by, “but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” When I told my mother this, she responded, “Well, I think he really was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

I spent six weeks going to school with my mouth wired shut. I endured taunts daily such as, “you deserved it” along with the usual homophobic remarks. My own sister would taunt me with inappropriate remarks about my jaw wiring.
Amber Bauer: Sometimes Your Peers Will Stick Up For You
Throughout my time in school I was bullied for my height. I was the shortest in class, and even now I’m only 4 feet, 8 inches. I wasn’t bullied for my sexuality until ninth grade, when I came out as bisexual shortly after getting out of a sexually abusive relationship that had held me for two years.
When I did come out, I was met with a mixture of reactions. My ex-boyfriend tried to slam my head into a brick wall, then refused to apologize despite my friend’s hand being around his throat. His reasoning was that he didn’t want to “give the dyke the satisfaction.”

Not even a month later, I had one of my classmates from German class spray white board cleaner in my face while I was talking to a friend. She thought that I was attracted to her; I wasn’t. After all, I’m not attracted to stupid, and she was stupid. Imagine a younger, thinner version of Snooki — that was her, and she believed that “rosa” was a color in the German flag. As far as I’m aware, she wasn't punished despite lying to the principal about what happened. The teacher was out of the room, so she couldn’t verify. All she had to go off of was me being in the bathroom cleaning the liquid off of my face and doing my best not to burst into tears.

I managed to do so until something really beautiful happened. When I finally walked out of the bathroom, my classmates told me that she and her friend were in the principal’s office. They had apparently bragged about spraying me with the cleaner up until the point that they reached the office. From there, the principal had called the room to ask what happened, and the entire class told him that she did in fact spray me with white board cleaner due to my sexuality. When I went home, I told my mom what happened, but not their reasoning for it. My mom did nothing.

A year later, I came out as lesbian and I actually had only one other instance with harassment after that, unless you count the numerous times of hearing “that’s so gay” in the halls. I was walking in the hallway when two boys walked past and loudly stated that they “fucking hate dykes;” the teacher in the hall did nothing.

PART II
Tony Holland: When You Can't Tell Your Parents You Need Help
The first memory of gay bashing I had was in the fourth grade, when I decided to show up for school in daisy dukes, cowboy boots and a T-shirt that was tied in a knot on my side. That was the day it all began.
I endured pure hell for the rest of my school days. And I couldn't tell my parents about the abuse because then I would have had to come out of the closet, and that's something I never thought I would do.

I was beaten up at the bus stop, teased in school, had rocks thrown at me, and my book bag turned inside out. I quit riding the bus my first year of high school because the teasing was so bad. There would be days when I couldn't find a ride, and I would wait until all the buses were gone so that I could call my momma and have her come get me.
I remember one instance when I was shot in the eye with a paper football that was shot from a rubber band; it swelled my eye up.

I always wanted to come out but never had the courage. I remember my dad would see something on TV and always be like, "faggot this" and "faggot that." When a friend once told my parents that I was gay, they confronted me about it. My dad said he "wouldn't have a faggot living under his roof." So I decided then and there that I was never going to tell them that I was, indeed, a homosexual.

For years, I endured it, so much to the point that I tried committing suicide on quite a few occasions. One day I woke up and decided it was time to just come out. I had been seeing everything on TV about Proposition 8 and the NOH8 campaign, and I wanted to be a part of that so badly. I tried for at least two weeks to figure out how I was going to do it. I would get off of work and dial my parents' number but never had the courage to hit the talk button. I would just sit there and cry, for so long, then go inside and cry myself to sleep.

Then one night at work I decided to see what I would say in a text message. I inserted their names and typed out a very short, yet clear text message that read, "Momma, Daddy, I don't care if you never talk to me again but there is something I have to tell you... I'M GAY!!!!!" I was reluctant to send it and incredibly nervous at the same time, but as a guest walked in I just hit the send button and waited for the shit to hit the fan. Boy, did it ever.
My dad called me crying; he was so angry. Everyone else was cool with it. And although it took him a while to get used to my news, my dad eventually came around. It's still not something we discuss a lot. We're not Facebook friends because he doesn't want to know the details of my life. I think I have always known I was gay, and even my dad will now say he's known since I was three.

Some advice to those who are being bullied and are afraid to come out: just do it! Stand up for yourself, be who you are, and don't be ashamed. If you ever feel suicidal, please call someone — a friend, a family member, even the suicide hotline. My dream is to some day open an LGBT center in my hometown. It will be a place where LGBT kids and adults can go and be free to enjoy life. And to the parents out there who don't accept your children: remember, just love them unconditionally and understand that if you bully your kid, you bury your kid. Always remember: we were born this way, baby

Christopher Allen: A Wake-Up Call on Society's Evolution

A fellow student had blatantly and unapologetically written the Bible verse “Leviticus 18:22” on the dry-erase board at the front of the class. According to popular interpretations, this particular verse condemns love between two men as an “abomination.” The smirk on Zack's face ensured that there was no mistake: this Bible thump was being directed at me, a classmate who was openly homosexual.

It was Friday morning in my high school French class. Our teacher had allowed students to use a space on the dry-erase board for anecdotal quotes or inside jokes between people in other classes. This ritual of writing on the board had started innocently enough, with people jotting quotes from Ghandi, Einstein or Dr. Martin Luther King. One student, unfortunately, felt that it was appropriate to use our space on the board for preaching, in a public high school no less.
A day earlier, Zack had written a verse from the Bible that condemned atheists and non-believers in Christ. My best friend Chelsea, who sat next to me in class, happened to be both a lesbian and an atheist. She spoke up to our French teacher, Madame Burton, who, not wanting anyone to be uncomfortable or offended, promptly erased the quote. It seemed fairly obvious that Zack was somehow surprised, even indignant. His actions the next day would push these boundaries even further.

There it was, clear as day the next morning. Zack had written these words: “Though shalt not lie with a man as one does with a woman. It is an ABOMINATION.” The last word he wrote had been capitalized and underlined. I was appalled. I stared at the board vehemently, and the more I looked at those words, the angrier I became. By the time the bell rang and Madame Burton walked in, I was fuming — trembling with rage. I had never in my life been more angered.

“This is offensive, and completely uncalled for!” I shouted, my foot tapping angrily.

“All right Chris, you need to calm down,” Madame Burton said in a placating tone. I was visibly angry and was, by this point, putting on a real show of emotion.

“I will not calm down!” I refused. “This is completely uncalled for!”

Zack's continued smirking and obvious enjoyment in upsetting me did not improve the situation. I demanded to see the school counselor immediately. Thankfully, both Chelsea and I were permitted to leave class for the guidance office.

Chelsea, who was just as upset as I was, conveyed her emotion in a different manner. She ran ahead of me while Madame Burton signed me out of class and was in tears by the time I made it downstairs. There, I managed to fully express how angry I was to our guidance counselor, who sympathized with us. We were then told that this incident was more than a case of discrimination; it was in fact, harassment. Our counselor allowed Chelsea and I to sit in the library for the remainder of the class period. I was still too angry to even look at Zack, but I was thankful. I had barely known this kid, and yet he had chosen to harass us based on our sexual orientations.

I felt disturbed that someone could still think this way. I managed to surround myself with friends that had accepted me for who I am. I was very much under the impression that, apart from conservatives and evangelical groups, society had generally accepted gays and was much more tolerant than it had been in the past. This incident was a reality check, and my bubble of safety and acceptance had been burst. It reminded me that the true abomination is that much intolerance and bigotry must still be challenged before gays will be treated equally.

[for more,see the source...]
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Youth/Bullying_Tales_In_Your_Own_Words/

TheGodlessUtopian

26th November 2011, 18:29

Rapper T.I.: “It’s Un-American, Oversensitive For Gays To Shut Down Every Anti-Gay Slur” (http://www.queerty.com/rapper-t-i-its-un-american-oversensitive-for-gays-to-shut-down-every-anti-gay-slur-20111126/)

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/rapper_ti.jpg
Man, I will say this, the funniest joke I ever heard Tracy (Morgan) say during a stand-up was, ‘C’mon man, I think gay people are too sensitive. If you can take a dick, you can take a joke.’ [Cracks up laughing.] That shit was funny to me. And it’s kind of true. “They’re like,‘If you have an opinion against us, we’re gonna shut you down.’ … That’s not American. If you’re gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you’re against it you should have the right to be against it in peace.”

- Rapper T.I. speaking to VIBE magazine (http://www.vibe.com/posts/exclusive-excerpts-vibes-ti-cover-story-dec-2011) about how gay oversensitivity affects free speech. T.I. says he supports anyone’s sexual preference and once produced a song called “Big Shit Poppin’ (Do It)”.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/rapper-t-i-its-un-american-oversensitive-for-gays-to-shut-down-every-anti-gay-slur-20111126/
...yeah,well,I disagree Mr.Rapper whom I have never before heard of.:closedeyes:

Each week, Queerty picks one blowhard, hypocrite, airhead, sanctimonious prick or other enemy of all that is queer to be the Douche of the Week. Have a nominee for DOTW? E-mail it to us at [email protected]
A search into the recently-infamous (http://www.openculture.com/2011/11/lt_john_pike_pepper_sprays_his_way_into_art_histor y.html) Lt. John Pike’s past behavior has unearthed that he is not only a total douche who casually pepper sprayed UC Davis students, but that he’s also a racist homophobic super-douche giving him the esteemed crowning of Queerty’s Douche of the Week. Shock of the century, right?!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/douche_cop_th-360x229.jpg
The Daily Mail reports (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2065035/Pepper-spraying-cop-anti-gay-slur-lawsuit-ending-240-000-settlement-previously-saying-spray-best-tool.html?ito=feeds-newsxml):
…an alleged anti-gay slur by Pike also figured in a racial and sexual discrimination lawsuit a former police officer filed against the department, which ended in a $240,000 settlement in 2008.
Officer Calvin Chang’s 2003 discrimination complaint against the university’s police chief and the UC Board of Regents alleged he was systematically marginalized as the result of anti-gay and racist attitudes on the force, and he specifically claimed Pike described him using a profane anti-gay epithet.
Officer Calvin Chang says that he was not surprised when he saw that it was Pike who pepper sprayed the students. Chancellor Katehli, who is not short of criticism herself, says that the students were in their rights to peacefully demonstrate.
We’re not the only ones who think Pike is a major douche either. Anonymous, a group associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement, recently published Pike’s phone number and address online. They called and left a computer-generated voice message that stated among other threats, “We have no problem targeting police and releasing their information even if it puts them at risk because we want them to experience just a taste of the brutality and misery they serve us on an everyday basis.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/go-figure-uc-davis-pepper-spraying-cop-is-also-a-racist-homophobe-20111125/

TheGodlessUtopian

26th November 2011, 18:48

A Mother And Son Stand Up to Bullying

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-25/ZACHANDBECKY.jpg
Zach Huston and mother Rebecca Collins

Zach Huston loves to run. Still, the track coaches at Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio probably don't know that because he's too worried what his peers might do if he were to join the track team.

Huston, a freshman at the school, was the subject of a beating, caught on video (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/10/27/Antigay_School_Beating_Caught_on_Tape/) that went viral online. He says that without the October 17 attack being filmed, faculty and administrators would have taken little action against his assailant. In fact, Huston says his classmates have taunted him since the third grade, with little done to stop or prevent it.

"In third grade, they didn't know what gay was yet, so they didn't call me that, but they mimicked my voice and called me other names," Huston told The Advocate. "That was up until fifth grade. That's when everyone started to know what gay was, so they called me gay slurs. Then freshman year, the physical stuff started."

The 14-year-old Huston said this year in high school, other students started daring each other to touch him, or shove him. For years his mother, Rebecca Collins, had urged teachers to stand up for her son. Now that many have witnessed the brutal beating and called for action, Collins said she isn't backing down from people who say she's only drumming up publicity for money or personal satisfaction.

"If you're not going to protect your kid, no one else is going to do it," she said. "If you still don't get the satisfaction that you're looking for, then take the next step. Go to town halls, get legal counsel, and just work to get the awareness out. We have to stop this from happening."
Collins was interviewed after the tape turned up online, and she narrated (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/10/27/Antigay_School_Beating_Caught_on_Tape/) what she saw of the vicious beating, with the attacker loitering as he waited for Huston, then punching him as Huston tries to escape, until he finally stands over Huston on the ground and delivers at least seven punches in quick succession, the smacks audible on the tape.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/25/A_Mother_And_Son_Stand_Up_To_Bullying/

TV's New Transgender Sensation is 11-Years-Old

Oprah's TV network, OWN, is premiering a show that stars Jazz, an 11-year-old transgender girl, her three siblings, friends and parents, as they navigate the world with a gender-variant kid.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/TELEVISION/2011/rosie-jazzX560.jpg

Oprah's TV network, OWN, is premiering two new documentary specials on Sunday: Being Chaz (the follow up to Chaz Bono's award winning, Becoming Chaz, from last year) and I Am Jazz: A Family in Transition. The latter, stars Jazz, an 11-year-old transgender girl, her three siblings, friends and parents, as they navigate the world with a gender-variant kid and grapple with the possibility of hormone blocking therapy as she reaches puberty. Director Jen Stocks' doc is an engaging, heartwarming, and moving look at a trans kid. With her parent's support, Jazz has been living as a girl since she was a toddler. We caught up with her to find out about making the doc, meeting Bono, and life in middle school.

The Advocate: I love all your YouTube clips. How long have you been dancing and singing?
Jazz: Thank you. I've been singing, dancing and acting my entire life. Ever since I was about 2-years-old I would put on tutus and dance and sing around my house.

Are the other dancers in your class OK with you being transgender?
All my friends from my acting, singing, and dancing class are very accepting and understand my situation. If you watch the documentary you will see how we all enjoy what we do and hang out with each other.

You’ve said you tell people that you have a girl brain and a boy body. How do other kids react to you when you tell them that?
Most of my friends tell me that I'm the same person inside and they tell me that they still love me and are still my best friends.

When did you first realize you were a girl?
Ever since I was able to express myself, I always referred to myself as a girl. I went for the Barbies and the dresses and would avoid the boy toys. When I was 2, my mom would say, "Good boy" and I would say, "No, mommy. Good girl."

Tell me about your siblings. How helpful have your brothers and sister been?
First, I have twin brothers, Sander and Griffen, who are 13. Then, I have a sister named Ari who is almost 16. They are very supportive and protective of me. Every time somebody is whispering bad things about me, and the word gets to them, they will defend me. They go up to the person and tell them they shouldn't being saying bad things about their sister.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/TV_New_Transgender_Sensation_is_Eleven_Years_Old/

Lady Gaga Films Anti-bullying Video for High School Student

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-26/Gaga-Bullying.jpg

Lady Gaga has filmed a video at the request of a Toronto teenager for his campaign to end bullying at his high school, reports the Vancouver Sun (http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Lady+Gaga+praises+Ontario+high+school+student+anti +bullying+struggle/5768821/story.html).
Jacques St. Pierre, who is student council president of the Etobicoke School of the Arts, organized a school assembly with an anti-bullying theme. “I got called the gay kid, the fag, because I liked to be in the school plays,” St. Pierre told CBC news. “I lost my best friend because he joined in with the bullies. It’s not fun, I’ve been there, I’ve been bullied. Before that, I didn’t know bullying could affect people so severely.”

St. Pierre contacted various celebrities, asking them to participate and was thrilled to receive a video from Gaga, that was shown during the assembly he organized.
“I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you for being such a strong advocate of the LGBT community in your school,” Gaga says in the video. "There should be more little monsters like you. It is important that we push the boundaries of love and acceptance. It is important that we spread tolerance and equality for all students.”

Watch Gaga's video message below.

[see source for the video]

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/26/Lady_Gaga_Films_Antibullying_Video_for_High_School _Student/

Possibly the Most Beautiful Ad for Marriage Equality We've Seen

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-25/1Marriage2.jpg

GetUp! in Australia released a commercial on Thursday from the perspective of one half of a gay couple in love. It builds to the big moment that they want legalized — a proposal to get married.

Polls in Australia show support for marriage equality has increased to almost two-thirds of voters. But Prime Minister Julia Gillard remains opposed, arguing that "the institution of marriage has come to have a particular meaning and standing in our culture and nation and that should continue unchanged."

In the commercial, the couple seems like any other that might fit that "meaning," except for their gender. Groups such as The Third Way in Washington have argued (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Oped_Making_Marriage_About_Commitment/) based on new research that it's a message of commitment like this one — and not about benefits or rights — that will be most effective with voters.

Marriage Add: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TBd-UCwVAY&feature=player_embedded

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/25/Possibly_the_Most_Beautiful_Ad_for_Marriage_Equali ty_Weve_Seen/

Note:Watch the ad! It is one of the most beautiful I have seen!

TheGodlessUtopian

27th November 2011, 16:57

Quick—name one lesbian sci-fi film. Can you do it? We couldn’t either. That’s why we’re hella excited about animator G.B. Hajim’s and writer Shelley Doty’s upcoming film Strange Frame (http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2011/11/22/strange-frame-1st-animated-lesbian-film-scores-sci-fi-superstar-cast-bent-con)—an intergalactic love story about Parker a homesick Earth ancestor trying to save her chanteuse lover Naia from the clutches of intergalactic fame.
The cutout digital animation looks a little early 2000s, but it’s also got vocal talents from Buffy, Firefly, Star Trek‘s George Takei and Dr. Frankenfurter himself, Tim Curry.
Wait a minute… does The Rocky Horror Picture Show count as a lesbian sci-fi? It has Columbia orgiastically kissing Magenta and Janet at different parts. Hmmm…
Source: http://www.queerty.com/strange-frame-quite-possibly-the-worlds-first-lesbian-animated-film-20111125/

The Five Gayest Things That Happened This Thanksgiving (http://www.queerty.com/the-five-gayest-things-that-happened-this-thanksgiving-20111127/)
[/URL]

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Turkey_Rainbow_by_Moundfreek.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/the-five-gayest-things-that-happened-this-thanksgiving-20111127/#comments)
Was this year’s Turkey Day the most homosexual in the history of the holiday? With an ice-skating princess rocking a massive fur cape that would make Liberace blush during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Mother Monster hosting a “Very Gaga Thanksgiving” on national TV, we think T-Day 2011 might take the gay cake with flying colors. But the gayest thing of all had to be the words I exchanged with Aunt Judy at our family dinner…

5. A Gay Turkey Named “Gobble Gobble Gurl” Came Out of the Closet
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s320x320/373909_187708251313943_100002243083500_419607_1474 917993_n.jpg
Leave it to “Gay Pimp” Jonny McGovern to take to the radio and turn a Thanksgiving story into a gay coming-out bildungsroman — a hilarious one at that (http://www.queerty.com/listen-gobble-gobble-gurl-the-fiercest-turkey-on-holiday-island-comes-out-20111124/).

4. The “Annual Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument” Went Down in Provincetown (http://ptown.gaycities.com/)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5096735500_33347dfa85.jpg
Yeah, that thing looks poised to penetrate a hole into the Cape’s fluffy cloudscape. Also, it’s P-town (http://ptown.gaycities.com/), strong contender for gayest place on earth.

Gay sainte Lady of the Gaga went on air (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2066024/Lady-Gaga-reveals-stripped-let-Tony-Bennett-sketch-nude.html) to have a good cry with lesbo-coiffed Katie Couric and to sing duets with lizard-whisperer Tony Bennett. She even posed nude for Tony for a sketching appearing in an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair and cooked a deep-fried turkey and waffles with openly gay chef Art Smith. “A Very Gaygay Thanksgiving” indeed. [More (http://www.queerty.com/lady-gaga-makes-christmas-album-thanksgiving-special-is-a-very-gaga-purim-next-20111123/)]

2. Macy’s Let Johnny Weir (http://www.queerty.com/checking-out-johnny-weirs-skater-ass-and-muffin-top-at-la-pride-20110614/) Dress Up as an Ice Princess and Ride a Giant Horse
Relish these golden words because you will never hear them spoken again on ABC: “Aboard the rocking horse is Johnny Weir, posing as this year’s ‘Winter Monarch.’ At the age of 27, Johnny Weir, a three-time U.S. champion, two-time Olympian and world medalist, is one of the superstars of figure-skating and a pop culture icon.” Another thing you may never see again: Johnny Weir topping something!

[URL]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iRKz_Ixmv-w

1. I Explained What Santorum Is To Aunt Judy, Because GLAAD Told Me To (http://www.queerty.com/queerty-and-glaad-suggest-making-thanksgiving-extra-queer-and-awkward-this-year-20111123/)
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Screen-shot-2011-11-26-at-1.49.39-PM.png (http://www.queerty.com/the-five-gayest-things-that-happened-this-thanksgiving-20111127/screen-shot-2011-11-26-at-1-49-39-pm/)
Pretty gay, huh? (http://twitter.com/#%21/EMulvz/status/140502269815832576) I decided to keep it real with Aunt Betty when she brought up her love of anti-gay Senator Rick Santorum, and asked her to Google Santorum. It’s always good to expand your relatives’ horizons during the holidays! Tell us your gay Thanksgiving stories in the comments. Here’s one (http://twitter.com/#%21/MeetGreg/status/140487697293787136) from Matt Rush, who retired from porn for love only to get quickly broken up with (http://www.queerty.com/porn-star-matt-rushs-breakup-pales-in-comparison-to-buck-angels-vagina-20111126/), to get you inspired.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-five-gayest-things-that-happened-this-thanksgiving-20111127/6/

TheGodlessUtopian

27th November 2011, 17:13

NY Archbishop Claims Deception, Plans to Fight Marriage Equality in Other States

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-26/Archbishop.jpg

New York's archbishop Timothy Dolan says he wants to help other states prevent the passing of marriage equality, which he calls "very sad, very sobering," while being interviewed on World Over.

Dolan shakes his head in disgust and tells host Raymond Arroyo that he has insights he's sharing with his fellow bishops. Dolan also claims that "the believing community" was deceived by the state's politicians leading up to the historic vote in June that allowed same-sex couples to marry in the state of New York. "This was hardly democracy in action," Dolan insists. "We were told when we were fighting hard against this, we said the next step is we're going to be sued if we don't do marriages, we're going to be harassed if we don't do receptions, penalized if we don't allow adoption..." Dolan says he and other bishops examined whether they did something wrong, but determined they had fallen for the assurance of people they considered political allies that "this wasn't going to go anywhere."

Watch a clip of Archbishop Dolan discuss marriage below at around the 33:00 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5x3X4xHqeJc

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/26/NY_Archbishop_Claims_Deception_Plans_to_Fight_Marr iage_Equality_in_Other_States/

Teen Titans Have A Flamboyant New Teammate

11.16.2011

By Raef Harrison

DC Comics introduces a new gay character in its revamped Teen Titan series. With a decidedly more flamboyant twist.

DC Comics is re-launching the Teen Titan brand in the 52 series with a new openly gay, and decidedly flamboyant, character: Miguel Jose Barragan, aka Bunker. Miguel comes from a small village in Mexico, and was born totally out of the closet. The interesting twist? His family, nay his whole village, is totally accepting of him. So rather than an angsty teen out to escape a terrible upbringing, he actually has a refreshingly positive outlook on life.
“We wanted to show an interesting character who’s homosexuality is part of him, not something that’s hidden,” says co-creator Brett Booth, who has created the re-launch along with Scott Lobdell. “Sure there are gay people who you wouldn’t know are gay right off the bat, but there are others who are more flamboyant, and we thought it would be nice to actually see them portrayed in comics.”
His accepting background and positive spin on life make Miguel’s outlook a stark contrast to the other gay characters in the DC Universe, such as Batwoman, Apollo, and Midnighter, among others. But according to Booth, Teen Titans is all about diversity, so trying to depict yet another aspect of a specific community seemed logical. “Does it scare the sh*t out of me that I might inadvertently piss off the group I want to reflect in a positive way, you're damn straight (pun intended!).”
See our exclusive peak (http://www.out.com/entertainment/2011/11/16/teen-titan-3#slide-1) at the first few pages of Teen Titan #3, available November 23. And check out one of DC's other gay characters, the lipstick lesbian that is Batwoman. (http://www.out.com/entertainment/books/2011/11/08/batwoman-reborn)
Source: http://www.out.com/gay_teen_titan

Conservatives Outraged Over Ellen's HIV Envoy Gig

http://www.hivplusmag.com/images/news/ellencrousex350.jpgA conservative group said Hillary Clinton's announcement (http://hivplusmag.com/NewsStory.asp?id=22183&sd=11/08/2011) that Ellen DeGeneres was chosen as a special envoy for global HIV/AIDS awareness was a blatant example of the Obama Administration pushing a "homosexual agenda." Janet Crouse, a spokeswoman for Concerned Women of America, said that because DeGeneres is an out lesbian, and "obviously an activist on the issue of homosexual rights," that she will be biased only toward the gay community in her outreach work.

Crouse told One News Now (http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1476226) that it's inappropriate for a gay person to be "out front and the face of the Obama administration in the whole fight against AIDS." She added that African Christian and Muslim nations may not welcome DeGeneres warmly.
Source: http://www.hivplusmag.com/NewsStory.asp?id=22186&sd=11/14/2011

Rapper Lil B’s Got AIDS

http://www.hivplusmag.com/images/news/lilbx350.jpgSan Francisco Bay Area rapper Lil B made a name for himself as part of that area’s hyphy movement (Google it) with The Pack, but when he signed his first solo album deal hip hop critics called him the second coming, a “brilliantly warped, post-Lil-Wayne deconstructionist,” according to Slate. His mixtapes are legendary and tracks like “Pretty *****” and “I’m God” earned Lil B a massive following—even among oft-neglected LGBT hip hop fans.

The heterosexual rapper received death threats this year for calling his newest album I’m Gay (I’m Happy) as a nod to his gay fans, but his newest track might raise even more eyebrows.

The cover of his new album, BasedGod Velli, is an homage to the late rapper Tupac Shakur, and among the songs sure to divide listeners is a new AIDS awareness anthem, urging listeners to get tested for HIV and other STDs.

The song, “I Got AIDS,” is a ‘90s style throwback — think Tupac meets TLC — but the message is straightforward, refreshingly non-homophobic, and sure to hit at the heart of young hip hop listeners who are among those most likely to get diagnosed with HIV this year. —Diane Anderson-Minshall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=guutBEbbde8

Source: http://www.hivplusmag.com/NewsStory.asp?id=22185&sd=11/14/2011

TheGodlessUtopian

30th November 2011, 06:10

Is it possible that the Israeli government is bolstering their country’s pro-gay image purely to attract LGBT tourists and paint their Palestinian neighbors as evil? Sarah Schulman, humanities professor at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island thinks so (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/opinion/pinkwashing-and-israels-use-of-gays-as-a-messaging-tool.html?_r=2)… and her point may change the way you look at LGBT politics and advertising.
In her New York Times opinion piece “Israel and ‘Pinkwashing’ (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/opinion/pinkwashing-and-israels-use-of-gays-as-a-messaging-tool.html?_r=2),” Schulman writes:

In 2005, with help from American marketing executives, the Israeli government began a marketing campaign, “Brand Israel,” aimed at men ages 18 to 34… to depict Israel as “relevant and modern.” The government later expanded the marketing plan by harnessing the gay community to reposition its global image.
… the Tel Aviv tourism board had begun a campaign of around $90 million to brand the city as “an international gay vacation destination.” The promotion, which received support from the Tourism Ministry and Israel’s overseas consulates, includes depictions of young same-sex couples and financing for pro-Israeli movie screenings at lesbian and gay film festivals in the United States…
The growing global gay movement against the Israeli occupation has named these tactics “pinkwashing”: a deliberate strategy to conceal the continuing violations of Palestinians’ human rights behind an image of modernity signified by Israeli gay life. Aeyal Gross, a professor of law at Tel Aviv University, argues that “gay rights have essentially become a public-relations tool,” even though “conservative and especially religious politicians remain fiercely homophobic.”
Pinkwashing not only manipulates the hard-won gains of Israel’s gay community, but it also ignores the existence of Palestinian gay-rights organizations.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/men_of_israel_th.jpg
That would certainly explain why Islamophobe Michael Lucas (http://www.queerty.com/the-it-gets-better-campaign-becomes-a-cynical-political-football-20110729/) was allowed to film his pro-Semitic porn epic Men of Israel within Isreal’s borders and why an employee of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office circulated a patently false video (http://www.queerty.com/another-gay-web-hoax-some-israeli-guy-pretends-to-be-a-homo-spurned-by-the-gaza-flotilla-20110628/) accusing anti-gay Palestinian protestors of working as covert terrorist operatives.
But it also makes you think twice about how some politicians make “It Gets Better” videos just to rake their opponents over the coals (http://www.queerty.com/the-it-gets-better-campaign-becomes-a-cynical-political-football-20110729/) for not making one and about businesses that tout pro-LGBT policies and marketing partnerships (http://www.queerty.com/report-target-lady-gaga-end-their-anti-gay-mixed-messaged-deal-20110308/) while working donating to anti-gay politicians (http://www.queerty.com/target-loves-its-gay-employees-and-customers-so-why-is-it-supporting-a-candidate-who-hates-them-20100724/).
Although we need all the allies we can get, it pays to at least question what people stand to gain when they decide to publicly espouse pro-LGBT rhetoric.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/is-israel-using-lgbt-rights-as-an-anti-palestinian-marketing-tool-20111129/

After New York marriage equality passed, the executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, Reverend Jason McGuire alleged that Governor Andrew Cuomo violated senatorial procedure by holding secret meetings; rushing the bill through the legislature and offering dollars and fancy dinners to any Republicans voting for the bill.
McGuire filed a lawsuit (http://www.nyfrf.org/albanyupdate/Complaint.pdf) to overturn marriage equality on these technical grounds and this week New York Supreme Court Judge Robert Wiggins allowed the lawsuit to proceed (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/11/livingston-county-judge-cuomo-administration-steamrolled-lawmakers-on-gay-marr). But that’s a good thing, even if Wiggins did add a few saucy words slamming Cuomo for his alleged hastiness and arm-bending. Here’s why:
Basically the lawsuit challenges marriage equality because of how it was passed, not why it was passed. As such, McGuire’s lawsuit provides no arguments against marriage equality, only against the methods used to legalize it. And while the court proceedings get underway, it will give the media a chance to scrutinize the anti-LGBT records of NYCF as well as their partners Torah Jews for Decency (http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-york-anti-gay-ultra-orthodox-rabbis.html) and the Liberty Counsel (http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/the-hard-liners), both far-right groups that have spent years demonizing LGBT families.
Furthermore, even if McGuire succeeds, his case could get overturned at the appellate level and a ruling in his favor won’t do anything achieve the anti-LGBT dream of overturning the marriage law in four years (http://www.queerty.com/maggie-and-brians-plan-to-reverse-ny-marriage-in-just-4-short-years-20110629/) nor allowing New York to vote on marriage equality. So while we’ll be keeping our eyes on this case, you probably shouldn’t lose too much sleep over it just yet.
Something worth noting though is that even though Judge Wiggins claimed to disregard his own feelings on marriage equality, his decision still included some very saucy language revealing some bias (emphasis added):

“It is ironic that much of the state’s brief passionately spews sanctimonious verbiage on the separation of powers in the governmental branches, and clear arm-twisting by the Executive on the Legislative permeates this entire process. [Cuomo also issued a] message of necessity that allows for a quicker vote, Cuomo had written that continued delay would deny more than 50,000 same-sex couples critical protections afforded to heterosexual couples. Logically and clearly this cite by the governor is disingenuous. The review of such concept altering legislation for three days after generations of existing definitions would not so damage same sex couples as to necessitate an avoidance of rules meant to ensure full review and discussion prior to any vote.”
So basically Wiggins says that Cuomo’s message of necessity created an legislative rush unnecessary because the discriminatory “definition” of marriage had already excluded LGBT families for over 200 years. But by this reasoning, Judge Wiggins would discourage elected officials from rushing to help stop any injustices perpetrated against tens of thousands of state citizens.
Why rush to repeal slavery or offer women legal protections? After all, those racist and misogynist institutions have existed for hundreds of years. Ummm…. no.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/ny-judge-lets-anti-marriage-equality-lawsuit-proceed-heres-why-thats-good-20111129/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/wbc_protest_sign.jpg
THE SHOT – A counter-protestor at a Westboro Baptist Church demonstration makes the ultimate religious argument in favor of gay adoption. Jesus also asked 12 of his closest man-friends to leave their wives so they could devote their lives to him, but that’s a whole other story.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-ultimate-protest-sign-against-christians-who-oppose-gay-adoptions-20111129/

There’s nothing more fulfilling than watching third-grader Drake Viola give his eighth-grade sibling Grant a beatdown for calling something “gay.” They made the video for Grant’s class project and while it’s violent, sometimes haters gotta smacked for being stoopid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nP8_ytsTdYQ
Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-two-elementary-schoolers-just-made-the-best-dont-say-gay-psa-ever-20111129/

What’s a multinational corporation with over $16 billion in yearly revenue to do after one of their prized employees calls a gay couple “faggots” (http://www.queerty.com/united-airlines-manager-calls-gay-couple-faggots-over-minor-dispute-20111128/)? Probably just like, ignore reporters’ requests for comments and issue boilerplate “apologies” to concerned citizens via Twitter (http://twitter.com/#%21/united), right?
As you can see at left, United’s sad excuse of an apology is: “We don’t tolerate discrimination & are take the complaint seriously. We are reviewing internally & aren’t able to corroborate.” Corroborate? They’re basically saying, “We know we’re an accessory to a crime, but we just, uh, don’t want to deal with it yet.”
They also don’t want to put any of their huge PR resources toward working with the press. Queerty searched high and low for a spokesperson phone number or corporate communications e-mail, but we found nothin’. So this reporter shot off an e-mail to the best thing we could find: [email protected], asking for a comment by noon today—no answer. You should do the same, and ask that they at least issue a public apology to Billy Canu and his partner; it’s all the couple is asking for.
We haven’t seen any other news outlets with any real responses from United, either. A local news station in Denver managed to squeeze this statement out of them (http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/29867749/detail.html) yesterday:

“United does not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” said airline spokeswoman Megan McCarthy. “We have received this complaint and are reviewing, and we will reach out to the customer directly.”
In other news, an airline we thought was more gay-friendly (http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/rainbow.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=rainbow) is filing for bankruptcy (http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2011/11/29/american-airlines-bankruptcy-who-loses/), so maybe being anti-gay is a thought-out business strategy for United. Hell, the f-bomb-dropping manager even boasts on his LinkedIn profile (http://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneyvhill) that he was honored by CEO Glen Tilton for “Excellence in Customer Service 2010.”
Something tells us he won’t be getting that award this year.
UPDATE (2:25pm): After we asked if they’d gotten an apology from United yet, Billy Canu tells us: “No – we haven’t heard anything yet besides the stock answer everyone has received. I assume they just hope it dies out. Hard to believe that an apology is to much to ask.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/united-bad-pr.png
Source: http://www.queerty.com/united-airlines-apologizes-for-faggot-dropping-employee-with-lame-tweets-20111129/

TheGodlessUtopian

30th November 2011, 18:48

.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yMLZO-sObzQ

TheGodlessUtopian

30th November 2011, 18:58

When it comes to getting students to kill themselves, the Anoka-Hennepin School District is the best in Minnesota. The school’s “neutrality policy” (http://www.queerty.com/a-lawsuit-blames-anoka-hennepin-isds-neutrality-policy-for-lgbt-student-suicides-but-are-negligent-teachers-really-the-cause-20110725/) on LGBT issues forbid teachers from speaking out against LGBT bullying, and their seven student suicides over the last two years have made them the focus of a federal investigation and lawsuits (http://www.queerty.com/a-lawsuit-blames-anoka-hennepin-isds-neutrality-policy-for-lgbt-student-suicides-but-are-negligent-teachers-really-the-cause-20110725/).
But Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has had enough of their lethal reputation and recently issued an executive order asking a 15-person bipartisan panel to study they “best practices, existing laws, and reports of bullying in schools” so the state can define bullying and provide recommendations for anti-bullying policy initiatives by next August.
Allowing teachers to openly discuss anti-LGBT bullying in schools would be a good first step. A law explicitly protecting LGBT students would make a great final step, especially if Dayton can provide some cash and training so teachers learn how to effectively handle both bullies and potential suicide victims.
Otherwise, Anoka-Hennepin will go down in history as the one of the deadliest school districts in the nation—an honor no district would want.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/mn-governor-orders-panel-to-end-all-school-bullying-student-suicides-20111130/

Remember the 15-year-old Ohio student who beat the crap (http://www.queerty.com/felony-charges-filed-in-schoolyard-attack-on-gay-ninth-grader-in-oh-20111103/) out of his gay classmate on a Facebook video? His name is Levi Sever, he’s 15 years old and he just plead guilty to assault (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/30/us-student-given-90-days-in-juvenile-detention-for-attacking-gay-classmate/). He’ll get 90 days in juvie and mandatory counseling for whatever mental issue causes people to beat the crap out of gay kids.
Imagine if the video of the attack had not existed. Be sure to thank Sever’s cousin for recording it.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/bash-a-gay-classmate-on-a-facebook-video-get-90-days-in-oh-juvie-20111130/

Critics have already savaged (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/j_edgar/) J. Edgar, Clint Eastwood’s biopic about longtime FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover. Now his government contemporaries are slamming the fact that the iconic Mr. Hoover, revered in the Bureau, was portrayed as a gay lover to his confidant Clyde Tolson. They aired their grievances in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/fbi-agents-upset-over-movie-alleging-j-edgar-hoover-was-gay/2011/11/21/gIQAQSlJAO_story_1.html):
“We were led to believe this would be an accurate portrayal of Mr. Hoover,” said Thomas McGorray, who runs the e-mail list xgboys. “Everybody feels betrayed. It’s typical Hollywood. They went off on the sex stuff.”
“Xgboys,” BTW, is not a NSFW list-serv where pervy old men trade pictures of child stars gone bad. It’s a private mailing list for ex-FBI agents, obviously! A more sensible agent named Scott Nelson is less grumble-grumble about the matter:
As a technical adviser on the film, former agent Scott Nelson said he also advised the filmmakers it was “gratuitous” to include a scene showing Hoover and Tolson kissing and to show Hoover putting on his mother’s dress in his grief after she died.
But Nelson thinks some of his fellow former agents are overreacting.
“It’s a biopic. It’s not a biography,” said Nelson, who now runs his own security firm in California. “That doesn’t mean it’s factual. Agents deal in fact, and they’re offended at the literary license taken by the screenwriter. I know why they’re offended.”
However, Nelson said, the film does not disparage Hoover, and the speculative focus on his personal life was part of dramatic storytelling: “That’s Hollywood.”
So it’s all screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s fault. In the article, they say “historians agree that there is no evidence that either man was gay,” and Hoover expert Cohen called DLB out on this publicly (http://www.queerty.com/j-edgar-hoover-filmmaker-dustin-lance-black-is-lying-about-all-the-gay-stuff-20110328/) back in March.
Do you blame the openly gay writer for taking a close friendship between two FBI dudes and turning it into repressed gay love? Maybe his ham-handedness with that subplot is indicative that he should he stick to winning Oscars for writing movies about definitively gay people (http://www.queerty.com/milk-gets-8-oscar-nominations-20090122/). Or maybe just star in pictures of his own (http://www.queerty.com/crusty-old-fbi-agents-mad-that-j-edgar-portrays-hoover-as-a-big-fat-homo-20111130/www.queerty.com/shock-dustin-lance-black-sex-tape-leaks-20090612/)?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/crusty-old-fbi-agents-mad-that-j-edgar-portrays-hoover-as-a-big-fat-homo-20111130/

This past November 16th, Alan Chambers the devout non-gay (http://www.queerty.com/exodus-alan-chambers-wrote-a-book-about-how-hell-never-really-be-straight-20090727/) President of ex-gay group Exodus International held a secret meeting (http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2011/11/exclusive-secret-conference-held-to-save-exodus-international/) to figure out how to keep the group financially afloat. Can we look forward to bidding one of the world’s largest anti-gay groups goodbye?
An attendee of the secret meeting spoke with Ex-Gay Watch’s David Roberts, who then double-checked the attendee’s claims to provide this insider’s look as just how hard up Chambers and Exodus are for funds:
The past couple of years have seen Exodus cut it’s staff, lose key alliances, and suffer from a general moderation in American views toward homosexuality. So… they have increased efforts abroad where there exists less formal opposition to their message — that living a gay affirming life is sinful, wrong and unhealthy, and change is the only way to truly please God.
Three years ago, Exodus purchased a building for a little over $1.1 Million… and it’s value must have decreased significantly since… [plus,] debt service for that building must be a great draw on their meager resources. According to IRS documents, they burned through $200,000 of their savings in 2010 alone… If they continue on their current trajectory, there seems little doubt that Exodus will fold in the near future.
… [At the meeting] Chambers… posed the question, “how can we save Exodus?”… [but] this plea does not seem to be based on any deep, inner change of heart or ideology… The emphasis was on how to make Exodus more “donor accessible.”…
Chamber’s apparently wishes to “re-brand” Exodus into something more palatable to those with funds to give, and the general public alike… Chambers said that “everything is on the table… [including] the possibility of his resignation… This… is their last resort, their “Hail Mary” so to speak—they’ve tried everything else. Indeed, it seems certain that Chambers would have made pleas to anyone he knew with money before taking this drastic action… Exodus is an organization fumbling for a solution.
Exodus has long been strapped for cash (http://www.queerty.com/does-god-want-exodus-international-to-fail-20100823/) and struggling to remain culturally relevant—New Zealand revoked (http://www.queerty.com/new-zealand-exodus-internationals-mission-to-cure-gays-is-unnecessary-no-longer-tax-free-20100830/) their charity status, Apple yanked (http://www.queerty.com/like-flipping-a-switch-on-your-gayness-exodus-internationals-iphone-app-disappears-20110323/) their iPhone app and we doubt their youth marketing campaign (http://www.queerty.com/exodus-international-is-coming-for-your-soon-to-be-ex-gay-kids-yes-really-20101123/) has gone very well either; especially since one of Exodus’ founders said not too long ago that ex-gay therapy just plain out doesn’t work (http://www.queerty.com/exodus-international-co-founder-it-doesnt-freakin-work-20100427/).
Roberts says that the group will undoubtedly have to make some statement about its future at the Exodus Leadership Conference in January 2012. Expect to hear about their “kinder, friendlier” brand of medically discredited (http://www.queerty.com/if-these-shrinks-are-to-be-believed-youll-never-be-able-to-change-your-sexuality-20090805/) mental abuse.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/exodus-international-may-go-under-if-it-doesnt-get-cash-donations-like-yesterday-20111130/

TheGodlessUtopian

30th November 2011, 19:06

Poor Pat Sullivan. Until yesterday, the 68-year-old Colorado retired police officer had a distinguished career as a national “Sheriff Of the Year” honoree with the local clink named after him. But now Mr. Sullivan sits holed up in a lonely jail cell in his namesake—the Patrick J. Sullivan, Jr. Detention Center—deprived of meth and gay sex.
According to the Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19435391):
Drug task-force officers were “visually monitoring” the deal when the 68-year-old former national Sheriff of the Year delivered methamphetamine to an Aurora home and sought sex in return, said current Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
“This shows that no one is above the law, particularly a current or a former peace officer,” Robinson said.
Robinson said Sullivan had an ongoing relationship with the man as well as other men he had a history of bonding out of jails in the metro region.
Sullivan is being held on $250,000 bail in the jail that bears his name, the Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. Detention Facility. He was sheriff from 1984 until his retirement in 2002.
Can’t wait to see Breaking Bad rip this one from the headlines.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/busted-ex-sheriff-of-the-year-traded-crystal-meth-for-gay-sex-20111130/

Here’s some depressing HIV health news (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/11/30/378526/report-three-out-of-four-americans-with-hiv-dont-receive-regular-health-care-2/). A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that three out of four of the 1.2 million HIV-positive Americans don’t receive enough medicine or regular health care “to stay healthy or prevent themselves from transmitting the virus to others”—240,000 don’t even know they’re infected. But there’s more!
Another study by the Williams Institute found that “55 percent of obstetricians, 46 percent of skilled nursing facilities, and 25 percent of plastic surgeons” in L.A. “had policies that specifically discriminated against people living with HIV or AIDS” over the past decade.
While our horrid economic climate has made it harder (http://www.queerty.com/what-can-the-u-s-aidshiv-caucus-actually-accomplish-in-this-bad-economy-20110916/) for pozzers to get proper medical attention, you’d think the Hippocratic oath and basic safety precautions would keep professional doctors open to at least serving the HIV-positive patients who do seek medical help.
Maybe not all doctors feel similarly and L.A. doctors are just extra douchey.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/dr_hiv_discrimination-360x259.jpg
Source: http://www.queerty.com/study-some-doctors-dont-even-want-to-touch-hiv-people-20111130/

When discussing transgender topics, it’s important to avoid slurs (http://www.queerty.com/lets-learn-the-nine-anti-trans-slurs-we-should-avoid-20110620/) and handle questions with tact. Luckily, this handy little poster offers a good primer on how to do both.
Words build thoughts and thoughts create actions. Thus, every word helps lay the foundation for empowered trans people and trans equality worldwide.

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/transphobic_th1-428x600.jpg
Source: http://www.queerty.com/what-not-to-say-when-discussing-transgender-people-20111130/

TheGodlessUtopian

1st December 2011, 02:36

Documenting Lives of Transgender Immigrants

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-30/CROSSINGX390.jpg

A new documentary, Crossing Over, will focus on the lives of three transgender women, all undocumented immigrants from Mexico. According to the Connecticut paper The Daily Stamford, (http://www.thedailystamford.com/neighbors/darien-woman-sheds-light-transgender-immigrants)the women — Francis Murillo, Brenda Gonzalez, and Abigail Madariaga — all fled rural Mexico seeking asylum after suffering physical and sexual abuse at the hands of family, community members, and even police, because they are transgender.

Filmmaker Isabel Castro, a student at New York University's Tisch School of Arts, tells the paper, “Their story is fascinating. The cultural and social pressures in Mexico just made it impossible for them to live there."

Though Castro has shot part of the documentary in Los Angeles, where the women live, she's hoping a Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/isabelcastro/crossing-over) will help her raise another $4,000 to finish it.

Castro says that while it’s difficult enough for undocumented immigrants to find safe work and a living wage once they arrive in the United States, trans men and women have an even harder time. "Many resort to working in the sex industry, where their chances of being exposed to HIV and developing drug addictions greatly increase," she notes on the Kickstarter page. "Abigail became addicted to drugs while working as a prostitute, and Brenda contracted HIV."

Both women have found treatment since being granted political asylum in 2008, and all three now have safe, stable employment, but Murillo's final hearing to determine whether she stays in the U.S. or is deported to Mexico isn't until February 13. Castro hopes to finish the film by next summer.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/30/Documenting_Lives_of_Transgender_Immigrants/

Aussie MP, Whose Son Is Gay, Pushes for Marriage Equality

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-30/greenx390.jpg

Danielle Green — an Australian Labor MP representing Yan Yean, near Melbourne — is hoping her fellow lawmakers come around on marriage equality, even though the nation's female prime minister isn't sold on the idea.
Green has a 28-year-old gay son, Blake, who came out in his early teen years.
"He said to me: 'Mum, I don't want you to be upset about this as it could just be a stage, but I think I might be gay.' He was so worried about my feelings," Green told the Herald-Sun (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/labor-mp-danielle-greens-plea-to-watch-her-gay-son-walk-down-the-aisle/story-fn7x8me2-1226210603982). "I told him it's no one else's business who anyone chooses to love or be intimate with."
Green's Labor Party will discuss changing the party's platform this weekend to include support for same-sex marriage. Prime Minister Julia Gillard opposes marriage equality but voiced supported for a conscience vote (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/14/Gillard_Backs_Conscience_Vote_for_Gay_Marriage/) on the matter at the Labor Party conference.
A recent poll showed that a majority of Australians support marriage rights for gays.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/30/Aussie_MP_Whos_Son_is_Gay_Pushes_for_Marriage_Equa lity/

Marcus Bachmann's Influence Problem

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-30/BACHMANNX390.jpg

Marcus Bachmann, husband of GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, is on GQ magazine's list of the 25 least influential people alive. Bachmann couldn't even convince gay activists who bailed on an appointment to his so-called ex-gay clinic to hand over a $150 cancellation fee (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/17/Gay_Group_Has_a_Threat_of_Its_Own_for_Marcus_Bachm ann/). But GQ says it's the larger problem that puts him on the list.

"Bachmann makes this list because the entire area of 'reparative therapy' is fundamentally absent of influence, since making a gay person not gay isn't possible," GQ wrote. (http://www.gq.com/entertainment/humor/201112/25-least-influential-people-alive#slide=12)
The folks at Truth Wins Out — which Bachmann had threatened with a collection agency — would agree. They refused to pay, explaining that Bachmann's services are a fraud.

Others on the GQ list include Tila Tequila, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and failed end-of-the-world predictor Harold Camping.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/30/Marcus_Bachmanns_Influence_Problem/

Radical Christian Group Prays for George Michael's Death

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-09/2010-09-14/MICHAEL.jpg

A radical religious group called Christians for a Moral America is asking followers to pray for the death of singer George Michael, who is recuperating from pneumonia, due to his "Satanic lifestyle," reports Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-shore/george-michael-christians-for-moral-america_b_1119226.html?ref=religion).

In an article written for the site, author John Shore, who identifies as Christian, takes the religious group to task for the series of vicious tweets sent by a member known only as Keith.

Shore makes an effort to distinguish other LGBT Christians from this homphobic group and admonishes Keith, who sent tweets that speculate on Michael's HIV status and writing that after Michael"bites the dust, it'll be the perfect time to roll out anti-sodomy laws." Shore points out that the group has a small amount of followers on Facebook and Twitter.

Shore reveals that while working on his book Wings on a Pig: Why the 'Christian' View of Gays Doesn't Work, he learned that "for every one person like Keith I've ever known — for every person who's ever fanatically endeavored to transmogrify the beautiful love of God into the horrible hatred of men — I've known 200 who are quietly and humbly working, in Christ's name, to make the world a better, more loving place for all."

Last week Michael was forced to cancel the remaining dates of his Symphonica concert tour after being checked into a hospital in Vienna to recover from what has been described as a severe case of pneumonia. Both Michael's current boyfriend, Fahdi Fawaz, and his spokesman insists that the singer is responding to treatment and improving.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/29/Radical_Christian_Group_Prays_for_George_Michaels_ Death/

TheGodlessUtopian

1st December 2011, 17:32

Dame Elizabeth Taylor: When her friend, actor Rock Hudson, revealed publicly in 1985 that he had AIDS, Taylor stood by him and said she would commit her life to the fight to stop AIDS. She was true to her word. Only her death, in March 2011, could stop her activism.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Picture-19.png

Lady Gaga: In her short but dazzling career, Gaga has modeled more than colorful get-ups as she speaks openly about her own safe-sexual choices. Even if she isn’t gay herself, “Mother Monster,” has been a more visible champion for LGBT (and every other) people than any of our own!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Picture-20.png

Sir Elton John: For Sir Elton, it was a friendship with the Indiana teenager Ryan White, who was infected with HIV through his hemophilia medication, that brought out his latent AIDS activist. John has raised tens of millions of dollars for AIDS causes through his Elton John AIDS Foundation. Ryan White was the namesake of the federal government’s $2+ billion Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, passed four months after his death in 1990.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6089/6131567283_5c61a00b19.jpg

Larry Kramer (http://www.queerty.com/larry-kramer-on-the-normal-heart-gays-are-not-always-the-best-supporters-of-gay-art-20111104/): Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), the world’s first AIDS organization, was founded in his living room in Manhattan. His speech at the New York Gay and Lesbian Community Center on the night of March 10, 1987, could be called ‘the shot heard round the gay world.’ It also led to the formation of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, best known as ACT UP. “I think we must want to die,” said Kramer. “I have never been able to understand why for six long years we have sat back and let ourselves literally be knocked off man by man–without fighting back. I have heard of denial, but this is more than denial; it is a death wish.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/larry-kramer1.jpg

Randy Shilts: The San Francisco Chronicle reporter used the visibility of his articles in the city’s major newspaper to warn gay men in the earliest years of AIDS about the risks of promiscuity. Shilts is best remembered for chronicling the first six years of the epidemic in his bestselling 1987 book And the Band Played On.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/240px-Randy_Shilts_1987.jpg

Anthony Fauci, M.D.: The longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Dr. Fauci for years was a lightning rod for the wrath of AIDS activists who accused him of intentional foot-dragging on HIV research–and worse. Larry Kramer regularly lambasted Fauci, publicly called him a “murderer”–before eventually calling him “friend.” Once the target of protests, Fauci came to admire and value the contributions of his former accusers.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/fauciSmileLabSmall-1.jpg

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein: When she became mayor of San Francisco after the 1978 double-assassination of Mayor George Moscone and gay Supervisor Harvey Milk, neither Dianne Feinstein nor anyone else knew that only a few years later the city would face a natural disaster that would kill far more residents than the Great Earthquake of 1906. Feinstein was the daughter, wife and mother of doctors, so looked at AIDS as a medical–not moral–problem. Because she had gay friends and staff, she also saw the epidemic as “our” problem and not “their” problem. No wonder San Francisco was able to mount what most consider the world’s best response to its AIDS problem.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/officiaphoto-thumbl.jpg

Bobbi Campbell: A member of the famous Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, San Francisco nurse Bobbi Campbell was the first person ever to go public about having AIDS. Some of the earliest educational posters were simply photographs of the purple Kaposi’s sarcoma (K.S.) lesion on Campbell’s foot. He called himself the “K.S. Poster Boy.” With fellow gay AIDS activists–the first ones ever–Campbell helped to form the National Association of People with AIDS in 1983.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Picture-21.png

Cleve Jones: A protege of San Francisco rabble rouser and first openly gay elected official in the country, Harvey Milk, Cleve Jones was instrumental in forming the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the city’s first and today its oldest AIDS service organization. “You! How would you like to serve your community?” he used to say to gay men walking by on Castro Street in the earliest years of AIDS. “Come up here and answer my phone, would you?” The phone was the city’s first AIDS information hotline. Jones would become best known outside of San Francisco for originating the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the most iconic image of the epidemic.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/clevejonesmarch-320x218.jpg

Reggie Williams: Reggie wouldn’t let anyone off with lazy excuses. “I know what it is to have low self-esteem and not feel like your life has value,” he told me in 1995. “I’ve been there. I grew up in the ghetto, so I know what it’s like.” His belief in “doing for ourselves” led him to form the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention, in 1988, the first national group focusing on HIV prevention for gay men of color.
---------------------------------------

John-Manuel Andriote has been reporting on HIV/AIDS since 1986. See www.victorydeferred.com (http://www.victorydeferred.com/) to read about or order the just-published new edition of his acclaimed history of the epidemic, Victory Deferred: How AIDS Changed Gay Life in America.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/10-heroes-who-stood-with-gay-americans-in-the-aids-plague-20111130/10/

TheGodlessUtopian

1st December 2011, 17:38

FIRST PERSON: “Eventually, You’re Going To Have To Go On Living Your Life.” (http://www.queerty.com/first-person-eventually-youre-going-to-have-to-go-on-living-your-life-20111130/)

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Lee.jpgThe morning after I got my HIV test results I got arrested at an ACT UP demonstration.
It wasn’t a spontaneous decision: I’d been planning to get arrested for months. It was a big demonstration at City Hall on the one-year anniversary of ACT UP—I’d joined an affinity group and was all excited about my first ACT UP arrest. But it was rough: The cops were total homophobic assholes—they screamed at us the whole time, “You’re gonna die of AIDS, you goddamn faggot cocksuckers!” and shit like that. And they roughed us up pretty good. But I’m glad I went through with it.
The night before, after I got my diagnosis, I suddenly wasn’t so sure about getting arrested. I called a friend in my affinity group for advice. He was very droll and very wise. He said, ‘Lee, it doesn’t really matter if you get arrested tomorrow or not. But eventually, you’re going to have to go on living your life.’
At the time of my diagnosis, in 1989, I had read somewhere that the average length of time between diagnosis and death was nine months. I don’t know if that was true—there was a lot of conflicting information back then,—but it stuck in my mind. Nine months is, of course, the length of a human gestation period. I thought, ‘I’m gonna do everything I can to stay healthy and buy myself another nine months.’ And I keep giving birth to myself. It’s always surprising.
The biggest negative [that being HIV+] has had was on my relationship: I’d been in a relationship for eight years. It was a good, solid relationship but my HIV status shifted the dynamic. It was subtle at first, but the distance between us kept growing, and eventually, I ended it. We’re still close—he’s my dearest friend and the truth is, we’re better friends than we were lovers. But it took a while to get there.
Ultimately, my diagnosis was a catalyst for a positive change, but it sure felt negative at the time.”

Lee Raines, 57, marketing director
New York, NY
Diagnosed: 3/27/89
Source: http://www.queerty.com/first-person-eventually-youre-going-to-have-to-go-on-living-your-life-20111130/

I’ve never regretted coming out but when I look back, I realize I had no clue. When I was publicly disinherited, I realized I had to find a job. Belief in myself and my abilities became my most useful asset. To be free first you must be financially independent.
Now I am an organic farmer, and my economic empowerment has been a benefit of coming out. I can use my wealth how I want without being accused of misappropriating my inheritance. I can fight for gay rights because I am financially independent.”
http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2010/01/Manvendra-Singh-Gohil.jpg
Source: http://www.queerty.com/prince-manvendra-singh-gohil-of-india-i-had-no-clue-when-i-came-out-20111130/

Harry Potter goes homosexual. Glee‘s lesbian finally comes out. Patti Stanger pretends the gays hurt her. This week’s gay entertainment news isn’t ready for its close-up.

Following in the footsteps of James Franco, Daniel Radcliffe has been cast as Allen Ginsberg in the gay-themed thriller Kill Your Darlings, according to Twitch (http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/11/daniel-radcliffe-to-play-allen-ginsberg-in-john-krokidas-kill-your-darlings.php). Will Radcliffe also aspire to play every famous gay person (http://www.queerty.com/james-francos-master-plan-to-make-a-movie-about-every-famous-gay-person-that-ever-lived-20110712/) too? It’s a dangerous path to go down. One minute you’re miming oral sex on prosthetic penises, the next you’re hosting the most boring Oscars ever. Consider yourself warned, Harry Potter.

Glee gets gayer by the day. Last night’s episode, titled “I Kissed A Girl,” saw Santana come out of the closet to her parents and grandma while Kurt and Blaine duetted Pink’s “Fuckin’ Perfect.” And there’s more! TV Line (http://www.tvline.com/2011/11/glee-ricky-martin-season-3/)says (http://www.tvline.com/2011/11/glee-ricky-martin-season-3/) dutiful husband (http://www.queerty.com/ricky-martin-gets-spanish-citizenship-so-he-can-marry-his-baby-daddy-20111104/)/bon-bon shaker Ricky Martin will play “the hottest Spanish teacher ever in the history of Ohio” on the show late next January. Ay caramba!

Breaking: Millionaire Matchmaker‘s Patti Stanger, who previously told gay man Andy Cohen (http://www.queerty.com/gay-men-should-probably-ignore-millionaire-matchmaker-patti-stangers-dating-tips-20110926/) that gay men are incorrigible penis-addicted sluts, is still a idiot (http://gawker.com/5863656/millionaire-matchmaker-patti-stanger-shoves-foot-in-mouth-yet-again). “I couldn’t sleep knowing that I hurt the gay community,” the self-victimizing hag told Andy last night about the controversy following her comments. “Because they mean so much to me. This is my mission in life, to help the gay community.” How about you donate some money to a gay charity or show your face at a GLAAD event then, Patti? That might help a scotch more than reiterating gay stereotypes on national TV. It’s only okay when we do that ourselves over brunch bellinis, okay?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/daniel-radcliffe-plays-gay-glees-lesbian-comes-out-and-patti-stanger-screws-up-again-20111130/

TheGodlessUtopian

1st December 2011, 17:45

Obama Steps Up Fight Against HIV

By Julie Bolcer and Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-01/BONO_OBAMA_KEYSX390.jpg
Barack Obama chats with muscian Bono (left)
as singer Alcia Keys (right) looks on after
speaking at a World AIDS Day event December 1, 2011.
President Barack Obama announced a new target Thursday of securing treatment for six million people by the end of 2013 and urged other countries to step up in the global fight against HIV, singling out China as one of the world’s economic powerhouses that has yet to adequately do so.

In remarks at a World AIDS Day event in Washington, D.C., Obama said the treatment goal over the next two years covers two million more people than originally proposed.

"Few could have imagined that we’d be talking about the real possibility of an AIDS-free generation," the president said at the ONE Campaign and (RED) (http://www.youtube.com/theonecampaign)-hosted event that included remarks via satellite from former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. "But that’s what we’re talking about. That’s why we’re here. And we arrived here because of all of you and your unwavering belief that we can — and we will — beat this disease."

Within the United States, where 1.2 million people live with HIV, the president plans to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to increase funding for HIV and AIDS treatment by $50 million. Congressional approval is not required to allocate the funds, though Obama called for continued bipartisan support of HIV/AIDS funding.

“At a time when so much in Washington divides us, the fight against this disease has united us across parties and presidencies,” Obama said. “It has shown that we can do big things when Republicans and Democrats put their common humanity before politics.”

Obama specifically mentioned rising infection rates among gay men of color as well as disparate access to medical care among minority groups. “When new infections among young, black, gay men increase by nearly fifty percent in three years, we need to do more to show them that their lives matter,” he said. “When Latinos are dying sooner than other groups; when black women feel forgotten even though they account for most of the new cases among women, we need to do more.”

Of international support for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts, Obama called on countries that have pledged money to the Global Fund to honor their commitments. “And countries that haven’t made a pledge need to do so. That includes China and other major economies that are now able to step up as major donors.”

The president’s address follows one made last month on HIV by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/08/Clinton_Appoints_Ellen_DeGeneres_as_Global_HIV_Env oy/) to the National Institutes of Health. Clinton called for increased voluntary male circumcision as well as more support for antiretroviral medication regimens among those infected — both of which contribute to an “ideal intervention that prevents people from being infected in the first place.”

Recent studies have shown that HIV-infected individuals taking antiretroviral drugs are substantially less likely to infect sexual partners. Debates on whether resources should favor either prevention or treatment are irrelevant to the modern-day battle against HIV, Clinton said.

As part of its global outreach, the United States has set a goal of providing antiretroviral treatment to 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women, as well as fund 4.7 million voluntary male circumcisions in Africa over the next two years.

Moderated by CNN medical reporter Sanjay Gupta, the panel discussion at the World AIDS Day event, held at George Washington University, included Florida senator Marco Rubio, California congresswoman Barbara Lee, U2 lead singer Bono, Alicia Keys, and Kay Warren, wife of Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren. Warren’s evangelical ties with antigay Ugandan leaders have come under scrutiny in the past, though the American megachurch pastor has repudiated such connections.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/01/Obama_Steps_Up_Commitment_to_Fight_AIDS/

Op-ed: As Long as Homophobia Lives, AIDS Won't Die

Gay men exist everywhere and African AIDS leaders must accept that fact, writes Mannasseh Phiri, executive director of a Zambian health organization.
By Mannasseh Phiri, Op-ed Contributor (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/SPECIAL_CIRCUMSTANCES/AIDS_The_Thirty_Years_War/Articles/Dr-Phirix390.jpg
Mannasseh Phiri
Zambian AIDS activist Mannasseh Phiri was once as homophobic as most health officials in the southern African nation. But after Phiri met an out, HIV-positive man, he had an epiphany about gays and the disease — he now warns that if others like him don’t have a similar change of heart, AIDS will continue to ravage the continent, and the world.

History has a very unfortunate way of repeating itself.

Thirty years ago, the gay community in the West faced an unprecedented crisis — a new, unknown virus that was taking the lives of gay men from San Francisco to Stockholm. It was a medical crisis exacerbated by silence from politicians and society at large, leaving the gay community completely alone — for years — in its fight to educate people and save lives. Only when the broader public realized that this virus — now known as HIV — crossed all sexual orientation, gender, race, and national border lines did governments, corporations, and the media finally throw their weight into fighting the epidemic.

In my country, Zambia, the reverse scenario has taken place. The HIV/AIDS crisis is largely a public issue, and the government, media, and international and local organizations are committing huge resources to protect babies, couples, and individuals from HIV infection, and to treat those infected. Today, more than 400,000 Zambians are receiving free HIV/AIDS treatment and care, and millions more are being reached with HIV testing and prevention messages, tools, and services. Except the gay community.

Due to endemic homophobia and fear in Zambian society, both self-identified gay men and MSM (men who sleep with men) are completely absent from the HIV discussion, leaving them uneducated about HIV risk, unreached by prevention and treatment services, and alone in their fight against HIV/AIDS. It is an unacceptable scenario — one that threatens our ability to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS in Zambia and across most of Africa. To break the status quo, we must take a hard look in the mirror to reset our priorities. Six years ago, I had to do the same thing at a personal level.

Until 2005, I was as homophobic as the next well-educated, well-traveled Zambian man. My professional and personal life was thriving. I had established myself as a family physician and a well-known broadcaster and newspaper columnist. In many ways, through my activism and media profile, I had become a well-known and recognized face of Zambia’s movement to end HIV/AIDS. But all my work — and my words — left out one of Zambia’s most vulnerable populations.

While I did not tolerate or approve of homosexual people and homosexual activities, I did not mind their existence in Zambian society as long as they kept their distance from me, my family, and my career. What I did not realize was that my prejudiced line of thinking (as an “educated HIV activist,” no less) was exactly why the gay/MSM community was being left out of the HIV/AIDS discussion. Left alone. Left, in many cases, to become infected, get sick, and die.

Everything changed the day I met Hayden Horner during a training I helped conduct for senior journalists from the southern Africa region in late 2005. Hayden raised his hand in the middle of a session I was leading on antiretroviral drugs. He stated that he had contracted HIV from having sex with multiple male partners, and was now using antiretrovirals. Later that day, I sat down with Hayden and listened to his story. I listened as he recounted the struggle he had faced trying to find information about HIV/AIDS to preserve not only his life, but the lives of his friends as well.

Hayden told me about his weekly “Hayden’s Diary” published on Plusnews; an online UN news service. In it he wrote with courageousness and feeling about his life as a young gay South African journalist living with HIV. As he spoke, he became more than simply another person living with HIV to me (and I had seen many.) He personified my failure as a physician — and as an activist — to protect the health and future of all Zambians.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Health_and_Fitness/AIDS_The_30_Years_War/Oped_As_Long_as_Homophobia_Lives_AIDS_Wont_Die/

mfAR's CEO on Bankrolling a Cure for HIV

As the world marks 30 years of HIV devastating lives, homes, and nations, the CEO of amfAR looks to make sure the virus doesn't reach age 40.
By Michelle Garcia and Ivan Villanueva (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia) http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/SPECIAL_CIRCUMSTANCES/WORLD_AIDS_DAY/FROST_HARRYX390.jpg
amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost and singer Deborah Harry
arrive at the 2011 amfAR Inspiration Gala Los Angeles
held at the Chateau Marmont October 27, 2011.
Recently amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, announced a new round of grants and fellowships totaling $2.1 million, with $1.6 million going strictly toward cure-focused research. Thirteen grants ranging between $120,000 and $125,000 were awarded to research teams in locations including Australia, Sweden, San Francisco, and Baltimore.

The organization's CEO, Kevin Robert Frost, told HIV Plus magazine that the effort to find a cure has been underfunded in recent years. Now amfAR is spending about 60% of its research funding on finding a cure.

"I think only now are we starting to see that catch up with initiatives from the National Institutes of Health," he said.

The aim for the new funds will focus on understanding how, where, and why HIV persists within infected people even while they are on prescribed medication. Frost said one of the angles being evaluated is the differences in the way HIV is transmitted in various parts of the world, especially in trying to understand transmission among men who have sex with men in countries that tend to be dismissive of or even hostile toward homosexuality.

Some studies will focus on isolating infected cells in order to determine how they function and replicate. The new funds will also help researchers employ the latest technological advances, such as laser dissection techniques and cell-regeneration drugs. Although it may prove difficult to determine how and where HIV-infected cells hide in the body, the newly funded research is promising, Frost said. "As we keep uncovering new information about the virus, we're increasingly confident that we will be able to find a cure for HIV/AIDS in our lifetime," he said.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Health_and_Fitness/Here_To_Inspire/amfARs_CEO_on_Bankrolling_A_Cure_for_HIV/

Gay marriage could wreck independence, claims ex-SNP leader

http://www.scotsman.com/webimage/011211ts110keith_stt3_stt4_1_1989462%21image/2702258262.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/2702258262.jpg Cardinal Keith O'Brien was at Holyrood yesterday to give his backing to Scotland for Marriage, which is against gay marriage. Picture: Greg Macvean

Published on Thursday 1 December 2011 06:40

CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce gay marriage in Scotland could cost the SNP government victory in the forthcoming independence referendum, a former leader of the party has warned.
Gordon Wilson led the speakers at a rally organised by the newly formed Scotland for Marriage organisation which has emerged to oppose the plans.
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation exercise on the issue, but First Minister Alex Salmond has said he supports the move.
The rally outside the Scottish Parliament yesterday brought together representatives from the Catholic Church, Church of Scotland and Muslim community.
Mr Wilson, leader of the SNP between 1979 and 1990, warned the issue could jeopardise the support of huge strands of religious groups with an independence referendum down the line.
He said: “All they are doing is alienating people and you don’t want to alienate people on the eve of an election – an important referendum where every vote will count.”
The issue has already caused a row in SNP ranks after backbencher John Mason lodged an amendment stating that no organisation should be forced to take part in gay marriage.
Asked if it could cost the party the referendum, Mr Wilson said: “That’s my judgment.
“I came through the hard days when every vote had to be fought for. The SNP did very well in the last election, but the referendum is more important than any one election and it’s nearer.
An SNP spokeswoman said there are “a range of views” within all parties on the issue. “The SNP committed in our manifesto to launch a consultation on equal marriage and we would encourage anyone with a view to take part in that consultation.”
Scotland For Marriage supports the current legal definition of marriage and is resistant to plans to redefine it to include same-sex couples.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Scotland’s senior Catholic clergyman, again set out its vociferous opposition to the proposals as he addressed the crowd of about 200 campaigners.
“If the Scottish Government attempt to demolish a universally recognised human right, they will have forfeited the trust which the nation, including people of all faiths and none, have passed in them and their tolerance will shame Scotland in the eyes of the world,” he said.
Ann Allen, former convener of the Church of Scotland’s board of social responsibility, said: “There are all sorts of consequences that are going to result if the Scottish Government proceed down this route.
“I cannot see one positive consequence for the young people of Scotland or for the parents and grandparents in Scotland.
“It’s certainly not a route that I want to see our society travelling down.”
The Church of Scotland has not adopted an official position on the government consultation, but says individual ministers can voice their own opinion.
Bashir Maan, the former Glasgow councillor and Muslim community leader, who attended the rally said: “I’m concerned about this, and so is the Muslim community, because I think it could be the beginning of the destruction of society as we know it.”
“If there’s no family, what about society? These politicians should look forward and have some foresight – what will become of the family without the union of a man and woman?”
He said the issue could damage the popularity of the SNP government.
“I think people will be looking at their political loyalties after this,” he added.
He denied the current situation discriminates against gay people.
“They have the right to civil partnership; marriage is something different. Marriage has always been, right from the dawn of history, between a man and a woman.”
Currently, same-sex couples can enter a civil partnership which carries full legal rights but the ceremony cannot be conducted in a church or other religious premises.
Tom French, policy coordinator for The Equality Network, said: “The vast majority of people in Scotland support same-sex marriage. For most people this is a simple issue of love and equality.
“If a same-sex couple love each other and want to get married, then why should they be banned from doing so?
“With all the problems currently facing the world, people will struggle to understand why organisations like the Catholic Church are wasting so much money and energy on this homophobic campaign.”
Source: http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/gay_marriage_could_wreck_independence_claims_ex_sn p_leader_1_1989463

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd December 2011, 20:12

Bradley Manning’s Leaks Didn’t Actually Hurt Anybody But Let’s Torture Him Anyway (http://www.queerty.com/bradley-mannings-leaks-didnt-actually-hurt-anybody-but-lets-torture-him-anyway-20111201/)

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Bradley-Manning-with-Equality-Poster.jpeg
It’s no blood, no foul when it comes to Bradley Manning. This week his lawyers stated that the alleged WikiLeaks culprit (http://www.queerty.com/tag/bradley-manning/) and confirmed Queerty reader (http://www.queerty.com/new-chat-logs-reveal-bradley-manning-is-an-abused-depressed-trans-curious-queerty-reader-20110714/) didn’t actually cause any damage by releasing classified government documents. After the White House and the Defense Department reviewed the actual information, they found that it was outdated, already public, or not highly classified (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/nov/28/bradley-manning-wikileaks-national-security).
And it’s not just his legal team coming to Manning’s defense. The European parliament has sent an open letter to President Obama (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/29/bradley-manning-mep-open-letter) and members of Congress expressing concern over how Manning is being treated in prison including worries over possible torture. The letter reads:
We have questions about why Mr Manning has been imprisoned for 17 months without yet having had his day in court. We are troubled by reports that Mr Manning has been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement and other abusive treatment tantamount to torture. And we are disappointed that the US government has denied the request of the United Nations special rapporteur on torture to meet privately with Mr Manning in order to conduct an investigation of his treatment by US military authorities.
Last year, the Pentagon defended putting Manning under maximum custody and making him sleep on bedding similar to “stiff carpet.” Obama claimed he was being treated no differently than any prisoner in maximum security. But earlier this year Hillary Clinton attacked the Pentagon (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/11/bradley-manning-clinton-crowley-comments) for Manning’s harsh conditions. He was placed in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day and stripped down to his birthday suit nightly (http://www.queerty.com/bradley-manning-cannot-wear-underwear-while-he-sleeps-for-his-own-safety-20110310/).
Manning’s first hearing is set for December 16. He faces charges on 22 counts (http://www.queerty.com/bradley-manning-charged-by-u-s-army-with-22-counts-including-aiding-the-enemy-20110302/) including downloading and transmitting classified information, fraud, and aiding the enemy. The last count carries the possibility of the death penalty but the Army has stated it will not go for that.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/bradley-mannings-leaks-didnt-actually-hurt-anybody-but-lets-torture-him-anyway-20111201/

What’s wrong with states with two words in their name? They either rule royally (New York, hollerrr (http://www.queerty.com/join-queertys-weekend-long-ny-wedding-celebrations-20110722/)) or suck monkey balls, like New Hampshire and North Carolina (http://raleigh.gaycities.com/) right now. In both of those states, anti-gay politicians have begun to ramp up the drive to push an anti-gay agenda of disenfranchising gays of their God-given gay right to gay marriage.
Over in the Live Free or Die state, a tattered doucherag of a soul called Kevin Smith is aiming for the Republican governership nomination. Once he nabs the nom, he’d like to pilot the state towards repealing its same-sex marriage law. He’s even taking a little down time before the election to serve as an official National Organization for Marriage lobbyist (http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2011/12/kevin-my-group-pushes-ex-gay-therapy-smith-joins-nom.html). How cute! So, state that believes that people should be left alone to marry whoever they choose, please don’t elect this corporate crony hack, thanks.
Over in a state best known for being the first to crash a biplane on the Outerbanks, “a referendum committee formed by several anti-gay religious groups is among the latest official campaign organizations set up for an impending ballot initiative on an anti-LGBT state constitutional amendment banning marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples,” according to Q Notes (http://goqnotes.com/13585/anti-gay-amendment-committee-formed/). Meh.
We don’t know which is shittier: the heart-wrenching repeal of gay marriage in a pioneer state, or a pre-emptive “no gay marriage here, queers” law. Both suck pretty hard.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/nom-and-gop-team-up-to-kill-gay-marriage-in-nh-and-nc-20111202/

Moscow and St. Petersburg may soon outlaw (http://www.queerty.com/russia-would-prefer-that-the-u-s-stfu-about-its-anti-lgbt-law-20111129/) any public displays of LGBT-ness (things like PDA, walking like a fag and protesting for equal treatment under the law—all very queer things to do). And seeing as one Russian Legislative member claims that 90 percent (http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/russian-lawmaker-says-90-percent-of-public-supports-anti-gay-propaganda-law) of citizens support the bill and the Deputy Prime Minister now wants a national law (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/02/380440/russian-deputy-calls-for-national-ban-against-homosexual-propaganda/) against LGBTs, activists’ last hope if that some fellow comrades might speak against the proposed law. But can a single PSA (http://www.towleroad.com/2011/12/sidebyside.html) from Russia’s only LGBT film festival convince them to do so?
Probably not, as any political movement needs a focused grassroots campaign to inform citizens and get them moving. But the PSA from the Side by Side LGBT International Film Festival still makes an important visual point by showing proud wearers of bright clothes and rainbow scarves simply hide their clothing as more of their neighbors disappear.
While the disappearances evoke Russia’s brutal history of social control via gulags, anti-Soviet purges, KGB abductions and Ukrainian deportations, the ad also makes the larger visual point that the law won’t actually rid the cities of LGBT people—it will merely make Russians of all sorts feel like they cannot safely express themselves in fear of seeming like criminal LGBT sympathizers.
The final hearing of the bill will likely happen this month. In the meanwhile even non-Russians can still sign the international petition (http://allout.org/en/actions/russia_silenced) against the hateful law.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rCnlmgc4qfs

Source: http://www.queerty.com/russian-lgbt-group-hopes-slippery-slope-closet-will-create-outcry-against-anti-lgbt-law-20111202/

TheGodlessUtopian

5th December 2011, 03:04

Each week, Queerty picks one blowhard, hypocrite, airhead, sanctimonious prick or other enemy of all that is queer to be the Douche of the Week. Have a nominee for DOTW? E-mail it to us at [email protected]
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/thdotw_dolan.jpg
When the New York State Marriage Equality Act passed on June 24, 2011, opponents of marriage for same sex couples filed law suits, held protests, and did everything to lay the good finger of blame of those who didn’t really do enough for their bigoted cause – specifically the 21 New York Archbishops of the Catholic Church.
New York Archbisop Timothy Dolan, who was actually among the few Archbishops that did speak out against the bill, says that the Catholic Church and the other Archbishops aren’t to blame because – get this – they were TRICKED by some “political allies” into believing that marriage for same sex couples wasn’t a real threat. Boy, were they wrong. Because of his this act of douchey finger pointing (and every other (http://www.queerty.com/ny-archbishop-fears-gay-marriage-will-make-us-asian-20110616/) douchey anti-LGBT (http://www.queerty.com/catholic-bishops-hate-you-they-just-formed-a-committee-to-prove-it-20111116/) thing he’s done) he’s been elected as, you guessed it, Douche of the Week.
He told Raymond Arroyo on World Over (http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/we-were-deceived-on-new-york-gay-marriage-vote-archbishop-dolan/) that:
We had political allies who said, ‘Bishops, keep your ammo dry, you don’t have to pull out all the stops, speak on principle, speak up against this bill, but don’t really worry because it’s not going to go anywhere.’ We were told that, Raymond, up to six days before the bill passed.
And I think some of us bishops think we were being deceived. And I think that could be, shame on us for believing them.
Thanks a lot of thinking, Archbisop. Don’t hurt yourself. Archbishop Timothy Dolan is steeped in an anti-LGBT history. He told 60 minutes, “I have a strong desire to play shortstop for the Yankees. I don’t have a right to, because I don’t have what it takes. And that would be what the church would say about marriage.”
And we’ll leave it with another stupid Dolan quote: “ I love my mom, I don’t have the right to marry her.”… No, Dolan. You don’t. That would be gross.
All together now: What a douche!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/ny-archbishop-dolan-wasnt-homophobic-enough-due-to-tricky-politicians-20111204/

On Friday morning, David Koch and his partner of 25 years awoke to find the helpful message “Move or Die Faggots” spray-painted on the condo where they’ve lived for almost 15 years. Now Koch is afraid that some weirdo is either gonna kill them or feed their dog poisoned hamburger meat. He suspects the vandalism has something to do with a “heated” condo association meeting he attended the night before—but no word as to why he thinks so. But as police investigate the vandalism as a possible hate crime, the only upside is that the vandals at least spelled the words correctly (http://www.queerty.com/dartmouths-anti-gay-vandal-has-embarrassingly-bad-spelling-20111121/).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wt8YcNHF79Y

Source: http://www.queerty.com/vandals-helpfully-suggest-that-columbus-oh-gay-couple-move-or-die-20111204/

“Fag hag” refers to a woman who hangs predominantly with gay men. But most of our close female friends would kill us if they knew we regularly referred to them as “hags” and a lot of our gay male friends don’t like being called “fags” either. So what’s a boy to call his go-to-girl? Gawker’s Bryan Moylan has an idea! (http://gawker.com/5864554/we-need-a-new-word-for-fag-hag)
First, here’s Moylan’s beef with the word “fag hag”:
“… it’s degrading to women by calling them “hags” and, if you’ve spent any time with the women who hang around gays in New York you’ll know that they are often more attractive and well put together than the average lady.
“Also, it refers to their gay friends as “fags” something we wouldn’t even tolerate if Liza Minnelli called us that (maybe Judy, but not Liza!). When we toss it around to each other, that’s kind of OK, but… (straight) Americans… are using ["fag hag" too, so] maybe we need something with a better message…”
Hag” also carries a negative connotation of ugliness and desperation (ie. “the hag can’t get a [I]real boyfriend, that’s why she hangs out with fags”). But the problem, as Moylan points out, is that all the alternatives for “fag hag” suck:
“Most people fight for ‘fruit fly,’ but… a fly is also a pest, a nuisance. The girls that hang around with predominantly gay men usually aren’t that at all…
Sometimes gay guys will call their female companions “an honorary gay man” since they’ve spent about as much time as actual gay dudes scoping out bulges at gay bars. One gay friend once scolded me for having to find any word at all for my female friend. He said, “Why don’t you just call her your friend? Why do you have to label everything?” To which I said, “Shut up, stewpid.”
Being slightly more sophisticated in this matter than I, Moylan prefers the new word suggested by his colleague, Jezebel writer Anna North. The word is “gabe”—a combination of “gay” and “babe” that is infinitely more flattering than “fag hag.”
But some people could argue that by calling women “babes,” we seek to infantalize them, treating them as if they are somehow less mature or powerless without the care of gay adult men. In fact, it’s often the other way around, with the woman in a group of gay guys providing a supportive core for her fellas.
But that logical argument leaves us yet again without a suitable synonym for “fag hag.” So I will simply respond to it by saying, “Shut up, stewpid,” and leaving the floor open for any better suggestions.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/its-time-to-drop-fag-hag-and-start-using-gabe-gay-babe-20111203/

TheGodlessUtopian

5th December 2011, 03:20

Largest HIV Clinic in NYC Opens Doors

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-04/17thstreet2.jpg

Showcasing an innovative new healthcare model, the West 17th Street Clinic opened in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood on Thursday, World AIDS Day.
The clinic is run by St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals’ Center for Comprehensive Care. The new facility will be one of the largest HIV centers in the Empire State, with dermatology, cardiology, ob-gyn, and pharmacy services available. The 17th Street Clinic "operates on a 'medical home' model where patients stay in one room while doctors, nurses, and other caregivers come to their room in turn, tipped off by a multi-colored flag system above each door and overseen by a Flow Coordinator who ensures each patient’s visit is smooth and efficient with minimal waiting time," according to a release.
The opening of the clinic couldn't come at a better time -- New York City's St. Vincent's hospital, which had been serving HIV patients since the beginning of the epidemic, shut down last year. (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/04/30/St_Vincents_Hospital_Shuts_Down/)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Health_and_Fitness/Here_To_Inspire/Largest_HIV_Clinic_in_NYC_Opens_Doors/

Feds Investigating Alleged LGBT Abuse at Penn. Prison

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-10/2011-10-19/solitaryx390.jpg

A federal civil investigation is being launched against seven guards at a medium-security Pittsburgh prison, with some accused of tormenting and raping LGBT prisoners.
The seven correction officers were arrested in September after an Allegheny County investigator's report found an endemic culture of abuse, including rape, intimidation, and "official oppression." Now, a federal task force will look into the situation at State Correctional Institution Pittsburgh. The investigation could lead to an independent operator of the facility or government-sanctioned reforms.
Of the accused guards, one named Harry Nicoletti faces the most serious charges; he was indicted on 92 felony and misdemeanor counts, including 10 counts of institutional rape. Nicoletti allegedly targeting certain inmates in his abuse, including LGBT prisoners. Read more here. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/01/pennsylvania-prisoner-abuse_n_1124104.html)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/04/Feds_Investigating_Alleged_LGBT_Abuse_at_Penn_Pris on/

Sex, History And Lesbian Outlaws

When We Were Outlaws goes from Angela Davis to Patty Hearst to radical lesbians to the Weather Underground to a neo-Nazi party hell-bent on blowing things up. And author Jeanne Cordova was right in the middle of everything.
By Robin Tyler (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/BOOKS/2011/Cordova_we-wereoutlawsx200.jpg

[Editor’s Note: When I got my first job running an LGBT newspaper, I got handed a batch of publications that preceded me. Among them was Lesbian Tide — the first publicly circulated lesbian publication in Los Angeles and a national news magazine that lesbians traded across the U.S. from 1971 to 1980. Lesbian Tide was co-founded and edited by Jeanne Cordova, a Latina activist, rabble rouser, and journalist, along with dozens of other brave news folks, who helped usher in the era of advocacy journalism: a genre of journalism that intentionally ignores the concept of objectivity and uses fact-based reporting to get across a social and political viewpoint. It wasn’t propaganda, but it wasn’t quiet, just-the-facts-ma’am reporting either. At an early age, a man told Cordova that “writer’s aren’t nice.” She knew she was already too butch, too dangerous herself to be nice, so being a writer was a journey she wanted.
Many journalists have written from an advocacy angle in the decades since Lesbian Tide stopped publishing in 1980, but few of those women have captured their own stories in book form, which is why Cordova’s hefty new memoir, When We Were Outlaws (Bella Books), is such an important addition to the literary cannon of LGBT non-fiction. The book deserves as much literary acclaim as any memoir this year, both because of the breadth of it and because it manages to be captivating, heartbreaking, and gratifying all at once.
Cordova is still a fixture in L.A.’s lesbian scene; in 2008, she co-founded The Lesbian Exploratorium (LEX), a non-profit cultural guerilla group that explores art, culture, and politics. But giving Cordova’s book a literary once-over seemed somehow inadequate so I asked one of Cordova’s contemporaries, Robin Tyler — a long time lesbian activist and fellow L.A. rabble rouser who has navigated many of the same paths as Cordova — to give us her take on When We Were Outlaws. — Diane Anderson-Minshall]
I started to read Jeanne Cordova’s When We Were Outlaws and was absolutely mesmerized by the book (http://www.bellabooks.com/9781935226512-prod.html). I knew that Jeanne Cordova was a writer. I had been friends with Jeanne in the early 1970s and knew that she was one of the best investigative reporters who ever worked for L.A.’s alternative newspaper, the radical Free Press. I knew also that she was the founder and publisher of The Lesbian Tide (http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/laic/laictimeline/img/1970s/lesbianconference1973full.pdf), which soon became the largest national newsmagazine of the lesbian feminist decade. And I’d seen with my own presence that she was a key organizer of the first National Lesbian Conference held at UCLA in 1973.
So I knew the book would be good. I was wrong. When We Were Outlaws is not a good book. It is a great book. Cordova has a literary gift that mixes a journalist’s bold style with smart sociological overview. And the author’s lesbian butch perspective carries a rare voice.
Outlaws is a riveting fast paced piece of literature that takes place in the early to mid 1970s. This true story weaves in and out of a lighting fast radical time. It goes from Angela Davis to Patty Hearst to radical lesbians to the Weather Underground to a neo-Nazi party hell-bent on blowing up any progressive group within its sight. And Cordova was right in the middle of everything.

When We Were Outlaws also tells the story of the first national gay strike, when lesbians — joined by the Effeminists (a group of anti-sexist men from the Gay Liberation Front who focused their energies on feminist activism) — struck the young Los Angeles Gay Community Service Center after the Center's male board of directors fired 16 employees, with no warning, simply because the employees supported the concept that lesbians as well as gay men should be on the board of directors. This famous struggle brought Jeanne into conflict with the most powerful gay man in Los Angeles, Morris Kight, the leader of the city’s gay movement, founder of the Center, and Cordova’s mentor. Knight was a man she considered her “political godfather.”
What makes the memoir so compelling is that it is also a love story, a beautiful and sometimes tragic tale about Jeanne's coming to terms with the first great love of her life, Rachel—alongside of her concomitant dedication to a fledgling concept, a lesbian and gay civil rights movement, in which she was becoming a leader. This sweeping memoir depicts a young activist torn between her personal life and political goals. One of the unusual things about her writing is the vivid way she brings scenes alive with dialogue. They are like overhearing conversations with friends, lovers, and other famous activists.
Cordova was a journalist, an activist, and a lover who, like others in her generation, believed, that polyamory and non-monogamous relationships could work. She has the courage to open up her private life, the strengths and weaknesses, internal pains, and mistakes that took her to dark places — and her expert writing ability takes us every step along the way.
This book, novelized non-fiction, is a major literary accomplishment. It should cross over into the mainstream because it is takes place at the nexus of the New Left, women's liberation, gay liberation, and the lesbian feminist movements — a seldom written about time period, and an intersection that embroiled hundreds of thousands of Americans.
And of course everyone wants to read a great love story.
Cordova has written two previous books (Kicking The Habit, and Sexism; It’s a Nasty Affair) and her essays have appeared in numerous award-winning LBGTQ anthologies, such as Lesbian Nuns, Breaking the Silence, and The Persistent Desire: A Femme-Butch Reader.
ROBIN TYLER produced the main stages of the first three National LGBT Marches on Washington, 25 Women's Music and Comedy Festivals,
and along with her wife, Diane Olson, was the first lesbian plaintiff in the lawsuit that brought marriage equality to California.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Books/Sex_History_And_Lesbian_Outlaws/

Gay groups boycott Salvation Army red kettle drive

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/56472383.photoblog600.jpgTim Boyle / Getty Images
Salvation Army bell-ringer Debra Vazquez works near her red donation kettle Dec. 20, 2005. in Park Ridge, Ill.

By James Eng, msnbc.com
The Salvation Army’s annual red kettle fundraising campaign is not getting a ringing endorsement from gays and lesbians.
Gay-rights groups are urging a boycott of donations to the iconic holiday bell-ringers, saying the Salvation Army has a history of discriminating against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people -- a charge the charity denies.
“As the holidays approach, the Salvation Army bell ringers are out in front of stores dunning shoppers for donations. If you care about gay rights, you'll skip their bucket in favor of a charity that doesn't actively discriminate against the LGBT community,” Bil Browning, editor-in-chief of The Bilerico Project (http://www.bilerico.com/), a national LGBT blog, wrote in a recent post titled "Why You Shouldn't Donate to the Salvation Army Bell Ringers (http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/why_you_shouldnt_donate_to_the_salvation_army_bell .php)."
"While you might think you're helping the hungry and homeless by dropping a few dollars in the bright red buckets, not everyone can share in the donations. Many LGBT people are rejected by the evangelical church charity because they're ‘sexually impure.'”
“We are urging a boycott of the Salvation Army because it uses its selective interpretation of the Bible to promote discrimination against LGBT people in employment benefits and leadership positions within the Army,” Andy Thayer, co-founder, Gay Liberation Network (http://gayliberation.net/), told msnbc.com in an email.
"Of all the very many, often bizarre, prohibitions mentioned in Leviticus, the Army chooses to single out and promote the few prohibitions against gays, which suggests to us that it is bigotry, not literal Bible belief, that motivates their actions."
The Salvation Army, a charitable evangelical Christian organization that provides aid and services to the needy, denies that it discriminates against anyone.
"Nothing can be further from the truth," Lt. Col. Ralph Bukiewicz, divisional commander of the Salvation Army Metropolitan Division, told msnbc.com on Wednesday.
The charitable organization notes that its services are available to all who qualify, without regard to sexual orientation.
“In our policies, in our practices, in our programs and in our eligibility for any service within the Salvation Army, there is not a request for any details concerning sexual orientation,” says Bukiewicz.
Gay-rights advocates contend the organization has a history of lobbying for “anti-gay” policies and legislation. As an example, Browing says that in 2004 the Salvation Army threatened to close all their soup kitchens for the homeless in New York to protest the city's decision to require vendors and charities doing business with the city to adhere to the state’s civil rights laws forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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Gays and celibacy
On its national website, the Salvation Army says it holds "a positive view of human sexuality" and does not consider same-sex orientation "blameworthy in itself.”
The position statement on homosexuality (http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/0/B6F3F4DF3150F5B585257434004C177D?Opendocument) goes on to say: “Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage.
“Likewise, there is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for reason of his or her sexual orientation. The Salvation Army opposes any such abuse.”
Browning says the Salvation Army has denied services to LGBT people unless they renounce their sexuality or end their same-sex relationships -- a charge Bukiewicz denies.
"I've seen the discrimination the Salvation Army preaches first hand,” Browning wrote. “When a former boyfriend and I were homeless, the Salvation Army insisted we break up before they'd offer assistance. We slept on the street instead and declined to break up as they demanded.”
Browning, Thayer and other gay-rights activists are urging people to ignore the sidewalk and storefront red kettle bell-ringers and instead redirect their holiday donations to other charities.
Bukiewicz says the campaign by gay-rights groups is based on “erroneous understanding.” He notes their boycott actions in previous years haven’t put a crimp in holiday donations.
Last year, Salvation Army raised a record $142 million during its Christmas appeal campaign, the most noticeable component of which are the red kettles. That was a 5 percent increase over the previous year.
Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/01/9143097-gay-groups-boycott-salvation-army-red-kettle-drive

Legendary Gay TV Actor Dies

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-03/ALAN-SUES-X390-NBC.jpg

One of TV's most flamboyantly campy actors, Alan Sues — who was best known for his turn on the '60s smash hit, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In — has died. Sues, 85, died Thursday in his West Hollywood, Calif. home, according to the Los Angeles Times. (http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-alan-sues-20111203,0,1132525.story)

Longtime friend, Michael Gregg Michaud told the Times that Sues was gay but did not come out publicly for fear that it would ruin his career.

"He had a ton of gay fans," said Michaud. "They all said he was one of the very few gay sort of characters that they saw on television at that time. They identified with him, and they were thankful. As he got older, it meant more to him and he was appreciative of that."

Sues, whose career spanned six decades, made his Broadway debut in 1953. A decade later he performed on stage with his former wife, Phyllis, followed by small roles in films and TV shows like The Twilight Zone and Wild Wild West. In the mid-'70s he played Professor Moriarty in the Broadway production of Sherlock Holmes and an in a role Gen X-ers are most likely to remember, Sues played a flamboyant Peter Pan Peanut Butter spokesman.

But it was Laugh-In for which Sues will be most remembered. The smash NBC variety show cast Sues alongside a bevy of brilliant comic performers like Goldie Hawn, Judy Carne, and Jo Anne Worley. He gained LGBT fans for his recurring characters like the Big Al, a swishy sportscaster who'd ring a bell during sportscasts, exclaiming, "Oh … my tinkle…my tinkle…I looove my tinkle."
Read his full obituary at the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-alan-sues-20111203,0,1132525.story).
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Entertainment_News/Legendary_Gay_TV_Actor_Dies/

Gay Son of Antichoice Activist Dead in Car Crash

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-02/jamielrandallx390.jpg
Jamiel Terry (left) and father Randall Terry
Jamiel Terry, 31, the gay son of antigay and antichoice activist Randall Terry, was killed in a Georgia car crash this week.

The late Terry made headlines in 2004 when he announced he was gay in Out magazine. (http://www.out.com/news-commentary/2011/12/02/jamiel-terry-rising-son)

"It's hard to point to one moment when you begin to come out to yourself," Terry wrote in Out, "but if I had to, I'd go back to a night seven years ago when I was 17 ... in my old bedroom at my parents' house ... where my friend 'Johnny' and I had just finished fooling around."

Terry’s adoptive father — the founder of Operation Rescue, which blocked entrances to abortion clinics in the 1980s and ’90 s— disowned his son after he came out.

After Terry’s announcement in Out, a Los Angeles gay activist accused him of scamming her after he promised to help start a political action committee. Terry denied any wrongdoing.

The younger Terry did mend fences with his father before the head-on car crash that took his life.

"I thank God that Jamiel and I spoke regularly, and texted each other about a wide variety of issues, frequently discussing and debating elections, politics and policy, to which we have both dedicated our time and talents," Randall Terry wrote in a statement, (http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/national-pro-life-activists-1249255.html) according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "While we remained irreconcilable on the issue of ‘homosexual marriage,' and the morality of homosexual behavior, Jamiel remained firmly pro-life, and recently helped convince a young woman to not kill her child by abortion. There were many other issues that we kicked around — with laughter and good humor."
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/02/Gay_Son_of_AntiChoice_Activist_Dead_in_Car_Crash/

Father Who Campaigned Against Bullying Found Dead

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-02/crouch.jpg
Roger Crouch and his son Dominic
A U.K. man who started a campaign against antigay bullying in honor of his son who committed suicide in 2010 has apparently taken his own life.

Following the death of his 15-year-old son, Dominic, who was teased after purportedly kissing a boy on a dare while playing spin the bottle, Roger Crouch launched a Facebook campaign against homophobic bullying (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Dom-Crouch-against-Bullying/233625189984352) and became a patron for Diversity Role Models. His efforts led him to schools, where he sought to ensure that antibullying policies were put into place and advocated for the teaching of coping strategies for youth. He also visited the House of Commons to urge members of parliament to get involved in the fight against bullying.

Last month the U.K. organization Stonewall named him its “hero of the year,” an honor for which he beat out fellow activists Lady Gaga and Joan Armatrading. At the event, Crouch said, “I see this as an award for Dom. By choosing us for this award you've also chosen to take a stand alongside all the young people whose lives have been ended by bullying.

“We are parents who loved our son. We stood by him in life and we stand by him in death.”

The Guardian reports (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/01/gay-bullying-campaigner-roger-crouch-dead) that on Monday, Crouch himself was found dead at his Gretton, England, home after Gloucestershire police went to the residence citing “concerns” for his welfare.

On Thursday a police spokesperson said the death was not considered suspicious.

Crouch’s wife, Paola, posted a heartbreaking message on their Friends of Dom Crouch against Bullying Facebook group, saying, “The changes you have started for young people everywhere, the work you have done against bullying, will remain as a towering monument to you.”

Read the full article here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/01/gay-bullying-campaigner-roger-crouch-dead).
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/02/Father_Who_Campaigned_Against_Bullying_Found_Dead/

TheGodlessUtopian

7th December 2011, 02:50

There is only one thing in the world that can make Michele Bachmann this horrified: a well-adjusted son of a lesbian.
Michele Bachmann, who has recently sworn to try to overturn same-sex marriage in Iowa (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/michele-bachmann-gay-marriage-overturned-iowa-article-1.986599) and declared that gay people have the right to marry members of the opposite sex (http://www.queerty.com/gays-can-marry-in-the-chinese-riddle-genius-of-michele-bachmanns-mind-20111205/), got an earful of her own this past weekend.
During a meet and greet rally, 8-year-old Elijah approached the GOP presidential hopeful and whispered that even though his mom was gay, she didn’t need any fixin’.
Are your ears too far away still, Michele?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2K8CGeC2M_U

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-michele-bachmann-speechless-after-8-year-old-boy-tells-her-his-gay-mom-doesnt-need-fixin-20111206/

Even though Maine marriage advocates only needed 35,000 signatures to get marriage equality on the 2012 ballot, EqualityMaine has collected over 100,000 signatures (http://www.equalitymaine.com/blogs/ian-grady/signature-gathering-success-election-day), all but guaranteeing that the state’s voters will get to decide on marriage equality… just like they did in 2009 (http://www.queerty.com/does-maine-really-wanna-vote-on-marriage-equality-again-20110817/). Let’s just hope that this time they vote for marriage equality instead of against it.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/maine_th.jpg
Source: http://www.queerty.com/me-voters-will-get-to-decide-on-marriage-equality-again-20111205/

It seems that, with every setback in the war against AIDS, a push forward comes just as soon. While HIV-blocking gel tenofovir was recently declared (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57332121-10391704/hiv-blocking-gel-tenofovir-shown-ineffective/) “safe but ineffective,” there is a light on the horizon: experiments on rats have produced a promising vaccine. According to Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/12/short-circuiting-the-immune-system-to-block-hiv.ars) (bold ours):
Since these broadly neutralizing antibodies are the sorts of things we want out of the vaccination process, a team of labs at Caltech and UCLA decided to short-circuit the need for a vaccination, or even antibody-producing immune cells. They created a disarmed adenovirus that contained the genes needed to produce a broadly effective antibody from humans, optimizing the DNA to make sure that the antibody was made in muscle cells, and then secreted into their environment.
The modified virus was then injected into mice that had had their immune systems humanized (the stem cells in their bone marrow were killed off and then repopulated with human cells). The mice were then exposed to levels of HIV many times higher than are normally present during initial infections. Not all antibodies effectively blocked new infections, but at least one did so consistently. The resistance to new HIV infections persisted for the life of the experiments.
We’re not medical experts, but that sounds pretty promising. We’d like a clarification on the wording here, though. Are they saying one of the antibodies blocked infections consistently but not effectively? Like, is this antibody the equivalent of a goalie who manages to deflect soccer balls with his fancy gloves… but they still end up bouncing into the corner of the goal nevertheless and scoring a win for the nefarious HIV team?
Other promising news in the search for a vaccine includes a possible HIV-blocking anal gel (http://www.queerty.com/would-an-hiv-killing-sex-gel-encourage-widespread-barebacking-20111109/).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/promising-new-vaccine-for-hiv-consistently-blocked-new-infections-in-mice-20111205/

Unless you’re a Kiwi, you probably haven’t eaten at a Hell Pizza. They have pizzas named after the seven deadly sins, provide coffin-shaped to-go containers “for your remains” and once ran a controversial ad campaign featuring the skeletal remains of Sir Edmund Hillary, Heath Ledger and the Queen Mother dancing on gravestones. But even the irreverent pizza company recently repented (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10771221) for their “mis-fortune cookies” reading “You will marry a transgender.”
After getting deservingly raked across the coals online, the company apologized via its Facebook account:
“Wow, you go away for a weekend and step back into a maelstrom. Guys, you’re right and we’ve seen the light on this one. We agree that we may have inadvertently hurt some of our greatest advocates and for that we unreservedly apologize. We like to be irreverent and cheeky but we realise we stepped over a line on this one.”
If they had been listening to the Christian right at all, they would know that transgender people are the very spawn of Satan (http://www.queerty.com/daniel-avilas-satan-makes-babies-gay-idea-is-too-crazy-even-for-catholics-20111104/), just like all gays, lesbians and bi folks—duh.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/hell-pizza-trans-misfortune.jpg
Source: http://www.queerty.com/new-zealand-based-hell-pizza-thinks-its-laughable-misfortunate-to-marry-a-trans-person-20111206/

TheGodlessUtopian

7th December 2011, 03:03

Rosie’s getting hitched for a second time… to a sexy headhuntress she met in an NYC Starbucks. The lovely lady, one Michelle Rounds, wasn’t out to her parents before the story hit the airwaves.
In a break between taping the “The Rosie Show” yesterday, she made the happy announcement to the studio audience. Her rep confirmed the union to the Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/michelle-rounds-flashes-engagement-ring-rosie-o-donnell-shortly-couple-announces-engagement-article-1.987489): “They are engaged, but no date has been set.” More details from the News:
O’Donnell, 49, and Rounds, 40, stepped out officially as a couple back in September and the TV host has often joked about their initial meeting at a local Starbucks.
“I thought she was a 28-year-old heterosexual girl, because that’s what she looked like to me. And she’s a 40-year-old gay woman,” O’Donnell said on ABC’s “Nightline” (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/rosie-o-donnell-engaged-girlfriend-michelle-rounds-couple-spending-rest-lives-article-1.987189) in October. “My gaydar was way off!”
Rounds’ family were taken by surprise as well.
It soon surfaced that none of her close relatives knew the headhunter was a lesbian until they read about it in the papers.
“It totally hit us out of left field,” Rounds’ father, Roger Rounds (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Roger+Rounds), told the National Enquirer in October. “This has been a painful experience for me and my wife.
“We’d always held out hope that Michelle would eventually find a nice guy to marry, settle down and have kids.”
Rounds will soon be, however, stepmom to O’Donnell’s four children from her previous marriage to Kelli Carpenter (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Kelli+Carpenter).
At least Rounds’ square parents didn’t cling desperately to the notion that she might eventually find a rich, famous television personality to grow old with. Now that would be ridiculous.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/rosie-odonnell-puts-a-ring-on-her-semi-closeted-girlfriend-of-three-months-20111206/

This weekend, 43-year-old Brooke Fantelli went with a group of friends to take desert pictures in El Centro, California. While they were there, Fantelli got approached by a ranger with the Bureau of Land Management who accused her of drinking and taking naked photos out in the wild. According to Fantelli, things were going okay until the ranger asked to see her ID (which still listed her as a male). That’s when the crotch tazing (http://www.10news.com/news/29800437/detail.html) started.
Fantelli says that she has an incorrectly gendered ID because her doctor told her she “needed to live two full years as a female before she could change” it. When the ranger saw “male” on her ID, he said “You used to be a guy.” When Fantelli answered in the affirmative, he stopped referring to her as “ma’am” and “miss” and started calling her “sir” and “dude.”
He then told her to lie on the ground so he could arrest her. She refused, as she contended that she wasn’t drunk or taking nude pics, but she kept her hands up where the ranger could see them. That’s when he tazed her. She fell to the ground and moments later, he tazed her genitals… y’know, just to be sure she and her junk wouldn’t do anymore dangerous drinking and nude photography.
Even though trans people have long been targets (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/escalating-police-violenc_b_1131343.html) of police brutality and inappropriate use of tazers have killed 519 people (http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/2009/05/taser-related-deaths-in-united-states.html) in the U.S., the BLM says that their ranger acted appropriately adding that it is customary to taze people in the lower regions. They also promised to investigate should Fantelli file a complaint. Truth is, she’s filing a civil lawsuit. Investigate that, yo.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/ca-ranger-bravely-tazes-harmless-trans-woman-in-the-crotch-20111206/

Perry, Santorum Denounce Call for Global Gay Rights

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-06/PERRY_SANTORUMX390.jpg
Perry, Santorum
To Republican presidential aspirant Rick Perry, using U.S. foreign aid to prevent persecution and even execution of LGBT people amounts to “promoting special rights for gays.” To Rick Santorum, another member of the GOP field, it’s promoting an agenda.

Perry issued a statement (http://www.rickperry.org/news/statement-by-gov-rick-perry-on-obama-administrations-use-of-gay-rights-to-make-foreign-aid-decisions/) on his campaign website denouncing the landmark program unveiled by President Obama’s administration today, under which the U.S. will not withhold aid from countries that persecute gays but will assist LGBT rights organizations in those nations in fighting back.
(RELATED: Read our coverage of the speech here) (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Obama_Adminstration_Makes_Case_for_LGBT_Rights_at_ United_Nations/)

The announcement of the strategy was followed by a speech (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Obama_Adminstration_Makes_Case_for_LGBT_Rights_at_ United_Nations/) by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton before a United Nations gathering in Geneva, where she pointed out that around the world, LGBT people are “routinely arrested, beaten, terrorized, even executed.” She stressed that “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”

Perry, the governor of Texas, responded by saying, “Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights.” He said the Obama administration is making “war on traditional American values” and on “people of faith” by “promoting a lifestyle” they find “deeply objectionable.”

If he were president, Perry said, he would “consider aid requests based solely on America’s national security interests. Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money.”

Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese called Perry’s statement “outrageous even by his own standards.” In a press release, (http://www.hrc.org/press-releases/entry/rick-perry-lashes-out-against-efforts-to-protect-human-rights) he noted, “This is further proof that Rick Perry doesn’t want to represent the best interests of all Americans — he wants to advance an extremist, antigay agenda that represents the fringe views of a very small few.”
The Log Cabin Republicans also responded, with executive director R. Clarke Cooper saying, “Governor Perry is wrong. ... Around the globe today, gay and lesbian people are often subject to 'corrective' rape, state-sponsored torture, imprisonment, and execution. Combating these injustices is not advocating for any kind of 'special rights,' and it is shameful for Governor Perry to suggest that American people of faith do not support protecting vulnerable populations from brutality.” Perry’s stance, he said, is also at odds with that of former president George W. Bush, who “was strongly committed to supporting and protecting dissident and minority voices abroad.”

CNN (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/06/candidates-quick-to-pan-obama-foreign-aid-decision/) reports that former U.S. senator Santorum responded to the administration’s announcement while speaking with reporters in Iowa. “I would suggest that we give out humanitarian aid based on humanitarian need, not based on whether people are promoting their particular agenda,” Santorum said. “Obviously the administration is promoting their particular agenda in this country, and now they feel it’s their obligation to promote those values not just in the military, not just in our society, but now around the world with taxpayer dollars.”

He added that Obama “said he’s for traditional marriage, and now he’s promoting gay lifestyles and gay rights, and he’s fighting against traditional marriage within the courts, and I think he needs to be honest.”
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Perry,_Santorum_Denounce_Call_for_Global_Gay_Right s/

8 Must-Read Moments of Hillary Clinton's Speech

By Lucas Grindley and Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-06/clinton12_6x390.jpg

Tuesday's landmark speech from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined the United States' stance on an "invisible minority" in many countries, as she put it — LGBT and gender-varyiant people. The full speech is available here (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Obama_Adminstration_Makes_Case_for_LGBT_Rights_at_ United_Nations/), but if you're in a hurry, here are eight key points made during her address on global gay rights to United Nations member countries.

1. On the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
It proclaims a simple, powerful idea: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. And with the declaration, it was made clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or even who we are. Because we are human, we therefore have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them.

2. On the Status of LGBT Rights in the U.S.
I speak about this subject knowing that my own country's record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home.
(RELATED: Read our coverage of the speech here) (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Obama_Adminstration_Makes_Case_for_LGBT_Rights_at_ United_Nations/)

3. Why Do Countries Need to Distinguish Gay Rights?
Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct; but, in fact, they are one and the same. Now, of course, 60 years ago, the governments that drafted and passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were not thinking about how it applied to the LGBT community. They also weren’t thinking about how it applied to indigenous people or children or people with disabilities or other marginalized groups. Yet in the past 60 years, we have come to recognize that members of these groups are entitled to the full measure of dignity and rights, because, like all people, they share a common humanity.

This recognition did not occur all at once. It evolved over time. And as it did, we understood that we were honoring rights that people always had, rather than creating new or special rights for them. Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.

4. What Are Violations of Gay Rights?
- When a person is beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave
- When governments declare it illegal to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished
- When lesbian or transgendered women are subjected to so-called corrective rape, or forcibly subjected to hormone treatments
- When people are murdered after public calls for violence toward gays, or when they are forced to flee their nations and seek asylum in other lands to save their lives.
- When lifesaving care is withheld from people because they are gay, or equal access to justice is denied to people because they are gay, or public spaces are out of bounds to people because they are gay.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Eight_MustRead_Moments_of_Hillary_Clintons_Speech/

The irony is palpable...

Amendment proponents known for anti-gay attacks (http://goqnotes.com/13608/amendment-proponents-known-for-anti-gay-attacks/)

National Organization for Marriage has been at forefront of campaigns demonizing gays

by Matt Comer | Editor |
December 5, 2011 |

http://goqnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/maggiegallagher_wispoliticscom.jpg

Former National Organization for Marriage President Maggie Gallagher, seen here in Wisconsin last year, has led several anti-gay marriage campaigns spearheaded by the group across the country. Photo Credit: WisPolitics.com.
Lobbyist and NC Values Coalition Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald promised a “positive” campaign when she announced the formation of a new anti-gay referendum committee last week (http://goqnotes.com/13585/anti-gay-amendment-committee-formed/).
“We are going to keep it on a positive note: keeping marriage as marriage and keeping it from being redefined,” Fitzgerald told Raleigh’s News & Observer (http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/proamendment_campaign_launched_in_gay_marriage_deb ate).
The new committee, Vote for Marriage NC, will work to support the passage of an anti-LGBT state constitutional amendment banning marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples.
But, the coalition behind the group includes several organizations known for the exact opposite of the kind of “positive” campaign Fitzgerald said she seeks.
Among the groups affiliated with the new Vote for Marriage NC is the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). The group has been involved in several high-profile marriage initiatives, including California’s 2008 Proposition 8 and Maine’s 2009 Question 1. Additionally, NOM took a high-profile stance against New York’s legislative push to approve marriage equality there this year.
Sketchy history

In past campaigns, NOM has been caught pushing obvious misinformation, lies and spin.
This year, the group came under fire for misrepresenting supposed “legal scholars” (http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201106220011) opposed to marriage equality. Each of the several scholars cited by the organization were extremely biased and one, Robert George, is a former NOM board chairman.
NOM has also regularly exploited children in their political quests (http://holybulliesandheadlessmonsters.blogspot.com/2011/05/nom-exploiting-children-to-stop-gay.html).
Also this year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Politifact knocked the group for their repeated claims (http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2011/feb/10/national-organization-marriage/national-organization-marriage-says-massachusetts-/) that legalization of same-sex marriage in New York would lead to kindergarteners learning about same-sex relationships.
The group has also attempted to link homosexuality to pedophilia (http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201108180014) — not once, but twice (http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201108230003). The NOM-affiliated Ruth Institute has also claimed that homosexuality is a “learned” and “addictive” behavior (http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201109010010).
In August, NOM accused gay activists of engaging in “jihad” (http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201108260014) to take away anti-gay Christians’ rights.
One of NOM’s first campaigns featured a billboard comparing a marriage equality supporter to Judas and Benedict Arnold (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfwPAMq8glk). The group reincarnated the theme this year for mailers targeting pro-gay legislators in New York (http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2011/07/noms-latest-mailer-historically-crude-comparisons-designed-to-hijack-civil-rights-movement.html).
Equality Matters has provided a more in-depth run-down of NOM’s efforts in New York (http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201106290003).
Mum’s the word

http://goqnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/brianbrown_wispoliticscom.jpgCurrent NOM President Brian Brown has said gay activists are engaging in a 'jihad.' Photo Credit: WisPolitics.com.

NOM has been tight-lipped about their plans for North Carolina. According to one watchdog gay blogger, the national anti-family group’s silence thus far is questionable given the group’s traditionally outspoken nature. NOM has been especially active in Minnesota, which also faces an anti-LGBT amendment threat this year.
“I’ve noticed that everyone in North Carolina has been quiet,” Jeremy Hooper of GoodAsYou.org (http://goodasyou.org/) told qnotes. “In Minnesota, the opposition is very engaged with a strong web presence and all that we’re used to. But North Carolina has been suspiciously quiet.”
Hooper said NOM’s recent reticent nature is likely a sign they are still developing strategy.
“In Minnesota, they’re going heavily Catholic. In Maryland, it’s the African American church. And so on and so forth,” he said. “I’d guess they’ve been trying to find their specific North Carolina direction, other than just white evangelical, which seems to be forefront in North Carolina’s opposition movement.”
Hooper’s analysis isn’t too far off the mark. The most outspoken proponents of the anti-LGBT amendment have largely come from white, Protestant and evangelical circles.
Last month, the N.C. Baptist State Convention unanimously approved support for the amendment (http://goqnotes.com/13173/baptists-elect-charlotte-pastor-endorse-ban-on-same-sex-marriage/).
At the time, newly elected N.C. Baptist President and First Baptist Church-Charlotte Pastor Mark Harris confidently reasserted his denomination’s stance (http://goqnotes.com/13224/gay-advocacy-group-questions-n-c-baptist-foundation-investments/).
“I believe the bible makes it clear,” Harris told qnotes. “The bible introduces marriage as between one man and one woman.”
The N.C. Baptist Convention is among the groups forming the Vote for Marriage NC committee.
Searching for an angle

South Carolina blogger and anti-gay watchdog Alvin McEwen told qnotes that he expects a strong NOM presence in the lead-up to the May 8, 2012, vote on the amendment.
How NOM goes about instituting their campaign strategy is a question still left unanswered. McEwen said the group’s past rhetoric and actions provide some clues.
“Look for them to push that nonsense about how ‘the best research says that children belong in a home with a mother and father,’” McEwen said. “Also, I expect them to push the lie about the Catholic Charities ‘being forced’ to give up helping to place adoptive children. The thing about NOM and other religious right groups is that they are big on ambushing people with anecdotes and horror stories about situations that allegedly happen because of marriage equality and the like. The big thing is to remember that they never tell the entire story.”
NOM’s campaigns often take a three-pronged approach, McEwen said.
“My guess is that NOM is going to target three angles — ‘gay marriage will harm children,’ ‘gay marriage will destroy religious liberty’ and ‘gays are trying to piggyback off of the Civil Rights Movement.’”
Fitzgerald has already hinted at a strategy exploiting children. She told The News & Observer on Thursday that marriage “generates the next generation of workers and the next generation of healthy children.”
McEwen added, “Watch the black pastors who team up with NOM.”
Among the groups supporting Vote for Marriage NC is an unnamed coalition of African-American pastors.
In September, North Carolina House Speaker Pro Tem Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, invited a group of black pastors to speak at the General Assembly’s press room. Each of the pastors spoke forcefully against marriage for gay couples, language later decried as “bigoted” by then-Equality North Carolina Interim Executive Director Alex Miller. Appearing with Miller on WFAE’s “Charlotte Talks” with Mike Collins, Folwell feigned victimization as Miller criticized Folwell for his association with the pastors (http://goqnotes.com/12533/house-leader-no-answer-on-divorce-audio/).
Like Folwell, NOM often plays the victim card, said McEwen.
“I expect them to deflect attention on how they are supposedly being labeled ’unfairly’ of course as ‘bigots’ simply because they supposedly believe that marriage is between a man and a woman,” he said. “[I] expect them to shift the argument to make it seem that gays are the aggressors.”
Fighting back

The anti-gay Vote for Marriage NC isn’t the only referendum committee formed to work on the amendment. Last week, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights group, formed their Human Rights Campaign NC Families PAC. Last month, a coalition of progressive organizations including statewide LGBT advocacy and education group Equality North Carolina formed the Coalition to Protect NC Families.
qnotes reached out to Protect NC Families for comment on Vote for Marriage NC’s formation. The group’s campaign manager, Jeremy Kennedy, said his organization will fight for the rights of all North Carolinians.
“The Coalition to Protect NC Families was formed to do just what the name says — protect all families in NC,” Kennedy said in a statement.
Throughout this year’s legislative session, anti-gay groups stressed that the proposed amendment wouldn’t harm anyone. In fact, the anti-gay opposition’s lead spokesperson, Tami Fitzgerald, and NOM President Brian Brown have said their amendment aims to protect families.
Kennedy and Protect NC Families disagree.
“The anti-family constitutional amendment on the ballot in May protects no one,” Kennedy said. “Existing North Carolina statutes already define marriage for the state, but this extreme measure goes on to strip employees of domestic partner insurance benefits, invalidates domestic violence protections for all unmarried people, undercuts existing child custody and visitation rights designed to protect the best interest of children, and prevents the state from allowing committed couples from making decisions such as hospital visitation and end of life decisions.”
He added, “North Carolina is made up of all kinds of families. It is important for the government to recognize and protect these families, not go to great lengths to harm them. The Coalition to Protect NC Families, together with the people of North Carolina, will run a campaign to make sure that on election day the values that make this state great are upheld by the voters when this harmful amendment is defeated.”
Guessing game

North Carolina’s election laws leave plenty of room for creative political maneuvering and fundraising. Each side of the amendment debate has set up referendum committees able to receive unlimited contributions from individuals, businesses and other organizations.
Onlookers are anticipating campaign budgets reaching into the millions of dollars, a distinct possibility given past spending on similar campaigns around the country.
NOM itself budgeted as much as $11 million for its several campaigns between 2007 and 2010. In North Carolina specifically, the N.C. Baptist State Convention will present LGBT advocates with one of its most daunting challenges yet. With more 4,300 churches and some 1.3 million members, the convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the state.
Bloggers, activists and strategists have plenty of past evidence to predict NOM and Vote for Marriage NC campaign strategies in North Carolina. But, until those groups actually begin to institute their strategies and official advertising campaigns, watchdogs like McEwen and Hooper can only guess at the form in which the fight will come.
That guessing game can be tricky, Hooper said while urging caution. The scrutiny faced by anti-gay organizations like NOM has made them more strategic. What’s worked for NOM in past campaigns might not necessarily foreshadow similar efforts in the Tar Heel State, he said.
“We are so on to them now that they have to be extra careful,” Hooper said. “If they try to run the same campaign in every state, they’re going to get killed.
Source: http://goqnotes.com/13608/amendment-proponents-known-for-anti-gay-attacks/

TheGodlessUtopian

7th December 2011, 03:40

World's First Full-Time Gay Male Leader: Belgium's Elio Di Rupo

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-06/Elio-Di-Rupox390.jpg

Elio Di Rupo takes over Tuesday as Belgium's premier, making him the first openly gay man to head a nation on a full-time basis.
Di Rupo, 60, is making more headlines in Belgium for his native tongue than for his sexual orientation. He's the first French-speaking politician to lead the country in 30 years — the majority speak Dutch — and the first Socialist leader since 1974. Di Rupo is heading a nation that has gone more than 500 days without a formal government, and one that's wrapped up in the debt crisis currently roiling the European Union. A downgrade of Belgium's credit made it urgent for the nation to find a new leader, which propelled Di Rupo to the prime minister's seat.
Di Rupo was born to poor Italian immigrants — his father was killed when he was a year old, leaving his illiterate mother to raise seven children on her own. Di Rupo said his childhood was not unhappy, though. Di Rupo studied to be a pharmacist, but got into left-wing politics in the 1980s.
"In 1999, he took the [Socialist] party's helm, winning consecutive seats as member of parliament, senator, European MP, deputy premier, head of the southern government of Wallonia and mayor of the city of Mons," the Telegraph reports. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/8937061/Belgiums-new-Socialist-premier-a-rags-to-riches-story.html)

The politician, fond of colorful bow ties, is revered for his brilliant speaking skills. His sexuality only became an issue in 1996, when he was falsely accused of engaging in sex with underage boys. During the accusations, Di Rupo was asked by reporters if he was gay. He responded, "Yes. So what?" Read more here. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15983739)
While Johanna Sigurdardottir, a lesbian, is prime minister of Iceland, Di Rupo is the first out gay man to lead a nation after Per-Kristian Foss, a Norwegian politician, briefly served as prime minister of his country in 2002.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Worlds_First_Full_Time_Gay_Male_Leader_Belgiums_El io_Di_Rupo/

Maryland, Missouri Municipalities Protect Gender Identity

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-06/WELCOME.jpg

Possibly in response to inaction at the state and national levels, a Maryland county and a Missouri city moved to protect its transgender citizens from discrimination.
Howard County, Md. recently became the third jurisdiction in the state to add gender identity and expression to its list of protected classes in areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, financing, and health and social services. The county's move is giving LGBT leaders hope that a similar statewide bill will pass next year. Read more here. (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/12/06/howard-county-passes-transgender-rights-bill/)
To the west, Columbia, Mo. recently passed a bill protecting transgender people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation. Columbia, home of the University of Missouri, is the sixth city in the state to protect transgender people. Read more here. (http://www.stltoday.com/news/state-and-regional/missouri/columbia-bars-gender-identity-bias/article_23d2acee-3e68-5123-8b73-95c28c761869.html)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/06/Maryland_Missouri_Municipalities_Protect_Gender_Id entity/

Clerk Claims Religious Bias in Incident With Trans Woman

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-06/Macys-RiverrcenterX390.jpg

A Macy’s store in San Antonio has fired an employee who refused to let a transgender woman use a women’s fitting room — and now a conservative legal group says the worker’s religious freedom was violated.

A few days after Thanksgiving, the worker, Natalie Johnson, denied the transgender customer access to the dressing room at the Macy’s in the Rivercenter Mall, and an argument ensued, involving other customers as well as Johnson’s manager, the Houston Chronicle (http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2011/12/macy%E2%80%99s-worker-reportedly-fired-for-not-allowing-transgender-shopper-into-dressing-room/) reports. The manager told her that transgender shoppers could use the room of their choice.

According to Liberty Counsel, a legal organization associated with the religious right, Johnson was subsequently fired. (Macy’s declined comment, citing privacy policy surrounding personnel matters, the Chronicle reports.)

Liberty Counsel officials say Johnson was refusing to go against her religious beliefs by allowing the customer, whom they describe as a “cross-dressing young man,” to use the women’s fitting room. On its website, (http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14100&PRID=1133) the group is encouraging people to contact Macy’s and let the company know they oppose the transgender policy. “Macy’s has essentially opened women’s dressing rooms to every man,” Liberty Counsel chairman Mathew Staver says in a statement on the site. “The LGBT agenda has become the theater of the absurd.”

The Chronicle points out, however, that “Liberty Counsel’s position on transgender rights diverges from most Americans’ and even most Christians’ opinions.” It goes on to cite polls indicating that most Americans, including Catholics and evangelical Protestants, support equal rights for transgender people.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Business/Clerk_Claims_Religious_Bias_in_Incident_With_Trans _Woman/

TheGodlessUtopian

8th December 2011, 19:30

A new campaign from the British government represents the country’s first effort to specifically support transgender equality.Among the many issues “Advancing Transgender Equality: A Plan for Action (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/lgbt-equality-publications/transgender-action-plan?view=Binary) addresses are bullying, job training, trans-specific hate-crime laws, government-funded gender-reassignment surgery, political asylum for trans foreigners and encouraging gender minorities to run for office. “Like everyone else, transgender people have the right to be accepted, to live their lives free of harassment, and to be free to achieve any ambition they choose,” said Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone. ‘Today is an important step, but I recognise that government can only go so far. So we will be working with schools, http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/April_Ashley-360x274.jpgbusinesses and communities so that together, we can drive change and help consign transphobia to the past. Too many transgender people still face prejudice at every stage of their lives, from playground bullying, to being overlooked for jobs or targeted for crime.”
April Ashley (at right), who in 1960 became the first Briton to undergo gender-reassignment surgery, added, “Today’s announcement shows we are moving forward to breaking down barriers and educating people.”
Lawmakers of the world, feel free to copy the plan for your own use. Plagiarism is okay when it advances a great movement, right?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/uk-govt-launches-worlds-first-official-trans-positive-campaign-20111208/

Even though Cheatham County Central High School student Jacob Rogers had faced anti-gay bulling for the last four years, his senior year he began saying, “I don’t want to go back. Everyone is so mean. They call me a faggot, they call me gay, a queer.” He even dropped out of school around Thanksgiving just to get away from his tormentors, but it apparently didn’t end his pain—Rogers killed himself (http://www.wsmv.com/story/16213348/friends-say-classmate-killed-self-after-bullying) yesterday. However, before he died, he left passwords to his phone and email so investigators could see why he chose to take his own life.
While the details are still coming out, Cheatham County Schools Director Dr. Tim Webb said the school only knew of one bullying incident involving Rogers and that in response, the school spoke to the accused bullies and later checked in with Rogers to make sure he was okay—according to Webb, Rogers said he was doing better.
What’s saddest though is that because Rogers lived with his grandmother, she alone can’t pay for his funeral costs. She’s currently accepting donations at a local tattoo shop just so she can bury her own grandson. Mega sad.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/before-killing-himself-jacob-rogers-left-passwords-so-everyone-could-read-the-anti-gay-bullying-he-faced-20111208/

P.S: Go to the source as there is a video which further highlights this story.

When it comes to demonizing homosexuals, Judaism generally has a better track record than Christianity. Maybe it’s because Jews don’t believe the Son of God can magically take all your troubles away if you pray hard enough or that sinners will burn in a lake of fire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell#Judaism)for all eternity. As He’Bro founder Jayson Littman discussed in a recent HuffPo piece (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jayson-littman/jewish-ex-gay-movement_b_1105011.html), there’s only one Jewish “pray the gay away” group—Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing (JONAH)—and it’s so small they have to piggyback onto Christian reparative retreats. Reform and Reconstructionist Jews officially welcome gay clergy and perform same-sex marriages and though the Conservative movement is a bit all over the place (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian_and_gay_topics_and_Judaism#Conservative.2F Masorti_Judaism), it’s heading in the right direction.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/eyes_wide_open-360x242.jpgNow, just weeks after the announcement of an alleged anti-gay declaration (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jayson-littman/orthodox-rabbis-homosexuality-declaration_b_1114090.html)signed by several Hassidic rabbis, even Orthodox Judaism seems to making the tiniest advances.
The Jerusalem Post reports (http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishFeatures/Article.aspx?id=248651&fb_source=message) that last weekend members of the support group Jewish Queer Youth (http://www.jqyouth.org/) (JQY) were allowed to have a table at the annual conference of Nefesh International (http://www.nefesh.org/), an association of Orthodox mental-health professionals. It’s the first time there has been any LGBT representation at the 15-year-old conference, though the three JQY members were only allowed to attend as individuals, not representing their group—and only after asking Nefesh to make a special exception.
The group makes a distinction between homosexuality as an orientation and same-sex acts, which are banned by the Torah. “They wanted to talk about their struggles as homosexuals in the Orthodox world,” Nefesh president Simcha Feuerman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (http://www.jta.org/). “Mental health professionals should be aware of those voices.” Though he says Nefesh cannot support homosexuality, “we certainly have great compassion and interest in the challenges and struggles that persons with homosexual desires and orientation experience.”
We have compassion for JQY members, too: We feel sorry for anyone who begs for crumbs from a group that denigrates them. Unlike being gay, being an observant Orthodox Jew is a choice.
As for the members of Nefesh, we can’t help but feel contempt: Medical professionals who put their religious affiliation before their practice should have their license taken away.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/jewish-mental-health-group-pokes-proverbial-a-hole-in-sheet-for-orthodox-gays-20111208/

LGBT activist Wayne Besen’s organization Truth Wins Out has provided lots of entertaining legal theater as of late. First, they dared (http://www.queerty.com/dear-god-please-make-anti-gay-linda-harvey-sue-wayne-besen-for-defamation-20111028/) homophobic she-hag Linda Harvey to follow through with her baseless defamation suit. Then, they dared Marcus Bachmann to try and collect his vindictive $150 charge (http://www.queerty.com/the-spectacular-*****fight-brewing-between-marcus-bachmann-and-truth-wins-out-20111118/) for cancelled ex-gay therapy sessions. And now they’re threatening to sue (http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2011/12/20823/) Greg Quinlan, the President of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX), for claiming on TV that Besen publicly called for Quinlan’s death. Joy!
During his October 7th interview on WDCW-TV’s News-Plus with Mark Segraves, Quinlan said that Wayne Besen had asked for somebody to run Quinlan over, hit him with a bus or inject him with AIDS. That would have been pretty hateful rhetoric, as Quinlan said in the same program; except Besen says that he personally has never said any such thing.
Besen called Quinlan’s claim unconscionable, unacceptable, vicious and “deliberately and maliciously fabricated… with the sole purpose of smearing Truth Wins Out and damaging my reputation.” And in response, Besen has threatened to haul Quinlan into court… unless he meets the four following reparations in the next five days:
1. A written retraction be issued by Gregory Quinlan on PFOX letterhead admitting he fabricated the incident(s) and made untrue statements during the television interview. The retraction must be signed by PFOX’s Executive Director Regina Griggs and Mr. Quinlan.
2. A YouTube video of Mr. Quinlan apologizing for the false and defamatory statements.
3. Mr. Quinlan will offer to immediately make an apology on the very television show in which the defamatory statements about Mr. Besen were made.
4. PFOX will send out a press release, first approved by Mr. Besen, announcing the apology.
So… we assume that we’ll be seeing Besen and Quinlan in court very soon because there’s no way an ex-gay organization is gonna bow down to some uppity gay, right? And you know that Besen and TWO will blog the crap out of the trial if it happens. Doesn’t PFOX know better than to disparage a blogger? They’ll Tweet, Facebook and Google-bomb you back into the analog age—something potentially much worse than being run over by a big gay bus.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/truth-wins-out-continues-its-litigious-rampage-by-threatening-a-defamatory-ex-gay-group-20111208/

While Rhode Island is busy losing $8 million (http://www.queerty.com/ris-terrible-civil-unions-are-costing-the-state-8-million-and-only-14-gays-have-entered-them-20111110/) because their own LGBT residents leave the state to get married elsewhere, Iowa has raked in $13 million (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/07/383723/study-same-sex-marriages-brought-13-million-in-new-spending-to-iowa/) from LGBT couples who tie the knot in the Hawkeye State. No wonder Iowa’s GOPs support (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/12/07/us/politics/20111207_poll_docs.html) gay unions. Someone should tell Rick Perry (http://www.queerty.com/rick-perry-wasting-taxpayer-money-and-praising-jeebus-will-help-my-sagging-poll-numbers-and-the-global-recession-20111207/).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/iowa_marriage_money.jpgSource: http://www.queerty.com/pay-attention-bigots-marriage-equality-creates-cash-and-jobs-in-iowa-20111207/

Praiseworthy Puerto-Rican padre (http://www.queerty.com/ricky-martin-gets-spanish-citizenship-so-he-can-marry-his-baby-daddy-20111104/) Ricky Martin has taken to his blog (http://www.rickymartinmusic.com/Blog/Post/5099707f-fc3e-4186-9b42-69af47d1e56b) to express his sorrow over a shitty new penal code the 51st state is about to vote on. According to Edge (http://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=national&sc2=news&sc3=&id=127488), the revised “codigo penal de Puerto Rico” eliminates protections for LGBT folk from its hate crimes law. The whole thing sounds generalmente estupido, seeing as ethnicity and religious beliefs would no longer qualify as hate-crime-related, while political affiliation, age and disability are included. So if I assault you because you’re an octogenarian wheelchair-bound Republican (such common targets!), that’s a hate crime; but if you get assaulted because someone hates Jewish transmen (http://www.queerty.com/say-shalom-to-the-klezmer-core-punk-band-made-up-of-100-transmasculine-jews-20111203/), that’s a no-go?
This isn’t a great move, especially when you consider the fact that “nearly two dozen LGBT Puerto Ricans have been murdered on the island since late 2009,” including “gay teenager Jorge Steven López Mercado, who was stabbed to death before his decapitated, dismembered and partially burned body was dumped alongside a remote roadside near Caye.” Ugh.
Here’s what Ricky had to say, as translated by Instinct magazine (http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/ricky-martin-saddened-by-puerto-rico-s-move-to-remove-lgbt-hate-crime-protections?directory=100011):
“I am very saddened by the turn it has taken in Puerto Rico on the discussion of the criminal code proposing to eliminate the aggravation in cases where crimes are committed by prejudice against the victim.
“Today, when great nations are focused on providing its citizens basic rights, some politicians of my country promote inequality and hatred. They should do a little homework and review the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted, a document declaring the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948 in Paris, which says “Everyone (citizens) are equal before the law and entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law ….”
Though he doesn’t mention the gays specifically, and he ought to, given Puerto Rico’s horrendous recent history of brutal action against LGBTs, at least he’s got the right idea. Hopefully the Puerto Rican Senate will get the message before the upcoming vote.
If not, it might be time for us and our allies to call these lawmakers. Or we could just get on Grindr and send their naughty legislators some DMs (http://www.queerty.com/naughty-gay-pics-sink-puerto-rican-senators-political-career-20110829/) about it.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/puerto-ricos-anti-lgbt-penal-code-makes-ricky-martin-muy-triste-20111207/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/01-IMG_4805-a-360x445.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/photos-indian-pride-now-more-delhi-shus-than-ever-20111207/01-img_4805-a/)
A few thousand members of New Delhi, India’s LGBT community and their supporters filled several blocks of the city center the Sunday before last for the 4th annual Delhi Queer Pride, an event with the electricity, flair and volume befitting a proper Indian blowout. Still, many marchers wore colored masks, indicative of the anti-gay prejudice that unfortunately remains lurking in some sectors of Indian culture — this despite the 2009 overturn of Section 377 of the country’s penal code, which had previously made gay sex illegal. Delhi Queer Pride is sponsor-free, with support coming entirely from joint fundraising efforts of several of the massive city’s small but growing gay-and-friendly organizations.
The November 27 Pride march was the highlight of more than a week of gay-related events in India’s second biggest city, which kicked off with the art-oriented Nigah Queer Fest, and culminated in the post-Pride Rock for Rights concert, headlined by superstar Indian singer Rekha Bhardwaj. The following day saw Delhi host the groundbreaking 1st Asian Symposium on Gay & Lesbian Tourism, presented by San Francisco’s Community Marketing (http://www.communitymarketinginc.com/) and New Delhi gay tour operator Out Journeys (http://www.outjourneys.com/).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/photos-indian-pride-now-more-delhi-shus-than-ever-20111207/

P.S: See the source for many cool photos!

When we last left you, Ceara Sturgis—who was suing her Mississippi school for banning her from wearing a tuxedo in her graduation photo—had hurtled past (http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-teens-case-against-school-for-nixing-yearbook-photo-will-continue-20110916/) a motion by Copiah County officials to dismiss the case. Now the lesbian teen has gotten a measure of justice: School officials at Wesson Attendance Center have agreed to do away with gender-specific pronouns graduation-picture outfits altogether. According to the ACLU (http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/mississippi-school-district-and-aclu-reach-agreement-over-student-whose-tuxedo-photo-was): “The district has agreed to adopt a policy that will require all students to wear a cap and gown, rather than require boys to wear tuxedos and girls to wear drapes.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/graduation-360x251.jpgWhile they can’t go back in time and paste her picture in the 2009 yearbook (http://www.queerty.com/ceara-sturgis-tuxedo-yearbook-photo-that-her-high-school-wont-publish-20091016/) (or her name, seeing as she was fully excluded (http://www.queerty.com/ceara-sturgis-high-school-refused-to-run-her-tuxedo-picture-in-the-yearbook-or-even-mention-her-name-20100427/)), Sturgis will appear in the class’s composite photo that hangs in the school library—with her tuxedo and sweet mop top intact.
And she’s happy about the whole sitch: “I am thrilled that my photo will join [the class picture].” she says. “It’s important that nobody else will be forced to wear something that doesn’t reflect who they are.”
“Hopefully no other students will be excluded from this important rite of passage simply for expressing themselves,” said Bear Atwood, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi. “Copiah County School District has done the right thing by changing the yearbook policy so no students have to feel as if they’re out of place.”
This is great and all, but we’re wondering whether the best policy for the school district would have been not to institute the one-size-fits-all gender-neutral cap and gown (so 1899!) but to allow students to choose whether they want ladylike drapes and pearls, manly tuxes, or asexual caps and gowns. Baby steps?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/tux-wearing-lesbian-teen-ceara-sturgis-schools-homophobic-educators-20111208/

The Christmas carol “Deck the Halls” has a line which goes, “Don we now our gay apparel,” with the word “gay” meaning hardcore anal sex happy. But some sniggering choir student at Cherry Knoll Elementary School kept laughing every time they sang the word in class and instead of calmly explaining to the kids that “gay” means lots of things (like fierce, bootylicious and fa-la-la-la-fabulous), the teacher just changed the word (http://www.towleroad.com/2011/12/michigan-school-removes-the-word-gay-from-deck-the-halls-christmas-carol-angering-facebook-users.html) “gay” to “bright” on the printed lyric sheet, effectively pissing off lots of gay and bright people in the process.
The principal has since put “gay” back into the song, allowing us to save our holiday outrage for the fellow shoppers and family members who so richly deserve it.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/snickering-grade-schooler-forces-music-teacher-to-de-gay-deck-the-halls-20111206/

P.S: See source for video.

TheGodlessUtopian

13th December 2011, 20:32

Jules Mattsson was just 15 when he was stopped by police for taking photos of a London parade in 2010.
It was Armed Forces Day—and the coppers claimed that photographing the servicemen amounted to anti-social behavior and could be considered a terrorist threat. We’re not up on the details of English etiquette, but we’re pretty sure snapping pics of a parade wouldn’t set Miss Manners’ hair on end.

When the teen demanded an explanation, an inspector told him that he was “running around being stupid and gay.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Picture-240-360x258.pngAh now that we know is a capital offense!

But Mattson (at right) is a wise lad—he recorded the incident on tape and filed a complaint. On Monday, Mattsson received an apology and £4,000 in compensation from the Metropolitan Police.

“It was a bizarre and ridiculous situation,” Mattsson told the Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8951188/Police-apologise-for-gay-jibe-against-photographer.html). “I was not doing anything wrong and yet they arrested me. When I complained they came up with this ridiculous explanation.”

If the London fuzz was looking to intimidate Mattsson with their homophobic slur, it couldn’t have backfired more—he’s now an established professional photographer with an impressive portfolio (http://blog.julesmattsson.co.uk/).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/uk-police-apologize-give-4000-to-photog-for-bogus-arrest-and-gay-slur-20111213/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/paul_varnell_th.jpg
In an amazing feat of daring-do, Concerned Wome for America’s Janice Crouse trots out a litany of questionable, unsubstantiated and refuted (http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/6/1499.full) statistics to demonstrate how being gay is just wrong, m’kay? Right off the bat she claims gays and lesbians have a shorter lifespan—”gays generally have a loss of 20 years of lifespan.” Even if that were a valid statistic—and she doesn’t cite any study, of course—that doesn’t mean science is down on LGBTs.
Here’s just a few reasons why:

Many gay lives were cut short because for years society did little about the AIDS epidemic.
It’s been proven people in committed relationships tend to live longer (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1351287/Marriage-key-better-life-Study-finds-tying-knot-means-improved-health-longer-life-expectancy.html). (They have someone to live for and someone monitoring their health.) With gay marriage not legal in most states, gays and lesbians are not encouraged to partner up.
With douchebags like Crouse spitting venom at us, LGBT folks are more susceptible to depression and related conditions.

Crouse has got some pretty big problems with logic for a woman with a PhD in communications. But if you read this bio (http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v24n3/janice-shaw.html) of the 68-year-old former Bush I speechwriter she’s more concerned with her conservative agenda than real facts.
We’re not going to take Crouse’s case apart claim by claim. Frankly we have more important things to do—like grout the tiles in our bathroom.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/step-right-up-watch-concerned-women-for-america-pull-statistics-right-out-of-its-ass-20111213/

P.S: See source for video

This last Friday, 70-year-old LGBT advocate and journalist Paul Varnell died of complications with pneumonia and a stroke. His obituary (http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=35183) at Windy City Times pay respects to his activism and intellect, but also includes some great bits about Varnell applying for a same-sex marriage license in 1989, ticking off readers by wanting to cut trans people from the LGBT movement and his younger days as a sex worker. Now let’s pay our respect to the man, warts and all.
First off, Varnell spent most of the 80s and early 90s working as an LGBT advocate:
Varnell held nontraditional jobs and began his activism in full force in Chicago. He was a board member of Parents and Friends of Gays in Chicago from 1983 to 1984; chaired the Media Committee of the Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1983 to 1990 (for part of that time he was also IGLTF’s research director); was a member of the Chicago AIDS Task Force from 1982 to 1990; was a co-founder of CARGO, the Chicago Area Gay Republican Organization, in 1984; and helped to promote the Gay History Month founding in 1994.
He also tried to get married to fellow gay journalist Rex Wockner back in 1989. According to Wockner:
“He and I, as a journalistic exercise, tried to get a marriage license in Cook County in 1989. And when rebuffed, we filed human-rights complaints with the city and the state. We lost. We claimed sex discrimination but they told us it was sexual-orientation discrimination and that that wasn’t illegal at that time in Illinois. The Sun-Times made a big story of our little effort. We turned down an invite to appear on Oprah. I suppose everyone is unique, but Paul was unlike anyone I’ve ever known. I think it was the degree of his independence and the degree of his self-sufficiency that stood out.”
And while Rick Sincere, president of Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty, remembers Varnell as “a man of many and varied interests”…:
“He could discourse with equal facility about the philosophy of Friedrich Hayek or the latest superhero comic books. He could review a book of art photography, describe an opera recording or analyze the latest public-opinion data about issues of concern to the gay community.
…the obituary makes sure to point out that Varnell’s well-known “often-conservative political views” and columns would often “provoke angry letters:
“In a column posted on outonline.com, Pittsburgh’s Out newspaper, March 2010, he said: “I have no quarrel with various sorts of ‘trans’ people and I wish them well. But I cannot see any justifiable grounds for their inclusion in the gay movement or in the acronym LGBT. Transpeople have different issues from gays and it is important to keep those distinctions in mind.” He also objected to the use of the word “queer” by the gay movement.”
But on the more liberal side, Varnell was also okay with male sex work:
“I do not understand why men engaging in sex for money (‘prostitution’) is illegal. I suspect that most commercial sex laws were instituted to prevent the exploitation of women. But I am unaware of any analogous cases of the exploitation of men. It seems to be a law that catches men in its purview as if by accident. When I was younger (and better looking), I occasionally accepted money for sex. It was a useful income supplement and harmed no one. When I have mentioned this to other gay men, quite a number have said, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve done that.’ One man paid his way through graduate school that way.”
In an age where we need bold LGBT activists and journalists more than ever and where our Facebook and Manhunt accounts threaten to doom our runs for the Presidency forever, we give homage to Varnell; a guy who Wockner says, “had very specific ideas about how he wanted to live his life—and that is exactly how he lived it, each day and without compromise.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/lgbt-journalist-paul-varnell-passes-away-and-his-obituary-rocks-no-really-20111212/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/nom_funds.jpg
The National Organization for Marriage’s 2010 income disclosures to the Internal Revenue Service reveal (http://washingtonindependent.com/116452/nom%E2%80%99s-2010-financial-records-raise-questions) that just two people contributed more than $6 million (two-thirds of NOM’s 2010 revenue) to the organization’s political arm and that 92 percent of NOM’s 2010 money came from just 22 donations of $5000 or more. We have a sneaking suspicion that those bucks are coming primarily from Catholic and Mormon sources.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/nom-is-almost-entirely-funded-by-just-two-millionaires-and-20-other-bigots-20111212/

A judge has dismissed assault charges against Sequoyah High School principal Maurice Moser, who was accused of physically assaulting a student (http://www.queerty.com/tn-high-school-principal-will-kick-your-butt-if-you-ask-for-a-gsa-20111005/) wearing a t-shirt endorsing a Gay Straight Alliance at the Tennessee school. In September, Moser came into a classroom to bring senior Chris Sigler into his office for a meeting about his wearing the shirt despite being told not. When Sigler tried to leave the room, Mosler claims he simply stood between the student and the door to block his exit. Sigler claimed Moser grabbed him by the shoulder, pushed him back into the room and chest bumped him.
However the scuttle went down, Sigler was the ultimate victor: The ACLU got the Monroe County school system to allow students to wear t-shirts in support of the GSA.
Did they skip Freedom of Speech in Civics class at Sequoyah High or something?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/assault-charges-dropped-against-principal-who-banned-gsa-t-shirt-20111212/

TheGodlessUtopian

13th December 2011, 20:41

On September 30th, the Pentagon said that military chaplains and military facilities could be used for same-sex unions (http://www.queerty.com/gays-can-now-get-married-on-military-bases-if-they-meet-these-2-conditions-20110930/). Then Senate Republicans tried to roll back this guideline by including anti-gay amendments in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ensuring that military chaplains wouldn’t get forced to officiate same-sex weddings (not that they ever were) and that military bases wouldn’t get used for same-sex weddings either.
However, they’ve dropped those amendments (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/12/13/conferees-omit-anti-gay-provisions-from-defense-bill/). Sadly, they didn’t repeal military Article 125, the code forbidding sodomy‚ ensuring that our men and women in uniform never get to third base or home plate—sexual frustration will make them more aggressive on the battlefield!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/u-s-defense-bill-keeps-america-safe-from-committed-couples-pleasing-sex-20111213/

Life is brutal for LGBTs living in Iraq: there’s the familial “honor killings,” police raids on gay parties (http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2011/11/fresh-arrests-of-gays-in-iraq.html), the secret police who will burn down your house and slash your throat (http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2011/09/un-reports-on-violent-attacks-on-lgbt.html), the murderers who stalk gay chat rooms (http://www.queerty.com/from-web-to-dead-iraqs-gays-murdered-via-chat-room-20090914/) for fresh victims, militia groups willing to gang rape (http://www.queerty.com/is-iraq-about-to-execute-criminals-sentenced-for-homosexuality-20090331/) and execute the gay out of you, and last but not least, the vigilante groups that will kill you by gluing your anus shut (http://www.queerty.com/iraqi-gays-face-threat-of-glued-anuses-20090421/) and feeding you laxatives.
So when Norway’s High Court refused asylum to gay Iraqi refugee Azad Hassan Rasol and suggested he ‘go home and be discrete,’ (http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2011/12/norway-refuses-gay-iraqi-asylum.html) they basically told him that if he acts less fruity, he might have a chance of actually surviving there—hardly a reassuring plan. in the hellhole where every day could be his last.
Since Rasol hails from the Kurdish region of Iraq, Norwegian Immigration authorities said that risks for gay men in that region “differs greatly” from the rest of Iraq and that he can seek protection from the regional authorities. Uh, yeah… good plan.
Unless Norway or another country grants Rasol asylum, he and his Norwegian boyfriend will return to Iraq where Rasol says that his clan will gladly kill them. Sadly, according to LGBT Asylum News, refugee deportation is typical policy for Norway and their neighbors:
In the last two years, 40 of 52 gay people seeking asylum have been rejected according to Norwegian government figures. The Ministry of Justice said in an e-mail to NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) that they are considering changing how LGBT asylum cases are dealt with… Among the countries that have started forced LGBT deportations [back to] Baghdad since 2005 are Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.
Christ! Thankfully, Rasol’s case will now be taken up to the Norwegian Supreme Court. But unless international pressure convinces Norway to harbor Rasol safe they’ll deport him like the 40 other LGBTs, basically numbering his days.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/norway-tells-gay-iraqi-refugee-to-return-to-his-deadly-country-and-act-less-gay-20111213/

While the full version of this amazing infographic (http://unicornbooty.com/blog/2011/12/12/how-to-explain-gay-rights-to-a-total-moron/) explains why marriage equality won’t lead to dog, child, toaster and corpse brides, we most love its simple explanation that churches have zero say about what rights the government bestows upon married couples. Darn, right.
Besides, toasters just aren’t loveable… unless of course, you mean the Brave Little Toaster (http://youtu.be/rlpDZ5-xwLg).
http://cdn.unicornbooty.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Q1nCX.jpg

Source: http://unicornbooty.com/blog/2011/12/12/how-to-explain-gay-rights-to-a-total-moron/

Bob Garon was having breakfast at Chez Vachon in Manchester, New Hampshire—just as he does every morning. But today he was interrupted (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/gay-veteran-steals-the-show-at-romney-endorsement-event/) by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who was in town getting an endorsement from Manchester mayor Ted Gatsas (at right). In an awesome twist of fate, Garon happens to be a gay Vietnam vet and was sitting across from his legally wed husband, Bob Lemire, when Romney squeezed into their table. Mitt was trying to ask Garon about his military experiences but the 63-year-old warrior turned the tables and starting quizzing the Mormon candidate on his views about gay marriage and benefits for LGBT service members.
Garon asked if Romney would support repealing the New Hampshire law legalizing gay marriage. The flailing candidate said yes, because “marriage is between a man and a woman.”

As ABC News reports (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/gay-veteran-steals-the-show-at-romney-endorsement-event/):
Garon responded, clarifying that what that meant was that if Romney is elected he would not support any legislation that would change the law so that gay servicemen would get the same benefits as heterosexual couples.
“I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman,” Romney said. “We apparently disagree on that.”
“It’s good to know how you feel, that you do not believe everyone is entitled to their constitutional rights,” the 63-year-old New Hampshire resident responded.
“No, actually I think at the time the Constitution was written it was pretty clear marriage was between a man and a woman,” Romney said, just as one of his campaign aides chimed in that they had “to get going” to another Fox interview.
“Oh, I guess the question was too hot,” Garon quipped to Romney and his aide.
It’s enough to turn you off your Wheaties.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/romney-crashes-gay-vets-breakfast-to-bash-marriage-equality-anyone-have-some-tums-20111212/

The trial continues in the death of Sonia Burgess, a successful human-rights attorney who died last October (http://www.queerty.com/trans-woman-accused-of-throwing-another-trans-woman-in-front-of-train-killing-her-20101103/) after being pushed off a London train platform by a fellow trans woman. Burgess—who practiced law under her male name, David, but otherwise identifed as female—had attempted to befriend the accused, Senthooran Kanagasingham, but expressed concerns about Kanagasingham’s mental health. (While Kanagasingham was previously known as “Nina,” he’s expressed a desire to be known by his birth name and male gender during the trial.) Kanagasingham, 35, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, claiming he was suffering from an episode of paranoid schizophrenia.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Sonia-Burgess.jpg“Sonia was caring and generous with her time. She was tolerant of others and she habitually helped others with their problems,” said (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8951557/Lawyer-who-died-under-train-lived-as-a-woman.html) prosecutor Brian Altman. She befriended Kanagasingham but was wary of his emotional state—in part concerned that hormones were having a negative affect and that Kanagasingham was exhibiting signs of psychosis.
The Queen’s Counsel is putting forth the case that the murder was premeditated, as Kanagasingham resented Burgess’ concerns about his transition and stability. The two had just left Kanagasingham’s doctor when Kanagasingham pushed Mr Burgess from the platform at the King’s Cross Underground station.
Altman said the killing was “born of anger and malice” and that “significant factors other than any abnormality of mental functioning were at play.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/trial-continues-for-killer-of-transgender-human-rights-lawyer-20111213/

TheGodlessUtopian

19th December 2011, 22:32

As the world watches North Korea to see what will unfold next following the death of its “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il, one thing is for certain: The country’s next ruler won’t be Jong-il’s second son, Kim Jong-chul, who the Dear Leader reportedly often boozily bemoaned was too effeminate to lead (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A61550-2004Mar15).
Like most things North Korean, Jong-chul is shrouded in mystery, but it is known that he’s the 30-year-old son of Jong-il and the late despot’s former consort Ko Young-hee.
He was educated in Switzerland and really really likes Eric Clapton: Earlier this year, Jong-chul was spotted at an Clapton concert (http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/855840-kim-jong-ils-son-really-loves-eric-clapton) in Singapore. In 2006 he attended several Clapton dates in Germany, then asked the rocker to perform in Pyongyang. (Clapton’s not exactly Elton or Mariah, so we’re not sure how that factors in determining his sexuality.)
For a few years early last decade, after it became clear that Dear Leader’s oldest son was way too much of a boob (http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/son-of-north-korean-leader-detained-in-japan-1.65884) to ever take a leadership role, Jong-chul seemed the heir apparent—especially after the North Korean military started referring to Jong-chul’s mother as “The Respected Mother who is the Most Faithful and Loyal ‘Subject’ to the Dear Leader Comrade Supreme Commander.”
But Jong-chul’s role as successor started to unravel in 2003, when a former family sushi chef, using the pen-name Kenji Fujimoto, published a tell-all book in which he called Jong-chul useless because he was “like a girl.” In 2009, it was widely announced that son #3, Kim Jong-un, 28, would now be North Korea’s Next Top Dictator.
Were Jong-chul to magically rise to power, it wouldn’t be the first time Korea was (maybe) gay-led. 14th century ruler Gongmin of Goryeo—interestingly, also a second son—was so notoriously boy-crazy that a 2008 South Korean film, A Frozen Flower (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUlfJXWenIM), depicted a fictionalized account of the king’s romance with military commander Hong Lim.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Kimjungcheol_450-360x224.jpg

Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-maybe-gay-son-of-kim-jong-il-who-definitely-wont-be-north-koreas-next-leader-20111219/

A Muslim group in Malaysia is urging police (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/12/19/police-report-filed-against-gay-med-student/) to investigate a long-missing Malaysian medical student who popped up in Dublin this weekend via photos of his civil partnership with his Irish boyfriend. Ariff Alfian Rosli, 28, has been considered missing after he ceased contact with family members back home some time in 2008. Rosli originally moved to Ireland in 2003 on a medical scholarship to University College Dublin.
Photos from Rosli’s Irish civil partnership ceremony have gone viral, leading the Kepong Islamic Youth Organization (PBIK), to call for a police investigation.
“We are making the police report in the name of the Malays against a Malay youth who disgraced the name of our country, religion and race,” said PBIK chairman Norizan Ali in Malaysia Today (http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/45902-police-report-filed-against-gay-med-student). “Malaysian Muslims must adhere to the Islamic laws and our country’s laws even when they are abroad.”
Malaysia’s ambassador to Ireland has confirmed that Rosli’s whereabouts are now known, but under Ireland’s Data Protection Act, he is not revealing his location.
Civil partnerships have been legal in Ireland since January of this year.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Picture-351.png

Source: http://www.queerty.com/fanatics-urge-malaysian-cops-to-hunt-down-gay-newlywed-in-ireland-20111219/

Zimbabwe’s Sexual Rights Center found an interesting way to get their message ohttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/zimbabwe-360x282.jpgf LGBT and women’s rights across in a country usually hostile to such issues—they donated trash cans (http://actup.org/news/zimbabwe-gay-groups-donation-of-pink-trash-bins-is-controversial/) painted bright pink and bearing the group’s logo to Bulawayo, the country’s second-largest city.
Mayor Patrick Thaba-Moyo applauded the program, saying gays are taxpayers (duh!) and can make whatever kinds of donations they like. He indicated the cans will be placed at strategic locations around town.
Bulawayo Residents Association Secretary General Samuel Moyo, however, said locals should have been consulted first. It’s been reported some residents who oppose the Center’s agenda are refusing to use the bins.
Yes, because indiscriminately throwing garbage on the ground is much more traditional and moral.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/zimbabwe-gay-groups-donation-of-pink-trash-cans-has-people-seeing-red-20111219/

It’s getting to be a bad joke: Pick a Republican who’s attacked same-sex marriage and they’re either gay themselves or done something totally skeevy to besmirch the holy institution. The latest culprit is Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch (left), who stepped down from her leadership post Friday after allegations surfaced she was having an adulterous affair with a male staffer.
Color us stunned. Really.
Koch isn’t resigning as a state senator, mind you—just her leadership post (and refusing to seek re-election). Because it’s genetically impossible for a Republican politician to fully understand the nature of hypocrisy. Koch and her cronies helped get an amendment into the voting booth next year that will let the people of Minnesota vote on whether same-sex marriage should be banned. That makes sense—she’s something of an expert on things that destroy marriages.
“I think in the end there are probably only two people who really know what kind of relationship and how long it had been happening,” interim Senate Majority Leader Geoff Michell told the [I]Star-Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/135776953.html). “It certainly had risen to a level within our Senate family that people were coming to us.”
While Koch’s male paramour hasn’t been named, Michael Brodkorb—her communications chief—is no longer on staff as of Friday. Draw your own conclusions.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/mn-senate-majority-leader-marriage-equality-foe-amy-koch-resigns-amid-adultery-scandal-20111219/

Today in Ventura County, a judge handed down a 21-year sentence to Brandon McInerney, who plead guilty (http://www.queerty.com/brandon-mcinerney-finally-pleads-guilty-20111122/) to second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in the death of classmate Larry King.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/mcinerney_king-360x226.jpgReports the L.A. Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/teen-gets-21-years-in-prison-for-killing-gay-classmate.html):

McInerney, who was 14 when he pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot King two times at point-blank range, will be kept behind bars until he is 39 under the terms of the deal struck by Ventura County prosecutors.
In an unusual arrangement, the 17-year-old pleaded guilty to the charges after the judge declared a mistrial in his first trial. In return, prosecutors agreed not to go forward with a second trial, which could have resulted in a life sentence.
King’s life came to a tragic end in 2008, when McInerney walked into a computer lab at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, CA, and shot him in the back of his head—allegedly after King had flirted with him and other males students.
While McInerney’s sentence is more than twice his current lifespan, he’ll still be under 40 when he emerges as a free man. But should a 14-year-old receive an adult punishment, even if for a crime so heinous?
McInerney was silent during his sentencing, but his attorney, Scott Wippert, said the 17-year-old remorseful for his actions. “He feels deeply remorseful and stated repeatedly if he could go back and take back what he did he would do it in a heartbeat, Wippert said.
But King’s family isn’t forgiving or forgetting, as CBS News reports (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57345168-504083/calif-teen-brandon-mcinerney-sentenced-to-21-years-for-point-blank-murder-of-gay-classmate/):

“You took upon yourself to be a bully and to hate a smaller kid, wanting to be the big man on campus,”‘ King’s father, Greg King, said on behalf of his wife. “`You have left a big hole in my heart where Larry was and it can never be filled.”‘
Do you think justice was served in this case? Weigh in (respectfully) in the comments.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-brandon-mcinerney-gets-21-years-for-killing-lawrence-king-20111219/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th December 2011, 04:29

Op-ed: The Legacy of the Bush War on Iraqi Gays

Even with the end of the war in Iraq, there is no relief for gay Iraqis who live in a desperate reality being documented by a publication called Gay Middle East.
By Melanie Nathan, op-ed contributor (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/POLITICS/COMMENTARY/2011/1TroopsLeave2.jpg
Soldiers wave as the last American military convoy to leave Iraq arrives at Camp Virginia after crossing the border into Kuwait on December 18.
With the lowering of the American flag, finally off Iraqi soil as it returns home to the United States, and the ecstatic familial greetings of soldiers returned, the Bush Iraq War is over. It may always be regretted by LGBT Iraqis. They have suffered alongside all Iraqis, not only as a result of the vanquished Saddam Hussein regime, nor only collaterally from American bombing that comes with the brutal nuances of that particular war, but also because of adversity imposed by being “outed” by militias, and because of brutality by religious fanaticism that has taken hold of post-Saddam Iraq.
While none will debate the imperative demise of Hussein, many Iraqi gays may well have preferred that brutal reign to what they have since faced.
With the war, quiet non-disclosure and occasional homophobic targeting gave way to a voracious endeavor by lawless militias, and they unleashed violence against gays in unprecedented fashion. Trillions of dollars, blood, limbs and lives are all part of the mayhem that provides the context for this added persecution.
Gay Iraqis had to run, and they are still running. One estimate cited by Gay Middle East says that more than 700 LGBT people have been killed since the U.S. led invasion, with thousands more suffering violence, discrimination and abuse on a daily basis.
Dan Littauer, executive editor of Gay Middle East, told me, "While under the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein’s secular Ba’ath party, LGBTI people lived under an unwritten rule akin to a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, but in post-Saddam Iraq, this has become nearly impossible.”
LGBT Iraqis fled in multitudes to Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and other countries, now only to be caught up in local revolutions that have caused them further risk and at times violence.
With the Americans gone, nothing has changed for LGBT Iraqis, and peril persists as it has for the past nine years with no promise of a solution. Just last week President Obama issued a groundbreaking memo elucidating a progressive LGBT foreign policy, promising asylum seekers a friend in America. And Secretary of State Hilary Clinton spoke eloquently before the United Nations about why LGBT rights are human rights. Yet there was no information on the specific plans to help gay people who have been so severely impacted by the U.S. war in Iraq.
It would do little good to leave the solution in the hands of NGOs that are barely able to function in such dire of conditions. And it’s virtually impossible for displaced gay people to return home because, once outed, they face so-called “honor” killings by families who must be seen as “solving” the problem of a “deviant” family member or risk shame, diminished social standing and job prospects. The killings could be forced upon even relatively open-minded families by the watchdog militias, which are apt to take the “law” into their own hands.
“The United States and its allies surely must take some responsibility for this situation and ought to help rectify it,” says Littauer. “It is only logical following the ideas expressed by Secretary Clinton herself in Geneva.”
The displaced LGBT Iraqis are ongoing victims of this regrettable war; we must ensure they are not lost and forgotten.
Below is a moving video that showcases the work of Gay Middle East, under its executive director, Littauer, who with a team of dedicated grassroots writers from throughout the Middle East have been documenting the plight of Iraqi LGBT refugees. One gay man talks of sleeping with a gun under his pillow, and another says his sons were murdered in retribution.Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Oped_The_Legacy_of_the_Bush_War_on_Iraqi_Gays/

P.S: See source for video

Rick Perry Confronted by Bisexual Teen Over Gays in the Military

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-08/2011-08-22/PERRYX390.jpg

Republican presidential hopeful and Texas governor Rick Perry found himself trying to explain his opposition to gays serving openly in the military to a 14-year-old girl in Iowa who demanded to know “why you’re so opposed to gays serving openly in the military, why you want to deny them that freedom when they’re fighting and dying for your right to run for president.”

ABC News (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/19/Rick_Perry_Confronted_by_Bisexual_Teen_Over_Gays_i n_the_Military/%20http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/rick-perry-confronted-by-teenager-over-gays-serving-openly-in-military/)reports on the exchange between Perry and Rebecka Green on Sunday in Decorah. Green later identified herself to reporters as bisexual.

“Here’s my issue,” said Perry, unaware of the teen’s sexual orientation. “This is about my faith, and I happen to think, you know, there are a whole hosts of sins. Homosexuality being one of them, and I’m a sinner and so I’m not going to be the first one to throw a stone,” he said. “I don’t agree that openly gays should be serving in the military. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ was working, and my position is just like I told a guy yesterday, he said, ‘How would you feel if one of your children was gay?’ I said I’d feel the same way. I hate the sin, but I love the sinner, but having them openly serve in the military, I happen to think as a commander in chief of some 20,000-plus people in the military is not good public policy, and this president was forced by his base to change that policy and I don’t think it was good policy, and I don’t think people in the military thought it was good policy.”

The young woman’s father told reporters that he and his daughter came to the event because of the Perry campaign ad that asked why gay people can serve openly in the military while children allegedly cannot “openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” The ad, called “Strong,” was roundly panned on YouTube.

“He seemed to get that backward,” said Todd Green, according to The National Journal (http://nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/perry-faces-critics-in-decorah-iowa-over-fracking-gays-in-military-20111218). “Christians are not being persecuted in the United States of America. They’ve been in a position of dominance and power and privilege throughout the history of the United States of America. LGBT persons have not.” Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/19/Rick_Perry_Confronted_by_Bisexual_Teen_Over_Gays_i n_the_Military/

P.S: See source for additional video

Hans Christian Andersen gay pride plans split Danish town

Plans to introduce a weeklong gay pride festival to celebrate the life of the reportedly bisexual writer Hans Christian Andersen have caused a row in the famed writer’s hometown in Denmark.
Jonny Payne
2 (http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/6598/18/12/2011/hans-christian-andersen-gay-pride-plans-split-danish-town-.aspx#)

news.PinkPaper.com
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18 December 2011
Post your comment http://news.pinkpaper.com/Images/comment_icon.gif (http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/6598/18/12/2011/hans-christian-andersen-gay-pride-plans-split-danish-town-.aspx#comments)

http://news.pinkpaper.com/uploads/jonnydenmark.jpg Plans to introduce a weeklong gay pride festival to celebrate the life of the reportedly bisexual writer Hans Christian Andersen have caused a row in the famed writer’s hometown in Denmark.

The Social Democrat MP for Funen, Trine Bramsen, has come up with the idea to play on the sexuality of Denmark’s most revered writer and poet in an attempt to attract more gay visitors to the area, The Telegraph reports.

Bramsen, who suggests gay couples could also make use of the recent Danish law allowing same-sex marriage ceremonies in churches, said: “There is so much palaver about Hans Christian Andersen’s sexuality, and I think we should use it.

“It should be a week where gays from all over the world can come to the island of Funen.”

But Bramsen’s opponent, Merete Riisager, of the Liberal Alliance party, said the Social Democrat MP should not “come out with such silly suggestions at this time,” The Telegraph reports. And there is also concern among some locals. Pensioner Finn Wagner responded to the plans on the Fyens Stiftstidende newspaper's website, arguing: “Denmark has not deserved this. Funen has not deserved this.”
Source: http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/6598/18/12/2011/hans-christian-andersen-gay-pride-plans-split-danish-town-.aspx

Girl Scout Troops in Trans Panic Mode?

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-09/2010-09-17/vintage-girl-scoutsx390.jpg

After a Denver Girl Scout troop decided to allow a 7-year-old transgender child into the troop — reiterating that Girl Scouting was about empowerment and inclusion — a representative from Colorado's statewide organization, Rachelle Trujillo, told The Christian Post (http://www.christianpost.com/news/la-girl-scout-troops-disband-over-transgender-inclusion-64877/) that "if parents brought a child to a meeting, and the child is recognized in the community as their daughter, then the Girl Scouts accept that. We don’t require proof of gender."

She went on to emphasize that inclusion policies should be handled, as they always have been, at a regional level.

While parents of trans kids applauded the decision, apparently not all Girl Scout moms were happy. According to The Christian Post, three troop leaders in rural Louisiana resigned their posts and are dissolving their troops over the inclusive policy. All three leaders were affiliated with Northlake Christian School in the town of Covington.

Those leaders called a trans welcoming policy "extremely confusing" and "dangerous situation." Their former Girl Scout troops are now expecting to align themselves with the American Heritage Girls, a Christian organization that was founded in 1995 in response to the Girl Scouts' decision to let scouts use a word other than "God" in their pledge.

Ever the beacon of reason, Jeff Johnston of Focus on the Family told the Baptist Press (http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=36783) that allowing transgender children to join the Girl Scouts "will lead to growing societal confusion about gender. Strong cultural campaigns are already under way to teach that gender doesn't matter and to promote more than two genders." He went on to say that mothers in Colorado have contacted Focus on the Family to express concern about their kids "attending camping trips with boys pretending to be girls."

And that little 7-year-old trans girl? According to Trujillo, her mother is still trying to decide what's best for her at this point, perhaps waiting until the media hoopla over her participation dies down.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/19/Girl_Scouts_Troops_in_Trans_Panic_Mode/

Mixed Reactions to Minn. Antimarriage Amendment

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Marriage_Vote.jpg

The proposal to add a same-sex marriage ban to Minnesota’s constitution is getting support from an expected quarter and opposition from an unexpected one.

The Roman Catholic archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has issued a special prayer for the faithful to say at Mass leading up to next November’s election, when Minnesotans will vote on the ban, the Minneapolis Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/135672633.html) reports. It reads in part, “Grant to us all the gift of courage to proclaim and defend your plan for marriage, which is the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong, exclusive relationship ... open to the conception of children.”

It’s the latest in a series of anti–marriage equality efforts by Minnesota’s Catholic hierarchy, the paper reports, noting that this fall, “the state’s Catholic bishops took the unusual step of directing parish priests across the state to form committees to help get the marriage amendment passed by voters.”

Meanwhile, some Republicans are rallying against the amendment. A recent gathering aimed at young Republicans featured two GOP state representatives opposed to the measure, John Kriesel and Tim Kelly, reports the website Politics in Minnesota. (http://politicsinminnesota.com/2011/12/some-young-republicans-rally-against-gay-marriage-ban/)

“The idea really was to give people an opportunity just to talk about it,” said Jake Loesch of Minnesotans United for All Families, which is leading the fight against the measure and helped organize the event, held at a bar in St. Paul. “For a lot of conservatives, they may be uncomfortable coming into this office or other events where there may be more [Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party] members. Sometimes it’s easier to talk when you’re with people that you can relate to a little more.”

Republican votes will be key to defeating the amendment, the site noted, and young Republicans are much less opposed to marriage equality than their elders. “For me, I don’t think it’s a matter of being a Republican or a Democrat,” another organizer of the event, Madeline Koch, told the website. “For a lot of Republicans that I know in my generation, it’s a nonissue.”
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/19/Mixed_Reactions_to_Minn_Antimarriage_Amendment/

Utahns Support Some Antidiscrimination Measures

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-07/2011-07-22/utahx390.jpg

Utah may be known as one of the most conservative states in the nation, but a majority of its residents favor LGBT-inclusive laws against discrimination in employment and housing, according to a new poll.

In the poll, commissioned by gay rights group Equality Utah, 73% of respondents said they somewhat or strongly favor adoption of state laws to ban workplace and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, Salt Lake City TV station KSL (http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=18526785) reports. More than 80% believed the state already had such laws; it does not.

Respondents were less supportive of equal rights in the realm of parenting and marriage. More than half opposed adoption or foster parenting by gay couples and transgender people, while 65% opposed marriage equality. Some 64%, though, favored legal relationship recognition short of marriage, such as a system of domestic partnerships or civil unions.

While the news was not all positive, it was encouraging to Equality Utah executive director Brandie Balken. “Utahns at their core are nondiscriminatory people,” she told KSL, adding, “As understanding about the broad support of these protections and also understanding about the implications of discrimination on our communities continues to grow, it enhances our opportunity to achieve statewide passage for these important protections.” Several cities and counties in the state have adopted such protections, and an LGBT-inclusive antidiscrimination measure was tabled (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705395784/American-Fork-tables-anti-discrimination-housing-employment-ordinances-focused-on-gay-and.html) last week in the town of American Fork but may come up for consideration again next year.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/19/Utahns_Support_Some_Antidiscrimination_Measures/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th December 2011, 19:01

THE SHOT - The marquee at the L2 Arts and Culture Center in Denver replaces the word “gay” in a listing for The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus with three asterisks—making the three-lettered mystery word seem much worse. One person claims (http://www.towleroad.com/2011/12/my-entry.html) that the display’s ‘nanny’ software blocked GAY as an inappropriate word and that the embarrassed L2 staff promptly corrected it. Just another instance (http://www.queerty.com/snickering-grade-schooler-forces-music-teacher-to-de-gay-deck-the-halls-20111206/) of “gay” being considered a dirty word during the holidays?
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/gay_chorus_sign-360x259.jpgSource: http://www.queerty.com/gay-still-considered-censor-worthy-at-denvers-l2-arts-and-culture-center-20111220/

Glen Maxey is certainly a character. The Texas activist, who recently claimed (http://www.queerty.com/why-did-huffington-post-kill-its-rick-perry-is-gay-story-20111219/) GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry is hiding gay skeletons in his closet (among other cadavers), personally commented (http://www.queerty.com/why-did-huffington-post-kill-its-rick-perry-is-gay-story-20111219/#comment-531821) in our story on why the Huffington Post killed a planned story on his findings. So we e-mailed him to get more details about his book, Head Figure Head, and find out what the blowback has been from his revelations. “There are lots of balls in the air,” he joked. “None of them the good kind.”
Below, Maxey responds at length to our inquiry, confirming some rumors about the book and denying others. Does he convince you his claims are valid—or raise more doubts? Holler out in the comments section.
Who was the reporter from “a national news outlet” you worked with on this story?
Glen Maxey: Jason Cherkis from Huffington Post. In all cases when I found a source, I asked Jason to interview him first because it was evident nothing said to me would ever be able to be reported until the source said it first hand to the journalist.
Jason is a highly professional journalist. We exchanged hundreds upon hundreds of emails, texts and phone calls. We are good friends personally and professionally now. He really was treated badly in this deal because the journalists above him, all the way to the top at Arianna Huffington, signed off on his submitted article on a Saturday. He told me to expect publication on the next Tuesday. On Monday he told me Arianna had nixed it after she conferred with the people in New York. [Ed's note: We reached out to Cherkis for comment but did not hear back.]
Have you had any contact with Lin Wood or any of Rick Perry’s legal team?
I have not heard a word from Lin Wood. I am aware of the demand letter sent to Huffington Post after the story outline was sent to the Perry campaign for comment. That exchange was at least a month before. At that point http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/arianna-huffington.jpg.pngArianna was more determined to publish, I was told. It was weeks later, with a rewritten story, that the approvals were made and then the story was killed.
I have heard not a peep from [Perry's legal team]. I will not be sued—it’s unwinnable for them because Perry is a public figure and they have to prove I published this with malice. To prove that, they must prove I knew the things in the book to be false and published anyway. I solidly believe, after talking to hundreds of people, that these stories are true. I believe the men who told me to my face in 1990 that Rick Perry was having sexual encounters with them and their friends. I welcome a lawsuit: I’d like to have the opportunity for my lawyers to depose, under oath, Rick Perry and the dozens and dozens of sources I have.
Were there any rumors about Perry, sexual or otherwise, that you weren’t able to include in the book, for whatever reason?
Absolutely there are more stories: Some were not far enough along in the investigation and the comfort level for the sources to talk yet. I have actually found more promising leads from sources since publication.
What do you say to Arianna Huffington’s allegation that there was no substance to allegations—”no there there”?
I’d first say that her writer, his editor, and the chief editor all believed there was sufficient “there there.” And I was told she did, too—until something happened in New York at the corporate offices of AOL. I am not in their loop, so I am sure someday that will be explained.
You say you want the mainstream media to take up the reporting from here. How can we corroborate Joey the Hustler’s story and those of your other sources?
Joey (his pseudonym) met with a lawyer in Austin I asked to be recruited for him, and his Austin lawyer recruited a national lawyer who, to the best of my knowledge, still represents him. I am not convinced that Joey won’t speak when the time is right for him. If you are asking about being involved in further investigation, that would be a conversation off the record. I welcome discussions with legitimate journalists or others who wish to continue this effort, to contact me. This is not a finished effort.
Why did most of the reporting take place via Facebook and text message?
If you find a “friend of a friend of a friend” who hooked up with someone, you have to identify each level of that genealogy. I spent many hours talking to all the Facebook friends of a source or someone who alledgedly had sex with Perry. Sooner or later, I would find someone who had information. That lead would start another round of questions for friends of these men on Facebook. Joey the Hustler only would communicate by text message. In the book, you get the full drama of those messages over the months.
There’s been a lot of controversy about the allegations in this book, but only the say-so of various first- and secondhand sources. Is there a smoking gun somewhere?
Of course there are smoking guns. When a person has been rumored to have sex with Rick Perry, and Glen Maxey finds three or four men who have known that person for the last decades, and all of them independently without knowledge of the statements of the others, tell the same story that the subject of the “hookup” relayed information to his friends about his relationship with Perry, then there’s smoke.
Keep in mind, I know some of these characters personally. One of the men in the book who I believe to have had relationships with Perry, I have known for over 30 years. Another for 20. And a third for a decade. These are not random people in the shadows.
Austin is a small town in some ways: The intersection of the political world and the GLBT world is Glen Maxey’s world. And Rick Perry’s world and my world overlap.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/glen-maxey-names-huffpo-reporter-he-worked-with-on-rick-perry-is-gay-story-says-aol-made-arianna-kill-the-story-20111220/

Judge Rules in Favor of Gay Couple in Custody Dispute

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-06/courtx390.jpg

A New Jersey judge has ruled in favor of a gay couple in a contentious custody battle over 5-year-old twin girls.

Donald Robinson Hollingsworth and Sean Hollingsworth, who live in New Jersey and were married in California, had fought for full custody of the girls. But the surrogate in the case, Robinson Hollingsworth’s sister, sought custody after a fall-out with her brother and his partner, claiming she had been coerced into a contractual agreement because of her disadvantaged financial situation at the time.
But the judge in the case ruled last week that the couple had provided a stable environment for the children and should be granted full custody.
The sister's stance against homosexuality "will be understood by the girls and will have a very damaging effect on them. It will make them feel ashamed of themselves," Hudson County Superior Court judge Francis Schultz ruled in opposing joint legal custody.

"This decision is a victory for parents, particularly those in nontraditional families who value diversity and inclusion and pass those values along to their children," Hollingsworths’ attorney, Karim Kaspar, told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Read the story here (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/nj_gay_couple_fight_for_custod.html).
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/20/Judge_Rules_in_Favor_of_Gay_Couple_in_Custody_Disp ute/

New Hampshire Equality Opponents ‘Trash’ Gay Families (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/20/393096/new-hampshire-equality-opponents-trash-gay-families/) | Conservatives working to overturn New Hampshire’s marriage equality law have published some particularly nasty banners on their new webpage (http://nhmarriage.org/), juxtaposing a heterosexual family with frivolous pictures from pride parades. The clear message is that only straight people have families, while the gay community is constantly out to “trash your values.” These banners prove, once again, that conservatives are not just pursuing personal beliefs but seeking opportunities to smear and defame all of the LGBT community as disordered perverts:

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/NH-Marriage-Trash-Your-Values.jpg (http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/NH-Marriage-Trash-Your-Values.jpg)Perhaps they should peruse the “Love Makes a Family (http://lovemakesafamily.tumblr.com/)” tumblr to find some more accurate comparisons. (HT: Good As You (http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2011/12/nhmarriageorg-equates-equal-marriage-with-erosion-trash-guess-they-couldnt-find-a-nuclear-bomb-stock-photo.html).)
Source: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/20/393096/new-hampshire-equality-opponents-trash-gay-families/

Antigay American Family Association Backs Gingrich

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-15/newtcspanx390.jpg

The American Family Association, a designated hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, has endorsed Newt Gingrich for president.

Via The Hill (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/20/Antigay_American_Family_Association_Backs_Gingrich/thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/200447-gingrich-wins-endorsements-from-american-family-association-iowa-speaker):

Don Wildmon, the founder and chairman of the American Family Association, announced his support for Gingrich on Tuesday. The group, which promotes conservative Christian values and has a nationwide radio network of more than 180 stations, is a coup for Gingrich, who has struggled to convince conservative voters to overlook a past that includes multiple divorces and admitted marital infidelity.

"Newt Gingrich recognizes the threat to our country posed by judges and lawyers imposing values upon the country inconsistent with our religious heritage, and has proposed constitutional steps to bring the courts back in balance under the Constitution,” Wildmon said in a statement.

AFA’s extreme public comments against LGBT people are legion: The group’s Bryan Fischer recently said that gays pose a “heightened security risk” (http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/all-gays-pose-heightened-security-risk-to-america-says-afas-fischer/politics/2011/12/19/32179) for the country and told the Values Voter Summit in October, "We must choose as a nation between homosexuality and liberty, because we cannot have both."

Of the AFA’s announcement, Gingrich said, “Don Wildmon has been one of the most important leaders in the country in the battle to uphold our founding principles. I am humbled and honored to have his endorsement.”
Gingrich is attempting to shore up support among Iowa social conservatives as the state's January 3 caucuses near. A Washington Post/ABC national survey released Tuesday showed Gingrich and rival Mitt Romney in a dead heat (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g92ByvUaBJqUo9soJ8BjaadMNgXg?docId=CNG.9d58c 31cd5bdcb7896237b12cacad3c9.b1).
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/20/Antigay_American_Family_Association_Backs_Gingrich/

Best Companies List: Who Is on Your Side?

The Human Rights Campaign released its newly updated Corporate Equality Index today. Here's the complete list of companies that scored 100% for being LGBT-friendly.
By Advocate.com Editors (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate.com%20Editors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/NEWS_FEATURES/2011/abercrombie-fitchx390.jpg
Abercrombie & Fitch ad
The gay-inclusiveness of Abercrombie & Fitch has long been on display (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/07/20/The_Gay_History_of_Abercrombie_and_Fitch_Quarterly/), most obviously in its A&F Quarterly. And the company got some attention for parading (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/05/17/101_Shirtless_Abercrombie_Men_Take_Over_Paris/) 101 shirtless male models on the Champs-Élysées in May to celebrate the opening of its Paris flagship store. But it gets less attention, for example, for its policy of prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
Best Companies: numeric, A
3M Co.
A.T. Kearney Inc.
AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Accenture Ltd.
Aetna Inc.
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP
Alcatel-Lucent
Alcoa Inc.
Alston & Bird LLP
American Express Co.
Ameriprise Financial Inc.
AMR Corp. (American Airlines)
Aon Corp.
Apple Inc.
AT&T Inc.
Automatic Data Processing Inc.
Avon Products Inc.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Business/HRC_Corporate_Equality_Index_2011/

A Middle Tennessee woman is seeking answers after being prevented from seeing her partner in a local hospital last week.
Rolling Hills Hospital in Franklin denied multiple requests by Val Burke to visit her partner, who is currently a patient in the hospital's residential facility. Staff members excluded her from the room since she was not a legal spouse or family member.
http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/images/upload/image/rollinghills.jpg
"I went to visit her at the appropriate visiting time and was turned away," she says. "We have been living together for three years now, but that didn't matter to them either. The rest of her family is out of town, so she didn't have any one visit her."
Burke had previously been allowed visitation rights, but only with her partner's mother in attendance.
Under recent federal regulations (http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/09/20110907a.html), patients at most hospitals across the country are allowed to choose who has visitation rights. These rules apply to all hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
Hospitals are also required to put their visitation policies in writing, including any "clinically necessary or reasonable restrictions" to visitation that may be appropriate.
Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) contacted the facility Sunday evening and confirmed that Rolling Hills participates in Medicare and Medicaid. Hospital administration were made aware of the incident and addressed this policy with staff on Monday, according to Chris Sanders, chair of TEP's Nashville committee.
"(This) is a very troubling report and it reminds us of the importance of this rule change that recently went into effect," he says. "When we are at our most vulnerable, we need to be able to choose who visits us in the hospital."
Phone calls to the Rolling Hills administration have not been returned.

Source: http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article/5235#.TvDaOvIkKSr

Court rules Ga. university can require counseling student to follow ethics code on gay clients By Associated Press, Published: December 19

ATLANTA — A federal court has upheld a ruling that Augusta State University in Georgia was within its rights to require a graduate school counseling student to keep her biblical views on gays to herself.

A three-judge panel ruled Friday that the university was following protocol when it put Jennifer Keeton on a remediation plan and threatened to expel her after she repeatedly said she would have difficulty working with gay clients.

The university argued that it would risk its accreditation if it didn’t hold Keeton to a code of ethics. Keeton filed suit, claiming the institution was punishing her for her Christian views.
The Phoenix-based Alliance Defense Fund, which brought the suit, declined comment on the ruling.
A spokeswoman for the state Attorney General’s office, representing Augusta State, declined comment.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/court-rules-ga-university-can-require-counseling-student-to-follow-ethics-code-on-gay-clients/2011/12/19/gIQA6b3H5O_story.html

TheGodlessUtopian

21st December 2011, 15:33

Tesco, one of the largest supermarket/retail chains in the United Kingdom, is in hot water with religious groups because one of the company’s top honchos took a personal stand against anti-gay Christians.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Screen-shot-2011-12-20-at-4.42.27-PM-360x270.png (http://www.queerty.com/christian-group-boycotts-uk-supermarket-because-of-gay-executives-comment-20111220/screen-shot-2011-12-20-at-4-42-27-pm/) Back in 2008 Nick Lansley, the company’s openly gay head of Research and Development, wrote on his Flickr profile page (http://www.flickr.com/people/nicklansley/), “I’m…campaigning against evil Christians (that’s not all Christians, just bad ones) who think that gay people should not lead happy lives and get married to their same-sex partners.”
Not that we’re taking sides, but good for you, Nick.
Now, some three years after the comment was made, the Christian Institute—a nondenominational charity dedicated to “the furtherance and promotion of the Christian religion in the United Kingdom” is backing a boycott of Tesco. (Delayed reaction much?)
The boycott is also prompted by Tesco making a £30,000 (roughly $47, 000) donation to London Pride. (Which, by the way, is just a paltry 0.05% of the company’s total annual donations.
“I won’t be shopping at Tesco this Christmas, and I am repeatedly hearing from other Christians who have already come to the same conclusion,” Christian Institute Colin Hart said, “Mr Lansley is entitled to his opinions, and Christians are entitled to choose not to shop at Tesco.”
We’re sure you’re on Santa’s naughty list, Mr. Hart.
A Tesco spokesman told the Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8965869/Religious-groups-boycott-Tesco-over-senior-executives-evil-Christians-comment.html), “Mr Lansley’s comments, made in a personal capacity in 2008, in no way reflect the views of Tesco… We are very sorry that anyone might have thought that there was any blurring of the boundary between his personal comments and his work for Tesco. We have therefore asked him to remove the comments, and he has done so.”http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/nick-lansley.jpg
So Lansley (at left), made a private comment on his photo page—one that’s in no way connected to his job—and his employer should be published? If Lansley was a Fundamentalist Christian who posted a comment bashing marriage equality, you can bet Hart and his cronies would be defending his remarks from all comers.
We’re disappointed Tesco made Lansley, who’s been with the company for 23 year, take down his comment and is distancing itself from his sentiment. But good on them for giving a big check to London Pride.
To our UK readers, pop in and buy a packet of biscuits. Tell ‘em Queerty sent you.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/christian-group-boycotts-uk-supermarket-because-of-gay-executives-comment-20111220/

We already knew that gay funnyman Stephen Fry would appear (http://www.queerty.com/who-will-stephen-fry-play-in-peter-jackson-the-hobbit-20110519/) in Peter Jackson’s Lord of The Rings prequel The Hobbit (and everyone knows that hobbit is just new gay speak for short bears). But there’s also Gandalf the Gay, a bunch of beards swishing their swords together, some hardcore dwarf tossing, an all-male choir and two hobbits fighting over the most fabulous ring ever. Bust out the chain mail and mead—next Christmas is gonna be gayer than all of Lothlorien.Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-hobbit-will-feature-gay-wizard-sword-fighting-dwarf-tossing-20111221/

P.S: See source for the video trailer.

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd December 2011, 02:12

Pat Robertson Tells Man His Gay Son Can "Un-acquire" Homosexuality

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-21/robertsonx390.jpg

Televangelist Pat Robertson insists that gay people can "un-acquire" their homosexuality during an appearance on CBN's The 700 Club.

A viewer named Tommy writes in asking, "How do you show your gay son the love of Jesus when you know his sexual preference is an abomination of God?" Robertson falls back on an old chestnut. "Love the sinner and hate the sin," he advises, encouraging Tommy to tell his son he loves him, but he'd like him to change.

“I know people disagree with the question of homosexuality," Robertson acknowledges. "Is it something that they’re born with or is it something that’s acquired? I think a lot of it is acquired, I don’t know all the genes or the genetics that’s in your son as to what is causing him to do whatever he’s doing, you’ll have to figure that one out.

“But normally speaking, a person who has acquired this can un-acquire it," Robertson says. "We’ve had many people who have indeed left the homosexual lifestyle and gone into a heterosexual relationship and have been very, very happy.” Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/21/Pat_Robertson_Tells_Man_His_Gay_Son_Can_Unacquire_ Homosexuality/

P.S: See source for video

Work It Just Doesn't Work

With the controversial upcoming ABC series about men passing as women in the workplace, it's both viewers and trans people who lose.
By Diane Anderson-MInshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/TELEVISION/2011/workitx390.jpg

If any major television network can be said to be advancing the visibility of transgender people on TV, it would surely be ABC. After all, it’s the first major network to cast an actual transgender actress in a recurring role (Candis Cayne as Carmelita on Dirty Sexy Money) and the first to feature a regular starring character that is trans (Ugly Betty's Alexis Meade, played by nontrans actress Rebecca Romijn). Earlier this year, the network came under fire by religious conservatives as it gallantly stood behind its first transgender competition-show contestant, Dancing With the Stars' Chaz Bono.

All of this explains, in part, why it's so disappointing — for producers, network presidents, LGBT viewers, and nearly every transgender woman in America who reads the blogs — that ABC's new mid-season sitcom Work It is the subject of so much conflict over its perceived anti-trans bias. I say that because in this current scenario, not a single person wins.

First, the basics: Work It could have been a hilarious social commentary on the collective male fear of workplace emasculation, the thesis bandied about by some academics and men's rights groups that men are losing ground to women in the workplace, that men have become the new minority when it comes to career trajectories that have us all achieving the quintessential American dream. It's a theme that's likely got a tiny basis in reality. Though women still don't earn as much as men overall, and women — and sometimes gay men — are still vastly overrepresented in pink-collar jobs, universities are seeing emerging achievement gaps in some fields, in which women are now at least enrolling in programs at much greater numbers than men, for example.

But Work It is not a hilarious social commentary. It's not a hilarious anything. The premise is simple, albeit ripped from the 1980s hit Bosom Buddies (a show that would seem delightfully dated in a post–Chaz Bono world, in which we all know much more about the existence, if not the reality, of transgender people). The show stars two very capable actors — Benjamin Koldyke (who played Alby's gay Mormon lover on Big Love and Robin's boyfriend Don on How I Met Your Mother) and Amaury Nolasco (who played Fernando on Prison Break) — who both deserve much better material.

They're former employees of a Pontiac dealership who have been canned, along with their decidedly sexist male friend, thanks to a flagging economy in St. Louis. After failing to get a job, one overhears of an opening for a pharmaceutical rep, a position for which men aren't hired because, as one insipid female character says, "doctors want to nail them less."

The pharma girl phenom has been pop culture scuttlebutt before; How I Met Your Mother tackled it with a funny storyline in 2010. Which underscores how outdated the show is. One character waxes about the "mancession" and how women will soon rid the world of all but a few men, whom they keep around as sex slaves, but not the kind of sex men like, just "kissing, cuddling, listening," and you can't help but think about how outdated the baseline is here.

So in turn, the men dress up as women and get hired as such, and I'm sure that's where it says in the network's original pitch, "Hilarity ensues." But it doesn’t.

That these men in drag could be hired as women is beyond belief, and the very real danger in pretending they could is that it flies in the face of reality: that actual transgender women have an extremely hard time finding and keeping a job, especially those who have not had a great deal of feminizing surgery. For transgender women, especially those who transitioned after puberty, feminizing surgery costs tens of thousands of dollars and can include foreheadplasty, rhinoplasty, cheek implants, jaw and mandible restructuring, tracheal shaving, chin narrowing, brow lifts, orbital reshaping, electrolysis, breast implants, body sculpting, and liposuction. That doesn't even include what we generally think of as gender-reassignment surgery, or bottom surgery. For many trans women, especially the later in life they transition, the fewer of these procedures they've had, the harder it is for them to pass, and the more frequent it is that they appear to the average non-informed American (i.e., much of the intended audience for Work It) to be mere men in drag.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Work_It_Just_Doesnt_Work/

End of DADT Opens Doors to Gay Chaplains

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-05/2011-05-13/CHAPLAINX390.jpg

With service in the U.S. military now open to out-of-the-closet gays and lesbians, some of the spiritually minded among them are seeking to become chaplains.

Chris Daugherty, a 28-year-old Army and Air Force veteran attending college in Denver, talks to Out Front Colorado about his ambition to be a chaplain. Brought up Southern Baptist in Oklahoma, he has joined the more gay-friendly Episcopal Church and embarked on the course of study that will qualify him to be a military chaplain.

“Chaplains are the spiritual psychologists of the military,” he says, noting that they minister to people in life-and-death situations far away from home. “They do more than preach or have Sunday services.”

While he’s glad to have found a welcoming church and that the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” has opened up opportunities, he says he would have found a way to become a chaplain in any case. “I know God wouldn’t have given me this desire if it wasn’t meant to happen,” he says.

“Chris is the first case I’ve heard of in which someone is pursuing the chaplaincy and plans to serve openly,” Zeke Stokes of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network tells the paper. “There certainly may be others, and that’s to be expected. Some military chaplains will come out, just as some ministers and rectors elect to serve their congregations openly.”

Stokes adds, “We would expect [the military] to be welcoming for gay and lesbian chaplains, just as it has been for gay and lesbian service members post-repeal.”Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/21/End_of_DADT_Opens_Doors_to_Gay_Chaplains/

Gary Johnson to Ditch GOP for Libertarians

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-21/Gary-JohnsonX390.jpg

Gary Johnson, the gay-friendly former governor of New Mexico, has decided to drop out of the Republican presidential race and seek the Libertarian Party’s top slot.

In a recent interview with The Advocate, (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/14/Gary_Johnsons_Libertarian_Appeal/) Johnson, who has garnered little Republican support and appeared in only two debates, said he would be open to seeking the Libertarian presidential nomination. Politico (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70727.html) now reports that a Johnson campaign source says he will definitely make the move from Republican to Libertarian, with an official announcement to come next week at a press conference in Santa Fe.

Johnson “began flirting with the Libertarians when it became clear that he was gaining no traction in GOP primaries,” Politico notes. He had maintained his membership in the Libertarian Party, paying dues even while holding the governor’s office as a Republican.

Unlike leading Republicans, Johnson favors marriage equality. “As I have examined this issue, consulted with folks on all sides, and viewed it through the lens of individual freedom and equal rights, it has become clear to me that denying those rights and benefits to gay couples is discrimination, plain and simple,” Johnson said at a GOProud online forum. He also supports abortion rights and wants to repeal drug laws.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/21/Gary_Johnson_to_Ditch_GOP_for_Libertarians/

MP in Zimbabwe Jailed for Alleging That Mugabe Is Gay

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-04/2011-04-14/MUGABAX390.jpg
Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe
A Zimbabwean MP arrested and imprisoned for calling President Robert Mugabe gay should remain in jail “for her own safety,” prosecutors handling the case asserted Tuesday.

Via Daily Nation (http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/MP+arrested+for+saying+Mugabe+is+homosexual+/-/1066/1293062/-/h3vo1wz/-/):
Mrs Lillian Kirenyi, a legislator from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party was on Tuesday charged with undermining the authority of President Mugabe.
The court was told that the MP committed the alleged offence during an address to party supporters on December 9.
She allegedly said: “Zanu PF (President Mugabe’s party) members been attacking MDC president Tsvangirai alleging he is pro-homosexuals yet Robert Mugabe has practiced homosexuality with (Professor) Jonathan Moyo (former Information minister) and Canaan Banana (Zimbabwe’s first ceremonial president).”
Kirenyi appeared Tuesday before a magistrate and was charged with “undermining the authority of or insulting the president” under the country’s criminal code. The court has not yet issued a decision on bail for the politician, according to news reports. (Read more here (http://nehandaradio.com/2011/12/21/mp-accuses-mugabe-of-sleeping-with-jonathan-moyo/) via Nehanda Radio.)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/21/MP_in_Zimbabwe_Jailed_For_Alleging_that_Mugabe_is_ Gay/

Oskaloosa, Ia. – Newt Gingrich told a gay man and longtime resident of Oskaloosa here today that he should vote for President Obama.
Scott Arnold, an adjunct professor of writing at William Penn University, had approached Gingrich to ask him about how he plans to engage gay Americans given his stance on same-sex marriage.
“I asked him if he’s elected, how does he plan to engage gay Americans. How are we to support him? And he told me to support Obama.”
Gingrich told Arnold that he doesn’t expect to get the support of voters who disagree with him on the definition of marriage and who consider that a central issue.
Arnold, a Democrat, said he came to the event at Smokey Row coffee house with an open mind. But he wanted to ask Gingrich about how he would represent him as president after reading past comments the former U.S. House Speaker has made about gays and lesbians.
http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/S.Arnold-336x450.jpg (http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/12/20/gingrich-to-gay-iowan-vote-for-obama/s-arnold/)Scott Arnold (Jason Clayworth/The Register)

“When you ask somebody a question and you expect them to support all Americans and have everyone’s general interest, it’s a little bit frustrating and disheartening when you’re told to support the other side — that he doesn’t need your support,” Arnold said.
Gingrich has been married three times, two ending after his adultery.
Gingrich, who has a half sister who is a lesbian, has previously said in Iowa that same-sex marriage “is a temporary aberration that will dissipate. (http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/09/30/gingrich-same-sex-marriage-is-a-temporary-aberration/)” In his letter to The Family Leader this month, he advocated a federal constitutional amendment that would deny marriage rights to same-sex couples.
“It doesn’t inspire hope at all,” Arnold said of Gingrich’s statements. “And if that’s what he’s trying to do and that’s what he’s trying to say, that this is a collective effort if he’s elected president, yet he tells me to support the other side?”
CBS News has posted a video of the exchange. Catch that here. (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7392399n&tag=mncol;lst;3)
Source: http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/12/20/gingrich-to-gay-iowan-vote-for-obama/

Sasha

22nd December 2011, 23:23

Minnesota gays apologise to republican majority leader for destroying her marriage leading her to commit adultery: http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/12/gay_marriage_amy_koch_michael_brodkorb.php

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd December 2011, 23:31

When the leaders at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel found out that the parade route for Chicago’s annual Pride celebration would pass right by their church for the first time in city history, they objected (http://www.queerty.com/catholic-church-to-chicago-gay-parade-not-on-our-turf-20111209/), claiming that 800,000 parade attendees would make it hard for congregants to attend Sunday Mass. Fair enough—so the parade organizers moved the parade’s start time (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-pride-organizers-agree-to-move-parade-time-20111221,0,241619.story) to noon, well after the service concludes. But then Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis George took this small and peaceably resolved dispute as a opportunity to compare (http://www.redlasso.com/featured/cardinal-gay-extremists-are-like-kkk/) Pride parades to the Ku Klux Klan. According to George, both the gay liberation movement and the KKK blame the Catholic church as an enemy—huh, imagine that—and want to stop people from attending services.
First off Francine, we do not want to forbid people from going to church—the more people there are in church, the less people there are crowding the good brunch spots, okay?
And second, why you gotta go and compare us to the Klan? We dress waaaay better and we love everybody—something your Church seems to have a problem doing.
Saying that gay Pride reminds you of a KKK rally would be like us saying that the Catholic Church reminds us of the Boy Scouts of America. Except that comparison is apt.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/archbishop-francis-george-doesnt-know-that-pride-parades-are-way-cooler-than-kkk-rallies-20111222/

P.S: See source for video

Christwire (http://christwire.org/), the Onion-like news service that skewers the malarky spouted by the religious right, has just released its list of holiday goodies that us queers have put our stank on (http://christwire.org/2011/12/5-christmas-things-gays-have-ruined/). Among the yuletide atrocities we’ve committed: *Turning caroling into cruising
*Using mistletoe to get free handies from guys on the street. (Who told?!?)
* Spiking the eggnogg with “Devil DNA”
* Perving out Santa as some child-obsessed daddy bear
Remember hanging your stocking from the chimney with care? Just look at what the Sodomites have done.
Stocking Stuffing
This use to be my favorite part of Christmas morning. Before mom would allow us to open presents, we got to see what kind of knickknacks and goody treats laid waiting for us in our stockings that hung above the fireplace. Now the gays have turned this term of “stocking stuffing” into their own form of holiday sex games. Now on Christmas mornings, gays decorate their anal caverns with glittery decor and insert toys up their sewer holes. Once packed with sinful joyness, they invite their friends to insert their hands into their sparkly designed turd tunnel and grab for a gift.
Won’t somebody think of the children?!?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/five-things-the-gays-have-ruined-about-christmas-20111222/

Last Friday we all shared a tasty little slice of schadenfreude pie when anti-gay Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch stepped down from her leadership position amid allegations of an extra-marital with Senate staffer (http://www.queerty.com/mn-senate-majority-leader-marriage-equality-foe-amy-koch-resigns-amid-adultery-scandal-20111219/). She and her Republican cronies put a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality on next year’s ballot, but sadly the threat of gay marriage has already undermined her traditional marriage by driving her to find comfort in between her colleague’s legs.
So on behalf of gays everywhere, John Medeiros wrote a letter apologizing to Koch for leading her marriage astray. You’ll want to read the entire thing (http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/12/gay_marriage_amy_koch_michael_brodkorb.php), but here’s one of the most blistering parts:
We apologize that our selfish requests to marry those we love has cheapened and degraded traditional marriage so much that we caused you to stray from your own holy union for something more cheap and tawdry. And we are doubly remorseful in knowing that many will see this as a form of sexual harassment of a subordinate.
It is now clear to us that if we were not so self-focused and myopic, we would have been able to see that the time you wasted diligently writing legislation that would forever seal the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman, could have been more usefully spent reshaping the legal definition of “adultery.”
Yes, every time a gay wants to marry his or her partner, a straight person cheats on their spouse. Magical, isn’t it?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-community-apologizes-for-driving-anti-gay-gop-amy-koch-to-commit-adultery-20111222/

Remember when John Becker of the LGBT rights organization Truth Wins Out exposed (http://www.queerty.com/undercover-gay-man-gets-reparative-therapy-at-marcus-bachmanns-ex-gay-clinic-20110711/) the ex-gay therapy practices of Michele Bachmann’s husband Marcus? That was awesome.
Then remember how Marcus retaliated by threatening (http://www.queerty.com/should-lgbt-activist-john-becker-pay-marcus-bachmann-the-150-he-owes-for-ex-gay-therapy-20111117/) to sic a collection agency on Becker if he didn’t pay $150 in allegedly owed missed sessions fees? That was pretty *****-tastic too.
And then remember how Truth Wins Out threatened to sue (http://www.queerty.com/the-spectacular-*****fight-brewing-between-marcus-bachmann-and-truth-wins-out-20111118/) Marcus in court and expose his quackery if he tried to collect money for his widely discredited ex-gay practices? Awesome sauce.
Well, Marcus has apparently caved in and decided to stop harassing (http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2011/12/20980/) Becker for the money.
Awww! Why?
Chances are that he and his beard wife probably didn’t want the attention. But you can hear the recording of the Bachmann clinic dropping the debt below, for yourself.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/marcus-bachmann-stops-harassing-young-gay-man-for-money-20111222/

P.S: See source for audio transcript.

Orthodox Jewish views on homosexuality have become a topic of discussion (http://www.queerty.com/jewish-mental-health-group-pokes-proverbial-a-hole-in-sheet-for-orthodox-gays-20111208/) in the media lately. So the Rabbinical Council of America, the largest clerical group within the denomination (Judaism’s smallest), issued some “clarifications” (http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105665)on the subject.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/eyes-wide-open-3-360x239.jpg
In addition to reaffirming that the Torah prohibits the practice of homosexuality and bans same-sex unions (yeah, yeah), the Council’s statement said “individuals with homosexual inclinations should be treated with the care and concern appropriate to all human beings” and urged Jews with homosexual tendencies to seek counsel from their Rabbis. “Equally, we urge all Rabbis to show compassion to all those who approach them.”
When it comes to reparative therapy, the Council says “we can neither endorse nor reject any therapy or method that is intended to assist those who are struggling with same-sex attraction.”
So homosexuality is a sin and if you think you’re gay, go to your rabbi—who won’t have any constructive suggestions on how to get rid of your feelings. But he’ll have compassion for you.
Jeez, maybe the Fundamentalist Christians are better—at least they pretend you can pray the gay away.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/rabbinical-council-of-america-homosexuality-is-still-a-shanda-20111222/

TheGodlessUtopian

30th December 2011, 22:25

A Nativity display that included gay couples was vandalized over the Christmas weekend in Claremont, CA, reports the L.A. Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/lgbt-nativity-scene-vandalized-claremont.html). Early Christmas morning, officials at Claremont United Methodist Church discovered this year’s display—which featured light boxes with a gay-male couple, a straight couple and a lesbian couple under a sign stating “Christ is Born”—had been defaced.
The boxes with the two gay couples had been pushed over, but the heterosexual pair was left alone. Well, of course—they’re following God’s law!
“We have members of our church who are gay and lesbian who it sends a very personal message to,” said Rev. Dan Lewis. “I tried to say in worship on Sunday morning that we will not let it trouble us.”
Claremont United often incorporates social issues in its Nativity scenes, with past displays addressing homelessness, the Middle East crisis and immigration. Artist John Zachary created this year’s Nativity to reflect the church’s longstanding support of the LGBT community.
“Christ’s birth in a stable had a lot to do with poverty and being marginalized,” Pastor Sharon Rhodes-Wickett told the Times. “What this church has tried to do through these scenes is say, ‘What would that look like today?’”
What the hell does Christ’s birth have to do with Christmas—or Christianity for that matter? If you listen to the hatemongers defacing religious shrines—and shrieking from the bully pulpit—you’d think the religion is more about crucifying marginalized outcasts.
Oh wait…
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/nativity-1.jpg1-600x337.png

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-nativity-scene-vandalized-police-questioning-three-wise-men-donkey-20111230/

When the ball drops Saturday night, several same-sex couples in Delaware won’t just be kissing in the New Year—they’ll be consummating their legal bonds, as the state’s civil union law goes into effect (http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/32019-delaware-civil-union-ceremonies-planned-for-2012) on January 1. In March, state senators David Sokola and Melanie George introduced a bill allowing civil unions that provided rights that were “substantially equal to marriage.” The bill passed both houses of the Delaware State Assembly on the first pass this spring and Governor Jack Markell signed into law on May 11.
Equality Delaware’s Lisa Goodman and her longtime partner, Drewry Fennell, will be among the first couples to take advantage of the law when they tie the knot at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Wilmington. Other couples will do the deed at the New Castle County’s Clerk Office: Like most government offices it’s usually closed on New Year’s Day but County Clerk Kenneth W. Boulden is making an exception. (Kenny, you old softie!)
As NewsWorks reports (http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/32019-delaware-civil-union-ceremonies-planned-for-2012), one couple has been waiting nearly a quarter-century for this chance:
George [Spector] and Norman [Everett] met one night in a bar 23 years ago, when George’s mother insisted that he go out and have some fun following a bad break-up. “I had been in a bad relationship so, I was spending a lot of time by myself, and she told me, she said, ‘George you really need to go out’ and I was like ‘no, I don’t want to,’ and she said, ‘you’re going to meet somebody special tonight, I really want you to go out,’ so I said ‘okay’,” George said.
He and Norman met that night and have been together ever since.
George and Norman did have other options. They could have been married in a civil union in another state but it was important to them to be married in their home state of Delaware. “We live here, and this is where we wanted to be. We have options, we could’ve gone to Massachusetts, or whatever, but we thought that we would wait to see what happened here and it would mean a lot more to us if the civil union bill was here and it’s passed and it means a lot to do it in Delaware,” Norman said.

Like most same-sex couples, Spector and Everett aren’t just looking forward to the emotional symbolism legal unions will provide. Spector tells NewsWorks it’s the fact that his husband will have the right to make decisions as his next-of-kin that matters to him:
I’m getting older, and George knows me better than anybody else in this world; he knows that [it’s] quality of life that I want, not quantity. He will know, when to pull the plug, he will be able to do that… He now has the right to be in that hospital room with me or, if I pick up a set of keys and I don’t know what they’re for, he knows it’s time to do the right thing for me. He has the choice now; he can make those decisions.
Perhaps not the cheeriest sentiment, but an important one nonetheless.
With the new law, same-sex marriages performed in other states will be recognized in Delaware. Moving forward, though, the Delaware Right to Marry PAC says it will work to phase out civil unions and introduce full marriage equality in 2013.
Meanwhile, homophobic ex-Senator (and avowed non-witch) Christine O’Donnell (http://www.queerty.com/anderson-coopers-wonderful-even-toned-take-down-of-constitutional-moron-christine-odonnell-20101020/), 42, is still single. We’re loving the irony.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/delaware-readies-for-same-sex-marriage-civil-unions-in-the-new-year-20111230/

Last week, Queerty reported (http://www.queerty.com/christian-group-boycotts-uk-supermarket-because-of-gay-executives-comment-20111220/) about a small-potatoes boycott against the giant UK retailer and grocery store chain, Tesco, because a senior exec criticized anti-gay Christians in his Flickr profile. We didn’t think that the boycott, led by the UK-based Christian Institute, would go anywhere. And from the comments on the article, neither did our readers.
Randy said, “Unfocused boycotts supported by very few people equals failed boycott. This will probably be the last you hear of it, and it will die a quiet death.”
Mike UK said sarcastically, “I’m sure Tesco must be quaking in their boots!”
Well, perhaps they are: Tesco had Research and Development director Nick Lansley take down his comment, and, since then, has pulled its charitable support for the annual London Pride celebration, stating (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/23/exclusive-tesco-drops-future-pride-funding-days-into-christian-boycott/) that they would rather “support projects with practical benefits rather than events.”
Developing community and battling homophobia apparently aren’t practical.
In an email to the Christian Institute, a Tesco rep explained that the company’s support of the LGBT community “implies no moral, philosophical or political stance.”
Most of our charitable and community support is however focused on delivering practical benefits, rather than on funding awareness-raising events.
We will therefore discuss with Out at Tesco how we can support them in future years in ways that will not include sponsoring events.
We hope this will enable us to be true to our belief that everyone is welcome at Tesco without polarising opinion.
Out at Tesco is the store’s LGBT employee support network, with some 500 members nationwide.
Feeling the backlash from the backlash, Tesco told PinkNews (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/23/tesco-fully-committed-to-gay-staff-and-practical-benefits-rather-than-events/) it “would be dismayed if any readers felt we were anything other than fully committed to Out at Tesco and our LGBT staff… We are totally committed to tolerance and inclusion inside and outside our business. We will go on supporting Out at Tesco beyond Pride 2012.”
When the American LGBT community attempts boycotts of Target (http://www.queerty.com/lets-hear-a-homosexual-executive-at-target-defend-the-companys-reputation-with-the-gays-20110215/), Taco Bell, ExxonMobil (http://www.queerty.com/getequals-campaign-against-exxonmobil-needs-a-tune-up-20100509/), Chick-fil-A (http://www.queerty.com/activists-cry-fowl-over-chick-fil-as-hypocritical-homophobia-20110921/) and dozens of other U.S. companies with anti-gay policies, we get little or no response. It’s rather curious to see a giant retailer running about trying to make everyone happy.
It must be said that the Brits have manners.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/uk-superstore-tesco-pulling-london-pride-support-due-to-christian-boycott-20111230/

Don’t say he didn’t warn you.
Nutcase rabbi extraordinaire Yehuda Levin is putting the world—especially the “special Chanukah conclave” (http://www.rabbilevin.com/2011/12/romney-denouced-by-850-rabbis.html) of more than 850 ultra-Orthodox rabbis who recently gathered in New York City to hear him—on notice: A Mitt Romney presidency means a “homosexualized” America.
Which of course, in turn, means rampant child abuse.
The homo-obsessed Levin has previously blamed the gays for everything from 9/11 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKqbRjRARFQ) to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake (http://www.queerty.com/of-course-noms-creepy-rabbi-blames-gays-for-yesterdays-earthquake-20110824/). Now he’s got Mitt in his sights—clearly the would-be Republican presidential nominee wants nothing more than to turn the United States into one big Gaga-worshipping bareback bathhouse.
“Governor Romney, over a long political career, has earned the title of homosexualist,” rants Levin, “one who constantly advances the militant, anti-religious, anti-society, immoral homosexual agenda to the detriment of family people.”
“We plead with other religious groups to speak out on this,” his spew continues, “and we plead with religious people to understand that the increase of the homosexualization of society increases the likelihood of Sandusky-like child abuse.”
Oh, blah blah blah. Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to go back to roasting this baby we just murdered.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-out-world-romneys-homosexualized-usa-will-be-a-child-molesting-free-for-all-20111229/

P.S: See source for video

This year set new standards for douchiness, so when the Queerty edit team sat down to award the coveted 2011 Douche of the Year award, we were confronted with an embarrassment of riches (or something that rhymes with riches).There was Timothy Dolan (http://www.queerty.com/ny-archbishop-dolan-wasnt-homophobic-enough-due-to-tricky-politicians-20111204/), Archbishop of New York, who took political ineptness to new heights during the marriage equality battle in New York State. There was Indiana state Rep. Phil Hinkle (http://www.queerty.com/phil-hinkle-just-because-i-paid-for-a-hustler-doesnt-mean-im-gay-20110826/), who denied being gay
even afhttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/gop-debate1-360x308.jpgter he was caught advertising himself as a “sugga daddy” and paying an 18-year-old (male) $80 during an encounter at a motel. What about New Jersey high-school teacher Viki Knox (http://www.queerty.com/nj-high-school-teacher-viki-knox-really-really-hates-lgbt-history-month-20111014/), who wrote 36 pages of less-than-AP-English-quality rants against gay people on Facebook?
And then there’s the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer (http://www.queerty.com/afa-talk-show-host-claims-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-gay-role-model-20110729/)—just for being himself.
But sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

While almost all of the GOP presidential candidates could qualify as Douche of the Week individually, their collective douchiness is exponentially greater.
So we’ve made the Republican presidential front runners the joint winners of the inaugural Douche of the Year award.

Bachmann (Rep-Alternate Universe) has had a banner year for doucheness: She suggested that gay people already have the right to marry (http://www.queerty.com/gays-can-marry-in-the-chinese-riddle-genius-of-michele-bachmanns-mind-20111205/) (just not one another), made reinstating DADT (http://www.queerty.com/not-even-michelle-bachmanns-own-party-supports-her-plan-to-reinstate-dadt-20111006/) part of her campaign platform and with—her husband, “I only sound gay” Marcus—made reparative therapy into a family business (http://www.queerty.com/undercover-gay-man-gets-reparative-therapy-at-marcus-bachmanns-ex-gay-clinic-20110711/).
Plus, no one has a richer history of sheer homophobic nuttiness (http://www.queerty.com/michele-bachmann-is-nutty-which-is-why-she%e2%80%99s-a-serious-gop-presidential-candidate-20110629/) than Michele. God did not look favorably on her campaign, which quickly fizzled (http://www.queerty.com/get-the-jam-and-butter-ready-because-michele-bachmann-is-toast-20110923/). Lately she seems to be positioning herself to be Mitt Romney’s running mate (http://politics.salon.com/2011/12/16/deconstructing_michele_bachmanns_war_on_newt/singleton/) so there’s still a chance Michele-filled 2012. (Oh boy.)

Herman Cain
What can you say about a candidate who thinks veggie pizzas are for “sissies” (http://www.queerty.com/pizza-man-herman-cain-says-veggie-toppings-are-for-sissies-20111114/) and that being gay is a sinful “choice” (http://www.queerty.com/herman-cain-makes-the-wrong-choice-on-piers-morgan-20111021/)—and who acquired a reputation as a serial sexual harasser. (http://www.queerty.com/gop-ladies-man-herman-cain-basically-quits-gop-presidential-race-20111203/) With all that going for him, Herman Cain had to be a Republican frontrunner, at least for a little while.
Cain has suspended his campaign (much as we have suspended our disbelief that he could ever be taken seriously) but we can look forward to him turning up on Fox News or the guest-lecture circuit, garnering significantly higher fees than he would otherwise have commanded.

Newt Gingrich
The disgraced (http://www.queerty.com/only-in-the-republican-alternate-universe-could-newt-gingrich-be-a-leading-presidential-contender-20111207/)ex-Speaker of the House went from rising star to falling star in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but in those brief moments when someone actually paid attention to him, he reminded us of just what a douche he’s always been.
Only in Newt’s fevered imagination could the global financial meltdown have been caused by gay marriage (http://www.queerty.com/next-up-from-the-gop-candidates-gay-marriage-caused-the-economic-crisis-20110818/). Of course, the man with the well-documented history of extramarital affairs is one of the biggest opponents of marriage equality and helped raise $350,000 (http://www.queerty.com/new-gingrich-spent-200k-ousting-iowas-supreme-court-justices-and-why-its-worse-than-you-think-20110304/) to unseat Iowa judges who supported it.
No wonder his lesbian half-sister Candace so lovingly pointed out all his flaws (http://www.queerty.com/watch-newt-gingrichs-lesbian-half-sister-respectfully-tears-him-a-new-one-on-rachel-maddow-20111208/) on the Rachel Maddow show.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/introducing-the-douches-of-the-year-the-republican-presidential-candidates-20111229/4/

P.S: see source for complete listing of anti-queer individuals.

As Budapest gears up to host the annual LGBT sportsfest known as the EuroGames (http://www.eurogamesbudapest.hu/) next summer, one thing’s fairly clear: The Hungarian capital’s mayor, István Tarlós, won’t be watching (http://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=15640).
In a just-released letter (http://www.budapest.hu/resource.aspx?ResourceID=Berlin1.pdf) to Berlin’s openly gay mayor Klaus Wowereit, Tarlós says that while he respects the right of the EuroGames folks to do whatever they and their “like-minded people” want, “I disassociate myself from both [the] lifestyle, as well as from the event. It is not for me, in my power, to support them.”
Hungarian media (http://index.hu/belfold/budapest/2011/12/28/tarlos_mentalitasaval_nem_fer_ossze_a_melegolimpia/) reports that Tarlós has furthermore taken to playing the heterophobia card: “Is this not a discriminatory event, if this tendency is only that such people can participate? Because… this is a form of exclusion.”
Despite the lack of love from the mayor, the EuroGames will take place in Budapest from June 27 to July 1, 2012, with about 4,000 athletes from across the European continent expected to participate.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/budapest-mayor-to-sporty-gays-consider-us-disassociated-20111229/

The last time we saw Robin Williams on TV was in an ASPCA commercial, so it’s fitting that he comes up again in an animal-related context.
While discussing his newly minted marriage to artist Susan Schneider with the Irish Independent (http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/robin-williams-divorce-is-like-ripping-out-a-mans-genitals-through-his-wallet-2965907.html), Williams, 60, went off on a tangent about his prissy pooch.
“I also have a gay rescue pug called Leonard,” the oh-so-hairy movie star says. “He has a boyfriend and they are planning to adopt a Siamese kitten together. We’re very modern.”
Hmm, is Leonard a homo or is Williams having a laugh? He did also comment that his daughter Zelda, 22, was named after the video game The Legend of Zelda, so you can’t be sure.
We’d love to hear more about Leonard’s boyfriend and their adoption plans, but is it even legal for two same-sex dogs to adopt a cat in the state of California?
Better check the books first.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/robin-williams-outs-his-dog-he-has-a-boyfriend-and-they-are-planning-to-adopt-20111229/

TheGodlessUtopian

30th December 2011, 22:39

After Queerty and other blogs noted (http://www.queerty.com/barnes-noble-amazon-carrying-offensive-im-just-a-sissy-calendar-20111228/) that Barnes & Noble anhttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Picture-531.pngd Amazon were selling the heinous “I’m Not Gay, I’m Just a Sissy” calendar on its website—and media watchdog GLAAD came a knocking—B&N pulled the product from its site. (It was never available in stores).
According to communications director Rich Ferraro, GLAAD has also reached out to Amazon to pull the item. But, as the Daily Kos reports, (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/27/1049235/-Buy-your-homophobic,-AIDS-mocking-wall-calendar-at-Amazon-and-Barnes-Noble-today%21-%28UPDATED%29) a representative from Amazon said that further customer feedback against the calendar would be necessary for it to be removed from the site.
Well, lets give them that feedback!
You can reach customer relations at Amazon at [email protected]
Source: http://www.queerty.com/update-barnes-noble-pulls-sissy-calendar-off-website-20111228/

A new poll of Lithuanians (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/28/poll-claims-only-4-of-lithuanians-support-same-sex-civil-unions/) claims that a shockingly low 4% of the Baltic country’s citizens are in favor of same-sex civil unions. The statistic was released as part of a recent survey of more than a thousand Lithuanians by market research group RAIT. If it’s true that gays make up about 3%-5% of the general world population, (http://www.queerty.com/so-only-3-5-of-americans-are-calling-themselves-queer-ey-20110407/) then not a single straight Lithuanian is supporting his LGBT countrymen. The same poll says that a whopping 70% of Lithuanians would like to see civil unions recognized—but only for heterosexuals.
As for same-sex marriage in Lithuania, forget it: Many believe that the country’s constitution already forbids it, while conservative politicians are attempting to go the way of neighboring Latvia and explicitly amend the constitution to outlaw gay nuptials.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/welcome-to-lithuania-where-maybe-not-even-gays-want-marriage-equality-20111228/

Traci Nobles, one of Anthony Weiner’s many sexting buddies, has been shopping around a racy memoir that discloses the details of her torrid cyber-affair with the disgraced Congressman. Though tales (http://jezebel.com/5848889/) of Weiner’s adventures were titillating, we didn’t think there was much of interest to the gay community—until now. Radar (http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/12/anthony-weiner-threesome-with-another-man-mistress-traci-nobles) has published an excerpt in which Weiner and Nobles get around to chatting about threesomes. It turns out Tony didn’t want the typical two-girls-one-guy fantasy.
“I’m not really talking about other chicks… How about with another guy?” Weiner asked Nobles.
“Hmmmm, haven’t done it before,” Nobles said.
“It can be hot,” Weiner replies.
“Are you turned on by other guys?” Nobles asked.
“Well it depends on the guy, but generally yes,” Weiner divulges.
What a twist! But given his vain manscaping (http://www.queerty.com/andrew-breitbart-breaks-promise-and-releases-weiners-full-on-cock-shot-20110608/) and Grindr-worthy selfpics (http://www.queerty.com/anthony-weiner-shows-us-how-to-take-locker-room-grindr-pics-20110613/), we always sorta thought Weiner might enjoy the company of other DILFs.
Maybe that laughably bad gay-porn parody (http://www.queerty.com/the-anthony-weiner-porn-spoof-will-make-you-groan-and-not-in-a-good-way-20111009/) of the situation wasn’t so far off after all.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/is-former-new-york-re-anthony-weiner-into-weiner-20111228/

That whimpering sound you hear is gay angels crying: It seems top porn site Sean Cody (http://www.seancody.com/page.php?frame=movie&movie=1347) has just released its first bareback scene. The website—which specializes in impossibly hunky, straight-looking college types who seem eager to fraternize with their bros—joins Corbin Fisher and other mainstream portals in taking condom-free sex out the realm of fetish sites.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/sean-cody.jpg-360x261.pngThe clip, “Brandon & Pierce Unwrapped,” does come with a warning label of sorts.
As Fleshbot (http://gay.fleshbot.com/5871414/the-bareback-gay-sex-scene-thats-the-talk-of-the-town) reports:
Some sites feature a disclaimer, urging viewers to play safe at home and insuring that their models are tested. Sean Cody has one: “Unprotected sex is not something we recommend or endorse.”
Whether or not bareback porn leads to unprotected sex among viewers has been hotly contested and is almost impossible to prove.
We generally err on the side of letting grown adults make their own judgment calls—and pray they make the right one. But even if there’s no correlation between porn viewing and personal sexual practices, there are still two men having unprotected gay sex.
Aren’t we worried about their health?
Residents of Los Angeles will vote next year on whether or not to require all porn companies (http://www.queerty.com/will-l-a-be-the-first-city-to-mandate-condom-usage-in-porn-20111228/) use condoms consistently. But since SC is based in San Diego (we think), its studs wouldn’t have to wrap it up even if the measure passed.
What do you think: No glove, no love—or no harm, no foul?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/sean-cody-joins-the-bareback-bandwagon-20111228/

The North Carolina Family Policy Council has put out the Winter 2012 edition of Family North Carolina, its highly anticipated quarterly publication. And just in time for the holidays it trots out the good ol’ crosshairs imagery that’s worked so well (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-warmowski/following-giffords-shooti_b_806248.html) for Republicans in the past.
To be fair, their mixed metaphor doesn’t just single out the gays as murderers of traditional marriages. It singles out the gays and everyone who supports them! You see, the sniper rifle is in the hands of “society.” Straight couples are victims!
The article comes as the National Organization for Marriage teams up (http://www.queerty.com/nom-and-gop-team-up-to-kill-gay-marriage-in-nh-and-nc-20111202/) with the NCFPC and other state anti-gay groups to sway public opinion in support of a ballot amendment that bans same-sex marriage in NC, sponsored by the late Sen. James Forrester (http://www.queerty.com/listen-signorile-tears-apart-nc-sen-james-forrester-for-his-ignorant-marriage-equality-ban-20110928/).)
We sat down and read the article, so as not to judge a book by its cover. It begins:
One cursory look across the moral landscape of American culture would inform even the most casual of observers that ‘progress’ is perhaps the greatest threat to society. Women are allowed to kill their unborn children, the Ten Commandments are prohibited from hanging on courtroom walls, and now the debate rages as to whether marriage—one of the oldest, most sacred institutions known to mankind—is really only for one man and one woman.
Apparently the important parts of “progress” to focus on aren’t advances in medical technology, equal rights for oppressed groups or overwhelmingly better standards of living.
No, we must focus on abortion, http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Abortion-scary-pic-360x250.png displays of religion in public places and whether same-sex people who want to make a commitment to each other can have the same rights as a man and a woman who choose to do.
Priorities, people! North Carolina psychologists have them (http://www.queerty.com/nc-psychological-association-says-opposing-marriage-equality-is-cray-cray-20111226/). North Carolina “family values” groups do not.
Skimming through the same issue, we also found another other ridiculous headline-photo combination, this one aimed at pro-choice advocates (at right).
Seriously, who the hell is their art director?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/nc-family-values-magazine-gays-are-murdering-heterosexual-marriage-20111228/

Donna Fountain, 38, was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Christmas morning on her way to work, the New York Daily News reports (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn-woman-killed-christmas-hit-run-died-pocketful-dreams-article-1.997006). The Brooklyn woman’s death would’ve been just another statistic—a sadder one, given her 8-year-old son Elijah was waiting for her to come back so he could open his presents—if not for the note she died with in her pocket.
Simply titled “My Dreams,” the heart-breaking list makes this a veritable tearjerker, particularly for the LGBT community.
Among the five simple goals she wanted to achieve: “Start housing for gay and lesbian teens,” and “Marry the woman of my dreams.”
While we all know the latter is no longer an option, we can help fulfill the former dream of Donna Fountain’s. Donate your extra Christmas change to a LGBT housing-assistance center near you.
Need a suggestion? New York’s Ali Forney Center (http://www.aliforneycenter.org/) aids hundreds of gay youths, many of whom are runaways, each year.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/woman-killed-in-x-mas-day-hit-and-run-dreamt-of-building-housing-for-gay-teens-20111228/

Newly departed Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero says that the ruling he’s most proud of from his nearly eight years in office is the passage of full marriage rights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Spain) for his gay and lesbian countrymen. The Spanish newspaper Diario de Leon (http://www.diariodeleon.es/noticias/afondo/voy-a-ser-neutral-en-congreso-de-mi-partido-_656270.html) asked Zapatero this week if there was one decision of which he was particularly proud during his tenure, a decision that he would definitely repeat again.
“If I consider the degree of recognition and gratitude I have received, then I think the gay marriage law,” Zapatero replied. “Hardly a week goes by without someone reminding me or thanking me. Yes, it’s a decision that seems to have left its mark.”
Spain’s gay marriage law took effect on July 3, 2005, making it the third country in the world to legalize same-sex matrimony. Many in Spain have voiced concern that incoming conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy might now try to reverse the law, but Rajoy himself has been silent on the matter since taking office on December 21.
Rajoy’s own People’s Party filed a legal complaint against the Spanish gay marriage law just months after it took effect. Said complaint has sat dormant for the past six years under Zapatero’s liberal lead, but it may well awaken with a roar now that conservatives have the the biggest share of seats in the country’s legislature.
During the lead-up to the election, Rajoy did his best to side-step the gay marriage issue, claiming that its legality was for Spanish courts to decide. He indicated during one debate that it was merely a matter of terminology: that he is in favor of legalized same-sex pairings, but as civil unions, not marriages.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/spains-just-former-pm-calls-gay-marriage-his-proudest-achievement-20111228/

Borrowing a page from their right-wing neighbors to the north, leading candidates in Jamaica’s national elections have resorted to gay-baiting and homophobic rhetoric, according to Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/gay-jamaica.jpg-360x222.png
J-FLAG director Dane Lewis tells the AP (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-12-27/jamaica-homophobic-elections/52244416/1) that Jamaica Labor Party candidates have “descended into pulling the sexuality card” to curry favor in the close vote expected on Thursday’s election. “It’s been disappointing that they’ve chosen this road yet again because it seems to historically be their stance during campaigning,” he said.
The island nation has been long plagued by violence (http://www.queerty.com/the-violent-gay-bar-police-raids-sweeping-jamaica-20110302/) and discrimination directed against gays (http://www.queerty.com/jamaican-activist-26-stabbed-to-death-20101206/), a situation only worsened during the election season.
The AP story reports:
Labor’s candidate for West Central St. James, Energy Minister Clive Mullings, asserted that easing up on laws against homosexuality would bring God’s wrath down on Jamaica, while West Kingston candidate, Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie, used an epithet at a rally while an anti-gay dancehall song played.
One candidate standing against the tide is the People’s National Party’s Portia Simpson-Miller, who called for a review (http://www.queerty.com/jamaican-lgbt-group-politicans-pulling-sexuality-card-in-runup-to-election-20111228/www.queerty.com/pro-gay-stance-could-sink-jamaicas-pm-contender-20111222/) of Jamaica’s anti-sodomy laws and said she’d have no problem appointing a gay cabinet member. But even Simpson-Miller’s party is distancing itself from her comments.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/jamaican-lgbt-group-politicans-pulling-sexuality-card-in-runup-to-election-20111228/

Ron Paul’s campaign has come out swinging against former longtime aide Eric Dondero, who claimed (http://www.queerty.com/former-aide-ron-paul-personally-uncomfortable-around-gay-people-20111227/) the candidate was “out of touch” with blacks and Latinos, rabidly anti-Israel and “personally uncomfortable” around gay people. “Eric Dondero is a disgruntled former staffer who was fired for performance issues,” Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said, according to CBSNews’ Political Hotshee (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57348489-503544/ron-paul-camp-fires-back-at-ex-aide-over-column-on-israel-gays/)t. Calling Dondero “looney-tunes,” Benton said the ex-staffer “had zero credibility and should not be taken seriously.”
For his part, Dondero told CBS he wasn’t fired: “I dispute that vehemently. I’ll take him to court over that if that’s what he’s saying.” He claims he resigned in 2003 because of differences with Paul over his Iraq policy . (Dondero challenged Paul for his Texas congressional seat in 2007.)
It’s worth noting that if Dondero invented his allegations just to do a hatchet job on the candidate his tone was oddly muted: http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/Picture-496.pngIn his post, he defends Paul against outright claims of racism, homophobia and anti-Semitism, and paints a picture of someone who’s just a product of his generation. Even his examples of Paul’s discomfort around homosexuals—like his refusal to use a gay man’s bathroom some 25 years ago—aren’t hardly smoking guns.
Dondero’s general description of his ex-boss—as a man out of touch with the times and unwilling to distance himself from extreme elements—is pretty much in line with what we already know. Paul even said on Monday in a [I]New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/us/politics/ron-paul-disowns-extremists-views-but-doesnt-disavow-the-support.html?_r=1&ref=politics) interview that he wouldn’t disavow support from hate groups: “If they want to endorse me, they’re endorsing what I do or say —it has nothing to do with endorsing what they say.”
Once upon a time we’d laugh and say Paul is a nut who’s just going to tank the Republicans’ chances at the White House. But, given the direction the nation is going, we’re not laughing.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/ron-paul-campaign-denies-ex-aides-anti-gay-allegations-calls-him-disgruntled-20111228/

LGBT activists in France have initiated a campaign (http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-activist-put-forward-nobel-peace-prize-0) seeking the Nobel Peace Prize for global gay rights fighter Louis-George Tin (http://philosopedia.org/index.php/Louis-Georges_Tin). The 37-year-old Tin is a native of Martinique, but has lived in mainland France for the last two decades, where he’s an esteemed university professor. In 2005 he founded of the International Day Against Homophobia (and, since 2009, Transphobia), celebrated in more than 70 countries every May 17 in honor of the 1990 day when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its official list of disorders.
Tin has been a staunch fighter on key global gay rights fronts like Moscow Pride, and in 2008 he called on the United Nations to support the decriminalization of homosexuality throughout the world. Tin has also authored several controversial books, including The Dictionary of Homophobia and The Invention of Heterosexual Culture.
Those touting Tin for a Nobel nod must complete and submit his application by the end of February. A winner will be announced by the Nobel Committee in October, and the prize presented in December in Oslo, Norway.
If Tin wins, he will be the first Nobel recipient to have been recognized for fighting for LGBT rights.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/finally-maybe-a-gay-nobel-peace-prize-20111227/

TheGodlessUtopian

1st January 2012, 01:41

The president of Pakistan’s She-male Association, Shahana Abbas Shani, has announced that she will run for a seat on the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, the country’s most populous province. Speaking with Pakistan’s Express Tribune (http://tribune.com.pk/story/312257/president-of-transgender-association-to-contest-elections/) this week, Shani says her goal is to bring to light problems faced by the country’s large but largely disenfranchised transgender community.
“There is no other way for us to be heard,” says Shani, “and now when the Supreme Court of Pakistan has allowed us to have an identity card, we will fight for our rights.”
In 2009, Pakistan’s chief justice ordered (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_gender#Pakistan) that the country’s estimated 80,000 to 300,000 hijras be recognized as a distinct third gender on national identity cards. But the ruling has been mostly ignored, causing hardship for many hijras, especially during times of crisis—like the country’s recent severe flooding—when identity cards are needed in order to receive government aid.
Shani says that since women and minorities already have reserved seats in Pakistan’s National Assembly, so should her community.
As Shani points out, “We are also citizens of Pakistan.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/trans-candidate-seeking-pakistani-office-20111230/

Pariah (http://focusfeatures.com/pariah), the critically acclaimed debut feature from filmmaker Dee Rees (http://focusfeatures.com/pariah/castncrew?member=dee_rees), follows 17-year-old Brooklyn teen Alike, an African-American lesbian who is coming to terms with her sexuality and how it’s affecting her more traditional family.
Inspired by the film, Salon (http://www.salon.com/topic/pariah_personals/) has been running “Pariah Personals,” a series of coming-out stories from minority and immigrant LGBT youth. Some have had an easier time than they expected, others have found it hard to be accepted by families who may carry long-held prejudices or worry about their chances as double minorities.
For Raul Rodriguez, 21, coming out as gay was less problematic than dealing with the fact that he and his family are undocumented immigrants.
Rodriguez, a senior at UC Berkeley, writes (http://www.salon.com/2011/12/29/being_undocumented_wasnt_a_choice/singleton/):http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/raul-rodriguez-360x240.png
But just like being gay, being undocumented wasn’t a choice for me. It was something I discovered as I grew up.
I am originally from Lima, Peru. My dad was a pediatrician and my mother a teacher before we moved to the United States.
Growing up I always knew that there was something different about me; I just wasn’t sure what. I just knew I had an attraction toward guys, ever since I was about 9 years old and had a crush on a fifth grader during summer school.
I was 17 years old when I discovered I was undocumented. My dad broke the news to me that I wouldn’t be able to get a driver’s license because we were “different” from everyone else. His words were subtle but I understood.
The series ends today with an essay from Promduson Ok (http://www.salon.com/2011/12/30/i_just_came_out_to_my_80_something_father/singleton/), a 24-year-old Cambodian-American who is the director of the youth-journalism project VoiceWaves.
Both Pariah and “Pariah Personals” should be considered required reading/viewing for anyone who thinks being gay in America is just about being white, privileged and fabulous.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/using-pariah-as-a-springboard-salon-asks-lgbt-minority-youth-to-share-their-coming-out-tales-20111230/

It’s one thing when bigots and skinheads assault LGBT activists at Moscow Pride. It’s another when it’s pro-democracy advocates doing the attacking at protests across Russia.As GayStarNews (http://gaystarnews.com/article/pro-democracy-russian-movement-rejects-lgbt-activists) reports, gays throughout the country are saying they’re being denied a voice—an in some cases facing violence—at rallies protesting election fraud and corruption in the former Soviet Union.
In St Petersburg Igor Kochetkov, chairperson of the Vyhod LGBT Organisation and the Russian LGBT-Network, was prevented by the opposition movement from speaking at the demonstration panel, according to reports by both Kochetkov via his Twitter account, confirmed by Nikolai Alekseev, chairman and founder of GayRussia (http://www.gayrussia.eu/)and Moscow Pride.
Kochetkov was part of the St Petersburg’s organising committee of the demonstration and was due to give a speech when he was told minutes before attempting to go on stage that the opposition ‘is not supporting your movement and you won’t be allowed to speak.’
According to LGBT Asylum News (http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2011/12/more-anti-gay-laws-arrests-in-russia.html), a man holding a rainbow flag at a pro-democracy protest in Novosibirsk was assaulted by members of the Russian Nationalist Party. “I think that if you sit very quietly and do nothing, then nothing will change,” the unnamed victim said.
And in Lipetsk, about 270 miles southeast of Moscow, a group holding a sign reading “gays and lesbians for fair elections” were blocked by authorities and told to “keep it for your gay parade later.”
Outspoken activist Peter Tatchell (http://www.queerty.com/russias-bloody-pride-20070529/), who was attacked at the attempted 2007 Moscow Pride Parade, told GSN:
“The censorship and ejection of LGBT campaigners from the democracy demonstrations is shameful. It shows that many of the so-called democracy leaders are not committed to universal human rights. They are Putin-lite. They want to moderate the Kremlin regime, rather than change it. If they came to power, LGBT Russians would gain little.”
All this goes on, of course while more regions in the country pass legislation (http://www.queerty.com/russia-would-prefer-that-the-u-s-stfu-about-its-anti-lgbt-law-20111129/) banning LGBT organizations, demonstrations and, in some cases, even discussion of the topic.
We guess “some of us are just a little more equal than others” works in Russian too.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/pro-democracy-protesters-in-russia-too-busy-assaulting-lgbt-contingent-to-protest-20111230/

TheGodlessUtopian

1st January 2012, 01:56

Judge Rejects Last-Ditch Effort to Stop Hawaii's Civil Unions

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2009/200910/2009-10-12/hawaii_flagx390.jpg

A federal judge has rejected requests from two churches in Hawaii to block the state's civil union law from going into effect on Sunday.

The Emmanuel Temple and the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God argued that the law should be held because churches could be fined if they bar gay and lesbian couples from using their facilities for union ceremonies, the HonoluluStar-Advertiser (http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/136460798.html?id=136460798)reports.

U.S. district judge Michael Seabright wrote that churches are not "entitled to the restraining order." A spokesman for the attorney general's office said the civil union law will "go into effect, as planned on Jan. 1, 2012."
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/31/Judge_Rejects_Last_Ditch_Effort_to_Stop_Hawaiis_Ci vil_Unions/

Philly's Search for an Out Pro Athlete

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-08/2011-08-31/philliesx390.jpg
The Phillies contributed a video to the It Gets Better project
Writer Robert Huber does the math: with the number of professional athletes playing on Philadelphia's teams, including the Phillies for baseball, and the Eagles for football, the 76ers for basketball, and so on, there must be at least a few gay players in the City of Brotherly Love. But in his quest to find out whether there are gay male players, he also found that some players know it might be simply uncomfortable to dress alongside another athlete, knowing he's gay.
For the January issue of Philadelphia magazine, (http://www.phillymag.com/articles/which_eagles_and_phillies_are_gay/page1)Huber interviewed 20 members of the Philadelphia Eagles, some of whom said they were uncomfortable by the idea of sharing a locker room with a gay team mates. Others said they weren't worried, but that other team mates might find the notion uncomfortable.
According to the report, there are at least three gay athletes playing in the NFL right now, but they are closeted. Brian Sims, a former college football star who came out during his senior year at Bloomsburg University, knows the three football players, but none were willing to talk on record or anonymously. Additionally, former NBA player John Amaechi, who came out in 2007 after retiring, quipped that there are so many gay baseball, basketball, and football players right now, that "if they got together, it would not be a small meeting."

"There’s no doubt that some of our prime Philadelphia sporting heroes—players we’ve rooted for over the years—are gay," Huber writes. "A lot of them, in fact. Just do the math. A generally accepted rule of thumb suggests that 10 percent of the population is homosexual. There are more than 100 players currently on our four local pro teams. So it’s clear that whatever teams we get behind, some of the players we’re now applauding or booing are gay. Over the years, of course, thousands of athletes have graced the Philly sporting scene. Scores of them were undoubtedly gay, too."

Still, Outsport's Jim Buzinski said he sees the atmosphere changing in sports, which will allow for a gay male player to eventually come out to his team mates, and the media.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/31/Phillys_Search_for_an_Out_Pro_Athlete/

Teens React to Rick Perry's Antigay Ad

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-30/teensreact.jpg

Based on this week's episode of the YouTube series "Teens React," not too many young viewers of Rick Perry's "Stronger" ad (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Comedy/Rick_Perryodies/) see the Texas governor as a viable candidate for president after such an antigay spot.

The webisode features interviews with several teenagers, who, after watching the ad, say they wouldn't vote for him, even if they were old enough to cast a ballot. Watch the video below:
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/30/Teens_React_to_Rick_Perrys_Antigay_Ad/

P.S: See source of the video of the teens reacting.

TheGodlessUtopian

1st January 2012, 20:59

glbtq Spotlights Gay Male Photography

Welcome to the January 1, 2012 newsletter of www.glbtq.com (http://www.glbtq.com/), the world's largest encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture. To follow glbtq.com (http://glbtq.com/) on Facebook, send a friend request to Facebook member glbtq.

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NEW FEATURE OF glbtq: Blogs

Check out the blogs on glbtq.com (http://glbtq.com/). This new feature includes Congratulations on glbtq achievements; In Memoriams commemorating the deaths of prominent glbtq figures and allies; Topics in the News and Queer Arts. Posted frequently throughout the month, the blogs provide news and commentary on issues and events important to the glbtq community.
The most recent posts are highlighted in the right column of glbtq.com (http://glbtq.com/)'s home page here: http://www.glbtq.com (http://www.glbtq.com/)

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FEATURED BLOG POST: Top Ten GLBTQ News Stories of 2011

Any survey of the top glbtq news stories of 2011 must begin with the dramatic turnaround of the Obama Administration on glbtq issues. That turnaround is the biggest news story of the year because it is crucial to many of the other top stories of the year, including marriage, immigration, and foreign policy. In 2011, President Obama finally became the fierce advocate he promised he would be.
http://www.glbtq.com/blogs/top_ten_glbtq_news_stories_of_.html

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IN MEMORIAM: John Geddes Lawrence, Jr. (1943-2011)

John Geddes Lawrence, Jr., the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case that declared sodomy laws unconstitutional, died in Houston on November 20, 2011 of complications from a heart ailment. As lead plaintiff in Lawrence v. Texas (2003), a case that is widely regarded as the most significant legal victory in the history of the gay rights movement, John Geddes Lawrence, Jr. made a crucial contribution to the cause of liberty in the United States
http://www.glbtq.com/blogs/in_memoriam_john_geddes_lawrence_jr_.html

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SPECIAL FEATURE: Homo Riot Slideshow

This slideshow features the work of Los Angeles artist Homo Riot, whose moniker captures the rage and rebelliousness that drive his work and activism. The slideshow presents 16 images accompanied by commentary that contextualizes the artist's work.
http://www.glbtq.com/slideshows/homoriot.html?preview=yes

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NEW ON glbtq

A dynamic performer on stage, television, film, and record, Nell Carter (1948-2003) built a successful and versatile show business career; only after her death was her longtime relationship with a woman revealed to the public.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/carter_nell.html

The French gay liberation movement was born during the early 1970s on the foundation of a courageous, if conservative, homophile movement and the thrust of a massive wave of social activism.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/french_gay_liberation_movement.html

Thanks to the critical and commercial success of most of his films, Turkish-born Italian director Ferzan Ozpetek (b. 1959) has challenged the celluloid closet that silenced or marginalized queerness in Italian film.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/ozpetek_ferzan.html

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Photography: Gay Male

Although sparse in images documenting the gay community, Pre-Stonewall Gay Male Photography blurs the boundaries between art, erotica, and social history. Post-Stonewall Gay Male Photography merits recognition for its contribution to fine art, documentation, photo-journalism, and advertising, as well as erotica.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/photography_gay_pre_stonewall.html
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/photography_gay_post_stonewall.html

Crawford Barton (1943-1993) was a photographer who captured the blossoming of an openly gay culture in San Francisco in the 1960s and 1970s. His work blurs the lines between fine art and documentary, the explicitly sexual and the quietly intimate, and between the personal and the political.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/barton_c.html

Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), the celebrated English photographer of cultural icons and royalty, described himself as a "terrible, terrible homosexualist."
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/beaton_c.html

F. Holland Day (1864-1933) created homoerotic photographs notable for their relation to fin de siècle cultural interests.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/day_fh.html

George Dureau (b. 1930) is best known for his male figure studies, narrative paintings, and for his black-and-white photographs, which often feature street youths, dwarfs, and amputees.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/dureau_g.html

Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was primarily a painter, but soon after photographic technology became available, he became an active maker of photographic nude studies to use as drawing aids in the classroom, a radically open policy that engendered loyalty from his students but harsh criticism from his academy colleagues.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/eakins_t.html

Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955-1989) was one of the most important black photographers of the late twentieth century.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/fanikayode_r.html

Gilbert and George (Gilbert Proesch, b. 1943, and George Passmore, b. 1942) are two of the most important avant-garde artists on the international art scene of the late twentieth- and early twenty-first centuries. Their challenging and controversial work explores themes ranging from city life, religion, scatology, and homosexuality.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/fanikayode_r.html

Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden (1856-1931) was one of the earliest photographers of the male nude. His best known images--those enormously popular among the Victorians--depict nude or scantily clad boys in mythological scenes, but many of his other images are ahistorical, elegant studies of the male body.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/gloeden_w.html

Sunil Gupta (b. 1953) is an internationally prominent artist who has gained recognition for his achievements as a photographer, curator, and cultural activist. In all of these endeavors, Gupta has explored multiple sexual, racial, and cultural identities and challenged restrictive conventions.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/gupta_sunil.html

David Hockney (b. 1937) established himself as one of the liveliest and most versatile visual artists of his generation in the 1960s. Through the years since, he has expanded that reputation with prodigious productivity.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/hockney_d.html

Horst P. Horst (1906-1999), a German-born naturalized American society and fashion photographer, created some of the most memorable images of the mid-twentieth century.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/horst_hp.html

Peter Hujar (1934-1987) created stark, stunning, affecting, and sometimes disturbing images in black and white. His oeuvre ranged from portraits of famous writers and artists to homoerotic subjects and pictures of domestic animals.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/hujar_peter.html

Glenn Ligon (b. 1960) is an African-American mixed-media artist who often conflates issues of race and gender.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/ligon_g.html

Herbert List (1903-1975) created images of young men that are at once homoerotic and avant garde in technique and sensibility. Today List is probably best known for his posthumously published book Junge Männer, which contains over seventy images of idyllic young men and boys lying in the sun, swimming, wrestling, or innocently staring into the camera's lens.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/list_h.html

George Platt Lynes (1907-1955) was an American photographer whose greatest work may have been his homoerotic dance images and male nudes.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/lynes_gp.html

Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) created controversial images that typically combine rigorously formal composition with extreme and often sadomasochistic subject matter.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/mapplethorpe_r.html

Duane Michals (b. 1932) is an American photographer who represents same-sex love and spirituality as compellingly as he does same-sex desire.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/michals_d.html

Stathis Orphanos (b.1940) and his life and business partner Ralph Sylvester (b. 1934) are well-known for their meticulously executed books, which are avidly collected by lovers of fine printing. Orphanos is also a photographer who created portraits of many key figures in glbtq culture during the second half of the twentieth century.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/orphanos_s_sylvester_r.html

Pierre et Gilles (founded 1976) create painted photographs that capture the nuances of modern gay life.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/pierre_gilles.html

George Quaintance (1902-1957) was one of the most influential figures in a unique American style of art and one of the most flamboyant and interesting gay characters for four decades of the twentieth century.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/quaintance_g.html

Herb Ritts (1952-2002) is best known for his magazine covers, celebrity photos, and ad campaigns for prestigious clients.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/ritts_h.html

Mel Roberts (b. 1923) is a photographer and activist who captured the California Dream in his images of Southern California hikers, bikers, surfers, and skateboarders during the 1960s and 1970s.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/roberts_mel.html

Jack Robinson (1928-1997) was a Mississippi-born photographer who came to prominence in the 1960s as a result of the stunning fashion and celebrity photographs he shot for such magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair. He created striking images of the era's cultural icons, particularly young actors, artists, and musicians.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/robinson_j.html

Francesco Scavullo (1929-2004) is best known for his work in fashion and for his magazine covers, especially those he created for Cosmopolitan, but he was also a masterful portrait photographer.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/scavullo_f.html

Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968) is an important contemporary photographer who synthesizes classic photographic genres. Tillmans' representations of gay men are an important aspect of his art.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/tillmans_w.html

Arthur Tress (b. 1940) creates uncompromising, poetic images that are the stuff of dreams. Some of his work captures the pleasures of male-male desire while his Hospital series (1984-1987) garishly depicts the horrors of the medical system's treatment of AIDS patients.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/tress_a.html

Bruce Weber (b. 1946), one of the world's most popular photographers, has re-envisioned male beauty. Working for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and a slew of other designers, Weber became one of the preeminent photographers of the fashion industry in the 1980s and continues to be one of the world's most popular commercial photographers.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/weber_b.html

Minor White (1908-1976), one of the most influential photographers of the second half of the twentieth century, created fascinating photographs of male nudes but did not exhibit them for fear of scandal.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/white_m.html

David Wojnarowicz (1954-1992) used his art to indict those he held responsible for the AIDS epidemic.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/wojnarowicz_d.html

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NOTABLE BIRTHDAYS, January 1 through January 31

January 1: Poet Katherine Phillips, 1632; novelist E. M. Forster, 1879; FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, 1895; choreographer Maurice Béjart, 1927; philanthropist and former U.S. ambassador James C. Hormel, 1931; playwright Joe Orton, 1933; Spanish filmmaker Eloy de la Iglesia, 1944; Mexican artist Nahum B. Zenil, 1947

January 2: Educator M. Carey Thomas, 1857; film director Dorothy Arzner, 1900; composer Sir Michael Tippett, 1905; filmmaker Todd Haynes, 1961

January 4: Painter Marsden Hartley, 1877; singer and producer Michael Stipe, 1960

January 5: Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo, 1931; African-American dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey, 1931

January 6: French soldier and martyr to the Inquisition Joan of Arc, 1412; French actress Marie Dorval, 1798

January 7: Composer Francis Poulenc, 1899; poet Robert Duncan, 1919; publisher and editor Jann Wenner, 1946; interior designer John Gidding, 1977

January 8: Comic actor and writer Graham Chapman, 1941; rocker David Bowie, 1947

January 9: Author and adventurer Richard Halliburton, 1900; feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir, 1908; singer and activist Joan Baez, 1941

January 10: Spanish statesman Manuel Azaña, 1880; pop singer Johnnie Ray, 1927; actor Sal Mineo, 1939; drag performer Craig Russell, 1948; writer Dennis Cooper, 1953; interior designer Colin McAllister, 1968

January 11: Italian Renaissance painter Parmigianino (Francesco Mazzola), 1503; American Revolutionary War hero and statesman Alexander Hamilton, 1757; actress and translator Eva Le Gallienne, 1899

January 12: Artist John Singer Sargent, 1856; British writer Edith Cooper, 1862; physician to transsexuals Harry Benjamin, 1885; Italian poet Sandro Penna, 1906

January 13: American writer Horatio Alger, Jr., 1832; Swiss activist Anna Vock, 1885; British theatrical designer Oliver Messel, 1904; Greek painter Yannis Tsarouchis, 1910; actor, director, writer, and teacher Charles Nelson Reilly, 1931; American bookseller and publisher Ralph Sylvester, 1934; American writer Edmund White, 1940; British choreographer Matthew Bourne, 1960

January 14: French writer Pierre Loti (Julien Viaud), 1850; British photographer and designer Cecil Beaton, 1904; Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, 1925

January 15: Pioneering photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1864; British playwright, actor, and composer Ivor Novello, 1893; songwriter and singer Meg Christian, 1946

January 16: Photographer Francesco Scavullo, 1929

January 17: Writer Ronald Firbank, 1886; jazz musician Peggy Gilbert, 1905

January 18: Actor Cary Grant, 1904

January 19: Writer Patricia Highsmith, 1921; rocker Janis Joplin, 1943

January 20: California architect Julia Morgan, 1872

January 21: Artist Duncan Grant, 1885; fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, 1895; fashion designer Christian Dior, 1905; lacrosse coach Diane Whipple, 1968

January 22: Statesman and philosopher Sir Francis Bacon, 1561; poet George Gordon, Lord Byron, 1788; poet Howard Moss, 1922; activist and politician Elaine Noble, 1944

January 23: Filmmaker Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein, 1898

January 24: Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, 1712; Gustav III, King of Sweden, 1746

January 25: Writer W. Somerset Maugham, 1874; novelist Virginia Woolf, 1882; activist Peter Tatchell, 1952

January 26: Austrian politician Jörg Haider; actress and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, 1958

January 27: Novelist and publisher Anyda Marchant (Sarah Aldridge), 1911; writer Ethan Mordden, 1947; actor Alan Cumming, 1965

January 28: French writer Colette, 1873; African-American sculptor James Richmond Barthé, 1901; critic Susan Sontag, 1933

January 29: French artist Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson, 1767; Olympic diver Greg Louganis, 1960; actress Sara Gilbert, 1975

January 30: Artist Maud Hunt Squire, 1873; gallery owner Betty Parsons, 1900; writer Jack Spicer, 1925

January 31: Composer Franz Schubert, 1797; filmmaker Derek Jarman, 1942; British writer Patrick Gale, 1962; actress Portia De Rossi DeGeneres, 1973Source: http://www.glbtq.com/ (newsletter)

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd January 2012, 20:38

A conservative blogger at RedState.com (http://www.redstate.com/erick/2012/01/01/for-all-of-santorums-traditionalism-rhetoric/) has dug up an interesting little tidbit about Rick Santorum’s past: He once served on the board of Universal Health Services, which operates The Pride Institute (http://pride-institute.com/), a treatment center for LGBT people outside Minneapolis. Though the recently glitterbombed (http://www.queerty.com/surgin-santorum-the-latest-victim-of-glitterbombing-epidemic-20120102/) and longtime Google-bombed candidate left UHS’ board in June—and probably had no clue it ran the Institute, his connection is no small irony. This is the guy who says he wants to dismantle marriage equality and civil unions and bring back sodomy laws, and who compared homosexuality to bestiality.
And people wonder why some gays develop chemical dependency.
Don’t look to the conservatives to shame Santorum for his hypocritical ways, though. Nosiree. The sad-sack blogger at RedState says Fundamentalists ought to give Slick Rick compromised principles a pass:
We shouldn’t, however, hold it against Santorum. Often when principle and paycheck come in conflict, paycheck wins. Principle does not always feed a family. A whole lot of people have the same thing happen.
I totally get it. I mean, there was that one summer I was really desperate for money, so I stumped for NOM. It was a bad time in my life and I’m not proud of it, but I moved on.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go exercise my God-given right to get gay-married. BRB.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/santorum-linked-to-organization-running-lgbt-substance-abuse-center-20120102/

Wanna buy a bookstore? The Glad Day Bookshop (http://toronto.gaycities.com/shops/100133-glad-day-bookshop) in Toronto (http://www.toronto.gaycities.com/), the world’s oldest operating outlet for LGBT lit, is for sale.
The Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/living/article/1107274--toronto-s-glad-day-bookshop-up-for-sale) reports that John Scythes, who bought the store from founder Jearld Moldenhauer in 1991, has put a sign on the counter inviting anyone interested in buying it to contact him. According to a staff member, he began looking about a month ago, reaching out first to friends and customers first.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/glad-3-360x239.jpgGlad Day first opened in 1970, operating out of Moldenhauer’s apartment in downtown Toronto, and was a hub for the city’s burgeoning queer community. (Giovanni’s Room, the oldest gay bookstore in the U.S., opened in 1973.)
Moldenhaue moved the shop to a private home in Kensington Market before relocating to its current location, a second-floor shop on Yonge Street, in 1981. Scythes purchased the store in 1991.
In addition to its roles as a retailer and meeting place, Glad Day was key in changing Canada’s pornography laws: In 2003′s R. v. Glad Day Bookshops Inc., the courts found that requiring the approval of the Ontario Film Review Board before films could be distributed or shown in the province was a violation of the freedom of expression.
But the cost of legal battles, coupled with a flagging economy and the move toward online booksellers, has taken its toll. In 2010, Scythes told Inside Toronto he had to dip into his own savings to keep the store running.
We’re sure most of you don’t have a spare hundred thou lying around, but you might want to consider buying your next LGBT title from Glad Day’s website (http://www.abebooks.com/home/GDBOOKSHOP).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/worlds-oldest-gay-bookstore-might-be-facing-its-final-chapter-20120102/

Queer history buffs will now have a chance to lick one of their icons all over: Alan Turing, the gay mathematician who helped break the Nazi’s Enigma code in WWII, is being honored with a stamp (http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/jan/02/codebreaker-alan-turing-stamp-approval) in his native United Kingdom. It’s a bittersweet honor for Turing, who was sentenced to chemical castration because of “gross indecency” in 1952 and committed suicide in 1954. Online petitions call for his conviction to be posthumously pardoned.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Turing, who is also considered the father of the modern computer, the Turing Centenary Advisory Committee is coordinating The Alan Turing Year (http://www.mathcomp.leeds.ac.uk/turing2012/), a year-long program of events around the world honoring his life and achievements.
Congrats on the stamp, Alan. If only people still wrote letters.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/wwii-codebreaker-alan-turing-finally-gets-the-stamp-of-approval-20120102/

In what’s probably the most horrible thing we’ve heard in months, a HIV+ man in Michigan turned himself in to authorities last week and confessed to sleeping with 3,000 men and women and, according to police reports, “intentionally attempt to spread the disease to kill people.” As it stands, David Dean Smith, 51, has only been arraigned on two counts of penetrating a partner who did not know he was positive. One female victim, who met Smith on Yahoo! Personals, told MSNBC (http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/30/9833291-michigan-man-may-have-intentionally-infected-hundreds-with-hiv) he was a “sociopath” and a predator. ‘He hits [on] drifters. He hits people who are young. He hits young women, and from what I understand, he hits men, too,” she added.
It’s unclear whether Shttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-628-360x398.pngmith’s lawyers will attempt an insanity defense: Sexual penetration with HIV is considered a felony in Michigan but Smith had recently been remanded to a mental hospital Smith after several suicide attempts. (Files from the hospital indicate he is “sexually aroused by causing pain to females.”)
Attorney Richard Zambon told the network that he plans on “exploring all options” in his client’s defense. “I am concerned about his mental health.”
We can only hope that Smith is as delusional as he is fugly and has inflated the number of his conquests.
On another note, clearly this man needs to be removed from society—but are “HIV+ penetration” laws the greater danger? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/typhoid-mary-of-hiv-admits-to-trying-to-infect-thousands-of-partners-20120102/

A study conducted by Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare has some alarming data regarding trans women who are refused breast implants: They’re more than 30 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. The study was recently cited by the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights (RFSL (http://www.thelocal.se/tag/rfsl)), which was condemning the board for the inconsistent way trans patients are treated in the country’s nationalized healthcare system.
“It’s not acceptable that a small and vulnerable group is given different rights to care depending on where in the country they live,” a statement by RFSL read. “Breast implants for transgender women are in many cases a very important measure for them to function with their new identity and allow them to fit in as women in everyday life… Plastic surgery for transsexual patients, to a large extent, saves lives.”
RFSL reached out the Board after a trans woman was reportedly denied implants by hospital in western Sweden
While no similar study has been conducted in the States, a 2010 survey (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40279043/ns/health-health_care/t/transgender-americans-face-high-suicide-risk/#.TwFyH0pQRL0) conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force revealed that 41% of all trans people in America have attempted suicide, as opposed to .3% of the general population.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/study-trans-women-denied-breast-implants-30x-more-likely-to-commit-suicide-20120102/

The new year’s barely a day old and already we have the happy tidings of two big fat gay celebrity weddings: those of Latin pop star Ricky Martin and Olympic skate diva Johnny Weir. Weir’s already officially tied the knot, on New Year’s Eve, to his Russian lawyer beau, Victor Voronov (http://www.queerty.com/johnny-weir-hits-hotlanta-for-cnn-forum-rendezvous-with-russian-boyfiend-20111222/) (right).
“I’m married!’ Weir tweeted (https://twitter.com/#%21/JohnnyGWeir) on December 31. “Wedding in summer! But all the official stuff is done now!”
The 27-year-old Olympian announced his impending nuptials a few days earlier in an interview with IceNetwork.com (http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111229&content_id=26244748&vkey=ice_news): “I’m getting married on New Year’s Eve,” he gushed. “His name is Victor, he’s kind of everything that I’ve ever looked for and aspired to be in a relationship with. We’ve known each other for a long time and we reconnected over the summer, and it’s just been a whirlwind.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/ricky-martin-muy-triste-1-360x240.jpgWeir tweeted this morning that he and Voronov were on their way to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic—which segues nicely into the news of the other gay celeb union of 2012, that of Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin and boyfriend Carlos González Abella (http://socialitelife.com/photos/ricky-martin-boyfriend-carlos-gonzalez-hang-in-sardina-photos/ricky-martin-and-boyfriend-carlos-at-their-hotel-in-italy-usa-only-15), which [I]El Nuevo Dia (http://www.elnuevodia.com/secasarickymartin-1156746.html) reports will take place in New York City on January 28.
Martin’s publicist denies the engagement, but the “Vida Loca” singer has been seeing (http://entretenimiento.aollatino.com/2010/12/01/carlos-gonzalez-abella-ricky-martin-boyfriend/) González Abella, a 34-year-old Puerto Rican businessman, for three years. The couple are raising twin sons, Matteo and Valentino.
Martin, who turned 40 on Christmas Eve, secured Spanish citizenship (http://www.queerty.com/ricky-martin-gets-spanish-citizenship-so-he-can-marry-his-baby-daddy-20111104/) in November, fueling speculation that a marriage in Spain was imminent.
Let’s hope both these marriages last longer than this (http://www.queerty.com/kim-kardashians-fame-whore-marriage-ends-after-72-days-and-gays-cant-marry-because-20111031/) one or this (http://www.queerty.com/sinead-oconnors-fourth-marriage-lasted-54-fewer-days-than-kim-kardashians-20111227/) one. Or this (http://www.freep.com/article/20120102/ENT07/120102010/Russell-Brand-Katy-Perry-divorce?odyssey=nav%7Chead) one. (Straight people!)
Source: http://www.queerty.com/really-gay-celeb-news-johnny-weir-and-ricky-martin-both-tie-the-knot-20120102/

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd January 2012, 22:53

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvKgyH8mthI

TheGodlessUtopian

12th January 2012, 03:06

South Florida Gay News (http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/news/local-news/5375-a-lust-to-bust.html) has exposed a massive five-year undercover operation in Palm Beach, FL, that’s seen the Sheriff’s Department arrest more than 600 men allegedly looking for sex in public parks http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-825.pngthroughout the region.
But as editor Jason Parsley discovered, of the hundreds nabbed only four were actually found in flagrante delicto (that’s “with their pants down,” for the non-Latin speakers). The rest were propositioned and arrested by one of the two undercover officers involved in the operation, Detectives Peter Lazar and Van Garner.

In at least 74 of the reports, it appeared the officers were the ones who first approached the defendant and struck up conversations. Parsley’s report includes statistical revelations of the age range of defendants, where they lived, and what techniques the officers utilized to effectuate the arrests.
“Many of the other reports are vague, but scores of the reports reveal officers themselves volunteering what sexual acts they prefer to engage in,” Parsley stated.
Obviously these guys weren’t in the park to play ultimate frisbee—and with the advent of Grindr, Manhunt, Craigslist and eighty gazilion other ways for men seeking men to hook up, we kind of wish public cruising would go the way of the hanky code.
But entrapment is entrapment—and this clearly looks like entrapment.
“It is clear from a review of the files that the police tactic is to approach, lure, and entice guys who are sitting alone in their car, or on a bench, start a sexually charged conversation with them, and then look for a way to arrest them,” lawyer Russell Cormican told Parsley.
SFGN‘s investigation was actually started after one of the detectives involved in the Palm Beach stings bragged to Cormican that, “this is all we do… we wear shorts and a tank top and we go after lewd acts.”
Gee, officer, we’re sorry you’re job is so dull. Maybe you’ll get lucky and someone will rob a bank or go on a shooting spree.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/palm-beach-cops-entrap-over-600-men-at-popular-cruising-grounds-20120111/

Five men on trial for handing out hateful anti-gay leaflets are making legal history, as their case marks the first time that distributing inflammatory materials against gays has been prosecuted as a hate crime in the UK. Legislation was passed in Parliament in 2010 that amended the 1986 Public Order Act to include materials used to stir up hatred based on sexual orientation.
The defendants have an awfully interesting defense, according to the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-16490602).
Ihjaz Ali, 42, Mehboob Hussain, 45, Umar Javed, 38, Razwan Javed, 27, and Kabir Ahmen, 28, tell the court they don’t regret circulating the material, which advocated that homosexuals be given the death penalty. They just meant to “raise awareness” of the dangers of being gay—and they resent the British government for not appreciating their campaign.
The men, all Muslim, produced leaflets with titles like Turn or Burn and God Abhors You, bearing images of men hanging from nooses and lakes of fire.
They were distributed outside a mosque in Derby, England and put in people’s mailboxes in July 2010, when an gay Pride parade was scheduled for the town.
Prosecutor Bobbie Cheema told the jury:

These five defendants were part of a small group of men who distributed horrible, threatening literature, with quotations from religious sources and with pictures on them, which were designed to stir up hatred and hostility against homosexual people.”
You will have to assess quite how much Mr Ali wanted to carry out a lawful and legal protest and quite how much of what he wanted was a shield he could hide behind from the consequences of what he really hoped to achieve.”
While such actions are repugnant, should they be made illegal here in in the U.S or is it more important to protect and strengthen the First Amendment? Share your (non-inciting) view in the comments.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/men-handing-out-death-to-gays-pamphlets-on-trial-in-first-of-its-kind-case-in-uk-20120111/

Teresa Jacobs, the mayor of Orange County, Florida, seems to support LGBT couples gaining basic rights like hospital visitations. She’s just got a funny way of showing it.
The Orlando Sentinel reports (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2012/01/orange-dom-part-registry-debate-rages-jacobs-digs-in-against.html) that a domestic registry has been suggested to allow for such rights in the absence of marriage equality. But Jacobs wants to hold out for a database, that “anyone—including people who don’t live together—could use to say who they want to handle such power-of-attorney type issues,” with “legal paperwork assigning certain rights to another person for a small $10 fee.”
Right, because paperwork always makes things better.
Orlando, the county seat of Orange County, has already passed a traditional registry, which goes into effect Thursday. Jacobs could practically Xerox the thing and be done with it. But it looks like Her Honor is trying to play it both ways—dangling a crumb before the LGBT community while still appealing to Sunshine State homophobes.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Orange_County_Fl_Seal-360x366.pngMeanwhile, proponents of the registry claim to already have five votes out of seven on the issue, so the Mayor’s consent may not be crucial. Of course, somebody would have to cross Jacobs to bring it to a vote.
A brave politician? We won’t hold our breath.
The Sentinel story suggests Jacobs really needs to get her story straight (as it were):

Another interesting wrinkle: In defining what she’s looking to create, Jacobs has regularly referenced Comptroller Martha Haynie as someone who could help implement her version of a registry.
But Haynie previously supported the Orlando version, and said Tuesday that she’s only told Jacobs that any system “didn’t need to involve a lot of work on the county side.” The two never discussed what protections would be secured with one, or the need for creating an ordinance to make sure the database were enforceable, she said.
“It would be easy to find and record [couples' names], but it doesn’t address the issue of enforceability,” Haynie said.
The mayor said she doesn’t see the need for passing an ordinance and is reluctant to carve out rights for gay couples that might otherwise be prohibited by law.
We hope Jacobs is never unable to be by her husband, Bruce, or her kids, Joshua, Max, Lisa and Chase, if they’re ever in need. That’s a pain we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemies—a list Jacobs is slowly climbing.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/florida-mayor-pussies-out-on-domestic-registry-for-lgbt-couples-20120111/

We know that anti-bullying laws are a good thing, so we’re happy that Ohio Senate Education Committee just passed the so-called “Jessica Logan Act,” designed to stop harassment of students on and off campus. But we’re pissed that the bill was pretty much declawed before it passed. According to Equality Ohio (http://www.equalityohio.org/Equality_Ohio/Equality_Ohio.html) director Ed Mullen, the committee only passed HB116 after it was stripped of, “a provision that would prohibit bullying based on any real or perceived characteristics of the student, such as race, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, and the bill did not include enumeration of particular characteristics.”
What else do kids terrorize other kids about if not “real or perceived characteristics”—what kind of peanut butter their mom makes their sandwiches with?
Mullen explains how important it is to spell out what kind of attacks aren’t kosher: “In Ohio, nearly one-fifth (18%) of Ohio students at schools with generic policies felt unsafe, while only 2% of students at schools with enumerated policies did… LGBT students in states that don’t require enumeration have the same experience of bullying as those without any anti-bullying and harassment laws at all.”
Now HB116 looks so vague the only way it can protect LGBT students is if they roll it up and hit their attackers with it.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ohio-legislators-castrate-anti-bullying-bill-before-approving-20120110/

Last week, readers of the neo-con Bible The Weekly Standard got an email in their in box about the Student Non-Discrimination Act, introduced by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO). The subject line: “Congress to mandate pro-homosexual education?” As Salon.com reports (http://politics.salon.com/2012/01/05/weekly_standard_sends_out_bigoted_anti_gay_email/singleton/), the e-mail—the work of anti-gay radical Eugene Delgaudio—wasn’t produced by the Standard itself. It was sent out to subscribers labeled as “a message from our sponsor.”
It reads, in part:

The Radical Homosexuals infiltrating the United States Congress have a plan: Indoctrinate an entire generation of American children with pro-homosexual propaganda and eliminate traditional values from American society.
Their ultimate dream is to create a new America based on sexual promiscuity in which the values you and I cherish are long forgotten.
I hate to admit it, but if they pass the deceptively named “Student Non-Discrimination Act,” (H.R. 998 & S. 555) that’s exactly what they’ll do. Better named the “Homosexual Classrooms Act,” its chief advocate in Congress is Rep. Jared Polis, himself an open homosexual and radical activist.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-814-360x272.png…The Homosexual Classrooms Act contains a laundry list of anti-family provisions that will:
*Require schools to teach appalling homosexual acts so “homosexual students” don’t feel “singled out” during already explicit sex-ed classes;
*Spin impressionable students in a whirlwind of sexual confusion and misinformation, even peer pressure to “experiment” with the homosexual “lifestyle;”
*Exempt homosexual students from punishment for propositioning, harassing, or even sexually assaulting their classmates, as part of their specially-protected right to “freedom of self-expression;”
…Other countries like Britain are already experimenting with this kind of legislation, such as mandating public schools inject pro-homosexual content into every aspect of education. Word problems in math classes are now to include homosexual characters. History classes will document the “civil rights” struggle against the “oppressive” pro-family establishment.
The e-mail includes several links to a petition as well as a site where readers can make a donation to Delgaudio’s crusade (naturally). What it doesn’t include, of course, is any sources to back up his wild accusations.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-817.pngAnd it doesn’t include the real purpose of the Student Non-Discrimination Act: to end discrimination “based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools.”
Delgaudio (left) is the founder of (and possibly sole member of) Public Advocate of the United States. He’s got a Phelps-like obsession with gay people that’s so intense it’s almost too easy to call him a closet case.
Among other things, he once claimed TSA officials “could be practicing homosexuals secretly getting pleasure” from airport pat downs and that Tampa’s Gasparilla Pirate Festival was overrun with radical homosexuals hoping to prey on innocent college kids.
HRC president Joe Solmonese stated (http://www.hrc.org/press-releases/entry/hrc-to-weekly-standard-dont-fundraise-for-bigots) that it was reprehensible and irresponsible” for the Standard to partner with a “fringe group“ like Delgaudio’s and called foreditor William Kristoll to condemn the e-mail. (Kristoll has not made a statement yet.)
An update to the original article reports that Standard publisher Terry Eastland told Politico (http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/01/hrc-asks-kristol-to-condemn-weekly-standard-email-109756.html) that the magazine’s vetting system was to blame. “This is obviously not the sort of advertising that we would accept, nor will we accept it in the future. It was just one of these cases where an ad came in, it was not fully vetted in the way it should be, and it got out.”
No shit, Sherlock.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/weekly-standard-apologizes-for-homophobic-e-mail-sent-to-subscribers-oops-our-bad-20120111/

TheGodlessUtopian

12th January 2012, 17:20

Taylor, a friendly-looking 14-year-old girl, has posted this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y514LSe8FWk#%21) calling for a boycott of Girl Scout cookies because the Girls Scouts of the USA accepts transgender girls in its troops.
Is there a badge for intolerance we don’t know about?
The issue first came up last October when the Girls Scouts of Colorado accepted (http://www.queerty.com/dangerous-seven-year-old-trans-girl-scout-drives-three-la-troop-leaders-to-resign-20111221/) 7-year-old trans girl Bobby Montoya into its ranks. Taylor claims this insidious move puts girls’ “safety” at risk from predatory trans teens. “The real question is, why is GSUSA willing to break their own safety rules and go against its own research institute findings to accommodate transgender boys?” Taylor asks, incorrectly identifying girls like Bobby as “boys.” “Unfortunately, I think it is because GSUSA cares more about promoting the desires of a small handful of people than it does for my safety and the safety of my friends and sister Girl Scouts, and they are doing it with money we earned for them from Girl Scout cookies.”
Taylor goes on to ask viewers “to take action with me and boycott Girl Scout Cookies.” What, and miss the Scouts’ *****in’ new lemon cookies (http://www.queerty.com/omg-the-girl-scouts-have-a-new-flavor-cookie-yall-20120106/)?
When a story originates at WorldNetDaily (http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/teen-girl-scout-calls-for-cookie-boycott/), like this one did, we tend to take it with a grain of salt: It’s likely Taylor has been coached—at the very least it seems she’s reading off some type of a script. Who wrote it, though? Maybe her parents should focus more on teaching her how to build campfires and apply bandages than how to spread a message of hate.
Now excuse us while we go devour a box of Tagalongs.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/14-year-old-tosses-her-cookies-when-girl-scouts-accept-trans-member-20120111/

P.S: See source for video

Since Canada legalized same-sex marriage in 2004, some 15,000 gay and lesbian couples have jumped the broom. But now a lawyer for the Canadian government is claiming up to a third of those marriages may be invalid because they were between foreigners who couldn’t wed in their native countries. A case before the Ontario Superior Court involves a lesbian couple in which one woman is English and the other is American. The women, who wed in 2005, are seeking a divorce but the Canadian Department of Justice’s Sean Gaudet claims divorce is only available for those people who have lived in Canada for a year or more and have a valid marriage to dissolve. (Neither the U.S. nor England has national marriage equality.)
Shouldn’t this have crossed the bureaucrats’ minds when they were signing gay marriage into law?
Martha McCarthy, who is representing the women, agrees, telling Canada’s Globe and Mail, “it is appalling and outrageous that two levels of government would be taking this position without ever having raised it before, telling anybody it was an issue or doing anything pro-active about it. All the while, they were handing out licences to perform marriages across the country to non-resident people.”
The Canadian government could pass legislation to help get the 5,000 foreign couples who married up north out of legal limbo, but that will likely take some time.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/a-third-of-gay-marriages-in-canada-may-be-invalid-20120112/

Since she decided to come out about her sexuality (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20559567,00.html) to help kids who have been bullied, Kristy McNichol says the response has been tremendous.

"I'm overwhelmed with the love and support of my family, friends and fans," McNichol, 49, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Last week, McNichol, best known for her Emmy-award winning roles as Buddy Lawrence in Family and later as Barbara Weston in Empty Nest, shared a photo of herself with her longtime girlfriend Martie Allen and revealed to PEOPLE: "As I approach 50, I want to be open about who I am."

The openness, she hopes, will help others.

"Kristy feels strongly about fighting bullying and intolerance," says her publicist Jeff Ballard. "She realizes that kids don't always have the coping skills to manage their fear and pain when they feel 'different.' And in her own way, she wants to help others by telling people who she is. She hopes that all these small steps together can make a difference."
Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20560714,00.html

Suit Claims Gay Inmates Denied Access to Rehab

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-06/2011-06-09/prisonx390.jpg

The Riverside County, Calif. jail system’s policy of separating gay inmates from the general population effectively bars them from accessing a drug rehabilitation program, a lawsuit alleges.

The Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/gay-inmates-effectively-barred-from-drug-rehab-suit-alleges.html)reports on the suit filed by Michael Lamar Salomonson of Palm Springs. A chronic methamphetamine user, he was arrested and charged with burglarizing a home last year. He was sent to a residential substance abuse program at the Banning detention center instead of a receiving a two-year jail sentence.

“But sheriff’s officials refused to enroll Salmonson in the program,” according to the Times. “Under jail policy, inmates who enter into county jails and disclose they are gay are placed into protective custody and separated from the general jail population.”

The attorney for Salmonson said inmates in protective custody are routinely unable to access the rehab program. The suit does not challenge the policy of placing gay inmates in protective custody, but it seeks to make sure gay inmates in protective custody are accepted into the rehab program.

Sheriff’s Chief Dep. Jerry Gutierrez, supervisor of the county jails, said inmates are housed together in the intense six-month treatment program, which limits the service to the general population. Officials want to avoid the “volatile situation” that could be created by enrolling protective custody inmates, a population that also includes individuals with “medical disabilities, victims of jail assaults and inmates convicted of sexually assaulting children.” The program could be expanded if enough protective custody inmates qualify for rehab, he told the Times.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/12/Suit_Claims_Gay_Inmates_Denied_Access_to_Rehab/

Don Moreland, longtime supporter of gay rights, dies

Before there were same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships, even before the rainbow flag became a symbol of gay pride, Don Moreland was fighting for the rights of gay and lesbian people.
By Lornet Turnbull (http://search.nwsource.com/search?searchtype=cq&sort=date&from=ST&byline=Lornet%20Turnbull)
Seattle Times staff reporter

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2012/01/11/2017216080.jpg

Before there were same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships, even before the rainbow flag became a symbol of gay pride, Don Moreland was fighting for the rights of gay and lesbian people.
From simple recognition, through the AIDS epidemic to such modern-day concerns as elder care, Mr. Moreland's activism spanned nearly four decades. He was a tireless champion for a community that at times had little or no voice.
"Don was never a person satisfied with the status quo," said Seattle City Councilman Tom Rasmussen, a longtime friend and gay-rights ally.
"He thought all of us in public office should do more, could do better. He was impatient ... persistent. He always wanted to keep things moving."
Mr. Moreland died early Saturday from health complications. He was 75.
Throughout the gay-rights community and beyond, people recall his kind spirit and eagerness to bridge gaps.
His younger brother, Robert Moreland, of Kent, remembers the studious kid debating politics with their father.
Mr. Moreland received a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Washington in 1958 and attended law school there for two years.
In the 1950s and 1960s, he served in the Navy Reserve.
He spent 17 years in financial positions with companies in Southern California before moving to Seattle, where he worked two decades for Skyway Luggage before retiring.
Robert Moreland said he always knew his brother was gay. And when he came out to the family "it was never an issue. It became his passion, of course."
Mr. Moreland's unyielding commitment and activism on behalf of gays and lesbians stretched from the mid-1970s until his death last week.
George Bakan, publisher of Seattle Gay News, recalls that when Seattle gay-rights leader Harvey Muggy was dying of AIDs in 1991 and none of his friends in the gay community knew quite what to do, Mr. Moreland organized a party to "say hello" to Harvey. "It was a tremendous human thing to do," Bakan said. "What a class act."
Mr. Moreland's partner, Tad Ichikawa, said the two men, who began dating in 2007, complemented each other.
"I'm more comfortable in a small group of people. He was more outgoing."
As part of Mature Friends, a local social group for gays over 40 that Mr. Moreland helped found, the partners gathered once a week with friends to play bridge. They also enjoyed traveling and Mr. Moreland held season tickets to the symphony, Ichikawa said.
"We had the most wonderful times together," he said.
In 1994 Mr. Moreland unsuccessfully ran for the 36th Legislative District seat. Bill Dubay, who did field work on Mr. Moreland's campaign, remembers he wanted to win with integrity.
"There was to be no dirty politicking, no name-calling," Dubay recalls. "He always wanted to stick to the issues."
In more recent years, Mr. Moreland was involved in issues around aging. He served as chairman of the Washington State Council On Aging and was a member of the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services.
Rasmussen said Mr. Moreland wanted to bridge the gap between gay-rights' organizations in Seattle and those nationally. In the mid-1980s, he served on the board of the Human Rights Campaign, a national organization focused on gay rights.
In 1985, he led a delegation that included Rasmussen and the state's first openly gay lawmaker, Cal Anderson, to the first lesbian and gay conference of gay elected and appointed officials.
The event in West Hollywood drew fewer than two dozen people, including U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, who was keynote speaker but not yet out of the closet, Rasmussen recalls. On the flight back to Seattle, he said, they decided to create Washington's first gay and lesbian political-action committee, "The Privacy Fund."
"Don never sought the limelight, never hesitated to act," Rasmussen said. "If you asked him for money, he might clutch his heart and gasp, but then would reach into his pocket and give you $50."
Besides his brother and partner, Mr. Moreland is survived by brother Kenneth, of Renton. A memorial service is planned for sometime in the spring.

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017216218_morelandobit12m.html

TheGodlessUtopian

12th January 2012, 17:22

The Gay Male Couple’s Guide to Nonmonogamy

When it comes to opening up a relationship, two men are best served by clear communication and mutually agreed-upon boundaries, experts say.
By Daniel Vaillancourt (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/FEATURES/2012/monogamyx390.jpg

Mikey Rox and Everett Earl Morrow, both now 30, were committed to monogamy when they met and fell in love. That was five years ago. “After a couple instances of infidelity to which we both confessed, we decided it’s not realistic to expect either of us to never hook up with anyone else ever again,” says Rox, principal of Paper Rox Scissors Copy and Creative in Manhattan. The legally married couple has had an open relationship for the last two years. “Who wouldn’t want to be allowed to hook up with other guys and have their husband be OK with it?” he asks. “Isn’t that what most men dream of, and isn’t the limitation of sex with one partner in a marriage the reason why so many people cheat?” Adds Morrow, “As two men, sex isn’t particularly emotional for either of us. That enables us to separate our love for one another from the occasional physical attraction we may have for another guy.”
Matthew and Pablo, married 40-something realtors in Palm Springs, Calif., were monogamous for the first eight of their 15 years together. “We sort of just fell into our open relationship,” says Matthew. “It’s been a slow evolution. In the beginning, we only played together, which made it feel less threatening.” They still enjoy the occasional threesome, but for the last few years have increasingly sought sex outside the relationship.
Jelle and Guido, both 44-year-old ground personnel for an international airline in Amsterdam, have been together since 1997. For 10 years monogamy reigned. But when physical attraction waned, sex fell by the wayside and the relationship soured, eventually hitting rock bottom. The two figured they had nothing to lose, opened up their relationship, and saved it. “I’m really happy,” says Guido. “It made our relationship stronger. I’m glad he’s my partner, I love him, and I believe it was a wise decision to give each other the freedom we needed.” Adds Jelle: “There are so many things keeping us together: love, trust, friendship, security, common hobbies and interests, humor, a shoulder to cry on. Much too much to give up for that tiny but oh so important aspect in life that is sex.”
Although no one knows for sure how many gay couples are in open relationships, or whether they are on the decline, it’s certain these men are not alone. “I would feel comfortable saying that at least four out of five long-term gay male couples are not monogamous,” says Beverly Hills sexologist Winston Wilde. “Monogamy rarely does work for more than two years — for most straight and bi men as well.”
Which isn’t to say that lifelong fidelity is unattainable. Experts agree that couples who are creative and on the same page can absolutely sustain a vigorously exclusive sex life.
“We are not and have never been in an open relationship,” says Doug Hairgrove. He and partner Warren Wood, married septuagenarians also from Palm Springs, have been together 50 years. They’re still intimate at least twice a week and see sex and love as inseparable. “We do not understand having one and not the other,” says Wood.
John Sovec, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Pasadena, Calif., encourages his clients to form the most powerful and satisfying bond possible. “I believe gay couples have an incredible opportunity to create whatever type of relationship works best for them without the constraints of a societal norm,” he says.
When one partner wants an open relationship and the other does not, “one person has to yield,” says Loren A. Olson, a Des Moines psychiatrist and the author of Finally Out: Letting Go of Living Straight, a Psychiatrist’s Own Story. “Two cannot live with rules that are mutually exclusive.” In such scenarios, Timothy Huber, a clinical psychologist in the New York metro area, prescribes the three T’s. “Talk, talk, talk about it,” he urges. “Do not avoid or minimize the issue. For some, that’s a setup for infidelity. If conflicts persist, seek professional assistance.”
Even when both partners desire nonmonogamy, there are cases when it’s not advisable. “Odd as it may sound, an open relationship requires a strong degree of trust and respect in order to be successful,” says Didi Zahariades, a psychotherapist in private practice in Portland, Ore. “In my experience, it requires a healthy, loving couple who are able to talk honestly about their individual needs. Open relationships are not a possibility for a couple with a high degree of distrust or jealousy. If a couple is already volatile, then adding another person — or persons — is simply not an option.”
These specialists agree that for those cleared for takeoff on the journey toward an open relationship, the setting of clear boundaries brings the biggest potential for a smooth ride. Wilde estimates that the vast majority of gay male couples in open relationships have never negotiated the rules. “Being a native Californian and the child of hippie parents, I prefer to communicate and to negotiate,” he says. “If they come into therapy with me, they’re talking, we’re communicating, we’re negotiating. But most gay male couples don’t talk about sex in therapy. It’s OK with me if they don’t want to talk about it, but I think they’d be a happier couple if they could talk at least a little bit about it.”
“This is about two men making a trusting contract and making sure they’re following the same agreement,” says Huber. “The more specific they are, the better the outcome.” Most importantly, partners should always remember to honor the primary relationship first and sex outside that relationship second. “Your partner needs to know that you’re coming home to him, that you’re in love with him, that you want a long-lasting relationship with him,” affirms Zahariades, adding that, by definition, the covenant to be nonmonogamous is the direct opposite of cheating. “We’re not talking about generic infidelity. This is a negotiated arrangement within an interpersonal relationship between two adults. It’s strictly about sex. It’s not a secret you keep from your partner.”
Once two men have agreed to have an open relationship, they must further decide how much information about outside activities is to be shared. Will it be “don’t ask, don’t tell” or “tell me everything”? “Let’s face it,” says Zahariades. “Some guys really like to share, others not so much.” Brenda Schaeffer, a psychotherapist in the Minneapolis area and the best-selling author of Is It Love or Is It Addiction? believes that “if one partner is not told what’s going on, they often begin to obsess about what might be happening. However, the ‘tell me everything’ option can also bring out any insecurities a person may have and/or cause extreme jealousy or obsessing about what the partner may be doing with someone else.”
For each couple interviewed for this article, the one common rule is that safe sex precautions are a given. From there, conventions vary. With Jeff and Joe — a couple from New Jersey who are 57 and 60 respectively, who formalized their commitment with a civil union, and who have been nonmonogamous for 35 of their 39 years together — the rules have evolved over the decades. Any sexual activity is allowed, but overnights are forbidden, as is any outside sex that conflicts with the couple’s time together. “Passion is short-lived,” says Joe. “Love is for a lifetime.” The occasional threesome is the chief way the two men still have sex together. There’s to be no fooling around with friends, but regular fuck buddies are acceptable — preferable, even. “As long as they’re in a relationship or not interested in anything more than sex,” says Jeff, who adds, “Whatever rules work for two guys and keep them together are good rules.”
“We always ask each other’s permission with each hookup,” says Matthew, whose agreement with Pablo is staunchly of the “tell me everything” variety. “We always know when the other is going out. This is for reasons of safety. There are crazy people out there.” He specifies that neither man is allowed to host one-on-one at home. “If we host at our place, we play together.”
Jelle and Guido do not rule out having a threesome in the future, but the opportunity has yet to arise. Their open relationship functions with very few restrictions. Anything goes with anyone at any time, anywhere (except in their bed, and only at home when the other is absent). Both are HIV-friendly, and overnights are allowed. Their arrangement falls somewhere between “tell me everything” and “don’t ask, don’t tell.” “I don’t need to know every single juicy detail,” says Jelle, while Guido adds, “I do want to know who it is and where they go. I also want Jelle to know where I’ll be.”
“He’s my husband and I’m his husband. We’re accountable to each other. There’s nothing that we shouldn’t know about each other’s activities,” says Mikey of Earl, explaining that extracurricular intercourse is off-limits in favor of oral sex and mutual masturbation. The men also generally don’t see the same guy more than once. “Regular fuck buddies get into dangerous territory where an emotional attachment can develop,” adds Earl. “We don’t want that drama in our lives.”
Which brings us to the topic of complications. “STDs are one obvious risk and a significant one,” says Olson. “The other primary risk is a shift of loyalty from the primary partner to another.” Wilde would add “fights due to misunderstandings, fights due to intentional violations, and condemnation from others” to the list. Indeed, most men interviewed for this story chose to use a pseudonym or true first names only for fear that their loved ones — both gay and straight — would misconstrue or disapprove. “Even though my family is pretty liberal, I’m afraid they may confuse an open relationship with endless sex orgies, STDs, etc.,” says Jelle. “Only a couple of gay friends know. I don’t think I’ve ever discussed it with any of our coworkers.” Matthew and Pablo also favor discretion. “We’re not open with our families about it,” says Pablo. “The friends who know are those who also have open relationships. We’ll talk to them openly about it should the subject come up, but it’s not something we go out of our way to discuss. It’s private.”
Professionals suggest couples check in frequently with each other throughout the course of their open relationship so that their agreement can be adjusted to the changing needs of each individual, if need be. Should one man become frustrated, he owes it to himself and to his partner to express it. “It sounds simple and ridiculous, but one must understand why the other is dissatisfied,” says Zahariades. “No one can read your mind, and if you’re not being honest about your feelings, it will come out.”
And if someone fails in his attempt to live up to the couple’s deal? “There are two steps,” opines Olson. “First, dump the anger. Second, attempt to find some empathetic understanding of the other. Empathy is essential to forgiveness, but the anger must be dealt with before rapprochement can occur.”
“In setting up the rules in the first place, partners need to discuss this possibility,” adds Sovec. “If there’s a breach, steps should be taken to pause the open relationship and create an open, nonjudgmental space for the partners to share their feelings and what events brought the rule-breaking into being.”
Says Wilde: “If for some reason they can’t communicate well, then they should see a therapist or their person of faith.”
“The one who breaks trust is always responsible for rebuilding it,” concludes Schaeffer. “It will not work unless the partner who violates truly owns what he has done, makes a heartfelt amend, and is willing to work on restoring trust.” Only once the two men have healed and are back in a good, safe place should they consider reopening the relationship.
Despite the perils it presents, nonmonogamy can be a source of great satisfaction. “I’ve actually seen many couples develop more compassion and trust in the course of the relationship when they are open and clear that they really want each other to be free, honest, and happy,” says Huber. “Sex is a very powerful, vital source of joy when explored deeply.”
Considering Opening Your Relationship? On the Next Page, Use This Checklist of Things to Talk About Before You Do

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Features/The_Gay_Male_Couple_Guide_to_Nonmonogamy/

TheGodlessUtopian

13th January 2012, 17:01

Nineteen-year-old gay filmmaker Eric James Borges (http://www.queerty.com/ca-teen-filmmaker-commits-suicide-after-making-it-gets-better-video-20120112/www.youtube.com/embed/OCKrBcPU1PA), who often went by EricJames online, committed suicide yesterday, a month after recording an “It Gets Better” video and seemingly finding support in the gay community.
Jim Reeves of Oueerlandia reports (http://queerlandia.com/2012/01/12/suicide-claims-another-lgbt-youth-eric-james-borges-19/):

Word began spreading late Wednesday among shocked and saddened friends and acquaintances. Not accepted by his birth family, EricJames (https://www.facebook.com/KeepWritingKeepDreaming) was striking out on his own, trying to deal with his personal situation, but also wanting http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/eric_james_borges.jpegto help others. Sadly, even involvement with the Trevor Project was not enough to help him navigate the turbulent waters of young adulthood.
I met EricJames recently, at the launching of My LGBT Plus (http://mylgbtplus.com/), a youth oriented resource site, based in Fresno, California. A brief introduction left me with the impression of a fine young man, and I regret that I did not get to know him better.
Memorials have begun pouring in at My LGBT Plus (http://mylgbtplus.com/article/1530). Justin Kamimoto wrote:

Throughout the Central Valley we remember the life of Eric James Borges, 19, of Visalia, California. I first met Eric at the Reel Pride Film Festival where he helped with The Trevor Project booth at the Youth Pizza Party and again when he came to support My Lgbt Plus at our unveil in November. Not only was he a very kind and talented individual, you could see that he had a passion in his eyes to do something great. I wish I had more time to get to know you Eric – your LGBTQ family we will always love and miss you.
Rest in peace, EricJames.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ca-teen-filmmaker-commits-suicide-after-making-it-gets-better-video-20120112/

P.S: See source for video

In Turkey, a zenne is a male belly dancer. It’s also the title of a film about gay love in Turkey, produced by Istanbul gay couple Mehmet Binay and Caner Alper.
The pair decided to make the movie after, their friend Ahmet Yildiz was shot to death by his father in 2008 for having a boyfriend. It’s considered the first gay honor killing in Turkey, and his father is still on the lam.
Though they’ve been together for 14 years, Binay and Alper only recently came out as a couple: Their families thought that would be “career suicide,” they told CNN (http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/13/world/europe/turkey-gay-killing/?hpt=ieu_t2). ”Until we won five awards from the first festival that we attended.”
Zenne (http://www.zennethemovie.com/), according to its press notes is:

A feature film about an unusual trio: Daniel, a German photojournalist in Istanbul without much knowledge about Middle Eastern values. Can, a flamboyant, out-and-proud male belly dancer with lots of love and support from his family, and Ahmet, born to an Eastern and conservative family, whose quest for honesty and liberty results in a tragic end.
The men hope the film will make gay rights an issue that Turkish people can’t just ignore anymore. “Death and murder is still on the agenda of our country. We can’t get rid of this mentality,” said Binay. “People need to tolerate each other. They need to understand that different identities can live next to each other without disturbing each other.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/spurred-by-gay-honor-killing-of-a-friend-turkish-power-couple-produces-award-winning-film-20120113/

P.S: See source for video

We’re trying out something new for 2012: Starting today, we’ll be posting a different short film every Friday (give or take). The hope is the shorts will spark conversation and be new, but we may also want to bring an unseen or classic gem to light. They may be gay-themed, by LGBT filmmakers or just strike a queer note in some way.
Today we’re screening Jamil Khoury’s short “both/and,” which explores the binary identities of American and Arab and Arab-American and gay. Khoury is the founder and artistic director of Silk Road Rising (http://www.queerty.com/watch-looking-for-queer-identity-in-the-muslim-world-with-bothand-20120113/silkroadrising.org), a Chicago-based theater and video production company. His plays—including The Balancing Arab, Precious Stones and Azizati—often address Middle Eastern themes, as well as questions about culture, sexual orientation, national identity and class.
Is there a short you think should run on Film Fridays—either one you’ve seen or made yourself? If it’s on YouTube, Vimeo or can be embedded some other way, e-mail us ([email protected]) the link and we’ll take a look. (Bribes will not be accepted—though we do like caramel popcorn.)
Enjoy!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-looking-for-queer-identity-in-the-muslim-world-with-bothand-20120113/

P.S: See source for video

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In September, the frigid northern Russian oblast of Arkhangelsk declared it did not care for gay activists, not one bit, and outlawed (http://www.queerty.com/gay-activism-now-100-illegal-in-arkhangelsk-russia-20110929/) “public promotion of homosexuality.”
Luckily for the international LGBT community, there are fearless, warm-blooded activists in even the coldest clime.
The gay-propaganda law went into Wednesday, the same day Russian activists Nikolai Alekseev, Alexey Kiselev and Kirill Nepomnyaschiy braved sub-zero temperatures in Arkhangelsk to protest the law with a 20-foot-long rainbow banner.
Pictures of the protest have popped up on Alexeyev’s Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=612060271&sk=wall) and Gay Russia (http://www.gayrussia.eu/gallery/104/).
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A longtime gay-rights advocate (http://gaycitynews.com/articles/2011/03/16/gay_city_news/editors_latest/doc4d8120175593d688148463.txt), Alekseev stepped down (http://www.queerty.com/russian-lgbt-leader-nikolai-alekseev-steps-down-20111026/) as leader of Gay Russia and Moscow Pride in October but, from the looks of this, he’s still fighting the good fight.
Did the protest go off peacefully, though, or were the three arrested? There seems to be differing opinions.
[UPDATE (Jan. 13, 9:30am): Alekseev writes Queerty to say "UkGayNews give reference to a similar protest a month ago, in December we were really not arrested. But we were arrested this time in January. So these are two different actions but at the same place."]
On his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=612060271&sk=info), Alekseev writes:

Me, Alexey Kiselev and Kirill Nepomnyaschiy arrested at solitary pickets in Arkhangelsk. All of us are now at local police station, protocols are being written… officially accused of homosexual propaganda in Arkhangelsk. It is the first time Arkhangelsk gay propaganda laws passed last autumn are used in practice! All of us face a fine of up to 2000 rub each (50 euros). Court hearing is scheduled for 20 January. But we are still at police.
His account of the police’s response is in contradiction, though, with an article on UK Gay News (http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/11/Dec/1101.htm), claiming no arrests were made. [UPDATE: We apologize for not realizing that the date on this UKGayNews article was December 11th, not January 11th. The same protest happened exactly one month apart, and we missed that detail.]

Each of the activists approached the police. Texts of their posters, as well as passport data, were recorded. At the same time the officer called his superiors and asked whether a law prohibiting picketing “propaganda” of homosexuality among minors in the Arkhangelsk region, which came into force today.
Response of the authorities was likely to be negative. But the demonstrators were told: “As long as you stand alone, you will not break the law.”
This advice was heeded and, as a result there were no arrests.
We hope if the three were arrested that they’ve since been set free—and warmed themselves with some hot cocoa by a cozy fire. Bozhe moi!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-activists-challenge-russias-homosexual-propaganda-ban-in-chilly-arkhangelsk-20120112/

While NJ legislators haven’t brought a marriage-equality bill (http://www.queerty.com/marriage-equality-is-spreading-to-the-last-third-of-the-tri-state-area-but-will-gov-christie-sign-the-bill-20120109/) to a vote in the state House or state Senate, Governor Chris Christie has finally broken his silence (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/gov_christie_mum_on_gay_marria.html) on the issue. “They have a right to set their agenda, I’ll set mine, [and] we’ll see who gets there first,” he said yesterday in Camden, reports NJ.com (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/gov_christie_mum_on_gay_marria.html). “When forced to make a decision—if forced to make a decision on it—I’ll make a decision.”
We were actually hoping he wouldn’t make a decision, though NOM probably wouldn’t keep quiet (http://www.queerty.com/nom-pledges-500000-in-all-out-effort-to-kill-nj-marriage-equality-20120110/) in that case.
In New Jersey, a bill becomes law if it reaches the governor’s desk and languishes for 45 days. We wouldn’t mind if Christie ignored the bill, seeing as the more likely thing for a Republican governor to do is veto the the thing. But now he’s said that he’ll “make a decision,” that’s probably not going to happen.
Still, Christie wants to be a viable candidate for president in 2016 and national polls on gay marriage have seen a major change in the past year: more people support than oppose our cause. In four years, the trend will continue upward, and a veto on gay-marriage could be a stain on his record.
Should Christie veto the bill, marriage-equality supporters will be hard-pressed to secure a veto-proof majority. That’s because Democratic Senate leader Steve Sweeney didn’t organize enough campaigning around the issue recently. He has admitted that the bill failed two years ago largely because he abstained to vote on the measure.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gov-chris-christie-on-nj-gay-marriage-bill-if-forced-to-make-a-decision-on-it-ill-make-a-decision-20120113/

Conservative nutjob Pat Buchanan is old-school crazy: He is often cited for his white-supremacist bigotry against people of color, Jews, homosexuals, immigrants—well, he’s not picky, really. A senior advisor to Nixon, Ford and Reagan, Buchanan is also an author, columnist and talking head, among other things.
It’s no surprise, and frankly it’s sorely overdue, that we’re crown ol’ Patty with our highest honor: The Douche of the Week!
Recently Pat authored a new book, Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?, that’s has caused something of a furor. (Chapter 4 is “The End of White America,” about how this country’s European “core” is being undermined by immigration.)
Book don’t sell themselves, though, so Buchanan went on a promotional tour and stopped by The Political Cesspool, a radio show that claims to represent a pro-white philosophy: “We wish to revive the White birthrate above replacement level fertility and beyond to grow the percentage of Whites in the world relative to other races.”
Sounds like the ideal audience for him.
But Buchanan’s book and his partnering up with a hate group ticked off civil-rights organizations ColorofChange.org (http://colorofchange.org/) and Credo Action (http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/fire_buchanan/?r_by=29770-4637205-%3DLIDKrx&rc=paste1), who gathered 270,000 signatures (http://colorofchange.org/press/releases/2011/11/9/275000-call-msnbc-fire-pat-buchanan/) demanding MSNBC fire him.
It looks like the network listened: Buchanan hasn’t appeared on MSNBC since October. Network president Phil Griffin told reporters this weekend that Suicide of a Superpower and its barely veiled white-supremacist views were to blame for his absence—and might result in his never being invited back.
What does our DOTW do in response? Oh, right, he blames the gays.
During a radio interview with Sean Hannity (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0PlD20DAUCk) on Tuesday Buchanan claimed his absence was because of the book tour and a subsequent illness in December. Then he went after “the usual suspects,” as he calls them:

“Look, for a long period of time the hard left—militant gay rights groups, militant… well, they call themselves civil-rights groups, but I’m not sure they’re concerned about civil rights, people of color, [activist/policy wonk] Van Jones—These folks and others have been out to get Pat Buchanan off TV, deny him speeches [and] get his column canceled.”
Ah victimization, the last refuge of the Douche.
But seriously, who are these “militant gays” Buchanan rails against—and can we join them? We look fabulous in camouflage.
All together now: What a douche!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/pat-buchanans-racist-tome-gets-him-fired-from-msnbc-so-he-blames-blacks-militant-gays-20120113/

Reports of the death of marriage equality in Canada have been greatly exaggerated, it seems, as both American civil-rights groups and the Canadian government itself are repudiating the suggestion that same-sex marriages performed for foreigners are invalid in the Great White North. “No one’s marriage has been invalidated or is likely to be invalidated,” read a joint statement filed by the ACLU, Freedom to Marry, Lambda Legal and other LGBT groups. “The position taken by one government lawyer in a divorce is not itself precedential. No court has accepted this view and there is no reason to believe that either Canada’s courts or its Parliament would agree with this position, which no one has asserted before during the eight years that same-sex couples have had the freedom to marry in Canada.”
Nearly a third of the 15,000 same-sex weddings performed in Canada were between two non-Canadians. For some it was merely symbolic—others live in jurisdictions that haven’t legalized gay marriages but that respect those performed elsewhere.
“We have no intention further of opening or reopening this issue,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the Canadian Press (http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120112/harper-same-sex-marriage-debate-questions-120112/20120112/?hub=EdmontonHome). “This, I gather, is a case before the courts where Canadian lawyers have taken particular positions based on the law. But I will be asking officials to provide me more details with this particular case.”
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said his department hopes to close any legal loopholes involving gay divorcees. “I will be looking at options to clarify the law so that such marriages performed in Canada can be undone in Canada.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/freedom-to-marry-aclu-gay-marriage-is-perfectly-secure-in-canada-20120113/

TheGodlessUtopian

15th January 2012, 06:00

Since Washington governor Chris Gregoire came out in support (http://www.queerty.com/wa-governor-chris-gregoire-paves-the-way-for-marriage-equality-20120104/)of marriage equality last week, momentum has steadily been building on the issue. Today the state Senate introduced the bill, with 23 sponsors—21 Democrats and 2 Republicans. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/01/13/23-state-senate-sponsors-for-same-sex-marriage-bill/) reports that the Democrat-controlled state House should pass the bill easily, but it’ll need two more “yea” votes to clear the Senate. There are six wild-card Democrats who did not sponsor the bill outright, but any of them could be swayed to vote for it.
The AP conducted a survey (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017215381_gaymarriage12.html) of the state’s 49 Senators on Wednesday and found that 22 supported the measure, 18 opposed, and 9 were on the fence.
If the bill reaches Gregoire’s desk, she’ll sign it and Washington State will become the seventh to legalize same-sex marriage. That should cast a big-ass rainbow across rainy Seattle. (We kid, we kid!)

Source: http://www.queerty.com/washington-states-gay-marriage-bill-just-needs-two-more-votes-to-pass-20120113/

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Right before New Year’s, Queerty reported on how Cancun was positioning itself as a gay-wedding mecca (http://www.queerty.com/cancun-sees-the-wisdom%E2%80%94and-the-money%E2%80%94in-marriage-equality-20111230/), thanks to a loophole in Mexican law.
Well, it looks like that’s not going to happen (http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=10623&MediaType=1&Category=24)—at least not anytime soon.
On Top reports that the nuptials of six queer couples, set for later this month, have been put on hold while Quintana Roo Secretary of State Lois Gonzalez Flores reviews the legality of gay marriages.
Hotels and hospitality agents in Cancun were hoping to attract international gay couples looking to wed after after a lawyer successfully argued that since the law didn’t specifically ban same-sex marriages they were legal. (Mexico’s legal code doesn’t reference the gender of marriage applicants.)
Right now Mexico City is the only region in the country to explicitly pass marriage equality.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/update-marriage-equality-in-cancun-left-at-the-altar-20120113/

Though the “Sh•t Girls Say” (http://www.queerty.com/tag/sht-girls-say/) meme has exploded into a million spinoffs—most of which are pale imitations—Lambda Legal (http://www.lambdalegal.org/) has takes a stand against somethin serious with their novel spin on the genre, “Sh•t Homophobic People Say.” No actors necessary, either—just clips of some of your favorite homophobes—Ann Coulter, Tony Perkins, Rick Santorum et al—spouting the homophobic sh*t they’re paid handsomely to regurgitate.
Source: Lambda Legal (http://www.lambdalegal.org/)

Source: http://www.queerty.com/lambda-legal-turns-the-sht-people-say-meme-on-its-head-20120113/

This week Giuseppe Ripa, deputy mayor of Lecce, Italy, attacked Nichi Vendola, the openly gay governor of Apulia, in a posting on Facebook. As the Herald Sun reports (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/italian-politician-denounced-over-gay-slur/story-e6frf7lf-1226239666414):

“In nature, there exist only two types human beings: the man and the woman,” [Ripa] wrote.
The rest were psychiatric cases apt for psychoanalytic treatment, said Ripa, a member of Silvio Berlsuconi’s People of Freedom party.
In his January 8 post, Ripa also called Vendola, a member of the liberal Democratic Party and a former LGBT activist, “abnormal.”
Y’know there’s something awful lame about spewing vile attacks on Facebook (http://www.queerty.com/new-jersey-is-finally-firing-viki-knox-the-teacher-who-hated-on-lgbt-history-month-20120113/). It’s like standing behind your dad while you tease the neighbor’s kid.
Lecce’s mayor (a.k.a. Ripa’s boss) Paolo Perrone quickly condemned the comments.

“I like to practice politics by debating with my adversaries on the issues, not on the sexual preferences of this or that person, which are a matter of one’s private life,” he wrote in his own Facebook posting.
Vendola hasn’t issued a statement but members of his party have condemned Ripa’s words. In fact, a politician from Ripa’s own People of Freedom Party has now called for hate-speech laws to block such remarks in the future. “It is is urgent to put in place a law that punishes such behaviour,” said Senator Raffaele Lauro.
We’re still not fans of laws infringing the freedom of speech. How about just making sure Ripa doesn’t get re-elected?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/italian-politico-puts-his-bruno-maglis-in-his-mouth-with-anti-lgbt-facebook-post-20120113/

Clueless (http://www.queerty.com/work-its-ratings-tank-but-abc-still-sticks-up-for-it-20120112/) ABC entertainment prez Paul Lee finally got the memo: Work It blows royal monkey balls. (http://www.queerty.com/by-universal-decree-work-it-is-the-worst-show-on-television-20120104/)
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abc-cancels-work-it-281801) last night, saying the network has cancelled the show after only two episodes, due to low ratings.
Gay groupss have been against the show even before it aired, claiming it was harmful to transgender people looking for jobs in a workplace that, in many states, can legally discriminate against them. GLAAD and HRC even took out an ad in Variety urging ABC to abort the show (http://www.queerty.com/glaad-and-hrc-take-out-variety-ad-urging-abc-to-cancel-work-it-20111221/) before its debut.
“While many of ABC’s positive and groundbreaking portrayals of LGBT people have been critical and popular successes, the public had little interest in this outdated show,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs and Communications at GLAAD. “As a result of this campaign, an important dialogue has been started in Hollywood and mainstream media about the real discrimination faced by transgender people today.”
Our thoughts on the show before it aired were: If Work It‘s transphobic, is political action to get it canceled really the answer? Why not let the show be axed due to the low ratings it’s likely to get?
The people have spoken.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/abc-pulls-the-plug-on-work-it-its-universally-detested-drag-comedy-20120114/

Some months ago, Queerty awarded Union High School teacher Viki Knox with our coveted Douche of the Week award (http://www.queerty.com/nj-high-school-teacher-viki-knox-really-really-hates-lgbt-history-month-20111014/) for posting reams and reams of homophobic bile about LGBT History Month on her Facebook page (http://www.scribd.com/doc/68660606/Knox) . Now the Union Township school board has finally closed its three-month investigation against Knox and filed paperwork to have her dismissed.
We’re glad the ball is finally rolling, but it could just be “the first step in what could be a lengthy and costly process to fire her,” reports the Star-Ledger (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/school_board_files_tenure_char.html).
While her case meanders through the system, Knox is on paid administrative leave from her $70,688-a-year job.
Sounds like a vacation. Lets hope it becomes permanent.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/new-jersey-is-finally-firing-viki-knox-the-teacher-who-hated-on-lgbt-history-month-20120113/

After penning an insightful op-ed about the plight of LGBT people in his native Uganda for The New York Times (http://www.queerty.com/frank-mugisha-homphobia-not-homosexuality-is-a-western-import-into-africa-20111223/) last month, Frank Mugisha has been on the receiving end of some nasty death threats. Anow recent article in a local Kampala newspaper smearing him as a liar has put him in even more danger:
“It said that everything we are saying is not true,” he told Michelangelo Signorile (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/frank-mugisha-ugandan-gay_n_1201602.html) in a radio interview. “That we are just trying to get sympathy in the Western world. They put my picture in the newspaper with all these hate words and of course I got a lot of bad emails, bad phones, a lot of harassment against me.”
Mugisha is even worried anti-gay foes might try to poison him.
“Every day of my life here in Uganda I have to be careful of what I do,” he said. “It has reached the point that where I even have to be careful when I’m going to get food in a restaurant, to be sure that the food I’m getting—that I trust the restaurant—because I’m scared I could get poisoned.”
Mugisha is worried about ending up like fellow activist David Kato, who was murdered in his home (http://www.queerty.com/prominent-uganda-activist-david-kato-murdered-in-his-home-20110127/) after his name and photo were published in a local paper. And while we admire Mugisha’s efforts to combat homophobia, we worry for his life too.
Say safe, Frank.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ugandan-activist-frank-mugisha-scared-he-might-be-poisoned-by-anti-gay-thugs-20120113/

TheGodlessUtopian

15th January 2012, 06:06

Binational Lesbian Couple Waits to Learn Their Fate

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-14/pando.jpg

A lesbian couple in Denver is waiting to learn about the next step in their life together, as the end of a federal immigration program may put their relationship in jeopardy.

Earlier this year, (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/20/Some_Deportations_Halted_for_Gay_Immigrants/)American citizen Violeta Pando, and her Mexican-born wife, Sujey Pando, were granted more time together, after the Obama Administration instituted a rule designating deportation cases for binational couples as low priority, therefore postponing possible deportations. According to the Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19732873), an additional six-week program by the Department of Homeland Security reviewed the cases of undocumented immigrants who pose no security threat, and had strong family ties in the U.S.

The Pandos, who married in Iowa two years ago were covered under that program, but the six-week period is now over, causing the couple to worry about their future.

"We're very, very nervous," Violeta told Westword Denver. (http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2012/01/lesbian_couple_limbo_immigration_program.php)"We don't know what to think."

Despite being legally married in Iowa, the federal government does not recognize the unions of same-sex partners because of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/14/Binational_Lesbian_Couple_Waits_to_Learn_Their_Fat e/

Tennessee Senate Pulls Controversial Anti-Trans Bill

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-13/State-Representative-Richard-Floydx390.jpg
Rep. Richard Floyd
A Tennessee state senator withdrew a controversial bill that would bar transgender people from using public restrooms and dressing rooms that match their gender identity.

The house version of the bill was introduced by state Rep. Richard Floyd, who said he would "stomp a mudhole" into a transgender woman who tried to use the same department store dressing room as his wife or daughters. Floyd said he was introducing the bill after a woman was fired (http://www.advocate.com/Business/Clerk_Claims_Religious_Bias_in_Incident_With_Trans _Woman/) from a San Antonio, Texas Macy's department store, because she did not allow a transgender teenager to try clothes in the women's dressing room.

"It could happen here," Floyd said when he introduced the bill on the House floor, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. (http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/12/transgender-people-must-use-birth-gender-bathroom-/?breakingnews) He added, "We cannot continue to let these people dominate how society acts and reacts. Now if somebody thinks he’s a woman and he’s a man and wants to try on women’s clothes, let them him take them into the men’s bathroom or dressing room."

Sen. Bo Watson, who introduced the Senate version of the bill, withdrew it promptly, and said there were more pressing issues for the Tennessee House to consider. According to the report, Watson said he only sponsored the bill as a courtesy to his fellow Hamilton County legislative delegates.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/13/Tennessee_Senate_Pulls_Controversial_AntiTrans_Bil l/

Bill Maher: Rick Santorum Thinks About Gay Sex More Than Gays (http://news.advocate.com/post/15791242604/bill-maher-rick-santorum-thinks-about-gay-sex-more)

http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-13/SANTORUM_MAHERX390.jpg
As a guest on Chelsea Lately, Bill Maher said Rick Santorum “thinks about gay sex more than any gay man in America” and suggested that Elisabeth Hasselbeck has let religion make her crazy.
By Lucas Grindley
As a guest on Chelsea Lately, comedian Bill Maher said Rick Santorum “thinks about gay sex more than any gay man in America” and suggested that Elisabeth Hasselbeck has let religion make her crazy.

“Religion, first of all, makes people crazy,” he said of his feud with Hasselbeck on The View. “For some people religion is like great sex, they just can’t think straight when they’re on it.”

Maher picked Santorum as the craziest of all the Republican candidates left in the presidential primary, worrying that he’s so “sexually frustrated” that it’s got Santorum wanting to bomb Iran.

Watch the appearance below.

Source: http://news.advocate.com/post/15791242604/bill-maher-rick-santorum-thinks-about-gay-sex-more

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

16th January 2012, 03:35

Bill Maher Predicts Obama Backing Marriage Equality

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/COMEDY/2011/1BillMaher.jpg

Comedian and HBO talk show host Bill Maher predicted that President Barack Obama will eventually come around to supporting marriage equality if he is elected to a second term in November.

Maher also said Obama may come out as an atheist, despite his long history of church membership. In an exchange with Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and filmmakers Rob Reiner, and Alexandra Peloi, Maher admits that Obama's current stance is "to the right of" former First Lady Laura Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney who have both said that marriage equality should be made legal.

"And I think he will [come out in favor of gay marriage]," he said according to video on Real Clear Politics (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/01/13/bill_mahers_campaign_prediction_obama_will_come_ou t_as_an_atheist.html). "I think in the second term, when he's got nothing to lose you're going to see the real Obama come out, including his admission that he's an atheist too," Maher said.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/15/Bill_Maher_Predicts_Obama_Backing_Marriage_Equalit y/

So what? What the hell was Obama doing for the last four years?...oh wait,I am talking with liberals here....nevermind.

(http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog)

(http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog) (http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog) CBS airs Focus on the Family ad during Tim Tebow game

(http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog) Jan 14th, 2012 (http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog)by (http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog)Jim Buzinski (http://www.outsports.com/).
http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/tebowjohn316-150x150.jpg (http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/tebowjohn316.jpeg)I was sitting down to watch the Patriots-Broncos AFC playoff game, and I was not expecting an ad from the anti-gay group Focus on the Family. The ad featured a bunch of a adorable kids quoting the Biblical verse John 3:16, closing with “life … wow.”
Focus is not a religious organization but rather a political advocacy group that fights aggressively against gay rights (http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/a-mighty-army). The group lobbies vigorously against laws protecting gays and pushes the idea that being gay is a choice; it features “ex-gays” who tell how they became straight. In 2006, the American Psychological Assn (http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/policy/ex-gay.pdf). said that the positions pushed by Focus “create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish.”
This is the Tim Tebow effect. Tebow has been a spokesman for Focus and with Tebow’s Broncos playing in prime time, the commercial was guaranteed to get a lot of viewers. When people wonder why Outsports has been so critical of Tebow — closet case or not (http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/01/12/is-tim-tebow-gay/) — this is why. He actively supports a group that would deny gays and lesbians equal rights and has caused untold misery for those wrestling with their sexual orientation. So don’t tell me we need to give Tebow a break, not when he has aligned himself with a group that would deny my very existence.
Source: http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/01/14/cbs-airs-focus-on-the-family-ad-during-tim-tebow-game/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cbs-airs-focus-on-the-family-ad-during-tim-tebow-game

Santorum Touts Maggie Gallagher's Endorsement

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-04/1RickSantorumPod2.jpg

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is touting the support of former National Organization for Marriage chairman Maggie Gallagher, who emailed supporters last week endorsing the very conservative candidate.

"...The left, which thought it had buried Santorum years ago, is going after him with a hatred unmatched," she wrote last week. (http://www.ricksantorum.com/pressrelease/former-chairman-national-organization-marriage-endorses-santorum-president) "They hate him with that special ire reserved for a man's virtues, not his vices. They will go after him not just to defeat Rick Santorum, but to smear his good name, to associate it with their own muck, to take a decent and honorable man and try literally to make his name mean mud."

Gallagher said that the left would not prevail over the former Pennsylvania Senator, who won second place in the Iowa caucus earlier this month, and virtually tied for fourth with Newt Gingrich in the New Hampshire primary last week.

Santorum further explains on his website that he was one of the original authors of the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have barred the government from recognizing the state-sanctioned marriages of gay people. He also said he is the only Republican "presidential contender to campaign in Iowa against the state supreme court justices who redefined marriage."
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/15/Santorum_Touts_Maggie_Gallaghers_Endorsement/

RuPaul: Work It Wasn't So Offensive

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/RuPaul_1.jpg

In light of bad ratings, and viewer protest, ABC cancelled its cross-dressing sitcom, Work It. But one of the most famous drag performers in the world says the show should not have been the target of so much protest.

In an interview with Michelangelo Signorile, RuPaul said the outrage from the show is another case of people being too easily offended.

"We live in a culture where everyone is offended by everything," RuPaul said according to the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/13/rupaul-on-rupauls-drag-race-obama-tranny_n_1205203.html). "Everybody's like, 'Oh my god, I'm offended!' It's an ego-based culture we live in. The ego has everything to do with identity. So, you know, drag actually mocks identity. So it doesn't really make any sense. I think, in my world, in my circle of friends, we mock everything! Everything is up to be mocked. Don't take anything seriously."
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/15/RuPaul_Work_It_Wasnt_So_Offensive/

Thoughts from people who've seen the show?

At 2pm on Sunday, a hacker who identified himself as “cloverfdch” hacked into the Huffington Post’s Twitter account (https://twitter.com/#%21/HuffingtonPost) and started sending out anti-gay messages to its nearly 1.5 million followers.

Arianna must be furious!
One tweet was directed at HuffPo’s Gay Voices channel, another was a greeting to “gay boys” (at right). Cloverfdch claims an affiliation with the New York Post, but no connection has been established. (In his first hacked tweet, Cloverfdch calls Wes Anderson a “gay boy” in a response to a HuffPo article about the director’s comeback.)
By 2:10pm, however, the tweets were already deleted. And it doesn’t appear that the site itself, now co-owned by AOL, was hacked.
We’re updating our security software just in case!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/huffington-posts-twitter-account-hacked-by-foul-mouthed-homophobe-20120115/

Seems like these big corporate conglomerates never have good security.

TheGodlessUtopian

16th January 2012, 09:45

Director Sean Penberth (http://www.youtube.com/user/rebelwthcause)y took Lady Gaga’s love anthem, “Edge of Glory” and used it as the inspiration for this concept video, showing the courtship and wedding of a gay couple, played by Jason O’ffill and Joel Harrison. It’s gorgeously shot and sweet without being saccharine. “ This video is for everybody who has ever loved and has been loved in return,” Penberthy writes. “To those that think it never does or will get better. It does. It does get better—it becomes beautiful.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=be9w4QpQ4Xw

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-edge-of-glory-20120115/

Leftsolidarity

16th January 2012, 19:07

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/15/RuPaul_Work_It_Wasnt_So_Offensive/

Thoughts from people who've seen the show?

I haven't seen the show and I'm at school so I can't really check it out right now but that does sound offensive actually. It sounds like their turning Transexuals (or whatever the show is actually about) into tokens like "OMG LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE! WHAT FREAKS! ISN'T THIS FUNNY? LETS ALL LAUGH AT THEIR GENDER IDENTITY!"

Fuck that shit.

TheGodlessUtopian

17th January 2012, 03:39

Rather than face questions about his country’s now-shelved “Kill the Gays” bill, Ugandan ambassador Perezi Kamunanwire (right) withdrew his acceptance as the keynote speaker at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event sponsored by the United Negro College Fund in Maryland Veteran Washington Blade writer Lou Chibbaro contacted (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/01/14/ugandan-ambassador-withdraws-from-king-day-event/) United Negro College Fund President Michael Lomax after an unnamed reader expressed “shock” that a representative of a country with such a notable anti-gay atmosphere would be asked to speak on a day honoring a human-rights leader.
Lomax, in turn, sent a letter to the diplomat:
“UNCF’s history and mission make us especially alert to violations of human rights, wherever they occur,” Lomax said in his letter. “So while we recognize that these issues are matters of internal Ugandan policy, we are dismayed at present polices in Uganda (and in many other African countries) criminalizing sexual orientation, and we view with alarm the draconian penalties, including the death penalty that the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill would impose if passed.”
Lomax added, “Given the interest expressed in the Washington community, I hope that you will address this issue when you speak at the King Day and take questions at the conclusion of your remarks.”
Lomax also told Kamunawire that UNCF is partnering with HRC to address LGBT issues on campuses nationwide, and “to establish a mission, goals and objectives to address those issues.”
Kamunanwire must’ve realized he or he felt he’d be stepping on a political landmine if he showed up, because on Friday he cancelled his appearance at today’s event. Lomax appeared in his stead and spoke on human rights and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Sounds like a better talk anyway.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/ambassador-ditches-mlk-event-to-avoid-discussing-ugandas-anti-gay-agenda-20120116/

Y’know that “Don’t Say Gay” bill (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-dont-say-gay-passes-the-tennessee-senate-20110520/) might not be such a bad idea after all. An editorial ran in a Wisconsin high-school newspaper recently that called gay families (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-15/gay-parenting-shawano/52567228/1) an “abomination” and a sin punishable by death.
As USA Today reports, the piece ran in the Shawano High School Hawk Post as part of an opinion package about gay families.
In part, the piece read:
If one is a practicing Christian, Jesus states in the Bible that homosexuality is (a) detestable act and sin which makes adopting wrong for homosexuals because you would be raising the child in a sin-filled environment.
A child adopted into homosexuality will get confused because everyone else will have two different-gendered parents that can give them the correct amount of motherly nurturing and fatherly structure. In a Christian society, allowing homosexual couples to adopt is an abomination.
Outdated homophobia aside, this is just crap writing: What if you’re not a practicing Christian by this person’s standards? Who says fathers give structure and mothers nurture? And the vocabulary and syntax read like something spit out by a seventh-grader getting a C in Language Arts, not prized prose you run in the school paper.
But even if this article were well-crafted, it’s incendiary and hurtful. What was the point of it—to spark debate? Even in high school we knew there’s no debating faith. And can you imagine the holy hell that would’ve been raised if someone wrote an op-ed in the Hawk Post attacking such Christian values as outdated and hypocritical?
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-896-360x259.pngWhat’s worse is there are kids at this very school with gay parents—Nick Uttecht and his husband, Michael McNelly (at left), for example. are the fathers of an eighth-grader at Shawano.
“This is why kids commit suicide,” Uttecht said. He rightly complained the language in the story was hateful and could incite violence against LGBT students. “I’m worried about how this is going to affect my kids. And I’m worried how gay students in school will be treated.” Uttecht says he knows of at least three openly gay families in the district.
Shawano County Superintendent Todd Carlson said he was “shocked” by opinion piece:
The Shawano School District would like to apologize for a recent article printed in the Hawks Post newspaper. Proper judgment that reflects school district policies needs to be exercised with articles printed in our school newspaper. Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District. We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.
This isn’t a slapdash Facebook update or Twitter post: It takes weeks for an article like that to go from some kid’s computer to the printed page, presumably with classmates, advisors and others seeing it along the way. Either this was an epic fail on a grand http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/usa-today-simpsons.jpgscale or the gatekeepers wanted this opinion to see print. (It should be noted there was an opposing column saying sexual orientation isn’t a factor in the ability to raise kids.)
While we’re glad USA Today brought this story to light, the paper gets it wrong by positing this as some kind of Freedom of Speech issue.
David Hudson of the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group First Amendment Center said the column may be distasteful to some, but the student journalists were practicing their constitutional right to free speech.
“I hope they won’t squash any political viewpoints because of this,” he said.
“Bullying is a serious concern, and I don’t take it lightly. But I hope it doesn’t lead to squashing different viewpoints. I do think (gay adoption) is an issue people are deeply divided about. Hopefully, student journalists don’t have to fear they’ll be squashed if they take a controversial view.”
Schoolchildren don’t have the same constitutional rights as adults: They can’t wear whatever they like, they can’t call the principal an ignorant, ugly ass, and they can’t use school property and funds to promote whatever opinion they want.
Time and time again, the mainstream media posits clear-cut stories affecting the LGBT community as controversies because that’s what they think sells newspapers. And maybe they’re right.
But if a student wrote an op-ed saying Jews were going to Hell or that all Muslims were terrorists, do you think the paper would call it “controversial”?
If you want to give school administrators a piece of your mind, here’s some relevant contact information:

Shawano Community High School
Scott Zwirschitz, Principal
220 County Road B, Shawano, WI 54166
[email protected], 715-526-2175

Todd Carlson, Superintendent of Schools
[email protected] (http://www.queerty.com/high-school-paper-in-wi-blasts-gay-parenting-as-an-abomination-20120116/%22mailto:[email protected]), 715-526-3194 ext. 8008
Source: http://www.queerty.com/high-school-paper-in-wi-blasts-gay-parenting-as-an-abomination-20120116/

Focus on the Family didn’t put Tim Tebow in its new prime-time NFL ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqReTDJSdhE&feature=youtu.be), but the group made it pretty clear the super-Christian quarterback was on its mind in this Bible-verse-quoting commercial that aired during Saturday’s Broncos-Giants Patriots playoff game.
In it, a group of children take turns spitting out Tebow’s favorite Bible verse, John 3:16. Their commentary has less lisp than Tebow (http://www.queerty.com/does-tim-tebow-have-taylor-lautner-style-gay-hands-20120116/), though:
For God so loved the world, the whole world, everyone—anyone!—That’s a lot of people!—that He gave His one and only son, His only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have life eternal. Life! Wow!
Whoa! Hold off on these revelations for a second, kids—you’re blowing our mind!
Tebow became a favorite of FOTF when he recounted the story of how his mother considered aborting him but thought better of it. (Isn’t that just a lovely and utterly unverifiable anecdote?)
Of course, since the Broncos lost on Saturday, you could say God was on the side of the Giants Pats. You know, the team whose home state legalized gay marriage back in 2004?
Oh snap.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/focus-on-the-family-trots-out-bible-quoting-brats-in-new-playoff-ad-20120116/

"My husband, Martin Luther King Jr., once said, “We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny… an inescapable network of mutuality,… I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be.” Therefore, I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people. Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions.”
—Coretta Scott King, speaking (http://lbgtrc.msu.edu/docs/csk-ngltfcc.htm) at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Creating Change Conference on November 9, 2000.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/coretta-scott-king-make-room-at-the-table-of-brotherhood-and-sisterhood-for-gays-20120116/

TheGodlessUtopian

17th January 2012, 03:47

Comic Todd Glass Comes Out as Gay

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-16/web_todd_glass_Facebook.jpg

Comedian Todd Glass, who appeared on the second and third seasons of NBC's Last Comic Standing and has appeared regularly on Louie, Tosh.0, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and Politically Incorrect, came out as a gay man today on an episode of WTF with Marc Maron.
After a bit of banter, Maron told viewers the 47-year-old comic was on his podcast to say something important. Glass joked that he's there simply for self-promotion, then Maron responded, “I thought you were gay." He suggested Glass say it himself.

“I have a very hard time saying that,” Glass said. “And don’t get this wrong. I don’t want anyone to be ashamed of who they are—especially younger people. I always hated using that term and that’s partly why I’ve always been sympathetic to people who don’t [want to be labeled certain things]. I hate that word. But I like it better than the other word—homosexual.”
Glass, who has been with his partner for 15 years, says a lot of people already know. He came out to his parents 15 years ago, his best friend Jimmy Dore has known for years, and he told friend Louis C.K. a few months ago.

“I’m saying what a lot of people already knew,” he said. The main reason Glass, who is incredibly well-respected among working comics, decided to come out is the growing sense of guilt he feels over LGBT youth suicides. “I cannot listen to stories about kids killing themselves any longer and not [think], When are you going to have a little blood on your shirt for not being honest about who you are? I can’t do this any longer.”

Listen to the whole interview on WTF. (http://www.wtfpod.com/)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/16/Comic_Todd_Glass_Comes_Out_as_Gay/

Latina Leader Launches New Portland LGBT Monthly

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-16/PQ_Melanie_Davis.jpg

In the wake of Just Out publisher Marty Davis's announcement that Portland, Oregon's venerable 29-year old LGBT monthly newspaper was shuttering in December, activists and media folks bantered around ideas for a new publication. In stepped Melanie Davis — the the publisher-owner of El Hispanic News, and senior strategist for the multicultural marketing agency Su Público — who announced today she is launching a new publication for Portland’s LGBTQ community on Feb. 16.

The first edition of PQ Monthly will coincide with a launch celebration that evening at Portland's beloved Jupiter Hotel.

“My personal commitment, and the commitment from the team, is that every letter and color in the LGBTQ community is equally represented,” says PQ Monthly publisher-owner Melanie Davis. “We are an incredibly diverse community and every voice has the potential to enrich our understanding and add strength to our shared fight for justice and equality.”

Davis says she felt compelled to respond to the closure of Just Out after encouragement from local activists and business leaders. Like its predecessor, PQ Monthly will be distributed for free in newsstands and local businesses, and will be available online at PQMonthly.com. Some former Just Out employees, like former associate editor Erin Rook, are involved in the new launch as well.

“With the closing of Just Out, I have been approached by countless community leaders and business people that feel a void in the LGBTQ community needs to be filled,” Davis says. “We at El Hispanic News have a new approach to print media that changes the recipe of older print models. We have streamlined our efforts to maximize our output and creativity. It will be this similar recipe we will apply to the new publication focusing on the LGBTQ community. Brilliant Media will be producing a solid monthly print publication geared toward the LGBTQ community and have a strong web and social media presence.”Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/16/Latina_Leader_Launches_New_Portland_LGBT_Monthly/

England's Highest Ranking Gay May Sue Church

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-07/2010-07-07/ukclergy.jpg

News reports in today's issue of England's The Guardian indicate that Jeffrey John, the Church of England's most senior gay cleric, is considering a lawsuit against the church unless he's made bishop. John is a celibate priest who has been in a long-term relationship with another cleric. He was named bishop of Reading in 2003 but the appointment was revoked after complaints from conservative evangelicals. Then two years ago, he was stopped from becoming the bishop of Southwark, according to The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/16/jeffrey-john-church-lawsuit-sexuality?newsfeed=true), after the archbishops of Canterbury and York objected.

Media reports claim John was "so exasperated at his treatment that he had hired Alison Downie, an employment and discrimination law specialist and partner at the law firm Goodman Derrick, to fight his case under equality law."

According to many legal experts in the U.K., John has little chance of winning a suit."Churches can't be forced to employ people where a significant number of the religion's followers object on theological grounds," said employment law specialist Daniel Barnett. He argued that John would have a difficult time proving his case.

Most insiders say John's case hinges on a "damning" internal memo written by Rev Colin Sleea, former dean of Southwark Cathedral, which, says The Guardian, "lays bare the divisions over sexuality at the very top of the church." In it, Sleea claims the archbishops of Canterbury and York "behaved very badly" and were intent on wrecking John's chances of becoming bishop.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/16/Englands_Highest_Ranking_Gay_May_Sue_Church/

Trans Women Raped, Tortured in Kuwait

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/genderx390.jpg

Over the last four years, transgender women have been subjected to increased arrest, torture, and sexual assault by police in Kuwait, according to a new report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW).The title of the 63-page report which documents abuses since 2008: They Hunt Us Down for Fun: Discrimination and Violence Against Transgender Women in Kuwait.

Nadim Houry, the Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director for HRW, told the Kuwait Times (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/16/Trans_Women_Raped_Tortured_in_Kuwait/%20http://new.kuwaittimes.net/2012/01/15/they-hunt-us-down-for-fun-police-accused-of-transgender-torture-sexual-assault/)that authorities are using Article 198 of a 2007 Kuwait law, which arbitrarily criminalizes “imitating the opposite sex,” to justify abusing transgender people: “The law has been a huge enabling factor to arrest and abuse members of the transgender. It is like giving a green light to authorities, not only to police but even members of society, to arrest and torture transgender persons and use force and impunity against them. Just before amending the law, we did not see such a huge number of abuses against transgender."
“No one – regardless of his or her gender identity – deserves to be arrested on the basis of a vague, arbitrary law and then abused and tortured by police,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/01/15/kuwait-end-police-abuses-against-transgender-women). “The Kuwaiti government has a duty to protect all of its residents, including groups who face popular disapproval, from brutal police behavior and the application of an unfair law.”

The HRW report recommends authorities investigate these internal instances of sex assault, torture, and wrongful arrest, and also urges repeal of the "wrongful law."
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/16/Trans_Women_Raped_Tortured_in_Kuwait/

Parents Want School to Teach Archaic "Gay Related Immune Deficiency"

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-08/2011-08-10/anokahennprideX390.jpg

A number of religious conservative parents — both Christian and Jewish — in the infamous Anoka-Hennepin School District north of Minneapolis, have demanded that school officials purge mention of homosexuality and add instructional information about so-called ex-gay and ex-trans therapies and "GRID" (Gay Related Immune Deficiency, an archaic term that was given to AIDS but hasn't been used by the medical establishment since 1984).

According to Andy Birkey, at the Twin Cities Daily Planet, the school's “neutrality policy” (which is basically a "don't ask, don't tell" policy for the area's public schools, in which LGBT issues are not to be discussed) is under attack by students who say it creates a hostile learning environment. But the Parents Action League, who released a resolution in support of anti-LGBT policies last week, want the policy to remain in place. In addition they called for the addition of anti-gay information, such as the "success" of "ex-homosexual therapy."

To read the group's full resolution, visit the Daily Planet. (http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/01/13/conservative-christian-parents-fight-right-discriminate-against-lgbt-students-anoka-)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/16/Parents_Want_School_to_Teach_Archaic_Gay_Related_I mmune_Deficiency/

TheGodlessUtopian

18th January 2012, 01:34

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/jon-stryker.jpg
Kalamazoo College got a big fat check today from the Arcus Foundation, a nonprofit founded by out billionaire Jon Stryker (above) “to achieve social justice that is inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity and race, and to ensure conservation and respect of the great apes.”
Yes, you read that right—great apes. he’s a billionaire, he can do whatever the hell he wants.
The endowment is for the college’s new Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (https://reason.kzoo.edu/csjl/), which is focused on “developing emerging leaders and sustaining existing leaders in the field of human rights and social justice, creating a pivotal role for liberal arts education in engendering a more just world.”
Stryker, an alum of Kalamazoo College, is the grandson of healthcare innovator Homer Stryker, who invented the mobile hospital bed. Currently, the younger Styker has a net worth (http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Jon-Stryker_3P2X.html) of about $2.1 billion and has given millions toward the cause of gay rights.
Yeah, but is he single?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-philanthropist-drops-a-cool-23-million-to-endow-new-social-justice-center-20120117/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/indiana-gay-license-plate-600x333.jpgEver wanted to flaunt your commitment to gay rights on your pimped-out ride? Residents of Indiana can do just that with a new LGBT-awareness license plate.
WXIN Fox 59 reports (http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-lgbt-license-plate-first-lgbt-awareness-license-plate-to-go-on-sale-in-indiana-20120116,0,3368174.column) that the plates feature the logo of the Indiana Youth Group (http://www.queerty.com/indiana-of-all-places-introduces-the-nations-first-lgbt-license-plate-20120117/www.indianayouthgroup.org), a teen LGBT group that advocates tolerance and provides training for schools and service agencies. Low-number plates will be given as a “thank you” to those who make a donation to IYG.
Kudos to the network for running a gay-interest story, but some of the commenters’ remarks are predictably idiotic
Angela11 writes:
“Gag, next we’ll have NAMBLA wanting a ‘special’ plate.”
And the slightly more pleasant keameister posted:
“I don’t really care what your orientation may be. But they need to stop stuffing this down people’s throats. Same thing as all these ‘History’ months they have. If they want us all to be equal then stop promoting yourself separately.”
Right, so you’ll be scraping that “Just Married” sign off your car? Or what about the “My child is an honor roll student at Smith Elementary School” sticker?
Because we’re getting a little tired of your hetero lifestyle being shoved in our faces.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/indiana-of-all-places-introduces-the-nations-first-lgbt-license-plate-20120117/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/jeffrey-fehr-600x473.jpg
We’ve lost another gay teen. In the early morning of New Year’s Day, 18-year-old Jeffrey Fehr hanged himself at his family’s Granite Bay, CA, home, reports the Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/15/4188596/granite-bay-teen-who-committed.html#storylink=cpy).
The accomplished teen’s suicide inspired an outpouring of grief at memorial services, attended by almost 1,000 people on Saturday.
“So many people gained strength from Jeff,” his father said at the funeral, looking out at the crowd. “The unfortunate part is that Jeff didn’t realize it.”
His father, Steve, thinks that years of anti-gay bullying was the reason he chose to end his life, though he had recently broken up with a boyfriend and had been treated for depression in the past.
“We will second-guess ourselves forever,” said Steve Fehr. “But we do know that for years and years, people knocked him down for being different. It damaged him. It wore on him. He could never fully believe how wonderful he was, and how many people loved him.”
Though Jeffrey came out as a sophomore and was accepted and embraced by his parents, he was the target of schoolyard abuse as early as the third grade. “He would come home from school and cry,” said older brother Tyler, 21. “He would say he felt alone, that he wasn’t accepted for the things he liked.”
By the sixth grade, classmates would call him “fag.” Jeffrey’s mother, Pati, said seeing her son abused like that “broke her heart”— she and Steve sent him to counseling for depression and tried to build his confidence by encouraging him to pursue art, theater and dance.
High school proved to be no haven. “He would literally hang his head when I dropped him off,” his father recalled. “It was just awful for him.” The taunts continued, and in one instance a classmate upended a lunch tray on Jeffrey as others laughed. Another time, someone painted the Fehr driveway with anti-gay slurs.
Cheerleading, it seemed, was Jeffrey’s saving grace. As the Bee reports:
He joined the high school cheer squad, whose members previously had been all girls, and found a community that adored him. As a senior he was the team’s captain, and mastered handsprings, backflips and other feats. Later he joined an elite competitive team.”Cheer gave him a lot of acceptance, because it was something he was really good at,” said fellow squad member Shayla Chock, 16.
Jeffrey’s body grew strong and muscular, and at 6 feet, 3 inches tall he towered over his teammates. He flashed a brilliant smile and had a posse of close friends, mostly girls a couple of years younger than he.
“Jeff loved everyone with everything he had,” said his pal Carly Flajole, also 16. “He always wanted everyone to get along, without drama. He was a leader.”
In the week before his death, he drove to Los Angeles to visit his boyfriend. When he returned, he told his parents they had broken up, but didn’t seem too down about it. Steve and Pati were on their way out of town and urged Jeffrey not to stay at home alone for New Years. He didn’t listen and next day a neighbor found Jeffrey’s body hanging from a rope in the front entry.
While it will never heal their pain, we hope the Fehr family can take some solace from the outpouring of love and support on Saturday.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/nearly-1000-gather-to-mourn-ca-teen-who-committed-suicide-after-years-of-taunts-20120117/

Sometimes the news is good. Check It is a gay gang known for shoplifting, purse-snatching and fighting in Washington, D.C.’s Gallery Place neighborhood (right). But Saturday night, along with sister gang Unexpected, the crew channeled its energy into a raucous fashion show and performance event. “They say we fight all the time,” Check It member Travon Warren told the crowd at a Boys & Girls Club in Northwest. “We know we can get along with people. We want to do something better. We want people to look at us in positive ways.”
As The Washington Post reports (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/dc-crew-uses-fashion-runway-as-first-step-toward-redemption/2012/01/11/gIQAWzXo1P_story.html), the event—dubbed Fashion Transformation—saw gang members dancing, acting, sharing stories and modeling their original T-shirt line, TurnItUp, along with performers from Xquisite Models.
Assistant D.C. Police Chief Diane Groomes met with Check It leaders at a youth summit last fall and tried to find common ground. The gang members talked about needing jobs and a chance, and suggested the fashion show. “They are regular teenagers with dreams and aspirations, if given the opportunity to do so,” Groomes told the Post.
The police teamed up with several local community groups, including the Getrude Stein Democratic Club, to help plan and finance the event. Patrice Lancaster, who worked with the kids almost daily, recounts how, “they would show up for practice after eight hours of working at fast-food jobs. Some would have barely eaten all day. One had a court appearance.” Since work on the event began nearly two months ago, Groomes says authorities haven’t had any major incidents with Check It or Unexpected.
Once again fashion is changing lives for the better!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/queer-gang-members-in-dc-find-redemption-through-fashion-20120117/

Karen Santorum has stepped into the spotlight in South Carolina, speaking at length for the first time during the presidential campaign of her husband, Rick Santorum. We wish she’d kept her mouth shut.
After taking a question from a woman trying to reconcile being a Santorum supporter with having a gay son who’s been told of Santorum’s shoddy record with the LGBT community.
“It makes me very sad what the gay activists have done out there,” Karen said at a rally in Myrtle Beach, according to the National Journal (http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/karen-santorum-gay-activists-have-vilified-my-husband-20120116?mrefid=freehplead_4). “They’ve vilified him. And it’s so wrong. Rick doesn’t hate anyone. He loves them. What he has simply said is marriage shouldn’t happen [between gay people].”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-920-360x256.pngThe Santorums’ daughter Elizabeth has said practically the same thing about her father’s bigotry: “It’s a policy thing, he thinks this is the right thing for America and the foundations of our country,” she explained in a recent HuffPo interview (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/02/rick-santorum-daughter_n_1179470.html?ref=politics). “People are entitled to live the way they want, but to project those values and say those are the best values for our country are a different thing.”
And Rick spat out almost the identical wording at the rally: “This is public policy difference,” he said, “And the problem is some see that public policy difference as a personal assault.”
Good to see the Santorums have all rehearsed their lines together.
Ironically, Mrs. Santorum hasn’t always been lockstep with Rick when it comes to social issues: When she was 22 and single, Karen Garver shacked up with a 63-year-old doctor Tom Allen, who routinely performed abortions as part of his practice.
It gets worse. As The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/15/mrs-santorum-s-abortion-doctor-boyfriend.html) reports:
Her live-in partner through most of her 20s was Tom Allen, a Pittsburgh obstetrician and abortion provider 40 years older than she, who remains an outspoken crusader for reproductive rights and liberal ideals. Dr. Allen has known Mrs. Santorum, born Karen Garver, her entire life: he delivered her in 1960.
Oh there’s nothing creepy about that. Nosiree!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/rick-santorums-wife-on-her-husbands-view-of-gays-he-loves-them-20120117/

TheGodlessUtopian

18th January 2012, 01:55

Midway through the nation’s first application cycle in which gay people can self-identify (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/08/24/a_college_adds_question_on_sexual_orientation_iden tity_to_undergraduate_application) and qualify for a scholarship, prospective Elmhurst College students seem comfortable addressing their sexual orientation.
But the new policy hasn’t spawned a windfall of openly gay applicants. About 5 percent of the 2,204 applicants so far this year have identified themselves as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender), Elmhurst admissions dean Gary Rold said.
Few applicants have skipped the optional question asking whether they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, Rold said, and it doesn’t appear straight students are cheating the system to receive the diversity “enrichment scholarship” that’s worth one-third of Elmhurst’s $29,994 tuition. When Elmhurst announced its policy, skeptics predicted many students would be uncomfortable, or that straight applicants would declare themselves gay to get the scholarship money.
The liberal arts college in suburban Chicago made headlines (http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/7254428-418/elmhurst-college-asks-prospective-students-if-they-are-gay.html) in August when it became the first American institution to explicitly ask applicants whether they identify as LGBT. The college president drafted an open letter (http://public.elmhurst.edu/news/archive/128701253.html) in September after fielding questions from alumni and others.
The question isn’t used to make admissions decisions but does qualify students for the diversity scholarship if they're admitted. Around 65 percent of applicants are accepted each year to the student body of about 3,125 undergraduates.
For Rold, the importance of the new question was revealed when a young applicant from the South spoke with an Elmhurst admissions counselor just before Thanksgiving. Upon learning he was gay, the boy's parents “basically threw him out of the house” and left him looking for a place to stay for the final months of high school, Rold said.
“Stories like that really led us to this position,” he said. “These kids are up against it in a lot of different ways. If we can help them transition, so much the better -- but we have to know who's who first.”
Other universities have questions that hint at sexual orientation, allowing prospective students to check a box indicating an interest in gay rights activities on campus. But some gay students might not check that box, and straight applicants interested in gay rights might.
Elmhurst’s plan, Rold said, is a way of finding out exactly how many gay applicants the college is drawing and putting a support system in place for when those students arrive on campus.
Shane Windmeyer, executive director of the Campus Pride advocacy group for gay students, said the initial results are encouraging. He said experts vary in estimating what percentage of the nation’s population is gay – ranging from 3 to 10 percent. The fact that the percentage of Elmhurst applicants who felt comfortable revealing their identity fell within that range is a positive, he said.
“I think it’s an exceptional number for the first semester of doing something and Elmhurst should be proud,” Windmeyer said.
Campus Pride lobbied the Common Application to put a similar question on its form. Common App board members discussed and rejected (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/01/26/common_application_rejects_new_questions_on_sexual _orientation_and_gender_identity) that measure last year.
But Windmeyer sees increased interest in asking applicants about sexual identity, and Rold said he’s fielded inquiries from college administrators curious about the program’s success at Elmhurst.
The policy isn't just about the scholarship, Rold said, it's about welcoming gay students. Even at colleges where offering gay applicants a diversity scholarship isn’t feasible, Windmeyer still sees value in asking about sexual identity.
“Just having the question sends a message that it’s important to us and we want to know,” he said.
Rold doubts Elmhurst draws more gay students because of the new policy -- he's seen a 2.5 percent uptick in applications this year, but that's not enough for the admissions staff to prove causation. Either way, he said, the question should reaffirm Elmhurst's accepting culture to students already considering the college.
Elmhurst is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, which in 1968 became America’s first mainstream Christian denomination to ordain an openly gay person.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/01/16/elmhurst-finds-success-question-sexual-orientation#ixzz1jlmJXHYv
Inside Higher Ed

Source: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/01/16/elmhurst-finds-success-question-sexual-orientation

Advice: What to Do About Facebook After a Death

One man asks what should happen to the Facebook page of his partner after death. It's become a source of comfort at times but is it time to close down the page?
By Steven Petrow, advice columnist (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Steven%20Petrow)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/COMMENTARY/2012/1GraveFlowers.jpg

Question: My partner, Rudy, died about three months ago and I’ve been in the process of handling of his estate (which, since we couldn’t legally marry, has been a nightmare, but that’s another story). My question for you isn’t about the injustice of antigay inheritance law, though, it’s about Rudy’s Facebook page. I was thinking of deleting the account soon, but I see that many of our friends continue to post on his wall – almost as though they’re talking with him. This actually gives me a lot of comfort ,so now I’m on the fence. Have the rules of etiquette caught up with death and dying in the twenty-first century?

Answer: First of all, my condolences on the loss of your partner, and my sympathy for the inevitable difficulties you’re having with estate law. Losing a loved one is so difficult for anyone, and it’s doubly cruel for a surviving partner in a relationship that’s not legally sanctioned.

You make an astute point about the evolving rules of etiquette around death and dying. New technologies have ushered in changes to longstanding rituals, starting with sharing the news of a death. Instead of the ring of a telephone, these days it’s just as likely to be the ping of an email or text message (or even a tweet) that conveys news of a death. New times also mean new approaches to funerals and memorials, where mourning and grief over a death are likely to be counterbalanced by the celebrating of a life. This tradition was born in our community during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, when we lost so many friends and lovers that we simply had to recast the ritual in order to survive.

The ubiquity of social media presents its own set of challenges — one that Facebook founders certainly hadn’t considered at the beginning. (After all, the youthful crowd that invented and initially flocked to Facebook didn’t have death and dying on their personal timelines – most people in their early twenties can’t really envision a status of “deceased.”)

But we all do grow up and, sadly, we all confront mortality at some point. In response, Facebook created memorial profile pages, which allow us to visit, chat and stay connected with our dearly departed friends and family. This past holiday season I saw the Facebook pages of several recently departed friends positively lit up with beautiful memories of Christmases past along with a new outpouring of grief and mourning. On one page, this comment was posted right before Christmas:
“The holidays without a conversation with you. Just doesn't seem right. The day we let you out in the sea, I picked up a rock on that beach. I keep it with me as the reminder stone of the man, the stone, you were to my entire family. Miss you lots. This is going to be our first holiday season without you being here.”

In fact, the tributes and comments that accumulate on these pages remind me of the floral bouquets piled on grave markers. One Facebooker commented: “I would never go to a cemetery to visit a plot, but I love seeing my deceased friend's name. And with the name and photos it is like the stone visits me.”

Since you find comfort in seeing messages posted to Rudy – and since it may bring comfort to his other friends— I’d recommend letting his page live on as a memorial rather than deleting it. To “memorialize” an account, you need to notify Facebook, which will then convert an ordinary page into a memorial one. (Here’s how to do so.) (http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=deceased)

Transitioning someone’s profile to a memorial also blocks any further status updates, and prevents the deceased from showing up as a suggested friend. Believe me, you don’t want a status update from someone whom you know to be dead. And it can get pretty creepy if the deceased keeps turning up on lists of suggested friends as many of us have experienced. Because I had a number of friends in common with the late Elizabeth Edwards, and I guess because John Edwards was too busy being a new dad and dealing with his attorneys, Elizabeth’s angelic face was repeatedly positioned as a suggested new friend for months after she died. In the end, I just went ahead and blocked her page (which, by the way, is no sign of disrespect).

Before you ask Facebook to convert Rudy’s profile, though, consider what he would have wanted. Did the two of you ever discuss what to do with his social media accounts, email accounts, and other online memberships after he was gone? As odd as it sounds, the disposition of one’s electronic footprint should be a routine part of twenty-first century estate planning. So as you think about what to do with Rudy’s Facebook account, you should also be considering how to maintain or terminate other online profiles and accounts he may have had, including family trees, online dating profiles, list servs, and more.

This brings us to the wider question of to whom you entrust your account information. This may not strike you as being as critical as naming a health care proxy, but it’s still important. Even if there’s no one you would trust in life to share your account information with, make sure that in death your wishes are known and your log-in info is available.

I hope it goes without saying that you must never do anything that tries to be comical, or perverse, with the login information you hold. Don’t sign the deceased up for new groups, or post messages in that person’s name. Take your responsibility seriously, and do the right thing by the person who trusted you with his or her virtual life. And practical jokers beware: Facebook doesn’t make it easy to memorialize an account – you do have to produce proof of the death itself and of your right to request the memorial.
Steven Petrow is the author of Steven Petrow’s Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners (http://www.amazon.com/Steven-Petrows-Complete-Lesbian-Manners/dp/0761156704/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303679704&sr=1-1) and can be found online at www.gaymanners.com. Got a question? Email him at [email protected] or contact him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/gaymanners) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/gaymanners).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Commentary/Advice_What_to_Do_About_Facebook_After_a_Death/

Wash. Catholic Bishops: Marriage Equality Would Undermine Families

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-17/fourx390.jpg

As Washington governor Chris Gregoire and state legislators push for marriage equality, the state’s Roman Catholic leaders are pushing back.

In a letter published late Friday on the Seattle archdiocese’s website, Washington State’s four Catholic bishops call on members of the faith to contact lawmakers and urge them to “defend the current definition of marriage,” the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

The bishops say that only heterosexual marriage should be legally recognized because it is “related to bringing children into the world and the continuation of the human race.” There are “forces already undermining family life today,” and recognizing other unions would exacerbate the situation, they write. They also say that limiting marriage to straight couples “does not depend on anyone’s religious beliefs” and that this definition of marriage “is grounded not in faith, but in reason and the experience of society.” The letter was signed by (pictured, clockwise from top left) J. Peter Sartain, Blase Cupich, Eusebio Elizondo, and Joseph J. Tyson.

State senator Ed Murray, who is both gay and Catholic, objected strongly to the letter, the paper reports. “My first reaction, as a practicing Catholic, is that this is very hurtful,” said Murray, chief sponsor of the state’s marriage equality legislation. A total of 23 senators introduced the bill Friday. Governor Gregoire, also a Catholic, requested the legislation and has spoken out (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/04/Washington_Governor_It_s_Time_for_Marriage_Equalit y/) in its favor.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/17/Wash_Catholic_Bishops_Marriage_Equality_Would_Unde rmine_Families/

TheGodlessUtopian

18th January 2012, 06:12

TheGodlessUtopian

18th January 2012, 06:26

Md. same-sex legislation to be examined in two committees, House speaker says

By John Wagner (http://www.washingtonpost.com/john-wagner/2011/03/02/ABjqy5M_page.html), Published: January 16

In a sign of the tough road ahead for same-sex marriage legislation in Maryland, House Speaker Michael E. Busch said Monday that he would assign this year’s bill to two committees instead of one, a procedural change that could increase the measure’s chances of passage.
Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said the decision would allow more delegates to closely examine the controversial measure, which died unexpectedly on the House floor last year (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/11/AR2011031106533.html)after narrowly passing the Senate. http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_296w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/01/11/Others/Images/2012-01-11/ph-mdsession%2014_1326314161.jpg (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/maryland-general-assembly/2012/01/11/gIQAQyatrP_gallery.html)
A look inside the Maryland General Assembly (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/maryland-general-assembly/2012/01/11/gIQAQyatrP_gallery.html)

Maryland General Assembly: 2012 Guide
Explore the session (http://www.washingtonpost.com/mdassembly)

But critics said the move suggests the votes are not there this year to advance the bill from the Judiciary Committee (http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/com/05jud.html), the House panel that approved it last year, to the full chamber.
At times in the past, when bills have been “jointly referred” to two committees, House leaders have used a majority vote from just one panel as justification to send legislation to the floor. House rules are largely silent on such situations but grant the speaker considerable leeway on committee assignments.
“This issue is way too important to be playing games with,” House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R-Calvert), an opponent of same-sex marriage, said upon learning of Busch’s decision. “I guess it shows a great lack of confidence in the Judiciary Committee. I think that committee is capable of doing the job.”
Busch, who supports the bill, said it makes sense to have the Health and Government Operations Committee (http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/com/05heal.html) examine it as well, given that panel’s history of weighing civil rights measures. Aides have acknowledged that support for the same-sex marriage bill appears stronger on that panel.
“I think it clearly falls under the jurisdiction of both committees,” Busch said Monday, adding that the real fight this year again will be focused on the full House. “Whether it’s assigned to one committee, two committees or three committees, it doesn’t change the dynamic of what needs to be accomplished if the bill is going to be passed.”
After last year’s failure on the House floor, bill supporters vowed a different outcome this session upon enlisting Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/same-sex-marriage-supporters-in-md-launch-web-video-campaign/2011/09/26/gIQAstk7HL_story.html) as the lead sponsor in July. But the 90-day session (http://www.washingtonpost.com/mdassembly) began last week without any new public commitments of support from lawmakers.
“Our chances are strong this year with the support of the governor, but there are no guarantees, and there’s a lot of work ahead,” said Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Montgomery), who is gay and is a leading advocate for the bill. “It’s going to be as hard-fought as last year.”
The legislation proved to be a tough sell last year with African American lawmakers from Prince George’s County, who cited church opposition, and with more-*conservative Democrats from Southern Maryland and the Baltimore suburbs.
No Republican lawmakers in the House voiced support for the bill, which received only one GOP vote in the Senate.
In an interview Monday, O’Malley said he remains “hopeful and optimistic” that a bill will pass this session and said he has been focused on building support among a relatively small group of delegates who were not willing to vote for the bill last year.
Some of those lawmakers remain concerned about whether there are sufficient protections for religious groups opposed to same-sex marriage, he said.
O’Malley plans to formally introduce the bill next week.
“There’s probably 15 to 20 delegates who, to some degree, are supportive of a bill that protects religious freedoms and marital rights equally,” he said. “We have been having conversations all through the course of the year.”
As in past years, the House debate will start on the committee level.
Last year — and in three previous sessions — Busch assigned same-sex marriage legislation to the Judiciary Committee.
The panel sent the bill to the House floor with a favorable recommendation, but only after its chairman, Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s), provided the deciding vote. Vallario rarely votes during committee sessions and has long been on record as opposed to gay nuptials.
It’s unclear whether Vallario is willing to cast the same vote again, and another Judiciary member who voted for the bill last year, Del. Sam Arora (D-Montgomery), has not committed to supporting the legislation this year — factors that could leave the bill short of a majority on the 22-member committee.
Arora said he is waiting to see the specifics of the bill that O’Malley puts forward.
“I will consider the bill when I see it,” he said. “I can’t comment on hypotheticals.”
In media interviews last week, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said his chamber will take up the same-sex marriage legislation early in the session (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/maryland-politics/post/same-sex-marriage-could-get-early-vote-in-md-senate/2012/01/12/gIQAMGhCuP_blog.html), even as its fate in the House remains unclear.
Last year, the bill passed 25 to 21 in the Senate, which traditionally has been the more conservative on social policy. Both chambers are controlled by Democrats.
“There will be 25 votes again in favor of the bill, so [Miller’s] desire and mine is to move as quickly as possible,” said Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), who is gay and is a leading same-sex marriage advocate in his chamber.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/md-same-sex-legislation-to-be-examined-in-two-committees-house-speaker-says/2012/01/16/gIQAS3Fz3P_story.html?tid=sm_btn_tw

Danny Evins, Restaurant Founder and Focus of Controversy, Dies at 76

By DOUGLAS MARTIN (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/douglas_martin/index.html?inline=nyt-per)

Danny Evins, who created Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, (http://www.crackerbarrel.com/) a restaurant heavy on grits and nostalgia, expanded it into a $2 billion chain and then fought a losing battle to discriminate against gay employees, died on Saturday in Lebanon, Tenn. He was 76.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/01/17/business/EVINS-obit/EVINS-obit-articleInline.jpg
Cracker Barrel

Danny Evins created Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.

The cause was bladder cancer, his former wife Donna S. Evins said.
In 1969, Mr. Evins was an oil jobber, as the middlemen between gasoline refiners and retailers are known, when he was hit by an idea that was to change his life and the American highway: a down-home restaurant with rocking chairs on the front porch, a potbellied stove and fireplace inside, and a checkerboard on every table. The food — including catfish, biscuits and gravy and pineapple upside-down cake — would be ample, reasonably priced and swiftly delivered.
The concept was carried out by more than 600 company-owned restaurants in 42 states, with annual sales of more than $2.4 billion. Cracker Barrel year after year won polls for excellence as a family restaurant in magazines like Nation’s Restaurant News and Destinations. After going public in 1981 so it could expand beyond the Southeast, it was a stock market darling.
The idea of staking out real estate at exits on Interstate highways to establish a distinctive alternative to fast food — one that included gift shops featuring homemade jellies in old-fashioned glass jars — elicited raves from financial analysts, truck drivers and children just glad to be out of the car.
“You know what you’re going to get when you go in there,” Melvin Franklin, who bought Cracker Barrel stock before he tried its food, said in an interview with The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 1999. “The only problem is, sometimes they’re so busy it’s hard to get in there.”
Mr. Evins’s answer was, essentially, “Ah, shucks.” He attributed everything to luck and said he had a bridge in Brooklyn to sell anybody who presumed otherwise.
His tone was considerably harsher when it came to defending a January 1991 directive to all the company’s restaurants to fire employees “whose sexual preferences fail to demonstrate normal heterosexual values.” Mr. Evins’s explanation for the edict was that gay people made customers in rural areas uncomfortable. As many as 16 openly or suspected gay employees were promptly fired.
Protests erupted at restaurants in dozens of cities and towns; boycotts were organized; and shareholders complained.
At a time when discrimination against gay people was not prohibited under the laws of most states or the federal government, and many companies practiced it, Cracker Barrel’s action stood out for its sheer blatancy.
“They actually put a policy like this in writing, which was, and still is, shocking,” David Smith, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization based in Washington, told The Herald-Tribune.
The New York City Employees Retirement System, which owned more than $6 million of Cracker Barrel shares, led other stock owners in using their votes and other legal means to organize resistance.
In March 1991, Mr. Evins apologized and said the policy had been rescinded. But New York and its allies fought until 58 percent of the shareholders in 2002 persuaded Cracker Barrel’s board to vote unanimously to explicitly forbid antigay discrimination in its equal employment policy.
Dannie Wood Evins, who would later change his first name to reflect the conventional spelling, was born on Oct. 11, 1935, in Smithville, Tenn., and grew up in nearby Lebanon. He attended military school and served three years in the Marines, then worked for two years as an aide to Representative Joseph L. Evins, a 15-term congressman from Tennessee who was his uncle. In the late 1950s, he returned to Lebanon and worked as a teller in his brother’s bank. He then worked as a jobber for Consolidated Oil, a company founded by his grandfather.
He distributed gasoline to a small chain of Shell stations, but they were on back roads when the Interstate highway system was pulling most travelers off local roads. He decided to build a gas station off Interstate 40 with a restaurant and gift shop attached to it.
He borrowed $40,000 to build that first Cracker Barrel. It turned a profit the first month.
Mr. Evins next raised $100,000 by selling half the new enterprise to 10 local investors. By 1978, he was running 15 Cracker Barrels; by 1992 he was running 124.
He enabled managers to double their base pay by meeting profitability goals. Hourly employees were periodically given written tests on things like company policy and sanitation; if they scored high enough, their wages and medical benefits were increased.
Mr. Evins’s first two marriages ended in divorce. His third wife, Margarita, died last year. He is survived by his daughters, Daina Warren, Kate Page and Betsy Jennings; his sons, Meacham and Joseph; and 13 grandchildren.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/business/danny-evins-restaurant-founder-and-focus-of-controversy-dies-at-76.html?_r=2

She Was My Mommy Too... Op-Ed

By: Maygen Tavares (http://www.shewired.com/users/maygen-tavares)
Tue, 2012-01-17 19:53

Recently, we received an email from a young woman who's mother's partner (her other mother Linny) had passed away. Beyond the grief of losing someone she loved, Maygen, who's 23 and hails from New Jersey, was forced to contend with the pain of being literally shut out of Linny's hospital room by hospital staff and her biological family and at the funeral by the family that refused to acknowledge that Maygen and her mother were Linny's family too. In a country where gay marriage is not federally recognized, even in those progressive states that have legalized gay marriage, Maygen and her mom are a part of the fall-out. She wanted to tell her story to help people for the future so that perhaps others won't have to endure what she did. Her story illustrates that the personal is political and vice versa. Until LGBT people are afforded equal civil rights people like Maygen and her mom will continue to pay a price.
She was my mommy too....
It has been 13 days since one of my moms died. She had become sick very quickly, and then the call came; the call I wish had never come- she had died. When I was three my mom fell madly in love with Linny (my other mother). They loved each other like I have never seen love before – for 20 years they loved each other. Linny helped raise me. She read Are You There God it’s Me Margaret? to me, she kissed boo-boos and told me she loved me every night. She was my mom too. Everyday after school Linny would help me with my homework and quiz me for upcoming tests. We were inseparable, best friends, mother and child.

http://www.shewired.com/sites/shewired.com/files/imce/maygeninner_0.jpg

Linny and Maygen

I am writing this because at Linny’s funeral there was no mention of my life with her. It was an intentional disregard for the beautiful life the three of us had. Linny would have wanted the world to know that she loved not only another woman to her fullest capacity, but that she had a daughter. She was a lover of nature, animals and peace. She nursed injured birds back to health and rescued abused dogs from animal shelters. What was said about Linny at her funeral was not about my mom. The story told at Linny’s funeral was a story of a woman I did not know. There was actual mention of Linny’s “husband,” with whom she’d divorced more than two decades ago! It was a façade her family spoke of out of fear of letting who Linny really was to come alive.

You see, while Linny was sick I was not allowed to visit her in the treatment facility. But that didn’t’ stop me from sneaking in to see her. When she turned to look at me she said, “It’s Maygen- my daughter.” I’ll never forget those words, that smile, and that last kiss I gave her.

I relentlessly tried to visit her many times and was denied by her biological family and the hospital staff. I explained to them who I was and they still restricted me from seeing my mother. I felt alienated, as though I didn’t matter or exist. I was outraged and in shock that I couldn’t be there for the mother that was always there for me. When visiting her failed time and time again I tried calling the hospital. First I told them who I was and they told me not to call again. So began calling under various names, calling different nurse’s station and at different times of the day. None of these strategies worked. How could they keep me away from my mom, when we hadn’t spent a day apart from each other prior to her illness?

This is not just my story, this may be yours as well. Why are we treated like strangers when all we want is to live the life we have always known and loved? The feelings of alienation were so intense at her funeral -- it was as if I never existed. Linny would have been outraged and so heartbroken by the way her family was treated. Please help me to bring awareness to the inequality gay people still struggle with, much of which derives from there being no federal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Children of gay parents should have the same rights as children of straight parents. I am telling my story in Linny’s honor because other families in the same situation should not have to endure what we have gone through.

Thank you,

Maygen
Source: http://www.shewired.com/lifestyle/2012/01/17/she-was-my-mommy-too-op-ed

TheGodlessUtopian

20th January 2012, 05:00

Robert Ortiz (right) walks with a cane and can’t speak without his hand pressed to his throat because of a tracheotomy. But on January 9, two Fort Myers, FL, deputies thought they heard gunshots coming from his direction so they ordered him to get on his hands and knees. And when he didn’t—because he was physically unable—they tazed him. “I felt like trash when he did that to me,” he said. “It was so wrong.” According to Fox 4 News (http://www.fox4now.com/news/137536483.html), Ortiz was one of six other patrons standing outside a gay bar, The Office Pub, who was told to drop to the ground by the cops. Only, it turns out those “gunshots” they heard were actually just Bill Broccio, one of the gay bar patrons, slamming his car door three times because he was upset. Broccio claims one of the two deputies slammed his head into the concrete three times. Hospital records show he had to be treated for injuries and given pain medication that night.
Warren Miller, who owns the Office Pub, says, “They were charging at us with their guns drawn and flashlights on us and said, ‘Get on your knees,’ and we didn’t move to get on our knees right away, so then they said, ‘Get on your knees or we will shoot you!’ ”
A bar patron who witnessed the event told Fox 4, “We don’t need to be treated like that. I don’t care who you are in this community you don’t need to be treated like that at all.”
A spokesman said the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the matter further and that “we’ll hold our people accountable if they’ve done something wrong.”
Why does that not fill us with confidence?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/overzealous-deputies-taze-one-gay-bar-patron-slam-anothers-head-into-pavement-for-no-real-reason-20120119/

What if we thought of homophobia as a medical condition like psoriasis, high-blood pressure or Restless Leg Syndrome? (Okay, we’re still not sold on that last one.)
In any case, ArionTheDaily (http://www.youtube.com/user/arionthedaily) dreamed up this cheeky spoof ad that suggests a treatment for advanced homophobia that’s proven 100% effective! Plus, it’s free, has zero calories and can be taken every day (several times if needed).
We’re going to get our prescription filled right now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t35GTsTBFnE

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-the-cure-for-homophobia-has-been-found-20120119/

Finland has joined its usually-progressive Nordic neighbors (http://www.queerty.com/norway-tells-gay-iraqi-refugee-to-return-to-his-deadly-country-and-act-less-gay-20111213/) in trying to come to grips with the issue of whether or not to deport LGBT asylum seekers from far less tolerant countries. The Finnish Supreme Administrative Court told the country’s Immigration Service this week that it must reconsider the case of an Iranian man (http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Court+overturns+expulsion+of+gay+Iranian+man/1135270217450) who had been denied asylum and was slated for deportation.
The court urged immigration authorities to carefully scrutinize whether Iranians have sufficient grounds to fear sexual orientation-based persecution in their homeland.
The unnamed asylum applicant has told Finnish officials that Iranian authorities are well aware of his sexual orientation, and that since he has already been convicted in absentia in Iran for homosexuality, his name is on an government-issued wanted list. Should he return there, he believes he could face execution.
Last week Pentti Visanen, the head of the Migration Department of the Finnish Interior Ministry, said that Finland must take full responsibility (http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2012/01/official_finland_responsible_for_fate_of_gay_depor tees_3159806.html) when gay deportees are sent back to countries where they could be put to death. Finnish researchers have pinpointed ten cases between 2008 and 2010 where gay deportees may have faced harsh punishments upon returning to their native lands.
The head of the asylum unit of the Finnish Immigration Service, Esko Repo, said last year that despite the large number of LGBT-based asylum seekers in the country, sexual-orientation persecution has thus far rarely been considered an adequate reason (http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Homosexuality+often+not+a+sufficient+reason+for+po litical+asylum+in+Finland/1135264048146) for granting Finnish political asylum. Repo said that of the approximately four thousand asylum applicants in Finland in 2010, a “three digit number” applied on the grounds of likely maltreatment in their native lands due to sexual orientation.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/finland-grapples-with-deporting-gay-asylum-seekers-20120119/

After stealing more than $600,000 from Nashville’s Vanderbilt University, Jason Hunt and boyfriend Samuel Cole Wakefield did what any fugitive queers would do: they fled to Puerto Vallarta and opened a gay nightclub (http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article/5255#.TxhhHiPeu0Z).
Everything was all fabuloso at Crema ( right) when it opened at the end of 2011—actors Wilson Cruz and Michael McElroy popped up at the grand opening and Jonny McGovern appeared at their New Year’s party (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4l5Y2gemUyIJ:cremanightclub.com/special-events+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a).
The fiesta ended last week, though, when authorities busted (http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article/5134#.TxZCX0pQRL0) Hunt after he left his nightclub asylum and went to Arkansas. (Why in God’s name would anyone ditch Puerto Vallarta for Arkansas?)
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Jason-hunt-360x270.jpgNow the embattled embezzler is being held (http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120117/NEWS03/301170020/Ex-Vanderbilt-Law-School-employee-arrested-in-theft) on a million-dollar bond in the Natural State but is expected to be extradited to Tennessee to face the (disco) music.
Wakefield, his partner in life and in crime, was arrested Wednesday and charged with embezzling $60,000 from Vanderbilt.
Hunt was terminated from his job as an administrative assistant at Vanderbilt Law School in November, at which point he resigned his post as president of Nashville Pride and, apparently, bought himself a Spanish/English dictionary.
Maybe Hunt and Wakefield shouldn’t have tried to relive the glory days of Estudio 54. Nightclubs aren’t exactly known for being inconspicuous.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/nashville-pride-ex-prez-and-bf-embezzled-660000-to-open-mexican-nightclub-20120119/

*Some 70 big-city mayors—including Democrats Annise Parker of Houston, Thomas Menino of Boston, Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Rahm Emanuel of Chicago (above); Republican Jerry Sanders of San Diego and Independent Michael Bloomberg of New York City—are set to join Freedom to Marry at a news conference pushing for federal same-sex marriage rights on Friday in Washington, DC. [Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/01/18/big-city-mayors-press-for-same-sex-marriage-rights/)]
*Rep. Richard Floyd of Tennessee in introducing a bill that would make it a crime to use a public facility designated for the opposite sex. Floyd told the Times Free Press (http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/13/bill-affecting-transgender-use-restrooms-and-dress/) that if “my wife or one of my daughters was in the dressing room and a man tried to go in there—I don’t care if he thinks he’s a woman and tries on clothes with them in there— I’d just try to stomp a mudhole in him and then stomp him dry.” That’s so f*cked up we’re not even sure what it means. [Transgender Law Center (http://transgenderlawcenter.org/cms/blogs/552-9)]
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-941-360x197.png*Is Andrew Sullivan‘s name a dirty word? Then why did Fox News blur it when showing the cover of the latest Newsweek? [Politico (http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/01/tina-brown-and-the-newsweek-covers-111119.html)]
*Two dozen people protested outside New York Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s midtown Manhattan office on Tuesday, just hours after the Governor released his new state budget for 2012. The group, which included members of Queer Rising, was protesting the lack of increased funding for shelters and services for LGBT homeless teens. Four people were arrested. [Village Voice (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/01/queer_rising_homeless.php)]
* A new study put out by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found elementary-school teachers generally unprepared to discuss LGBT issues in the classroom. Only 48% of the educators polled said they felt comfortable responding to questions about gays and lesbians and only 41% said the same about questions regarding transgender people. Oh well, ignorance is bliss, right? [Instinct (http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/new-glsen-study-details-anti-lgbt-climate-in-elementary-schools?directory=100011)]
Source: http://www.queerty.com/news-20120119/

Last summer, Elmhurst College—a small liberal-arts school in Illinois affiliated with the United Church of Christ—mead headlines when it announced it would be the first college to allow students to identify their sexual orientation (http://www.queerty.com/will-poor-students-go-gay-for-amhersts-lgbt-scholarship-20110825/) on their applications. After a space where students could indicate their religious affiliation, prospective students were asked: “Would you consider yourself to be a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community?”
Well, the first crop of applications with the optional inquiry went out and about 109 or 5% of respondents classified themselves as L,G,B or T. (In all, about 90% of prospective students opted to answer the question.)
Of course the results may not reflect an accurate portrait of the student body. “Many parents are highly engaged in their student’s college application process. You have the phenomenon of an 18-year-old who may know who they are, but may not want family to [know],” Elmurst Dean of Admissions Gary Rold told the Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-elmhurt-lgbt-students-20120118,0,6063936.story). “The real motivation here is to send a signal to gay and lesbian students that this is a gay- and lesbian-friendly environment.”
We’re definitely in favor of creating college campuses where LGBT student can feel welcome, but is having kids identify their orientation like this the best way to go about it? Even Rold admits parents might inadvertently discover how their child has answered, opening up a messy can of worms.
And how confidential is this information? We have friends who’ve worked at university admissions offices, where even temp workers can access student information.
Perhaps we’re being paranoid but we’d hate for even one student to suffer because someone found out they were gay or trans or bi before they were ready to publicly come out. These are 17- and 18-year-olds we’re talking about—some of whom are closer in emotional maturity to children than grown adults.
How about our colleges and universities foster gay-friendly environments regardless of how many LGBT students they actually have on campus?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/students-at-elmhurst-college-are-coming-out-on-their-applications-20120118/

"I believe that the PFLAG Ally Award has great significance and I was flattered to accept it on Monday night on behalf of the Burke family. But I hope the day comes, and soon, when this award is retired as obsolete. A parent’s unconditional love and acceptance of their child is unremarkable and should be automatic. It deserves no accolades or praise. Make no mistake, the hero here was Brendan. What Brendan did took courage. Coming out in arguably the most macho of the professional sports. Now that was worthy of an award.
Most walls in society have been breached or leveled over time. But not this one—professional sports in North America has no gay presence. And certainly the NHL does not. These walls have not been breached, have not been leveled. Bias, suspicion and prejudice still prevail. Our goal has to be to continue to level these barriers.
…My favorite thing about my son telling me he was gay [was] I didn’t have to take anything back. My children were raised in a home which taught acceptance. This is the first step: practice and teach acceptance… If everyone practices acceptance, this issue will go away over time."

-Toronto Maple Leaf General Manager Brian Burke, discussing his son Brendan, upon receiving the PFLAG Ally Award on Monday. Brendan was an assistant on the Miami of Ohio hockey team and died in a car crash on February 5, 2010. Read the full text of Brian’s speech here (http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=5760&navid=DL%7CTOR%7Chome).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/maple-leafs-brian-burke-says-son-brendan-was-the-hero-at-pflag-awards-20120119/

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Screen-shot-2012-01-18-at-3.12.57-PM.pngne of the most significant things about the passage of gay marriage in New York State is that it happened in a mostly Republican-controlled Legislature, albeit with powerful championing of the issue from very pro-gay Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg.The four GOP state senators who crossed the aisle and voted for marriage equality in New York are profiting dearly from their support, a promise that political insiders told them would happen. In some instances, campaign coffers increased more than twenty times what they’d raised in the six months prior to the vote, according to a New York Times review (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/nyregion/money-flows-to-gop-backers-of-gay-marriage-in-new-york.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all) of campaign records. While Washington State looks poised to pass same-sex marriage without a fight, politicians in New Jersey and Maryland might want to look at their bank statements before voting “no.”
Here’s a quick rundown of just how much money Republican senators in New York State got in contributions just six months after voting against their party’s anti-marriage-equality platform:
*Roy J. McDonald (above right) raised $447,000 in the half-year after the vote, 27 times what he raised in the same period in 2009.
*Stephen M. Saland raised $425,000, more than Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, the most powerful Republican in New York
* Mark Grisanti raised $325,000, also more than Skelos.
*James S. Alesi raised $350,000-$400,000, and more than half of his new donations were specifically designated as coming from marriage-equality benefactors.
As always, the rapid hetero-supremacists over at the National Organization for Marriage are biting back: “All the money in the world isn’t going to buy them out of the fact that they’re about to lose an election,” exclaimed NOM president Brian Brown, adding that his group will spend heavily to oust McDonald, Saland and the others.
If it doesn’t, y’know, go broke first (http://www.queerty.com/nom-desperate-to-sound-all-poor-in-its-year-end-fundraising-letter-20111216/).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/hey-republicans-it-pays-to-cross-the-aisle-on-marriage-equality-20120118/

In its ongoing beyond-the-box experiment in giving real folks the reins to Sweden’s national Twitter presence (http://curatorsofsweden.com/), the effusively gay-friendly (http://stockholm-gay-lesbian-network.com/) Scandinavian land has this week handed over the steering wheel of its official account, @Sweden (https://twitter.com/#%21/Sweden), to lesbian truck driver Hanna Fange. Fange (right), a self-proclaimed “truck driving, coffee drinking lesbian” from Uppsala who normally uses the Twitter handle @lastbilslesbian (https://twitter.com/#%21/lastbilslesbian), began tweeting for all of Sweden on Monday. Thus far Fange’s trucking job has had her mostly reporting from the road (carefully, she promises) through Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, but she’ll return to Swedish blacktops on Thursday.
Fange’s already proven to been a prolific, hip, and very fun tweeter, listening to The Knife (http://theknife.net/) by day and reading herself to sleep with David Sedaris (http://barclayagency.com/sedaris.html) at night, and offering up such 140-character-or-less morsels as:
“Sigourney’s panties always look really uncomfortable, and you always get to see them.”
“… and now the entire truck smells of pig shit. Damn you, piggie truck beside mine!”
“Note to self: don’t re-read your tweets. They will just make you blush, because you seem to be the lesbian equivalent to the Swedish Chef.”
Fange will continue to be the Twitter voice of Sweden (http://www.sweden.se/) through next Monday, January 23.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-truck-driver-tweets-for-all-of-sweden-20120118/

Just because Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is history doesn’t mean the work of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is done. In fact the organization, instrumental in aiding military men and women caught in the web of DADT, is looking for a new executive director.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Aubrey-Sarvis-360x389.jpgArmy Veteran Aubrey Sarvis (right) SLDN’s Executive Director since 2007, recently announced he’d be stepping down, though he plans on staying on until his successor is named. Iraq war veteran and former Congressman Patrick Murphy, the lead sponsor of legislation that enabled the repeal, had nothing but praise for Sarvis:
“Without the leadership, vision, and tenacity of Aubrey Sarvis, it’s quite conceivable that getting a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal bill through Congress and signed by the President would not have happened in 2010… The nation’s service members —straight and gay—owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Aubrey.
Think you’ve got the skills to take up the mantle at SLDN? The position is currently posted on SLDN’s website (http://www.sldn.org/content/pages/3312/) and applicants can submit a resume to [email protected]ciates.com.
But it won’t be a cakewalk. In a statement to the press, SLDN co-chair April Heinze said:
The search for a new Executive Director comes at a critical moment in the fight for full LGBT equality in our armed forces. Repeal of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, alone, is not enough. The fight for full equality marches forward – especially for those legally married gay and lesbian service members who today do not receive the same recognition, support or benefits for their families as their straight, married peers. The board and staff at SLDN will not rest until we overcome these and the remaining inequalities for LGBT service members.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/anyone-want-to-be-the-director-of-servicemembers-legal-defense-network-20120118/

This is a trailer for Second Class Citizens, Ryan James Yezak’s still-in-progress documentary about the history of discrimination faced by the gay community.
The clip is both devastating—for reminding us of the abuse and degradation earlier generations faced (and many still face today)—and somewhat heartening, for showing us how far we’ve come. Yezak’s documentary will address the vast and varied arenas in which LGBTs are treated like second-class citizens: marriage, adoption, housing, employment, blood donation, religious and community organizations—do we need to go on?
On his Kickstarter page (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanjamesyezak/second-class-citizens-documentary) for the film, Yezak lays out why he’s investing his time and resources into the project:
The idea… was born when I first learned that California’s Proposition 8 had passed, defining marriage only between a man and woman in that state. I was angry and I wanted to do something about it. As time went by, I learned more and more about the inequalities that exist for gays, lesbians, & bisexuals in this country.
I made a friend on YouTube who revealed to me that he would be expelled from his school if they found out he was gay. I did not believe him—in what kind of reality could something like that be true? It is true.
Shortly after that, a string of natural disasters occurred and my boss asked me if I wanted to donate blood with her. I immediately got up to go with her & then stopped abruptly realizing that I couldn’t donate blood. She did not believe me, nor did she understand why. I felt like a different species. I did not feel one with the human race in that moment.
That was the moment it had a direct effect on me & my rights—that is when I decided to make this documentary…
I am not a second class citizen. You are not a second class citizen. Right now, the laws in place (and lack thereof) say that we are. Let’s change that.
Let’s, shall we?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-second-class-citizens-could-be-the-most-important-documentary-ever-about-the-lgbt-community-20120118/

P.S: See source for video

The chief rabbi of Amsterdam’s Orthodox Jewish community, Aryeh Ralbag (right), was suspended from his post (http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2012/01/amsterdams_chief_rabbi_removed.php) Tuesday evening following the outrage that erupted when he co-signed a declaration calling homosexuality “not an acceptable lifestyle or a genuine identity” and claiming that same-sex attractions “can be modified and healed.” Ralbag was chosen in 2005 as the leader of Amsterdam’s vibrant and relatively liberal Orthodox community despite being born in the U.S. and living in New York City. (He reportedly visits the Netherlands just a few times a year).
He’s also one of 180 (predominantly American) Orthodox and Hasidic rabbis and community leaders to have signed the homophobic Declaration On The Torah Approach To Homosexuality (http://www.torahdec.org/), released at the end of December.
The document, in part, reads:
The Torah makes a clear statement that homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle or a genuine identity by severely prohibiting its conduct. Furthermore, the Torah, ever prescient about negative secular influences, warns us in Vayikra (Leviticus) 20:23 “Do not follow the traditions of the nations that I expel from before you…” Particularly the Torah writes this in regards to homosexuality and other forbidden sexual liaisons…
We emphatically reject the notion that a homosexually inclined person cannot overcome his or her inclination and desire. Behaviors are changeable. The Torah does not forbid something which is impossible to avoid. Abandoning people to lifelong loneliness and despair by denying all hope of overcoming and healing their same-sex attraction is heartlessly cruel.
The chair of the Jewish Community of Amsterdam (NIHS), Ronnie Eisenman, expressed deep regret that Ralbag’s autograph might imply that NIHS also endorses the anti-gay manifesto.
“Rabbi Ralbag’s signature may give the impression the Orthodox Jewish community of Amsterdam shares his view,” said Eisenman in a press release. “This is absolutely untrue. Homosexuals are welcome at the Amsterdam Jewish community.”
NIHS’s executive committee has relieved Ralbag of his duties (http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3126207/2012/01/17/Amsterdamse-opperrabbijn-Ralbag-op-non-actief.dhtml) until he can travel to Holland to discuss the matter further.
Yesterday, Esther Voet, former editor-in-chief of the Dutch Jewish weekly Nieuw Israëlietisch Weekblad, called on Ralbag to completely step down from his position.
“The Dutch Jewish neshoma [soul] is unique,” said Voet. “We need a chief rabbi who is aware of our traditions, and that’s something you cannot fly in two times a year [to learn].”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/amsterdams-chief-rabbi-suspended-after-endorsing-anti-gay-doc-20120118/

Till now, we’ve known Jared Polis as one of the few openly gay members of Congress, the Democratic Representative from Colorado who sits on the Committee on Rules and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee., and who proposed the Every Child Deserves A Family Act, which would ban discrimination in adoption or foster care based on sexual orientation, marital status or gender identity. But it turns out Polis is also a staunch opponent of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a proposed measure that would allow the Justice Department to file court orders against websites accused of copyright infringement and make unlicensed streaming of content a criminal offense complete with jail term.
Supporters say the bill protects copyright holders but opponents say it will be abused, threaten free speech and basically bring the Internet to a screeching halt. Many sites, including Reddit and the English-language version of Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative) are planning blackouts (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/wikipedia-blackout-coming-jan-18-says-co-founder-jimmy-wales/2012/01/16/gIQAh2Ke3P_blog.html) today in protest of the measure. (Google is standing in solidarity with a blacked-out banner)
We can imagine instances where SOPA would wind up harming gay educators and activists, but it seems like Polis’ stake is connected to another facet of his life: He’s a big gamer and he thinks SOPA will kill the industry.
He explained his opposition in a statement:
Hi, this is Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado. As a member of the League of Legends community (partial to Anivia and Maokai), and as someone who made his living as an Internet entrepreneur before being elected to Congress, I’m greatly concerned about the future of the Internet and gaming if Congress doesn’t wake up. You may have heard that Congress is currently considering a bill called the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/google-blackout.jpg-360x206.png
While SOPA has a ton of problems, there are some significant issues that I thought fellow gamers might want to know about.
I’m particularly concerned that SOPA might stifle the kind of innovation that brings us games we love, such as LoL. The bill makes it far too easy for angry competitors to sue good law abiding companies out of existence. It threatens any company or website that depends on user-generated content, even companies like Riot. Instead of coming up with great ways to keep making games like LoL even better, companies will have to spend their money hiring lawyers. That’s why companies like Riot, who want to protect the games they create, are opposed to SOPA.
I’ve been working on alternative legislation that would protect the games companies create while also fostering innovation. But we also need you to call your members of Congress and let them know of your opposition to SOPA. This bill has a very real chance of passing, and it is up to all of who want to protect the Internet to take action. More information is available at http://keepthewebopen.com/. Please make your voices heard in this debate! I will be happy to respond to your posts below, and will check back every few hours today and respond to as many as I can.
We’ll have to wait and see if the blackout has any effect, but we’re not even sure Congress will notice: The House Judiciary Committee was supposed to continue debate on SOPA this month but since both Dems and Republicans are holding retreats over the next two weeks, it’s being tabled till February.
Hey, your lawmakers work hard. They need a vacation!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/meet-the-gay-congressman-leading-the-charge-against-sopa-20120118/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th January 2012, 22:37

Mayors Commit to Bringing Marriage Equality to Their Cities

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-20/1MayorsforMarriage.jpg
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and counterparts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 80 mayors from across the country announced their support for marriage equality today, predicting that it would one day come to all of their cities.
They pledged (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pages/mayors-for-the-freedom-to-marry) their support as part of the launch of a new effort called Mayors for the Freedom to Marry. Included are mayors of the five largest U.S. cities: Michael Bloomberg of New York, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/18/Rahm_Emanuel_Joins_Mayors_in_Case_for_Marriage_Equ ality/) of Chicago (who was not at the news conference but signed the pledge), Annise Parker of Houston, and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia.
All of the mayors have signed a pledge to fight for marriage equality and encourage other lawmakers to take up the cause.
After New York enacted marriage equality last year, Bloomberg said the freedom to marry in the state has “only made New York stronger,” and extending that right to all American citizens is only a matter of time.
“For me, the question is not if marriage equality will come to all 50 states. The question is when, and with America’s mayors standing up for what is right in their cities, I believe that day will come sooner than most people think,” he said at the news conference, which was held during the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C..
Bloomberg said he would welcome President Obama speaking out unequivocally on marriage equality. So far, Obama has said only that his views on the issue are “evolving.”
Villaraigosa, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, emphasized the need to set aside partisan divisions, saying “the more support we build in our cities and states, the stronger the case we can make for extending the freedom to marry.”
“I’ve often said in L.A. that it doesn’t matter who your father is ... and hopefully soon, it won’t matter if you have two of them,” he said. “If we truly believe in family values, then we should value all families.”
Parker, Houston’s first openly gay mayor, spoke of the obstacles she’s had to navigate with her partner without the legal right to marry. They have three adopted children, and she said they’ve had to face discriminatory custody and insurance challenges.
“One simple change would have a tremendous difference in the lives of my family and the lives of millions of Americans,” Parker said. “By telling my family and my kids that they are not second-class Americans, you can build a stronger America.”
Jerry Sanders, mayor of San Diego and a Republican member of the coalition who testified during the Proposition 8 trial in 2010, said that while he wasn’t always a supporter of marriage equality, his views have shifted, and in regard to same-sex relationships, “there’s no such thing as fair enough.”
“I cannot look anyone in the face and tell them that their relationship is any less meaningful than my marriage to my wife,” Sanders said.
Marilyn Strickland, mayor of Tacoma, Wash., said mainstream support for marriage equality extends to the Pacific Northwest. Latest tallies (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/19/Washington_Marriage_Bill_Gets_Another_Vote_Corpora te_Boost/) show only one vote separates a marriage equality bill from passage in the state senate, which would make Washington the sixth state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage, plus the District of Columbia. Strickland took time at the beginning of her speech to look directly into cameras and ask state senators wavering on the issue to “please stand up, please do the right thing, and please pass marriage equality.”
“Everyone knows what it means when you tell them that you’re married,” she said. “Being married is fun, it’s awesome. It’s something that every American couple should have the chance to do.”
Marc Solomon, Freedom to Marry’s national campaign director, said the coalition provided an opportunity to join together “passionate and tireless advocates and champions for the freedom to marry.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Mayors_Commit_to_Bringing_Marriage_Equality_to_The ir_Cities/

Maryland Police Chief Refutes Trans Rape Rumors

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/POLITICS/COMMENTARY/2011/1Bathroom.jpg

Maryland's Baltimore County is currently weighing discrimination protections for transgender residents, but opponents are spreading rumors about cross-dressing men raping women in a nearby county that enacted similar protections.
According to the Baltimore Sun, conservative opponents to Baltimore County's proposed transgender rights bill are saying that since Montgomery County established protections for transgender people in 2007 that four women have been raped in public restrooms. Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger recently set the record straight.
"Since this law has been in effect, we have had no reported rapes committed in restrooms by men in women’s clothing,” Manger wrote in a letter to Baltimore County Councilman Tom Quirk, a lead sponsor of the anti-discrimination bill. Read more here. (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-01-18/news/bal-montgomery-co-police-transgender-bill-has-not-led-to-bathroom-rapes-20120118_1_discrimination-against-transgender-people-transgender-bill-anti-discrimination-bill)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Maryland_Police_Chief_Refutes_Trans_Rape_Rumors/

Cuts at GLAAD Hit Nearly a Quarter of Jobs

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2011/1051/thompsonx390.jpg
Mike Thompson
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation laid off nearly a quarter of its workforce today as it tries to regroup for the year ahead.

The cuts come against the backdrop of an economy that still has not fully recovered, and nonprofits everywhere continue to face fund-raising challenges. But employees said they didn't see the changes coming.

GLAAD cut 11 people from its staff of 45, and a statement from the group assured that "core programs" remain intact, including National and Local News; Religion, Faith & Values; Entertainment Media; and Spanish-Language Media.

Interim president Mike Thompson attributed the cuts in part to the problems GLAAD faced last year, when former president Jarret Barrios resigned amid controversy about whether GLAAD improperly backed a proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile.

"It's no secret that GLAAD experienced some real challenges in 2011," Thompson said in a statement to The Advocate. "While the changes that took place subsequent to last summer's tumult were in many ways healthy for the organization, the reality is that the experience had financial impacts for the organization. Our restructuring is reflective of that."

When Thompson took over, he changed the group's position on the merger to neutral, and then backed Net neutrality efforts that AT&T had opposed. And Thompson told (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/GLAAD_Calls_on_Fix-It_Man_Mike_Thompson/) The Advocate that the group needed to ensure those watching that it had refocused efforts on what it's known for.

"We look forward to a stronger GLAAD, one that is focused on our mission and commitment to LGBT equality," he said today. "We believe the current structure will help us achieve those goals."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Cuts_at_GLAAD_Hit_Nearly_a_Quarter_of_Jobs/

Ohio: City Gym Denies Gay Married Couple a Family Discount

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-20/SHANECOTYMAYX390.jpg
Coty and Shane May
A gay couple who applied to a publicly-owned gym in Ohio has filed a complaint after they were denied the ability to apply for memberships at a family discount rate.

Shane and Coty May attempted to join the Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The Akron, Ohio couple married in Washington, D.C., three months ago, and requested to merge their individual memberships. When their request was denied, the couple set up a Change.org (http://www.change.org/petitions/city-councilmember-allow-gay-couples-to-register-as-families) petition, seeking support for their cause.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal (http://www.ohio.com/news/local/gay-couple-fights-to-be-recognized-for-family-membership-at-cuyahoga-falls-natatorium-1.255877), membership for an individual costs $495 annually, but married couples pay $730 annually.

Shane May said he and his husband Coty, an injured Iraq war veteran, prefer the Natatorium because Coty enjoys water therapy at the pool as well as light weight lifting.

After being pushed to resolve this issue, the Cuyaoga Falls City Council is now evaluating whether to seek legal counsel in defense of the complaint. However City Councilwoman Diana Colavecchio said the city might not "have the authority to act" on the Mays' complaint because an independent park board sets the Natatorium's rules.

However, other fitness centers, community recreation centers, and the Akron YMCA allow gay and lesbian couples to sign up for joint memberships.

The state of Ohio does not protect people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Ohio does not have any state-wide recognition of same-sex couples, nor does it recognize the marriages or civil unions of same-sex couples who were wed or unionized in a jurisdiction that has legalized marriage equality, like Washington, D.C.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Ohio_City_Gym_Denies_Gay_Married_Couple_a_Family_D iscount/

Op-ed: Women Today, Gays Tomorrow?

President Obama’s decision on Plan B bodes ill for LGBT people if it means Democrats are starting to side with a faint sense of morality over scientific research.
By Victoria A. Brownworth, op-ed contributor (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/POLITICS/COMMENTARY/2012/pillx390.jpg

When politicians play politics with women’s bodies, women always lose. And when women lose, the fallout hits LGBT people as well.
While Republican presidential candidates have been fighting over who is most conservative throughout the January primaries, LGBT people seem to have missed the sucker punch President Obama delivered just before Christmas where he showed his own conservative stripes for purely political reasons.
In December, after thorough review, the Food and Drug Administration approved expanding the use of the contraceptive Plan B to women under 18. Plan B is not an abortifacient like RU-486; there is no risk of bleeding. Plan B is a high dosage of the same compound found in birth control pills. It works to prevent fertilization.
It’s safe and should be accessible to every woman of childbearing age and ability. It is the best preventative to pregnancy and abortion available, excepting regular use of contraceptives.
When the FDA said yes, however, Obama said no in a move that was pro-politics and antiscience. His reasoning? He didn’t want his own daughters finding Plan B “alongside bubble gum or batteries” in the local drugstore.
President Obama campaigned on being pro-science — understanding global warming, stem cell research, and the like. But just as he undermined the Environmental Protection Agency’s clean air ruling last September, he undermined the FDA — and women — right before Christmas. It was the kind of antiscience move one expects from far-right Tea Party extremists, not from a Democratic president.
The importance of the FDA ruling cannot be overstated, which is why Obama overriding that ruling is so troubling. The majority of first trimester abortions in the U.S. — as well as the majority of the third trimester abortions in the U.S. — are performed on women between the ages of 12 and 24. Plan B doesn’t just prevent pregnancy, it prevents abortion. It gives women who were either forced to have sex or who had unplanned sex an immediate option to not get pregnant.
Why would Obama take away that option? When he cites his own daughters, Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10, he’s not looking at the actual demographic for teen pregnancy. Most young women who get pregnant early are not in two-parent, one percenter households.
The Plan B debate faded from political discourse as suddenly as it arose. But for women and gay men, who have much at stake in having control over their own bodies, the issue cannot be ignored. It’s not just teenage girls who might get pregnant who are affected by Obama’s right-wing, antiscience decision. It’s also LGBT people who want control over their own bodies with regard to health issues from HIV/AIDS to gender reassignment.
If Obama can dismiss the FDA’s findings on something as safe as Plan B predicated on his personal or political whims, then what is to prevent him from doing the same with something less obviously safe, like hormone treatments for transgender youth or HIV cocktails for teenagers? Once politics posing as morality becomes a litmus test for science, the slippery slope is already before us.
When the president rules against science, we all lose. And once ground is lost in battles that refer back to the so-called culture wars like women’s rights and LGBT rights, there’s no regaining it.
Plan B is safer than aspirin and Tylenol, both readily available to girls 12 and older every day. Plan B is as safe as condoms, which are available in every supermarket and drugstore now. (Obama didn’t mention them being near the bubble gum and batteries.)
Obama ignored not just the FDA, but the Democratic commitment to choose facts over feelings. It was a move that bodes ill for women and queers as the election cycle heats up: Plan B today, who knows what tomorrow.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Oped_Women_Today_Gays_Tomorrow/

A Milestone in Massachusetts: Trans Rights Bill Signed

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-20/devalx560.jpg

The moment that transgender activists in Massachusetts had been waiting for finally came Thursday as Gov. Deval Patrick sat at a desk at the statehouse and signed into law a bill that bans many types of discrimination.

The new law includes transgender people in an antidiscrimination statement that affects employment, housing, insurance, and credit, and it's inclusive of them in hate-crimes laws, according (http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20120119ceremony_marks_passage_of_mass_transgender _law/srvc=home&position=recent) to the Boston Herald.
“Governor Patrick was a staunch advocate of the Transgender Equal Rights Bill from the earliest days of his administration, and we applaud his unwavering leadership in creating a Commonwealth where all hardworking people, including transgender people, will have the opportunity to make a living, put a roof over their heads, and get an education without fear of being discriminated against simply because of who they are,” said Kara Suffredini, executive director of MassEquality, in a statement (http://www.massequality.org/content/updated-governor-mark-historic-passage-transgender-equal-rights-bill-ceremonial-bill-signing).

But she also points out that there is more work to do.

“We are looking forward to working with the governor and lawmakers in getting a public accommodations law passed that will also protect transgender people from discrimination in public places like restaurants, grocery stores, trains and buses, and other places where daily life is routinely conducted,” Suffredini said.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/A_Milestone_in_Massachusetts_Trans_Rights_Bill_Sig ned/

Protesters Take on Santorum in S.C.

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-20/PROTESTX390.jpg

Antigay Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum had a few confrontations with LGBT protesters in South Carolina Thursday, seeing his speech interrupted by glitter-bombers and being told he had “spilled queer blood.”

A few minutes into Santorum’s speech at a rally in Mount Pleasant with Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, about 20 demonstrators tossed glitter into the air and began shouting at the candidate, the Charleston City Paper (http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/protesters-glitter-bomb-santorum-rally/Content?oid=3998236) reports. As police led them to a spot farther from the stage, they objected by chanting, “Put the queers in the back!”

As Santorum was leaving the podium, a solitary transgender activist, 20-year-old College of Charleston student Kneena Raheja, yelled at the candidate, “Mr. Santorum, you have spilled queer blood!” the website Buzzfeed (http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/a-lone-transgender-activist-confronts-santorum) reports. Raheha, who was born biologically male but identifies as female, displayed a “Trans Visibility” sign at the event.

Protesters emphasized the importance of confronting Santorum. Unlike Newt Gingrich, his main rival for the social conservative vote in Saturday’s South Carolina primary, Santorum “really believes what he’s doing,” Arsenio McCormick, one of the group of 20, told the City Paper. Gingrich “is just trying to play to that tune to try to get some votes,” McCormick said.

Raheja told Buzzfeed, “I think people like Rick Santorum are actively violent towards the queer population. I’m just here to let him know that the longer he silences us, the longer he does not acknowledge that we, the trans population, exist, the harder we will bash back.” She added that the rest of the Republican presidential aspirants are just as bad as Santorum: “They’re all rich old white men that don’t know my experience.”

Watch video from the protest below.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Protesters_Take_on_Santorum_in_SC/

P.S: See source for video

Samantha Bremmer, a student at Mill Creek Middle School in Dexter, MI, is promoting anti-bullying among her classmates by sticking Post-Its with uplifting hand-written messages on their lockers, according to Dexter Patch (http://dexter.patch.com/articles/mill-creek-middle-school-student-posts-inspirational-messages-to-classmates).
Bremmer, who is in eighth grade, hopes her messages bring positive energy into the classroom. She spent her winter break personally – and at the end with some help from Ashley Sobczak so the project would get finished - writing 820 notes to post on each locker.
Bremmer told the Dexter Patch that she “just thought of it out of the blue after watching videos of so many people saying mean things to others.”
"Some people need encouragement to get through the day, and I thought it would be nice to leave a positive comment for everyone," she explained.
Bremmer said she hasn’t been the victim of bullying, but has seen plenty of it happen to friends and classmates. "It hurts me to see other people being mean. I feel real bad when I hear other students making mean comments."
Teachers, students and parents are all impressed by the gesture and the positive effect it has had on campus.
Sobczak and Bremmer both realized that middle school is a difficult time for many kids as they begin to find themselves, opening students up to bullying. "Middle school is about trying to fit in and learning how to find your group of friends," Sobczak said. "That can lead to drama. A lot of times, kids are trying to figure out who they are in middle school."
Bremmer hopes her notes will remind her peers how important it is to respect each other, and is looking forward to the remainder of the school year.

Source: http://www.shewired.com/news/2012/01/19/middle-school-student-motivates-classmates-post-it-messages-lockers

Older Gay Men Can Boost Mental Health by Being Married

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-19/GAYSENIORSX390.jpg

Older gay men could avoid mental health complications by being married, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Gay and bisexual men over the age of 50 report feeling stress from aging, discrimination based on their sexual orientation, and having lost many friends from the AIDS epidemic. Other age-related stress factors, such as financial status and independence, also affect their mental health. However, having a committed and legally recognized spouse or domestic partner has proven to be a mitigating factor in such stresses.

"This study shines a light on the mental health of a generation of gay men who survived the early years of the AIDS crisis and came of age on the heels of the gay rights movement," Williams Institute scholar and researcher Richard G. Wight, Ph.D., said in a statement Thursday. "Whether legal marriage benefits mental health within same-sex couples in the way it has been proven to benefit different-sex couples deserves much more empirical attention, particularly given that same-sex marriage is not available in most states and was only briefly available in California in 2008."

The study suggests that public health agencies attempt more targeted mental health campaigns for gay and bisexual men over 50.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/19/Older_Gay_Men_Can_Boost_Mental_Health_By_Being_Mar ried/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th January 2012, 22:45

Shocking Level of Inequality for LGBT Families

A new report highlights the shocking level of poverty endured by LGBT people — and their children.
By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1055/INCOME_INEQUALITYX390_PHOTOS.jpg

The economy may slowly be getting its groove back, but many LGBT people will miss that rising tide. A recent report from the Half in Ten program — a campaign by the Center for American Progress and like-minded groups that aims to reduce poverty by half in 10 years — indicates that LGBT people, especially lesbians and transgender people, endure vast income inequality compared to their heterosexual peers.

"Lesbian couples tend to have much higher poverty rates than either heterosexual or male couples," according to the report, titled "Restoring Shared Prosperity: Strategies to Cut Poverty and Expand Economic Growth." "[Older] lesbian couples...are twice as likely as straight married couples to live in poverty."

The numbers, culled from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, indicated that up to 64% of transgender people make less than $25,000 a year. Also disturbing was the finding that children of gay couples are twice as likely to be poor as offspring of straight, married couples.

One of the solutions to this disparity is marriage equality, says Melissa Boteach, manager of Half in Ten.
"A married heterosexual couple with $45,000 in income filing their taxes jointly would get a $50 refund from the federal government," Boteach says. "A same-sex couple has to file separately and they would owe $2,165 in taxes."
Lesbian couples are especially hard-hit as women continue to make less than men — 78 cents to every dollar, according to Boteach. That difference is felt keenly in families where two women are raising children.

Half in Ten is calling for the passage of President Obama's American Jobs Act, which includes paid sick days for working parents.

"There are ways in which LGBT families have different needs, but there are certainly ways that they have the same needs as all Americans — good jobs and good wages," Boteach says.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Shocking_Level_of_Inequality_for_LGBT_Families/

Marriage Equality is a Trans Issue, Too

Recent high-profile cases show that marriage equality is a transgender issue too.
By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-06/2011-06-01/AraguzX390.jpg

When Nikki and Thomas Araguz were married in Texas in 2008, she had been married and divorced once before, and she had legal documentation identifying herself as a woman. Although Nikki, born biologically male, didn't have her gender transition surgery until a few months after the ceremony, she had no reason to think their marriage wasn't legal. In 2010, Thomas, a firefighter, died while battling a blaze. When Nikki tried to claim her share of his death benefits, a judge ruled their marriage invalid. Though laws governing the marriage of trans men and women who've undergone gender-reassignment surgery vary from state to state, the ruling, now on appeal, is a rare instance of a transgender person's marriage being voided.

"In the vast majority of cases , nobody has any problem," says Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who has handled many marriage-related cases. "Nobody even questions the validity of the marriage. Now there [I]have been a handful of cases in very conservative states that have come out badly."

The reason? "Courts in these states have been so homophobic," says Minter. "They don't want to even come close to recognizing a same-sex marriage."

Cases that have ended badly include that of Christie Littleton in Texas, where an appeals court ruled in 1999 that she could not bring a wrongful death suit after her husband, Jonathon, died; even though she had undergone gender-reassignment surgery, the court deemed Littleton male and her marriage invalid. In Kansas in 2002 came the only such ruling at a state supreme court level, in which J'Noel Gardiner, another transgender woman who had been widowed, was denied inheritance rights because the court did not recognize her marriage.

Several years ago, Minter represented Floridian Michael Kantaras, a transgender man who sought custody of his children when his marriage ended. The trial court ruled that Kantaras was male and his marriage valid, and awarded him custody, but the verdict was reversed on appeal. However, the Dr. Phil show then paid for mediation for Kantaras and his ex-wife, resulting in shared custody. "So that was good," Minter says.

There was encouraging news last year in Texas, one of the last states to allow proof of gender reassignment to get a marriage license. A Republican-backed bill that decreed that, for the purpose of marriage, gender is assigned at birth and cannot be changed even after gender-reassignment surgery, died in the legislature. And in November a Dallas County judge refused to invalidate trans man James Allan Scott's marriage to Rebecca Robertson, allowing the dissolution of their marriage to proceed as a divorce and giving Scott a chance at a share of the couple's property, says his lawyer, Eric Gormly. Though Scott had transitioned before their marriage, Robertson sought to nullify the union on grounds that he was born female.

Nationwide legal recognition of all marriages, regardless of the parties' gender, "would certainly solve the problem for everyone, but I don't want to wait for that," Minter says. For transgender people involved in disputes, Minter advises settling out of court if possible, but adds, "If you present the case in the right way, you have a good chance of winning." Good representation is key, he says: "Reach out to us or another LGBT legal group and we will help."

Araguz has ample representation — 17 lawyers, she says — and pledges to take her case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. "I've always been in favor of love," she says, but she admits, "I didn't become an advocate for marriage equality until my rights were taken away from me." Now she says, "Love knows no gender."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Marriage_Equality_is_a_Trans_Issue_Too/

A nurse at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center who was accused of spouting off antigay comments to a lesbian patient in November (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/16/After_Antigay_Charges_VA_Nurse_Removed_from_Patien ts/) has been fired.
Retired Marine lance corporal Esther Garatie (pictured) had sought help at the VA for severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Nurse practitioner Lincy Pandithurai reportedly told Garatie that her emotional problems stemmed from her sexual orientation.
“She sat down and looked at me, and her first question was, ‘Are you a lesbian?’” Garatie said in a statement published (http://www.dallasvoice.com/va-nurse-accused-anti-gay-tirade-1093109.html) by the Dallas Voice. “Her second question to me was, ‘Have you asked God into your heart? Have you been saved by Jesus Christ?’”
Garatie and a friend started a petition on Change.org to have the nurse removed from her position, and after two months and over 19,000 signatures of support, they have gotten their wish.
On Thursday, a spokeswoman for the VA Medical Center, confirmed to Change.org that Pandithurai’s employment had been terminated.
“The board was able to substantiate material portions of the veteran’s claims,” wrote Monica Smith. “VA North Texas Health Care System will continue to provide an environment where veterans can receive the physical and emotional healing that they desire and deserve. As such, we remain committed to respecting diversity and providing the best possible care to all veterans. Our commitment to equal rights remains strong as we practice our core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. Ms. Pandithurai will retire from federal service effective January 21, 2012.”
Garatie’s friend and co-petition author, Jessica Gerson, praised the move. “It’s reassuring for me and for the thousands of people who stood with Esther to know that the Dallas VA Medical Center takes allegations like this seriously,” said Gerson. “But more importantly, gay and lesbian veterans like my friend Esther should feel comforted that the VA system has become a little more safe and accepting thanks to the removal of this homophobic nurse.”

Source: http://www.shewired.com/soapbox/2012/01/20/va-nurse-accused-spouting-antigay-rhetoric-lesbian-marine-patient-has-been-fired

Queer Spring: New LGBT Leaders Everywhere

Newly elected LGBT leaders step into positions of power in a shifting Europe.
By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1055/ANNA_GRODSKAX390.jpg

Anna Grodzka
Before Grodzka became the first transgender person elected to the Sejm, the lower house of Poland's Parliament, she campaigned on a platform that included the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage. Some commentators view Grodzka's victory as voters' rejection of the Roman Catholic Church's long stranglehold on governance. Poland is the not quite the new Holland, though; the Polish media continues to refer to Grodzka as "he."

http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1055/ROBERTBIEDRONX390.jpg

Robert Biedron
The election of Biedron, a gay man, to the Sejm was another first for Poland. Like Grodzka, Biedron is a member of the burgeoning anticlerical Palikot's Movement, now the third largest political party in terms of seats in the nation's Parliament. Biedron isn't just a gay politician; he's also an LGBT activist. Aside from founding the Campaign Against Homophobia, Biedron is a consultant to several global human rights groups.

http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1055/RUTH_DAVIDSONX390.jpg

Ruth Davidson
The Scottish Davidson, 33, became active in the Conservative Party of the U.K. after leaving her job as a BBC journalist, eventually getting elected to the Scottish Parliament. In November she was chosen by her fellow party members as the first out person to lead the Scottish Conservative Party. She soon had a cordial meeting with British prime minister David Cameron to discuss Scottish independence.

http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1055/ELIODERUPOX390.jpg

Elio Di Rupo
This floppy-haired bow-tie fan took over as Belgium's prime minister in December, making him the first openly gay man to head a nation on a full-time basis (Per-Kristian Foss, a gay man, briefly served as Norway's interim prime minister in 2002). Di Rupo is the first French-speaking politician to lead Belgium in 30 years — the majority speaks Dutch — and the first Socialist leader since 1974. When reporters asked Di Rupo in 1996 if he was gay, he responded, "Yes. So what?"

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Queer_Spring_New_LGBT_Leaders_Everywhere/

TheGodlessUtopian

21st January 2012, 14:04

One more swing Democrat has come around on the gay-marriage issue in Washington State, bringing the marriage-equality bill just one vote shy of passing (http://www.queerty.com/washington-states-gay-marriage-bill-just-needs-two-more-votes-to-pass-20120113/). State Senator Jim Kastama (right), a Democrat who voted in 1998 to ban gay marriage in the state, says his evolution on the issue is a “deeply personal one,” according to the (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017284622_gaymarriage20m.html)Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017284622_gaymarriage20m.html).
Kastama announced yesterday he will vote yes on gay marriage.
“My district has known me my whole life and for 16 years has entrusted me to be a fiercely independent legislator,” he said. “The people of my district are generous and decent, but I also know that there are childhood friends who will never forgive me for this vote.”
Screw your childhood friends, Jim. Keep on being fierce.
Another factor that will hopefully convince undecided Senators to vote on the right side of history: Microsoft, Nike, RealNetworks, Group Health Cooperative, and Concur have sent a letter (http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/01/microsoft-calls-for-gay-marriage-in-washington-state/251680/) calling for gay marriage to pass.
Here’s the list of undecideds: Andy Hill ([email protected]), R-Redmond; Joe Fain (http://www.queerty.com/washington-state-just-one-vote-short-of-passing-gay-marriage-bill-20120120/[email protected]), R-Auburn; Mary Margaret Haugen (http://www.queerty.com/washington-state-just-one-vote-short-of-passing-gay-marriage-bill-20120120/[email protected]), D-Camano Island; Paull Shin ([email protected]), D-Edmonds; and Brian Hatfield ([email protected]), D-Raymond.
Click on their names to e-mail them and tell them you want Washington State to be the seventh marriage-equality state, especially if you are a constituent in any of their districts. Let them know there may be financial rewards (http://www.queerty.com/hey-republicans-it-pays-to-cross-the-aisle-on-marriage-equality-20120118/) for doing so.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/washington-state-just-one-vote-short-of-passing-gay-marriage-bill-20120120/

When Tennessee State Rep. Richard Floyd (R-Chattanooga) read about (http://www.queerty.com/employee-invokes-religious-discrimination-against-macys-as-excuse-for-bullying-a-trans-customer-20111209/) the saleswoman who was fired for bullying a trans woman in a Macy’s changing room, he flew into a blackout rage.
Oh, not against the bigoted staffer—against the trans woman who dared pollute the sacredness of a department store dressing room.
So Floyd introduced a House bill that would require transgender people to use the designated bathroom of their birth sex. It would also, whether intentionally or not, make it illegal for parents to take a child of a different sex into a public bathroom or changing room. Same with caregivers to opposite-sex disabled people.
But that alone isn’t enough to get him crowned Douche of the Week.
He assured his victory by inciting violence against transgender people, telling the Times Free Press (http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jan/13/bill-affecting-transgender-use-restrooms-and-dress/):

“…if I was standing at a dressing room and my wife or one of my daughters was in the dressing room and a man tried to go in there – I don’t care if he thinks he’s a woman and tries on clothes with them in there—I’d just try to stomp a mudhole in him and then stomp him dry. ”

Now before you ask, we had to look up the term “mudhole” too.

According to FreeDictionary.com, it’s “a hole, or hollow place, containing mud, as in a road.”

That’s awful random. Maybe he was referring to this definition (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mudhole)?

Floyd’s rant to the Times Free Press gets worse:

“Don’t ask me to adjust to their perverted way of thinking and put my family at risk. We cannot continue to let these people dominate how society acts and reacts. Now if somebody thinks he’s a woman and he’s a man and wants to try on women’s clothes, let him take them into the men’s bathroom or dressing room.
“The potential for pedophiles and molesters to come into the restroom and claim the same thing, that they think they’re of the opposite sex and they think they’re something else, something they’re not, they can do the same thing that transgender people do.”

Except Macy’s has a policy allowing trans people to use the dressing room of their choice and molesters aren’t kicking in the door to abuse it. It’s just not happening. (Of course, if Floyd did carry out his threat of violence, we hope it’d be against this (http://www.queerty.com/rag-doll-beatdown-illustrates-why-one-should-never-say-thats-a-man-to-a-trans-woman-20111227/) kind of trans woman.)

Thankfully, it doesn’t look like this insanity will go too far: Tennessee State Sen. Bo Watson withdrew the Senate version of the bill, saying “I understand Rep. Floyd’s passion about the issue, but we have more pressing issues before us that we need to focus our attention on and we don’t need to get sidetracked.”

Sen. Watson, you’re totally right. As for Rep. Floyd?

All together now: What a douche!
Source: http://www.queerty.com/tennessee-rep-threatens-to-stomp-trans-women-using-the-changing-room-20120120/

A new study being published in the American Journal of Public Health suggests that sexual minority stress—carrying the stigma attached to homosexuality—negatively impacts the mental health of gay men aged 44-75. Part of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, a massive study of the epidemic in the United States, the survey was based on questionnaires answered by 200 gay men, both HIV+ and HIV-, in 2009 and 2010.
It also reported that losing loved ones to AIDS was another factor against general well-being. As Pink News reports (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/01/20/us-study-sexual-minority-stress-risk-for-older-gays/):
Having a same-sex domestic partner or same-sex spouse boosted the emotional health of the studied men, but having a same-sex legal spouse appeared to be the most beneficial relationship arrangement.
Lead author Richard G. Wight of the Williams Institute at UCLA: “This study shines a light on the mental health of a generation of gay men who survived the early years of the AIDS crisis and came of age on the heels of the gay rights movement.
We’re not social scientists, but 200 seems like an awfully small sample group, especially for a self-administered survey. But it’s hard to deny that the closet and the specter of AIDS have played havoc with the emotional health of so many of us.
What think you, readers—does this jibe with your personal experience?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/study-sexual-minority-stress-damaging-to-older-gay-men-20120120/

In response to growing complaints about West Hollywood's annual Pride (http://www.lapride.org/pride2012/festival.html) parade and festival, the city has decided to form a committee dedicated to overhauling the event for 2013.
Consuming almost two hours of a five-hour council meeting Tuesday night, the Pride discussion grew impassioned at times as both councilmembers and public commenters spoke about their vision for the annual gay Pride celebration, which takes place on the second weekend in June.
At the Dec. 19 council meeting, Councilman John D’Amico called for changes to the event (http://westhollywood.patch.com/there%20is%20a%20serious%20disconnect%20for%20a%20 lot%20of%20people%20on%20that%20event.%E2%80%9D). “There is a serious disconnect for a lot of people on that event,” he said, noting that many residents have long complained about the 42-year-old parade, often calling it “lame” or “tired.”
Rodney Scott, executive director of Christopher Street West (CSW), which puts on the pride festivities, explained to attendees of Tuesday's meeting that the event brings in approximately $1.2 million in income each year. About $400,000 of that amount comes from festival admission tickets.
Scott said the event has $1.1 to $1.2 million in expenses each year. The city waives many of the fees associated with putting on the parade and festival, but CSW reimburses the city for the cost of festival preparation, sheriff’s personnel and clean up.
The parade (http://westhollywood.patch.com/articles/pride-2011-macy-gray-headlines-purple-party-gloria-allred-rides-with-all-reds-and-boystown-packed), which travels down Santa Monica Boulevard from Crescent Heights to San Vicente, attracts an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people. Approximately 25,000 people attend the accompanying festival held in West Hollywood Park (http://westhollywood.patch.com/listings/west-hollywood-park).
Articulating community concerns
D’Amico asked Scott to articulate what he understood the community concerns to be. Scott said the issues centered around creating areas for gay youth and transgender people, plus a need for more dance space.
D’Amico said Pride was no longer a political event. “The politics have drained out in favor of commerce,” he told Scott. He also said many residents do not feel included anymore and that the parade was far too long, often lasting three hours.
During public comment, many people spoke about the exuberance of coming to their first gay pride event and how exciting it was to ride or march in the parade. Others talked about the satisfaction they gained from volunteering.
Several business representatives said they earned a fourth to a third of their yearly profits during Pride. Chamber of Commerce CEO Genevieve Morell said CSW was as important a partner in the city as any other business.
Former Councilman Steve Martin said it might be impossible to recreate the electricity of a person’s first gay Pride event, but that the city was now the “trustee” of the event, so it was important to raise its quality.
Admission and fencing
Several public speakers said they felt caged in by the fencing around West Hollywood Park during the festival, but Scott said the enclosure was important for the security of attendees, and to protect the vendors’ booths overnight.
The admission fee ($15 in advance, $20 at the gate) was also a point of concern for residents. Scott noted Long Beach, San Diego and Palm Springs also charged admission to their Pride events, while San Francisco did not, but Councilman John Heilman did not want people to focus on the logistics of admission.
“I think we should be focusing on how to make the whole experience the best it can be and not really worrying about whether people can afford $20 to get in,” Heilman said. “I think our community by and large can afford that charge, and if they can’t, we need to provide a mechanism to accommodate them.”
'Miracles' needed
At one point, Heilman asked what CSW would want from the city to help improve the event. CSW board member Steve Ganzell, who stepped in after Scott left for a flight, replied “miracles,” adding that more space in the park would be ideal.
D’Amico said it was important for CSW to spell out what it required from the city to upgrade the event. “Tell us exactly what you need from us,” D’Amico said. “If it’s $10 million and 10 acres, tell us.”
In the end, the council decided that CSW does an admirable job organizing the event, but needed help with fundraising. Mayor John Duran suggested the council could revive the West Hollywood Community Foundation to help spur community involvement and fundraising, but the council postponed acting on that idea.
Duran and D’Amico agreed to serve on a committee with CSW officials to find ways to raise the quality of the event. Their role will be limited in the next few months since plans for the 2012 festival are well under way. Come July, once this year’s festival is over, the two will be more heavily involved.
D’Amico said he was glad the conversation was happening, and that the city would take a more active role in the event.
“We cannot back down from our need to be leaders in the [gay] movement,” D’Amico said. “Where that will take us is only limited by how we end the conversation ourselves.”

Source: http://westhollywood.patch.com/articles/city-want-gay-pride-festival-overhauled-and-improved

As you may know, this past summer the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) decided to allow the ordination of gay clergy (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/11/us-religion-gays-idUSTRE74A05S20110511). Yesterday, a new Presbyterian denomination was born: the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (http://www.fellowship-pres.org/evangelical-covenant-order/)—or, for short, ECO (as opposed to echo, which is a hollow, after-the-fact, ever-diminishing noise).
ECO was formed by pastors and laypeople in response to PCUSA’s decision to join the 21st century. They’re against gay people being ordained as ministers, and so started their own sub-denomination wherein such a thing would be prohibited.
And that’s fair enough. If they want to take their ball and go play with themselves in the corner, that’s certainly their right.
What is certainly most notable, however, is ECO’s refusal to anywhere, in any way whatsoever, just come out and say that they formed in response to PCUSA’s sanctioning the ordination of gay people. Everyone knows that’s why ECO formed. It’s hardly a mystery or secret. Yesterday’s Reuters story on the matter is titled Presbyterian group breaks away over gay clergy (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/19/us-usa-presbyterian-gay-idUSTRE80I2CD20120119). Back in August, Rev. John Crosby, now the president of ECO, said, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/25/presbyterian-pastors-gay-clergy_n_937152.html) “We [the Presbyterians] have tried to create such a big tent trying to make everybody happy theologically. I fear the tent has collapsed without a center.”
Wow. So, for Rev. Crosby the go-to metaphor on this matter is tent poles. Boy, for a guy who likes to sidestep taking hold of the big, hot issues …
And what deft sidestepping Rev. Crosby and his fellow ECO leaders do. A reader can search high and low throughout ECO’s online site, (http://www.fellowship-pres.org/evangelical-covenant-order/) and nowhere will they find a single, solitary word about gay people or homosexuality. They’ll read how ECO wants to “connect leaders through accountable biblical relationships,” to “reclaim a sense of covenanted biblical community,” and to “develop gospel-centered leaders.” They’ll discover ECO’s passion for “the right kind of diversity” (which is then carefully stipulated to mean “women, men, young leaders, and every ethnicity”). They’ll readily learn of ECO’s desire to “unite around a shared theological core.”
But beyond that kind of dissembling, Secret Code Fundy Talk, nary a mention will they find of the true and actual reason ECO exists.
ECO honchos! Just say that you’ve formed because you believe that gays shouldn’t be ordained! If your convictions are so great they’ve compelled you to found a “breakaway movement,” why aren’t they great enough for you to be explicit about what it is you’re breaking away from?
That said, though, I’m heartened by the leaders of ECO being so afraid of proclaiming their true nature and purpose. It means they’re as uncomfortable as, God knows, they should be, about excluding gay people from full participation in the life that Jesus so passionately offered to all.
It’s always encouraging when someone can’t force their mouth to say what their heart knows is wrong. It means there’s hope for them yet.
In the meantime our would-be friends at ECO are stuck, as it were, inartfully singing along with the Cowardly Lion:
I’m sure I could show my prowess / Be a lion, not a mouse / If I only had the nerve.

* * *
Related Post: Our [Presbyterian] Church: “Sign This Anti-Gay Statement, or Leave” (http://johnshore.com/2008/10/08/our-church-wanna-be-a-deacon-then-sign-this-anti-gay-statement/)
(UPDATE: A commenter to this post wrote: “As a PCUSA pastor I can tell you a big reason why ECO was formed was because the pastors in the anti-gay lobby receives very generous pension and medical benefits from the PCUSA that they are afraid to leave behind should they follow their conscience to disaffiliate from the denomination. … Our pension plan is the envy of most denominations and our benefits are generous. Any minister can leave at any time to seek a call in another Presbyterian denomination that would have them [PCA, OPC, EPC, RCA, CRC, etc.]. But they don’t want to give up the perks.”)Source: http://johnshore.com/2012/01/20/new-anti-gay-presbyterian-denomination-cowardly-lions/

ay Scottish Teen on Trial in Killing of Schoolmate

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-20/frew.jpg
Jack Frew
A teenager in East Kilbride, Scotland, is on trial for allegedly killing a schoolmate (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/05/10/Teen_Charged_in_Murder_of_Gay_Student/) who was blackmailing him.

Craig Roy, 19, admits to repeatedly stabbing Jack Frew, 16, on a bicycle path in a wooded area but denies that he murdered him.

The BBC reports (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-16655410) that Roy told police he had performed oral sex on Frew several months before the 2010 murder and that Frew had threatened to tell Roy’s boyfriend about the encounter.

While Roy’s sister told police that her brother had admitted to slitting Frew’s throat, Roy himself told police that he had only taken the knife with him to scare Frew and that everything happened “very, very fast.”

Read the full story here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-16655410).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Gay_Scottish_Teen_on_Trial_in_For_Killing_Schoolma te/

Jim Bob Duggar Supports Girl Scout Cookie Boycott

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/TheDuggarsx390.jpg
Jim Bob Duggar (right)
Jim Bob Duggar, known for fathering 19 children with his wife, Michelle, said he sides with a boycott of the Girl Scouts' famous cookie sale because one troop in Colorado allowed a 7-year-old transgender girl to become a scout.

While campaigning for presidential hopeful Rick Santorum in South Carolina, Duggar told BuzzFeed (http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/duggar-dad-comes-out-against-transgender-girl-scou), "Our family loves Girl Scout cookies, and I don't think allowing a boy in the Girl Scouts is a good thing." The 19 Kids and Counting star also said the founders of the century-old organization "would be truly upset to hear" that a Girl Scout troop in Colorado has opened its doors to a transgender scout.

Some troop leaders in Louisiana announced their resignation (http://www.shewired.com/soapbox/2011/12/20/girl-scouts-trans-inclusive-policy-prompts-some-louisiana-troop-leaders-resign) after Rachelle Trujillo, a representative from Colorado's statewide organization, said transgender children were welcome. A month later, a 14-year-old from Ventura, Calif., announced that she was upset over the decision in in Colorado and urged people (http://www.shewired.com/news/2012/01/11/cookie-boycott-urged-disgruntled-girl-scout) not to buy Girl Scout cookies.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Jim_Bob_Duggar_Supports_Girl_Scout_Cookie_Boycott/

TheGodlessUtopian

21st January 2012, 22:01

"We intend to hold every legislator accountable for his or her vote on marriage. Those who support HB 437 will be rewarded, while those who don’t will suffer the consequences.”
—Brian Brown, NOM's President—
http://cdn.nomblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/nomlogo.gif
Concord, NH — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation's leading pro-marriage organization, today announced that it will spend $250,000 in legislative races to help legislators who support HB 437 restoring traditional marriage and hold accountable anyone who opposes the Same-Sex Marriage Repeal Bill. The Bill, HB 437, will be up for a vote in the next few weeks.
“Sixty-one percent of New Hampshire GOP primary voters support a legislative definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman alongside of a provision for civil unions,” stated Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We intend to hold every legislator accountable for his or her vote on marriage. Those who support HB 437 will be rewarded, while those who don’t will suffer the consequences in the next election.”
HB 437 is compromise legislation that restores the traditional definition of marriage which predates the New Hampshire Constitution, while allowing existing same-sex marriages to remain intact, and grants rights and benefits through civil unions. HB 437 is a balanced bill and is the most common sense approach in New Hampshire.
NOM has helped mount successful legislative election efforts on the same-sex marriage issue in places like Minnesota, Maine, California, New York and New Hampshire. The group is particularly effective at ending the careers of Republican officials who abandon marriage. For example, the group aired ads critical of Republican candidate Bill Binnie’s position on same-sex marriage that resulted in his defeat in the GOP US Senate primary campaign in 2010.
"In 2010 NOM was a significant player in New Hampshire and spent over $1 million in the last election. It’s humorous that our opponents loudly proclaim they will raise $100,000 to help legislators on their side when we have already invested over ten times that amount,” said Brown. “Aside from helping defeat Bill Binnie, we worked with grassroots organizations to help flip the state legislature after liberal democrats legalized same-sex marriage in 2009. NOM sent mailers and launched phone calls in 119 house races, and our endorsed candidates won all of them. A vote for HB 437 is a vote for traditional marriage. We will consider a vote against the legislation a vote for same-sex marriage, and we will hold legislators accountable. NOM will support those who support marriage and will work with local New Hampshire organizations to recruit pro-traditional marriage candidates to run against those who vote against HB 437 and fund them.”

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray, [email protected], (x130) or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], (x105) at 703-683-5004.

Source: http://www.nomblog.com/18245/

lol...bigots doing what they do best.

HIV Advocate Pushes Mandated Condom Use in Porn

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/CONDOMSX390.jpg

An HIV/AIDS advocate who for years has pushed required condom use in the adult film industry as a condition for film permits is now taking his fight to the next level.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles City Council in a 9-1 vote gave final approval to an ordinance requiring porn actors to wear condoms. Industry representatives had opposed the ordinance as governmental regulation gone overboard.

But Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (http://www.aidshealth.org/), called the new rule “a great day for the performers and safer sex in our society" and now plans to collect signatures for an equivalent Los Angeles County measure.

Via the Los Angeles Times:

"This is a case study in the power of persistence," Weinstein said in an interview. He noted that the concept of allowing drug users to exchange needles, once seen as untouchable, finally gained acceptance as a way to protect people from HIV.

Weinstein has pushed state legislators and the County Board of Supervisors to back mandatory condom use, but has received little support. No state lawmakers have been willing to sponsor legislation, Weinstein said, and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said in 2010 that the state, not the county Department of Public Health, should be dealing with the matter. (Read the report here (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/condoms-porn-aids-la-county.html).)
Weinstein said that self-regulation within the porn industry is ineffective. "It's in their DNA to not have anybody tell them anything about how they do business," he said.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/21/HIV_Advocate_Pushes_Mandated_Condom_Use_in_Porn/

Coming Out in a Sundance Debut

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Andrew%20Ahn%20Dol.jpg

LGBT-related films abound in this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Among them, a documentary (http://filmguide.sundance.org/film/120117/love_free_or_die) on V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Election/Gene_Robinson_on_the_NH_Race/) who retires next year, and a poignant short film (http://www.andrewahnfilms.com/index/dol-first-birthday/) by a gay Korean-American man who used the project to come out to his family.

KPCC Southern California Public Radio reports (http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2012/01/21/22186/sundance-bound-andrew-ahn-comes-out-to-korean-amer) on L.A. filmmaker Andrew Ahn’s Dol:
Ahn wanted to use the film to come out to his parents because he couldn't bring himself to broach the topic directly. He filmed his actual parents, aunts and uncles because he knew they'd want to watch. That way, Ahn could force himself to come out. But things didn't go as planned.

"After the credits rolled they said 'Oh, is that it?'" he said. "I just started crying because I built up the moment so much, and I knew that they were in denial, that I could have taken the DVD, gone back to my room and they wouldn't have said a thing."

According to Ahn, homosexuality is a complex issue in immigrant Korean culture. While there are lots of progressive images supporting homosexuality in the media, there's a conservative Christian community that's equally as strong, and bridging the gap causes problems. Ahn had no idea how his parents would react. "I was scared. I packed a bag, just in case," he said. (Listen to the interview here (http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2012/01/21/22186/sundance-bound-andrew-ahn-comes-out-to-korean-amer).)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/21/Coming_Out_in_a_Sundance_Debut/

P.S: See source for video

Nobody has ever been put on trial in the UK for distributing inflammatory materials based on sexual orientation. In this landmark case, three of the five Derby men tried (http://www.queerty.com/men-handing-out-death-to-gays-pamphlets-on-trial-in-first-of-its-kind-case-in-uk-20120111/) are the first to have been found guilty of the hate crime, which was passed in 2010 as an amendment to the 1986 Public Order Act to include materials used to stir up hatred based on sexual orientation. Ihjaz Ali, 42, Kabir Ahmed, 28, and Razwan Javed, 27, were pronounced guilty of promoting hatred against gays. They created leaflets with titles like Turn or Burn and God Abhors You, bearing images of men hanging from nooses and lakes of fire, and distributed them outside Derby’s Jaima Mosque in July 2010.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of campaign group Stonewall, said after the hearing:

“We’re satisfied to see these extremists convicted for distributing offensive and inflammatory leaflets that suggested gay people should be burnt or stoned to death. Witnesses told the court they felt threatened and deeply fearful in their own homes. People from all communities will feel safer knowing that the law now makes it harder to stir up hatred and violence against gay people.”
Now if we can get a version of this law passed in America, maybe the Westboro Baptist Church will have a harder time promoting their idiotic bigotry.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/muslim-men-who-handed-out-death-to-gays-pamphlets-found-guilty-of-hate-crime-20120121/

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd January 2012, 15:41

Washington Governor Maps Marriage Equality Journey

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-19/Gregoire.jpg

Home to nearly 7 million people, Washington is the most populous state in the West behind California and a coveted outpost for advocates waging the state-by-state marriage equality battle. The Evergreen State took a promising step toward handing the region a victory earlier this month when Gov. Christine Gregoire proposed a same-sex marriage bill, becoming one of a handful of state chief executives, all Democrats and Catholics, to push the issue, and the only woman among their ranks.

“It’s been always on my mind tangentially and thinking about it, but I knew now was the time to face it,” she said in an interview with The Advocate the week after her January 4 announcement. “And as I faced it both as a mom and as a wife and as a Catholic, as a governor, and wrote it down on a piece of paper, the logic of it all fell into the words that I put down there.”

During her press conference (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/04/Washington_Governor_It_s_Time_for_Marriage_Equalit y/) at the capitol in Olympia, the former attorney general read a 10-minute statement that debunked familiar arguments against marriage equality, such as reserving marriage for heterosexual procreation, and drew parallels to earlier fights against racial and sex discrimination. Three months of preparation went into the speech, including a 3 a.m. session in which she honed the language to encourage the state legislature to consider the issue “thoughtfully and respectfully.”

“I wanted everything in there that I’d ever heard, and I wanted to take it on squarely,” she said. “The idea of separate but equal is not equal.”

Momentum exists for the marriage equality bill, where 23 senators, including two Republicans, support the measure, leaving it two votes shy of the 25 needed for passage in the Democratic-controlled chamber. The bill is expected to clear the House, and public hearings are scheduled for this Monday. Meanwhile, the governor and advocates continue to lobby a bipartisan group of six undecided senators, and one conservative Democrat on the fence plans to announce his position Thursday afternoon.

Gregoire expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for the bill, saying that one immediate obstacle concerned whether lawmakers would agree to pass it as filed, without a referendum clause. Such a clause would impose a requirement that the voting public approve the measure. As it stands now, under state law, if the bill passes without a referendum clause, petitioners would still have the right to challenge it, but only after gathering 120,557 valid signatures.

“One of the big issues, frankly, is that I believe we have sufficient numbers to get the votes and put it on the ballot. That’s not what I’m trying to do,” she said. “I’m trying to get the votes, period. I think it’s time for the legislature to step up and accept responsibility and take the vote, and not just say, ‘OK, give it over to the people.’ There’s where the big effort lies right now and I’m absolutely working it.”

The governor declined to say whether she would compromise if presented with a bill that included a referendum requirement, calling the question “premature.” However, she expressed confidence that voters would uphold marriage equality in the event of a referendum, citing a University of Washington poll that found support at 55%. The state became the first to affirm same-sex relationship recognition in a public vote when voters approved Referendum 71 in 2009 to maintain an expanded domestic-partnership law. Washington United for Marriage, the coalition of groups working on the bill this year, has accounted for the possibility of a referendum in its strategy.

Gregoire also said it was too early to say whether she would call for a vote without the certainty of passage in the Senate. She said her intention was to proceed after the 25 votes are secured, a tipping point that could open the door to more support. That scenario would make it difficult for opponents like the National Organization for Marriage to target any one senator as the decisive vote. NOM announced that it planned to spend $250,000 to defeat any Republican lawmakers who vote for the bill, a repeat of threats made in other states.

“I’m not convinced that once we get to the 25, we don’t get more,” said Gregoire. “It’s going to be hard to get to the 25, but once we get to the 25, when the vote actually happens on the floor, I won’t be surprised if we get more.”

The governor said the timing of any vote remained uncertain and hinged in large part on the budget situation, where Washington faces a $2 billion gap. Sen. Ed Murray, the gay man who chairs of the Ways and Means Committee, is tasked with writing the budget and also carries the marriage equality bill. Rep. Jamie Pedersen, also gay, and chair of the Judiciary Committee, which will host a public hearing January 23, carries the bill in the House.

Depending on the outcome, Washington could become the seventh state, in addition to the District of Columbia, with marriage equality. Bills are also pending this session in Maryland and New Jersey, where governors Martin O’Malley and Chris Christie, like Gregoire and Andrew Cuomo in New York, are Roman Catholics. O’Malley has backed the bill, while Christie, a Republican, has sounded noncommittal lately when asked about his previous veto threat.

Gregoire asked her staff to model the bill’s religious exemptions on the New York law, which protects religious organizations and affiliated groups that refuse to solemnize same-sex marriages or provide facilities and services for their celebration. Lawmakers in New Jersey also identified New York as the model for their bill introduced (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/09/New_Jersey_Democrats_Fast_Track_Marriage_Equality/) last week.

While cautioning that New York and Washington State are “completely different,” Gregoire said she found Cuomo’s approach to the Catholic Church during the marriage equality debate instructive. The New York governor personally spoke with Archbishop Timothy Dolan, now a cardinal-designate, who dispensed strong rhetoric but overall seemed to mute his efforts. When the time arrived for last-minute lobbying in June, for instance, Dolan could be found on Gregoire’s turf, at a bishops’ conference in Seattle.

Similarly, Gregoire spoke with Seattle archbishop J. Peter Sartain in a “very respectful and appreciative” conversation before she made her public announcement. Still, the archbishop and three other bishops issued a letter Friday in opposition to the marriage equality bill, arguing that married heterosexual couples make an “irreplaceable” social contribution that would be jeopardized by any change in the law. Stephen Pidgeon, the attorney behind Referendum 71, also opposes the bill. Washington State already has a Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1998, but he has filed an initiative seeking to put even more restrictive language in the law.

The bishops’ letter makes no mention of a “war” against religious liberty. Catholic figures such as Dolan and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich have used the language in recent months to describe circumstances they claim force religious groups like Catholic Charities to cease adoption and other services rather than comply with marriage equality and civil union laws. Gregoire, who worked with foster child placements as an assistant attorney general, called their rhetoric “totally unacceptable.”

“It’s one thing to allow freedom of religion,” she said. “It’s another thing to put the state in the position where, in my opinion, it’s engaged in discrimination. To the contrary, what I think New York and what we’re trying to do here is respect religious freedom.”

New York advocates also built support from a coalition of business leaders with ties to the state, something that Gregoire is seeking to replicate in Washington. “It’s premature to tell you that I have anything, but I’m working it,” she said. Prominent companies based in the state include Microsoft and Starbucks, both of which signed a brief (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/04/Google_Microsoft_Starbucks_Say_DOMA_Hurts_Their_Bu sinesses/) in November calling for repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

The current efforts represent the culmination of a “long journey” at least seven years in the making for the 64-year-old governor and her state. In 2006, Washington passed a nondiscrimination bill. Domestic partnerships came the next year, followed by an expanded version of the law in 2008. The following year, voters upheld the expansion of domestic partnership rights for same-sex couples in the referendum.

Gregoire backed those steps even as she continued to struggle with the idea of same-sex marriage. A longtime supporter of reproductive rights, she remembers grappling with marriage equality as early as 2004, as she left the attorney general’s office while cases were being filed against the state’s DOMA. “There I was defending, and I couldn’t find an argument that I thought passed muster,” she said. When the Washington State Supreme Court struck down the challenge in 2006 for reasons including procreation and “the well-being of children,” she said, “That really started me thinking on it.”

The married governor also discussed the subject with gay friends, the children of same-sex couples, and her own daughters, ages 32 and 27, who she said represent a generation that has embraced equality the way baby boomers rallied against racial discrimination. She informed them of her decision to support marriage equality in a teary exchange this past Thanksgiving.

“I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t feel right,” she said. “I think it’s fundamentally wrong to discriminate. At the same time, I have accepted my religion can have religious freedom to do what it chooses to do, but that cannot allow a state to engage in discrimination, so that’s been my evolution.”

Gregoire announced in June that she would not run for reelection this year. She vigorously dismisses the question of whether political timing accounts for her changed position.

“I’m not one who goes out and talks about myself personally at all,” she said. “So going out there and opening myself up was unique for me. It had nothing to do with politics. Who knows? I could run for something else in the future.”

In the meantime, she has a marriage equality bill to push and a flood of correspondence to read, including supportive letters from priests and a 16-year-old Catholic lesbian. The young girl wrote to say that encouragement from her parents and people like the governor has kept her from taking her own life.

A former chairwoman of the National Governors Association, Gregoire declined to offer any advice to colleagues such as Beverly Perdue of North Carolina, the nation’s only other Democratic female governor. Governor Perdue has said she opposes the anti–marriage equality constitutional amendment before voters in her state this May, but she believes that marriage is between a man and a woman.

The same goes for President Obama, whom Gregoire endorsed early in 2008. She said that she hopes the president arrives at the point she has while in office, but she respects that he appears to be on a “personal journey.”

“If I can be successful here, I hope I can be helpful elsewhere,” she said. “It’s my job to be successful here before I go out and advocate to others.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/19/Washington_Governor_Maps_Marriage_Equality_Journey/

Washington Lawmakers to Consider Marriage Bills Monday

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/washx390.jpg

Large crowds are expected Monday in Olympia as lawmakers begin considering whether to make Washington the seventh state in the nation where marriage equality is legal.

Passage of the legislation, which has the support of Gov. Chris Gregoire, is by no means certain. Though the house bill has enough votes, an identical senate measure is currently one vote shy of support, with five lawmakers still undecided (The Stranger profiles (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/two-votes-away-from-marriage-equality/Content?oid=11791839) the remaining undecideds and lists all relevant office contact information as well).

Per its usual playbook, the National Organization for Marriage is threatening to support the ousting of any Republican senator who votes in favor of the bill. On Wednesday, NOM president Brian Brown said in a statement that the group would spend $250,000 to fund primary challenges against pro-equality GOP legislators.

“If the legislature forces through same-sex marriage, they need to know that marriage will be on the ballot in November and the people of Washington will hold them accountable," Brown said.
A coalition of marriage equality supporters includes heavy-hitting corporations headquartered in the state such as Nike and Microsoft. "To be successful, it’s critical that we have a workforce that is as diverse as our customers," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith wrote (http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2012/01/19/marriage-equality-in-washington-state-would-be-good-for-business.aspx) Thursday. "Inclusiveness is therefore a fundamental part of our values."

The Seattle Times reports (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017300977_gaymarriage22m.html?prmid=4939) that anti-gay marriage forces are planning a noontime rally Monday at the state capitol.

Both bills could see a floor vote in the state legislature by next month.

Information on the Monday hearings:

Senate Committee on Government Operations
January 23, 10:00 am
J.A. Cherberg Bldg, Senate hearing room #2

House Committee on Judiciary
January 23; testimony on marriage bill expected to begin at 2:30 pm
John L. O’Brien Bldg, room A
Currently scheduled events for marriage equality supporters can be found here (http://washingtonunitedformarriage.org/events/) via Washington United For Marriage.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/22/Washington_Lawmakers_to_Consider_Marriage_Bills/

P.S: See source for video

A Tribe Called Queer

1.11.2012

By By: Jon Roth

In the Native American community, two spirits can be better than one.

Illustration by Simon Pemberton
Gay couples can’t marry in Washington. But near Seattle, tucked away off the Puget Sound, there’s a sovereign nation whose citizens can marry whoever they choose. They’re called the Suquamish (http://www.suquamish.nsn.us/), and they were there before Washington was a president, much less a state.
The Suquamish enjoy the right to same-sex marriage, thanks to Heather Purser, a 29-year-old lesbian tribal member who grew up near the reservation. She’d already tried to come out of the closet twice during her childhood, and retreated both times before she arrived at Western Washington University and started attending LGBT events. “I saw that I could be safe there,” she says. “I decided I wanted to have that feeling back home, too.”
Purser began speaking with her tribe about same-sex marriage in 2007. A year later, she addressed the tribal council, which cautiously encouraged her cause. She did her research: contacting a tribe that had recently passed a similar law, requesting copies of their ordinance, reviewing it with an attorney, and translating it into Suquamish. After three years, she put her petition to a vote at a council meeting. “Everyone said, ‘If you do that, it’ll kill your dream. We have to do this slowly,’ ” she says. Purser demanded a vote anyway. In a room of 300 people, not one dissented. In August of 2011, her dream became law (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/12/us/12tribe.html).
This isn’t the first victory for queer Native Americans. In 2006, the First Nations Two Spirit Collective (http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Nations-Two-Spirit-Collective/228560843858693) formed, creating a political platform for LGBT native people. In 2008, the Coquille tribe (http://www.coquilletribe.org/) of North Bend, Ore., became the first to allow same-sex marriage. This summer, the Suquamish became the second. Two months later, the Oglala Sioux tribe of Pine Ridge, S.D., issued a proclamation (http://www.actonprinciples.org/2011/10/25/oglala-sioux-tribe-issues-proclamation-for-two-spirits-dignity-human-rights/) in support of LGBT equality, declaring it “time to ignite the civil rights movement of the 21st century.”
This may sound progressive, but Native Americans’ recognition of queer people predates Columbus. The Navajo call them nadleeh, the Lakota say winkte, the Plains Cree use iskwekan -- there are almost as many terms as native languages. One word you probably won’t hear is berdache, a pejorative (something between a catamite and a male prostitute) introduced by early French colonists. In 1990, a queer Native American caucus settled on “two spirit” as an umbrella term to describe indigenous people of alternative gender or sexuality.
“In traditional communities, ‘gay’ wasn’t even a category,” says Dr. Karina Walters, an out member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (http://www.choctawnation.com/) and Director of Washington University’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (http://iwri.org/). “Quite often there were third gender statuses, sometimes up to seven,” Walters notes. “These relationships weren’t homosexual, they were heterogendered.” Two spirits often inhabited the in-between spaces, working as medicine people and mediators between rival factions, living on the outer ring of camp to serve as buffers from outsiders. Some two spirits were even present in Washington, D.C., during treaty negotiations. At best, they were revered. At worst, they were tolerated, sometimes teased.
Like smallpox and whiskey, homophobia was a Western import, codified once the U.S. and Canada became nations. Government-run boarding schools spearheaded this reeducation: Students were given Western names, clothes, and haircuts, along with a set of foreign values. Dylan Rose, 24, who describes himself as a mix of Plains Cree, Scottish, Irish, and French, deeply resents the lasting cultural impact of those schools, which flourished through the 1970s. “They taught us not to be Indian,” he says. “We’re devalued because of same-sex relationships now, and that’s not how it used to be.”
Generations of ingrained homophobia and sexism have led to high rates of assault, depression, and suicide among two-spirit youth. They often leave reservations to seek refuge in cities, though cities don’t ensure safety. “I know of two-spirit people who end up homeless in cities because they had to leave the incredible bullying in their home communities,” Walters says. Rose, who spent his youth traveling through reservations in Saskatchewan, now makes his home in Saskatoon. Purser met her girlfriend in Seattle, where she now lives.
Coya White Hat-Artichoker, a member of the First Nations Two Spirit Collective and the Lakota tribe (http://www.rosebudsiouxtribe-nsn.gov/) in South Dakota, didn’t meet a queer Lakota man until she visited the Stonewall Inn.
After being forced to recant so much of their heritage, many Native Americans seem poised to reclaim their two-spirit brothers and sisters. “Two spirit was very much an urban term,” says Dr. Alex Wilson, a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (http://www.opaskwayak.ca/). “But it has spread to small communities and reservations, which I think is fabulous.” In many cases, queer native people are reclaiming their roles as mediators -- Walters notes a disproportionate amount of two spirits working as counselors, community liaisons, and activists. Rose documents his experience as a queer indigenous person on his blog, Urban Pionqueer (http://urbanpionqueer.wordpress.com/), where he shares his story with anyone who will listen. “Talking about who you are helps you become stronger,” he says.
This resurgence reclaims traditional values, but also recognizes that, more than five centuries since colonization, there is no room in the Native American community for discrimination. More than a gay rights victory, the Suquamish decision sends a strong message that everyone deserves recognition. Purser trusted that when she put her petition to a vote. “We’re a community that supports its own,” she says. “I knew that people would have my back.”

Source: http://www.out.com/news-commentary/2012/01/11/tribe-called-queer

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd January 2012, 22:09

We all have a pivotal coming-out tale: the porn stash your father found that forced your hand, the tearful family gathering where you just couldn’t keep it in anymore, the tender moment shared with a confidant over the phone… But director Andrew Ahn’s exit from the closet is a decidedly different one—he did it by casting his conservative Christian Korean-American parents in his short film, “Dol (First Birthday).”
“Dol” follows a first-generation gay Korean-American man who goes to his nephew’s tradition-filled first birthday, leaving his live-in boyfriend at home. Ahn’s real-live parents play the grandparents in the pic. The thing is, they didn’t get that Andrew was identifying with the gay main character, and that he was trying to tell them he was gay. He had to put it in plain language for them after showing it to them. For more on how that worked out, see the interview above.
You can see the full film on Yahoo Stream (http://screen.yahoo.com/dol-first-birthday-27863983.html).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/sundance-a-talk-with-andrew-ahn-the-director-who-came-out-to-his-parents-through-his-film-dol-20120122/

P.S: See the source for video

Leading Costa Rican LGBT-rights activist Abelardo Araya dies at 42

(http://www.blogger.com/share-post.g?blogID=15295213&postID=6284092062416707083&target=facebook)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dkD4Wwq2OU/Txo2gFJWifI/AAAAAAAAEGw/iLJBdv--_F8/s640/AbelardoAraya0.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dkD4Wwq2OU/Txo2gFJWifI/AAAAAAAAEGw/iLJBdv--_F8/s1600/AbelardoAraya0.jpg)

Abelardo Araya, one of the leading LGBT-rights advocates in Latin America, has passed away at 42 years of age.

Friends and relatives found Araya dead at his apartment on Thursday after not hearing from him for a couple of days. Police have ruled out foul play and believe that he died of a heart attack. Araya had recently spent a few weeks at a local hospital for ailments related to high blood pressure, heart problems and diabetes.

La Nación says that Araya developed his thirst for activism while living in Ecuador in the 1990's (http://www.nacion.com/2012-01-20/Portada/abelardo-araya.aspx). When he returned to Costa Rica in 1998 he became the coordinator of a program offering support to parents and relatives of gay and lesbian children at the Latin American Health Prevention and Education Institute.

He would later launch Movimiento Diversidad (the Diversity Movement), a non profit LGBT-rights organization which sought to visibilize the Costa Rican LGBT community and increase its political power.

Speaking to Telenoticias 7, Marco Castillo, the organization's attorney and a close friend of Araya's said that while members of the LGBT community already had begun to organize, Araya was the first person in Costa Rica to organize public LGBT conferences (http://www.telenoticias7.com/detalle.php?id=118150) and offer invitations to media to cover the events.

Araya had last appeared on Telenoticias 7 on December 29th when he announced that members of the LGBT community would provide entertainment to the public during the end of the year bullfighting ceremonies. Yet another way that Movimiento Diversidad sought to give the community a public face.

One of Araya's biggest political battles was promoting the legal recognition of same-sex partnership rights. In 2006, several legislative leaders sought his counsel in authoring a bill that would make civil unions legal for same-sex couples in Costa Rica. Several versions of the bill have been drafted but have failed to get much traction to this date.

In May of 2011, Movimiento Diversidad also provided support for two gay couples who went to court and demanded the right to marry. The court ruled against the couples (http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-25/ElPais/UltimaHora/ElPais2789628.aspx) but the action drew so much attention that Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla was put on the spot.

Chinchilla, who had ran on a "family values" platform and had previously spoken against same-sex partnership rights, stunned everyone when she said she would actually not be opposed to the legalization of same-sex marriages in her country (http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Edition/News-Briefs/Chinchilla-says-she-would-not-oppose-legalization-of-gay-marriage-in-Costa-Rica_Tuesday-May-17-2011).

In December, 20 legislators sent President Chinchilla a letter asking her to be the lead sponsor of a same-sex civil union bill (http://noticias.universogay.com/mas-de-20-diputados-han-pedido-a-la-presidenta-de-costa-rica-que-trabaje-a-favor-de-las-uniones-civiles-gays__12122011.html). She turned them down saying that her job as a president was to focus on the country's economy and public safety.

Former Costa Rican José Meino del Rio, one of the sponsors of the 2006 civil unions bill, showed up at yesterday's wake to talk about the integral part that Araya played in moving these bills forward. Addressing Araya's mother directly, Meino del Rio spoke of the hateful homophobic insults her son had endured from the religious right.
The [2006] bill and others that have been introduced since then have created a national debate in which we heard, in effect, the voice of hate from the religious leadership. Pay it no mind, Mrs. Araya. Have no doubt that wherever [Abelardo] is, he is looking at us. And, from there, he is saying "Have faith! Push forward! Do not let them win, do not give up! Let my death not be forgotten as an example because no one dies as long as someone remembers you'.Tico Bears, of which Araya was a proud member, posted a video of Meino del Rio's remarks which I have excerpted above.

Even after death, homophobia in media: On a related matter, as news of Araya's death hit social media yesterday, people on Twitter were outraged by a story on Araya's passing posted without a byline in a Costa Rican MSN News affiliate.

The post, which has since been removed but can be read in a cached version here (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NqBnWLsjdDUJ:noticias.kolbi.msn.com/polic%C3%ADa-encontr%C3%B3-l%C3%ADder-de-la-comunidad-gay-muerto-en-su-casa+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a), was shocking in its homophobic insensitivity.

Saying that Araya had spent years fighting for "the so-called rights a same sex couple could enjoy," the writer chalked up his recent ailments as "just one additional problem that added to his suffering."

He goes on: "Araya had already spent more than ten years leading of these kind of people, a group that has grown larger than it ever should as the days go by; nevertheless, even though it's all sorrow to them, they will have to let the days pass and then sit down to figure out who might become the new captain of their Love Boat."

Kölbi, The cell company that runs the MSN News page on which the article was posted later apologized and said that the site had inadvertently reproduced content from a separate site not affiliated with the cell brand of MSN News.

"Kölbi reiterates the respect we have for sexual diversity and expresses our deep sense of solidarity with Mr. Araya's friends and family," said a statement from the company (http://www.radioreloj.co.cr/noticia/koelbi-lamenta-publicacion-en-portal-msn), "Kölbi commits itself to give absolute respect to sexual diversity, as it has done in the past, on the basis of the corporate guidelines of our parent company, the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity."

I have a feeling that Araya would be proud that, even in death, his legacy would lead to a national company restating their commitment to respect the LGBT community in his country.

Rest in peace, Abelardo.

UPDATE: Tuanix Interactive Media, which provides content for Kölbi, has released their own statement apologizing to the Araya family, to Kölbi and to MSN for the homophobic column. They have announced that the author of the piece, Walter Carrera, was fired on the spot (http://staging.tuanix.com/preview-7535.aspx?status=all) on the same day the company became aware of the column he had authored.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52B7xIDEJDw/Txuq5NBUZEI/AAAAAAAAEG4/kw7OsCHTkvw/s640/401207_10150717199560558_260428080557_12237033_521 322095_n.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52B7xIDEJDw/Txuq5NBUZEI/AAAAAAAAEG4/kw7OsCHTkvw/s1600/401207_10150717199560558_260428080557_12237033_521 322095_n.jpg)
Source: http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/2012/01/leading-costa-rican-lgbt-rights.html#.TxyIOfmHR2A

blake 3:17

23rd January 2012, 00:01

We miss him so much.

Remembering Will Munro
ON DISPLAY / Exhibit incorporates drawings, films, photos and large installations
Chris Dupuis / Toronto / Wednesday, January 11, 2012

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For a sector of the Toronto queer community, Will Munro’s death was a bit like Sept 11 and the 2003 blackout combined. The queer club promoter, activist and visual artist’s passing was met with profound shock and sadness, but was mixed with a surprising and unexpected joy at the recognition of the community he helped build.

Along with the values of solidarity, activism and the right to define one’s own queer identity I took from his life, I learned something unexpected from his death. I received the news that his two-year battle with brain cancer had ended while I was at a film screening. Shocked, I turned to the 22-year-old friend I was with, unsure of what to say. He promptly asked “Who’s Will Munro?”

Spider Sex Sling.(Photo courtesy of Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto)
The sad fact I learned in that moment is that queer history is often forgotten as quickly as it’s written. A new generation could party at west end queer spaces, spurred by the launch of The Beaver Café (which Munro bought with Lynn McNeill in 2006). But how this movement was forged, and the name of its de facto leader, was lost to them.

Whether Will Munro was an unknown commodity or a personal friend, the Art Gallery of York University’s expansive retrospective, fittingly titled History, Glamour, Magic, will prove an enlightening look at the contemporary queer icon. Curated by Philip Monk and Emelie Chhangur, it spans Munro’s creative output from his time at OCAD until his death. Incorporating drawings, posters, films, photographs, installations and, of course, his infamous salvaged underwear textile assemblages, the exhibition captures Munro’s essence, drawing little distinction between art, life and activism.

Monk and Chhangur were long-time friends and collaborators of Munro’s. (The AGYU presented his work several times, and opening-night parties were held at The Beaver.) Their decision to mount the exhibition was made the day after he died.

Pavilion of Virginia Puff-Paint, 2004 (Will Munro + Jeremy Laing).(Courtesy of Art Gallery of York University, Toronto.)
“There wasn’t really a conversation about whether or not we should do a show,” says Chhangur. “It was something we immediately knew we had to do.”

“We reacted emotionally with our desire to present his work, but there was also an intellectual reason,” Monk adds. “We felt we would be the only gallery that could do a proper, comprehensive exhibition that would give Will his full credit.”

True to Munro’s spirit, the show was conceived in a participatory manner, bringing many of his long-time friends and collaborators into the process, including Luis Jacob, Lex Vaughn, John Caffery, Jeremy Laing and Allyson Mitchell. Rather than create a static, monolithic view of the artist, the curators have articulated his legacy through a series of participatory programs throughout the exhibition, including events with the Feminist Art Gallery, the Gladstone Hotel and the West Side Stitches Couture Club.

Munro’s overarching commitment to the queer community and its history is ever present in the show. His homages to Leigh Bowery, Klaus Nomi and 1970s leather culture speak not just to a fascination with the past, but a genuine admiration for the gay struggles that came before. The Lezbro Room, a chill-out space at the end of the exhibition, commemorates his commitment to queer women and their role in his life, particularly in caring for him in his final days.

“A lot of his work was made in a commemorative fashion for these iconic queer heroes,” Monk says. “He was able to marry his DIY punk aesthetic with a desire to preserve these people who may otherwise be forgotten or unknown. If people ask who Will Munro is, you might say he’s someone who helped us preserve queer history.”

The Deets:
Will Munro:
History, Glamour, Magic
Wed, Jan 11-Sun, March 11

Opening reception: Wed, Jan 11, 6-9pm

Art Gallery of York University
Accolade East Building, York University
4700 Keele St, Toronto
[email protected]

http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Remembering_Will_Munro-11340.aspx

A Magic Resting Place for Will Munro
ART | BY SHOLEM KRISHTALKA | JANUARY 13, 2012

Photo: York University
The Will Munro show at the Art Gallery of York University – History, Glamour, Magic – involves you. If you are queer, profoundly; if you have anything to do with the queer community, certainly; if you are involved in the art scene in Toronto, absolutely; if you’ve ever partied at one of Will’s events or in one of his spaces, definitely. There are few artists of whom this can be said. Any art practice is the result of the idiosyncratic translation of personal reflection, thought and obsession, filtered through a specific medium; Will’s art practice was obsessed with queer ontology – queerness as a mode of being – and his medium, despite what seems readily apparent given the crafty nature of his output, was the public sphere.
Descriptions of him inevitably involve lists of his activities (DJ, promoter, restaurateur, artist), and the commas that separate those activities sort them into distinct categories. As curators Philip Monk and Emilie Chhangur rightly imply, such distinctions are irrelevant. All of his endeavours – his artworks (by which I mean the objects that ended up in galleries), his parties, his businesses – were fluid aspects of the same overarching project.
The show moves from public to private. The first room is largely given over to the parties (Vazaleen, No TO, Moustache, Xerox, Peroxide) and it occurred to me, looking at the posters, at the videos, that this room narrates the youth of a generation of queer Torontonians. It explodes in a staggering display of his bespoke underwear, silkscreens, sewn collages, press clippings, party posters and videos. Images of Klaus Nomi, Leigh Bowery, Darby Crash, Black Fag sit next to the silkscreened posters for all Will’s aforementioned parties, which sidle up next to his underwear project (custom-made Y-fronts, natch).
There is not much of an interpretive filter to these t-shirt and underwear collages of Nomi or Bowery or Black Fag. But they were never intended as subtle, coded images. The all have the same propagandistic bent as his re-purposing of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover as an ACT UP poster. Their intent is pedagogical. Will always wore his influences on his sleeve, and these are a collection of forebears to the persona that his work – all of his work – was trying to birth.

Photo: York University

History, Glamour, Magic: Will was casting a queer spell. Made out of used underwear, these works are invocations that carry the accreted (secreted?) history of crotches. These sexualized fabrics become votive images of his pantheon of gods, and his parties, especially Vazaleen, were the sacred ritual. The parties, the underwear, the references to bands and underground cultural figures were a manifesto of a queer life and a description of a queer persona: self-reliant, self-aware, self-educated, anti-authoritarian, fluidly gendered if gendered at all; an army of lovers, joined together by dancing and desire.
The next room narrows the focus down to his involvement in the art community: documentation of various performances and artist projects. The effete polymorphous perversity of the Virginia Puff Paint project (done with fashion designer Jeremy Laing) is represented by its ephemera. The costumes hang limply from the walls, and the tent – a kind of lacy, plush sex dungeon – occupies the middle of the room as video documentation of the initial performance plays in a corner. The Westside Stitchers’ Correspondence Quilt, a patchwork quilt made up of contributions mailed in from across the globe, a vast needle-and-thread network of queer crafters, adorns the wall.
The next room is a recreation of his final show in Toronto, at the Paul Petro Contemporary Art Gallery. It was created before his battle with cancer stopped him from working, and it is heavy with intimations of mortality. The centerpiece is his Spider Sex Sling, a black leather sling supported by a heavy black wooden frame, adorned with spider plants hung from a webbing of knit cozies. It’s flanked on all sides by silkscreens: mash-ups of leather clones and Queer Liberation Front symbols with Egyptian mythology, Al Parker as Raa.
There is also an echo here of his stretcher made of underwear, from the introductory room: an object of care and healing created out of a sexualized fabric. Here too, in Spider Sling, care and sexuality are conflated. The sling, too, is a stretcher of a kind: a place to lie back and surrender one’s self to sex; to place one’s self entirely in the sexual care of the person fucking you.
Just as the parties were a ritualistic birth of a queer persona, this installation seems a death rite; the sling is a place to surrender one’s self, to lay down one’s burdens. Just as he created the gods that ruled his life, Will invoked the gods that helped him leave this world: those Leather Daddy clones, avatars of pre-AIDS sexuality, waiting to usher you gently into the spirit realm. I imagine him laying back, cradled in mid-air, legs akimbo, placing himself in the care of his queer Charons, decked out in assless chaps and aviator sunglasses. To paraphrase Ecclesiastes: he comes from queers, and to queers he returns.

Sholem Krishtalka is Toronto Standard’s art critic. http://www.torontostandard.com/daily-cable/a-magic-resting-place-for-will-munro/

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd January 2012, 10:54

It Gets Better: The Bagram Edition

By Advocate.com Editors (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate.com%20Editors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Bagram%20IGB.jpg

Members of the OutServe chapter serving in Afghanistan have debuted their own “It Gets Better” video from Bagram Air Base.

The video features (in order of appearance): SSGT Steven Procter, SSGT Shelise Harmon, AT2 Erin Jones, SPC James Velazquez, and SPC Curtis Robinson.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/22/It_Gets_Better_The_Bagram_Edition/

The "Its gets better" imperialist military addition... this project really is all encompassing.At this rate the White Nationalists will produce a "It Gets better" video.

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd January 2012, 16:26

“He kept telling me he had a rock on his chest—he just wanted to take the rock off where he could breathe.”
Those were the words (http://www.wsmv.com/story/16572441/parents-gay-teen-took-his-life-due-to-bullying) of Ruby Harris, grandmother of 14-year-old Phillip Parker, who took his own life last week after enduring constant bullying for being gay.
WSMV 4 in Nashville reports (http://www.wsmv.com/story/16572441/parents-gay-teen-took-his-life-due-to-bullying) Phillip’s family reported the situation to administrators at Gordonsville High School several times, “but the bullying by a group of students just got worse.”
We’re getting tired of writing these stories, as we’re sure you are of reading them. Whatever systems are in place—”It Gets Better,” the Trevor Project—clearly aren’t working. So what’s the solution?
*Should we focus on anti-bullying legislation? Is it even worth trying to stop something as endemic and ancient as bullying?
*Should we discourage kids this young and living in such unwelcoming environments from coming out?
*Do we teach LGBT tweens and teens how to defend themselves—thus perpetuating the cycle of violence?
Give your thoughts in the comments section.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/tennessee-14-year-old-commits-suicide-after-constant-bullying-20120123/

This story while sad raises a excellent point: these projects-It Gets Better and Travorspace-are not doing much in solving the problem of gay teen suicide.Something new needs to be done.

(Though I find it odd that these suicides are a recent phenomena... are they really increasing or just the reporting of them?)

Openly gay Green Party candidate Pekka Haavisto (http://haavisto2012.fi/en/who-is-pekka-haavisto/) nabbed enough votes in yesterday’s first-round presidential poll in Finland to move on to a final two-man showdown on February 5. With 18.8% of the popular vote (http://www.hs.fi/english/article/1135270241982), Haavisto squeaked by the third place finisher, former Finnish foreign minister Paavo Vayrynen, who took 17.5%. The clear winner was the conservative Sauli Niinisto, with 37% — a decisive victory, but not the 50% majority needed to avoid a second-round runoff.
The 53-year-old Haavisto is a longtime member of the Finnish parliament, and an avid environmentalist who’s worked extensively with the United Nations. In his private life, he and other-half Antonio Flores, originally from Ecuador, have been together since 1997, and in a registered partnership since 2002.
The winner of the upcoming runoff will replace 12-year Finnish president (and Conan O’Brien look-alike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpBGCoWfZlI)) Tarja Halonen, a strong friend to the gays who was once, despite her heterosexuality, head of the Finnish LGBT-rights group SETA.
If he’s victorious, Haavisto will become the first publically-elected LGBT leader in the effervescently gay-friendly Nordic countries. (Icelandic prime minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3hanna_Sigur%C3%B0ard%C3%B3ttir), who’s openly lesbian, became the world’s first national queer leader in 2009, but not through direct election.) Haavisto could also replace Adam Lambert-bf Sauli Koskinen (http://www.queerty.com/adam-lambert-and-boyfriend-sauli-koskinen-tweet-happy-christmas-message-20111226/) as Finland’s most internationally famous gay.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-and-green-candidate-makes-two-man-presidential-runoff-in-finland-20120123/

Aussie superstar Olivia Newton-John has come out in support of marriage equality (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/olivia-newton-john-and-hugh-jackman-pledge-support-for-gay-marriage/story-e6frf96o-1226251406502). The singer/actress, who has been a friend to gay causes for years, is now officially on the record in support of gay marriage in Australia, joining other Down Under celebs like Hugh Jackman. In a statement released Sunday, Newton-John said, “I believe that no one has the right to judge and deny couples who love each other the ability to make a marriage commitment. Love is love.”
Love is love—sounds like the title for a hit single?
The Labor Party, which is in power in Australia, has been trying to pass same-sex marriage legislation but Prime Minister Julia Gillard is against it, claiming “that marriage being between a man and woman ‘has a special status.’” Maybe ONJ can use a little of her celebrity “magic (http://youtu.be/oU5t3Ft5JhU)” to make it happen?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/olivia-newton-john-comes-out-for-marriage-equality-in-australia-20120123/

State Senate Hearing on N.J. Marriage Bill Nears

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-09/2011-09-19/NJMARRIAGEX390.jpg

The New Jersey senate judiciary committee will take up a marriage equality bill (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/nj_gay_marriage_advocates_plan.html) during a Tuesday morning hearing at the state house in Trenton.

The committee is expected to vote on the legislation at the end of the hearing. Testimony will be heard from witnesses both for and against gay marriage.

Gov. Chris Christie, who had said as a gubernatorial candidate that he would veto a gay marriage bill, has been non-committal on doing so as of late. “The fact is that this is a huge societal change that they’re talking about here, and I think that we need to do this in a very deliberate and thoughtful way and get the most input from the public we can before we overturn hundreds of years of societal legal and religious tradition,” Christie said in a recent radio interview.

A Quinnipiac poll (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/19/Poll_Majority_Support_for_Marriage_Equality_in_New _Jersey/) released last week found majority support for marriage equality in the state: 52% of respondents said they favored marriage rights for same-sex couples in the state, with 42% opposed.

Via Garden State Equality (http://www.gardenstateequality.org/):

Few events in advocacy are as important or exciting: This Tuesday, January 24 at 11:00 am in Committee Room 4 at the State House, 125 West State Street in Trenton, the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on S.1, the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act. The Committee will vote on the bill at the end of hearing. Please join us to watch history.

Meet us as early as possible – we suggest 9:00 am or earlier – on Tuesday morning at the State House. The hearing room will be jammed, so arriving early is a must to get seats. We will be there at the crack of dawn. You can park at the Trenton Marriott, 1 West Lafayette Street, only three blocks from the State House, and then walk to the State House. Please wear your EQUALITY The American Dream t-shirt from two years ago if you have one.

Information on the Tuesday hearing can be found here (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/nj_gay_marriage_advocates_plan.html).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/State_Senate_Hearing_on_NJ_Marriage_Bill_Nears/

Two air force officers went from secret identities to openly dating overnight with the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’

http://www.out.com/sites/out.com/files/imce/lieutenantsWithLove_1.jpg
Photographed by Martien Mulder on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Wrightstown, NJ
KARL JOHNSON (left)
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Air Force
Like many great things, it started in a bar. After I was introduced by a mutual friend to Josh, my life changed drastically. I already knew who he was—about OutServe (http://outserve.org/), and how it helped with the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” My first reaction was to try to not act impressed, but it’s hard to not let someone’s reputation define them. The next day we went out to Atlantic City (Josh’s idea). After that weekend, I knew I wanted him involved in my life, but I didn’t quite know how.Two weeks after we met, I got the opportunity to start blogging for Time (http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2011/09/22/officer-x-behind-the-mask/) about my experiences as a gay man serving in the military. Within days, I wrote my first post under the pseudonym Officer X.
Josh and I had a double life. I grew a thick skin to the homophobic comments people like Westboro Baptist Church would make. It was another thing to watch it happen to Josh. The closer we grew, the harder it was to sit there and be quiet.

SLIDESHOW: 26 LOVE STORIES (http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2012/01/13/neil-patrick-harris-david-burtka-denis-ohare-bill-t-jones-josh-seefried#slide-1)
I still look back on those months fondly. Josh and I would pontificate about what we were going through as activists—*hiding under the veil of creepy silhouettes—and laugh. I’ll never forget the day I popped the top on an energy drink in the middle of the day at work after staying up until 2 a.m. to write the previous night. One of my coworkers asked what I was doing in my time off, and if I was some sort of crime-fighting vigilante superhero at night. I laughed, but I think deep down, it felt like a version of that.
The longer the repeal process took, the more I couldn’t wait for it to be over. The days of anticipation leading up to the repeal on September 20 were excruciating. We had both repeatedly broken the rules. There are strict policies in place with regard to how individuals in the military interact with the media in an attempt to keep one unified and standardized message -- one team, one fight.
On September 19, I remember pacing in my small apartment in Philadelphia. My phone was hot in my hand after all of the calls I was making to my friends. Within the first two minutes of the clock striking midnight, Josh and I finally declared our relationship status on Facebook -- that made it seem real!
I met Josh in Washington the next day, one of the biggest days of our lives. We met back at his hotel after a busy day of meeting with policymakers and the press. We had a few minutes to get ready and head out the door to a repeal celebration where Rachel Maddow interviewed Josh live via satellite. I stood in the back and couldn’t have been more proud. We left the party for a smaller place where we could talk with our friends. That’s where I told Josh that I loved him and how much he means to me. At that moment, I saw one of my favorite Josh traits: the biggest and most triumphant smile grew on his face. I knew at that moment, no matter what fate awaited us back on base, we were OK.
I headed back home to Philly to get ready for work the next day. Josh was supposed to head to California for another event, but he was exhausted, so he decided to relax in D.C. for a day.
When he finally showed up at my apartment, Josh wasn’t feeling well. It didn’t take long to diagnose the sharp pain in his side to be a problem with his appendix. I rushed him to the emergency room. I spoke with the nurse at the front desk and gave her his military ID.
I froze when she asked my relationship to “the patient.” I’d spent the better part of a decade telling white lies to keep strangers from knowing I’m gay. I had to rewire my brain fast. My heart beat faster, and I said, “I’m his partner.” The nurse smiled and gave me a wristband and said I was a family member who could stay after visiting hours.

SLIDESHOW: 26 LOVE STORIES (http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2012/01/13/neil-patrick-harris-david-burtka-denis-ohare-bill-t-jones-josh-seefried#slide-1)
Josh recovered from surgery, and we’ve been able to go back to our daily jobs in the military. That includes deployments. I’m currently deployed to the Middle East, and Josh and I are doing our best to get by while being thousands of miles apart, another task made easier without the paranoia of someone finding out we’re gay.
I had Josh put in the paperwork before I left so that we can call each other twice a week—“morale calls,” a privilege reserved for spouses and family -- and we talk on Skype without the fear of our conversation being intercepted. The military lifestyle puts added stress on any couple. By staying in touch with the people you love, the distances are infinitely more bearable.

JOSH SEEFRIED (http://joshseefried.com/)
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Air Force
I go camping by myself once a year, but it was raining that weekend, so I cancelled my plans. My friend said he was heading out to a bar in Philly. Since Karl was new in the squadron, my friend brought him along. We hit it off right away. He has this way with his hair. The military has strict regulations on hair, but somehow he manages to do this faux hawk thing. We had this immediate connection, and I suggested that the next day we go to Atlantic City. We spent the rest of the weekend together.
He wasn’t involved in activism when we first met. But soon after, he started writing for Time. That was the strangest part to me: He started stepping into my world -- both of us living under pseudonyms. I didn’t like it, but it has made us stronger. I trusted and felt comfortable with him.
Our traveling is ridiculous, especially when you add on the traveling we had to do around the repeal of DADT. He’s a pilot, too, so he’s traveling to Afghanistan and being deployed for longer. There were times when he was gone a week or more, and we said, “We have to suck it up.” Sometimes, we’ll travel for an event or a speech -- a meeting in D.C., which is five hours of driving—and maybe we’ll get back at 1 a.m. and both of us have to be at work at 6 a.m. But we’d tell each other: “We have to get this done.”
The day of the repeal of DADT was extremely busy. It started in the morning, bright and early. The next day, right after the repeal, I had to suck it up and get to Vegas. I came back to Karl’s place and told him my stomach hurt. They don’t have E.R.s at base hospitals anymore, so we went to a public hospital. That was the first time I had to go to a hospital with someone I was dating. I couldn’t move; I couldn’t talk. I felt like I was dying. It was awful. What was awful, too, was that I had to go back to work and I thought, It’s going to look like I’m skipping work. Then I realized it was the first time my commander had to interact with my boyfriend. I didn’t have time to think about it. I remember being drugged up and Karl telling my commander he was my boyfriend. It was weird to hear that. That’s when DADT repeal became real for me.

SLIDESHOW: JOSH SEEFRIED IN OUT100 (http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/out100/2011/12/11/17th-annual-out100#slide-12)
Karl gave me this stuffed puppy when I was “dying” in the hospital. I didn’t have a pillow that felt right, so I would put the dog under my head. We call him Bandit; he’s this miniature husky. Now, when he goes to Afghanistan, he’ll take it with him, or I’ll keep it and sleep with him when he’s gone.
As told to Jerry Portwood

Source: http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2012/01/11/josh-seefried-outserve-karl-johnson-air-force?page=0,1

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd January 2012, 21:16

WASHINGTON HAS THE VOTES FOR MARRIAGE

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/4wayx390.jpg
Clockwise from top left: Gov. Christine Gregoire,
Mary Margaret Haugen, Steve Litzow, Cheryl Pflug.
Washington now has enough votes to pass a marriage equality bill in the state Senate, following a state senator’s announcement of her support today after hours of public hearings regarding the measure.

Mary Margaret Haugen became the 25th member of the state senate, and the last vote needed to pass the bill, after scores of same-sex marriage supporters told their stories in the state capital for more than two hours.

The bill, first brought up by Washington governor Christine Gregoire, is expected to easily pass in the House but was a one vote short of passage in the Senate until Haugen announced her support this afternoon.
Haugen cited her "very strong Christian beliefs" as part of the reason she supports marriage equality.

"Only one being in this world is omniscient, and it's not me," she said in a statement. "Personally I have always said when I accepted the Lord, I became more tolerant of others. I stopped judging people and try to live by the Golden Rule. This is part of my decision. I do not believe it is my role to judge others, regardless of my personal beliefs."
Openly gay senator Ed Murray, a driving force behind the bill, said he hopes the bill will continue to cross partisan lines and attract the other four remaining members of the senate who have yet to announce their opinion regarding the measure. Of the undecideds, one is a Republican and three are Democrats. And there is a solid group of 20 “no” voters (including two Democrats).

Lacey All, chair for Washington United for Marriage, said the senator's decision was the result of those stories told by LGBT Washingtonians.

“We’ve known for a long time that our stories are powerful, and sharing those stories can change hearts and minds," All said in a statement cheering the decision. "Hundreds of constituents shared their stories of love, commitment and family with Sen. Haugen, and in doing so convinced her that she was doing the right thing for Washington.”

Steve Litzow was the first Republican in the Senate to endorse Gregoire’s proposal and has faced threats from antigay groups like the National Organization for Marriage that pledge to campaign against any Republican who supports the bill.

“It’s really consistent with the fundamental tenets of individual freedom and personal responsibility,” he said (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Washington_Republicans_Bravely_Break_With_Party_on _Marriage_Equality/) in an interview with The Advocate. “It’s all about people getting to live the life they want to live without the government getting involved. It’s a core principle of the type of Republican I am.”

Less than a week later, fellow Republican senator Cheryl Pflug joined Litzow, putting the Senate within one vote of passing marriage equality. Now Haugen has pledged to deliver that final vote. Washington is poised to become the seventh state in the country, plus the District of Columbia, to allow same-sex marriage.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/WASHINGTON_HAS_THE_VOTES_FOR_MARRIAGE/

Va. Senator Proposes Adoption Nondiscrimination Bill

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/vgax390.jpg
The Virginia General Assembly building
A Virginia state senator has introduced legislation that would prohibit the state from contracting with adoption agencies that discriminate against prospective parents on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Adam Ebbin, a Democrat from Alexandria, in northern Virginia, introduced the bill last week, the Associated Press (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Va-legislators-to-consider-gay-adoption-issue-2643769.php) reports. It also covers other characteristics, including race, religion, sex, family status, national origin, and disability.

The move comes after the state’s Board of Social Services last month (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/15/Final_Vote_in_Virginia_Same_sex_Couples_Cannot_Ado pt/) declined to enact guidelines that would prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in adoption.

“One major issue is whether charities that receive tax dollars should be able to discriminate,” Ebbin said Friday. “Adoption is a public act that goes through state courts, and no government agent should engage in discrimination.”

Competing legislation has been introduced in the Senate and House of Delegates that would allow agencies to deny adoption or foster care placements that would go against the agencies’ religious tenets, essentially writing the Board of Social Services guidelines into law.

The state has 120 local departments of social services, and there are 77 state-licensed private agencies with which they can contract for adoption and foster care services.

The issue of discrimination by private, religious agencies has come up recently in other states. In Illinois, for instance, the state ended its contracts (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/14/Catholic_Charities_Groups_End_Ill_Suit/) with Catholic Charities agencies for adoption services when the groups refused to serve gay parents in civil unions, as required by a law that went into effect last year.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Va_Senator_Proposes_Adoption_Nondiscrimination_Bil l/

ALBANY — Albany County Executive Dan McCoy strongly defended his pick of a former Republican lawyer for county attorney Friday as a prominent gay rights activist launched a campaign to block the man's confirmation because of his ties to conservative organization that opposes same-sex marriage and abortion rights.
McCoy's nomination this month of Thomas Marcelle (http://www.timesunion.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=local&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Thomas+Marcelle%22) to the top legal post in a staunchly Democratic county was unlikely to pass without controversy.
But opposition to the pick that had been percolating behind the scenes for two weeks went public Friday when political consultant and LGBT activist Libby Post (http://www.timesunion.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=local&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Libby+Post%22) put up a website, www.stoptommarcelle.org, (http://www.stoptommarcelle.org,/) urging McCoy to withdraw Marcelle's name from consideration or, failing that, for the Democrat-led County Legislature to refuse to confirm him.
Post zeroed in on Marcelle's affiliation with the Alliance Defense Fund (http://www.timesunion.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=local&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Alliance+Defense+Fund%22), a conservative national organization that describes itself as providing "resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense of religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage and the family."
"Whether it's an elected official or someone who works for government in a position like that," said Post, who is also active in the county's progressive community, "my perspective is: if someone is anti-gay rights or anti-choice, they're not going to get my support."
Marcelle, who is listed as senior counsel to the group on its website, could not be reached for comment Friday.
But McCoy — a Democrat who said he is both pro-choice and in favor same-sex marriage — dismissed Post's criticism, saying she was suggesting he should impose political and social litmus tests on people he hires for government jobs.
"I should have put on the application to check off whether you're Conservative, Dem., Republican or whatever your affiliation is?" McCoy said. "I didn't hire the guy for his religious beliefs. I hired him because he's a hell of an attorney and he's well overqualified."
McCoy noted that it was Marcelle whom the Democrat-run county turned to last year to defend its redistricting plan against a lawsuit. Among Marcelle's legal accomplishments is winning a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court case defending the rights of an Otsego County religious group to meet in a public school building after hours.
But Marcelle's switch last year from the GOP to the Conservative Party (http://www.timesunion.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=local&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Conservative+Party%22), which backed McCoy in his uncontested election for county executive, fueled speculation that Marcelle's appointment was about political alliances as much as it was Marcelle's lengthy list of legal bonafides.
Legislator Noelle Kinsch (http://www.timesunion.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=local&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Noelle+Kinsch%22), an Albany Democrat, said she was aware of "mounting concerns" about the nomination and looked forward to hearing Marcelle explain his ties to the group at a Personnel Committee (http://www.timesunion.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=local&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Personnel+Committee%22) meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
"These new facts about Mr. Marcelle are very troubling," Kinsch said, noting she views the county attorney's post as a policy making position.
Legislature Chairman Shawn Morse (http://www.timesunion.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=local&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Shawn+Morse%22), however, suggested Post's position on the issue amounts to hypocrisy from a woman whose devotion he otherwise admires.
"Her commitment to the gay community is second to none. What's disturbing to me, however, then is that she would like to discriminate against Tom Marcelle for his religious beliefs," the Cohoes Democrat said. "It kind of seems to go against her whole life's work to fight for what she believes are people's God-given rights."
Post countered that her objection is about what she said has been the Alliance Defense Fund pushing religion into civic life.
"The issue here is not having anybody's religious beliefs run public policy," Post said. "That's the issue."

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Gay-rights-activist-opposes-lawyer-s-hiring-2651748.php#ixzz1kJnR0317

Source: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Gay-rights-activist-opposes-lawyer-s-hiring-2651748.php

Colombian High Court to Hear American Gay Adoption Case

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Burr.jpg
Chandler Burr with sons Brian (left) and Joseph Photo courtesy Chandler Burr
Colombia’s highest constitutional court has agreed to hear the case of an American gay man whose adoption of two boys in the country made international headlines after Colombian officials blocked him from returning to the United States with his legally adopted sons.

The fight over Jose and Angel Pinto Sierra has been an epic one. On March 30, 2011, Chandler Burr (https://twitter.com/#%21/chandlerburr), a journalist and former perfume critic for The New York Times, was barred by an official with the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (https://www.icbf.gov.co/icbf/directorio/portel/libreria/php/03..html) (ICBF) from traveling to the U.S. with the boys, now legally named Brian, 13, and Joseph, 9, after he disclosed that he is gay. The boys had been abandoned by their biological parents and had been transferred into state custody a few years earlier.

After Burr had already finalized the adoption paperwork and received the adoption decree, he urged the official, Ilvia Ruth Cárdenas, who heads the institute’s adoption division, to rethink the country’s position forbidding LGBT parents from “giving these kids the homes and love they need.”

Despite a 1995 Colombian court decision finding that sexual orientation may not be used as a criterion for a prospective parent’s suitability to adopt, the government’s de facto policy has been to categorically deny adoption to gay individuals, whether Colombian or foreign.

“I said, ‘You know me, you know I’ll be a good parent. I’m gay,’” Burr recalled of his conversation with Cárdenas. “And she immediately freaked out. ... I assumed, naively in retrospect, that since the boys were legally mine and she couldn’t take them away legally, even if she was very upset, she wouldn’t break the law. This is exactly what she and ICBF did.”

Cárdenas called the U.S. Embassy and demanded that the boys’ adoption emigration visas be canceled (American officials complied). She then asked an ICBF attorney to initiate an investigation of fraud and perjury by Burr in his adoption process.
But in the ensuing months, Burr fought back, suing the ICBF with the help of the civil rights legal group Dejusticia (http://www.dejusticia.org/). He lost in both district and appeals courts, but a family court judge eventually kicked the case back to ICBF, demanding it be resolved.

National debate over the case raged after Burr was interviewed by CNN (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Colombian_High_Court_to_Hear_American_Gay_Adoption _Case/%20http://am.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/01/chandler-burrt-claims-colombia-denied-adoption-because-of-his-sexual-orientation/%20http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/12/14/389069/colombian-judge-gay-dad-could-develop-sexual-attraction-to-his-two-adopted-boys/) on December 1 about his attempts to bring his sons to the U.S. Colombian bishop Juan Vicente Córdoba fumed in the press over the prospect of a gay man adopting boys, telling El Tiempo last month that Burr’s “disorder of sexual identity” is troubling because “he will receive two children at an age when they may be attractive to him, which could be a temptation.”
On December 12, an ICBF attorney returned the boys to Burr in an administrative decision — much to his astonishment. Burr returned to the U.S. with Joseph and Brian a day later. The family lives in South Orange, N.J.

But Colombian adoption officials continue to fight for the return of the boys on procedural and administrative grounds.

Rodrigo Uprimny, Burr’s lead Colombian attorney with Dejusticia, said the Constitutional Court will consider the following questions during oral arguments on a yet-to-be-announced date:

-Can a gay person adopt in Colombia?
-Must a potential adoptive parent disclose his or her sexual orientation?

Uprimny told The Advocate via e-mail, “Our position is that it would be discriminatory to forbid a gay person to adopt in Colombia, and that it would violate the rights of many abandoned children in Colombia to obtain a family, via adoption by a gay person or a gay couple.”

“Sexual orientation should not be a [criterion] to decide about the suitability of a person to be a father,” Uprimny added.

If the Constitutional Court decides to render a decision via a three-judge panel, an opinion would likely be issued within three or four months. Full consideration of the case by the court’s nine justices would take longer, Uprimny said. Either way, the court’s decision would be final.

Meanwhile, the Colombian equivalent of the U.S. Attorney General’s office could be pursuing a criminal investigation against Burr for fraud and perjury.

“Perjury cannot exist without a question and a dishonest answer. They never asked me about my sexual orientation at any point, so no answer exists,” Burr said. As for claims of fraud, “In eight months they were not able to show, not once, that I committed those crimes,” he said.

Uprimny said the potential criminal case is not related to the constitutional question to be decided by the court. “On the contrary,” he said, “if the Constitutional Court says that clearly a gay person can adopt and does not have to reveal his or her sexual orientation, it is obvious that the criminal case has to be [closed] in favor of [Burr].”

But an American official working in Colombia recently contacted Burr about the potential negative impact of a criminal investigation.

“I would like you to remember that you must pay very close attention to the penal case. If the penal case turns out badly, we’re going to have new problems, including for the boys, even though they’re in the U.S.,” the official wrote in an e-mail to Burr.

Lambda Legal (http://www.lambdalegal.org/) staff attorney Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, who worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to ensure that American officials understood that Burr is the rightful adoptive father of the boys, said the case marks the first time that the Constitutional Court will consider the rights of single gay parents. A separate case involving a lesbian couple in Medellín seeking a second-parent adoption for the biological child of one of the women is currently pending before the court.

Despite Latin American LGBT rights gains in places such as Mexico City and Argentina, Burr’s case shows how the broader homophobic culture of Colombia continues to affect same-sex couples and those who are open about their sexual orientation, Espinoza-Madrigal said. “Mr. Burr had not done anything wrong. He had gone through all the required adoption procedures and passed them with flying colors. There are no grounds for rescinding the adoption.”

Burr said he has heard from countless people in the adoption field who are hopeful that his case will establish firm precedent about the rights of LGBT adoptive parents in Colombia.

Both boys are adjusting well to life in the States, Burr said. “They’re doing great. They’re in a terrific public school. And over the weekend, they just saw snow for the first time.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Colombian_High_Court_to_Hear_American_Gay_Adoption _Case/

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd January 2012, 21:23

Kansas Gov. Comfortable With Antisodomy Law

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/BROWNBACKX390.jpg
Kansas governor Sam Brownback
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 struck down bans on consensual sex between gays, many states still have unenforceable laws against gay sex, including Kansas.
Kansas's conservative Republican governor, Sam Brownback, recently recommended that 51 outdated laws be repealed, but the "criminal sodomy" statute, which includes oral sex, was not not one of them. LGBT leaders say the laws are kept on books to intimidate and harass gays. Also, local police are sometimes unaware of the Supreme Court decision, Lawrence v. Texas, and still make arrests.
“Keeping these laws on the books can still do a lot of mischief and cause a lot of harm,” Susan Sommer, director of constitutional litigation for Lambda Legal, told The New York Times.
There are about a dozen states that still have antisodomy laws on their books. Read more here. (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/us/sodomy-law-remains-official-in-kansas.html?_r=1)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Kansas_Gov_Comfortable_With_AntiSodomy_Law/

Why This Washington Republican Broke With GOP on Marriage

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/litzowx390.jpg
State senator Steve Litzow
Two Republican senators have made waves in Washington State after announcing their support for a marriage equality bill proposed earlier this month by Gov. Christine Gregoire. And one told The Advocate he's not afraid of the retaliation promised by antigay groups.

Washington is poised to become the seventh state in the country, plus the District of Columbia, to allow same-sex marriage. Introduced last week, the measure is expected to easily pass the House but needs one more vote in the state Senate. As of Thursday, 24 members of the 49-strong body have pledged their support, but the bill needs 25 votes to pass. Democrats control both chambers.

Five members of the Senate remain undecided (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/two-votes-away-from-marriage-equality/Content?oid=11791839) — two Republicans and three Democrats — and there is a solid group of 20 “no” voters (including two Democrats).

Steve Litzow was the first Republican in the Senate to endorse Gregoire’s proposal and has since been praised for his decision to step outside party lines. The Seattle Times recently published an editorial (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2017179497_edit09litzow.html)praising Litzow’s support as “outstanding” and “commendable.”

“Litzow is a profile in courage, a freshman lawmaker willing to act on conviction,” the Times wrote.

The senator is much more modest. He said when the governor first brought up the idea of statewide marriage equality late last year, he knew it was the right thing to do.

“It’s really consistent with the fundamental tenets of individual freedom and personal responsibility,” he said in an interview with The Advocate. “It’s all about people getting to live the life they want to live without the government getting involved. It’s a core principle of the type of Republican I am.”

Less than a week later, fellow Republican senator Cheryl Pflug joined Litzow. Pflug couldn’t be reached for comment due to ongoing power outages across the state brought on by heavy snow and ice storms.

Litzow, up for reelection in November, said reaction so far has been “overwhelmingly positive,” and his endorsement wasn’t influenced by the end of his term. He shrugged off a recent pledge by the antigay National Organization for Marriage to put up (http://www.nomblog.com/18084/) $250,000 to challenge any Republican Washington senator who supports the bill.

“I am very comfortable with my position in the Senate, and I’m willing to take on any and all competitors,” Litzow said. “The games have started. ... I continue to say if they want to [play them], let’s go. Game on.”

Zach Silk, campaign manager for Washington United for Marriage, said the views of Republicans like Litzow and Pflug are increasingly in line with those of mainstream voters statewide and nationally. The two represent what Silk calls “Evans Republicans” (named after Republican Dan Evans, a former U.S. senator and three-term governor of Washington), who are fiscally conservative but socially moderate — the type of Republicanism that’s been prevalent throughout the state for the past century.

Even though it looks as if marriage equality has a good chance of passing, Silk said his organization is preparing to defend the bill at the ballot box. Washington has a fairly low bar regarding the number of signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot — it’s slightly over 120,000 for this bill — but Silk is optimistic that even if it heads to the voters, it’ll still pass.

An October poll out of the University of Washington found 55% of voters were in favor of marriage equality. Washington also made history in 2009 when voters passed Referendum 71, which upheld a legislative action that made the state the first in the country to extend relationship rights and “everything but marriage” to LGBT couples.

“It’s a daunting challenge,” he said. “But with the kind of coalition we’re building with moderate Republicans, we can battle and win at the ballot box too.”

Thalia Zepatos, Freedom to Marry’s director of public engagement who’s based in Portland, Ore., said if the measure passes in Washington, the drive for marriage equality could easily spread south.

“That will be a huge message for Oregon — the states are so linked in that Northwest identity that it could come up and pass very quickly in the next couple of years,” she said. “These things don’t happen in a vacuum.”

Hearings for the bill start today, and Litzow hopes it will come to the Senate floor shortly after — but he does expect the vote will be close.

“I think it will pass by one or two votes,” he said. “It’ll probably be a 24-25 or a 23-26 vote.”

But Litzow said he’s firmly on the side of marriage equality and has been for years, no internal debates about it.

“Quite frankly, this has been a very easy decision,” he said.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Washington_Republicans_Bravely_Break_With_Party_on _Marriage_Equality/

hristie Nominates Gay Republican to N.J. Supreme Court

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/CHRISTIE_HARRISX390.jpg
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Bruce Harris
New Jersey governor Chris Christie has nominated a gay Republican mayor to the state Supreme Court.

The Republican governor announced the nomination of Bruce Harris, mayor of Chatham, N.J., at an 11:30 a.m. press conference.

Steven Goldstein, executive director of the state LGBT rights group Garden State Equality, said of a call from Christie prior to the announcement, "You could have picked me up off the floor."
“[Harris] will become the first openly LGBT person in history, and the third African-American person in history, to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court,” Goldstein said in a statement. “Most importantly, Bruce is eminently qualified to be a Supreme Court justice.”

Goldstein told The Advocate that he did not see the nomination as an indication that Christie is supporting a marriage equality bill currently before state legislators, however. Christie has vowed to veto such legislation in the past, though in recent statements he has appeared increasingly noncommittal about doing so.

But of the nomination, Goldstein said, “It’s unbelievable news, an unequivocal [example] of civil rights leadership, and the governor should be warmly congratulated.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Christie_Nominates_Gay_Republican_to_NJ_Supreme_Co urt/

The Maryland state legislature convenes today in Annapolis and one of the top items on its agenda is a same-sex marriage bill. Democratic governor Martin O’Malley is expected to introduce the bill (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jan/22/omalley-expected-introduce-gay-marriage-bill-monda/) as part of his legislative slate for the 2012 session in hopes that this time the measure actually passes. The same bill hit a snag last year when, after squeaking by in the State Senate, it failed to pass the House. But this year O’Malley and fellow Democrats are feeling more positive about the bill’s chances of passing and hope they can sway a few votes in the house. O’Malley, who initially only supported civil unions, notably changed his position (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-07-22/news/bs-ed-omalley-gay-marriage-20110722_1_marriage-bill-gay-marriage-joseph-c-bryce) on marriage equality last year, stating publicly that “the government needs to enforces rights and protect rights equally among all its people.” Now he’ll be fighting for the bill’s passage in the upcoming session and, hopefully, marking another step forward in the fight for the recognition of equal rights for gays and lesbians who want to marry.
If it happens, it would make Maryland the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage. And, even more notably, Maryland would be the first state south of the Mason-Dixon line to recognize marriage equality.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/with-govs-help-marriage-equality-could-be-coming-to-maryland-20120123/

Over the next week, Evan Mulvihill will be reporting on the best gay-interest screenings, parties and panels at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival (http://www.queerty.com/queering-sundance-whats-gay-at-the-sundance-film-festival-this-year-20120118/) in Park City, Utah. (PS: Check in on our sister site, GayCities (http://saltlake.gaycities.com/events/signup1_113265-sundance-film-festival), if you’re there!)
When we first heard about Keep The Lights On, we thought it bore a certain resemblance to Weekend, last year’s critically acclaimed (http://www.queerty.com/continuing-to-be-the-years-most-loved-romantic-film-weekend-wins-big-at-dorian-awards-20120116/) (but small release) gay romance film. Queerty talked to Lights director Ira Sachs and one of its lead actors, Zachary Booth, about how they shot the film’s steamy sex scenes, whether we need more gay sex in Hollywood, and more in the video interview above.
While that comparison between Weekend and Lights works on a superficial level—both are explicit, important films that put a gay relationship front and center, romantically, sexually, and emotionally—Lights is definitely a bigger beast. Weekend follows just 48 hours of a gay relationship, beginning at a one-night stand and turning into a budding attachment that allows one man to come to terms with his semi-closeted sexuality.
The romantic journey in Lights takes place over 10 years, and features an on-again, off-again relationship that bears significant similarity to director Ira Sachs’ longtime partnership with Bill Clegg. While Sachs is slow to acknowledge the autobiographical nature of the story, it’s no secret that Clegg himself was a chronic crack addict, despite his successful career as a literary agent.
So, extrapolate for yourself: The two leads are Erik, a documentary filmmaker played by Thure Lindhardt, and his on-again, off-again boyfriend Paul (played by Zachary Booth), a drug addict who, at times, maintains to hold down a job managing writers. At the opening of the film, Paul throws Erik a surprise party, and they’re decidedly in love. A well-crafted sex scene follows, with (spoiler alert!) some butt, a little scrotum, and a glimpse of shaft. (Don’t come expecting some wank material, though, says Sachs.)
Over the course of the film, Erik and Paul are perpetually breaking up, and then getting back together. We get snapshots, mostly from Erik’s point of view, as Paul disappears for days and weeks at a time to rent hotel rooms, where crack, vodka, and prostitutes intermingle. In Paul’s absence, Erik calls him frantically, cries himself to sleep at home, or vents to his friends about the difficult relationship.
While we enjoyed the film, and think it’s an important, realistic depiction of a type of relationship many gay men experience, we feel that the movie could’ve benefited from more of Paul’s point of view. We hardly understand his job, though he continually reminds Erik he has one; we don’t get to see much of his drug binges, or why he goes on them; and at times it’s easy to dismiss Paul as just a selfish, unemotional manipulator who takes advantage of the fact that Erik loves him so much. Zachary Booth’s depiction of Paul in the throes of addiction and recovery, though, is convincing and poignant.
One of the most powerful scenes in the movie takes place when Erik comes to rescue Paul from his crack-den hotel room. Paul refuses to leave, and orders a studly prostitute to come top him. Eric at first stands by as Paul does the dirty deed, then comes into the room and holds his hand. There is a strange eeriness about how a relationship can survive such a low, and something beautiful about being there for your partner no matter how deep he’s sunk.
In Clegg’s memoir, Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, there is a scene strikingly similar to Sachs’ film. The New York Times describes it thus:

Or the time that his boyfriend, a downtown filmmaker who goes by the pseudonym Noah in the book, watches as Mr. Clegg smokes crack and has sex in a hotel room with a $400-an-hour Brazilian prostitute named Carlos. (“Shame, pleasure, care, and approval collide and the worst of the worst no longer seems so bad.”)
With such deeply personal subject matter, it’s brave of Sachs to give the gay community this film. We hope the straight community will appreciate it, too.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/sundance-director-ira-sachs-and-actor-zachary-booth-on-keep-the-lights-ons-tumultuous-gay-romance-20120123/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

24th January 2012, 16:48

CBS 2 News in L.A. (http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/01/20/officials-search-hollywood-apartment-in-connection-with-body-parts-murder/) is reporting that the victim of a gruesome murder in the Hollywood Hills has been identified as Hervey Medellin, a former Mexicana Airlines employee who was openly gay. Last week the head of Medellin, 66, was found by a hiker in Bronson Park, not far from the famed Hollywood sign. The victim’s hands and feet were later discovered nearby by police.
According to the news report, Medellin lived with his boyfriend in a Hollywood apartment, which has been searched along with other units in his complex. No suspects have been named but investigators continue to look in the Hollywood Hills for the rest of Medellin’s corpse. Though there is much speculation regarding the circumstances of his death, there is no word on whether or not the murder is being considered a hate crime.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/victim-of-grizzly-hollywood-hills-murder-was-gay-20120124/

P.S: See source for video

Maryland Governor Introduces Marriage Equality Bill

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-09/2010-09-10/martin.jpg

Maryland governor Martin O’Malley introduced marriage equality legislation Monday with clarification on protections for religious institutions and leaders.
A survey commissioned in October by the Human Rights Campaign and conducted by the Garin Hart Yang polling firm showed that 51 percent would support same-sex marriage in Maryland if the issue went to referendum.

Another poll, conducted by Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies, that surveyed voters about several statewide issues put support for same-sex marriage at 48 percent among Marylanders who vote regularly.A survey commissioned in October by the Human Rights Campaign and conducted by the Garin Hart Yang polling firm showed that 51 percent would support same-sex marriage in Maryland if the issue went to referendum.

The Baltimore Sun (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-same-sex-bill-20120123,0,1483229.story) reports that O’Malley said he hoped the new language would make the religious protections “a little clearer” and help the bill garner “additional support.” The bill passed the senate for the first time last year with bipartisan support, but opposition from lawmakers with religious ties, including those connected to influential African-American churches in Prince George’s County, contributed to the bill’s failure to receive a vote on the house floor.

O’Malley spokeswoman Raquel Guillory said the new bill extends legal protections to leaders of religious groups, compared to last year’s bill that only protected institutions.

“The bill also makes clear that religious leaders, not the state, control theological doctrine, Guillory said,” according to the Sun. “And it further limits any punitive actions — like denying government funds — that the state could take against religious organizations for failing to perform same-sex marriages.”

Governor O’Malley, who has made the bill one of his legislative priorities this year, said he was not sure whether the changes would lead to more support. The state’s Roman Catholic bishops have strongly opposed the bill, while the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition has been working to build support among the state’s significant African-American population with videos featuring celebrities such as actress Mo’Nique and former NAACP chairman Julian Bond.
Opponents of the bill have threatened to challenge it with a referendum this fall. According to The Gazette of Politics and Business (http://www.somdnews.com/article/20120111/NEWS/701119650/1074/gay-marriage-advocates-proceed-despite-referendum-threat&template=southernMaryland), a survey commissioned by the Human Rights Campaign in October found that 51% of respondents would support marriage equality if it went to the ballot in the state. Meanwhile, a poll from Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies last week indicated that 48% of Maryland voters support marriage equality.
The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/maryland-politics/post/omalley-prepares-to-push-same-sex-marriage-other-priorities/2012/01/23/gIQAWFRjLQ_blog.html) reports that O’Malley is scheduled to host a breakfast Tuesday morning with same-sex couples in Annapolis. He will discuss the marriage equality bill at a news conference afterward with lawmakers, clergy and labor leaders.

The Sun also reports that the bill will have a hearing (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-omalley-to-breakfast-with-gay-advocates-tuesday-20120123,0,945063.story?track=rss)in the senate judicial proceedings committee on January 31.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/Maryland_Governor_Introduces_Marriage_Equality_Bil l/

First Washington, Now New Jersey Braces for Marriage Showdown

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/CHRISTIE_SWEENEYX390.jpg
Chris Christie, Stephen Sweeney
New Jersey Senate president Stephen Sweeney admits that he made a “mistake." That's how he describes his behavior two years ago, when he abstained from voting on the marriage equality bill and contributed to the 20-14 defeat of the measure. The Democrat blames his move on politics, where he supported the substance of the bill but bowed to the political winds of his conservative South Jersey district.

“I’m a big boy, I made a mistake,” said Sweeney in an interview with The Advocate. While confirming reports that he is considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2014, he insisted his recent sponsorship of a same-sex marriage bill stems from a motivation to remedy an injustice, not career aspirations. “I am going to correct the mistake, and I am going to do what’s right for the people that were wronged," he said. "That’s all this is about.”

If successful this session, Sweeney and other leaders of the Democratic-controlled state legislature could close a bumpy chapter for the state's nine million residents. The saga began when the Supreme Court of New Jersey issued a decision in 2006 that prompted the legislature to pass a civil unions bill later that year. A state commission concluded the civil unions law created a “second-class status” in 2008, but a lame-duck legislative drive for marriage equality failed in 2010 despite a promise from outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine to sign the bill. Gov. Chris Christie, the Republican who succeeded him, does not support marriage equality, a factor that distinguishes him from the Democratic governors of New York, Washington and Maryland, all Catholics like Christie, who have pushed for the legislation. As of Monday, Washington appeared to be on the verge (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/New_Jersey_Braces_for_Marriage_Showdown/%20http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/WASHINGTON_HAS_THE_VOTES_FOR_MARRIAGE/)of becoming the seventh state plus the District of Columbia with marriage equality, after the last of the required votes emerged in the senate.

Sweeney said that last time, he agreed to be one of the 21 votes that would pass the bill, but in a “political calculation,” he refused to provide a yes vote for any bill that failed. When Gov.-elect Christie prevailed on five Republican senators to retract their support, it became apparent the legislation could not pass, and so Sweeney abstained, the equivalent of a no vote.

Fast forward two years, and Sweeney believes his chamber has enough votes to pass the bill “easily" next month. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing and vote on the bill Tuesday, and he expects a successful floor vote on the bill on February 13. The vote would mark the first time a marriage equality bill passes either chamber of the New Jersey legislature.

“It’s going to pass,” said Sweeney. “That’s how confident I am. It will pass the senate on the 13th.”

Sweeney also expressed optimism about prospects in the general assembly led by Speaker Sheila Oliver, but passing the bill represents only part of the battle. Legislators need to gather the two-thirds majority required to override a potential veto, should Christie exercise that option after the bill reaches his desk.

“We’re getting there,” Sweeney said of the ongoing effort in his chamber. “This is an enormous lift.” Democrats control the senate 23-16, with one open seat, and Sweeney said it could be possible to get support from as many as 22 members of his conference. He said that Republican interest in the bill is “moving,” although he declined to name prospective GOP votes except Sen. Jennifer Beck, who has already announced her support. “I don’t want any more headaches for them than they’re going to get,” he said.

Whether lawmakers will have to override a veto depends on how Christie responds, and his statements and actions in the last few weeks have left Trenton observers guessing. As recently as June, following the passage of marriage equality in New York, the governor told NBC’s Meet The Press that he was “not a fan” (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/New_Jersey_Braces_for_Marriage_Showdown/%20http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0611/Christie_not_a_fan_of_gay_marriage.html) of same-sex marriage and would not sign a bill like the one in the neighboring state. However, last week he expressed a new openness on the matter, saying “We’ll see what happens” when asked about the bill during a radio interview (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/New_Jersey_Braces_for_Marriage_Showdown/%20http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/18/christie-leaves-door-open-for-same-sex-marriage-in-nj/) with WCBS 880. On Monday, Christie stunned observers again when he nominated Bruce Harris, an African-American Republican mayor, to be the first openly gay Supreme Court justice. The governor said during the press conference that the nomination did not signal a change in his position on same-sex marriage, however, and Garden State Equality chairman Steven Goldstein, who praised the nomination, cautioned that it would be “unwise” to draw any conclusions from the development.

Sweeney said the governor could pursue “many avenues” if lawmakers present him with a bill as expected. He could veto the bill outright, issue a conditional veto, or just let it become law by taking no action and allowing the 45-day review period to expire. He could also sign the bill, although Sweeney considered that the least likely outcome.

“I really don’t anticipate that, but what I would hope is he would allow his senators and assembly people on his side of the aisle to vote their conscience,” he said. “If not, let it become law, respect that people have been denied their civil rights, and that they’re respecting your beliefs, as far as marriage between a man and a woman. We’re not violating either side.”

A spokesman for Christie said the governor would allow the legislative process to unfold and review any legislation that reaches his desk in accordance with the 45-day period. The burden for passing the bill rests on legislators, however.

“What the governor did say is that he didn’t believe there were majorities in the legislature that would allow the bill to be forwarded to his desk,” said deputy press secretary Kevin Roberts. “But if that were to occur, he would review the legislation just as he would any other piece of legislation.”

Compared to 2009, when the governor-elect told a group of New Jersey Republicans that he would return a same-sex marriage to lawmakers with a “big red veto across it,” his recent comments mark a shift. Even the National Organization for Marriage took notice, blasting his new statements as “troubling” in an alert to followers last week and threatening to spend $500,000 to support lawmakers who oppose the bill and challenge those who vote for it.

The situation would seem to put the popular Christie, often mentioned as a 2016 presidential hopeful or even a prospective 2012 vice presidential pick, in an awkward position as national polls show support for same-sex marriage increasing rapidly among Americans. Sweeney dismissed the suggestion of a political setup, and argued that the governor could find justification enough in a new Quinnipiac poll that shows a majority of New Jersey voters (52%) support marriage equality for the first time.

“The point is, there’s avenues around here where he can say, ‘I oppose it’ and it still become law because it was the right thing to do,” said Sweeney. “The governor’s made his position clear. We’re hoping he has the compassion to recognize this is a civil rights issue. Nothing more, nothing less.”

In addition, Sweeney believes that advocates have bolstered their case for the bill by including strong religious exemptions modeled on the New York law. He said that some Roman Catholic and conservative Jewish leaders exerted “enormous pressure” on lawmakers in 2010, but this time, “We’re acknowledging and trying to be as respectful as we can of religious communities. We don’t want this in any way or form to become a matter of religion. We want the focus to be exactly on what it is, which is a civil rights issue.”

Unlike in New York and Washington, where governors Andrew Cuomo and Christine Gregoire reached out to Catholic archbishops, New Jersey, where 40% of the population identifies as Catholic, lacks a chief executive willing to play ambassador. However, Sweeney, a Catholic, offered assurance that outreach would be underway. “We heard them the last time,” he said of religious critics.

In addition to the governor’s ambivalent statements about a veto and the promising new poll, Sweeney said that four Republican senators’ support for the marriage equality bill in New York is “probably one of the biggest changes” since 2010. “It was OK for Republicans to vote for something like this and they’re still standing, though they’re being threatened, I think that had a big impact,” he said. Campaign finance filings released last week showed that the New York Republicans increased (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/nyregion/money-flows-to-gop-backers-of-gay-marriage-in-new-york.html?pagewanted=all) their fund-raising significantly in the six months following the vote.

Paul Singer and Daniel Loeb, two of the hedge-fund managers who contributed more than $1 million to help finance a substantial portion of the New York campaign, have close ties to Christie. Their connection has raised the question of whether the same wealthy Republican donors who proved instrumental in New York could influence the outcome in nearby New Jersey. Sweeney said that although he was not aware of any efforts, he “wouldn’t turn down any help.”

Regarding his own relationship with the governor, Sweeney said the two of them “get along fine.” Last June, the senate president called Christie a “bully” and a “rotten prick,” among many other things, in an interview (http://blog.nj.com/njv_tom_moran/2011/07/democrats_cry_foul_at_gov_chri.html) at the height of the budget battle. He regrets speaking to the reporter before he cooled off, and he predicted that his "very good relationship” with the governor, never one to mince words himself, would promote productive discussion about marriage equality when the time arrives.

There’s just one formality.

“We’ve got to pass it first. Then we’ll have a conversation,” he said. “It’s coming. It’s coming now.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/New_Jersey_Braces_for_Marriage_Showdown/

Ecuador: Lesbian Activist Appointed to Presidential Cabinet

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/Carina-Vance-Maflax390.jpg
Carina Vance Mafla (center)
A woman who led the charge to shut down clinics in Ecuador that promised to help "cure" homosexuality has been appointed the head of the South American country's health ministry.

To continue his pro-gay record, President Rafael Correa has announced that Carina Vance Mafla would join his cabinet as health minister. According to Blabbeando (http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/2012/01/ecuador-lesbian-who-led-fight-against.html#.Tx3P-yPXFVs), the previous health minister stepped down after it was clear that he was unable to solve the problems of the country's troubled national health care system.

Officials with the LGBT organization Equal Rights Now (Igualdad de Derechos Ya!) commended Mafla's appointment and said they hoped she would "pay attention to the distribution of HIV medications, create guidelines to prevent discrimination against LGBT individuals at hospitals and health centers and take action on shutting down illegal religious "clinics" that promote 'cures' for homosexuality," Blabbeando reports.

A network consisting of nearly 200 illegal so-called reparative therapy clinics was uncovered four years ago. Thirty were shut down by Correa's government in September 2011 after pressure from activists including Mafla and from Change.org and AllOut.org petitions, directed at former health minister David Chiriboga Allnutt.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Ecuador_Lesbian_Activist_Appointed_to_Presidential _Cabinet/

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) will honor seven heroes in the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality at its 2012 Anniversary Celebration—which marks its 35th year—on May 5, 2012 at San Francisco’s Metreon Cityview with the well-known political humorist Kate Clinton returning for a command performance as emcee.
NCLR will honor out actress Jane Lynch, of Glee and Julie & Julia, for using her fame as a platform to further LGBT equality, and for being an outspoken advocate for creating safer, welcoming schools for LGBT children.
Six students from Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District will also be honored for their courage in standing up against a district policy that prohibits staff from discussing LGBT issues, prevents staff from effectively addressing bullying, and has created a hostile environment for students who are or are perceived to be LGBT or gender non-conforming.
NCLR’s special guest at the 2012 Anniversary Celebration will be out gay actor Wilson Cruz, known for roles in television’s My So-Called Life and the Broadway production of RENT. Cruz, an advocate for LGBT equality and LGBT youth, will present the Courage Award to the Anoka-Hennepin students.
"This year is especially significant, as NCLR celebrates a major milestone—turning 35 years old, an opportunity for us to look back on our history-making cases, and champions who have stood up against injustice and changed the legal landscape for every member of our community," said NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell. "We're thrilled to celebrate how far we've come by honoring those who are standing up for what's right, becoming role models for millions of people across the country."
See your photo displayed during the 35th Anniversary Celebration by taking part in the “I am NCLR…” photo campaign, designed to reflect and showcase NCLR clients and supporters. Through April 2012, NCLR would like your photos—your portraits, snapshots, and special moments—with a homemade poster or sign in which you fill in the sentence, “I am NCLR, and I am...” telling them how you reflect their groundbreaking work. Learn more about the campaign here (http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nclr_getinvolved_PhotoCampaign ).

Source: http://www.shewired.com/lifestyle/2012/01/23/nclr-honor-jane-lynch-and-anoka-hennepin-students-35th-anniversary-gala

Missouri Teen Fights for LGBT Rights

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/BAILEE_WEBBX390.jpg

A lesbian teenager in a Kansas City suburb is leading a fight against discrimination wherever she finds it — for instance, at a shop that refused to print T-shirts for her school’s gay-straight alliance.

The Kansas City Star profiles Bailee Webb (pictured, foreground), 17, president of the GSA at Blue Springs South High School in Blue Springs, Mo. It reports that the GSA members recently agreed on a T-shirt design with the phrase “Why is it that as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?”

After the school’s principal approved the design, Webb emailed an order for the shirts to Rod’s Sporting Goods in Blue Springs. The owner, Rod Lindemann, emailed her back the next day, saying that because of his religious beliefs, he could not do the job. “I am a man who walks my faith,” he told the Star. “God calls me to love all, but he doesn’t call me to be comfortable with things that I don’t see as God-pleasing.”

Webb found another vendor to produce the T-shirts, and she contacted leaders of other clubs at her school and got them to agree to cease patronizing Lindemann’s store. She emailed him, “I respect your decision, even if I do not agree with it, and I’m sorry that the Blue Springs South GSA and many other clubs here at South cannot and no longer will be doing business with you.”

Webb came out to her mother two years ago and has received unconditional support. Now a senior, she is an honor student who has applied to Harvard University and hopes to become a nuclear or aerospace engineer. Read more about her here. (http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/22/3385901/gay-teen-leads-fight-for-change.html)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Missouri_Teen_Fights_for_LGBT_Rights/

Santorum Fla. Campaign Head Thinks Gays Make God Vomit

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/Pastor-ONeal-DozierX390.jpg
Rev. O'Neal Dozier of the Worldwide Christian Center
Rick Santorum has a scary friend leading his Florida primary effort: O'Neal Dozier, an evangelical preacher who hates gays and Muslims.
Dozier runs the Worldwide Christian Center in Pompano Beach, Fla.; Santorum spoke from the Center's pulpit on Sunday. Extreme may be putting it mildly when describing Dozier, who is serving as honorary chairman of Santorum's Florida efforts. He has told his congregants that Muslims plan on taking over America, and that homosexuality was "something so nasty and disgusting that it makes God want to vomit." After Santorum spoke at Dozier's church on Sunday, the preacher told a Mother Jones reporter that Mitt Romney was going to hell.
Read more about Dozier here. (http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/01/rick-santorum-oneal-dozier-florida-gay)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Santorum_Fla_Campaign_Head_Thinks_Gays_Make_God_Vo mit/

TheGodlessUtopian

24th January 2012, 16:53

Va. Senator Proposes Adoption Nondiscrimination Bill

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/vgax390.jpg
The Virginia General Assembly building
A Virginia state senator has introduced legislation that would prohibit the state from contracting with adoption agencies that discriminate against prospective parents on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Adam Ebbin, a Democrat from Alexandria, in northern Virginia, introduced the bill last week, the Associated Press (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Va-legislators-to-consider-gay-adoption-issue-2643769.php) reports. It also covers other characteristics, including race, religion, sex, family status, national origin, and disability.

The move comes after the state’s Board of Social Services last month (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/15/Final_Vote_in_Virginia_Same_sex_Couples_Cannot_Ado pt/) declined to enact guidelines that would prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in adoption.

“One major issue is whether charities that receive tax dollars should be able to discriminate,” Ebbin said Friday. “Adoption is a public act that goes through state courts, and no government agent should engage in discrimination.”

Competing legislation has been introduced in the Senate and House of Delegates that would allow agencies to deny adoption or foster care placements that would go against the agencies’ religious tenets, essentially writing the Board of Social Services guidelines into law.

The state has 120 local departments of social services, and there are 77 state-licensed private agencies with which they can contract for adoption and foster care services.

The issue of discrimination by private, religious agencies has come up recently in other states. In Illinois, for instance, the state ended its contracts (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/14/Catholic_Charities_Groups_End_Ill_Suit/) with Catholic Charities agencies for adoption services when the groups refused to serve gay parents in civil unions, as required by a law that went into effect last year.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Va_Senator_Proposes_Adoption_Nondiscrimination_Bil l/

LGBT Individuals Face Hardship in Tajikistan

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/tajikistan%20flag.jpg

A new report (http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/what-its-like-to-be-gay-in-tajikistan/251888/) from EurasiaNet chronicles the lives of LGBT individuals and the struggles they face in a society where homosexuality is a sin and “contrary to nature.”

Homophobia in Tajikistan is widespread due to traditional Islamic attitudes, and hate crimes often go unaddressed even though homosexuality has been decriminalized since 1998. Some individuals report being blackmailed by authorities who threaten to out them.

"The population at large does not tolerate or accept LGBT people in general,” said Kiromidden Gulov, director of a local equal opportunity NGO. “There are some people who are friends or communicate with the LGBT community, but they are very few."

A Ministry of Health official said many Tajiks still believe homosexuality is a disease that can be treated with medication and therapy.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/LGBT_Individuals_Face_Hardship_in_Tajikistan/

The original “Shit Girls Say” (http://shitgirlssay.com/)has spawned dozens of knock-offs including “Shit Gay Guys Say,” “Shit Yogis Say” “Shit Black Girls Say,” “Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls.” It was only a matter of time before someone made a “Shit Straight Girls Say… to Lesbians.”
Singer, writer and musician Laura Catlow (http://flavors.me/lauracatlow) created and appears in the very spot-on video that she writes that she “jumped on the bandwagon” of the parody within a parody of the “Shit Girls Say” phenomenon.
The video was first seen on Dorothy Surrenders. (http://dorothysurrenders.blogspot.com/)

Source: http://www.shewired.com/lifestyle/2012/01/10/shit-straight-girls-sayto-lesbians-phenomenon-continues

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

24th January 2012, 19:44

Pepperdine University has denied the application of a group of students seeking to form an LGBT club called “Reach OUT”, according to L.A. Weekly (http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/01/pepperdine_halts_lgbt_club.php). In a statement to the school’s newspaper (http://www.pepperdine-graphic.com/news/reachout-recognition-denied-lgbt-advocates-turn-to-online-petition/), the Dean of Students Mark Davis says that Pepperdine must remain faithful to biblical teachings that sexual activity is only between a man and a woman. He states that “Pepperdine seeks to be faithful to this teaching because we believe it is God’s will and therefore we cannot endorse another view or take a neutral position on sexual morality.” This tony, private university located in the hills of Malibu is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
Davis goes on to point out that there is already a university-sanctioned committee on LGBT issues called “Building Bridges.” However, students say this is not enough and they have created a petition in hopes of reversing Davis’ decision. To date, they’ve gathered more than 4,000 student signatures but it seems unlikely the administration will budge. Davis’ statement goes on to add that “although Reach OUT stated in its application that it has no position on sexual activity, we do not believe it is possible for a LGBT student organization to maintain a neutral position.”
Like the university’s “neutral position” that sex is only between a man and a woman?
It’s surprising that this sort of discriminatory situation has occurred at a school located in Southern California. Though Pepperdine is known for being somewhat conservative, the current student body (which numbers more than 7,000 grads and undergrads) is clearly more diverse and tolerant than administrators there would like to believe.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/faithful-to-biblical-teachings-pepperdine-university-nixes-lgbt-student-club-20120124/

After months of international outcry (http://www.queerty.com/ecuador-land-of-biodiversity-torturous-ex-gay-camps-20111111/) and a change.org petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/ecuador-minister-of-health-close-remaining-ex-gay-torture-clinics-in-ecuador) with over 100,000 signatures, the Ecuadorian government has finally agreed to close over 200 ex-gay torture camps where lesbians and other deviants were “cured” of the gay though battering, sexual abuse, starvation, sleep deprivation, threat of rape, constant ridicule, and throwing urine on them. The welcome news also dovetails with another announcement: President Rafael Correa has chosen Carina Vance Mafla (http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/2012/01/ecuador-lesbian-who-led-fight-against.html) (right), a lesbian activist who led the fight against closing these horrendous camps, as his new Minister of Health. We’re sure Mafla will shut these camps down in as expediently as possible.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ecuadors-ministry-of-health-names-lesbian-minister-pledges-to-close-ex-gay-torture-camps-20120124/

A Cincinnati judge has sentenced former professional wrestler Andre Davis (right) to 32 years in prison for not telling women he was having sex with that he was HIV+. Davis, who wrestled under alter egos like “Gangsta of Love” and “Sweet Sexy Sensation” was convicted in November of 14 counts of felonious assault after having unprotected sex with more than a dozen women. CBS 12 (http://www.local12.com/News/Local/story/Man-With-HIV-Sentenced-to-32-Years-in-Prison/Sn8u3SLz7EuuLSLQfNQawQ.cspx) in Cincinnati reports Davis’ condition was revealed, “when the mother of his two children found his testing paperwork [and] passed it on to many of his other girlfriends.”
Ohio state law requires those who test positive for HIV to inform prospective sex partners, which he failed to do. But Davis’ lawyer claimed the statute was unfair because it didn’t require proof that there had been malicious intent.
Davis was rejected by the WWE in 2009 after testing positive for HIV and thus failing his physical.
Criminalizing unsafe sex is a risky proposition, especially for the gay community. While we hope everyone, positive or negative, takes on the burden of safe sex themselves, the law generally doesn’t see it that way: Drunk drivers, for example, are prosecuted for killing their passengers—even if the passenger should’ve known better than to get into the car with them.
At the same time, we can imagine without much difficulty a situation where a law like this would be abused by homophobic lawyers and judges to harass gay couples.
Should laws like this be stricken from the books or do they provide a necessary safety net to an unsuspecting public?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/hiv-pro-wrestler-gets-32-years-behind-bars-for-unprotected-sex-20120124/

This week, Marriage News Watch’s Matt Baume explains why same-sex marriages in Canada might not be as safe as we thought. Plus: An interview with Daniel Wein, the college student who’s acquiring the rights and funding to get the Australian “It’s Time” ad (http://www.queerty.com/why-arent-american-marriage-equality-ads-nearly-half-as-good-as-this-australian-one-20111125/) on American television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qvxKaWtxxzw

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-canadian-same-sex-marriages-might-be-in-danger-after-all-20120124/

TheGodlessUtopian

25th January 2012, 15:45

New Jersey’s Republican governor Chris Christie clarified his position on the state’s new gay-marriage bill today, stating that if it gets to his desk he will indeed veto it. This came just hours before the bill was approved (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nj-gov-says-hed-veto-gay-marriage-bill-but-supports-putting-issue-before-voters/2012/01/24/gIQA6rdtNQ_story.html) in a Senate committee 8-4 and sent to the full Senate for a vote next week. While discussing the issue (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/christie_says_november_voters_should_Iqc7D8DIgPRnF UjQyge84L#ixzz1kPWxizbr) in Bridgewater, NJ, Christie urged lawmakers to put the marriage issue to voters in November. ”Let’s put the question of same-sex marriage on the ballot,” Christie said. “It shouldn’t be decided by 121 people in Trenton.”
That way no one suffers any political backlash. Right, Mr. Christie?
If marriage equality does go to a public vote, though, it might have a good chance of winning. According to a Quinnipiac Poll (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/poll_majority_of_nj_voters_sup_1.html)out last week, a majority (52%) of New Jersey residents support marriage equality. Of course, polling numbers and voting numbers often vary wildly when it comes to the touchy subject of same-sex marriage, as witnessed in California’s Prop 8 disaster (http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/23/local/me-gaymarriage23). So gays in the Garden State might remain in legislative limbo for some time to come.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nj-gov-christie-says-hell-veto-gay-marriage-bill-wants-to-let-voters-decide-20120124/

Timothy Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church, the masterminds behind “God Hates Fags” and “God Hates Lady Gaga” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers”—and son of WBC founder Fred Phelps—took time out of his picketing routine (currently, he’s en route to Joe Paterno’s funeral) to talk to the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/reggie-cameron/westboro-baptist-church-obama-sodomy_b_1222721.html)‘s Reggie Cameron about politics and gay sex. Here are some highlights:
On political candidates:

These people claim to be Christian, New Gingrich and Mitt Romney and some of them others. They aren’t pure followers of Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t trust [any] of them with a handful of change to go get me some bubble gum. There’s nothing of any value in [any] of those human beings. I would rather have Obama… [whom the Westboro Church has referred to as the Anti-Christ].
On gay marriage:

In the days of Noah they were accepting and giving of marriage. It was the acceptance of homosexual marriage that triggered the Flood. They didn’t use that term, but that is the concept. Men marrying men. Women marrying women. Humans marrying animals. How far do you think we are from that in this generation?
On sodomy:

I don’t care if you’re kissing or having anal sex or any other thing you do. It’s what’s in your heart that matters.
When asked then whether it was okay for him to commit sodomy with his wife but not for men to do the same with other men, Phelps responded, “rhetorically, yes.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/westboro-baptist-church-endorses-the-anti-christ-and-sodomy-but-gay-marriage-will-bring-down-a-second-noahs-flood-20120124/

Two Arkansas men hoping to announce their upcoming union saw their wedding announcement rejecthttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/renegar.jpged by a local newspaper, reports the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. KNWA NBC (http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=301692)in Northern Arkansas.
Cody Renegar and his partner, Thomas Staed, (at right) say they wanted to celebrate their upcoming nuptials with a traditional announcement in the Northwest Arkansas Times but were told the paper only prints notices of legal marriages recognized by the state. Renegar is understandably upset:

“There’s a certain amount of validation that comes with putting it in the paper. You know, you grow up with that, you see this, you love to look at these beautiful photos of couples.”
The Gazette reports that the Northwest Arkansas Center for Equality and the Human Rights Campaign are asking the newspaper to reconsider it’s policy on printing wedding announcements. On his Facebook page, Renegar addressed the media attention his story has received:

Wow! Thomas and I are absolutely in awe from the support we received today! We understand that this is not only about us but about ALL of us. It was truly beautiful to watch our community come together! A thousand thanks you everyone!! I don’t take “No” for an answer because I know that there is an army of friends behind me that will kick ass!
Seriously, we’d think with print media suffering the way it is, the Times would be happy to run anyone’s announcement.
NOTE: The source of the story, NWAHomepage.com (http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=301692), was mistakenly identified with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and not KNWA. We regret the error.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/arkansas-newspaper-rejects-gay-wedding-announcement-20120124/

More than 2,500 advocates and activists are heading to Baltimore tomorrow for the start of Creating Change (http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr_012012), the 24th annual National Conference on LGBT Equality, running from January 25 to 29. On Thursday, many attendees will join members of the ACLU, Pride at Work, the Service Employees International Union and the American Association of University Women, to demonstrate against bullying, job discrimination and pay inequity and to urge Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
The conference also includes talks by National Gay and Lesbian Task Force director Rea Carey (right), Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous, who delivers the keynote address on Thursday, as well as skill-building workshops, networking sessions, meetings for religious leaders. and a musical performance by Wilson Cruz.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/countrys-largest-lgbt-activist-meeting-being-held-this-week-in-baltimore-20120124/

TheGodlessUtopian

25th January 2012, 15:50

When President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address tonight at 9pm EST, most of us will be watching from our living rooms. Not openly gay Air Force Col. Ginger Wallace—she’ll be sitting with the First Lady in a VIP box in the Capitol. It’s a big change for Wallace (at right) who, until last September, had to hide the very existence of her girlfriend of more than a decade, Kathy Knopf. Knopf will be at a special viewing event at the White House for family members of the military personnel invited to the address.
The Air Force Times reports (http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/01/airforce-first-lady-guest-012412w/) that Wallace, who is currently prepping for a deployment to Afghanistan, said she and Knopf are “honored and humbled really to represent all of the exceptional people who serve… and how far we’ve come.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-air-force-colonel-invited-to-obamas-state-of-the-union-address-20120124/

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback (right) has a list of more than 50 outdated statutes he wants to repeal, but the state’s unconstitutional sodomy law isn’t one of them. Unsurprisingly, this has ticked off LGBT activists in the state.
Reports Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/24/us-gays-law-kansas-idUSTRE80N2EU20120124):
“We’re not disappointed, we’re angry,” said Thomas Witt, chairman of the Kansas Equality Coalition, a state gay rights group. “We are angry that the governor of a state wants to keep a statute on the books that says gay people deserve to go to jail.”
Although the law is unlikely to be enforced, getting it off the books is advisable in case the Supreme Court should ever overturn its 2003 ruling, said Charles Joughin, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign.
The Supreme Court ruled sodomy laws were unconstitutional in 20073′s Lawrence vs. Texas, but Brownback, a conservative Republican, has some wonky views when it comes to us gays: He believes homosexuality to be a violation of both Catholic doctrine and natural law. As a senator, he even attempted to block the confirmation of federal judge Janet T. Neff simply because she had attended a same-sex commitment ceremony. (Brownback later said he’d approve her if she recused herself from any case involving same-sex ceremonies.)
In fact the only smart thing we can tell Brownback has done is create the Office of the Repealer, which has recommended repealing dozens of laws covering agriculture, taxes, labor and more. Seems like the guy thinks its best to get government out of areas it doesn’t belong in—unless it suits his personal values.
Man, we almost wish this a-hole was running for president. We could come up with a definition for “Brownback” that’d make Santorum sound like Mom’s apple pie.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-groups-angry-ks-sodomy-law-is-still-on-the-books-no-duh-20120124/

While First Daughter Mariela Castro Espin says Cuba may soon begin debating whether or not to recognize same-sex unions (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/raul-castro-daughter-top-gay-rights-activist-says-cuba-lawmakers-to-consider-same-sex-unions/2012/01/17/gIQAYYB55P_story.html), it appears others in authority in the island nation are less compassionate toward the LGBT community: Cubanet (http://www.cubanet.org/actualidad/muere-travesti-tras-golpiza-propinada-por-policias/) is reporting that an 18-year-old trans woman was beaten to death after being taken into police custody earlier this month.
An inmate in the jail where the woman, known as Jessica, was held says at least four police officers—including sector chief Boris Luis Caballero—beat her savagely and left her limp body in her cell.
When Jessica was discovered dead in the middle of the night, her corpse was taken to an unknown location.
LGBT Asylum News (http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2012/01/report-trans-woman-killed-by-cuban.html) reports that numerous incidents of harassment, arrests, raids and violence by police have been cited by Cuban bloggers recently.
Dissident Roberto de Jesús Guerra, who was released from prison after two years in 2007 (http://havanajournal.com/politics/entry/cuban-dissident-roberto-de-jesus-guerra-released-from-prison-3391/), said last year that raids by police on LGBT meeting at several sites in the Cuban capital have been stepped up.
According to (http://www.cubaencuentro.com/cuba/noticias/denuncian-la-muerte-de-homosexual-en-dependencias-policiales-267993) Imbert Leannes Acosta, director of El Observatorio Cubano de los Derechos de la Comunidad LGBT (Cuban Observatory of the Rights of the LGBT Community), repression of LGBT in Cuba is increasing, not only in Havana but “we have documented Matanzas [North Cuba] and Guantanamo [East Cuba] cases.”
They may get some help from an unexpected source: A U.S. State Department document released by Wikileaks suggests that independent LGBT groups in Cuba are receiving funding from American sources.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/cuban-police-beat-18-year-old-trans-woman-to-death-in-jail-cell-20120125/

Matt Alexander is wading into one of the most watched elections of 2012.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/matt-alexander.jpgNo, he’s not a late entrant to the Republican presidential pool—he’s the openly gay mayor of Wappingers Falls, NY, and he’s thrown his hat into the race for representative of New York’s 19th congressional district against incumbent Republican Congresswoman Nan Hayworth.
Barney Frank, who recently attended a fundraiser for Alexander, told (http://www.chelseanow.com/articles/2012/01/23/gay_city_news/editors_latest/doc4f1dbb736ea89715680847.txt)Gay City News (http://www.chelseanow.com/articles/2012/01/23/gay_city_news/editors_latest/doc4f1dbb736ea89715680847.txt) this election, “will be one of the most watched races of the year. If Matt doesn’t win, we won’t retake the House.”
To regain the majority they lost in 2010, Democrats need 25 additional seats in the House. With support from Frank, Rep. Carolyn Maloney and other congressional insiders, Alexander might have a better shot of defeating Hayworth than his two expected challengers for the Democratic nomination, Rich Becker, a town board member in Cortlandt, and Mayor Tom Wilson of Tuxedo Park.
Though embraced by the Tea Party right, Hayworth is something of a cipher when it comes to gay issues: She hasn’t supported the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, but has not embraced defining the institution as between a man and a woman either (“I will not seek to force a definition of marriage on the states,” she stated in a primary debate.)
Additionally, It’s been rumored that one of Hayworth’s two sons is gay.
Oddly enough, the campaign website (http://friendsofmattalexander.com/) for Alexander, 45, makes no mention of his sexuality or his position on any gay issues. We’re not saying he should post beefcake shots from Fire Island, but if Alexander hasn’t done anything for the gay community that he’s proud enough to mention as mayor, why be so sure he would as a congressman?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-ny-mayor-enters-race-for-pivotal-congressional-seat-in-2012-20120125/

In what may not be a coincidental dovetailing of announcements, Starbucks has recently voiced its support for gay marriage (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2017323520_starbucks_supports_gay_marriag.html) and its plan to expand an evening menu (http://www.aol.com/video/a-venti-beer-starbucks-to-expand-evening-menu/517253812/?icid=maing-grid7%7Caim%7Cvideo-module%7Csec3_lnk2%7C129933) of hot food, cheeses, and happy hour beer and wine to select cities. The marriage-equality plaudit comes as Washington State has gathered enough votes to pass legislation on the matter. Starbucks is headquartered in Seattle, where the evening menu has been a resounding success. Now they’re going to give it a try in five other locations, perhaps in Atlanta and Southern California. Does this mean California and Georgia are the next marriage-equality states?
Venti beer and same-sex nuptials: a match made in heaven.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/the-gay-i-see-it.jpg

Source: http://www.queerty.com/starbucks-rolls-out-support-for-gay-marriage-new-beer-and-wine-menu-20120125/

TheGodlessUtopian

25th January 2012, 15:58

Bachmann Announces Bid for Fourth Congressional Term

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-04/BACHMANNX390.jpg

Rep. Michele Bachmann will run for a fourth term in Congress, the former GOP presidential candidate told the Associated Press.

"I'm looking forward to coming back and bringing a strong, powerful voice to Washington, D.C.," Bachmann said in an interview published Wednesday. "We have to radically scale back on government spending, we have to radically cut back on debt accumulation."
AP reports:

Bachmann will be a formidable candidate in Minnesota's 6th District, where other Republican hopefuls had stood aside until she made a decision on running for re-election. She is a potent fundraiser, but faces uncertainty over how her Republican-leaning district will be reshaped by redistricting.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/25/Bachmann_Announces_Bid_for_Fourth_Congressional_Te rm/

SALT LAKE CITY—
If passed, Sen. Ross Romero's Adoption by a Co-parent Bill would allow gay couples, or any unmarried couple living together, to adopt.

"Some people may not want to marry or some people may not be able to marry, so this could apply with equal force if they were sisters," says Romero, giving a hypothetical example. "One sister moved in with another sister and one of the sisters from a previous marriage had a child. They could not legally marry."

The two could legally be parents to the same child if the bill passes. However, it may be a tough sell to the Utah Legislature (http://www.fox13now.com/topic/politics/government/utah-legislature-ORGOVV0000218.topic) given that the bill failed last session.
"I think it would be impossible of me to assume the intentions of the legislators who determine the fate of a bill like this one," says Executive Director of Equality Utah Brandie Balken.

Balkan says the bill would have substantial impact on the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community by allowing them to adopt. But Romero says the bill is more than just about LGBT rights, but about parental rights, gay or straight.
"What this bill says is 'I know what is best for my child and it will be judged on what's in the best of the child,'" Romero explains.
Romero says the parent could be able to designate a co-parent to raise the child, whether that person is a sister, brother, or significant other.

Although Romero is not convinced it will pass this year, he says it is important to keep the dialog going and believes one day it will pass.

Source: http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-proposed-bill-would-allow-samesex-and-unmarried-couples-to-adopt-in-utah-20120124,0,7078840.story

NJ Senate Leaders Challenge Christie on Marriage Referendum

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-24/NJDemocratsGayMarriagex390.jpg

Following approval of the marriage equality bill in the New Jersey senate judiciary committee on Tuesday, the trio of Democratic leaders backing the measure rejected a suggestion from Governor Chris Christie that the issue be put to voters in a referendum this fall.

“We do not put civil rights questions on the ballot,” said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a co-sponsor of the bill, at an afternoon news conference in Trenton. She had cautioned during the committee hearing that New Jersey voters rejected a ballot question that would have allowed women to vote in 1915, five years before Congress granted the right.

Weinberg accused Republican members on the panel of taking a “cop out” by saying that even though they may not be opposed to same-sex marriage, they believe the issue should be decided by voters.

“We’re not putting the governor’s appointments to the Supreme Court on the ballot,” she said. The remark stung in the wake of Christie’s announcement Monday that he would nominate Bruce Harris, an African-American Republican mayor of Chatham Borough, as the first openly gay justice (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/Christie_Nominates_Gay_Republican_to_NJ_Supreme_Co urt/) on the high court.

Senator Weinberg, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Senator Ray Lezniak, the primary sponsors of the bill, reacted to a statement Christie made at a town hall while the committee hearing was underway. The governor, who appeared in recent days to be wavering on his veto ultimatum, renewed his promise (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/ACLU_Says_Christie_Has_Scored_Well_on_LGBT_Rights_ So_Far/) to reject a same-sex marriage bill outright and called for lawmakers to put a referendum on the ballot for voters this fall. A Quinnipiac University poll last week found that New Jersey voters support same-sex marriage by a margin of 52% to 42%.

"Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state,” he said.

The marriage equality bill, championed by Democratic leaders of both houses as their top priority this session, passed the senate panel (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/NJ_Marriage_Bill_Advances_Christie_Wants_Referendu m/) Tuesday in an 8-4 party line vote. Senator Paul Sarlo, a Bergen County Democrat who voted against the bill two years ago, changed his vote to yes.

Sweeney expects (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/23/New_Jersey_Braces_for_Marriage_Showdown/)the bill will pass when it comes for a floor vote on February 13. An earlier version of the bill died in the senate in 2010 with a 20-14 vote. Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver has also expressed confidence the bill will pass her chamber.

However, Democrats in both houses still need to secure enough votes for an override in the event of a veto, a prospect that seemed likely after the latest comments from the Republican governor. The lawmakers urged Christie to allow members from his party to vote yes on the bill despite his plan to veto it.

“When he does that, it’s my hope that he would give direction to his Republican colleagues that they should vote their conscience,” said Senator Lezniak, who co-sponsored the bill two years ago with Weinberg. “Because I know that if they vote their conscience, not only will they vote for this bill but they will override the governor’s veto.”

Sweeney, who abstained from the vote in 2010 and later called his decision a “mistake,” said he has spoken with “many Republicans” who want to vote for the bill. So far, only one Republican senator, Jennifer Beck, publicly supports the bill, but at least a handful of them would be needed to reach the two-thirds majority. Democrats control the chamber by 23-16, with one open seat, and Sweeney has expressed confidence that as many as 22 Democrats support the bill.

“If we have to go for an override we’ll work every angle we possibly have to,” he said during the news conference.

Watch the video.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/NJ_Senate_Leaders_Challenge_Christie_on_Marriage_R eferendum/

P.S:See source for video

Star of the upcoming Broadway revival of Wit Cynthia Nixon has clarified that whole being gay is a choice statement she made in a recent interview with the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/cynthia-nixon-wit.html?_r=1&pagewanted=3), but the clarification she made about the word bisexual to The Daily Beast (http://gay.americablog.com/2012/01/dear-cynthix-nixon-hurting-your-own.html) (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/24/cynthia-nixon-discusses-her-role-in-wit-her-cancer-bisexuality-and-her-kids.html)will not like assuage her detractors in the LGBT community.
The Sex and the City star raised eyebrows when she told the New York Times, “I gave a speech recently, an empowerment speech to a gay audience, and it included the line ‘I’ve been straight and I’ve been gay, and gay is better.’ And they tried to get me to change it, because they said it implies that homosexuality can be a choice. And for me, it is a choice.”
Nixon went on to tell the NYT, “I say it doesn’t matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we are here and we are one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who is not.”
One writer who took umbrage with Nixon’s calling being gay a choice –even if it’s just something she defines for herself—was America Blog (http://gay.americablog.com/2012/01/dear-cynthix-nixon-hurting-your-own.html)writer John Aravosis who responded with the following:
“It's not a "choice," unless you consider my opting to date a guy with brown hair versus a guy with blonde hair a "choice." It's only a choice among flavors I already like. And if you like both flavors, men and women, you're bisexual, you're not gay, so please don't tell people that you are gay, and that gay people can "choose" their sexual orientation, i.e., will it out of nowhere. Because they can't. And when you tell the NYT they can, you do tremendous damage to our civil rights effort. Every religious right hatemonger is now going to quote this woman every single time they want to deny us our civil rights.
Nixon since gave a second interview to The Daily Beast’s Kevin Sessums in which she says she eschews the word bisexual.
Sessums touched on Nixon’s orientation when he asked her, “Were you a lesbian in a heterosexual relationship? Or are you now a heterosexual in a lesbian relationship? That quote seemed like you were fudging a bit.”
Nixon, who has two children with her former partner Daniel Mozes and one with her current partner Christine Marinoni replied, “I think for gay people who feel 100 percent gay, it doesn’t make any sense. And for straight people who feel 100 percent straight, it doesn’t make any sense. I don’t pull out the “bisexual” word because nobody likes the bisexuals. Everybody likes to dump on the bisexuals.” She also told Sessums of the “B” in LGBT, “We get no respect,” which prompted him to ask if the “we” means she identifies as bisexual.
“I just don’t like to pull out that word. But I do completely feel that when I was in relationships with men, I was in love and in lust with those men. And then I met Christine and I fell in love and lust with her,” Nixon said. “I am completely the same person and I was not walking around in some kind of fog. I just responded to the people in front of me the way I truly felt.”

Source: http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/01/24/cynthia-nixon-attempts-clarify-whole-being-gay-choice-thing

School Sexual Orientation Policy Draws Praise, Criticism

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-24/Anoka-Hennepin-school-BOARDX390.jpg

In Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District, a revision of a revision of guidelines for classroom discussion of sexual orientation received mixed reviews at a Monday hearing.

The district, which is the state’s largest and covers several Twin Cities suburbs, has been under scrutiny because of a rash of student suicides in the past few years and has been sued by students who allege it offers a hostile environment to LGBT youths.

To address the problem, the school board is considering scrapping a long-standing policy calling for teacher and staff neutrality in discussions of sexual orientation. A replacement proposed late last year still mandated neutrality but acknowledged the importance of talking about “controversial issues.” At a board meeting earlier this month, (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/10/No_Support_for_School_Districts_New_LGBT_Issues_Po licy/) some teachers and students said that policy would be no improvement.

Yet another policy, unveiled Monday night, once again calls for neutrality but drops the word “controversial,” instead saying that it covers “political, religious, social or economic issues ... in which conflicting views are held by a broad segment of people,” St. Paul’s Pioneer Press (http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_19803059) reports. It also says teachers and staff should “affirm the dignity and self-worth of all students regardless” of sexual orientation or other characteristics.

Rachel Hawley, a senior at Anoka High School, said the latest policy “sounds a lot more inclusive” than its predecessors, according to the paper. Robin Mavis, founder of the Anoka-Hennepin Gay Equity team, also offered praise, saying, “I am really glad you have pointed out that all students are to be affirmed and welcomed.”

Tammy Aaberg, mother of bullied gay student Justin Aaberg, who committed suicide, “called the language an improvement but said she would prefer to see the policy on sexual orientation rescinded, not replaced,” the Pioneer Press reports. Teachers’ union president Julie Blaha also said she would prefer no formal policy, but added, “If we need to adopt a policy to go forward, then we’re willing to go forward,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. (http://www.startribune.com/local/north/137936833.html)

Some parents favored keeping the original policy, saying the revisions were an attempt to promote “a gay agenda.” “We send our children to school, not to have lessons on homosexuality woven into the classroom curriculum,” said parent Rebecca Vadhat, as quoted in the Star Tribune. “This is an abuse of children under the camouflage of education.”
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/School_Sexual_Orientation_Policy_Draws_Praise_Crit icism/

Mitt Romney Discloses Contributions to Antigay Groups

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-24/ROMNEY_ISNTX390.jpg
Mitt Romney
Tax returns unveiled by Mitt Romney today show contributions to two antigay organizations, including one that campaigned against a transgender rights bill by implying trans people are sexual predators.

The Human Rights Campaign points out (http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/romneys-tax-returns-reveal-donations-to-anti-lgbt-groups) a report by CNN that says Romney's charitable foundation gave at least $35,000 to antigay groups in 2010, with $10,000 going to the Massachusetts Family Institute, which ran radio ads (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/11/Scare_Tactics_Used_Against_Transgender_Bill/) last year warning parents that a transgender civil rights bill could lead to all manner of danger in bathrooms.

One woman said in a radio ad that if the legislation passed (which it did), she wouldn’t let her daughter use the restroom alone anymore. And the group's website showed a restroom door with the provocative message, “Who’s going to be waiting for your wife and daughter?”

The Massachusetts Family Institute is perhaps best known for sponsoring a 2007 anti–marriage equality amendment, which failed to get on the ballot in that state. Romney was governor there from 2003 until 2007 and opposed same-sex marriage.

CNN reports that another $25,000 from Romney's foundation went to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The fund is well known to LGBT activists for defending the Mormon Church when it was discovered to have financially backed Proposition 8 in California.

It placed a full-page ad in The New York Times defending the church.

“The violence and intimidation being directed against the LDS or 'Mormon' church, and other religious organizations — and even against individual believers — simply because they supported Proposition 8 is an outrage that must stop,” the ad read, according (http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2008/12/1071/) to Truth Wins Out, which said the ad was filled with lies.

The Times reports (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/us/politics/romneys-tax-returns-show-21-6-million-income-in-10.html) that tax returns from Romney, who is a Mormon, put him in the top one-10th of 1% of all taxpayers in 2010. He tithed regularly, the Times reports, supplying more than $3 million in 2010 alone to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Romney's contributions don't match with his recent assertion during a debate that he doesn't discriminate, the HRC says. When a moderator in New Hampshire asked (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/09/Romney_Campaign_Denies_Sending_Pro_Gay_Flier/) how he'd fulfilled his pledge to LGBT voters while running for Senate that he would be an advocate for their rights, Romney took what appeared to be an unequivocal line on discrimination.
"If people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays or who will in any way try to suggest that people that have different sexual orientations don't have full rights in the country, they won't find that in me," Romney said, declaring, "I don't discriminate."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/Mitt_Romney_Discloses_Contributions_to_Antigay_Gro ups/

For anyone who is not yet familiar with Lizzy the Lezzy – get with it! That said, Lizzy has teamed up with The L-Project to help raise awareness about bullying of LGBT youth.
The L-Project has brought together the UK's most talented lesbian artists to record and release a single 'It Does Get Better' on Feb 11th 2012 which will help raise awareness and money for charities which work to prevent LGBT bullying among young people.
The Song 'It Does Get Better', written by Georgey Payne, is set to be a positive message to anyone who experiences the struggles that can come with being different. The song’s inspiration came from a 16-year old friend of Georgey’s who is still being bullied at school for being gay. (Side note: Lizzy is NOT singing the actual lyrics)
All the artists, promoters, sponsors, supporters and anyone else involved with The L Project came together because they are passionate about giving hope that it gets better to LGBT youth.
The benefiting charities are Diversity Role Models (http://www.diversityrolemodels.org/) and Stonewall (http://www.stonewall.org.uk/). Visit The L-Project (http://www.facebook.com/TheLProject) on Facebook for more information, and don’t forget to become a fan of Lizzy the Lezzy (http://www.facebook.com/LizzyTheLezzy) while you’re at it.

Source: http://www.shewired.com/lifestyle/2012/01/24/lizzy-lezzy-auditions-l-project-video

TheGodlessUtopian

26th January 2012, 16:44

Gay-marriage advocates in Maine have gathered over 100,000 signatures (http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2012/01/26/maine_gay_marriage_supporters_to_announce_decision/), but they’re not saying exactly what they’re going to do with them. “We look forward to making an announcement tomorrow about our future plans,” ACLU chief Shanna Bellows said yesterday to the Morning Sentinel (http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/return-of-gay-marriage-vote__2012-01-25.html). The announcement will come at noon, and gay-marriage opponents believe they’ll announce their decision to put gay marriage on the ballot again in November.
This is one time when we’d agree with our opponents—why would Maine activisits have collected almost double the 57,277 signatures they need just to announce they’re putting it off for another year?
In 2009, opponents of gay marriage successfully overturned legislators’ marriage-equality bill by a margin of 53 percent after a rabid campaign by Maine Catholics. Here’s to hoping that won’t be the case this November.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/maine-marriage-equality-supporters-ready-to-announce-another-referendum-20120126/

"The governor’s plan is not serious. It is a political dodge. He is trying to provide a safe haven to shelter his obedient Republican legislators. The idea is they could safely vote against gay marriage, saying they only want the people to decide. Imagine how different American history would be if this rule by referendums had carried the day from the start.
Take race relations. If Southern states could have held a referendum on free speech rights for Martin Luther King Jr., can anyone doubt how it would have turned out? How long would it have taken for voters in Mississippi to integrate its public schools?
Gallup has traced attitudes toward interracial marriage for decades. Note that when the Supreme Court struck down Virginia’s ban in 1967, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans supported the court’s position. If Christie’s philosophy had carried the day, the ban would have remained in place until the late 1990s.
The point is that minority rights should not be subjected to majority vote. That misses the gist of constitutional rights."

-The courageous Star-Ledger Editorial Board calls Governor Chris Christie out on his cowardly suggestion to let voters decide (http://www.queerty.com/nj-gov-christie-says-hell-veto-gay-marriage-bill-wants-to-let-voters-decide-20120124/)whether gay people can get married in NJ
Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-nj-star-ledger-calls-out-gov-christies-cowardly-stance-on-marriage-equality-20120126/

Chills are echoing through Berlin’s gay community this week after the body of 37-year-old Carsten Srock, who’d been missing since New Year’s Day, was found in pieces (http://www.thelocal.de/national/20120125-40333.html) in an apartment in the German capital’s south side Mariendorf neighborhood. Paramedics made the gruesome discovery on Monday after being called to the scene by the apartment’s owner, identified only as Michael S., who had attempted suicide.
Sections of Srock’s dismembered body, wrapped tightly in plastic, were subsequently found in several locations around the apartment. The head, police horrifically noted, had been partially cooked.
From his hospital bed, the 43-year-old S. admitted to Srock’s murder. Police believe the tragic incident began as an episode of consensual sex between the two.
A resident of Berlin’s hip Kreuzberg neighborhood, Srock (at right) worked at a bank by day, and sometimes picked up shifts behind the counter of the gay Boiler Sauna (http://www.boiler-berlin.de/) by night.
It was following just such a shift on New Year’s Day that Srock went missing (http://www.discodamaged.net/2012/01/gay-man-missing.html). After allegedly meeting Michael S. and agreeing to have sex with him, Srock withdrew a substantial amount of cash from a nearby ATM, called his partner to tell him he would not be coming home for the evening, then disappeared. His mobile phone was turned off the next day.
Though there’s no indication that Srock was complicit in his own death, the incident harkens back to the shocking 2001 case of Armin Meiwes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_Meiwes), in which the so-called “Rotenburg Cannibal” used the Internet to find a willing victim, who then traveled to Meiwes’s small German village for the sole purpose of being slaughtered and eaten.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/man-found-dismembered-in-berlin-apartment-after-sex-games-gone-horribly-awry-20120126/

Just a few months ago, in our salute to LGBT bookstores, we toasted Atlanta’s OutWrite Books (http://www.queerty.com/the-last-chapter-a-look-at-lgbt-bookstores-around-the-world-20120106/2/) and mentioned how its owners were going to have to close its current location in exchange for one with cheaper rent. Well, it happened: Tuesday night, the 15-year-old landmark at the corner of 10th Street and Piedmont held its “Last Tango,” (http://www.thegavoice.com/index.php/news/atlanta-news/index.php/photos/community/outwrites-last-tango-party) with longtime customers and celebrated queer authors celebrating the shop’s storied history.
But there’s no word on a new location.
On Wednesday, the Georgia Voice (http://www.thegavoice.com/index.php/news/atlanta-news/4090-outwrite-closes-its-doors-at-10th-and-piedmont) reported:
(http://www.thegavoice.com/index.php/news/atlanta-news/4090-outwrite-closes-its-doors-at-10th-and-piedmont)
Owner Philip Rafshoon confirmed the store is closing at its 10th and Piedmont location today. He said he could not say much more at this point. He said at the “Last Tango” event Tuesday night that there is no new location picked out yet. The store is open today and selling all of its infrastructure, including bookshelves, tables and chairs.
The Atlanta City Council presented Rafshoon with a proclamation crediting the store for its service to the community. Below is a clip of Rafshoon thanking customers, neighbors and friends for their support over the years.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/atlantas-outwrite-bookstore-and-coffeehouse-closes-its-doors-20120126/

P.S: See source for video

It was bound to happen—when a new form of social media emerges to help LGBTs around the world find support and community, some haters will inevitably pop up to trick and harass them.
Thankfully, its usually three to five years after the technology emerges. (Homophobes aren’t exactly early-adopters.)
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-1007-360x264.pngIn this instance, it’s @LGBTFacts, a Twitter account with a name and rainbow-laced logo that looks at first glance its supporting gay rights. But if you look closer, and read the almost zen-like bile the account tweets, you know they’re hardly on our side:
@lgbtfacts
Homosexuals believe they deserve rights for sticking their genitals in places they don’t belong.

@lgbtfacts
Homosexuals descend on Disney Land every year for a special day dubbed as “Gay Day” (to indoctrinate young children)
The account only has about 300 followers, so they’re not indoctrinating the entire generation. But as WebProNews points out (http://www.webpronews.com/anti-gay-lgbt-facts-group-sees-twitter-make-humor-out-of-their-hate-2012-01), that didn’t stop some savvy, sardonic folks from turning the tables on these tweeting twits. They decided to turn LGBTfacts their handle into a hashtag.
And hilarity ensued:
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-1008-360x273.png
@samclifford
The LGBT community uses that abbreviation so people don’t catch on to how fabulous a BLT becomes when you add gravy. #LGBTfacts
@KurtBusiek
The homosexual agenda was completed on May 11, 2004. Currently active is Homosexual Agenda II: Electric Boogaloo. #lgbtfacts
Once someone explained what happened to the folks behind @LGBT what had happened (they probably had to use small words and repeat themselves several times), the haters were up in arms, referring to the humorists as “the #Gaystapo.”
Oh yeah, we’re the Nazis.
As of this writing #lgbtfacts is still an active hashtag, so go check it out–and maybe ad your own spin.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/crazies-tries-to-bash-gays-with-fake-twitter-feed-but-get-pwned-by-cool-folks-20120126/

Today marks the first National Gay-Straight Alliance Day (http://gsaday.org/), an event championed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan in the video above. Duncan heralds GSAs’ transformative effect in schools:
Gay-Straight Alliances and similar student groups play an important role in creating welcoming, affirming and respectful schools and colleges—safe places where learning can happen and students flourish. This work is absolutely essential.”
We couldn’t agree more. In September (http://www.queerty.com/the-kids-are-all-right-eight-young-lgbt-leaders-of-tomorrow-20110907/) Queerty looked at number of LGBT students helping to keep their campuses safe spaces where students can indeed flourish. In honor of National GSA Day, we’re revisiting this dean’s list with a few hetero allies added in for extra credit. School’s in session!

Corey Bernstein, 16
Millburn, NJ
Even before he knew he was gay, Corey Bernstein endured a horrible rash of bullying at school–including harassment from faculty. “We were playing some kind of game and I screwed up a play and the students started laughing at me, and the teacher was laughing as well,” he recalls. Suicide started to feel like a viable option. But in eighth grade, Bernstein enrolled in the Hudson School, a progressive private academy in Hoboken, where he was able to come to grips with being gay and, a year and a coming-out later, devote himself to empowering other LGBT youth. President of his school’s GSA, a member of GLSEN’s Central New Jersey (http://chapters.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/centralnj/home.html) Student Leadership Team and actively involved with Garden State Equality (http://www.queerty.com/natl-gay-straight-alliance-day-11-allies-in-the-white-house-hollywood-and-americas-schools-20120125/2/gardenstateequality.org), Bernstein also spoke at April’s Equality Forum in Philadelphia.
His biggest accomplishment to date, though, was having a hand in New Jersey’s statewide “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights (http://www.queerty.com/does-njs-anti-bullying-law-ask-too-much-of-schools-20110901/),” regarded as the strongest law of its kind in the nation—Bernstein was among the young speakers who testified before state lawmakers last year.
“Seeing that law passed almost unanimously and signed into law by Governor Christie—It’s so amazing to see big victories like that,” he shares. “But it’s also about making smaller impacts. In my school there are only 25 students per grade and everyone knows I’m gay and about the activism I do. That’s led to some students, especially in younger grades, feeling comfortable to come to me and reach out for help when they’ve been bullied.”
Speaking of helping, as if his activism isn’t enough Bernstein is also a volunteer EMT in West Orange, NJ. Talk about a lifesaver!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/Corey-Bernstein-Photo-Credit-Laurel-Golio%E2%80%93We-Are-the-Youth.jpg

As one of the stars of Nickelodeon’s Victorious, Avan Jogia didn’t have to voice his support for gay youth. It probably would’ve been safer for him not to, in fact. But Jogia, a 19-year-old Canadian import who’s also appeared on Aliens in America and Battlestar Galactica: Caprica didn’t just speak up for LGBT kids, he founded We Are Straight But Not Narrow (http://www.wearesbnn.com/), a network of young straight dudes—including fellow tween idols Cory Monteith (http://youtu.be/vL7hLzDDbak) (Glee) and Josh Hutcherson (http://youtu.be/HNqKmdN08tE) (The Kids are All Right, Journey to the Center of the Earth)—helping to educate their bros that there’s nothing wrong with being gay. As Jogia eloquently puts it in the video above, “men should be okay with their men friends liking men.” Man.

Kathryn “Kat” Marchand, 21
Ypsilanti, Michigan
At this year’s Camp Pride (http://www.queerty.com/natl-gay-straight-alliance-day-11-allies-in-the-white-house-hollywood-and-americas-schools-20120125/4/campuspride.org/camp.asp), Vanderbilt University’s annual leadership forum for LGBTQ students, Kat Marchand experienced one of the most empowering and beautiful moments in her life: “At the No-Talent Talent Show, I sang a song my girlfriend of four years taught me right before she committed suicide,” recalls Marchand, a bisexual poli-sci/French/German major at University of Michigan Dearborn. “It was her way of saying goodbye to me, and I shared it with the group on the last night. After I was done, there was this giant group hug and everything just… felt okay. I was okay—and I knew that no matter what, these other 50 people my age had my back.”
Now Marchand is watching her peers’ backs: She’s working with UM’s Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) (http://umdgsa.weebly.com/) to establish gender-neutral housing and improve LGBT inclusiveness, and she’s making it a mission to establish support networks for queer minors. “I have personal friends who have gone to [ex-gay] camps to get ‘fixed’ and are depressed and suicidal because they don’t have a support system,” she adds. “It’s sad and needs to change.” With young trailblazers like Marchand at the forefront, that’s change we can believe in.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/kat_marchand1.jpg

Graeme Taylor, 15
Ann Arbor, Michigan
The college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has a progressive reputation—one Graeme Taylor is a testament to. In 2010, after he spoke out (and officially came out) during a Howell School Board meeting on behalf of a teacher suspended over defending gay students—the tenth grader was invited to be a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where, Ellen said, “the world was a better place for having [Taylor] in it.”
Taylor—who lists DeGeneres, Barney Frank, Cleve Jones, queer Detroit activist Jim Toy and GLSN’s Kevin Jennings as role models—is involved in Riot Youth (http://www.whatkidscando.org/your_stories/2009/05_riot_youth/index.html), a safe-space group for Ann Arbor’s young LGBTs that works on leadership-skill development, community organizing and building support and social networks. (He says the school board meeting was “a kind of Riot Youth field trip.”) Later this month, Taylor will deliver a speech at the National Education Association’s board of directors meeting in Washington, DC.
Not to dismiss his star turn on Ellen, Taylor considers his proudest moment a speaking engagement in April at the Bay Area Youth Summit, where he asked attendees to jump and shout, “I was born this way!” “One reason the summit was cool was that it was staged mostly by students,” he says. “Being able to directly speak to an audience of [LGBT] teenagers, joke around with them, and feel their emotions was beyond belief.” What’s next for this wonderful wunderkind? “I want to do well in school and that keeps me busy, but I’ll always continue with my activism,” he reveals. “Keep your eyes on the TV, the Internet and Queerty—I might show up!” We have a feeling you just might, Graeme.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/Graeme-Taylor-360x347.jpg

He’s graduated from school, but Hudson Taylor, 25, is still one of the gay community’s most prominent young allies. As a record-breaking star wrestler at the University of Maryland, he slapped an HRC sticker on his helmet to show solidarity for LGBTs. The act earned Taylor, now a wrestling coach at Columbia, jeers from other athletes but praise from the media and national gay-rights groups. And he was able to use the spotlight to discuss homophobia in college sports from a unique perspective—a straight one.
After receiving hundreds of emails from closeted sports players, Taylor founded Athlete Ally (http://www.athleteally.com/), a nonprofit dedicated to educating young athletes about homophobia and transphobia in sports. “For me and my generation, LGBT rights is a pressing issue,” says Taylor, the descendant of a long line Christian missionaries . “I believe that whatever history I’m a part of, I’m responsible for. If I feel something is unjust or unequal, I feel a responsibility to do something about it.”

Jennifer Rokakis, 20
Ypsilanti, Michigan
A Women’s and Gender Studies major at Eastern Michigan University, Jennifer Rokakis —who identifies as pansexual– first became involved with LGBT community activism as president of her high school’s GSA. But when she noticed a spate of news reports about bullied LGBT teens committing suicide last year, she realized this was her life calling. “I was walking to one of my classes wondering why when there were so many more pressing problems to address in the world,” Rokakis shares. “The class seemed irrelevant. It was then that I realized I wanted to make my life’s work trying to gain acceptance and equal rights for the LGBT community.”
A recipient of a PFLAG scholarship, Rokakis is also president of QUEST, EMU’s Queer Unity for Eastern Students (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51675529231) (“We do a mix of social, activist and educational events—drag shows, safe-sex seminars, speakers bureaus,” she says of the group); the Philanthropy Chair of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nonprofit-Leadership-Alliance/148766905168359); a member of the Eastern Pride Identity Coalition (EPIC) (http://www.emich.edu/lgbtrc/programs.php), which sends LGBT students and faculty into classrooms to speak about their coming-out experiences; a volunteer with Affirmations (http://www.queerty.com/natl-gay-straight-alliance-day-11-allies-in-the-white-house-hollywood-and-americas-schools-20120125/7/www.goaffirmations.org), Ferndale, MI’s LGBT center; and advocacy coordinator at her campus’ LGBT Resource Center, where she’s working to implement initiatives for gender-neutral bathrooms and a peer mentor program.

Charles Poulson, 20
[I]Ames, Iowa
In August, when the Des Moines Register ran an article (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110819/COMM/308190015/Former-Johnston-student-begins-new-life-man) about Poulson’s transition from a girl named Chloe to a man named Charles, he was prepared for the worst. “I was completely ready to hear about how I’m an ‘abomination, a sin,’” he admits. “But I was so blown away from the positive feedback, even from complete strangers, that there were times when I couldn’t put my feelings into words. I was honored to see my story reposted on blogs and websites across the world.”
Winner of the Eychaner Foundation’s Matthew Shepard Scholarship, the Iowa State graphic-design major puts his talents to use for the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference (http://www.queerty.com/natl-gay-straight-alliance-day-11-allies-in-the-white-house-hollywood-and-americas-schools-20120125/8/mblgtacc2011.org), speaks in classrooms and on panels across the state, and founded Brothers (http://www.facebook.com/groups/BrothersFTM), an online resource for trans men and allies. It looks like it’s not just the Tea Party that can look to Iowa for leadership.

Caleb Laieski, 16
Surprise, Arizona
After enduring merciless bullying at his public school with no help from teachers or faculty, a then 15-year-old Caleb Laieski took action against the Dysart Unified School District by threatening a lawsuit unless it added protections against bullying. The ACLU joined Laieski’s fight and the openly gay teen— who dropped out and earned a GED—made numerous media appearances before the school district ultimately changed its policy for the better.
But Laieski was just getting started: This spring he personally lobbied DC officials over 22 days to promote the Student Non-Discrimination Act, a safe-schools bill. His pleas even reached Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who mentioned him in her speech at the first federal LGBT Youth Summit. Laieski also founded Gays and Lesbians Unite Against Discrimination (GLAUD) (http://www.queerty.com/natl-gay-straight-alliance-day-11-allies-in-the-white-house-hollywood-and-americas-schools-20120125/9/www.gluad.org) and will appear in the upcoming documentary Bullied to Silence (http://www.queerty.com/natl-gay-straight-alliance-day-11-allies-in-the-white-house-hollywood-and-americas-schools-20120125/9/bulliedtosilence.com).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/Caleb-Laieski-360x240.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/Caleb-Laieski.jpg)In late June, Laieski got to meet with President Obama and proposed that the Commander in Chief appoint an LGBT youth liaison, a cause you can voice support for on Change.org (http://www.change.org/petitions/president-obama-please-appoint-an-advisor-on-lgbt-youth-issues). “Having the opportunity to meet President Obama and briefly bring up anything I wanted was quite empowering,” Laieski recalls. “I knew that I had one chance at giving my insight as an openly gay youth to our leader and that’s exactly what I did.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/natl-gay-straight-alliance-day-11-allies-in-the-white-house-hollywood-and-americas-schools-20120125/

P.S: See source for videos and pictures

TheGodlessUtopian

26th January 2012, 16:50

Today Emma-Jane Cross, the chief executive of Beatbullying (http://www.youtube.com/user/Beatbullying), announced that Nick Hurd (right), the UK’s Minister for Civil Society, is awarding £1.3 million from The Social Action Fund to transform Beatbullying into We’re Altogether Better (http://www.werealtogetherbetter.org/), a not-for-profit organization that will “tackle social issues digitally.”
Hmm, “We’re Altogether Better”? Sounds familiar, doesn’t it (http://www.queerty.com/tag/it-gets-better/)?
In a statement to the press, Hurd said that the organization will now report to his office and that public money will be mainly directed toward “recruitment and development of 10,000 new volunteers, who will take social action online to help children and young people in crisis.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/uk-govt-channels-1-3-million-into-anti-cyber-bullying-nonprofit-20120125/

In a press conference (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/nyregion/christie-wants-new-jersey-voters-to-decide-on-gay-marriage.html?ref=nyregion) yesterday, NJ State Senator Raymond Lesniak voiced his disagreement with governor Christie’s claim that Garden State residents should decide (http://www.queerty.com/nj-gov-christie-says-hell-veto-gay-marriage-bill-wants-to-let-voters-decide-20120124/) this issue of gay marriage, not “121 people in Trenton.”
“[Marriage equality] is a civil right, which is already guaranteed in our Constitution,” said Lesniak. “It’s up to the Legislature to guarantee these rights.”
Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg chimed in that Democratic legislators aren’t in the habit of putting everything to a public vote. “We’re not putting the governor’s appointments to the Supreme Court on the ballot.” This was in reference to Christie’s nomination of an openly gay justice (http://www.queerty.com/gov-christie-nominates-bruce-harris-an-openly-gay-gop-mayor-for-nj-supreme-court-justice-20120123/) to the state’s highest court.
N.J.s’ same-sex marriage bill is set to go to a congressional vote in early February and, if it passes, would then head to Christie’s desk—where he says he’ll veto it. The state senate can override but it would need a two-thirds majority, and a yea vote from a handful of Republicans.
It’ll take some lobbying (and maybe the lure of campaign cash) but other states, like New York and Washington, have had recent success swaying Republican votes in favor of marriage equality.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nj-senate-democrats-we-wont-put-civil-rights-to-a-vote-20120125/

Hillary Clinton isn’t letting her landmark UN speech (http://www.queerty.com/mainstream-media-ignores-hilary-clintons-landmark-u-n-speech-anti-gay-groups-lose-their-shit-over-it-20111207/) connecting LGBT rights to human rights turn into mere lip service. According to the Miami Herald (http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/17/2593984/honduras-is-test-of-new-us-policy.html), the State Department is actively sending funds to gay-rights advocacy groups and local officials in problem nations like Honduras, Uganda, Malawi, Pakistan and Serbia.
In Honduras, where 62 homicides against LGBT people were recorded last year, the money has gone directly to police forces to help fight hate crimes.

Under pressure from Washington, Honduran authorities ordered police to set up a unit to investigate crimes against gay people and others. The unit began work in November. That unit and a partner squad of a prosecutor, three detectives and two analysts have been given U.S. funds to function. Even so, there have been fewer than five arrests in LGBT slayings.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/hillary-clintons-gay-rights-foreign-policy-shows-its-face-in-honduras-20120125/

Last week the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation laid off 11 employees, or nearly a quarter of its entire staff, reports The Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/20/Cuts_at_GLAAD_Hit_Nearly_a_Quarter_of_Jobs/). GLAAD, which just announced the nominees for its 2012 Media Awards (http://www.queerty.com/happy-endings-beginners-priscilla-and-more-nominated-for-glaad-media-awards-20120119/), is hardly the first nonprofit to feel the pinch of the depressed economy. But interim director Mike Thompson (right) says the pink slips also had to do with the company’s controversial statements last summer involving a now-cancelled AT&T/T-Mobile (http://www.queerty.com/meet-the-guy-glaad-hired-to-repair-its-image-20110810/) merger—the immediate fallout from which was the resignation of former head Jarrett Barrios.

“It’s no secret that GLAAD experienced some real challenges in 2011,” Thompson said in a statement to The Advocate. “While the changes that took place subsequent to last summer’s tumult were in many ways healthy for the organization, the reality is that the experience had financial impacts for the organization. Our restructuring is reflective of that.”
The staff cuts won’t affect GLAAD’s hunt for a new permanent president, communications director Rich Ferraro told Metro Weekly (http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/01/glaad-lays-off-11-acting-head.html). Ferraro says the search committee is “in the process of reviewing and interviewing candidates to find the best person to serve the organization.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/glaad-lays-off-11-staffers-restructures-and-refocuses-20120125/

Leftsolidarity

26th January 2012, 17:50

Idk if this would be the correct thread but I'm now officially starting a Gay-Straight Alliance at my high school. I'd been working on starting one and put into contact with some people from some colleges and whatnot. Then about 20 minutes ago someone found me in the hallway and told me that someone is trying to start a GSA also. Now it looks like we got enough kids and just need to make it offical through the administration. Extremely stoked! :D:thumbup1:

TheGodlessUtopian

26th January 2012, 23:08

TheGodlessUtopian

26th January 2012, 23:23

Washington Gay Marriage Bill Clears Senate Committee

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-26/OlympiaCapitolBuildingx390.jpg

The marriage equality bill in Washington State moved one step closer to becoming law Thursday when a Senate committee advanced the measure to the floor for a vote.
According to the Associated Press (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017341167_apwaxgrgaymarriage.html), “The Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee approved the measure with a 4-3 voice vote split on party lines. The bill is expected to head to a floor vote next, though a date has not yet been determined.”

The committee rejected several Republican amendments, according to the AP, including a proposal that would have required the marriage equality bill be sent to the ballot in November. Opponents have pledged to challenge any law passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Christine Gregoire, but without a referendum requirement, they would need to collect 120,577 valid signatures by July 6 to put the issue on the ballot.

An undecided Democratic senator announced her support for the bill Monday, bringing the number of votes to the 25 required to pass the bill. Two Republican senators also support the bill, which is also expected to pass the House with bipartisan support.

Washington State appears on track to become the seventh state in addition the District of Columbia with marriage equality. Prominent corporations with ties to the state including Starbucks, Google, Microsoft, and Nike have announced their support for the measure.

Washington United for Marriage, the coalition of groups working to pass the bill, has been preparing for the likelihood of a referendum this fall. The state became the first to uphold a same-sex relationship recognition law in 2009, when voters affirmed expanded domestic partnerships by approving Referendum 71 by a 53% to 47% margin.

“We thank the Senate committee for quickly passing this important legislation for Washington families,” said Lacey All, chair of Washington United for Marriage, in a statement. “We’re excited that this bill continues to move towards final passage, and we will not let up until the Governor signs it. While we’re happy with today’s vote, we know it is but one battle in the fight for equality, and we will be steadfast in our continued effort to win marriage equality and defend it in November.”
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Washington_Gay_Marriage_Bill_Clears_Senate_Committ ee/

Barney Frank Is Engaged to Be Married

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-26/READY_FRANKX390.jpg
Jim Ready, Barney Frank
Rep. Barney Frank is engaged to marry his partner of four years, Jim Ready, a spokesman confirmed today.

Ready, 42, is a handyman and photographer, and the two have been together since the spring of 2007. He lives in Ogunquit, Maine, but the couple will wed in Massachusetts, which Frank has long represented in Congress. A date has not yet been announced.

Frank, 71, was the first gay member of Congress to come out voluntarily. He announced in November that he will not seek reelection and will instead retire at the end of his term.

During his announcement, Frank continued was as straightforward as always and challenged former House speaker Newt Gingrich to a debate over the Defense of Marriage Act to determine who is the real threat to the sanctity of marriage.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Barney_Frank_Is_Engaged_to_be_Married/

Mehlman Urges N.H. Republicans to Keep Marriage Equality

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-06/2011-06-29/MEHLMAN.jpg

Following his work to help pass the marriage equality law in New York, former Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman is taking his conservative argument for same-sex marriage to New Hampshire, where lawmakers are considering a bill that would repeal the marriage equality law.

In an op-ed published Thursday in the Union Leader (http://www.unionleader.com/article/20120126/OPINION02/701269967), Mehlman made the case for marriage equality based on the core Republican principles of individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He said that marriage equality is consistent with “family values” and the New Hampshire state motto of “Live Free or Die.”

“The party of Lincoln and Reagan should stand first and foremost for freedom,” he wrote. “It’s part of our heritage and ought to be part of our DNA. Freedom for Americans of all races is why our party was founded. And our greatest moments — from the unbelievable economic recovery unleashed by lower taxes and less regulation to the fall of the Berlin Wall — resulted when we promoted freedom.

“Stripping away the right of adults in New Hampshire to marry the person they love is antithetical to freedom,” he continued. “If we really believe (and we should) that every citizen is endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness, shouldn’t this include the right to marriage? If we believe in limited government, how can we justify expanding the authority of the state to take away this most personal, fundamental right? Aren’t politicians already too involved in too much of our lives? Why would we want to expand government to such a personal space?”

Mehlman said he would be in New Hampshire this week to lobby Republican lawmakers to oppose a same-sex marriage repeal effort in the House. The measure, which Democratic governor John Lynch has promised to veto, would replace same-sex marriages with civil unions for any unmarried adults, including relatives. Individuals would be allowed not to recognize civil unions.

According to the Nashua Telegraph (http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/944901-196/vote-on-possible-repeal-of-new-hampshires.html), nearly 2,000 same-sex couples have married in New Hampshire since the law was enacted in 2009. An October poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center showed that 62% of state voters opposed the repeal bill, and 27% supported it.

Mehlman managed the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign in 2004, which included a strategy of putting anti–marriage equality constitutional amendments on the ballot in 11 states to draw conservative voters to the polls. He came out in 2010 and joined the board of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is sponsoring the legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8.

Last year Mehlman presented conservative arguments to lobby Republican lawmakers in New York to support the marriage equality bill. The bill passed the Republican-controlled Senate by a vote of 33-29 with support from four GOP senators. Mehlman also encouraged Republican donors such as hedge-fund manager Paul Singer to contribute more than $1 million to the campaign in the state.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Mehlman_Urges_NH_Republicans_to_Keep_Marriage_Equa lity/

Ugandan Activists Commemorate Anniversary of David Kato's Death

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-01/2011-01-28/katomain.jpg

Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato, who was murdered one year ago, was remembered today by fellow LGBT advocates working against all odds in the notoriously antigay nation.

About 100 activists and family members gathered at a Thursday ceremony in the capital city of Kampala to commemorate the life of Kato, former advocacy officer for the LGBT group Sexual Minorities Uganda.

"We are here to celebrate and thank God for our beloved friend and human rights activist David Kato," former Anglican bishop and LGBT rights advocate Christopher Senyonjo said at the gathering, Agence France-Presse reports.

President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke out against the tragedy after Kato was beaten to death with a hammer. “In Uganda, David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate,” Obama said in a January 27, 2011 statement. “He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom.”

A judge recently gave Enoch Nsubuga, 22, a 30-year sentence for the murder. Nsubuga had employed a gay panic defense, claiming that he was defending himself from unwanted sexual advances.

Read the AFP report here (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Uganda+activists+brave+stigma+honour+rights+leader/6054776/story.html#ixzz1kZrq0opF).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Ugandan_Activists_Commemorate_Anniversary_of_David _Katos_Death/

Black Leaders Blast Christie for Referendum Proposal

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-07/2010-07-06/bookerx390.jpg

Prominent African-American elected officials including Newark Mayor Cory Booker slammed the suggestion from New Jersey governor Chris Christie to put same-sex marriage to a public vote, while the governor, legislative leaders, and advocates appeared to be girding for a protracted confrontation on Wednesday.

The Star-Ledger (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/newark_mayor_cory_booker_again.html?utm_source=Sai lthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Wake%20Up%20Call%20NJ&utm_campaign=Wake%20Up%20Call) reports that Booker, a Democrat who has refused to perform marriages at Newark City Hall until all couples have the right, stood in “unprecedented public divergence” with the Republican governor on Wednesday when he warned that minority rights should not be subjected to a majority vote.

"I shudder to think what would have happened if the civil rights gains, heroically established by courageous lawmakers in the 1960s, were instead conveniently left up to popular votes in our 50 states," said the mayor in a statement. During a news conference reported by the Associated Press, he echoed Senate sponsors (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/NJ_Senate_Leaders_Challenge_Christie_on_Marriage_R eferendum/) of the bill who opposed the referendum idea the previous day.

“Dear God, we should not be putting civil rights issues to a popular vote, to be subject to the sentiments, the passions of the day,” said Booker. “No minority should have their rights subject to the passions and the sentiments of the majority. This is the fundamental bedrock of what our nation stands for.”

Christie called for the Democratic-controlled legislature to put the issue to a public vote on Tuesday at a town hall in Bridgewater while a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the marriage equality bill was under way in Trenton. The panel advanced the bill (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/24/NJ_Marriage_Bill_Advances_Christie_Wants_Referendu m/) in an 8-4 party-line vote, but Christie also reiterated his promise to veto the measure, which threw into doubt the prospect of garnering enough Republican support for an override.

Speaker Sheila Oliver, the first African-American woman to lead the New Jersey Assembly, expressed offense at additional comments from Christie on Tuesday that civil rights advocates in the South during the 1950s and ’60s “would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets.”

“Governor, people were fighting and dying in the streets of the South because the majority refused to grant minorities equal rights by any method,” she said, according to the AP (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57366191/black-nj-leaders-no-public-vote-on-civil-rights/). “It took legislative action to bring justice to all Americans, just as legislative action is the right way to bring marriage equality to all New Jerseyans.”

A spokesman for Speaker Oliver told The Advocate that the Assembly is expected to take up the bill soon.

On Wednesday, the AP reported that Christie defended his referendum idea as a compromise to “find another pathway where everybody can have a chance to get what they want.” Democrats have expressed hope that he would allow Republican lawmakers to vote their conscience on the issue, but the governor sounded insistent.

“We all know how this movie is going to end,” he said. “If they pass the bill, it’s going to be vetoed. If they attempt to override the veto, it will be sustained. So, I’m trying to give them an alternative movie.”

A Christie spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Senate president Steve Sweeney, who abstained from voting two years ago but made marriage equality the number 1 priority this session, told The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/nyregion/christie-avoids-problems-by-seeking-vote-on-same-sex-marriage.html?pagewanted=2&ref=samesexmarriage) that Christie suggested the referendum in desperation over the bill’s growing bipartisan momentum. Senators learned about the proposal in the midst of the judiciary committee hearing, one day after the governor nominated a gay African-American man to the state supreme court.

“This was panic, pull cord now, because he was going to see some of his members starting to vote for this,” he said. Sweeney called the referendum suggestion “just a creation, an option for him to try to tightrope-walk this issue.”

The Star-Ledger (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Black_Leaders_Blast_Christie_for_Referendum_Propos al/%20http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2012/01/on_gay_marriage_in_nj_gov_chri.html), New Jersey’s largest newspaper, called the referendum a “political dodge” by Christie, a Mitt Romney surrogate with a national profile, in an editorial Thursday. A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed that 52% of state voters support same-sex marriage, although Christie personally opposes it and supports civil unions.

“It’s nothing but sad that the governor is playing this political game,” wrote the newspaper. “He is ambitious for national office and knows that Republicans won’t abide a candidate on the ticket who supports gay marriage. On the other hand, he wants to contain the damage in New Jersey, where polls show most voters support marriage equality.”

Advocates, meanwhile, seemed undeterred and ready for the long haul. The current legislative session ends in January 2014, which gives them two years to work on achieving a veto override. The marriage equality bill died in the Senate in 2010 with a 20-14 vote.

“Our entire plan this go-round has included the assumption of a veto,” said Garden State Equality chairman Steven Goldstein. “We have a methodical plan: First pass the bill. Then endure the veto. Then work on an override vote.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Black_Leaders_Blast_Christie_for_Referendum_Propos al/

Out Airman Will Raise Funds for HIV

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-26/randyphillipsaidslifecycle.jpg

A gay airman who came out to his family and the world (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Internet/Rolling_Out_of_the_Deep/) the day "don't ask, don't tell" was officially repealed, announced that he will raise funds for HIV programs by joining the AIDS/LifeCycle this June.

Randy Phillips, a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed in Germany, will ride 545 miles with thousands of other participants from San Francisco to Los Angeles, with a personal goal of raising $10,000. He's now asking for pledges from the big YouTube following that he's accumulated since coming out last year.

"There's so much stuff I could do with [this platform]. I could show you dumb kitten videos, I could try to sell you corny shirts that nobody wears, or I could try to do something good in the world," he said in a YouTube video. Phillips said he was compelled to join the ride after speaking with filmmaker Ryan Yezak, who created the short clip "The Gay Rights Movement," (http://youtu.be/u62OtM_vt5k) which also went viral on YouTube earlier this month.

Phillips added, "I haven't been on a bicycle since high school — an actual pedal bicycle. I've never rode 545 miles, but I signed up to do the AIDS/LifeCycle (http://www.aidslifecycle.org/)."

Funds raised by AIDS/LifeCycle go directly to HIV services offered by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Out_Airman_Will_Raise_Funds_for_HIV/

P.S: See source for video

Who’s Gay in the U.K.?

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-26/CALLOWETCX390.jpg

A survey of gay actors in the United Kingdom reveals some surprising statistics about who’s out where and to whom.

According to the results of a new survey conducted by Equity in the U.K. (published (http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/35033/exclusive-survey-reveals-effect-of-being?) on The Stage), 81% of gay performers across the pond are out in their professional life and 94% are open to their fellow performers. One-third said they had experienced some form on homophobia in the workplace.

Interestingly, among those surveyed, only 57% said they were out to their agent.

Max Beckmann, Equity equalities officer, praised some of the results, saying, “The finding that 81% of survey respondents are out in their professional lives and that 73% found the decision to be out easy is hugely encouraging and suggests an industry in which it is safe to be out.”

One of the reasons for the survey, according to Equity spokesman Martin Brown, was to encourage performers to be open about their sexuality.

All union members were invited to participate.

Read more here (http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/35033/exclusive-survey-reveals-effect-of-being?).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Whos_Gay_in_the_UK/

TheGodlessUtopian

27th January 2012, 15:48

It looks like its pay day for Russell Dickerson III, a former student at Aberdeen High School in Washington State, who sued his school district (http://www.queerty.com/russell-dickerson-iiis-high-school-did-nothing-to-stop-the-racist-anti-gay-torment-so-hes-suing-20101208/) after years of harassment based on his race and perceived sexual orientation.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Russell-Dickerson-III-360x239.jpgWith the help of the ACLU of Washington, Dickerson filed papers in 2010 claiming Aberdeen School District officials knew he was being bullied but failed to take steps to stop it.
A report from the ACLU details some of the abuse (http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/former-student-gains-major-settlement-after-enduring-years-harassment) Dickerson suffered:
At Miller Junior High, Dickerson was called names by other students and found notes in his backpack and taped to his back calling him “stupid nigger” and “dog.” Students tripped him in the hallways and threw food at him in the cafeteria. In one incident, three students pushed him to the floor in the hallway and smashed a raw egg on his head; only one of the students was disciplined.
At Aberdeen High School, the harassment escalated… Dickerson suffered physical harassment, with other students pinching and fondling his chest, spitting on his head, and throwing objects at him. Although an assistant principal discouraged Dickerson from reporting misconduct by the student’s peers, the student and his parents repeatedly reported incidents of harassment to district administrators, both verbally and in writing. Yet the district failed to take adequate steps to end the harassment.
In 2007 students in the district created a website mocking Dickerson and his perceived sexual orientation, and posted threatening racist comments on it. Students discussed the website at school. Grays Harbor Superior Court issued a no contact order between Dickerson and one of his harassers who had threatened on the website to lynch him, yet Dickerson became the target of retaliatory harassment after reporting the website to school authorities.
This week, the case ended in a settlement, with Dickerson being awarded $100,000 and the ACLU netting $35,000 in legal fees.
“Public school officials must be held accountable when they fail to meet their responsibility to act decisively when a student is subjected to harassment by his peers,” said Sarah Dunne, ACLU-WA legal director. “This settlement sends a message to school districts statewide to take strong action as soon as they learn that a student is being bullied.”
Dickerson, now 20, says it was his family that kept him strong and helped him decide to seek justice. “I learned from my parents that you should never give up. You should fight for your rights—you don’t just walk away.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if they taught that at school, too?
Source: http://www.queerty.com/wa-school-district-settles-lawsuit-with-harassed-student-20120127/

While the Girl Scouts have been very accepting of LGBT youth (http://www.queerty.com/14-year-old-tosses-her-cookies-when-girl-scouts-accept-trans-member-20120111/), the Boys Scouts of America are a completely different organization. With their strong ties to the Mormon Church, is it any surprise that the Boys Scouts do not permit openly gay scout leaders? It seems the Scouts might be making a small step in the right direction, though, by agreeing to institute “No Name-Calling Week (http://www.queerty.com/boy-scouts-institute-glsens-no-name-calling-week-but-dont-address-gay-slurs-outright-20120126/www.nonamecallingweek.org),” an anti-bullying program created by the Gay & Lesbian Support Eduction Network (GLSEN).
In a blog post (http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2012/01/23/for-no-name-calling-week-a-reminder-that-words-can-hurt/) about No-Name Calling Week, Scouting senior editor Bryan Wendell does not address any anti-LGBT slurs in particular, preferring to keep it to more general “Idiot! Retard! Geek!”
Still, Wendell does provide younger scouts with real antidotes to bullying behavior. Wendell writes: “Intervene whenever you hear an insulting name. This can be as simple as saying, ‘We don’t use that word in our troop.’ ”
While this is all fine and dandy, GLSEN recommends that No Name-Calling Week actually take action against LGBT slurs at the high-school level, providing these educational materials (http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/resources/record/170.html). High-school-age Boy Scouts should have had to engage with these materials, but we doubt that happened.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/eliza-byard-fb.jpgGLSEN’S Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard (left) told the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/boy-scouts-of-america-no-name-calling-week-glsen_n_1228571.html) she was happy the Boy Scouts participated in the anti-bullying program, but that that certainly didn’t do much to dispel the specter of their anti-gay policies.
“I’m delighted the Boy Scouts of America’s official publication is calling on its adult leaders to join with the tens of thousands of educators and other youth-serving professionals who are currently observing No Name-Calling Week in order to improve the lives of millions of youth,” Byard said. “However, the lessons of this week are not enough to counteract the overwhelmingly negative message sent to scouts by the Boy Scouts of America’s continuing anti-LGBT policies. The Boy Scouts of America must recognize that gay people can be—and are—positive contributors to its vision of building respectful and service-oriented leaders of tomorrow.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/boy-scouts-institute-glsens-no-name-calling-week-but-dont-address-gay-slurs-outright-20120126/

Canadian Teachers Criticized for Queer Ally Cards

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-10/2011-10-14/rainbowflag10.jpg

Two fifth grade teachers in Canada have been criticized by Christian parent groups after displaying queer ally cards in their classrooms, the QMI Agency reports (http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/01/26/19300831.html).

Stephanie Fortier and Peter Wohlgemut, teachers in Altona, Ontario, participated in a training session regarding sexual orientation and gender identity last October, and received cards with the word “Ally” on them with a rainbow to display in their classes.

The cards read: “As an Ally, I support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, intersex, queer, and questioning individuals, families and communities. As an Ally, I will work towards a more aware, affirming, safe and open work environment in both policy and practice.”

After parental complaints, the school has since decided to cover up everything on the card except for the word “Ally,” but many parents are still asking for the cards to be removed completely.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/27/Canadian_Teachers_Criticized_for_Queer_Ally_Cards/

An excellent example of the fact that even when marriage is legal there will still be discrimination against queer people;this means a long lasting fight beyond winning the right to enter into a failed institution.

The Queensland government has announced it will make the changes necessary to ensure ‘gay panic’ cannot be raised as a partial defence to murder.
Recommendations to amend the Criminal Code have been made after a petition by a Catholic priest garnered more than 25,000 signatures and international support (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/01/11/stephen-fry-backs-catholic-priests-gay-panic-petition/).
So-called “gay panic” has been invoked by defendants in murder cases trying to downgrade their charge to manslaughter on the basis that the victim had made a gay proposition to them and they lost control of their actions.
Introducing the petition after a man was killed in the grounds of his church (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/12/30/catholic-bishop-petitions-to-remove-australian-gay-panic-defence/), Father Kelly says: “It is simply intolerable that anyone can rely on a defence or an excuse that an alleged homosexual advance could somehow mitigate against violence that leads to death.”
Now Queensland officials have said they will ensure the rules are tightened.
Attorney General of Queensland Paul Lucas said: “We made it crystal clear from day one that the Queensland Government does not believe that anyone should be able to use a claim of non-violent homosexual advance to reduce a conviction from murder to manslaughter.
“That’s why we listened to the expert advice of the Queensland Law Reform Commission in 2008 and ensured strengthened legislation was passed so words alone could not amount to a partial defence.
“However, I received a number of representations from the gay community last year and consequently set up an expert committee comprised of key stakeholders to examine the laws.”
That committee has recommended clarification of the laws around sexual advances.
Section 304 of the Queensland Criminal Code which deals with diminished responsibility will need to be amended with care, officials said, because violent sexual advances could justifiably trigger a partial defence.
Paul continued: “It is not possible to remove sexual advances completely without affecting situations such as that of a battered woman who knows that her refusal of a sexual advance from her partner is a precursor to assault and she takes immediate action to stop this from happening.
“There is no place for these kinds of acts in a civilised society.
“These amendments make it crystal clear that someone making a pass at someone is not grounds for a partial defence and by no means an excuse for horribly violent acts.”
Father Paul Kelly said today: “I am heartened but cautious in relation to the latest announcement from the Queensland government committing itself to the effective eradication of the “homosexual advance” partial defence. It still appears to be tinkering around the edges. I await the details of the report and the recommendations.
“Issues re raising of evidence in the trial still seem unclear. The vagueness and means of adjudicating “exceptional circumstances” may still allow circumstances of an alleged advance to pollute jury considerations and tap into prejudices. Concern remains.”
Source: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/01/25/catholic-priest-wins-gay-panic-defence-ban/

Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images Bright Eyes (http://www.spinner.com/tag/BrightEyes/)' Conor Oberst (http://www.spinner.com/tag/ConorOberst/) and other Omaha musicians signed a Jan. 23 letter demanding Nebraska lawmakers stop a law that would prevent the city and other towns from passing anti-discrimination legislation. The musicians feel the law would send a "message to the world that Nebraska is not forward thinking or welcoming."

According to The Omaha World-Herald (http://www.omaha.com/article/20120124/NEWS01/701249838/1007), Oberst and the other artists said it was "deplorable and unacceptable" to try to stop Omaha City Councilman Ben Gray from moving forward on an ordinance to ban discrimination against homosexual and transgender people. The letter (http://www.voiceomaha.org/2012/01/23/nebraska-musicians-against-lb-912) was sent to state senators on Judiciary Committee of the state legislature.

"We were excited to learn that Councilman Ben Gray was going forward to put forth a citywide ordinance that would ensure equal employment opportunity for all, including our LGBT community," the letter says.

"Progressive cities attract eager newcomers, both young professionals and artists, which in turns creates growth and economic prosperity. LB 912 will send the message to the world that Nebraska is not forward thinking or welcoming."

State Senator Beau McCoy of Omaha has proposed a bill (the aforementioned LB 912) preventing cities from passing such an ordinance. McCoy believes it should be done on a state level.

"It simply says there needs to be consistency," McCoy said. "I don't understand how discrimination could stop or start at a city border."

However, the musicians who signed the letter (including members of the Faint, So So Sailors and Big Harp) are afraid the bill will deter creative people from settling down in Omaha.

"A lot of the recent national press surrounding Omaha has revolved around the strength of our burgeoning art scene and the economic growth that has resulted from it," the letter says. "Passage of LB 912 will likely cause the attrition of some of our community's best and brightest; it will certainly deter outsiders from exploring opportunities in Omaha."

A public hearing on LB 912 at the State Capitol has yet to be slated.

In related news, Bright Eyes will see six of their albums re-issued on vinyl through Saddle Creek Records in the coming months. On March 6 a double album called 'A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997' will come out along with 'Oh Holy Fools -- The Music of Son, Ambulance and Bright Eyes.' Two additional rounds of releases are set for April 3 and May 1.

Bright Eyes released their last album, 'The People's Key,' in 2011.Source: http://www.spinner.com/2012/01/25/bright-eyes-conor-oberst-omaha-anti-bias-law/

Liberty Counsel Backs Student Who Penned Antigay Editorial

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-26/SHAWNOX390.jpg

A right-wing legal group has taken up the cause of a Wisconsin high school student whose opinion piece opposing adoption by gays was pulled from the school paper.

Brandon Wegner and Maddie Marquardt, students at Shawano Community High School, wrote side-by-side editorials in the paper taking opposing viewpoints, local TV station WSAW (http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/138080913.html) reports. Wegner, citing Bible passages, said adoption by gays is “not right with God” and harmful to children. Marquardt said gay people “are as compassionate, caring and suitable parents as heterosexuals.”

The editorials appeared in copies of the student paper distributed this month as an insert to the town newspaper, The Shawano Leader. After a gay resident complained (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/greenbaypressgazette/access/2560939151.html?FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&fmac=3491c95d8abde708cf8be3695026f1c4&date=Jan+15%2C+2012&author=&pub=&desc=Gay+debate+hits+home+in+Shawano) about Wegner’s column, school administrators apologized for the piece and pulled the page with both editorials from remaining copies to be distributed at the high school.

According to the right-wing Liberty Counsel, the district superintendent called Wegner in and told him the commentary was offensive and violated the school antibullying policy. The legal group, saying Wegner’s First Amendment rights were violated, sent a letter this week demanding an apology to the student, distribution of the article, a promise to “no longer suppress the sincerely-held religious beliefs of students,” and a revision of “unconstitutionally vague” school policies to allow such views to be heard. It pledges to “take all appropriate measures” if the demands are not met.

PDFs of the editorials and Liberty Counsel’s letter are available on the group’s website. (http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14100&PRID=1144)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Liberty_Counsel_Backs_Student_Who_Penned_Antigay_E ditorial/

TheGodlessUtopian

29th January 2012, 17:55

A new rule to be announced by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan this week mandates that owners of federally-funded or insured housing—as well as lenders offering federally-insured mortgages—cannot discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Shaun-Donovan-360x266.jpgThe rule also specifies the term “family,” as used in HUD policies, includes LGBT families.
“Today, I am proud to announce a new Equal Access to Housing Rule that says clearly and unequivocally that LGBT individuals and couples have the right to live where they choose,” said Secretary Shaun Donovan (right) at the National Conference on LGBT Equality this weekend.
It’s worth noting the new policy also protects transgender Americans, who are at particular risk for housing discrimination. A survey conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force showed that that 19% of trans people had been refused a home or apartment and 11% had been evicted because of their gender identity or expression.
“We often hear from [trans] people who are experiencing discrimination in housing. These new rules will strengthen our ability to assist transgender people in advocating for their basic human rights,” says Danny Kirchoff, a lawyer at the Transgender Law Center. “And it will reassure them that our government has their back. This is about giving people the dignity and respect we all deserve.”
Source: Transgender Law Center (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=rin6t5cab&et=1109167001785&s=3368&e=001E_xEbuAH1KuMXmhS1WeN9s2tsNoBLSOt1EL2rlRZoWf56 WHUWcCWuXOw4-uO7DAD185eNxwpjsubku2LIp3HCuhUvzRS2Jpjjb8XlyDgkqHU HqqIx2ovtnYaeTAB_hAs). Photos: Matt Carman (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattcarman/2291825550/), Justin Ide/Harvard UniversitySource: http://www.queerty.com/obama-administration-institutes-new-housing-policy-that-protects-lgb-and-ts-20120129/

She took it back!
Yesterday Queerty gave a fist-bump (http://www.queerty.com/marylands-first-lady-calls-anti-gay-lawmakers-cowards-you-go-girl-20120127/) to Maryland’s First Lady, Catherine Curran O’Malley, who told attendees atthe Conference on LGBT Equality in Baltimore that delegates who switched their votes on a same-sex marriage bill last session were “cowards.”
Addressing the Creating Change conference on Thursday, O’Malley said, “there were some cowards that prevented it from passing.”
But then on Friday, the First Lady—who, by the way, is also a Maryland state judge—issued a statement saying she regretted her choice of words and that she had let her “feelings get the better of me,” writes The Baltimore Sun (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-01-27/news/bal-first-lady-apologizes-for-coward-remark-20120127_1_marriage-bill-first-lady-civil-unions-bill).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-23.pngWell, we can’t say we’re not disappointed, but at least she and her husband, Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley (right, shirtless), haven’t apologized for or backed down from their support for gay marriage.
And we kind of understand the position Katie was in: Facing a night on the couch versus getting to snuggle up with this gray-haired fox, you might apologize too.
Plus, maybe “cowards” isn’t the right term for those legislators. Del. Melvin L. Stukes, who had originally co-sponsored the marriage-equality measure actually backed away from it because he thought it was a civil-unions bill.
And Republican Del. Don Dwyer fought against it because, he said, the main reason advocates are pushing the bill is to get gay marriage into the public school curriculum.
So maybe Mrs. O’Malley should have called her opponents “morons.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/md-first-lady-apologized-for-calling-anti-equality-lawmakers-cowards-durn-20120128/

It’s nothing new that Newt Gingrich is a hateful little troll. We all knew that back in the Clinton Administration heyday. But his latest shtick, wrapping himself in the cloak of old-timey Christianity has really put him in the cross-hairs of the Douche of the Week nominators.
This week, in a conference call (http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/gingrich-gay-marriage-perfect-example-what-i-mean-rise-paganism) with leaders from the Religious Right, Gingrich said gay marriage, “was a perfect example of what I mean by ‘paganism.’”
It’s pretty simple: marriage is between a man and a woman. This is a historic doctrine driven deep into the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, and [the attack on it is] a perfect example of what I mean by the rise of paganism. The effort to create alternatives to marriage between a man and a woman are perfectly natural pagan behaviors, but they are a fundamental violation of our civilization.
Thank God it’s not legal to practice paganism in this country. Oh, wait a minute.—it is! So is taking away the right to practice other religions next on the Religious Right’s agenda? (Don’t bother answering.)
At any rate, the pagan meme isn’t all that new for Gingrich: Here’s a clip from 2009, where the Keebler Elf from Hell says America is “surrounded by paganism.”
Wow, he even cited St. Paul! It’s amazing Newt’s ears didn’t begin to bleed at the mention of the holy saint.
Look, we don’t know as much about paganism as Gingrich seems to. Our dalliance with Wiccanism pretty much began and ended with lighting sage in our room to banish the negative energy of a dill-hole ex-roommate. But we never particularly associated it with same-sex commitment one way or the other.
Y’know what we do think of when we think of old-school Roman paganism? Orgies!
Yep, people fornicating with individuals other than their husbands or wives. Like Newt was doing with Callista before (and after) he asked Wife No. 2 for an open marriage. (Partner-swapping also sounds kinda pagan.)
Gingrich hasn’t denied his ex’s claim that he was an adulterous fornicator, in fact he pretty much says it made him a better man today. (Don’t ask us to explain the “logic” of religious zealots.)
So, by our calculations, Gingrich is really the pagan—and he approves of his pagan ways. Two people trying to make a lifelong commitment is practically Old Testament.
Aw gee, thanks for the compliment, Newt—you stupid douche!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/don-wildmon.jpgP.S.: An Honorary Mention goes to American Family Association’s Don Wildmon, who was also on the call.
This is an election unlike any ever held in our country. We’re not just voting for a president; we’re voting for the continuation of Western Civilization. If those who are listening think that what we enjoy, the freedoms we enjoy, the right to practice our Christan faith, is merely an accident and is there, it’s not, people paid for it. And we can lose it, and we will lose it, if we lose this next election. What’s at stake is everything that the human race, Western Civilization, has fought for for the last two thousand years.
Wait, practicing Christianity was a right people had to fight for in this country? Gee, we thought it was kinda a mandatory requirement, what with those uptight pilgrims and the Salem people burning witches and all that. Well, you were there, Don. You’d know best.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/so-gingrich-called-gay-marriage-paganism-how-about-adultury-newt-20120127/

P.S: See source for video

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/study-figure.jpg
More college freshmen than ever support the right of gay people to get married, according to a poll conducted by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute (http://www.heri.ucla.edu/).
In 2009, 64.9 percent of incoming freshmen indicated that same-sex couples should be able to marry. The class of ’11 surged past the two-thirds mark, with 71.3 percent in favor. Would that the U.S. Senate were constituted in similar proportions!
In general, students are getting more liberal, with froshies falling rank-and-file on lefty issues like marijuana legalization, the ability to get an abortion, and affirmative action.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/study-more-college-freshmen-support-gay-marriage-than-ever-71-3-percent-to-be-exact-20120127/

While at Sundance this week, Queerty talked with Bishop Gene Robinson, the openly gay clergyman profiled in the new documentary Love Free Or Die. The Episcopalian minister tells us he’ll be performing the marriage ceremony for Cynthia Nixon and her partner, Christine Marinoni, this May. “I’ve been invited by Cynthia and her partner to officiate at their ceremony over Memorial Day weekend,” said Robinson. “It’s going to be my great pleasure to be there and to be a part of that celebration.”
Nixon’s controversial remarks about choosing to be gay (http://www.queerty.com/cynthia-nixon-ive-been-straight-and-ive-been-gay-and-gay-is-better-20120123/) have put her in the spotlight, so we asked Robinson for his take. “Well, I’ve never used that argument or said ‘We didn’t choose to be this way,’” he said diplomatically. “Because, let’s say if they find out there is no genetics involved? Why should it matter, really, whether we choose it or not?”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/cynthia-nixon-nick-step-360x396.jpgStill, Robinson is not all that comfortable with Nixon’s very public stance: “I think we go down a terrible road when we pin all of our arguments on the choice issue,” he explained. “One of the freedoms God gives us is the freedom to love whom we will, and then to love that person with all that we have. I think choice has very little to do with it.”
Before he came out, Robinson himself was married to a woman for 13 years—but admits he was actively denying a part of his personality. “I determined I couldn’t suppress who I really was for very much longer,” he told us. “And I wouldn’t call myself bisexual, because I know that if something happened to my partner—and now husband—of 24 years, I wouldn’t be just open to both genders the way bisexual people are.”
Stay tuned our full interview with Robinson, in which he calls intolerant denominations “increasingly irrelevant” and discusses his ongoing battle with the American Episcopalian Church.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/exclusive-out-bishop-gene-robinson-to-officiate-cynthia-its-a-choice-nixons-gay-wedding-20120127/

ashington’s highly anticipated gay-marriage bill cleared (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/kcpq-state-senate-committee-approves-samesex-marriage-bill-20120126,0,5180958.story)a state Senate committee yesterday, which means it will head to a floor vote next. On Monday, it gained a crucial yes vote (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-washington-state-has-enough-votes-to-pass-gay-marriage-20120123/) that makes its passage in the full Senate all but inevitable. A date has not been set for the vote yet, but it should be soon.
The committee passed the bill after defeating a proposed amendment by Sen. Don Benton (R-Vancouver), that would have required sending the gay marriage law to the voters for approval. Of course, ant-gay marriage forces can still collect 120,577 signatures by July 6 to get a referendum onto the ballot in November.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/washington-state-senate-committee-sends-gay-marriage-vote-to-the-floor-20120127/

Evan Mulvihill has been reporting live from the best gay-interest screenings, parties and panels at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival (http://www.queerty.com/queering-sundance-whats-gay-at-the-sundance-film-festival-this-year-20120118/) in Park City, Utah. (PS: Check in on our sister site, GayCities (http://saltlake.gaycities.com/events/signup1_113265-sundance-film-festival), if you’re there!) In the earliest days of AIDS activism, few in the media were paying attention to the renegade activists of AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP). But David France was.
France, a journalist on the movements’ outer fringe, has written about the epidemic for Newsweek (http://davidfrance.com/article.asp?ID=13), New York magazine (http://davidfrance.com/article.asp?ID=17), GQ (http://davidfrance.com/article.asp?ID=15), and numerous other publications. Now he’s channeled his consummate knowledge of AIDS activism into the brilliant new documentary How To Survive A Plague (http://www.howtosurviveaplague.com/).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/survive-a-plague.jpgIn the mid-’80s, ACT UP finally got officials in New York to acknowledge the epidemic and some activists started going to Washington to lobby the FDA and NIH for effective drugs and procedures. This eventually led to the birth of the Treatment Action Group (TAG), devoted to learning the pharmaceurical know-how necessary to engage with government scientists.
France eloquently details the birth of TAG and the growing resentment of its slightly conservative tactics by members of the more revolutionary ACT UP. In one archival clip, Larry Kramer reminds fellow activists: “We’re in the middle of a plague—a plague!”
The camera zooms in on his eyes, which speak volumes. “And you’re fighting about this?!?”
France sifted through thousands of hours of footage recorded on camcorders in the late ’80s and ’90s, masterfully splicing together a tale which imparts, in equal parts, the anger and sorrow of AIDS victims who believe they will die from the then-unmanageable disease, the excitement and mischievousness of activists’ attention-grabbing antics, and the pride and joy of being on the front lines of a movement that helped make AIDS a survivable disease.
“I guess it was kind of fascinating to me that this had become a kind of ancient history,” he says. “That the ’80s needed explanation now. At some point your own story becomes history.”
I had the pleasure of attending Plague‘s premiere at Sundance this weekend and the audience reaction was incredible: France and his crew all enjoyed multiple standing ovations.
Check out my exclusive interview with France above, where we talk about his involvement in early AIDS activism, how the loss of his partner (to whom this movie is dedicated) inspired Plague, and what young gay activists can learn from their predecessors.
Just yesterday, IFC acquired the rights (http://www.deadline.com/tag/how-to-survive-a-plague/) to How to Survive a Plague for its Sundance Selects label. Hopefully this means you’ll be able to see the film at an indie moviehouse near you soon.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/sundance-how-to-survive-a-plague-resurrects-the-energy-and-sorrow-of-early-aids-activism-20120127/

It looks like California might join South Carolina, Indiana and Maryland as one of four states offering a gay-themed license plate: Assembly Member Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) introduced a bill Wednesday to get approval for a new plate that would visually illustrate support for LGBT youth.(Proceeds from sales would go to a Department of Education anti-bullying campaign.) “This will be an important opportunity for Californians to show their support for the LGBT community and address a major problem that is affecting all youth,” said Hayashi (http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/1/prweb9136201.htm). “LGBT youth are at an increased risk for bullying, which can have devastating effects on their health, even leading to suicide. By purchasing this plate, the public can put a stop to bullying and help make a difference for our kids.”
Why not? We already have gay cars (http://www.queerty.com/check-out-europes-gay-car-of-the-year-and-queer-autos-of-yesteryear-20120120/).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/more-states-join-on-the-queer-license-plate-bandwagon-20120127/

TheGodlessUtopian

29th January 2012, 18:06

Within a week of its opening, a thrift store in Pinellas County catering to the area’s transgender community was robbed when a cash box holding $200 was swiped overnight.

According to Michael Keeffe, he noticed the missing funds when he went in to open Julio’s Closet one morning in January.

“I had no idea anything was wrong until I went to look for the cash box,” Keeffe said. “There were several valuable items in the store that were untouched and nothing was moved. So I was surprised when I couldn’t find the box.”

Keeffe said he filed a police report and some fingerprints were recovered, but they weren’t clear enough to give an identity to the possible culprit. Keeffe said he is using the loss as a lesson, and the store now has a secure safe.

“My thoughts are that either a customer or someone who works in the community center took it,” Keeffe said. “But there’s no way of knowing and all we can do is just move forward.”

Julio’s Closet is housed within the Community Connections Tampa Bay Center at 9945 66th St. North. The small 300-square-foot store is the first business past the entrance of the building and Keeffe said he wanted a non-LGBT home for the store to better benefit transgender people who wish to remain stealth.

“We picked a neighborhood location because the goal of many transgender people is to live comfortably in their neighborhood every day,” he said. “People know who we are and what we’re doing, but the goal of FORGE is to integrate into the community at large.”

And so far the store has seen some success, despite the setback of the theft. Keeffe said through word-of-mouth, the customer base is growing and so is support.

Keeffe explained that the name of the thrift store was chosen to honor Julio Silverwolf, a Pinellas County transgender man who died after a suspected suicide.

“He was well-known in the transgender community and it’s a tragic loss,” Keeffe said. “It’s our way of honoring him.”

The store is open Thursdays through Sundays and focuses primarily on larger sized women’s clothes and smaller sizes of men’s clothes.
However, donations of all sizes are happily accepted.

“We get a lot of foot traffic here from other businesses and the money raised goes to a good cause,” Keeffe said. “About 90% of the proceeds go back to FORGE and 10% goes to support this community center. It’s a win-win.”

Julio’s Closet is also looking for volunteers to man the store. Anyone interested can speak with Keeffe at the store from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

“We’re already outgrowing our space and sometime soon I plan on holding a full-scale grand opening,” Keeffe said.
Source: http://www.watermarkonline.com/w-news/tampa-bay-sarasota/item/7063-thieves-strike-new-store-catering-to-transgender-community

Big Web Companies Back Antidiscrimination Bill in Utah

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-27/UTAHX390.jpg

Big Utah businesses including Ancestry.com, eBay, and 1-800-Contacts called on state lawmakers Thursday to pass an antidiscrimination law that prevents employers from firing anyone just because they are gay.

They say the lack of guaranteed protection from discrimination creates the perception among potential LGBT employees that they aren't safe or welcomed in Utah, according to news reports (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53386333-78/utah-state-law-discrimination.html.csp) from a forum held at the state capitol.

Leaders from the businesses, which each have large employee bases in the state, were taking part in an event sponsored by the Salt Lake Chamber — which included implementing the new law in its 2012 Policy Guide, released (http://www.slchamber.com/news-room/read/article/172) this week.

But not all the lawmakers in the audience were immediately receptive to the message.

"You are, in fact, picking a special activity and creating a class of people out of that," said Scott Jenkins, the Senate majority leader, according (http://www.fox13now.com/news/politics/local/kstu-nondiscrimination-bill-attitudes-shifting-about-statewide-nondiscrimination-bill-20120126,0,3026357.story) to video from Fox 13 News. "I can't fire somebody now because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity. I don't know what that is, that's the point. I don't know what it is. And unless they announce it or tell me about it or bring it on to me or put it on their job application, or some way inform me of it, I don't even know what that is."

State senator Ben McAdams, a Democrat from Salt Lake City, is sponsoring the antidiscrimination bill, which is modeled after an ordinance passed in Salt Lake City and then emulated by 11 other local governments in Utah.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/27/Big_Web_Companies_Back_AntiDiscrimination_Bill_in_ Utah/

Effort to Kill Calif. LGBT Education Act Ramps Up

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-18/repealsb48x390.jpg

An effort to kill the California law that mandates the teaching of historical contributions by LGBT people moves closer to qualifying for the ballot as opponents now have until June to collect half a million signatures.
The Secretary of State's office announced Thursday it is allowing the effort against SB48, the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act, to advance. The antigay Traditional Values Coalition now has until June 25 to collect the 504,760 petition signatures needed to get the issue on the November ballot. There's at least one other right-wing effort to do away with SB48. The bill, passed after a rash of LGBT youth suicides, is seen as a way to ensure that students know the contributions of people like Harvey Milk and Ellen DeGeneres. Read more here. (http://ebar.com/blogs/?p=3636)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/27/Effort_to_Kill_Calif_LGBT_Education_Act_Ramps_Up/

NAACP Head at LGBT Conference Talks Marriage, Trans Brother

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-27/BENJEALOUSX390.jpg
NAACP president Ben Jealous
At the 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality Thursday in Baltimore, NAACP president Benjamin Jealous delivered the keynote address, pledging support for marriage equality, antibullying efforts, and discrimination protections for transgender people.
The conference, also known as "Creating Change," is one of the largest gatherings focused on LGBT equality. At the event Jealous discussed his transgender brother as well as the NAACP's mission to ensure fair voting rights for all Americans.
"I stand before you today as an individual deeply invested in the struggle but also as the leader of an organization with strong connections to the fight for LGBT rights," Jealous said, according to local reports. (http://www.wbaltv.com/r/30311618/detail.html)
The NAACP will support marriage equality in Maryland, of which the Democratic governor is supportive, and gender identity protections in the state.
"As a leading employer in the nonprofit sector in Maryland, we'll be there in Annapolis to make sure the gender identity antidiscrimination bill is passed," Jealous said.
Also in attendance were Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Maryland first lady Katie O'Malley, both LGBT equality supporters.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/27/NAACP_Head_at_LGBT_Conference_Talks_Marriage_Trans _Brother/

P.S: See source for video

Tenn. Lawmaker: Only Gay Men Can Get HIV

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-04/2011-04-22/Stacey_Campfield.jpg

A Tennessee state representative incorrectly claimed that HIV cannot be transmitted through heterosexual sex.

Rep. Stacey Campfield told Michaelangelo Signorile (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/stacey-campfield-tennessee-senator-dont-say-gay-bill_n_1233697.html) on his radio show Thursday, "My understanding is that it is virtually — not completely, but virtually — impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex ... very rarely [transmitted.]"

Campfield also traced HIV being transmitted to humans to the story of a pilot who had sex with a monkey, but that mythology has been debunked, and there is no evidence of monkey-to-human sexual transmission, as Signorile writes on The Huffington Post. The story was debunked in the esteemed 2011 book The Origin of AIDS by Jacques Pepin.

Campfield, the Republican sponsor of the "don't say gay" bill, also told Signorile that gay people are overly glorified in the media, there's too much attention being paid to antigay bullying in schools, and that only heterosexuality should be taught in classrooms.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/27/Tenn_Lawmaker_Only_Gay_Men_Can_Get_HIV/

Retiring N.C. Gov. Complicates Marriage Ban

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-07/2011-07-01/1GovBevPerdue.jpg
North Carolina governor Beverly Perdue
With North Carolina's Democratic governor, Beverly Perdue, retiring, more liberal voters are expected at the polls in May, possibly altering the results of a proposed constitutional marriage equality ban.
North Carolina Democrats will need to pick candidates in May to replace Perdue; they'll also be asked to weigh in on the gay marriage ban. While Republicans need to show up in May to pick their candidates for president, Democrats had no real reason to vote then, other than weighing in on the ban, before Perdue announced she was retiring. Now, Democrats will likely show up in larger numbers for the primary and possibly turn the tide on the marriage question.
Perdue, an opponent of the ban, urged the ballot initiative be moved from November so it didn't affect the presidential election and hand North Carolina to the GOP presidential candidate. When gay marriage opponents moved the vote to May, it seemed like it was moving swiftly to passage. Now, gay rights advocates say they have a better change of scoring a major upset. A defeat of the ban would be especially significant because North Carolina is a considered a Deep South state. But marriage equality opponents say Perdue's announcement doesn't matter, even with a larger Democrat turnout, the ban will still easily pass. Read more here. (http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/27/4220595/nc-govs-exit-shakes-up-vote-on.html)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/28/Retiring_NC_Gov_Complicates_Marriage_Ban/

runequester

7th February 2012, 15:34

A Tennessee state representative incorrectly claimed that HIV cannot be transmitted through heterosexual sex.

Rep. Stacey Campfield told Michaelangelo Signorile on his radio show Thursday, "My understanding is that it is virtually — not completely, but virtually — impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex ... very rarely [transmitted.]"

Campfield also traced HIV being transmitted to humans to the story of a pilot who had sex with a monkey, but that mythology has been debunked, and there is no evidence of monkey-to-human sexual transmission, as Signorile writes on The Huffington Post. The story was debunked in the esteemed 2011 book The Origin of AIDS by Jacques Pepin.

Campfield, the Republican sponsor of the "don't say gay" bill, also told Signorile that gay people are overly glorified in the media, there's too much attention being paid to antigay bullying in schools, and that only heterosexuality should be taught in classrooms.

I drank whenever something stupid was said by this man, and now I don't feel so good.

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 21:06

I drank whenever something stupid was said by this man, and now I don't feel so good.

Be careful when playing that drinking game as you could soon end up dead from alcohol poisoning. :p

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 21:12

As it announced it would yesterday (http://www.queerty.com/get-ready-ninth-circuit-court-to-announce-verdict-in-prop-8-trial-today-20120207/), the Ninth Circuit Court has just issued its ruling in Perry v. Brown, marriage-equality foes’ appeal of Judge Vaughn Walker’s original verdict in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which overturned California’s odious Proposition 8.
And the verdict is: guilty!
No, we kid. The court upheld Walker’s ruling in a 2-to-1 decision (http://www.scribd.com/doc/80680002/10-16696-398-Decision)! It said, in part:

The defense fails on its merits. The People may not employ the initiative power to single out a disfavored group for unequal treatment, and strip them, without legitimate justification, of a right as important as the right to marry. Accordingly we affirm the ruling of the district court.
The Ninth Court also dismissed Prop 8 defenders’ claims that Judge Walker should have recused himself from the case because he is gay.
But the fight is far from over: With anti-marriage forces promising to appeal, the case now moves one step closer to the Supreme Court, where it could be ruled on “as early as next year.” predicts the L.A. Times.
Community rallies have been planned to celebrate the verdict in San Francisco’s Castro District, as well as in San Diego, Sacramento, L.A. and other California cities. Had things gone the other way, they probably would’ve still had the rallies—only, y’know, without the cake and balloons.
Congrats California!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-court-rules-in-favor-of-marriage-equality-upholds-prop-8-overturn-20120207/

Salt Lake City might have been named the Gayest City in America, but if certain politicians and special-interest groups have their way, it won’t be nominated again next year.
A Utah state Senate committee shot down SB 51, (http://le.utah.gov/%7E2012/htmdoc/sbillhtm/sb0051.htm) introduced by Sen. Ben McAdams, a statewide workplace anti-discrimination law that included language protecting the LGBT community. The committee voted to table the measure 4-2, because some members worried the law would impinge upon employers’ rights.
Oh yes, the plight of the poor business owner, steamrolled into having to hire qualified gay people!
Lest you think the senators were just voting their conscience, lobbyists from the anti-gay group United Families Utah were there to make sure they remained lockstep with their agenda. “We’re observing across the nation that in courtrooms and classrooms, that sexual rights are being protected over religious rights,” UFU’s Archie Laura Bunker told KSL 5 (http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=19111246).
The committee’s chambers were thankfully also filled with LGBT activists demanding equality. “Imagine living in a world where your religion, where age or your race would come in to play,” said Jeremy Cunningham, who explained he was fired when his employer discovered he was gay. “On the day I was fired, that was my world.”
If you think lawmakers are there to legislate the will of the people, think again: Polls show 75% of Utahans support job-protection laws that include gays and lesbians. Maybe just not the Utahans who voted for those four committee members
Source: http://www.queerty.com/ut-state-senate-committee-tables-anti-discrimination-bill-because-it-included-protection-for-lgbts-20120207/

P.S: See source for video

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/05/vigil-sheds-light-on-bullying
It’s getting to the point where we should probably have a template for these stories: Another young teen has taken his life after enduring harassment and physical attacks because of his sexual orientation. This time the victim was Rafael Morelos of Cashmere, WA, who took his own life on January 31.
As Fox 13 in Seattle (http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-candlelight-memorial-held-for-bullied-teen-who-committed-suicide-20120203,0,661533.story) reports, on Friday some 100 community members gathered at a memorial for Morelos, who was a target at Cashmere Middle School for being gay.

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-85.png“They would bully him and cuss him out, and just hated on him all the time,” said friend Jessica Fisk. “They would follow him and try to beat him up and try to hurt him.”
But his mother said she had no idea what he was going through.
“He never told me nothing,” said his mother, Malinda. “He did not tell me he was being bullied. He had a dark side inside him that he never told me his feelings anymore. I thought it was just him being a teenager, and I just didn’t know why.”
Other students claim Morelos was also shoved and punched in the face during gym class. But the harassment didn’t stop at the school door: Students created a fake Facebook account to insult Morelos online.
In the wake of other newsworthy suicides last year—and with more than 15,000 students suspended in Washington State for bullying from 2008-2009—state officials had already ordered schools to strengthen anti-bullying policies, both in school and on the Internet. “The new law makes each school district designate someone to be the primary contact in cases of bullying or harassment,” writes Fox’s Jeff Van Sant.
Clearly those measures were either not enacted yet or were ineffective.
Rob Cline, principal at Cashmere Middle School, told the Wenatchee World (http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/05/vigil-sheds-light-on-bullying/) that there was no ongoing effort to root out who was harassing Morelos.

He said that Rafael had, earlier in the school year, reported one incidence of being bullied but “we took care of that. We investigated and took appropriate action.”
Cline declined to say what action the district took, or when during the school year Rafael complained to the school about being bullied. “Student discipline is not something I am at liberty to share,” Cline said.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and determined that it was a suicide and there was no foul play involved. “You’re the first one who ever indicated to me that he had been bullied,” said Sheriff Brian Burnett in a phone interview Saturday.
It’s impossible to know exactly what leads someone to commit suicide, and we’re hesitant to point fingers without having all the details. But by several accounts here we have a parent who didn’t know what was bothering her child and a school that seemed indifferent at best.
Can that be anything but a recipe for disaster?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/wa-community-holds-vigil-for-gay-teen-who-committed-suicide-20120206/

With our rights increasingly relying on court cases, it’s good news that the Rutgers School of Law (left) in Camden, NJ, has added a new class this semester focusing on the civil rights of the gay community. Taught by Prof. N.E.H. Hull, LGBT Individuals in American Legal History traces the history of discriminatory laws against gays from the 17th century to today. The course description explains how “nearly every discriminatory law challenging the LGBT community today can be traced to the colonial American laws (brought over from Great Britain) criminalizing ‘sodomy’ and regulating cross-gender modes of dress.”
And those laws, as if any of us didn’t know, hamper our ability to marry, adopt, work, stay in hotels and, until last year, serve in the military.
“It’s the civil rights issue of the 21st century and it plays into so many areas of law,” Prof. Hull tells the Courier-Post (http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20120203/NEWS01/302030016/Rutgers-Law-class-studies-LGBT-rights). “It comes up in many different contexts, like constitutional rights and state law and legislation. Frankly, it’s crucial to have some background on the history of gay rights issues because the likelihood they come up in legal practice today is very strong.”
Hull sounds like the right person to teach it too: In addition to her JD she has a PhD in history, is widely published and has taught coursework on legal issues covering reproductive rights, senior citizens and employee benefits.
We’re excited to think there will be a new generation of advocates to argue for fairness, but it may be a moot point if Republicans manage to put every issue to a popular vote. Maybe they should start teaching classes in LGBT public relations so we learn how to make everyone scared of the Religious Right?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/courts-in-session-as-rutgers-law-school-ads-class-in-lgbt-legal-history-20120207/

Queer activists upset that the Human Rights Campaign honored Wall Street titan Goldman Sachs (http://www.queerty.com/angry-protestors-pro-gay-corporations-democratic-politicians-and-hungry-journalists-descend-upon-hrcs-nyc-gala-20120205/) at its annual gala last weekend probably won’t be thrilled to hear the organization has tapped GS chief executive Lloyd Blankfein to be its first national corporate spokesman for same-sex marriage.
Blankfein isn’t new to the fight for LGBT equality—under his tenure, Goldman Sachs started reimbursing LGBT employees for additional taxes they pay on domestic-partner benefits. And Blankfein, who is straight, wrote letters to New York lawmakers urging them to pass marriage-equality legislation.
His new role might go down harder with conservative finance types, though, than with OWS gays. As the New York Times (http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/blankfein-to-speak-out-for-same-sex-marriage/)reports (http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/blankfein-to-speak-out-for-same-sex-marriage/):

HRC explicitly acknowledged that one reason they chose Blankfein was that it was an “unexpected” choice to pull someone from such a macho industry; however, the Goldman Sachs executive has long been a marriage equality supporter. The decision to make his support more public might run the risk of alienating conservative Goldman clients, reports DealBook, but it’s also surely a calculated public-relations move for Blankfein, who is rumored to be inching closer to stepping down from running the bank. Will it work?
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Lloyd-Blankfein-360x278.jpg“Lloyd Blankfein is not someone average Americans would think is going to support marriage equality,” [HRC's Fred] Sainz said. “The green visor crowd is not typically associated with socially progressive policies, and this is further proof that a diversity of Americans are coming to the same conclusion.”
With this national campaign, Mr. Blankfein is stepping onto a prominent and politically charged stage — at a time when his public persona is suffering. In recent years, he has been pilloried for outsize pay packages and rewarding the type of risk-taking that led to the financial crisis.
As the tumult fades, industry watchers are wondering about his second act. Mr. Blankfein, who has run Goldman since 2006, is one of the longest-tenured chief executives on Wall Street, and speculation is mounting that he will hand over the reins to a deputy this year.
Although he has long supported same-sex marriage, his move could be seen as a public relations play, albeit one with unclear results. The affiliation with a liberal organization could also alienate conservatives who do business with the firm.

Well, you need money to make things happen in politics and no one can deny Blankfein knows how to make it rain.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/hrc-appoints-goldman-sachs-honcho-as-new-marriage-equality-spokesman-20120206/

P.S: See source for video

We’re sure some hardcore sports fans had some choice words during last night’s Super Bowl, but Chicago columnist Roland Martin wasn’t directing his ire at the Pats or the Giants. After H&M’s sexy underwear ad with David Beckham ran, Martin tweeted (http://www.glaad.org/rolandsmartin) to almost 95,000 followers:

“If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him! #superbowl”
If this were a pro athlete we might expect such ignorance, but Martin makes his living with his words—he’s a regular on CNN, MSNBC, BET, BBC and Fox News, and is a commentator on TV One, an African-American network available in over 36 million homes. Making a crack at someone’s expense is fine, but when you’re a public figure, even jokingly advocating violence is just plain stupid.
In response, GLAAD tweeted (http://www.glaad.org/rolandsmartin):

“@rolandsmartin (http://twitter.com/rolandsmartin) Advocates of gay bashing have no place at @CNN (http://twitter.com/CNN) #SuperBowl (http://twitter.com/#%21/search?q=%23SuperBowl) #LGBT (http://twitter.com/#%21/search?q=%23LGBT)“
Apparently, though, Martin decided he could fit more of his foot in his mouth. He replied:

“@glaad @CNN (http://twitter.com/CNN) well you’re clearly out of touch and clueless with what I tweeted. Way to assume, but you’re way off base”
Martin’s lovely sentiments weren’t contained to twitter—this morning he posted to his Facebook fan page:

“Who the hell was that New England Patriot they just showed in a head to toe pink suit? Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass”
Since making the comments, Martin has suggested his tweets were regarding soccer fans, not gay men. On his Facebook status, he wrote:http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/roland-martin-360x239.jpg

I made several cracks about soccer as I do all the time. I was not referring to sexuality directly or indirectly regarding the David Beckham ad, and I’m sorry folks took it otherwise. It was meant to be a deliberately over the top and sarcastic crack about soccer; I do not advocate violence of any kind against anyone gay, or not. As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, anytime soccer comes up during football season. season it’s another chance for me to take a playful shot at soccer, nothing more.
Mr. Martin, we don’t know a whole lot about professional sports, but we do know this: Nobody pays any attention to soccer in America, especially not on Super Bowl Sunday. That dog just won’t hunt.
His “explanation” is especially suspicious given how Martin defended Tracy Morgan’s stab-my-son joke (http://www.rolandsmartin.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/10/wtf-comic-tracy-morgan-has-offensive-material/) and has praised reparative therapy (which his wife practices).
Oddly enough, Martin also tweeted some uncharacteristic praise to the Queen of the Gays, Madonna, for her halftime show:

“She brought the major props out for this one. Lady Gaga was taking some serious notes”
We agree, Roland, but what did you think of the outfit, though—fierce or too dowdy?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/cnn-pundit-roland-martin-sends-gay-bashing-tweet-during-super-bowl-20120206/

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 21:19

Like many, though certainly not all, in the LGBT community, we knew what we were from an early age. But we didn’t acknowledge or announce it for years—both for fear of reprisals and confusion in our own minds about what it implied.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-72-360x238.pngLo these many, many many decades later, queer kids are coming out earlier and earlier. Many enjoy gay-friendly communities where they feel safe disclosing their identity. And some are lucky enough to have been raised in an environment where homophobia just wasn’t part of their experience.
But is there such as thing as too young to come out? Or is it the remnants of internalized homophobia to suggest such a thing.
In her Child Caring column in the Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/community/moms/blogs/child_caring/2012/02/8-year-old_know.html), Barbara Meltz shared a question from a concerned mom in Virginia:

My 8-year-old daughter told me that she “just knows” that she is gay. I find this hard to believe. She told me about an incident where she and a (girl) friend got undressed in front of each other and “rolled around naked” on her bed. I asked for more details, explaining that she might feel better to get it off her chest. She cried a lot and while she did not give more information, she insisted that she could just feel it that she’s a lesbian.
I assured that it would not matter to me at all, but she may be a little young to know conclusively. What do you think? Could she know?
Meltz takes a tactful approach in her response:

There are plenty of adults who will tell you that they knew at a young age that they were homosexual, plenty who will say they did not know until later. I think your answer was fine: You’ll love her no matter what and she’s young to know for sure.
It is very common for young girls to have crushes on girls, to kiss each other (“for practice”), look at each other naked and touch each other, and not be lesbians. It’s part curiosity, part developmental, although it tends to happen at younger ages than in previous generations because girls today go through puberty earlier (better health care and nutrition) and because our pop culture puts sexuality front and center so it forces them to confront it at younger ages.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/child-360x298.jpgOne thing that worries me in your email is that it sounds like she is unhappy—she cried—and feels badly about the possibility that she might be lesbian. Where is she getting that negativity from? The culture? Peers? Family?
Since homosexuality is now on the table, go with the topic when it’s appropriate: Why does she think it would be a bad thing to be a lesbian? If you’re watching a show with gay or lesbian couples, raise some questions: “Do you think their romantic feelings are the same as the feelings daddy and I have for each other?”
As I’ve said in this space before, Nancy Gruver is my go-to person for girls this age. The mother of daughters, she’s co-founder of daughters.com and New Moon Girls magazine, and author of How To Say It To Girls: Communicating with Your Growing Daughter. These are all wonderful resources for parents of preteen girls on all sorts of topics. Also check out The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Educational Network works to create safe schools; PFLAG, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
Meltz raises some good points and is to be commended for including gay-positive resources for mother and child to explore. But what would you think if a child in your life came out at so young an age. Would you dismiss her claim out of hand as something she must’ve picked up on television?
And we’re wondering if we would act differently if it was a boy? Because, let’s be honest, the culture deems female sexuality to be more fluid and the taboos against crossing gender norms start earlier for boys that girls.
Debate away (respectfully) in the comments!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/is-8-years-old-too-young-to-come-out-of-the-closet-20120206/

A year-and-a-half after bullies drove gay 13-year-old Asher Brown to commit suicide (http://www.queerty.com/gay-suicide-victim-asher-browns-parents-harassed-by-their-own-town-20120206/13-year-old%20Asher%20Brown), KRIV 26 in Houston reports, his parents, Amy and David Troug, are being bullied by members of their Cypress, TX, community for trying to push for laws to help kids like Asher.
Amy and David Troung tell reporters that they’ve been subject to numerous instances of harassment, intimidation and vandalism since suing Cypress Fairbanks School District and lobbying for new anti-bulling measures.

“People just driving by slowly and parking and staring at us. When they do speak to us they scream, ‘Bully, bully, bully!’ Kids would start chanting that. Adults would just give us dirty glares. They scream by screaming, ‘Yee ha’!” said David who has reported the incidents to Harris County Precinct 4 Constables.
Most recently, a hefty bag of bottles was smashed at high speed against the Troung’s, splattering glass throughout the yard.
“Broken glass was everywhere on our lawn, almost to our neighbor’s lawn. We had to spend an hour picking through it by hand,” said David.
Since their son’s death, the Troungs have endured more than a dozen separate incidents of vandalism and hateful harassment.
“It’s not a coincidence,” said Amy Troung.
Of course it’s not. How do you think Asher’s classmates learned how to be bullies?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-suicide-victim-asher-browns-parents-harassed-by-their-own-town-20120206/

Although America has 28 chapters of Delta Lambda Phi (DLP), an all-gay fraternity, the icy expanses of Canada haven’t been infiltrated.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Delta-Lambda-Phi-1.pngUntil now! Sam Reisler has started a chapter at Montreal (http://www.montreal.gaycities.com/)‘s McGill University—and nearly 20 rushees officially became brothers during a super-secret ceremony this past weekend, reports the Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1125505--gay-fraternity-at-mcgill-a-first-for-canadian-universities).
“I thought they’d not be as accepting of gays. For me, frat guys were guys who liked to drink, party and get girls. But the more I found out the more that stereotype didn’t really exist,” said chapter president Daniel D’Alimonte (above left, with Reisler).
None of the straights on campus seemed to mind, but there was a beef with the more left-leaning corners of campus: Some students complained the group was sexist for excluding girls. (The Greek system is apparently not that big in the Great White North.)
And the LGBT student group Queer McGill wasn’t happy with the language the frat used to define potential members: “males and those who identify as male.” According to Queer McGill administrator Elyse Lewis, it sounded like trans men were “just pretending to be men.” The boys of DLP agreed to reword their literature and the two groups plan to work closely in the future.
From all appearances, DLP doesn’t seem all that different from other fraternities, with one obvious complication: Dating another brother is discouraged, it but even Reisler admits it’s so inevitable.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/canada-gets-its-first-openly-gay-fraternity-20120206/

If you’ve seen Jason Andrews (right) on Sean Cody, you better commit his image to memory: The 28-year-old porn actor is going away for life for the murder of Florida tattoo artist Dennis Abrahamson. According to Adult Video News (http://news.avn.com/articles/Porn-Actor-Pleads-Guilty-to-Murder-to-Avoid-Death-Penalty-463281.html), he and fellow porn star Amanda Logue agreed to join Abrahamson for a sex party in May 2010, but instead the couple bludgeoned and stabbed the 41-year-old to death and stole his credit card, cash, video camera and laptop.

The killing was notable for its brutality and the callousness with which the killers planned and executed the crime, including exchanging lurid text messages in the hours leading up to the attack. Logue had been hired by Abrahamson to have sex with him on camera during the party.
After they were initially released by authorities for lack of evidence, Logue and Andrews fled separately. But when new evidence emerged, Andrews was arrested in Chattanooga, TN, where he was working at an upscale cigar bar. He plead guilty in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table.
Aside from his careers in porn, homicide and bartending, Andrews was known in the Chicago nightlife scene as DJ Veritas.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ex-sean-cody-model-jason-andrews-gets-life-sentence-for-2010-murder-20120206/

The Religious Right and its slimy tentacles have been lashing out at enemies of its reactionary agenda this week, and the long arm of society has handily *****-slapped back harder. Earlier in the week, the hate group One Million Moms, an arm of the American Family Association, threatened a boycott (http://www.queerty.com/one-million-moms-boycotts-macys-jcpenny-for-gay-friendly-marketing-where-will-they-get-their-elastic-pants-20120201/) of major department stores Macy’s and JCPenney—the former for including a (barely perceptible) wedding topper with two grooms in an ad, and the latter for hiring Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson.
Also this week, The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation bowed to pressure from anti-choice groups and announced it would cut off funding (http://www.queerty.com/susan-g-komen-for-the-cure-fights-breast-cancer-and-lgbt-equality-and-reproductive-rights-too-20120201/) for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. While Komen claimed it did so because PPFA was “under investigation,” many pundits say the move was politically motivated, seeing as congressional Republicans are currently on a witchhunt against Planned Parenthood.
Well, both of those campaigns have failed spectacularly.
In an email statement to Yahoo! Shhttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/macys.jpgine (http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/j-c-penney-wont-fire-ellen-anti-gay-000900801.html), a spokesperson for Penney says the company “stands behind its partnership with Ellen DeGeneres.”
And just today Komen, with pink-hued egg on its face after a massive backlash, reversed its planned defunding of Planned Parenthood. The breast-cancer org even said sorry on Twitter: “We want to apologize for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives.”
With the GOP always equating PPFA with abortions, you can sometimes forget that most of what it provides are mammograms and routine reproductive-health screenings. Well, maybe not—social media platforms like Facebook were awash with criticisms against Komen for its cowardly move. And donations at Planned Parenthood skyrocketed after the budget cuts were announced. Komen, one of the nation’s largest cancer nonprofits, may never recover from this embarrassing misstep.
So we may have reached a tipping point, where average Americans—and the companies that cater to them—have had enough with the threats and intimidation from right-wing groups. If the Planned Parenthood fiasco is any indication, their campaign is actually working for us.
So keep them boycotts coming, idiots—you’re only helping the cause!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/religious-rights-threats-boycotts-backfire-as-jcpenney-stands-by-ellen-and-komen-reverses-on-planned-parenthood-cuts-20120203/

This week, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) held its annual cabal in Washington, DC. And though we’re sure much of it covered boring academic and administrative minutiae, Inside Higher Ed reports (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/03/christian-college-presidents-discuss-what-do-about-sexuality#ixzz1lM1FCTey) that speakers at one panel made it clear that these schools’ views on homosexuality wouldn’t be leaving the 19th century any time soon.
The media wasn’t allowed to cover the panel, but attendees claim the conversation “dealt not with whether colleges should change their attitudes toward gay students, but how to deal with the controversy that breaks out when students or alumni pressure a college to change,” writes reporter Libby Nelson.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/campuslife.jpg
College is where most of us first experienced the sense of liberation that comes with making your own choices and determining your own identity. We can’t imagine any LGBT person choosing to go to an evangelical Christian school, most of which require students and faculty to sign pledges that they pretty much won’t piss on a gay person if he was on fire.
But not everyone gets to go to school where they want—economic realities, family pressures and other factors may make attending a CCCU school a necessity. But more and more gay students at these institutions are refusing to stay silent.
As Nelson points out:

Last year, a group of 31 gay and lesbian Westmont alumni wrote a letter to the college (http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/16/local/la-me-gay-westmont-20110216), saying they had lived in an environment of “doubt, loneliness and fear” while enrolled there. More than 100 additional alumni signed on in support, and more than 50 faculty members signed a letter in response, asking forgiveness for causing the students pain.
A few months later, an openly gay student at Messiah College, in Pennsylvania, told the Harrisburg Patriot-News (http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/05/gay_student_to_transfer_out_sa.html) that he planned to transfer after two semesters of bullying. Students had excluded him, he said, a professor had called him an “abomination,” he received death threats on Facebook, and his wallet, keys and student ID were stolen, among other incidents, he said.
While administrators insist they don’t brook outright discrimination and tell their students to respect the dignity of all people, college kids—like small children—practice what they see, not what they’re told.
“It’s important to us as leaders of Christian colleges and universities to promote sexual purity, to exercise good pastoral care and to articulate Biblical convictions,” says Philip Ryken, a panel moderator and president of Illinois’ Wheaton College.
Okay then, Mr. Ryken, which Biblical conviction helps a freshman sleep at night when he’s worried someone might try to kill him for being gay?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/bullying-doesnt-end-in-high-school-for-gay-students-who-attend-christian-colleges-20120203/

When we saw that a Brit named Ben Cohen made an It Gets Better video, we automatically assumed it was the gay-friendly rugby player (http://www.queerty.com/search/ben%20cohen), who has already done so much to help combat LGBT bullying.
Actually it’s Benjamin Cohen, a correspondent for the UK’s Channel 4 News and the founder of the international LGBT outlet PinkNews (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/) (a site familiar to readers of Queerty). And his clip is particularly noteworthy because it’s aimed at queer youth raised in communities of faith.
We’ve addressed how LGBT kids in the States can wind up in unsympathetic environments like evangelical Christian colleges (http://www.queerty.com/bullying-doesnt-end-in-high-school-for-gay-students-who-attend-christian-colleges-20120203/), but here Cohen speaks about his own experience of being raised in an observant Jewish home and eventually realizing he was “twice blessed” to be born both gay and Jewish.
It’s also worth noting Channel 4 obviously allowed Cohen to use its studio to film in. We can’t imagine, say, ABC doing the same for Sam Champion.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-pinknews-founder-benjamin-cohen-explains-how-it-gets-better-for-gays-of-faith-20120205/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 21:30

JustLeftTheCloset.com (http://www.justleftthecloset.com/) is kind of like the Facebook equivalent of the “It Gets Better” Project. The site bills itself as “a new social network for LGBT youth and their friends”—kids who are just coming out of the closet.Here’s what they say their aim is:
“We want to create an even playing field for all LGBT kids aged 13 and up, whether they live in the heart of the city or twenty miles from their nearest neighbor. They all need friends and they all want to have fun. There are thousands of others out there just like them, and justleftthecloset will connect them in an entirely new way. It will enable them to easily interact with each other from the safety and anonymity of their computers, at their own pace and with no outside pressure.”
It’s terribly earnest, and their font is a bit too close to Comic Sans for our liking, but all in all, it’s a great idea and well executed. Check out some screenshots below and sign up (http://www.justleftthecloset.com/) if you’re interested.
On your profile page, there’s a place for a picture, a little biography box, favorite songs and books, then at the bottom is the “coming out story” section.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/just-left-the-closet-profile-600x343.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/just-left-the-closet-profile.png)
There’s a panel navigation page.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Screen-shot-2012-02-03-at-12.06.28-PM-600x415.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Screen-shot-2012-02-03-at-12.06.28-PM.png)
The Coming Out Stories are the real meat of the site. Here’s a particularly cute one:
In high school during a biology field trip, me and my best friend were stuck in this boring biology lecture for the whole day. It was awful. So we started playing hang man. I decided I should tell her that I was thinking I might be gay (but at the time, I thought I was bisexual). So I made a hangman for her that spelled out: I Think There is The Possibility That I Might Be Bisexual. It actually turned out to be a pretty quick hangman (she understood what was going on pretty quick), and afterwards she gave me an awkward but comforting side hug and drew me a smile.
Now they just have to keep the pedophiles awaySource: http://www.queerty.com/introducing-a-social-network-for-lgbts-who-are-just-coming-out-of-the-closet-20120203/

Gay sex may not be a crime in Cyprus or Turkey, but Turkish-controlled North Cyprus is still enforcing an antiquated law dating back to the British colonial era that punishes sodomy with up to five years in prison. Two inmates in a jail in the city of Nicosia appeared in court this Sunday to fend off charges of having “sexual intercourse against the order of nature,” BBC News reports (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16840318). This isn’t an isolated occurrence, either—it’s the third time in eight months that the old law, which was introduced in 1929 but effectively repealed in the late ’90s, has been invoked.
Cypriot legislators say they are working on ratifying a full repeal—one was submitted last October but never voted on or debated.
Reshat Shaban of Initiative Against Homophobia, an international LGBT rights group, told the BBC: “The repeal stayed only in words—no further action has been taken.”
Alarm from European politicians will hopefully speed up the process: Marina Yannakoudakis, who is a member of the European Parliament’s High-Level Contact Group for Relations with the Turkish Cypriot Community (the Low-Level Contact Group must be busy addressing small talk), said she’ll be pushing for faster action:
“There must be an immediate moratorium on arrests under Section 171 and the men arrested last month must be released without delay. Draft legislation submitted by the Communal Democratic Party must be fast-tracked through the assembly to ensure that there are no further miscarriages of justice.”
No further miscarriages of justice, indeed.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/europe-alarmed-as-north-cyprus-routinely-arrests-men-for-having-gay-sex-20120203/

Borderline hate group PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays) has been distributing their filthy materials in a Maryland high school, Fox DC reports (http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/maryland/school-defends-friends-of-ex-gays-flyer-handed-out-to-students-020212).
Parents unfamiliar with the organization’s twisted message had their eyes opened when their kids brought the flyer home. Social worker Karen Yount-Merrell essentially said WTF when her son brought home a PFOX flyer alongside his report card from Einstein High School.

“I don’t like it,” Yount-Merrell said to Fox. “Everything in this flyer make its sound like the goal is to be [an] EX-gay, [or an EX]-lesbian. It is not embracing of a different orientation. It reiterates a societal view that there’s something ‘wrong’ with you, if you’re not in the norm. If you aren’t heterosexual. And teenagers have a hard enough time dealing with who they are and feeling good about themselves.”

“If people were to actually read the content of the flyer that we’re distributing, they will see there is nothing in here that is insulting or even critical of homosexuals,” said PFOX board member Peter Sprigg. “All it is telling kids that you don’t have to be gay if you don’t want to be.”

Right, kids. You can just be bisexual first and then [I]choose to be gay or straight, like Cynthia Nixon (http://www.queerty.com/cynthia-nixon-clarifies-bisexuality-is-not-a-choice-it-is-a-fact-20120130/)!

Here’s the whole flyer:

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/EinsteinPFOXLetter-463x600.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/EinsteinPFOXLetter.png)

Source: http://www.queerty.com/pfox-is-handing-out-their-idiotic-flyers-at-a-high-school-in-maryland-20120203/

"Borderline," funny... they are a hate group pure and simple.

The marriage-equality bill that has been bubbling up in New Jersey (http://queerty.com/tag/new-jersey) is now on its way to the legislative floor. Yesterday, the Assembly Judiciary Committee spent over six hours hearing testimony about the issue, and then voted 5-2 (http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=10833&MediaType=1&Category=26), along party lines, to send the bill to the Assembly. Last week, the bill cleared a Senate committee.
Openly gay Assemblyman Reed Gusciora says the bill still needs five more yes votes to pass in the Assembly.
Meanwhile, veto-ready Chris Christie said yesterday (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-02/christie-says-new-jersey-voters-would-pass-a-gay-marriage-ballot-question.html) that “the polls that I’ve seen show that if this goes to the ballot, I lose. How much more magnanimous could I be?” We don’t know—you could switch your position, maybe?
Senate Democrats have scheduled the bill for February 13, but are still scrambling for votes (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-02/n-j-assembly-democrats-still-need-votes-to-pass-gay-marriage.html).
Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-marriage-bill-makes-it-through-nj-assembly-panel-20120203/

[/URL]

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-50-360x267.png

[URL="http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/01/hidden_in_the_open_a_photographic_essay_of_140-years_of_afro-american_male_couples.html"]Colorlines.com (http://www.queerty.com/revisiting-150-years-of-black-male-couples-with-hidden-in-the-open-20120203/#comments) has an interesting piece on the work of Houston historian and playwright Trent Kelly, who is amassing a collection of rare vintage photographs (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hidden-in-the-open/sets/72157624480472079/with/5386813038/) of black male couples from the past 150 years in his online archive, Hidden in the Open: A Photographic Essay of Afro American Male Couples. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hidden-in-the-open/sets/72157624480472079/with/4839183271/)
As both Kelly and writer Jorge Rivas admit, it’s impossible to know if all the men in Kelly’s 146-photos-and-chttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-54.pngounting collection are actually gay, But many of those depicted would read as “queer” to an LGBT viewer (feel free to deconstruct that in the comments) and a number of photos have telling inscriptions.
Think of Kelly’s work not as clinical anthropology but the blending of art and history to reclaim a hidden legacy.
On his Flickr page, Kelly writes:
Some of these images are sure to be gay and others may not. The end result is speculative at best for want in applying a label. Not every gesture articulated between men was an indication of male to male intimacies. Assuredly, what all photographs in this book have in common are signs of Afro American male affection and love that were recorded for posterity without fear and shame.
Kelly’s hope is that the images will break stereotypes and start conversations: “I want the world to see the photographs,” he told No More Down Low TV (http://nomoredownlow.tv/). “I want the black gay community to see the photographs and men in particular so they know they have a history to be proud of.”
Source: http://www.queerty.com/revisiting-150-years-of-black-male-couples-with-hidden-in-the-open-20120203/

Queerty reported last fall about the brutal assault (http://www.queerty.com/attack-on-gay-ohio-teen-captured-on-video-posted-to-facebook-20111027/) of gay Unioto High School student Zach Huston, whose unprovoked attack was recorded and uploaded online.
Now Zach and his mom, Becky Collins, are coming forward to share his story in a new video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwLs_KvoAvI). Mother and son describe the years of discrimination and harassment Zach endured and the utter lack of response to Becky’s many pleas to school officials to protect her son.
“I didn’t feel like I could go and talk to anyone at school,” Zach says in the video, “because I didn’t trust anybody.”
The ACLU (https://action.aclu.org/snda) released the clip, as well as a a short blog (http://www.aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/victim-brutal-lgbt-bullying-ohio-school-tells-his-story) about Zach and information about upcoming congressional legislation aimed at stemming such abuse:
The Student Non-Discrimination Act would have a profound impact on the lives of LGBT students in the U.S. by ensuring that discrimination and harassment of students on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity has no place in our country’s public elementary and secondary schools.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-ohio-teen-whose-beating-was-filmed-speaks-publicly-about-years-of-abuse-20120203/

The Daily Dot (http://www.dailydot.com/society/gay-soldier-randy-phillips-youtube-profile/)‘s Jordan Valinsky caught up with Randy Phillips, the gay soldier who famously came out to his father and mother over the phone and posted the conversations on YouTube (http://www.queerty.com/five-young-heroes-who-risked-their-reputations-and-careers-fighting-dont-ask-dont-tell-20110920/6/). As Queerty readers know, Phillips began vlogging under the pseudonym AreYouSuprised (http://www.youtube.com/user/AreYouSuprised?feature=watch) while Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was still in effect. After the ban was lifted, we got to see his worried face as he called up his dad to tell him he was gay—after first asking his father, “Will you still love me? Serious?”
Since that clip was posted in September, it’s been viewed more than five million times and Phillips has become one of the gay community’s best-known web celebrities—though according to Valinksy, he’s a little surprised by all the attention.
“I’m such a boring person. I couldn’t believe that that many people wanted to see something that hundreds and thousands of kids do every single year,” he said. “It was just a conversation on the phone.”But it obviously meant more to others. The seven minute video has more 57,000 likes and 84,000 comments. Many are supportive of him, but there also are some homophobic haters in the crowd, which doesn’t bother him.
“Everybody can feel bulletproof behind the safety of their own computer,” he said bluntly. “A lot of haters are going to click on it and they’re going to feel insecure,” he said. “It’s super easy to make really negative comments, and they did.”
Phillips said the video received between 5,000 to 10,000 hateful comments.
Homophobic flame wars aside, some critics thought it was unfair of Phillips to ambush his parents by posting their conversations without their knowledge.
“Maybe,” Phillips said. “I am not going to argue with that 100 percent. I don’t think either of my parents, if I were to ask them, ‘Hey, is it OK if I put this on the Internet?’, I don’t think they anybody would’ve said ‘yeah, go ahead.’”
“I explained to my parents about how much I owe that to the YouTube community and how many emails [he received]” that he forwarded to his parents including one who came out to his parents at 34-years-old thanks to Phillips’ video.
The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is still in effect and, as far as we can tell, the military hasn’t collapsed. So Phillips has felt freer to record less emotionally draining fare (We shared one of his workout tapes recently.)
“I am going to film whatever I want to from now on, I have absolutely no push to ghttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/randy-phillips1.jpgo in any direction whatsoever,” Phillips said confidently. Also, he wants to evolve past being known as the ‘gay soldier,’ and to show the world there is more to him than that.
“I want to show everyone out there in the YouTube world that I am a plain, boring, normal guy and that being gay is just a part of me,” Phillips asserted. “I am not trying to make a career out of it. I’ve said everything that I need to say as far as coming out.”
Showing off indeed. The boyish, but built, Phillips is often times shirtless. “I’m from Alabama, I’ve been shirtless more of my life than I’ve been clothed, so whatever,” he joked. But clearly the lack of attire doesn’t hurt when it comes to gaining an audience.
A down-to-earth, good-looking, media savvy soldier who likes to take his shirt off? Phillips might want to consider running for office.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/catching-up-with-randy-phillips-the-soldier-who-came-out-to-his-parents-on-youtube-20120202/

Julia Boseman, a former North Carolina state Senator, is involved in a heated custody battle (http://www.wect.com/story/16654376/former-state-senator-julia-boseman-involved-in-custody-battle) with her ex-girlfriend, Chrystal Medlin, the biological mother of their two-year-old son. This is not the first time Boseman, 45, has been in court for custody issues: Back in 2005, a different ex, Melissa Jarrell, asked the courts to invalidate (http://www.queerty.com/not-even-a-north-carolina-state-senator-can-legally-adopt-her-non-biological-son-20101221/) Boseman’s adoption of Jarrell’s 10-year-old biological son, Jacob Boseman-Jarrell.
In 2010, that case went to the North Carolina Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Jarrell because second-partner adoption is not legal in the state. But the court allowed Boseman to keep joint custody—and limited access to Jacob—because it was deemed in the best interest of the child.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/former-nc-state-senator-locked-in-custody-battle-with-ex-girlfriend-20120202/

Set your DVRs: The “It Gets Better” project is airing a True Life-style hour-long special on both MTV and Logo, February 21st at 11pm EST/PST.
Dan Savage teamed up with the networks to create the special, which follows three different LGBT teens at different stages of telling the world they’re queer. One is just beginning to come out to his family, another has come out to her parents but is still working with them to establish a deeper understanding of gay issues, and the last is getting married.
“What you see in the special are all these young people who are at different stages of the coming out process, making it better for themselves using their own power to change and transform their lives,” Savage told MTV News (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678324/it-gets-better-special-premiere-dan-savage.jhtml).
And what would an MTV special be without celebrity guest stars? Expect to see messages from Maroon 5′s Adam Levine, Zachary Quinto, Margaret Cho, Chaz Bono, Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/adam-levine-zachary-quinto-to-appear-on-mtvs-it-gets-better-special-20120202/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 21:35

The small town of Chatham, Ontario has been rocked by the sudden death of Coltyn Mayrand, a 16-year-old trans teen who passed away Saturday night. There is some question, though, as to the cause of Mayrand’s death: He’s believed to have committed suicide, though no official report has been made public. And though family members admit Coltyn was bullied for being trans, they say it wasn’t the root of his problems:
“As much as bullying is a terrible thing, and may have affected Coltyn, we do not believe that bullying played a large part in our loss of Coltyn,” posted Page Elizabeth Mayrand on Facebook. “We appreciate the kind thoughts and words, but we don’t need everyone out there putting blame and criticisms on anyone, for any reasons.”
Mayrand’s obituary reads, in part:

“A past student of Our Lady of Fatima and Monsignor Uyen, and a dedicated grade 11 student of Chatham Kent Secondary School where he was highly regarded and supported; he was wise beyond his years. Coltyn had a remarkable character, and touched the hearts of many, young and old. Colt will forever be remembered for being an extraordinary son, brother and friend, who was exceptionally kind in his words, generous in his deeds and outstanding in his academics. Always understanding and compassionate with a keen sense of humour. Coltyn was extremely dedicated and thoroughly enjoyed his involvement and time spent in the Sears Drama program, paintball, and scouts, especially their annual canoe camp excursion on the Magnetewan River. His patience and acceptance of others was greatly admired and only surpassed by his strength, courage, and loyalty to be true to his genuine self.”
But if Mayrand’s death was a suicide, was it a bullycide?
Mayrand went to a LGBT youth group at AIDS Support Chatham-Kent, where one of the staffers tells Queerty it was known he faced abuse at school. A former classmate uploaded a blogpost about Mayrand, whom she knew before high school. It’s since been taken down, but the excerpts here reveal something of Mayrand’s personality and some of the harassment he may have endured.

Coltyn hadn’t become Coltyn until high school. Before then, he was Tess. Tess was a beautiful young girl who made everyone around her smile and laugh. She was excited by life. We would talk about pretty dresses our moms gave us. http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/colton1-360x450.jpgWe would braid the others hair. We would go out at recess and catch butterflies together. We would try to learn how to skip double-dutch, but we never figured that one out. We would talk about getting older, and what we wanted to accomplish with our lives. She was one of the smartest people I knew. She would never hurt anyone, or anything.
Tess and I drifted apart after I moved from French-immersion into English classes. I would always say hi and try to catch up when I could, but she started acting uninterested and didn’t talk as much as she used to.
She started wearing boys clothes in about grade six. In grade seven, she cut all her hair off. We thought she just wanted to fit in with the boys, but nobody knew to ask her personally. She got really involved with the Cub Scouts, and schoolmates thought that was “for boys only,” and started nicknames like “boygirl” and “it.”
People made fun of her, and she started being alone at recess. She still had friends, but she tried as hard as she could to be by herself. It was hard to see someone go from being so full of life to trying as hard as she could to shut it out.
In grade nine, Tess changed her name to Coltyn. She changed her gender on Facebook to “male.” People started avoiding her. She used the girls’ washroom, and always got weird looks when she came in. People asked questions, and gave answers even when they didn’t know the truth. None of these people knew how lovely Coltyn was, but yet they were close-minded based on what they thought they knew.
A funeral service for Mayrand will take place on Friday, February 3, in Chatham.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/canadian-trans-teens-sudden-death-may-have-been-bullying-related-suicide-20120201/

Jonathan Simcox and his partner Steven Ondo were walking home from a bar in Cleveland one night last April when they got into an argument on the street—probably typical drunk-couple stuff. An off-duty police officer at his house heard them and took it upon himself to resolve the matter, telling the couple to STFU.
“I pushed to get past him,” says Simcox, “And as soon as I did that he knocked me on the ground, and just started beating me, hitting me, standing over top of me, and punching me repeatedly.” Police then showed up and took them to jail, where they were released with no charges.
What happened next led the couple to hire renowned attorney David Malik and file a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court.
A week after the initial arrest, a SWAT team showed up at Simcox and Ondo’s house and arrested them in the middle of the night, saying them had a warrant for “assaulting a peace officer.” Bewildered, the couple was attacked more and more as they asked questions. “The officer in the glasses grabbed me by my shirt,” says Simcox, “and punched me twice in the face, after he punched me, he threw me up against the wall.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/jonathan-simcox-steven-ondo-360x288.pngSimcox’s brother asked if he could get the couple some pants and shoes, seeing as they had been sleeping in their underwear.
“You can go get them shoes, but faggots don’t deserve to wear pants in jail,” one officer said. Now we’ve heard a lot of shitty things said about gay people, but that’s a line we’ve never heard before.
Simcox and Ondo (right) were publicly humiliated in their undies on the front lawn for 10 minutes, then taken to jail and kept pantsless for over a day.
Civil rights attorney Sam Riotte said, “Jonathan and Steven’s rights were violated in part of who they are, because they are homosexuals.”
And we gay people demand the right to pants! (And fair treatment, and protections against excessive force/police brutality, and so on and so forth.)

Source: http://www.queerty.com/cleveland-police-sued-for-telling-gay-couple-fggots-dont-deserve-to-wear-pants-in-jail-20120201/

P.S: See source for video

While the National Organization for Marriage has sunk its rabid paws into many a state sans disclosure of its donor list, a Maine appeals court is saying that ain’t gonna work for them. This comes as NOM tries to battle marriage-equality supporters who gathered over 100,000 signatures (http://www.queerty.com/maine-marriage-equality-supporters-ready-to-announce-another-referendum-20120126/) to put gay marriage on the ballot this November. Previously, NOM donated nearly $2 million to repeal same-sex marriage (http://www.queerty.com/a-bad-dream-what-just-happened-in-maine-20091104/) via referendum in 2009.
Ever playing the victim, NOM tells the (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/01/31/nom_loses_campaign_disclosure_appeal/)Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/01/31/nom_loses_campaign_disclosure_appeal/) that gay-marriage supporters are going after straight-marriage supremacists in their homes and that they’ll appeal this to the Supreme Court. Right.
James Bopp Jr., an Indiana lawyer who is representing NOM, played up the yarn that the organization is grassroots. (It’s not (http://www.queerty.com/nom-is-almost-entirely-funded-by-just-two-millionaires-and-20-other-bigots-20111212/).) Said Bopp to the Globe: “We already know that the homosexual lobby has launched a national campaign of harassment and intimidation against supporters of traditional marriage, so there’s a good reason to keep these names confidential.”

Mary Bonauto, an attorney with Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, called bullshit on NOM. “Courts have said it’s important for voters to know who the donors are for each side since that information may help them decide how to vote,” she said. “Everyone else abides by the disclosure rules and so can NOM.”
And if you’re wondering who NOM’s big unnamed donors are—probably the Catholic and Mormon Churches.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/maine-court-sticks-it-to-nom-reveal-your-donors-or-go-the-hell-away-20120201/

A 37-year-old Lithuanian man has been fined 1590 Lithuanian litai (http://verslas.delfi.lt/Media/po-lady-gagos-kritikos-lietuvai-bausme-uz-komentara-apie-gejus-facebook.d?id=54790013) (about $590) by the First District Court of Vilnius for an anti-gay rant on Facebook (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/01/lithuanian-who-called-for-another-hitler-to-tackle-gays-fined/) in which he called for a Hitler-style eradication of gay people. “What we need is another Hitler to exterminate those fags, because they have multiplied too much,” wrote the man, identified only as a furniture maker. His comment appeared on a Facebook page set up in response to Lady Gaga’s speech at Rome’s pride rally last summer, during which she denounced Lithuania (among others) for its poor record on LGBT rights.
A one-time Soviet republic, Lithuania has indeed struggled with equality. A recent poll (http://www.queerty.com/welcome-to-lithuania-where-maybe-not-even-gays-want-marriage-equality-20111228/) found that only 4% of Lithuania’s 3.2 million people support gay marriage. And the Vilnius city council has thus far only allowed one pride parade in the capital, in 2010. The country’s attorney general successfully petitioned a court to stop that demonstration, but a higher court overturned the decision, and the parade went on — albeit marked by strong violence from anti-gay groups (http://www.queerty.com/lithuanias-gay-pride-celebration-turns-into-haze-the-heteros-20100509/).
Section 170 of Lithuania’s Penal Code does, however, protect the LGBT community (http://verslas.delfi.lt/Media/prokuroras-interneto-komentatoriams-labiausiai-uzkliuva-gejai.d?id=41745149) and other minorities against hate speech.
And lest it be believed that everyone in the small Baltic country is hating on Mother Monster, we give you this staunchly pro-Gaga (if horribly misogynistic) anthem from the Lithuanian pop group So So Bad. Behold, “Lady Gaga Song”:

Source: http://www.queerty.com/lithuanian-man-fined-for-gaga-related-homophobic-facebook-rant-20120201/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 21:52

In all honesty it wouldn’t take much to convince us to not to fly a Russian airline—oligarchies tend not to put much stock in safety regulations. But LGBT activists are demanding a boycott of Aeroflot after the company forced a gay flight attendant to marry a woman in order to keep his job. Last summer Maxim Kupreev, 25, stated his intention to start an LGBT group within Aeroflot to protect the rights of queer employees and push for domestic-partner benefits. That’s when company brass suggested Kupreev (above) not only drop the idea, but put up a heterosexual facade by marrying his old high-school girlfriend, Sofia Mikhailova, who actually had to divorce her real husband to enter into the sham relationship.
Wow, the only thing our high-school girlfriend did for us is let us try on her prom dress. (Thanks again, Debbie!)
Moscow Pride’s Nikolai Alekseev announced the boycott would begin on with a rally on February 9. They hope to draw attention to the plight of Aeroflot’s LGBT employees and encourage the company’s dismissal from Sky Team, an international commercial-airline alliance whose members include Air France, AlitaliaKLM and Delta.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/russian-airline-forces-gay-flight-attendant-to-marry-a-woman-20120131/

A Washington Post poll (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/half-of-maryland-residents-back-legalizing-same-sex-marriage/2012/01/30/gIQAGeJ6cQ_story.html) has found that 50% of Maryland residents support marriage equality, while 44% oppose it. While Maryland is generally a more liberal state in the grand scheme of things, there is a big divide on the issue based on party affiliation, http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/martin-omalley2-360x344.jpgrace, religion and age.

Overall, white Democrats support the measure, with 71% in favor and 24% in opposition. African-American Democrats, however, generally oppose it, with 53% against it and 41% for it.
Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley (right) is aiming to pass marriage-equality legislation this year. His wife, Katie, called anti-gay legislators “cowards” (http://www.queerty.com/marylands-first-lady-calls-anti-gay-lawmakers-cowards-you-go-girl-20120127/) last weekend when the two appeared at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force conference in Baltimore, but quickly apologized (http://www.queerty.com/md-first-lady-apologized-for-calling-anti-equality-lawmakers-cowards-durn-20120128/).

Source: http://www.queerty.com/poll-shows-half-of-md-residents-support-legalization-of-gay-marriage-20120131/

A little more than two years after the decriminalization of homosexuality in India, and the country’s LGBT community is taking huge strides forward: Some 2,500 marchers participated in the fourth Mumbai Queer Pride Walk on Saturday, reports Gay Star News (http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/two-and-half-thousand-people-turn-out-mumbai-queer-pride-walk).
The procession was the culmination of the weeklong Queer Azaadi Mumbai (http://queerazaadi.wordpress.com/) and spanned from the center of the city to the beach. “People really started dancing once the drums went off,” said parade co-organizer Pallav Patankar, who noticed how much more supportive authorities were than in past years. “Last year we felt that we were pushed into a corner and the police made us walk really fast,’ said Patankar. “This time the police said ‘take your time, we’re not going to bother you.’” Patankar also said he saw few people hiding their faces behind masks, a common sight at LGBT rallies in parts of the world where homosexuality is illegal or taboo.
India has been playing catch-up with the West in terms of acceptance of gays and lesbians, but it may be the pink rupee that leads the way: In November, a first-ever conference on LGBT tourism was helpd in New Delhi.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/a-changing-nation-2500-attend-queer-pride-in-mumbai-india-20120131/

P.S: See source for video

After Tennessee state Senator Stacey Campfield (right) sponsored the “Don’t Say Gay” bill—and went on to compare homosexuality to bestiality in a radio interview—he apparently made some enemies in his hometown. Go figure.
On Sunday The ginger-haired jerk tried to order brunch at Bistro at the Bijou on Gay Street (love the irony there) but owner Martha Boggs sent him packing.
Metro Pulse reports (http://blogs.metropulse.com/the_daily_pulse/2012/01/campfield-kicked-out-of-gay-st.html):

You might think, given his “Don’t Say Gay” legislation (http://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/jan/25/crazy-or-important-bills-look-out-2012-tennessee-l/), that state Sen. Stacey Campfield might stay away from eateries on Gay Street, but no, yesterday he tried to have brunch at Bistro at the Bijou. We say “tried” because owner Martha Boggs told him to leave.
“I didn’t want his hate in my restaurant,” Boggs said in a interview this morning. “I told him he wasn’t welcome here… I feel like he’s gone from being stupid to being dangerous, and I wanted to stand up to him.”
Boggs is known for running a great restaurant, but she wasn’t afraid to burn the good senator. After the incident, she posted the following on the bistro’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bistro-at-the-Bijou/68978679282?sk=wall&filter=1):
http://blogs.metropulse.com/the_daily_pulse/assets_c/2012/01/bistro-thumb-500x82-14151.png (http://blogs.metropulse.com/the_daily_pulse/assets_c/2012/01/bistro-14151.html)
Hundreds of people have “Liked” the comment and posted words of support.

“Good job & certainly hopefully an improvement towards bettering our great state’s public image. I hope the whole experience of the past week has taught a lesson to the Senator about educating oneself before opening one’s mouth. I will certainly make a point of visiting the Bistro next time I’m in Knoxville!”
“I wholeheartedly support your decision to refuse service to Stacey Campfield! Thank you for taking the opportunity to send the message many of us wish to send. Let’s hope others will do the same and Mr. Campfield will not be re-elected yet again.”
Good on you Ms. Boggs! What was that fool Campfield trying to do anyway? Doesn’t he know brunch is the gayest meal of the day? We invented brunch! Go have second breakfast at Chick-Fil-a, Senator. We’re sure they have a booth waiting.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/right-on-knoxville-bistro-gives-anti-gay-sen-campfield-the-boot-20120130/

A group of church officials, including George Leonard Carey—the former Archbishop of Canterbury—have come out in defense of English psychotherapist Lesley Pilkington, who was suspended by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) after offering ‘reparative therapy’ to an undercover journalist (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/05/27/christian-gay-cure-therapist-guilty-of-malpractice/). According to Pink News (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/01/30/ex-archbishop-of-canterbury-backs-gay-cure-therapist/), Lord Carey—along with Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester, and Rev. Wallace Benn, the current the Bishop of Lewes, have written the BACP, saying:

“We believe that people who seek, freely, to resolve unwanted same-sex attractions hold the moral right to receive professional assistance. Whether motivated by Christian conscience or other values, clients, not practitioners, have the prerogative to choose the yardstick by which to define themselves.”
In 2011, the BACP ruled that Pilkington had acted unprofessionally in suggesting she could change a patient’s orientation and suspended her. But the clerics—none of whom have medical or psychiatric training—said reparative therapy “does not produce http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/Picture-10.pngharm despite the Royal College of Psychiatrists and others maintaining the contrary. Competent practitioners, including those working with biblical Judeo-Christian values, should be free to assist those seeking help.”
We don’t know the ins and outs of English medical ethics, but we’re pretty sure doctors aren’t allowed to practice whatever remedy they want—even if the patient asks for it. Once upon a time it was standard practice to drill holes in people’s heads, for crying out loud.
Thankfully, the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ official position is that, “there is no sound scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish.”
We’re not saying people shouldn’t be allowed to claim they can turn someone straight, but reparative therapy is a nebulous practice with no hard scientific data to back it up. It’s snake oil, and licensed medical professionals cannot be allowed to offer it under the guise of legitimate therapy.
What if a therapist said they could exorcise demons or speak to God on your behalf? Actually, that’s since that’s a priest’s area of expertise Carey and his cronies would probably try to have him thrown in the Tower of London.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/lord-carey-the-former-bishop-of-canturbury-defends-british-therapists-gay-cure-20120130/

TheGodlessUtopian

8th February 2012, 21:11

Apparently, there are enough anti-gay New Hampshire Republicans (about 200, according to Patch (http://concord-nh.patch.com/articles/traditional-marriage-supporters-rally-at-the-statehouse-video#video-9060505)) to hold a rally for a bill that would strike down marriage equality in the state and return gays and lesbians to civil-union status.Maybe they hired extras, though—last we heard, they were hard-pressed to find support as Republicans in NH are more socially libertarian than their counterparts elsewhere. “I’m for liberty and freedom, leaving people alone so long as they don’t harm or defraud other people,” said Rep. Steve Winter (R-Newbury) told the Concord Monitor. (http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/308077/marriage-repeal-bill-no-sure-bet?CSAuthResp=1328719819%3A8aqmjkv3ctp00cm9bmk6us ofr5%3ACSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Aapproved%3A4B4558040 E5752DBDB418D086FDE829D&CSUserId=94&CSGroupId=1)
Democratic Gov. John Lynch has already said he’d veto any such bill (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-nh-gov-john-lynch-will-veto-gop-attempt-to-repeal-gay-marriage-20120131/). So, good luck finding a veto-proof majority and some New England Democrats to cross the aisle on this one, buddies.
Despite the uphill battle, State Rep. David Bates (R-Windham) showed up to rouse a crowd in Concord yesterday, quoting sarcastically from a flyer asking traditional-marriage proponents to just give up.
Said Bates: “There’s another amazing statement on here that says, ‘The battle for gay marriage is not worth the fight.’ Well, what do you think about that? Do you think it’s worth the fight?”
The crowd answered with cheers of “yes!”
To that, we resoundingly say: “Meh.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nh-republicans-hold-pointless-anti-gay-marriage-rally-in-state-capital-20120208/

P.S: See source for video

We guess Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s teenage son, Connor, spent too much time DJing at the Super Bowl pre-party and never made it to the stadium. Otherwise, he might’ve gotten schooled by GLSEN’s “Think B4 U Speak” PSA (http://www.queerty.com/glsens-think-before-you-speak-ads-will-be-shown-at-the-super-bowls-lucas-oil-stadium-20120201/) and not sent a homophobic text to his openly gay publicist Todd Krim. According to Page Six (http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/cruise_jr_rants_at_pats_loss_tAAz4yberWgGbBKyu4qj2 N), Krim poked fun at Connor regarding the Patriots’ loss, tweeting “Sorry @TheConnorCruise maybe next year!!!”
The 17-year-old, a diehard Pats fat, texted back: “That was a gay ass f**king tweet… U don’t say sh*t like that the second they lose. Low.” http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/todd_pic.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/todd_pic.jpg)
Krim (left), who founded the charity Give Back Hollywood and has helped the younger Cruise launch his fledgling DJ career, responded: “Ummm ok… Dude I was f**king joking.” Cruise responded: “That was f**ked / IDGAF .”
On Monday, Krim blasted out an e-mail with screenshots of the text to PR colleagues, saying: “I am no longer working with Connor Cruise.” Krim went on to call Cruise’s comments “highly offensive and what I consider homophobic.”
Cruise hasn’t acknowledged the controversy on his Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/#%21/TheConnorCruise) but said through a rep to Page Six: “What I texted was unacceptable. It is not a reflection of who I am and what I feel, and it certainly won’t happen again.”
Is that enough of a mea culpa, or do we need to sic GLAAD on Cruise’s ass?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/tom-cruises-son-connor-calls-publicists-text-a-gay-ass-fking-tweet-20120208/

Rugby is probably the toughest sport in the world, so it makes sense a new public-service advertisement is using the sport in a no-holds-barred campaign aimed at male rape and sexual abuse.
“Real Men Get Raped,” reads the ad, run by the group Survivors UK (http://survivors.org/), “and talking about it takes real strength.”
Copyranter (http://copyranter.blogspot.com/2012/02/print-ad-real-men-get-raped.html) weighed in on the spot, but questions whether its the right tack to take on the issue:

The campaign launches this week as the 6 Nations Rugby Tournament gets underway. Posters will be up in the London Underground and other OOH sites. Anybody know if rugby players are specifically targeted for rape? And, besides another rugby player, who’s stupid enough to try?
I [I]just don’t know about that headline. Ad agency: Johnny Fearless, London. See four previous rape ad misfires here (http://copyranter.blogspot.com/2011/12/date-rape-it-was-your-fault-you-drunk.html).
We’re just not sure what the visual is representing: Anal penetration? Defeat? Pain and suffering? Is it a British thing?
The ad was designed by UK marketing firm Johnny Fearless, which has also crafted campaigns for Toshiba and the anti-racism initiative 2sox1goal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF3sY5o-hXw).

Source: http://www.queerty.com/in-your-face-ad-addresses-issue-of-male-rape-and-sexual-abuse-20120208/

Queerty reader Sooner Muscle tipped us off about an Oklahoma lawmaker who petitioned for an amendment to an anti-abortion bill that would outlaw shooting a load anywhere but inside a lady’s woo-hoo.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/800px-Oklahoma_State_Capitol-360x225.jpgCurrently, the Legislature is debating a bill (http://www.thelostogle.com/2012/02/07/the-one-where-an-oklahoma-lawmaker-tries-to-ban-depositing-semen-in-places-that-are-not-a-womans-vagina/) that would effectively ban abortion in the state as an invasion of the “protectable interests” of unborn children. SB1433, known as the ” Personhood Act (http://www.thelostogle.com/2012/01/17/the-personhood-movement-is-coming-to-oklahoma/)” was introduced by Sen. Brian Crain (http://parentsagainstpersonhood.com/legislation/oklahoma) (R-Tulsa) and would give full rights to zygotes from the moment of conception,
The text reads, in part:

The Oklahoma Legislature finds that:
1. The life of each human being begins at conception;
2. Unborn children have protectable interests in life, health, and well-being; and
3. The natural parents of unborn children have protectable interests in the life, health, and well-being of their unborn child.
4. The laws of this state shall be interpreted and construed to acknowledge on behalf of the unborn child at every stage of development all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of this state.
5. As used in this section, “unborn child” or “unborn children” shall include all unborn children or the offspring of human beings from the moment of conception until birth at every stage of biological development.
6. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as creating a cause of action against a woman for indirectly harming her unborn child by failing to properly care for herself or by failing to follow any particular program of prenatal care.
That’s not that different from the “Personhood Amendment” that died in Mississippi (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57321126/mississippis-personhood-amendment-fails-at-polls/). (Doesn’t anyone care about the rights of proposed legislation?)
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/ejaculation-amendment-360x480.jpgBut State Sen. Constance Johnson (D-Oklahoma City) took things one step further: She filed an amendment to the bill that added the following:

“However, any action in which a man ejaculates or otherwise deposits semen anywhere but in a woman’s vagina shall be interpreted and construed as an action against an unborn child.”
That’s not just the re-criminalization of all gay sex acts, but blowjobs, handjobs, facials, body shots, wet dreams and even jacking off (all of which, we’re told, straight men like a lot).
Oh, and condoms would be a no-no too.
We were almost ready to make Sen. Johnson our patented Douche of the Week when we found out she was being a wise-ass. She thinks SB1433, is as dumb as we do and was trying to make a point about how sexist it is to equate a woman’s rights with that of a clump of cells at conception. Johnson later withdrew the amendment.
Democratic State Sen. Jim Wilson tried to add a protest amendment as well, one that would require guys to provide housing, food, transportation, health care and other essentials to any chicks they knocked up.
It was shot down because, while the Oklahoma Legislature doesn’t think childbirth is a woman’s right, they do think it’s totally her responsibility.
We like that Johnson tried to illustrate how preposterous SB1433 is, but now we’re afraid she’s planted a dangerous seed in the minds of the Religious Right: Life begins at ejaculation.
A full vote on SB1433 is expected as early as Thursday.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ok-lawmaker-suggests-making-it-a-crime-for-a-man-to-spill-his-seed-anywhere-but-in-a-womb-20120208/

In addition to portraits of famous people, noted photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (right) has created several documentaries about minority groups,—including The Black List, which featured candid interviews with prominent African-American figures, and The Latino List, which did the same for the Hispanic community.
Now Greenfield-Sanders tells Queerty he’s already in the process of creating a third minority doc about the gays.
“I’m thinking of calling it The LGBTQQA List,” he told us at Sundance. “That’s LGBT, plus queer, questioning, and allies.” He’s working with Sam McConnell, as he did on the previous Lists, and expects it to be ready for premieres during Pride Month 2013. Greenfield-Sanders said he’d consider submitting it to Sundance next January if it’s ready.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/janet-mock-bikini-photo-360x238.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/janet-mock-bikini-photo.jpg)So far, Greenfield-Sanders has done on-camera interviews with Ellen DeGeneres, Dustin Lance Black, Scissor Sisters front man Jake Shears, trans writer Janet Mock (at left) and has gotten the project greenlighted at HBO.
Did the network approve the doc’s clunky name? “Yeah, they liked it!” he said.
We’re still hoping they’ll just change it to The Gay List or The Queer List.
We also talked to Greenfield-Sanders about a range of other topics, including changing perceptions of beauty over the past decades and his latest documentary, About Face, in the video interview below.
Here’s what he had to say about Calvin Klein, whom he interviewed for the doc:

“He was pivotal in a big change. In the old days, runway was one thing, and editorial was another. And they never, ever combined… On the runway, they wore the clothes. Editorial was more about faces. Calvin was the first to understand that those faces were famous, so he put them on the runway, whether they fit the clothes perfectly or not, it didn’t matter. They were going to get press. So he was very brilliant about that. It’s not in my film, but it’s something I thought was so interesting.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/timothy-greenfield-sanders-creator-of-the-black-list-is-already-shooting-queer-doc-the-lgbtqqa-list-20120208/

The gay-bashed Atlanta man who was asked to come forward (http://www.queerty.com/why-hasnt-this-gay-bashed-atlanta-man-come-forward-to-report-the-crime-20120207/) yesterday has done so. His name is Brandon White, and he’ll address what happened to him in a press conference at noon EST on Wednesday. White’s friend Greg Smith, the executive director of the HIV Intervention Project (HIP), asked him to take a stand against bullies and anti-gay violence. Said Smith at a meeting of the Atlanta Black LGBT Coalition, according to CBS Atlanta (http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/16690315/video-shows-gang-members-beating-gay-man):

“Understand this, he is saying, ‘I want to do something. Don’t treat me like a victim.’ His issue is everybody keeps looking at him like he was weak. He is not weak. Don’t treat him like he is weak. Don’t treat him like he is broken. Ain’t nothing wrong with him besides his courage being broken. He wants to stand up and do something.”
On Saturday, three members of the Jack Gang ambushed White as he left a grocery story in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta, calling him a “faggot.” A fourth member of the gang videotaped the brutal beating and uploaded it to the internet.
After the story broke on TV Monday night and hit the blogosphere Tuesday, White decided to come forward.
Atlanta police are cooperating with the FBI to find the attackers and are considering pursuing hate-crime charges, with a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the assaulters. To help, call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/brutally-gay-bashed-atlanta-man-comes-forward-to-speak-i-want-to-do-something-20120208/

TheGodlessUtopian

8th February 2012, 21:19

Ellen Uses Show to Call Out "Haters" Who Want Her Fired

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-08/1Ellen.jpg

In a sometimes humorous and always pointed monologue, Ellen DeGeneres responded on her show to the group that wants her fired as JC Penney's spokesperson because she's gay.

"Normally I try not to pay attention to my haters," she said, "but this time I'd like to talk about it because my haters are my motivators."

A group that calls itself One Million Moms had called on the department store chain to fire DeGeneres because of the message having a lesbian spokesperson would send.

"Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families," its Facebook page read. "More sales will be lost than gained unless they replace their spokesperson quickly."

DeGeneres read part of the Facebook posting (http://www.facebook.com/onemillionmoms/posts/160888420689700) on her show and decided to answer the notion that she doesn't represent "traditional" values.

"Here are the vales that I stand for: I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need," she said to cheers. "To me, those are traditional values, that's what I stand for."

And one last point: "If they have a problem with spokespeople, what about the Pillsbury doughboy? He runs around without any pants on."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/AGG_Ellen_Speaks_Out_on_Antigay_Campaign_Against_J C_Penney/

P.S: See source for video

Are Bigoted Air Marshals Also Failing to Protect The Skies?

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-08/picklesmokersx390.jpg

If you're gay, female, or a person of color working for the federal air marshals, there's some likelihood that you have been the target of discrimination and mockery from some of the higher-ups at the Federal Air Marshal Service.

Current and former federal air marshals have come forward to blow the whistle on colleagues who have instituted a work environment of homophobia, racism, and misogyny that Florida Sen. Bill Nelson said could compromise the safety of air travel.
On Thursday, a federal Inspector General will release the findings of a two-year investigation of the Air Marshal Service. According to ABC News, (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/air-marshals-wild-tales-sexism-suicide-bigotry/story?id=15532865#.TzLSk-OXTzN) the report will show "a great deal of tension, mistrust, and dislike between non-supervisory and supervisory personnel in field offices around the country."

Two years ago, a board game created in the style of the popular game show, Jeopardy, was discovered at an Orlando, Fla. training facility, shedding light on the Federal Air Marshal Service's discriminatory environment. The game had categories like "Pickle Smokers," directed at gay men, and "Our Gang" or "Buckwheat" directed at African Americans. One woman who was mocked because of her sexual orientation in the game ended up committing suicide, partially blaming the treatment she received at work.

"The culture is, hate African Americans, hate females, go after gays and lesbians cause we don't like the way they think," whistleblower and former air marshal Steve Theodoropoulos told ABC News.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Are_Bigoted_Air_Marshals_Protecting_Our_Skies_/

SUSPENDED: CNN Says Roland Martin's Words Are Intolerable

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-07/Roland_Martinx390.jpg
Roland Martin
CNN has suspended contributor Roland Martin for a pair of tweets that LGBT rights activists said advocated violence against gay people.

TheWashington Post's media reporter, Erik Wemple, was the first to report a statement today from CNN.

“Roland Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive," it reads (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/cnns-roland-martin-suspended-for-homophobic-tweets/2012/02/08/gIQA3F8OzQ_blog.html). "Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being.”

Martin had apologized for the comments Monday, but the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which had first called (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/05/GLAAD_to_CNN_Fire_Roland_Martin_for_Antigay_Commen ts/) on him to be fired for the tweets, said his words were only "a start" and should be followed by action.

"I have been accused by members of the LGBT community of being supportive of violence against gays and lesbians and bullying,” Martin wrote (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/07/Roland_Martin_Apologizes_A_Start_Say_Critics/)on his website. “That is furthest from the truth, and I sincerely regret any offense my words have caused.”

GLAAD praised (http://www.glaad.org/rolandsmartin) CNN today for opting to suspend Martin.

“CNN today took a strong stand against anti-LGBT violence and language that demeans any community,” said GLAAD spokesperson Rich Ferraro in a statement. “Yesterday, Martin also spoke out against anti-LGBT violence. We look forward to hearing from CNN and Roland Martin to discuss how we can work together as allies and achieve our common goal of reducing such violence as well as the language that contributes to it.”

Martin got into the trouble by tweeting Sunday that you should "smack the ish" out of any "dude at your Super Bowl party" who is excited to see soccer player David Beckham's new H&M underwear ad. Earlier in the day, he had suggested "a visit from #teamwhipdatass” for a New England Patriot who was wearing a pink suit.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/SUSPENDED_CNN_Says_Roland_Martins_Word_Won_t_Be_To lerated/

Marriage Equality Bill Introduced in Illinois

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-08/cas_har_melx390.jpg
Cassidy, Harris, Mell
On the heels of Tuesday’s federal appeals court ruling for marriage equality in California, Illinois legislators have filed a bill to bring equality to that state.

Illinois’s three openly gay state representatives — Kelly Cassidy, Greg Harris, and Deborah Mell — today introduced the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which would grant same-sex couples the same marriage rights as opposite-sex ones.

The state began offering civil unions to gay couples last year, but while “an important intermediate step,” those have turned out to be insufficient, said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of LGBT rights group Equality Illinois. (http://www.eqil.org/)

“In following experiences of thousands of couples in civil unions over the past year, we confirmed what we always suspected to be true: that creating a separate institution to provide substantially the same rights did not add up to full equality under the law,” Cherkasov said in a press release. “A pharmacist who denied prescription pickup to the patient’s civil union partner didn’t think it’s the same thing as marriage. A coroner who refused to issue a death certificate to civil union partner survivor did not think that civil unions are the same as marriage.”

Anthony Martinez, executive director of the Civil Rights Agenda, (http://jointcra.org/index.php) another Illinois LGBT organization, voiced similar sentiments. The group supported the civil union bill “as an initial step to providing rights and benefits to same-sex couples, but separate is never equal,” he said in a news release. “Marriage has always been one of the principal goals for our organization, and we are pleased to finally be able to move forward towards achieving that goal.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Marriage_Equality_Bill_Introduced_in_Illinois/

A Minnesota Welcome From Gay Rights Protesters to GOP

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-07/newtheckledx390.jpg
Newt Gingrich versus hecklers.
Gay rights protesters were particularly active in Minnesota as candidates passed through, leaving each of the Republicans with a message in the form of glitter or heckling.

Mitt Romney was glittered during an event (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/02/Mitt_Romney_Shows_You_How_to_Spin_a_Glitter_Bombin g/) with the state's former governor Tim Pawlenty, and he tried to pass it off as "confetti" celebrating his Florida win. And Rick Santorum, who won the state, was glittered (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/07/Rick_Santorum_Is_Baaack/) Tuesday, his last day of campaigning. He should be getting used to it by now. Even Ron Paul got showered (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/07/ron-paul-glitter-bombed_n_1260435.html?ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay%20Voices) with sparkles, during an event in Minneapolis — which might be the first time he's been protested in that way by gay rights activists.

Then as Newt Gingrich wrapped up a failed campaign tour through Minnesota this week, he was interrupted by a pair of teenagers who challenged him on his antigay views.

The protesters were ejected from the hall where Gingrich was speaking, as shown in video of the moment posted (http://www.nationaljournal.com/pictures-video/newt-gingrich-supporter-pushes-gay-rights-advocate-at-campaign-event-video-20120207?mrefid=mostViewed) by National Journal.

"Hey, Newt, why do you support discrimination against gays and lesbians all the time? Serial hypocrisy!" one man yelled, according to National Journal. It was followed by a chant of ""No hate in our state, why do you discriminate?"

Gingrich, who won South Carolina, finished at the bottom of the field not only in Minnesota but also in Colorado. His name wasn't on the ballot in Missouri Tuesday.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/A_Minnesota_Welcome_From_Gay_Rights_Protesters_to_ GOP/

P.S: See source for video

Fed Government Helps Gay Couples Find Health Coverage

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-08/healthcarex390.jpg

Same-sex couples now have the same government-backed resource as heterosexual married couples when it comes to finding health insurance coverage.

Domestic partners can now use HealthCare.gov's Health Plan Finder to compare the cost sharing and benefit choices of health plans, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday. The website can also be used to find more general information about different insurance plans.

According to HHS, LGBT Americans tend to be under-insured, even if some individuals are married, in civil unions, or domestic partnerships, because not all states and private companies extend partnership rights to same-sex couples and their children.

“Last year, as part of our commitment to work with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and be more responsive to the needs of these populations, we promised to improve the Health Plan Finder tool to give these individuals the ability to search for health plans that provide same-sex partner benefits.” Sebelius said in a statement. “Today we have delivered on that promise.”

HealthCare.gov was created because of the Affordable Care Act, which the Obama administration has been touting as policy that helps LGBT citizens.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Fed_Government_Helps_Gay_Couples_Find_Health_Cover age/

Al Sharpton Campaigns for Marriage Equality

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-08/AlSharptonHRCx390.jpg

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a prominent voice among African Americans, has cut a marriage equality video for the Human Rights Campaign that speaks to the clergy members and African Americans who will be critical to passing legislation in Maryland.

In the new video (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/in-video-sharpton-shows-support-for-gay-marriage/)for the Americans for Marriage Equality campaign, the MSNBC host says, “As a Baptist minister, I don’t have the right to impose my beliefs on anyone else. So if committed lesbian and gay couples want to marry, that’s their business. None of us should stand in their way.”

The video arrives as legislation is working its way through the Democratic-controlled Maryland legislature. Last year, the marriage equality bill passed the Senate for the first time but failed to receive a vote in the House of Delegates after it faced opposition from African-American lawmakers and fell short of support. African Americans make up nearly 30% of the population in Maryland, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sharpton, a one-time manager for James Brown, hails from New York, where his civil rights advocacy began in the streets. He has ascended to an influential national position, even running as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2004. His National Action Network drew President Barack Obama as a speaker for its 20th anniversary celebration last year, the kind of clout that could lead to effective lobbying in Maryland.

Sharpton played the new video, which also runs under the banner of the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition, on his Politics Nation program on MSNBC Tuesday night. The coalition working to pass the bill consists of clergy members, LGBT advocates, organized labor, and the NAACP Baltimore chapter.

He also hosted Governor Martin O’Malley, who has made the legislation one of his priorities this session and testified before a Senate committee last week. The Democratic governor said that he “dialed up and put much more explicit language” about religious exemptions in the bill he introduced this year, echoing the law that passed in New York, and campaigns in Washington State and New Jersey. Efforts in those states have emphasized the balance between religious liberty and individual freedom. The Washington House of Representatives is expected to pas (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Washington_State_House_to_Vote_on_Marriage_Bill_We dnesday/)s the bill Wednesday.

Asked about the ruling from a California appeals court Tuesday that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, O’Malley, said, “I hope that it will have a persuasive influence on those delegates who are still open minded, in order to persuade them to vote for our bill. Our bill protects religious freedom and it also protects individual liberty, in this case, the right of any individual to marry whomever they should choose.”

Sharpton asked O’Malley what he thought about Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, who has vowed to veto the bill that the Democratic-controlled state legislature is expected to pass (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/07/New_Jersey_Lawmakers_to_Vote_on_Gay_Marriage_Next_ Week/) next week. The Republican governor wants lawmakers to send the bill to a referendum, a suggestion that drew an outcry from state legislative leaders and African-American elected officials. However, a new poll (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/more_than_half_polled_support.html) found that 57% of likely voters support holding a referendum, while 48% favor marriage equality and 37% oppose it.

“I think the legislature is the best place to work these things out,” said O’Malley, who like Christie is considered a potential 2016 presidential contender. “I think Governor Christie sounds like he wants to have his cake and eat it, too. I believe the better way to deal with this is straight up in the legislature.”

The governor acknowledged that if the marriage equality bill passes in Maryland, it “might well” get challenged in a referendum this fall, depending on whether opponents gather enough signatures in a petition drive. Should a referendum occur, with President Obama on the ballot for reelection in the heavily Democratic state, advocates will need to focus on building support among the large numbers of African Americans expected to vote. A Washington Post (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Al_Sharpton_Campaigns_for_Marriage_Equality/%20http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/half-of-maryland-residents-back-legalizing-same-sex-marriage/2012/01/30/gIQAGeJ6cQ_story.html) poll last month found that 41% of African-American Democrats in the state support marriage equality, compared to 71% of white Democrats.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Al_Sharpton_Campaigns_for_Marriage_Equality/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

8th February 2012, 21:26

Black church reaches out to gay, transgender teens

February 07, 2012|By Meghan E. Irons

Eziah Karter-Sabir Blake swiped the play debit card through a plastic reader during a game of Monopoly recently. Another multimillion-dollar sale. The buyer, Giftson Joseph, rubbed his hands together, a glimmer creeping in his eyes as he playfully nudged the Rev. Catharine A. Cummings.
The three - one gay, one transgender, one straight - sat around a table at a new youth drop-in center at Union United Methodist Church, a historically black congregation in the South End, the heart of Boston’s gay community.
Simply by being there, the trio was straddling a divisive line between the gay community and the black church, where many gay and lesbian minorities have long felt ignored or unwelcome in the pews.

http://articles.boston.com/images/pixel.gif
“It’s a big risk they are taking in the black community,’’ said Joseph, an 18-year-old African-American college student who is gay. “There’s already enough stigma in the church. But this is a church that is accepting of all races and sexual orientations.’’
Union United Methodist leaders say the Youth Space drop-in center is an extension of their open and affirming mission to follow the teachings of Christ and serve all people, including those in the margins of society and those who have been disenfranchised.
“Most churches are not willing to put themselves out there . . . because it conflicts with their theology,’’ said Cummings, who then evoked the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’’
The Youth Space program, which targets gay and straight 13- to 18-year-olds, comes at a time when black churches are coming under increasing pressure from advocates for gays to be more accepting. The topic remains so controversial in many black churches that clergy are reluctant to publicly discuss it.
Neither leaders in the TenPoint Coalition nor the Black Ministerial Alliance, an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, returned calls for comment. The Rev. Lorraine Thornhill, who heads the Cambridge Black Pastors Conference said she did not wish to speak about the issue.
The Rev. Arthur Gerald Jr. of Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury said everyone who surrenders to Jesus Christ is welcomed at his church, where King once preached. But he said his church would not target specific groups or offer programs for gays.
“I can’t see that happening at our church, because we have a conservative view and a scriptural bias for what we do,’’ Gerald said. “We concentrate on what the Bible says.’’

Union United has a long history of bucking tradition. In the 1800s, black worshipers walked out of their segregated Beacon Hill church home after whites grew uncomfortable and complained about their vibrant, African-style of worship. In 1818, members founded the May Street Church, which became a stop on the Underground Railroad, according to the church’s website.
In 2000, church member Hilda Evans pushed Union United to again change course, and the church agreed to defy United Methodist leaders by declaring itself an open and affirming congregation to gays and straight people alike. It held its first gay service in June 2007 at the height of the state’s same-sex marriage debate.

http://articles.boston.com/images/pixel.gif
Cummings, who is straight, said blacks and gays share similar struggles of intolerance.
“Many years ago it was not so popular to serve the African-American communities because of our second-class status,’’ said the 28-year-old associate pastor. “Not wanting to oppress others, we have opened the tent wider and wider.’’
The Youth Space program, held in the church’s basement, does not focus on religious activities. It is open space, with chairs stacked on one side and large tables for the participants to sit around. A computer lab is in the back, a lounge is being renovated, and a stage is available for poetry slams or singing. Volunteers are available to help with homework, test preparation, or anything else.
As a drizzling rain patted the pavement on a recent day, they came in - some in groups or one by one - gay, lesbian, straight. One teen brought her baby. The fact that the program is held in a church is not lost on the participants and volunteers.
“When they called me up, I was like ‘Are you serious?’ ’’ said Quincey Roberts, the 29-year-old cofounder of the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition, who is helping to coordinate the center.
He could not believe that a church, a black church, had called. He joined the church recently, buoyed by the support from members, including many older women. Raised in Raleigh, N.C., he had struggled with coming out to his family. And even now, his grandmother refers to his sexuality by saying he is practicing homosexuality. “That’s like saying I’m practicing being African-American,’’ he said.
Blake, a 21-year-old who is transitioning from female to male, grew up in a Jehovah’s Witnesses home and always felt out of place. He recalled coming out to his stepfather and his mother when he turned 19. His mother cried and said, “My daughter is gone,’’ he recounted.
He found refuge in groups such as Boston GLASS, a drop-in center for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning young people, and the Justice Resource Health Institute, a human services group.
“My history with religion is that sexual orientation and gender identity have not been positive ones in the black church,’’ said Blake. “So I went into this thinking that I would be met with some sort of dislike or friction. But here, I was welcomed.’’
Source: http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-07/metro/31030994_1_black-churches-gay-community-opponent-of-gay-marriage/2

A Ugandan lawmaker has revived a controversial bill that makes engaging in some homosexual acts punishable by death, a rights group said, a proposal that provoked an international outcry three years ago. The anti-homosexuality bill was first proposed in October 2009, prompting threats from some European nations to cut aid to Uganda, which relies on millions of dollars from foreign countries.
It was later shelved, with a Ugandan government spokesman saying late last year that the bill was killed because it did not reflect a national consensus.
"It's alarming and disappointing that Uganda's Parliament will once again consider the anti-homosexuality bill," said Michelle Kagari, the deputy Africa program director at Amnesty International. "If passed, it would represent a grave assault on the human rights of all Ugandans, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/111119121053-sesay-uganda-gay-rights-00011516-story-body.jpgUganda gay rights
A Ugandan government spokesman did not respond to CNN requests for comment.
The bill is popular among some lawmakers in the nation, and it remains a simmering issue in Parliament. Its progress has been hindered by an international outcry, including condemnation from U.S. President Barack Obama.
In addition to proposing the death penalty for certain gay acts, it calls for anyone aware of violations to report them to the authorities or face criminal sanction, according to Human Rights Watch.
In 2010, the lawmaker behind it said the bill is necessary in the conservative east African nation.
"This is a piece of legislation that is needed in this country to protect the traditional family here in Africa, and also protect the future of our children," said David Bahati, the lawmaker. "Every single day of my life now I am still pushing that it passes."
In addition to punishing homosexuals, it also proposes years in prison for anyone who counsels or reaches out to homosexuals, a provision that would ensnare rights groups, they said.
"It aims to criminalize the 'promotion' of homosexuality, compels HIV testing in some circumstances, and imposes life sentences for entering into a same-sex marriage," Amnesty International said in a statement Tuesday. "It would also be an offense for a person who is aware of any violations of the bill's wide-ranging provisions not to report them to the authorities within 24 hours."
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism. In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison, according to rights activists.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/08/world/africa/uganda-anti-gay-bill/?hpt=wo_c2

Wolfe Acquires Rights to Lesbian Themed 'Mosquita y Mari'

By: Tracy E. Gilchrist (http://www.shewired.com/users/tracy-e-gilchrist)
Tue, 2012-02-07 20:27

http://www.shewired.com/sites/shewired.com/files/imagecache/category-featured/stories/mandmmain.jpg (http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/02/07/wolfe-acquires-rights-lesbian-themed-mosquita-y-mari)

Wolfe Releasing has acquired the North American rights to Aurora Guerrero’s lesbian-themed film Mosquita y Mari, which recently wowed audiences at Sundance.
The film tells the story of Yolanda and Mari, two 15-year-old Latinas navigating friendship, family and falling in love with each other in the Huntington Park section of Los Angeles.
Mosquita y Mari was produced by Chad Burris, written by Guerrero and stars Fenessa Pineda and Venecia Troncoso. An Indion Entertaintment/Maya Entertainment feature, The Film Collaborative will release the film theatrically in 2012 while Wolfe will release it on VOD and DVD in 2013.
“Aurora Guerrero is a tremendously talented young filmmaker," Wolfe President Maria Lynn said in a release. “Mosquita y Mari is an exceptionally high quality film with a genuinely unique and tender story to tell about young love. We are very excited to have it on the Wolfe label and to bring it to the widest audience possible.”
Here is the films synopsis according to a release from Wolfe:
Yolanda and Mari are growing up in Huntington Park, Los Angeles and have only known loyalty to one thing: family. Growing up in immigrant households, both girls are expected to prioritize the well-being of their families. Yolanda, an only child, delivers straight A’s and the hope of the American Dream while Mari, the eldest, shares economic responsibilities with her undocumented mother who scrambles to make ends meet. When Mari moves in across the street from Yolanda, they maintain their usual life routine, until an incident at school thrusts them into a friendship and into unknown territory. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their strange yet beautiful connection surfaces. Lost in their private world of unspoken affection, lingering gazes, and heart-felt confessions of uncertain futures, Yolanda’s grades begin to slip while Mari’s focus drifts away from her duties at a new job. Mounting pressures at home collide with their new-found desires thus driving Yolanda and Mari’s relationship to the edge, forcing them to choose between their obligations to others and staying true to each other.
Serving audiences since 1985, Wolfe is the largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian films. Current major Wolfe releases include the acclaimed gay drama, Undertow(Peru’s submission for the 2010 Academy Awards) and the hard-hitting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” drama, A Marine Story. Wolfe is also well known for releasing classics such as Desert Hearts, Big Eden and Were the World Mine. Find more info online at http://www.wolfevideo.com (http://www.wolfevideo.com/)
Source: http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/02/07/wolfe-acquires-rights-lesbian-themed-mosquita-y-mari

Antigay Mailing Goes Out Under N.H. State Seal

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-07/RepDavid-Batesx390.jpg

Some LGBT activists in New Hampshire are upset about a legislator’s use of official letterhead and the state seal on a mailing that seeks to drum up support for rescinding marriage equality in the state.

Rep. David Bates (pictured), a Republican, recently sent out the letter, which reads in part, “Very soon, the New Hampshire Legislature will vote on legislation I filed last year to restore traditional marriage in our state. If you believe that our marriage law should define marriage the way we’ve always known it — the union of a man and woman, then please contact your representatives to support House Bill 437.”

Bates is using his own money for the mailing, and officials with the New Hampshire secretary of state’s office say it’s OK for any legislator to use the seal, but some supporters of marriage equality are objecting, the Concord Monitor (http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/309634/one-man-band?CSAuthResp=1328666254%3A5363i15fb3j4kb1r3ht1o 0j696%3ACSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Aapproved%3AB086A438 28C8FB1D03B4C43049B2A154&CSUserId=94&CSGroupId=1) reports.

“This is showing up in people’s mailboxes trying to make it appear that it’s official state business,” Tyler Deaton, a lobbyist with the pro-equality group Standing Up for New Hampshire Families, told the paper. “That’s not news. This is lobbying. You can’t blur the lines that way.”

The legislature passed a law establishing marriage rights for same-sex couples in 2009. Gov. John Lynch, who signed that bill into law, has promised to veto any repeal attempt.
Meanwhile, supporters of Bates’s repeal bill rallied at the statehouse in Concord Tuesday. “Other arrangements are unnatural and incapable of sustaining the human species,” he told a crowd of about 200, the Associated Press (http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2012/02/07/sponsor_of_nh_gay_marriage_repeal_holding_rally/) reports. No date has been set for consideration of his bill.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/07/Antigay_Mailing_Goes_Out_Under_N_H__State_Seal/

In the wake of Canada’s continued support of a no-fly rule for anyone who fails to meet gender norms, as subjectively assessed by that country’s border police, a harrowing tale emerges of an incident last year in the United States.
This is the sorry tale of how US Customs officials decided to apply such a test – and as a result humiliated and embarrassed a Canadian woman who was on her way to run a marathon and visit friends.
The story, released today by Christin Milloy (http://chrismilloy.ca/2012/02/detained-at-the-airport-one-trans-womans-horrifying-story/), who also alerted the world to Canada’s no-fly rule, is that of Jennifer McCreath, from Newfoundland.
Following GRS in January 2011, Ms McCreath applied for a new birth certificate from the Nova Scotia administration, secure in the knowledge that according to officials there, she should expect to wait no longer than 10 days for her new documentation.
Seven weeks later, and with no certificate in sight, Ms McCreath was forced to set off carrying only her current passport, which included a gender marker of “M”.
All went well, until Toronto Pearson international airport, where she had to go through customs before boarding her next airplane, to the United States.
A US Customs agent inspected her passport, where and directed Ms McCreath to ‘Secondary Screening’, where she was photographed and fingerprinted. A further 90 minutes elapsed before anyone else spoke to her: since other individuals were dealt with in the intervening minutes, there is some concern that this was done deliberately in order to ensure she would miss her plane.
There then followed a search of her bags and according to Ms McCreath: “They started asking me all sorts of bizarre personal questions about my sexuality.” They also asked a number of intrusive and personal questions about surgery they assumed she had had, as well as questioning her about her medication and the purpose of a highly intimate device – a dilator – that they discovered in her luggage.
This last line of questioning continued despite the fact that Ms McCreath was carrying with her a doctor’s note which, she explained, “describes (the medical device) as urgent for me to have on my person, and can’t afford to lose them in luggage and to please let me carry them on board”.
In the end, Ms McCreath was permitted to continue on her way, paying out an additional $80 for having to change flights. To add insult to injury, it subsequently transpired that had she chosen to do so, she could have obtained a temporary passport from the Canadian Passport Office in the two years prior to her surgery. However, despite several conversations and a visit to the offices of that body, she was at no time informed of this option.
Following so soon after attempts by Canada’s Ministry of Transport to justify similar discriminatory legislation in respect of flying over Canada, this is a stark reminder of what happens when bad rules are allowed to lie on the books.
Spokespersons for that Office told us last week that:
- The no-fly rules were not new: they had originally been implemented in 2007, and were re-issued last summer;
- They were designed with “security” in mind and would help transport officials in determining whether an individual resembled their photographic identity
- They were in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation rules, as well as similar rules enforced by every other government in the world
They declined, however, to answer questions as to how a subjective assessment of gender might help an individual match a face to a photograph: nor would they give any further information as to how this measure would assist with security.
Despite several requests to substantiate their claims in respect of ICAO rulings, they declined to provide any text to corroborate their claims: nor were they prepared to back up their claims that these rules were the same as rules implemented elsewhere in the world.
Spokespersons for both the UK Border Agency and UK Dept of Transport told us that they were not aware of any such regulation being implemented in the UK.
Most chillingly, when asked how it could be possible for an official to determine whether a passenger appears “to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents” – and whether there were any plans to carry out strip searches in this respect, they again declined to respond.
Ms McCreath understands that US officials are allowed to operate on Canadian soil so long as they abide by Canadian Human Rights legislation: if nothing else, the existence of Canada’s no-fly regulations seems likely to be used by US officials as justification for their action in this instance.
Source: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/06/canada-trans-woman-detained-under-us-flight-rules/

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation posted a list of events that are planned for today to celebrate the ruling the Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The list, first gathered by Marriage Equality New York (http://www.meny.us/home), should give a lot of people a place to be tonight to mark this historic moment. If we missed any, please add them in the comments section. Here's the complete list (http://www.glaad.org/blog/advocates-across-us-gather-celebrate-prop-8-victory-celebration-event-listings) from GLAAD:
Bakersfield
What: Community rally
Where: Outback Steakhouse corner, 5051 Stockdale Hwy. (Update: A commenter tells us this rally has been moved because of the rain to Ellis Island Pizza on Stockdale and Real, which is 3611 Stockdale Hwy.)
When: 5 p.m.

Contra Costa County
What: Community gathering at the Rainbow Community Center
Where: Rainbow Community Center, 3024 Willow Pass Road, Suite 200, Concord, CA 94519
When: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Fresno
What: Community Rally
Where: Corner of N. Blackstone Avenue and E. Shaw Avenue
When: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Inland Empire
What: Day of Decision Rally: Prop 8 on Trial Public Event
Where: Corner of Foothill Blvd. and Day Creek Blvd. (near Victoria Gardens off of I-15), Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
When: 6 p.m.

Los Angeles
Downtown evening
What: Community gathering; attending will be Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, AFER Founding Board Members Dustin Lance Black and Rob Reiner, Courage Campaign, Equality California, Equal Roots Coalition, FAIR, Freedom to Marry, Jordan/Rustin Coalition, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Latino Equality Alliance, Marriage Equality USA and others.
Where: Los Angeles City Hall Rotunda, 200 N. Spring St.
When: 5 p.m.

West Hollywood
What: Community Rally, then a march down Santa Monica Blvd.
Where: West Hollywood Park on N. Robertson Blvd. (next to the Abbey Bar)
When: 6 p.m.

Orange County
What: OC Day of Decision 3 Rally
Where: Harvey Milk Plaza (French Street and E. 4th Street), Santa Ana, CA 92701
When: 6:30 p.m.

Sacramento
What: Community gathering
Where: Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, 1927 L Street
When: 5 p.m.

San Diego
What: Street Rally, then proceed to Community Center Rally
Where: Meet at 6th Avenue and University Avenue. Then proceed to the Joyce Beers Community Center, 3900 Vermont Street.
When: 6 p.m.

San Francisco
Community Event
What: Community Celebration Rally with music and speakers.
Where: SFLGBT Center, 1800 Market Street, 2nd floor Ceremonial Room
When: 5 p.m.

AFER Press Conference
What: AFER press conference; speaking at the press conference will be plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel Theodore B. Olson; AFER Board President Chad Griffin; plaintiffs Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo; Dominick Zarrillo; and San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera
Where: The Julia Morgan Ballroom, Merchants Exchange, 465 California St., San Francisco, CA 94104.
When: 5 p.m.

Santa Barbara
What: Community gathering
Where: Unitarian Society, 1535 Santa Barbara Street
When: 6:30 p.m.

Santa Clara County
What: Community rally
Where: Mountain View City Hall, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
When: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/07/Californians_Gather_to_Celebrate_Prop_8_Ruling/

World’s First Openly Gay Royal Is on Fairy Tale Search for Love

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-06/UndercoverPrince_Solo.jpg
India's Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of Rajpipla

Growing up, India's Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of Rajpipla knew there was something different about him. It wasn't something he could share with his parents; in fact, says the prince, royal children aren't usually that close to their biological parents. Servants, not parents, generally raise royal kids, so much so that even he thought his nanny was his mother for many years. When Manvendra was 12 or 13, one of those servants, a orphan boy his same age, helped Manvendra explore his difference, his homosexuality, though it would be more than two decades before he came out publicly. When he did, his father disowned and disinherited him, his countrymen burned effigies of him, and many demanded that he be stripped of his royal title.

What a difference six years make. Today Prince Manvendra, now 47 and one of the three stars of TLC’s new series Undercover Princes, which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. Central), is an advocate for both gay and HIV causes in his homeland and abroad. In the new four-part series — think Coming to America meets a classier Jersey Shore — three men of royalty go undercover in England as commoners to find true love.

Regarding tonight’s episode, TLC publicists boast that Prince Manvendra contemplates the opposite sex, although we doubt he's “going bi” as they posit in the press release. Prince Manvendra's unconsummated 1991 marriage to Princess Yuvrani Chandrika Kumari from Jhabua ended when the prince revealed his sexuality to her. Either way, we're tuning in. The Advocate chatted with the prince about what it means to be the only known person of royal lineage to have publicly come out as gay.

The Advocate: So tell me, why did you decide to do Undercover Princes?
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil: I think one of the reasons was that the whole show involved me being undercover, which would give me an opportunity to do all those things a modern commoner is supposed to do. So that is one of the reasons I thought it would be a challenge for me because I would be able to do all those things which I can’t do ... in India.

When people thought you were a house cleaner, how differently were you treated?
It was a very challenging thing for me because I was supposed to do things which I don’t do normally back in India. I mean something like clean the house or, you know, doing up the room or cleaning up the toilets, the washrooms — what they expected on the show. I had to keep telling myself again and again that I am undercover and not supposed to reveal my true identity. So that was a learning experience for me itself.

It sounds like you’re more closely guarded while you were in India than while you were filming the show in Bristol.
Yeah.
Was that liberating or frightening?
No, it was not frightening. It was liberating.

You came out as gay in 2006 but you actually knew much sooner than that right?
Yeah.

When did you first know you were gay?
I was different than others when I was quite young, as a teenager. But I didn’t know that the attraction to the same sex was homosexuality. I mean, I didn’t know the definition of that. You know? As I was growing up, you can say when I was around 12 or 13, I was getting this attraction to the same sex. I probably [thought it was] something temporary in my life or some kind of [rite of passage] when I was I growing up. I didn’t know back then that this kind of attraction means being homosexual or means being gay.

That awareness came as you got older.
That understanding came much later, because being brought up in a royal family you’re not exposed to a lot of terms of this kind. Homosexuality is a taboo in our country. It’s not spoken of much. There is always stigma and discrimination attached with that. Because of that, there is no discussion happening on this topic in our country. I think I would be around the age of 28 when I realized I’m gay. I mean, understanding that this kind of behavior means “being gay.”

You were disowned and disinherited when you came out publicly. Has your family’s attitude changed since that day?
Yeah. I was attached to a cause right from the beginning. I was very much concerned about the lack of awareness in the Indian society about homosexuality and about HIV/AIDS because I’ve been working for HIV/AIDS [causes] since 1995, especially among the gay community, and I was not satisfied by the way people are in their approach to homosexuality or their approach to HIV/AIDS. So I said, “It doesn’t matter if I have to sacrifice something in my life, but I want to stand up and fight against this kind of discrimination in our country. And I must make people realize that we are also human beings, that we should also get respect without being discriminated against.” And that was the main reason I came out of the closet and declared myself.

How much impact can a gay member of royalty actually have in India?
In India, I’m still respected because, especially those royal families where the ruler has done something for the people or for the welfare of the state — and fortunately my ancestors have done a lot for the welfare and social upliftment of the people — so we are being respected by the society, we are treated like gods. People actually worship my sisters, their statues. So there is a lot of respect from the society, so it definitely makes us different because they treat us as their role models. And I’ve also started in working for the people in the a similar manner as my sisters. I started working for ... the social cause for the people, much before I came out, in the fields of education, health, agriculture, giving employment opportunities, tourism. I was quite popular amongst the people of my town, so because of this, when I came out it had a big impact. When you rule, when you are popular and you come out openly and talk about your sexuality, it carries a lot of weight.
It was really shocking though to some people. Some of your countrymen were burning effigies of you.
Yeah

Calling for your title to be removed.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What was that like?
People were a bit confused. my first interview carefully. I said, “I may be the first member of the royal family to come out as gay, but I’m not the only one.” Which means that there are a lot of royal families, and royals in India who are gay. But they are closeted. You know? I know a lot of royal families in India who are gay or lesbian and they also know ... that I know about them. So when I came out openly and declared myself they were kind of a bit worried that I might out them also. They are the ones who instigated the people against me
[B]
That’s disheartening. So they thought by coming out, you might also out them, to further the cause.
Yeah. They wanted to break my popularity, so that’s the reason they instigated the people against me. When all that happened I ... stated, [I]Whatever the people have done, I don’t blame them. I blame their ignorance. And I’m sure when they know about homosexuality and they have an understanding what homosexuality is, the same people will again come back to normal. Because this was just the first reaction, since people don’t know what homosexuality is. They have a lot of misconceptions about homosexuality, so that’s the reason they acted in this manner. It’s very natural. I expected there should be some reaction.

World’s First Openly Gay Royal Is on Fairy Tale Search for Love

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-07/UndercoverPrinces_group.jpg
All of the Undercover Princes.
Have things changed among your countrymen in the six years since you came out?
Yeah, a lot has changed. In fact, one thing I’ve always believed in is [my countrymen]. And whatever what I do, whether it is for fighting for my gay rights or fighting for HIV/AIDS or for any matter, I always try to include rather than exclude. I’ve always included society at large in whatever activities I do, and I’ve been appreciated by the society for the work I do. Because they know whatever I am doing for the society at large is to help everyone. I’m not doing anything to harm anyone by whatever I do. People have realized that my fight for HIV or my fight for giving the legal rights to gays in India is something which is based on equality, is based on truthfulness.

Let me give you an example. You might have heard about our national leader Mahatma Gandhi, who is considered the father of our nation and who helped us get India independent. I am a great follower of Gandhi and I follow his philosophy of life, and one of his philosophies is that truth always prevails. No matter what, whatever you do, if you are true and honest to yourself, then you will always win. And I have gotten hold of that principle of my life and on that I am fighting for my rights. I’m sure people realize that when you are honest — I mean, I got comments from people coming in from my own town where people have said that they aren’t concerned whether I’m gay or straight, but the fact that I told the truth to the world is what matters the most to them.

That’s nice reassurance.
Yeah. People support honesty. They know I’m not doing anything wrong by being gay.

When you came out, homosexuality was still criminalized in India.
Yeah, homosexuality was a crime in India, the homosexual act was a crime in India, but in 2009 we managed to decriminalize it. Our high court decided this in our favor; we were fighting the government of India to decriminalize the homosexual act and it was a very historic judgment and it was the best-argued case in the history if India and we won the case.

Like a lot of gay men in India, you actually married a woman when you were younger. How often do you think that happens to gay men in India, that they try to live a straight life and get married?
We have said that 85% of men, homosexual men, get married to women. So they are living a double-standard life — most of the gay men in India are pressured to get married because they live with the family; they have joint family business, so they are attached with the family. They are actually mostly blackmailed by the parents to get married. So they can’t say no to marriage. [Only men who are] financially independent or they are confident enough to say no — and that is also very difficult — can refuse marriage. Most of them get thrown out of the families or they are disowned or not given their share of the property if they say no to the marriage. Because in India marriage is something that is considered to be an institution, and it is it is compulsory for everyone.

That has a lot of risks with it as well.
Due to this reason a lot of our men are getting married and become very vulnerable to getting infected [with HIV], because the women don’t know that the men are gay. They continue to have the gay lifestyle and some of them have unsafe sex with their partner and then they are not able to use condoms with their wives and they infect the wives also. It’s a very tricky situation in India.

One of the reasons you wanted to do Undercover Princes was to find someone who loves you for who you are, not just for your money, your title. Did that happen to you?
I did find somebody on the show but it, I mean, I’ll say this show was more of a challenge than anything else. I had my own share of fun by doing this show. But whether I found love or I did not find love, that is for the people to see when this episode is being aired on the television. I I do not; I would not like to comment on that. But I did realize one thing being undercover, how easy or how difficult it is to find love then being a prince.

Because you found that it was much harder as a prince?
Yeah, it is much harder to find love as a prince because everyone knows your status. Everyone knows the ... the economic situation of the person. So it’s difficult to find a genuine love in that case.

Have you ever been in love?
No, I’ve never been in love.

What was the main thing you learned from doing this show?
Yeah, there are two aspects of the show. One is to create awareness of homosexuality, since ... there are still a lot of people who have misconceptions about homosexuality, not just in India but even in other parts of the world. I wanted people to be aware of us, and that is the only way I, we, can get our rights. So awareness is our way to get our gay rights around the world. And also, since I am fighting for the HIV/AIDS so I could bring out that part also. My organization is still fighting for HIV prevention in India, which was highlighted in the show. I wanted to bring about awareness about homosexuality and also awareness about HIV.

And on a more personal level ...
And personally, of course, this show was fun for me to be challenged by at the same time experience the life of a commoner. It was something which I always wanted to do, which I could not do it in India. So the show was a combination of all of these things I would say.

You will become the 29th Maharaja of Rajpipla when your father dies. Has that changed at all since your coming out? Did you get stripped of any title?
Well, I mean, my parents, they gave public notices that they were going to disinherit all that and me. But my father has actually apologized on the media, that he was instigated by [others] to do this action and he would not have liked to do this at all because he has mentioned in his interview that I have always been a gifted individual, I’ve been independent, and I — he mentioned about my work with social work, which I am doing for the society. So the notices were actually illegal and invalid, so there was no question on stripping my title or disbarring me from inheriting my ancestor’s wealth.

That’s wonderful they came around now. What message would you have for other LGBT youth out there?
The first thing is that I would like to tell the youth that one should accept one’s sexuality, whether you are gays, bisexuals, straight, whatever. Acceptance is the first and foremost thing, and be proud of it, rather than feeling guilty about one’s sexuality. That is something that one can do. Then one will have self-esteem and confidence and we will be able to fight back [against our opponents]. That is one of the things, and another thing I would like to tell the youth is to be aware of your rights, to be aware of one’s rights. That can helps us to make us a strong human being. And fight for our rights.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Worlds_First_Openly_Gay_Royal_on_TV_Tonight/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

9th February 2012, 21:45

Don’t think that just because the infamous “Kill the Gays” bills is still being discussed in the Uganda Parliament that the Legislature supports it. That’s just silly!A statement from the government addressing criticism by LGBT activists and global rights activists explained that while “the bill is not part of the government’s legislative agenda… debate on it must go on” because of parliamentary procedures, reports the AP’s Rodney Muhumuza (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/uganda-govt-distances-anti-gay-bill-15545077#.TzQbPl1QRL0). The statement reads in part:

“As a parliamentary democracy the process of debate will continue. Whilst the government of Uganda does not support this bill, it is required under our constitution to facilitate this debate. The facilitation of this debate should not be confused for the government’s support for this bill.”
The original bill—which proposed the death penalty for certain acts (like HIV+ gay people having sex) and jail terms for others (heterosexuals not ratting out gay friends and neighbors)—was tabled last year. On Tuesday, legislator David Bahati reintroduced the bill, but without the death penalty provision. Instead it imposes life imprisonment for “aggravated homosexuality.”
We’re pretty sure we saw some of that at the Abbey on Saturday night.
Bahati explained his reason for introducing the bill back in 2009 was “to protect Ugandan children from Western homosexuals who lure them with money and http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Yoweri_Kaguta_Museveni.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Yoweri_Kaguta_Museveni.jpg)other promises.”
Good thing straight people don’t indulge in sex trafficking!
In his report, Muhumuza says its unclear whether the bill will ever reach a parliamentary vote, though its thought it would pass easily. It’s really only the will of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (left) keeping it at bay, most likely because the outrage from the international community would have devastating consequences for trade and aid to the country. Back in 2009, he seemed tickled pink about the idea of slaughtering gays and lesbians, saying (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/29/uganda-death-sentence-gay-sex) “We used to say Mr and Mrs, but now it is Mr and Mr. What is that now?”
But, as ever in politics, money talks and bullshit walks. Museveni, who took power way back in 1986, realizes how damaging the blowback would be, so he’s distancing himself from such extremist legislation.
In the list of accomplishments the Obama Administration has achieved on behalf of the LGBT community, it’s looking like tying foreign aid to gay rights is quickly becoming one of the most important and far-reaching.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/uganda-government-says-it-doesnt-want-kill-the-gays-bill-but-will-debate-it-anyway-20120209/

It’s great that Australia is finally coming around to gay marriage, but what the heck is up with their government’s bill-sponsoring process? According to News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/national/mps-set-to-debate-gay-marriage-in-house-of-representatives/story-e6frfkw9-1226267019536), four (4!) gay-marriage bills are scheduled to come up next Monday. Here’s the breakdown:

The Senate already is enquiring into a gay marriage bill presented by the Greens Sarah Hanson-Young.
Labor MP Stephen Jones will introduce the “official” private members bill—that is, one not officially sponsored by the Government—but certain to get preference in the House of Representatives on Monday.
However, the Greens Adam Bandt and independent Andrew Wilkie will jointly present a similar bill the same day.
In addition, Mr. Wilkie will propose legislation which would exempt religions from having to marry same sex partners.
Common sense would say all these new bills should be run as one, but Labor isn’t keen to support the Green and the independent.
Letting petty political differences divide you on an important social issue—good job, Australia. Stay tuned while all these bills bubble up, but don’t expect a vote anytime soon. That won’t happen until the second half of the year.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/marriage-equality-bills-coming-up-in-australia-but-support-is-disorganized-20120209/

There is a new uplifting volume in the saga of independent gay bookstores: Yesterday it was revealed that Toronto’s Glad Day Bookshop (http://toronto.gaycities.com/shops/100133-glad-day-bookshop) has a new owner, or 17 to be exact. A team of individual investors have joined forces and funds to buy the store and preserve its legacy of galvanizing queer activism in Toronto since 1970. The oldest operating LGBT bookstore in the world went up for sale last month (http://www.queerty.com/worlds-oldest-gay-bookstore-might-be-facing-its-final-chapter-20120102/) after owner John Scythes couldn’t dip anymore into his savings to keep Glad Day afloat.
“Glad Day Bookshop was a crucial center for the gay and lesbian liberation movement in Canada,” said the youngest co-owner, 23-year-old Spencer Charles Smith. “I know I owe so much to the activists who came before me so I am investing my money and my time into Glad Day as a way to honor them.”
In the coming weeks, Glad Day’s new Board of Directors will reveal plans to revitalize the bookshop, including adding new technology and initiatives to foster the local queer-lit scene and stand up for good old same-sex love and justice. They are currently looking for a new store manager.
“Arts and culture give our community wings.” said co-owner Rio Rodriguez. “With creativity and representation, our communities find healing, inspiration, education and celebration.”
Feeling inspired? You can chip in too and help save a gay bookstore near you (http://www.queerty.com/the-last-chapter-a-look-at-lgbt-bookstores-around-the-world-20120106/)!
And next time you visit Glad Day, make sure to say hello and thanks to the rest of the gang: Andy Wang, Doug Kerr, El-Farouk Khaki, Fatima Amarshi, Jonathan Kitchen, Kim Crosby, Lisa Gore , Marcus McCann, Mark Schaan, Michael Erickson, Michael Went, Nat Trembley, Scott Robins, Tessa Duplessis and Troy Jackson.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/torontos-gay-community-teams-up-to-save-glad-day-bookshop-20120209/

Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled another video (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/in-video-sharpton-shows-support-for-gay-marriage/)from its new series promoting same-sex marriage. This ones features that frequently outspoken defender of civil rights, Rev. Al Sharpton. It comes just days after t (http://www.queerty.com/hrc-appoints-goldman-sachs-honcho-as-new-marriage-equality-spokesman-20120206/)he HRC released a video featuring chief executive of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Bankfein (http://www.queerty.com/hrc-appoints-goldman-sachs-honcho-as-new-marriage-equality-spokesman-20120206/).
As the African-American community and religious leaders are frequently seen as roadblocks on the road to equality, Sharpton is inarguably a strategic voice to speak to both—and particularly to target their overlap. “As a Baptist minister, I don’t have the right to impose my beliefs on anyone else,” he says in the clip. “So if committed gay and lesbian couples want to marry, that’s their business. None of us should stand in their way.”
Though he has long been recognized as an advocate for the black community, Sharpton has become more vocal in his support for the LGBT community (http://www.nysun.com/new-york/sharpton-pledges-fight-against-homophobia-among/17991/) and his opposition to homophobia for several years. It’s a big change from the old Sharpton—the one who, in 1994, allegedly described “white folks” in Socrates’ time as “Greek homos,” (http://www.salon.com/2003/06/21/sharpton_7/) and in the late 1980s angrily called an audience member on The Morton Downey Jr. Show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aSSjtKV0EY) a “punk faggot.”
Welcome to the fold, Rev. Al.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/al-sharpton-tells-marriage-equality-foes-to-get-out-of-the-way-in-new-hrc-video-20120209/

One day after the Ninth Circuit Court invalidated California’s ban on same-sex marriage (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-court-rules-in-favor-of-marriage-equality-upholds-prop-8-overturn-20120207/) as a violation of the state’s equal protection clause, the Washington state legislature this evening easily passed a bill providing full marriage equality.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/5637205402_fd7567e5151-360x232.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-washington-becomes-7th-state-to-legalize-marriage-equality-20120208/5637205402_fd7567e515-2/)In a prepared statement, Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat who has pledged to sign the bill, announced:
With today’s vote, we tell the nation that Washington state will no longer deny our citizens the opportunity to marry the person they love. We tell every child of same-sex couples that their family is every bit as equal and important as all other families in our state. And we take a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The road to equality is hardly without obstacles, of course, even in the politically and culturally liberal West Coast. Marriage equality opponents are appealing the California decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the always predictably anti-gay Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage, vowed to present same-sex marriage to Washington State voters. NOM is funding efforts to hold a referendum in November aimed at repealing the Washington law before it would go into effect.
“This decision fires up the base and the resentment that elites, political and judicial, are imposing gay marriage without the consent of the governed,” Gallagher told the Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-gaymarriage-washingtontre81709w-20120207,0,7058246.story). ”I think it’s going to make it easier, not harder, to get the signatures and to put it to the people.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-washington-becomes-7th-state-to-legalize-marriage-equality-20120208/

TheGodlessUtopian

9th February 2012, 21:52

Md. Religious Leaders Want Marriage Equality

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-09/MFMEX390.jpg

A group of Maryland clergy is speaking out in favor of marriage equality.

In a new video posted Wednesday afternoon by Marylanders for Marriage Equality, religious leaders argue that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights under the law as heterosexual couples.

“Marriage helps to build strong and stable families,” says Rev. Candy Holmes, “and we should be doing everything we can to encourage it.”

In addition to appearing in the video, The Washington Postreports (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-clergy-issue-video-supporting-gay-marriage-religious-leaders-to-offer-testimony-friday/2012/02/08/gIQA1OwjzQ_story.html) that some clergy are expected to show their support for Gov. Martin O’Malley’s marriage bill by testifying on Friday, the same day that lawmakers will hear opposing testimony from those who want a constitutional amendment restricting marriage to one man and one woman.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/09/Md_Religious_Leaders_Want_Marriage_Equality/

P.S: See source for video

Tenn. Axes Planned Parenthood Funds, Center Ends HIV Testing

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/MGLCCX390.jpg

A program to provide HIV tests in Memphis, Tenn. has been terminated because the state of Tennessee has cut off funding to Planned Parenthood.

The Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center has been collaborating with Planned Parenthood for the past three years to provide "the only regularly-scheduled, after-hours HIV testing in the Mid-South," the organization said in a statement Wednesday. However, the state denied all of Planned Parenthood's access to grants for HIV testing.

"Our strong collaboration with Planned Parenthood to provide HIV testing has improved the lives of hundreds of people every year," Will Batts, Executive Director of MGLCC, said. "Losing this vital program will put the health and well-being of many Memphians at risk."

Batts said the center would try to find alternate ways to sustain the HIV testing program, which has provided results for more than 500 people since the program began in 2008.

"MGLCC considers the setback to our HIV testing program a great tragedy," he said, "but we hope the setback will be only a temporary one."

Just a week ago, Planned Parenthood was the target of conservatives, when the Susan G. Komen Foundation for The Cure announced that it would cut off funding that went to Planned Parenthood for breast health programs for low-income women. The decision was quickly reversed (http://www.shewired.com/news/2012/02/03/komen-does-damage-control-restores-planned-parenthood-funding) after a nation-wide call for the grant money to be reinstated. The controversy also led to the resignation of Komen's politically conservative president Karen Handel.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/09/Tenn_Axes_Planned_Parenthood_Funds_Center_Ends_HIV _Testing/

Lesbians Selling Birthplace of Mormon Prophet

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-09/BIRTHPLACEX390.jpg

The birthplace of one of the greatest Mormon prophets, former LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley, is up for sale. The owners, according to the Salt Lake Tribune: (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsfaithblog/53464400-180/hinckley-gay-birthplace-church.html.csp) a lesbian couple, Cristy Gleeve and Keri Jones (who together have a daughter named Glory).

Hinckley was the LDS Church’s longest-serving leader until his death in 2008 at 97. During his tenure, the church went through it’s largest expansion in history, reported the Associated Press (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325890,00.html#ixzz1lub8Jw00) that year: “The number of temples worldwide more than doubled, from 49 to more than 120 and church membership grew from about 9 million to about 13 million.”

The Tribune’s Peggy Fletcher Stack says that the the Mormons softened their official stance on gays while Hinckley was president in what many call the traditional “love the sinner, hate the sin” model perfected by other Christian churches.

But the strange new mix that is Salt Lake City — recently named The Advocate’s Gayest City in America (http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Travel/Gayest_Cities_in_America/) — makes a lesbian couple, their lesbian realtor (that’d be Babs DeLay, founder of Urban Utah (http://www.urbanutah.com/)), and a famed Mormon prophet intersect at 840 East 700 South, (http://www.slcity.com/manager/listings/l13287.shtml?#) where the house sits now, waiting for someone with $350,000 swoop it up.

And if the current owners sound more familiar to LGBT readers than Hinckley? That’s because Keri Jones made history herself when NCLR took on a custody case between her and her former partner, Cheryl Barlow. Jones fought all the way to the Utah Supreme Court to have visitation with the child they had together via alternative insemination. Then she lost. In a shocking 2007 decision, according to NCLR (http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_caseDocket_jones_v_barlo w), the Utah Supreme Court “reversed the trial court decision and abolished protections for all children with non-biological parents rather than provide these protections equally to children with lesbian parents,” rolling back 30 years of legal rulings in Utah.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/09/Lesbians_Selling_Birthplace_of_Mormon_Prophet/

Fargo Gay Couple to Apply for Marriage License

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-09/FargoGayMarriagex390.jpg

A gay couple in Fargo plans to apply for a marriage license on Thursday, but they expect to be denied because same-sex marriage is banned under North Dakota law.

Lenny Tweeden and Wayne Rosell will apply for the license at 3 p.m. at the Cass County Courthouse. The couple, together for more than 25 years, told the Grand Forks Herald (http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/228970/)that the federal appeals court decision that declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional in California on Tuesday inspired their action. Tweeden has established a Facebook group, 10,000 for ND Gay Marriage (http://www.facebook.com/groups/323286792739/), with more than 3,000 followers, and he wrote a letter to the editor of the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead (http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/350116/publisher_ID/1/).

“Times are changing,” he wrote. “Young people are not as homophobic as their parents or their grandparents. Gay and lesbian marriage is more accepted by the younger generation.”

Rosell, whose been engaged for three years, told WDAY (http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/58860/), “Why now? I guess because what's happening in the rest of the country toward gay marriage and somebody's got to step forward for it.”

Same-sex couples are not allowed to marry under North Dakota law. Voters overwhelmingly passed a measure in 2004 limiting marriage to a man and a woman. The law also restricts civil unions.

Charlotte Sandvik, the Cass County treasurer who oversees licenses, told the Herald that, by law, she and her staff members cannot even provide a marriage application to the couple. She said she had not encountered a marriage license application from same-sex couples since her office began to issue licenses in 2001.

Tweeden, a local gay activist who owned a Fargo gay bar, My Place, in the 1980s, said he did not intend to be confrontational at the courthouse. He anticipated he would leave after being turned away, but he acknowledged he might return, next time maybe to serve notice of a lawsuit.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/09/Fargo_Gay_Couple_to_Apply_for_Marriage_License/

Obama LGBT Dinner Expected to Raise $1.5 Million

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2011/1053/OBAMA_ADVANCEX390.jpg

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will meet Thursday evening with LGBT donors at a high-ticket fundraiser in Washington, D.C.

The dinner event, held at a private residence in northwest Washington, is expected to draw about 40 people or more and raise up to $1.5 million for the Obama campaign, according to David Bohnett, the billionaire philanthropist who launched GeoCities in the 1990s and is co-hosting this evening's fundraiser.

Bohnett will be joined on the hosting committee by well-known LGBT Democratic donors including James Hormel, the first openly gay U.S. ambassador; Laura Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and one of the Obama campaign’s major fundraisers, or “bundlers”; and Henry van Ameringen, whose namesake foundation has supported LGBT groups such as Truth Wins Out. Attendees will be asked to max out their donations to the Obama Victory Fund, a $35,800 sum. (Update: Tim Gill, founder of the Gill Foundation, is also a co-host, as is his husband, Scott Miller.)

The fundraiser comes two days after a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled that Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that stripped same-sex couples of the right to marry, is unconstitutional. The White House has declined comment on the ruling, though Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday that the president “has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts that deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples,” a statement the administration has used to address multiple efforts nationwide seeking to rescind or constitutionally prohibit gay marriage. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum all denounced the Ninth Circuit decision as textbook judicial activism and an affront to California voters who passed Prop. 8 more than three years ago.

“I think support for the president is coalescing,” Bohnett said, in part due to the barrage of antigay positions staked by GOP presidential candidates. “There’s a growing awareness in the lesbian and gay community of how significant he has been on our issues, awareness that has been lacking in some camps. It’s not just ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ DOMA repeal, and hate crimes [legislation], but also work at the agency level that affects thousands of federal employees.”

Bohnett said he expects the president “will proudly recap what he has done on behalf of our community,” as he has done in previous addresses to the LGBT community, including an October keynote at the national Human Rights Campaign dinner in Washington, D.C.

Gill wrote via email, "While more work is yet to be done, he needs the full support of our community to finish the job. Personally, my husband, Scott, and I will do all we can to help with the President's re-election."

Democrats are set to renominate Obama at the party’s national convention this fall in Charlotte, N.C., where voters will decide in May whether to approve a draconian constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage as well as any legal recognition for same-sex couples (the state already statutorily prohibits marriage equality). DNC officials have not yet said whether they will commit any resources to fight the amendment, though DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz told reporters in October that Democrats would “certainly consider” doing so.

AmericaBlog's Joe Sudbay, who first reported on the fundraiser, called on attendees to press Obama for an executive order barring federal contractors from anti-LGBT discrimination (read the post here (http://gay.americablog.com/2012/02/if-you-were-major-lgbt-donor-at.html)).

A previous version of this story reported that the maximum allowed amount to the joint campaign fund is $37,500. The correct number is $35,800.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/09/Obama_LGBT_Event_Expected_to_Raise_15M/

Teachers’ Union Endorses New Policy on LGBT Issues

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-08/BLAHAX390.jpg
Julie Blaha
The teachers’ union in Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District has endorsed a proposed new policy on discussion of LGBT issues, with some reservations.

The district, which covers several suburbs of Minneapolis–St. Paul, has seen several student suicides in recent years, which some observers blame on antigay bullying, and is the subject of a lawsuit alleging it offers a hostile environment to LGBT students. This has led the school board to reconsider its policy on discussion of sexual orientation.

It had previously required faculty and staff to remain neutral when the issue came up; the new policy says this and other political and social matters should be treated fairly and impartially, with respect for the dignity of every student.

Union members voted Monday night to endorse the draft policy, although their representatives will suggest some changes to the board, such as having administrators covered by the policy, union president Julie Blaha told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. (http://www.startribune.com/local/north/138821304.html) The union has had input on the current draft, however, and “people said this seems to reflect what we know works for our students,” Blaha said. The school board is scheduled to vote on the policy next Monday.

Also this week, district officials responded to a Rolling Stone article on Anoka-Hennepin titled “One Town's War on Gay Teens,” which chronicled the experiences of one student who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit and one who killed himself. A statement from the district called the article “a grossly distorted portrayal of the Anoka-Hennepin School District, its schools and its communities,” the Star Tribune reports.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Teachers_Union_Endorses_New_Policy_on_LGBT_Issues/

Spaniards have been taken by surprise by the new conservative government's aggressive efforts to implement social reforms, overturning several liberal laws passed by the previous government amid tremendous economic uncertainty.
Related stories

The previous Socialist government passed a substantial amount of liberal legislation in the last eight years, including limiting the role of the Catholic Church in the state, legalizing gay marriage, relaxing abortion restrictions, and reforming the educational curriculum. While the Catholic Church and the ruling Popular Party accused Socialists of imposing an ideologically-motivated agenda too quickly, Socialists said they were only harmonizing Spanish laws with European standards – with the support of the majority of Spanish citizens. Dozens of polls over the past three years have consistently showed an even split on social issues.
The People's Party was voted into parliament with an absolute majority in November, mostly on a mandate to fix the economy (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/1121/Spain-speaks-conservative-opposition-wins-in-landslide-victory-video), but it also promised to roll back some socialist laws on abortion and education. Now, some Spaniards are stunned with the party's decision to take on a cultural counter-revolution of sorts during a time of such great economic and political uncertainty.
“This is the first time such profound revisionism takes place so fast, but the fact that nobody expected it makes it worse,” says Fermín Bouza, a sociology professor specializing in public opinion in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Complutensian+University+of+Madrid).

The People's Party promised the legislative reforms during the election campaign in order to secure essential votes from its conservative base, but most Spaniards expected Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Mariano+Rajoy) to delay any controversial ideological issues until the economy improved. Spain (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Spain) has the highest unemployment rate in Europe (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Europe), almost 23 percent, and the Central Bank expects the economy to contract 1.5 percent in 2012 after a year of stagnant growth in 2011.
People's Party rising star Justice Minister Alberto Ruíz Gallardón (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Alberto+Ruiz-Gallardon), a former mayor of Madrid (http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Madrid) and one of the most popular politicians in Spain, announced he would soon introduce a bill to overturn the changes the Socialists made to Spain's abortion law, reverting to the 1985 version.
According to the current version, approved in 2010, teenagers aged 16 and older can have an abortion without parental permission in some cases and don’t need to meet pre-approved circumstances, such as rape or mental illness, as long as it’s during the first trimester. The People's Party's reforms will reverse both changes, Mr. Gallardón reiterated in a radio interview on Feb. 1, although he didn’t offer specifics other than it would mirror the 1985 version of the law.
And on Jan. 30, Education Minister José Ignacio Wert announced that a new law would replace the civic education curriculum that Socialist introduced in 2006, which included lessons on religious, racial, and sexual tolerance that were loudly criticized by the Catholic Church and the country’s extreme right. Mr. Wert said he would eliminate “issues that controversial and susceptible to ideological indoctrination,” although he didn’t offer more details.
The People's Party has not said when either of the laws would be introduced or passed. But a landslide victory in November elections gave the party an absolute majority in Parliament, meaning it doesn’t need to negotiate support from any other parties in order to pass legislation.
Mr. Rajoy said this week he will pass unpopular economic reforms that will trigger a “national strike.”
“This is the most radical version of the PP, complete revisionism. We are all surprised it started out so strong-handed, taking into the account the economic problems,” Bouza said. “This is not going to be productive. They are sacrificing the centrist vote that brought them to power for the extreme right.”
“These issues are nothing but small provocations, unnecessary, and contribute to radicalizing society precisely when the country needs cohesion,” Bouza added.

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0202/Spain-s-new-conservative-leaders-make-rapid-push-to-overturn-liberal-laws

Sasha

9th February 2012, 22:21

LGBTQITSLFA (http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/lgbtqitslfa/) Hey, Gays: Don't Pull Up the Ladder After Gay Marriage—Trans People Are Right Behind You (http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/02/09/hey-gays-dont-pull-up-the-ladder)

Posted by Dominic Holden (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/dominic-holden/Author?oid=77764) on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 11:36 AM

Last night, Transgender Law Center director Masen Davis sent this bittersweet statement on the state's pivotal marriage equality vote:

Regardless of their gender, all couples should have the right to marry and protect their families. We are hopeful that this wave of understanding will spread, and that soon all Americans will all be able to live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination. Thank you, Washington legislature and Governor Gregoire, for your impressive display of compassion.
Scores of politicians and organizations issued rejoiceful statements, but this is the only one I want to post: in part because it came with a cheerful note saying, "Thanks for helping us get trans voices out there."
I also wanted to post this because Davis hits on something I'm afraid of: that after the election gay people are going to think their work is done. Assuming voters pass same-sex marriage on the ballot—knock on wood with a rabbit's foot—many may see it as the finish line for LGBT rights in Washington State. It's time to be fully coopted into mainstream society! Don't get me wrong, I'm a faggot and would love to find myself a nice man and settle down in a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence rent an excruciatingly small apartment in the East Village.
But this isn't the finish line.
Not for gays who have a national DOMA law to repeal—and definitely not for transgender men and women (and queergender people) who both want to repeal DOMA and overcome a pervasive culture of intense hostility, intimidation, and discrimination.
Even in Seattle where we've passed laws banning most forms of transgender discrimination, trans people are still kicked out of public bathrooms (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003872953_transbath07m.html). Even in King County where voters approved gender-identity protections, trans people can wind up before doctors who give them backward medical advice (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/gay-womens-10health-crisis/Content?oid=606278). Throughout Washington State, where malicious harassment is a felony hate crime and anti-discrimination in housing and employment have been the law since 2006, many places are downright menacing.
A study completed in 2011 called Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination found that 78 percent of transgender people reported harassment, 35 percent reported physical assault, and 12 percent reported sexual violence. On the job, the numbers are horrible: Ninety percent reported harassment or discrimination in the work place. It goes on: Nineteen percent reported being refused medical care, and half of all respondents said they had to teach their medical providers about trangender care. At retail stores, 53 percent reported being harassed or disrespected.
In DC, attacks on transgender men and women are on the rise (http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2618558). Trans people are often murdered in hate crimes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unlawfully_killed_transgender_people).
So as Davis at the Transgender Law Center implied: Yesterday's gay marriage vote wasn't the finish line, and we won't make it there by November.
I'm not sure what, exactly, I'm asking people to do here. I'm writing this to myself as much as everyone else. Clearly, the fight that remains for transgender men and women is partly legal—like passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in Congress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_Non-Discrimination_Act)—but it's also a struggle for cultural acceptance. The same is true for gays and lesbians, even after marriage is secured. But gays and lesbians already have it better. (My computer's spell checker puts a red squiggly line under the word "transgender" but not gay or lesbian, and lots of gay people still treat transgender people like freaks.) The fact is, there are a lot more gay folks than transgender folks, and we are an amplification system, but it's all the same struggle. If we win this November, we can't pull up the ladder. We're not done.

Link (http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/02/09/hey-gays-dont-pull-up-the-ladder) | Comments (6) (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Comments?oid=12413465&category=slog)

TheGodlessUtopian

11th February 2012, 19:34

Its looking gleefully like the GOP presidential nominees will wind up killing each other by inches, but President Obama isn’t taking any chances now that his campaign is heating up in earnest. Last night he paid a call on the Washington, DC, home of Karen Dixon and Nan Schaffer for a $35,8000-a-head LGBT fundraiser that earned a cool $1,432,000 for the Obama Victory Fund. Before a relatively intimate group of 40, Laura Ricketts—the openly lesbian owner of the Chicago Cubs (and a serious Obama fundraiser)—introduced the President, saying the gathering was held, “to show the president that the LGBT community stands strongly behind his reelection. I know the president stands with us.”
After addressing the economic crisis on everybody’s mind, Obama discussed his support for the community and how it is in line with the values our nation was founded on: “You should be judged on the merits. That’s at the heart of the American dream [and] that’s how you should be judged—not by what you look like, not by how you worship, not by where you come from, not by who you love. The work that we’ve done with the LGBT community, I think, is just profoundly American.”
He later mentioned the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and how, though Republicans predicted dire consequences for the Armed Forces, the results have been spectacularly unspectacular.
“Because we did [the repeal] methodically, since it happened, nothing’s happened. There hasn’t been any notion of erosion in unit cohesion.”
Discussing a visit to a Marine base in Hawaii, the president said several servicemembers thanked him for ending DADT. “I didn’t even know whether or not they were gay or lesbian. I didn’t ask. that wasn’t the point.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/obama-banks-1-4-million-for-campaign-war-chest-at-lgbt-fundraiser-20120210/

When we read (http://www.kfor.com/sns-rt-us-newyork-marinetre81904l-20120209,0,440268.story) David Hassan had finally gotten Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan to change his birth certificate from male to female female to male, we assumed he was a trans man who had scored a personal victory. But as it turns out he was just correcting a typo from almost 30 years ago.
Hassan, who was born male, was accidentally listed as female on the birth certificate issued by Lenox Hill in 1983. Apparently nobody noticed (or cared) until Hassan tried to get a driver’s license in New Jersey in 2007. Even after presenting a letter from the hospital indicating Hassan was indeed in possession of an XY chromosome, he was flagged by the DMV and denied a license. They insisted he get a letter from the hospital admitting they made a mistake.
Have you ever gotten a medical professional to admit they made a mistake?
Finally, Hassan had to resort to requesting a court order to force Lenox Hill to do a mea culpa. With the hospital fearing bad press, it suddenly started taking Hassan’s calls and a spokesperson said they were in touch with the city and Hassan’s lawyer to resolve the matter.
That all sounds fine, except for a comment from Hassan’s lawyer, Peter Madison, expressing his disbelief that the bearded Iraq War veteran had to go through so many hoops: “Have you seen him?” said Madison, “He’s not the bearded lady from the circus.”
Right, because the only person trying to change the gender on their birth certificate besides someone in Mr. Hassan’s predicament would be a circus freak? Nice way to crap all over trans men and women who deal with an inordinate amount of bullshit trying to clarify their paperwork.
The government may have proof your client has a penis, Mr. Madison, but we just got verification you’re a total dick.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nyc-man-wins-five-year-battle-to-change-sex-on-his-birth-cerificate-20120210/

Really?
The guy who almost walked in a Gay Pride parade (http://www.queerty.com/mitt-romney-almost-marched-in-the-2002-boston-gay-pride-parade-20120110/) is boasting about being tough on gay marriage?
Really.
He’s saying he “fought to have a stay on that decision, then pushed for a marriage amendment to our Constitution”?
This is Mitt Romney talking at today’s CPAC conference? Not a clone?

And I successfully prohibited out-of-state couples from coming to our state to get married and then going home. On my watch, we fought hard and prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage.
This is the guy who once said he’d be “better than Ted Kennedy for gay rights (http://www.queerty.com/mitt-romney-was-totally-for-gay-marriage-until-yesterday-20110805/)“? And now that you mention it, Mr. Romney, Provincetown is totally the Las Vegas of gay marriage.
In other news, failed GOP candidate Michele Bachmann is mumbling some garbage (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/10/michele-bachmann-cpac-prop-8_n_1268627.html) about the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision to call Prop 8 unconstitutional.

It’s amazing, really, what a decisive outcome it was, so it’s interesting, that now you find federal judges trying to undermine the will of the people. That’s what federalism is about, and that’s why you’ll see this case go to the Supreme Court.
It takes two!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/romney-boasts-about-being-tough-on-gay-marriage-20120210/

P.S: See source for video

Tyler Clementi’s openly gay brother, James, has gone on national television to open up about his family’s tragedy. Watch out, it’s a tearjerker.
Said James, of Tyler’s decision to come out of the closet right before he left for Rutgers:

“I think he was being brave with the people around him by being honest about his sexuality. And I think he tried to be a strong person and an honest person, but it seems like he was punished for that forthrightness. And made to be a joke or laughingstock and I think that must have taken its toll on him, emotionally and mentally. I think that was a lot, and I don’t think he knew how to respond to that, and obviously he responded in the wrong way.”
Out published (http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementis-brother-opens-up-about-their-relationship-and-the-impact-of-his-suicide-20120201/) some of James’ letters to Tyler, and they are equally heartbreaking. Get the full story of what we know about Tyler Clementi’s suicide here. Sad, sad, sad.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementis-brother-opens-up-on-ac360-calling-brother-brave-but-troubled-20120210/

P.S: See source for video

Today Queerty’s Douche of the Week is actually a group. Or is that “are” a group?
Apparently some unidentified Vanderbilt University students think it’s totes hilar to call their rival school, the University of Kentucky, gay. They even took to online peddler Cafe Press (http://www.cafepress.com/uk2gay) to make a T-shirt saying “UK2GAY” to wear at the schools’ upcoming basketball game this weekend.
Girlfriends, some real talk right here: that joke don’t even make sense.
GLAAD wagged its exceptionally manicured finger (http://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-reaching-out-vanderbilt-about-anti-gay-shirts) at the students, telling them that real live gay people were not ROFL-ing over their little homophobic T-shirt.
But wait!
The creators didn’t mean to be anti-gay. They even said so with a disclaimer on their online storefront: “These shirts are not meant to be offensive or derogatory. They are only meant to be humorous.”
GLAAD schooled the creators of the t-shirt a statement:

But whether they’re “meant” to be offensive or derogatory or not, the fact remains—they are.
These shirts are not meant to celebrate the fact that the University of Kentucky has a vibrant LGBT community. They’re not commending UK for its successful Gay-Straight Alliance. These shirts are meant to insult a rival. And the “insult” here is based on the assumption that being gay is bad.
Maybe they’re meant to be humorous, but what message do they send Vanderbilt’s LGBT students? How safe and welcome will they feel on campus when they see their fellow students using their identity to insult a rival? And what about the thousands of other students, who walk away with the idea that it’s perfectly fine to use sexual orientation as an insult? As is always the case, intent is important, but so are the messages being received.
We shouldn’t be surprised, really. Vanderbilt isn’t looking like any bastion of tolerance or diversity lately: In 2010, a campus imam said he supported the execution of gays (http://www.queerty.com/this-vanderbilt-muslim-chaplain-says-he-supports-executing-gays-why-is-the-university-keeping-him-20100201/). Then a Christian fraternity, Beta Upsilon Chi, asked an openly gay brother to resign (http://www.queerty.com/should-vanderbilt-let-the-beta-upsilon-chi-frat-kick-out-gays-while-remaining-an-official-student-group-20101112/), despite the school having a clear-cut nondiscrimination policy. When the school told campus Christian groups they couldn’t use freedom of religion as an excuse to discriminate, groups like the Christian Fellowship of Athletes had a hissy fit. In a recent op-ed in InsideVandy (http://www.insidevandy.com/opinion/article_34924a5c-52d5-11e1-becb-001a4bcf6878.html) , writer Justin Poythress goes on at length about how “Christians can’t be gay.”

Let me point out bluntly something that should be crystal clear to all professing Christians: They can’t be gay. To be clear, this does not mean they cannot struggle with homosexual temptations; it means you cannot claim to follow Christ and at the same time actively pursue a homosexual lifestyle. The two are incompatible. This would indeed be an extremely narrow-minded and bigoted standpoint if it was based on any single opinion. But Christians are supposed to take the Bible as the word of God, and if God says not to do something, it doesn’t make any difference what anyone else thinks. “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions … the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men … ” (Rom. 1:26-27) And again: “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality … will inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Cor. 6:9-10)
I’m sorry if these words are offensive to some, but the reality is that much of what the Bible has to say is offensive to our modern culture. As Christians, we must decide whether we are going to follow God wholly or pick and choose which things we like. What’s truly narrow-minded and bigoted is to make and support a policy that says we need to tolerate everyone except those people whose beliefs go against the accepted, establishment, pluralistic, politically correct views.
Wow, maybe Poythress should reread his Bible passages. We’re pretty sure “sexually immoral” would cover most college kids, even at Vanderbilt.
All together now: What a douche!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/vanderbilt-students-think-their-u-of-kentucky-rivals-are-2gay-20120210/

TheGodlessUtopian

11th February 2012, 19:44

Suspect Arrested in Transgender Bus Stop Stabbing

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-10/transgender_murder_surveillancex390.jpg

A man was arrested Friday for allegedly stabbing a transgender woman to death at a bus stop in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.

Gary Montgomery, 55, was arrested and charged with the second degree murder of JaParker Jones, who was stabbed in the head on February 2. She died later that evening at a hospital.

NBC News reports (http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Arrest-in-NE-Transgender-Killing-139113289.html) that Montgomery has not been charged with a hate crime, but that option has not been ruled out. He is also being questioned for additional unsolved crimes.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier told reporters Friday that their search for Montgomery was aided by "passersby unrelated to the situation [who] intervened and attempted to assist" Jones. Lanier also thanked people in the community also stepped forward to help find a suspect.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/10/Suspect_Arrested_in_Transgender_Bus_Stop_Stabbing/

Maggie Gallagher Believes She Represents the Mainstream

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-11/gallagher.jpg

Marriage Equality foe Maggie Gallagher was interviewed by The Big Picture’s Thom Hartmann, who challenged the activist on several key points.

When asked if she felt her efforts represented the mainstream or a fringe group, Gallagher said, “Thirty-one out of thirty-one times the American people have had a chance to vote in the last decade, including as recently as 2009 in May, they voted to say ‘no, we don’t believe that gay marriage is a right. We think marriage is the union between a husband and wife for a reason. These are the only unions that make new life and connect children and love to their mother and father.’”

“So, you think sterile people should not be able to get married?” Hartmann asked in response.

When asked if she felt her stance against same-sex marriage made gay teens feel inferior and contributed to the alarming rate of suicides, Gallagher turned the question around. “Do you feel like the millions of Americans who go out there and vote and organize and fight for the idea that marriage means a husband and wife are responsible for gay teen suicide or not?”

“Yes, I do,” answered Hartmann.

Watch the video below.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/11/Maggie_Gallagher_Believes_She_Represents_the_Mains tream/

P.S: See source for video

Chris Gregoire Talks Marriage Equality, Chris Christie

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-19/Gregoire.jpg
Gov. Christine Gregoire
Washington governor Christine Gregoire, who is expected to sign marriage equality legislation Monday, says she has a good working relationship with New Jersey governor Chris Christie and would “feel very comfortable” calling him to discuss her personal journey on the issue.

Think Progress reports (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/02/10/423278/washington-gov-gregoire-pledges-to-personally-lobby-christie-on-marriage-equality/) that during a recent radio interview with Michael Castner, Gov. Gregoire spoke of the support she had received since taking a vocal stance in favor of equal marriage rights.

“One that sticks in my mind,” she told Castner, “is a 16-year-old who had finally disclosed to her parents that she was lesbian and they had accepted her but she still contemplated suicide. And then to have me come out — a person in a position like I’m in — to say that she’s okay and that she’s to be respected for who she is, meant the world to her.”

When asked if she would consider sharing her views on the subject with Gov. Christie — who has vowed to veto his own state’s marriage equality bill — she said yes. “I feel a good working relationship with Governor Christie,” Gregoire answered. “I respect him as a fellow governor. I have worked with him on a number of issues. So yeah, I would feel very comfortable sharing with him my personal journey and then sharing with him the overwhelming response that I’ve received.”

Listen to the interview below.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/11/Chris_Gregoire_Talks_Marriage_Equality_Chris_Chris tie/

P.S: See source for video

Westboro Baptist Church Opts Out of Protest

By Josh Hinkle (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Josh%20Hinkle)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-10/JOSHPOWELLX390.jpg
Father Josh Powell with his two sons Charlie and Braden.
The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, known for its protests of funerals and LGBT-related events, has now reneged on protesting the funerals for two young brothers.
Church leaders initially said that the deaths of Charlie Powell and Braden Powell was a retaliation from God over the passage of marriage equality laws in Washington state. A Seattle radio DJ gave Fred Phelps Jr., the founder of the church, a chance to present his views, but MSNBC (http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/10/10374794-anti-gay-westboro-church-cancels-protest-at-powell-sons-funeral) reports that Phelps could only speak on air if he agreed to call off the protest. Phelps tweeted after his interview that the protest would no longer be taking place.
The Powell boys were killed Sunday during a supervised visit with their father, Josh Powell. Powell blew up the home, resulting in their deaths.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/10/Westboro_Baptist_Church_Opts_Out_of_Protest/

Men Convicted of Distributing Antigay, Violent Fliers

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-10/triox390.jpg
Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed and Razwan Javed
Three men have been sent to jail for distributing a flier in Derby, England during a gay pride event that called for the execution of gay people.

Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed, and Razwan Javed's flier showed a wooden mannequin hanging from a noose under the headline, "Death Penalty?" It featured Islamic texts and it said that capital punishment is the only way to rid society of homosexuality, according to the U.K. Press Association. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5j2aA1wy9-DOPKZeA5mMTrZCHh0DQ?docId=N0455261328886790679A)

The BBC reports (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-16985147) that two other fliers, called "Turn or Burn" and "God Abhors You" were also placed in mailboxes around the Jamia Mosque, while a fourth flier, called "Dead Derby," was discovered by authorities, but not distributed by the men.

The three were found guilty of distributing threatening, antigay material at a Derby Crown Court, making their cases the first time anyone had been convicted of such a crime since legislation was enacted in 2010. Two other associates were also on trial, but were found not guilty. Ali, believed to be the main organizer, was sentenced to two years behind bars, while Ahmed and Javed were sentenced to 15 months.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/10/Men_Convicted_of_Distributing_Antigay_Violent_Flie rs/

Utah Killer To Die By Firing Squad

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-10/michaelarchuleta-prison-mugx390.jpg
Michael Achuleta
A man on death row for the 1988 torture and murder of gay man in Utah has been cleared for execution.

CNN reports (http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/09/justice/utah-firing-squad/index.html) that Fourth District Judge Donald Eyre signed a death warrant Wednesday for Michael Archuleta, 49, who was convicted in 1989 of beating Gordon Ray Church, 28, with a tire jack and then puncturing his liver with a tire iron.

While Archuleta is scheduled to be executed April 5 by firing squad, the inmate is still able to make federal appeals, which is likely to delay the sentence.

Utah’s last execution by firing squad, of convicted killer Ronnie Lee Gardner, occurred in June 2010.

Read more here (http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/09/justice/utah-firing-squad/index.html).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Utah_Killer_To_Die_By_Firing_Squad/

Thanks to Romney, There's No “Vegas of Gay Marriage”

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-10/1MittRomney.jpg

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mitt Romney came out swinging against marriage equality during his Friday CPAC address, claiming he “prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage.”

That zinger, accompanied by reiterated pledges to defend the Defense of Marriage Act and support a federal marriage amendment, showed a side of Romney eager for social conservative cred — this one month after he told a New Hampshire debate audience that “if people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays or will in any way try and suggest that people that have different sexual orientations don't have full rights in this country, they won't find that in me.”

On Friday, Romney told the CPAC audience that as Massachusetts governor, “Our conservative values also came under attack. Less than a year after I took office, the state’s supreme court inexplicably found a right to same-sex marriage in the constitution written by John Adams. I presume he’d be surprised.”

“When I am president, I will defend the Defense of Marriage Act,” Romney continued. “And I will fight for an amendment to our constitution that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman.”

His pronouncement against same-sex marriage came during a conference where antigay rhetoric has not so far been a major rhetorical focus. Rick Santorum, who took the main stage a few hours before Romney, did not directly mention marriage, though he said as president his administration would “surround ourselves … with people who share our values,” namely the belief that rights don’t originate from government, but from “a higher authority.”

Romney’s remarks were met with moderate, if not electric, applause from the audience, which saved its heartiest responses for his pledge to repeal the health care law, his no-apologies quip for being a successful businessman, and his characterization of President Obama as “the poster child for the arrogance of government.”

GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia, who has been a personal supporter of Romney, said Friday of the candidate’s statements, “We are deeply disappointed with Governor Romney’s speech at CPAC today. Instead of simply saying that he opposed gay marriage, Romney instead chose to play to the ugliest and most divisive impulses in this country. If he thinks this is the way to appeal to Tea Party conservatives who have reservations about his candidacy, he is dead wrong.”

Text of Romney’s remarks:

"During my term in office, our conservative values also came under attack. Less than a year after I took office, the state’s supreme court inexplicably found a right to same-sex marriage in the constitution written by John Adams. I presume he’d be surprised. I fought to have a stay on that decision then pushed for a marriage amendment to our constitution. We lost by only one vote in the legislature. And I successfully prohibited out-of-state couples from coming to our state to get married and then going home. On my watch, we fought hard and prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage.

"When I am president, I will defend the Defense of Marriage Act. And I will fight for an amendment to our constitution that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/10/Romney_I_Saved_My_State_From_Being_Vegas_of_Gay_Ma rriage/

KrasnayaRossiya

11th February 2012, 19:52

Men Convicted of Distributing Antigay, Violent Fliers
heh
here they would be COMENDED by the police!! what a shame

TheGodlessUtopian

12th February 2012, 17:54

heh
here they would be COMENDED by the police!! what a shame

Will be watching you.

KrasnayaRossiya

12th February 2012, 17:57

Will be watching you.
Well thats a true story
haven't you heard about what happened at the moscow pride's? check it out.
the police beat the priders,not the protesters against them

TheGodlessUtopian

12th February 2012, 17:57

No LGBT Protections for Idaho Human Rights Act

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-12/idaho.jpg

A spectator shouted "Have you no shame?" in Boise Friday morning after Idaho’s Senate State Affairs Committee voted against adding language to the Idaho Human Rights Act that would protect gay, lesbian, and transgender citizens.

The Times-Newsreports (http://m.magicvalley.com/news/state-and-regional/idaho-senate-committee-kills-legislation-to-add-protections-for-gay/article_30f96a9c-541f-11e1-bd38-0019bb2963f4.html) that “shock, anger, and sadness reverberated through the Idaho Senate auditorium Friday morning after” after the legislation was killed by a landslide vote. While no testimony was heard, over 300 spectators — many wearing T-shirts or buttons bearing the phrase “Add the Words” — attended the hearing to show their support for the proposal, including James Tidmarsh, an activist from Twin Falls.

"I think it's important to let them see, no matter how they vote, that there's strong support for the legislation," the activist said.

Sen. Edgar Malepeai, the bill’s sponsor, was reportedly on the verge of tears as he appealed to the committee to print the bill and allow supporters to speak on its behalf.

"Not to afford those tens of thousands of families affected by this legislation with at least a printing of the bill," Malepeai said, would be "profoundly disrespectful.”

While disappointed, supporters vowed to keep fighting for the legislation.

Read more here (http://m.magicvalley.com/news/state-and-regional/idaho-senate-committee-kills-legislation-to-add-protections-for-gay/article_30f96a9c-541f-11e1-bd38-0019bb2963f4.html).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/12/No_LGBT_Protections_for_Idaho_Human_Rights_Act/

SFPD Says It Gets Better

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-11/SFPD.jpg

The San Francisco Police Department and Mayor Ed Lee want you to know that it gets better.

"Today our police department joins the nationwide campaign to end bullying of LGBT youth by producing a heartfelt video that provides a message of hope and encouragement that it will get better," Lee said. "San Francisco is a city that prides itself on embracing equality for all and this video is another great example of our commitment to reinforcing our City's values."

The video was produced with the assistance of local filmmaker Shawn Northcutt and musician Lynden Bair.

See the video below. Find more new It Gets Better videos here (http://www.itgetsbetter.org/).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/11/SFPD_Says_It_Gets_Better/

P.S: See source for video

Mischa Popoff says: “Transgendered kids a bunch of baloney.”

http://lexiecannes.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/mischapopoff165.jpg?w=123&h=150 (http://lexiecannes.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/mischapopoff165.jpg)Mischa Popoff, standing in the way of help for trans youth.

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — Who is Mischa Popoff? An ignorant writer hardly worth mentioning except for the fact that he puts the lives of trans kids at risk with anti-trans rhetoric.
Popoff is opposed to introducting education of trans issues into the British Columbia and Ontario (Canada) school systems. While he has a right to voice his opinions, he is basing his position on his own personal experience with trans people.
Popoff: I know transgendered people; they can attest this is a huge mistake. . . .
They ["transgenderists" -- his word] freely admit most kids they’ve encouraged to live as members of the opposite sex for as long as a decade actually wind up abandoning the whole idea of gender re-assignment (sex change) once they enter their teens.
Remember, “they,” of course, are just the trans people Popoff “knows.” Most of us likely don’t agree with them. Just because some trans people choose not have sex reassignment surgery, doesn’t mean they’re no longer trans — many trans people don’t proceed for financial, religious, family or other personal reasons — he’s twisting facts — and I highly doubt they’re correct in the first place. Strike one.
Popoff: “Transgenderism is impossible to provide counselling for, unless the counsellor is a proponent thereof. As such, you can rest assured it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, the costs of which will be borne by the rest of society.”
So Popoff is saying trans kids can’t get bias-free neutral counselling — someone able to provide the pros and cons of all options available to them. Baloney. Strike two.
Popoff: “And we know this because of the dirty little secret that no one in the transgenderist community ever talks about – people who’ve gone all the way through with gender-reassignment surgery only to realize after it’s too late that they and everyone who supported them on their journey to “self-discovery” were dead wrong.”
Strike Three.
What is most harmful here is the number of needless suicides that are occurring to trans youths because ignorant writers like Popoff standing in the way of providing the help and guidance they need.

Source: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/mischa-popoff-says-transgendered-kids-a-bunch-of-baloney/

TheGodlessUtopian

12th February 2012, 17:59

Well thats a true story
haven't you heard about what happened at the moscow pride's? check it out.
the police beat the priders,not the protesters against them

I have heard, Russia is not a place I would want to be.

When you posted you didn't add a whole lot of detail to your post so it was possible to be interpreted as something negative (plus you didn't list your location on your profile so it was hard to see where you were... plus the laugh).

KrasnayaRossiya

12th February 2012, 18:12

well the thing is,many communists in e.europe etc are anti gay,some even very anti-gay

TheGodlessUtopian

12th February 2012, 18:22

well the thing is,many communists in e.europe etc are anti gay,some even very anti-gay

I have heard. Is an unfortunate concurrence since it is difficult to believe someone can be a genuine leftist while upholding psudo-science and religious superstition. If I remember correctly Spain, though it might have been Portugal, which had a very homophobic communist party (my memory is far from great so it might have been a different country even).

KrasnayaRossiya

12th February 2012, 18:25

another problem:most famous pro-gay activists are western-liberals who want even more "westernization"

TheGodlessUtopian

12th February 2012, 18:29

another problem:most famous pro-gay activists are western-liberals who want even more "westernization"

Yeah, that was part of the division between gay activism in Russia,wasn't it? The fact that the queer leaders there were bringing in high profile westerners into a nation hostile to liberal ideas. There needed to be a focus on Russian figures instead of foreign ones, correct?

KrasnayaRossiya

12th February 2012, 18:30

yes

TheGodlessUtopian

14th February 2012, 21:08

At a rally in support of gay marriage last night in the state capital of Anapolis, Maryland governor Martin O’Malley told the crowd that the House still needs “a couple more votes” to pass the bill.
According to the AP (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/omalley-says-md-house-still-short-on-gay-marriage-votes-republican-support-important/2012/02/13/gIQADuBvBR_story.html), the bill is moving very fast and could hit the House floor as early as this week.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/md-gay-marriage.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/md-gay-marriage.png)At a hearing on the matter last Friday, the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/md-hearing-on-same-sex-marriage-measure-turns-emotional-heated/2012/02/10/gIQA7UE84Q_story.html) says emotions were high. O’Malley appeared alongside two African-American religious ministers, who said that they support O’Malley’s gay-marriage efforts despite the fact that their Church sees marriage as between a man and a woman.
A recent poll (http://www.queerty.com/poll-shows-half-of-md-residents-support-legalization-of-gay-marriage-20120131/) showed that 50% of MD residents support marriage equality, while 44% oppose it. O’Malley’s attempt to woo religious African-Americans might be a politically savvy one, seeing as that poll also showed that 53% of African-American Democrats oppose gay marriage and 41% support it.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/at-marriage-equality-rally-md-gov-says-that-house-still-short-on-pro-gay-votes-20120214/

P.S: See source for video

At a school-board meeting for Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin school district Monday night, teachers, parents and administrators came together to replace a policy linked to a cluster of gay teen suicides (http://www.queerty.com/rolling-stone-delves-into-anoka-hennepins-gay-suicide-cluster-20120202/), reports the AP (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/board-of-largest-minn-school-district-replaces-policy-blamed-for-bullying-of-gay-teens/2012/02/13/gIQAA8QKCR_story.html).
The Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy (http://www.anoka.k12.mn.us/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=223568&fileitem=48585&catfilter=15049) (SOCP) required teachers to remain “neutral” when issues of sexual orientation came up in the classroom. Critics claimed it was essentially a muzzle on teachers, preventing them from addressing LGBT issues in the classroom, and linked it to the nine student suicides in Anoka-Hennepin that took place from 2009 to 2011.
The district, which is represented by Michele Bachmann (http://www.queerty.com/tag/Michele-Bachmann/), claimed its existing anti-bullying policies specifically addressed sexual orientation and that the SOCP allowed teachers to address sexual orientation in age-appropriate and curriculum-based discussions. But in July 2011, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit against the district on behalf of six students who claimed they were discriminated against because of their real or perceived sexual orientation.
Last week, a Rolling Stone feature examined the tragic suicides (http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2012/02/anoka-hennepin_school_district_gay_bullying_problem_prof iled_rolling_stone.php) of nine students in the region and the role homophobic bullying played in their deaths.
Dstrict officials contacted Queerty and other media outlets (http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2012/02/anoka-hennepin_school_district_blasts_rolling_stone_arti cle.php) to refute the RS story, saying it “presents a grossly distorted portrayal of the Anoka-Hennepin School District, its schools and its communities.”
A statement (http://www.anoka.k12.mn.us/glbt%20and%20at:%20www.anoka.k12.mn.us/suicide.) from the district read, in part:

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Rolling-Stones-Anoka-Hennepin-thumb-200x280.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Rolling-Stones-Anoka-Hennepin-thumb-200x280.jpg)When a problem comes to our attention, we deal with it. Suicides in Anoka-Hennepin schools were rare until the 2009–10 school year. In fact, there were no suicides of enrolled students in the three years leading up to 2009-10, when there were four. There was one in the summer of 2010, and two in 2010-11. (Rolling Stone reports nine suicides of district students; some were not enrolled in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.) There have been none this year.
As soon as the second suicide occurred in fall of 2009, the district became very concerned and immediately brought in experts to provide awareness programs for students and staff with more in-depth training for specific key staff (counselors, social workers, nurses, etc.). The district also provided additional support staff to work with students at schools where the need was greatest. Concerned about the large number of students with emotional problems our staff were working with last spring, we hired a person to provide support for students and families over the summer when school staff are typically not available.
When we became aware that some teachers expressed confusion over whether or not they could intervene if they witnessed bullying of gay students, the School Board and superintendent went on record stating that staff are required to intervene in all instances of bullying or harassment. If they do not, they can be disciplined. We also provided training for staff. Most recently, the district contracted with CLIMB Theater to create a series of vignettes of typical bullying and harassment situations to show teachers how they can effectively address them. These were developed with input collected from all teachers at the beginning of the school year. CLIMB Theater actors and actresses presented these for all secondary teachers during our January staff development day. This was well received by staff.
Despite its criticism of the article, the district seems to have taken its message to heart. Anoka-Hennepin has now adopted a new measure, the Respectful Learning Environment Policy.
Writes the AP (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/board-of-largest-minn-school-district-replaces-policy-blamed-for-bullying-of-gay-teens/2012/02/13/gIQAA8QKCR_story.html) of the revised agenda:

When contentious political, religious, social matters or economic issues come up—it does not specifically cite sexuality issues—teachers shouldn’t try to persuade students to adopt a particular viewpoint. It calls for teachers to foster respectful exchanges of views. It also says in such discussions, staff should affirm the dignity and self-worth of all students, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
But some students aren’t sure it goes far enough:

Rachael Hawley, a senior at Anoka High School who led a petition drive against the old policy, said she isn’t sure how much of a difference the new “Respectful Learning Environment” policy will make in the long run but hopes it opens the door to better discussions.
What do you think: Does the district need to specifically say, “no bullying of gay people” or is this generally worded “Respectful Learning Environment” policy enough?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/anoka-hennepin-school-district-revises-policy-in-wake-of-suicides-rolling-stone-expose-20120214/

While rumors a few weeks back had French President Nicolas Sarkozy changing his mind to support gay marriage (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-16/sarkozy-minister-denies-gay-marriage-to-be-added-to-platform.html), the Gallic politician has now gone on record to say that he will not be including gay marriage or gay adoption in his re-election campaign.
Luckily for French LGBTs, Sarkozy’s socialist party opponent, Francois Hollande, is hugely popular, and totally pro-marriage equality. The presidential election will go down at the end of April/beginning of May.
In an interview with Le Figaro magazine (http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2012/02/09/01002-20120209ARTFIG00566-nicolas-sarkozy-veut-consulter-les-francais-par-referendum.php) translated by LifeSiteNews (http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/french-president-says-no-to-homosexual-marriage-and-adoption-euthanasia), Sarkozy stated that he did not support legalizing gay marriage, because it opens the door to gay adoption and families with same-sex parents. Said Sarkozy:

In troubled times, when our society needs to keep its bearings, I don’t think that it is necessary to blur the image of this essential social institution that is marriage…
I know that there exists, in fact, particular situations with men and with women who assume their parental roles perfectly. But they do not lead me to think that it is necessary to inscribe in law a new definition of family.
Sarkozy said he supports inheritance rights for gay couples, but doesn’t want to create “civil unions” because they would “harm the institution of marriage.” France already has a sort of civil union called PACS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacte_civil_de_solidarit%C3%A9).
How a conservative politician can justify wanting less families on the planet, we do not know. Would that Sarkozy were more like British PM David Cameron, his neighbor to the west, who has said that he does not support gay marriage in spite of being a Conservative, but that he supports it because he is a Conservative.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/french-president-nicolas-sarkozy-wont-support-gay-marriage-in-re-election-campaign-20120214/

Gay travelers heading to Chicago (http://www.chicago.gaycities.com/) or other parts of Illinois will now find it easier to locate queer-friendly accommodations and events: The state has just launched a new LGBT channel on the official Visit Illinois (http://www.enjoyillinois.com/lgbt/home.aspx) website. Gov. Pat Quinn announced (http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/179db4609add4b97b7e6b6dc227738c8/IL--Pride-Illinois/) the launch of “Pride Illinois” on Saturday, explaining that it will allow Illinois to meet the needs of LGBT travelers and support the state’s growing tourism industry. “Pride Illinois” offers detailed info on popular queer Windy City events like Chicago Pride, North Halsted Market Days, Pride Day at Wrigley Field and the Reeling Film Festival.
In January, Quinn signed legislation granting same-sex couples the same legal rights as married heterosexual couples.Last week, openly gay state legislators Greg Harris, Deb Mell and Kelly Cassidy announced efforts to introduce a formal marriage-equality bill.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/illinois-launches-new-official-lgbt-travel-site-20120214/

Rev. Darryl L. Foster has about as much understanding of the American legal system as he does human sexuality. Last week on Peter LaBarbera’s Americans For Truth About Homosexuality Radio Hour, the ex-gay activist argued columnist Dan Savage should be http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Ex-Homosexual.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Ex-Homosexual.png)arrested because he tells LGBT kids things will “get better” when they get older.

It’s really indicative of the character of these individuals… Dan Savage, is also the creator of the so-called anti-bullying It Gets Better charade. You know, homosexual kids are still killing themselves after believing his message. I think he—personally—I think he should be arrested for propagating this lie to—for these kids to have this false promise without any sort of information on what is ‘it’ anyway? It’s really so vile to me that it disturbs me to even talk about it.
We’ve expressed our reservations with the It Gets Better project—how it presumes all LGBT youth will move away, go to college and live in big cities—but we still think its a noble effort. Even if it wasn’t, though, it’s not a crime to propagate unrealistic expectations. If it was, Foster, LaBarbera and everyone at Americans For Truth About Homosexuality would be rotting away in San Quentin.
Click here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkpEZNfsoa4&feature=youtu.be) for the whole nauseating exchange.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ex-gay-nut-calls-for-dan-savage-to-be-arrested-for-creating-it-gets-better-20120213/

Gov. Chris Gregoire has officially signed same-sex marriage into law in Washington State in a ceremony held in the state capital of Olympia. Weddings will commence June 7, if opponents do not have 120,000 signatures to propose a November ballot referendum by June 6. In legalizing gay marriage, Washington is the seventh marriage-equality state, joining New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C.
Time to celebrate, Seattle! And time to thank Gov. Chris Gregoire for championing our charge for equal rites.
It’s also time for Republicans in New Jersey and Maryland, where marriage equality measures are bubbling, up to watch this video of GOP Rep. Maureen Walsh waxing eloquent on why she supports gay marriage.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-marriage-equality-bill-signed-sealed-delivered-in-washington-state-20120213/

TheGodlessUtopian

14th February 2012, 21:18

It might be time to start a potato boycott: On Friday, legislators in Idaho voted down a measure to add protections for LGBT citizens to the state’s anti-discrimination laws. The Times-News reports (http://m.magicvalley.com/news/state-and-regional/idaho-senate-committee-kills-legislation-to-add-protections-for-gay/article_30f96a9c-541f-11e1-bd38-0019bb2963f4.html),

Shock, anger and sadness reverberated through the Idaho Senate auditorium Friday morning after a party-line vote by the Senate State Affairs Committee killed legislation to add protections for gay, lesbian and transgendered individuals under the Idaho Human Rights Act.
Legislative committees don’t hear testimony at print hearings, but that didn’t stop 300 people from watching as the proposal fell, with only the committee’s two Democrats voting to print the bill. Many attendees wore buttons or shirts stating their support for the legislation, referred to as “Add The Words.”
Sen. Edgar Malepeai (D-Pocatello), introduced the measure and fought back tears as he asked members to print the bill and allow testimony from supporters. “In my opinion, it would be profoundly disrespectful not to afford,” said Malepeai said, who is straight. Pausing to collect himself, he added: “Not to afford those tens of thousands of families affected by this legislation withttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Malepeai95.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Malepeai95.jpg)h at least a printing of the bill.”
At a “print hearing” such as this, committee members decide whether or not to formally introduce a bill for consideration. Once “printed,” a measure is entered into the public record and then voted on. With Malepeai (right) and Sen. Michelle Stennett (D-Ketchum) the only two of nine committee members who voted in favor of printing the bill, its existence won’t even be entered into the public record.
While public testimony is generally not taken at such meetings, sources say Committee Chairman Curt McKenzie (R-Nampa) could have easily allowed it. After the vote was called and the committee adjourned, one witness exclaimed, “Have you no shame?”
We’re gonna go with “no.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/idaho-votes-against-adding-lgbt-protections-to-states-human-rights-act-20120213/

Progress is being made in the case of the 20-year-old gay man who was viciously attacked (http://www.queerty.com/why-hasnt-this-gay-bashed-atlanta-man-come-forward-to-report-the-crime-20120207/) after leaving a grocery store in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta. Police have arrested Jack Gang member Christopher Cain, transported him to the Fulton County Jail, and charged him with aggravated assault and robbery, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-police-arrest-suspect-1344561.html). We weren’t aware that the three gang-affiliated attackers also stole something from the victim while they hurled anti-gay insults like “faggot” at him. We thought the worst part about the crime was that a fourth accomplice videotaped the whole thing and proudly posted it on the internet.
Brandon White, the victim of the beating, did not originally want to come out and identify himself, but bravely did so (http://www.queerty.com/brandon-white-victim-of-brutal-atlanta-bashing-speaks-out-at-press-conference-20120208/) in a press conference last week. Another rally was staged this Saturday (http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-beating-victim-speaks-1338480.html) where the community showed up in the bitter cold to show their support of White and to condemn anti-gay violence. White said at the rally that he was motivated to come out of the shadows because the gay-bashing video went viral on the Internet.
“This is not a one day campaign. This is not a one week campaign. This is a lifetime campaign,” said city Councilwoman Cleta Winslow at the rally.
Police have identified the two other assailants in the case but have not yet arrested them.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/atlanta-police-arrest-one-of-three-suspects-in-gang-related-gay-bashing-20120213/

Though cops across the nation have marched in Gay Pride parades, the San Francisco Police Department is the first of its kind to produce an “It Gets Better” video. It features a heartfelt message from SFPD commissioner Greg Suhr and teary coming-out stories from out officers of the peace.
“I was a smallish young man growing up here in San Francisco,” says Suhr in the opening of the video. “And I’d get bullied all the time, even though I had many brothers and sisters. I really appreciated it when people stood up for me. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to grow up as an LGBT youth today. Nobody deserves to be taunted or bullied. It does get better, and until it does, we here in the San Francisco Police Department are going to stick up for you.”
Memo to the NYPD and LAPD: get the cameras rolling, stat!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-sfpd-becomes-first-cops-in-the-nation-to-make-it-gets-better-video-20120213/

P.S: See source for video

Hockey Player Suspended For Using Antigay Slur on Twitter

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-14/justinx390.jpg

Houston Aeros forward Justin Fontaine has been suspended by his team’s NHL affiliate, the Minnesota Wild, after using an antigay on Twitter Sunday night during the Grammys.

In response to a tweet from roommate David MacIntyre about the Foo Fighters’ performance on the show, Fontaine tweeted, “I disagree, the Foo Faggots were awful. #TerribleShow #BadTaste.”

While Fontaine soon realized his mistake and deleted the message — saying, “My apologies to everyone, it was wrong. Twitter rookie and it came out totally wrong. It was a roommate battle, nothing more. #sorry.” — he was too late. Several Wild fans had reportedly seen and reacted to the message and worse yet, Houston Aeros captain John DiSalvatore had retweeted it.

In a statement Monday night, the Wild said, “Minnesota Sports and Entertainment (MSE) apologizes for the offensive slur that was posted by Justin Fontaine on Twitter last night. Fontaine has been suspended from playing in the next two games for the Houston Aeros.”

There is no word on whether disciplinary action will be taken against DiSalvatore for retweeting the slur.

The Minneapolis StarTribune reports (http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/139265783.html) that the NHL’s social media policy states that “players and club personnel will be held responsible for their social communications in the same manner in which they are held responsible for other forms of public communications.”

Fontaine apologized again Monday night, telling a fan via Twitter that he felt “awful” about the incident, adding that “it’s a word I’ll never use again.”

Read more here (http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/139265783.html).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/14/Hockey_Player_Suspended_For_Using_Antigay_Slur_on_ Twitter/

As Maryland Marriage Vote Looms, Support Still Needed

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-09/2010-09-10/martin.jpg

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley said that a House of Delegates committee could advance the marriage equality bill this week, but “a couple” of votes are still needed on the floor.

O’Malley spoke to reporters Monday after an evening rally for the marriage equality bill in Annapolis, according to the Baltimore Sun (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-marriage-bill-could-have-vote-this-week-20120213,0,3133461.story). He indicated that the lobbying effort continues in the House.

"People always make their decisions against deadlines," said O'Malley, who was making an unscheduled appearance at the rally. "The bill has been heard in the House and is likely to move. Exactly when will be up to the Speaker of course."

Last year, the bill failed to receive a vote in the House after passing the Senate for the first time with bipartisan support from one Republican, Allan Kittleman (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/02/02/Key_Maryland_Republican_for_Marriage_Equality/). The Senate judicial committee chairman told the Sun that he would wait on the House before sending the bill to the senate floor, but he would not hold indefinitely.

According to the Associated Press (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/omalley-says-md-house-still-short-on-gay-marriage-votes-republican-support-important/2012/02/13/gIQADuBvBR_story.html), O’Malley said the bill still needs “a couple” of votes to reach the threshold of 71 in the House. He said that winning Republican support was important to the bill’s prospects in the chamber.

“That was the difference in many other states and that could well be the difference here,” said O’Malley of Republican support. “It’s hard to say right now. Right now there’s a lot of soul searching going on a lot of people will be making their decisions finally in the next few days.”

The AP reported that Del. Patrick Hogan of Frederick County is one such Republican being courted by advocates.

Last Friday, the House Judiciary and Health and Government Operations Committees held a joint hearing with more than 10 hours of testimony on the bill. The governor, who has made the bill a legislative priority this session, testified.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/14/As_Maryland_Marriage_Vote_Looms_Support_Still_Need ed/

Santorum Campaigns Against Washington Marriage Equality

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/SANTORUMX390.jpg

Running neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney according to a new national poll (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/santorum-is-tied-with-romney-in-new-poll/?hp) of Republican primary voters, Rick Santorum spent Monday campaigning in Washington state, where primary voters head to the polls March 3 and where Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law a marriage equality bill during an exuberant ceremony yesterday at the state capitol.

During his swing through the state that President Obama carried in 2008 with 57.5% of the vote, Santorum met with a group of conservative religious leaders in a closed-door meeting to push for repeal of the marriage law, which is scheduled to go into effect June 7.

“We have a serious issue about trying to get moms and dads to marry and stay together,” Santorum told the Seattle Times. “I don't see this as encouraging that. I think that at least from my perspective it tends to water down marriage instead of encouraging men and women to form healthy marriages, and that to me should be the objective of the government because that is in the best interests of our society."

The newspaper reported that during a Monday night rally in Tacoma, Santorum sparred with protesters, as he has done many times on the campaign trail when confronted by marriage equality supporters. Police removed two protesters after continued disruptions (read the story here (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017500660_santorum14m.html)).

A New York Times/CBS News poll (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/santorum-is-tied-with-romney-in-new-poll/?hp) released this morning shows 30% of GOP primary voters said they supported Santorum, compared to 27% for Romney.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/14/Santorum_Campaigns_Against_Washington_Marriage_Equ ality/

KATHMANDU - A top Nepali comedy actor told Sunday how he helped his son become one of the country's first post-operative transsexuals and a "perfect lady" with a $26,000 sex change.

Santosh Pant said 18-year-old Caitlin, born as Pratik, was recovering at home in Kathmandu after successful surgery in Thailand last month.

"My son from childhood used to say that his body and soul were not matching each other. He had a male body but he said that his soul was of a female," Pant told AFP.

"He had been asking us for his gender reassignment and we were convinced by his logic. He told us that he would transform into a perfect lady if the transplant was carried out in early age."

There are only thought to be a handful of post-operative transsexuals in Nepal, a deeply conservative, mainly Hindu country that nonetheless has some of the most progressive policies on sexuality issues in Asia.

"He is now 18 and a delay in surgery, according to him, could have made him look ugly. We did not want to see him sink into depression and took him to Thailand last month," said Pant, 51.

The actor, a household name in Nepal who ruled the airwaves for more than 10 years from the mid-1990s with the hugely-popular sit-com "Hijo Aja Ka Kura", said Caitlin plans to travel to the US to study pharmacy.

Caitlin, who had hormone therapy for a year before the operation, was not available for interview.

But her mother Pratbha told the Nepali-language Kantipur daily newspaper: "After the death of our elder daughter in accident, we have always been expecting a daughter in the family.

"When she was in my womb, I prayed for a daughter. My dream has come true after 18 years and I am very happy."

Sunil Pant, Nepal's first openly gay parliamentarian, who runs the Blue Diamond Society pressure group, described gender reassignment as a "new concept" in Nepal.

"Two of our members have undergone reassignment and I have heard there are some others," he said.

"I am very happy for the courage and support demonstrated by the Pant family. I would like to congratulate the new girl for being successful in transferring her personal conviction into a reality." - AFP
Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/247760/news/world/nepal-actor-welcomes-home-transgender-daughter

Activists are preparing a petition to put a referendum on Houston's November ballot, calling for a ban on discrimination against gays and permission for the city to grant health insurance benefits to the unmarried partners of city employees.
If organizers collect the 20,000 signatures needed to get it on the ballot, the measure again would take the temperature of Houstonians who have voted against both proposals in separate measures in the past 27 years and could make Houston the focus of national attention as the latest political battleground over gay rights.
"Discrimination exists everywhere. It's really hard to determine how big the problem is," said Noel Freeman (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Noel+Freeman%22), president of the Houston GLBT Caucus (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Houston+GLBT+Caucus%22), who said he expects to submit petition language to the city secretary as early as the end of the month. A local law is necessary, Freeman said, because gays and lesbians who want to press claims of discrimination currently must undertake costly litigation in state or federal courts.
Houston voters rejected two initiatives in 1985 that would have banned discrimination against gays and lesbians in city employment. In 1998, Mayor Lee Brown (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Lee+Brown%22) issued an order banning discrimination against gay city employees. It survived a three-year legal challenge from Councilman Rob Todd (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Rob+Todd%22).
'Bipartisan values'
This year's measure would prohibit discrimination against gays in employment, public accommodations and housing.
In 2001, voters also approved a ban on benefits such as health insurance for the unmarried domestic partners - same sex or opposite sex - of city employees.
David Wilson, who organized the 2001 campaign, said that should a referendum overturning that ban make it to the ballot, "I would fight it with every fiber of strength I have."
Freeman said he believed that growing support of gay rights in a city that twice has elected a lesbian mayor, as well as the tailwinds from a large presidential election turnout, will lift the ballot measure to victory.
"Opponents of equal rights are on the wrong side of history," he said.
Todd supports Freeman's (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Freeman%27s%22) referendum.
"I believe that everyone has a right to be loved," said Todd, a Republican. "And everyone has a right to gainful employment and to be able to support their loved ones, and if those aren't bipartisan values, then I don't know what is."
No magic wand
The former councilman explained that his objection to Brown's order was parliamentary - that such a change should come from the voters or Council, "not some wave of the wand by the executive branch." Todd said he believes this referendum has a chance of passing where others have failed because of a new generation of voters, an influx of newcomers and changed attitudes among long-time Houstonians.
Wilson conceded that those trends likely bolster the referendum's chances, but said there also is a large group of people who previously sat out of political contests who will be motivated to mobilize against the measure.
A spokesman for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which promotes gay candidates nationwide and contributed to the campaigns of Mayor Annise Parker (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Annise+Parker%22) and Councilman Mike Laster (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Mike+Laster%22) last year, said the referendum could draw attention from activists across the country.
"I think it would be something that would absolutely be part of the mix in LGBT politics," said Denis Dison (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Denis+Dison%22), the group's vice president of communications.
Three weeks ago Parker helped lead a call by 78 mayors at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., for the legalization of gay marriage.
Parker said she could not determine where she stands on Freeman's referendum until she sees the language.
"I believe it's important for the city of Houston to send a signal to the world that we welcome everybody and that we treat everybody equally, and depending on the elements of what was actually in it, I might or might not support it," Parker said.

Source: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Activists-to-petition-for-non-discrimination-law-3307896.php

Virginia School District Wants to Ban Cross-Dressing

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-13/KINGSFORKX390.jpg
King's Fork High School in the Suffolk, Va., school district
A Virginia school district is threatening to bar teens from cross-dressing, all in the name of keeping them safe from bullying and harassment.
The Suffolk school district in southern Virginia is weighing a ban on teens wearing clothing "not in keeping with a student's gender." School board members recently referenced the 2008 murder of California teen Lawrence King, who wore high heels and makeup days before being shot to death in his classroom. But the ACLU of Virginia and local LGBT groups are warning against such a ban, calling it vague and discriminatory.
"If a girl comes to school wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, is that considered cross-gender dressing?"James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, asked Reuters.
A vote is expected in March, and the ban could go into effect in July. Read more here. (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/11/us-virginia-clothing-gender-idUSTRE81A0P720120211)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/13/Virginia_School_District_Wants_to_Ban_CrossDressin g/

Chuck Woolery: Blacks, Gays Need No Civil Rights

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-13/Rapping-Chuck-WooleryX390.jpg

Chuck Woolery is not looking for a Love Connection with gay people. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., Thursday, the former game show host said the U.S. Court of Appeals was wrong to find Proposition 8 unconstitutional.

After meeting up with ousted Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann, Woolery said gay people and African-Americans don't need civil rights or legal protections against discrimination, according to the The Huffington Post. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/10/michele-bachmann-cpac-prop-8_n_1268627.html?ref=gay-voices)

"Majority rules," he said, referring to the Proposition 8 vote in 2008. "We were born with national rights. We don't need civil rights. [African-Americans] don't need civil rights. They don't need them. They have inalienable rights granted by God in the Constitution. I mean, I'm discriminated against all the time. I don't care. It doesn't bother me. [I'm discriminated against] because I'm old."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/13/Chuck_Woolery_Blacks_Gays_Need_No_Civil_Rights/

TheGodlessUtopian

15th February 2012, 21:56

Rhode Island, the smallest state in the nation, is headed for some big marriage-equality goals this year. Ray Sullivan, the executive director of Marriage Equality Rhode Island (MERI), tells Queerty that a gay marriage bill will “absolutely” be introduced into the legislature tomorrow—the last day to introduce bills.
State Rep. Art Hardy and state Sen. Rhoda Perry have told Sullivan they will sponsor the bill. Hardy and Perry are at this very moment collecting signatures and co-sponsorships from other state politicians.
“Governor Lincoln Chafee is also on board and has said he will sign a marriage-equality bill,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan admits that last year’s disastrous civil-unions bill (http://www.queerty.com/ris-terrible-civil-unions-are-costing-the-state-8-million-and-only-14-gays-have-entered-them-20111110/) was “fundamentally flawed and discriminatory.”
“The civil unions law was enacted at the relative last waiting days,” says Sullivan, “and fell through due to lack of leadership in the Assembly.”
He says that anti-gay politicians added a so-called Corvese Amendment at the last minute, the “particularly outrageous” language of which allows for any religion-affiliated institution (such as a college or hospital) to choose not to recognize a civil union.
In addition to pushing marriage equality, Sullivan says they’ll try to repeal the Corvese Amendment by pushing the Equal Religious Protection Act. Sullivan says MERI supports common-sense exemptions, like clergy who should not have to perform gay-wedding ceremonies they don’t feel comfortable with.
Lastly, he says they’ve partnered with other organizations to push a hate crimes bill that will protect transgender people.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/rhode-island-en-route-to-upgrading-crappy-civil-unions-to-real-gay-marriages-20120215/

A spokesperson for Rep. Nancy Pelosi has stated that the House’s Minority Leader supports the inclusion of pro-marriage-equality language on the 2012 national Democratic Party Platform. We’ve always loved Nancy Pelosi (http://www.queerty.com/tag/nancy-pelosi/)‘s tireless championing of gay rights, and we’re proud to say she’s finally bringing what has been a teeth-grinding state-by-state battle to the federal level. That’s pretty huge.
The language comes from prominent gay-rights organization Freedom to Marry (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/), which proposed the following plank:

“We support the full inclusion of all families in the life of our nation, with equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law, including the freedom to marry. Government has no business putting barriers in the path of people seeking to care for their family members, particularly in challenging economic times. We support the Respect for Marriage Act and the overturning of the federal so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and oppose discriminatory constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny the freedom to marry to loving and committed same-sex couples.”
Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tells Metro Weekly (http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/02/house-minority-leader-nancy-pe.html), “Leader Pelosi supports this language.”
Freedom to Marry president Evan Wolfson lauded Pelosi’s decision. Said Wolfson:

“A strong majority of Democrats and Independents support the freedom to marry, and standing up for all families is not just the right thing to do morally, it’s also right to do politically. I hope more people will quickly join Leader Pelosi by signing Freedom to Marry’s Democrats: Say I Do petition (http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d8939e7/27177e25/4ff92e01/2e14d5ee/4031720920/VEsF/) so together we can get the party, and the country, where the majority of Americans already are.”
This could put Pelosi at odds with Obama, who did not support marriage equality in his 2008 campaign. In 2010, he said his position on the matter was “evolving,” and recent White House press conferences have reiterated that he still is not ready to embrace it fully.
One minor quibble: It’s great that Nancy’s spokesperson has confirmed her unequivocal support of our agenda, but we want to see the queen embracing gay rights herself—and asking her party to follow her in doing so—in her own words!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nancy-pelosi-wants-2012-democratic-party-platform-to-unequivocally-support-marriage-equality-20120215/

Conhttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Rep._Al_McAffrey.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Rep._Al_McAffrey.jpg)gratulations to Al McAffrey for winning a special-election seat to become the first openly gay state Senator. He previously broke barriers as, you guessed it, Oklahoma’s first openly gay state Representative.
“Al’s election to the State Senate is another milestone for LGBT Oklahomans, and we are proud to support his campaign,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. ”There are still a number of states that have never elected any openly LGBT state legislators, so Oklahoma can be proud that Al has been elected to both the House and the Senate.”
Now how’s that Rogers and Hammerstein tune go?
Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain
And the wavin’ wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the gays.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/oklahoma-has-elected-its-first-openly-gay-state-senator-20120215/

It might seem a little cheesy to get married atop the Empire State Building but, for two gay couples, the sky-high ceremony had special significance. The ESB has long hosted a select number of wedding celebrations on Valentine’s Day but this year marked the first time same-sex couples were invited to participate, after marriage equality was legalized in New York last June. Stephanie Figarelle and Lela McArthur of Alaska and New Yorkers Shawn Klein and Phil Fung (above) were the lucky lovers who were able to have a Sleepless in Seattle moment on the most romantic day of the year.
“It was love at first sight,” Fung told Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/14/us-valentines-empirestate-idUSTRE81D1AQ20120214). “We have been talking about getting married now that gay marriage was passed in New York state and friends of ours told us about the contest.”
It’s wonderful gays and lesbians can participate in this annual event, but we hope everyone was careful where they threw the bouquet.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-couples-climb-new-heights-in-nyc-as-empire-state-building-hosts-first-same-sex-weddings-20120215/

Over at Long Island’s Great Neck South High School, a model Gay-Straight Alliance is standing up against homophobia today with a “Wear Purple Day” (http://www.facebook.com/events/106022869519625/) event. Meher Zaman, an 11th grader at the school—and an out lesbian—is leading the charge.
“Students are standing in solidarity and uniting against homophobia at our high school by wearing purple,” she says. “We will also be handing out wristbands to people and culminating awareness against homophobia by speaking to other students about such issues in health classrooms.”
The color purple is also used on Spirit Day (http://www.queerty.com/all-the-cool-kids-are-wearing-purple-today-20101020/), October 20, to commemorate LGBT kids who have committed suicide.
Zaman says her group created the sweatshirts (http://www.customink.com/designs/fsfsf/dfp0-000n-1vub/hotlink?pc=HL-46120&cm_mmc=hotlink-_-2-_-Body_txt-_-button1) to help brand their cause and sold them in the school’s lobby several weeks ago for $15 each. “We want to create an environment of comfort for all students regardless of sexual orientation by promoting not merely tolerance but true acceptance.”
If only more adults could be as open-minded and more GSA as outspoken as this.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ny-high-schoolers-stand-up-to-homophobia-with-purple-love-is-love-sweatshirts-20120215/

As KSAZ Fox 10 in Phoenix reports (http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/faith/churchs-gay-is-not-okay-sign-causes-outrage-02132012), a sermon and accompanying sign stating “gay is not okay” has lead to trouble for the Ft. Des Moines Church of Christ in Iowa.
Rev. Mike Demastus, who preached his homophobic homily over the weekend, says a marquee outside the church was vandalized and he was threatened.
While we don’t condone violence or property damage, we’re not exactly gonna bring Demastus a nice cup of Celestial Seasonings to soothe his nerves. Especially since he claims the anger was misdirected:

“This has opened up a pretty decent dialogue for those that are willing to have the dialogue. But for those that are just spewing anger and hate and all that kind of stuff, I just think that’s awful. But the reality is I can only speak where God’s word speaks.”
If railing against gays from the pulpit isn’t “spewing anger and hate and all that stuff,” Reveend, then what exactly is?
There was a silver lining to this unpleasant situation: Roughly 100 people protested outside the church when the sermon was delivered Sunday and Demastus changed the word “gay” to “adultery” on the marquee.
On a separate note, we get a funny “pinging” sensation when Demastus opens his mouth. Anyone else?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/des-moines-churchs-gay-is-not-okay-sermon-leads-to-threats-vandalism-protest-20120215/

Two bills legalizing same-sex marriage were introduced into the Australian Parliament this week but, as the AP reports (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/rival-bills-that-would-lift-a-ban-on-gay-marriage-in-australia-introduced-into-parliament/2012/02/12/gIQA3lep9Q_story.html), both could suffer a quick death.The two bills are essentially identical—both would lift the country’s current ban on gay marriages without forcing clergy to perform a ceremony inconsistent with their religion.One was introduced by the radical Greens Party and the other by a lawmaker from the more mainstream Labor Party.But, as Greens representative Adam Bandt explains, neither one has a good chance of passing right now. “We know that as things stand, if either of these bills is put to a vote now, we know it will fail,” he said. The fight for marriage equality in Australia has taken as many twists and turns as it has here in the States. Though the ruling Labor Party recently changed its platform to support same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Julia Gillard (a Labor member herself) has come out against it, saying that marriage between a man and a woman has a “special status.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-marriage-bills-introduced-in-australian-parliament-but-their-fate-looks-grim-20120215/

TheGodlessUtopian

15th February 2012, 22:01

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation named new officers to its National Board of Directors today: Michael Lammon (left), formerly GLAAD treasurer, joins Sheri Fults as the co-chair of the National Board of Directors. John Stephens is stepping into the treasurer role and Thom Reilly serving as secretary. Also joining the board as a member is Kevin Oldis, human-resources VP at CBS. Oldis has volunteered as a HR consultant with the nonprofit for the past 11 years.
“With recent legal victories for LGBT people and public support for our community at an all-time high, GLAAD’s work to highlight the common ground and humanity that all Americans share is critical to continuing this momentum towards equality,” said Fults in a statement. “We could not do this culture-changing work without the dedication of our board of directors, staff, supporters and members across the country.”http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/GLAAD-2-360x237.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/GLAAD-2.jpg)
GLAAD is coming off a tough year or so: Some 11 employees were laid off in January and, months prior, the organization feltthe blowback from its initial endorsement of a now-cancelled AT&T/T-Mobile (http://www.queerty.com/meet-the-guy-glaad-hired-to-repair-its-image-20110810/) merger and the resignation of former director Jarrett Barrios. “It’s no secret that GLAAD experienced some real challenges in 2011,” Thompson told The Advocate last month.
The search is still on for a new permanent president for GLAAD—Mike Thompson currently serves as interim director.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/glaad-names-new-officers-board-member-continues-to-refocus-in-2012-20120214/

In most totalitarian regimes, the head of the morality police would just send henchmen to shut down a gathering he deemed unsavory. In Uganda, the State Minister for Ethics and Integrity showed up at a LGBT rights conference and personally closed it down, reports the Daily Monitor (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1327440/-/b0qolnz/-/index.html). Organized by pro-gay-rights organization Freedom and Roam Uganda, the two-week gathering was called, in part, to discuss methods of fighting recent anti-gay legislation which, after being tabled due to international outrage, was recently brought back into discussion (http://www.queerty.com/uganda-government-says-it-doesnt-want-kill-the-gays-bill-but-will-debate-it-anyway-20120209/) by the Ugandan legislature—http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/uganda-nabagesera-620x310-600x300.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/uganda-nabagesera-620x310.jpg)though with the death penalty removed.
Yesterday, Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo (above), an ordained priest, barged in on the peaceful roundtable accompanied by police, and said, ”I have closed this conference because it’s illegal. We do not accept homosexuality in Uganda. So go back home.”
Lokodo also tried to arrest the group’s leader Kasha Jacqueline Nabagasera (left), who then fled the scene.
Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/uganda-government-raid-lgbt-rights-workshop-2012-02-14) has spoken out against this abusive exercise of government power over peaceful activists.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/uganda-ethics-minister-takes-it-upon-himself-to-raid-secret-lgbt-rights-conference-20120215/

Not an hour after gay marriage was officially signed into law (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-marriage-equality-bill-signed-sealed-delivered-in-washington-state-20120213/) by Washington State governor Chris Gregoire yesterday, Rick Santorum made a stop (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017500219_apwasantorumolympia1stldwritethru.html) in Tacoma to meet with Republican legislators and church leaders.
That night, some raucous protesters crashed the rally. Three were tased by police when a scuffle broke out and eventually arrested. The rabble-rousers repeatedly shouted, “We are the 99%!,” hopefully drowning out Rick’s 45-minute-long speech.
Just in case, here’s a portion of it of it:

I know this is a very important day in Washington. And, in many respects, a sad day for many people. We saw the law signed into effect here in Washington State. But it is very important you understand what just happened in another place… The Ninth Circuit decided that anybody that disagrees with any of these
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/rick-santorum-tacoma-rally3-600x510.png
folks when it comes to the issue of what marriage is in this country, well, they are irrational. That’s what the Ninth Circuit said. They said anybody who disagrees with their decision to shoot down Prop 8 in California, they do so because they are irrational.
Really? The Ninth Circuit Court called people irrational (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-court-rules-in-favor-of-marriage-equality-upholds-prop-8-overturn-20120207/) in overturning Prop 8? Here we thought it just affirmed the notion that “the People may not employ the initiative power to single out a disfavored group for unequal treatment, and strip them, without legitimate justification, of a right as important as the right to marry.”
As for the protestors, we’ll accept any attempt to muzzle Santorum’s wrong-minded rhetoric. But maybe those folk should’ve joined the demonstrators shouting “Gay marriage is okay!” (http://sdgln.com/news/2012/02/14/protester-tazed-rick-santorum-rally-after-chanting-gay-marriage-ok) instead of whatever anti-corporate mumbo-jumbo they learned down in their hovels. Gay marriage was the issue of the day and the reason why Santorum came to the state, after all.
He was apparently also glitter-bombed—again— though no footage has surfaced yet.
With Santorum again surging to frontrunner status (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/santorum-is-tied-with-romney-in-new-poll/?partner=rss&emc=rss) in the polls—and anti-marriage forces in Washington already gathering signatures to put the issue on the ballot in November—we might want to organize our protest actions a little more carefully.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/protestors-tased-and-arrested-at-santorum-anti-marriage-equality-rally-in-wa-20120214/

P.S: See source for video

Gay Priests Commit Suicide Via Hit Men

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-15/Rafael-Reatiga-Richard-PiffanoX390.jpg
From left: Rafael Reatiga, Richard Piffano
The case of two gay priests in Colombia who were believed to have been killed in a robbery last year is now being investigated as a double suicide.

According to testimony heard in a Colombian court, Roman Catholic priests Rafael Reatiga, 35, and Richard Piffano, 37, paid a criminal gang thousands of dollars to shoot them down after one discovered he had become infected with HIV.

When their bodies were found last year in a car, police assumed robbery had been the motive. But according to a story (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2101457/Colombian-priests-hired-hitmen-kill-themselves.html) in the U.K. Daily Mail, weeks before their deaths the pair showed signs of their intent to commit suicide. Reatiga gave his possessions to his mother and even supplied the choirmaster with a list of songs he’d like performed at his funeral.

The suicide plot was uncovered when investigators traced numbers called by the priests in their last days to the alleged killers.

Read the full story here (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2101457/Colombian-priests-hired-hitmen-kill-themselves.html).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/15/Gay_Priests_Commit_Suicide_Via_Hitmen/

High-Profile Poker Player Comes Out

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-15/JASONX390.jpg
Jason Somerville
Jason Somerville, a professional card player who won the 2011 World Series of Poker, came out on his blog on Valentine's Day.
The Stony Brook, N.Y.-based player wrote that poker is welcoming to different races and genders, but yet there is not one high-profile gay male player. Somerville decided he would become the first.
"I always knew I wasn’t straight, but I never spoke a word of it for twenty two years, and nobody really ever knew otherwise," Somerville writes." I dated women exclusively through my teens and early 20s, doing my best to convince myself that it wasn’t something I had to pursue, that maybe I’d grow out of it, that I’d be happier with women anyway, that I just should focus on other things. After a lot of struggling and a lot of anxiety, I eventually came out to one of my close friends when I was 22. That same year, the second and third people I came out to were my parents (probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done), from which I basically received the not-exactly-what-I-needed reaction of ‘keep it to yourself, don’t tell anyone.’ I told very few people from then until I was 24 (by the way, my parents are way better now)."
Somerville says he decided to begin putting his happiness his first and making money second (he won nearly half a million dollars at the 2011 World Series of Poker, playing No-Limit, Hold 'Em).
"As 2011 continued on, and my mindset became more focused on being happy, I pushed myself to make the changes I wanted," he writes. "I started being more and more open, telling more and more people, and eventually started dating. I became more empowered by the growing personal freedoms I felt as I increasingly was just myself by default, less and less often censoring my thoughts, desires, and feelings. The small personal ‘victories’ piled up, I gained a lot of forward momentum, and the positive changes started to snowball ... and here we are now, writing this post. I’m totally open in my personal life, in an amazing relationship that means a great deal to me, and bottom line, I’m honestly happier now than I’ve ever been."
Read more here. (http://jcarver.badbeatscrew.com/thoughts-and-theory/real-talk/)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/15/High_Profile_Poker_Player_Comes_Out/

TheGodlessUtopian

15th February 2012, 22:08

Gambian President Stands Against Gay Rights

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-15/Yahya-JammehX390.jpg

The president of the West African nation of Gambia has forcefully denounced gay rights, joining several African leaders in recent months who have done so despite international calls for an end to anti-LGBT discrimination and violence from the U.S. and other nations.

IOL News (http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/gambian-president-will-not-accept-homosexuality-1.1234307) reports on Gambian president Yahya Jammeh’s recent remarks:

“We know what human rights are. Human beings of the same sex cannot marry or date,” Jammeh said while swearing in 15 ministers of his new government.

“If you think it is human rights to destroy our culture, you are making a great mistake because if you are in the Gambia, you are in the wrong place then,” he added.

In 2008, Jammeh gave an ultimatum to homosexuals to leave the country and vowed to “cut off the head” of any homosexual found in the Gambia.

Read the report here (http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/gambian-president-will-not-accept-homosexuality-1.1234307).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/15/Gambian_President_Stands_Against_Gay_Rights/

Brett Ratner Teams With GLAAD For LGBT Equality Project

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-15/RATNER02X390.jpg
GLAAD's Acting President Mike Thompson, Brian Grazer, Bryan Singer, Brett Ratner and GLAAD Senior Director Herndon Graddick
Director Brett Ratner has teamed with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to direct and produce a video campaign featuring notable celebrities who will share their stories about why they support the LGBT community and call on other Americans to do the same, according to a press release from GLAAD (http://www.glaad.org/blog/famous-faces-come-out-equality-glaad-and-brett-ratner).

“Working together with GLAAD has been a very positive and enlightening experience for me, and I could not be more pleased to be developing this crucial campaign to help educate people that we all share the same humanity,” Ratner says. “I am excited to get to work on this program and hope that minds and hearts are opened by what we create.”
The project comes months after Ratner made controversial comments, which included the use of a homophobic slur, during a Q&A session that preceded a screening of his 2011 comedy Tower Heist. Following complaints, Ratner, who was scheduled to produce the Academy Awards ceremony this month, stepped down as producer and issued an apology (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/07/Director_Brett_Ratner__Apologizes_for_Offensive_Ho mophobic_Slur/).
Ratner met with GLAAD’s Board of Directors last weekend along with Brian Grazer, who replaced him as producer of the 84th Annual Academy Awards and director-producer Bryan Singer.

“Straight allies are crucial to creating a culture in which LGBT people are respected and supported,” said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs and Communications at GLAAD. “We look forward to working with Brett and these other inspiring Americans who are speaking out and standing up for their LGBT friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers.”
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/15/Brett_Ratner_Teams_With_GLAAD_For_LGBT_Video_Proje ct/

Why Awake Is the Best New Gay TV Show

NBC’s most anticipated prime-time series, Awake, offers something precious to LGBT viewers.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1056/WIDE_AWAKEX390.jpg

On one of TV’s most highly anticipated new spring series, NBC’s Awake, Jason Isaacs plays detective Mark Britten, a talented cop who is in an auto accident that seems to have killed his wife. Hannah (Laura Allen, who played the bisexual drug addict on Dirt). and teenage son. Rex (Dylan Minnette, Medium). Yet when he awakens each morning, he’s living one of two parallel lives: one in which his son survived, another where his wife survived. This new take on a police procedural is what Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment, calls a sliding doors concept. “The implications of this are complicated,” says Salke. “But we think that the viewers will get hooked into the clever mythology in the way the stories overlap and affect each other in very interesting ways.”

As he moves between worlds, two very different therapists help Mark address his ingenious coping mechanism. It’s these conversations the surprisingly self-aware cop has with these two shrinks that fuel much of what’s wonderful about Awake. B.D. Wong, the gay actor who played the moral compass at the heart of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a decade, is the confrontational therapist Dr. Lee. Cherry Jones, the lesbian actress best known as the president on 24 — and for being the first gay person to thank their partner when accepting a Tony Award, in 1995 — is warm and comforting Dr. Evans. Each struggles to gain control over Mark’s sanity, knowing with certainty that he or she is in the only “real” world. It’s the first time we’ve had a prime-time TV show that lets two openly gay actors play a cat-and-mouse game with each other — doing so as central characters in a storyline so completely unrelated to sexuality.

Jones and Wong are each sure of their own reality on-screen.

“I am sure that she is not right,” joked Wong of Jones’s shrink, at the Television Critics Association discussion in January. “That’s all I can be sure of. It’s really interesting and fun to play a character which is having an argument with someone who they never speak to.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Why_Awake_is_the_Best_New_Gay_TV_Show/

Holding On

Bully, a staggering new documentary, follows five children over the course of a school year to examine America's bullying crisis.
By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1056/The_Bully_ProjectX390.jpg

While photographs and family videos of a newborn baby evolve into a delicate-featured young boy, a man's voice conveys a range of emotions. "I knew he'd be victimized at some point," says David Long, Tyler's father. These are the opening moments of Bully (in theaters March 9), a timely, compelling, yet often difficult-to-watch documentary by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch that weaves together stories of five children who've endured extreme abuse from their peers. David chokes up as he wishes Tyler would walk through the door again, but the boy has committed suicide.

Bully is a deeply personal film for Hirsch. "I was bullied throughout middle school and much of my childhood," the director recalls. "In many ways, those experiences and struggles helped shape my worldview and my direction as a filmmaker."

Hirsch documents numerous stories — including one of a 16-year-old lesbian who after coming out was ostracized along with her family by her entire town — but one child emerges as the film's clear protagonist. Alex, a gentle-natured, bespectacled seventh-grade boy in Sioux City, Iowa, finds there's no more terrifying place than the school bus. For him, the ride to and from his middle school each day is hellish — filled with cruel taunts and pencil jabs, even being "strangled," as he puts it, by older students. When his worried father asks about his day, Alex tries to assuage the concerns of his parents by saying the other kids were "just messing with" him. Hirsch traveled on the bus with Alex, and while he was legally prohibited from physically interceding, he became so alarmed by the abuse he witnessed that he took the footage to Alex's parents, the school, and the local police department.

In another harrowing scene, in Perkins, Okla., a boy sobs while leaning against the open coffin of his best friend, 11-year-old Ty Smalley, who committed suicide after being bullied. Ty's father, who describes himself as a simple man, learned to use the Internet so that he could launch a nonprofit antibullying organization, Stand for the Silent (http://www.standforthesilent.org/).

Bully examines the grim consequences of a crisis confronting our country through the stories of these young people and demands change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, and society as a whole.
For more information on the film, go here (http://www.thebullyproject.com/).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Holding_On/

LGBT activists confront Charlotte's first openly gay City Council member

Posted by Mark Kemp (http://clclt.com/charlotte/ArticleArchives?author=2126206) on Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 10:35 AM

http://clclt.com/binary/9310/1329146721-lawana_portrait_medium.jpg (http://clclt.com/binary/9310/1329146721-lawana_portrait_medium.jpg)

Mayfield

During a Campus Pride screening of the documentary Legalize Gay at Petra's Piano Bar on Thursday, Feb. 9, members of Charlotte's LGBT community confronted LaWana Mayfield, the city's first openly gay City Council member. Some members of the audience suggested that one of her comments at the event — that Charlotte lawmakers don't get involved in "anything that comes out of Raleigh" — was not only incorrect but inconsistent with Mayfield's stated campaign priorities. Mayfield's comment was a reply to an audience member, who asked if the Charlotte City Council was considering a resolution officially opposing the anti-LGBT amendment that North Carolinians will vote on during the May 8 primaries. Other cities, including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Greensboro, have already passed such resolutions.
Civil rights activist Matt Comer, former editor of Charlotte's LGBT magazine QNotes, wrote about it at his blog, InterstateQ: Destination Equality, (http://interstateq.com/about/) on Friday (http://interstateq.com/archives/4930/) and again today (http://interstateq.com/archives/4957/). Here's a snippet:

Anyone with even a single iota of knowledge on how local government works knows that city councils and other local governing bodies (e.g. county commissions, transportation commissions, etc.) take public positions on state and federal matters on a regular basis ... The City of Charlotte is no exception. The council’s Governmental Affairs Committee meets regularly in order to discuss, debate and propose the city’s annual state and federal legislative agenda. They even publish a calendar outlining the timing of their deliberations and subsequent approval by city staff and city council. LGBT activists who helped elect Mayfield were disappointed that she seemed to be distancing herself from an answer she gave the LGBT community before her election. Qnotes had asked her the following question:

Would you support the adoption by city council of a legislative agenda that includes items to (a) seek legislative approval to extend public accommodations and public housing ordinances to include both sexual orientation and gender identity, (b) oppose the state’s 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a statute which bans recognition of same-sex marriages, and (c) oppose any attempt to pass a state constitutional amendment that would ban recognition of same-sex marriages, civil unions, domestic partnerships and other legal arrangements? Mayfield's reply:

"Yes I would support A, B and C. I believe that by building relationships and commitments among the Council members we can ensure enough support to sustain a yes vote." At issue is the state anti-family amendment designed to hurt gay couples and their extended families. Comer's blog post today pointed out exactly how the passage of this amendment would impact Charlotteans. Here are a few of his key points:

* The amendment would bar the extension of health and other benefits to the same-sex partners of city employees. The city doesn’t currently offer these benefits, but, as mentioned by Mayfield, the issue is currently being discussed and considered by council members and city staff. If the city truly desires to one day offer these benefits to LGBT employees’ families, then taking a position on the amendment and its ban on domestic partner benefits is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council. * The amendment could mean the end of domestic violence protection for individuals, both gay and straight, in unmarried relationships. The city-county’s joint police department would have to explore new ways to combat and control domestic violence between unmarried partners. How would the police department ensure the safety of a person being battered and abused by an unmarried partner? How much authority would they have to remove the abuser from the household if law prohibits the recognition of their relationship? The city oversees and administers the police department, therefore it is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council.
* The amendment could invalidate joint child-custody and visitation arrangements between unmarried couples. Though the county primarily oversees the social services and children’s welfare programs here, if the city has any stake at all in the preservation of healthy homes and families, then this is a question of concern for the city and, therefore, deserves attention from our city council.
To read Comer's pieces in their entirety, go to his InterstateQ blogsite (http://interstateq.com/).

Source: http://clclt.com/theclog/archives/2012/02/13/lgbt-activists-confront-charlottes-new-openly-gay-city-council-member

U of Denver Experiments with Gender Neutral Bathrooms

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-14/Centennial-HallsX390.jpg
The University of Denver
As part of a transgender awareness program at the University of Denver, a group of residential advisors (RAs) temporarily transformed a lobby bathroom in a student residence hall into a “gender neutral” facility.

“Everyone has a different identity, and it’s not just racial,” Lauren Johnson, one of the RAs behind the program, told the campus newspaper (http://www.duclarion.com/news/ras-start-campaign-for-permanent-transgender-bathrooms-1.2778785?MMode=true#.Tzr3TsqN7lF), The Clarion. “It’s age, gender, social economic class, it’s everything. We want to build a community that says, ‘Hey, it’s okay.’”

The temporary experiment — which was advertised via signs throughout the building — received support from students, faculty, and a number of campus organization, including the Queer-Straight Alliance.

Johnson was happy with the results. “It did so much more to raise awareness than just putting up signs,” she said. “And it’s especially important in a first year building to open those horizons.”

In other college news, a proposal that would have established an option for gender neutral housing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was rejected by the school’s chancellor.

Holden Thorp wrote a memo to vice chancellor Winston Crisp citing concerns from campus outsiders.

“While there has been a great deal of discussion about the proposal on campus, my concern is that we haven’t adequately explained it to our many stakeholders off campus,” he wrote.

The Daily Tar Heelreports (http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2012/02/thorp_rejects_genderneutral_housing_option) that rather than closing the door, Thorp suggested that more explanation and “a broader conversation” was needed in order for the proposal to be accepted.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/13/U_of_Denver_Experiments_with_Gender_Neutral_Bathro oms/

TheGodlessUtopian

16th February 2012, 20:43

File this one under “Homophobes Do The Funniest Things”: A contractor in Bristol, England, has been fined £200 (roughly $315) for using abusive language against a gay man and leaving cement penises outside his house. Michael Parkes, 34, entered a guilty plea yesterday to using “threatening words and behavior” towards Richard Ives last March, reports the Bristol Evening Post (http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/story-15241859-detail/story.html?). He didn’t appear in court, though—his attorney claims Parkes was still recovering from a broken ankle sustained when a co-defendant in the case pushed him down a flight of stairs.
The whole mess started last March, when Parkes was hired to work on a home next door to Ives and his partner.

Parkes and another builder were working on a house in Bourneville Road when a neighbour, Richard Ives, asked if he could take his washing inside before they started work.
“Parkes began acting aggressively and called him ‘a queer’,” said Ms Edwards. The court heard Parkes shouted and swore at Mr Ives, subjecting him to more homophobic verbal abuse. “Mr Ives went inside and then left the house to pick up his partner,” she said. “When they got back there was a piece of chipboard outside his house with a drawing of a penis and a homophobic slur written on it. There were also two models of penises that had been made out of cement, placed on his wall.”
And they say we’re obsessed with dicks.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/uk-builder-harasses-gay-man-with-homophobic-threats-cement-penises-20120216/

Rest in peace: 95-year-old fashion icon and bona fide fruit fly Zelda Kaplan died in style. Kaplan collapsed in the front row of Joanna Mastroianni’s New York Fashion Week show yesterday, according to the New York Post (http://newyorkpost.com/p/pagesix/style_icon_in_front_row_death_5ulPJBPk4oQeVK5HnxcL GK). She was taken to the hospital, but couldn’t be resuscitated.
The fabulous nonagenarian was known for her perpetual presence on the nightlife scene, and had close bonds with the gay club circuit.
Flamboyant designer and club kid Richie Rich told the Post: “Passing away in the front row was how it was meant to be. Zelda loves fashion, so she died for fashion. She would have wanted to go out in style. Zelda always said, ‘Live, live, live and have fun’… I hope the angels are holding her right now.”
Zelda was even photographed with Lance Bass at the opening of XL nightclub (http://www.queerty.com/xlnightclubopen-20120130/) last month. At right, she poses with a club character named Gazelle.
Bless her gay-friendly heart!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/gazelle_and_zelda_kaplan-360x475.jpg

Source: http://www.queerty.com/style-icon-dies-while-seated-in-front-row-of-fashion-show-20120216/

The odious “Don’t Say Gay” bill (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-dont-say-gay-passes-the-tennessee-senate-20110520/) sponsored by Sen. Stacey Campfield (right) has moved one step closer to becoming law: Having been approved by the Senate last year, it was just approved by the Tennessee House Education subcommittee yesterday. If enacted, it would mean elementary and middle-school teachers would be banned from discussing LGBT issues in the classroom. Writes Chas Sisk in The Tennessean (http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120216/NEWS/302160021/-Don-t-Say-Gay-bill-advances):

Opponents say it will not curb talk about homosexuality among grade school kids but will send the signal that it should be stigmatized. But several lawmakers argued that it would protect parents’ right to educate their children about their beliefs on their own terms.
“The basic right as an American is my right to life, my right to liberty and my right to the pursuit of happiness,” said state Rep. John DeBerry, D-Memphis, arguing to keep the subject of homosexuality out of elementary school classrooms. “Within that includes being able to run my home, raise my children as I see fit and to indoctrinate them as I see fit.”
Next, SB51 heads to the House Education Committee, which could vote on it as early as next week and put it before the full House by the spring.
Among the most vocal opponents of SB51 have been students: The Tennessean reports several dozen Nashville schoolchildren, many wearing purple T-shirts in solidarity with LGBT kids who have committed suicide, crowded into the senate chamber on Wednesday.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/dont-say-gay-bill-passes-tn-house-subcommittee-20120216/

A bill giving gay couples civil-union rights is advancing toward a showdown in the Colorado state legislature. According to CBS (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57379071/colorado-civil-union-bill-advances-toward-showdown/), the bill passed through Senate committee 5-2 yesterday, after hours of emotional testimony from gay couples pleading for the same protections and benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy.
It is expected to easily pass through the Senate. The real challenge will be finding a majority in the Republican-controlled House. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper (right) has urged passage of a civil-union bill and has said he will sign it into law.
One of the most emotional moments during yesterday’s testimony involved a lesbian couple, CBS says:

Shawna Kempainnen and Lisa Green urged lawmakers to allow them to have a civil union, describing the medical struggles of Green, who has multiple sclerosis.
“Truthfully, I need to know that Shauna can have what she needs to care for me,” Green said. She said it’s “inhumane” that she and her partner don’t have the same legal protections as married couples.
“Every moment that I can spend with Lisa feels like poetry,” Kempainnen said, adding that it’s wrong for the government “limit how far we can go on our journey.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/colorado-gay-state.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/colorado-gay-state.png)And citizens weren’t the only ones creating heart-wrenching pyrotechnics: here’s a showdown between openly gay lawmaker Pat Steadman and Republican Kevin Lungberg.

“Do you not see that as being a legal ju-jitsu to simply get around the term?” Lungberg asked Democratic Sen. Pat Steadman, a gay lawmaker from Denver who is sponsoring the bill. Lundberg asked Steadman if he would be satisfied with civil unions, or whether it was the first step to overturning the state’s ban on gay marriage.
“I can tell you Sen. Lundberg that if this bill passes, I will avail myself of it,” Steadman said. “I am a member of the class of unmarried persons who are eligible for this relationship, and it is one that I would seek. Beyond that, I cannot predict. The arc of history is one that bends toward justice,” he said, triggering applause from the couple of hundred people in the room.
Colorado voters banned gay marriage in a 2006 referendum.
Let’s hope Colorado Republicans will take note of marriage equality’s momentum in states like Washington, New Jersey, and Maryland, and realize they need to take us further on the arc of justice.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/civil-union-bill-will-soon-face-a-battle-in-the-colorado-state-house-20120216/

As an openly gay man, Steav Bates-Congdon (right) might’ve have wanted to pick a better employment option than music director at a Catholic church. But everything seemed fine until Bates-Congdon married his longtime partner, Bill, in New York State. That’s when St. Gabriel Catholic Church in South Charlotte, NC, fired him. From all accounts, St. Gabriel’s clergy and parishioners were well aware that Steav, 61, was gay when he began working at the church in 2004 and never really made any bones about it. But when he returned home from an emergency hospital stay for a ruptured appendix in January, he was handed a note by Rev. Frank O’Rourke, which read “Employees of St. Gabriel … are expected to live within the moral tradition of the Church. Your civil marriage stands in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church, therefore ending your employment with us, effective today.”
Wow, firing a senior citizen who just got out of the hospital? There’s some good Christian compassion right there.
Diocese spokesman David Hains told The Observer:

“Mr. Congdon’s ‘civil union,’ is a public statement in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage as a lifelong, exclusive covenant between one man and one woman.”
Bates-Congdon had told O’Rourke about his plans to marry and didn’t foresee any fallout.

He recalls O’Rourke’s response: “Congratulations, I’m very happy for you. But I can’t give you my blessing.” “I wouldn’t ask you to,” Bates-Congdon says he replied. More than six months passed before he was fired.http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2012/02/steav01.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2012/02/steav01.jpg)
Sadly, Steav seems to be suffering from some kind of religious Stockholm Syndrome, rolling over and accepting the Church’s bigotry. He tells writer Michael Gordon that if anyone had raised an objection beforehand, “Bill and I would have pulled the plug [on the wedding] and postponed it until some time when it wouldn’t have mattered, like in retirement.”
He even goes on to praise the man who canned him:

says O’Rourke was one of the best bosses he ever had, and while he still doesn’t understand the timing of his firing, he appreciates that the priest “told me why.”
…Only once, he says, did his sexual orientation become a parish issue. It occurred in 2006, after Bates-Congdon started a youth choir, which was a goal of his job description. A parish member wrote to then-pastor Ed Sheridan expressing discomfort that Bates-Congdon was leading the youth group while also serving as artistic director of the city’s One Voice Chorus, made up of gay and lesbian vocalists… [A] priest asked Bates-Congdon to end his affiliation with One Voice, which he did.
We hate to think what would’ve happened if O’Rourke had asked Bates-Congdon to recant his marriage.
In one last sad twist to this pathetic parable, Steav is now facing surgery for Parkinson’s disease. His salary and health benefits from St. Gabriel will continue through June.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nc-catholic-church-fires-gay-music-director-for-marrying-his-partner-20120216/

Former Queerty contributor Joseph Sanchez writes in to tell us about the backlash to a Groupon charity deal (http://www.queerty.com/groupon-gets-hate-mail-over-charitable-safe-sex-campaign-for-boston-lgbt-youth-20120216/www.groupon.com/deals/gt-bagly) arranged by the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (BAGLY). Says Sanchez:
For the past few days, [B]BAGLY (http://www.bagly.org/) (Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth) has been running a Groupon campaign in order to provide attendees of their LGBTQ youth prom with free, anonymous health screening (including a rapid HIV/AIDS test) and a safe-sex packet, all for only $12. The latter contains three condoms (including one internal condom), lubrication, and cards that provide information about health topics such as intimate partner violence and smoking cessation.
Unfortunately, some Groupon users have objected to this charitable mission, and they’ve taken to sending hate mail in response to the campaign. I’ve compiled some responses, varying in different degrees of craziness and close-minded blathering.
We’re thinking the charity deal went out to more than just the fairly tolerant Boston area, because some of the responses are downright Podunk (and some reference the fact that they’re confused why they received the offer because they don’t live in Boston).
Without further adieu, the hate mail.
1. “If Karma was involved, [Groupon] would be reincarnated as a bacteria in a steaming pile of crap.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/BAGLY-hate-mail-4-600x186.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/BAGLY-hate-mail-4.png)
2. “As an advertiser, you become morally liable for the ads you run, and the people you lead astray or confirm in their sin.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/BAGLY-hate-mail-1-600x111.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/BAGLY-hate-mail-1.png)
3. “LGBT proms are not cute or fun to many that currently use your services.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/BAGLY-hate-mail-2-600x131.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/BAGLY-hate-mail-2.png)
See seven more pieces of this Groupon-backlash hate mail over at Joseph Sanchez’s Tumblr (http://lataviacanyouhandlethis.tumblr.com/post/17687715582/10-disturbing-responses-to-baglyincs-g-team).
UPDATE: Here’s a statement from BAGLY’s director of development and marketing, Kurtlan Massarky:

First, I want to thank everyone who HAS supported BAGLY’s campaign to provide Rapid HIV tests and risk reduction packets to young people attending our LGBT Youth Prom. For a grassroots organization, even one with the longevity of BAGLY, we’ve had a wonderful response from many folks. I can’t say that these types of responses are completely surprising, but what signals a new and dangerous critique is the people who would prefer LGBT youth to remain in the dark about their HIV status and prevention methods.
Groupon is walking a fine line, and we can appreciate that. So far they’ve done very well at honoring their contractual agreement with BAGLY, but we have seen subtle changes. Initially the campaign was supposed to be included in every market’s (except Chicago’s) daily e-mail, but we’ve been told that it would only run 3 out of the 7 days. Groupon has a great history of working with the LGBT community, and I expect they understand the value of that commitment.
Personally, I’m not surprised that Groupon has received these complaints. My disappointment is increased in conjunction with the consistent denial of resources for LGBT youth whenever sex, sexual health, or substance use, comes in to the conversation. It’s almost as if people are saying that it’s okay that young people identify as part of the LGBT community, as long as they are effectively sexually and culturally sterilized. We know that’s not how young people operate, and to block access to health education and risk reduction to some of THE most marginalized people in our communities, is sending a clear message that these young people are not valued and that their health deserves to be compromised.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/groupon-gets-hate-mail-over-charitable-safe-sex-campaign-for-boston-lgbt-youth-20120216/

Au revoir, Christian Vanneste! After posting a video yesterday in which he downplayed the persecution of gay people during the Holocaust and accused LGBTs of being fundamentally narcissistic, the MP Monsieur was kicked out (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/french-legislator-assailed-anti-gay-remarks-15635702#.TzwqHSPeu0Z) of the Conservative Party by embarrassed leaders like French prez Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sarkozy, for his own part, ain’t exactly avant-garde on gay issues (http://www.queerty.com/french-president-nicolas-sarkozy-wont-support-gay-marriage-in-re-election-campaign-20120214/) but Vanneste’s callous remarks in the rambling 20-minute video were positively primeval. Here’s a selection:
*The gays are “at the heart of power” in France and are coercing the media to be positive toward them.
*He calls the persecution of gays in Nazi-occupied France a “famous legend.”
*Gay people are obviously causing humanity to “lose its dignity.”
*”Fundamental to homosexuality is narcissism,” he says (http://m.thelocal.fr/2578/20120215/), “The foundation is ‘I refuse the other,’ the refusal of the opposite sex.”
Vanneste has made lame anti-gay statements in the past, but was merely fined (http://www.queerty.com/frenchie-fined-for-faggot-fallacy-20070126/). Now he’ll pay the price of a lost salary.
How do you say “good riddance” in French?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/french-politician-gets-the-shaft-for-calling-nazi-persecution-of-gays-a-famous-legend-20120216/

TheGodlessUtopian

17th February 2012, 20:46

Four months after suspending him, MSNBC officially fired (http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/story/2012-02-16/msnbc-pat-buchanan/53124646/1) right-wing pundit Pat Buchanan on Thursday. (Oh that’s why we saw a rainbow and a flock of doves outside our office yesterday.) In October Buchanan released his latest incendiary tome, Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025. It contained chapters titled “The End of White America” and “The Death of Christian America,” and bemoaned (http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=9845&MediaType=1&Category=26) marriage equality and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Indoctrination of recruits, soldiers and officers into an acceptance of the gay lifestyle will transfer authority over the military, the most respected institution in America, to agents of a deeply resented and widely detested managerial state.
On Thursday, a network spokesman explained that “after ten years, we have decided to part ways with Pat Buchanan. We wish him well.” But in a column (http://www.creators.com/conservative/pat-buchanan/the-new-blacklist.html) the same day, Buchanan, called efforts to silence him “un-American.”

After ten enjoyable years, I am departing, after an incessant clamor from the left that to permit me continued access to the microphones of MSNBC would be an outrage against decency, and dangerous…
A Human Rights Campaign that bills itself as America’s leading voice for lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transgendered people said that Buchanan’s “extremist ideas are incredibly harmful to millions of LBhttp://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/07/2009-07-20-buchanan1.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/07/2009-07-20-buchanan1.jpg)GT people around the world.”
Their rage was triggered by a remark to NPR’s Diane Rehm that I believe homosexual acts to be “unnatural and immoral…”
That homosexual acts are unnatural and immoral has been doctrine in the Catholic Church for 2,000 years.
Is it now hate speech to restate traditional Catholic beliefs?
…Without a hearing, they smear and stigmatize as racist, homophobic or anti-Semitic any who contradict what George Orwell once called their “smelly little orthodoxies.” They then demand that the heretic recant, grovel, apologize, and pledge to go forth and sin no more.
Defy them, and they will go after the network where you work, the newspapers that carry your column, the conventions that invite you to speak. If all else fails, they go after the advertisers.
Going after advertisers is a tried-and-true strategy of your pals on the Christian right, Pat. Like those kids in the anti-drug campaigns, all we can say is “We learned it from watching you!”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/professional-racist-homophobe-pat-buchanan-officially-axed-by-msnbc-20120217/

A rainbow front must be moving in a southwesterly pattern from New England, because the states of Maryland and West Virginia are both considering legalizing same-sex unions. What’s significant: these states are even south of the infamous Mason-Dixon Line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason-Dixon_Line). Democratic gov. Martin O’Malley has been fighting fiercely for marriage equality (http://www.queerty.com/tag/maryland) in Maryland for the past month, and today the state Assembly is debating it. (You can even follow a WashPo reporter’s live tweets (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/maryland-politics/post/maryland-same-sex-marriage-debate-live-updates/2012/02/15/gIQAnvniHR_blog.html) from the floor, if you’re so inclined.)
West Virginia isn’t ready to consider full-on marriage equality, but a bill for civil unions has been introduced by Delegate John Doyle, who tells the WV Gazette (http://wvgazette.com/News/201202160082) he’s trying to start a conversation about the issue.
Not ideal, obvi, but the state is right smack dab in the middle of Appalachia, so let’s give them a little time.
North of the Mason-Dixon, we’ve got New York’s success last year and New Jersey’s resounding support (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-nj-assembly-passes-marriage-equality-bill-41-33-over-to-you-christie-20120216/), Governor Fat F**k (http://www.queerty.com/exclusive-true-bloods-denis-ohare-calls-chris-christie-a-fat-fk-in-the-most-poetic-sense-20120209/)‘s veto notwithstanding.
Looks like it might be another banner year for gay rights in the U.S. of A!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/md-assembly-debating-gay-marriage-right-now-wv-considering-civil-unions-20120217/

On January 31, Todare Bennett, the bouncer at TC’s, a popular Houston (http://houston.gaycities.com/bars/288-tcs-show-bar) drag bar, saw patron Michael Berry leave the club, hop http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/michaelberrycolor.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/michaelberrycolor.jpg)into his SUV and ram it into Bennett’s car.
Normally that would just be a bad move coupled with some bad luck.
But Berry (right) is a popular right-wing talk show with an anti-gay, anti-minority agenda: He’s aligned with the Tea Party, hosts a local Fox News segment, has appeared on The O’Reilly Factor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM0fxcbT760) and even told listeners once that he hoped (http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/75905/kprc-s-michael-berry-under-fire-for-mosque-comment) the Muslim prayer center being built near Ground Zero would be blown up. Back when he was a Houston city councilman running for mayor, he joined other local conservatives in bashing candidate Annise Parker (http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Annise+Parker%22) for being a lesbian. (She won anyway.)
Back to the douchiness at hand: Outside TC’s that night, Bennett ran up to the SUV and clearly identified Berry as the driver, but the shock jock sped away from the scene of the crime. Surveillance cameras confirm that Berry had been at TC’s that night and the bar’s owner claims he’s something of a regular (http://www.click2houston.com/news/Police-watch-bar-video-in-hit-and-run-probe/-/1735978/8784614/-/fb6y59z/-/index.html)—despite being married to Indian lawyer Nandita Berry.
Said Bennett (http://www.back2stonewall.com/2012/02/houstons-anti-gay-councilman-year-radio-host-micheal-berry-accused-hit-run-leaving-drag-show.html):

If you’re going to stand up and say anti-gay things and be conservative and be Mr. Good Guy, and then when something happens that points you out and puts you in a place with the exact business that you aim to shut down, it kind of makes it seem like [you'd think], ‘I need this to go away and I need it to go away quickly.’
To date Houston police haven’t filed charges and Berry hasn’t directly addressed the incident. He did say obliquely on his talk show: “I’ve always said that when you do what you do the way I do it, you make enemies.”
Right, it’s the vast gay conspiracy to accuse Michael Berry of being a closet-case hit-and-run driver at work!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/right-wing-radio-nut-michael-berry-involved-in-hit-and-run-outside-houston-drag-club-20120217/

It’s not enough that Tennessee’s House education subcommittee passed Sen. Stacey Campfield’s moronic “Don’t Say Gay” bill yesterday. They also had to get the word out (http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2012/02/15/dont-say-gay-flies-out-of-house-subcommittee) that letting your kids watch ABC’s Modern Family would be an act of moral turpitude.
“I don’t think Modern Family is appropriate for children to watch,” [Subcommittee chairman Joey] Hensley said solemnly after a Nashville preacher testified children might find out about gay people by seeing the show even if teachers aren’t allowed to say gay in schools.
We’re going to set aside our feelings about a grown man named “Joey,” and address the larger issue: If Modern Family is a no-go, what other shows should we be protecting out kids from?
Quite a lot, actually. Looking at the recent Nielsen ratings (http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/02/14/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-grammy-awards-the-voice-the-big-bang-theory-top-week-21/119740/) for the top 20 shows on television, it appears the boob tube is rife with homosexuals. To wit:
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/big-bang.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/big-bang.jpg)The Big Bang Theory: Jim Parsons might convince little Timmy that being a fussy, intellectual bachelor is an acceptable lifestyle.

Grey’s Anatomy: Dr. Callie married her girlfriend (http://www.autostraddle.com/greys-anatomy-lesbian-wedding-a-night-of-love-and-rage-87792/) last spring. Also, all that female-centric discussion of “feelings” can’t be good for growing boys.
How I Met Your Mother: Neil Patrick Harris might play a nice, normal sex addict on the show but, off-screen, he’s always talking about his husband and kids.
2 Broke Girls: While Girls does a good job of reinforcing how sick and twisted people from New York City are, it’s produced by that notorious Hollywood homosexual Michael Patrick King, who foisted Sex and the City on the world.
Glee: We understand that Kurt, one of the girls on the show, is vaguely butch.

The Voice: Even stalwart heterosexual boys cannot be trusted in the presence of Adam Levine

So what’s left? From what we’ve seen, Teen Mom and Animal Hoarders are totally free of anything remotely gay. Enjoy!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/tn-legislator-warn-parents-about-modern-family-whats-left-for-homophobes-to-watch-20120217/

Exeter, one of the oldest universities in the UK, is planning to host a conference for an evangelical group called Christian Concern (http://www.christianconcern.com/) this spring, according to the Oxford Student. The thing about Christian Concern is that they don’t like the gays so much. In an interview with the Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1975933/Christian-fundamentalists-fighting-spiritual-battle-in-Parliament.html?pageNum=2), CEO Andrea Williams says she thinks homosexuality is a “sin.”
Why is it that all the most vile groups use the word “concern” as a stand-in for their bigotry?
Christian Concern’s website has a special section (http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/sexual-orientation) for the homosexuals. While it doesn’t spout anything fire and brimstone, you can detect the faint whiff of homophobia:

Although both religious belief and homosexuality are protected in some ways under equality law, these two strands are often incompatible with one another… This has led to Christians losing their jobs after refusing to compromise their beliefs at work, and Christians being stopped from fostering children.
Yes, Christians are the victims here. The Oxford Student also says that Christian Concern has compared gays to pedophiles and advocating for “reparative therapy.”

The group has also been accused of equating homosexuality to paedophilia, after publishing an article objecting to the possible declassification of paedophilia as a mental illness in the US. In discussing the outright declassification of homosexuality in 1973 the piece complained, “Academic discussion of the adverse effects associated with a homosexual lifestyle has virtually ceased amongst psychologists.”
The evangelical group has also generated controversy through its consistent support of ‘corrective’ or ‘reparative’ homosexual to heterosexual conversion therapy. CC’s sister company the Christian Legal Centre (of which Williams is also CEO) is currently lobbying in defence of psychotherapist Lesley Pilkington. Pilkington faces being struck off by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) for offering the ‘corrective’ therapy. The treatment has been widely discredited by the BACP as being based on “no scientific or rational reasoning.”
Oxford’s administrators haven’t responded to student outrage, so why not shoot their public relations man an e-mail ([email protected]) yourselves?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/uk-college-welcomes-christian-group-that-prescribes-reparative-therapy-for-homosexuals-20120217/

As expected, the New Jersey Assembly passed the marriage-equality bill (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nj-assembly-passes-gay-marriage-bill-republican-gov-chris-christie-has-vowed-a-swift-veto/2012/02/16/gIQAWGbNIR_story.html) late Thursday afternoon, with a 41-33 vote. Four Democrats voted no, and zero Republicans voted yes.
The state Senate passed the measure (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-marriage-equality-bill-passes-nj-senate-heads-to-assembly-20120213/) on Monday, 24-16.
“Trenton’s two-year evolution from just missing the opportunity to give couples the freedom to marry to enthusiastically sending it to the governor’s desk this week has been remarkable, but we are far from achieving our ultimate goal: getting the bill signed into law,” said Deborah Jacobs, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey. “Even if it takes until the end of this legislative session, we have faith that enough legislators will recognize a piece of themselves in the stories of gay and lesbian couples who simply want the chance to fulfill their lives together without their love declared ‘second-class.’”
Republican Gov. Chris Christie has vowed a “swift veto” and tried to intimidate lawmakers from moving the measure forward by calling it “political theater.”
Yes, Gov. Christie, you have veto power and a veto-proof majority will prove difficult to muster, but, if you’re saying this is pointless, you’re wrong. It shows that gay marriage can pass in any fairly progressive state that has a liberal governor.
And they’re not that short of a veto-proof majority, either. In order to override Christie’s veto, the Assembly will need 54 votes and the Senate 27. It’s not that close to happening, but it ain’t that far either.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-nj-assembly-passes-marriage-equality-bill-41-33-over-to-you-christie-20120216/

Canada’s governing Conservative Party is expected to enact changes today (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-to-close-legal-loophole-threatening-gay-marriage/article2341622/) to the current Civil Marriage Act that will clear up confusion about the validity of any same-sex marriages. In January, a divorce case involving a foreign lesbian couple raised (http://www.queerty.com/a-third-of-gay-marriages-in-canada-may-be-invalid-20120112/)http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-201-360x206.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-201.png)questions (http://www.queerty.com/a-third-of-gay-marriages-in-canada-may-be-invalid-20120112/) about whether such ceremonies were legal if performed for couples from countries where gay marriage wasn’t recognized.
Though Tory PM Stephen Harper (right) is fairly right wing, he has stated that his party considers the marriages valid and has no intention of reopening the debate on marriage equality.
At the time, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson made it clear the government considered the situation merely a “legislative gap.” “The confusion and pain resulting from this gap is completely unfair to those who are affected,” Nicholson told reporters in January. “I want to make it clear that, in the government’s view, those marriages are valid.”
Conservative politicians who don’t try to dismantle LGBT rights? We can’t imagine what that’s like
Source: http://www.queerty.com/canadian-govt-closing-potential-loophole-in-gay-marriage-law-20120217/

Earlier this month Tom Cruise’s adopted teenage son, Connor, got some attention (the unwanted kind) when he dissed his publicist for sending out a “gay ass f**king tweet” (http://www.queerty.com/tom-cruises-son-connor-calls-publicists-text-a-gay-ass-fking-tweet-20120208/) during the Super Bowl. His rep, Todd Krim, dumped Cruise after the incident, but it looks like Connor’s still got peeps watching his back: A rep for the AIDS Project Los Angeles (http://www.apla.org/) let us know Cruise is DJing The Envelope Please, their annual Oscar-viewing party at L.A.’s The Abbey (http://losangeles.gaycities.com/bars/348-abbey)on February 26.
We’d swear it was a stunt to divert attention away from Cruise’s bonehead tweet but it appears he was scheduled to spin well before Twittergate erupted.
Tickets for the dinner and Oscar viewing party are sold out but the afterparty, where Cruise will work the tables, is free and open to the public.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/after-anti-gay-tweet-tom-cruises-dj-son-makes-good-with-benefit-gig-at-the-abbey-20120216/

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard at the Great Lakes Naval Station have made military history by starting Gays and Lesbian And Supporting Sailors (GLASS), the first LGBT group formed on a military base, according to Windy City Times (http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/First-gay-group-forms-on-US-military-base/36141.html).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/glass-t-shirt.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/glass-t-shirt.jpg)GLASS is registered as an official chartered organization at the Great Lakes Naval Station, which means authorities consider it as legitimate as the First Class Association or any other command-sanctioned organization. Around 75 people attended GLASS’s inaugural meeting on Monday, gay and straight. (Talk about strength in numbers!)
Dena Partain, a 24-year Navy veteran who serves as GLASS’ mentor and advisor told the Timesthat, two days earlier, GLASS had made an appearance at Equality Illionois’ gala.
“At the gala, veterans kept coming up to our table,” Partain said, holding back tears. “They were just so happy we were there… To have that support, I can’t even describe it.”
It should be noted that similar organization, OutServe, predates GLASS but is an independent organization operating outside of command structure.
Sounds to us like a new era of “Do Ask, Do Tell” has been ushered in.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/meet-the-first-gay-support-group-based-on-a-u-s-military-base-20120217/

TheGodlessUtopian

17th February 2012, 20:56

Whitney Was to Shoot Antibullying Campaign on Last Day

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC/2012/Whitney-%28reuters%29.jpg

Whitney Houston was to lend her image to a campaign urging an end to bullying based on "your color, your sexual orientation, or how much you weigh," but her death in a Beverly Hills hotel room prevented the photo shoot from happening.
Us Weekly reports (http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/whitney-houston-news) that a photographer for the Stop Bullying Now campaign was waiting for Houston February 11 and that her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, offered to stand in for her mother to set up the lighting. After becoming concerned over her mother's failure to show up at the shoot, Brown checked on Houston and was informed of the tragic news by the star's staffers.
The campaign is officially titled "Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil" and is described in a press release as "an initiative that will reach parents and children, while providing tools needed to successfully cope with bullying." Entertainment consultant Raffles van Exel, a friend of Houston's, is producing the campaign through his company Raffles Entertainment. The antibullying message is carried out through a mascot, Miles the Monkey. Celebrities like Jennifer Love Hewitt posed with a stuffed Miles the Monkey at a Grammy gifting suite this weekend.
Contacted by The Advocate, van Exel was too upset to speak about Houston, with her wake occurring Friday evening.
"We, as celebrities have a unique opportunity to show children and teenagers that WE DO CARE, and that THEY have the POWER to stand up for themselves," Van Exel had written in a press release. "Children reach out and identify with celebrities like Lady Gaga because celebrities are often the voice of the voiceless. Let us use our collectives voices to STOP BULLYING NOW."
Miles the Monkey's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/milesthemonkey?sk=info) has more on the effort: "I will be traveling across the globe with a message of acceptance, tolerance and taking a stand against bullying. You'll see pictures, PSAs, and videos of me with my celebrity friends and of course, YOU ... Bullying is NOT OKAY. Bullying is not a rite of passage and it's time that we all take a STAND against it. It doesn't matter what your color is, your sexual orientation, or how much you weigh; we all have a right to go to school and to work in peace without being harassed and bullied! Take a stand! STOP BULLYING NOW!"

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/17/Whitney_Was_to_Shoot_Antibullying_Campaign_on_Last _Day/

White House Holds LGBT Health Conference

The Obama administration rolled out its first campaign-season LGBT conference Thursday in Philadelphia as it seeks to publicize its accomplishments — and court gay support for reelection.
By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-08/2011-08-25/WHITEHOUSEX390.jpg

PHILADELPHIA — The White House rolled out its first campaign-season LGBT conference Thursday, one focused on health care issues facing the community and headlined by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. The conference series was first announced by the White House last month.

Sebelius didn’t break big news on health care initiatives during a morning address at Philadelphia's Thomas Jefferson University. But the White House’s engagement on the issue, coupled with the HHS secretary’s attendance, brought national visibility to what Sebelius accurately described as a health care system that has been “especially broken for LGBT Americans,” who have lower rates of coverage and have been historically excluded from federal health surveys.

“Given the discrimination that often is faced in the workplace, LGBT Americans often have a harder time getting access to employment-based coverage,” Sebelius said at the conference, also attended by gay White House officials including Gautam Raghavan, the LGBT liaison in the Office of Public Engagement; and John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management.

But “all Americans, regardless of where they live, what age, sex, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, have a basic right to get the health care they need here in the United States, and that’s a principle we are committed to fighting for in this administration,” Sebelius said.

The speech was similar in tone and structure to Sebelius’s address (http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/about/speeches/sp20111017.html) before the National Coalition for LGBT Health in October, where she enumerated the administration’s regulatory accomplishments over the past three years — most famously a hospital visitation mandate for same-sex couples — and touted health care reform as a major step toward improving health care access for the community. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on the law’s constitutionality in late March.

The lack of marriage rights can be a major barrier to care, as Sebelius discussed with The Advocate in an interview (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/The_Case_for_a_Second_Term/) published last month. President Obama has endorsed legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriages, though the White House has not budged in recent months beyond talking points of the president “evolving” on the issue of full marriage rights and opposing “divisive and discriminatory” measures against same-sex couples — this in reference to anti-gay marriage ballot measures in states such as North Carolina and Minnesota.

The issue-specific LGBT conferences, ranging from HIV/AIDS to aging-related and antibullying efforts, are slated to take place around the country over the next several months, ending in June. Invites have already been sent out for a March 9 event in Detroit focused on housing and homelessness.

At the Creating Change conference last month in nearby Baltimore, Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, announced the agency had finalized a rule prohibiting antigay and antitransgender discrimination in housing programs that HUD oversees. The rule, Donovan said at the January conference, “says clearly and unequivocally that LGBT individuals and couples have the right to live where they choose.”

Donovan has stood out in pushing the envelope on LGBT rights in Obama’s cabinet, coming out ahead of the president in support of full marriage equality last November.

The Democratic Party has been urged to follow suit by supporting a pro-marriage equality platform with inclusive language on the issue, as proposed earlier this week by the group Freedom to Marry. A spokesman for Rep. Nancy Pelosi told Metro Weekly Tuesday that the House Democratic keader supports the proposed language (read the report here (http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/02/house-minority-leader-nancy-pe.html)).

Another trending topic discussed Thursday was that of cultural competency standards for health care professionals treating LGBT patients. There are no uniform standards for doctors and medical staff on how (and how not) to treat LGBT individuals. Sebelius said in January that she does not necessarily believe codified regulation needs to be implemented, though the Office of Minority Health is working to add sexual orientation and gender identity into the language of its Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care standards.

Liz Margolies, founder and director of the National LGBT Cancer Network, said mandatory training is essential for creating a health care environment where the specific needs of LGBT patients are thoroughly understood and addressed.

“Offering optional cultural competency is simply preaching to the choir,” said Margolies, who attended Thursday. “The people who don’t get it are the people who probably need it. So the only way to make a difference is to make sure every single person is trained.”

Such training should not be limited to medical school programs, she said: “Think of how many people you see and talk to during an emergency room visit before you are even seen by a doctor.”

Of the conference, Margolies said that face time with White House officials was highly important, though the campaign value of the event for the administration was also clearly evident. “There’s an amazing amount of talent in this room. It’s only with all of us screaming and pushing persistently that we’re going to make any difference.”

On Thursday, Secretary Sebelius also called for reinvigorating domestic HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, remarking that given the continued steady infection rate nationwide, “frankly, what we’ve been doing is not very good.” The president’s 2013 budget, released earlier this week, calls for modest increases in HIV prevention efforts for high-risk groups, including gay men and African-Americans.

“The most frustrating thing is that there’s now very good data about how prevention can work, about how to reduce partner-to-partner transmission, early identification and treatment,” Sebelius said in the January interview. “And yet we have 50,000 new infections popping up. It just doesn’t make any sense. So we’ve got to redouble our efforts on the education front and outreach front to really drill down into the communities most at risk.”

The Obama budget also calls for an additional $75 million for care and treatment through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program.

Off-the-record sessions for attendees during the Thursday conference focused on aging, LGBT youth, transgender health, cultural competency, and “engagement opportunities with the White House and HHS.”

Dr. Scout, a transgender health advocate with The Fenway Institute in Boston, said the conference "didn't have so much new information," though "its real value is in the fact that it exists."

"We can grumble about how much needs to be done on LGBT health at HHS, and we should, but today the Administration really showed up for us," said Dr. Scout, whose organization received a $250,000 grant last year from the Health Resources and Services Administration to create a national training center for improving LGBT health. "If more healthcare policymakers showed the commitment the people here did, LGBT health disparities could be practically eliminated. Our huge smoking disparity, our access to care problems, our mental health disparities, all of it could be virtually wiped out with smart policies like the ones we heard talked about today."

However, to his disappointment, Dr. Scout said that agencies with substantial power over LGBT health issues, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, didn't have staff in attendance, "which frankly is what I expected considering their lackluster performance in this area. I really do love what was being said today, but we need to start noticing what's not being said too, and who didn't even show up."

Sebelius, who has been tapped by Obama campaign officials to speak at super-PAC events for the reelection effort, attended a Washington, D.C., fund-raiser last week with the president that drew a who’s who of major LGBT Democratic donors paying $35,800 each for a $1.4 million overall haul. Cohosts of the event included GeoCities founder David Bohnett, Gill Foundation founder Tim Gill, and Laura Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/White_House_Holds_LGBT_Health_Conference/

Poll: Many Young Chinese Accepting of Gay People

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-16/CHINESEX390.jpg

Very few young Chinese have hang-ups about gay people, according to one of the nation's most popular dating sites.
According to a poll on Jiayuan.com, 83% of Chinese born between 1980 and 1989 do not disapprove of homosexuality; roughly the same percentage was found among people born in the 1990s. Over 85,000 people were surveyed in the poll. Read more here. (http://english.sina.com/china/2012/0212/439461.html)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/16/Poll_Many_Young_Chinese_Accepting_of_Gay_People/

Minister Appeals Censure for Performing Same-Sex Marriages

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-17/Jane-Adam-SpahrX390.jpg
Jane Spahr
The highest court in the Presbyterian Church (USA) is meeting today to decide whether the Reverend Jane Spahr violated church law by officiating at same-sex weddings.

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, is convening in San Antonio to consider whether to uphold a censure that Spahr, a lesbian, received from a church court in 2010 (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/08/27/Presbyterian_Church_Rules_Against_Spahr/) for performing marriages for 16 gay couples in California in 2008, during the brief period when same-sex marriage was legal in the state.

But along with issuing the censure, “the tribunal called on higher authorities in the church to examine its own prejudices and to reconcile conflicting messages sent to homosexuals and their ministers,” Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/16/us-usa-gaymarriage-presbyterian-idUSTRE81F1DE20120216) reports. Since 2000 the denomination has allowed clergy to bless same-sex unions, but not to characterize them as marriages. Spahr and her attorneys, however, contend church law does not expressly prohibit ministers from performing same-sex weddings; church prosecutors say it does.

“The church is now playing out its dysfunction on the backs of faithful pastors,” the Reverend Scott Clark, one of Spahr’s attorneys, said at a recent workshop on the issue, according to Reuters.

Nine of the couples married by Spahr will attend the hearing along with her. In an interview with Reuters, the San Francisco–based minister described the celebratory atmosphere at their weddings. “When the state of California said ‘yes,’ and then I pronounced them married in the name of the church and the state, there was exuberance beyond compare,” she said. “To send these couples away from the church would be going against what I believe about God and God’s welcome. It would go against my faith and my call.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/17/Minister_Appeals_Censure_for_Performing_Same_Sex_M arriages/

Loftin adds gender identity, expression to A&M nondiscrimination memo

GLBT students call act ‘positive step forward’

By Emily Davis (http://www.thebatt.com/search?q=Emily%20Davis)
Published: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Updated: Thursday, February 16, 2012 01:02

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[URL="http://www.thebatt.com/loftin-adds-gender-identity-expression-to-a-m-nondiscrimination-memo-1.2783154#"] (http://www.thebatt.com/loftin-adds-gender-identity-expression-to-a-m-nondiscrimination-memo-1.2783154#) 10 (http://www.thebatt.com/loftin-adds-gender-identity-expression-to-a-m-nondiscrimination-memo-1.2783154#)

For the first time in the University's history, A&M President R. Bowen Loftin added sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the yearly non-discriminatory employment memo. While the memo is issued every year, any reference to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, GLBT, employees did not appear before the Jan. 20 letter.
Andrew Jancaric, vice president of the GLBT Aggies and student senator, sponsored legislation in 2011 calling on the Texas A&M Board of Regents to adopt a non-discrimination policy that included the GLBT community at the System level. He said he is glad the University acted, and hopes the System will follow suit.
"I think President Loftin has shown a great deal of leadership in making this executive order," Jancaric said. "It's the first time gender identity and expression has been included in that yearly statement, a very positive step forward for Texas A&M University."
Jancaric said the memo will help A&M in its Vision 2020 mission, which aims to make A&M a leader among peer institutions.
"Eleven out of 20 of our 2020 peer institutes have gender identity included in their equal opportunity diversity statement," Jancaric said. "It's a very inclusive step forward in terms of making A&M a more welcoming institution."
There has been a positive response to the memo from communities within and without A&M, Jancaric said.
"Texas A&M is committed to its principles of diversity and inclusion," Jancaric said. "The statement is long overdue and the fact that it's warmly accepted just shows how much the University cares."
Camden Breeding, president of the GLBT Aggies, said he is glad the memo was issued because it protects University employees.
"Prior to this statement, because Texas is an at-will state, employees could, hypothetically be fired for being GLBT," Breeding said. "This new statement now protects employees at the TAMU-College Station campus. This is an important step that requires follow through by the Texas A&M regents on the System level."
Breeding said the memo is in the best interest of the University and is a strong component of a GLBT-friendly University, but said there is still a long way to go, yet.
"This statement is an important step toward achieving Vision 2020 and being a nationally competitive University," Breeding said. "Of course, the reality is that change is slow and it will take continued, deliberate effort to enact a shift in attitudes at A&M that welcomes GLBT people. So while this is an important step, we need people to continue to get involved and help advocate for the GLBT community in this critical moment."
Christine Stanley, vice president and associate provost for diversity, said adding to the memo was a good decision for
multiple reasons.
"It is essential that we convey messages that reflect our commitment to an inclusive, welcoming University environment," Stanley said. "The inclusion of ‘gender identity' and ‘gender expression' in the President's Equal Employment Opportunity-Affirmative Action Program statement signals our understanding of our evolving and increasingly diverse campus community."
Stanley added that the addition is consistent with Vision 2020.
"The language is more current, culturally sensitive and is in-line with a number of our Vision 2020 Peers that include ‘gender identity' and ‘gender expression' in their Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Program statements," Stanley said.
Kate Broussard, a sophomore English major, said the addition to the memo indicates there was a problem before.
"If he added it, there was obviously a need to clarify," Broussard said.

Employment memo text

"...It is our policy to not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Furthermore, we will maintain a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression."

Source: http://www.thebatt.com/loftin-adds-gender-identity-expression-to-a-m-nondiscrimination-memo-1.2783154

Gay Marriage a Tough Sell with Blacks in Maryland

By SABRINA TAVERNISE (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/sabrina_tavernise/index.html?inline=nyt-per)

Published: February 15, 2012

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — As a bill legalizing same-sex marriage (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier) in Maryland hurtles toward a vote in the legislature this week, a coalition lobbying for its passage has focused much of its efforts on a group of Democrats who could potentially scuttle its success: African-Americans.

Enlarge This Image
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/16/us/MARRIAGE-2/MARRIAGE-2-articleInline.jpg
Shannon Jensen for The New York Times

The Rev. Delman Coates is one of the few Maryland clergy members who are supporting the measure.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/16/us/jp-MARRIAGE/jp-MARRIAGE-articleInline.jpg
Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Leroy Swailes, a minister, outside a Senate committee room as he waited to testify at a same-sex marriage hearing last month.

It is the most serious attempt by advocates for same-sex marriage to win over blacks, who have traditionally been skeptical, and whose support is critical for the bill’s passage in this state, where nearly a third of the population is African-American, a far higher share than in the broader population.
The campaign includes videos (http://marylandersformarriageequality.org/videos/#.TzxWrMpKknE) of well-known African-American Marylanders, including Michael Kenneth Williams, an actor from the television series “The Wire,” and Mo’nique, a Baltimore-born actress; an editorial in The Afro; and conversations in churches and union halls, where most members are black.
The Human Rights Campaign and the Service Employees International Union have sent dozens of workers and volunteers, many of them African-American, across the state to talk about the issue. Particular attention is being paid to Baltimore and Prince George’s County, organizers said, two majority-black areas where skepticism has been strong.
It is uncertain whether the effort will lead to the bill’s passage; a similar bill failed in the House last year without coming to a vote. But it has had one clear effect, that of opening a difficult conversation about homosexuality among one group that has traditionally shied away from talking about it.
“It’s a very sensitive subject in the black community,” said Ezekiel Jackson, a political organizer for the 1199 Service Employees International Union in Maryland, who has been meeting with members, mostly health care workers, to persuade them to support the bill. “The culture is different. Gay people got pushed off into their own circle. Instead of dealing with it, they just lived their lives among like minds, apart.”
Much of the hesitation, black advocates of the bill say, has its roots in the churches, whose influence is strong among many African-Americans. And while the overwhelming majority of black clergy in the state still strongly oppose same-sex marriage — they held a rally here in the state capital last month to make that point — a few young pastors have come out in support.
“This was an issue I knew I could not avoid,” said the Rev. Delman Coates, 39, one of two Baptist preachers who testified in support of the bill in a hearing last week. “Clergy leaders have been organizing against this, and I didn’t want my silence to sound like consent.”
The soul-searching in Maryland on same-sex marriage shows just how delicate the issue can be for Democrats around the country who count on strong African-American support at the polls.
It presents a tricky equation for President Obama, who cannot risk depressing turnout among blacks, as their votes will be critical in what is shaping up to be a closely fought campaign. Mr. Obama, who has in the past opposed same-sex marriage, has said his views are “evolving.” In July, he endorsed a bill to repeal the law that limits the legal definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman.
Among those opposing the bill in Maryland is Pastor Joel Peebles of Jericho City of Praise, a megachurch in Prince George’s County. “The black community is watching with a great deal of concern regarding how our legislators vote on this bill,” he said. “Their decision will be strongly in the mind of the voters when they go to the polls.”
Maryland’s Democrats are sharply divided by race on the issue. A Washington Post poll published on Jan. 30 found that 71 percent of white respondents supported it, while 24 percent did not. Among blacks, 41 percent were supportive, while 53 percent were opposed. African-Americans are an important constituency here: their share of the population — 29 percent — is greater than in many Southern states, including Alabama and South Carolina, according to the Brookings Institution.

In the Maryland House, the bill needs 71 votes to pass. Only two Republicans have pledged their support; the rest are expected to oppose the measure. Of the 98 Democrats in the House, as many as 30 are said to be undecided, a majority of them African-Americans. Enlarge This Image
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/16/us/MARRIAGE-1/MARRIAGE-1-articleInline.jpg
Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Gov. Martin O'Malley testified last week in favor of allowing same-sex marriage.

Still, advocates are cautiously optimistic. Gov. Martin O’Malley (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/martin_omalley/index.html?inline=nyt-per), a Democrat, proposed the bill and has pushed it energetically, in the fashion of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York.
“There’s been an evolution here in our state on this issue,” he said in an interview. “The wave of opinion on this is pretty unmistakable.”
But resistance runs deep in the faith community. Last year, several traditional black churches formed the Maryland Marriage Alliance, an umbrella group opposed to the bill that includes the Maryland Catholic Conference.
“Households are going to be turned upside down because of this,” said the Rev. Ralph A. Martino, senior pastor at First Church of Christ (Holiness) USA in Washington, who attacked Mr. Coates’s position on a radio show.
Mr. Coates acknowledged that his position was unpopular, but said he was trying to give people a way to accept the bill by presenting it as a matter of rights, not religious doctrine. He said that most in his congregation — about 8,000 people in Prince George’s County — seemed to understand the distinction, and that the loudest opposition had come from other pastors.
“People in the pews are much farther along than those in the pulpit,” he said.
The Rev. Larry Brumfield, a pastor in Baltimore who has a weekly radio show (http://blackwhiteandgay.com/) on gay issues that focuses on a black audience, agreed. Still, he said that many churchgoers adopt the views of their pastors, who in traditional black churches in Maryland are still almost entirely opposed to the bill. That makes Mr. Brumfield, an African-American, “feel the need to be extra vocal.”
“It really bothers me how black people can be so insensitive to oppression,” he said. “They use the same arguments that were used against us by the segregationists in the 1950s.”
Whatever the bill’s fate, the process of talking about it has changed something for black people here, supporters say. Mr. Jackson, the union worker, said a colleague had come into his office recently and broken down in tears. Her daughter is gay, the woman said, and they had never spoken of it, choosing instead to pretend it was not there. Soon after, she called her daughter, Mr. Jackson said, and told her she accepted her.
“For the first time, many people who were not able to talk about it are seeing how important it is, and are talking,” said Tawanna P. Gaines, a Democratic lawmaker who supports the bill. “People are saying, ‘Here’s an opportunity for me to no longer have to lie about this.’ ”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/us/maryland-gay-marriage-faces-black-skepticism.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&hpw

TheGodlessUtopian

19th February 2012, 00:35

The Maryland House of Delegates passed marriage equality legislation (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-02-16/news/bs-md-influence-20120216_1_anne-arundel-county-democrat-maryland-senate-voting-session) tonight by a vote of 71-67. The state Senate passed a similar bill last year but it died in the House. Now that the House has reversed on it, the Senate and Governor Martin O’Malley are poised to sign the bill into law.
Crucial to the bill’s passage was convincing Republican lawmakers to cross the aisle on this one, and even good ol’ Ken Mehlman (http://www.queerty.com/tag/ken-mehlman/) put in a couple of calls.
Mehlman tells the Baltimore Sun (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-02-16/news/bs-md-influence-20120216_1_anne-arundel-county-democrat-maryland-senate-voting-session) that he phoned several GOP politicians and told them gay marriage is consistent with Republican beliefs: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Big Gay also heralded the victory. HRC’s Joe Solmonese said in a statement:

What makes this win so sweet is that it comes on the heels of three huge victories in the past two weeks: a court decision that ruled Prop. 8 unconstitutional, as well as major progress for marriage equality in Washington and New Jersey.
Seriously, people—are we on a roll or what? At this rate we’ll overrule Chris Christie’s veto no problem!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-gay-marriage-bill-passes-md-house-awaits-senate-vote-20120217/

Chris Christie went ahead and vetoed the marriage-equality bill that cleared the Legislature, but he tried to cover his prodigious posterior with a concession prize for Garden State gays: He would appoint an ombudsman (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20120218_Christie_vetoes_gay-marriage_bill__offers_ombudsman_instead.html) to make sure civil unions were treated http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/chris-christie-david-shankbone-414x600.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/chris-christie-david-shankbone.jpg)as equal to marriages, as is currently required by state law.

“Same-sex couples in a civil union deserve the very same rights and benefits enjoyed by married couples – as well as the strict enforcement of those rights and benefits,” Christie, a Republican, said in a statement. “Discrimination should not be tolerated and any complaint alleging a violation of a citizen’s right should be investigated and, if appropriate, remedied.”
Apparently Christie thinks appointing a point person on civil unions will make him look better, but its a foolish gambit: It won’t quell the anger felt by the LGBT community and its allies, and it will make him look soft on family values by the Republican base he’s obviously trying to court.
“It’s not equal, it’s not the same,” said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester), told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He knows he’s wrong, he had to walk a tightrope. Why would you need an ombudsman when you had a bill that respected everyone’s rights?” Sweeney said Democrats are ignoring Christie’s proposal and going forward with plans to override his veto.
Garden State Equality director Steven Goldstein called Christie’s offer “a joke.”

“A number of civil union couples work in New York, which doesn’t recognize civil unions, they recognize marriage,” he said in an interview. “Are they going to ask a New Jersey ombudsman to enforce the law in New York? That’s the biggest joke I ever heard…. The governor’s trying to have his cake and eat it too.”
Is that a slightly veiled fat joke? Seems like everyone’s decided the governor’s weight is fair game these days.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/christie-offers-nj-gays-separate-but-equal-civil-union-ombudsman-instead-of-marriage-20120218/

In a recent opinion piece in Time magazine (http://ideas.time.com/2012/02/15/why-i-wont-be-boycotting-chick-fil-a/?iid=op-main-lede#ixzz1mhfbw18W), noted food writer Josh Ozersky took a strange stance on Chick-fil-A’s notorious affiliation with anti-gay groups: He stood up for the fast-food chain and said he wouldn’t join any boycott of its artery-clogging fried chicken sandwiches.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/josh-1.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/josh-1.jpg)

Chick-fil-A, the fast-food outlet, has one plane of interaction with the public: its sandwiches, sodas and waffle fries. The prices are fair, its employment practices not onerous, and the food is good, especially if you are as devoted to MSG as I am. You could make a strong argument that the suffering their chickens endure prior to becoming sandwiches constitutes a kind of original sin; and that’s something you have to think about. But businesses should be judged by their products and practices, not by their politics…
Chick-fil-A’s charitable foundation gives money to theocratic organizations that I consider malevolent. Objecting to gay marriage is, at least in my view, indefensible in a free society, but it’s only a small part of these groups’ agendas (http://www.theocracywatch.org/).
But they have a right to exist, and American businesses have a right to donate to them. Customers, in turn, have a right to boycott them. But, just as with JC Penney and DeGeneres, it doesn’t seem fair to me… When I was a kid, it was taken for granted that Jews should never drive Fords or go to Disney World, since both Ford and Disney were notoriously anti-Semitic. My father’s reasoning was that, since everyone back then was anti-Semitic, picking on Ford and Disney was arbitrary and pointless….
Businesses should be judged on what they do — to their customers, their employees, their suppliers and their chickens—and not on what they do with their profits. That’s part of living in a free society too.
Since Mr. Ozersky has won a James Beard Award for his writing, we’re going to assume he’s being disingenuous and not just thick.
Nobody can—or should—completelyhttp://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2011/01/chick-fil-a_meal1-360x325.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2011/01/chick-fil-a_meal1.jpg) separate a business from its public policy: If McDonald’s was paying the legal fees for accused child molester Jerry Sandusky or Burger King was donating to an Adolf Hitler shrine in Cleveland wouldn’t that have some bearing on your decision whether or not to patronize them?
Ozerksy is saying its none of our business that Chick-fil-a gives more than $1.1 million dollars to anti-marriage-equality groups and reparative-therapy organizations. But isn’t that just because gay rights isn’t that important to him?
What if Chick-fil-a was trying to outlaw divorce? Ozerksy is on his second marriage, so you can imagine he’d have more of a stake in a boycott then.
And if, as he says, we can judge a company on its employee practices, what about the fact that Chick-fil-A routinely asks potential franchisees and employees about their marital status and religious affiliations?
What about the chain’s gay employees: What kind of inhospitable work environment can they be facing?
Well, maybe Ozersky is just the wrong guy to speak about business ethics: He was roundly criticized (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2010/06/an_open_letter.php) in 2010 for writing about his wedding without disclosing that the superstar chefs involved donated their services and food.
Yep, he pulled a total Star Jones. (And apparently it’s not the first time (http://www.queerty.com/ethics-challenged-food-writer-says-chick-fil-as-anti-gay-agenda-shouldnt-matter-to-customers-20120218/Cynthia%20Kachelmyer) for him)
Maybe Chick-fil-A bribed Ozersky with cases of waffle fries in return for this op-ed. Judging from his appearance, it sure looks that way.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ethics-challenged-food-writer-says-chick-fil-as-anti-gay-agenda-shouldnt-matter-to-customers-20120218/

The White House has just concluded its first LGBT health summit (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/02/17/white-house-holds-lgbt-health-summit/), so you’d think President Obama might be ready to “evolve” a little bit more on gay marriage.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/barack_obama.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/barack_obama.jpg)Or, you know, talk about it at least?
Nope! According to the Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/17/White_House_No_Comment_on_Washington_Marriage_Chri stie_Veto/), White House press secretary Jay Carney shot down questions from reporters about Washington State’s recent acceptance into the marriage-equality club—and also declined to comment on the matter of Governor Chris Christie’s impending veto of same-sex marriage legislation in New Jersey.
Said Carney:

“I would say only broadly, as I have said in the past, without weighing into individual states and their actions, that this president strongly supports the notion that the states should be able to decide this issue, and he opposes actions that take away rights that have been established by those states.”
Yeah, yeah, “states’ rights.” But Nancy Pelosi is already talking about putting federal marriage equality on the national Democratic Party platform (http://www.queerty.com/nancy-pelosi-wants-2012-democratic-party-platform-to-unequivocally-support-marriage-equality-20120215/). When are you going to step up to the plate, Barack?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/the-white-house-hosts-lgbt-health-summit-but-still-avoids-committing-to-marriage-equality-20120217/

It’s possible some of you reading this weren’t even alive when The Simpsons first tackled gay issues in the Season 8 episode “Homer’s Phobia,” which debuted 15 years ago on February 16, 1997.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/simpsons6pg-vertical.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/simpsons6pg-vertical.jpg)But Mike Scully, a producer with the long-running series since 1993, told USA Today (http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/%27Simpsons%27+producers+name+their+favorite+episo des/G3378) this week that it’s one of his faves.
In the episode, Homer is uncomfortable with the fact that Marge and the kids have befriended John (director John Waters), the kitsch-loving owner of a local antiques shop. Fearful John is turning Bart gay, Homer embarks on a ridiculous campaign to bolster his son’s masculinity—including a visit to what turns out to be a queer steel mill. Homer eventually overcomes his bias, though, when John rescues him from a hunting trip gone terribly awry. As John cannily explains, “Homer, I won your respect—and all I had to do was save your life. Now, if every gay man could just do the same, you’d be set.”
Scully called the episode “relatable and hilarious” and said the out filmmaker “did a great job.”
After it premiered, “Homer’s Phobia” won a GLAAD Media Award and an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, and was also named one of Entertainment Weekly‘s 25 favorite episodes of The Simpsons.
The show’s 500th episode airs this Sunday at 8pm.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/homers-phobia-episode-one-of-simpsons-producers-all-time-faves-20120217/

TheGodlessUtopian

19th February 2012, 00:41

GOP Candidate Outed, Accused of Threat to Deport His Ex

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-18/1Sheriff.jpg
View the complete photo (http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/photoGallery/index/2930984/2/)
Accused of threatening to deport his ex-boyfriend if he wouldn't keep silent about their relationship, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who is a Republican candidate for Congress in Arizona, has quit his post with the Mitt Romney campaign today.

The Arizona Republicreports (http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/azdc/155462) that Babeu, who is infamous for his tough stance on illegal immigration, had volunteered as co-chairman of Romney's presidential campaign in the state. But that's all over now, "so he can focus on the allegations against him," a Romney spokesman told the newspaper.

The Phoenix New Times broke the story this week that a 34-year-old Mexican man named Jose is claiming to be the sheriff's former boyfriend of several years. Jose says they met in 2006 on Gay.com. He has pictures of them together, and copies of text messages they exchanged.

The relationship went sour when Jose says the sheriff was discovered cheating. Jose found the sheriff's profile on another gay dating website where Babeu apparently posted a self-portrait (http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/photoGallery/index/2930984/2/) while standing in a bathroom mirror in his underwear. His screenname was "studboi1." And when Jose contacted him via the site and pretended to be a man interested in fooling around, Babeu sent explicit photos and arranged a meeting — which Jose showed up for.

Read the complete story at the Phoenix New Times. (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/18/GOP_Candidate_Outed_Accused_of_Threatening_to_Depo rt_Ex_boyfriend/www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2012-02-16/news/paul-babeu-s-mexican-ex-lover-says-sheriff-s-attorney-threatened-him-with-deportation/2/)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/18/GOP_Candidate_Outed_Accused_of_Threatening_to_Depo rt_Ex_boyfriend/

Frank VanderSloot is an Idaho billionaire (http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/02/02/1977520/vandersloot-among-romneys-big.html) and the CEO of Melaleuca, Inc. (http://www.melaleuca.com/), a controversial billion-dollar-a-year company which peddles dietary supplements and cleaning products; back in 2004, Forbes, echoing complaints (http://is.gd/ZGSm5L) to government agencies, described (http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/1011/089_print.html) the company as “a pyramid selling organization, built along the lines of Herbalife and Amway.” VanderSloot has long used his wealth to advance numerous right-wing political causes. Currently, he is (http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2012/02/02/hedge_fund_moguls_top_list_of_donors_to_super_pac_ supporting_mitt_romney/?page=2) the national finance co-chair of the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, and his company has become one of the largest donors ($1 million) to the ostensibly “independent” pro-Romney SuperPAC, Restore Our Future. Melaleuca’s get-rich pitches have in the past caused Michigan regulators to take action, resulting in the company’s entering into a voluntary agreement (https://outlook.motherjones.com/owa/auth/logon.aspx?replaceCurrent=1&url=https%3a%2f%2foutlook.motherjones.com%2fowa%2f WebReadyView.aspx%3ft%3datt%26id%3dRgAAAAA5oGdw1yg KQaMQwhXJMJfbBwCDDI7%252fN6OKQoR1U%252fcB4AWxAAAIn mejAABoLHBkG11iSprxVbTYLtiiAAAy6aUkAAAJ%26attid0%3 dBAAAAAAA%26attcnt%3d1%26pspid%3d_1329148041291_68 3819584) to “not engage in the marketing and promotion of an illegal pyramid”‘; it entered into a separate voluntary agreement (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1992-09-04/business/9209040518_1_melaleuca-distributors-network-marketing) with the Idaho attorney general’s office, which found (https://motherjones.com/files/melaleuca1991avc-1.pdf) that “certain independent marketing executives of Melaleuca” had violated Idaho law; and the Food and Drug Administration previously accused Melaleuca of deceiving consumers about some of its supplements (http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/1997/ucm156509.htm).
Continue Reading (http://www.salon.com/2012/02/17/billionaire_romney_donor_uses_threats_to_silence_c ritics/singleton/)

Source: http://www.salon.com/2012/02/17/billionaire_romney_donor_uses_threats_to_silence_c ritics/

Richmond “Jimmie” Barthé (1909-1989) was an African-American sculptor and a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s. That he was also a gay man who expressed his orientation in his work is most likely why he fell into obscurity by the 1940s.

Much of his art depicted African-American men in sensual poses, often nude. Today, his work seems not that confrontational, but in a basically racist, sexually nervous America of the middle of the last century, it is remarkable that his work received the acclaim that it did.

Barthé was born to Creole parents in Bay St. Louis, Miss., and his art brought him out of poverty. A beautiful, bright boy, he was already winning awards for his drawings by the age of 12. Inspired by the neoclassical art he saw in the homes of the wealthy folks he worked for as a houseboy in New Orleans, he developed a lifelong interest in Greek and Roman mythology.

Funded by his local church, he attended school at the Art Institute of Chicago and began to have adult affairs with men who sometimes became patrons. He also had a brief affair with author and actor Richard Bruce Nugent, who was a cast member in Dubose Heyward's play Porgy.

In 1930 he relocated to New York and attended A’Leila Walker’s “Dark Tower” gatherings, known as a venue where black and white men and women, often gay, mingled. The photographer and writer Carl Van Vetchen was deeply involved with the black community of New York in the '30s and was an ardent supporter of Barthé's work. His reputation grew and his work was included in a 1935 exhibit of African-American art at the Museum of Modern Art.

He had success and fame. He even had a female patron who set up a trust for him that gave him the freedom to work without financial worries. But he was still an outsider in many ways. He was not a part of the white art world, and his uncompromising homosexuality kept him distanced somewhat from other artists of the Harlem Renaissance. His love life was a series of short affairs that never developed further.

Constantly searching for community, he moved to Jamaica only to find himself even more estranged from others. He fell into deep depression and mental illness. Commissions came sporadically, and he met them with varied results, teetering on the edge financially and emotionally.

In 1975 he moved to Pasadena, Calif., and a year later curators at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art included his work in “Two Centuries of Black American Art.” The attention to his work, the growing respect of a younger audience to artists of the Harlem Renaissance, and the support of his friends brought Barthé stability once again. He lived out his later years as a treasured part of the art community, dying in Pasadena March 6, 1989.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Art/Remembering_Richmond_Barthe/

Beth Israel Appoints LGBT Health Services Director

By Josh Hinkle (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Josh%20Hinkle)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-17/BARBARAWARRENX390.jpg
Barbara Warren
Beth Israel Medical Center in New York has appointed Barbara Warren as director of the center's newly formed LGBT health services initiative.
Warren has long been an advocate for appropriate care for LGBT patients. Before taking up her new post, Warren was director of the Center for LGBT Social Services and Public Policy at Hunter College-City University of New York, according to a press release from Beth Israel.
In Beth Israel's new initiative, Warren will be forging new alliances with LGBT groups to help meet the health care needs of this population. She will also develop and implement in-house educational programs to keep the hospital staff up-to-date on LGBT health care needs.
"I am thrilled to join Beth Israel in this important new role," Warren said in the release. "Beth Israel Medical Center has embraced a unique opportunity to lead the way in establishing and sustaining LGBT-affirmative hospital-based and outpatient care."
The Human Rights Campaign has praised Beth Israel for its efforts to improve LGBT health care.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/17/Beth_Israel_Appoints_LGBT_Health_Services_Director/

A Promising Trial

Using the same methods used to vaccinate against polio, researchers in Canada may be leading a path toward an HIV vaccine
By Michelle Garcia (http://www.hivplusmag.com/Search.asp?search=Michelle%20Garcia)
While an estimated 30 HIV vaccines are being tested around the world, one trial in Canada promises to be unique. After decades of research, development, and high hopes, scientists at the University of Western Ontario are ready to test a new type of vaccine known as SAV001 that they hope will prevent HIV infections.

What makes this trial different, said lead researcher Chil-Yong Kang, Ph.D., is that this is the first preventive vaccine to use a “killed whole” HIV-1 virus to activate a person’s immune system. This version of the virus, however, would be genetically altered so it would not be able to cause HIV infection. For insurance, the virus is also inactivated by using chemicals and radiation.

Kang said this process has not been used before because it was unknown whether a safer version of the virus could be made in large quantities. However, a similar approach has been employed for polio, flu, hepatitis A, and rabies vaccines.

The first 40 people began vaccination trials to make sure SAV001 was not toxic. The next phase will occur among 600 HIV-negative people with have a high risk of infection. The last phase will be a three-year study of 6,000 volunteers, half of whom will receive a placebo.

Kang acknowledged that SAV001 is not particularly helpful for people with HIV, so the next venture for his team is to develop a therapeutic vaccine for those already living with it. Because HIV is a persistent virus that even affects one’s DNA when introduced to the body, it is notoriously difficult to eradicate. For people with HIV who have not developed AIDS, a therapeutic vaccine would “hopefully educate our white blood cells so they can destroy and clear the viral infection,” he said.

After two years of evaluation, SAV001 has won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This will allow the research team to recruit American volunteers for the vaccine. The FDA is known for having the most stringent approval requirements for such vaccination trials.

“FDA approval for human clinical trials is an extremely significant milestone for our vaccine, which has the potential to save the lives of millions of people around the world by preventing HIV infection,” Kang said in a statement.

Source: http://www.hivplusmag.com/latinos-and-hiv/story.asp?id=2264&categoryid=1&issue=87

George, Straight Up

Fashion Police's George Kotsiopoulos tells why he's helping to raise money for LGBT youth, reveals what cohost Joan Rivers is really like off camera, and discusses why he's not aroused by guys who like show tunes.
By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/ARTS_AND_ENTERTAINMENT/TELEVISION/2012/GeorgeHeadshotX390.jpg

In-demand stylist and fashion expert George Kotsiopoulos is as passionate about giving back to the LGBT community as he is about offering sartorial advice to Hollywood's elite on the red carpet. On February 19 the dapper Fashion Police commentator, who holds his own opposite Joan Rivers, Kelly Osbourne, and Giuliana Rancic on E!'s hit series, will serve as cohost (along with Lance Bass) of Hollywood Rush (http://www.hollywoodrush.org/). The event is described as an exciting evening of live theater in which a series of one-act plays are written, rehearsed, and performed all within a single day. Some of Hollywood’s most talented actors, directors, and writers will participate in the benefit for the Baby Dragon Fund (http://www.thebabydragonfund.org/), which helps raise money for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center (http://laglc.convio.net/site/PageServer)'s programs for youth, mental health, and crystal meth recovery and prevention. Kotsiopoulos tells The Advocate why this cause is important to him, what Joan Rivers is really like off camera, and why he doesn't want to be the next Brad Goreski.

The Advocate: This is your second time hosting Hollywood Rush. How would you describe the evening?
George Kotsiopoulos: It’s basically a bunch of creative folks getting together and putting on a show and they have 24 hours to do it. [Laughs] The writers are given ideas to work with and just so many hours to actually write the scene. Then the directors come in and have to translate them. Basically, everyone gets the information instantly and it’s all created within a 24-hour period. It’s insane.

It sounds chaotic in the best way. Are the plays polished, or do actors tend to improvise and get crazy?
I don’t think there’s a lot of improvising. Well, obviously with anything that happens live you’ve got to roll with it. It really is a rush of energy and adrenaline and creative spirit. I have ADD, so with everything changing so fast it’s perfect for me. [Laughs] I can follow the storylines. Also, it’s fun. It’s not a somber evening. It was very entertaining and interesting to see what people do with what they’re given. There are always really talented people involved. It’s fun to see the camaraderie and everyone having fun and it’s for a really good cause.

It's a fund-raiser for the Baby Dragon Fund, which helps young people recover from addiction. Why is this important to you?
I actually just learned this statistic. Forty percent of homeless youth is LGBT. That’s a huge percentage. That’s almost half of all homeless youth. It’s fucked up. I’m on board for anything that helps children. I’m also involved with P.S. Arts, which puts arts education in the public school system. Kids who are raised with open minds and open hearts don’t grow up to be assholes. [Laughs]

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/People/George_Straight_Up/

P.S: See source for the remainder of the interview.

TheGodlessUtopian

19th February 2012, 23:01

Damage Control: Sheriff Admits He's Gay

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-19/1Sheriff2.jpg

Sheriff Paul Babeu, a Republican candidate for Congress in Arizona, admitted he's gay on Saturday but not that he ever threatened (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/18/GOP_Candidate_Outed_Accused_of_Threatening_to_Depo rt_Ex_boyfriend/) to deport his ex-boyfriend back to Mexico as part of an effort to keep his sexual orientation quiet.

"I am here to say that all of these allegations that were in one of these newspapers are absolutely, completely false," he said during a news conference, "except for the issues that refer to me as being gay. Because that's the truth, I am gay."

Earlier in the day, a Mitt Romney spokesman reported that Babeu resigned his post as a co-chairman of the Arizona campaign to focus on dealing with the allegations. Babeu confirmed during the news conference that he had a relationship with Jose, who admits being in the country illegally, but Babeu said he "never believed he was less legal than I or you were."

Babeu is nationally known for his strong stance on border security, appearing prominently alongside Sen. John McCain in a campaign ad on the subject, and he even spoke forcefully about the issue at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

After they broke up, Babeu said he got a lawyer because Jose was holding hostage passwords to his social media accounts and other parts of his official online identity — which the Phoenix New Times reported as part of its story about the supposed deportation threat. Bebau also did not dispute the newspaper's discovery of a photo of him in his underwear on a gay dating site. Jose told the newspaper it was that profile that led to his realization the sheriff was cheating on him.

But Bebau, who is not married, said the newspaper was prying into his "personal and private life" and that the deportation accusation was just being used by the newspaper as a way to expose a conservative sheriff for being gay.

"This is 20-plus years that I've had numerous people that would threaten this to me, to expose me, to go to my chain of command even in the military and report this and have done so," he said. "This whole rumor, this whole idea about who I am in my private life has been shopped around, and I believe an overwhelming majority of the you standing here today in the media not only have known this, that information has been brought to your attention by numerous sources."

Unresolved is whether Babeu's lawyer ever asked Jose to sign an agreement to never talk about Babeu's sexual orientation, which is among the accusations in the New Times piece. When Babeu first won his spot as sheriff of Pinal County, he made his strong feelings about lying clear during a profile on him by a local Fox news station.

"I was a victim of sexual assault when I was a young boy and actually by a priest back in Massachusetts, and that was something that had a dramatic impact on my life," he told the Fox station, which was doing a profile on him. "Having leaders within the church cover it up and lie about it really awakened my sense of truly the world and what's right and what's wrong and how some people are in positions of great trust and honor sometimes can do bad things."

Babeu is the tenth of 11 children. And he said the abuse began when he was 11 and lasted for several years. And that taught him how to decide whether someone is lying.

"With my past and understanding of how people in positions of trust can lie," he told Fox, "I look at just not what somebody is telling you but the consistency in different environments."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/19/Damage_Control_Sheriff_Admits_He_Is_Gay/

P.S: See source for video

Is Marriage Equality a Campaign Issue?

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-19/1MTP.jpg

When David Gregory, moderator of Meet the Press, asked his guests whether same-sex marriage should be a campaign issue, both answered by doing their best to talk about the economy.

Gregory was interviewing two prominent voices for their parties in the House — Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the Budget Committee, and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the committee's ranking member, whose home state of Maryland took a big first step (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/17/LAST_MINUTE_WIN_MARYLAND_HOUSE_PASSES_MARRIAGE/) toward passing marriage equality this week in its House of Delegates.

Gregory noted that if, as expected, the Maryland Senate passes the bill and the governor signs it, then it would become the eighth state to legalize same-sex marriage, following closely on the heels of Washington where Gov. Christine Gregoire just signed that bill (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Marriage_Equality/Chris_Gregoire_Reflects_on_a_Marriage_Milestone/) into law on Monday (though it could be challenged at the ballot box).

"It's a significant part of the population," Gregory said of the states where marriage equality is the law. "Is this, should this be, a campaign issue?"

Even as Gregory finished his question, there was an awkward silence as both politicians waited to see if the other would answer first.

Van Hollen seemed to surprise Gregory with his answer. Gregory asked repeated follow-ups after Van Hollen said four times that he supports "marriage equality," which seemed to confuse Gregory. At one point, when Van Hollen seemed to attempt to elaborate on the importance of including religious exemptions, he was cut off by a disbelieving Gregory.

"Certainly this is a legitimate issue and part of the debate we should have," Van Hollen said. "I support civil marriage equality. People have different views on this. But I think that the main focus of the American people remains on the economy and jobs and that's why it's interesting to hear Republicans trying to switch the subject in so many areas."

And then Van Hollen attempted to switch the subject himself — back to President Obama's record on economic growth. Ryan tried a similar tactic.

"Actually, I came on to talk about the debt crisis we have," he said first, before conceding that he'd supported a law in Wisconsin that defined marriage as between one man and one woman.

Ryan pointed out that it was Democrat Bill Clinton who signed the Defense of Marriage Act, without noting that Clinton has since supported marriage equality, even reportedly (http://gay.americablog.com/2012/02/marriage-passes-in-maryland-house-of.html) lobbying for it in Maryland. Ryan also invoked the Obama administration's own opposition to same-sex marriage as reason he shouldn't have to answer questions about it.

"If I recall from the last presidential campaign, President Obama and Vice President Biden said that they support marriage as being between a man and a woman," he said, "so I don't know why we are spending all this time talking about this."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/19/Is_Marriage_Equality_a_Campaign_Issue/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th February 2012, 03:17

Student Says She Was Punched in the Face for Prop. 8 Column

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-19/1Bridgewater.jpg

A student columnist in Massachusetts says (http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/02/19/bridgewater-state-students-plan-rally-support-assaulted-columnist/jFzcIaMX2YZgdZjSg7tGjP/story.html) she was confronted in a parking lot and punched in the face for writing about her opposition to Proposition 8.

Destinie Mogg-Barkalow, a student at Bridgewater State University, had penned a column (http://www.bsccomment.com/opinion/prop-8-generates-more-hate-1.2782690#.T0GiBswWhmC) earlier this week that said those opposed to same-sex marriage need to catch up with the times.

"If you believe legalizing gay marriage is unconstitutional, I think it is time you moved to another country," wrote Mogg-Barkalow, who is a lesbian, in The Comment student paper on Wednesday. "When it comes down to it, all I can say is leave us alone. Why are people so concerned about my soul and not their own? If same-sex couples are going to hell, at least I would be in peace and could finally stop worrying about hypocritical judgment."

Then Mogg-Barkalow says (http://www.wickedlocal.com/rehoboth/news/x1793839066/Bridgewater-State-University-student-allegedly-attacked-for-stance-on-gay-unions#axzz1msfDo9zY) she was confronted the next day in parking lot by a tall man and a shorter red-headed woman who asked if she'd written the column, then when she confirmed, the woman punched her in the face.

Police told The Comment they are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, though the suspects haven't been caught. And students are planning a rally (http://www.facebook.com/events/290763524323924/) in support of the writer on campus on Tuesday.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/19/Student_Says_She_Was_Punched_in_the_Face_for_Propo sition_8_Column/

The cadre of Maryland lawmakers and legislative aides charged with finding votes for Gov. Martin O’Malley’s same-sex marriage bill thought they finally had them. And with 71 delegates in their corner, the counters had not a vote to spare.
Then came word that Del. Veronica L. Turner was headed to the hospital. It was two days before Friday’s planned vote, and Turner (D-Prince George’s), a key supporter, needed emergency surgery and would not be back soon.

inShare

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_296w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/02/18/Web-Resampled/2012-02-18/296samesex--300x367.jpg

Maryland General Assembly: 2012 Guide
Explore the session (http://www.washingtonpost.com/mdassembly)

Her absence set off a fresh scramble for one more vote to avoid a repeat of what happened last year, when a same-sex marriage bill died on the floor of the House of Delegates.
On Saturday, as they were celebrating their historic and hair-thin victory (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/same-sex-marriage-bill-passes-maryland-house-of-delegates/2012/02/17/gIQARk7XKR_story.html), those who championed the bill allowed that they could well have come up short again, if not for a few late-hour converts.
“I don’t think anyone was certain we had 71 votes until the moment it flashed on the board,” said Del. Justin D. Ross (D-Prince George’s), who led the House’s “whip” operation on the bill sponsored by O’Malley (D).
The bill, which cleared the House on Friday with one vote to spare (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/maryland-politics/post/md-same-sex-marriage-how-the-house-voted/2012/02/17/gIQALC8wKR_blog.html), now goes to the Senate, where similar legislation passed last year. Opponents have vowed to petition the bill to the ballot, which could give voters the final say in November.
As momentum grows nationally for same-sex marriage, Friday’s margin underscores how divisive the issue remains, even in a heavily Democratic state, and how out of reach gay nuptials remain in many parts of the country.
O’Malley’s push began in the summer, when he agreed to sponsor this year’s bill in the wake of last year’s failure. He, his aides and supportive lawmakers — including seven gay House members — engaged in countless calls, visits and even prayer sessions with wavering delegates.
The Human Rights Campaign, a national gay-rights group, said Saturday that it had spent more than $500,000 on efforts in Maryland, much of that focused on making targeted lawmakers aware of support for same-sex marriage in their districts.
Despite the months-long campaign, Friday’s outcome became possible only with the late support of a pair of Republicans (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/same-sex-marriage-backers-courting-maryland-republicans/2012/02/10/gIQAnHyD9Q_story.html) and a handful of Democrats who opposed last year’s bill.
One of those, Del. John L. Bohanan (D-St. Mary’s), waited until 6 a.m. Friday to send House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) a text message notifying him of his decision to vote for the bill.
Bohanan said he changed his position after long reflections while driving back and forth to Annapolis last week. “Once I began to look at this through the eyes of my own kids and other young people, it became pretty clear,” said Bohanan, who has four sons ranging in age from 17 to 21. “You want them to have love, and if that’s how they want to express it, you want them to be able to do it openly.”
Bohanan said he cast his vote also thinking the issue will go to referendum.
No “yea” vote was more surprising than that of Del. Tiffany Alston (D-Prince George’s), who was among the last to indicate her planned support.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/maryland-house-almost-didnt-pass-gay-marriage-bill/2012/02/18/gIQAqrBQMR_story.html

Op-ed: What I Heard Washington Lawmakers Say to Me

What happens in the state legislature doesn’t often touch everyday lives, says one Washingtonian, but on Wednesday one vote made Brook Ellen West realize she’d been missing something.
By Brook Ellen West, op-ed contributor (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/POLITICS/COMMENTARY/2012/1EmilyAlmAndBrookEllenWest.jpg
Emily Alm and Brook Ellen West
When I was 14, everyone in my eighth-grade health class had to say something nice about me. It was a requirement. To help distract from bullying, middle school clique warfare, and everything in between, our health teacher, Ms. Weldon, made the class participate in a self-esteem building activity.
Ms. Weldon gave every student a piece of paper. She instructed us to write down our full name, then pass our piece of paper to the person on our right. Everyone wrote one good thing, anonymously, about the student whose paper we held.
After the activity was completed and the papers had been passed around the room 30 times until each was back with its original owner, there was this indescribable energy. On my paper people had written things like “You do your hair just perfect!” or “You’re so nice to everyone!” and “You’re smart!”
They were simple words, but I felt good about myself.
We all felt good about ourselves. Rarely do you get 30 compliments, all at once. I felt valued and noticed. A big group of people had just told me, “Brook Ellen, you’re all right.”
Feeling valued as an individual human being doesn’t happen every day in this world of billions. But last week I was transported back to Ms. Weldon’s class because the Washington State Senate passed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. On Wednesday the same legislation passed the House in a 55-43 vote.
I feel like I just got 55 compliments, all at once.
After the legislation passed the Senate last week, my partner, Emily, and I kissed in the street. Twice. In the same day. Like, big kisses. Maybe this is the sort of thing my family, and maybe even Emily’s family, wishes I wouldn’t talk about in The Advocate. Maybe it’s too much information, or it’s something people don’t want to think about. Knowing we’re gay is one thing, seeing it is another, right?
On my Facebook news feed Wednesday, someone posted a picture of a car. The car has a license plate that reads “BUTCH.” Several people have commented on this picture, and one comment in particular reads, “OMG Are you kidding me why would someone put that out there like that I don't have a Problem with People and the Sexuality its there Prerogative but that is just wrong ... ”
I promise I did not make this up. I am astounded that I saw that comment on Wednesday, of all days. For some, it's "just wrong" to "put that out there like that." As a lesbian, I am supposed to hide and keep any and all rainbow stickers off my car too.
I’m not a huge fan of overwhelming public displays of affection. People who are making out and grabbing each other’s asses are just too much for me, gay or straight.
Emily and I keep it pretty mild in the public affection department. We’ll put our arms around each other. We engage in occasional hand-holding. And if we’re in a booth together at our favorite pub, we have no problem touching each other’s arms and sharing small gestures of affection.
But kissing on the street, where people can see, makes me nervous. I’m not too scared to do it, but I am still worried that something might happen — dirty looks, people screaming “fag” as they drive by. Or worse, we could be physically assaulted at random like the teenager in Atlanta earlier this week who was attacked by a gang just for being gay. Maybe my insecurity stems from irrational paranoia or my roots in the South, where it’s best to keep things secret and swept under the rug where they belong. Kissing your same-sex partner in public isn’t exactly conducive to that.
Not today, World, not today. Because today, 55 people said, “Brook Ellen, you’re all right.”
The Washington State government told me I am valued. I am noticed. I don’t have to be ashamed or feel nervous. I can be proud.
I’m proud of my healthy, fulfilling, loving relationship. Emily is my best friend, my home, my everything. There will still be people out there who wish to do the LGBT community harm and wish to strip away our rights. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not naive.
But what happened in the Washington State House on Wednesday is nothing short of remarkable. I never knew that the choices made by 55 people had the potential to open a realm of honesty and openness that I didn’t realize existed within me. I am truly grateful, profoundly touched, and hopeful that Washington is only among the first of many votes to come nationwide that will surprise other Americans like me who didn’t know what they were missing.
BROOK ELLEN WEST is a freelance writer living in Tacoma, Wash. She maintains a personal blog called Flapjacks and French Ladies (http://flapjacksandfrenchladies.blogspot.com/). West loves talking in third person, and you can follow her on Twitter @brookellenwest (http://www.twitter.com/brookellenwest).
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Oped_What_I_Heard_Washington_Lawmakers_Say_to_Me/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th February 2012, 21:49

A veritable heartbeat after being roundly criticized for posting homophobic Super Bowl tweet (http://www.queerty.com/cnn-pundit-roland-martin-sends-gay-bashing-tweet-during-super-bowl-20120206/)s—and getting ditched by CNN (http://www.queerty.com/cnn-suspends-roland-teamwhipdatass-martin-for-homophobic-tweets-20120208/)—professional sound-biter Roland Martin addressed the scandal on-air yesterday and reminded listeners he’s in support of gay adoption, hate-crime laws and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-81-360x103.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-81.png)What, there was no Pride parade they could make him the grand marshal of?
On Sunday during his Washington Watch segment on TV One, Martin recounted his recent morning meeting with GLAAD communications director Herndon Graddick:

“Over breakfast for over 90 minutes, Herndon shared his thoughts with regards to my tweets and why he deemed them offensive to the LGBT community, and I reiterated my apology that — that if anyone who construed my comment[s] as being anti-gay or homophobic, or advancing violence, that was not my intent, and for that I was truly sorry.
Oh c’mon! The man has a record of gay bashing and homophobia and all we get is the classic “I’m sorry you took it that way”?!?
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/roland-martin-2.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/roland-martin-2.jpg)Martin followed up his non-apology with another old chestnut, the “let’s agree to disagree” canard:

“When anyone has a disagreement—whether public or private—there should be a call to sit down and sort it out, as opposed to both backing into corners, ratcheting up the noise to the point where no one hears one another. That benefits no one.
“Now, do we agree on all issues? No. But, ironically, I have historically supported many of the issues important to the GLAAD agenda, such as ending [the] ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy; gay adoption; and including gays in hate crimes laws. Those, folks, are facts. But it is only through dialogue do we get an opportunity to see each other’s perspective and learn what it is like to walk in that person’s shoes
And finally Martin absolves himself of responsibility by claiming he’s “a journalist, not an activist.”
Actually, Roland, you’re a talking head who weighs in on the issues of the day. You make your living on your opinions, not investigative reporting. And as a professional opiner, you should know the impact your words have.
While GLAAD is in dialogue with Martin, the anti-defamation group hasn’t let him off the hook completely. A statement (http://www.glaad.org/blog/why-language-matters-ongoing-public-dialogue-roland-martin) from the group about Sunday’s broadcast read in part:

We live in a culture of 140 characters, sound bites and three-hour news cycles. Context, and even intent, is often lost. In spite of that, our media, and what is considered acceptable in it, is more imhttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/glaad.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/glaad.jpg)portant than ever. For better or worse, celebrities and prominent voices in our media set a standard for what is acceptable in the rest of our society. GLAAD firmly believes that language which could be construed by an audience as inciting violence against LGBT people, people perceived to be LGBT, or members of other groups that face discrimination or prejudice is unacceptable in our media. Anti-LGBT violence is not a political opinion.
But we have to disagree with GLAAD’s assertion that Martin “took another important step, acknowledging that his words had a negative impact, and making it clear that he understands how serious the issues of anti-LGBT bullying and violence are.”
What Martin acknowledged (to himself anyway) is that his meal ticket had dried up and he needed to offer a little lip service to get it back.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/roland-martins-speedy-reversal-and-apology-rings-really-really-untrue-20120220/

Lord Carey (http://www.queerty.com/lord-carey-the-former-bishop-of-canturbury-defends-british-therapists-gay-cure-20120130/), England’s former Archbishop of Canterbury, is back in the news with an article attacking Conservative Party PM David Cameron for endorsing same-sex marriage. In the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2103513/Marriage-ONLY-remain-bedrock-society-man-woman.html) on Sunday Carey wrote that gay marriage “threatens to fatally weaken what is still one of our country’s greatest strengths—the institution of marriage.”

For thousands of years, the union of one man and one woman has been the bedrock of societies across cultures, all around the world. Marriage is now an integral part of the modern world not because of a government diktat, or a church decree, but because it has stood the test of time—and proved to be the fundamental building block for every stable society.For many centuries, Britain has known much more stability than most other nations on Earth, and marriage has been essential to our national welfare. It keeps families together. It is clear that family breakdown has a personal and societal cost – from children damaged by the experience of growing up in a broken home to the older people who are left lonely and isolated because of the break-up of their families in middle age…
Marriage is the glue that binds our country together. When a couple marries, they are not just joining with one individual, but connecting two families—and in doing so creating a support network far better than anything the state can supply.
Setting aside the factual inaccuracies in his argument—that marriage has always been a love bond between one man and one woman—Carey lays out how wonderful and essential the institution is but is steadfastly unwilling to allow a sizable segment of the population to embrace it.
He also includes that favorite straw-man argument of religious homophobes: that extending rights to LGBT people will result in the persecution of the faithful.

We know what will happen, for we have already had a taste of it—it will encourage religious discrimination. A marriage registrar from Islington believed in traditional marriage, and was disciplined by her employers for it. The elderly owners of a B&B believed in traditional marriage, and were successfully sued for it. Numerous Roman Catholic adoption agencies believed in traditional marriage, and were closed down for it.
Carey—who, in January, came to the defense of a British therapist suspended for practicing reparative therapy (http://www.queerty.com/lord-carey-the-former-bishop-of-canturbury-defends-british-therapists-gay-cure-20120130/)— knows as well as we do that those people weren’t penalized for their beliefs, but for forcing others to adhere to them.
Can a Jewish innkeeper require all his male guests to be circumcised? Can a Muslim taxi driver insist his female passengers don a burka when then get in his cab?
Apparently, the ex-archbishop has taken a page from his cronies across the Atlantic. Carey is joining the newly formed Coalition For Marriage, which would take the marriage-equality debate out of the hands of the legislature and into some kind of public vote, where he assumes bigotry and ignorance would win the day.

Jesus, this guy retired from his post in 2004—why can’t he just take up shuffleboard and powerwalking like our grandpa?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/former-archbishop-of-canterbury-bashes-pm-david-camerons-marriage-equality-support-20120220/

Sweden came one step closer over the weekend to ending the forced sterilization (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/20/sweden-set-to-drop-sterilisation-rule-for-official-trans-recognition/) of its transgender citizens when the conservative Christian Democratic Party agreed to a repeal of the brutal practice.
Part of the Swedish legal code since 1972, the law forces Swedes wishing to legally change their gender on national documentation to undergo surgical procedures that render them infertile.
Activists have worked for years to get the statute repealed but Christian Democrats—currently part of Sweden’s governing coalition— have long resisted (http://www.queerty.com/why-the-eff-is-sweden-sterlizing-its-trans-citizens-20110808/).
But after more than 77,000 people signed an AllOut.org petition (http://allout.org/en/actions/stop_forced_sterilization) to end the practice the CDP caved and, on Saturday, announced its support for a repeal.
The AllOut.org effort featured a powerful video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5BItMiWM60) by Love Georg Elfvelin (above), a 21-year-old trans man, and was reportedly the largest ever online campaign for transgender rights.
The compulsory-sterilization law is expected to be formally abolished in the coming months.
“This is an incredible news for Sweden,” said Ulrika Westerlund, President of the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights. ”It means that anyone will be able to have their true identity recognized without having to be sterilized.”
Sweden is far from alone in requiring sterilization as part of sex reassignment: The Council of Europe identifies nearly 30 member countries with such conditions on the books, including France, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Several U.S. states also demand it. Recently, Italy and Germany have overturned (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/02/transgender-forced-sterilization_n_1071328.html)similar laws.
Watch Love’s inspiring video below:

Source: http://www.queerty.com/sweden-one-step-closer-to-ending-forced-trans-sterilization-20120220/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

20th February 2012, 21:57

Megadeath's Dave Mustaine Opposes Same-Sex Marriage Because He's "Christian"

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-20/dave-mustaine.jpg

Dave Mustaine, frontman for thrash metal band Megadeth, says he doesn't support gay marriage because he is a Christian and he isn't gay.

While being interviewed by Josh Kerns for his radio show Seattle Sounds, which airs on the city's KIRO 97.3 FM radio station Mustaine was asked is he supports gay marriage. "Well, since I'm not gay, the answer to that would be no," the musician replied.

Mustaine was then asked if he would support legislation to make marriage between a man and another man legal. "I'm Christian," he answered. "The answer to that would be no."

Last week Mustaine clarified a report that stated he is endorsing Rick Santorum for president. In a statement issued to the media, Mustaine said, "Contrary to how some people have interpreted my words, I have not endorsed any presidential candidate. What I did say was that I hope to see a Republican in the White House. I've seen good qualities in all the candidates but by no means have made my choice yet. I respect the fact that Santorum took time off from his campaign to be with his sick daughter, but I never used the word 'endorse.'"
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/20/Megadeaths_Dave_Mustaine_Opposed_Same_Sex_Marriage _Because_Hes_Christian/

Chris Cornell Berates Man For Using Homophobic Slur

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-20/1320254305-chris-cornell-new-promo-pic.jpg

Chris Cornell, frontman for the band Soundgarden, has scolded a man who called another man a "queer" after the man made "a pro-Obama statement" in the Alaska Airlines lounge at Seattle Airport, according to Perez Hilton (http://perezhilton.com/2012-02-16-exclusive-chris-cornell-defends-man-in-seattle-airport#.T0J-3K4aAnr).

In a blog post dated February 16, Hilton quotes a source saying, “Chris Cornell was spotted breaking up a fight in the Alaska Airlines lounge in the Seattle airport last night. When a guy in a business suit called another man a queer after he overheard him make a pro-Obama statement, Cornell vocally stepped up in the packed lounge and slammed the guy for making anti-gay comments.”

Cornell reportedly confronted that man, saying, "You're a prick. You deliberately called him a queer to make him feel uncomfortable in front of a lot of people."

Hilton reports that security asked the man who made the offending comment to leave the lounge and other passengers in the lounge thanked Cornell for his intervention.

At a fundraiser for President Obama the same day, Cornell performed a version of "I Will Always Love You" as a tribute to the late Whitney Houston. Watch the performance below.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/20/Chris_Cornell_Berates_Man_For_Using_Homophobic_Slu r/

P.S: See source for video

Bill Maher: Chris Christie Is Ruining My State's Reputation

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-18/1BillChris.jpg

Comedian Bill Maher says that when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/17/Christie_Vetoes_NJ_Marriage_Equality_Bill/) same-sex marriage on Friday, it took the already bad reputation that his home state has and made it worse.

"It takes away the one thing I had," Maher said, noting that New Jersey is the most commonly made fun of state in the union. "The one thing we had is we are from the sophisticated state of New Jersey from the Northeast. We're not some yokel, car-on-the-lawn state."

Maher and his panel were answering a question on Real Time about whether the governor's veto was "not only dick-ish but also extremely short sighted."

Reporter Erin McPike of RealClearPolitics said the Christie is probably a presidential candidate in 2016 and, "He's doing it for his base."

Former New York governor Eliot Spitzer said Christie's move was "typical" pandering.

Watch the video below. Talk about marriage equality begins at about five minutes and 40 seconds.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Comedy/Bill_Maher_Chris_Christie_Is_Ruining_My_State_Repu tation/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

21st February 2012, 20:36

Set your DVRs: The “It Gets Better” project is airing a True Life-style hour-long special on both MTV and Logo tonight at 11pm EST.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/transman-couple-360x240.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/transman-couple.jpg)Dan Savage teamed up with the networks to create the special, which follows three different LGBT teens at different stages of telling the world they’re queer. One is just beginning to come out to his family, another has come out to her parents but is still working with them to establish a deeper understanding of gay issues, and the last is a transgender man about to get married to his female partner (photo at right).
“What you see in the special are all these young people who are at different stages of the coming out process, making it better for themselves using their own power to change and transform their lives,” Savage told MTV News (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678324/it-gets-better-special-premiere-dan-savage.jhtml).
And what would an MTV special be without celebrity guest stars? Expect to see messages from Maroon 5′s Adam Levine, Zachary Quinto, Margaret Cho, Chaz Bono, Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears.
You can expect to to see Savage on MTV a lot more come this spring, when his upcoming series, Savage U (http://www.queerty.com/dan-savage-to-talk-buttsecks-on-the-network-that-gave-us-16-pregnant-20110404/) debuts. The series follows him around to different college campuses, offering a crash course on relationships, responsibility, sex, love and life.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/watch-dan-savage-narrates-a-preview-of-mtvs-it-gets-better-special-airing-tonight-at-11pm-20120221/

P.S: See source for video

British footballer Manny Smith is eating his words after a flurry of homophobic tweets toward an openly gay fan. This past Friday, Smith (@manny_smith6 (https://twitter.com/#%21/manny_smith6)), a Walsall Football Club player, started taunting a fan named Kevin Paddock (@yga_saddler (https://twitter.com/#%21/yga_saddler)), who says in his Twitter profile he’s “an openly gay man that watches Walsall FC.”
We’re not sure whether Paddock had a picture of himself for his profile picture (now it’s the Walsall FC’s team logo), but, in the tweets at right, Manny seemed quite fond of making fun of Paddock’s nose and earring, saying, “Ur defo a queer u belend!”
Apparently belend, more commonly spelled bellend (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bellend), means “penis head” or “dick” in British slang.
Manny issued a public apology (http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/News/0,,10428%7E2616370,00.html) on the soccer team’s website:

I would like to publicly apologise to Kevin. The comments were borne out of frustration and were tweeted in the heat of the moment. I deeply regret them. I realise that, as a professional sports person, I am a role model and my conduct, both in person and via social networking sites, should reflect this.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/manny-smith-gay-tweeter.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/manny-smith-gay-tweeter.jpg)I met with Kevin in person today and apologised to him face-to-face. He has kindly agreed that this will be the end of the matter.
I just want to concentrate on my football and help Walsall maintain our League One status. I apologise to all our supporters and everyone connected with the club for this unfortunate incident, especially when all the focus should be on yesterday’s deserved win over Wycombe.
We’re not sure if Smith promised to stop using anti-gay slang in his meeting with Paddock, but hopefully he went a little further than he did in this apology, which just sounds like he’s sorry he got caught. Smith will probably face a fine from the soccer authorities.
You’d think that athletes would be careful about tweeting homophobia, especially given two recent incidents: a hockey player (http://www.queerty.com/what-the-puck-hockey-player-suspended-for-homophobic-tweet-20120215/) who called the Foo Fighters “Foo Faggots” on Twitter and a soccer player (http://www.queerty.com/anti-gay-tweet-about-gareth-thomas-costs-uk-footballer-lee-steele-his-job-20120111/) who got fired for joking he’d have to “padlock [his] arse” if he were in the bed next to an openly gay rugby player.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/soccer-player-calls-openly-gay-fan-a-queer-on-twitter-apologizes-quickly-20120221/

A second arrest has been made in an Atlanta gay-bashing incident, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/second-gay-beating-suspect-1353131.html).
Dorian Moragne turned himself in to police on Friday afternoon. Though turning yourself in could arguably make you look guilty, his lawyer Jay Abt told reporters in the video above that Moragne deserves to be considered innocent till proven guilty.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/MORAGNE_DORIAN-_1302338l.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/MORAGNE_DORIAN-_1302338l.jpg)He also says that Moragne “doesn’t have a hateful bone in his body… I am on his behalf extending an olive branch to the LGBT community.”
Thanks, Mr. Abt, but we’ll wait till the trial is over to accept your tidings of peace. And we’ll let the FBI decide whether it wants to pursue this as a hate crime.
A first suspect named Christopher Cain was arrested (http://www.queerty.com/atlanta-police-arrest-one-of-three-suspects-in-gang-related-gay-bashing-20120213/) two weeks ago. The police are still searching for the third assailant.
After the attackers uploaded the video to the internet, we and other bloggers asked the victim to come forward (http://www.queerty.com/why-hasnt-this-gay-bashed-atlanta-man-come-forward-to-report-the-crime-20120207/). He did, identifying himself as Brandon White. White bravely held a press conference (http://www.queerty.com/brandon-white-victim-of-brutal-atlanta-bashing-speaks-out-at-press-conference-20120208/) to speak out on the issue.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/second-suspect-connected-to-atlanta-gay-bashing-turns-himself-in-20120221/

P.S: See source for video

Forget about getting gay married in Mississippi—voters in the state passed a constitutional ban (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/30/politics/main646662.shtml) by a 6-1 margin in November 2004. But maybe the Hospitality State will at least allow gay commitment ceremonies on state grounds? Nope! Fiancés Kevin Garrard and Stephen Walters expressed interest last week in using a church at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson for a private commitment ceremony. Their request was denied, according to the Clarion-Ledger (http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120220/NEWS/202200311).
We don’t know which is less surprising: that such a homophobic state turned down their request, or that a public museum in God-fearing Mississippi has a church.
“We were turned away for being homosexual,” Garrard told the Clarion-Ledger (http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120220/NEWS/202200311). “I understand that it is illegal for gay people to get married, but it shouldn’t be illegal for us to love each other.”
Agriculture and Commerce Department spokesperson Andy Prosser said that even though the ceremony would not create a real marriage, it was close enough.
Said Prosser: “Commitment events, as far as the state goes, are a representation of a union, and state law says that a union can only be between a man and a woman.”
Prosser also referenced a 2009 statement from MS Attorney General Jim Hood, which addressed a similar gay-ceremony-on-state-property request.
“We are of the opinion that the Department (of Agriculture and Commerce) is certainly authorized to restrict the use of museum property for events and functions that are legal under state law,” Hood wrote. “Therefore, (the department) is authorized to prohibit same gender marriages on museum property.”
The gay couple has repeatedly reiterated that they’re not trying to stage a faux marriage.
“We’re not actually getting married; we’re just committing ourselves to one another. There is no paperwork,” Walters said.”I don’t know what the difference is between our scenario and a barbeque.”
The difference is: barbeques are a God-sanctioned tradition of the American people!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/in-mississippi-dont-even-try-to-have-a-gay-commitment-ceremony-on-state-grounds-20120221/

The runaway gay-themed Serbian dark comedy hit The Parade (http://www.filmparada.com/EN/index.php) picked up the audience award for best film (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/the-parade-berlin-panorama-audience-award-292560) in the esteemed Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday. The film, written and directed by Srdjan Dragojevic, follows the wacky exploits of two unlikely comrades, a gay veterinarian and a shady homophobic Balkan war veteran, as they traverse the many lands of what was once Yugoslavia in their quest to collect the perfect protection squad for a gay pride march in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.
The flick has already been a huge mainstream hit in the Balkan region, and one of Serbia’s highest-ever grossing movies — no mean feat in a country where homophobia is still rampant.
Both of Belgrade’s only real-life LGBT pride marches, in 2001 and 2010, were wracked by violence from ultra-nationalists and other anti-gay protestors. City officials banned the 2011 gay parade (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-pride-forecast-partly-cloudy-with-a-high-chance-of-violence-20110930/).
Yet by shamelessly playing on regional stereotypes across the board, Dragojevic has created a black comedy with a powerful overriding theme of tolerance.
“I made a film for homophobes with a funny, but clear, message,” he told German news mag Der Spiegel (http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,815527,00.html) last week.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-pride-comedy-nabs-audience-award-at-berlin-film-fest-20120221/

P.S: See source for video

When Sith Lord former Veep Dick Cheney said he believed “people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish,” he wasn’t just whistling Dixie. Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian, apparently was one of the straight allies working behind thttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/46_Dick_Cheney_3x4-360x412.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/46_Dick_Cheney_3x4.jpg)he scenes to help get Maryland’s marriage-equality bill through the Legislature. (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/dick-cheney-lobbied-maryland-gay-marriage-bill-report-article-1.1025192?localLinksEnabled=false)
The New York Daily News is reporting Cheney, who has a home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, was one of the high-powered Republicans who reached out to GOP legislators to garner support for Friday’s successful vote.

Wade Kach, a Republican legislator from Baltimore County, told The Baltimore Sun he received an offer to talk with Cheney, whom Kach regards as a “great man,” along with messages of support for the bill from other party bigwigs, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman.
Cheney’s office did not confirm his lobbying Old Line State legislators, the Huffington Post reported.
Kach was one of two Republican delegates who voted in favor of the bill, which passed with 72 votes — one more than needed for a majority.
With the bill clearing the House, it now goes to the state Senate, which passed similar legislation last year, and then on to be signed by Governor Martin O’Malley, who has long been a strong supporter of same-sex marriage.
We’d make a joke about Cheney, gay marriage and strange bedfellows but the image that conjures would make us lose our appetite.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/dick-cheney-lobbied-for-mds-gay-marriage-bill-in-other-news-hell-frozen-over-20120221/

Jury selection in the trial against Dharun Ravi, who is accused of spying on and harassing the late Tyler Clementi, begins today (http://abcnews.go.com/US/tyler-clementi-bullying-trial-begins-today/story?id=15752236#.T0OtI8zeu0Y). The trial will be televised live internationally.
Clementi jumped from the George Washington Bridge to his death on September 22, 2010, three days after Ravi filmed him kissing another man in their Rutgers dorm room, using a hidden webcam.
The case is starting now, but the Clementi-Ravi story has generated global interest from the beginning, with speculation about Ravi’s intentions and the appropriate punishment for his actions. (A must-read New Yorker story (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/02/06/120206fa_fact_parker#ixzz1l3FuivEp) goes into great detail.)
Ravi is charged with multiple counts of invasion of privacy, witness tampering, hindering prosecution and bias intimidation. After rejecting a plea deal (http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementi-tormenter-dharun-ravi-would-rather-face-an-nj-jury-than-do-600-hours-of-community-service-20111209/) in December that would have avoided jail time, the 19-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementi-bullying-trial-begins-today-20120221/

Sasha

22nd February 2012, 11:48

HEY, EVERYBODY: You know how Mormons "baptize" dead people who weren't Mormons—including Holocaust victims—because Mormons believe they have a right to choose Mormonism for the deceased? And you know how the Mormon Church says that being gay is a choice? The same church that doesn't think you should have a choice about being posthumously baptized? Well, now you can choose homosexuality for dead Mormons! Just go to www.AllDeadMormonsAreNowGay.com (http://www.alldeadmormonsarenowgay.com/), enter the name of a deceased Mormon or ask the site to find a dead Mormon for you, and—presto!—that dead Mormon gets to have a gay afterlife!

http://www.alldeadmormonsarenowgay.com/ :thumbup1:

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd February 2012, 21:16

The Maryland Senate was expected to vote on a marriage-equality bill today but has postponed deliberation until Thursday, allowing foes another day to muster support and tack on lethal amendments. It’s annoying but not tragic news: The Senate approved a similar bill last year and even opponents think this one will pass as well. “I don’t anticipate that a single vote will change,” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., (D-Prince George’s County) tells The Washington Times. (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/22/maryland-senate-delays-debate-gay-marriage-bill/) “We want to deal with it expeditiously so that we can move on with the rest of the business of the state.”
The bill already passed the House last week with a 72-67 vote and has the support of Governor Martin O’Malley, a Democrat. A vote in the Senate is expected by Friday.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/md-senate-delays-vote-on-marriage-equality-bill-20120222/

After a horrific incident last spring in which Chrissy Lee Polis, a transgender woman, was beaten for using the female restroom (http://www.queerty.com/mcdonalds-trans-bashing-victim-chrissy-polis-meets-her-guardian-angel-20110509/) at a Rosedale McDonald’s, Baltimore County has finally passed legislation to protect transgender people from discrimination, reports the Baltimore Sun (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-02-21/news/bs-md-co-transgender-vote-20120221_1_transgender-protections-transgender-people-chrissy-lee-polis). The most controversial point of debate was a proposed “Bathroom Amendment,” which would have specifically exempted bathrooms from the law. Seeing as the law came about because of a horrific trans bashing related to bathroom use, it’s thankful that the legislation did not follow through with the amendment.
They instead left the Bathroom Amendment off, but included vague language saying that “distinctly private or personal” facilities were exempt from protections.
The County council passed the legislation, 5-2, along party lines.
Democratic Councilman Tom Quirk originally introduced the legislation. “Everyone deserves to be treated fairly,” said Quirk. “This bill is a human rights bill, and I’m proud of Baltimore County tonight.”
But, given the fact that the law doesn’t apply to “distinctly private or personal” places, does that mean a McDonald’s bathroom counts? It’s an establishment that’s open to the public, but arguably privately owned and able to make up its own rules about bathrooms.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/baltimore-now-allows-transgender-people-to-use-public-bathroom-of-choice-20120222/#ixzz1n9C6hrXV

Source: http://www.queerty.com/baltimore-now-allows-transgender-people-to-use-public-bathroom-of-choice-20120222/

The father of a bullied British teen who committed suicide in 2010 has himself ended his own life, an inquest has found (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/22/suicide-recorded-at-inquest-into-death-of-roger-crouch/). 55-year-old Roger Crouch had become a strong advocate against anti-gay bullying after his 15-year-old son, Dominic, jumped from a building near his school in Gloucestershire in May 2010. The younger Crouch had become the victim of taunts and rumors after kissing a boy during a game on a school trip.
The elder Crouch subsequently became a vocal campaigner against homophobic bullying, and last November 3 was given the Hero of the Year (http://www.stonewall.org.uk/what_you_can_do/events/2595.asp) award by the UK’s Stonewall organization.
Less than a month later, Crouch was found hanging from a noose by his wife Paola. She later agreed with psychiatrists (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-17114334) that her husband ultimately had been overcome by grief at the loss of their son.
“I think it’s what you might call in an old fashioned way, a broken heart,” she told the Gloucester Coroners Court.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/yet-another-bullying-tragedy-suicide-claims-stonewall-hero-of-the-year-20120222/#ixzz1n9CIhxN0

Source: http://www.queerty.com/yet-another-bullying-tragedy-suicide-claims-stonewall-hero-of-the-year-20120222/

Taking time away from punching moms and smashing apple pies, Indiana State Rep. Bob Morris has gone after the Girl Scouts, calling them (http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/wsbt-lawmaker-calls-girl-scouts-radicalized-organization-20120221,0,918004.story) “a radicalized organization” and refusing to sign a proclamation celebrating the group’s 100th anniversary. In a letter to the Indiana Republican Caucus dated February 18, Morris claimed the Scouts were basically the recruiting branch of Planned Parenthood, which of course is nothing but an abortion factory:

This past week I was asked to sign a House Resolution recognizing the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts of America. After talking to some well-informed constituents, I did a small amount of web-based research, and what I found is disturbing. The Girl Scouts of America and their worldwide partner, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood. You will not find evidence of this on the GSA/WAGGGS website—in fact, the websites of these two organizations explicitly deny funding Planned Parenthood.
Nonetheless, abundant evidence proves that the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood instructional series and pamphlets are part of the core curriculum at GSA training seminars. Denver Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley of Denver last year warned parents that “membership in the Girl Scouts could carry the danger of making their daughters more receptive to the pro-abortion agenda.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/girl_scouts_th.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/girl_scouts_th.jpg)A Girl Scouts of America training program last year used the Planned Parenthood sex education pamphlet “Happy, Healthy, and Hot.” The pamphlet instructs young girls not to think of sex as “just about vaginal or anal intercourse.” “There is no right or wrong way to have sex. Just have fun, explore and be yourself!” it states. Although individual Girl Scout troops are not forced to follow this curriculum, many do. Liberal progressive troop-leaders will indoctrinate the girls in their troop according to the principles of Planned Parenthood, making Bishop Conley’s warning true.
Many parents are abandoning the Girl Scouts because they promote homosexual lifestyles. In fact, the Girl Scouts education seminar girls are directed to study the example of role models. Of the fifty role models listed, only three have a briefly-mentioned religious background – all the rest are feminists, lesbians, or Communists. World Net Daily, in a May 2009 article, states that Girl Scout Troops are no longer allowed to pray or sing traditional Christmas Carols.
Boys who decide to claim a “transgender” or cross-dressing lifestyle are permitted to become a member of a Girl Scout troop, performing crafts with the girls and participate in overnight and camping activities—just like any real girl. The fact that the Honorary President of Girl Scouts of America is Michelle Obama, and the Obama’s are radically pro-abortion and vigorously support the agenda of Planned Parenthood, should give each of us reason to pause before our individual or collective endorsement of the organization.
As members of the Indiana House of Representatives, we must be wise before we use the credibility and respect of the “Peoples’ House” to extend legitimacy to a radicalized organization. The Girl Scouts of America stand in a strong tradition that reflects with fidelity the traditional values of our homes anhttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/girl-scouts-360x240.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/girl-scouts.jpg)d our families. The tradition extends from coast-to-coast and back through the past one hundred years. That said, I challenge each of you to examine these matters more closely before you extend your name and your reputation to endorse a group that has been subverted in the name of liberal progressive politics and the destruction of traditional American family values.
I have two daughters who have been active in the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council in Northeastern Indiana. Now that I am aware of the influence of Planned Parenthood within GSA and other surprisingly radical policies of GSA, my two daughters will instead become active in American Heritage Girls Little Flowers organization. In this traditional group they will learn about values and principles that will not confuse their conservative Hoosier upbringing.
I have been told that, as of today, I am the only member not supporting the Girl Scout Resolution.
I challenge each of you to examine these matters and to decide carefully whether or not to sign the resolution.
Respectfully,
Bob Morris
We understand Morris kicked a puppy after delivering the memo.
It’s bad enough he misrepresents Planned Parenthood’s agenda and programs, but any sort of unholy alliance between it and the Girl Scouts is simply fabricated.
A statement from Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN) reads:

PPIN does not produce nor distribute the materials Rep. Morris referenced. Planned Parenthood of Indiana is first and foremost a provider of affordable, high-quality health care, serving more than 100,000 Hoosiers across the state. Our nonprofit provides preventive services such as life-saving cancer screenings, Pap tests, birth control, testing and treatment for STDs, as well as sexual health education and health counseling.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-234-360x314.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-234.png)As part of our sexual education services, we offer a variety of age-appropriate education services developed by trained professionals…
Planned Parenthood currently has no formal partnership with the Girl Scouts, but supports their mission and recognizes their century of contributions to our society.
Morris’ idiotic fearmongering even earned him the ridicule (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ind-lawmaker-says-girl-scouts-promote-abortion-homosexuality-is-ridiculed-by-gop-colleagues/2012/02/22/gIQAGdBGTR_story.html) of his boss, Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma, who handed out Thin Mints at the Statehouse on Tuesday and joked, “I’ve purchased 278 cases of Girl Scout cookies in the last four hours.” (Conan O’Brien goofed on his moronic claims (http://teamcoco.com/video/girl-scout-propaganda) last night as well.)
Morris isn’t recanting, though: “My family and I took a view and we’re sticking by it,” he said yesterday. Somehow we don’t think he polled his wife and kids before making his claim.
We really love the remark Girl Scout troop leader Rebecca Masters made about Morris to the South Bend Tribune (http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/wsbt-lawmaker-calls-girl-scouts-radicalized-organization-20120221,0,918004.story): “Obviously he’s never been a Girl Scout! They’re learning how to communicate. They’re learning how to deal with people. They’re learning how to run money. Money!”
And what’s more wholesome and American than making money?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nutbag-in-politician-says-girl-scouts-radicalized-indoctrinate-abortion-and-homosexuality-20120222/#ixzz1n9CaWS61

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nutbag-in-politician-says-girl-scouts-radicalized-indoctrinate-abortion-and-homosexuality-20120222/

What’s that they say about video killing the radio star? Right wing talk-radio host Michael Berry, who was implicated in a hit-and-run (http://www.queerty.com/right-wing-radio-nut-michael-berry-involved-in-hit-and-run-outside-houston-drag-club-20120217/) outside a popular Houston drag bar, launched into an tirade about the incident on his show yesterday, calling reports (http://www.click2houston.com/news/Police-watch-bar-video-in-hit-and-run-probe/-/1735978/8784614/-/fb6y59z/-/index.html) of his transgression “hit pieces.”
According to AllAccess.com (http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/102646/ktrh-s-michael-berry-responds-to-tv-station-s-hit-), our Douche of the Week winner proved he deserved the honor by talking about the incident, against the “very expensive” advice of his attorneys:

He said that “the fourth-place TV station” had “run out of house fires to report on, so they decided to do a hit piece on me,” using “unnamed sources.” Reading the story posted on KPRC-TV’s website, he noted the repeated use of the term “gay bar” and ripped the station for running the story on TV three nights in a row. He asserted that he has never “bashed gays” and called the TV station’s report “a smear campaign” and threatened to respond with his own “unnamed sources on you S.O.B.s… you will not smear my name and me go down without a fight.”
It should be noted that the TV station’s source was not unnamed—Berry allegedly hit the SUV of bouncer Todare Bennett, who went on camera to accused Berry of being the offending driver.
Later in his rant, however, Berry cops to going to the gay bar, but only because he wanted a brewski.
Says Berry:

I went into a bar. There were gay people inside. You know why I went in to a bar? Let me confess. Because there was cold beer waiting inside. Is that a crime? The fact that I’m not afraid of the fact that some of the people inside may be gay makes it a bad thing? Would it have been better if I was at a strip club, or a Hooters? Well if it would then maybe you should now know, I don’t hate gays. I don’t fear gays. I don’t need to bash gays.
Here’s the full audio from the show:

Source: http://www.queerty.com/gay-bar-patronizing-conservative-radio-host-goes-on-insane-rant-against-tv-station-20120222/

P.S: See source for video

One of Britain’s worst serial killers — who preyed only on gay men, killing five in the 1990s before being caught — died in a West Yorkshire prison yesterday (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/22/gay-slayer-colin-ireland-dies-in-prison/), apparently of natural causes. In 1993, Colin Ireland reportedly made a gruesome New Year’s resolution: to become a serial killer. A 38-year-old drifter at the time, Ireland began frequenting the historic London gay pub the Coleherne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleherne_public_house), where he methodically picked up his victims. He then accompanied them to their homes, where he tortured and brutally murdered them.
Among the victims was an American, Perry Bradley III, the son of a top Democratic Party fundraiser in Texas.
With police slow to connect the murders, London’s LGBT community quickly became terrorized (http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20110794,00.html) by the so-called “Gay Slayer”.
Ireland later claimed to have pretended to be gay solely to ensnare his victims, but said that he harbored no particular animosity toward gay people. His reasoning, he told authorities, was simply that gay men made easier targets, and that they “keep their mouths shut and don’t tell the police things.”
Ireland was finally caught in December 1993, and sentenced to life in prison.
In 2008, a British TV series profiled Ireland in “Real Crime: Serial Killer On Camera”. Watch here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOQ8tIpEWEY), but be warned that it’s very disturbing viewing.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/notorious-gay-serial-killer-dies-in-uk-prison-20120222/#ixzz1n9DBDE2G

Queerty reader M. Bedwell recently clued us in to an interesting bit of pop culture trivia: Tony Bennett’s signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” was actually written by a gay couple more than a half-century ago.
The City by the Bay is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bennett’s recording—And Bennett returned to sing it live last week (http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/01/25/i-left-my-heart-in-san-francisco-turns-50/)—but as Bedwell explains:

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/tony-bennett-360x224.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/tony-bennett.jpg)In the hundreds of mainstream articles about yesterday’s huge, citywide celebration of the 50th anniversary of Tony Bennett first recording “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone noting that the international romantic favorite was written—originally “When I Return to San Francisco”—by gay couple and WWII veterans George Cory and Douglass Cross, who missed the city after moving to New York…
Cross had been raised across the bay in Oakland and once sang in the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Cory grew up in San Francisco and Mill Valley, and studied music at UC Berkeley. They moved back to California in 1966, building a home in Lake County with their composer royalties, and were present in 1969, a few months after Stonewall, when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors made their creation San Francisco’s official song. It’s also played after every home victory at the San Francisco Giants’ China Basin ballpark (exactly 573 times, so far).
Cross told the supervisors and spectators [when the song was made San Francisco's official anthem]: “This is a very proud moment for George Cory and me. If our song is success, it is because it reflects in some small measure, perhaps, the history, the legend, the magic of this beautiful city that has fascinated the imagination of the world.”
Cross died of a heart attack in 1975, and Cory, apparently still mourning his partner of over two decades, committed suicide a few years later after having finally returned to San Francisco where he bought a house on Pleasant Street on Nob Hill. The three-story building still stands near the Fairmont Hotel, where Bennett first sang the couple’s love song.
Below is Bennett singing his trademark song with a little help from Judy Garland. (We thought we’d gay it up a bit more.)

Source here: http://www.queerty.com/lounge-legend-tony-bennett-owes-a-homesick-gay-couple-for-his-enduring-fame-20120222/#ixzz1n9DZDaUb

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd February 2012, 21:03

Today on Morning Joe, Chris Christie threw some jabs at President Obama’s relative silence on marriage equality, saying that they hold the same position—okay with civil unions, not so much gay marriage—but that Obama is just a silent coward about it.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/chris-christie-david-shankbone-360x520.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/chris-christie-david-shankbone.jpg)“I’m in the exact same position as the president,” said Christie. “The Democrats in my state are criticizing me, saying my feet are firmly planted on the wrong side of justice. Yeah, my feet are firmly planted right next to President Obama’s.”
Continued Christie:
“The President is silent on this like he’s silent on every issue that’s difficult for him… Let’s have the President of the United States show some courage, come on this program, look into the camera like I’m looking into the camera, and state his position. He won’t because he wants to have it both ways. I’m not looking to have it both ways, I vetoed the bill. That’s my position.
“What I’ve offered to the supporters of same-sex marriage is if one of your reasons for why I should have voted signed it was because you’re telling me the majority of the people of New Jersey want it, then prove it. Put it on the ballot and prove it. At least I’m standing up for what I believe in. The President has hidden on this issue… This is the type of cowardice that we don’t want.”
The only thing is: the President has never been forced to make a decision on gay marriage, so, yes, while he’s not championing the cause, no, it doesn’t mean he’s cowardly. It just means it hasn’t come up.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/chris-christie-i-have-same-position-on-gay-marriage-as-obama-hes-just-a-coward-20120223/#ixzz1nEyuv8G1

If you live in western Pennsylvania and have seen the dude in the photo at right recently, please call the police—you may be able to help them arrest a gay-bashing criminal. The FBI says they’ve identified the third suspect in a brutal Atlanta gay bashing (http://www.queerty.com/brandon-white-victim-of-brutal-atlanta-bashing-speaks-out-at-press-conference-20120208/) earlier this month as Dareal Damare Williams, according to the Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/fbi-3rd-suspect-in-1359245.html), and he’s hiding out in the Erie, PA area—possibly in Pittsburgh. The two other suspects, Christopher Cain (http://www.queerty.com/atlanta-police-arrest-one-of-three-suspects-in-gang-related-gay-bashing-20120213/) and Dorian Moragne (http://www.queerty.com/second-suspect-connected-to-atlanta-gay-bashing-turns-himself-in-20120221/), are already in police custody.
Erie police and agents in the Erie FBI office ask that anyone with information of his whereabouts call Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477 or Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-472-8477.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/fbi-believes-third-suspect-in-atlanta-gay-bash-is-hiding-out-in-pittsburgh-pa-20120223/#ixzz1nEzDgKc3

This week a new bill received approval in the Virginia Legislature that would allow private and religious adoption agencies to reject gay and lesbian couples as prospective parents. The measure—a “conscience clause” approved by the Senate Tuesday and sent to Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has said he will sign it—allows agencies to deny adoptions to parents that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, reports the AP. (http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/155109/group/homepage/)
Similar regulations have already been introduced by the Virginia Board of Social Services in December—this will just codify the practice into law, requiring a repeal to overturn.
Senate Democrats vehemently opposed the bill: “It’s the first step toward actually outlawing adoption by LGBT people,” says the Assembly’s only gay member, Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria). Also standing against it were the Child Welfare League of America and the ACLU.
Victoria Cobb, head of the Family Foundation of Virginia called the vote, “a tremendous victory for religious liberty and an affirmation of the critical role faith-based organizations play in providing hope and security for thousands of children and families in Virginia.”
So, Ms. Cobb, how many of the 1,300 orphans in the state of Virginia will you be adopting?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/new-va-adoption-law-means-heather-might-not-have-two-mommies-20120223/#ixzz1nEzT9FOQ

“Gay sex is highly immoral and against social order and there is high chance of spreading of diseases through such acts,” said Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P P Malhotra, a government official in the Union Ministry for Home Affairs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_for_Home_Affairs_%28India%29), before the Indian Supreme Court today. We hope that little “Additional” qualification on his title means “lesser” or “extra,” because those sure are some dangerously backward views on gay sex—not that the likes of Santorum and American conservatives are much more advanced. Unfortunately, the Minister of Home Affairs is an office that’s almost as powerful as that of the Prime Minister in India.
The Indian High Court ruled in 2009 to decriminalize gay sex (which carried a maximum penalty of life in prison), but now a conservative backlash has uprisen and the Court is hearing anti-gay-sex arguments.
“Our Constitution is different and our moral and social values are also different from other countries, so we cannot follow them,” Malhotra continued, according to the Deccan Herald (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/229490/home-ministry-opposes-decriminalisation-gay.html). He also added that the societal stigma against gay sex is enough reason to ban it.
Yes, and the collective societal disgust around picking one’s nose means we ought to criminalize that, too.
But! Not one minute before we were about to publish this article, we saw a new article in the Deccan Chronicle (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/govt-knots-over-gay-sex-996) alerting us that the Home Minister has already distanced itself from Malhotra’s severe statements. Does this mean that Malhotra took a page from Sarah Palin and went rogue?
“Ministry of Home Affairs has not taken any position on homosexuality,” the office said. “Ministry of Home Affairs has also not given any instruction apart from conveying the decision of the Cabinet.”
The whole thing is a mess. Stay tuned.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/rogue-indian-minister-advocates-sodomy-ban-gay-sex-is-highly-immoral-and-against-social-order-20120223/#ixzz1nEzglOR1

Right now, it’s just a mere misdemeanor to be gay in Liberia, thanks to the government powers in its capital, Monrovia (right). If you get caught in a gay relationship, you can face up to a year in prison (http://www.wgme.com/template/inews_wire/wires.international/2640cb4b-www.wgme.com.shtml). Now the AP reports (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hoRFnp7DuyPifhLkpqDJl45lKJiA?docId=665d27db5 95d446f878a421f29324a2d) that Liberian Senator Jewel Taylor, herself the former First Lady, is introducing a bill that would ban gay marriage and make homosexuality a first-degree felony, carrying jail sentences of up to 10 years. She’s like the opposite of Hillary Clinton.
Speaking of which: we’re sure Hil-dawg’s unapologetic championing of gay rights as human rights on the international level will have something to say about this.
Thankfully, Liberia’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has said she will not sign any anti-gay bill into law.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/liberias-former-first-lady-introduces-bill-making-homosexuality-a-felony-20120223/#ixzz1nF0B2kU2

The plot is thickening in the scandale surrounding Arizona sheriff—and Mitt Romney’s former state co-chair—Paul Babeu (above), as information surfaces about a threeway with a Democratic politico and his boyfriend (complete with a political payoff) and Babeu turns the tables on his Latin ex, Jose Orozco.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/matt-HEINZ1.gif (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/matt-HEINZ1.gif)
According to the Phoenix New Times (http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2012-02-16/news/paul-babeu-s-mexican-ex-lover-says-sheriff-s-attorney-threatened-him-with-deportation/4/), Babeu may have had a sexy sleepover with hunky gay Arizona State Rep. Matt Heinz (right) and Heinz’s boyfriend. (Heinz is planning to run for Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional seat (http://www.queerty.com/hunky-gay-doctor-to-run-for-gabrielle-giffords-congressional-seat-20120201/).)
Openly gay Tucson state Representative Matt Heinz was one of two Democratic lawmakers who broke ranks with the party in March 2011 and voted to give Babeu $5 million to combat border violence. Other lawmakers opposed the measure, in part, because Babeu’s county is at least 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The measure finally was pared down to $1.7 million and passed by the Legislature.
About a week after Heinz’s nod to Babeu, the sheriff spent the night at Heinz’s home, text messages that Orozco shared with New Times show.
“I’m at Mat [sic] Heinz and his boyfriend for dinner & ice cream…we are going out to bar and…to their house. [Am] staying over,” Babeu texted to Orozco at 1:04 a.m. last April 2.
Even if Babeu didn’t literally blow his way to a million-dollar payout, his relationship with Heinz doesn’t look good.
Trying to take the initiative, Babeu, the top cop in Arizona’s Pinal County, called yesterday for an investigation into claims made by Orozco, who says Babeu threatened deportation (http://www.queerty.com/romneys-az-co-chair-comes-out-resigns-after-ex-claims-he-threatened-deportation-20120220/) if he didn’t sign a agreement agreeing to never speak about their relationship.
The D.A.’s office has agreed to investigate, reports the Arizona Republic (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/02/21/20120221sheriff-paul-babeu-scandal-investigation.html#ixzz1n6cXjaTy)
Pinal County Attorney James P. Walsh said Tuesday that the matter will go before the southern subcommittee of the Public Integrity Task Force, a little-used team formed by the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council in 1992 to handle cases when local prosecutors had a conflict or wanted to avoid the perception of one. The chairwoman of the subcommittee has agreed to take the case, though no time frame has been set.
What’s the next chapter in My Big Fat Gay Arizona Affair? We smell a hot desert orgy coming on.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/babeu-calls-might-have-gotten-into-bed-with-dem-az-rep-matt-heinz-literally-20120222/#ixzz1nF0Zq8lR

TheGodlessUtopian

26th February 2012, 17:29

"There are times in life when you have to stand up and fight back against the bullies.
This is precisely what Truth Wins Out did today when it sued Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX), an atrocious organization http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-31.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Picture-31.png)dedicated to placing “ex-gay” fliers in public schools, where their poison is peddled to vulnerable LGBT youth. I decided to sue PFOX after its President, Greg Quinlan, appeared on a television show and falsely claimed that I tried to have him killed…
On October 7, 2011, Quinlan was interviewed on News-Plus with Mark Segraves (WDCW-TV). At the 10:38 mark of the show, Quinlan told the host:

“Truth Wins Out if you look further, including Wayne Besen. He’s asked for people, you know, somebody needs to run Greg over. He needs to be hit with a bus. Somebody should inject him with AIDS. Those are the things that Wayne Besen and Truth Wins Out says about me. That’s pretty hateful rhetoric.”
Of course, this incident never occurred and Quinlan’s bizarre version of events is a complete fabrication. These brazen lies and scurrilous allegations were clearly designed to damage my reputation and that of Truth Wins Out, a group that I’m proud to say is despised by the “ex-gay” industry.
Aren’t you sick and tired of anti-gay activists lying and simply “making things up” without having to suffer the consequences? Haven’t you reached your limit of watching these charlatans and reprobates smearing our loving families without having to pay a price for their lies?
Personally, I’ve had enough – and this is why Truth Wins Out is the first LGBT organization to finally take these habitual liars to court.
It is absolutely critical that we hold PFOX accountable. If anti-gay activists get away with saying that LGBT advocates are trying to murder them today – what will stop them from alleging that we are terrorists tomorrow? Clearly, these homophobes have no decency and wrongly believe that they can lie with impunity."

This time, let’s not let PFOX and Greg Quinlan off the hook.

Truth Wins Out director Wayne Besen, asking for contributions to help nail P-FOX’s ass to the wall, on TruthWinsOut.org (http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2012/02/22438/).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/truth-wins-out-sues-ex-gay-leader-for-claiming-wayne-besen-tried-to-have-him-run-over-20120226/#ixzz1nVefF7Ew

While the LGBT community fares well in the acronym department, the reality is that we are, in many ways, deeply divided. It’s no secret that lesbians are the frequent butts of gay men’s jokes, and that bisexual and transgender people are often written off as side notes to the gay rights movement.
But what happens when those pesky differences infiltrate a court of law?
The Boston Herald (http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20220225lawyer_lesbians_assault_on_gay_man_cant_be _hate_crime/) reports that three lesbians ganged up on a gay man at the Forest Hills train station, beating him up and yelling homophobic slurs at him.
“My guess is that no sane jury would convict them under those circumstances, but what this really demonstrates is the idiocy of the hate-crime legislation,” said civil liberties lawyer Harvey Silverglate. “If you beat someone up, you’re guilty of assault and battery of a human being. Period. The idea of trying to break down human beings into categories is doomed to failure.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/god-hates-fag-and-stuff-360x270.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/god-hates-fag-and-stuff.jpg)While this lawyer sounds kind of dumb himself (just FYI, he’s not representing the lesbians or gay in the case)—calling hate-crime legislation “idiocy” is idiotic—his argument is certainly, um, interesting.
The thing here is that it’s not just three women beating up a man—the ladies called him a gay slur.
The victim says he pushed for hate-crime charges because he believes the act was “motivated as a crime because of his sexual orientation” since the three women “called him insulting homophobic slurs.”
Makes sense to us.
What do you guys think—do lesbians automatically get a pass on the whole “hate crime” thing when they beat the shit out of a gay guy and call him a “faggot,” or is more about the intent of the crime and not about the sexual orientation of the perpetrator? (We’re in the latter camp, if it wasn’t patently evident.)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/idiotic-lawyer-claims-lesbians-cant-hate-crime-a-gay-man-20120225/#ixzz1nVfKKpxe

Like so many before him, Mayor Daniel Pokorney of La Grande, OR, didn’t quite get the meaning of the term “social media” when he posted inflammatory anti-gay remarks on his Facebook page last week.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Mayor-Daniel-PokorneyX390.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Mayor-Daniel-PokorneyX390.jpg)
Almost immediately the responses against his rant poured in, reports the La Gran (http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/News/Local-News/Mayor-apologizes-for-anti-gay-Facebook-posts)de Observer (http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/News/Local-News/Mayor-apologizes-for-anti-gay-Facebook-posts) (there are more than 180 comments on his Facebook post alone), prompting Pokorney (right) to issue an apology on Monday when addressed a forum at Eastern Oregon University.

“I sincerely apologize for my choice of words in the two Facebook posts last week. My choice of words was harmful and hurtful. I don’t hate anyone. My intent was not to be hurtful, but to express myself on important issues. I understand there is a right way and a wrong way to address the issues.”
Don’t hate anyone, huh? What emotion, then, was behind you calling Washington State the “latest state to transition to Sodom and Gomorrah” after it passed marriage equality? And how about when you said New Jersey was promoting the “abomination of same- sex unions.”
Maybe we should make Pokorney wear a mood ring?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/or-mayor-apologizes-for-calling-same-sex-unions-an-abomination-on-facebook-20120224/#ixzz1nVfg8aHu

The jury selection in the trial of Dharun Ravi has finished, and lawyers this morning presented opening arguments in a New Brunswick, New Jersey courtroom. The defense is painting Ravi’s spying on Tyler Clementi as an act of immature child’s play, while the prosecution seeks to show that Ravi intended criminal malice.
Clementi jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge in September 2010, three days after Ravi had tweeted that he was going to spy on Clementi’s hookup with a man with a clandestine webcam, asking friends if they wanted to join in the viewing party.
“It was not an accident, not a mistake,” prosecutor Julia McClure told the jury in her opening statement, according to the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/nyregion/in-tyler-clementi-trial-looking-at-dharun-ravis-intentions.html?_r=1). “Those acts were meant to cross one of the most sacred boundaries of human privacy, engaging in private sexual human activity.”
She continued, saying that Ravi’s acts “were planned to expose Tyler Clementi’s sexual orientation, and they were planned to expose Tyler Clementi’s private sexual activity.”
Ravi’s lawyer, Steven D. Altman, claimed that Ravi was not anti-gay and was just making a childish blunder.
“We do stupid things, we make mistakes, especially when we’re young,” said Altman. “It doesn’t mean we’re hateful, we’re bigoted or we’re criminal,” he said. “In fact, Dharun never intimidated anyone. He never committed a crime, he never committed a hateful crime. He’s not homophobic. He’s not anti-gay.”
Crucial testimony will come later from the man Tyler Clementi was hooking up with, identified only as M.B. in court papers. Also to come is the testimony of the defense’s key wtiness Molly Wei, who made a deal and agreed to testify as long as the spying charges against her were dropped.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/dharun-ravi-trial-begins-with-questions-of-his-intent-toward-tyler-clementi-at-fore-20120224/#ixzz1nVftGABM

It’s one thing to get an R rating for some gratuitous shots of Fassbender’s shapely rump and sizable dong. It’s another thing to get an R rating when your a crucial part of your intended audience is high schoolers. So that’s why it’s a damned shame that Bully has gotten an R rating instead of PG-13, limiting its ability to be shown in schools nationwide. The harrowing Weinstein Company-produced documentary details the dangers of bullying and its tragic playmate, teen suicide. Bully features intimate interviews with parents of children who have taken their lives, as well as with children who are experiencing bullying at school themselves.
Apparently the MPAA gave the film an R rating because of strong language used by children in the film.
Weinstein said in a statement:

“I have been through many of these appeals, but this one vote loss is a huge blow to me personally. Alex Libby gave an impassioned plea and eloquently defended the need for kids to be able to see this movie on their own, not with their parents, because that is the only way to truly make a change.
“With school-age children of my own, I know this is a crucial issue and school districts across the U.S. have responded in kind. The Cincinnati school district signed on to bus 40,000 of their students to the movie—but because the appeals board retained the R rating, the school district will have to cancel those plans.
“I personally am going to ask celebrities and personalities worldwide, from Lady Gaga (who has a foundation of her own) to the Duchess of Cambridge (who was a victim of bullying and donated wedding proceeds) to First Lady Michelle Obama (whose foundation has reached out to us as well), to take a stand with me in eradicating bullying and getting the youth into see this movie without restriction.”
Watch the moving trailer for the doc:

For their part, the MPAA issued the following statement:

“Bullying is a serious issue and is a subject that parents should discuss with their children. The MPAA agrees with the Weinstein Company that Bully can serve as a vehicle for such important discussions.

“The MPAA also has the responsibility, however, to acknowledge and represent the strong feedback from parents throughout the country who want to be informed about content in movies, including language.

“The rating and rating descriptor of ‘some language,’ indicate to parents that this movie contains certain language. With that, some parents may choose to take their kids to this movie and others may not, but it is their choice and not ours to make for them.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/bully-documentary-given-r-rating-cant-be-used-to-educate-high-schoolers-20120224/#ixzz1nVgHmelo

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

26th February 2012, 17:34

Former mayor of NYC Rudy Giuliani chatted with CNN’s Erin Burnett yesterday about the current slate of Republican presidential candidates.
Giuliani lamented his epic-fail of a presidential run in 2008, saying he was too moderate for a national race. He also called out the Republicans’ extremely conservative stance on social issues, like abortion and gay marriage.
“I think the gay rights issue is a more current example. I think, beyond all the religious and social parts of it, it makes the party look like it isn’t a modern party. It doesn’t understand the modern world.”
GOP apologist Cindy McCain, on the other hand, thinks that Republicans are totally in touch and totally love gays. They only appear homophobic because of the deceptive left-wing media!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/guiliani-says-anti-gay-repubs-dont-understand-modern-world-cindy-mccain-blames-media-20120224/#ixzz1nVgqAjpc

Omaha, the biggest city in Nebraska, is on the verge of instituting an anti-discrimination law that would include sexual orientation among other protected groups.
Of course this pisses off Sen. Beau McCoy (R-Lincoln) to no end, but since he has no authority on the city level, he’s heading it off http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Senator_Beau_McCoy__Family.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Senator_Beau_McCoy__Family.jpg)at the pass by pushing LB 912, a measure in the Nebraska Legislature that would unify all discrimination laws in the state.
Since Nebraska doesn’t have LGBT protections statewide, the Omaha bill would be null and void.
Ooh, that sneaky bastard.
McCoy (right) says the point of his bill to end any inequality in civil-rights laws in the state: “If something is discrimination, why does it stop at the city line?” he tells The Daily Nebraskan (http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/lgbt-community-ignored-in-new-antidiscrimination-bill-1.2705075#.T0dI-8pQRL0). “If it is discrimination, it is discrimination anywhere.”
Exactly right, Mr. McCoy. So shouldn’t the state get in line with the broadest laws in its borders, rather than the other way around?
“It’s very clear that this was brought as an attempt to roadblock [the Omaha] ordinance,” said Shelley Kiel, president of Citizens for Equal Protection in Omaha. “We can talk around this all day and all night, but that is the intent of the legislation.”
LB 912 could also unravel sexual-orientation provisions on the books at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Omaha Public School Board, as well as protection against housing discrimination based on marital status and age in the city.
Wow, it’s getting pretty alarming how far homophobes will go to stifle any recognition or protection of the LGBT community. What’s next—shutting down schools that have GSAs?
Actually, forget we mentioned it.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nebraska-bill-would-block-lgbt-protections-in-omaha-anti-discrimination-law-20120224/#ixzz1nVh2fwaN

It’s not exactly selling ice to Eskimos to get people to hate their local Department of Motor Vehicles. The lines. The red tape. The http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/dmv-TH-360x252.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/dmv-TH.jpg)bad photos. The lines.
But in Indiana, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has really gone above and beyond the call of duty by putting the kibosh on specialty plates that benefit LGBT nonprofits. So we hereby name the BMV the Douche of the Week.
God that feels so good!
Specialty license plates that help gay groups are all the rage—they’ve popped up in South Carolina and Maryland. Indiana was the first state to issue them but, sadly, activists had to win a court battle in 2010 to get the BMV to get on board.
Since then, though, everything was running smoothly.
Until right-wing group Advance America found out about the deal: AA leader Eric Miller and State Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) are so freaked out about the gay tags, they’re pushing the BMV to kill the specialty-plate program altogether. On Wednesday a House committee approved an amendment that would stop the sale of new specialty plates and end the production of existing plates that didn’t sell at least 1,000 units, reports WISH TV Channel 8 (http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/politics/lgbt-group-fires-back-at-statehouse).
The bill now moves to a House vote.
The Indiana Youth Group, one of the organizations benefiting from the LGBT plates, says it has a legitimate five-year contract with the BMV that’s already bearing fruit:

We sold 127 last month, and that was without marketing because we hadn’t really gotten everything going,” said Mary Byrne, director of Indiana Youth Group, which has helped at-risk LGBT kids for a quarter-century. “I think http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/license-plate.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/license-plate.jpg)that once certain groups caught wind that we had the plate, that’s when the amendments started in the legislature on to different bills.
The Washington Post reports (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/conservative-indiana-activists-seek-a-ban-on-specialty-license-plates-for-gay-support-group/2012/02/17/gIQAq5MRKR_story.html) that Indiana nonprofits get $25 out of every $40 spent on a specialty plate. In 2011, more than 420,000 were sold, netting the groups more than $11 million.
But the BMV says provisions in their contracts with these groups allow it to walk away from its promise to issue the tags if this new amendment is passed.
Now we’re not legal scholars but we would think the state can’t double-back and pass legislation just to get itself out of a contract it thinks might upset some people.
Actually WISH Channel 8 went to a legal scholar, Indiana University law professor Antony Page, and asked him to look over Indiana Youth Group’s 19-page agreement with with the state motor-vehicle board.

“As far as a clear termination right, that provision has been deleted,” he said.
Sure enough, the contract clearly states that by agreement of both parties, the termination right is deleted.
Page said unless there’s something in the contract that gives the Bureau of Motor Vehicles the right to walk away, in this situation, it would be a breach of contract.
The BMV says there are three provisions in the contract that do give it the right to walk away.
But Page said that right is not clear-cut, and the non-profits could make an argument against the state if any or all went to court
Page also said the Indiana Youth Group could make a First Amendment argument claiming discrimination. Even though the provisions of the law appear to be neutral, the circumstances around it could be used in a court to argue the law was passed simply to keep Indiana Youth Group from selling its plate.
Obviously its not just Indiana Youth Group that would suffer: Other groups with plates, like the National Wild Turkey Foundation and the anti-abortion Indiana Association of Pregnancy Centers would lose their license plates—and a precious revenue stream—if the BMV gets its way.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/need-another-reason-to-hate-the-dmv-theyre-homophobic-too-20120224/#ixzz1nVhG7SiC

Maine’s Secretary of State Charles Summers confirmed today that marriage-equality supporters garnered enough signatures to get a same-sex-marriage referendum put on the ballot in November.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/eq-maine-2-360x217.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/eq-maine-2.jpg)
In late January advocates turned in more than 105,000 signatures—and with 85,216 of those signatures now officially verified, they’ve already surpassed the 57,277 required for a citizen’s initiative.
Statewide polling shows that support for marriage equality is at 54% and growing. We’d rather not put our civil liberties to a public vote, but if we have to it’s good to know we can win.
The cause has garnered support from diverse groups, explains Equality Maine’s Betsy Smith: “During the last two years, our coalition has had thousands of face-to-face conversations about marriage with Mainers who have changed their minds about this issue,” she says. “There’s no question that momentum is growing for same-sex marriage.”
Below, a Maine canvasser goes door-to-door for the cause, with less-than-stellar results.
Fortunately many Mainers feel different, including Pastor Michael Gray of Old Orchard Beach United Methodist Church. He’s the petition’s lead signer:

Just as my own thinking has evolved on this issue, more and more people in Maine are coming to understand that loving, committed same-sex couples should not be denied the freedom to marry. We gathered signatures from voters in more than 450 towns all over Maine, and those people signed the petition because they want the chance to vote on this issue again so their gay and lesbian family, friends and neighbors can have access to marriage licenses.”
Congrats—and good luck—to our friends in the Pine Tree State! (And, hey, could you ship us some lobster?)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/maine-activists-gets-enough-signatures-to-put-marriage-equality-on-the-november-ballot-20120223/#ixzz1nVhbuutL

P.S: See source for video

Earlier in the week we reported on Indiana Rep. Bob Morris (R-Fort Wayne) (http://www.queerty.com/nutbag-in-politician-says-girl-scouts-radicalized-indoctrinate-abortion-and-homosexuality-20120222/), who went on a totally cray-cray rant against the Girl Scouts of the USA when he was invited to sign a resolution celebrating the group’s 100th birthday.
Liberal progressive troop-leaders will indoctrinate the girls in their troop according to the principles of Planned Parenthood, making Bishop Conley’s warning true.
Many parents are abandoning the Girl Scouts because they promote homosexual lifestyles. In fact, the Girl Scouts education seminar girls are directed to study the example of role models. Of the fifty role models listed, only three have a briefly-mentioned religious background —all the rest are feminists, lesbians, or Communists.
The fact that the Honorary President of Girl Scouts of America is Michelle Obama, and the Obama’s are radically pro-abortion and vigorously support the agenda of Planned Parenthood, should give each of us reason to pause before our individual or collective endorsement of the organization.
As you can expect, people were kinda offended.
Maybe Morris thought Hoosiers had bought into the right-wing Kool-Aid (http://www.queerty.com/dangerous-seven-year-old-trans-girl-scout-drives-three-la-troop-leaders-to-resign-20111221/)about the Scouts roping in hordes of boys in dresses (http://www.queerty.com/14-year-old-tosses-her-cookies-when-girl-scouts-accept-trans-member-20120111/) and showing 8-year-old girls how to use the Rabbit. Realizing he was out on a limb, he issued a statement yesterday to The Journal Gazette (http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120223/BLOGS01/120229768/1002/LOCAL), in which he admitted his comments were “emotional, reactionary and inflammatory” and that he he regretted “paint the entire Girl Scouts organization with such a wide brush.”

I realize now that my words were emotional, reactionary, and inflammatory. For that I sincerely apologize. I apologize to the Girl Scouts of Indiana and all of the girls and parents of Indiana who are participating in and http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Bob-Morris.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Bob-Morris.jpg)running their Girl Scout organizations in a way that promotes leadership, community involvement and family values.
I certainly should not have painted the entire Girl Scouts organization with such a wide brush. As I have mentioned, the letter was intended for only my colleagues in the Statehouse. That is not an excuse for the breadth of my letter—rather, it is the reason for the lack of research and evidence it contained.
But then Morris pulled the classic right-wing non-apology (most recently employed by Roland Martin):

In hindsight, I never should have written the letter. However, I still would not sign the Resolution honoring the Girl Scouts—not because of any local troops or even the Girl Scouts of Indiana, but because of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (Girl Scouts USA) and its policies.
My conscience would not allow me to publicly endorse an organization that partners with Planned Parenthood – our State’s leading abortion provider. My family and I view abortion as the biggest evil of our time. And as Blessed Pope John Paul II said in his Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, “every person sincerely open to truth and goodness can, by the light of reason and the hidden action of grace, come to recognize in the natural law written in the heart (cf. Rom 2:14-15) the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end, and can affirm the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree.”
I hope that my stance will help to spread the Gospel of life. Perhaps it will cause the Girl Scouts USA to reconsider its policies.
The Girl Scouts were more ladylike about the whole thing than we would have been:http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/girl_scouts_th.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/12/girl_scouts_th.jpg)

On Monday, Cathy Ritchie, chief operating officer for the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, told 24-Hour News 8 the organization has never been a relationship with Planned Parenthood. After reading the statement Morris released to his hometown paper, Ritchie took the high road Thursday. “I’m glad he realized his words were ‘emotional, reactionary and inflammatory,’” she said. “He recognizes that and we appreciate it.”
Clearly Morris feels bad for calling out the Girl Scouts—but he still won’t sign the resolution. He’s not [I]that sorry.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-face-rep-bob-morris-admits-calling-girl-scout-troops-queer-abortion-factories-was-inflammatory-20120224/#ixzz1nVhs3PKX

TheGodlessUtopian

27th February 2012, 00:18

Three Lesbians on Trial in Cameroon First

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-01/2011-01-19/Cameroon.jpg

After reports of arrests of 10 women in Cameroon earlier this week, three lesbians in an alleged love triangle in a different region of the country have been charged with "practicing homosexuality," a cording to a new report from BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17158128). The BBC's Randy Joe Sa'ah reported that this case is the first that involves women charged with homosexual acts to come to trial in Cameroon, and if found guilty each woman faces up to five years in prison.

Apparently the case involves a lesbian couple in which one woman accused the other of having an affair with a third woman who is married to a man. After their fight, someone informed that husband who, according to BBC, then reported the women, including his wife, to the police. The BBC's Roger Takala was in the courtroom last week in a town near the border with Equatorial Guinea and he reported that "crowds packed into the court to hear the charges against the women."

In an area beset by concerns for the welfare of LGBT people, international rights watchers will be tuning in to see how the women are treated while on trial. The case has reportedly been adjourned until early March.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/25/Three_Lesbians_on_Trial_in_Cameroon_First/

Defying gender norms linked to childhood abuse, PTSD.

by Mitch Montoya (http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=198265)
Feb 23, 2012

For Malic White, growing as a child actor meant frequently challenging what it means to be a girl or a boy. But it wasn’t until White identified as transgender during high school that the question of self became difficult and complex.

“My family was okay with me being queer,” said White, who is graduating from the University of Chicago in June with a bachelor of arts in gender studies and creative writing. “But being trans is difficult for them to identify with because I don’t represent my gender in a binary way.”

Adults facing gender identity issues, like White, often deal with an array of social and emotional challenges, however these questions also loom over children who don’t conform to gender norms.

Children who don’t act like other kids of the same sex– researchers call them gender nonconforming – are more likely to suffer physical, psychological and sexual abuse as well as post-traumatic stress disorder later in life, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health say. The research team’s work was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics and is one of the first studies to look at gender nonconformity as a risk factor for abuse.

“Parents need to be aware that discrimination against gender nonconformity affects one in 10 kids, affects kids at a very young age, and has lasting impacts on health,” said researcher Andrea Roberts, the lead author.

Using the nationwide study Growing Up Today, researchers looked at responses from 9,000 young adults who recalled childhood experiences. These memories included feelings of masculinity or femininity, media characters they imitated and whether they suffered abuse.

Those who reported the most gender nonconformity were more likely to have been physically, psychologically or sexually abused, the study says. Young adults who didn’t conform to gender norms in childhood were twice as likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder than those who did conform.

Children may suffer more abuse due to conflict with parents, however more conclusive studies need to be done to confirm this, Roberts said.

Transgendered adults often deal with the difficult process of negotiating their sex assigned at birth and how they represent themselves later in life.

Just because a transgendered person may be assigned female does not necessarily mean that they aspire to acquire all of the characteristics of a man, said White, whose undergraduate thesis is now an autobiographical look at gender. Society often asks individuals to choose strictly between being male or female, a difficult process for someone who doesn’t feel close to either.

Kids often shift which gender they express during different periods of development but that does not mean they will necessarily identify as transgender, Roberts explained. Like their adult counterparts, these children are harassed for not adhering to norms.

While many parents may think that questions of gender only emerge in those who will eventually identify as gay or transgendered, this may not always be the case. Eighty-five percent of the young people from the study who were gender nonconforming are heterosexual adults, a statistic that Roberts said was surprising.

Since gender issues can affect many children, Roberts said she sees the results of the study as an opportunity for adults to proactively help young people.

“Parents are in a strong position to protect and support their children for whatever situation they may be in,” she said. “Also, teachers or pediatricians can give support, acceptance and approval, which can be very beneficial to the child.”

Gender nonconforming individuals can face trouble as adults as well, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. The survey, conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, found that these people as well as transgendered adults faced discrimination at work, school and in health care scenarios.

Roberts and her team continue to research the issue to get a complete picture about why the abuse happens to these children, she said. Gender identification can negatively affect a broad range of individuals, prompting researchers to explore the nuances of each population.

Malic notes that there are particular conflicts about gender expression within the trans community, but that these issues are more far-reaching.

“Gender is something that everyone deals with,” White said. “Expectations can get in anyone’s way of who they are.”

Source: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=201083

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) — A few days ago, the Yavapai Tea Party gathered at a church in rural Arizona to discuss the all-too-familiar topic of illegal immigration. Among the conservative, mostly over-55 crowd, it is a subject seen in black and white. Build a fence, add agents, reject amnesty — period.
And so it was all the more striking when, off to the side in a room with “Jesus Loves Us!!” written on a chalkboard, the conversation turned to the subject on everyone’s mind, if not the agenda: The conservative Arizona sheriff and Republican candidate (http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/#) for Congress who less than a week earlier had admitted to reporters, his constituents — indeed to the world — that he is gay.
The absolutes were, in large part, absent.
Consider the comments of Bill Halpin, a 64-year-old ex-Air Force pilot who serves on the local tea party board: “I care less. I just care less. Don’t preach it on me. Don’t push it on me and, by golly, I respect your rights.” And this from Mona Patton, the 60-year-old real estate agent who is the group’s president: “I’m a Christian, but who am I to make a judgment about somebody else? I don’t have that right, and I look beyond that. … I still believe in him. I still back him. I still like him. That doesn’t affect that.”
Sheriff Paul Babeu’s “coming out” moment on Feb. 18 was surreal enough, given the man, his politics and the venue — a news conference in front of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department with Babeu, in uniform, surrounded by deputies. Then, of course, there was the startling reason for the sudden admission: a story in an alternative weekly publication in which a former lover accused Babeu of threatening his immigration status if he revealed their relationship.
Now the conversations that have ensued here since — in one of the most politically conservative states in all the union — are astonishing in their own right. There are questions, many of them, about Babeu and his “choices” and judgment, about whether the sheriff may have somehow abused his power. Yet voters, Republican voters in particular, are also asking some intriguing questions of themselves, about acceptance and identity and values, about what really matters most to them.
“This may be a litmus test,” said Patton, not just of whether a gay man can survive running for Congress in a deeply conservative district in a red state but, more so, of the contrast between how far society has come — and still has to go. “I have many, many, many friends in my life that are gay and have been gay, and I don’t have issues with it. But, you know, it’s a hurdle for a lot of people, and it’s, I think, a shame. … I think he’s going to have a hard row to hoe.”[/URL]

Before all of this, the 43-year-old was considered a rising star in Republican politics. A retired major in the Army National Guard and an ex-police officer, Babeu was the first Republican elected sheriff in Pinal County, nestled between Phoenix and Tucson in a culturally diverse part of Arizona. Having previously commanded a National Guard unit in the border town of Yuma, Babeu quickly became known for his tough stance on illegal immigration. He appeared alongside Sen. John McCain in a 2010 ad in which McCain advocated completion of a border fence, and last year was chosen as America’s “Sheriff of the Year” by his colleagues in the National Sheriffs’ Association.
In January, he announced his candidacy for Arizona’s newly drawn 4th Congressional District, and polls soon showed him as the favorite against an incumbent tea party Republican who switched districts to run and a GOP (http://www.google.com/url?ct=abg&q=https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/request.py%3Fcontact%3Dabg_afc%26url%3Dhttp://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dca-pub-4362624082965872%26adU%3Dwww.NetBoots.net%26adT%3D Running%2BFor%2BSenate%253F%26gl%3DUS&usg=AFQjCNGifAUZCoOr5uagPKM0Fd_5H6aoQQ) state senator who once sponsored legislation to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.
Then came the Feb. 17 headline on the website of the Phoenix New Times: “Paul Babeu’s Mexican Ex-Lover Says Sheriff’s Attorney Threatened Him With Deportation.”
A day later, Babeu found himself before microphones and reporters, denying the threats but acknowledging, with stark candor, that he is gay.
“I’m here to say that all these allegations … are absolutely completely false except for the issues that refer to me as being gay. Because that’s the truth.”
Some Arizona political insiders were quick to declare Babeu’s congressional aspirations — indeed, his political career — over, in large part because of questions that go beyond his sexual orientation. An independent investigation, begun at Babeu’s behest, is looking into the allegations of intimidation and threatening behavior. Babeu has denied threatening his ex-boyfriend with deportation and said his understanding is that the man, originally from Mexico, is in the country legally. The former boyfriend also told CNN that he was here legally.
Still others have questioned Babeu’s judgment because of a photograph the New Times published showing him shirtless and standing in his underpants. Babeu had sent the picture to his former boyfriend, and his campaign manager and attorney, Chris DeRose, said Babeu “realizes that was a mistake, and he shouldn’t have done that.” The New Times also published an old profile of Babeu’s from a gay dating website showing another shirtless photograph, with Babeu’s face mostly cut out.
Then, on Friday, The Arizona Republic reported that the U.S. Office of Special Counsel is investigating whether one or more of Babeu’s employees at the sheriff’s office engaged in on-the-job politicking.
As a columnist for that newspaper wrote earlier in the week: “Sheriff Babeu is not in political (or perhaps legal) trouble because his lifestyle has been exposed. He’s in trouble because he was involved in a messy relationship that spilled over into his public life and has raised questions about his judgment. And when you’re running for the U.S. Congress your judgment is an issue. … It isn’t a gay thing. It’s a trust thing.”
Whatever the “thing” is, the reaction to it has — thus far — not been quite what some may have expected.
When Babeu posted a link to his news conference on his Facebook page and implored voters to “stand with me as we talk about the issues that matter,” more than 1,000 comments flooded in. While some expressed disappointment and said that the sheriff had lost their support or branded him a hypocrite for being gay and Republican, the vast majority supported Babeu — from locals who know him to out-of-staters declaring that they, too, are conservative and gay.
“First gay man I can agree with,” read one post. “We conservatives have his back,” said another. And: “We still support you Sheriff. Gay or straight. Let’s get this country back on the right track.”
DeRose said Friday that Babeu had received $17,000 in political donations since his news conference, and that his supporters in Arizona “are more enthusiastic than ever.”
Whether this is all just political posturing or even, political correctness that may soon fade remains to be seen. Babeu, who declined an interview request, has vowed to stay in the congressional race, and the primary is still six months off. He continues to make campaign appearances, including a speech at a Lincoln Day dinner the same day he admitted being gay.
“So, how is YOUR weekend going?” he joked, and his audience laughed.
The event was held in Yavapai County in the heart of the congressional district, which covers a huge swath stretching from the border near Yuma through the horse pastures of Prescott Valley up north to the conservative stronghold of Mohave County near the Nevada border. Phoenix political consultant Chuck Coughlin described the district as one of the most right-leaning in the state — with a rural, older demographic that does not “lend one to believe that there is a high degree of likelihood” of Babeu winning the congressional seat or even staying in the race for the long haul.
There have been no openly gay Republicans (http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/#) in Congress since 2006, when another Arizonan — U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe — retired. And the nation’s 7,382 state legislators include 93 openly gay Democrats but not a single openly gay Republican, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
“If you’re an openly gay Republican, you face a platform that is sometimes not welcoming,” said Chuck Wolfe, the fund’s president. “It’s going to take a while to reverse that feeling.”
Kolbe, who represented a more diverse, swing district than the one that Babeu hopes to win, was elected to Congress in 1985 and disclosed in 1996 that he was gay. Last week, he endorsed Babeu, and he said in an interview that while no one could predict whether Babeu will emerge from this and still be able to succeed politically, “we have come a long way.”
“I think in a few years the media won’t be paying that much attention to this issue. The public clearly is ahead of the media on this, and as the polls show (http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/#) people don’t seem to be that concerned about this kind of an issue,” he said. “The issue is whether Paul’s a good candidate for Congress or not, and I think he is.”
Coughlin and others noted that Babeu has a few things working in his favor: He’s charismatic. Arizonans like his stance on illegal immigration and other conservative issues, but they also genuinely like him. Several voters also said that the sheriff’s sexual orientation was one of the worst-kept secrets in Arizona political circles and that while they wish it hadn’t come out the way it did, the fact itself was hardly surprising.
“Everybody knew on some level, and we never gave it a second thought,” said Republican Shawna Thornton, 38, a before-and-after Babeu supporter who lives in Lake Havasu City, within the 4th District, and believes that the now openly gay sheriff still has a chance.
Old assumptions of how party affiliation defines a voter’s position on social issues such as homosexuality no longer ring true, insisted Thornton, noting that for her and many others “conservatism” isn’t about abortion or gay marriage (http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/#) but rather limited government, fiscal responsibility and “values” in the sense of understanding right from wrong.
“I’m finding that people are more middle of the road, less extreme, more accepting of how different people are deep down inside,” she said.
Added Coughlin: “Life’s a mosaic of issues and people, and although we want to see the world in black and white there’s very little of that around. It’s a lot of grays, and a lot of colors in between.”
Some voters contacted for this story were hesitant to discuss the situation as they await the outcome of the independent probe. But the ones who did appeared to be genuinely muddling through all that had happened — and their own feelings about it — in ways that shunned the extremes.
“Well … I just think that … You know, I don’t know,” said Barry Denton, 52, a horse trainer and president of the Yavapai Republican Men’s Forum, whose group played host to Babeu for a speech only days before all the “news” of his private life broke. As always, Denton said, he was well received.
“I think he’s done an extremely good job as sheriff, and I think he’s done a great thing by making people more aware of the immigration problem. I guess I wish he had come out with the gay thing sooner. I think he should have been a little more upfront, ’cause he’s a pretty upfront guy.
“I don’t agree with his lifestyle. That’s his business,” he said, “But as far as what he’s accomplished, it’s been impressive. … I’m just disappointed.”
Denton said he thinks the allegations against Babeu will prove unfounded, and that he hadn’t yet picked a candidate to back. When asked whether all of this might persuade him to choose someone other than Babeu, he said: “I haven’t come to any conclusion there yet.”
There were similarly mixed feelings at the tea party (http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/#) meeting on illegal immigration, at which Babeu was initially scheduled to speak. Tea party representatives and Babeu’s campaign manager said the sheriff had to cancel because of another previously scheduled event.
Jeff Tomb, a businessman who is running for county supervisor in the area, was frank in allowing that he didn’t think, in his district, that “the homosexual thing is going to go over real well.” But only moments later he questioned his own conclusion: “I don’t know. People are getting more and more accepting now. He came out and said it and he was honest about it, which is a big plus. That’s a good sign of a good honest man, and we need an honest man.”
Halpin and Patton, the tea party board member and president, were among those who said they didn’t care whether Babeu is gay. As for whether that meant they could vote for him, Halpin said he wouldn’t rule it out, should Babeu remain in the race. (He is, however, adamantly opposed to the Babeu opponent who switched districts.) Patton went further, saying she probably would support the sheriff. But then she admitted that, in reality, she doubted he would remain in the race — or that he could win if he does.
“You know, we put people in boxes and we expect them to behave a certain way and then when people are outside the lines … there’s punitive measures that happen,” she said. “I don’t know. I just hope people are bigger than that, and I don’t know that they’re going to be. I don’t know what to tell you. This is such a difficult situation. I wish it had not come down the way it did. I wish it hadn’t happened.”
“But,” she said, “here we are.”
___
AP National Writer David Crary in New York contributed to this story.

Read more: [URL]http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/#ixzz1nXKyrJJf

Source: http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/25/gay-sheriff-prompts-intriguing-questions/

Idaho Activists Not Backing Down

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-12/idaho.jpg

After what many local activists called a heartbreaking loss in Idaho, the Twin Falls Times-New (http://magicvalley.com/lifestyles/add-the-words-activists-in-magic-valley-say-they-are/article_0c01c04c-a1b0-5fab-bdb6-8b49aed97b51.html#ixzz1nVxDoPhw)s reports that fight will go on even after the Senate State Affairs Committee nixed legislation that would’ve added LGBT protections to the Idaho Human Rights Act.

“I was honestly heartbroken at first, and then i slowly moved to being quite angry, and now I’m kind of just determined to keep fighting for the rest of the legislative session,” Cody Hafer, a statewide coordinator of the Add the Words campaign, told the Times-News's Natalie Dicou. The paper reports that activists have pledged to fight to add the words "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the state's rights act until either a bill is printed or the legislative session ends. Lesbian state Senator Nicole LeFavour, a Democrat from Boise, tried earlier this month to add the words as an amendment to an unrelated bill, but that too failed to pass muster in the increasingly conservative state senate.

The Add the Words campaigners (http://addthewords.org/), many of them young up-and-coming activists like Hafer and Mistie Tolman, the group's spokesperson, have held vigils in 13 different cities in the sparsely populated state, and Tolman told the Times-News that the silent protests at the state capital will continue to be held two to three times a week until the campaign is a success.

A sign of the increasing visibility and power of Idaho's LGBT community, Tolman and Hafer say they are seeing plenty of public support.

“We feel this is way too important of an issue to back down and not keep fighting,” Tolman told Dicou (http://magicvalley.com/lifestyles/add-the-words-activists-in-magic-valley-say-they-are/article_0c01c04c-a1b0-5fab-bdb6-8b49aed97b51.html#ixzz1nVxDoPhw). “The outpouring of public support on this issue is bigger than we’ve ever seen it. We feel like it’s moving at lightning speed and really slowly at the same time.”Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/26/Idaho_Activists_Not_Backing_Down/

P.S: See source for video

Famous Radio Host Comes Out

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/Fez_Whatley_Wiki_commons.jpg

On the one year anniversary of his father's death, well-known radio host Fez Whatley came out gay on air, according to the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/26/fez-whatley-sirius-xm-radio-comes-out-gay_n_1302433.html). Whatley is one half of the daily radio program, the Ron & Fez Show on SiriusXM, and he has been playing a flamboyant gay character on the air for over two decades, but, he told told Interrobang (http://theinterrobang.com/2012/02/fez-whatley/), that at some point he realized it was more than just a character.

"Working with my friend Ron Bennington, we created an on-air persona for me," explained Whatley. "His name was Fez Whatley. Fez was eccentric, over the top, flamboyant and most of all, gay. Really gay. Fez took down celebrities, talked gossip, lampooned women, and did it all with a wicked gay tongue. I could say it was the part I was born to play, but back then I didn’t realize how true that was."

Whatley told Interrobang that fans of the show would often ask if he was really gay, to which he'd reply, “'Yes, 6 to 10am weekdays,' the hours our show was on. That was my little joke just to make sure everyone knew that there was a straight guy behind the feather boa and sequined jacket." But when he realized three years ago that he wasn't just playing a character, he was devastated, his realization that he was everything that he "had joked about." His depression led to treatment, stage fright, anger, and an inability to play the character on radio or public events. He came out to his co-host but didn't tell the public.

Then on February 24, Whatley came out live on the air and on Interrobang, telling his fans that there are too many issues facing the LGBT community, and too many great comedians (like Wanda Sykes, Todd Glass, and Mo Rocca) who are out, for him to remain "an angry closet case." He said, " I can’t be a part of 'It’s gets better' until I make sure things are going to get better for me. And that’s what I intend on doing."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/26/Famous_Radio_Host_Comes_Out/

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

27th February 2012, 00:23

Mass. Woman To Stand Trial For Murdering Wife in Milestone Case

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-24/carla_annamarie_Rintalax390.jpg
(from left) Cara Lee Rintala, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala

Cara Lee Rintala, 45, is currently awaiting trial for killing her wife in Massachusetts’s first ever same-sex spouse murder case.

On March 29, 2010, police found Cara cradling the lifeless body of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, 37, in the basement of their home in Granby. In October 2011, 19 months later, Cara was arrested and charged with strangling Annamarie.

Police say the lengthy time period between the crime and the arrest was not due to a lack of evidence but simply a case of logistics.

According to (http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/02/24/gay-spouse-murder-case-granby-puts-focus-same-sex-violence/vBgnFcgNaGoWZQZWe2683K/story.html) the Boston Globe, the Rintalas, who had been together since 2004, had a rocky relationship that included accusations of domestic violence, at least one arrest of Cara for striking Annamarie, non-finalized divorce filings, and multiple restraining orders from each side.

Cara has denied any involvement in the murder.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Mass_Woman_To_Stand_Trial_For_Murdering_Wife_in_Mi lestone_Case/

GOP Decides Fast to Appeal DOMA Ruling

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2009/200912/2009-12-18/Benefits_1.jpg
Karen Golinski, left, and wife Amy Cunninghis

A judge ruled on Wednesday that Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, but the GOP has moved quickly to appeal that decision.

Because President Obama's Justice Department has abandoned any legal defense of DOMA, the House Republicans have picked up the case instead. And the five-member House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group voted today to appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, reports (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/212511-house-gop-leaders-to-appeal-latest-defense-of-marriage-act-ruling)The Hill newspaper.

The two Democrats on the committee aren't supporting the appeal. But it's divided along party lines so Republicans, led by Speaker John Boehner, maintain control.

The plaintiff in the case, Karen Golinski, is an attorney who is actually employed by the federal appeals court. She argues — and U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White agreed (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/23/DOMA_Found_Unconstitutional/) — that her rights were violated under the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution when she was denied spousal benefits that heterosexual employees receive.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/24/GOP_Decides_Fast_to_Appeal_DOMA_Ruling/

Lesbian Dallas Judge Takes Brave Stand for Gay Couples

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-24/Judge-Tonya-Parkerx390.jpg
Dallas County judge Tonya Parker
Dallas County judge Tonya Parker says she will not marry heterosexual couples until Texas allows same-sex partners to wed.

Parker, who, in 2010, became the first openly lesbian county judge elected in Dallas, said it's “oxymoronic” to only be able to perform weddings for a certain group of people. The judge issued a statement on Thursday outlining her feelings.

“It’s kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for me, so I’m not going to do it,” Parker said in the statement. “I do not perform [marriages] because it is not an equal application of the law. Period.”

Performing marriages is not part of her actual duty — some judges choose to offer the service, sometimes for a fee. Parker says she now refers straight couples to other judges. Read more here. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2105958/Openly-gay-Judge-refuses-marry-straight-couples-sex-couples-rights.html)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/24/Lesbian_Dallas_Judge_Takes_Brave_Stand_for_Gay_Cou ples/

Sweden Moves to End Forced Sterilization of Transgender People

—By Nicole Pasulka (http://motherjones.com/authors/nicole-pasulka)

http://mjcdn.motherjones.com/preset_16/transswedenpetition.jpgLove Georg Elfvelin and Ulrika Westerlund delivering a petition to representative of the Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt. Source: AllOut.org (http://www.allout.org/stop_forced_sterilization).
Swedish trans people and LGBT activists have something to celebrate this week, as the country—one of 17 in the European Union (http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/most-european-countries-force-sterilization-transgender-people-map) that requires sterilization for people who wish to switch genders on legal documents—may soon repeal the requirement. As I reported (http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2012/01/sweden-still-forcing-sterilization) previously, Sweden's liberal and moderate members of parliament expressed desire to remove forced sterilization last month, only to be blocked by an opposing coalition of conservative political groups led by the Christian Democrat Party. Now, according to the Swedish paper The Local (http://www.thelocal.se/39188/20120218/), the Christian Democrat Party appears to have reversed its stance, making way for the repeal.
On February 18, The Local reported that Christian Democrat leader Göran Hägglund and others in the party "outlined the party's new position in that it now wants the law changed and the sex-change sterilization requirement removed." Why the sudden change in opinion? When the Christian Democrats and others announced that they would not support repealing forced sterilization, the news sparked outrage (http://www.genderacrossborders.com/2012/01/18/forced-sterilization-of-swedish-transgender-people-is-a-violation-of-dignity/) on the internet (http://www.rainbowchronicle.com/article/stop-forced-sterilization-in-sweden/) and among advocacy groups (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.346204622073737.93465.169042736456594&type=3), sending shockwaves (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/sweden-transgender-sterilization-law-activists_n_1219878.html) through international media (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/11/04/1033284/-Fighting-Forced-Sterilization-in-Sweden). One petition by AllOut.org (http://allout.org/en/actions/stop_forced_sterilization) received nearly 80,000 signatures. The public pressure seems to have achieved some success.

Still, it's not clear exactly when the sterilization requirement will be repealed. According to Andre Banks, executive director of All Out, "[the repeal]'s going to happen, it’s just a question of whether the bureaucratic process takes two months, or four months, or six months, and activists in Sweden are going to keep the pressure on." Once the law is officially reversed, trans people in Sweden will get to have their ID and legal documents changed to reflect their gender "without having to go through what is often a really embarrassing terrifying process," Banks says.
Banks and other activists working on the All Out campaign hope that reversing forced sterilization in Sweden will send a signal to other European countries. By working closely with partners, he says, their goal is "to find moments where international solidarity can help tip the balance in favor of greater equality."

Source: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/sweden-moves-to-end-forced-sterilization-transgender-people

TheGodlessUtopian

27th February 2012, 22:12

On Friday presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich swung through Olympia, WA (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017586800_gingrich25m.html), fohttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/gty_newt_gingrich_mad_debate_thg_120119_wg-360x202.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/gty_newt_gingrich_mad_debate_thg_120119_wg.jpg)r a meeting with Republican legislators. And while the subject of Washington’s recent passing of marriage-equality legislation (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-washington-becomes-7th-state-to-legalize-marriage-equality-20120208/) came up, Gingrich held back from calling the Evergreen State Sodom and Gomorrah on the Pacific.
“I think at least they’re doing it the right way, which is going through voters, giving them a chance to vote and not having a handful of judges arbitrarily impose their will,” Gingrich said.
Opponents of marriage equality have promised to bring the issue to a public referendum in the state, but they’ll need more than 120,000 valid signatures by June 6 to put it on the November ballot.
Gingrich’s response is at least somewhat tolerable compared to his GOP opponent Rick Santorum, who called (http://www.queerty.com/protestors-tased-and-arrested-at-santorum-anti-marriage-equality-rally-in-wa-20120214/) the passage of same-sex marriage in Washington “a sad day.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gingrich-slightly-less-obnoxious-than-santorum-about-wa-gay-marriage-measure-20120227/#ixzz1ncf6u8PR

"Education against homophobia and all prejudice should be a compulsory subject in every school, from primary level upwards, with no opt-outs for independent and free schools and no right of parents to withdraw their kids. There should be exams in tolerance. The results should go on pupil’s records and should have to be declared when applying for higher education and jobs.”

Outspoken British activist Peter Tatchell, who is celebrating both his 60th birthday and 45 years of fighting for LGBT equality, in an interview with Elton John and David Furnish in Attitude magazine (http://www.attitude.co.uk/).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/uk-activist-peter-tatchell-lessons-in-homophobia-should-be-compulsory-in-every-school-20120227/#ixzz1ncfLsGRL

The jury in the Dharun Ravi trial won’t hear details about Tyler Clementi’s request to change dorm rooms shortly before committing suicide in September 2010.
As ABC News reports (http://abcnews.go.com/US/rutgers-trial-court-hear-tyler-clementis-request-room/story?id=15800869#.T0wSxsxQRL0), Clementi’s online housing form listed the reason for the request as “roommate with webcam spying on me/want a single room.”
Prosecutor Julie McClure wanted to submit the request into evidence but defense attorneys Steven Altman and Philip Nettl objected, claiming it was hearsay and may have been filed by someone other than Clementi. Judge Glenn Berman ruled that the part of the statement where Clementi accused his roommate of spying was inadmissable.
Ravi is charged with invasion of privacy for filming two of Clementi’s gay trysts, as well as bias intimidation, witness tampering and hindering arrest.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/jurors-in-dahrun-ravi-trial-wont-hear-about-tyler-clementis-room-change-request-20120227/#ixzz1ncfZbttX

Zimbabwean crazy strongman President Robert Mugabe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe) used the occasion of his 88th birthday party over the weekend to spew a new round of venom (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2106720/Robert-Mugabe-rambling-anti-homosexual-rant-David-Camerons-global-gay-rights.html?ito=feeds-newsxml) against gays and Western societies who embrace them. “We reject that outright and say to hell with you,” Mugabe blasted before a crowd of 20,000 in the eastern Zimbabwe city of Mutare, and broadcast live by state-run national TV.
“You are free as a man to marry a woman, and that is what we follow,” proclaimed the de facto dictator.
Mugabe, who made headlines (http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/11/25/Mugabe-Gays-worse-than-pigs-and-dogs/UPI-37641322204020/) late last year by dissing gays as sub-animal, couldn’t resist reviving his provocative catch phrase.
“In their newspapers, that’s one of my sins — that I called [gays] ‘worse than pigs and dogs,’ because pigs know there are males and females,” Mugabe spewed. “I won’t even call him a dog, because my own dog will complain.”
Mugabe urged Zimbabweans to aggressively resist Western influence.
“You must go to the head of the imperialist and knock out his brain,” he said.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/zimbabwes-dictator-mugabe-gays-still-worse-than-pigs-and-dogs-20120227/#ixzz1ncfsAHRh

First, Atlanta authorities couldn’t get Brand White, the victim of a brutal gay bashing in Atlanta’s Pittsburgh neighborhood, to simply come forward (http://www.queerty.com/why-hasnt-this-gay-bashed-atlanta-man-come-forward-to-report-the-crime-20120207/). But now that White has come out and accused (http://www.queerty.com/brandon-white-victim-of-brutal-atlanta-bashing-speaks-out-at-press-conference-20120208/) his attackers, questions about their motives have surfaced.
Sources now claim that the openly gay White knew his attackers and that they set upon him because he was threatening to out them as gay. Two of White’s three attackers have been arrested so far (http://www.queerty.com/fbi-believes-third-suspect-in-atlanta-gay-bash-is-hiding-out-in-pittsburgh-pa-20120223/).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/brandon-white1-190x1251.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/brandon-white1-190x1251.jpg)We wouldn’t be surprised if this revelation about White outing his attackers wasn’t dreamed up by their lawyers—a hate-crime conviction would add extra years to their sentence. But maybe it’s true that White knew his assailants and possibly even threatened to reveal their orientation.
Does that matter? Does that make what happened not a hate crime? Speak up in the comments section.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/twist-was-atlanta-gay-bash-victim-brandon-white-going-to-out-his-attackers-20120227/#ixzz1ncg7bdA5

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

27th February 2012, 22:19

Student Discouraged in Effort to Form GSA

By Josh Hinkle (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Josh%20Hinkle)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-27/WILSONCENTRALX390.jpg

A gay student at Wilson Central High School in Wilson, Tenn., filed a request to form a gay-straight alliance at his high school, but one month after filing the request, Bauman has seen no action from his school board.
Student Chris Bauman submitted his request to form the group, along with a list of students willing to join, at the beginning of the spring semester according to The Tennessean (http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120225/NEWS01/302250029/Wilson-student-s-request-form-gay-support-group-draws-criticism). He is now requesting responses from school officials on the lack of approval. "The feeling I had from them today was that they want me to stop and let it fade away," Bauman told The Tennessean after he spoke with his principal last Wednesday.
Bauman faces barriers from more than just his school's principal. Greg Lasater, a Wilson school board member and the school's resource officer, told The Tennessean, "If I had to vote, just from my own Christian values — nothing against these folks — it would be hard for me as a board member to support it."
Federal law does prohibit these kinds of obstructions when forming a club. Under the Equal Access Act of 1984, if a school allows student clubs to form, it must allow all kinds of clubs to be represented.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/27/Student_Discouraged_in_Effort_to_Form_GSA/

N.Y. Conservative Senator Loses Party Endorsement for Marriage Vote

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-10/2011-10-06/mark_grisantiX390.jpg

A New York Republican senator is losing the backing of his local Conservative Party because he voted in favor of marriage equality last year.

In New York, a state that allows candidates to run on tickets for more than one political party, the Conservative Party largely backs Republican candidates. Instead of endorsing incumbent state senator Mark Grisanti, party chairman Ralph C. Lorigo said Grisanti no longer had the trust of the party after initially saying he was against marriage equality before voting for the bill in 2011.

Lorigo told The New York Times (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/erie-county-republican-loses-support-after-voting-for-gay-marriage/) that he and his party affiliates felt betrayed by Grisanti's change of heart. He voted with fellow Republicans James Alesi, Roy McDonald, and Stephen Saland to approve the marriage equality bill (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/06/24/New_York_Passes_Marriage_Equality_Bill/)in the GOP-controlled state Senate.

The party has instead endorsed Charles Swanick, a conservative Democrat who opposes marriage equality and pro-choice laws, while favoring fiscally conservative policies, according to the report.

The freshman senator won his seat after a close race; his district, in the western section of upstate New York, includes parts of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Senate majority leader Dean Skelos told the Times he was not worried about Grisanti's seat.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/27/NY_Conservative_Senator_Loses_Party_Endorsement_fo r_Marriage_Vote/

Okla. Legislator Wants to Limit Nondiscrimination Laws

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-10/REYNOLDSX390.jpg
Mike Reynolds
Oklahoma state representative Mike Reynolds has introduced a bill that would prevent municipalities from including sexual orientation or gender identity in nondiscrimination policies.

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to discuss the legislation today, The Norman Transcriptreports. (http://normantranscript.com/headlines/x1222572692/Reynolds-seeks-to-restrict-city-policies-on-discrimination) It would “limit nondiscrimination ordinances for municipal employees by restricting those protections to only those also provided for state employees under Oklahoma statute,” the paper reports.

State law does not cover discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or political affiliation. Some cities have included these characteristics in antidiscrimination policies. Oklahoma City added sexual orientation to its policy in November, joining Tulsa and five other cities in the state. Norman’s ordinance covers political affiliation, and officials there are considering adding sexual orientation. The policies cover city workers only, not those employed in the private sector.

This is not the first time Reynolds has put forth antigay legislation. In January he introduced a bill that would reinstate the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for Oklahoma National Guard troops. That was referred to the House Rules Committee February 20, effectively killing it. He has also said he wants to return Oklahoma to traditional Judeo-Christian values.

Some elected officials and activists were quick to speak out against his latest proposal. “I am surprised that Representative Reynolds is contradicting his conservative beliefs, which would not have government interfering on local decisions,” Norman City Council member Tom Kovach told the Transcript. “How a municipality makes decisions about its employee policy should be strictly up to local control.”

Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, issued a press release saying, “It is bad enough when short-sighted politicians and demagogues stand in the way of progress, but it is even more offensive when those same forces conspire to take away civil rights that have already been won.”

Efforts like Reynolds’s are nothing new. In 1992, Colorado voters approved Amendment 2, which outlawed local nondiscrimination ordinances banning antigay discrimination in the public or private sector; the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the law in 1996. Last year Tennessee (http://www.advocate.com/News/News_Features/Tennessees_19_Year_Step_Back/) passed legislation preventing municipalities from having antidiscrimination laws stricter than the state’s. The law is being challenged in court.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/27/Okla_Legislator_Wants_to_Limit_Nondiscrimination_L aws/

http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/advocatephotos/18387997396/1/tumblr_m02ffl4W7Y1r4p2f7Brandon Morgan, a U.S. Marine, reunites with his partner Dalan upon coming home to Hawaii. The photo went viral (http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/02/usmc-homecoming.html) over the weekend (http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/02/usmc-homecoming.html) and attracted mixed emotions, to which Morgan responded on his Facebook:
“To everyone who has responded in a positive way. My partner and I want to say thank you… As for the haters, let em hate…We are the happiest we have ever been and as for the whole PDA and kissing slash hugging in uniform…it was a homecoming, if the Sergeants Major, Captains, Majors, and Colonels around us didn’t care…then why do you care what these random people have to say?…Goodnight all, and Semper Fi.”
Source: http://artdept.advocate.com/post/18387997396/brandon-morgan-a-u-s-marine-reunites-with-his

Bradley Manning, U.S. soldier accused of leaking material to WikiLeaks, among those nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

231 nominations have been submitted for this year's award

By The Associated Press (http://www.nydailynews.com/authors?author=The%20Associated%20Press) / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Monday, February 27, 2012, 9:03 AM

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1029155.1330354401%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/image.jpg Patrick Semansky/AP

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, charged in the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history. (AP Photo/Patrick Semans, has been nominated for a Nobel Prize.

OSLO, Norway -- A spokesman for the Nobel Peace Prize jury says 231 nominations have been submitted for this year's award, with publicly disclosed candidates including a former Ukrainian prime minister and the U.S. soldier accused of leaking classified material to WikiLeaks.
The secretive committee doesn't reveal who has been nominated, but those with nomination rights sometimes announce their picks. They include Bradley Manning (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Bradley+Manning), the U.S. Army private charged with the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history, Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Svetlana+Gannushkina) and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Yuliya+Tymoshenko).
Norwegian Nobel Committee secretary Geir Lundestad (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Geir+Lundestad) told the AP on Monday that "The list of nominees is a mixture of repeated nominations and some new names."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/bradley-manning-u-s-soldier-accused-leaking-material-wikileaks-nominated-nobel-peace-prize-article-1.1029156#ixzz1nchJKf4q

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/bradley-manning-u-s-soldier-accused-leaking-material-wikileaks-nominated-nobel-peace-prize-article-1.1029156

(Des Moines, IA)—Today, the Des Moines Register released their latest poll that included a question asking Iowans their opinion on the passage of a constitutional amendment banning marriage for gay and lesbian couples.
The Des Moines Register asked, “Here is an issue that may be debated in the Iowa Legislature this year. Please tell me if you favor or oppose the initiative: Pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.”
The poll found that 56% opposed such legislative action, while only 38% were in favor. 6% of Iowans are undecided.
In response to the numbers, One Iowa Interim Executive Director Calla Rongerude issued the following statement:
“With these poll numbers showing that 56% of Iowans oppose the Legislature from passing a constitutional amendment, we know that we are making progress towards valuing all families in Iowa.
We are proud that, once again, Iowa values—like the golden rule and treating people the way you want to be treated—have triumphed.
We are counting on these values of fairness and equality to continue to engage with Iowans in a conversation about real people and real families and the importance of love, commitment, and why marriage matters. We know that we can help people open their hearts and minds by having meaningful conversations about how marriage strengthens families with Iowans across the state.
These poll results also send a strong and clear message to the Legislature that the majority of Iowans oppose a harmful ban of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples. We call on our legislators to fulfill their campaign promises of focusing on the issues that matter most to Iowans—creating jobs and improving education.
With growing support nationwide, One Iowa is committed to continuing our public education work to continue to increase public support for marriage and we look forward to the day when all families are valued.”

# # #
Click here to read the full poll results: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120227/NEWS09/302270022/Iowa-Poll-Majority-opposes-ban-on-same-sex-marriage (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120227/NEWS09/302270022/Iowa-Poll-Majority-opposes-ban-on-same-sex-marriage)
Source: http://www.oneiowa.org/news-events/1statement-des-moines-register-poll-shows-majority-iowans-oppose-constitutional-amendmen

O’Malley to Sign Maryland Marriage Bill Thursday

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-01/2011-01-20/OMalley.jpg

Maryland governor Martin O’Malley will sign the marriage equality bill into law this Thursday, one week after the Senate passed the measure.

The Associated Press (http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/02/gov-martin-o-malley-sets-gay-marriage-bill-signing-for-thursday-73020.html) reports that the governor will sign the bill in a ceremony at 5 p.m., making Maryland the eighth state to legalize same-sex marriages. A spokesperson for O’Malley said the location for the signing was still being determined.

The Senate passed the bill in a 25-22 vote last Thursday, six days after the House of Delegates passed the bill in a 71-67 vote. The law is scheduled to take effect in January 2013, but opponents have vowed to challenge the measure in a referendum this November.

According to the AP, opponents of same-sex marriage began the petition process last Friday. Nearly 56,000 valid signatures are needed to place the law on the ballot. Ministers of several African-American churches in Prince George’s County and Catholic groups have promised to help repeal the law, The Washington Post (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/27/OMalley_to_Sign_Maryland_Marriage_Bill_Thursday/%20http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/maryland-senate-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill/2012/02/23/gIQAfbakWR_story.html)reports. O’Malley, who made marriage equality one of his legislative priorities this session, has said he will campaign strongly to retain the law should a referendum take place.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/27/OMalley_to_Sign_Maryland_Marriage_Bill_Thursday/

Liberia Considers Bill Criminalizing Same-Sex Marriages

By Advocate.com Editors (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate.com%20Editors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/JEWELX390.jpg
Sen. Jewel Taylor
Lawmakers in Liberia are expected to consider a bill this week that would outlaw and criminalize same-sex marriage.

All Africareports (http://allafrica.com/stories/201202271012.html) the west African nation’s House of Representatives will consider the bill Tuesday. A similar proposed amendment by Sen. Jewel Taylor, the country’s former first lady, has already been offered in the Senate and calls for criminal penalties for same-sex marriage (text of the legislation here (http://wthrockmorton.com/2012/02/21/text-of-liberias-bill-to-make-homosexuality-a-first-degree-felony/) via Warren Throckmorton).

According to the U.S. State Department, the country bans homosexual acts (or “voluntary sodomy”) with penalties of up to one year in prison.

Read the All Africa report here (http://allafrica.com/stories/201202271012.html).
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/27/Liberia_Considers_Bill_Criminalizing_Same_Sex_Marr iages/

TheGodlessUtopian

28th February 2012, 21:21

Molly Wei, took the stand today in the Dharun Ravi trial along with several other of Ravi’s classmates (http://abcnews.go.com/US/rutgers-trial-dharun-ravi-texts-witness-police-investigation/story?id=15800869#.T00C7Mzeu0Z), in what generally was a bad day for the defendant: His claim that the webcam spying wasn’t deliberate was dismantled by Wei.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/molly-wei-360x273.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/molly-wei.png)Wei (right), who struck a plea deal with prosecutors, said that Ravi was “freaking out” when she and Ravi looked at his webcam to spy on Clementi with another man. “[He was] just shocked and kind of surprised by what he saw. Kind of freaking out. He might’ve said, ‘Oh, he is gay,’ or something.”
She also implied that he tried to get away with things instead of ‘fessing up. “I think that he thought we were going to get in trouble, so he wanted to make it seem like it was more of an accident.”
But testimony today also held some promise for Ravi, suggesting the defendant was more distrustful of Clementi’s modest origins than the fact that he was gay.
Pooja Kolluri, who also looked at the webcam, said Ravi thought Clementi’s date, identified only as M.B. in court papers, was going to steal his iPad.

“I saw two males kissing and it was the back of them—I couldn’t see their faces. I believe they had their shirts off. His roommate had asked for the room from 9 to 12 and [Ravi] didn’t know why, so he set up his webcam to make sure his things weren’t touched.”
Ravi’s friend Scott Xu testified, saying Ravi distrusted M.B. because he seemed older and “shady.”
“The only thing I heard about [M.B.] was that he looked ‘shady,’ ” said Xu, putting aggressive air-quotes around shady with his fingers. “It’s kind of a slang term for suspicious looking.”
Ravi is charged with invasion of privacy for filming two of Clementi’s gay trysts, as well as bias intimidation, witness tampering and hindering arrest.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/molly-wei-and-dharun-ravis-classmates-take-the-stand-today-20120228/#ixzz1niHUr7ld

Though New Hampshire elected Democratic governor John Lynch and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen (right), the state House and state Senate are currently controlled by Republicans with veto-proof majorities in both chambers—which means the scheming Granite-State GOP has been thinking about dismantling marriage equality. The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/us/gay-marriage-law-in-new-hampshire-may-be-revoked.html?_r=1) yesterday took a look at how Republicans are poised to introduce a repeal of the bill, which would pass easily but then get vetoed by Gov. Lynch. The question: do Republicans have enough support to activate their veto-proof majority?
Queerty’s guess: in a state whose Republicans are often more social libertarian than Bible-thumping conservative, probably not (http://www.queerty.com/nh-republicans-hold-pointless-anti-gay-marriage-rally-in-state-capital-20120208/).
Sen. Shaheen, on the other hand, has come out as the first member of Congress to support the full inclusion of marriage-equality language on the 2012 National Democratic Party Platform. Rep. Nancy Pelosi led the charge (http://www.queerty.com/nancy-pelosi-wants-2012-democratic-party-platform-to-unequivocally-support-marriage-equality-20120215/) by being the first in the House to endorse it.
Other Reps. backing the charge include (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/press/press-release/progressive-congress-announces-support-for-freedom-to-marrys-democrats-say-) Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raul M. Grijalva and Rep. Keith Ellison.
Now we’re just waiting for the White House to drag its feet on the issue (http://www.queerty.com/the-white-house-hosts-lgbt-health-summit-but-still-avoids-committing-to-marriage-equality-20120217/) a little more, but they get a pass because it’s an election year. So maybe go join the over 120,000 people who have asked Obama to say “I do” to marriage equality on Freedom to Marry’s website (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/page/s/i_do).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/while-marriage-equality-repeal-looms-in-home-state-nh-sen-jeanne-shaheen-endorses-pro-gay-plank-20120228/#ixzz1niInaWce

In response to Uganda’s recent reintroduction of a bill (http://www.queerty.com/uganda-government-says-it-doesnt-want-kill-the-gays-bill-but-will-debate-it-anyway-20120209/) that would mandate extreme punishment of its gay citizens, a Change.org petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/citibank-and-barclays-condemn-ugandas-kill-the-gays-bill) urging Citibank and Barclays to condemn the legislation has collected over 190,000 signatures since its launch just four days ago. Citibank and Barclays are two of the world’s biggest banks, and both have major operations in Uganda. The petition notes that both banks have strong records of supporting their LGBT employees; Citibank gets a 100% on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, and Barclays was recently named the most LGBT-friendly company in all of Scotland.
Says the Change.org petition:

“With the ‘Kill the Gays’ bill looming in Uganda’s parliament, Citibank and Barclays have unique and necessary voices that could help stop this bill in its tracks. Their presence in Uganda is significant, and their voices in opposition to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill could have a profound impact in keeping LGBT people safe in Uganda.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/bahati1-360x231.png (http://www.queerty.com/190000-urge-big-banks-to-condemn-ugandas-kill-the-gays-bill-20120228/bahati-2/)The so-called “Kill the Gays” bill was first introduced in Uganda in 2009, including a provision calling for the death penalty for certain acts. The bill was tabled last year, but reintroduced three weeks ago by gay-hating legislator David Bahati (left).
Watch Rachel Maddow rip David Bahati a new a-hole in 2010 here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9p6VMqDpPc).
More importantly, sign the Change.org petition here (http://www.change.org/petitions/citibank-and-barclays-condemn-ugandas-kill-the-gays-bill).
Image via YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9p6VMqDpPc) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9p6VMqDpPc)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/190000-urge-big-banks-to-condemn-ugandas-kill-the-gays-bill-20120228/#ixzz1niJKY024

Apparently Libya doesn’t have its hands full trying to recover after the fall of the Gaddafi regime: The country’s representative to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, took time away from his schedule recently to condemn the upcoming March 7 panel on discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/UN-360x225.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/UN.jpg)
He told a February 14 gathering that gay issues “affect religion and the continuation and reproduction of the human race,” the Sydney Star Observer reports (http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2012/02/24/gays-threaten-human-race/72759).
It was the first time Libya attended a council meeting since being suspended in March 2011. When the UN General Assembly reinstated the north African nation in November, deputy envoy Ibrahim Dabbashi said, “the new Libya deserves to return to the Human Rights Council to contribute with other members to the promotion of values of human rights.”
Maybe he had his fingers crossed?
The unnamed delegate added that, was it not for its suspension, his country would have joined other Islamic nations in opposing the historic June 2011 resolution mandating the panel and regular reports on attacks against the LGBT community.
“We were happy to see the Gaddafi regime finally suspended last year,” said UN Watch director Hillel Neuer (http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1289203/apps/s/content.asp?ct=11627805). “Yet today’s shocking homophobic outburst by the new Libyan government, together with the routine abuse of prisoners, underscores the serious questions we have about whether the new regime is genuinely committed to improving on the dark record of its predecessor, or to pandering to some of the hardline Islamists amidst its ranks.”
Not wanting to leave a bro hanging, the delegate from Pakistan piped up on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, saying its 56 UN-member countries don’t recognize LGBT discrimination as a human-rights issue and that they refuse to recognize the authority of the Human Rights Council.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/libya-protests-un-meeting-on-lgbt-discrimination-says-gays-threaten-continuation-of-human-race-20120228/#ixzz1niJSaPEJ

Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, is allocating a group of dorm rooms specifically for LGBT students, as part of the school’s Living Learning Communities program, reports WTKR Chann (http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-old-dominion-university-opens-exclusive-dorm-for-homosexual-students-20120224,0,1760504.story)el 3. (http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-old-dominion-university-opens-exclusive-dorm-for-homosexual-students-20120224,0,1760504.story) Students with similar majors or interests are already offered the option of living together, ODU is just adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list. Queer students will be housed in one of nine rooms inside a larger residence hall.
But is segregating LGBT college kids the way to go? How will it prepare them for life in the real world, where they might be the only lesbian or gay in the neighborhood? And will signing up for designated housing put a target on the backs of kids still navigating the coming-out process?
“Living on a floor with people who may not be accepting… you take that into consideration,” says Ellen Neufeldt, ODU’s vice president for student engagement. “Housing is open to everyone who applies. This isn’t going to change that.”
We hope Neufeldt has also taken into consideration the all-but-inevitable hookups that will happen in a gay dorm. That’s a lot of drama for one R.A. to handle.
What say you, graduates of Queerty U? LGBT dorms: Pass or fail? Turn in your answers in the comments

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/separate-but-equal-old-dominion-offers-special-housing-for-gay-students-20120228/#ixzz1niJbujyI

Last week Queerty reported on New Mexico governor Susana Martinez’s search for a new hairdresser (http://www.queerty.com/nasty-mm-gov-susana-martinez-better-find-herself-a-new-gay-hairdresser-20120222/)after her old one decided he couldn’t take her stance against same-sex marriage anymore. Well, Martinez might have to find herself a new gynecologist, too: Earlier this month, the New Mexico Public Health Department was directed to remove from clinics and kiosks any brochures that didn’t bear the Department of Health logo—something that’s never been required before.As a result, vital information on drug addiction, vaccines, STDs and family planning was tossed.
While it’s not clear who issued the directive—some sources claim it was Martinez, others says it’s Dr. Catherine Torres (http://www.nmdohcrisis.com/2012/02/cabinet-secretary-catherine-torres_15.html), the state’s Secretary of Health (and a Martinez appointee)—there is some speculation on why it was done.
A poster on NMDOHCrisis.com (http://www.nmdohcrisis.com/2012/02/nm-department-of-healths-cabinet.html) writes:

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/gay-safe-sex-2.jpg.gif (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/gay-safe-sex-2.jpg.gif)What is not known by everyone is, buried in all of the recalled educational materials, is safer-sex material that contain illustrations of a same-sex couple. That caused the removal of all materials. The hope of the Torres administration is to cover up the removal of these materials with a mass recall under the reason of a missing logo.
After area news stations reported (http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/on_assignment/graphic-sex-pamphlet-prompts-firing) on “pornographic” safer-sex materials provided to Jobs Corps Center in Roswell—brochures containing graphic (though not titillating) depictions of man-on-man sex—a representative from the DOH said there would be a thorough review of all health brochures. “We think that the materials that were given out were not appropriate,” said Dr. Maggi Gallaher.
Whoever was responsible for the removal of the brochures, it was an epic fail. Ignorance might be bliss when it comes to how clean your hotel sheets are but not when it comes to sexual health, especially in the gay community.
Click through for a view of the “offending” pamphlet

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nm-govt-isnt-just-against-gay-marriage-it-doesnt-want-gays-to-learn-about-safe-sex-either-20120228/#ixzz1niJmBLpa

Democratic governor Martin O’Malley (right) will sign Maryland’s gay marriage bill into law at 5pm on Thursday, reports the AP (http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/02/gov-martin-o-malley-sets-gay-marriage-bill-signing-for-thursday-73020.html). The bill passed the state Senate (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-md-senate-passes-marriage-equality-25-22-sign-on-the-dotted-line-gov-omalley-20120223/) last Wednesday, 25-22.
Opponents are already mobilizing to get a referendum on the ballot in November. They’ll need 55,736 signatures to do so.
Martin O’Malley has championed gay-marriage legislation, speaking at rallies (http://www.queerty.com/at-marriage-equality-rally-md-gov-says-that-house-still-short-on-pro-gay-votes-20120214/) with marriage-equality supporters where he has vowed to sign the bill once it passes.
His wife even called anti-gay lawmakers “cowards,” though she ended up apologizing (http://www.queerty.com/md-first-lady-apologized-for-calling-anti-equality-lawmakers-cowards-durn-20120128/) for that.
Maryland will become the eight state to legalize same-sex unions, joining Washington, New York, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/md-gov-martin-omalley-to-sign-marriage-equality-into-law-thursday-evening-20120228/#ixzz1niJzFGsj

TheGodlessUtopian

28th February 2012, 21:28

Well it’s a step up from glitter-bombing: The LGBT-rights group AllOut.org (http://www.allout.org/) is scheduling a series of flash mobs tomorrow outside Russian embassies worldwide, in protest of an upcoming bill (http://www.queerty.com/our-plans-to-start-a-russian-gay-mag-called-st-petersboiz-are-totally-foiled-20120208/) in the historic city of St. Petersburg that would make “promotion of homosexuality” a crime.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/allout.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/allout.jpg)
The “gay propaganda” statute, which has passed two readings but must be voted on by the St. Petersburg City Council on Wednesday and then signed by the governor, would impose fines of up to $16,700 for “reading, writing, speaking or reporting on anything related to gay, lesbian bi or trans people,” reads a statement from AllOut. “Pride parades, literature, theater, or NGOs that openly serve LGBT people will be criminalized, or pushed underground.”
At Tuesday’s events, demonstrators will be wearing gags to represent how the law would muzzle free speech. Their hope is to both draw international attention to the situation and discourage tourists from visiting the city. (A giant postcard bearing the slogan “Saint Petersburg: Don’t Go There” will be delivered to each embassy.)
“This bill, which would violate Russia’s own constitution as well as any number of international treaties, is an outrageous attack on the freedom of expression for all Russians, straight and gay,” says AllOut.org’s executive director, Andre Banks. “It must not be allowed to stand.”
The New York City flash mob will take place 12:30pm–1:30pm outside the Russian Mission to the United Nations, 136 East 67th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. Others are scheduled for Berlin, Buenos Aires, Milan and Paris.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/flash-mobs-at-russian-embassies-to-protest-anti-lgbt-law-in-st-petersburg-20120227/#ixzz1niKGJibT

The American Anglican Church is the first historical sect of Christianity to say okay to the consecration of gay bishops, as a new documentary called Love Free Or Die, which we caught at Sundance (http://www.queerty.com/anglican-bishop-defends-appointment-of-gay-priest-to-rural-australia-post-20120227/www.queerty.com/bishop-gene-robinson-full-inclusion-of-lgbts-in-religion-inevitable-intolerent-denominations-increasingly-irrelevant-20120131/), shows. But the Church’s counterparts in the UK and in Australia seem to be having a little bit of trouble catching up.
ABC Gippsland (http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/02/27/3440628.htm) reports that Bishop John McIntyre, who assigned openly gay priest to a rural part of Victoria, Australia called Heyfield, is now defending his decision to assign the gay priest. Said McIntyre:

“If they think that I have acted against the Lambeth resolution (http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3054#.T0wFrMzeu0Y) [an Anglican diktat that banned gay priests], they need to think again, because I didn’t actually ordain this man. He was ordained over 30 years ago in the diocese of Melbourne.
“For the last nearly ten years, David has been a priest in a parish in the diocese of Melbourne where, when he was inducted into that parish the bishop of the day welcomed not only him, but his partner Mark into the life of the parish and the people of that parish were well aware that David was in that relationship, living in the vicarage of that parish.
“I see myself simply as having appointed to a position in this diocese a person who was, to use the formal language, ‘a priest in good standing in his previous diocese.’ To that extent I don’t see myself as having acted against either the Lambeth statement, nor do I see myself as having acted against a resolution of the general synod of our national church here in Australia.”
You tell ‘em, Johnny boy!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/anglican-bishop-defends-appointment-of-gay-priest-to-rural-australia-post-20120227/#ixzz1niKNNb7o

Outspoken “Ex-Gay” Campaigns for Minn. Marriage Amendment

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-12/2010-12-13/Minnesota_Flag.jpg

An “ex-gay” activist who claims gay people seek to “recruit” young people has joined with a Minnesota state legislator to campaign for an anti–marriage equality amendment to the state’s constitution.

Kevin Petersen, who founded the Pro-Marriage Amendment Forum with state representative Glenn Gruenhagen, coauthor of the amendment, has made several far-fetched statements about LGBT people, reports news website The American Independent (http://www.americanindependent.com/212162/ex-gay-movement-deeply-tied-to-marriage-amendment-push).

During a recent appearance by the two men on The Late Debate, (http://www.looktruenorth.com/57-culture/media/18832-last-night-s-late-debate-please-please-please.html) a Twin Cities–area radio talk show, Petersen said that after winning marriage rights, gay activists will seek to lower the age of consent for sexual relationships. He also made the widely discredited claim that men become gay because they have strong mothers and absent or distant fathers. “He did not put forth a theory of how women become lesbians,” the Independent notes.

Petersen also spoke at an Anoka-Hennepin School Board meeting last year on proposed changes to the policy on classroom discussions of sexual orientation in the Minnesota district, which has been accused of providing a hostile environment to LGBT students. He argued against changing the district’s official neutrality policy and said that when he was involved with gay organizations in the 1980s and ’90s, “I was trying to get our agenda into high schools and even elementary schools,” the Independent reports.

He claimed most gay people don’t want to be gay, but activists try to reach “sexually confused people” and convince them “that they can’t possibly change and gay is good.” He added, “What I was doing in effect was recruiting them to be gay and get into the lifestyle. That’s what happened to me when I got into college.”

Petersen says he converted from gay to straight in the mid 1990s with help from “ex-gay” groups. Now married to a woman and the father of three, he has toured widely speaking about his experience, according to the Pro-Marriage Amendment Forum’s website. (http://pmaforum.org/node/8)

The amendment will go before Minnesota voters in November. While the state already has a statute banning same-sex marriage, bans written into state constitutions are more difficult to overcome.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/28/Outspoken_Ex-Gay_Campaigns_for_Minn__Marriage_Amendment/

British MP Outed as Bisexual Following Phone Hacking

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-28/Simon_Hughes.jpg
Simon Hughes
As part of an ongoing investigation into the ethics of some British news organizations, most notably News International, a member of Parliament told an inquiry panel that he was outed as bisexual in The Sun after the tabloid hacked his phone.

According to (http://www.theage.com.au/world/suns-hacking-outed-mp-as-bisexual-inquiry-told-20120228-1u1cf.html#ixzz1nhMdIAFr) Australia’s The Age, Simon Hughes testified Tuesday that he received a call in 2006 from a Sun journalist who requested a meeting about a private matter. During the meeting, Hughes said, the reporter “shared with me the fact that The Sun had come across information which was records of telephone calls made by me.”

At the time, Hughes was the front-runner for the top position in the Liberal Democrats.

The paper then published a story with the headline “Hughes: I’ve Had Gay Sex” that featured statements including “In an exclusive admission to The Sun, [Hughes] apologized for twice denying he is homosexual.”

In his testimony to the panel, the MP said The Sun’s story was not an accurate portrayal of the interview, and that he later learned from police that his voice mails had been hacked.

Hughes, who recently settled a claim with News International for £45,000, said that if authorities had reacted differently in 2006, “a lot of the illegal action might have been shut down and a lot of the people who are now known to be victims might not be victims or might not have suffered as much.”

Read the full story here (http://www.theage.com.au/world/suns-hacking-outed-mp-as-bisexual-inquiry-told-20120228-1u1cf.html#ixzz1nhMdIAFr).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/28/British_MP_Outed_as_Bisexual_Following_Phone_Hacki ng/

Poll: GOP's Doherty crushing Cicilline

Congressman out of favor with 65% in 1st District

Updated: Monday, 27 Feb 2012, 7:09 PM EST
Published : Monday, 27 Feb 2012, 5:45 PM EST

By Ted Nesi, WPRI.com Reporter (http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/news_team/ted-nesi)
By Tim White, Target 12 Investigator (http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/news_team/newsteam_tim_white_bio)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Congressman David Cicilline is headed for a double-digit defeat at the hands of Republican Brendan Doherty unless he finds a way to win back a large number of voters by November, according to an exclusive WPRI 12 poll released Monday evening.
The new survey of 250 registered voters in Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District shows Doherty, a former state police superintendent, would defeat Cicilline 49% to 34%, with 16% of voters undecided. Doherty's lead over Cicilline has grown by two points since the last WPRI 12 poll (http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/politics/congress/poll-republican-would-beat-cicilline) in May.
Cicilline is losing to Doherty among every subgroup of voters except self-identified Democrats and those ages 18 to 39. "He's moved the needle, but unfortunately for him in the wrong direction," WPRI 12 political analyst Joe Fleming said. "Clearly, whatever he's tried to turn it around hasn't worked to this point."

Anthony Gemma, who says he'll decide soon whether to challenge Cicilline in the Democratic primary, would also face an uphill battle. The survey gives the Republican a 13-point lead, with Doherty getting 41% to Gemma's 28%. But 27% of voters are undecided in that matchup, far more than in the Cicilline-Doherty race.
The telephone interview poll was conducted last Monday through Thursday by Fleming & Associates of Cumberland, R.I. The survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus approximately 6.2 percentage points.
Cicilline's share of the vote is down 17 points from the 51% he won (http://www.wpri.com/dpp/video/extended-video-providence-david-cicilline-wins-us-house-district-1) in 2010 to succeed Patrick Kennedy. The new poll shows a slight deterioration in his poll numbers since last May, as the former mayor has been dogged by questions about whether he told voters the truth about Providence's financial situation (http://blogs.wpri.com/tag/providence-financial-crisis/) during the last campaign.
"These are numbers he has to move and move quickly in order to be positioned for re-election," Fleming said. "He needs to come up with a method to rebound from his problems in Providence."
Cicilline sees fight; others encouraged
The poll shows 65% of registered voters in the 1st District have an unfavorable view of Cicilline's job performance, while 22% have a favorable view and 13% don't know. The congressman made no effort to sugarcoat the numbers, but suggested they're a product of Washington gridlock as much as Providence's troubles.
"I don't think there's any question that I recognize that this campaign is going to be a tough one," Cicilline told WPRI.com. He added: "This is a fight worth having. It's not about me, it's not about any of the candidates - this is a fight about the future of our country and who we want in Washington."
Asked whether he has considered stepping aside so a Democrat with better public standing can run for his seat, Cicilline said flatly: "No."
Cicilline also defended his stewardship of Providence. "The work we did over the eight years I was mayor allowed us, I think, to navigate through some really difficult economic times," he said. "I think the work we did in those years put us in an excellent position to get through those years."
Doherty told WPRI.com he was "encouraged" by the numbers but said the campaign is still only "in around the second or third inning."
"People are fed up with politics as usual," he said. "Congress has about a 10% approval rating. That's despicable. We need people to have more faith in Congress and more faith in our elected officials."
Gemma still won't say whether he'll enter the primary against Cicilline but promised to make a decision soon, saying he waited too long to jump in in 2010. He said he was pleased with the poll results despite trailing Doherty by double-digits.
"Mr. Doherty has been running for just under a year now," Gemma said. "I'm not announced, not in the field working hard, calling those constituents. Frankly, he's been out so long I think those numbers should be higher for him."
Cicilline may target seniors, Dems
Rhode Islanders remain in a grim mood.
The poll shows 67% of voters think the state is moving in the wrong direction against just 19% who think it's moving in the right direction - though that's up from only 12% back in May 2010. Congressman Jim Langevin's job performance rating in his 2nd District is 50% favorable and 40% unfavorable.
The new WPRI 12 poll is the first of the year and was conducted based on the new legislative boundaries approved by the General Assembly this month to account for population shifts reported in the 2010 Census.
Langevin attacked Cicilline during the redistricting process for pushing a proposed map (http://blogs.wpri.com/2011/12/12/langevin-peeved-map-shifts-17-times-more-voters-than-needed/) that would have made major changes to their districts in order to better position himself politically. The final map (http://blogs.wpri.com/2011/12/15/langevin-limits-damage-as-cicilline-gains-less-in-new-ri-1-map/) moved Republican-leaning Burrillville out of the 1st District and gave Cicilline some Democratic-leaning sections of Providence.
In the 1st District race, Doherty holds a wide lead over Cicilline among males but a smaller advantage among females. The incumbent Democrat is trailing Doherty among voters 60 and older by 26 points, which is one reason Fleming expects Cicilline to make Social Security and Medicare the core of his campaign.
The poll shows only 54% of Democrats are choosing Cicilline over Doherty. "That's a group, again, he could move," Fleming said. "He could talk about how if the Democrats are going to have a majority there'll be a Democratic [U.S. House] speaker versus a Republican speaker. There is a path to help his numbers move."
Fleming credited Doherty with running an effective campaign so far, noting he has raised nearly as much money (http://blogs.wpri.com/2012/02/01/doherty-stays-hot-on-cicillines-heels-in-ri-1-money-race/) as Cicilline. Still, he said, the poll likely reflects "weakness for David Cicilline [more] than strength for Brendan Doherty. I have to believe it's a lot of people who really have a problem with David Cicilline at this point."
As for Doherty and Gemma, "neither one of these people is really a household name in the 1st Congressional District," Fleming said. "That could be a wide-open race at this time, but again, Doherty is still holding a 13-point lead in this race."

Source: http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/politics/local_politics/campaign-2012-poll-results-mon-6?1

Actor Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games, The Kids Are All Right) and Straight But Not Narrow founder Avan Jogia meet with Gay-Straight Alliance Network leaders in this upbeat and inspiring clip. The GSA's goal is to empower youth activists to fight homophobia and transphobia in schools and Hutcherson spoke with roughly a half dozen kids about their GSA experience.
Source: http://www.gay.net/celebrities/2012/02/28/watch-josh-hutcherson-promotes-gay-straight-alliance-network

P.S: See source for video

Supreme Court Rejects NOM Appeal of Maine Disclosure Law

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2009/200912/2009-12-07/GAVEL_SCALESX390.jpg

The Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal from the National Organization for Marriage challenging a Maine law that requires the groups to name its donors, although a second appeal to allow the list to remain private is still pending.

The Portland Press Herald (http://www.pressherald.com/news/justices-shun-appeal-of-group-that-fought-maine-gay-marriage_2012-02-28.html) reports on the move from the high court, which let stand a ruling from the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld Maine election laws as constitutional. The law requires groups that raise or spend more than $5,000 to influence decisions to register and disclose their donors.

“The National Organization for Marriage filed its lawsuit in 2009, claiming that Maine laws violated its constitutional rights to free speech and due process,” the Press Herald reports. “Maine defended those laws, saying they are designed to inform voters about who is spending money to influence their votes.”

A separate appeal that would permit NOM to shield its donor list is still pending. The organization is seeking to avoid revealing the identities of donors who gave more than $100 to the campaign against same-sex marriage.

NOM gave nearly $2 million in 2009 to Stand for Marriage Maine, the PAC that helped repeal the state’s marriage equality law in a referendum. Last week, the Maine Secretary of State confirmed (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/24/Maine_Marriage_Referendum_Gets_Green_Light/) that same-sex marriage advocates had collected enough valid signatures to bring the issue back to the ballot this fall, where polls show that a majority of voters support marriage equality.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/28/NOM_Loses_Appeal_of_Maine_Disclosure_Law/

Leftsolidarity

29th February 2012, 20:06

I'm going to create a new thread for a discussion on the Russian issue as to not side track this one. I'd like people to go look for it and add their view.

TheGodlessUtopian

29th February 2012, 20:07

I'm going to create a new thread for a discussion on the Russian issue as to not side track this one. I'd like people to go look for it and add their view.

I will be sure to contribute as I see more developments internationally.

TheGodlessUtopian

29th February 2012, 21:28

Jay Abt, the lawyer who wanted to “extend the olive branch to the LGBT community (http://www.queerty.com/second-suspect-connected-to-atlanta-gay-bashing-turns-himself-in-20120221/)” on behalf of his accused gay-basher client, Dorian Moragne (right), is now claiming Moragne did not yell any gay slurs at the victim, Brandon White. It seems that every week brings a new twist in this case—last time, unnamed sources said White knew his three attackers and threatened to out them (http://www.queerty.com/twist-was-atlanta-gay-bash-victim-brandon-white-going-to-out-his-attackers-20120227/). Could the unnamed source in this story (http://www.queerty.com/twist-was-atlanta-gay-bash-victim-brandon-white-going-to-out-his-attackers-20120227/) be none other than Abt?

“It appears from watching the video that the person yelling the homosexual slurs is someone who is not in the http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/brandon-white1-190x1252.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/brandon-white1-190x1252.jpg)actual video, someone who is not being filmed,” Abt told the AP (http://www.edgeonthenet.com/news/crime/news//130416/lawyer:_attackers_didn%E2%80%99t_yell_gay_slurs_in _beating_). “Brandon White has said that, the three individuals who were charged—he had never met them before and that’s just simply not true.”
But even if White knew his attackers—and even if he threatened to out them—does it matter? Or does it not count as a hate crime if you attack someone for threatening to expose your secret—that you’re a closeted, self-loathing gay person?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/lawyer-for-accused-atlanta-basher-my-client-did-not-yell-gay-slurs-at-brandon-white-20120229/#ixzz1noACCFTw

Johannesburg theater manager Rulov Senekal last weekend became the eighth victim in a two-year string of unsolved murders (http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/concern-as-another-gay-man-killed-1.1244296) in South Africa, all involving gay men who were killed within their own homes, with no signs of forced entry. Two men were seen entering Senekal’s apartment building on Saturday evening, only to emerge half an hour later with Senekal’s laptop and a large black plastic bag. On Sunday, a concerned neighbor entered Senekal’s apartment with the help of building security, where they found him bound and murdered.
In the past two years, seven other men in the Johannesburg-Pretoria area have lost their lives in similar fashions, most recently former South African TV host and HIV/AIDS activist Jason Wessenaar (http://www.gnpplus.net/en/news-and-events/other-news/1770-demand-justice-for-jason-wessenaar) in December. Many of the men apparently met their attackers online or through cell phone apps.
Dawie Nel, director of South African LGBT rights group OUT (http://www.out.org.za/), has decried the slow efforts (http://www.queerty.com/how-can-johannesburg-cops-call-five-similar-gay-murders-unrelated-20111012/) of local police to apprehend the killers in this gay-targeted murder string (http://www.out.org.za/articles.asp?art_id=298). Officials have thus far refused to concede that the killings are connected.
“We fear that someone is preying on gay men, and the authorities appear unwilling to acknowledge this,” Nell said in January after Wessenaar’s death. ”There is a perception that there is a lack of interest in the cases, in part due to the sexual orientation of the victims.”
Nel has said that OUT is in discussions with pro bono lawyers who may be able to help pressure authorities into action on the cases.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-targeted-murder-spree-feared-after-eighth-victim-falls-in-south-africa-20120229/#ixzz1noAP09ow

A lesbian couple were celebrating their one-year anniversary at Sheraton Hotel’s District restaurant on Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona, when a manager approached them and told them to “get a room” because they’d shared a simple kiss.
ABC15 reports (http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/now/lesbian-couple-asked-to-leave-phoenix-restaurant-after-kiss) that they received a statement from the general manager of the Sheraton: “We embrace diversity and are proud supporters of the LGBT community. We are taking this incident very seriously. Our restaurant is open for all to enjoy, and sincerely regret this incident took place.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/phoenix-lesbians1-360x280.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/phoenix-lesbians1.png)Apparently other customers in the restaurant were the motivation for the manager coming up to the couple, but his apology and offer of “free drinks next time!” were inappropriate.
Do you think the Sheraton needs to fire the manager who came up to the lesbian couple, or was he just trying to quell other homophobic customers?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-couple-told-to-get-a-room-for-kissing-in-az-sheraton-resto-offered-free-drinks-to-leave-20120229/#ixzz1noAXCVpA

P.S: See source for video

Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta will be launching their much-talked-about nonprofit group, the Born This Way Foundation, this afternoon at Harvard University. Also in attendance will be Oprah, Deepak Chopra, and… students protesting the University (http://www.queerty.com/group-calls-for-posthumous-degrees-for-harvard-students-expelled-for-being-gay-in-1920s-20120228/)‘s decision not to confer posthumous degrees to nine gay students who were expelled in 1920! If the storied Ivy League university seems an odd choice, it makes more sense when you learn that the Foundation is pairing up with a Harvard academic center. In a profile of Cynthia on the Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/29/meet-lady-gaga-s-mama-cynthia-germanotta.html), Abigail Pesta writes:

Germanotta is quick to note that the focus of her new foundation is on “kindness, not meanness,” saying that “bullying is almost overused in the media.” The group plans to partner with three other groups—Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, the MacArthur Foundation, and the California Endowment to Empower Youth—to help educate kids, Germanotta says, by connecting Gaga’s fan base with the programs the groups have started.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/05/The-Oprah-Winfrey-Show-360x216.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/05/The-Oprah-Winfrey-Show.jpeg)Making an appeal to Our Lady of the Gaga will be student protestors that want the university to confer honorary degrees to nine gay students who were witch-hunted and expelled in 1920 by Harvard president Abbott Lawrence Lowell. Harvard’s response, according to MSNBC (http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/28/10532969-harvard-no-posthumous-degrees-for-gays-expelled-in-1920):

Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences does not award posthumous degrees except in the rare case of a student who completes all academic requirements for the degree but dies before the degree has been conferred.
In 2002 the University expressed its deep regret for the way the situation was handled as well as for the anguish experienced by the students and their families almost a century ago.
While we feel the pain of those nine excommunicated gay students, rules are rules—and Harvard treats its gays just fine now.
And, if you were wondering if Lady Gaga’s ever felt the pain of those excluded students—her mother tells the Daily Beast that she was once “purposefully not invited” by her high school classmates to a weekend party.
“On Monday, they asked her what she did over the weekend, knowing full well that she knew about the party. It comes down to meanness and cruelty,” said Mama Gaga. “Exclusion is a form of that.”
The injustice!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/today-at-harvard-lady-gaga-launches-born-this-way-foundation-protesters-and-oprah-in-tow-20120229/#ixzz1noBN39CT

It seems a little odd but it’s definitely good news: The Senate Judiciary Committee just voted to add (http://lgbtweekly.com/2012/02/13/man-fined-for-hitler-style-lgbt-extermination-call/) lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), with a special re-authorization sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy D-VT (right), and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-ID. We guess it’s easier than starting from scratch.
The new measure would allow funds to be used for programs providing services to LGBT domestic-abuse victims and ban any group receiving VAWA funds from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Studies indicate queer victims, when seeking help, are often discriminated against by law-enforcement officials and social-service providers.
“Victims of domestic violence need assistance, not irrational barriers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We thank the members of the Judiciary Committee that have recognized the discrimination LGBT domestic violence victims face when seeking assistance.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/senate-committee-adds-lgbts-to-violence-againt-women-act-okay-well-take-it-20120229/#ixzz1noBisApe

Last week’s episode of Glee, in which gay ex-bully Karofsky (Max Adler) attempts to take his own life, led to record numbers on The Trevor Project (http://www.thetrevorproject.org/)‘s anti-suicide helpline and website. “What was great about the show is that they worked in conjunction with us so we knew in advance that there was going to in all likelihood be an increase in volume,” Project co-founder Peggy Rajski told EW (http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/02/28/glee-trevor-project/). “What happened was the volume went up about 300 percent, but we were ready.” The episode dealt specifically with the issue of anti-gay harassment and suicide and featured a Trevor Project PSA with actor Daniel Radcliffe (below).
More than three times the numbers of calls were made to the hotline and more than 10,000 visitors came to TheTrevorProject.org (http://www.thetrevorproject.org/), as compared to a more typical 1,500 per day.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/glees-gay-suicide-episode-sparked-record-traffic-for-the-trevor-project-20120229/#ixzz1noBsiKgM

P.S: See source for video

For those of us old enough to remember, it’s hard to imagine it was almost 21 years ago that Earvin “Magic” Johnson announced he had the HIV virus.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/magicjohnsonhiv1991.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/magicjohnsonhiv1991.jpg)
At the time, fear and apathy gripped mainstream society, with many straight people either blaming homosexuals for this so-called “gay plague” or not really caring too much about it in the first place.
Johnson was a game-changer: A heterosexual celebrity with the virus. And a sports legend, to boot—one beloved by straight-male sports fans. With Johnson’s disclosure, Mr. and Mrs. Middle America were able to put a familiar face on the disease and feel both a sense of urgency and compassion.
It didn’t hurt that Johnson appeared—and continues to appear more than twenty years later—to be the picture of health.
On March 11, ESPN will air The Announcement (http://espn.go.com/espn/espnfilms/story/_/page/theannouncement/announcement), which explores Magic Johnson’s journey from NBA superstar to AIDS poster boy to accomplished entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Johnson has done much to raise AIDS awareness, http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/magicjpg-094aa814f1c99fef.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/magicjpg-094aa814f1c99fef.jpg)especially in particularly vulnerable African-American community, but it is a little sad that it took an “acceptable” victim for America to start paying attention to an epidemic that was already a decade old.
Watching snippets of the film, its hard not to by baffled by archival news reports that acted like AIDS had just arrived on the scene or that Johnson’s serocoversion was somehow a greater tragedy than anyone else’s. (Maybe it’s because we’re not big sports fans.)
And we worry many look at Johnson and continue believe having HIV is an easily manageable condition, when in reality most people with the virus aren’t millionaires with access to the best drugs available and the adoration of millions to bolster their spirits. (South Park once did a brilliantly twisted parody in which Johnson revealed there was a cure for AIDS—ground-up $100 bills.)
We’re not judging Johnson—far from it. But when we think of the horrors endured by early gay victims—discriminated against even as they lay on their deathbeds—we can’t help but question the almost saintlike status so much of straight America placed on him.
We’re excited to watch The Appointment. We just hope it puts Johnson’s struggle in context of those victims of the epidemic not fortunate enough to be straight, rich or famous.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/hes-the-subject-of-a-new-espn-doc-but-is-magic-johnson-truly-a-hero-of-the-aids-crisis-20120229/#ixzz1noC3dT3Z

TheGodlessUtopian

29th February 2012, 21:32

If you know someone whose parents are giving them a hard time about being gay, consider sending them a link to aNoteToMyKid.com (http://anotetomykid.com/), a site where “the LGBTQ community, their parents, families and friends the opportunity to share their unconditional love with one another.” Visitors are encouraged to write a note and share a photo or video of their gay-positive clan.
Co-founder Michael Volpatt sent Queerty some info on the site and says, “we hope aNoteToMyKid.com will continuously remind members of the LGBTQ community that there is a lot of love and support out there; that we are not alone… [and] will ultimately help defuse the effects of bullying that many of our LGBTQ youth face every day.”
The site already has 90 such testimonials, including this touching one :

Recently my daughter, Jennifer Blum, married her partner, Rachel Wilkins, at City Hall in New York. It was a beautiful day. The weather was magnificent and the brides were radiant. Rachel’s parents and her brother were here from England and we all enjoyed each other. Several of the girls http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/jennifers-mom-360x299.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/jennifers-mom.jpg)friends also came to the ceremony and we had a reception after at a rest in the city. Her father and I were so proud. We know they will be very happy together.
Jen’s story begins almost twenty years ago when she was in college and came to me to tell me that she was gay. She was afraid to tell me, afraid of rejection I guess but nothing could be further from the truth. I had suspected that her friend who was coming every weekend from Ithaca, New York was more than a friend. I told her that it didn’t matter whom she loved that I just wanted her to be happy. She asked what her father would say and I told her that he would feel the same way. As a matter of fact, he told everyone that his daughter wanted to be like him so much that she even liked woman like he did.
That, unfortunately, was not the story for so many of her friends who came out at the same time. Their parents were not as understanding. Some were thrown out of their homes, some were taken out of school and made to come home (as if that would cure them of this predilection). I couldn’t understand how these people could reject their own children. There is nothing my children could ever do to make me not love them.
Jennifer is a bright, beautiful, athletic woman and we have always been very proud of her. She is an attorney in both New Jersey and New York. She is an accomplished athlete. She plays tackle football, flag football, softball and dodge ball. Last year in July, she was picked to play tackle football for Team USA against Sweden, Germany, Austria, Finland and Canada. They played in Sweden and we were there when they won the gold. It was very exciting.
If I sound like I’m bragging, well I guess I am. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter. We have traveled the country watching her play football and to receive all kinds of honors. She is in the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and in the Museum of World Treasures in Kansas. And now she has given me another daughter. Had I rejected her because she is gay, I would have missed so much joy in my life.
We know it’s not even March but it kinda feels like Mothers Day, y’know?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/the-best-way-to-show-some-love-to-your-gay-family-and-friends-is-with-anotetomykid-com-20120229/#ixzz1noCVLUSv

When it comes to Arizona lawman and Senate congressional hopeful Paul Babeu, where’s there smoke there’s at least one fire: Babeu (right) just got finished answering allegations he threatened to have an immigrant boyfriend deported when new rumors (http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/documents-babeu-ran-private-boarding-school-with-history-of-physical-abuse) have started swirling around the Pinal County sheriff’s tenure as a headmaster in Massachusetts in the early 2000s. ABC 15 reports (http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/documents-babeu-ran-private-boarding-school-with-history-of-physical-abuse) that while Babeu was director of the private DeSisto School from 1999 to 2001, the state Office of Child Care Services launched an investigation “into repeated allegations of abuse.”

The documents show that during Babeu’s tenure the school was not licensed. Other allegations include detailed instances of physical and sexual abuse.
Holli Nielsen, a former student under Babeu’s watch, called the academy “cult-like,” and told ABC 15 how she was forced to strip down and wear nothing but a sheet in front of other students. “That’s how I spent my 16th birthday. It was just miserable.” Other reports detail strip searches, forced isolation and sexual assaults between students.
Nielsen says Babeu knew of the excesses at the school, but perhaps he was distracted by life at home: According to Babeu’s sister, Lucy, he had a 17-year-old student living with him:

“I said what is this student from DeSisto doing here? He says, ‘Lucy, he’s my boyfriend. I love him.’ ”
Nielsen claims the relationship was “was widely known but not discussed.” The embattled sheriff left the school in 2001, three years before it was shut down as a result of the investigation.
Sadly, it’s not so shocking Babeu had a teenage boyfriend who was attending the school he worked at—closeted Republicans do some really f**ked up things. What’s incredible is that he somehow thought this wouldn’t surface later when he ran for public office.
Babeu insists he’s not guilty of any wrongdoing, but he pulled out of a speaking engagement at the Tulsa Police Heroes awards reception set for this Saturday.
“Sheriff Babeu and the organization running the event both agreed the importance needs to be on the officers, not baseless allegations and attacks made against the sheriff,” said Elias Johnson, public information officer for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
Maybe he’s afraid someone will have a subpoena?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/babeu-in-new-doo-doo-over-abuse-at-old-school-affair-with-former-student-20120229/#ixzz1noCgDwO0

After a gay-inclusive anti-discrimination law got tabled in the Utah Legislature earlier this month—the fifth year in a row that’s happened—the state’s LGBT community decided it was time to let the politicians know they’re pissed off. So they’ve announced the http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Slccapitol.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/Slccapitol.jpg)Human Dignity Rally, a demonstration today from 4pm to 6pm on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City. More than 300 people expected including Utah Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis, out lawmaker Rep. Brian Doughty (D-Salt Lake City) and drag persona Sister Dottie Dixon.
That’ll get their special underwear in a bunch.
More than a dozen towns and cities already have ordinances protecting orientation and gender identity, but the move is now to get one adopted statewide. As the Salk Lake Tribune reports (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/53601349-90/rally-utah-salt-dignity.html.csp), nearly 75% of Utahns support such a law, as do the Catholic Diocese of Utah and the Mormon Church.
So what’s the friggin’ hold up?
Activists are saying right-wing lobbying groups—specifically the Eagle Forum, Phylis Schafley’s anti-choice, anti-marriage-equality, anti-vaccination gang of kooks—have gotten the ear of the Utah Legislature despite broad support for the bill. When it went before a Senate committee, Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka was only one of two people who spoke against the measure before it was tabled. (Ruzickas, by the way, has also tried to block screenings (http://www.queerty.com/brokeback-mountain-gagged-in-two-theaters-20060109/) of Brokeback Mountain and called GSAs (http://www.queerty.com/the-gay-utah-high-schoolers-proudly-creating-and-leading-gay-recruiting-tools-20110103/) “gay recruiting tools.”)
“It was so symbolic of what seems to happen up there,” rally promoter Weston Clark told the Trib’s Rosemary Winters. “The legislators are not listening to the public. They’re listening to the lobbyists and the Gayle Ruzickas.”
Fellow organizer Bob Henline is even more fed up: He started listing names and home addresses of Eagle Forum leaders, calling them “a**holes” and “bigots” and suggesting readers confront them. He said his views were not those of the rally but that, “quite frankly, I think sitting down and talking with these people has failed.”
We agree, but paying them a visit might not be a good idea: Redneck homophobes are usually big gun nuts.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ut-too-busy-sucking-up-to-tk-eagle-forum-to-pass-popular-anti-discrimination-bill-20120229/#ixzz1noCrBWRc

Despite court challenges by conservatives, the Indian government today clarified that it’s not looking to re-criminalize gay sex.
Homosexuality was legalized in the subcontinent in 2009 when Section 377, a statute dating back to colonial British rule, was overturned by the Supreme Court.http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/06/pridedelhi5.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/06/pridedelhi5.jpg)
Last week, though, Solicitor General PP Malhotra made headlines when he claimed that “gay sex is highly immoral and against social order and there is high chance of spreading of diseases through such acts.”
The difference between Malhotra’s viewpoint and that of the government has led to confusion. Today a Supreme Court justice asked the government to file an affidavit “to reconcile the two divergent positions,” reports the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17188283).
Though the challenge to the overturn of Section 377 continues, it looks like the Supreme Court is inclined to rule against it.

The court asked groups challenging the judgment to define “unnatural sex.”
“So who is the expert to say what is ‘unnatural sex’? The meaning of the word has never been constant,” Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhyaya asked a petitioner who challenged the judgment.
“We have traveled a distance of 60 years. Now it is test-tube babies, surrogate mothers. They are called discoveries. Is it in the order of nature? Is there carnal intercourse?” the judges asked.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/india-says-it-has-no-interest-in-recriminalizing-homosexuality-even-as-challenges-continue-20120228/#ixzz1noD1LRtt\

Most politicians speak out of whichever side of their mouth will curry them more votes, but last week Denver mayor Michael Hancock spoke from the heart when he urged support for pending civil-union legislation in Colorado.
At a LGBT meet-and-greet, Hancock spoke lovingly about his brother, Robert, who died of AIDS in 1996.
The Denver Post reports (http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2012/02/24/denver-mayor-hancock-gives-stirring-speech-about-gay-brother-at-lgbt-event/61109/):

“I remember very clearly standing next to him as he lay in the hospital,” Hancock told the gathering. “My brother told me a couple of things that I will never forget. One is, he said, ‘gay people are human … treat me as a human http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/michael-hancock.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/michael-hancock.jpg)being.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Michael, I know you are going to stay involved in politics. Do everything that you can to continue to fight so that poor people don’t have to die from this disease.”
Hancock continued to say that he understood that even though his family had gathered in the hospital room, no one loved his brother more than his partner. And he was outraged and saddened that laws at the time forbade his brother’s partner from making medical decisions.
The mayor said his talk wasn’t “just for cheap applause.”
“I say it because it is a fundamental value. Government shouldn’t legislate who you love and who you commit your life to. As my brother taught me, love does not recognize gender, race or ethnicity… That’s why I stand here firm in my support for civil unions in Colorado and in support of same-sex marriage across the land. It’s time. Let’s do it.”
Gay couples in Denver are afforded the same rights as married heteros, but Hancock is joining the chorus of voices calling for statewide recognition with the passage of Senate Bill 2.
The measure passed the Senate judiciary committee last week but faces a Republican majority in the House, where a similar bill was voted down last year.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-equality-isnt-just-lip-service-for-awesome-denver-mayor-michael-hancock-20120229/#ixzz1noDAoPop

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd March 2012, 21:05

Chris Christie is pro-gay, y’all! Never mind that he vetoed a gay-marriage bill and believes, in his religious heart of hearts, that marriage is between one (portly) man and one (normal-sized) woman.
You see, what we’ve been misunderstanding is the absolutely crucial difference between “gay rights” and “gay marriage.”
“I did veto a bill on gay marriage, not on gay rights,” Christie said at a meeting with Fort Lee, NJ students, streamed live on NBC’s Morning Joe (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/46602034#46602034). “Gay rights are protected and protected aggressively in New Jersey.”
Continued Christie:

“This is something I feel strongly about, I think marriage is between a man and a woman… What I’ve said to folks, after vetoing the bill is, let’s put it on the ballot. If a majority of people in New Jersey want to have same-sex marriage, then I’ll be governed by it. But I don’t think that’s a decision that should be made by 121 people in Trenton alone. It’s a major change in the way we’ve governed our society.”
Yes, it’s so weird that governors would have to make decisions about civil rights issues, isn’t it? And to make fair laws that they’ve been elected to make? That’s just majorly different than what’s happened for the past 200 years in America.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nj-gov-chris-christie-i-vetoed-a-bill-on-gay-marriage-not-on-gay-rights-20120302/#ixzz1nzmEEaLx

Today, the Washington Blade (http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d893990/27177e25/4f061398/2e14da17/673810385/VEsH/)reports (http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d893990/27177e25/4f061398/2e14da17/673810385/VEsH/) that 19 senators have endorsed a marriage-equality plank in the Demhttp://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/03/john-kerry_0.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/03/john-kerry_0.jpg)ocratic Party’s 2012 national platform. Of those who endorsed such a plank, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Tom Harkin (D-IA), John Kerry (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) represent states that have legalized same-sex marriages already.
All 19 legislators approved a statement released by Freedom to Marry as part of its “Democrats: Say I Do” campaign, launched February 13 (http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d893990/27177e25/4f061398/2e14da09/673810385/VEsF/):

The Democratic Party supports the full inclusion of all families in the life of our nation, with equal respect, responsibility, and protection under the law, including the freedom to marry. Government has no business putting barriers in the path of people seeking to care for their family members, particularly in challenging economic times. We support the Respect for Marriage Act and the overturning of the federal so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and oppose discriminatory constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny the freedom to marry to loving and committed same-sex couples.
Evan Wolfson (http://freedomtomarry.org/page/m/4d893990/27177e25/4f061398/2e14da16/673810385/VEsE/), founder and President of Freedom to Marry, said in a statement:

“These 19 senators from across the nation all know firsthand why marriage matters to gay and lesbian couples, their kids, their kin, and our country. Their support for Freedom to Marry’s “Say I Do” campaign shows real momentum among Democrats for what the Democratic Party does at its best—overcome discrimination and barriers and lead the way toward a more perfect union.”
We applaud the politicians’ commitment as well, but we’re a little disappointed more didn’t sign on—especially considering how poll after poll is showing more Americans than ever support full marriage equality.
Sigh, we guess it’s no coincidence the word “senate” stems from the Latin word for “old men.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/u-s-senators-come-out-in-support-of-national-marriage-equality-a-whopping-19-of-em-20120302/

Not to be out-bigoted by their Russian neighbors (http://www.queerty.com/its-official-gay-propaganda-to-be-illegal-in-russias-second-biggest-city-20120229/), several cities in the notoriously sour country of Moldova have also banned “gay propaganda” in the last two weeks, leading Amnesty International to characterize the situation as a “dangerous climate” (http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=19981) for LGBT Moldovans. In Bălți, Moldova’s third largest city, a bill outlawing “aggressive propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation” has been passed. In the central city of Anenii Noi, a measure was approved to prevent what councilors called an “epidemic of homosexuality.” The northern villages of Chetriş and Hiliuţi also passed legislation to ban the construction of buildings connected with the practice of Islam or the promotion of homosexuality.
Each of the measures must now be registered with national authorities, and may be challenged before becoming law.
Says John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s deputy program director for Europe and Central Asia:

“In effect, these decisions are inscribing into law discrimination against LGBTI people, and they stoke up a climate of hostility.
“Moldova’s constitution, as well as national laws, guarantees freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. A failure by the national authorities to overturn the local councils’ decisions will amount to violation of their national and international obligations.”
That Moldova is far from gay is no surprise: In his 2009 book The Geography of Bliss, author Eric Weiner called it the world’s most unhappy place (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124025997653636315.html).
In 2010, officials in the country’s capital of Chisnau banned a gay rally (http://www.queerty.com/moldova-no-gay-demonstrations-for-you-20100506/) planned in the city center. In 2008, the Chisnau’s pride march was cancelled after anti-gay protestors surrounded and attacked the bus carrying the event’s 60 marchers, while police stood by and watched.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/move-over-russia-moldovan-cities-also-rushing-to-ban-gay-propaganda-20120302/#ixzz1nzmkFLRr

At this very moment, Tyler Clementi’s gay date—identified anonymously as M.B. in court papers—is testifying against Dharun Ravi, Clementi’s former roommate at Rutgers. Ravi is charged with invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, witness tampering and hindering arrest, after he spied on Clementi’s hookups with M.B. twice, mere days before Clementi plunged to his death from the George Washington Bridge.
Several of Ravi’s college friends have said Ravi was not outrightly anti-gay (http://www.queerty.com/molly-wei-and-dharun-ravis-classmates-take-the-stand-today-20120228/). But not Geoffrey Irving, who took the stand yesterday.
According to the Star-Ledger (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/friend_testifies_ravi_seemed_u.html), Irving testified that:

“From my observation of his demeanor, he appeared uncomfortable with the situation [of having a gay roommate]. [Ravi] told me he had set up a webcam of some sort to capture images of his roommate. He told me he had done it before that date [and] that he was planning on doing it again. That night.”
When cross-examined by Ravi’s lawyer, Irving admitted that he had never heard Ravi being outright homophobic or malicious to Clementi. Irving did say he thought Ravi was “uncomfortable” with Clementi being gay, though.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/silhouette-MB-360x537.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/silhouette-MB.jpg)According to live tweets (https://twitter.com/#%21/Pervaizistan) from in-the-courthouse Wall Street Journal reporter Pervaiz Shallwani, M.B. entered through the side door to avoid the media circus (http://www.queerty.com/the-identity-of-m-b-tyler-clementis-mysterious-hookup-partner-may-be-revealed-tomorrow-20120229/). “He is clean shaven, short cropped hair, blue button-up shirt, tallish with just a slight heft,” tweeted Shallwani.
Reporter Kurt Siegelin tweeted that (https://twitter.com/#%21/kurtsiegelin) “only M.B.’s hands are being shown. No audio from courtroom. Great measures being taken to protect identity.”
M.B. testified that, “while we were intimate together on the bed, I just glanced over and I noticed that there was a webcam positioned towards the bed,” wrote Shallwani.

“It just caught my eye that there was a camera lens looking directly at me. [As I was leaving, I] saw a group of people standing there looking at me… It was really just kind of unsettling. I wasn’t really trying to look at them.”
This was during M.B. and Clementi’s second encounter on Sept. 19, 2010. (The first was on Sept 16, which was not spied on by Ravi.) The young men got together again on Sept. 21, 2010, a day before Clementi took his life.
That time, M.B. says he could hear people gossiping about them:

“It sounded like people talking and people laughing. It seemed like making jokes at someone’s expense… I texted [Clementi] every day after that. I did intend to see him. As far as I was going to return to that building to see him, I felt a little uneasy about it.”
On Oct. 1, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office reached out to M.B. and let him know that Clementi had taken his life. More testimony is expected when the defense begins its cross-examination.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/m-b-discusses-webcam-gossip-today-during-testimony-in-dharun-ravi-trial-20120302/#ixzz1nzmyEg00

Cody Rogers went to a party and got a busted lip, black eye, cuts and bruises as a parting gift. The 18-year-old Tulsa teen was at a gathering over the weekend, when he says he heard homophobic comments coming from another room.
“There were some ladies who invited their boyfriends [to a going away party] who had a problem with some of the homosexuals that were there,” Rogers told Fox 23 (http://www.fox23.com/mostpopular/story/Tulsan-I-was-attacked-because-Im-gay/Yw4BQoTsFEifvH-7TPaCxA.cspx).
When Rogers went over to investigate, two young men were being asked to leave—one refused and laid into Roger’s female friend. Rogers intervened and was assaulted and thrown to the ground as his attackers yelled more anti-gay slurs.
“My cheek , my forehead is obviously a little busted up, a busted lip, my eye… I don’t know if you can see it. It’s hard to http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-71-360x266.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-71.png)look at, especially in the mirror,” Cody Rogers told reporters. Friend Jordan Garrett added, “[Cody] looked as if a truck hit him.”
Though he lost consciousness and is still recovering from his injuries, Rogers has been busy creating a Facebook page, Help Stop the Stomping (https://www.facebook.com/HelpStopTheStomping), to help draw attention to the fact that Oklahoma is just one of only 19 states that doesn’t include sexual orientation or gender identity in its hate-crime laws.
Currently the police have classified the attack as a simple assault, though they feel as frustrated as Rogers.
“It’s got to be extremely frustrating when you feel like you’ve been chosen, picked,” Says the Tulsa Police Department’s Jason Willingham. “It’s something that’s out of our hands. It’s some that needs to be addressed at the state level.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/tulsa-gay-teen-savagely-beaten-at-party-by-guests-yelling-anti-gay-slurs-20120302/#ixzz1nznFCtNu

Chad Griffin, longtime power player in the world of LGBT rights, has been announced as the successor to outgoing HRC president Joe Solmonese. Griffin is a co-founder of the political strategy firm Griffin|Schake, president of AFER (http://www.afer.org/about/leadership/), and certifiably Jeopardy!-hot†. The 38-year-old politico is somewhat young (Solmonese is 44) to take over as powerful an organization as the $40-million Human Rights Campaign. It could signal that HRC is distancing itself from widely criticized policies, like its gratuitous alignment with corporate America—encapsulated by its recent appointment (http://www.queerty.com/hrc-appoints-goldman-sachs-honcho-as-new-marriage-equality-spokesman-20120206/) of soul-challenged Goldman Sachs executive Lloyd Blankfein as “Corporate Equality Spokesperson.”
Hailing from Arkansas, Griffin got his start working for Bill Clinton’s communications team at the tender age of 19. After two years in the White House, he moved to L.A. to work for at a charitable foundation founded by Rob Reiner, a fellow AFER board member.
We don’t have any personal experience with Griffin, but here are some statements he’s made in the past that we dug out of the Queerty archives.
*He’s a Ken Mehlman man (http://www.queerty.com/george-bushs-campaign-chairman-ken-mehlman-im-gay-20100825/#ixzz1nypt8481). “When we achieve equal equality, [Mehlman] will be one of the people to thank for it.”
*He got pissed (http://www.queerty.com/rebuffed-gay-groups-now-want-in-on-prop-8-lawsuit-too-bad-20090709/#ixzz1nyqFxzYM) at groups like the ACLU, Lambda, and NCLR when they tried to highjack AFER’s championing of the Prop 8 case, and totes *****ed them out. “You have unrelentingly and unequivocally acted to undermine this case even before it was filed. Considering this, it is inconceivable that you would zealously and effectively litigate this case if you were successful in intervening. Therefore, we will vigorously oppose any motion to intervene.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/chad-griffin-hardball-360x226.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/chad-griffin-hardball.png)*He’s got a little bit of a lisp and says “plaintiffs” funny (http://www.queerty.com/afers-chad-griffin-chimes-in-from-homosexual-compound-20101207/) when he goes on [I]Hardball with Chris Matthews. “In this [Prop 8] case, there are four plaintiffs… every single day we continue to have state-sanctioned discrimination is doing grave harm to those plaintiffs, their children and millions of other young people across the country.”
*He’s not afraid to call out President Obama (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/us/politics/29marriage.html?_r=1) on his glacially “evolving” stance on gay marriage. Griffin called Obama’s endorsement of states’ rights on the marriage-equality issue ”a step backwards.”
†Jeopardy!-hot is a variation of the idea of nerdy guys that happen to be kind of cute or attractive too. It comes up when you’re watching Jeopardy! and realize that, despite most people on the show being busted, there are a couple of gems. Thus, Jeopardy!-hot. The most Jeopardy!-hot person out there: Alex Trebek.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nerdy-hot-afer-prez-chad-griffin-replacing-joe-solmonese-as-hrc-head-honcho-20120302/#ixzz1nznQdBSD

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd March 2012, 21:12

A small gay march of 50 or so LGBT protesters was a no-go yesterday in Jackson, the capital of Mississippi. Says GetEqual.com (http://getequal.org/blog/2012/03/01/press-release-lgbt-march-in-mississippi-shut-down-by-police/), which is biased toward the side of the protestors:

Despite having applied for a permit for a march in the city to highlight LGBT discrimination, organizers were informed shortly before the event that their permit had been denied and they had no right to rally in the city.
The primary organizer of the march, Bob Gilchrist, had organized the event on Facebook, and was expecting a large crowd for the march. The permit was denied even though event organizers were finalizing details to secure required liability insurance. When informed by police that the permit had been denied, those assembled for the march quickly changed plans under the threat of arrest if they were to proceed.
But according to the Clarion-Ledger (http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120301/NEWS/120301014/Permit-snafu-cuts-Jackson-gay-rights-march-short-?odyssey=nav%7Chead), who spoke with the authorities, police were not uncooperative:

Sgt. James McGowan said Gilchrist failed to secure liability insurance or any documentation to release the city from liability.
“We tried to work with them as much as we could,” McGowan said.
If the proper permit procedure had been completed, “we would have given them an escort to the Capitol,” he said.
Well, there’s a game of chicken-and-egg (protester-and-police?) if we ever saw one. In any case, tiny little gay marches and gay commitment ceremonies on state grounds (http://www.queerty.com/in-mississippi-dont-even-try-to-have-a-gay-commitment-ceremony-on-state-grounds-20120221/): hard to do in Mississippi.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/is-it-red-tape-or-homophobia-that-killed-a-mississippi-gay-march-20120302/#ixzz1nznnhDfD

"At a personal level, I wish I had spoken out against the effort. As I’ve been involved in the fight for marriage equality, one of the things I’ve learned is how many people were harmed by the campaigns in which I was involved. I apologize to them and tell them I am sorry. While there have been recent victories, this could still be a long struggle in which there will be setbacks, and I’ll do my part to be helpful…
Most polls now show that a majority (http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/first-time-majority-americans-favor-legal-gay-marriage.aspx) of Americans support gay marriage. What you see in Maryland and Washington, and states like New York earlier, is a reflection of politicians representing their constituents."

For the first time ever, Republican strategist Ken Mehlman admits remorse to Salon.com (http://politics.salon.com/2012/03/02/same_sex_opposite_impact/) for his involvement in George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign. After coming out in 2010 (http://www.queerty.com/george-bushs-campaign-chairman-ken-mehlman-im-gay-20100825/), he has lobbied prominent Republicans on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and on gay marriage in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and New Hampshire.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/former-rnc-chairman-ken-mehlman-finally-apologizes-for-anti-gay-moves-of-bush-campaign-20120302/

Andrew Breitbart, conservative publisher of Breitbart.com, died unexpectedly from natural causes last night, reports ABC (http://abcnews.go.com/US/andrew-breitbart-publisher-author-dead/story?id=15824337#.T0-MjMxaNe4). He was 43.
Though rabidly conservative in many ways, Breitbart was an unexpected ally in the fight for gay rights, going so far as to join the board of GOProud, a Log Cabin-type gay Republican org. He had to step down after a little kerfuffle involving the outing of a Rick Perry strategist (http://www.queerty.com/andrew-breitbart-resigns-from-goproud-over-outing-of-perrys-strategist-20111211/). Breitbart also played a curious role (http://www.queerty.com/andrew-breitbart-breaks-promise-and-releases-weiners-full-on-cock-shot-20110608/) in the defrocking of Andrew Weiner.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/andrew-breitbart-600x400.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/andrew-breitbart.jpg)Breitbart’s family announced his death this morning on his website, and the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office has confirmed that he died shortly after midnight at UCLA Medical Center.
His family posted the following statement on his website:

With a terrible feeling of pain and loss we announce the passing of Andrew Breitbart. We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior.
Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love.
Andrew recently wrote a new conclusion to his book, Righteous Indignation:
“I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and—famously—I enjoy making enemies.
Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I’ve lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I’ve gained hundreds, thousands—who knows?—of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.’
Andrew is at rest, yet the happy warrior lives on, in each of us.
Rest in peace, Andrew.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-andrew-breitbart-conservative-internet-publisher-and-unexpected-lgbt-ally-dead-at-43-20120301/

For Republican state Senator Roy J. McDonald, supporting the passage of gay marriage in New York State was a profitable move, if a bit politically inopportune. Like the three other GOP Senators who crossed the aisle, the Saratoga district Sen. was rewarded (http://www.queerty.com/hey-republicans-it-pays-to-cross-the-aisle-on-marriage-equality-20120118/) for his bipartisanship—to the tune of $447,000 in the half-year after the vote, 27 times what he raised in the same period in 2009.
McDonald now faces a tough re-election race, according to the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/nyregion/republican-who-backed-gay-marriage-loses-support.html?_r=2), with Republicans in his hometown of Wilton endorsing his opponents.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/scrouge_duck_money.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/scrouge_duck_money.jpg)McDonald, apparently sassified by his support of gay marriage, says to his GOP naysayers: “They can take the job and shove it.”
Senator Mark J. Grisanti, a Buffalo Republican, too faces trouble—he just lost the support of the Erie County Conservative Party, a group that was critical in getting him elected two years ago.
While NYC gays and their allies feel the upstaters’ pain, there’s not much we can do for them. As Mayor Bloomberg skilled commented, “I can’t go up there and vote for them—I vote in New York City—but I’ve certainly supported them financially.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/ny-republicans-who-crossed-the-aisle-on-marriage-equality-facing-tough-re-election-race-20120301/

Pink News UK is reporting on a 16-year-old boy in Lancashire, England, who was savagely attacked (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/24/police-appeal-after-lancashire-boy-16-has-jaw-broken-in-homophobic-attack/) on February 11 by a group of three teens who punched and kicked him in the face while yelling anti-gay slurs.

The offenders were disturbed when a man who was passing intervened [and] they fled the scene.
The victim was left needing surgery for a broken jaw and police are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.
Detective Constable Julie Leigh, investigating, said: “This was a vicious and nasty assahttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/lady-westminster-360x252.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/lady-westminster.jpg)ult and I am very keen to trace the people responsible.
In a sad irony, Ben Martin of Birmingham, was just given a ten-year jail sentenc (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/28/pub-attacker-who-shattered-gay-mans-jaw-jailed-for-ten-years/)e (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/28/pub-attacker-who-shattered-gay-mans-jaw-jailed-for-ten-years/) this week for attacking two gay men at a local pub in May 2011. Martin also wound up shattering one of their jaws.

Martin had denied the severity of the attack, claiming to have only punched the couple, but was filmed on CCTV repeatedly kicking one of the gay men in the head, the Birmingham Mail reports.
The victim, 30, required surgery to reconstruct his face after the attack, which left him with a skull fracture from his eye to his chin.
His partner, 21, sustained fewer injuries but was left with teeth missing after Martin’s attack.
Is this a thing—do anti-gay ogres in England always go for the face? Hopefully some charitable gay plastic surgeons will step up and offer to perform any cosmetic surgery any of these victims need gratis.
And hopefully Mr. Martin will need a little cosmetic surgery after his stay in in the big house.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/uk-home-to-new-anti-gay-violence-even-as-homophobic-attacker-brought-to-justice-20120301/#ixzz1nzokd9GV

Father Marcel Guarnizo was officiating at a funeral service for Loetta Johnson in a D.C. suburb Saturday when he decided that it was his duty to deny Loetta’s daughter Barbara communion. Because Barbara is a lesbian—and not just any lesbian, either—a lesbian with a live-in girlfriend. According to Reuters (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-church-priesttre81s2ga-20120229,0,5887913.story), Barbara said the priest told her “I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman… in the eyes of the church, that is a sin.”
The Catholic Church says that it does indeed consider homosexuality a sin, but it does not permit priests to “publicly reprimand” worshipers during communion.
Plus, this was a service for Barbara’s dead mother. We’d recommend some sensitivity training for Father Guarnizo.
Now Barbara isn’t just looking for an apology from the priest or from the Catholic Church. She wants him fired—defrocked. “We’re urging the church to make that decision, so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else, to any other families,” Johnson said. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Just to add a little touch of gay sass, Barbara added: “I think everyone has their gifts, and my family believes performing the responsibilities of a parish priest does not fall under his list of gifts.”
Hiss!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-seeks-to-defrock-priest-who-denied-her-communion-20120301/

Our friends at Truth Wins Out (http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2012/02/22718/) clued us in about Catholic-school music teacher Al Fischer, who got canned from the St. Ann School in St Louis after word of his same-sex marriage got out to the powers that be. Fischer was apparently popular at St. Ann’s Catholic School (left) and quite open about being gay—he and his partner, Charlie Robin, attended school functions and staff parties as a couple. It wasn’t until a staffer in the archdiocese overheard Fischer mention he was marrying Robin in New York that anyone seemed to care.
Translation: You can ride the bus, so long as you sit in the back.
Fischer’s termination, sadly, will become effective on March 9, the same day the couple will tie the knot and celebrate their twentieth anniversary.
What really threw us, though, is how sweet Fischer is being about the whole thing: In a letter to families of students he wrote, ”I think the word has been well spread that this is not the fault of St. Ann School or its leadership, and I want to emphasize thahttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/al-fischer.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/al-fischer.jpg)t I get that.” Fischer (right) added that both St. Ann’s principal and parish priest, “are still there for me in a big way.”
He hasn’t totally drunk the Catholic Kool-Aid, though.
”A family conversation about whether or not justice was served here could be a great thing,” he wrote. “I do not want the lesson from this for the kids to be, ‘Keep your mouth shut, hide who you are or what you think if it will get you in trouble.’”
Still, either Fischer has Stockholm Syndrome or he’s waaay more merciful and forgiving than us. We’d be more in line with Maryland lesbian Barbara Johnson, who threw a shit fit (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-church-priesttre81s2ga-20120229,0,5887913.story) when her dumb-add priest refused to give her Communion at her own mother’s funeral service.
Reaction on St. Ann’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/StAnnCatholicSchool) appears mixed (though one poster suggested the school was deleting pro-gay comments).
Mark Baker (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1135710180) wrote:

It’s great to see that we are no longer allowing our kids to be taught that violating natural law is okay. My only question is why was this not done sooner? I do not encourage the firing of employees, but why did this not come up sooner. Someone should have told him that having a boyfriend is wrong, and if he continued that lifestyle, he should have been dismissed long ago.
While Donald Panella (http://www.facebook.com/donald.panella) commented:

While legal, I personally think firing a teacher for wanting to enter into a loving committed relationship is immoral and sets an awful example for your students. I went to Catholic schools from first grade through college, but if I have children, this makes me not want to send them to Catholic school.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-teachers-school-gave-him-lovely-wedding-present-they-fired-him-20120301/#ixzz1nzpCPg9Z

TheGodlessUtopian

3rd March 2012, 18:51

Usually one of the key ingredients to being a top-notch douche is being impervious to criticism or consequences: The right-wing senator spewing hate to his like-minded constituents, the fundamentalist minister blathering on about “Adam and Steve” from his bully pulpit.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-80.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-80.png)Well, today’s Douche of the Week might have thought she was invulnerable, but her hateful (and ultimately stupid) rhetoric cost her a job (http://www.wmctv.com/story/17066567/school-principal-resigns-after-allegedly-anti-gay-comments).
Principal Dorothy Bond of Haywood High School in Brownsville, TN, was addressing the student body earlier this month, when she suddenly went on a rant about certain members of the student body. “At first she was talking about PDA and [then] she turned around and she directly pointed to the gay people and said if you’re gay you’re going to hell and if you’re pregnant, you’re life is over,” Haywood student Amber Whittiemore told ABC 24 (http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/Mid-South-Principal-Accused-of-Controversial/UxqpDOSjFUWE1cyZ0g_8KQ.cspx?rss=59).
It took a few weeks for the snit to hit the fan, so to speak, but yesterday Bond resigned from her position after pressure from the the ACLU, the Tennessee Equality Project and other groups.

“No school official should use her authority to make students feel unwelcome in their own school,” said Amanda Goad, staff attorney for the ACLU LGBT Project. “The public outcry over the reported actions by the former principal of Haywood High demonstrates that this kind of discrimination won’t be tolerated, from future principals at Haywood or any other school leader.”
According to the ACLU, Principal Bond reportedly said that gay people are “ruining their lives” and are “not on God’s path.” She also allegedly threatened to administer “severe punishment—including 60-day suspensions, assignments to an alternative school or expulsion—to any students who were observed publicly displaying affection for members of the same sex.”
So, no cuddle puddle at Haywood High, huh?
A post on the ACLU blog (http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/aclu-responds-reports-proselytizing-and-anti-lgbt-remarks-principal-tennessee-high) explains that:

The incident appears to be part of a broader pattern of official anti-gay remarks and policies by the principal, and of incorporating prayers and proselytizing into school events. On one occasion, school officials scolded students who did not bow their heads in prayer and threatened them with discipline. On another occasion, the principal told a lesbian student that she would go to “hell” because of her sexual orientation.
Bond hasn’t made a public comment about either her speech at the assembly or her resignation. Maybe she’s finally learned to keep her damn yap shut?
All together now: What a douche!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/tn-principal-resigns-after-telling-gay-students-youre-going-to-hell-20120302/#ixzz1o55IvIdt

New York is about to discover whether a hotel aimed squarely at the gay market can succeed in one of the toughest markets in the world: The Out NYC, a boutique accommodation in Hell’s Kitchen, just held its official ribbon-cutting on Thursday.
Located on 42nd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues on Manhattan’s West Side, the 105-room hotel is part of what its owners call an “urban resort”—with an adjacent mega-club, XL, already doing major business and a 24-hour restaurant, Kitchin, opening in May.
“The Out NYC was built to be the city’s, the country’s and maybe the world’s first straight-friendly, gay-oriented urban resort,” where LGBT guests “can feel at home,” says Ian Simpson Reisner, a partner at Parkview Developers, which owns the venue. He’s quick to add, though, that “our straight friends and family are welcome to stay here, play here, eat here and enjoy themselves, too.”
After all, you don’t want to alienate a potential guest in this economy.
At yesterday’s unveiling, workmen were still putting finishing touches on various areas—including one of three outdoor courtyards—but there was definitely a feeling of excitement in the air. (Many were just happy the hotel finally opened, after redesigns and financial issues delayed its debut.)
Strolling through the three floors of The Out NYC, its easy to see how Reisner and his partners were influenced by boutique hoteliers like Ian Schrager and André Balazs. The look is sleek, crisp and European minimalist, with light woods and dark colors—and branding everywhere: Even the shampoo bottles say “The Out NYC.”
Standard rooms begin at $250 per night, although several shared hostel-type spaces are being planned. Those group rooms will offer four beds, personal TVs, privacy curtains and a communal bathroom. The idea is “to help make the property affordable to a younger demographic,” says Reisner.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/great-lawn.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/great-lawn.png)
Our favorite part (besides the totally adorbs staff) is definitely the courtyards: the “Great Lawn” (right) sports plush seating and wall-to-wall Astroturf; a more meditative space includes a black-bamboo garden; and a Fire Island-style retreat will offer a sundeck, two hot tubs, cabanas and a “cascading curtain of rain.”
We’re actually kind of sad we live three blocks away and have no reason to check in. Oh well, maybe we’ll have to get fumigated some day!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/out-nyc-the-big-apples-all-gay-hotel-is-finally-open-for-business-20120302/#ixzz1o55VjMYj

P.S: See source for video

Alan Cumming, Chely Wright To Open LGBT Center in Kansas City

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2009/200911/2009-11-23/CUMMING200910X390.jpg
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, Chely Wright, and Hal Sparks are among the entertainers who will help launch The Lighthouse, a community center in Kansas City, Mo. for the LGBT community, their families and straight allies.

According to a press release, the community center will open March 10 and "offer educational resources on topics such as the coming out process, gender identity and bullying."

The Lighthouse is a product of Wright's The LIKEME Organization, which the singer founded in 2010 following the release of her acclaimed memoir Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer, in which she revealed she is lesbian.

"I've learned since coming out that community is everything," Wright says in a statement. "The LIKEME Lighthouse's purpose is to further education, safety, comfort, and progress for LGBT folks, for their families and for their friends. When the community is truly served and connected, we will know that the Lighthouse is providing the people in my hometown what they deserve. It is my heartfelt belief that this LGBT center will change and save lives in Kansas City and the surrounding areas."

Others expected to join in the March 9-11 opening weekend festivities for The Lighthouse include out Christian vocalist Jennifer Knapp, The Real L Word's Stamie Ryerson, and MSNBC news anchor Thomas Roberts. For more information, visit LikeMeLighthouse.org (http://likemelighthouse.org/).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/03/Alan_Cumming_Chely_Wright_To_open_LGBT_Center_in_K ansas_City/

Kirk Cameron: Homosexuality is "Unnatural, Detrimental, Destructive"

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/cameron.jpg

Actor-evangelist Kirk Cameron says he doesn't support gay marriage and homosexuality is "unnatural, detrimental, and destructive," during an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan.

The former star of the sitcom Growing Pains who now makes lucrative Christian-themed movies, appeared on Morgan's show to discuss several hot button issues, including marriage equality.

"Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve," Cameron explains to Morgan. "One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don't think anyone else should either. So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don't."

Asked his views on homosexuality, Cameron replies, "I think that it's unnatural. I think that it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."

The 41-year-old father of six is then asked how he'd respond if one of his children comes out as gay. "There are all sorts of issues we need to wrestle through in our life," Cameron says. "Just because you feel one way doesn't mean we should act on everything we feel."

Watch the interview below.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/03/Kirk_Cameron_Homosexuality_is_Unnatural/

P.S: See source for video

Antigay Group's Conference Spurs Controversy at Oxford

Exeter College, part of the U.K.’s Oxford University, is drawing criticism over its rental of facilities for an antigay group’s conference.
By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/exetercollege.jpg

Exeter College, part of the U.K.’s Oxford University, is drawing criticism over its rental of facilities for an antigay group’s conference, with at least one student turning in his diploma in protest.

Christian Concern will hold its annual Wilberforce Academy, a training program with the stated goal of helping attendees “develop a solid biblical foundation for leadership in public life,” at Exeter the last week of March, when students are on vacation. The group “has frequently attempted to block gay equality measures,” reports U.K. website Pink News. (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/03/01/graduate-hands-back-oxford-degree-over-christian-concern-conference/)

It opposed antidiscrimination laws and is currently fighting efforts to legalize same-sex marriage, and a related organization, the Christian Legal Centre, is helping a psychotherapist appeal her conviction of malpractice by offering an undercover journalist a “cure” for homosexuality. The U.S.-based Alliance Defense Fund, a right-wing legal group, is also involved with the conference.

Criticism has come from students, faculty, and national LGBT rights groups. “Gay students, and many Christians, will be deeply offended to see extremist groups given a platform at Exeter College,” Sam Dick, policy director for the gay rights group Stonewall, told the Oxford Student, (http://oxfordstudent.com/2012/02/15/exeter-welcomes-homophobes/) a campus newspaper. “These murky groups spread intolerance and hatred against gay people in the U.K. and the U.S.” Michael Amherst, who graduated from Exeter with a degree in English, returned his diploma and wrote a letter to school administrators saying, “Exeter College is no longer a place with which I wish to be associated,” Pink News reports.

Christian Concern CEO Andrea Minichiello Williams, meanwhile, said her organization was a victim of intolerance and that it does not discriminate but merely promotes a biblical worldview. “The Bible says clearly that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that all sex outside of marriage is wrong,” she told the Oxford Student.

In a statement on the Exeter website, (http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/news/item?gid=1329831439) college rector Frances Cairncross and a group of LGBT student representatives said the rental of facilities to Christian Concern does not take away from the fact that the Exeter has a record of being welcoming and respectful to students and staff “of all sexual orientations.” The college is “currently reviewing the basis on which we take bookings for conferences and other events,” Cairncross added.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/02/Antigay_Groups_Conference_Spurs_Controversy_at_Oxf ord/

ay Archie Comic Sells Out

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-11/2011-11-28/keller_marriedx390.jpg

Despite protests from groups like One Million Moms, the Kevin Keller issue of Life With Archie that featured Keller’s same-sex wedding has sold out.

In the comic, Kevin, the series’ first gay character, marries a male doctor he met following injuries sustained in the armed forces. The storyline began with a friendship in the hospital and blossomed into a romance.

According to Archie Comics’ co-CEO Jon Goldwater, the gay character is here to stay. “Kevin will always be a major part of Riverdale, and we’re overjoyed, honored and humbled by the response to this issue. Our fans have come out full force to support Kevin. He is, without a doubt, the most important new character in Archie history.”

Read more at The Beat (http://www.comicsbeat.com/2012/03/01/the-wedding-of-kevin-keller-sells-out/).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/02/Gay_Archie_Comic_Sells_Out/

TheGodlessUtopian

4th March 2012, 21:16

Yet another soccer player is involved in a homophobic incident—but this one doesn’t involve Twitter or disparaging an opponent.
Liverpool FC goalie José Manuel Reina (a.k.a. “Pepe” Reina) recently appeared in a series of commercials for Spanish insurance company Groupama. In each, he’s in some dangerous predicament—about to get beaten up by a bruiser, skydiving without an instructor, riding a bus with no driver—but keeps his cool because he’s insured. In one scenario, he’s introduced to the king of a African tribe, who makes it clear he’d like to make Reina his mate. (“Reina” is actually Spanish for “queen.”)
But after the ad was attacked by activists for depicting blacks as “backward, stupid, and animalistic homosexuals,” Groupama announced it wouldn’t be running it anymore. (You can see the clip in question above, starting at the 1:00 mark)
Said Simon Woolley, director of Operation Black Vote:

“I’m shocked on so many levels. Firstly, how would the Spanish feel if the English stereotyped Spanish people as backward, stupid, and animalistic homosexuals? Secondly, what does this say about Pepe Reina? [He's] lived and worked in the UK for nearly a decade—Does he think it’s okay characterize black people this way? Does he think his black teammates will laugh at his joke?”
Though it pulled the advert, Groupama insisted in a statement that it “does not consider that this advert contains either offensive nor any discriminatory content.”
What say you? Is the commercial offensive or just humorous marketing?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/insurance-company-yanks-ad-that-portrays-africans-as-stupid-and-animalistic-homosexuals-20120304/#ixzz1oBWioo00

P.S: See source for video

Kirk Cameron: GLAAD's Campaign Against His Antigay Remarks

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/Cameron%281%29.jpg

As a response to antigay remarks made by former teen idol Kirk Cameron during a talk show appearance last night, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has launched an online action for people to show their disapproval.

During an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan last night, the former Growing Pains star-turned evangelist said he views homosexuality as being "unnatural... detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization." Cameron spoke out against same-sex marriage, saying, "Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve. One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don't think anyone else should either."

Herndon Graddick of the media watchdog group immediately issued a statement, saying “With an increasing number of states recognizing marriage equality, Americans are seeing that marriage is about committed couples who want to make a lifelong promise to take care of and be responsible for each other and that gay and lesbian couples need equal security and legal protections. That’s not ‘redefining’ anything.”

A page titled Where Are They Now (http://www.glaad.org/wherearetheynow) is now on GLAAD's website and encourages readers to make their disagreement with Cameron's comments known. The page includes link to a petition to sign, notifying Cameron that he is no longer your idol and it's time for him to grow up.

GLAAD also lists actors who once costarred with Cameron on Growing Pains, but who support LGBT equality, including Brad Pitt, Leonardo Dicaprio, Hillary Swank, and Joanna Kerns. The site also includes information from a Field Poll released last Wednesday that reveals 59% of California voters now approve of same-sex marriage.

Watch Cameron's interview here (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/03/Kirk_Cameron_Homosexuality_is_Unnatural/).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/03/Kirk_Cameron_GLAAD_Campaign/

Rick Santorum Will Unmarry Gay Couples If Elected

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/SANTORUMX390.jpg

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum says, if elected, he'll try to unmarry the more than 100,000 legally wed gay couples in the U.S., reports the San Francisco Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/03/MN3Q1N9EV9.DTL&tsp=1).
The Chronicle states that there are "18,000 married gay and lesbian couples in California and at least 131,000 nationwide according to the 2010 census, conducted before New York state legalized same-sex marriage in July." During an interview with NBC News December 30, Santorum said that when the U.S. Constitution is amended to prohibit same-gender marriages, "their marriage would be invalid. We can't have 50 different marriage laws in this country," he said. "You have to have one marriage law."

Among the couples that would be affected by Santorum's proposed constitutionally mandated divorces are Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis of San Francisco. The two men legally wed in June 2008, five months before Prop. 8 banned same-sex marriage. The couple, who were together for many years before marrying, later helped to found an organization called Marriage Equality USA.

"It's with profound sadness that I contemplate somebody running for the highest office in the land on a platform of taking away anyone's marriage," Gaffney told the Chronicle Friday.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/03/Rick_Santorum_WIll_Nullify_Exisiting_Gay_Marriages/

TheGodlessUtopian

4th March 2012, 22:33

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Lesbian and Female Bisexual Film Directors

Lesbian and female bisexual Directors have had an important and continuing impact on both Documentary and dramatic Film. Several have helped combat lesbian invisibility and empower women by raising lesbian and feminist issues in their work.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/film_directors.html
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/documentary_film.html
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/film.html

Chantal Akerman (b. 1950) is an innovative Belgian filmmaker who creates films that are at once experimental and personal and that often feature lesbian content.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/akerman_c.html

Dorothy Arzner (1900-1979) was the only woman director in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood. She made films that convey the varieties of women's experiences and desires and the tenacity of women's relationships with other women.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/arzner_d.html

Amanda Bearse (b. 1958) is one of the first primetime television actors to come out publicly as a gay person. She has developed a second career as a film and television director and has become an outspoken advocate of gay visibility.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/bearse_amanda.html

Lizzie Borden (b. 1958) brings a feminist perspective and a dynamic authenticity to her films about the unexplored politics of women's lives.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/borden_l.html

Lisa Cholodenko (b. 1964) is an acclaimed lesbian filmmaker who has so far written and directed three feature films, whose "narrative motor," as Dennis Lim noted in the New York Times, is "sexual attraction."
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/cholodenko_lisa.html

Donna Deitch (b. 1945) is well-known for “Desert Hearts,” a pioneering classic of lesbian cinema. She is also a successful film and television director who has made several other films that probe gay and lesbian relationships.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/deitch_d.html

Lynne Fernie (b. 1946) has had a varied career in the arts, but is best known as the co-director of the celebrated 1992 documentary “Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives.”
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/fernie_l.html

Paralleling the growth of the modern gay rights movement since the 1970s, the diverse collection of glbtq film festivals, now recognized as the queer film festival circuit, came into its own in the early 1990s. Many of these feature the work of lesbian and bisexual filmmakers.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/film_festivals.html

Although best known as one of the most accomplished film actresses of her generation, Jodie Foster (b. 1962) is also an acclaimed director and producer. She has been a glbtq icon for decades, though only recently has she acknowledged her lesbianism.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/foster_j.html

Actress Sara Gilbert (b. 1975), who became a favorite with lesbian audiences for her portrayal of tomboy Darlene on the long-running television series “Roseanne,” came out publicly as a lesbian in 2004. While best known as an actress, Gilbert is also a director, producer, and talk show host.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/gilbert_s.html

Barbara Hammer (b. 1939) is the most prolific lesbian feminist filmmaker in history. Her films have carefully considered political and theoretical underpinnings and are among the most thoughtful and unabashed celebrations of queer life in cinema.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/hammer_b.html

New Queer Cinema describes a group of aggressively queer films that first appeared at Sundance Film Festivals in the early 1990s. The term has come to be used indiscriminately to denote independent films with gay and lesbian content. Lesbian, bisexual, and gay male directors have all contributed to New Queer Cinema in both its narrow and broad senses.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/new_queer_cinema.html

Ulrike Ottinger (b. 1942) is an avant-garde German filmmaker who creates both fictional fantasy worlds that shatter traditional gender constructions and documentaries that examine marginalized peoples.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/ottinger_u.html

Patricia Rozema (b. 1958) is a Canadian filmmaker known for imbuing her films with feminist analysis and sensual cinematography.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/rozema_p.html

Monika Treut (b. 1954) is a German filmmaker who consistently explores challenging and controversial issues surrounding minority sexual and gender identities.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/treut_m.html

Rose Troche (b. 1964) has helped to make lesbians more visible onscreen, not as women tortured by their sexuality, but as individuals for whom female homosexuality is comfortable and, indeed, normal.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/troche_r.html

Andrea Weiss (b. 1956) is an award-winning writer and documentary filmmaker who has produced innovative work that embodies her commitment both to art and to political action.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/weiss_a.html

Alice Wu (b. 1970) broke ground with her first feature-length motion picture, Saving Face (2004), a multi-generational portrait of Chinese-American women who transgress traditional sexual taboos.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/wu_a.html

___________________________________________
NOTABLE BIRTHDAYS, March 1 through March 31

March 1: English biographer and essayist Lytton Strachey, 1880; poet, playwright, and memoirist Mercedes de Acosta, 1893; conductor and composer Dimitri Mitropoulos, 1896; actor Bryan Batt, 1963; television reporter and news anchor Don Lemon, 1966

March 2: American composer Marc Blitzstein, 1905; rocker Lou Reed, 1942

March 3: French actress Françoise Raucourt, 1756; poet James Merrill, 1926; fashion designer Perry Ellis, 1940; Latvian artist Andris Grinbergs, 1946

March 4: Novelist David Plante, 1940; activist Jean O'Leary, 1948; activist and author Chaz Bono, 1969

March 5: Filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1922; artist Laurie Toby Edison, 1942

March 6: Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo, 1475; filmmaker, critic, and poet Tyler Parker, 1904

March 7: Composer Maurice Ravel, 1875; novelist Bret Easton Ellis, 1964; comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, 1964

March 8: American poet Jonathan Williams, 1929; writer Patrick Califia, 1954

March 9: Italian poet Umberto Saba, 1883; writer Vita Sackville-West, 1892; publisher and writer Robert McAlmon, 1896; composer Samuel Barber, 1910; novelist Mark Merlis, 1950

March 10: Social reformer Lillian Wald, 1867; novelist John Rechy, 1934; Indian artist Bhupen Khakhar, 1934; performance artist and playwright Holly Hughes, 1955

March 11: Composer Henry Cowell, 1897; actor and singer John Barrowman, 1967; mystery writer Christopher Rice, 1978

March 12: Dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, 1889; writer Jack Kerouac, 1922; dramatist Edward Albee, 1928; African-American writer Randall Kenan, 1963

March 13: Writer Janet Flanner, 1892; choreographer Joe Goode, 1951

March 14: Master spy Alfred Redl, 1864; bookseller and editor Sylvia Beach, 1887; screenwriter, producer, and director Kevin Williamson, 1965

March 15: Canadian-born composer Colin McPhee, 1900; transgender activist and performance artist Kate Bornstein, 1948

March 16: French artist Rosa Bonheur, 1822; Swiss actor and activist Karl Meier, 1897; American composer David Del Tredici, 1937; interior designer Kenneth Brown, 1971

March 17: Photographer Alice Austen, 1866; African-American civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, 1910; businessman falsely accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy Clay Shaw, 1913; dancer Rudolf Nureyev, 1938; British designer Alexander McQueen, 1969; singer and songwriter Stephen Gately, 1976

March 18: American writer Alice French, 1850; Swedish painter Eugène Frederik Jansson, 1862; English war poet Wilfred Owen, 1893; Russian filmmaker Sergei Paradjanov, 1924; American composer John Kander, 1927; transgendered German preservationist and author Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, 1928; Justice of the High Court of Australia Michael Kirby, 1939; Olympic Equestrian Peter Taylor, 1954

March 19: British explorer and ethnographer Sir Richard Burton, 1821; B-52s rocker Ricky Wilson, 1953

March 20: Film director Edmund Goulding, 1891; historian John Boswell, 1947

March 21: German writer Hubert Fichte, 1945; comedian and actress Rosie O'Donnell, 1962; South African AIDS activist Zackie Achmat, 1962

March 22: Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, 1930

March 23: Artist Joseph C. Leyendecker, 1874; New Zealand writer Frank Sargeson, 1903; American writer Stephen Saylor, 1956

March 24: Artist Hippolyte Flandrin, 1809; military nurse Margarethe Cammermeyer, 1943; Spanish drag artist and painter José Pérez Ocaña, 1947; Australian novelist Andrea Goldsmith, 1950

March 25: Novelist Paul Scott, 1920; rocker Sir Elton John, 1947; basketball superstar Sheryl Swoopes, 1971

March 26: Poet A. E. Housman, 1859; playwright Tennessee Williams, 1911; Australian poet and novelist Dorothy Porter, 1954; performance artist and fashion designer Leigh Bowery, 1961

March 27: Playwright Jane Chambers, 1937; Brazilian pop singer and composer Renato Russo, 1960

March 28: Actor Dirk Bogarde, 1921; novelist and critic Jane Rule, 1931

March 29: Artist Dora Carrington, 1893; artist Edward Burra, 1905; novelist Denton Welch, 1915; photographer Bruce Weber, 1946

March 30: Poet Paul Verlaine, 1844

March 31: Ballets Russes creator Sergei Diaghilev, 1872; actor Richard Chamberlain, 1935; Congressman Barney Frank, 1940; comic Suzanne Westenhoefer, 1961
Source: GLBTQ Newsletter

TheGodlessUtopian

5th March 2012, 18:55

In Ohio, a ban on gay marriage passed the legislature in 2004 during George W. Bush’s re-election campaign. Now, one openly gay Cincinatti lawmaker says he’s ready to champion the cause, reports WLWT Ohio (http://www.wlwt.com/politics/30581852/detail.html#ixzz1oFrQ5rij). “For young people as myself and the other young members of Council, it’s like this is a non-issue, like, of course this is something that should happen,” said Chris Seelbach, Cincinatti’s first openly gay City Council member.
Gay marriage—totally, like, of course—duh!
Marriage-equality org Freedom to Marriage has put some oomph into the matter by collecting 1,700 signatures, which will begin the campaign to get the issue back on the ballot come November.
But, this being Ohio, there are obviously some dumb anti-gay crusaders, right? Right.
“We’re pro-family, and family is about a man and a woman coming together, raising children,” said Phil Burress of Citizens for Community Values. “You know, these people have the right to do what they want to, but they don’t have the right to change public policy… They don’t have the right to expose our children, you know, to homosexual behavior and tell them it’s normal and it’s just like heterosexual sex. It’s not.”
LGBT people are incapable of raising a child, right. And homo sex is so different from breeder sex—we hear that straight people are physically incapable of doing anal.
Anyway, gay marriage in Ohio—going places? Maybe.
We’ll keep you updated, but we’re not holding our breath.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ohio-politicians-consider-reversing-its-ban-on-gay-marriage-20120305/#ixzz1oGnAp0gi

Proving he can still put the “dic” in dictator, Belarus’s despot President Alexander Lukashenko yesterday said he’d rather be a tyrant than a queen (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belarus/9122050/Better-to-be-a-dictator-than-be-gay-declares-Belarus-leader.html). Lukashenko was responding to a recent comment by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who had called him “Europe’s last dictator.”
“Having heard that,” Lukashenko retorted, “I thought to myself: Better to be a dictator than gay.”
It was clearly a direct swipe at the openly gay Westerwelle, who Lukashenko admitted last year to advising that “he must lead a normal life.”
Lukashenko uncharacteristically later apologized for his comments, but reminded everyone for the record that he “did not like gays.”
Lukashenko has been ruling the Eastern European republic of Belarus since in 1994, just three years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. His tight fist has been blamed for an atrocious human rights record, especially in relation to gay issues (http://www.queerty.com/belarus-launches-dateline-style-investigation-of-raging-homosexual-elton-john-20100614/).
Belarus accordingly has found itself increasingly marginalized by Western powers, who have targeted it with rounds of sanctions.
In 2005, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice called Belarus “the last remaining true dictatorship in the heart of Europe.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/belaruss-blowhard-leader-better-to-be-a-dictator-than-gay-20120305/#ixzz1oGnPaB7j

Last week we told you about Douche of the Week Dorothy Bond (http://www.queerty.com/tn-principal-resigns-after-telling-gay-students-youre-going-to-hell-20120302/) (below), the Tennessee principal who—during an assembly—told gay and lesbian students that “you’re going to hell” and teen moms that “your lives are over.”
After the ACLU got up on her ass, Bond resigned on Thursday.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-80.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-80.png)But only a day later, students at Haywood High in Brownsville, TN, were asking for their beloved principal back, according to WREG 13 in Memphis (http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-students-protest-principal-resignation-over-gay-comments-20120302,0,1884150.story). Some 300 students gathered in the school cafeteria Friday for a peaceful demonstration supporting Bond.
“Some say they don’t agree with the comments she made, some do. I do personally,” Haywood freshman Bryce Young told the station.
“She’s just teaching us life. That’s how I feel about it and I really agree with her,” said Haywood High Senior Errick Wilson. “She did say something about gays and homos, but she didn’t mean to offend anybody. They twisted her words around.”
And people think kids don’t learn anything in school!
WREG reports that residents were torn over Bond’s statements and their aftermath:

“It’s not so much that the comment is wrong, but the time and place that matters,” said Cassandra Flagg, a Haywood High School parent.
“Part of the reason America was founded was freedom, freedom to make choices,” said Brownsville resident Paula Lara. “It’s okay to have beliefs, but you can’t force them on other people. Even though these are minors, you still can’t force it. You have to control yourself and let them make their own decision.”
Okay, we’re not sure who we’re most pissed at:
* Bond, for her moronic statements.
* Those students and townspeople for defending or downplaying her bigotry.
* WREG for trying to stir up “debate” in a black-and-white case of stupidity and prejudice. Seriously, what is it with the mainstream news? They’ll dig up some brain-dead uncle-f**ker to insist evolution isn’t real just to give a counterpoint.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/students-of-homophobic-gays-are-evil-principal-dorothy-bond-want-her-back-20120305/#ixzz1oGncah2z

Craig Roy, 19, was sentenced to life in prison last week for the vicious murder of Jack Frew, a gay teenager Roy claims tried to blackmail him into having sex, reports The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/01/craig-roy-life-murder-jack-frew?newsfeed=true). Roy was found guilty by the High Court in Scotland in January, followed by sentencing on Thursday. He must serve a minimum of 18 years behind bars.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/jackfrew.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/jackfrew.jpg)Back in May 2010, Frew was stabbed 20 times with a kitchen knife (http://www.queerty.com/scottish-gay-teens-friend-arrested-for-his-murder-20100510/)—lacerating his windpipe and puncturing his lungs—in the woods near his school in South Lanarkshire, Scotland,. He eventually bled to death.
The judge described the murder as a “brutal, sustained and merciless attack,” during sentencing.
At the trial last year, Roy testified he cheated on his long-term boyfriend with Frew, but felt great remorse. On the night of the murder, Roy apparently sent Frew a text message asking him to meet in the woods. Roy claims he only wanted to scare Frew into leaving him alone. (Initially he had claimed both he and Frew were attacked by others.)
As Frew bled out, Roy called his boyfriend for help.
In all honesty, when we first started reading about this case, we just assumed this was some pussy-ass closet case who freaked out about hooking up with a homo, killed him, and then tried some lame “gay panic” defense.
But when we saw Roy was gay, too, it made us even angrier. We don’t have enough people who want us dead, we have start killing each other?
Roy won’t even be 40 when he gets out of prison—somehow that doesn’t seem like a strong enough sentence.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-on-gay-crime-murderer-of-out-uk-teen-gets-18-years-20120305/#ixzz1oGnseGCw

It was a week of ribbon-cuttings for New York’s LGBT community last week: Queerty already reported on the grand opening on Thursday of The Out NYC, the city’s first gay-oriented hotel. The same day, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (above, second from right) and other local officials helped open the first senior center in the United States focused on the needs of LGBT elders (http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/city-opens-new-senior-center-for-lgbt-new-yorkers-1.3571473).
Located in Chelsea, the SAGE Center (http://www.sageusa.org/index.cfm) (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) will provide support groups, fitness classes, cultural outings, counseling and meals, among other services. (It’s not, however an assisted-living facility, and has no accommodations for full-time residents).
Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, commissioner for the Department for the Aging, which is co-sponsoring the center with SAGE, said the center will have benefits that extend beyond gay senior citizens:

“LGBT seniors often do not feel comfortable in a traditional senior center setting and this launch of a LGBT senior center is another important step in making New York accessible and more age-friendly for all New Yorkers.”
Robert Philipson, a 77-year-old retired jewelry salesman, told CBS New (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57389309/new-nyc-center-caters-to-gay-and-lesbian-seniors/)s he said he started going to bereavement counseling at SAGE after the death of his partner of 50 years.

“When you find yourself alone at 77 and you’ve built your life around another person, you are at somewhat of a loss as to where to go next,” he said. “SAGE filled that gap.”Philipson said he and his late partner used to go to a straight senior center nearby and were welcomed there, but that center could not meet all of his needs when his partner died.
“They did not have the orientation to understand my position as a gay mourner,” he said.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/everything-old-is-new-as-nyc-opens-nations-first-lgbt-senior-center-20120305/#ixzz1oGo4Qh9V

If you think the tabloids in this country are ruthless, you should see how they operate in Merry Old England. Last week Simon Hughes, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, admitted to Parliament that he outed himself as bisexual in the Sun after he was notified the paper had dirt on his same-sex leanings and was going to run something with or without his cooperation. Though Hughes (right) went on record with the Sun, the paper still ran a salacious story with the headline “Hughes: I’ve Had Gay Sex.”
According to The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/feb/28/leveson-inquiry-hughes-sun?newsfeed=true), he came clean about the Sun‘s sleazy tactics during an inquiry stemming from the News of the World‘s phone-hacking scandal. Hughes maintained he gave an interview to reporter Trevor Kavanagh after someone else from the newspaper told him the Sun had records showing the MP had used a service called Man Talk.
“[He] told me that the Sun had telephone calls records showing that I had called a gay chatline,” Hughes told the inquiry. “Although I thought then, and still believe, that my sexuality is a private matter, I immediately admitted to this.”
Obtaining unauthorized phone records is a crime in Britain under the Data Protection Act of 1988, but there is an exemption for journalist operating in the public interest. Hughes told the Guardian, however, that his sexuality was a private matter and not newsworthy. At the time he was the odds-on favorite to be elected leader of his party but, after the Sun story broke, he lost by a significant margin. “It was a character assassination, not backed up by anything,” claims Hughes.
Prior to the Sun story, Hughes publicly denied being gay in interviews—one of which ran in the Independent just a week before his admission. He now says he is bisexual, telling The Daily Telegraph that it shouldn’t be a barrier to public office, but that he was wrong to deny it to the press for so long. ”I gave a reply that wasn’t untrue but was clearly misleading. I apologise.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/uk-deputy-party-leader-the-sun-blackmailed-me-into-coming-out-20120305/#ixzz1oGoIyVMN

TheGodlessUtopian

6th March 2012, 01:15

Republican State Senator Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin doesn’t want gays and lesbians to raise children. So he’s introduced a bill in the Legislature that would force the state Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/related/proposals/sb507) to classify “nonmarital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.” Yup, all you single moms and LGBT parents would have to turn yourself in to the authorities.
As The New Civil Rights Movement points ou (http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/gop-bill-outlaws-all-single-parent-and-all-gay-households-as-child-abuse/politics/2012/03/02/35633)t, such a measure, even if it passed, would be almost impossible to carry out:

What is supposed to happen to all those children who, tragically, lose a parent to, say, cancer? A car accident? Divorce? Does the State come in the day of the parent’s funeral and rip the young boy or girl from their surviving parent’s loving arms and place them in an orphanage?
Grothman has previously voted against a proposed MLK holiday, any official recognition of Kwanzaa, and the mandatory disinfection of groundwater in public water systems.
At what point to voters become embarrassed to be represented by radical GOP nutbags like Grothman, Indiana’s Bob Morris and Tennessee’s Stacey Campfield?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/wi-lawmaker-pushing-bill-that-would-classify-all-gay-parents-as-child-abusers-20120305/#ixzz1oIKpnNAt

Time to break out your best #ShakingMyHead gif (http://forums.projectcovo.com/showthread.php?t=2782641): Mickey Marotti, the new “director of performance” for Ohio State University’s football team has decided that homophobic banter in the locker rooms isn’t enough. He’s penalizing poorly performing players by making them wear a faggy lavender jersey like the one at right. The Columbus Dispatch‘s Tim May (http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/02/16/new-strength-coach-a-colorful-motivator.html), when covering the story, seems totally clueless as to the punishment’s purplephobia:

If a player fails a couple of times, though, he is singled out—as in, he is handed the lavender shirt, a stain that takes at least a week of renewed gusto to erase.
Oh, the editors over at the Dispatch just love it when Tim May injects his column with a little dose of casual homophobia. Never change, Tim.
To be fair, the team isn’t making its not-up-to-par players sashay around in a shirt that says “homo,” but the shirt sends a pretty clear sign: you play like a gay guy.
“You don’t want to wear those,” senior linebacker Etienne Sabino told May of the purple jerseys. Actually, they look kind of fierce to us. We’d probably wear them next time we go to Boxers or Gym Bar.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ohio-state-football-coach-penalizes-poorly-performing-players-by-making-them-wear-faggy-purple-jersey-20120305/#ixzz1oIL1ZoFx

On Saturday, members of the Armed Forces, their families, friends and supporters gathered at the National Building Museum in DC for the 20th annual Servicemembers Legal Defense Network national dinner (http://www.sldn.org/news/archives/celebrating-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-at-the-sldn-national-dinner/)—the first such gala since the full repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in September. Senior Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett (right) delivered the keynote address, thanking servicemembers on behalf of the President for their sacrifices.
She also shared a personal story about SLDN staffer David Hall:

In 1996, David joined the Air Force, just like his father and stepfather before him. At Langley Air Force Base, he was one of the top airmen in his flight, and as a weapons loader, he won the Airman of the Quarter award. David served overseas in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, was a distinguished graduate of Airman Leadership School, and was accepted to the Air Force ROTC. In March 2002, he received a slot to train to be a pilot – only about 500 cadets nationwide receive this honor each year.
David was a rising star in our nation’s military, and like all brave men and women who wear the uniform, David made enormous sacrifices for the sake of our country. However, David was forced to live a lie, and always look over his shoulder, because of who he loved.
Then, his promising career was upended, and he was discharged, just for being gay. At the time, he was the highest ranking Air Force ROTC junior in his detachment.
I’m telling David’s story tonight not just because he is a remarkable person – and not just to make him blush. I’m telling his story because it is the story of so many of you, and so many patriotic servicemembers who were forced to live the same kind of lie that David lived, and were discharged, despite serving our country with honor and distinction. That was wrong, and it did not reflect our country’s highest ideals.
Of course, fortunately, David’s story did not end with his discharge. Even when he was barred from serving our country, he never stopped fighting to make it better. Today, he works full time at SLDN, as the Development Director and Information Technology Director.
Like us, Jarret says she’s stunned by how easily the transition to an open military has been:

I’m sure that all of you have seen some of the recent pictures of gay and lesbian servicemembers sharing an embrace, or first kiss with a loved one, when they return home from duty—just like any other family. It’s a reminder that the men and women of our armed forces have handled repeal with the professionalism and class that we have come to expect from the finest fighting force in the world.
Man, if we didn’t love a man in uniform before...

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/senior-obama-advisor-celebrates-end-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-at-sldn-dinner-20120305/#ixzz1oILDfkyJ

Lavender Scare: Film Documents Antigay “Witch Hunt”

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-05/lavenderscarex390.jpg

Former 60 Minutes producer and now independent filmmaker Josh Howard is preparing a documentary, The Lavender Scare, (http://www.thelavenderscare.com/) about the mass firing of gay federal employees, designated as national security risks, in the 1950s and ’60s.

ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/lavender-scare-us-fired-thousands-gays-infamous-chapter/story?id=15848947) has a profile of Howard and the subjects of his film, such as Joan Cassidy, now 84, who left her post as a U.S. Navy intelligence officer after President Eisenhower issued an executive order in 1953 ordering the dismissal of all gays and lesbians employed by the U.S. government. The excuse was that gay people would be targets for blackmail and therefore likely to expose state secrets. “We were supposed to be in touch with the Russians,” Cassidy told ABC News.

Cassidy was one of thousands who either resigned or were fired because of the order, which she says initiated a “witch hunt.” Although she resigned, she noted it was out of fear. “I thought to myself, what if somebody goes digging around and finds out, I would lose everything,” she said. Among those fired was pioneering gay activist Frank Kameny, discharged from the U.S. Army Map Service in 1957. Kameny, who died in October, gave one of his last interviews for the film.

The film, which is based on a book by David K. Johnson, is expected to be ready for release at film festivals this fall. President Clinton rescinded Eisenhower’s order in 1995, but “there are still battles to be fought,” said Emmy-winner Howard, who is gay. He noted that President Obama is considering an executive order requiring companies doing business with the government to have LGBT-inclusive antidiscrimination policies. “That would be huge, particularly in these times of outsourcing,” he said.

Watch a trailer for the documentary below.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Film/Lavender_Scare_Film_Documents_Antigay_Witch_Hunt/

Maine Diocese Won't Campaign Against Marriage

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-05/Bishop-Richard-Malone-of-the-Roman-Catholic-Diocese-of-Portlandx390.jpg
Bishop Richard Malone of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The bishop of Portland, Maine's Roman Catholic diocese said the church will not actively campaign against an upcoming ballot measure that could bring marriage equality to the state.

Bishop Richard Malone revealed a lengthy letter titled "Marriage: Yesterday, Today, Always" to declare the Maine Catholic hierarchy's stance on marriage, according to the Bangor Daily News (http://bangordailynews.com/2012/03/02/news/state/portland-bishop-says-catholic-church-wont-actively-campaign-against-gay-marriage/). The letter is being disseminated through local churches, schools, and the diocesan magazine and discussed on a Catholic radio station.

In 2009, Maine governor John Baldacci signed a bill to enact marriage equality, but a campaign was launched to overturn the law with a ballot initiative. During the campaign, the diocese donated $500,000 to the cause and allowed its public policy director to work full-time on the project. Voters approved the ballot initiative, striking marriage equality from the law before any weddings could take place.

In February the Maine secretary of state confirmed that 105,000 verified petition signatures gathered by (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/26/Marriage_Equality_on_the_Ballot_in_Maine/) EqualityMaine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, and the Maine Women's Lobby qualified a marriage equality initiative for the ballot this November.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/05/Maine_Diocese_Wont_Campaign_Against_Marriage/

TheGodlessUtopian

6th March 2012, 01:19

BOISE — Idaho state representatives, including Cherie Buckner-Webb, D-Boise, and Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, have submitted a new version of this year’s proposed bill to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in Idaho’s Human Rights Act, said a press release from Mistie Tolman, spokeswoman for the Add the Words campaign.
The “Add the Words” bill will would make it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity in housing, employment, education and public accommodation.
Three weeks after the Senate State Affairs Committee voted not to print a different version of the the bill, the House State Affairs Committee will consider it.
No public hearing has ever been scheduled on this bill or similar legislation, the release said. However, some senators on the committee, including Chairman Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, said they would have voted to introduce the Add the Words bill if a role call vote had been requested. Unless a roll call is requested by a committee member, committees simply use a voice vote on most issues.

Source: http://www.idahopress.com/news/local/add-the-words-proposed-bill-gets-second-chance/article_556f27d2-65b7-11e1-a256-0019bb2963f4.html

Hockey PSA Campaign Aims to End Homophobia in Sports

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-05/YouCanPlayx390.jpg

You Can Play, a new public service announcement campaign founded by the family of the late Brendan Burke, wants to make sports culture welcoming to gay athletes.

The New York Times (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/05/Hockey_PSA_Campaign_Aims_to_End_Homophobia_in_Spor ts/%20http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/taking-a-stand-to-change-locker-room-culture/)reports on the campaign, which launched Sunday when the first message aired during NBC’s broadcast of the Bruins-Rangers game. The campaign features 35 NHL players, including starters such as Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers, Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks, and Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators.

Brendan Burke, who came out while serving as general manager of the Miami University hockey team, died in a car accident in 2010. His older brother Patrick Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, is a founder of the You Can Play Project. Their father, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, marched in the city’s gay pride parade with Brendan and again after he died.

“Hopefully, in large part due to my brother and what he started, I think our league is much more accepting and on board with the whole gay-rights issue,” Patrick Burke told the Times. “It may be in part because we’re more international than other leagues, but for whatever reason, our guys are great about this.”

Patrick Burke said the You Can Play project, which was developed by gay and straight athletes and fans, is aimed at straight audiences. No current NHL player is openly gay, but stars of the league have supported gay rights, such as the lobbying last year from the Rangers’ Sean Avery to pass the New York marriage equality bill. The Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds was later accused of calling Avery an antigay slur during a game.

“We call it casual homophobia,” Patrick Burke told the Times. “It’s very rare in the NHL where you have someone who is actually homophobic or bullying someone, but you have guys using homophobic slurs and slang, not trying to mean it in that way. But in general, our players are very supportive.”

You Can Play (http://youcanplayproject.org/) has an advisory panel with representatives from other major sports leagues and women’s sports. The project will also produce a playbook on how to create a welcoming and safe environment for LGBT athletes.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/05/Hockey_PSA_Campaign_Aims_to_End_Homophobia_in_Spor ts/

P.S: See source for video

Outspoken first lady fights for those 'on the outside'

Katie O'Malley vocal in support of causes, including same-sex marriage

March 04, 2012|By Annie Linskey, The Baltimore Sun
Catherine Curran O'Malley grew up with a swirl of history at her doorstep. Daughter of a powerful Maryland senator, her dad's positions led white supremacists to picket her home. The neighborhood priest once denounced him from the pulpit.
Young Katie didn't always understand why her family — especially her father, J. Joseph Curran Jr. — was the target of vitriol.

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http://articles.baltimoresun.com/images/pixel.gif
"I knew there was this hatred out there," O'Malley, 49, said. "I knew whatever he was doing was the right thing."
Now in her sixth year as Maryland's first lady, Katie O'Malley credits her upbringing — watching her father grapple with some of the most difficult issues in the 1960s and 1970s — for her dedication to another cause stirring outrage from many, including the family's Catholic church: legalizing same-sex marriage.
"It is an equal-rights issue," O'Malley said, in her first extended interview on the topic. "These individuals in our community have the same rights that we all should have. It is nobody's business what their sexual orientation is."
Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, put his signature Thursday on a historic bill legalizing same-sex marriage after a hard-fought battle to get it through the legislature. Few believe the issue is settled. Maryland voters will likely have the chance to weigh in during a referendum in November. A robust campaign is expected.
Though the governor worked the halls of the State House to pass the bill this year, he has not always seemed passionate about the issue in his public remarks. Friends say Katie O'Malley's enthusiasm for the issue has been long-standing and unwavering.
First ladies don't tend to get involved in controversial issues like gay rights. Since Katie O'Malley is also a District Court judge, barred by the judicial code from participating in "partisan political activity," she has to pick her causes carefully.
But she says gay rights is about basic fairness — the very type of issue her father stood up for.
"I think Katie is her father's daughter," said Shannon E. Avery, a Baltimore District Court judge who worked for Curran after he became Maryland attorney general in 1987. "She has a gut instinct to do what is right. And what is fair."
Her advocacy hasn't always had the intended effects. She misstepped this year at a crucial point before House passage of the same-sex marriage bill. While speaking in January at a national gay-rights conference in Baltimore, she called delegates who last year withdrew their support from a similar bill "cowards."
Her remark came as her husband and his staff were trying to woo those very lawmakers.
The comment instantly became a rally cry for opponents, who mentioned it during House and Senate hearings, reproduced it on buttons, and printed it on placards that were waved outside the governor's mansion — the O'Malley family home — during a boisterous nighttime rally against the marriage bill.
"Standing on your principles isn't cowardice Mrs. O'Malley," wrote conservative Mark Newgent on the RedMaryland blog. "It's just another lame euphemism concocted to disparage those who disagree with you and your husband."

Source: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-03-04/news/bs-md-katie-omalley-20120304_1_katie-o-malley-marriage-bill-gay-rights

Lesbian Custody Battle Challenges Florida Egg Donor Law

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-05/sperm_lawx390.jpg

A lesbian couple who had a child together before separating are challenging Florida's sperm and egg donor laws in a custody fight over their 8-year-old daughter.

One of the women had her egg fertilized and transplanted into her partner, who carried the child to term. Their daughter was born in 2004, nine years into their relationship, according to the Associated Press. (http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/lesbian-custody-battle-florida-redefine-law-sperm-egg-donors-article-1.1032815#ixzz1oGOh8MjU)

But two years later the woman who gave birth to the child left their home in Brevard County, Fla., without telling her partner. She took the girl into hiding in Australia, but they were eventually found with the help of a private detective.

Now the couple are sparring before the Florida Supreme Court over custody of their daughter. A lower court ruled that the woman who gave birth legally should have custody, and that the woman who provided her egg had no rights under state law. He added that he hoped his decision would be overturned, which is what happened in the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach. That court ruled that the women should share parental rights.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/05/Lesbian_Custody_Battle_Challenges_Florida_Egg_Dono r_Law/

TheGodlessUtopian

6th March 2012, 21:36

A gay Virginia high school students says he was suspended for three days because he wore high heels to school, NBC12 reports (http://www.nbc12.com/story/17059159/student-clothing-debate?hpt=us_bn5). The student, 17-year-old Asante Cotman, was told by the principal he was “disrupting” the school with his nontraditional attire.Said Cotman: “I wore this jacket right here and my white shirt and my scarf and a pair of cargo pants and the heels. I didn’t see how it was bothering anyone. I wasn’t revealing nothing…
“[The principal was] talking to me in a manner, like, belittling me. ‘Oh, you shouldn’t come back here. Oh, we would be glad if you didn’t come back here. Everybody would be happy.’ That comment really got to me. I was almost done… I feel like I was about to kill myself. I was almost done.”
And we thought it was usually the other students who bullied each other—this time it’s the principal of Charles City High School, Stephannie Crutchfield. Cotman think he knows the real reason he got suspended—he’s the only openly gay male student in the school.
“They suspended me for being gay,” he said. “I’m missing a lot of classes. I’m missing classes that I need to graduate.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/va-high-school-boy-i-was-suspended-for-wearing-high-heels-and-being-gay-20120306/#ixzz1oNIiz7CD

After tossing a bomb at gay people last Friday on Piers Morgan’s TV show, former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron has decided not to apologize for what he’s said, despite GLAAD and other gay groups’ demands. After Cameron called homosexuality “unnatural,” “detrimental” and “ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization,” his Growing Pains co-stars Tracey Gold and Alan Thicke called him out (http://www.queerty.com/growing-pains-tracey-gold-tweets-about-tv-sibling-kirk-camerons-anti-gay-agenda-20120305/) on his backwardness over the weekend.
Cameron said in an e-mail statement to ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/03/exclusive-kirk-cameron-responds-to-critics-hate-speech/) today:

“I spoke as honestly as I could, but some people believe my responses were not loving toward those in the gay community. That is not true. I can assuredly say that it’s my life’s mission to love all people.”
“I should be able to express moral views on social issues, especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years—without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square.”
“I believe we need to learn how to debate these things with greater love and respect. I’ve been encouraged by the support of many friends (including gay friends, incidentally).”
Again, who are these gay friends? Show them to us, please.
GLAAD’s Senior Director of Programs and Communications Herndon Graddick responded in kind (http://www.glaad.org/blog/kirk-cameron-continues-be-out-touch-pro-lgbt-voices-grow-stronger):

“Saying that gay people are ‘detrimental to civilization’ might be ‘loving’ in Kirk Cameron’s mind, but it’s gay youth and victims of bullying who truly suffer from adults like Cameron who espouse these ideas. Cameron used his platform to attack gay Americans and is now attempting to play victim in an effort to sell his upcoming movie. That Cameron would risk the health and safety of young people in order to do so speaks for itself.”
“So many Americans, popular celebrities and Christian leaders have stood up and said his views are out of touch. The fundamental dignity of gay people should no longer be a debate in this country. Obviously, Cameron has the right to recite his anti-gay talking points, just like fair-minded Americans have the right to tell him that his views are harmful and have no place in modern America.”
You tell ‘em, Herndon. And if you’d like to tell Kirk to change his views, GLAAD has already nearly 6,000 signatures on a petition to tell Kirk Cameron to grow up (http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-kirk-cameron-it-s-time-to-finally-grow-up).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/national-homophobe-kirk-cameron-thinks-his-remarks-were-loving-has-support-of-gay-friends-20120306/#ixzz1oNIwJx1u

In a conference call yesterday, the Empire State Pride Agenda announced executive director Ross Levi was stepping down. ESPA, New York State’s largest LGBT lobby, is refusing to comment publicly on the matter. Gay City News (http://www.gaycitynews.com/articles/2012/03/05/gay_city_news/news/doc4f55a0d18916b866688972.txt) got two board members to talk anonymously, though, and they seem to think Levi’s departure wasn’t exactly voluntary:

There was widespread dissatisfaction with Levi and the organization’s leadership on the marriage fight last year—where ESPA shared responsibilities with other leading advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Freedom to Marry, the Gill Action Fund, the Log Cabin Republicans, and Marriage Equality New York.
Board members, the two agreed, were also unhappy that Levi had not defined a clear vision for the group’s post-marriage equality agenda and was not achieving fundraising goals.
Was Levi resting on his laurels after the major marriage-equality win in New York, and failing to set new goals for the future—and meet fundraising benchmarks in the here and now?
Or perhaps the problem goes back further to the fight for marriage equality in New York State, where Levi might’ve taken a backseat to other powerful gay groups based in New York City, like the Human Rights Campaign.

Recalling last year’s fight for marriage equality in Albany, the two board members willing to speak in detail about the firing said the consensus among their colleagues was that Levi let other groups move to the fore, both in public visibility and behind closed doors, but that at times, as well, ESPA was asked to step back—including, in one instance, by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who urged other advocates to take the lead in negotiating with the Republican senators needed to provide the margin of victory last June 24.
As the marriage fight heated up between February and June of last year, HRC, which led a high-profile effort to recruit well-known figures –– including Barbara Bush, one of the former president’s twin daughters, hip-hip mogul Russell Simmons, celebrity chef Mario Batali, and former New York Ranger Sean Avery –– to record pro-marriage equality videos, also won more attention in the press, with Brian Ellner, who headed up the group’s New York drive, often quoted in the New York Times.
ESPA wanted this to be a smooth, not-talked-about change, but Levi decided he wasn’t going quietly:

The group clearly hoped that Levi’s departure could be framed in that sort of positive light rather than becoming a source of public controversy, and sought to negotiate what one board member described as a “generous severance package.” That effort was undone, two board members told Gay City News, by Levi’s unwillingness, on advice of counsel, to sign a confidentiality agreement that would have barred his talking publicly about his ouster.

Today, Ross released a written statemen highlighting his accomplishments rather than biting back at ESPA:

“From the Hate Crimes Law and SONDA [Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act], to the Dignity for All Students Act and marriage equality, and with over 60 other governmental achievements in between, I am extremely proud of my 12-year tenure with the Pride Agenda, and the work I did as Executive Director. I am pleased that because of the successes I helped the organization achieve in 2011, including record-setting special events and fundraising income that well exceeded our budget, the Pride Agenda has the capacity to continue serving as the strong statewide LGBT organization that New York needs. I am hopeful about its future successes, and look forward to pursuing the next chapter of my professional life.
For now the search is underway for ESPA’s new top dog. We’re sure there are some unemployed political execs out there freshening up their resumes.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/why-did-empire-state-pride-agenda-allegedly-fire-executive-director-ross-levi-20120306/#ixzz1oNJ8ZpLP

Earlier today, we reported that a school district under Rep. Michele Bachmann’s purview came to a landmark settlement (http://www.queerty.com/four-gay-bullied-students-win-settlement-from-mns-anoka-hennepin-school-district-20120306/) over the bullying of gay students.
We wish Piers might’ve addressed that question, but instead he stuck to general questions about Bachmann’s traditional views on marriage. After Bachmann got testy with him, calling him “rude” for calling out her “judgmental” beliefs on homosexuality, she finally addressed the question head-on.
“I would like to see the lack of demonization for those of us who stand on sincerely held religious beliefs,” said Bachmann. “It’s overdue. That’s where you see the demonization of people who stand on their beliefs.”
Earlier, she tried to deflect a question about Kirk Cameron, who called gay people “unnatural”:

You just brought up Kirk Cameron right now and his comments. He’s the one who is getting trashed right now… Honestly, I think I have had enough of the conversation. I think it’s time to move on. I think we have beaten this horse to death.
We guess she’s never going to change her mind on us sinful gays.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/michele-bachmann-gets-testy-with-piers-morgan-over-anti-gay-stance-defends-kirk-cameron-20120306/#ixzz1oNJJB3Bv

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

6th March 2012, 21:52

A bloody crime which took place more than five years ago in Winnipeg, Canada, is finally going to trial this week (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Man-on-trial-for-killing-lover-who-revealed-HIV-positive-status-141460743.html): Stuart Mark, 36, was killed in January 2007 but for six months police were unable to turn up any substantial evidence pointing to a suspect. Until Mark’s ex-boyfriend Michael Lynne Pearce confessed.
Pearce claimed he went into a rage—hitting Mark in the head with a golf club and stabbing him in the stomach—after Mark admitted he was HIV+. He had kept his status secret during their relationship.
Pearce is currently charged with manslaughter, his lawyers claiming the fatal altercation broke out as the result of Mark’s disclosure and was not premeditated.
While we understand Pearce’s shock at learning about Mark’s sero-status, we hope the defense doesn’t get away with some variation on the gay-panic defense.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/winnipeg-man-on-trial-for-killing-his-hiv-boyfriend-20120306/#ixzz1oNMaHiRy

Ihttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/babeu.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/babeu.jpg)n the latest chapter of the scandal that just (http://www.queerty.com/babeu-in-new-doo-doo-over-abuse-at-old-school-affair-with-former-student-20120229/) won’t (http://www.queerty.com/paul-babeu-weathering-scandal-just-fine-but-how-is-his-sleepover-pal-matt-heinz-doing-20120224/) go (http://www.queerty.com/babeu-calls-might-have-gotten-into-bed-with-dem-az-rep-matt-heinz-literally-20120222/) away (http://www.queerty.com/romneys-az-co-chair-comes-out-resigns-after-ex-claims-he-threatened-deportation-20120220/) for Arizona sheriff Paul Babeu (right), his ex-boyfriend Jose Orozco has filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages, reports the Arizona Republic (http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/03/05/20120305babeu-ex-boyfriend-files-notice-claim.html).
Orozco, a native of Mexico, claims that Babeu attempted to make him sign a contract saying he wouldn’t reveal the nature of their relationship—and then threatened to get him deported if he refused.
No details on what charges are being filed are available yet, as none of the parties to the case have given comment to the media.

Tim Gaffney, Sheriff’s Office director of communications and grants, issued this statement in response to a request for comment: “A notice of claim was provided to our office earlier today regarding this matter. As with any pending civil litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.”
Babeu is still running for a congressional seat in central Arizona. After Orozco made his claims public in the Phoenix New Times (http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2012-02-16/news/paul-babeu-s-mexican-ex-lover-says-sheriff-s-attorney-threatened-him-with-deportation/), Babeu admitted he was gay but said that he did not threaten to deport his ex.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ex-boyfriend-files-1-million-lawsuit-against-arizona-sheriff-paul-babeu-20120306/#ixzz1oNMmGkoF

A few weeks ago, the Anoka-Hennepin School District (Minnesota’s largest and perhaps not so coincidentally part of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s purview) finally revised its policy (http://www.queerty.com/anoka-hennepin-school-district-revises-policy-in-wake-of-suicides-rolling-stone-expose-20120214/) on how teachers can talk about sexual orientation in the classroom. Now the school board has settled a lawsuit with six current and former students, four of whom identify as gay or bisexual and all of whom claimed to have experienced severe bullying, for $270,000 of insurance money, reports the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/minn-school-board-to-vote-on-proposed-settlement-of-lawsuits-brought-over-neutrality-policy/2012/03/05/gIQAN7YjsR_story.html).
The district will spend $500,000 of its own money to institute changes to “help prevent and address sex-based harassment at its middle and high schools.”
After a suicide cluster where as many as nine bullied Anoka-Hennepin students took their lives within two years (http://www.queerty.com/rolling-stone-delves-into-anoka-hennepins-gay-suicide-cluster-20120202/), this is welcome news.
Those changes include hiring consultants and cooperating with federal authorities to make sure LGBT students feel comfortable in the school. And, it was, of course, financially pragmatic.
Tom Heidemann, chairman of the schoolboard, said the settlement “likely saved the district millions of dollars and many years of ongoing litigation.”
Kathy Tinglestad, the lone dissenter on the board who voted against settling, decided she would play the victim and resign over the disagreement. “Like a target of bullying,” said Tinglestad, “I choose to leave this situation, by resigning, instead of fighting back against the out-of-state bullies… [who] drug [this issue] through the mud.”
Sorry we wanted to get involved, Kath. Seemed like you guys needed some help, though, no?
Now time will tell whether the changes will work. They should allow teachers to intervene and protect their students when they are the subject of intense bullying, including physical abuse and verbal slurs.
Dylan Frey, a gay ninth-grade student named in the lawsuit, sees the light at the end of the tunnel. “I see change coming and I’m real excited for it,” he said.
In Anoka-Hennepin, it’s finally getting better.
Click through for the long list of measures to help prevent and address sex-based harassment at its middle and high schools the Department of Education has agreed to implent in Anoka-Hennepin.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/four-gay-bullied-students-win-settlement-from-mns-anoka-hennepin-school-district-20120306/#ixzz1oNN3Q6mX

P.S: See source for remainder of story

We don’t usually bother dissecting the homophobic ramblings of obscure bloggers but this anti-gay tirade was so infuriating—and bizarre—we just had to share.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-7.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-7.png)So last week, Kidist Paulos Asrat was incensed by something she saw on TV: It wasn’t Cam indoctrinating Lily on Modern Family or Will and Neil smooching on Days of Our Lives.
It was a mild-mannered contestant introducing himself on Jeopardy.
When Trebeck asked David Gard (http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/thisweek/)of Jamaica Plain, MA, about himself, the retail horticulturalist mentioned his husband.
As she explained on her blog (http://cameraluc.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-husband.html), Asrat nearly coughed up a lung:

It threw us all for a loop. Trebeck didn’t (couldn’t) react, since there is no time to ask detailed questions, and to do so would be “homophobic” in our brave new modern world. The TV crew couldn’t bleep it out since, like Trebek, they have to be as PC as possible. The audience, like me, was given unsolicited information about a controversial social arrangement during a normally pleasant evening show.
This creepy guy, and his movement, won hands down with no contest. I ended up turning off the TV.
I was really disturbed. We now live in a world where homosexuals will accost you with their aggressively upfront “my husband” and “my wife” information, unsolicited and disconcerting. What do you say when a man talks to you about “my husband” and a woman about “my wife”?
Um, how about, “That’s nice?”
Gard lives in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage is legal. Mentioning his spouse isn’t some political act, it’s a statement of fact. But small-brained haters like Asrat have no use for facts.

I think it is time that ordinary people “upped the ante” wherever possible: not doing business with openly gay people (there aren’t that many); not watching shows and movies with openly gay actors or characters; pointing out aggressive gay behavior to others (as I did here (http://cameraluc.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-homosexual-friendly-friendly.html)); cutting off even social niceties with openly gay friends and acquaintances, and so on. We have no choice really.
Either that, or we let the homosexual wave roll over us.
We’re not sure what a homosexual wave is, but it sounds awfully nice.
Despite Asrat’s voodoo hex, Gard won the game handily (http://jamaicaplain.patch.com/articles/jamaica-plain-s-david-gard-wins-on-jeopardy) and went home with $30,000. We hope he donates a little bit of that to marriage-equality efforts.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/woman-disturbed-by-gay-jeopardy-winner-calls-him-creepy-20120306/#ixzz1oNNQpBSl

TheGodlessUtopian

6th March 2012, 22:06

John Laubach, a gay insurance executive living in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, was found murdered in his apartment Friday night, reports the Daily News. (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan-man-found-murdered-gagged-bound-chelsea-apartment-article-1.1032404#ixzz1oJjQKbAX)http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/John-Laubach.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/John-Laubach.jpg)
Laubach, 55, was found in his bedroom with duct tape across his mouth, his hands bound with an electrical cord and a towel draped over his head. He was naked except for a white T-shirt.
A friend who knew Laubach (right) told Queerty he was very active at the Church of the Ascension, an LGBT-friendly house of worship on Fifth Avenue.
Police are currently questioning a “person of interest” (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/men-sought-murder-chelsea-businessman-john-laubach-article-1.1033376) in the case. Though Laubach’s studio apartment was ransacked, there was no sign of forced entry—suggesting he might have known his murderer.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-man-found-bound-gagged-and-murdered-inside-his-chelsea-apt-20120306/#ixzz1oNNgyB7V

After a year of beta testing, WikiQueer (http://www.wikiqueer.org/), the Wikipedia for all things LGBT, is finally ready to show its true colors to the world wide web. “I’d been developing the idea for a queer-specific wiki for a few years,” WikiQueer founder and lead administrator Gregory Varnum told Philly magazine (http://blogs.phillymag.com/gphilly/2012/03/01/wikiqueer/). ”I’ve helped with dozens of pages and projects on Wikipedia and helped start a number of wikis designed for queer-related projects. However, I consistently came back to the need for a wiki by and for the queer community free of any organization politics or turf wars.”
Sean Strub, an inaugural member of WikiQueer’s global advisory board and a founder of Poz magazine, said the site represents modern, accepting attitudes about being gay—and access to information on what being an LGBT person means.
“WikiQueer enables a wealth of information about the LGBT community to be shared,” said Strub. “It’s a far cry from the time—not so many years ago—when looking up ‘homosexual’ in the card catalog at a high school library was so often the first step to finding ourselves and each other. I’m looking forward to the creative ways the growing WikiQueer community will develop and utilize the information we share and collectively own.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/have-no-fear-wikiqueer-is-here-20120306/#ixzz1oNNyAORl

Unsurprisingly, Cardinal Keith O’Brienhttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Cardinal-Keith-OBrien.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Cardinal-Keith-OBrien.jpg), the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, is against David Cameron’s plans for marriage equality in the UK. But instead of just saying that, he made some pretty bold statements in an op-ed in Sunday’s Daily Telegraph (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/04/cardinal-kieth-obrien-gay-marriage?newsfeed=true):

No Government has the moral authority to dismantle the universally understood meaning of marriage.
Imagine for a moment that the Government had decided to legalise slavery but assured us that “no one will be forced to keep a slave.”
Would such worthless assurances calm our fury? Would they justify dismantling a fundamental human right? Or would they simply amount to weasel words masking a great wrong?
Wow, His Eminence must have some big brass ones under that robe.
The article is full of the usual straw-man arguments of the right: that polygamy is next, that second-graders will be made to watch gay porn in school, and that churches will be forced at gunpoint to marry a man and his goat.
But he also made some wild factual claims (much like his post-modern descendent, Kirk Cameron.)

As an institution, marriage long predates the existence of any state or government. It was not created by governments and should not be changed by them. Instead, recognising the innumerable benefits which marriage brings to society, they should act to protect and uphold marriage, not attack or dismantle it.
Marriage predates government? A job of a government is to create laws and regulations—contractual obligations—that its citizens abide by for the greater good. (Whether there’s a prime minister, a president or a council of elders.)
Marriage is a contract. Without public/governmental approval you can’t have a “marriage—at least not how O’Brien and his ilk define it. It’s two people saying how much they like each other. (That’s not to denigrate the love felt by unmarried couples—we’re talking contract law.)
Y’know what does predate government? Slavery. Heck, slavery is in the Bible. The Israelites had slaves through the entire Old Testament, which approves of the practice and even spells out how to treat your slave,
After his piece ran, O’Brien discussed the issue further (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9122961/Gay-marriage-is-like-slavery-Catholic-leader-says.html) with John Humphries on Radio 4, where he said if same-sex marriage were enacted, “further aberrations would take place and society would be degenerating even further than it already has into immorality.” He later compared homosexuality to abortion.

Responding to accusations that his use of language, including the word “grotesque,” was inflammatory, he said: “I am not saying it is grotesque, but perhaps to some people it might appear grotesque. I don’t think it’s inflammatory at all. I think it’s handing on the teaching of the Christian Church for more than 2,000 years and I am doing my best to hand it on in a way than many people can hear it. I think if the UK does go for same sex marriage it is indeed shaming our country.
Damn he sounds desperate. Good.
Keep crazying it up, Father—you’re doing our work for us.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/scottish-cardinal-calls-gay-marriage-aberration-compares-to-slavery-abortion-20120306/#ixzz1oNQDl5mK

If same-sex marriage is legalized in New Jersey, the state could see an economic boon of $119 million over three years, economic experts say (http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2012/03/05/gay-marriages-potential-economic.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_philadelphia+%28Philadel phia+Business+Journal%29&utm_content=Google+Reader).
Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state last month, but Lawmakers in New Jersey have until the end of the legislative session in January 2014 to override the veto.
There are 16,875 same-sex couple in New Jersey, according to the 2010 U.S. Census and, according to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA, weddings by same-sex couples in the state could bring in $48 to $119 million over three years, which included $3 million to $8 million in tax revenue, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal. (http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2012/03/05/gay-marriages-potential-economic.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_philadelphia+%28Philadel phia+Business+Journal%29&utm_content=Google+Reader)
The N.J. Legislature would need two-thirds of the lawmakers in the Assembly and Senate to override Christie’s veto. Both votes to pass it fell short of that mark.

Source: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Legalizing-Gay-Marriage-Could-Bring-in-119M-to-NJ-Over-3-Years-141571063.html

TheGodlessUtopian

7th March 2012, 19:58

Now that HRC has chosen hot nerd (http://www.queerty.com/nerdy-hot-afer-prez-chad-griffin-replacing-joe-solmonese-as-hrc-head-honcho-20120302/) Chad Griffin as its new president, the talking heads have been weighing in with their opinions. And they’re almost universally positive, with Griffin being praised as a fresh face and a strong choice for the job. HuffPo Gay Voices editor Michelangelo Signorile (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/a-bold-choice-for-largest_b_1321077.html) is a strong contender for the “Most Glowing Praise” prize:

The choice of Griffin was an inspired, bold, and ultimately necessary move for a group that was becoming increasingly irrelevant and even counterproductive in the eyes of many in the broader LGBT activist community. It’s not inaccurate to say that while HRC certainly has its many supporters and has done critical work, many have viewed the group for years, rightly or wrong, as a lackey to the Democratic establishment and the Obama administration.
GLAAD’s acting president, Mike Thompson, took a break from blasting Kirk Cameron (http://www.queerty.com/has-been-sitcom-star-kirk-cameron-calls-gays-destructive-in-cnn-interview-20120305/) to chime in:

Chad has led LGBT families to new levels of visibility through his work at the American Foundation for Equal Rights. His commitment to all members of our community and proven track record of advancing LGBT issues are instrumental assets to our movement. We look forward to continue working with HRC and with Chad as partners in the march to equality.
David Boies, who helped defeat Prop 8 in Perry vs. Schwarzenegger:

Time after time over the past several years, Chad has proven that he is easily one of the most skilled strategists and tacticians in American politics today. That is a rare combination of skill sets for one person to have. His diplomacy, his intellect and his passion for issues of equality are second to none. I cannot think of a better person to lead HRC into the future.
Meanwhile activist Michael Petrelis (http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/) gave Griffin something of a backhanded compliment:

Chad is cool and a damn fine strategist; however, the Human Rights Campaign still sucks. It will take more than a new executive director with great qualifications to undo the decades of waste, political laziness and hardcore elitism.”
But an HRC insider told Queerty that Griffin’s magic has silenced even the group’s biggest haters: “Some of HRC’s most vocal critics are applauding the choice and I’m hearing that this is a ‘new day for HRC’ in a lot of activist circles.”
Perhaps that’ll keep those pesky Occupy Wall Street protesters away from HRC’s fancy dinner galas (http://www.queerty.com/angry-protestors-pro-gay-corporations-democratic-politicians-and-hungry-journalists-descend-upon-hrcs-nyc-gala-20120205/)?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/what-to-expect-from-chad-griffin-hrcs-incoming-widely-praised-president-20120307/#ixzz1oSjpPDhZ

We all know that Mitt Romney outspent Santorum 6-to-1 and still just barely won (http://www.queerty.com/armed-with-massive-advantages-mitt-romney-once-again-fights-rick-santorum-to-a-draw-20120307/) Super Tuesday. But could it be because Santorum is getting help from crazy-people groups that are organizing efforts outside of his authority? Religion Dispatches (http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/5764/jews_and_christians_for_santorum/) magazine reports that the following insane robocall went out to Ohio voters yesterday:

Hi, my name is Brian Camenker; I’m a Jew from Massachusetts. And, this is Darcy Brandon; I’m a Christian from California. If you believe as we do that marriage and sexuality should only be between a man and a woman, please help us stop Mitt Romney. As Governor, Romney signed “Gay Youth Pride Day” declarations, promoted homosexuality in our elementary schools, and unconstitutionally ordered state officials to make Massachusetts America’s first same-sex marriage state.
Wait, what Romney are Brian and Darcy talking about? Sure, Romney has roots as gay-friendly, but the facts underlying those roots are (http://www.queerty.com/mitt-romney-almost-marched-in-the-2002-boston-gay-pride-parade-20120110/) these (http://www.queerty.com/mitt-romney-was-totally-for-gay-marriage-until-yesterday-20110805/)… the above stuff is just pure BS. Alright, we now return to your regularly scheduled robocall statements that have absolutely no basis in fact:

Romney supports open homosexuality in the military, the appointment of homosexual judges, and the ENDA law, making it illegal to fire a man who wears a dress and high heels to work, even if he’s your kid’s teacher. When you vote tomorrow, please vote for social sanity and Rick Santorum, NOT for homosexuality and Mitt Romney. Rick Santorum is the ONLY candidate who can be trusted to uphold traditional marriage, a straight military, and the rights of American children to have both a mother and a father. This message paid for by JewsAndChristiansTogether.org and not authorized by any candidate. To get the FACTS before you vote, visit JewsAndChristiansTogether.org.
The straight military is already gone, broskies, and it ain’t coming back. And go to that website only if you dare—it’ll make your IQ drop double digits.
But still, some extreme voters are pretty dumb, and these people hit up the right idiots, they could’ve made Ohio a closer race than it needed to be.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/did-santorum-benefit-from-this-insanely-homophobic-robocall-to-ohio-voters-20120307/#ixzz1oSk4k4rg

The Student Government Association at Northeastern University has voted, 31-5, to cancel a plan that would invite anti-gay chicken chain Chick-fil-A to its Student Center, according to Edge Boston (http://www.edgeboston.com/news/local/news//130490/northeastern_u_sga_votes_to_ban_chick-fil-a_from_student_center). Good job, you Boston college kids, on prioritizing the LGBT cause over some very tasty chicken—certain food writers can’t seem to understand (http://www.queerty.com/ethics-challenged-food-writer-says-chick-fil-as-anti-gay-agenda-shouldnt-matter-to-customers-20120218/) the basic ethics of this situation, but you guys are definitely acing Philosophy 101.
Chick-fil-A’s “charitable” arm, the WinShape Foundation, has a history of sizable donations to anti-gay organizations, like Focus on the Family and Exodus International, including over $2 million in 2009 (http://www.queerty.com/chick-fil-a-served-up-2-million-to-anti-gay-groups-in-2010-and-possibly-some-waffle-fries-20111101/).
“It is the Sense of the Senate that the undergraduate student body supports Chick-fil-A on the basis of its food alone,” said the SGA, “but more strongly supports the principle of people over products, and out of respect for the values of the Northeastern community, does not support the addition of Chick-fil-A as an on-campus vendor.”
In addition to the homophobic WinShape Foundation, gay employees are regularly harassed (http://www.queerty.com/activists-cry-fowl-over-chick-fil-as-hypocritical-homophobia-20110921/) and prospective hires are asked about marital status and church affiliation. And once you let Chick-fil-A on-campus, it never leaves—students at NYU have been trying to get the greasy joint with unsavory values kicked off campus (http://www.queerty.com/will-these-nyu-students-manage-to-get-chick-fil-a-kicked-off-campus-20110407/) for years.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/northeastern-student-government-nixes-plan-to-invite-anti-gay-chick-fil-a-on-campus-20120307/#ixzz1oSkTxM1H

From an editorial standpoint, we looove Rick Santorum. Romney is too bland and Gingrich is just plain mean. But Santorum gives the gay blogosphere so much grist for the mill, we’d almost hate to see him go. (Almost.) But we still get nervous when our liberal friends say they hope he gets the nomination because he’ll surely sink the Republican ship.
That’s the line queer news site Fenuxe (http://www.fenuxe.com/2012/03/06/todays-radical-gay-agenda-vote-for-santorum/) took with Georgia. The peachy-keen state has open primaries, so editor Ryan Lee was encouraging right-thinking gay Democrats in Georgia to cast a spite vote Tuesday for Tricky Rick:

With 76 delegates at stake, Georgia is the biggest prize of Super Tuesday, during which 11 states vote to award 419 total delegates (a candidate needs 1,144 delegates to secure the Republican nomination, and Romney currently leads the field with 203). Georgia has an “open primary” system, which means voters do not have to be registered as a Democrat or Republican to vote in either party’s primary.
Instead of requesting a Democratic primary ballot to vote for an unopposed Barack Obama, LGBT voters in Georgia ought to pull a Republican ballot on Tuesday in order to vote for one of the most enthusiastically bigoted politicians of our generation: Rick Santorum. While supporting Santorum might seem unfathomable to any LGBT voter familiar with the former Pennsylvanian senator’s wrathful views on homosexuality, there’s a potential windfall of benefits if Santorum wins the Peach State.
Most immediately, it would be absolutely deflating for the egomaniac Newt Gingrich to lose his home state. The former Speaker of the House’s ridiculous candidacy has been floundering for months, and what a delicious treat it would be for LGBT Georgians to help deliver the death-knell to Gingrich’s lost cause.
A win in Georgia would also give Santorum enough momentum to remain in the race for the Republican nomination, providing Santorum and Romney a few more weeks or months to remind Americans why neither one of them should be president. And with enough momentum, Santorum might eventually surpass Romney in the delegate count and win the Republican nomination.
It’s kind of a moot point now as Gingrich too Georgia handily. But many southern states have open primaries and we know a number of people who are registered Republicans just so they can vote in closed ones. Santorum had a strong enough showing on Super Tuesday that he’ll slog along for some time, so the option to cast a spite vote remains.
While we’d love to think keeping the Santorum train running clear to the convention would guarantee Obama’s election, the risks are just too high: If he somehow won the White House, gays would lose what rights they have, women wouldn’t have access to contraception (let alone abortion) and kids everywhere would be forced to wear cardigans as part of their school uniforms.
That’s not any America we want to be part of!
So, would you vote for ol’ Frothy Mix in the hopes that he’d never win in the general election? Cast your ballot in the comments.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/is-it-smart-or-dangerous-for-gays-to-spite-vote-in-the-republican-primaries-20120307/#ixzz1oSkjSuNB

An incident last month in West Hollywood has raised questions about just how far nightclub security can go in maintaining order: Weho Daily (https://twitter.com/#%21/WehoDaily) posted footage this week of a bouncer outside Voyeur knocking down and punching a drunk gay man,while allegedly hurling a homophobic slur. Voyeur is predominantly straight club but does host the occasional gay party (http://losangeles.gaycities.com/events/103202-impulse-presents-frosted).
The film quality is not ideal, so it’s not 100% clear what is being said, but LA Weekly has a transcript (http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/03/gay_bashing_security_nightclub.php):

“Look at my face man,” the victim says, “-they fucked me up.”
One of two men holding him down says: “Fuck your face. I don’t give a shit about your face.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-4.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-4.png)”
Victim: “Trust me please I didn’t start the shit. I was with my boyfriend. I’m a gay boy.”
Face down on the ground, he tries to look up at his captors. One of them says:
“Yeah well your a fuckin’ [unintelligible] … Stop fuckin’ struggling motherfucker. ”
At that point the victim receives what appear to be a pair of punches, one to his back and one to the back of his head, by the winner in black.
“Stop resisting,” one of the men says. “Stay still motherfucker.”
Then one of the captors unleashes this: “Stop fuckin’ moving you cocksucker.”
Just then a security guard with a badge walks up, and one of the captors says, “Hey can we get some cuffs please.”
“Stay where you are motherfucker,” the victim is told. “Shut up.”
The victim, Timothy Reyes, might’ve started the shit after all: According to witnesses, he assaulted bar staff and other patrons at nearby Fubar. (According to police, Reyes had started a fight over a jacket he mistakenly thought was his.)
It was when he was dragged outside that the violent takedown took place.
But the L.A. Weekly story also dug up some information of potential use to those of us who like to club-hop—exactly what amount of force can a bouncer use in the course of his job? The answer—not much. “They can defend themselves and others with force. But that’s about it,” writes reporter Dennis Romero. “They punch you, you can punch back.”
Um, good to know but we’re not gonna be punching 300-lb juggernauts anytime soon.
Romero’s source in the LAPD explains:

Speaking in general terms a bouncer is a citizen, so the rules of engagement as applies to a bouncer are the same as any other citizen. You can be reasonable to protect yourself and you as a citizen can affect an arrest for something that happens in your presence. If a bouncer is pounding on someone, he better have some justification for that. He can be held accountable for his actions both criminally and civilly.
That might help in the aftermath, but we’ve seen enough overzealous security guards to know it won’t stop them from wailing on you. Any of you have tales of woe involving belligerent bouncers?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/was-a-bouncer-in-weho-bashing-a-gay-clubgoer-or-just-doing-his-job-20120307/#ixzz1oSlOX5s2

TheGodlessUtopian

7th March 2012, 20:08

U.N. Secretary Gen. Urges Global Gay Rights

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-07/Ban-Ki-MoonX390.jpg

The United Nations Secretary General issued a special message to the world's LGBT population during the U.N.'s first hearing to discuss discrimination and violence against LGBT people.

Ban-Ki Moon said that many other world leaders are hesitant to talk about gay rights because it simply was not something discussed in the past. However, he said he "learned to speak out because lives are at stake, and because it is our duty, under the United Nations charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to protect the rights of everyone everywhere."

Watch the full statement below:

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/UN_Secretary_Gen_Urges_Global_Gay_Rights/

P.S: See source for video

Colin Farrell and Gay Brother Want to End Homophobia In Ireland

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2009/200912/2009-12-21/eamon_colinx390.jpg

Actor Colin Farrell wants to end antigay bullying in Ireland, saying he witnessed attacks against his gay brother Eamon when they were younger.

Both Farrell brothers have joined forces with Stand Up! Don’t Stand for Homophobic Bullying, a campaign launched last week by the Irish LGBT youth organization, BeLonG To (http://www.belongto.org/campaign.aspx?blogid=7987).

“Each individual, as a member of his and her community, must Stand Up! In the face of this appalling brutality that plagues our schools," Colin says in a statement. "In effect, bullying is no less than the systematic doling out of pain upon the innocent. It is literally laughing in the face of somebody as they fall into increasingly grave danger. It's not my place to draw parallels, but we have had enough of such hardships. The world has."

He continues, “Whether it be the attacking of gay students, which I witnessed first hand happening to my own brother, or students who are in the minority as a result of race or religious beliefs or any other such characteristic that separates them from 'the norm,' it is all wrong and has no place in a just and compassionate country such as I know Ireland to be. We have always been praised as being the friendliest and most welcoming race in the world. My wish is for us to prove it daily, in the school yards and playgrounds across this Great Land of Ours."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/Colin_Farrell_and_Gay_Brother_Want_to_End_Homophob ia_In_Ireland/

Obama Campaign Mum on Pro-Marriage Democratic Platform

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Barack%20Obama.jpg

The Obama campaign isn't directly commenting on a growing number of national campaign co-chairs and congressional Democrats calling for a pro-marriage equality platform for the party.

In a conference call Wednesday with reporters, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said Democrats are “the big tent party” and touted the president’s “great record on fighting for fundamental fairness” when asked by CNN’s Jessica Yellin about Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Democratic National Convention chair and Obama national co-chair who said he supported a marriage equality-inclusive platform (http://www.freedomtomarry.org/page/s/democrats-say-i-do?source=FTMrotator) during a Politico event (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73729.html) in Washington, D.C. this morning.

But Messina said the platform committee has yet to be formed and didn't comment on whether the president would support a pro-marriage plank. Rather, he spoke of a presidential record that “stands in sharp contrast to the other side,” referring to a field of GOP presidential candidates who have opposed “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal and have sided with a federal constitutional amendment banning marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Mayor Villaraigosa joined a growing number of Obama national co-chairs who have called for the Democratic platform to include marriage equality support when the party convenes this fall in Charlotte, N.C. to nominate the president for reelection.

Last week several co-chairs including Colorado senator Michael Bennet and California attorney general Kamala Harris said they supported the inclusive platform in responses (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/More_of_Obama_Campaign_Team_Backs_Marriage_Equalit y/) to The Advocate.

The Washington Blade reported Friday that 22 Democratic senators supported the platform push (read the story here (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/02/exclusive-18-u-s-senators-call-for-marriage-equality-plank-in-dem-platform/)).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/Obama_Campaign_Mum_on_Pro_Marriage_Democratic_Plat form/

yeah, fuck Obama!

Rush Limbaugh Jabs Lesbians Getting Divorced, They Jab Back

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-07/1RushLesbians.jpg
Rush Limbaugh, Robin Tyler, Diane Olson
Rush Limbaugh took at jab at all same-sex marriages after hearing the news (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/02/Couple_in_Landmark_California_Case_Is_Getting_Divo rced/) that the lesbian couple who was among the first to marry in California is now getting a divorce. But they're perfectly capable of jabbing back, just not with a built-in national audience.

Limbaugh, who is on his fourth marriage, criticized Robin Tyler and Diane Olson for how long they were married.

"Did you see that the poster couple for gay marriage in California are getting a divorce? You see that? It's true," he said (http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/02/09/quick_hits_page) on his radio show in February. "It's two women, they were among the first 14 same-sex couples who got married on the day the ban was lifted in California back in June of 2008. I guess the national average, three-and-a-half years, is what their marriage lasted, maybe it's the California average. I'm not sure."

What he leaves out is that Tyler and Olson were a couple for 18 years, applying for a marriage license every year since 2001. They were the first couple to legally marry in Los Angeles County, where they sued for the right. Tyler, an activist and a comedian for 40 years, wasn't amused but kept her sense of humor.

"Rush Limbaugh is two or three divorces ahead of me," she said in a statement to The Advocate. "He is the kind of guy who thinks women are sluts and lesbians have penis envy. Well, I don't have penis envy. I have 12 at home in a drawer in Northridge. I get excited in New York and my drawer pops open in California!"

Always insightful, Limbaugh pondered the complexities of lesbian divorce.

"I wonder if they designated one of them the husband so that he gets all the blame and has to pay all the alimony," he said. "How does that work?"

If Limbaugh was kidding, Tyler sees a lot of his true self in his joking. She is a pioneer of out comedy and made the first out album called Always a Bridesmaid, Never A Groom in the '70s.

"I will give him one thing," she said. "I believe that Rush Limbaugh is great for birth control. I mean, who the hell would want to sleep with him?"

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/Rush_Limbaugh_Jabs_Lesbians_Getting_Divorced_They_ Jab_Back/

By John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times March 5, 2012, 4:51 p.m.

Reporting from Seoul—
Hong Seok-cheon stands beaming before an adoring studio audience. It's a place he has always felt at home — basking in the celebrity spotlight.

For years, the veteran actor has been an instantly recognizable media personality here, famous as the onetime host of a children's show that was South Korea's version of "Sesame Street" and costar of a popular 1990s sitcom.

But on this Saturdayafternoon, the slender 41-year-old with the signature shaved head is playing himself, an out-of-the-closet gay man talking about what it's like to be a pariah in a conservative society where 77% of Koreans in one poll said they believed "homosexuality should be rejected."

Hong is the featured guest on a cable TV show called the "Star Lecture Series," making history, he says, as the first gay man to discuss sex and sexual orientation on-air in South Korea.

The room is edgily silent as he paces the stage, microphone in hand, before an under-25 audience, many of whose members still live at home with their parents.

"Older Koreans will ask me, 'If you're gay, why don't you dress like a woman?' And I tell them: 'Because I'm a man. I just happen to be attracted to other men,' " Hong says as viewers snap his picture with their cellphone cameras.

"In South Korea, we're led to believe that gay sex is dangerous, alien and dirty. For so many years, I've been treated as an outcast in my own country. I'm just so happy to be here today, talking openly about who I really am."

The audience applauds and Hong is near tears, grateful for the acceptance that for years he thought would never come.

*

When Hong came out in 2000, the reaction was swift and brutal: Within 24 hours, the network summarily fired him from his jobs as a regular guest on several talk shows and slapstick host of the children's show "Po Po Po."

No one would take his calls. Hong says he received so many death threats he shut himself up at home and began drinking heavily and contemplating suicide. Previously a nonsmoker, he began going through three packs a day.

"I knew my career was over," he said. "It was like somebody suddenly dropped a bomb on everything I had worked so hard for. One day it was there, and the next it was gone."

Looking back, Hong says he should have seen the reaction coming. South Korea's conservative combination of Confucianism — which puts a premium on marriage and childbirth — and a strong Protestant ethic makes tolerance for gays and lesbians incredibly rare, he says.

Even today, many older South Koreans refuse to acknowledge that homosexuality exists in the family-friendly nation. But the Internet is slowly changing things. Some young Koreans are cautiously rebelling against their parents' views and a society not given to acceptance of dissonant sexual orientation.

Quietly, gay bars are appearing. Still, even if rainbow flags have begun to fly here, many participants at gay and lesbian pride rallies wear masks to avoid identification.

While on the nation's entertainment blacklist, Hong opened the first of several now-popular restaurants in an attempt to start anew. But people didn't make it easy. For a while, he said, many came in not to eat, but to shout insults at him.

"They'd walk into my restaurant and see me and loudly announce, 'I didn't know this was a gay restaurant,' " he said. "Or groups of men would get drunk and start yelling, 'Homosexual!' "

But then, as younger South Koreans slowly began to accept gay culture, opportunities arose. Although no celebrity has yet to follow Hong out of the closet and most other gays and lesbians prefer to remain under the social radar, gay characters are appearing on TV and in film here.

One day, Hong hopes, younger South Koreans, as they become tomorrow's CEOs, will encourage gay employees in mainstream businesses.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-south-korea-gay-activist-20120306,0,7911452.story

TheGodlessUtopian

7th March 2012, 20:14

What Other '80s Teen Stars Have to Say About Equality

See how the views on gay rights and marriage equality of other teen stars of the 1980s such as Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins, and Sarah Jessica Parker measure up with Kirk Cameron's.
By Josh Hinkle (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Josh%20Hinkle)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/Cameron%281%29.jpg

Eighties teen idol Kirk Cameron, who played Mike Seaver in the sitcom Growing Pains from 1985-92, sparked a media frenzy with his antigay comments on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight show last week.
"I think that it's unnatural," Cameron said (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/kirk-cameron-receiving-support-anti-gay-comments/story?id=15851731)when asked if homosexuality was a sin. "I think that it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."

Comic Geri Jewell, who played the cousin of Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel) on the long-running sitcom The Facts of Life, published her memoir I'm Walking as Straight as I Can: Transcending Disability in Hollywood and Beyond in which she came out publicly as lesbian last year.
Whelchel's conservative viewpoint is well-known. In 2006, while answering a question from a mother who thought her son might be gay, Whelchel wrote on her website (http://www.lisawhelchel.com/parents.htm#) that she believes "it is possible to leave behind a homosexual lifestyle" and recommended gay reparative ministries such as Exodus.
Mindy Cohn, who costarred in the series as Natalie, has long embraced her LGBT following. Last year Cohn spoke to The Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Film/No_Shrinking_Violet/) about her own relationship with the gay community, saying, "I don’t know why, but by God’s grace I’ve always had really close relationships with gay people."

Todd Bridges and Dana Plato of Diff'rent Strokes (1978-86) had a much different view of being gay. According to MSNBC (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35872126/ns/today-entertainment/t/diffrent-strokes-actor-i-tried-help-haim/), Bridges even says in his memoir, Killing Willis, that he struggled with homosexuality. That is, he struggled until Plato brought him back around. The two were an item for most of the shows airtime.
Before her death, Plato told (http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Keehnen/Plato.html) Owen Keehnen from the Queer Cultural Center that, "it's not about gay or straight or bi, we're attracted to spirits. Whatever body they're in." She went on to say, "I'm open-minded. I don't consider myself gay or hetero, I just am. I've had experiences all over the planet but it always comes down to just me, but I think at this point if I had an ongoing relationship, I believe it would be with a man."

While the show only lasted a year, Sarah Jessica Parker starred in the 80s sitcom Square Pegs (1982-1983). Parker, along with her Sex and the City cast mates, spoke out for marriage equality while promoting Sex and the City 2. She says she "can't imagine any real legitimate reason" as to why marriage equality has not been legalized.

Costars of Who's the Boss? (1984-92) Alyssa Milano and Danny Pintauro have both given positive statements regarding gay rights.
Danny Pintauro, who following the show came out, speaks out regarding other actors. In an interview with Metro Weekly (http://metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=3038), Pintauro said many actors are not out in their public lives, but he wishes they were. He believes those actors are seen as role models to kids and the kids "see them totally living a lie."
Milano said on the red carpet of VH1's Do Something Awards show that it seems "inhumane" to not let LGBT people marry.

Scott Baio, child star of Charles in Charge (1984-90), has not spoken out as for or against gay rights. However, Advocate.com (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Entertainment_News/Scott_Baios_Wife_Posts_Antigay_Rant_Against_Jezebe l_Bloggers/) reported that the star took to Twitter to defend his wife after she slammed Jezebel.com bloggers, calling them "lesbian shitasses."

Actress Soleil Moon Frye, star of Punky Brewster (1984-88), might not be speaking out for gay rights, but she is playing a lesbian minister who marries two gay men in For Better or for Worse, according to the IMDB.com (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204899/). The film features Frye, as well as Janeane Garofalo, Jeffrey Tambor, and Rebecca Gayheart. It is currently in production and does not have a release date.

Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on Full House (1987-95), and fiance Morty Coyle announced their support of marriage equality in action. Coyle tweeted (http://twitter.com/#%21/DJMortyCoyle/status/27824837946769408) "in love with my fiance and waiting for marriage equality for all."
Fellow Full House cast mate and sister of Kirk Cameron, Candace Cameron Bure has not spoken out on LGBT issues but seems to be more receptive of the LGBT community. In a statement sent to The Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/05/18/Perez_Hilton_Talks_to_Candace_Cameron/), gossip blogger Perez Hilton said, "The fact that Candace Cameron Bure sat down to speak with me is telling." That is a very public indication that she is comfortable enough with a homosexual man to come into their pink room to sit down and chat."

The 1980 drama The Blue Lagoon made sex symbols of both Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. Both are also longtime allies to the LGBT community.

Shields played a lesbian in the 1998 film The Misadventures of Margaret and again in the 2001 television drama What Makes a Family. In a cover profile to promote the latter film Shields told (http://books.google.com/books?id=zmIEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false)The Advocate about her close lifelong connection to the gay community, which she calls the "proudest part of her life," and revealed she'd been partially raised by two gay men who were friends with her mother.

Atkins is appreciative of his status as a heartthrob to gay men. In 2009 he discussed gay fans with website Out in Hollywood (http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2009/01/morning-coffee-wchristopher-at.html). "I'm actually very lucky in that respect because I am able to have that crossover so I have both straight and gay fans," he said. "The 80s was a big time for the gay movement and here came a movie where it was male nudity being prominent rather than female nudity and so became sort of an iconic poster child at that time. To me, it was kind of flattering.

Kristy McNichol, star of the risque 1980 comedy Little Darlings, came out publicly as lesbian in an interview (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20559567,00.html) with People magazine to show her support for bullied LGBT teens. McNichol's publicist released a statement, saying, "She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/What_Other_80s_Child_Stars_Have_to_Say/

P.S:See source for video

President Obama Responds to [I]Advocate Candidate Scorecard

Although none of the major GOP candidates responded to our inquiry, President Obama sent a sizable statement on LGBT rights that calls out Congress for inaction.
By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-06/MITT_BAR_RICKX390.jpg
Romney, Obama, Santorum
As part of questionnaire sent to all of the campaigns for president, President Obama provided a statement that lists his accomplishments on LGBT rights but points to Congress as among the major hold-ups.

Obama did not come out in support of same-sex marriage; he's said in the past that his thoughts on the issue are "evolving."

"I believe that Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and should be repealed," he said instead. "I have instructed the Department of Justice to no longer defend it in court, and the Department has already filed multiple briefs supporting individuals challenging the law in court."

Obama ticked off a long list of changes his administration has managed to make without the help of Congress. "A lot of work remains, and we cannot wait for Congress to act," he said, echoing a complaint about congressional inaction that he's made in other policy areas. His goal is "the more perfect union in which LGBT Americans have the same legal rights and responsibilities as every American."

Now that the leading Republican candidates have been campaigning for the presidential nomination for the past year, we're getting to the point in the primary campaign where one of the remaining candidates could become the nominee.

In honor of Super Tuesday, The Advocate set about to examine all of the candidates' stances on LGBT rights. In creating this primary scorecard, we sought answers directly from each campaign. Though none of the leading Republican candidates decided to provide answers, the campaigns of Obama, Libertarian hopeful Gary Johnson, and and gay GOP aspirant Fred Karger each supplied answers to The Advocate's questionnaire.

Be sure to read President Obama's full statement, which is available on the fifth page.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Election/Obama_Johnson_Karger_and_Republicans_on_Gay_Issues/

P.S:See source for full story

Ousted Iowa Judges to Receive JFK Profile in Courage Award

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-06/ternus_baker_streitx390.jpg
From left: Judges Ternus, Baker, and Streit
Three Iowa Supreme Court justices who voted to legalize same-sex marriage and were later removed from the bench by voters will be honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

Justices Marsha Ternus, Michael Streit, and David Baker voted in 2009 to legalize same-sex marriage in Iowa, making the state the first outside of New England to offer marriage equality. A year later, a right-wing effort brought by Family Leader CEO Bob Vander Plaats helped oust the judges when they were up for a retention vote.

At a ceremony in May, Ternus, Streit, and Baker will be honored for their ruling, which ultimately cost them their jobs.

Calla Rongerude, interim executive director of equality group One Iowa, issued the following statement: “One Iowa congratulates Justice Ternus, Justice Streit, and Justice Baker for their courage and their commitment to upholding the Constitution. Because of their dedication to treating all Iowans as equal under the law, they have transformed the lives of loving and committed gay and lesbian couples and have made Iowa a more inclusive and fair place for all families. This is a very well deserved honor.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/06/Ousted_Iowa_Judges_to_Receive_JFK_Profile_in_Coura ge_Award/

TheGodlessUtopian

8th March 2012, 19:59

Usually the White House dodges questions on gay rights (http://www.queerty.com/the-white-house-hosts-lgbt-health-summit-but-still-avoids-committing-to-marriage-equality-20120217/), but yesterday Barack Obama issued a statement responding to a questionnaire The Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Election/Obama_Johnson_Karger_and_Republicans_on_Gay_Issues/) sends to every presidential campaign. In the statement, Obama fails to address the momentum-building issue of marriage equality (still “evolving,” eh?), but he does point a finger at Congress for their inaction on LGBT issues.
After enumerating his gay-rights victories (DADT repeal, won’t defend DOMA, support of ENDA), he states: “But a lot of work remains, and we cannot wait for Congress to act.”
He goes on to list a number of noble causes his administration is working on (Hillary Clinton’s championing of international LGBT rights, more gay appointees), but gay marriage is notably missing.
He concludes, “Together we can continue to build the more perfect union in which LGBT Americans have the same legal rights and responsibilities as every American.”
We’ll take that as a hint he’ll tackle marriage equality in his next term.
Click through to read the President’s entire statement on LGBT rights.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/obamas-statement-on-lgbt-issues-calls-out-congress-inaction-20120308/#ixzz1oYa44tmg

P.S: See source for full video

The trial of Dharun Ravi continued today with defense attorney Steven Altman introducing into evidence (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-07/rutgers-suicide-webcam-spy-trial/53397672/1) a text message from September 22 which that seemed to suggest Ravi didn’t have a problem with Clementi’s sexuality. The text read:

“I’ve known you were gay and I have no problem with it… In fact, one of my closest friends is gay and I have a very open relationship. I just suspected you were shy and never broached it as a topic. I don’t want your freshman year to be ruined because of a petty misunderstanding, it’s adding to my guilt. You have a right to move if you wish but I don’t want you to feel pressured to without fully understanding the situation.”
But it’s possible the text was a just a ruse by Ravi, who was at least aware Clementi had contacted Rutgers about the webcam situation, if not of his roommate’s suicidal mindset.
Clementi took his own life the same day, so there’s no way of knowing if he read the message.
Earlier, a computer forensics expert testified that dozens of messages were deleted from Ravi’s phone, dating from Sept 18 to 23, the day after Clementi’s suicide. That includes messages to high-school friends Michelle Huang and Molly Wei, the latter of whom lived across the hall in the same Rutgers dorm.
Officials at Verizon still had copies of the texts, one of which was from Ravi to friend and dorm mate Alissa Agarwal: “Roommate asked for the room. I went into Molly [wei]‘s room and turned on my webcam I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.”
Wei was charged with invasion of privacy but was granted immunity in return for cooperating with prosecutors and entering an intervention program.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/dharun-ravi-text-to-tyler-clementi-im-okay-with-you-being-gay-20120307/#ixzz1oYaKkR3b

Saying rehearsal is “for fags” lost Hollywood producer Brett Ratner the Oscars gig, but now he’s getting him some pro bono work: first, a GLAAD PSA campaign (http://www.queerty.com/brett-ratners-not-producing-the-oscars-but-he-is-producing-a-new-glaad-video-20120215/) where “celebrities and politicians ‘come out of the closet’ as supporters of equality,” and now will be judging a GLSEN video campaign. Ratner will team up with fashion design-turned-artsy film director Tom Ford to judge user-submitted videos for their “Think Before You Speak” (http://www.thinkb4youspeak.com/) campaign, which asks teens not to use homophobic slurs or phrases like “that’s so gay.” Aspiring filmmakers can enter the contest here (http://www.talenthouse.com/create-psa-glsen-brett-ratner-tom-ford).
“I am honored to be part of this campaign for GLSEN, helping to educate audiences on the power of words and their impact,” said Brett Ratner. “These PSAs are the perfect creative platform to encourage individuality and increase awareness, and I am excited to watch them.”
We guess Brett wouldn’t say apologies are for fags now, would he?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/brett-ratner-doing-more-penance-for-gay-slur-by-judging-glsen-psas-with-tom-ford-20120308/#ixzz1oYaZyoCv

‘Gay wives’ face legal limbo

March 8 2012 at 01:29pm

Comment on this story (http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/gay-wives-face-legal-limbo-1.1252115#comments_start)
http://www.iol.co.za/polopoly_fs/iol-pic-rainbow-gay-les-flag-1.1131663%21/image/2070053549.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300/2070053549.jpg Reuters

Beijing - In the eight years since Tianlei told his parents he was gay, they've put relentless pressure on him to act straight and marry.
“My parents push me to deceive a girl into marrying me,” said Tianlei, a 28-year-old company manager in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, using a nickname.
“They just want a grandson to save face in front of others and don't care how she would suffer... I would rather die than do it.”
But in China, a great many men give in to the pressure.
An estimated 10 million Chinese women are married to gay men, according to retired Qingdao University professor Zhang Beichuan, often trapping wives in unhappy unions they can't easily leave due to Chinese law and social stigma.
Zhang estimates that 80 to 90 percent of gay men in China intend to marry or have married, citing a survey of more than 1 500 Chinese gay men.
Such marital arrangements occur in many societies, especially where traditional customs prevail, but China's Confucian tradition coupled with its one-child policy have increased pressure on gays to conform to heterosexual norms.
“Having no progeny is considered in the traditional Chinese culture the worst kind of unfilial conduct,” said Zhang. “And under China's one-child policy, the only son is under even greater pressure from his parents who want a grandson.”
For Fang Fang, a 46-year-old woman living in eastern China, her unwitting marriage to a gay man led to a lifetime of misery.
Twenty-six years after she spent her wedding night alone, she finally came to realise that her husband was gay, and she was “a movie prop used to complete his straight-man disguise”.
“He took advantage of my naivety and weak personality, set up a string of traps and lured me in,” said Fang, who would not give her real name to protect her privacy.
Like many Chinese gays of his generation, Fang's husband, born in the late 1950s, found his sexual orientation humiliating and wanted to become a “normal” man by marrying a woman and, more importantly, having a child to carry his family name.
Breaking free of such marriages is not easy in China.
Divorce is rapidly rising but is still considered shameful, especially for women. Chinese law is vague on the issue and offers little help to women who might have difficulty proving their husbands are in homosexual relationships and thus can't seek recourse in divorce.
“Homosexuality is never seriously discussed in China's legislatures - the government just wants to avoid talking about it,” said a lawyer surnamed Liu who was previously married to a gay man.
The Chinese government largely ignores homosexuals, but some social scientists say a lack of sex education in schools contributes to hostile social attitudes towards gays.
Even when divorce is an option, the stigma of once having been married to a gay man haunts many former wives.
“When I told guys I dated that my ex-husband was gay, some of them immediately worried that I was an HIV carrier, since that's the image attached to gays in Chinese minds,” said Xiao Yao, the founder of a website named “Tongqijiayuan” (Gay wives' family).
After discovering in 2007 that her newly married husband was gay, Xiao launched a desperate search on the Internet for information about women facing predicaments like her own, but her search proved futile.
She divorced her husband a year later following several incidents of domestic violence and poured all her savings into building and running the website, where members seek help from each other, psychologists and law professionals.
Many of the website's younger and educated members are talking about seeking legal protections.
But any legal reforms, while welcome, will come too late for those like Fang Fang, who carries emotional scars.
“I respect gays as any another human beings and understand their pains,” she said, still moved to tears after so many years. “But I also want them to see how much pain their wives suffer, so that gay men won't rashly marry a woman any more.” - Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/gay-wives-face-legal-limbo-1.1252115

Catholic Diocese Defunds Homeless Group Over Director’s Gay Marriage Views

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2009/200911/2009-11-12/Homelessx390.jpg

The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento has decided to stop funding a nonprofit agency that serves homeless people because its director made statements in support of same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

The Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/08/4320550/sacramento-catholic-diocese-drops.html) reports that the diocese’s head of social services sent a letter last month to the Rev. Faith Whitmore, the director of Francis House, to say that her public statements clashed with Church teaching. The letter said it would be “impossible for the diocese to continue funding Francis House" in its annual Catholic Appeal specifically because of Whitmore’s involvement.

Whitmore, a United Methodist minister, took over the directorship of Francis House last April. She married same-sex couples in defiance of her denomination in 2008, during the time such marriages could legally be performed under California law, and she has publicly expressed support for abortion. However, she maintains that she held those positions as an individual, and never as a representative of Francis House. The nonprofit’s board of directors backs Whitmore.

Complicating matters somewhat, Francis House is nondenominational and no longer part of the Church in which it was founded. A spokesman for the diocese said there was a concern that some parishioners still perceive Francis House as a Catholic charity, which could lead to complaints about the fundraising, although he was unaware of any concerns raised by parishioners at this time.

According to the Bee, Francis House is one of the largest agencies serving the homeless in the Sacramento region, with upwards of 25,000 clients and an annual budget of around $500,000. The diocese has contributed between $7,5000 to $10,000 to the agency every year for at least two decades, a significant amount in a struggling economy.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/08/Diocese_Defunds_Homeless_Group_Over_Directors_Gay_ Marriage_Views/

Number of Antigay Hate Groups Rises 60 Percent

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/SPLC.jpg
Photo Courtesy Southern Poverty Law Center
The number of hate groups in the U.S. has grown for the 12th consecutive year, according to a report (http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/the-year-in-hate-and-extremism) published Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Specifically, SPLC reports a 60% increase in the number of antigay hate groups, from 17 in 2010 to 27 last year. “They represent both a kind of right-wing populist rage and a left-wing populist rage that has gotten all mixed up in anger toward the government,” Mark Potok, a senior fellow with the Southern Poverty Law Center and author of the report, told the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/us/number-of-us-hate-groups-on-the-rise-report-says.html?ref=todayspaper).

SPLC has been tracking the growth of hate groups for 30 years, and has documented a steady growth of such organizations since 2000, when 602 were identified. The legal advocacy group attributes the growth of antigay groups to the advances in LGBT rights, including the repeal of "don’t ask, don’t tell" and a growing push for marriage equality nationwide.

“It was precisely these advances that seemed to set off a furious rage on the religious right, with renewed efforts to ban or repeal marriage equality and what seemed to be an intensification of anti-gay propaganda in certain quarters,” Potok wrote in the report.

Read the full report here (http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/the-year-in-hate-and-extremism).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/08/Number_of_Antigay_Hate_Groups_Rises_60_Percent/

Fascinating report, I highly recommend everyone read it.

TheGodlessUtopian

8th March 2012, 20:37

Gay Couples: Feel Free to Hold Hands at London Olympics

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-08/london_olympics2012x390.jpg

Volunteers getting trained for the London Summer Olympics are now prepared to handle complaints of same-sex PDAs.

Part of the training for volunteers is a diversity quiz. One question involves a hypothetical situation where two men are holding hands and a neighboring person asks the volunteer to tell them to stop.

“What do you do?,” the quiz asks.

“a) You tell the person to stop being a homophobic idiot and walk away.
b) You want everybody to feel comfortable and welcome at the Games, so you politely ask the couple to stop holding hands.
c) You explain that there is a huge diversity of people at the London 2012 Games, which includes gay, lesbian and bisexual couples.”

The correct answer, thankfully, is c). Read more here. (http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/03/07/london-olympics-volunteers-quizzed-on-how-to-deal-with-gay-issues/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=london-olympics-volunteers-quizzed-on-how-to-deal-with-gay-issues)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/08/Gay_Couples_Feel_Free_to_Hold_Hands_at_London_Olym pics/

Takei Takes on Tennessee's Frenemies of Dorothy

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-08/takeix390.jpg

Last year, out actor and former Celebrity Apprentice contestant took on the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/05/20/Dont_Say_Gay_Say_Takei/) in Tennessee, which could prohibit teachers from discussing homosexuality in classrooms with students.

Now he's back, taking on three lawmakers who are on, what he calls, an "anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender crusade." He compares state Rep. Stacey Campfield, state Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Richard Floyd to various friends of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Watch the video below:

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/08/Takei_Takes_on_Tennessees_Frenemies_of_Dorothy/

P.S: See source for video

Utah Sex-Ed Bill: Abstinence Only, Don’t Say Gay

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-08/ROMEROX390.jpg
Sen. Ross Romero
The Utah Senate Tuesday passed a bill mandating abstinence-only sex education, with no discussion of homosexuality, in public schools, sending it to Gov. Gary Herbert for consideration.

The House had approved the legislation last week. Herbert, a Republican, has not said whether he will sign or veto it.

The bill “defines sex education in Utah as abstinence-only and bans instruction in sexual intercourse, homosexuality, contraceptive methods and sexual activity outside of marriage,” Salt Lake City’s Deseret News (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865551672/Senate-joins-House-in-passing-abstinence-only-bill.html?pg=1) reports. It also allows schools to opt out of teaching sex education at all. Current law allows schools to choose an abstinence-only curriculum and parents to choose whether or not their children attend sex-ed classes; Herbert has said in the past that this arrangement works well.

The legislation’s sponsor, Republican House member Bill Wright, crafted it “in response to what he viewed as inappropriate material being presented in classrooms, specifically materials produced by Planned Parenthood,” according to the News. “A lot of our districts are already teaching abstinence,” he told the paper. “This will help us set a path in the future where our curriculum doesn’t get hijacked.”

His bill had opposition from several organizations, including Planned Parenthood and the Utah Parent-Teacher Association, and Democratic legislators. One of them, Sen. Ross Romero, unsuccessfully tried to amend the bill to allow for discussion of homosexuality, saying teachers should be able to counsel and support gay students, The Salt Lake Tribune (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/53660875-90/bill-education-lake-lawmakers.html.csp) reports. He also said many young people do not receive sex education at home.

“We’ve been discussing this as if every child has the benefit of two loving and caring parents who are ready to have a conversation about appropriate sexual activity, and I’m here to tell you that’s just not the case,” he said during Tuesday debate on the bill. Another Democratic senator, Patricia Jones, called the legislation “a mandate against reality.”

Some supporters of the bill said comprehensive sex education has no place in schools. “I recognize that some parents do not take the opportunity to teach in their own homes, but we as a society should not be teaching or advocating homosexuality or sex outside marriage or different forms of contraceptives for premarital sex,” said Republican senator John Valentine.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/08/Utah_Sex_Ed_Bill__Abstinence_Only_Dont_Say_Gay/

Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson Speaks Against Homophobia At L.A. High School

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-08/Josh-Hutcherson-GSA-SBNN-400x300.jpg
Photos courtesy of Celebuzz
Josh Hutcherson, star of The Hunger Games, took a break from his promotional duties to speak with the Gay Straight Alliance at a Los Angeles high school, reports Celebuzz (http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-03-07/josh-hutcherson-makes-surprise-appearance-at-la-high-school-gsa-meeting-exclusive-photo/).

The 19-year-old actor, who plays Peeta in the highly anticipated movie franchise, is reported to have made a surprise appearance at a high school in South Central Los Angeles. Hutcherson, who is closely associated the the anitbullying organization Straight But Not Narrow, spoke with the Gay Straight Alliance about the importance of straight allies for gay youth.

In 2010, Hutcherson played the son of lesbian couple Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right. Last year he filmed a PSA for Straight But Not Narrow. Watch the video below. For more information on SBNN, go here (http://www.wearesbnn.com/).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/08/Hunger_Games_Josh_Hutcherson_Speaks_Against_Bullyi ng_At_High_School/

P.S: See source for video

NEW YORK—Iro Uikka clutches his throat as he describes the violent clash that led to spending his nights sleeping in New York City subway cars.

"When I told my mother I was gay, she grabbed me by the neck and threw me out," he says. "Then she threw my coat on top of me and shut the door."

That was five years ago when he was 18, still living at home in Florida.

Uikka is among tens of thousands of homeless youths across America who are LGBT -- lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Most are on the streets because they have nowhere else to go -- outcasts who leave home after being rejected by family members or flee shelters because residents bully or beat them.

LGBT young people represent a dramatically high proportion of an estimated 600,000 or more homeless youths across the country -- between 20 percent and 40 percent, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. But only about 5 percent of youths identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We've won battles for gay marriage and gays in the military," says Carl Siciliano, founder and executive director of the New York-based Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest organization for LGBT youth. "This is the next frontier, the next battle: helping these youths."

The White House has taken notice. Members of the Obama Administration are hosting a national conference on housing and homelessness in America's LGBT communities on Friday in Detroit. They'll discuss these issues with advocates, community leaders and the public.

Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh, who is openly gay, is one of the participants.

"I take this discussion personally because I know too many people who have been kicked out of their homes because of their orientation," he told The Associated Press. "To get this kind of attention from the White House is exactly what we need to raise conscientiousness and to help parents find a way to deal with their kids' orientation."

Detroit has the only nonprofit agency in the Midwest that focuses on LGBT youth -- the Ruth Ellis Center, co-host of the Friday conference. But the largely voiceless, powerless youth are fighting to survive from coast to coast.

They live on streets, in subways and train stations, on river piers, in parks and abandoned houses. They're robbed, raped and assaulted. Some are murdered.

And they're invisible to most Americans.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are about four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers, according to the CDC. And one in three is thrown out by their parents, according to data collected from youth across the country by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University.Continued... (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/03/08/homeless_youth_the_next_battle_for_gay_equality?pa ge=2)

Source: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/03/08/homeless_youth_the_next_battle_for_gay_equality/

P.S: See source for remainder of story.

Michigan City Celebrates Oldest Gay Rights Ordinance in U.S.

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-07/eastlansingx390.jpg

Even though the state it’s in still allows people to be fired for being gay or transgender, East Lansing, Mich. just celebrated the 40th anniversary of its pro-gay ordinance, the nation's first.

On March 7, 1972, the East Lansing city council voted 4-1 to protect city workers from termination related to their gender or sexual orientation (though an ultimately unsuccessful effort was launched to make “homosexual solicitation” a fireable offense). A gay rights group at Michigan State University pushed the historic action at city hall. Now, a city councilman is sponsoring a resolution to honor East Lansing’s role in gay rights.

“Outside of East Lansing and the 17 cities that have passed similar ordinances in Michigan, it’s still legal in our state to fire someone for being gay,” East Lansing city council member and mayor pro tem Nathan Triplett, who’s sponsoring the anniversary resolution, told The American Independent. (http://www.americanindependent.com/213471/east-lansing-celebrates-nations-oldest-lgbt-nondiscrimination-law)

East Lansing paved the way for thousands of municipalities to formally protect LGBT people from discrimination.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/Michigan_City_Celebrates_Oldest_Gay_Rights_Ordinan ce_in_US/

TheGodlessUtopian

8th March 2012, 20:42

After having been slandered by Rush Limbaugh for her congressional testimony on women’s health and contraception, Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke is being lambasted by other right-wingers for supporting insurance coverage of LGBT-specific health needs, such as gender-reassignment procedures.
Stephen Gutowski, a blogger for the ultraconservative Media Research Center, wrote a post this week saying Fluke is “pushing some rather radical ideas,” based on an article she coedited for the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law’s 2011 annual review issue.
In the article, “Employment Discrimination Against LGBTQ Persons,” Fluke and coeditor Karen Hu deal with “direct discrimination limiting access to benefits specifically needed by LGBTQ persons” and “the unavailability of family-related benefits to LGBTQ families.” As an example of the former, they cite lack of gender-reassignment coverage in many employee benefit plans. Gutowski objects to their assertion that gender reassignment is a medically necessary procedure and that opposition to it is often based on “ignorance and bias against transgender persons.”
Several other right-wing media outlets have picked up on his argument. For instance, Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham said on Fox & Friends Tuesday that Fluke’s article “seems to indicate that she believes that if you don’t pay for sex change operations, gender reassignment, it’s called — operations — you also could be described as a discriminatory employer. So today the pill. Tomorrow sex reassignment surgery, perhaps. And then down the road, what other things should be covered for free?”
But as Equality Matters blogger Justin Berrier points out, it is increasingly common, and not particularly controversial, for employer health insurance plans to cover gender reassignment. The Human Rights Campaign’s survey for its Corporate Equality Index last year found more than 200 companies offering the coverage, more than double the number the previous year. These include such large, mainstream companies as American Airlines, General Mills, and Office Depot.
Also, Berrier notes, the American Medical Association considers gender reassignment medically necessary for people who have been diagnosed with gender identity disorder and supports insurance coverage for treatment. “The suggestion that Fluke’s description of discrimination in employer coverage of transgender medical care is somehow extreme or outside the mainstream is simply inaccurate,” he concludes.

Source: http://www.shewired.com/health/2012/03/07/right-wingers-lambast-sandra-fluke-time-supporting-lgbt-specific-health-care

Lesbian Student Delivers 200,000 Signatures to Protest Bully Rating

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-06/butler.jpg

Katy Butler, a Michigan high school student who identifies as lesbian and who launched (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/28/Bully_Threatened_With_NC17_Rating/) a Change.org petition to overturn the antibullying documentary Bully’s R rating, personally delivered 200,000 signatures to the Motion Picture Association of America.
Bully, which chronicles the lives of bullied students in the U.S, received an R rating (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/24/Bully_Doc_Given_R_Rating_Cant_Be_Shown_in_Schools/) last month ahead of its March 30 release due to six expletives. Butler has petitioned to lower the rating to PG-13 in order to reach a broader student population. Butler says she was inspired to start the campaign after experiencing a bullying incident in her own life, when bullies slammed a locker on her hand and broke one of her fingers.
"Today, with the help of more than 200,000 people who have signed my Change.org petition, we sent a loud and clear message to the MPAA that the movie Bully shouldn't be given an R rating," Butler says in an exclusive statement to The Advocate. "Every day in every middle school and high school in America, students are bullied. This movie, if given a PG-13 rating, could reach those students as well as bullies themselves and help put a stop to the epidemic of school bullying in our country. The MPAA should pay attention. They ruled by one vote that Bully should be rated R. We're telling them, with more than 200,000 voices, that an R rating will prevent this movie from being seen by those students who need to see it the most."
Watch Butler's recent appearance on Fox & Friends below.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/Student_to_Deliver_200000_Signatures_to_Fight_Bull y_Rating/

Study: Half of Teens With Gay Moms Bullied

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-07/MOTHER_DAUGHTERX390.jpg

A new study of teens who grew up in lesbian-headed households found that 50% experience stigma, but many have been able to cope with the bullying.

The study — authored by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Research Institute of Child Development and Education at the University of Amsterdam — queried 78 adolescents. While it may not be surprising that teasing and bullying is pervasive among those with lesbian parents, it was enlightening to see that nearly two thirds found effective coping skills.

“Most teenagers tried to comfort themselves while others confronted the perpetrators to make it clear that teasing and ridicule were unacceptable,” according to a press release. “Some choose to be with friends who were supportive of their family situation, or looked for social support by telling others what happened.”

Other kids said they chose to remain oblique about their family situation, using the term “parents” instead of “moms.” Click here for more details on the study. (http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/parenting/stigmatization-associated-with-growing-up-in-a-lesbian-parented-family/)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/Study_Half_of_Teens_With_Gay_Moms_Bullied/

School board rewords dress code ban

Board wanted to ban cross dressing

Updated: Monday, 05 Mar 2012, 8:13 PM EST
Published : Monday, 05 Mar 2012, 8:13 PM EST

Erica Jones

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - A proposed policy to ban cross dressing in Suffolk Public Schools has been reworded by the school board.
The original policy (https://esb.spsk12.net/attachments/4ba5744b-bcdd-4953-8492-4f1a48e66400.pdf) banned "any clothing worn by a student that is not in keeping with a student's gender and causes a disruption and/or distracts others from the educational process or poses a health or safety concern."
The new student dress code (https://esb.spsk12.net/attachments/efab6cc0-e03e-4a91-a019-6372523b4afe.pdf) removes the wording concerning the student's gender and states "...the substantial disruption and/or distraction, or serious health concern caused by student clothing, must be sufficiently documented in writing by the building principal or his or her designee.
Members of the Suffolk School Board originally intended for the ban to keep male students from dressing in female clothing and vice versa.
Only one member expressed doubt about changing the dress code.
Before the first reading of the original policy, the ACLU issued a warning to the school board to not pass the "discriminatory gender-based dress code", calling the proposed ban "unconstitutionally vague".
The ACLU said the ban would violate federal law Title IX, which prohibits educational institutions from discriminating on the basis of sex.
"In this day and age, there is simply no reason to require students to wear particular types of clothing based on their gender," ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis said. "If a student's decision not to conform to gender roles is 'distracting' to another student, the school's responsibility is to refocus the distracted student, not to reinforce gender stereotypes."
The school board believed the ban would promote student safety, as members feared cross dressing students could be easy targets for violence.

Source: http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/suffolk/school-board-rewords-dress-code-ban

TheGodlessUtopian

9th March 2012, 23:08

Just because Mark Cuban recently said that he thinks the NBA will soon have an openly gay basketball player (http://www.queerty.com/mark-cuban-there-absolutely-will-be-an-openly-gay-nba-player-within-the-next-three-to-five-years-20111219/), doesn’t mean he’s above making a stupid gay joke. Per the Boston Phoenix (http://blog.thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archive/2012/03/07/mark-cuban-s-homophobic-remark-at-sloan-conference-was-edited-out-of-bill-simmons-espn-podcast.aspx)—and a thoughtful piece on Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/on-mark-cubans-gay-joke-about-bill-simmons-what-the-nba-does-about-it-and-espn-scrubbing-the-decks?urn=nba,wp15850)—Cuban, the gazillionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, did just that during a live ESPN podcast with Grantland.com editor-in-chief Bill Simmons, who is straight.
When talk between the two men turned to the sports world’s famous “Kiss Cam,” Simmons said, “I like the Kiss Cam.”
Cuban eloquently retorted “That’s because you and your boyfriend are always on it.”
Woah, witty!
But when the podcast for The B.S. Report was later uploaded, Cuban’s comment had been snipped. It’s not clear whether ESPN was trying to protect Cuban’s image or if Cuban had asked that the remark be cut.
Friday afternoon Cuban tweeted “Am I a Homophobe?” and included a link to a blog post (http://blogmaverick.com/2012/03/09/am-i-a-homophobe/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogmaverick%2FtyiP+%28blog+m averick%29) he wrote explaining that he was “just trying to be funny.”
What do you think, sports fans? Was Cuban just taking an immature jab at a colleague or was his censored comment proof he’s a serious homophobe?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/espn-doesnt-want-you-to-know-that-mark-cuban-makes-lame-gay-jokes-20120309/#ixzz1ofCv2zt5

Today in the Dharun Ravi trial, defense lawyers called a series of character witnesses to assert that Ravi was not anti-gay and didn’t intend any malice against Tyler Clementi because of his sexual orientation. The AP reports (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/dharun-ravis-defense-begins_n_1334357.html?ref=new-york&ir=New%20York) that all seven character witnesses called to the stand—mostly middle-aged business associates of Ravi’s father, a software engineer—testified that they’d never heard Ravi say anything homophobic, they also all admitted upon cross-examination that the topic of homosexuality had never been broached.
“Why would that come up?” said Anil Kappa, a business partner of Ravi’s father, after Prosecutor Julia McClure asked how many times they’d discussed homosexuality.
All seven took the stand within a relatively brief span of just one hour, after which Middlesex County Detective Frank DiNinno was summoned. Defense lawyers tried to insinuate that the prosecution’s witnesses were too close to Detective DiNinno because they call him by his first name Frank, and that jurors should take those witnesses’ testimony less seriously.
During his investigation, DiNinno interviewed Ravi’s Rutgers classmates to see if he had any anti-gay bias. DiNinno testified today that he was just trying to find out what was happening between Clementi and Ravi.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/defense-witnesses-say-dharun-ravi-never-appeared-anti-gay-but-it-never-came-up-20120309/

We’ve kept you abreast (pun intended) of the ongoing saga of Chick-Fil-A (http://www.queerty.com/northeastern-student-government-nixes-plan-to-invite-anti-gay-chick-fil-a-on-campus-20120307/), the Christian-owned fast food joint long under fire for discriminating against gays and lesbians. Here in New York, the company’s sole outlet is on the campus of New York http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/chickfila-360x424.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/chickfila.png)University, where student groups have been trying to get it ousted for years.
This week, a flyer that appeared to be from Chick-Fil-A went viral on the Internet, thanking the NYU community for its continuing patronage and encouraging people to apply for jobs.
Of course, if you read the fine print at the bottom of the ad, you saw some rather strict stipulations:

Remember Chick-Fil-A is a Christian company. We strive to have our values reflected in our employees. Please be prepared to discuss your religion, family history, personal relationships, etc., upon interviewing. Chick-Fil-A reserves the right to question, in detail, your sexual relationship history.

The Bible and Chick-Fil-A define a traditional relationship as consisting of a man and woman. Anyone living a life of sin need not apply. The Chick-Fil-A foundation. God, Family, Tradition.
Not surprisingly, it turns out the flyer was a hoax: “It’s inappropriate and we had nothing to do with it,” a Chick-Fil-A spokesperson told Metro newspaper (http://www.metro.us/newyork/life/article/1120372--chick-fil-a-confirms-viral-homophobic-hiring-flyer-is-a-hoax). “If you look at the logo, you can see it’s not correct, which is further evidence that it’s fraudulent.”
Well, the logo might be wrong but there’s really nothing on the flyer that’s not in line with the corporation’s public policy. Sorry, Chick-Fil-A, that bird won’t fly.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nyu-chick-fil-a-flyer-a-hoax-but-companys-homophobia-is-very-real-20120309/#ixzz1ofDPF0Gd

We think Ron Brown, the assistant coach for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s football team, might have gotten tackled one too many times. How else would you explain why someone who doesn’t even live in Omaha—and who’s career has nothing to do with politics or civic service—thinks they’re justified in coming before the Omaha City Council to testify against (http://journalstar.com/news/local/perlman-throws-flag-on-ron-brown-s-omaha-city-council/article_486450e1-105c-5d52-a109-660c0987a4c0.html#ixzz1of9tooxZ) a proposed ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity?
Is he worried he wouldn’t be able to call his players screaming Marys when they fumble?
“As a Christian, and as a citizen, I believe I have the responsibility to stand for what I believe in,” Brown (right) said Thursday. “I’m firm on my stance… For those of you on this council who have a relationship with Christ, and only you know if you do, you will be held to great accountability for the decision you make.” he said.
Trying to explain why he was nosing into city business, Brown explained “I was there because I realize that protection of one group of people as a class is going to unprotect another group.”
Maybe the council was confused: During his testimony, Brown facetiously gave his address as Omaha’s Memorial Stadium, where the Cornhuskers play. He also leads Nebraska’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and runs FreedMen Nebraska, a statewide Evangelical ministry.
Queerty reader John Carroll, who tipped us off to this story, is a Cornhuskers season ticket holder and dashed off an email (http://www.omaha.com/article/20120308/NEWS01/120309676#video) to the school relaying his disappointment over the whole situation:

To hear Coach Brown, a representative of the University of Nebraska, use God and Jesus to argue against providing gays and lesbians protection from people that would harm them in the work place is beyond the pale. It makes me wonder what would happen if one of the football players came out. Would he bench them? Would he recommend kicking them off the team? I know former players that are gay. Has the University ever once asked them what it was like hiding in plain sight?
Mr. Brown’s veiled threat was particularly galling, “The question I have for you, like Pontius Pilate, is: ‘What are you going to do with Jesus?’ For those of you on this council who have a relationship with Christ, and only you know if you do, you will be held to great accountability for the decision you make.”
Coach Brown is a religious bully and has a history of using the University as his pulpit all the while disguising it as “motivational speaking.” No one can deny the impact that Coach Brown has had on young men from tough backgrounds. However, that cannot come at the expense of other kids, namely gay and transgendered kids.
If Mr. Brown insists on exercising his first amendment rights all the while spewing anti-gay rhetoric and threats of eternal damnation, please have him use his own address in the future. We should never hear in a public forum the words Memorial Stadium and sinner in the same speech.
Brown’s bosses at the U of Nebraska-Lincoln released a statement yesterday condemning his testimony, but only because he didn’t make it clear he was speaking for himself and not as a representative of the school.
Oh we just can’t with these people anymore.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/why-the-is-a-football-coach-testifying-about-omahas-gay-discrimination-ban-20120309/#ixzz1ofDfi9bC

Rush Limbaugh pissed off advertisers, President Obama and all right-thinking Americans last week when he launched into a vicious tirade against Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke simply for defending birth-control coverage.
http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/04/rushlimbaugh.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/04/rushlimbaugh.jpg)We’re glad the pill-popping serial monogamist was called out, but we wish people had shown their outrage earlier—like maybe during one of Windbag’s Limbaugh’s many attacks on the LGBT community?
Watchdog group Media Matters posted a piece today (http://mediamatters.org/blog/201203090007) detailing just some of his anti-gay rhetoric. In November 2004, for example, he told a caller—a high-school teacher worried about her gay students being villified—that openly gay students were asking for trouble.

Limbaugh: What’s important when you go to school? Learning how to prepare yourself for the rest of your life or trumpeting your sexuality?
Caller: I don’t think anyone’s trumpeting their sexuality.
Limbaugh: Well, how do we know then that they’re gay if they’re not…
Caller: Certainly…
Limbaugh: How do we know it? How do we know who’s gay and who’s straight unless somebody’s out there making a big case about it?
Caller: No, no one’s making a big case…
Limbaugh: some people are inviting dissent.
Last fall, the shlock jock told listeners that Lawrence King, the 15-year-old murdered by a classmate for allegedly coming onto him, wanted a “chop-a-dick-offa’-me operation.”

He was showing up in school dressed as a woman… wearing dresses. He was bothering the other boys. His mother called the school. She was worried about her son’s behavior. She asked the school to keep a sharp eye out for him, that she was worried that his behavior was going to cause something unfortunate to happen to him. We’re talking 14-, and 15-, 16-year-olds here. Her son dresses up as a woman, goes to school, and starts lavishing attention on other boys.
When she told school officials about this, she says, again, that school officials told her that there was nothing they could do. That her son had a civil right to explore his sexual identity, meaning he had a right to come to school dressed as a girl. He had a right to come to school dressed in female attire—he was wearing dresses. He had a right to explore whether or not he was a woman in a boy’s body. He had the right to explore whether at some point he was going to need a chop-a-dick-offa’-me operation.
In other episodes, Limbaugh defended Ronald Reagan’s inaction in the AIDS crisis, called accused child molester Jerry Sandusky a homosexual (“Nobody’s mentioning that aspect, because it’s just too dangerous,” Rush opined) and claimed Education Department official Kevin Jennings taught fisting to grade schoolers.
The weirdest anecdote, though, stems from an episode on November 28, 2011, when Rush mocked gay Rep. Barney Frank by playing the song “My Boy Lollipop” and making slurping noises.

We’d almost say Limbaugh was obsessed with gays, but even a passing thought of Rush as a closeted homosexual is enough to want us to take a Silkwood shower.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/why-rush-limbaughs-advertisers-should-have-dumped-him-years-ago-20120309/#ixzz1ofE9Zsyo

TheGodlessUtopian

9th March 2012, 23:15

It appears MSNBC can dish it out but it can’t take it: On Tuesday the cable news network turned down an ahttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/10/tony_perkins_th.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/10/tony_perkins_th.jpg)d that criticized Family Research Council and its president, Tony Perkins, a frequent guest on the channel.
According to its website, Faithful America (http://www.faithfulamerica.org/about/)—the group that submitted the commercial—is an online community inspired to “counter hate speech and misinformation in the media pertaining to people of faith.”
In a statement, a FA spokesman said:

Amid a growing outcry from Christian leaders to take Family Research Council President Tony Perkins off the air, MSNBC yesterday rejected an ad exposing his and [Family Research Council's] extensive record of hate speech against gay and lesbian Americans. Perkins has appeared on MSNBC 23 times since his organization was designated a hate group, most recently last week on Hardball with Chris Matthews.
In the commercial (http://youtu.be/XryTYvJ2btw), Perkins is seen comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and calling gay people “vile.”
According to the Florida Independent (http://floridaindependent.com/72355/msnbc-rejects-ad-criticizing-family-research-council), FA claims it collected 20,000 signatures to get Perkins booted and delivered them to MSNBC’s Manhattan offices. But both the request and the ad were rejected. The group’s director, Michael Sherrard, explained that, “a representative from MSNBC wrote, ‘Thank you for providing the ad and substantiation… Our policy states that we have sole discretion to accept or reject an ad based on its appropriateness. In this instance we are rejecting the ad.’”
Sherrard told the Independent that his group is “deeply concerned that MSNBC uses Perkins as an appropriate spokesperson for the faith community.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/msnbc-rejects-ad-critical-of-frequent-guest-tony-perkins-20120309/#ixzz1ofEW0CfR

Gay men love their booze and their tiny packed spaces. So what happens when too many ladies try to squeeze into our watering holes? Apparently at Wang’s (http://chicago.gaycities.com/bars/3644-wangs), a gay bar in Chicago (http://www.chicago.gaycities.com/)‘s Boystown gayborhood, the posted policy has been to ban women after 11pm, when shit gets real busy. Now Wang’s and a number of other Boystown bars with similar policies are facing an investigation by the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Reports the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/wangs-chicago-gay-bar-ban_n_1327766.html?ref=chicago):

Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney, whose 44th Ward encapsulates the Boystown commercial district, reached out to the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) after The Huffington Post informed him of the policy.

“Businesses within our neighborhood should be accommodating and respectful towards all patrons,” Tunney said in a statement.
Beyond being disappointing to women who want to drink at the bar, such a policy is illegal. Mike Claffey, a spokesman for the IDHR, confirmed that the state Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of one’s sex or other protected categories in places of public accommodation—including bars. The IDHR is looking into the matter.
Clearly, this is a special case, though—women are being banned because it’s a bar that specifically caters to gay men, ones who are looking to hook up and find partners in the later hours, not because women are meant to stay home and cook and clean and never go to any bars ever.
So, how do we keep the Carrie Bradshaws of the world from taking over our bars without breaking the law or being unethical?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/chicago-gay-bar-bans-women-at-busiest-times-illegal-maybe-but-is-it-just-practical-20120309/#ixzz1ofEgZXtD

Chris Hughes made his name in social media, but the 28-year-old gay co-founder of Facebook just jumped into the print game by purchasing a majority stake in the New Republic, according to the Washington Post. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/chris-hughes-facebook-co-founder-takes-over-new-republic-magazine/2012/03/09/gIQAtm5G1R_story.html)http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/TNR-360x472.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/TNR.png) Hughes introduced himself to readers of the venerable, left-leaning magazine in column published online today (http://www.tnr.com/article/101532/home-news-letter-tnr-readers-chris-hughes):
It seems that today too many media institutions chase superficial metrics of online virality at the expense of investing in rigorous reporting and analysis of the most important stories of our time. When few people are investing in media institutions with such bold aims as “enlightenment to the problems of the nation,” I believe we must.
Many of us get our news from social networks, blogs, and daily aggregators. The web has introduced a competitive, and some might argue hostile, landscape for long, in-depth, resource-intensive journalism. But as we’ve seen with the rise of tablets and mobile reading devices, it is an ever-shifting landscape—one that I believe now offers opportunities to reinvigorate the forms of journalism that examine the challenges of our time in all their complexity. Although the method of delivery of important ideas has undergone drastic change over the past 15 years, the hunger for them has not dissipated.
In the next era of The New Republic, we will aggressively adapt to the newest information technologies without sacrificing our commitment to serious journalism. We will look to tell the most important stories in politics and the arts and provide the type of rigorous analysis that The New Republic has been known for. We will ask pressing questions of our leaders, share groundbreaking new ideas, and shed new light on the state of politics and culture.
Hughes will serve as publisher and editor-in-chief of the 98-year-old magazine, which has been steadily losing readers and ad revenue. He told the New York Times, “Profit per se is not my motive… The reason I’m getting involved here is that I believe in the type of vigorous contextual journalism that we, as a society, need.”
Sounds good, but we guess it’s pretty easy to poo-poo profit as a motive when you’re worth a cool $700 million.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/chris-hughes-facebooks-gay-co-founder-purchases-dead-tree-new-republic-20120309/#ixzz1ofEy5TuY

In the touching, award-winning short “James,” by writer-director Connor Clements, a young Irish lad feels like an outsider at home and at school. When he finally confides his burgeoning feelings to a favorite teacher, the result is not what he expected. Niall Wright, who played James, garnered praise for his performance in this role and others.
Watch Part One above and then continue with Part Two below.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/watch-irish-eyes-are-crying-in-the-coming-out-short-james-20120309/#ixzz1ofFHet4I

P.S: See source for videos

We’ve given Douche of the Week awards to individuals, to groups—heck we even gave it to the Republican presidential nominees (http://www.queerty.com/introducing-the-douches-of-the-year-the-republican-presidential-candidates-20111230/) once. But we’re pretty sure this is the first time we’ve presented the esteemed award to a Catholic diocese.
Good thing we’re going to hell anyway.
The Diocese of Sacramento, CA, announced it was pulling its funding (http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/07/3476071/catholic-diocese-halts-funding.html) from Francis House, a nonprofit providing services to the homeless, because its director, Rev. Faith Whitmore, made public her support of marriage equality and a woman’s right to choose.
Now we haven’t heard back from Francis House, but we’re pretty sure they don’t perform marriages or abortions there. So even though those things aren’t in line with Catholic doctrine, they really don’t have anything to do with tending to the needy, which we’re pretty sure the Son of God was big on.
In a letter, Rev. Michael Kiernan, the diocese’s social services director, said it was “impossible for the diocese to continue funding Francis House.”
Francis House is one of the largest homeless-services nonprofits in the region, with a budget of $500,000 and some 25,000 clients. For the past twenty years, it’s received between $7,500 and $10,000 from the diocese. But according to Kiernan’s missive, it was dropping coal in Francis House’s stocking because of Whitmore, an ordained United Methodist minister.

In its letter to Whitmore, the Sacramento diocese said it respects the work Francis House does and cannot expect every organization it supports financially to “actively promote Catholic teaching.”
“We can expect, however, that they or their leaders not publicly oppose Catholic teaching and that, unfortunately, is the situation in which we find ourselves,” the letter reads.
Well, we’re pretty sure Methodists don’t believe the Pope is the ultimate authority on religious matters, so wouldn’t Whitmore be “opposing Catholic teachings” by even telling anyone she’s a pastor in the United Methodist Church?
Whitmore, who came in as director after the sudden death of longtime head Gregory Bunker, says the loss of the Church’s donation isn’t devastating but that any cuts hurt in this economy. Thankfully, Francis House is standing behind her. According to the Kansas Star (http://www.queerty.com/sacramento-diocese-cuts-funding-to-homeless-group-because-director-likes-gays-20120309/Read%20more%20here:%20http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/07/3476071/catholic-diocese-halts-funding.html#storylink=cpy):

“She had some big shoes to fill at Francis House, and she has done that very well,” said Francis House board member Michael Miiller. “We serve the poor. We don’t have a litmus test for homeless people when they come in. We don’t ask them for their position on choice and gay marriage. We just help them. But for whatever reason, the diocese made those issues a higher priority than the mission.”
The Sacramento diocese is engaging in blackmail—which isn’t one of the Ten Commandments, but is still really, really bad.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/sacramento-diocese-cuts-funding-to-homeless-group-because-director-likes-gays-20120309/#ixzz1ofFYpuzs

Three incarnations of the GLAAD Media Awards (http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards) (in L.A., NYC, and SF) are popping up in the coming months, and the media-watchdog group has recruited some surprising stars to make appearances. Jersey Shore‘s Vinny Guadagnino, Kirk Cameron’s anti-Kirk Cameron co-star (http://www.queerty.com/growing-pains-tracey-gold-tweets-about-tv-sibling-kirk-camerons-anti-gay-agenda-20120305/) Tracey Gold, and Top Chef beauty Padma Lakshmi are confirmed to make appearances at the New York edition of the awards, being held on Saturday, March 24th.
If Vinny G. seems an odd choice, Vinny’s actually been a consistent ally, despite being bros with borderline-homophobic (http://www.queerty.com/the-situation-is-going-to-rip-snooki-and-jwoww-a-new-one-for-calling-him-gay-20120209/) Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino. Last year, the Vinster introduced several hundred LGBT teens who were part of the audience as part of the GLAAD Media Awards Young Adult program.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/betty-white.jpg.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/betty-white.jpg.png)Over in L.A., the celebrity level is a bit higher—Ellen DeGeneres, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Betty White, Anna Paquin and Fran Drescher are all either presenting awards or being honored on April 21th.
The nominees for the Awards, announced in January (http://www.queerty.com/happy-endings-beginners-priscilla-and-more-nominated-for-glaad-media-awards-20120119/), include Beginners, J. Edgar, Albert Nobbs, Weekend, Pariah, Glee, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy. Other nominees include Maureen Dowd and Frank Bruni for Outstanding Newspaper columnist, Entertainment Weekly and People for Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage, and Batwoman and Archie for Outstanding Comic Book.
A third ceremony will be held on June 2 in San Francisco, but the celebrity guests have not yet been announced. For info on tickets and tables, click here (http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/tickets).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/betty-white-jersey-shores-vinny-g-to-appear-at-2012-glaad-media-awards-20120308/#ixzz1ofFoR42H

TheGodlessUtopian

9th March 2012, 23:19

Today One Million Moms—which has neither one million members nor moms, discuss—announced it was abandoning its http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/ellen-degeneres-360x396.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/ellen-degeneres.jpg)fatwah against JCPenney for hiring “open homosexual” Ellen DeGeneres as a spokeswoman. (Last month, the group called for the retailer to can the out talk-show host.)
GLAAD reports:

In an interview with Christian news outlet OneNewsNow.com (http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=1551464), “One Million Moms” Director Monica Cole says that “other issues require her group’s attention, so OMM is moving on.”
Nearly 50,000 advocates and allies joined GLAAD to #StandUpForEllen (http://www.glaad.org/standupforellen) and thank J.C. Penney for its support of Ellen after OMM launched its call for the comedian to be fired simply because she’s gay. Despite the group’s demands, however, J.C. Penney stuck by Ellen, saying that the retailer “shares the same fundamental values.”
We’re glad OMM is “moving on,” but we’re not about to put them on our Christmas list.
Actually, we should thank them: If they hadn’t stirred the hornet’s nest, we never would’ve realized what stylish, sensibly priced clothes JCP has.
And they don’t end their prices in .99!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/one-million-moms-drops-attack-on-ellen-jcpenny-still-hate-the-gays-though-20120308/#ixzz1ofGGngIL

This spring, Les and Scott GrantSmith will mark their 25th wedding anniversary. The couple raised two daughters along the way. But 15 years ago, they hit a crisis that nearly shattered their family. Les was keeping a secret, and that became a problem. But they solved it as a family, in a way that kept them together and happy.
In the weeks leading up to that day back in 1997, Les was certain of two things: She was a mother who loved her daughters — and she was also transgender, the term for someone born in a body of the wrong sex.
Les grew depressed and withdrawn, terrified that revealing her need to live her life as a man would mean losing Scott and their daughters, Thea and Amanda.
Weeks passed in which the couple barely spoke. Finally, Scott confronted his wife, just two days before Thanksgiving.
Not long ago, the two of them sat down to recall the conversation that followed.
"I said, 'What's going on?' " Scott recalls. "And then you said, 'I can't tell you. Because if I do, you'll leave me and take the children and I'll never see them again.' And I said, 'You'd probably better tell me then. Because you can't ... you can't leave it hanging like that.' "
"You can't leave it like that," Les agrees. "So, that's when I told you."
"First thing I remember is that you, you said that you were in the wrong body, that you should be a man," Scott says.
"And if it had seemed to me that I was going to lose you, and I was going to lose the kids, I would have said, 'OK. I'm not transitioning.' But you told me that we'll work it out."
"Early the next week, you were on the computer and you were researching all of the surgeries ..."
"Surgeries ..." Les says.
"The hormones," Scott says.
"Hormones," Les echoes.
"And I just freaked out," Scott says. "It finally occurred to me to ask the question, should I stay or should I go?"
He sums up his immediate response to that question: "Well, I won't be better off. Les won't be better off. And the kids won't be better off."
The couple had met in college; they got married in 1987. And with Les' secret now in the open, they decided to stay together. In 1997, Les began hormone treatments as part of the process of beginning to live life as a man.
"Amanda was 7 at this point, and I explained to her where this was going," Les says. "And she burst into tears and threw herself onto my lap. And she says, 'Oh, please, don't change into a man. If you have to change into anything, couldn't it be a cat?' "
http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/03/07/grantsmit_kids_custom.jpg?t=1331249897&s=2 Enlarge StoryCorps Amanda, Les and Thea GrantSmith spoke about Les' transition from a woman to a man in 1997.

Laughing, he adds, "And that was not a question I had prepared myself to answer. I mean, I was kinda stunned."
"So right around that time, you had started transitioning and we just kinda fell out of holding hands when we were walking along the street," Scott says.
"Spontaneous affection — we couldn't do it comfortably anymore," Les says.
"A lot of it was me," Scott says. "Because it became clear that I would be perceived as gay. But I realized that I didn't fall in love with a couple of body pieces. I decided this is the person."
"And I was still the same person," Les says.
"More so. More like the fun person I remembered from 30-odd years ago," Scott says, "than before the transition."
Les tells his husband, "Right ... right. I mean ... it's just been amazing to watch you. You stuck with it. You persisted. And, every year my respect for you grows and grows."
"I love you," he says.
"I love you," Scott says.
His transition from a woman to a man was also the main topic when Les GrantSmith sat down for a StoryCorps interview with his daughters, Thea, 23, and Amanda, 19. In particular, they talked about the early days, and how they all coped with the change.
"Do you remember the conversation where I told you I was transitioning?" Les asks.
"Yeah. I was really worried about you not wanting to be my mother anymore," says Thea, who was 10 at the time. "So, it was pretty intense."
Les says he never stopped considering himself the girls' mother. And they still think of Les as their mom.
"Did you guys ever feel like maybe it was your fault, that, something that you guys had done?" he asks.
"You made that pretty dang clear — that it had nothing to do with us," Amanda says.
Then she asks Les a question of her own: "What were you most concerned about when you told us?"
"Well, you know, girls learn how to be women from their mothers," Les says. "And I was terrified that I was gonna totally screw you up. And that you wouldn't be comfortable in your own skin. And my only defense against that in my mind was to go, 'They'll see love' — and have that be what makes a relationship work."
"So ... this is a little scary for me to ask," Thea says. "Were you ever prepared to not see us again?"
"No," Les says. "That was never — ever — an option. If it had looked like Dad couldn't have handled it and if it was really freaking you out, it was always my promise I would stop."
Thea says that she remembers the talks she had with Scott about the process as well — and how he told her that it wouldn't help anyone if he abandoned Les, or fought his transition into living as a man.
"He got over anything that was in him that told him that this was wrong, or that he couldn't do it, or that it would be too hard," Thea says. "He thought of me and Amanda and you. And, he made the right decision."

Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/03/09/148178236/a-mom-becomes-a-man-and-a-family-sticks-together

Will President Obama Back Passage of Antibullying Bill?

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-09/OBAMX390.jpg

A bill intended to help stop antigay bullying in schools nationwide would move closer to passage if President Obama backed it, according to a letter sent to him by 70 organizations.

The Student Non-Discrimination Act was proposed by Sen. Al Franken and has about a third of the Senate signed up as cosponsors. But it often takes 60 votes to get anything through there these days. So groups including the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network are calling on Obama to make clear his support for the bill.

"Your administration’s endorsements of both the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Respect for Marriage Act provided those bills with critical momentum," states the letter, which was first reported by the Washington Blade. Neither of those pieces of legislation has passed Congress but activists are hopeful that ENDA, which prohibits antigay discrimination in the workplace, and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act are moving closer to success. The president regularly cites the bills as items Congress should pass.

"An endorsement of the Student Non-Discrimination Act would likewise be a clarion call for equality in our schools and better protections for vulnerable children," the letter says. "And more importantly, it would make clear to all Members of Congress what the administration views as a necessary federal legislative solution to the serious problem of anti-LGBT discrimination and harassment in our nation’s public schools."

A White House aide told the Blade that the president supports the goals behind the bill but did not go as far as it has on ENDA or the Respect for Marriage Act.

“Without speaking to the specifics of this letter, I would note that the president supports the goals of the Student Non-Discrimination Act,” Shin Inouye told (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/08/70-groups-call-on-obama-to-endorse-anti-bullying-legislation/) the Blade. “As the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is being considered by Congress, we look forward to working with lawmakers to ensure that all students are safe and healthy and can learn in environments free from discrimination, bullying and harassment.”

Franken had once hoped to include the SNDA with reauthorization of the No Child Behind Act as that is debated this year. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the rest of the administration have not shied away from the issue of bullying, even hosting a conference on it in Washington. And Duncan called (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/25/Franken_Tells_GSAs_He_Needs_Votes_for_Antidiscrimi nation_Measure/) harassment and bullying "serious, serious problems" in a video message delivered to gay-straight alliances, saying the president believes in "a collective obligation to ensure that all schools are safe for children."

In a response to The Advocate's candidate questionnaire this month, the president noted, "I hosted the first White House conference on bullying prevention and many in my Administration, including myself and Vice President Biden, participated in the It Gets Better Project that gives hope to young people who are victims of bullying or harassment because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/09/Will_President_Obama_Back_Passage_of_Antibullying_ Bill/

Iowa Superintendent Stands Up for LGBT Students

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-09/Superintendent-Jim-Stantonx390.jpg
Dunkerton Community School superintendent Jim Stanton
After two musical groups disparaged gays at an Iowa school assembly, the district’s superintendent told students that such messages had no place in his schools.

The Thursday performance by Junkyard Prophet and a group called You Can Run But You Cannot Hide ended with the musicians reportedly spouting antigay rhetoric. Later in the day, Dunkerton Community School superintendent Jim Stanton “prompted a contrary message of tolerance,” according to Iowa’s KCCI. He told students the performance was a mistake and “didn’t conform to the district’s teaching of tolerance.” Read more here. (http://www.kcci.com/r/30643934/detail.html)

You Can Run But You Cannot Hide is a Minnesota-based group that is associated with antigay congresswoman Michele Bachmann. (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/06/18/Michele_Bachmann_Glittered_By_Gay_Activist/)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/09/Iowa_Superintendent_Stands_Up_for_LGBT_Students/

TheGodlessUtopian

9th March 2012, 23:25

Second Class Citizens Doc Raises $176K

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-09/second-class-citizenX390.jpg

Filmmaker Ryan James Yezak was able to raise more than three times as much as he needed to produce a documentary about the gay rights movement on Kickstarter.com.

Yezak, whose Second Class Citizens documentary teaser went viral earlier this year, set up a Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanjamesyezak/second-class-citizens-documentary) to raise $50,000 to produce a full version of the documentary. The campaign exceeded expectations with 4,272 backers as of Friday afternoon, raising $176,354.

In explaining why he wanted to tackle such a documentary, Yezak wrote, "My boss asked me if I wanted to donate blood with her. I immediately got up to go with her & then stopped abruptly realizing that I couldn't donate blood. She did not believe me, nor did she understand why. I felt like a different species. I did not feel one with the human race in that moment. That was the moment it had a direct effect on me & my rights — that is when I decided to make this documentary."
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/09/Second_Class_Citizen_Doc_Raises_176K/

Pope Condemns Marriage Equality in Speech to U.S. Bishops

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/POPEX390%281%29.jpg

In a Friday Vatican address to visiting American bishops, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the growing push for marriage equality in the United States, AFP reports.

“Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage," said Pope Benedict, who warned of "the powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage.”

The pope’s comments come one week after Maryland became the eighth state to approve marriage rights for same-sex couples, though the bill signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley does not go into effect until January and likely faces a voter referendum this fall.

In meeting with the group of bishops from three Midwestern states, the pope echoed American election-year rhetoric against the Obama administration, decrying "threats to freedom of conscience, religion, and worship which need to be addressed urgently so that all men and women of faith, and the institutions they inspire, can act in accordance with their deepest moral convictions."

Read the AFP report here (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iATdXeENApfTcKeHD1XToIaKEvAg?docId=CNG.ed3fc 3e016a720a3286d8f3516f0c011.501).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/09/Pope_Blasts_Marriage_Equality_in_Speech_to_US_Bish ops/

NEW YORK — Iro Uikka clutches his throat as he describes the violent clash that led to spending his nights sleeping in New York City subway cars.
“When I told my mother I was gay, she grabbed me by the neck and threw me out,” he says. “Then she threw my coat on top of me and shut the door.”

( Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press ) - Baresco Escobar, 19, from Fairfax, Va., an aspiring entertainer who identifies himself as bisexual, visits a local fast food hangout in Manhattan’s Union Square popular with youth from the LGBT - lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community, Thursday, March 1, 2012, in New York. When he leaves in the late evening, Escobar goes to the far end of Brooklyn to sleep in an abandoned house with dozens of other homeless kids, covering bare floors with blankets and cuddling for warmth.

That was five years ago when he was 18, still living at home in Florida.
Uikka is among tens of thousands of homeless youths across America who are LGBT — lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Most are on the streets because they have nowhere else to go — outcasts who leave home after being rejected by family members or flee shelters because residents bully or beat them.
LGBT young people represent a dramatically high proportion of an estimated 600,000 or more homeless youths across the country — between 20 percent and 40 percent, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. But only about 5 percent of youths identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We’ve won battles for gay marriage and gays in the military,” says Carl Siciliano, founder and executive director of the New York-based Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization for LGBT youth. “This is the next frontier, the next battle: helping these youths.”
The White House has taken notice. Members of the Obama Administration are hosting a national conference on housing and homelessness in America’s LGBT communities on Friday in Detroit. They’ll discuss these issues with advocates, community leaders and the public.
Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh, who is openly gay, is one of the participants.
“I take this discussion personally because I know too many people who have been kicked out of their homes because of their orientation,” he told The Associated Press. “To get this kind of attention from the White House is exactly what we need to raise conscientiousness and to help parents find a way to deal with their kids’ orientation.”
Detroit has the only nonprofit agency in the Midwest that focuses on LGBT youth — the Ruth Ellis Center, co-host of the Friday conference. But the largely voiceless, powerless youth are fighting to survive from coast to coast.
They live on streets, in subways and train stations, on river piers, in parks and abandoned houses. They’re robbed, raped and assaulted. Some are murdered.
And they’re invisible to most Americans.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are about four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers, according to the CDC. And one in three is thrown out by their parents, according to data collected from youth across the country by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University.
Some youth use “survival sex” to land in a warm bed, or they move from home to home of friends and acquaintances.
In the past, Ryan Kennedy resorted to survival sex. He lists his education on Facebook as “Urban Survivalism at University of NYC Streets.” He adopted a rebellious middle name for his page, calling himself “Ryan TransEquality Kennedy.”

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/aiding-homeless-youth-the-next-battle-in-gay-equality-white-house-to-consider-housing-needs/2012/03/08/gIQAmckQyR_story.html

Home from the war, a woman
Sam Taylor kept her transgendered identity a secret while serving in Iraq.

BY TAMMY GRUBB, Correspondent
CHAPEL HILL - First of two partsSam Taylor wants to live "honestly and happily with the world" and, at 26, is just starting the journey to a career and family.
The Stanly County native joined the Army in 2003 to pay for college and, in 2007, completed a religious studies major and creative writing minor from UNC.
Two years later, Taylor left family in Chapel Hill for deployment in southern Iraq with the 34th Infantry Division.
The chaplain's assistant spent 11 months dodging rockets and toting an M-16 assault rifle to protect the chaplain, while advising soldiers and providing religious services.
Family, friends and newspaper readers at home kept up with Taylor through columns from Iraq, praying for a safe return and sending packages and correspondence.
From Basra - a city that saw some of the most intense fighting - Taylor wrote that the unit ministry team slept in a plywood hooch with a metal roof just yards from where three young soldiers were killed. Wooden crosses stood where they fell.
The team also helicoptered out for a week or two at a time to minister to soldiers in remote areas.
Taylor remembers one soldier who came in upset about an Armed Forces News story on a transgender woman. As the soldier sat crying, he said if there was any justice, "she-males" would be rounded up and killed, Taylor said.
"We had some very serious talks about how these probably weren't the people he was actually angry with, and I reminded him that we're all children of God," Taylor said. "He trusted me; he wanted to hear what I had to say ... (and) we got to talk about what was actually wrong."
No one knew how deeply that conversation touched Taylor - a closeted transgender woman.
Out - and back in again
The National Center for Transgender Equality estimates transgender individuals - people who are uncomfortable with their birth gender - make up 1 percent or less of the U.S. population. Transgendered identity does not indicate someone's sexual orientation.
A self-described "redneck" who shoots guns and talks basketball, Taylor says she always knew she wasn't a boy, but didn't want to risk coming out in a conservative community.
She first lived openly as a woman three months before going to Iraq, as the resident caretaker for a Boston rectory.
That came to an end when she was deployed to Iraq as a member of the Army National Guard.
Re-assuming a male identity was hard, but being openly transgender isn't an option in the military, Taylor said. You live a long time in close proximity to others, and every email or Facebook comment can be scrutinized. Daily attacks only add to the stress.
"Everything is exaggerated, and all the dials are turned (up)," Taylor said. "I was very nervous, and I was very, very worried about being outed in the Army."
A good soldier
The military has had gays and lesbians in its ranks for years, but it hasn't welcomed them with open arms.
Sgt. Jason Kalarchik, a former roommate, said some soldiers suspected Taylor was gay, but it wasn't their business.
"In the military, especially when you're deployed, if you think that about somebody, keep it to yourself," Kalarchik said. "The Army is really strict about it, and if anybody came into the office and said anything, they knew that I'd be on them."
It's unusual for sergeants and lower-ranked enlistees to bunk together, but "we got along really well," Kalarchik said. They're still good friends, although Kalarchik said he was surprised to learn last year that Taylor was a transgender woman.
"Sam kept it pretty close to the vest on the whole transgender issue," he said. "His personality was definitely different. He had some pretty liberal leanings when we had political discussions, and he spoke vehemently about gay rights."
Last month, Taylor told her Army chaplain, Kevin Winemiller, the truth. He was surprised and doesn't agree with the choice, but Winemiller said they will always be friends.
Winemiller said he isn't sure what response a transgender soldier would receive from other soldiers. But Taylor was a good soldier and chaplain's assistant, building a lending library, inventing games for the soldiers, and even earning the "high honor" of writing speeches for the colonel, he said.
"He was a great Bible teacher, he could run the chapel ... he could do the presentation of the Sacraments, he could do everything," Winemiller said.
Fitting the mold
One week after being discharged last spring, Taylor started injecting estrogen hormones into her thigh muscle in May 2010. Typically, hormones make breasts grow larger, reduce body hair, soften skin and move body fat to the hips, thighs and buttocks. Voice changes require surgery.
Taylor doesn't like to talk about her physical changes.
"I feel that, because there are so many stories and jokes and ideas about what happens to a trans woman's body ... and because that journey is often so visible to the outside world, non-trans people often feel that they are no longer bounded by standards of politeness when it comes to questions about a trans person's body," she said.
Her parents, Michael and Susan Taylor, said they stand in support of her.
"We are Sam Taylor's parents," they said via email. "We love Sam and are proud of Sam. A graduate of UNC, a veteran of the Iraq War and a devoted Christian, Sam is a fine person. We stand with Sam."
Taylor said being out has improved her relationships and her ministry.
"I can let people know there is forgiveness and love and grace for everyone, not just the folks who happen to fit into just the right mold of how somebody else thinks they should be," Taylor said.
In the fall, she became active as a layperson at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Brookline, Mass. She is taking steps to someday become a priest.
Taylor has faced the stigma of being transgender a few times, although it's usually just a dirty look or a double take, she said. Once, three men surrounded her on a train, asking threatening questions. Taylor stayed calm and got off at the next stop.
Her focus now is on being honest with herself.
"Sadly life isn't simply one long trip to steal a dragon's treasure out from under some mountain," Taylor said. "There's no one scale to pain or worry, or to the joy that comes with knowing that it is possible to survive and thrive despite whatever the universe has thrown at me."

Source: http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2012/03/07/70493/home-from-the-war-a-woman.html

Poll suggests minds might be changing on same-sex marriage in Maine

By Eric Russell (http://bangordailynews.com/author/eric-russell/), BDN Staff
Posted March 07, 2012, at 3:39 p.m.
Last modified March 07, 2012, at 8:54 p.m.

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AUGUSTA, Maine — A recent poll suggests Maine voters may reverse their 2009 decision and legalize same-sex marriage this fall.
A survey conducted by North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling (http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_ME_0307.pdf) of 1,256 Mainers over the weekend revealed that 54 percent believe same-sex marriage should be legal. Forty-one percent said Maine should not allow gay couples to wed.
In November, voters will be asked for the second time in three years how they feel about an issue that has become a wedge in many states across the country.
When asked a question that is similar to what will be on the ballot — “Do you favor a law allowing marriage licenses for same-sex couples that protects religious freedom by ensuring no religion or clergy be required to perform such a marriage in violation of their religious beliefs?” — 47 percent of those polled said yes, 32 percent said no and 21 percent were not sure.
“It looks like Maine will reverse its 2009 vote on gay marriage this fall,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. “That’s symbolic of the shift in public opinion that’s occurred on this issue over the last few years.”
The poll was conducted in tandem with a survey of the U.S. Senate race in Maine in the wake of Olympia Snowe’s decision to forgo reelection to a fourth term.
The PPP survey skewed slightly Democratic. Of those polled, 43 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 34 percent as Republicans and 23 percent as unenrolled. The poll also had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.
The poll also showed Maine Gov. Paul LePage with a 52 percent disapproval rating, down from a similar PPP poll conducted last fall (http://ericrussell.bangordailynews.com/2011/11/02/more-details-from-ppp-poll/).
If the 2010 gubernatorial election was held now, independent Eliot Cutler had support of 43 percent polled, followed by LePage (35 percent) and Democrat Libby Mitchell (19 percent).
The poll predicted that Democrats are in strong position to make gains in the state Legislature. Fifty-one percent said they would generally vote for Democratic candidates if the election were held today, compared with 37 percent of voters who preferred a Republican candidate.
Among independent voters, 42 percent say they would vote for Democrats and 28 percent say they would vote for a Republican.
The House and Senate are both controlled by Republicans for the first time in several decades.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/03/07/politics/poll-minds-might-be-changing-on-same-sex-marriage-in-maine/

Good news from the home front.

TheGodlessUtopian

10th March 2012, 21:04

If your prom was anything like mine, you caved to the pressure to fit in and asked one of your straight girlfriends. For me, it was 1989. I rented a white tux (gulp, white?!?), ordered the corsage and took the obligatory photo. And after a night of dancing under streamers and balloons, I took the girl home and then met up with the boys for the real (after) party. Fast forward 20 years: In much of the country same-sex couples are still not welcomed at prom but, in Washington, DC, post-teen LGBTs and their friends can dress to the nines and head to the Capital Queer Prom (http://capitalqueerprom.com/index.html), which offers all the bells and whistles we remember from the high school gym, but without the intolerance.
Benefiting DC’s Transgender Health Empowerment organization, the 6th annual charity event takes place March 24, features a carnival theme, a king and queen competition (or king and king or queen and queen, as the case may be), open bar, yearbooks, gift bags and dancing all night.
Organizer Eboné Bell and her girlfriend, Angell Lynn, stopped by Swish Edition (http://www.swishedition.com/) studios this week to chat about the prom. We also talked about the Rush Limbaugh and Kirk Cameron (http://www.queerty.com/growing-pains-tracey-gold-tweets-about-tv-sibling-kirk-camerons-anti-gay-agenda-20120305/), bacon- flavored lube (http://www.queerty.com/sex-pigs-rejoice-bacon-flavored-lube-is-here-20120306/), the new Out NYC hotel and resort (http://www.queerty.com/out-nyc-the-big-apples-all-gay-hotel-is-finally-open-for-business-20120302/) in New York and lots more.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/a-prom-of-their-own-20120310/#ixzz1okYRxgda

P.S: See source for audio

LatAm gays reach high govt offices
By FRANK BAJAK, Associated Press – 3 hours ago
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Tatiana Pineros is a man by birth and a woman by choice.
Pineros, 34, is also a high-powered public servant who manages a $360 million budget and nearly 2,000 employees in Colombia's biggest and most powerful municipal government.
Her appointment by Bogota's new mayor to head the capital's social welfare agency was remarkable for how unremarkably it was received by Colombia's predominantly Roman Catholic public.
Across Latin America, public acceptance is gradually growing for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, officials. It's a phenomenon that has accompanied activists' broader struggle to win rights to marry, adopt children or share financial benefits with same-sex partners, and to transform the way socially conservative nations view and treat gays.
"It's all about the mobilization of groups demanding their rights," said Colombia's best-known gay activist, Marcela Sanchez. "It didn't just spring up spontaneously."
Ecuador's new health minister, Carina Vance, can attest to the change. She has a master's degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. She is also openly lesbian.
Before being named in January, Vance, 34, campaigned as an activist against clinics accused of using coercion to try to "cure" gays of their homosexuality. Her ministry is now investigating those alleged practices. She told a TV interviewer last month that "we will take action against those responsible."
Brazil's first openly gay national lawmaker, Rep. Jean Wyllys, was elected last year, and activists say six other openly gay people have been elected to public office in Latin America's most populous nation.
Wyllys, who first gained fame on the Big Brother reality TV show, has so far failed to pass legislation against homophobic insults and discrimination. His nemesis in the battle has been the Congress' evangelical Christian caucus.
Despite Wyllys' rise, openly gay Brazilians are rare in appointed positions. The gay community was outraged last year when a heterosexual was named to head the gay rights division in the federal Human Rights Ministry. The heterosexual never took the job, which remains unfilled.
Luiz Mott, an anthropologist and founder of the Grupo Gay da Bahia, said many more homosexuals are in government posts but have kept their sexual orientation private in a kind of self-censorship.
Advances have also been made in other countries but through appointment or complicated election laws that allow legislators to win their posts without being directly elected.
Mexico, for example, has one gay national lawmaker, Congresswoman Enoe Margarita Uranga Munoz, who ended up high on the list of candidates for seats that Mexican law allots to parties by their share of the vote.
Sen. Osvaldo Lopez, the only openly gay member of Argentina's Congress, was named in July to replace a senator who died in an auto accident.
Lopez's country and Brazil are the only in Latin America to permit gay marriage nationwide, though Mexico City also allows it under a law promoted by Uranga before her election to Congress.
Same-sex couples also have gained rights to inherit from their partners or share insurance due to court decisions in Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico City.
Colombia's Constitutional Court is now weighing whether to join Argentina and Mexico City in allowing same-sex couples to adopt.
But other Latin American countries have done little if anything to recognize what for LGBT activists are basic civil rights. Activists also say the successes of a few openly gay officials hasn't stopped anti-gay violence.
On March 4, a gay 24-year-old Chilean was so brutally beaten that doctors had to induce a coma to treat him for head trauma and a broken right leg. Prosecutors say a swastika was drawn on the victim's chest.
"The general practice on the continent is of an open season on LGBTs that never closes," the gay rights group Colombia Diversa says in a regional report on violence against the community.
It found that 83 of 226 murders of LGBT people in Colombia from 2006 to 2009 were classified as hate crimes, with no motive listed for most.
Brazil's Grupo Gay da Bahia, which has been keeping records of gay-bashing for more than three decades, says 260 LGBT people were murdered in Brazil in 2010, or 113 percent more than five years earlier.
Police in Lima, Peru, beat LGBT rights activists who smooched in a downtown plaza during a "Kisses Against Homophobia" demonstration in February 2011.
Proposed legislation to grant interitance rights to same-sex couples has been languishing for five years in Venezuela's National Assembly.
"The fight is for us to no longer be treated like animals," said Pineros, who said she has focused on building a career rather than crusading for gay rights.
Marcela Sanchez of the LBGT rights group Colombia Diversa said Pineros' appointment helps dignify the community by helping to "erase the negative image in society that (transsexuals) are only good for prostitution."
Pineros, born the second of three male siblings, was raised Catholic and says she suffered no discrimination at home. She just didn't much like it when her father gave her toy automobiles.
"In my case I'd like to be recognized as the woman I always wanted to be," said Pineros, a tall, slender brunette who is elegant in a sleeveless green dress and suede high-heeled boots as she talks with a reporter in her unadorned office overlooking Bogota.
Not until she "met a man" at age 29 and left an accounting job at the state comptroller's office for a public relations agency position did Pineros decide to initiate the sex change.
A few surgeries and hormone pill regimens later, she had larger breasts, a slimmer nose and a new job in public administration, working for the district of Chapinero where Bogota's gay community is centered.
As part of her appointment, she'll oversee Bogota's social welfare spending on everything from homes for the elderly to cafeterias for preschoolers. Mayor Gustavo Petro said via email her appointment "is a sign this mayoral administration recognizes diversity and doesn't discriminate based on sexual orientation, ethnicity or age."
In a sign of the times, the public reaction to Pineros' appointment has been smooth, with no criticism in the last two months ago.
But that doesn't mean Bogota's LGBT community is universally embraced.
Bogota's secretary of education, Oscar Sanchez, is under assault by conservatives for a program to help primary and secondary school teachers discourage race- and gender-based discrimination.
When Brazil's Education Ministry designed a program last year battling anti-gay discrimination, complaints from evangelicals in Congress prompted President Dilma Rousseff to withdraw the proposed legislation.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGxnZCCWVrtcpwDCsDKCa00jg7Dg?docId=04cc367da 86944b8ba6a9e8c0e34ff6e

Ravi Not Antigay, Witnesses Say

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-09/2010-09-30/clementi_ravix390.jpg
From left: Clementi, Ravi
Witnesses said Friday that Dharun Ravi, the roommate of Tyler Clementi, never expressed antigay views, but apparently the subject never came up at all.

Ravi and Clementi were roommates at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in September 2010 after finding out that Ravi used a webcam to view him in a romantic encounter with another man. Ravi is now being tried on bias intimidation, invasion of privacy, and other charges.

Whether Ravi voiced antigay sentiments “is key to the prosecution’s contention that Ravi targeted his roommate ... because Clementi was gay,” reports the New Jersey paper The Record. Ravi’s attorneys say he used the webcam for security purposes. The prosecution rested its case Thursday, and the defense began calling witnesses Friday.

Seven friends of Ravi’s family testified in Middlesex County court Friday that they never heard the young man say anything negative about gay people. But they “never had any discussions with Ravi about it either, they said when cross-examined,” according to The Record.

The trial will continue Monday. Read more here. (http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view/20120310friends_testify_that_dharun_ravi_isnt_host ile_toward_gays/srvc=home&position=recent)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/10/Ravi_Not_Antigay_Witnesses_Say/

Minn. Antigay Group Under Investigation

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-10/2011-10-05/minn4marriagex390.jpg

The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Election Board is proceeding with an investigation of a group backing that state’s anti–marriage equality constitutional investment.

The Human Rights Campaign, which had pushed for the investigation of Minnesota for Marriage, reported Friday that it is going forward. Common Cause of Minnesota filed a complaint last month against Minnesota for Marriage and the Minnesota Family Council, saying they had violated state campaign finance laws by failing to disclose individual donors.

Minnesota for Marriage was cofounded by the antigay National Organization for Marriage to work for the amendment, which will go before voters in November. According to HRC, Minnesota for Marriage reported raising $1.2 million last year but identified only seven individual donors, responsible for just $2,000 of the total, even though it had apparently solicited contributions several times. Three organizations were identified as donors — NOM, the Minnesota Family Council, and the Minnesota Catholic Conference. Minnesotans for All Families, the group working to defeat the amendment, reported 773 individual donors in the same period.

“NOM and its allies have deliberately evaded Minnesota’s public disclosure laws,” said HRC president Joe Solmonese in a news release. “It’s time they be held to account for repeatedly playing fast and loose with campaign finance laws.” He further called on the election board “to rebuff any political pressure to water down this investigation.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/10/Minn_Antigay_Group_Under_Investigation/

TheGodlessUtopian

11th March 2012, 22:19

Whether they’re walking out of the closet or being dragged kicking and screaming, the subject of gay celebrities coming clean has been a hot-button issue of late. Him, which the New York Times described as a “tasty bonbon” just opened off-Broadway (http://www.newyork.gaycities.com/) at the SoHo Playhouse (http://sohoplayhouse.com/) after a successful run in December. It delves into the topic of Hollywood outings head first, as a hunky rising star (played by Jon Fleming of Dante’s Cove fame) has to decide whether to hide or live honestly.
From the play’s press release:

In Him, hunky actor Nick Cooper has just landed his breakthrough film role and the offers from Hollywood’s A-list are pouring in. The only problem: Nick is gay and his viper of an agent wants to keep him in the closet. Nick is happy to play along in spite of the vocal opposition of his boyfriend. But all hell breaks loose when a Latina bombshell is brought in to “play” Nick’s girlfriend.
Him‘s writer/director, Clifford Streit, is a notable Hollywood gay in his own right: He produced the film version of American Psycho and helped get Sex and the City greenlit at HBO (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/pay_me_for_sex_9QXwJTuMCMph1ZOlK3rVqL). Though he and Candace Bushnell are now at odds over his cut of the SATC pie, Streit was actually the inspiration for Carrie’s gay BFF, Stanford Blatch.
In an interesting turn of events, there’s even talk of bringing Him to television. Hmm, maybe Darren Starr could executive produce?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/hollywood-homophobia-heads-to-the-stage-and-maybe-the-small-screen-with-him-20120311/#ixzz1oqRrabQM

Which comes first—the womb or the egg? That’s the question at the heart of an ongoing custody battle between two lesbians that could change the legal definition of motherhood and the rights of sperm and egg donors.
Eight years ago, the two unnamed women—both law enforcement officers in Florida—decided to have a child together. One partner donated an egg, which was fertilized by a donor’s sperm and then implanted in the other partner. But the couple split up in 2006 and the birth mother eventually fled to Australia without a word to bio-mom.
The two are currently in Florida State Supreme Court fighting over custody of their now 8-year-old daughter.
Obviously, the case has implications for anyone using a surrogate or egg donor. At first, a judge found in favor of the birth mother—saying the biological had no rights under Florida law—but indicated he hoped his ruling would be overturned. It later was, and is now being heard by the state Supremes.
Jeez, if this were an episode of Harry’s Law we’d say it was far-fetched.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/fl-lesbian-exes-custody-battle-making-headlines-and-possibly-changing-laws-20120311/

Anti-LGBT Discrimination Drives Substance Abuse, Report Says

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/SPECIAL_CIRCUMSTANCES/SEROQUEL/DRUGADDICTIONX390.jpg

LGBT people may have a higher rate of substance abuse because they use drugs and alcohol to cope with discrimination, according to a new issue brief from the Center for American Progress, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

Noting that definitive figures are hard to come by, the center estimates that 20% to 30% of LGBT people are substance abusers, as opposed to 9% of the general population. A major contributor to the problem, it says, is “the stress that comes from daily battles with discrimination and stigma.”

“In order to lower these rates, our health care system needs to better meet the needs of gay and transgender people, and our government needs to advance public policies that promote equality for this population,” the brief continues. It recommends legislative steps such as passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Respect for Marriage Act, and urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make moves to assure culturally appropriate treatment and prevention measures for LGBT people.

Read the full report here. (http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/03/lgbt_substance_abuse.html)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Health_and_Fitness/Health_News/Anti_LGBT_Discrimination_Drives_Substance_Abuse_Re port_Says/

“All the Cool Girls Are Lesbians” T-Shirt Disruptive?

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/lynnenglishhs.jpg
Lynn English High School
A student at Lynn English High School in Massachusetts has sparked a dress code debate with a T-shirt reading “All the Cool Girls Are Lesbians,” Lynn’s Daily Item (http://m.itemlive.com/articles/2012/03/10/news/news04.txt) newspaper reports.

The student, who was not identified by the paper, was reprimanded by her vice principal, and told to cover up her shirt and not wear it again. She wrote a letter to the Lynn School Committee, read at Thursday’s meeting, that said she was offended by her treatment. The shirt was simply expressing her opinion, she said.

Lynn mayor and School Committee chairman Judith Flanagan Kennedy agreed with the student’s objections. “I did some legal research on this and I believe she is right,” Kennedy said. “I don’t believe the school had the authority to ask her to cover it up.” The dress code, she said, forbids clothing depicting weapons, drugs, or alcohol, but it does not address issues of gender or sexual orientation. And the school has a gay-straight alliance, she noted.

Lynn English principal Thomas Strangie, however, told the paper that a student can be made to cover up a shirt that could be disruptive, as this student’s shirt could have been.

After some discussion of whether such matters should be handled by building administrators or the school district’s central office, the committee voted “to conduct sensitivity training and hold a refresher course on the laws regarding the student expression for all secondary administrators and staff,” the Item reports.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/11/All_the_Cool_Girls_Are_Lesbians_TShirt_Disruptive/

U.K.'s Blair, Straw Back Marriage Equality

The former prime minister and a former cabinet member are taking on those who oppose marriage equality on religious grounds.
By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/tonyblair.jpg
Tony Blair
Former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair and former cabinet member Jack Straw are taking on religion-based opposition to marriage equality in their country.

Blair, a convert to Catholicism, “has defied the Pope by making clear he ‘strongly supports’ plans for gay marriage,” London’s Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/blair-takes-on-the-pope-by-backing-gay-marriage-7555115.html) reported Sunday. Pope Benedict XVI last week spoke out strongly against marriage equality, and several other Catholic and Church of England leaders have denounced current prime minister David Cameron’s plan to replace civil partnerships, available to U.K. gay couples since 2005, with marriage. Blair, as prime minister, introduced and supported the law that established civil partnerships.

Straw, in a Lancashire Telegraph column (http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/opinion/jack_straw/9578307.Being____straight____doesn___t_make_me_a_b etter_person/) published Thursday, questioned how the Catholic and Anglican hierarchy can oppose marriage equality when such opposition conflicts with Christianity’s Golden Rule. “How on earth do these church leaders square their present stand with those biblical injunctions about treating others as you would expect to be treated yourself?” he wrote. He also commented, “I happen to be, in the modern jargon, ‘straight’. It doesn’t make me a better person.”

Meanwhile, a conservative blogger calling himself “Archbishop Cranmer” attracted attention with a satirical post (http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2012/03/jack-straw-attacks-muslims-over-gay.html) saying Straw was attacking Muslims for opposing marriage equality.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/11/UKs_Blair_Straw_Back_Marriage_Equality/

Married Gay Immigrant Wins Deportation Reprieve in Texas

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/POLITICS/2009/immigrationx390.jpg

A gay Costa Rican immigrant in Texas has won a reprieve from deportation because of his marriage to an American man, in what is reportedly the first such ruling in that state.

A Houston immigration judge Thursday ended the deportation proceedings against David Gonzalez, who married U.S. citizen Mario Ramirez in California in 2008, during the brief period legal same-sex marriages were available there, the Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Gay-immigrant-spared-from-deportation-3395916.php) reports. They later moved to Texas.

The case is “the first in Texas to end in a reprieve based in large part on a same-sex marriage to a U.S. citizen,” the Chronicle reports. There have been similar actions involving married gay binational couples in California, New Jersey, and other states.

“It’s great news,” Immigration Equality spokesman Steve Ralls told the paper. “It’s consistent with similar actions we are seeing in other cases with lesbian and gay couples.”

President Obama’s administration has made some changes in enforcement of immigration laws, such as allowing an immigrant’s relationships to be considered in deportation decisions, that have benefited gay couples. However, immigrants who are in same-sex marriages continue to have difficulty obtaining work permits. Gonzalez has no legal right to work in the U.S., indicating the need for further reform, Ralls told the Chronicle.

“It is definitely good news that the administration is beginning to drop deportation proceedings, but now the individuals who are spared from deportation need to be able to receive that legal recognition that is so important as they continue to build a life here with their U.S. citizen partners,” Ralls said.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/10/Married_Gay_Immigrant_Wins_Deportation_Reprieve_in _Texas/

HRC to Romney: Ditch Anti-LGBT Finance Chair

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-12/2011-12-12/1MittRomney.jpg

The Human Rights Campaign and supporters are calling on Mitt Romney to fire his national finance chair, Frank VanderSloot, who has a record of antigay activities.

HRC launched an online action Thursday night, with a letter for individuals to sign and send to Romney, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, and more than 15,000 people have already done so, officials with the group said.

VanderSloot, a wealthy Idaho businessman, has an antigay history that includes a billboard campaign condemning Idaho Public Television for showing the award-winning documentary It’s Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School. The billboards claimed the film promoted “the homosexual lifestyle,” and according to a Salon (http://www.salon.com/2012/02/17/billionaire_romney_donor_uses_threats_to_silence_c ritics/singleton/) profile by Glenn Greenwald, VanderSloot said of the documentary, “If this isn’t stopped, a lot of little kids will watch this program and create questions they’ve never had ... little lives are going to be damaged permanently.”

Greenwald also reported that VanderSloot has often threatened journalists who write about him and outed a gay one, and that in 2008 his wife, Belinda, donated $100,000 in support of Proposition 8, the ballot measure that rescinded marriage equality in California.

HRC spokesman Fred Sainz said Romney’s relationship with VanderSloot “speaks volumes about how Mitt Romney truly feels about LGBT people.” He urged Romney to “immediately fire VanderSloot and return the money he’s donated to the campaign” and added that the candidate “can no longer get away with saying he opposes discrimination against LGBT Americans while simultaneously working with someone as viciously anti-LGBT as Frank VanderSloot.”

For HRC’s letter, click here. (https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1379)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/10/HRC_to_Romney_Ditch_AntiLGBT_Finance_Chair/

TheGodlessUtopian

11th March 2012, 22:23

SheWired's Top 12 Lesbian-Themed Movies of the 2000s

By: Leslie Dobbins (http://www.shewired.com/users/leslie-dobbins)
Thu, 2012-03-08 16:30

2 (http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/03/08/shewireds-top-12-lesbian-themed-movies-2000s#)

http://www.shewired.com/sites/shewired.com/files/imagecache/category-featured/stories/12films480.jpg (http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/03/08/shewireds-top-12-lesbian-themed-movies-2000s)

Movie night can be a great experience after a long, tiring week at the grind. It’s a great thing to do if you need to relax your brain and check out from the world for a few hours. It’s also a fun option for a laid-back date night, lounge around in your pjs, snack on healthy (or unhealthy) fare, and cuddle up for some passive entertainment.

So recently, I took to the blogosphere in search of new and exciting lesbian geared entertainment. To my dismay, all I could find was list after list of older (albeit, classic) titles, like Bound, Gia, If These Walls Could Talk 2 and But I’m a Cheerleader to name only a few.

In an effort to provide an alternative, here are some recommendations for the best lesbian themed movies of the 2000s:

12) The Four-Faced Liar (2010)
Liar centers on four twenty-somethings (a straight couple, a lesbian and a newly single man) trying to find love and happiness in the West Village of NYC. One of the main story lines is that of Bridget (Marja Lewis Ryan, who also wrote the play and screenplay) and Molly (Emily Peck). Bridget is out and is quickly falling for her straight friend Molly. After a series of events, the friendship crosses the line and the two become much more than “just friends.” It was the winner of the HBO Audience Award for Best First Feature Film at Outfest and the winner of the Roger Walker-Dack award for Emerging Artist for Marja-Lewis Ryan.

11)Puccini for Beginners (2006)
The Sundance selection is the story of Allegra (Elizabeth Reaser), a newly single writer, and out lesbian, who finds herself in two complicated and confusing relationships after her long time girlfriend, Samantha (Julianne Nicholson) leaves her. It was written by Maria Maggenti, who also wrote the 90s classic, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love.

10) Loving Annabelle (2006)/Bloomington (2010)
Annabelle is a drama about Catholic boarding school instructor, Simone (Diane Gaidry), and her torrid affair with a female student, Annabelle (Erin Kelly). It’s a true guilty pleasure, and to this day, remains one of the top rented lesbian titles for Wolfe Video and Amazon.

Bloomington is a coming of age drama about a former child star (Sarah Stouffer) who moves cross country to attend college on the East coast. While there, she develops feelings for Catherine (Allison McAtee), a beautiful psychology professor. It won numerous awards on the film festival circuit, including Best Women’s Feature at the NC Gay & Lesbian Festival and the Director’s Spotlight award at the Vancouver Queer Film Fest.

9) My Summer of Love (2004)
Love, set in Britain, is based on the novel of the same name by Helen Cross, and it explores the complicated and intense relationship between two women, working class Mona (Natalie Press) and upper middle class Tamsin (Emily Blunt). The film opened to wide spread critical acclaim and was celebrated with the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the 2005 BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

8) I Can’t Think Straight (2008)
I Can't Think Straight story of Jordanian Tala (Lisa Ray), who, while planning her wedding to a man, falls in love with Leyla (Sheetal Sheth). Ray and Sheth have great chemistry, and the two reunited a year later to star in The World Unseen. ICTS was the winner of the Best Feature, Audience Award at the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Best Feature, Audience Award at the Melbourne Queer Film Fest, and Audience Award, Best Feature at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

7) Saving Face (2004)
Saving Face focuses on out lesbian surgeon, Wilhelmina or Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a Chinese-American lesbian, who struggles with cultural expectations, as well as in her complicated relationships with her traditionalist mother, Hwei-lang Gao (Joan Chen) and her dancer girlfriend Vivian (Lynn Chen). The film was nominated for the Breakthrough Director Award at the 2005 Gotham Awards and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film in Limited Release at the 2006 GLAAD Media Awards. It was directed by out director, Alice Wu.

6) Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)
Writers Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt also star in Stein, a romantic comedy about Jessica (Westfeldt) a single, and seemingly straight, journalist in NYC, who is confused by her attraction for Helen (Juergensen). The film won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film, Limited Release and the Glitter Award for Best Lesbian Feature. The duo was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.

5) Imagine Me & You (2005)
This fan favorite romantic comedy explores the unexpected relationship between Rachel (Lost & Delirious’ Piper Perabo) and Luce (Lena Headey). Their first meeting, on Rachel's wedding day, leads to an instant friendship, and when Rachel discovers that Luce is a lesbian, Rachel starts to question her own sexuality. The film was nominated for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film in Limited Release at the 2007 award ceremony.

4) Circumstance (2011)
This compelling drama examines the relationship between Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri), a teenager from a wealthy Iranian family, and her best friend Shireen (Sarah Kazemy). The women share a strong emotional, and physical bond, but the connection challenges traditional Iranian family life and culture. It was written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz, who was awarded the Audience Award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, as well as the HBO Outstanding First Narrative Feature at Outfest.

3) The Hours (2002)
This drama, based on the 1999 Pulitzer winning novel of the same name by Michael Cunningham, features stellar performances by an A-list cast, including Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman. The Hours is the story of three women from different generations whose lives are touched by Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway. The first story is of Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman), and the second is of a 1950s housewife, Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), who is questioning her sexuality after she develops a crush on her neighbor, Kitty (Toni Collette). Finally, we have the contemporary, committed lesbian couple, Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) and Sally Lester (Allison Janney). The film received nine Academy Award nominations (one win for Best Actress for Kidman), won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Wide Release Film, and Streep was honored at Outfest for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.

2) Pariah (2011)
Pariah’s the story of Alike, a 17-year-old African-American woman living with her parents and younger sister in Brooklyn. Alike must navigate through the struggles of every day high school and home life, while trying to quietly embrace her identity as a lesbian. The film just landed filmmakers Dee Rees and Nekisa Cooper the John Cassavetes Award, awarded to features budgeted at less than $500,000, at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards. Pariah is available on DVD after April 24th.

1) The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Meet Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), a long standing, married, lesbian couple with two kids. The two kids, Laser and Joni (played by Josh Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska), conceived by artificial insemination, begin a search for their birth father. Once they find him, the family dynamic changes and tensions flare when dad, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), develops a strong connection with Jules. Premiering to rave reviews and critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, All Right went on to win two Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, and Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Annette Bening. The film also received four Academy Award nominations that same year.

Source: http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/03/08/shewireds-top-12-lesbian-themed-movies-2000s?page=0,0

P.S: See source for videos

TheGodlessUtopian

12th March 2012, 21:46

It’s not a good week for gay real estate: First we told you about the alleged sale (http://www.queerty.com/fire-island-pines-pavlion-still-unbuilt-after-fire-are-the-owners-looking-to-sell-it-20120312/) of Fire Island Pines’ famed pavilion. Now it appears the Out NYC (http://www.queerty.com/out-nyc-the-big-apples-all-gay-hotel-is-finally-open-for-business-20120302/), New York’s brand spanking new gay urban resort, is still looking for investors. Our sister in gossip Michael Musto posted an email (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/03/gay_hotel_on_42.php) he was sent from someone invited to invest shortly before the hotel’s ribbon-cutting on March 1:

“Now that XL Nightclub is open and has exceeded expectations, with the hotel opening on March 1st, and recently an abundance of favorable press, a handful of our investors have increased their investment in recent weeks.
“Additionally, we have had numerous unsolicited inquiries about investing that we have since our last round closed. Although we are fully funded, as a result of this wave of investor interest, the Sponsor (Ian) is willing to slightly reduce his large exposure at his cost for diversification reasons. I wanted to reach out to you once more to see if you have any renewed interest.
“Investments in the project have ranged between $100K and $1MM. We are offering the exact same deal terms as last year (including a waived sponsor promote until you get all your money back) with an obvious much smaller amount of risk associated now that the project is fully funded and successful.
“New investors will come in as preferred equity investors with a 10% preferred dividend plus a guarantee of all money back before the Sponsor gets any promote. Over the 8 years that we have projected out cash flow, we expect cash returns with low leverage to average in the teens.”
We’re not real-estate mavens (please, we can barely afford the rent on our shoebox studio in North Siberia), but if you’re fully funded and doing gangbusters, why do you need to hustle for more investors?
We attended the Out NYC’s grand opening (http://www.queerty.com/out-nyc-the-big-apples-all-gay-hotel-is-finally-open-for-business-20120302/)at the beginning of the month and, while we were impressed with the space overall, major portions of the hotel weren’t completed—even though it was already welcoming guests.
XL, the nightclub portion of Out NYC that opened earlier this year, has had some issues as well: While the weekend parties have been drawing massive crowds (and already spawning noise complaints), weekday events have been less successful—leading to parties starting up and shuttering in a matter of a week or two.
We hope these are just growing pains for this daring venture.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/the-just-opened-out-nyc-gay-hotel-is-looking-for-more-investors-20120312/#ixzz1owAoOnOf

More reports of murders of people perceived to be gay or emo are emerging in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. A week, ago the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission released a report (http://www.queerty.com/40-gays-kidnapped-brutally-tortured-and-murdered-in-iraq-report-20120306/) saying 40 gay people were “kidnapped, brutally tortured and murdered” in a “new surge of anti-gay violence.” Now, the AP reports (http://azstarnet.com/news/world/gay-emos-targeted-for-killing-in-iraq/article_3dcee762-b241-5ba4-8c24-1574a025eac6.html#ixzz1oujFWSyr) the number has risen even higher, and that the targets include “emos”:

Young people who identify themselves as so-called Emos are being brutally killed at an alarming rate in Iraq, where militias have distributed hit lists of victims and security forces say they are unable to stop crimes against the subculture that is widely perceived in Iraq as being gay.
Officials and human rights groups estimated as many as 58 Iraqis who are either gay or believed to be gay have been killed in the last six weeks alone—forecasting what experts fear is a return to the rampant hate crimes against homosexuals in 2009. This year, eyewitnesses and human rights groups say some of the victims have been bludgeoned to death by militiamen smashing in their skulls with heavy concrete blocks.
It’s somewhat unclear whether conservative Iraqis are targeting both gays and emos because they’re both seen as unnatural Western cultural phenomena, or whether they’re mistaking gays for emos, or the other way around, but, in any case, this is all pretty freaking awful.
The murderous militia is also not about to stop anytime soon. They recently distributed a hit list of 32 men and one woman with the following language: “We warn in the strongest terms to every male and female debauchee. If you do not stop this dirty act within four days, then the punishment of God will fall on you at the hands of Mujahideen.”
Vice magazine (http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/is-the-iraqi-government-killing-LGBT-people) conducted an interview with Ali Hili, a gay Iraqi living in London who runs the charity Iraqi LGBT (http://iraqilgbt.org.uk/). Said Hili:

Our government is doing so much to help and support the killers. Honestly, I think the main reason the killing is happening at the moment is because these people have basically been given a green light by the Ministry of Interiors to carry on with their genocide. They are doing nothing at all to bring criminals to justice or to stop this wave of unjustified violence. Yet the Ministry of Interiors says that it has nothing to do with these crimes…
To tell you the truth, prior to the invasion, [life for LGBT people in Iraq] was really good. I wasn’t in favour of the previous dictator, and I was so against him and his policies in general. Having said that, life in general for sexual minorities was quite relaxed. We used to have nightclubs and areas where people could come and go and do whatever they wanted. Nobody ever bothered them. There was a cruising area in central Baghdad that was protected by patrolling police cars. Which is something people can’t believe when I tell them now…
[That ended] when the US and UK invaded Iraq. That ended the secular state of Iraq, and turned it into a very “dark ages”, fanatical, religious period for Iraq. They brought us a Shi’ite government whose ideology is imported from Iran, they adopted their lifestyle strategy and cultural habits, and they tried to impose this on Iraq’s society.
So it looks like the list of George W. Bush’s contributions to LGBT rights is truly international.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/almost-60-iraqis-perceived-to-be-gay-or-emo-have-been-murdered-in-last-6-weeks-20120312/#ixzz1owB8wLlX

As Queerty has reported here (http://www.queerty.com/possible-serial-killer-ruins-gay-dating-in-johannesburg-20111003/) and here (http://www.queerty.com/the-johannesburg-police-really-suck-at-finding-anti-gay-serial-killers-20111006/) and here (http://www.queerty.com/how-can-johannesburg-cops-call-five-similar-gay-murders-unrelated-20111012/) and here (http://www.queerty.com/gay-targeted-murder-spree-feared-after-eighth-victim-falls-in-south-africa-20120229/), a gay serial killer has clearly been on the loose in the Johannesburg, South Africa area over the last two years. Finally, local cops agree. After eight unsolved and very similar murders, police in Jo’burg’s Gauteng province have at long last organized a task force (http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/activists-spur-cops-after-killings-1.1250795) to find the killer, who has targeted gay men in their homes after meeting them over the internet and mobile phone apps.
The official task team was announced last week, on the same day that local gay rights group OUT (http://www.out.org.za/) announced its own campaign to pressure authorities into action.
With the murders now under at least semi-collective investigation, forensic data from one case can be compared with that of other cases.
For months, police refused to acknowledge any connection between the killings, despite repeated outcries from the gay community that there were obviously strong links among at least several of the murders.
Eight victims, including local HIV activist Jason Wassenaar, have fallen during the string of slayings, which began in April 2010. Another man, Thebe Mogamisi, has been missing since New Year’s Eve.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/south-african-cops-hmm-maybe-eight-extremely-similar-gay-murders-do-make-a-pattern-after-all-20120312/#ixzz1owBMzwKo

Now that former bishop/Douche of the Week Timothy Dolan has traveled to the Vatican for his altar-boy circle jerk initiation, he’s been pro (http://www.queerty.com/church-bulletin-pt-2-new-yorks-homophobic-archbishop-gets-a-big-fat-promotion-20120109/)moted to cardinal (http://www.queerty.com/church-bulletin-pt-2-new-yorks-homophobic-archbishop-gets-a-big-fat-promotion-20120109/). And Dolan has decided to speak out about how he failed to secure an unholy alliance with the GOP party in order to block the passage of marriage equality in New York State last year. Dolan told the New York Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cardinal-dolan-fumes-albany-burned-gay-nuptials-article-1.1037226):

“We got burned last year when we were told the redefinition of marriage didn’t have much of a chance—and of course it did. Our Senate leaders, we highly appreciated them being with us all along. When they kind of assured us it didn’t have much of a chance—not that we let up, but we probably would have been much more vigorous and even more physically present if we knew there was a chance. We got a little stung, and it could be as much our fault as anyone else’s.”
At least he’s not inviting NOM to come to New York to try to repeal the measure? Still, he sounds a little bitter about getting trounced by ally-extraordinaire Andrew Cuomo and his merry band of gays. And we are loving it—though we’re certainly not ones to gloat.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/cardinal-dolan-admits-church-got-beasted-by-gays-and-allies-in-passage-of-ny-marriage-equality-20120312/#ixzz1owBfgede

A new study (http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/17/ntr.ntr303.short?rss=1) out of the University of Colorado Cancer Center indicates gays and lesbians are about twice as likely as heteros to smoke cigarettes. According to the study, which surveyed 1,633 smokers at some 120 gay bars and clubs, more than 80% of respondents smoked daily and nearly a third lit up at least 20 times a day. Most disturbingly, less than 30% said they were planning on quitting.
Other findings include:

Fewer than half (47.2%) had attempted quitting in the previous year, and only 8.5% were preparing to quit in the next month.
More than one-fourth (28.2%) of quit attempters had used nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and a similar proportion said they intended to use NRT in their next quit attempt.
Lesbians were significantly less likely than gay men to have used or intend to use NRT.
One-fourth of respondents said they were uncomfortable talking to their doctor about quitting smoking.
The report, just published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research (http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/), indicated four factors were involved in the likelihood that a smoker was going to quit: daily smoking, ever having used NRT, a smoke-free home rule, “and comfort asking one’s doctor for cessation advice.” Said co-author Arnold Levinson, “we need public health campaigns to get the GLBT smoker population thinking about quitting.”
We totally agree but reserve the right for the occasional post-coital Marlboro

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-gays-cough-more-likely-to-smoke-less-likely-to-quit-2-20120312/#ixzz1owBrRQfA

TheGodlessUtopian

13th March 2012, 21:45

As he has done for the entirety of the case, Dharun Ravi’s lawyer Steven Altman concluded in his closing argument that Ravi’s act of spying on Tyler Clementi was one of childish immaturity, rather than of anti-gay malice formed by an adult brain. After Altman finished, Middlesex County prosecutor Julia McClure began (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=148496743) to say her closing arguments Tuesday afternoon, starting off with the fact that Dharun Ravi told friends his roommate was gay as soon as he knew who Tyler was. Deliberation by the jury is expected to begin Wednesday. On Monday, Ravi decided not to take the stand (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-dharun-ravi-not-testifying-defense-rests-in-tyler-clementi-case-20120312/) in his own defense.
According to the Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/03/13/tyler-clementi-case-after-delay-rutgers-spying-trial-nears-close/), Altman argued the following:

“Why we’re here is because, on September 19 and September 21 of 2010, an 18-year-old boy, a kid, a college freshman, had an experience, had an encounter and he wasn’t ready for, that he didn’t expect, that he was surprised by, that he hadn’t anticipated… and he didn’t know how to deal with it because he was a kid, Nobody said anything negative about Tyler. They never heard one derogatory comment from Dharun.”
Of the spying, he justified it as Ravi trying to protect his belongings (particularly his beloved iPad) from a “homeless looking” fellow who Tyler used the room to hook up with:

“Who wouldn’t be curious or concerned at this point?” Altman said. “It it’s your room and all of a sudden in a dorm for 18-year-olds somebody comes in looking scruffy, homeless looking and suspicious looking and looks out of place…
“If there’s ugliness in Dharun’s heart, whether it be towards gays or Tyler? Is there a text is there an instant message? Is there an email? Is there some witness coming forward to tell you about some terrible conversation he had with Dharun on Sept 20th? Nothing.”
Ravi, now 20, is not implicated in Clementi’s death, but is charged with 15 counts of invasion of privacy, witness and evidence tampering and the hate crime of bias intimidation. He faces up to 10 years in jail, and could possibly deported to his native India because he is not an American citizen.
What do you guys think of these closing arguments? Is Ravi a clueless kid who was so intrigued by the foreignness of a gay roommate that he spied on him? Or does that creepy spying, and his requests for friends to come spy with him, indicate he has hate for homosexuals in his heart?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/defenses-closing-argument-dharun-ravi-did-not-bully-tyler-clementi-for-being-gay-20120313/

Denmark, the world’s first nation to legalize same-sex unions in 1989, will introduce legislation tomorrow that will likely in June make it the eleventh country to officially allow gay marriage (http://channel6newsonline.com/2012/03/denmark-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage-this-year/). The draft legislation was announced today by Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who said that Church of Denmark priests will individually be allowed to decide whether or not they want to perform same-sex ceremonies. The church has thus far been the stumbling block to the approval of gay marriage, despite a progressive Danish society that is largely in favor of gay rights.
“It will be up to each priest whether he or she will perform gay marriages,” said Thorning-Schmidt in her weekly press conference today. “But the government gives all members of the church the right to get married in church, whether they want to marry a person of the opposite or same sex.”
Though several same-sex marriage bills have been previously defeated in the Danish parliament, this new compromise bill is widely expected to pass, and should therefore take effect on June 15.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-denmark-poised-to-become-the-11th-country-to-legalize-gay-marriage-20120313/#ixzz1p20upFbN

With the debate for marriage equality taking place in England’s Parliament this month, Ben & Jerry’s UK arm has renamed their Apple Pie “flavour” as “Apple-y Ever After.” (http://www.benjerry.co.uk/our-values/appleyeverafter) It echoes their celebration of Vermont’s passage of gay marriage in 2009 with the “rebranding” of Chubby Hubby as “Hubby Hubby.” (http://www.queerty.com/ben-jerrys-gay-marriage-backlash-begins-20090903/)
Now, this is definitely a praiseworthy endeavor in some respects, but we wonder if they could throw some money back to the gay community, since they’re sort of profiting off “the cause.”
Their language says their goal is to “raise awareness about the importance of marriage equality,” but nowhere does it say they’ll donate to pro-LGBT groups.
Maybe that’s a political/legal thing—it might not look so great if Ben & Jerry’s was essentially paying lobbyists to beseech members of Parliament to support the cause. But, if there are legal impediments toward supporting a political cause, at least throw some of the proceeds towards an unimpeachable charity like the Ali Forney Center (http://www.aliforneycenter.org/campaign.html), which houses homeless youth in NYC. Surely London has some appropriate analogue.
Ben & Jerry’s does happened to be owned by Unilever, a massive company that might have to put gags on political donations for certain reasons. But MAC Cosmetics is owned by the massive Estee Lauder, and they manage to sponsor a Viva Glam campaign (http://www.vanityfair.com/online/beauty/2012/02/Estee-Lauder-President-John-Demsey-and-MAC-AIDS-Fund-Director-Nancy-Mahon-Talk-Viva-Glam-Nicki-Minaj-and-Ricky-Martin#slide=2) that gives 100% of its proceeds to AIDS charity work.
The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, mostly sponsors fair-labor organizations (http://www.benandjerrysfoundation.org/grantees.html). So where’s the Worker’s Rights-branded Vanilla Ice Cream?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ben-jerrys-releases-new-flavor-apple-y-ever-after-in-support-of-uk-marriage-equality-20120313/#ixzz1p21RSqOb

Kiah Zabel is an out-and-proud lesbian but her school, the Christian-identified Rochester college in Rochester Hills, MI, wants her to stop mentioning her sexuality on her Facebook page.
Fox 2 (http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/alexis_wiley/out-and-proud-rochester-college-student%3A-dean-is-threatening-to-kick-me-out-for-being-gay) reports that Zabel came out on the social-media site recently, posting a photo with the caption “Out…Proud…Lesbian.”
We guess administrators at Rochester don’t have much to do because Dean of Students Brian Cole sent Zabel a note telling her to take the photo down.

“‘Out…Proud…Lesbian’ is not really consistent with the heritage of Rochester College and has proven to already be disruptive among fellow students who are really bothered by it.”
Ah yes, the old “disruptive” excuse, which basically translates to “the comfort of other students comes before your needs.”
Rochester President Rubel Shelly told MLive.com that Zabel’s orientation conflicts with the school’s right “to maintain its standards and values with consistency,” but that they wouldn’t seek to expel her.

“We do not bully or coerce. To the contrary, we are a community that values all its members and affirms the Golden Rule of treating others as we would wish to be treated.”
We have to imagine Shelly was laughing maniacally as she wrote those words.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/christian-college-tells-lesbian-student-to-back-in-the-facebook-closet-20120313/#ixzz1p21lj5sY

P.S: See source for video

Somehow we missed this New York Observer profile (http://www.velvetroper.com/2012/03/andrew-embiricos/?show=all) on the late Andrew Embiricos, which explains that his cause of death was, as Michael Musto suspected (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/03/andrew_embirico.php), due to autoerotic asphyxiation. Embiricos was the son of Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn—herself the daughter of ’40s screen siren Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan —and therefore a direct descendant of Persia’s esteemed Aga Khan line.
The 25-year-old heir’s death raised eyebrows (http://www.queerty.com/did-this-hiv-positive-persian-heir-and-former-x-tube-star-mean-to-commit-suicide-20111206/) because he was found face up with a plastic bag over his head and had a history of kinky behavior—including a brief stint in 2007 as an XTube star (in such gems as Chelsea Bareback Whores).
The Observer reports that the NYPD still considers Andrew’s death a suicide, but friends and family maintain it was an accident:

“As far as the NYPD is concerned, there is no suspected criminality and it appears to be a suicide,” a police spokesperson told SCENE. But while the final cause of death has not been issued by the Medical Examiner’s office, pending further testing, Embiricos’ best friend Jake Dingler, who was present when the body was found, confirms to SCENE: “It wasn’t a suicide. The coroner explained to Andrew’s mother that it was autoerotic asphyxiation. And the cops came to my apartment and talked to me about it.”
The article also contains some interesting details about Embiricos’ life, like the fact that the wealthy heir worked at a tanning salon:

Before he re-enrolled at Fordham, Embiricos had lots of time on his hands, and made an unexpected move, taking a day job at a West Village tanning salon, where he worked for two-and-a-half-years. “The prince of Persia is working at Portofino,” laughs [close friend Chris] Tuttle, speaking of the hours Embiricos clocked behind the front desk. “He wanted to prove to people, perhaps even his mother that, ‘Yeah, I can go work an $8-an-hour job that I enjoy.’ He was great around people and he took pride in selling tanning packages and lotions.”
It concludes on a note that warns against trying autoerotic asphyxiation:

Is Embiricos’ accidental death in some sense a cautionary tale about the dangers of autoerotic asphyxiation, about facing one’s fears and anxieties rather than masking or mollifying them with extreme measures like AEA, or the other risky behaviors that preceded them earlier in his adult life? “Andrew wasn’t much into caution,” quips [his friend Chuck] Attix. “Other than the pain his XTube videos caused his family, I’d never heard him express any sort of regret for anything he’d done. He certainly wasn’t ashamed of anything he did. The way it was originally reported suggested that he intentionally killed himself and that somehow the events of the rest of his life lead him to do it and that was just not true. That’s what was frustrating to friends, to give that impression—like he gave up or something. That wasn’t his style.”
Adds [friend Will] Wikle: “He was a very compassionate and tender-hearted person. For all of his shock value and talk about sex, at his center he was a very sweet, caring person. I do think he would never want anybody to die [like this]. I’m certain that he did not intend to die.”
Don’t do AEA, kids. A mind-blowing orgasm can easily be had with a safe partner—or alone—and think of the pain and humiliation you’d cause your family and friends if it ended tragically. Andrew was just getting into the swing of his life—liking his new job, over the depression and wild-child years he’d just experienced. What a terrible time to lose him.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/autoerotic-asphyxiation-killed-andrew-embiricos-gay-grandson-of-rita-hayworth-20120313/#ixzz1p229kdWM

TheGodlessUtopian

13th March 2012, 21:49

There is almost always a price to pay for standing up and doing the right thing. For Iowa Supreme Court Justices Marsha Ternus, David Baker and Michael Streit—who unanimously ruled that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional—it was a steep price indeed: In the November 2010 elections, all three were voted off the bench (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/us/politics/03judges.html?scp=1&sq=iowa%20supreme%20court%20same-sex%20marriage&st=cse) by the electorate. But now they’re achieving a moral victory, as three of the recipients of this year’s John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award (right), an honor given to those public servants who disregard personal or professional consequences in heeding their consciences.

“This year’s Profile in Courage Award honorees have shown uncommon valor as public servants,” said Caroline Kennedy, President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. “When Justices Baker, Streit, and Ternus joined a unanimous decision to overturn a law denying same-sex couples the privileges of marriage, they sacrificed their own futures on the Court to honor Iowa’s constitution and the rights of all its citizens.”
If they gave out a Profile in Cowardice Award, it should go to the National Organization for Marriage and American Family Association, the out-of-state groups who masterminded the aggressive campaign to Ternus et al voted out.
The Profile in Courage award is presented each year at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library on President Kennedy’s birthday, May 29.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/iowa-justices-who-legalized-gay-marriage-and-got-booted-for-it-honored-with-jfk-profile-in-courage-awards-20120313/#ixzz1p22V0VZD

Slate.com’s Dear Prudence (a.k.a. writer Emily Yoffe) falls somewhere between Ann Landers and Dan Savage in the progressive advice-giving arena. We imagine her to be like a mom in Portland—fairly conservative in her lifestyle, but generally on the right side of the issues. Sometimes, though, we wish she’d unleash her poisoned pen a bit more. Like in this column from a few weeks back (http://live.washingtonpost.com/dear-prudence-120221.html), in which a tight-ass mom asked how to shelter her son from the terrible influence of his friend’s gay parents. (Won’t somebody think of the children?!?)

My son is in second grade and a classmate of his has “two daddies.” My son wants to go over to his friend’s house to play, but we are nervous about this. I know my opinion is probably unpopular, but it is still my opinion: I do not know if this is a good environment for my son at his age. We do not talk about topics like homosexuality in our home. We do not want to field questions yet about these kinds of topics; we want him to be able to just be a kid instead of dealing with complex sexual issues. His friend plays at our house and he is a very nice boy, but eventually his “daddies” will to know if my son can go to their house.
How do we tactfully tell this couple that we would prefer if their son plays at our house? My sister thinks that I will just have to “get over it” and send my son over there. But isn’t it my right to monitor environments and control influences for my children? I fear that children in modern society are exposed to far too much far too soon—what happened to letting kids just be kids?
Prudence’s response was certainly commendable, if a bit toothless:

So you think this little boy’s home should be shunned in the name of letting kids be kids. You don’t have to do a lot of explaining to second-graders. When my daughter was even younger than that we had a gay couple and a lesbian couple in our neighborhood who each had kids. We casually explained to my daughter—after she asked, which wasn’t immediately—that usually kids have a mommy and daddy but sometimes kids have two mommies or two daddies. It was no big deal to her. I assume treating everyone with respect is a value you want to inculcate in your son. Letting him play at his friend’s house will be a good way to put that in action.
We really wish Pru had laid into this uptight breeder a bit more—but that’s not her style. Still, considering other questions in the same column were about a teacher engaged to a former student some 20 years his junior, a husband who sleeps with his elderly mom, and a woman who’s man wants to videotape her giving birth, it’s pretty clear being straight is no protection from crazy shit.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/advice-how-does-a-homophobe-keep-her-kids-away-from-a-friend-with-two-daddies-20120313/#ixzz1p22zfSXt

Add a comment (http://www.queerty.com/photo-this-mosaic-of-two-hunky-dudes-kissing-is-made-entirely-from-pics-of-santorum-20120312/#comments) 6
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http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Hunky-Gay-Kiss-Image-Made-Out-Of-Rick-Santorum-Images-600x552.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Hunky-Gay-Kiss-Image-Made-Out-Of-Rick-Santorum-Images.jpg)
GOP gasbag Santorum is yet again the subject of a gay-themed mosaic portrait, thanks to some Photoshop-savvy readers of Unicorn Booty (http://unicornbooty.com/blog/2012/03/12/hunky-gay-kiss-image-made-out-of-rick-santorum-images-nsfw-ish/)!
This time, the tables have turned, however; instead of a portrait of Rick’s face made out of stills from gay-porn videos (http://www.queerty.com/a-mosaic-image-of-rick-santorum-made-entirely-from-gay-porn-stills-20120222/), we’ve got two hunky guys kissing made out of photos of Rick Santorum’s face.
Not just imagine turning the thousand little thumbnails of Slick Rick’s face into live-streaming video of him denouncing gay marriage on national TV. What a nightmare that would be

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/photo-this-mosaic-of-two-hunky-dudes-kissing-is-made-entirely-from-pics-of-santorum-20120312/#ixzz1p23FNVMe

TheGodlessUtopian

13th March 2012, 22:00

When it comes to traveling the world, in general, we're not one for boycotts even when local politics conflict with gay rights. For example: being gay in Egypt (http://www.outtraveler.com/yourtravelpictures/story.asp?did=1167) is far from a walk in the park, but every respectful gay traveler is a chance to change a local's closed mind -- and the pyramids are nothing if not a cultural asset the whole world should be allowed to see. To a paraphrase of Harvey Milk's famous "come out, come out", Out adds its own coda: Get out! Then again, we're not advocating a visit to Iran or Uganda any time soon. And now, it looks like we're going to have to say "net" to St. Petersburg, Russia as well.
Finishing a process that began last November (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/16/Russian_City_Tries_to_Outlaw_Gay_Events/) with politicians introducing a bill that would outlaw not (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Russian_City_Advances_Antigay_Measure/)http://regent.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341ca4b653ef016302cb1b89970d-320wi (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Russian_City_Advances_Antigay_Measure/) only gay parades, but any discussion of gay issues (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/08/Russian_City_Advances_Antigay_Measure/) in a public forum -- a move that had Moscow tell the U.S. State Department to "butt out" (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/29/Russia_to_US_on_St_Petersburg_Antigay_Bill_Butt_Ou t/) of its politics -- a third vote was taken yesterday in which the bill passed, and was signed into law. Not even an intervention by the European Union (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/13/European_Union_to_Address_Antigay_Moves_in_Russia/) and worldwide protests and campaign by gay-advocacy group AllOut.org (http://allout.org/russia_silenced) was enough to stave off the anti-gay measure.
The law criminalizes reading, writing, speaking, or reporting on anything related to LGBT people. Funny, by our account Russia is already pretty damned gay! (http://www.outtraveler.com/pictorials/story.asp?did=1887)
Andre Banks, co-founder and executive director for AllOut.org, responded in a press release yesterday: “By validating a new regime of censorship and intolerance, Governor Poltavchenko has diminished the reputation of his city with the stroke of a pen. 100,000 people have promised not to visit the 'new' St. Petersburg after this law goes into effect. Travel companies are considering revising their scheduled trips to the city."

Source: http://gps.outtraveler.com/2012/03/st-petersburg-russia-doesnt-want-your-gay-tourist-dollars.html

Pa. House Puts Brakes on Constitutional Marriage Ban

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-13/House-State-Government-CommitteePENNX390.jpg

A proposed bill to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania was blocked and killed by the state's GOP-dominated House of Representatives.

Equality Pennsylvania thanked legislators for putting an end to HB 1434, which it called "mean-spirited and nonsensical."

"In 2012, this is not an issue," read a press release from EP. "It creates no jobs. It comes with hidden costs. It forcefully terminates existing domestic partnership benefits of thousands of municipal and state employees. It takes even the discussion of granting civil unions or domestic partnership benefits off the table. And as polls show, it is out of touch with the point of view of most Pennsylvanians."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/13/Penn_House_Puts_Brakes_on_Constitutional_Marriage_ Ban/

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) _ A proposal to allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine is a step closer to a referendum.

Without debate, the House today voted to kill the citizen-initiated bill, a clear sign that representatives want the state's voters to decide whether to authorize gay marriages. The matter now goes to the Senate.

In 2009, Maine voters repealed a legislatively passed gay marriage law 53 percent to 47 percent.

The latest effort to force a referendum comes after gay rights activists say many Mainers have changed their minds about the issue and are now willing to accept same-sex marriages.

Because the bill arises from the citizen initiative process, lawmakers have an option to pass it exactly as proposed or kill it, which sends it to voters.
Source: http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNewsArchive/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3483/ItemId/20808/Default.aspx

Governor Wishes "Don't Say Gay" Bill Would Disappear

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-13/Governor-Bill-HaslamX390.jpg
Bill Haslam
The Republican governor of Tennessee wishes the "don't say gay" bill would just go away, even though it's proposed by members of his own party.

Gov. Bill Haslam told (http://wpln.org/?p=34963) WPLN that the bill "is not something I think is particularly helpful or needed right now." And he says that belief has been shared directly with Rep. Joey Hensley, the sponsor of the bill (http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0229).

Haslam predicted (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/02/Tenn_Gov_Doubts_Passage_of_Dont_Say_Gay_Bill/) last year that the bill would never pass. It had won approval in the Senate, but the House ran out of time. And ever since it resurfaced (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/18/Dont_Say_Gay_Bill_Returns_But_Is_It_Headed_for_Pas sage/) this year, Haslam has frequently called on the House Education Subcommittee to "lay aside" the measure to focus on other priorities.

"It's no secret we've been part of talks there, and I've said from the very beginning I think there's better things for the legislature to occupy themselves with right now," Haslam told (http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16992405/governor-lawmakers-should-lay-aside-dont-say-gay-bill) NewsChannel 5 in February. "We would love to see the legislature focus on some other issues right now."

So far, there are no signs that House Republicans are listening to Haslam.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/13/Governor_Wishes_Dont_Say_Gay_Bill_Would_Disappear/

LGBT Lawmakers More Prominent in Latin American Politics

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-08/2010-08-27/BOGOTAX390.jpg

A growing number of LGBT public servants have scaled political ladders in Latin America to hold high-profile offices, according to a new report from the Associated Press (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGxnZCCWVrtcpwDCsDKCa00jg7Dg?docId=04cc367da 86944b8ba6a9e8c0e34ff6e%20).

Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico all have at least one openly LGBT person in national political office, and advocates say growing public acceptance and visibility has begun to change the traditionally conservative region.

"It's all about the mobilization of groups demanding their rights," said Marcela Sanchez, a prominent LGBT activist in Colombia. "It didn't just spring up spontaneously."

Read the full report — which profiles Tatiana Piñeros, Colombia’s head of social welfare; Ecuador’s health minister, Carina Vance; and Brazilian lawmaker Jean Wyllys — here (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGxnZCCWVrtcpwDCsDKCa00jg7Dg?docId=04cc367da 86944b8ba6a9e8c0e34ff6e).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/13/LGBT_Lawmakers_More_Prominent_in_Latin_American_Po litics/

LGBT Super PAC Launches in San Francisco

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/Pride%20Pac.jpg

The first LGBT super PAC launched earlier this month, with plans to support the 2012 Obama-Biden ticket through the power of social media, the San Francisco Chroniclereports (http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/03/12/gay-superpac-forms-in-sf-but-its-not-about-nasty-tv-ads/?tsp=1).

The Pride PAC intends to lobby President Obama’s more than 36 million social media followers on Facebook and Twitter and raise $1 million, while refraining from attack campaigns against Republican candidates.

"I don’t think in American history there has been a super PAC focused on civil rights," cofounder Rose Dawydiak-Rapagnani told San Francisco’s Edge news service (http://www.edgesanfrancisco.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=local&sc2=news&sc3=&id=130507). "As we get closer to the election we want to show how powerful the LGBT community is. We can demonstrate that corporate America doesn’t lead; that is the status quo right now with the super PACs."

The group’s mission statement per its website (https://rally.org/pridepac):

"Today, super PACs are used to satisfy corporate and special interests by using donations to lobby Congress and run slanderous political campaign media against opposing presidential candidates. We have decided to combat this blatant misuse of our election system by using social media to spread awareness and advocacy of the Obama-Biden LGBT agenda in the reelection of President Barack Obama on November 8th, 2012. Join the campaign and movement to fight for a brighter tomorrow!"

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/13/LGBT_Super_PAC_Launches_in_SF/

TheGodlessUtopian

13th March 2012, 22:07

Renowned conservative Republican attorney and marriage equality hero Ted Olson (http://www.afer.org/) is going to Greensboro, North Carolina on April 1 for a rally to help defeat the antigay initiative Amendment One (http://www.frontiersla.com/News/Context/Story.aspx?ID=1662720). The proposed antigay constitutional amendment on the ballot for the May 8 Republican Primary would not only ban marriage rights for same sex couples but would prohibit recognition of all same sex unions.
During a brief interview after the West Coast Premier of Dustin Lance Black’s play ‘8” (http://www.afer.org/live/) about the district court trial that found Prop 8 unconstitutional, Olson noted how “opinions have shifted” considerably since Prop 8 was passed in California in 2008. He hopes more Republicans will support marriage equality and oppose measures such as Amendment One, which Olson noted, “wipes away the whole thing,” meaning all legal recognition of same sex relationships.
“I’m going to go down to North Carolina in April. There’s a big rally down there. I’m going to go down and do my bit,” Olson said. “We want to win one. You heard the [Perry v Schwarzenegger Prop 8 trial] witness talk about how the outcome [of antigay ballot measures] is always against gay and lesbian people. It would be really great if we started changing that. And maybe North Carolina is a chance.”
The site for the rally is significant. On Feb. 1, 1960, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_sit-ins) four local black college students sat at a Woolworth’s lunch counter at 132 South Elm Street in Greensboro and asked for a cup of coffee. They were refused service at the “whites only” counter and asked to leave. Instead, the Greensboro Four stayed and sparked a non-violence protest movement against racial discrimination. The old Woolworth’s is now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Civil_Rights_Center_and_Museum).
Olson was invited to participate by members of the Faith Against Amendment One coalition, (http://www.protectncfamilies.org/faith) a part of the statewide campaign Protect All North Carolina Families (http://www.protectncfamilies.org/).
The coalition campaign opposing Amendment One hope Olson’s appearance will move Republicans, considering the expected large turnout for the Republican Primary, and counter the National Organization for Marriage (http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2012/03/02/breaking-nom-jumps-into-nc-amendment-one-battle-as-bigot-road-show-descends-into-state/)and Religious Right heavyweight Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, which has launched a “Values” bus tour that NC resident and blogger Pam Spaulding notes (http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2012/03/09/vote-for-marriage-ncs-lauds-the-values-bus-for-pimping-hate-plying-kids-with-candy/) lures kids with candy to get attention for their antigay message.

Source: http://lgbtpov.frontiersla.com/2012/03/12/republican-ted-olson-going-to-north-carolina-to-help-fight-antigay-amendment-one/

P.S: See source for video

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday filed cloture on 17 federal judicial nominees — including an openly gay appointee — that have been barred from obtaining confirmation votes on the Senate floor.
Having been unable to obtain unanimous consent to move forward with the nominations, Reid filed cloture, meaning votes on the appointees take place after the Senate convenes on Wednesday and require consent from 60 senators to proceed.
Michael Fitzgerald, whom President Obama nominated to the bench in July, is among those who’ll receive a vote, according to a list published (http://democrats.senate.gov/2012/03/12/cloture-filed-on-17-judicial-nominations/) Monday by Senate Democrats.
Fitzgerald is the fourth out federal judicial nominee chosen by the White House. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported out his nomination in November unanimously by voice vote (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/11/03/senate-panel-advances-gay-judicial-nominee-2/) to the Senate floor, but his confirmation has been held up along with other nominees.
Upon confirmation, Fitzgerald would take a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and would be the first openly gay federal judge in that state.
Related Stories
Penn. delays discussion of anti-gay constitutional amendment bill (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/13/penn-delays-discussion-of-anti-gay-constitutional-amendment-bill/)
HHS studying feasibility of allowing gay men to donate blood (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/13/hhs-studying-feasibility-of-allowing-gay-men-to-donate-blood/)
Fast Five Fix: March 13 (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/13/fast-five-fix-march-13/)

Reid filed 17 cloture petitions at the same time on Monday, but cloture votes on each nominee will happen consecutively. For each judge that obtains the 60 votes necessary for cloture, 30 hours of debate will have to proceed, then a simple majority vote is needed to confirm the nominee. However, the Senate could waive the vote and debate by approving the nominee by unanimous consent after cloture is invoked, shortening the process.
Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, encouraged the Senate to approve the Fitzgerald nomination.
“Michael Fitzgerald is a tremendously well qualified nominee and not only deserves a vote of the full Senate but also a seat on the bench,” Cole-Schwartz said. “There should be no excuse for the Senate failing to take action on his nomination.”

Source: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/12/reid-to-force-vote-this-week-on-gay-judicial-nominee/

Racist and homophobic graffiti was scrawled on the electorate office of the minister in charge of indigenous partnerships as the Katter Australia Party's anti-gay marriage TV advertisement appeared to claim a scalp in the form of the ABC presenter who provided the voice-over.
The controversies rolled on yesterday in the Queensland election campaign as the Katter Australia Party warned it had a whiteboard of 60 issues like its anti-gay marriage clip.
So far the campaign has seen candidates embroiled in posting racist comments, attending a swingers party, hosting an online porn site and having its electorate office shot up.
Advertisement: Story continues below
http://images.smh.com.au/2012/03/13/3124173/art-353-5_Katter2-200x0.jpg Backlash ... MP Bob Katter. Photo: Glen Hunt

But the latest controversy - an anti-gay marriage ad which attacks Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman and features stills of two gay men kissing - has been rebounding well beyond the border.
The ABC's Suzanne McGill, who is a casual weekend presenter for regional local radio in Western Australia, ''did not seek nor obtain permission for external voiceover work as required in accordance with ABC policies,'' an ABC spokesman said.
''ABC editorial and workplace policies apply to all staff, regardless of employment status. To that end, the ABC will conduct a formal investigation. Ms McGill will not be on air while the matter is investigated."
In Canberra, the federal National Party leader, Warren Truss, told a Coalition party room meeting yesterday the more condemnation was directed at Mr Katter, the more popular he would become among his target audience.
''There's a Pauline Hanson factor at work,'' Mr Truss was quoted as saying. ''Sneering at him by the media'' would boost his appeal.
Outside the party room, the shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, joined in the condemnation of Mr Katter and the advertisement. ''I thought it was disgusting, petty, pathetic. Bob Katter should be better than that,'' he said.
His fellow frontbencher, Malcolm Turnbull, called the advertisement ''homophobic'' and ''a shocker'' and the billionaire, James Packer, who had donated $250,000 to Mr Katter's party, slammed the ad.
''I admire his passion for this great country and that's why I donated to him,'' Mr Packer said in statement. ''But I don't agree with all his policies and views and I certainly don't support this advertisement of his attack on Campbell Newman.''
Mr Katter's Australian party state leader, Aidan McLindon, called on the federal government to intervene and make sure the ABC reinstated Ms McGill.
''It seems pretty clear that the ABC management has targeted someone who has simply provided a professional service in her own time to an advertising agency,'' Mr McLindon said. ''This sort of vilification should not be tolerated.''
Meanwhile, in North Queensland, racist and homophobic graffiti was daubed across the front of the electorate office of Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships' Minister Curtis Pitt.
Mr Pitt who is married to an indigenous woman told the ABC the attack on his office in Cairns was particularly hurtful for his two children.
Mr McLindon said the Katter Australia Party had highlighted "60 ideas on a whiteboard, a shopping list of issues" that Mr Newman "doesn't have a position on". He said the party's first ad, highlighting Mr Newman's personal support of gay marriage, was only the beginning.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abc-radio-presenter-stood-down-over-gay-ad-20120313-1uyj8.html#ixzz1p273RUIM

Adopting From India: Babies Without Borders

Many gay men are having biological children for less money and less hassle by seeking surrogacy in India.
By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1057/BABIESWITHOUTX390.jpg

While same-sex couples having children is nothing new, there are now more options than ever for those who long to increase the size of their family but are unable to conceive by traditional methods. While lesbians have long utilized artificial insemination to have biological children, gay men have had three options when it comes to raising kids: coparenting with women, adoption, or surrogacy. Fed up with legal headaches and adoption discrimination, many gay and bisexual men have begun thinking outside the box—and out of the country—to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents.

Based in Hyderabad, India, the Kiran Infertility Center has been a leading presence in international surrogacy and infertility for four years, assisting people from 21 countries around the globe. The center offers an all-inclusive surrogacy package for international clients, regardless of nationality or sexual orientation, that handles medical procedures, counseling, lodging, and post-birth legal guidance. As a bonus, there's some local travel and sightseeing, says Samit Sekhar, MD, the clinic's chief embryologist: "The only things intended parents need to do is to inform us of their schedule and arrive in Hyderabad. We take care of the rest."

Sekhar says that unlike at many American clinics, there's no waiting period at Kiran. Once the client signs on, the clinic begins the process by preparing the surrogate and allowing the parents-to-be access to its database of egg donors.

Kiran employs case managers in various cities across the U.S. and Canada (it recently announced its latest addition in Seattle) to assist with medical and other issues and keep clients in the loop with weekly updates. That stateside access offers peace of mind to many would-be dads. And once the baby is born, the clinic provides the legal assistance that helps the new parents obtain a passport and exit visa for their bundle of joy.

The total bill typically comes to $25,000-$40,000, depending on whether the egg donor is a local woman from India or a woman flown in from North America or Europe. It's a far cry from the more typical $80,000 bill for a surrogacy handled in the United States. A U.S. surrogate's fee alone can be up to $25,000, with medical costs, legal fees, additional fees for multiple births, and miscellaneous extras on top of that.

And couples who have previously run into legal or religious barriers while trying to adopt a baby from India needn't fear. Sekhar points out that adoption and surrogacy are two separate legal matters in that country.

"To date, we have not faced any issues regarding surrogacy for same-sex couples from any religious group or from the government," he says. And the proposed Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill 2010, awaiting approval, will codify that surrogacy is available to all couples as long as their relationship is recognized in their own country.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/The_Advocates/Adopting_from_India_Babies_Without_Borders/

Coming Out on the Titanic

A new book takes us back to the decks of the fated vessel, where tragedy struck both gay and straight passengers.
By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2012/1057/TITANICX390.jpg

"It's our most potent modern parable, the great ship, deemed unsinkable, going down on her maiden voyage," says author Hugh Brewster on why we're still talking about the Titanic a century after its tragic sinking. "The stories of how people behaved on that sloping deck are haunting and unforgettable."

Brewster, the writer and historian behind several best-selling books about the doomed ship, provides a thoughtfully researched and vividly drawn look at those haunting and unforgettable stories in the brand-new Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic's First-Class Passengers and Their World. Told through portraits of some its most fascinating and well-off wayfarers, the book provides some startling revelations about the private lives of travelers like artist and writer Francis Millet and his friend (and former roommate) Major Archibald Butt, military aide to presidents William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.

Of particular interest to LGBT readers is Brewster's implication that the two might have been more than friends. He writes that while Butt, a "dandified bachelor with an intense devotion to his mother, seems a more likely gay man than Frank Millet, the decorated war correspondent and married father of three," the surviving correspondence from Millet to San Francisco poet Charles Warren Stoddard points to Millet's homosexuality being more than just a youthful bohemian phase.

"Since homosexuality was once an imprisonable offense," Brewster tells The Advocate, "incriminating diaries and letters were usually destroyed, which is why it is remarkable that Frank Millet's unequivocally homoerotic youthful love letters to Stoddard have survived."

In Millet's final letter, mailed from the Titanic in Queenstown, Ireland, four days before it went down, the artist wrote to another friend that a perusal of the passenger list had led him to believe that there were a good number of "our people" on the voyage.

While most books about the oft-depicted disaster place the Titanic as the tragedy's main character, Gilded Lives lets her notable passengers take center stage. The result is a fascinating story of people gay and straight whose demises are as heartbreaking today as they were a century ago.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Coming_Out_on_the_Titanic/

TheGodlessUtopian

14th March 2012, 21:54

By a slim margin of 4 to 3, the Omaha City Council yesterday approved legislation that would provide anti-discrimination protections for gays and transgender residents, reports Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/14/us-gayrights-omaha-idUSBRE82D02Q20120314). A similar bill failed in 2011, but this time around council member Garry Gernandt changed his vote.
“It’s an important and big step for Omaha to take. Is it overdue? Sure. But Omaha usually isn’t in the forefront of these issues,” said Craig Moody of Voice Omaha, part of the Equal Omaha coalition that has championed the ordinance.
The haters weren’t happy, unsurprisingly: “It legislates morality in the public sphere. It says your private religious opinion is wrong when you operate in public,” Hannah Buell of the Nebraska Family Council told Reuters.
Yes, Ms. Buell, that’s exactly correct—you can’t force your personal religious beliefs on everyone else. At least that’s what your friends and neighbors think: A survey of 1,000 Omahans found that residents favored the measure by a 2-to-1 margin.
And although churches are exempt from the law, church-run charities and other affiliated organizations are not.
Omaha resident John Carroll, who took notably U of Nebraska-Lincoln football coach Ron Brown to task for testifying against the bill (http://www.queerty.com/why-the-is-a-football-coach-testifying-about-omahas-gay-discrimination-ban-20120309/), described the vote thusly:

The Herman Cain of Omaha, Franklin Thompson, babbled and waxed on incoherently then took some weird break as if he was looking up ‘gender identity’ on Wikipedia. Then [he] came back and tried to add an amendment to take gender identity out.
It did not get a second.
They then voted and he voted no, but a previous no turned into a yes and there you go. Omaha has officially joined the ranks of those that embrace equality in the workplace.
Awesome possum! Congrats to John and all the fair-minded folks of Omaha.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/omaha-city-council-narrowly-passes-anti-discrimination-law-20120314/#ixzz1p7tj5tON

Rachel Bavaro, a high-school sophomore in Lynn, MA, says her vice principal made her cover up her T-shirt just because it said “All the Cool Girls Are Lesbians.” Bavaro says the administrator told her, “We don’t wear political things or inflammatory [things] or anything that could be deemed disruptive.” Really? We seem to recall plenty of inappropriate T-shirts back when we were in high school, and that was in the 19th century!
According to WBZ in Boston, (http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/03/13/lynn-mayor-aclu-support-student-who-wore-lesbian-shirt-to-school/) Bavaro initially followed orders, but she eventually posted a video online explaining how she feels it was her right to express herself. Bavaro then wrote a letter to Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy explaining the situation and—lo and behold—Kennedy came to her defense!

“I think it’s the adults that need to understand that the students have rights in the schools,” says the mayor. “They as administrators can’t run it with just their personal opinions and preferences in mind.”
The ACLU agrees. The group is pressing the school to issue Bavaro a formal apology:

“Offensiveness is not enough of a reason to interfere with freedom of expression even in the public schools, all kinds of things are offensive but you put up with it,” says ACLU counsel Sarah Wunsch. “That’s how people learn.”
Lynn English High School’s principal Thomas Strangie sees it differently: “I don’t think this is an issue of freedom of speech myself,” he told WBZ. “I don’t think people should be identifying themselves with their orientation, what their ethnicity is, what their religion is.”
So will you be sending home students wearing crosses and Stars of David? Or maybe just making them turn their “Kiss Me I’m Irish” T-Shirts inside out?
It’s not the bigotry that’s scary here—it’s the stupidity. This guy is in charge of education hundreds of young people.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/apparently-all-the-cool-girls-arent-lesbians-at-ma-high-school-20120314/#ixzz1p7u3g8Di

President Obama today tapped Dr. Grant Colfax of the San Francisco Department of Public Health to be the new director of the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). Colfax replaces Jeffrey Crowley, who stepped down (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-obamas-point-man-on-aids-steps-down-20111104/) in November after less than two years in the post.
“Grant Colfax will lead the my Administration’s continued progress in providing care and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS,” said President Obama. “Grant’s expertise will be key as we continue to face serious challenges and take bold steps to meet them. I look forward to his leadership in the months and years to come.”
ONAP coordinates with the National Security Council, the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator and international organizations to integrate the U.S.’ response to the global epidemic. Dr. Colfax, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, was most recently Director of the HIV Prevention Section in the San Francisco Department of Public Health. According to the White House, his work was focused on “collaborating with community stakeholders to implement sustainable, evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment interventions and policies in public health settings and measuring their effectiveness.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/hired-obama-names-grant-colfax-as-new-national-aids-policy-director-20120314/#ixzz1p7uF83jW

Sadly there is one less beautiful Mexican woman in the world: After she mysterious disappeared on Friday, the body of trans activist Agnes Torres was found in a ditch (http://impreso.milenio.com/node/9128203) outside Puebla the following day. According to local authorities Torres—whose full name was Agnes Torres Sulca—was found naked with burn marks across her body and her throat slashed, suggesting she was tortured.
The 28-year-old psychologist, educator and human-rights advocate had been leading the march for acceptance for trans folk in her native country.
News of Torres’ death spread quickly among LGBT activists in Mexico: On Monday, close to 2,000 people congregated outside Puebla’s civic plaza, seeking justice and demanding the murder be classified as a hate crime. Onán Vázquez Chávez, president of Vida Plena Puebla, a local LGBT group, told CNN Mexico (http://mexico.cnn.com/nacional/2012/03/12/la-activista-transgenero-agnes-torres-es-hallada-muerta-en-puebla) that violence against queer individuals should not be treated as “crimes of passion” when there is clearly a “luxury of rage” involved.
Torres’ death marks the sixth act of violence against the LGBT community in Puebla just since January. Activists hope it will finally raise awareness of other unresolved crimes.
Although several local politicians from the PRD and Nueva Alianza parties have push for a thorough investigation, homophobia is still prevalent among Mexican politicos: Juan Pablo Castro, a member of the conservative PAN party, tweeted that Torres was known for preying on youth and that she deserved to die (http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/agnestorressemerecialoquelepasojuanpablocastro-1238890.html). (Earlier, Castro created a stir when he referred to gay men as jotos (“faggots”) in opposing same-sex marriage to the legislature.)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/mexican-trans-advocate-agnes-torres-found-murdered-20120314/#ixzz1p7uYIJmn

The gays are mad as hell at MSNBC, and we’re not going to take it anymore.
The problem: We’ve gotten to a point where cable news is giving screen time to the nuttiest of anti-LGBT nuts just to stir up so-called controversy. Inviting weirdos onto a news show may garner ratings, but it’s a problem if they’re making up terrible lies about us.
Take Tony Perkins (please), who regularly pops up on Hardball to say delightful things like, “They say the research is overwhelming that homosexuality poses a risk to children.” In response, Hardball host Chris Matthews laid into him, saying, “Oh really, Tony? They say that? And who are “they”? Because that is a lie.”
Just kidding—Chris let it slide. Then on a later episode he clarified (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFMjYNh63rg&feature=related) that “they” was a group of conservative doctors. The end.
It’s ridiculous that people like Perkins—and Matt Barber, Peter LaBarbara, Chuck Colson, et al—keep getting booked on these shows even though they have little or no professional credentials and the data they routinely spout is either made up or discredited by reputable sources.
And that’s why GLAAD’s taking steps to hold the networks accountable (http://www.glaad.org/cap).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/talking-heads.jpg.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/talking-heads.jpg.png)The media-watchdog group has created dossiers on the worst-of-the-worst of these talking heads and is sending them out to everyone from Hardball to The View. The goal is to make producers realize when they’re about to put someone on the air who maybe is a little tiny itsy-bity teeny-weeny insane. (Of that might be the very reason they got booked.)
Who made the Most Unwanted list?
*There’s Candi Cushman, Focus on the Family’s “education analyst,” who said that gay families are “nothing more than a group of individuals—no more unique than a herd of elephants in the jungle.”
*And World Net Daily editor Joseph Farah, who said that the offices of gay politicians ought to be fumigated.
* NOM President Brian Brown, who promoted an ex-gay conference with the words “prevent your child from embracing this destructive way of life. (http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2012/02/nom-prez-in-05-gay-change-can-prevent-your-child-from-embracing-this-destructive-way-of-life.html)”
*Brown’s predecessor, Maggie Gallagher, of course. Among her many unsubstantiated claims: “To anyone with even a cursory knowledge of sexual-orientation research, [refusing to call homosexuality a 'lifestyle choice'] is no longer scientifically tenable.”
* Bob Vander Plaats of the Family Leader, who compared homosexuality to polygamy and adultery (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/07/07/263006/iowa-group-asks-republican-candidates-to-agree-that-homosexuality-is-a-choice-pornography-should-be-banned/) and calls gay people a “public health risk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TQz7AV73GQ8)” akin to smoking and linked being gay to the national debt. (“When you start going away from core value issues, the ripple effect leads right to economic issues.”)
If you wake up in a few months and think, “Gee, it’s been a long time since someone on Hardball told me I am a risk to children,” you’ll know who to thank.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/glaad-releases-most-unwanted-list-of-homophobic-talking-heads-20120314/#ixzz1p7uz9gk5

TheGodlessUtopian

15th March 2012, 22:11

Presented without comment, nine of the most rancid homophobes ever to disgrace Twitter with their presence:
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.35.27-PM1.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.35.27-PM1.png)
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.34.31-PM.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.34.31-PM.png)http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.34.56-PM.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.34.56-PM.png)
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.35.48-PM.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-15-at-4.35.48-PM.png)
Who thinks these hateful tweeps have something bad coming for them?
Source: “100 Homophobes Who Would Kill Their Gay Child” by Storify (http://storify.com/homophobes/100-homophobes-who-would-kill-their-gay-child) (http://storify.com/homophobes/100-homophobes-who-would-kill-their-gay-child)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/meet-nine-rancid-homophobes-who-think-its-okay-to-tweet-about-killing-their-gay-child-20120315/#ixzz1pDop96oa

Once upon a time, it was standard practice to ask a potential hire if they were married—and if they were a woman, if they were planning on having kids any time soon. Times changed (for the better) and certain inquiries were ruled unacceptable on applications and in interviews.
http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2010/08/judgesgavel29-450x265.gif (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2010/08/judgesgavel29.gif)But now, the wheel has turned and questions about sexual orientation are cropping up again on forms and surveys. Not to exclude anyone, this time, but ostensibly to create a more diverse environment.
Recently, the Judicial Applicant Data Report was sent to judges in California (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/12/california-questionnaire-asks-judges-to-list-sexual-preference-451429651/) and, among the numerous questions, jurists were asked to state their sexual orientation and gender identity.
The questions are the result of legislative measure SB 182, enacted last year, that aims to add sexual diversity to other considerations.
As Equality California explains (http://www.eqca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=6560643):

Diversity on the bench matters. Yet California’s judiciary suffers from a lack of diversity. SB 182 ensures that voluntary data on the gender identity and sexual orientation of potential judges is gathered through the state’s Judicial Applicant Data Report, alongside existing questions on gender and racial or ethnic identity.
The online survey is voluntary and names are kept confidential but some 40% of the Golden State’s bench-warmers refused to answer the question.
But, as we all claimed when Judge Vaughn Walker ruled against Prop 8 in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, that the orientation of a judge has no bearing on his or her decisions, why are we asking?
Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/12/california-questionnaire-asks-judges-to-list-sexual-preference-451429651), hardly the standard bearer for fair-and-balanced coverage, actually raises a valid point:

Critics say the question, much like asking about religious preference and voting records, is immaterial to a judge’s qualifications and ability to weigh evidence. They say the survey amounts to an invasion of privacy, and a threat to fair rulings from the bench.
“This is an outrageous violation of the total concept of blind justice and equality for all,” says Brad Dacus, president of the Sacramento-based Pacific Justice Institute.
Dacus says appointments should be based solely on competence and experience. “We should work hard to oppose bias on the bench and off the bench when it comes to the selection of judges, and the criteria by which they are evaluated. That’s what true equality is all about, and that’s what people want when it comes to presiding over their cases in a courtroom.”
But maybe the point of the question is to ensure judges aren’t being overlooked because of the sexuality or gender expression? If so, the findings aren’t so encouraging: Just over 1% stated they were gay or transgender.
At the same time, the University of California school system may be asking incoming students to reveal their sexual orientation.
According to ABC News, (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/college-freshmen-in-california-could-be-asked-to-declare-sexual-orientation/) only students already planning on coming to U of CA schools will be asked:

The system’s Academic Senate initiated the proposal, which would add an additional question to the statements of intent students fill out when deciding to go to the University of California. The statements already include a host of identifiers such as race, gender, and ethnicity.
The question will not be asked on applications to the schools because students may feel uncomfortable filling out the forms in front of their parents, according to Robert Anderson, chair of the senate.
The idea is to make sure enough services and funding are given to provide for LGBT students, which is great, of course.
But it seems it will be part of the acceptance form, meaning it won’t be anonymous. And how accurate a tally would it be if many incoming freshman haven’t come out yet, or see their sexuality as more complicated than a multiple-choice question.

As we’ve seen time and again, once information is out there, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle.
Or maybe we’re worrying to much: What do you think? Is asking jurists and college kids about their sexual orientation just as harmless as asking about their age and gender. Or is it still a sensitive topic that should be handled very carefully, lest it be used against them down the line.
Make your verdict known in the comments. Class dismissed!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ca-colleges-judiciary-putting-sexual-orientation-question-on-applications-good-news-or-bad-20120315/#ixzz1pDp54BGX

A compromise on the future of St. Vincent’s Hospital has been reached between angry residents of NYC’s West Village neighborhood and the City Council—the building will be turned into 350 condos, reports the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/condos_at_st_vinny_LXZYd7sxlayzEDjvYcFZRN?utm_medi um=rss&utm_content=Manhattan). St. Vincent’s was shuttered in April 2010 after unsuccessful efforts to stop the hospital from hemorrhaging money, but it remains tragically iconic to AIDS activists as the epicenter of the HIV epidemic in the late 80s and early 90s.
It’s a quote you can almost attribute to any gay man living the city at the height of the plague: “I saw lots of my friends die there.” (For an insightful look at AIDS activism of the time, see our coverage (http://www.queerty.com/sundance-how-to-survive-a-plague-resurrects-the-energy-and-sorrow-of-early-aids-activism-20120127/) of David France’s documentary How To Survive A Plague.)
The compromise involved converting the hospital into 350 condos instead of 450, and making room for 95 parking spaces instead of 152.
Said Christine Quinn, out NYC Council rep for the neighborhood: “The loss of St. Vincent’s was a terrible tragedy in our neighborhood. The ultimate agreement we have reached is a major step forward.”
The city will also buy a state-owned building nearby to build a school; Quinn says she is still pushing for a new hospital to serve the neighborhood. A design competition to commemorate the AIDS epidemic in a park across from the hospital was decided 2 months ago (http://www.queerty.com/commission-choses-infinite-forest-design-for-nyc-aids-memorial-park-20120130/); it features an “infinite forest” with a triangular set-up of mirrors.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/st-vincents-hospital-nyc-epicenter-of-aids-epidemic-to-become-condos-20120315/#ixzz1pDpJ305B

Police in Santiago, Chile, have arrested four men suspected of brutally gay-bashing a young man earlier this month and leaving him in a coma, reports Edge on the Net (http://www.edgeonthenet.com/news/international/news/130825/four_arrested_in_brutal_attack_on_gay_chilean_man) . We’re sadly used to reading about vicious attacks, but this one—which took place March 6 in Santiago’s Parque San Borja—is beyond the pale:

Prosecutors maintain that Raúl Alfonso López Fuentes, 25, Alejandro Axel Angulo Tapia, 26, Patricio Iván Ahumada Garay, 25, and Fabián Alexis Mora Mora, 19, brutally attacked Daniel Zamudio, 24, in Parque San Borja on March 6. The suspects allegedly struck Zamudio with bottles, rocks and other blunt objects before they cut off part of his ear, carved swastikas into his chest and burned other parts of his body with cigarettes.
The one bit of good news is that the attack on Zamudio (above) seems to have united much of Chile, including Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter, in calling for more legal protections for the LGBT community.
The foursome—who were arrested on March 9—reportedly called themselves “nazis del Centro” or “the Downtown Nazis.” Clearly they’re not up on the Fuhrer’s ideology or they’d know Nazis aren’t so big on Latinos in general.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/suspects-arrested-after-carving-swastikas-in-cutting-ear-off-gay-man-in-chile-20120315/#ixzz1pDpYFFDu

Two Dallas men were walking near the intersection of Forest Lane and Audelia Road early Tuesday morning when they were assaulted for their perceived homosexuality.
According to FOX4 (http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/%27gay%27-men-beaten-with-bats-in-dallas-031412), five men attacked the two men with baseball bats, yelling pejorative gay slurs as they beat them in the face, head, and body. Like a recent African-American gay bashing in Atlanta (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEEQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.queerty.com%2Fwhy-hasnt-this-gay-bashed-atlanta-man-come-forward-to-report-the-crime-20120207%2F&ei=TAliT4qcMMHa0QHYwc23CA&usg=AFQjCNEvt96LDZYuV8Wg65ExFl0jgLzzIA&sig2=DUl_yAtvZ8n5o_htDFlkiA), neither of the victims wants to come forward at this time. In Atlanta, it took a few days for the victim, Brandon White, to muster up the courage to identify himself. (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CE0QFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.queerty.com%2Fbrutally-gay-bashed-atlanta-man-comes-forward-to-speak-i-want-to-do-something-20120208%2F&ei=TAliT4qcMMHa0QHYwc23CA&usg=AFQjCNGjePTeffkYznQ0BixU1fdm3tRHSQ&sig2=S0Tt2Bdq2YT6J0WB4biTSQ)
Jonathan Lindsey, a resident living nearby, said that an anti-gay attack is not so rare in those parts—it happened to him at the same intersection to years ago.
“It’s said,” said Lindsey. “You should feel safe walking down your own street, no matter what you is or who you are.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/two-men-assaulted-by-five-baseball-bat-wielding-homophobes-in-dallas-20120315/#ixzz1pDpk2ebA

P.S: See source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

15th March 2012, 22:16

The Health and Human Services Department (http://www.hhs.gov/) (HHS) is considering new criteria for blood donation for gay men, reports The Hill. (http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/public-global-health/215507-hhs-reconsidering-accepting-men-who-have-sex-with-men-as-blood-donors)
Currently, men who have had sex with other men (MSM) since 1977 cannot donate blood due to “higher levels of certain transfusion-transmissible infections” among that population, the notice explains. Members of Congress’s interest and increased accuracy among donor testing have made the department reconsider the ban.
“[T]he increased effectiveness of donor testing for [Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)], [Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)], syphilis and other infectious agents has greatly enhanced blood safety,” the department states in the notice, which will be published in the Federal Register Tuesday.
“As a result, questions have been raised about the need to continue an indefinite deferral of all MSM and whether there could be blood donation by MSM who may not be at increased risk.”
Right now, HHS is only seeking comments for a new pilot program—which would reflect the vast amount of new information about the disease science has gained since the original criteria were enacted, as well as more accurate and faster testing technology. Those who met certain standards—say, a single same-sex encounter a given number of years ago—would theoretically be allowed to donate, with additional precautions in place.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/hhs-considers-revisiting-gay-male-ban-on-blood-donation-20120314/#ixzz1pDqKzStN

CHARLES CITY COUNTY, VA (WWBT) – The 17-year-old, who believes he was kicked out of school for being gay and wearing high heels is no longer attending Charles City High. The high school junior is actually behind bars now.
Asante Cotman was arrested at his home on the last day of his 3-day suspension. Althea Cotman tells me her 17-year-old son was crying as his probation officer took him away while she was at work.
Asante Cotman's mother says he's in secure detention at Merrimac Juvenile Detention Center in Williamsburg awaiting two probation violation hearings.
During a phone conversation, his mom told me her son was recently convicted of credit card fraud involving his grandmother's and her credit cards. His P.O., she says, claims to have monitored him recently on facebook and twitter and decided Asante violated his probation.
Asante's mother thinks his arrest may have something to do with his public allegations of how he says the principal treated him. Asante talked with me when he was home suspended from school.
"I want central Virginia to know that Charles City High School does not accept its gay students. Education is being hindered because they are being suspended for issues that have nothing to do with a code of conduct," Asante said earlier this month.
The high school junior believes he was suspended for being gay and wearing high heels. He says Principal Stephannie Crutchfield quizzed him about everything, always.
"She said, ‘Let me see your tube of Chap Stick'. I had to really pull out my tube of Chap Stick to show her that I didn't have lipstick on," he said.
Principal Crutchfield has declined to comment. But the superintendent said: "Asante was not suspended for the reason he says he was. I have no other comment out of respect for the mom and it could have repercussions on the school."
Strapless sandals, flip flops and bedroom slippers are banned. But the student handbook says nothing about heels. There is a rule that says disrespect and talking back can get a student suspended. That appears to the school's position that Asante became belligerent when the principal told him to take off his heels.
"I don't have any tears to cry. I done cried all my tears. I put it in God's hands like my momma said. Some nights I sit there and I wonder. I do cry. I do," Asante said.
Those probation violations, according to his mom, are failure to look for a job, and disrespecting adults. I asked Superintendent Crawley if Asante would ever return to Charles City High. She said, "I am not going to talk it."

Source: http://www.nbc12.com/story/17150229/teen-in-detention-center

Senate Approves Gay Judicial Nominee

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Michael%20Fitzgerald%20CSPAN.jpg
Michael W. Fitzgerald
WASHINGTON — In a vote described by California senator Barbara Boxer as “long overdue,” the U.S. Senate on Thursday approved the judicial nomination of Michael W. Fitzgerald, a gay Obama administration nominee for the federal bench.

A former assistant U.S. attorney and current partner in a Los Angeles law firm specializing in white collar criminal defense, Fitzgerald had been targeted in recent months by antigay groups.

But his nomination, Senator Boxer noted in brief floor remarks prior to the vote, had passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee in a unanimous vote more than four months ago. Confirmed today in a 91-6 floor vote, Fitzgerald will fill a vacancy in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

“It really shouldn’t take this long to confirm such a high-quality nominee, especially because this seat has been designated a judicial emergency,” Boxer said. “[Fitzgerald] is a respected member of the Los Angeles legal community and will make an excellent addition to the Central District of California."

Fitzgerald was one of two judicial nominees voted on Thursday afternoon, the other being Gina Marie Groh, nominated to U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (she was also confirmed).

Fitzgerald is the third openly LGBT nominee from the Obama administration confirmed by the Senate, joining U.S. district judges Alison Nathan and Paul Oetken.

Last year, Fitzgerald's nomination came under predictable fire by social conservative groups seeking to derail it. "[Fitzgerald's] extracurricular activities among homosexual transgender organizations show a militant and aggressive predilection for innovation rather than a strict adherence to the rule of law,” leaders of the Traditional Values Coalition and FRC Action, a lobbying arm of the Family Research Council, wrote in separate letters last fall to Judiciary Committee members.

“Fitzgerald’s record of liberal activism is one that rivals Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan in its extremism,” Traditional Values Coalition president Andrea Lafferty wrote.

But those protests fell on deaf ears in the Senate. Fitzgerald is, as Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said on the floor, the first openly gay man confirmed by the Senate who will sit on the federal bench in California.

Like Boxer, Leahy also took a jab at the glacial pace of the nominees in the current Senate during debate.

"There’s never any good reason for the Senate not to proceed on these nominations,” he said.

Among those who voted against Fitzgerald's nomination Thursday were Republican senators Roy Blunt of Missouri and Jim DeMint of South Carolina.

President Obama nominated Fitzgerald to the federal bench in July. "His impressive career stands as a testament to his formidable intellect and integrity," Obama said in a statement last summer. "I am confident he will serve the people of California with distinction on the District Court bench."

Fitzgerald thanked Boxer for her support following the confirmation.

“I am honored by the Senate’s confirmation vote today," he said. "I am grateful to the President for my nomination. I am grateful to Senator Boxer for her recommendation of me to the President. I am grateful to Senator Feinstein for her support in the Senate Judiciary Committee. I look forward to serving the people of the Central District of California.”

Boxer praised the hefty support for Fitzgerald in the Senate chamber after the vote, but again criticized the time it took to get to the confirmation.

"The federal bench in California will gain an extremely talented new judge as a result of today’s historic vote to confirm Michael Fitzgerald," she said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "His sharp intellect and broad legal experience will make him a tremendous asset to the people of the Central District. While I am pleased by today’s overwhelming vote, it is shameful that he had to wait so long for a vote and I hope that Republicans will stop blocking the confirmation of highly qualified nominees."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/15/Senate_Approves_Openly_Gay_Judicial_Nominee/

Ugandan LGBT Rights Groups Sues Antigay U.S. Pastor

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-02/livelyx390.jpg
Scott Lively of the Redemption Gate Mission Society
Sexual Minorities Uganda is suing Massachusetts pastor Scott Lively for violations of international law, specifically accusing Lively of inciting gay hatred in Africa.

When he visited Uganda in 2009, Lively issued a call for the nation to fight against the "genocidal" and "paedophilic" gay movement that he compared to the Rwandan genocide, according to the lawsuit. Sexual Minorities Uganda believe he was instrumental in crafting the proposed "Kill Gays" bill, which at one point contained death sentences for certain gay behavior.

Lively called the suit "absurd" and "frivolous," and claims that while he supports prison for gay behavior, he doesn't condone life imprisonment, the death penalty, or violence. The homophobic culture in Uganda has led to the murder of many gays in the nation, including activist David Kato. After news of the lawsuit broke, protesters marched from the U.S. district court house in Springfield, Mass. to Lively's coffee house, carrying signs and caskets memorializing murdered LGBT Ugandans.

Sexual Minorities Uganda, which is utilizing a statute that allows non-U.S. citizens to sue Americans for violations of international law, plans to take more action against foreigners stirring up gay hate in Africa. Read more here. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/15/uganda-gay-group-sues-us-pastor)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/15/Ugandan_LGBT_Rights_Groups_Sues_Antigay_US_Pastor/

TheGodlessUtopian

15th March 2012, 22:20

Gay marriage: Government consultation begins

Comments (425) (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17375736#dna-comments)
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/59083000/jpg/_59083323_jex_1350483_de54-1.jpg
Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone says that the state should "rejoice" in people's desire to marry

Continue reading the main story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17375736#story_continues_1) Related Stories

Gay marriage: 'Give us the upgrade' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17354465)
Catholic gay marriage anger grows (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17329902)
Cardinal criticises gay marriages (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17249099)

The government has launched a 12-week consultation on allowing gay couples in England and Wales to marry.
The proposal is being fiercely opposed by some senior church figures, as well as a number of Conservative MPs.
Civil partnerships, introduced in 2005, already give gay couples similar legal rights to married couples.
But the government wants them to be legally allowed to make vows and declare they are married before the next general election, due in 2015.
The Home Office's consultation paper (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/consultations/equal-civil-marriage/consultation-document?view=Binary) proposes:

to allow same-sex couples to marry in a register office or other civil ceremony

to retain civil partnerships for same-sex couples and allow couples already in a civil partnership to convert it into a marriage

to allow people to stay married and legally change their gender

to maintain the legal ban on same-sex couples marrying in a religious service

Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said: "We're not looking at changing religious marriage, even for those that might wish to do it.
Continue reading the main story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17375736#story_continues_2) “Start Quote

It's people saying we are not quite good enough. We are nice people but not quite first-class citizens”

Gay marriage: 'Give us the upgrade' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17354465)

"I understand the liberal Jews, the Quakers and some unitarian churches would like it, but that's not in the sight of this consultation."
Labour welcomed the proposals but said they did not go far enough.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Religious marriages are a matter for each church and denomination, not for the government. But equally, the government should go further than they currently plan.
"Churches who want to celebrate gay marriage [should have] the chance to do so."
Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell also welcomed the government's commitment to legalise same-sex civil marriages but said he was unhappy about the continued ban on religious same-sex marriages.
"This is not only homophobic but also an attack on religious freedom. While no religious body should be forced to conduct same-sex marriages, those that want to conduct them should be free to do so."
Mike Judge, from the campaign group Coalition for Marriage, said: "Marriage is so much part of everyday life. If we change its meaning in law, it will have a knock-on effect in everyday life."
He pointed to Spain which has changed birth certificates to say 'progenitor A' and 'progenitor B' instead of mother and father since same-sex marriage was legalised there.
The Home Office is also asking individuals and organisations to give their views on the proposals for England and Wales in an online survey. (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/equal-civil-marriage)
The Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for reform of the marriage laws, arguing that they are outdated and discriminate against same-sex couples.
While in opposition, Prime Minister David Cameron backed a move to consider allowing civil partnerships to be classified as marriage, as part of his modernising drive in the Conservative Party's Contract For Equalities (http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2010/05/%7E/media/Files/Downloadable%20Files/Manifesto/Equalities-Manifesto.ashx), published in May 2010.
However, some Conservative MPs are uncomfortable with the move, arguing it will undermine the traditional idea of the family.
When legislation comes before the Commons, Tory MPs are expected to be offered a free vote to avoid an embarrassing backbench revolt.
'Shame' on UK Earlier this month, during Commons questions about the consultation, Conservative backbencher Peter Bone said: "Wouldn't it just be very simple to write back and say: 'Marriage is between a man and a woman so this is completely nuts'?"
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/59083000/jpg/_59083332_jex_1350504_de27-1.jpg
Mike Judge from the Coalition for Marriage: "You can have equality and still maintain traditional marriage"

Meanwhile, senior members of the clergy have complained that politicians should not be allowed to redefine marriage.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, said the "grotesque" plans would "shame the United Kingdom in the eyes of the world" if implemented.
A week later, Roman Catholic congregations across England and Wales were read a letter from the Church's two most senior archbishops saying the change would reduce the significance of marriage and it was the duty of all Roman Catholics to make sure it did not happen.
The leader of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, has said the law should not be used as a tool to bring about social changes such as gay marriage.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights charity Stonewall, has said the issue was neither about religious freedom nor party politics.
"Ultimately it's about the freedom of a small group of people to be treated in exactly the same way as everyone else," he said.
The Scottish government held its own consultation process and received more than 50,000 responses.
A number of other countries already allow same-sex couples to marry, including Spain, Canada, Argentina, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden and Belgium.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17375736

Language Finalized for Washington Marriage Referendum

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-26/OlympiaCapitolBuildingx390.jpg

A Washington judge finalized language for the proposed referendum to repeal the new marriage equality law after ruling that the phrase “redefine marriage” cannot be included.

The Associated Press (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017741096_apwagaymarriagereferendum2ndldwritethru .html) reports on the ruling Tuesday from Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee after both sides had challenged the proposed language for Referendum 74. Marriage equality advocates had opposed as a “loaded term” the original wording from Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna, which said the new law "would redefine marriage to allow same-sex couples to marry."

The decision cleared the way for Preserve Marriage Washington, a coalition working with the National Organization for Marriage to overturn the law, to start gathering signatures Wednesday to put the referendum on the ballot. The marriage equality law signed by Governor Christine Gregoire last month takes effect June 7, but it will be put on holding pending the outcome of a November referendum if opponents collect 120,577 valid signatures by June 6.

Opponents of same-sex marriage show a high success rate at the ballot in over 30 states since 1998, but advocates in Washington, who have been preparing for the referendum, have strong reason to believe they can break the streak. In 2009, voters approved Referendum 71 to uphold the expanded domestic partnership law, making Washington the first state to affirm LGBT relationship recognition on the ballot.

Read the ballot language at the Washington Secretary of State’s page. (http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/referendum.aspx?y=2012)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/15/Language_Finalized_for_Washington_Marriage_Referen dum/

GLAAD Honors Teen Who Launched Bully Petition

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-06/butler.jpg

Katy Butler, the Michigan high school student who started an online petition to change the R rating of the documentary Bully, will be honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation later this month.

The 17-year-old, who identifies as lesbian, will receive a special recognition award to be presented by Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of the Weinstein Company, which will distribute the powerful documentary which will be released theatrically March 30. The 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place at the Marriott Marquis in New York City March 24.

“I am proud and honored to present this Award to Katy," Weinstein says in a statement. "Her commitment to this campaign and passion for taking action against bullying is incredibly impressive."

Butler delivered her more than 200,000 signatures on her Change.org petition to the Los Angeles office of the Motion Picture Association of America last week. She's garnered national attention, including acknowledgment from Ellen DeGeneres (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/07/WATCH_Ellen_DeGeneres_Urges_Viewers_to_Sign_Petiti on_to_Change_Bully_Rating/) on her daytime talk show, for her effort to overturn the restrictive rating on the film and allow it to be seen by younger people.

For more information on the GLAAD Media Awards, go here (http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/15/GLAAD_Honors_Teen_Who_Launched_Bully_Petition/

Marriage Equality Opponents Gathering Signatures in Maryland

By Nick Visser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Nick%20Visser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/Maryland.jpg

Marriage equality opponents are officially gathering signatures to overturn the bill signed earlier this month by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley that would legalize same-sex unions, the Associated Press reports (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/opponents-to-md-gay-marriage-law-launch-petition-drive-group-needs-nearly-56000-signatures/2012/03/14/gIQAuhiRCS_story.html).

The Maryland Marriage Alliance needs to collect about 56,000 valid signatures by June 30 — slightly less than 1% of the population — for a referendum on the November ballot. The group is working with an online organization, mdpetitions.com, to mail petition forms to voters who request them.

O’Malley signed the bill (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/01/Maryland_Governor_Signs_Marriage_Bill/) into law on March 1 after it passed the state’s Senate in a 25-22 vote, making Maryland the eighth state plus the District of Columbia with marriage equality. The law wouldn’t take effect until January, however.

A January poll (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/half-of-maryland-residents-back-legalizing-same-sex-marriage/2012/01/30/gIQAGeJ6cQ_story.html) by The Washington Post showed that 50% of Marylanders supported same-sex marriage, with 44% opposed.

From the group’s website:

Against the will of the overwhelming majority of the people of Maryland, the Legislature has voted to legalize same sex marriage. But the people of Maryland will have the final say on marriage as we have the right to referendum. Maryland Marriage Alliance has already filed to be the Official Referendum Proponents to allow the people to vote and restore marriage in Maryland.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/15/Marriage_Equality_Opponents_Gathering_Signatures_i n_Maryland/

TheGodlessUtopian

15th March 2012, 22:27

Principal Quits After Allowing Antigay Band to Play at School

By Brett Edward Stout (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate%20Contributors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-15/Junkyard-ProphetX390.jpg
Junkyard Prophet
A high school principal who green lit a performance from an antigay Christian rock band at a school assembly announced his resignation Wednesday.

Mike Cooper, principal of Dunkerton High School, allowed the band Junkyard Prophet, associated with the ministry You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, to play for students. When the music stopped, the group began a sermon-like speech on “moral standards” that condemned homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion. At one point, graphic images of allegedly aborted fetuses were displayed on a projector screen. The speech was captured on video and posted to YouTube, sparking nation-wide outrage (see below).

Following the episode Iowa’s Superintendent of Schools Jim Stanton criticized Cooper for allowing the assembly and said that the concert "didn’t conform to the district’s teaching of tolerance.” Earlier this month (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/09/Iowa_Superintendent_Stands_Up_for_LGBT_Students/), he blasted the group, and said no such messages had a place in Iowa's schools. Stanton claimed that Cooper’s resignation (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/14/principal-who-allowed-group-to-espouse-anti-gay-anti-abortion-views-resigns/) was for other reasons and had been planned in advance of the controversial issue. "He simply wants to be a superintendent," Stanton said. Cooper will continue to hold his position through the remainder of the school year.

Dunkerton parent Jennifer Littlefield told the Associated Press (http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/14/3490833/head-of-school-that-hosted-anti.html), “They told these kids that anyone who was gay was going to die at the age of 42. It just blows me away that no one stopped this.”

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/06/18/Michele_Bachmann_Glittered_By_Gay_Activist/) helped raise money for the You Can Run But You Cannot Hide ministry in an effort to block marriage rights in Minnesota. The ministry was created by Evangelical leader Bradlee Dean, who is has been a paid speaker at public school assemblies about the dangers of homosexuality.

Cooper's resignation follows that of Tennessee Principal Dorothy J. Bond, who resigned after telling gays and pregnant teens their “lives were over” and that they “were going to hell.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/15/Principal_Quits_After_Allowing_Antigay_Band_to_Pla y_at_School/

P.S: See source for video

Bret Easton Ellis Calls Dharun Ravi Trial a Witch Hunt

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-15/ELLIS_DharunRaviX390.jpg
Bret Easton Ellis, Dharun Ravi
Less Than Zero author Bret Easton Ellis calls the case against Dharun Ravi, currently awaiting verdict in his trial for multiple counts in the death of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, "a witch hunt."

In a series of tweets (https://twitter.com/#%21/BretEastonEllis) sent yesterday Easton writes: "Dharun Ravi might be a jerk but if a jury convicts him because Tyler Clementi killed himself then the US justice system is seriously fucked...If Tyler Clementi had not killed himself we would have never heard of Dharun Ravi. This is a witch hunt pure and simple and it sickens me...Bullying=Suicide? Personally I blame the parents and an entire culture that indulges a childproof world where pain and losing doesn't exist....I was bullied. It was awful. But I learned a lot. I learned how to cope. It taught me things: people are cruel, the world sucks. I grew up."
Ravi, 20, is charged with multiple counts in the death of Clementi, including invasion of privacy and bias intimidation. Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in 2010 after Ravi, his roommate, had spied on him during an intimate encounter with another man. Watch closing remarks in his trial here (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/13/Watch_Live_Closing_Arguments_in_Dharun_Ravi_Trial/).

Easton has previously courted controversy with his Twitter feed after comparing the FOX series Glee to a "puddle of HIV. (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/04/13/Writer_Compares_Glee_to_Puddle_of_HIV/)"

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/15/Bret_Easton_Ellis_Calls_Dharun_Ravi_Trial_a_Witch_ Hunt/

Government gives green light to gay church weddings - but priests have the final say

Af Howard Knowles ([email protected])

13. marts 2012, 14:46 – opdateret 13. marts 2012, 14:53

Gay couples can look forward to a church wedding this summer.
At her weekly press conference, Tuesday, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said the government is putting the finishing touches to a bill that will come into force on June 15th, allowing homosexuals and lesbians to walk down the aisle in the church of their choice – if they can find a priest who’s willing to conduct the ceremony.
“It will always be up to the individual priest as to whether he or she is prepared to bless gay couples but this legislation provides homosexuals with the same rights as heterosexuals,” said the PM.
A number of priests have already voiced their displeasure at the prospect of the church hosting gay weddings, but Ms Thorning Schmidt said it’s been a ‘hard, but good’ debate and the government’s managed to come up with a solution that respects both points of view.
“It’s an important message for a country such as Denmark to send - we respect every citizen’s choice but we also respect priests’ choice too,” she said.

Source: http://www.b.dk/english/gay-marriage-legislation-passed-by-summer-says-pm

Omaha Narrowly Passes Antidiscrimination Ordinance

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-14/omahax390.jpg

The Omaha, Neb. City Council voted 4-3 approving an ordinance which would protect LGBT residents against bias based on sexual orientation, and gender identity on Tuesday.

The bill, which failed to pass in October 2010, drew hundreds of concerned citizens for and against the ordinance to city council meetings. The ordinance would apply to "employers, employment agencies, job training programs, labor groups, public accommodations" and businesses contracted by the city, according to the Associated Press. (http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/5a62260797fc4c9c94f77d4c935d87d4/NE--Omaha-Bias-Ordinance/)

Mayor Jim Suttle said he would sign the bill into law if the city council passed it.

"Omaha is a city that welcomes diversity, embraces fresh ideas and is open for business to everyone," Suttle said, according to the AP. "Allowing discrimination in our city is wrong-for our citizens and our businesses."

Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/14/us-gayrights-omaha-idUSBRE82D02Q20120314) reports that an opponent of the ordinance is threatening a legal or legislative challenge to the new ordinance.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/14/Omaha_Narrowly_Passes_Antidiscrimination_Ordinance/

Donald Trump Jr. Used to Wish Every Guy Was Gay

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-14/DTJRX390.jpg

Donald Trump Jr. comes out in support of same-sex marriage and says he used to wish every guy was gay so he could have more women, during an interview with The Six Pack (http://sixpackradio.com/post/19244076680/short-donald-trump-jr).

DJ Ben Harvey and comedian Dave Rubin, who host the show on SiriusXM, ask Trump Jr. if he's in favor of marriage equality. "I'm totally for it," he replies. "One of my best friends growing up was gay. It's never been an issue for me."

He continues, adding, "I think there was a time in my life, probably in college, that I wished every guy was gay because it meant more woman for me! I don't know what everyone's problem with it is, I wish everyone was gay! That's always the way I thought about it. I have no issue with it. If I have to suffer through marriage why shouldn't they?"

Trump Jr. also confirms that his conservative billionaire father, who hosts Celebrity Apprentice, has met with fired contestant, out actor George Takei to discuss the marriage equality and the meeting was filmed.

He also attempts to clarify his father's stance on the issue."In terms of my fathers political views in the grand scheme of things there's other things he'd be concerned about first, given the state of the world and our economy," Trump Jr. says. "I think part of it, and perhaps the shame of being a conservative, is you almost have to have those kind of stances to win any kind of primary. And then you have to sell out and become a moderate in the middle just like you have to do if you're on the liberal side of the political spectrum."
Trump Jr. also addresses his love of hunting, which stirred controversy recently when photos leaked of his big game hunting expedition in Africa. "I'm kind of a closet redneck," he says. Listen to the complete interview here (http://sixpackradio.com/post/19244076680/short-donald-trump-jr).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/14/Donald_Trump_jr_used_to_Wish_Every_Guy_Was_Gay/

TheGodlessUtopian

16th March 2012, 18:39

The jury reached a verdict in the Dharun Ravi trial today, reports the Star-Ledger (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/ravi_webcam_trial_verdict.html): After 12 hours of deliberation, they found Ravi guilty of numerous counts of invasion of privacy, tampering with witnesses and evidence, and hindering an investigation. It was a surprising result for the Rutgers student, who could’ve avoided jail time by taking a plea deal (http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementi-tormenter-dharun-ravi-would-rather-face-an-nj-jury-than-do-600-hours-of-community-service-20111209/) for 600 hours of community service. He appeared stunned as he left the courthouse.
Ravi was charged with four counts of bias intimidation as a hate crime, two counts of invasion of privacy, two counts of attempted invasion of privacy and seven counts of witness tampering and hindering apprehension. Depending on the judge’s harshness in sentencing, he faces up to 10 years in prison and possible deportation, since he is not an American citizen.
Sentencing will take place on May 21.
Here is the full verdict breakdown from the Star-Ledger:

COUNT 1
4th Degree Invasion of Privacy, related to Tyler Clementi: GUILTY
4th Degree Invasion of Privacy, related to Clementi’s guest, M.B.: GUILTY
(Observed Clementi/M.B. in sexual contact without their consent on Sept. 19)
If Guilty, jury proceeds to count 2; if Not Guilty, jury skips count 2 and proceeds to count 3
COUNT 2
3rd Degree Bias Intimidation
(For 4th Degree Invasion of Privacy charge on Sept. 19)
• Invasion of Privacy with the purpose to intimidate Tyler Clementi because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy with the purpose to intimidate M.B. because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause Tyler Clementi to be intimidated because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause M.B. to be intimidated because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, under circumstances that caused Tyler Clementi to be intimidated, and considering the manner in which the offense was committed, Clementi reasonably believed that he was selected to be the target of the offense because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
COUNT 3
3rd Degree Invasion of Privacy, related to Tyler Clementi: GUILTY
3rd Degree Invasion of Privacy, related to M.B.: GUILTY
(Activated webcam so other people could view Clementi/M.B. in sexual contact on Sept 19.)
If Guilty, jury proceeds to count 4; if Not Guilty, jury skips count 4 and proceeds to count 5
COUNT 4
2nd Degree Bias Intimidation
(For 3rd Degree Invasion of Privacy charge on Sept. 19)
• Invasion of Privacy, with the purpose to intimidate Tyler Clementi because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, with the purpose to intimidate M.B. because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause Tyler Clementi to be intimidated because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause M.B. to be intimidated, because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, under circumstances that caused Tyler Clementi to be intimidated, and considering the manner in which the offense was committed, Clementi reasonably believed that he was selected to be the target of the offense because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
COUNT 5
4th Degree Attempted Invasion of Privacy, related to Tyler Clementi: GUILTY
4th Degree Attempted Invasion of Privacy, related to M.B.: GUILTY
(Tried to observe Clementi/M.B. in sexual contact without their consent on Sept. 21)
If Guilty, jury proceeds to count 6; if Not Guilty, jury skips count 6 and proceeds to count 7
COUNT 6
3rd Degree Bias Intimidation
(For 4th Degree Invasion of Privacy charge on Sept. 21)
• Invasion of Privacy, with the purpose to intimidate Tyler Clementi because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
• Invasion of Privacy, with the purpose to intimidate M.B. because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause Tyler Clementi to be intimated because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause M.B. to be intimidated because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, under circumstances that caused Tyler Clementi to be intimidated, and considering the manner in which the offense was committed, Clementi reasonably believed that he was selected to be the target of the offense because of sexual orientation: guilty
COUNT 7
3rd Degree Attempted Invasion of Privacy, related to Tyler Clementi: GUILTY
3rd Degree Attempted Invasion of Privacy, related to M.B.: GUILTY
(Tried to show Clementi/M.B. in sexual contact to other people on Sept. 21)
If Guilty, jury proceeds to count 8; if Not Guilty, jury skips count 8 and proceeds to count 9
COUNT 8
2nd Degree Bias Intimidation
(For 3rd Degree Attempted Invasion of Privacy charge on Sept. 21)
• Invasion of Privacy, with the purpose to intimidate Tyler Clementi because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
• Invasion of Privacy, with the purpose to intimidate M.B. because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause Tyler Clementi to be intimidated because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
• Invasion of Privacy, knowing that the conduct constituting invasion of privacy would cause M.B. to be intimidated because of sexual orientation: ACQUITTED
• Invasion of Privacy, under circumstances that caused Tyler Clementi to be intimidated, and considering the manner in which the offense was committed, Clementi reasonably believed that he was selected to be the target of the offense because of sexual orientation: GUILTY
COUNT 9
4th Degree Tampering with Physical Evidence: GUILTY
(Deleted tweets relevant to police investigation)
COUNT 10
4th Degree Tampering with Physical Evidence: GUILTY
(Wrote and posted a false tweet)
COUNT 11
3rd Degree Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution: GUILTY
(Destroyed evidence relevant to investigation)
COUNT 12
3rd Degree Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution: GUILTY
(Prevented a witness from providing testimony)
COUNT 13
3rd Degree Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution: GUILTY
(Lied to police)
COUNT 14
3rd Degree Witness Tampering: GUILTY
(Tried to influence what Molly Wei told police)
COUNT 15
4th Degree Tampering with Physical Evidence: GUILTY
(Deleted text messages sent to and received from witnesses)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-jury-delivers-verdict-in-dharun-ravi-trival-guilty-on-most-counts-20120316/#ixzz1pIp2IqQF

TheGodlessUtopian

16th March 2012, 18:46

A new poll released yesterday by French mag L’Express (http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/ouvriers-gays-juifs-seniors-pour-qui-votent-ils_1094135.html) suggests that the gays of France are a complicated bunch: While a full one half of those who plan to vote say they will do so for the left-leaning Socialist candidate, François Hollande, nearly one fifth (http://www.thelocal.fr/2863/20120316/) pledge their support to the far right Front National candidate, Marine Le Pen. Le Pen, the daughter of infamous ultranationalist politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, is polling as the favorite with 19% of French gays — even more shocking given that she only gets 17% support from the entire French populace.
In a radio interview last summer, Le Pen expressed her firm opposition to gay marriage, comparing it to polygamy (http://tendancecoatesy.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/marine-le-pen-compares-gay-marriage-to-polygamy/). “One could even decide that one should equally have the right to marry several men, couldn’t one?” she asked her interviewer. (Cue angry queen response: “And?”)
Current French president Nicolas Sarkozy has also said he would not back marriage equality (http://www.queerty.com/french-president-nicolas-sarkozy-wont-support-gay-marriage-in-re-election-campaign-20120214/) if re-elected. Sarkozy, who’s swung to the right in recent years, is running neck and neck with Hollande, with each polling at about 27%. Sarkozy’s support among French gays, at 21%, is just higher than that of Le Pen.
French voters will cast their presidential ballots on April 22; if no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a second round run-off will be held on May 6.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/poll-shocker-one-fifth-of-french-gays-will-vote-for-far-right-presidential-candidate-20120316/#ixzz1pIpVhN8o

The two men identified (http://www.queerty.com/police-identify-two-suspects-in-brutal-slaying-of-gay-chelsea-resident-20120313/) in the murder of gay Chelsea resident John Laubach were nabbed yesterday in Orlando, Florida, reports the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/killers_caught_ODwl5D7BBL0vTpB5md7ANI?utm_medium=r ss&utm_content=National). Ex-cons Edwin Faulkner and Juan Carlos Martinez-Herrera are suspected of binding and gagging Laubach during a hookup that turned deadly.
Says the Post:

Laubach, 57, had known the duo for about a month before his murder, having met them at a sex-shop video parlor on Eighth Avenue, according to sources.
He had previously complained to a neighbor that one of the suspects had taken something the last time they rendezvoused, but he still let the pair into his apartment on March 2, the night he was killed…
Laubach was routinely seen bringing young men back to his pad, and there were no indications of forced entry into his home, which had been ransacked, sources said. Faulkner and Martinez-Herrera allegedly made off with the victim’s laptop and credit cards.
This story could make you think twice about your next NSA Grindr hookup. And, if you notice a hookup stealing from you—probably don’t hook up with them, ever again.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ex-con-suspects-in-murder-of-gay-chelsea-man-arrested-in-florida-20120316/#ixzz1pIpidb1X

Here’s an interesting sociological take on the Candid Camera TV set-up: hire two actors to play a mom and son who are having an emotional discussion about the son wanting to be a girl. Set the scene in the middle of a crowded New Jersey diner, and see what the other people in the restaurant say.
As a gay person with a vested interest in making sure our LGBT youth are happy, I’d probably step in and defend the son. But if I were straight, or older, perhaps I’d let them settle the matter on their own. What would you do?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/watch-what-would-you-do-if-you-witnessed-a-mom-refusing-to-accept-her-trans-son-20120316/#ixzz1pIpwmcQJ

P.S: See source for video

Marvel Comics has been teasing a wedding for Astonishing X-Men #51 (http://www.newsarama.com/comics/x-men-wedding-teaser.html), out in June, and according to comics site Newsarama (http://www.newsarama.com/comics/x-men-wedding-past-mutants-marriages.html), it’s going to be mutant speedster Northstar and his boyfriend, Kyle, who get hitched.
It makes sense — new Astonishing X-Men writer Marjorie Liu has established that Northstar will be part of the book’s cast, and a same-sex marriage would show that Marvel is willing to take the same progressive step that Archie took recently, in marrying off Kevin Keller in their alternate future title Life with Archie.
On a practical level it makes sense, too: Currently, the X-Men are based in San Francisco where, alas, same-sex marriage isn’t legal. But Northstar is Canadian—he could race Kyle up to Quebec, tie the knot and return to base in the time it takes Wolverine to pop his claws.

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/SaveTheDate_02-360x546.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/SaveTheDate_02.jpg)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-wedding-bells-are-gonna-chime-in-the-pages-of-x-men-20120316/#ixzz1pIqDhbbS

When you remind yourself that the Catholic Church still hasn’t come around on the use of contraceptives (and are making a political issue (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/catholics-dont-see-contraception-mandate-as-threat-to-religious-freedom/2012/03/15/gIQAyV98DS_story.html) of state-funded birth control), it makes more sense that the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales thinks two homo-seck-sual partners are just really, really, realllly good friends. The Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, gave the Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9147559/Gay-couples-are-just-lifelong-friends-says-Catholic-leader.html) his opinion on a gay couple who wants to get married:

“I would want to say to them that I understand their desires, that I understand their experience of love is vitally important in their lives, but I would want to say to them that they are called in my view, in the church’s view, to a very profound friendship in life.
“I would want them to be respected, but I would want them to have a vision in themselves that what they are called to is not marriage but a very profound and lifelong friendship.”

Just FYI, Rev. Nich—just as you completely ignore the romantic part of straight people’s marriages (sex only for procreation! no condoms!), you’re missing one of the most beautiful things about a gay relationship: the sex part.
It’s a more compassionate view than the Pope’s (http://www.queerty.com/pope-benedict-opens-his-big-yap-to-condemn-gay-marriage-premarital-sex-shacking-up-lollipops-and-rainbows-20120312/), for sure, but it’s still a backward view that ignores the reality of healthy relationships. How many of your friends’ relationships take a death knell once the sex gets bad or is just not happening anymore?
God made sex for people! Because it’s fun! And feels great. Get with it, Church.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/english-archbishop-on-gay-couples-a-very-profound-and-lifelong-friendship-20120316/#ixzz1pIqQxB5q

Uganda’s “Death to Gays” bill has been brought back to the legislative forefront (http://www.queerty.com/uganda-government-says-it-doesnt-want-kill-the-gays-bill-but-will-debate-it-anyway-20120209/), but gay activists are hitting back in their own way: by filing a lawsuit against Scott Lively, a nasty (http://www.queerty.com/scott-lively-thinks-writing-to-gays-will-absolve-him-of-a-lifetime-of-hating-on-us-20110531/) anti-gay (http://www.queerty.com/remorseful-isnt-how-youd-describe-scott-livelys-reaction-to-david-katos-death-20110129/) American Evangelical missionary (http://www.queerty.com/scott-lively-hired-a-convicted-child-rapist-to-manage-his-teen-friendly-coffee-shop-20110113/). Lively has cultivated homophobic sentiment by giving impassioned sermons against the LGBT community in the East African nation, and even advised Ugandan lawmakers (http://www.queerty.com/meet-americas-bigots-spearheading-ugandas-death-to-gays-bill-20091204/) on how to get the “Death to Gays” bill passed when it first came up in 2009.
The suit is being filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights (http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/ugandan-lgbt-activists-file-case-against-anti-gay-u.s.-evangelical-federal-court) on behalf of Sexual Minorities Uganda, a non-profit umbrella organization for LGBT advocacy groups in Uganda. The CCR says:

The suit alleges that Lively’s involvement in anti-gay efforts in Uganda, including his active participation in the formulation of anti-gay legislation and policies aimed at revoking fundamental right from LGBT persons constitutes persecution. This is the first known Alien Tort Statute (ATS) case seeking accountability for persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Alien Tort Statute essentially allows U.S. courts to hear human-rights cases brought by foreign citizens for conduct committed outside the 50 states. Just as Lively could be held accountable for efforts to disenfranchise a minority group in America, so can he be tried for doing so in Uganda.
Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, said back in December that he was afraid to leave his house (http://www.queerty.com/ugandan-activist-frank-mugisha-scared-he-might-be-poisoned-by-anti-gay-thugs-20120113/) for fear of being murdered by anti-gay thugs. Now the brave LGBT activist has decided to slam Lively with a lawsuit. Said Mugisha:

“U.S evangelical leaders like Scott Lively have actively and intensively worked to eradicate any trace of LGBT advocacy and identity. Particularly damaging has been his claim that children are at risk because of our existence. His influence has been incredibly harmful and destructive for LGBT Ugandans fighting for their rights. We have to stop people like Scott Lively from helping to codify and give legal cover to hatred.”
We’ll keep you updated on how the lawsuit progresses.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/lawsuit-filed-against-u-s-missionary-who-cultivated-anti-gay-sentiment-in-uganda-20120316/#ixzz1pIqdQqhK

TheGodlessUtopian

18th March 2012, 03:35

The Seattle LGBT Commission (http://www.seattle.gov/LGBT), the city’s chief queer lobbying group, announced at the 11th hour that it was canceling a planned panel tonight with representatives from Israeli LGBT groups—Israel Gay Youth, Choshen (their version of HRC), and Tehila (the Israeli equivalent of P-FLAG)—who are part of the Association of Israeli LGBT Educational Organizations (AILO). A note was posted on the group’s Facebook page:

The Seattle LGBT Commission is hereby canceling the event scheduled for Friday, March 16, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
At this time, the members of the LGBT Commission feel we are not thoroughly prepared to facilitate an event surrounding such complex topics.
We have great respect for those who have shared their comments with us this week on all sides of the issue and are open to ways in which we can support community members in continuing this dialogue while involving all diverse perspectives involved.
It looks like the Commission made its decision to pull the plug after Dean Spade (http://www.facebook.com/notes/dean-spade/response-to-seattle-pinkwashing-events/389074711104912), a trans advocate and law professor at Seattle University, encouraged people protest the event, which he sees as a pinkwashing cover-up for Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-21.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-21.png)Spade (right) posted on Facebook:

A bunch of pinkwashing events are being rolled out in Seattle this week. I am hoping others will join me in responding. I’m including below the text of a letter I’ve written to the Seattle LGBT Commission about the event it is hosting. I sent a very similar message to QLaw about its event. I hope others will send messages to organizations you are connected with who are hosting or supporting some of the others listed below, and also please consider attending and speaking your opposition to apartheid and occupation even when its wrapped in a rainbow flag.
Before the cancellation announcement, though, the commission posted (http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/seattle-lgbt-commissions-boycott-of-israeli-lgbti-guests-opens-wounds/):

The Seattle LGBT Commission values the comments of Dean Spade, who recently brought to our attention the concerns of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and agenda of pinkwashing to cover up said crimes and corruption of the Israeli government. While we believe his concerns are valid, the purpose of the meeting with Israeli LGBT groups is to engage in a dialogue about their successes and progress of LGBTQ people’s rights in Israel and Seattle. While this dialogue is centered on efforts for LGBT equality we acknowledge that there is national and local concern about pink washing campaigns, occupation, and apartheid. Dean Spade’s concerns encompass a much larger issue that the commission is interested in exploring at a later date.
We guess they got cold feet and just nixed the whole thing.
Debate has raged both on Queerty (http://www.queerty.com/opinion-a-case-against-pinkwashing-or-why-im-gay-for-israel-20120209/) and elsewhere (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/opinion/pinkwashing-and-israels-use-of-gays-as-a-messaging-tool.html?_r=1) about whether the Israeli government’s efforts to publicize the country’s gay-friendliness are a smokescreen to distract from its mistreatment of Palestinians.
And that’s a valid debate.
http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2011/01/israeligay302094.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2011/01/israeligay302094.jpg)But the AILO participants are from nongovernmental groups who might very well have a problem with their leaders’ actions. Are anti-pinkwashers like Spade now saying that all gays from Israel should be silenced in the public arena, lest they accidentally encourage someone to visit their homeland?
Are we calling for the end of civil discourse and kicking Israel’s LGBT off the bus?
It’s a double standard: When Mariela Castro, the heterosexual daughter of Cuba’s president, Raoul Castro, boasts about how progressive her country is on gay issues—despite a proven track record of oppressing LGBTs and political dissidents—she’s embraced with open arms by gay activists.
According to A Wider Bridge (http://www.awiderbridge.org/on-pinkwashing.html), the admittedly pro-Israel group that brought AILO to America, some good work was done so far on its tour of the U.S.:

* In Los Angeles, the delegation met with the leaders of the Trevor Project and shared ideas and practices for helping LGBT teens in crisis and working to reduce teen suicides.
* The delegation met with the Regional Board of P-FLAG, and shared their own unique programs for helping parents deal with their LGBT children.
* The delegation visited the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, where a multitude of strategies related to HIV testing, prevention and care were shared.
* Today in San Francisco the delegation met with a diverse group of LGBT and Jewish leaders, including an LGBT Asian group and those working for LGBT inclusion in a variety of faith-based communities. Much of the conversation was focused on dealing with the special issues faced by LGBT people in minority communities, both in Israel and the U.S.
If the Seattle event hadn’t been canceled, someone could have legitimately asked these groups if their message wasn’t compromised because they received funding from pro-Israel sources to travel here.
In this instance, silence isn’t golden.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/seattle-lgbt-commission-cancels-israeli-event-after-complaint-by-anti-pinkwashing-activist-20120316/#ixzz1pQplmGTn

We were tempted to give the Douche of the Week honor to the thousands of people who mindlessly re-tweeted, Facebooked and emailed Invisible Children’s viral video about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. Seriously, its 2012; haven’t we all learned already to sniff around—or at least think twice—before jumping on the latest cause. But we realized we were being a little mean (Us, mean? No way!)—at least those bandwagon-jumpers’ hearts were in the right place.
So we’re pinning DOTW onto Invisible Children itself. (That’s IC co-founder Jason Russell playing White Savior at right)
As we reported earlier this week (http://www.queerty.com/if-you-were-looking-for-a-reason-to-hate-on-invisible-children-and-the-kony-2012-campaign-here-it-is-20120313/), IC has links to anti-gay Christian groups like the Caster Foundation, Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. They also share funding sources with Harvest Evangelism’s Ed Silvoso, who helped push Uganda’s infamous “Kill the Gays” bill.
Oh, and in case you missed it, that was Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) in the Kony 2012 video.
You know, the guy who said U.S. foreign policy should be based on the Bible. The guy who said he’d never hire an openly gay staffer and who came up with “God, guns, and gays” as the GOP’s campaign strategy. The guy who boasted, “in the recorded history of our family, we’ve never had a divorce or any kind of homosexual relationship.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/kony-360x222.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/kony.jpg)Yeah, that guy.
Sorry folks, but Invisible Children is looking more and more like a Christian missionary group rather than a human-rights organization. (And as several readers have pointed out, a number of their talking heads ping the gaydar as fundamentalist closet-cases.)
Today, New York magazine reports (http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/03/kony-2012-fallout-moves-to-uganda.html) IC has responded to skepticism about its motivations with a new follow-up video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRx8aXaJ_Cs&feature=plcp&context=C4386554VDvjVQa1PpcFOMmATrCY-GGpNwe3984iNVhte1IdLIRAw=) (one that hasn’t gone quite a viral as its debut clip) and a twitter hashtag, “#AskICAnything,” that IC chief Ben Keesey says he’ll respond to personally.
Maybe someone should tweet him a question about the disastrous screening of the Kony 2012 in Uganda last night. As Al Jazeera reports (http://blogs.aljazeera.com/africa/2012/03/14/ugandans-react-anger-kony-video), it was quite the shit show:

The audience was at first puzzled to see the narrative led by an American man—Jason Russell—and his young son.
Towards the end of the film, the mood turned more to anger at what many people saw as a foreign, inaccurate account that belittled and commercialised their suffering, as the film promotes Kony bracelets and other fundraising merchandise, with the aim of making Kony infamous.
One woman I spoke to made the comparison of selling Osama Bin Laden paraphernalia post 9/11 – likely to be highly offensive to many Americans, however well intentioned the campaign behind it.
The event ended with the angrier members of the audience throwing rocks and shouting abusive criticism, as the rest fled for safety, leaving an abandoned projector, with organisers and the press running for cover until the dust settled.
The group is looking worse and worse—and more inept by the day. As New York‘s Joe Coscarelli explains, IC originally agreed to an interview with Jezebel (http://jezebel.com/5893004/invisible-children-requests-then-declines-interview), but then suddenly begged off. An email was sent to the site yesterday by Invisible Children’s Director of Idea Development and Ideology Jedidiah Jenkins. (By the way, what’s creepier: the guy’s hillbilly name or his Orwellian title?)

…I guess we’re currently focusing on producing just a few more pieces addressing criticisms from our own channels, and then moving on to implementation of specific steps of policy-related activism and on the ground work.
There’s been such a onslaught of discussion, it’s overwhelming to tackle it all. I’ll be in touch, and maybe we can follow up with a solid discussion in the near future. :)
OMG he did not use a smiley face!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/CHRIS-SARETTE.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/CHRIS-SARETTE.jpg)Later, the company pulled the oldest of PR tricks to deflect calls that its anti-gay. The “some of my best friends…” defense! (An oldie but a goodie!)
VP of Business Operations Chris Sarette (right) explained how Invisible Children couldn’t be homophobic because he works for them and he’s gay:

“I have been a core member of the management staff at Invisible Children for five years. The fact that Invisible Children sees people as PEOPLE—whether they be family, neighbors, or children in Central Africa— is one of the reasons I finally came out as a gay man.”
Well, there you go: case closed! Because, as we all know, anti-gay groups never employ homosexuals. Except for the Republican Party. Oh, and the Catholic Church. And the United States military. And… well, you get the picture

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/kony-2012s-invisible-children-care-about-ugandans-but-only-if-theyre-heteros-20120316/#ixzz1pQq9tdrF

Those perennial gay rumors dogging (http://www.queerty.com/john-travoltas-attorney-not-thrilled-with-detailed-spa-sex-claims-20101125/) John Travolta have resurfaced, this time in the form of a titillating National Enquirer (http://www.nationalenquirer.com/dont-forget-pick-weeks-enquirer) cover story. (It’s not online yet, but Perez Hilton has the deets (http://perezhilton.com/2012-03-14-a-new-gay-sex-scandal-for-john-travolta#.T2OeC8xQRL0).) The Hairspray actor allegedly picked up a hunky masseur he had met on Craigslist, then drove him to the Beverley Hilton hotel and offered him $200 an hour for sex.
“He tried to pay me for sex,” said the hired help, who passed a lie-detector polygraph test. “It was very clear that John Travolta wanted me to perform a sexual act on him and that he would pay me to do it.”
And that’s not all, folks. The masseur says Travolta tried to sweeten the pot by offering a threesome. With Tom Cruise, perhaps? Or maybe just your run-of-the-mill Grindr trick?
Anyway, do you guys think John is a prosty-hiring john, or this just another tabloid fantasy? After all, the story is running alongside one claiming that Whitney’s daughter Bobbi attempted suicide, which is pretty demonstrably not true.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/national-enquirer-says-john-travolta-offered-masseur-money-for-sex-tried-for-threesome-20120316/#ixzz1pQqJ7SAY

TheGodlessUtopian

18th March 2012, 22:26

For San Francisco AIDS activists, a black-and-white photograph, stunning and stark, can be worth a thousand angry words: With “Life & Death in Black & White,” the GLBT History Museum (http://sanfrancisco.gaycities.com/arts/301044-san-francisco-glbt-history-museum) highlights the work of five queer photographers who used their cameras to capture the gay community’s despair and outrage during the early years of the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. Photographers Jane Philomen Cleland, Patrick Clifton, Marc Geller, Rick Gerharter and Daniel Nicoletta not only documented one of queer history’s most riotous times, from 1985 to 1990, but created transcendent tributes that both honored the dead and inspired the dying to keep fighting.
From ACT UP to the AIDS quilt, these images prove that gay life wasn’t always a big rainbow.
The GLBT History Museum explains their exhibit further:

Some of their images have become icons of the era; others have never before been publicly displayed. All of them portray civil disobedience as a response not only to a fatal disease, but also to discrimination, indifference and official neglect. All bear forceful witness to a time when San Francisco experienced both some of its darkest hours and one of its most inspiring movements for social justice.
“Life & Death in Black & White” will be on display at the GLBT History Museum (http://sanfrancisco.gaycities.com/arts/301044-san-francisco-glbt-history-museum) until June 30.
Click through to see a special photo preview of the exhibit.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/art-san-franciscos-militant-aids-activism-in-black-and-white-20120318/#ixzz1pVPnRpvd

P.S: See source for photos

UPDATED: Arrest made in connection to killing of trans LGBTQ activist

March 17, 2012
xQsí Magazine (http://xqsimagazine.com/author/xqsi-magazine/)
0 Comments and 0 Reactions (http://xqsimagazine.com/2012/03/17/arrest-made-in-connect-to-killing-of-trans-lgbtq-activist/#disqus_thread)

http://xqsimagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/agnestorres1-265x300.jpg (http://xqsimagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/agnestorres1.jpeg)UPDATE: In a press conference, the Puebla State Attorney General named the four men arrested in connection with the murder of Agnes. Luis Fernando Bravo, Agustín Flores, Marco Antonio Especie, and Agnes’ most recent partner Jorge Flores have all been charged.
A fifth suspect, believed to be a minor, has not been named.
According to authorities, the motive of the crime was stealing Agnes’ car, discarding the notion that the murder was hate-motivated.
Activists, however, disagree pointing out that the degree to which Agnes’ body was tortured is inconsistent with most cases of assault or robbery.
—
Late Friday night, el Diario de Yucatán (http://www.yucatan.com.mx/20120316/nota-9/246634-detienen-en-merida-a-homicida-de-activista-poblana.htm) reported that authorities have arrested a man presumed to be connected with the March 10th murder of trans mexicana activist Agnes Torres Sulca.
Luis Fernando Bueno Mazzoco, 18, was arrested in Mérida, Yucatán after investigations led authorities to the identities of a few people that had been in communication with Agnes in the hours before her death.
According to el Diario de Yucatán, Bueno Mazzco was arrested and confirmed his participation in the murder of the trans woman activist that has spurred waves of protest — both nationally and internationally.
In the hours prior to news of the arrest, the Puebla State Attorney General’s office confirmed (http://pgjpuebla.blogspot.mx/2012/03/la-procuraduria-general-de-justicia-de.html) that they had found Agnes’ car outside of Atlixco, Puebla and that agents had been led to Mérida, Yucatán.
Bueno Mazzoco is said to be en route to Puebla, where he will be prosecuted in connection the murder of this violent crime.
At this time, there are no reports as to whether Bueno Mazzoco acted alone or in conjunction with others.

Source: http://xqsimagazine.com/2012/03/17/arrest-made-in-connect-to-killing-of-trans-lgbtq-activist/

Indiana Revokes LGBT Youth Group's License Plate

Filed By Bil Browning (http://www.bilerico.com/contributors/bil_browning/) | March 16, 2012 5:00 PM (http://www.bilerico.com/2012/03/16/) | 17 comments (http://www.bilerico.com/2012/03/indiana_revokes_lgbt_youth_groups_license_plate.ph p#comments)
Filed in: Living (http://www.bilerico.com/living/archives/), Fundie Watch (http://www.bilerico.com/fundie_watch/archives/)
Tags: Indiana (http://www.bilerico.com/cgi-bin/mt/sea832sdgn98.cgi?blog_id=2&tag=Indiana&limit=20), LGBT youth (http://www.bilerico.com/cgi-bin/mt/sea832sdgn98.cgi?blog_id=2&tag=LGBT%20youth&limit=20), gay license plate (http://www.bilerico.com/cgi-bin/mt/sea832sdgn98.cgi?blog_id=2&tag=gay%20license%20plate&limit=20), gay youth group (http://www.bilerico.com/cgi-bin/mt/sea832sdgn98.cgi?blog_id=2&tag=gay%20youth%20group&limit=20), homophobic legislators (http://www.bilerico.com/cgi-bin/mt/sea832sdgn98.cgi?blog_id=2&tag=homophobic%20legislators&limit=20), indiana youth group (http://www.bilerico.com/cgi-bin/mt/sea832sdgn98.cgi?blog_id=2&tag=indiana%20youth%20group&limit=20)

Homophobic Republican state senators got their wish. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles has revoked the Indiana Youth Group's specialty license plate for violating "state law and Indiana Administrative Code" by giving donors low number plates. Two other organizations' plates were also revoked.
The legislators originally tried to sneak in legislation during the session to target the LGBT youth group (http://www.bilerico.com/2012/03/indiana_tries_to_take_away_gay_license_plate_again .php)'s plate but after community uproar decided http://www.bilerico.com/assets_c/2012/01/Indiana_Youth_Group-thumb-250x125-23611-thumb-250x125-23612.jpeg (http://www.bilerico.com/assets_c/2012/01/Indiana_Youth_Group-thumb-250x125-23611.jpeg)not to pursue the attempt. Republican State Senate President Pro Tempore David Long told the Indianapolis Star he had found a new "solution" by demanding the BMV revoke the plate on contractual grounds.
BMV Communications Director Graig Lubsen - who abruptly left the bureau recently - admitted to the Star that they have traditionally allowed groups to give out low number plates (http://www.bilerico.com/2012/03/indiana_lawmakers_try_different_route_to_ban_gay_l .php) to major donors. A press release issued today by the BMV notes, "After the Senators brought this violation to our attention, the BMV reviewed the websites of all other organizations currently participating in the Special Group Recognition License Plate Program and found that the Greenways Foundation and the Indiana 4-H Foundation have also violated state law and administrative code by publicizing the sale of low-digit special group license plates for their respective organizations."
While the government entity says in their release, "If proof of similar activity by any other organization is brought to the BMV, the BMV staff will pursue and administer similar sanctions based on similar circumstances," organizations who were granted license plates by the state legislature will not be in danger. The same legislators who sent the letter granted the Indianapolis Colts a license plate previously and specifically allowed them to give away low number plates. Since the rules have changed and the BMV now grants permission for specialty plates instead of the legislature, the sanctions will only pertain to groups who were approved by the BMV.
The LGBT youth group had previously sued to be granted the right to have the plate after their application was repeatedly turned down. The plate was available for less than two months.
Indiana Youth Group would have made $25 from each plate sold. 669 plates have already been issued. If you're a Hoosier resident you can still purchase the plates until today. If you'd like to make a donation to IYG to help cover the loss of funds this will cause, you can do so here (http://www.indianayouthgroup.org/give).
UPDATE: You can download a copy of the senators' letter here [pdf] (http://www.bilerico.com/images/IYG-senators-letter.pdf). There are only signatures without any printed names, so any help identifying exactly who all of the signatories are would be helpful.

Source: http://www.bilerico.com/2012/03/indiana_revokes_lgbt_youth_groups_license_plate.ph p

Two Men Kiss at Santorum Rally, Get Booted

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-08/2011-08-15/SANTORUM0811X390.jpg

Two men were removed from an Illinois rally for Rick Santorum after they shouted over the presidential candidate and kissed in front of a crowd of 2,100 people.

The event was held at the Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights. Fifteen minutes into Santorum's speech at the academy, Timothy Tross and Ben Clifford shouted loud enough to get the attention of the crowd and then kissed in front of everyone. Guards booted them from the rally, while the crowd strangely chanted, "U.S.A."

“I don’t think the message should be about what my sexuality is,” Tross told the Palantine Patch (http://palatine.patch.com/articles/santorum-8aa0e42c). “It’s the message that he’s saying about sexuality that matters.”

Outside of the academy, protesters showed solidarity against Santorum's antigay stances. Some protesters were alumni from nearby Christian schools (Santorum spent his senior year at nearby Carmel Catholic High School).

"There was something that bothered us about having someone so offensive in our hallowed halls," Sue Delabruere, a former student of the school that later became the Christian Liberty Academy, told the Patch.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/17/Two_Men_Kiss_at_Santorum_Rally_Get_Booted/

Switzerland Moves To Legalize Adoption by Gays

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2011/1051/ADOPTIONX390.jpg

The upper house of the Swiss parliament on Thursday narrowly approved legalizing adoptions by gay couples.

The Council of States voted 21-19 on the legislation, which would allow gay couples in registered partnerships to adopt. Politicians supporting the new law say it reflects the reality of Swiss families in 2012.

The lower house must now consider the legislation. Read more here. (http://www.thelocal.ch/2849/20120315/)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/17/Switzerland_Moves_To_Legalize_Adoption_by_Gays/

Neil Meron, Craig Zadan Honored For Telling LGBT Stories

By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2009/1033/ZADAN_MERONX390.jpg

Prolific producing team Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, whose many acclaimed films have almost always been LGBT-inclusive, will be presented with the Vito Russo Award by Bernadette Peters and John Stamos at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
"Through many of their projects, Zadan and Meron have been trailblazers in telling the stories of the LGBT community," the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) says in a statement. The two men are co-producers of NBC's acclaimed musical drama Smash and the Lifetime comedy Drop Dead Diva, and have previously brought to the small screen the fact-based Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story, as well as the lesbian-themed custody drama What Makes A Family, and Wedding Wars, which starred Stamos. Their feature films include the Academy Award-winning best picture Chicago, the equality-themed musical Hairspray, and last year's hit remake of Footloose. Meron and Zadan are also respected names on Broadway, having produced the Tony Award-nominated revival of Promises, Promises, which starred Sean Hayes and Kristen Chenoweth, and the hit production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, which currently stars Nick Jonas.

The Vito Russo Award is named in honor of the celebrated activist-writer, who was also a founding member of GLAAD. It's presented annually to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality for the LGBT community. Past recipients include Ricky Martin, Cynthia Nixon, Tom Ford, and Elton John.

The awards will take place in New York City March 24. For more information, go to GLAAD.org/MediaAwards (http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards).
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/16/Neil_Meron_Craig_Zadan_Honored_For_Telling_LGBT_St ories/

TheGodlessUtopian

19th March 2012, 21:39

Urban Outfitters is the latest organization to be slammed with a Trannygate scandal: Yes, we already knew Urban was a company that hates the gays (http://www.queerty.com/dont-buy-here-10-companies-that-hate-the-gays-20090224/)—even Miley Cyrus (http://www.queerty.com/miley-cyrus-reminds-tweens-that-urban-outfitters-supports-anti-gay-anal-froth-rick-santorum-20110527/) is up on the fact that owner Richard Haynes donates to Santorum.
Still, this is a new stain on their brand of hipsterwear.
A “funny-ha-ha” gag gift card (http://www.queerty.com/outrage-after-urban-outfitters-makes-a-closet-tranny-joke-on-a-gag-card-20120319/#), which has been pulled from their website after Internet outrage bubbled up on Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/lgbt/comments/r2l1y/you_stay_classy_urban_outfitters_via_regretsy/) yesterday, reads:

“Jack and Jill / Went up the Hill / So Jack could see Jill’s fanny / But Jack got a shock / And an eyeful of cock / Because Jill was a closet tranny.”
It’s something your mom might chuckle at without realizing that it’s offensive to transgender people. Couldn’t they have found something different to rhyme with “fanny” than “tranny”?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/outrage-after-urban-outfitters-makes-a-closet-tranny-joke-on-a-gag-card-20120319/#ixzz1pb4qz2Wu

Jamaican reggae singer Sizzla, long famous for his murderously anti-gay lyrics (http://www.queerty.com/why-is-coca-cola-supporting-a-jamaican-murder-music-performer-20111014/), has had his upcoming Stockholm concert cancelled (http://www.thelocal.se/39754/20120319/) by promoters in response to a growing Swedish public outrage (http://www.qx.se/noje/20408/sizzla-stoppas-fran-att-spela).http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Sizzla2005.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/swedish-outcry-cancels-concert-by-gay-hating-jamaican-reggae-singer-sizzla-20120319/sizzla2005/)
At issue are the 35-year-old reggae star’s lyrics (http://www.queerty.com/swedish-outcry-cancels-concert-by-gay-hating-jamaican-reggae-singer-sizzla-20120319/#), which in songs like “Boom Boom” and “Pump It Up” openly advocate the burning and killing of homosexuals.
A charming sample from “Pump It Up”: “Shot battybwoy, my big gun boom.” (Shoot queers, my big gun goes boom.)
Sizzla had been scheduled to perform on March 28 at Stockholm’s Hornstull Strand, but promoters ultimately agreed with the public that the performer has been in breach of the Reggae Compassionate Act (http://www.soulrebels.org/dancehall/w_compassionate_012.htm), which he signed in 2007.
The singer has had concerts cancelled before on similar grounds — including in Canada in 2007, Spain in 2008, and Germany in 2009 and 2010 — but has steadfastly refused to express regret to the LGBT community for his lyrics.
“They can’t ask me to apologize,” he said in a 2004 BBC radio interview (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4041183.stm). “They’ve got to apologize to God because they break God’s law. ”
In 2010, Sizzla performed in Zimbabwe at the 86th birthday party for fellow rabid gay-hater President Robert Mugabe (http://www.queerty.com/zimbabwes-dictator-mugabe-gays-still-worse-than-pigs-and-dogs-20120227/).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/swedish-outcry-cancels-concert-by-gay-hating-jamaican-reggae-singer-sizzla-20120319/#ixzz1pb5Bwd1A

Russian filmmaker Alexander Kargaltsev didn’t just come to America to make movies—he was fleeing persecution in his homeland for being gay. It was at a Moscow Pride rally in 2010, when military police attacked him with batons and Tasers, that Kargaltsev, 27, knew it was time to get the hell out of Dodge. “They left us lying in blood in the street,” he tells the New York Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/filmmaker-alexander-kargaltsev-flees-russia-attacks-gays-spike-homeland-article-1.1041872#ixzz1pXuKB8ZQ).
Kargaltsev (right), who graduated from the New York Film Academy and works at Sothebys, also recalled earlier attacks. Like the time he went to meet someone from an online dating (http://www.queerty.com/young-immigrant-filmmaker-recalls-bashings-in-russia-being-left-lying-in-blood-20120319/#) site and was beset by bashers, who posted a fake profile just to trap him. But he says things are getting worse there now, and after the passing of the “gay propaganda” ban in Saint Petersburg, we can’t argue with him.
Neither, apparently, can LGBT asylum groups like Immigration Equality, which says in the past year it’s helped more gay and lesbians from Russia than from anywhere in the world besides Jamaica. “We’re seeing a rise in cases from Eastern European countries,” IE legal director Victoria Neilson tells the Daily News. “Things are definitely bad in Russia. It’s a country where the public at large is very homophobic and the government does nothing to protect people.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/young-immigrant-filmmaker-recalls-bashings-in-russia-being-left-lying-in-blood-20120319/#ixzz1pb5Pj4hz

Canada’s government has issued a stark warning to LGBT travelers who’re still contemplating holidays in Russia’s second (http://www.queerty.com/canada-to-gay-travelers-enter-saint-petersburg-at-your-own-peril-20120319/#) city: Enter at your own risk (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/Canada+warns+travellers+Russia+heels/6314987/story.html). “Canadians are advised to avoid displaying affection in public, as homosexuals can be targets of violence,” reads the advisory from Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, released on Friday. “Homosexuality is legal, though some still strongly disapprove of it.”
The alert comes on the heels of Saint Petersburg’s new “gay gag” law (http://www.queerty.com/sht-gets-real-as-gay-propaganda-ban-gets-signed-into-law-in-st-petersburg-20120312/), which mandates fines for anything that could be perceived as “promoting” homosexuality.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John (http://www.queerty.com/canada-to-gay-travelers-enter-saint-petersburg-at-your-own-peril-20120319/#) Baird said the regulation “runs contrary to core Canadian values of freedom of speech, of human rights and the rule of law.”
Baird added that Canada’s Russian ambassador has “written to the Russian government” to express his deep concern about the situation.
The director of Travel Gay Canada (http://www.travelgaycanada.com/), Bruce McDonald, says LGBT Canadians will likely heed the warning and shun Saint Petersburg.
“The number one thing that gay and lesbian travelers look for is safety,” he told the [I]Ottawa Citizen. “If they don’t feel safe, it’s certainly going to be a deterrent.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/canada-to-gay-travelers-enter-saint-petersburg-at-your-own-peril-20120319/#ixzz1pb5eTlhC

The grandson of legendary actor Omar Sharif—best remembered by gay audiences as Barbra’s squeeze in Funny Girl—has come out in the Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Features/Coming_Out_Story_Were_Not_in_Cairo_Anymore/) both as gay and half-Jewish, neither of which will make him very popular in his native Egypt. I write this article in fear. “Fear for my country, fear for my family, and fear for myself” Omar Sharif Jr. writes. “My parents will be shocked to read it, surely preferring I stay in the shadows and keep silent, at least for the time being. But I can’t.”
Born in Canada, Sharif Jr., 28, grew up shuttling between Montreal, Paris and Cairo. Though he graduated from the London School of Economics, he’s now pursuing a career (http://www.queerty.com/omar-sharifs-grandson-comes-out-as-gay-and-half-jewish-20120319/#) in acting. (At the 2011 Academy Awards, he was the guy who humorously sparred with presenter Kirk Douglas.)
Sharif, Jr., who fled Egypt last January amid increased violence and instability, says he’s despondent over the situation in his homeland:

The vision for a freer, more equal Egypt—a vision that many young patriots gave their lives to see realized in Tahrir Square—has been hijacked. The full spectrum of equal and human rights are now wedge issues used by both the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Islamist parties, when they should be regarded as universal truths…
That my mother is Jewish is no small disclosure when you are from Egypt, no matter the year. And being openly gay has always meant asking for trouble, but perhaps especially during this time of political and social upheaval. With the victories of several Islamist parties in recent elections, a conversation needs to be had and certain questions need to be raised. I ask myself: Am I welcome in the new Egypt?
Is Sharif’s plight more tragic than that of a gay Egyptian without a famous name or the financial means to flee to the U.S.? He would be the first to say no. But he’s aware of the spotlight even a modicum of fame can provide and has decided to do something useful with it.
The Hollywood celebutantes who drunkenly stumble across the pages of Us Weekly could learn a lesson.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/omar-sharifs-grandson-comes-out-as-gay-and-half-jewish-20120319/#ixzz1pb5qJzem

The New Hampshire Legislature is set to vote on repealing the state’s marriage-equality on Wednesday, the Boston Globe reports (http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2012/03/18/house_to_vote_on_repealing_nhs_gay_marriage_law/). Back in October, the state’s House Judiciary Committee voted 11-6 to support (http://www.queerty.com/nh-house-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-repeal-but-gov-promises-to-veto-20120319/#) HB 437, which would return the “Live Free or Die” state to civil unions. (Same-sex marriage passed in 2009 and officially became legal on January 1, 2010.)
The bill is being touted by state Rep. David Bates (R-Windham) but Bates’ past efforts at repeal have failed (http://www.queerty.com/tag/david-bates/) and even other Republicans have distanced themselves from it. NH Governor John (http://www.queerty.com/nh-house-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-repeal-but-gov-promises-to-veto-20120319/#) Lynch (right)—who has said he’s personally against gay marriage—has promised to veto the bill if it go through.
Just to dig the knife in further, Bates wants an amendment to HB 437 that would ask the public to vote on whether they support killing marriage equality and bringing back civil unions. The result, however, would be non-binding.

“I am ready to accept the will of the people. Now let’s see if those on the other side of this debate will do the same,” Bates has told reporters about the referendum. “Or are the homosexual activists only interested in pushing through their own agenda without regard for the will of the people of this state?”
Right, so if the people of New Hampshire (59% of whom support same-sex marriage) vote to keep things the way they are, Mr. Bates and his cohorts will just pack up and go away? Or will they engage in a campaign (http://www.queerty.com/nh-house-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-repeal-but-gov-promises-to-veto-20120319/#) of fear and disinformation to trick the electorate into voting their way? Hmm, we can’t help but wonder

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nh-house-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-repeal-but-gov-promises-to-veto-20120319/#ixzz1pb63C0e0

TheGodlessUtopian

19th March 2012, 21:48

Alabama Lesbian Representative Hopes to End Sex Ed

By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-19/PatriciaTodd_MCCLURKINX390.jpg

What does a lesbian Democratic state representative in Alabama have in common with a Republican who is a power player in the conservative group Eagle Forum? They’re working together to tear down the state’s archaic law about teaching sex ed in public schools (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/19/Alabama_Lesbian_Representative_Hopes_to_End_Sex_Ed/#). According to Tim Lockette of The Anniston Star, Patricia Todd, the only gay state representative, has long wanted to remove a clause in the 1992 sex education law that demanded “that homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/19/Alabama_Lesbian_Representative_Hopes_to_End_Sex_Ed/#).

“I don’t know if anybody is actually teaching this, to be honest with you” Todd told Lockette. “But the fact that this is even in the law is an insult.”

After the 2003 decision in the Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court case, homosexuality is no longer a criminal offense anywhere in the U.S. but Todd worries that teachers might not know that — or might not care. After trying and failing to push through a bill to remove the phrase from the current law, says Lockette, Todd joined ranks with Mary Sue McClurkin, a Republican state representative who heads the House Education Policy Committee, to repeal the law altogether.

“Sex education is best taught by the parents,” said McClurkin. “We should take out any state requirement to teach sex education.” McClurkin told The Anniston Star she and Todd may co-sponsor a bill that would “undo Alabama’s current sex education law” using bipartisan support (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/19/Alabama_Lesbian_Representative_Hopes_to_End_Sex_Ed/#) in the House.

Read more at The Anniston Star. (http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/17923813-Sex-education-repeal-bill-gets-support-from-both-sides-of-aisle)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/19/Alabama_Lesbian_Representative_Hopes_to_End_Sex_Ed/

I SAT down to watch “How to Survive a Plague,” a new documentary about the history of the AIDS epidemic, expecting to cry, and cry I did: at the hollowed faces of people whittled to almost nothing by a disease with an ugly arc; at the panicked voices of demonstrators who knew that no matter how quickly research progressed, it wouldn’t be fleet enough to save people they loved; at the breadth and beauty and horror of the AIDS quilt, spread out across the National Mall, a thread of grief for every blade of grass beneath it.

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Frank Bruni

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I expected to be angry. Here, too, I wasn’t disappointed. The words of a physician on the front lines in the early days reminded me that “when people died in the hospital, they used to put them in black trash bags.” Many politicians mustered little more than contempt for AIDS sufferers. “There’s nothing ‘gay’ about these people, engaging in incredibly offensive and revolting conduct,” snarled Senator Jesse Helms, a Republican from North Carolina, at the time. The documentary memorializes that rant and that mind-set, and also shows Helms saying that he wishes demonstrators would “get their mentality out of their crotches.”
What I didn’t expect was how much hope I would feel. How much comfort (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/bruni-the-aids-warriors-legacy.html?_r=3#). While the movie vividly chronicles the wages of bigotry and neglect, it even more vividly chronicles how much society can budge when the people exhorting it to are united and determined and smart and right. The fight in us eclipses the sloth and surrender, and the good really does outweigh the bad. That’s a takeaway of “How to Survive a Plague,” and that’s a takeaway of the AIDS crisis as well.
I referred to the movie (http://www.howtosurviveaplague.com/), which was produced and directed by the journalist David France, as a history of the epidemic, and it is. But it teases out a specific strand and tells a particular story, focusing on the protest group Act Up, which was set into motion by Larry Kramer 25 years ago this month. He had already sounded an alarm over the rapidly spreading epidemic with his landmark play “The Normal Heart,” and in March 1987, during remarks at the lesbian and gay community center in downtown Manhattan (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/bruni-the-aids-warriors-legacy.html?_r=3#), he bluntly told a roomful of men that if they didn’t take bold steps to make America and its government care, two-thirds of them could be dead in five years.
That same month Act Up — the acronym by which the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power quickly came to be known — staged the first of its many protests, visiting New York’s financial nerve center and blocking traffic there. It occupied Wall Street long before the verb and address were welded together, in an era when ire over indiscriminate greed, manifest just last week by the viral sensation of a Goldman Sachs executive’s resignation (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/opinion/why-i-am-leaving-goldman-sachs.html?src=me&ref=general), hadn’t been stoked to its current fury. And the group morphed from then and there into a model for the here and now of how social change occurs.
What you probably remember best about Act Up is its theatrical genius (or gall, depending on your sensibility). Its members held a “die-in” during a Mass inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, going limp in the aisles so that police officers had to use stretchers to carry them away. They hurled the ash and bone of fallen comrades over the fence around the White House and onto the lawn.
But if boldness had been the sum of Act Up, the group wouldn’t have accomplished so much. It added enterprise and erudition to the mix. A friend of mine who covered an Act Up demonstration in San Francisco remembers standing in the street, chatting over the phone (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/bruni-the-aids-warriors-legacy.html?_r=3#) with a group spokesman and telling him that she would file her newspaper story as soon as she rounded up a certain statistic. Minutes later he called back, said that he had found a Kinko’s store nearby and told her that documents with the information she was seeking had already been faxed to her there.
In “How to Survive a Plague,” gay men and their allies are shown educating themselves about antiviral medications, about clinical-trial protocols, about the Food and Drug Administration approval process. They are shown successfully making the case that the trials should be less restrictive, and the process much faster. Because what they’re saying is so concrete and constructive, scientists can’t avoid paying it heed.
“If you come at a problem in a way that’s just disruptive and iconoclastic, but you don’t know what you’re talking about, all you are is a nuisance,” said Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, when we talked last week. Act Up’s leaders, he told me, knew what they were talking about. As a result, they “cracked open the opaque process” of drug development, altered the patient-doctor relationship and “changed the whole face of advocacy,” he said.
That’s a remarkable tote board, and it’s not all. Act Up gets crucial credit for advancing the acceptance of gay people. A slogan it popularized, “silence equals death,” persuasively argued that gay men had to emerge from hiding so that people around them would see AIDS not as a distant abstraction but as a killer potentially stalking their brothers, sons, co-workers. Those men indeed came out, and people indeed saw. That’s why same-sex marriage is now such a prominent issue, with so many ardent advocates. That’s why the bullying of gay teenagers has become a national concern, and why the conviction of a Rutgers University student (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/nyregion/defendant-guilty-in-rutgers-case.html?hp) for spying on and taunting a roommate who then committed suicide has drawn national attention.
There are still politicians like Helms out there, but not as many. There’s still hate, but not as much. After more than 600,000 deaths from AIDS in this country and about 30 million (http://www.who.int/gho/hiv/epidemic_status/prevalence_text/en/index.html) around the globe, scientists still haven’t found a cure or vaccine. But there are highly effective treatments, and H.I.V.-infected people who get proper medical care — which isn’t, mind you, nearly enough of them — can expect long, full lives. And that’s largely because 25 years ago, a tribe in desperate trouble did something that religious conservatives who can get their minds out of people’s crotches should in fact admire. It elected self-reliance over self-pity, tapping its own reserves of intellect, ingenuity and grit to make sure its members were cared for.
In “How to Survive a Plague,” being screened just twice in Manhattan (http://www.filmlinc.com/films/on-sale/how-to-survive-a-plague) later this month in advance of an expected fall release, one of the epitaphs for that effort is given by Kramer himself.
“We had the brainpower, and we had the street power,” he says on-camera. “We, Act Up, got those drugs out there. It is the proudest achievement that the gay population of this world can ever claim.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/bruni-the-aids-warriors-legacy.html?_r=3

Russian Activists Seek Travel Ban for Antigay Law Backers

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2010/2010-06/2010-06-26/STPETE.jpg

Gay rights activists in Russia have appealed to the international community to bar the entry of St. Petersburg officials responsible for the new law that prohibits the “promotion” of homosexuality to minors.

RIA Novosti (http://en.ria.ru/society/20120319/172266598.html) reports that St. Petersburg activists sent a letter to the governments of the United States, Australia, Canada, and the EU asking them to ban travel for Governor Georgy Poltavchenko, who signed the law on Sunday, and city lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, who initiated the measure. The controversial bill, modeled on similar legislation from three other Russian regions, penalizes individuals and organizations with fines ranging from $16,000 to $160,000 for "the propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia among minors,” a broad offense that has the practical effect of outlawing democratic assemblies like gay Pride events.

According to Gazeta.ru (http://en.gazeta.ru/news/2012/03/19/a_4097101.shtml), the open letter says, "Milonov and Poltavchenko have disgraced Russia all over the world. They have turned our country and its ‘culture capital’ into the medieval barbaric times, what that means is that there is no place for them in the contemporary civilized countries. Milonov and Poltavchenko do not share the values of democracy, freedom and human rights. They cannot be allowed to spread their homophobic views abroad.”

The law sparked a global outcry from the LGBT community and human rights groups. ThinkProgress (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/03/19/447138/russia-could-face-backlash-following-passage-of-anti-gay-propaganda-law/) reports that a Russian journalist has asked Madonna, Mercedes-Benz and PepsiCo to boycott (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/19/Russian_Activists_Seek_Travel_Ban_for_Antigay_Law_ Backers/#) St. Petersburg and cancel scheduled events, and the Canadian government has warned its LGBT citizens about travel to the city.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/19/Russian_Activists_Seek_Travel_Ban_for_Antigay_Law_ Backers/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th March 2012, 21:55

Ex-wannabe-cosmonaut Lance Bass tweeted (https://twitter.com/#%21/LanceBass/status/181881660567068672) recently that he was on the receiving end of some hyper-homophobic Facebook messages. Some faceless dude named “Ted Fau” repeatedly posted some gross homophobic shit on Bass’ Facebook: “I think you’re a fucking f*ggot. I want to stab you and play around with your blood.”
Some of them are just comically hilarious: “Did you secretly suck Justin’s cock when he was sleeping?… You shattered millions of American women’s dreams.”
The former N*SYNC heart-throb tweeted the screengrab with the message: “If I go missing -this guy did it- Jeez! Sad to know many LGBT kids deal (http://www.queerty.com/alien-from-planet-homophobia-sends-lance-bass-death-threats-on-facebook-20120320/#) w this irrational hatred daily.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/alien-from-planet-homophobia-sends-lance-bass-death-threats-on-facebook-20120320/#ixzz1pgzXpGuP

Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit that manages NYC Pride, has gotten the Coca-Cola corporation to sign on as their big sponsor of the year. Does this mean free Diet (http://www.queerty.com/coca-cola-signs-on-as-official-presenting-sponsor-for-nyc-pride-20120320/#) Cokes all along the parade route? Probably not, but it does mean we have a powerful corporate ally.
“At Coca-Cola, one of our seven core values is diversity, and we define that in a simple way—we are as inclusive as our brands,” said Hallie Lorber, Director of Field Marketing, Northeast region. “Through our partnership with NYC Pride, we hope to promote diversity by recognizing the valued members of the Coca-Cola family who help (http://www.queerty.com/coca-cola-signs-on-as-official-presenting-sponsor-for-nyc-pride-20120320/#) build our business every day, as well as people in the LGBT community for whom our brands inspire moments of optimism, happiness and refreshment.”
Their awesome advocacy—it’s the first time NYC Pride has ever gotten an “official presenting sponsor”—might turn this Pepsi boy into a Coke queen.
The Pride Grand Marshals, announced last week, include (http://www.queerty.com/and-the-grand-marshals-for-nycs-gay-pride-2012-are-20120314/) Cyndi Lauper, Kiehl’s president Chris Salgardo, and the first lesbian couple to be married in New York state, Phyllis Siege and Connie Kopelov.
Here’s a banner with the Coca-Cola branding incorporated:
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/coca-cola-nyc-pride-600x72.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/coca-cola-nyc-pride.png)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/coca-cola-signs-on-as-official-presenting-sponsor-for-nyc-pride-20120320/#ixzz1pgzl6QUy

I think I'm going to be sick...

Gay-hating Kirk Cameron went on a softball media blitz this morning while promoting his movie, [redacted], and nobody took him to task for failing to apologize for his backward comments on homosexuality being “unnatural.”
Ann Curry went with all softballs for Cameron on NBC’s Today show, despite being given a wide-open shot after Cameron gleefully told her just how amazing his life is with his wife and six children. Remember, that’s a life that would be “detrimental to humanity” if it happened to be made up of two fathers (or mothers) and six kids.
Said Cameron: “We’re doing things we love to do, and you think—how is it that others just are struggling to find their way?” Well, Kirk, it’s kind of weird that not everyone was born in a nice L.A. suburb and landed some plum TV gigs as a kid, isn’t it? Isn’t it also weird that some kids are born gay and have to be called “unnatural” by parents like you.
But no matter, the Growing Pains actor continues: “I’m able to help (http://www.queerty.com/national-networks-invite-anti-gay-bigot-kirk-cameron-on-a-softball-morning-media-blitz-20120320/#) people with the things that are important to me, new projects on marriage and family. These are the things that I kind of look back on and say, ‘Thank you.’ ”
C’mon, Ann, you couldn’t question whether there were other types of marriages and families that are just as worthwhile and good as heterosexual ones?
UPDATE: Ann did actually ask Kirk about the gay controversy, we tuned in too late to see that part. We stand by the fact that Ann chose not to mention that other families could be equally valid and beneficial to humanity, and that her questions on the debacle were softballs without followups. Here’s Kirk’s response to Ann:

Nobody should mistreat anybody. Homosexuals should not be mistreated. Heterosexuals should not be mistreated. Bisexuals should not be mistreated…[My views] are informed by my faith. I’ve found that to be a compass for me… I was surprised that people were surprised by the things that I said.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/kirkcbug.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/kirkcbug.jpg)The Kirkster also went on Fox & Friends, where the gay question was addressed by Steve Doocy (see video below).
Cameron said, “I don’t change my feeling about the comments,” and went on to call Piers Morgan “disingenuous” for hitting him with the question. Said Cameron:

“What disheartens me… is that when you’re sitting across the table from someone who knows what your perspective is on issues—and I’ve been very consistent, I don’t think anything I said surprised anybody as a Bible-believing Christian—but to then take some answers, reduce an important and personal and sensitive issue to a 4 second soundbite and toss it into a community to start (http://www.queerty.com/national-networks-invite-anti-gay-bigot-kirk-cameron-on-a-softball-morning-media-blitz-20120320/#) a political firestorm and really upset people that you’re saying you’re looking to protect, I think it’s disingenuous.”
Oh please, Kirk. Jimmy Carter is a Bible-believing Christian, too, but he’s come around on gay marriage (http://www.queerty.com/jimmy-carter-supports-gay-marriage-jesus-never-said-gay-people-should-be-condemned-20120320/), and he’s freaking 87 years old. You’re 41. Grow up (http://www.glaad.org/wherearetheynow)!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/national-networks-invite-anti-gay-bigot-kirk-cameron-on-a-softball-morning-media-blitz-20120320/#ixzz1ph08nxdg

P.S: See source for video

Chris Geidner over at Metro Weekly (http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/03/michelle-obama-supreme-court-a.html) thinks a funny thing is happening on the way to the 2012-election forum: Michelle Obama (http://www.queerty.com/is-michelle-obama-vaguely-courting-the-lgbt-and-ally-vote-for-baracks-campaign-20120320/#) is making a point of including language in her speeches that vaguely woos the LGBT vote. Geidner writes:

At multiple events in New York City on Monday, March 19, First Lady Michelle Obama… made reference to the effect that Supreme Court appointees will have on “whether we can … love whomever we choose.”
Although she did not explicitly mention marriage equality, the possibility of a case raising that issue reaching the Supreme Court has been a regular topic (http://www.queerty.com/is-michelle-obama-vaguely-courting-the-lgbt-and-ally-vote-for-baracks-campaign-20120320/#) of discussion—particularly in light of the challenge to California’s marriage amendment, Proposition 8, that is currently being considered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
At a $5,000-a-plate fundraiser hosted by Robert de Niro and his wife Grace Hightower at Tribeca’s Locanda Verde restaurant, Michelle emphasized that Obama-selected Supreme Court judges are hoped to rule favorably on “freedom of love.” Metro quotes her with the following:

“[L]et us not forget about what it meant when my husband appointed those two magnificent Supreme Court justices. And for the first time in history, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest court.
“And let us not forget what their decisions—the impact those decisions will have on our lives for decades to come—on our privacy and security, on whether we can speak freely, worship openly, and, yes, love whomever we choose. [Applause.]
“But that’s what’s at stake. That’s the choice that we face.”
It does sound like she’s hinting pretty hard at Obama-appointed Supreme Court justices protecting liberty as applied to romantic relationships. It’s also no secret that gay men have an obsession with fierce, fashionable black women (which often results in a condition known as “homoniqua fever” (http://www.queerty.com/watch-an-important-message-about-a-disease-that-turns-gay-men-into-soul-sisters-20120224/)), so she would be a great seductress to sic on us.
Is this wishful thinking on the part of the gay media, or do you think Michelle will woo her LGBTs while Barack continues to evolve in the Darwinian fashion?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/is-michelle-obama-vaguely-courting-the-lgbt-and-ally-vote-for-baracks-campaign-20120320/#ixzz1ph0Lp2Kj

We could see this news story being lifted from the headlines as an unexpected plotline on Portlandia, the IFC’s cult-favorite show featuring frequently cross-dressing Fred Armisen and bisexual Carrie Brownstein. The Oregonian (http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/03/police_arrest_one_man_suspecte.html) reports that police have arrested Paul Anthony Martinson, 39, who is accused of assaulting a gay couple in downtown Portalnd last week.
Police are still searching for a second suspect who flashed a knife and helped to damage the gay couples’ SUV. His description: a man in his 20s or 30s, 5-foot-10, 160 pounds and short hair. Anyone with information about the incident should call Detective Paul Dolbey at 503-823-0451.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/so-not-portlandia-gay-bashing-suspect-arrested-in-oregons-hipster-city-20120320/#ixzz1ph0XTNxf

TheGodlessUtopian

20th March 2012, 22:04

You’ve got to give it to Tamasin Ford (http://www.queerty.com/liberias-nobel-prize-winning-president-in-testy-exchange-i-wont-decriminalize-homosexuality-20120320/#), reporter for the UK’s The Guardian. Granted an interview with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in connection with Blair’s Africa Governance Initiative (http://www.africagovernance.org/africa), Ford pressed them both hard on the issue of gay rights in Liberia. Sirleaf, who won the Nobel Peace Prize (http://www.queerty.com/liberias-nobel-prize-winning-president-in-testy-exchange-i-wont-decriminalize-homosexuality-20120320/#) in 2011, has said she will not sign legislation to make homosexuality a felony (http://www.queerty.com/liberias-former-first-lady-introduces-bill-making-homosexuality-a-felony-20120223/), as was proposed last month by Liberian senator and former first lady Jewel Taylor. But “voluntary sodomy” is still a misdemeanor in Liberia, punishable by up to one year in prison. So will Sirleaf decriminalize it?
Apparently not, according to this rather uncomfortable interview (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/mar/19/liberia-tony-blair-anti-gay-law-video):

Tamasin Ford for The Guardian: Madam President, what’s your position on decriminalizing homosexual acts in Liberia?
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: I’ve already taken a position on that, that we’re not going to sign any such law.
TF: You won’t sign any law to decriminalize –
EJS: I won’t sign any law that has to do with that area. None whatsoever. We like ourselves just the way we are.
TF: And what about decriminalizing the current law?
EJS: Quite frankly, I’m not quite sure even if we can see a law go through our legislature on that, so I doubt it seriously.
TF: But at the moment, I mean, voluntary sodomy is illegal at the moment. So in essence, homosexuality for two gay men, under the books, is illegal in Liberia.
EJS: We’ve got certain traditional values in our society that we’d like to preserve.
(awkward pause)
TF: So you’re saying you wouldn’t decriminalize that current law.
EJS: I’ve just said to you: We’re going to maintain our traditional values.
TF: Mr. Blair, [U.N. Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon has urged African leaders to stop treating gay people as second-class citizens and criminals, given that good governance and human rights go hand in hand. What is your advice to Madam President and Liberia on this gay rights issue?
Tony Blair: You know, one of the advantages of what I do now is that I can choose the issues that I get into, and the issues that I don’t. So, you know, for us [with the Africa Governance Initiative], the priorities are on power, roads, jobs (http://www.queerty.com/liberias-nobel-prize-winning-president-in-testy-exchange-i-wont-decriminalize-homosexuality-20120320/#), delivery. I’m not saying these issues aren’t important, but the president’s given her position, and this is not one for me.
TF: So good governance and human rights don’t go hand in hand?
TB: Tamasin, you know how long I’ve been doing these types of interviews?
TF: I do know –
TB: Right, okay. So I’m not giving you an answer on it.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/liberias-nobel-prize-winning-president-in-testy-exchange-i-wont-decriminalize-homosexuality-20120320/#ixzz1ph0wvvFC

Rodrigo Viadas says he was forced to leave Aeromexico flight 473 from Miami to Mexico City moments before it took off Sunday night because he was gay, tweeting, “They took me off [the plane] like a criminal.” Viadas says he was booted after a passenger spoke to the captain, though it’s not clear what exactly the complaint was: “The captain never spoke to me,” he tweeted. “They just said ‘a passenger complained.’”
According to Univision News (http://univisionnews.tumblr.com/post/19579517146/aeromexico-gay-rodrigo-viadas-twitter), whose understanding of Spanish is much better than ours, “Viadas wrote that he had to book a hotel in Miami after he was forced off the flight, because the next flight to Mexico City left on Monday morning.” He did thank the airline (http://www.queerty.com/passenger-claims-he-was-kicked-off-aeromexico-flight-for-being-gay-20120320/#) yesterday for their prompt response and promise to investigate the situation.
We’ve contacted Viadas for more details and will follow up soon.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/passenger-claims-he-was-kicked-off-aeromexico-flight-for-being-gay-20120320/#ixzz1ph18pZfC

virtueOnline (http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=15719#.T2efIMzeu0a) reports that Dr. William Warwick Rich, a partnered bishop living in Boston, has been floated as a potential replacement for Gene Robinson (right, in magenta), the openly gay Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire who will be retiring in the near future. Bishop Rich has quite the history of gay friendliness too—he began to come out at the end of college and then in 1992, he officiated a gay marriage. Writes VirtueOnline:

Like Bishop Robinson, Fr. Rich is very active (http://www.queerty.com/retiring-nh-bishop-gene-robinson-may-be-replaced-by-another-gay-bishop-20120319/#) in the gay community. On July 4, 1992, he presided at what he calls the “holy union” of two lesbian parishioners at Memorial Episcopal Church on Bolton Hill in Baltimore.
“I was careful to obtain all the necessary permissions to do this, including tacit permission to ‘do what you think is best pastorally’ from the bishop, as well as explicit permission from the rector and vestry of the parish,” Rich explained in his dossier to the New Hampshire Search Committee which asked about taking a prophetic stance.
“Several months after the service, The Baltimore Sun got wind of what had happened, and ran a front-page story about me and the service,” Fr. Rich explained. “As you might imagine, an enormous controversy erupted, both in the Diocese … and in the wider Baltimore community. In some ways, I think this was an early catalyst, pushing public opinion to ‘come out’ in support of civil marriage in Maryland.”
A gay priest who considers early adoption of gay-friendliness a prophetic move? Awesome.
Robinson, for his part, is currently heading to London to promote his Sundance doc Love Free Or Die at the BFI Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. It is his first time back since he was excluded from the conference by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams (http://www.queerty.com/retiring-nh-bishop-gene-robinson-may-be-replaced-by-another-gay-bishop-20120319/#), an experience that causes him to shed some tears in the doc.
He laments on the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/bishop-gene-robinson/loving-free_b_1364224.html):

It has been four years since I was in England, present but not included in the once-a-decade Lambeth conference of Bishops in 2008. As the Archbishop of Canterbury plans for his retirement (http://www.queerty.com/retiring-nh-bishop-gene-robinson-may-be-replaced-by-another-gay-bishop-20120319/#), I trust that the decision to exclude me will be one of the low points Rowan Williams reflects upon as he leaves office…
That I am not the first gay bishop should surprise no one. But I am the first gay bishop who has been honest about his orientation. And the punishment for being honest? I have the dubious distinction of being the first duly elected and consecrated Bishop excluded from Lambeth since the event began in the mid-19th century.
Will a gay bishop be allowed into Lambeth in 2018? We’re thinking yes, and we’re hoping it’s Fr. Rich.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/retiring-nh-bishop-gene-robinson-may-be-replaced-by-another-gay-bishop-20120319/#ixzz1ph1T6Wpo

Aw, how cute! Lady Gaga surprised three bullied teens with an impromptu performance during her appearance at Harvard University last month to launch (http://www.queerty.com/today-at-harvard-lady-gaga-launches-born-this-way-foundation-protesters-and-oprah-in-tow-20120229/) her Born This Way Foundation. Watch the teens squeal with delight and she a-cappellas a few lines from “Born This Way.”
Mother Monster also revealed to O that she’s taking a vow of silence (http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Lady-Gagas-Creative-Process-Video) of sorts. Said the Gagster:
“Other than this interview, Oprah, I don’t intend to speak to anyone for a very long time. I have to shut out the noise… The latest thing I do is I don’t read a damn thing. No press, no television. If my mom calls and says, ‘Did you hear about?’ I don’t want to know nothing about anything that is going on in relation to music. I shut it all off.”
A part of the interview we were less jazzed about was one where she claimed to have been so bullied that she felt “scarred” and “worthless.” I get that she wants to sympathize with her cause, but she should still be honest about the fact that she wasn’t really different from most of the girls in her tony Upper West Side Catholic high school.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/lady-gaga-oprah-inty.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/lady-gaga-oprah-inty.jpg)“There really is no difference between the bully and the victim,” Gaga said (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1681289/lady-gaga-oprah.jhtml). “I would like to do a psychological autopsy on as many bullies and victims as possible … How do we understand what breeds hatred, what breeds anger?
She added, “All the praise you receive, something inside of you is scarred by those experiences. … Sometimes I feel worthless.”
The NYU drop-out certainly has a flair for the dramatic, yes, but let’s keep it real when it comes to bullying. It lessens the very real struggle that so many of our gay teens face everyday when a well-off white girl complains about maliciously not being invited to parties (http://www.queerty.com/today-at-harvard-lady-gaga-launches-born-this-way-foundation-protesters-and-oprah-in-tow-20120229/).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/lady-gaga-surprises-three-bullied-teens-reveals-vow-of-silence-to-oprah-20120319/#ixzz1ph1hWd3Q

P.S: See source for video

California Democrats Pledge Defeat to N.C.'s Amendment 1

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-20/californai_demx390.jpg

California's Democrats have announced they will lend a hand to help defeat North Carolina's Amendment 1, which could constitutionally bar same-sex couples from marriage if passed by voters this May.

California Democratic Party chairman John Burton announced his party's solidarity with President Barack Obama (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/California_Democrats_Pledge_Defeat_to_NCs_Amendmen t_1/#), whose campaign last week said (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/California_Democrats_Pledge_Defeat_to_NCs_Amendmen t_1/%20http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/16/Obama_Condemns_NC_Marriage_Ban/) he opposes Amendment 1.

"California Democrats stand ready to help and we will soon be in touch with ways that Democrats here can start getting the word out to voters in North Carolina about the need to defeat Amendment One," Burton said in a statement, according to LGBT POV. (http://lgbtpov.frontiersla.com/2012/03/19/breaking-california-democratic-party-offers-to-help-defeat-antigay-amendment-one-in-north-carolina/)

Burton stressed that this summer's Democratic convention, which will take place in Charlotte, N.C., makes it especially important for Democrats to help defeat the ballot measure.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/California_Democrats_Pledge_Defeat_to_NCs_Amendmen t_1/

Barney Frank, LGBT Lawmakers Endorse Pocan for Wis. Congressional Race

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Mark%20Pocan.jpg
Mark Pocan
Three of the four LGBT members of Congress have endorsed Mark Pocan (http://pocanforcongress.com/), a gay Wisconsin lawmaker who is running to represent the state’s second congressional district. The fourth openly gay representative, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, currently holds that seat and is now vying to become the first openly gay U.S. senator after Wisconsin senator Herb Kohl announced his retirement (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Barney_Frank_LGBT_Lawmakers_Endorse_Pocan_for_Wisc _Congressional_Race/#) last year (she spoke about that potential milestone in a recent New York Times Magazine Q&A here (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/magazine/tammy-baldwin.html)).

Baldwin’s gay colleagues, representatives Jared Polis, David Cicilline, and Barney Frank (who retires at the end of this term), are now supporting Pocan’s bid for the seat Baldwin is leaving, the Wisconsin assembly member’s campaign announced Tuesday.

"To gain the support of so many national leaders from the LGBT community is personally important to me and very encouraging in my race." Pocan said in a statement. "I've spent my career (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Barney_Frank_LGBT_Lawmakers_Endorse_Pocan_for_Wisc _Congressional_Race/#) in the state legislature working toward a more open Wisconsin. I'm grateful for a chance to join such esteemed leaders in that struggle at the national level."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Barney_Frank_LGBT_Lawmakers_Endorse_Pocan_for_Wisc _Congressional_Race/

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Defends Liberian Antigay Law

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-20/BlairSirleafx390.jpg

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Nobel_Peace_Prize_Winner_Defends_Liberian_Antigay_ Law/#), defended a law that criminalizes homosexuality in a joint interview with Tony Blair, while the former British prime minister refused to comment on her remarks.

Sirleaf and Blair participated in the interview with The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/19/nobel-peace-prize-law-homosexuality) in Liberia. Lawmakers in the West African country, which already punishes homosexuality with up to one year in prison, are considering two pieces of legislation that would impose much harsher sentences, including one bill that would make same-sex marriage a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“We like ourselves just the way we are,” said President Sirleaf. "We've got certain traditional values in our society that we would like to preserve."

Blair, now a founder of the African Governance Initiative, which works to strengthen African governments, looked pained by her statements but declined to challenge Sirleaf. While serving as prime minister, he pressed for LGBT rights including civil partnerships and open military service.

"I'm not giving you an answer on it,” he said in his new capacity. “One of the advantages of doing what I do now is I can choose the issues I get into and the issues I don't. For us, the priorities are around power, roads, jobs (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Nobel_Peace_Prize_Winner_Defends_Liberian_Antigay_ Law/#) delivery.”

Pressed on statements from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in January urging African leaders to respect gay rights, Blair said, "I'm not saying these issues aren't important, but the president has given her position and this is not one for me."

According to The Guardian, debate in Liberia ignited, for the most part with negative tones, late last year after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced new measures to integrate LGBT rights into U.S. foreign policy at a speech to the U.N. in Geneva (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Nobel_Peace_Prize_Winner_Defends_Liberian_Antigay_ Law/#). Her remarks prompted concern that foreign aid to impoverished nations would be tied to gay rights records.

Sirleaf, 73, received (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Nobel_Peace_Prize_Winner_Defends_Liberian_Antigay_ Law/#) the Nobel Peace Prize last year for work to promote women’s rights. Now serving her second term, she became the first female president in Africa when she was elected in 2006.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/Nobel_Peace_Prize_Winner_Defends_Liberian_Antigay_ Law/

P.S: See source for video

At 6-Month Mark, DADT Repeal "Proceeding Smoothly"

By Julie Bolcer and Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate.com%20Editors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/Marissa%20Gaeta%20AP%20photo.jpg
Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta and her
girlfriend, Citlalic Snell, in a now-iconic
"first kiss" photo
Photo: Brian J. Clark, Associated Press
On September 20, 2011, gay service members, their advocates, and their champions on Capitol Hill and elsewhere celebrated the formal end of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy while opponents predicted the military's gradual demise.

Yet six months later, it's no surprise which side has the facts and which side continues to be mired in fiction. According to one recent survey (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/At_Six_Month_Mark_DADT_Repeal_Proceeding_Smoothly/#), a significant majority of service members report that DADT repeal simply hasn't affected their mission.

“I think the success of repeal is at a far more advanced stage than I had ever anticipated,” said Josh Seefried, cofounder of the group OutServe, which claims more than 50 chapter groups worldwide and is planning an international conference in Orlando, Fla., this fall. “Just the sheer number of people who have come out has changed military culture very quickly.”

A March 12 Military Times poll showed (http://www.navytimes.com/xml/news/2012/03/military-times-2012-poll-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-has-less-impact-than-expected-031212w/031212tns_dadt_effect_story.JPG) nearly three fourths of respondents said that the effect of an individual coming out in their units had no impact. An increased number of respondents in this year's poll said that they expected repeal to have no net effect compared to last year's survey.

“The poll data tell me that implementation is proceeding along the lines of what we envisioned and that the United States was not going to be any different in terms of successful implementation than what we had seen in other foreign militaries that have moved to a policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly,” said Servicemembers Legal Defense Network executive director Aubrey Sarvis, who is leaving his position later this year. Last fall Sarvis's organization sued (http://www.advocate.com/printArticle.aspx?id=240971) the federal government on behalf of a group of gay service members and their spouses who are denied equal benefits, such as medical care and military housing, because of the Defense of Marriage Act and the definition of “spouse” in the federal code. The Obama (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/At_Six_Month_Mark_DADT_Repeal_Proceeding_Smoothly/#) administration’s Justice Department has declined to defend the 1996 law in the suit.

“As the [Defense] Department looks at implementation, they also have to look at how gay and lesbian service members are being treated with respect to their benefits,” Sarvis said.

Maj. Shannon McLaughlin, lead plaintiff in the SLDN suit, said that over the past half-year she has noticed a change in the way her colleagues talk to her — not on the actual day that repeal took effect, perhaps, but gradually in the weeks and months that followed. Everyday conversations that used to feel tense gave way to the easy banter about weekend plans and families that binds other workplaces, she said.

“I think it took a great weight off my straight counterparts at work,” McLaughlin said. “Now they could ask without risking my job. [DADT] drove an artificial wedge between us. Now it’s nice, and I didn’t know what that was like.”

Still, work remains. A lot of McLaughlin’s straight colleagues have been “shocked” to learn that despite repeal, there are no explicit antidiscrimination provisions to protect gay service members, in addition to the benefits inequity central to the lawsuit of which she is a part. McLaughlin also encounters the problem firsthand in her position as a judge advocate general, a legal advisory role for the military.

“I don’t have the tools to be able to protect soldiers like me,” she said. “DADT repeal is a huge step (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/At_Six_Month_Mark_DADT_Repeal_Proceeding_Smoothly/#) forward, but it isn’t a complete solution.”

Capt. Matthew Phelps, who was out for seven years before he began to serve after the September 11, 2001 attacks, is one of the few officers known to have come out publicly in the Marines, the Armed Services branch with the reputation for being most resistant to change. He’s considered himself out since the day repeal took effect, with support from immediate superiors and no negative issues. As a commander at the initial pipeline for recruits who come through the West Coast, his considerations focus on how out to be, not unlike the question that faces gay employees in many other fields.

“It’s about establishing an appropriate climate,” Phelps said of his efforts to set a tone of inclusion and respect. “I don’t walk up to each of the recruits and say, ‘Hello, I’m gay and I’m the company commander,’ and I don’t do that to my Marines either. One of the best ways for me to set an example is to live openly and to fight stereotypes people may have about what it means to be gay.”

Less than two months after repeal took effect last fall, Phelps asked if he could take a same-sex date to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball on November 10.

“I went to my boss and said, ‘I’ve been in the Marine Corps 10 years and I want to take a date.’ I’ve never taken a date before. I think they were a little nervous on my behalf. The idea of being described as anything other than a Marine was something that concerned people. They didn’t want me to single myself out. That’s not really what we do.”

Phelps and his date were the only male same-sex couple in attendance among 1,800 guests, with one female same-sex couple also there. Everyone came up to say hello, he said.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/20/At_Six_Month_Mark_DADT_Repeal_Proceeding_Smoothly/

P.S: See source for remainder of story.

TheGodlessUtopian

21st March 2012, 21:14

Whttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Valerie_Jarrett_official_portrait_small1.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Valerie_Jarrett_official_portrait_small1.jpg)hite House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett and U.S. Attorney (http://www.queerty.com/senior-white-house-officials-promise-strongtammy-asberg-fight-against-anti-gay-bullying-20120321/#) General Eric Holder have spoken out strongly in favor of curbing anti-gay bullying in schools and of pursuing anti-gay violence as hate crimes, reports the Dallas Voice (http://www.dallasvoice.com/white-house-lgbt-conference-continues-momentum-anti-bullying-fight-10104971.html).
At the White House LGBT Conference on Safe Schools (http://www.queerty.com/senior-white-house-officials-promise-strongtammy-asberg-fight-against-anti-gay-bullying-20120321/#) and Communities, held yesterday in Dallas, Texas, both Jarrett and Holder said they are actively working on initiatives to solve issues affecting gay teens and adults.
Jarrett says she has met with Matthew Shepard’s mother Judy, as well as with Tammy Asberg, the mother of a gay teen who killed himself in the notoriously bullycide-heavy Anoka-Hennepin School District. She even has had talks with Lady Gaga about her new anti-bullying org, the Born This Way Foundation.
“Schools have not just a moral responsibility, but a legal responsibility to protect our young people from harassment… Every day we’re striving to do our part to make progress and I believe that day by day, step (http://www.queerty.com/senior-white-house-officials-promise-strongtammy-asberg-fight-against-anti-gay-bullying-20120321/#) by step, we will change not just our laws and our policies, but our behavior, our attitudes, our tone, so that every young person is able to strive at school without worrying about people bullied.”
In Holder’s speech, he referenced a recent gay bashing (http://www.queerty.com/two-men-assaulted-by-five-baseball-bat-wielding-homophobes-in-dallas-20120315/) where five men beat two men with baseball bats for appearing to be gay.
“When incidents like this occur, we want to hear about it,” he said. “We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”
Since hate crimes are federal offenses, it’s clear we have a powerful ally at the head of the Department of Justice. And their not just paying lip service to the idea—we’ve seen the DOJ take action on behalf of people like Tammy Asberg with its recent ruling that the Anoka-Hennepin School District must institute broad reforms (http://www.queerty.com/four-gay-bullied-students-win-settlement-from-mns-anoka-hennepin-school-district-20120306/) on anti-gay bullying.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/senior-white-house-officials-promise-strongtammy-asberg-fight-against-anti-gay-bullying-20120321/#ixzz1pmfAsXV3

Another ugly airline incident, only this one involves gay abuse heaped on a flight attendant: John Hawkins of Merseyside, England, was on a Thomas Cook http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/thomas-cook-360x201.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/thomas-cook.jpg)flight to the Canary Islands when the fellow in the next seat asked him to mind his language. Hawkins, who was traveling with his children, then became aggressive toward other passengers (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/03/21/main-jailed-after-endangering-plane-with-anti-gay-air-steward-abuse/) and started hurling anti-gay slurs at male cabin members.
After Hawkins, 32, was subdued, the pilot was forced to return to England, where Hawkins was arrested. Now Manchester Judge Jonathan Geake has sentenced him to eight months in prison, telling Hawkins:

“Your behaviour was grotesque, and completely outrageous. Your treatment of fellow passengers and the way you hurled offensive homophobic comments at cabin crew, and generally ranted, was inexcusable.”
We definitely think this guy should get punished, but eight months seems a little severe. Guess they don’t play around on airlines anymore.
Mr. Hawkin’s lawyer (http://www.queerty.com/british-man-jailed-after-shouting-homophobic-slurs-at-flight-attendants-20120321/#) claimed his client—who’s had run-ins with the law before—was suffering from pain and reduced mobility stemming from an accident.
What, did he accidentally lodge his head up his ass?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/british-man-jailed-after-shouting-homophobic-slurs-at-flight-attendants-20120321/#ixzz1pmffUHnX

It’s not what we’d consider romantic, but it’s still darn sweet: On Saturday night at Toronto (http://www.toronto.gaycities.com/)‘s Scotiabank Place, a young woman named Alicia was brought out onto the ice blindfolded during intermission. When the cloth was removed, she looked up at the scoreboard and saw it was displaying a marriage proposal (http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/after_gay_marriage_proposal_at_nhl_game_crowd_goes _wild_video) from her girlfriend, Christina.
Both women came out on the ice and spoke briefly to each other, after which the announcers assured the crowd, “She said yes!”
What’s amazing isn’t that they live in a country where same-sex marriage is legal nationwide—or even that hockey fans would be totally down with a lesbian proposal. What blows our minds is that the two women made it work in the first place: Y’see, Alicia’s a Maple Leads fan and Christina is all about the Ottawa Senators. Those Canadians are as serious as a heart attack (http://www.queerty.com/canadian-hockey-fan-proposes-to-her-girlfriend-at-hockey-game-aww-20120321/#) about their hockey teams.
Good luck, ladies!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/canadian-hockey-fan-proposes-to-her-girlfriend-at-hockey-game-aww-20120321/#ixzz1pmg8W9xR

P.S: See source for video

The first robin of spring brings something extra this year: Lobbyists and activists gearing up in earnest for the November elections. According to the Washington Post (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/leading-gay-donors-to-plot-strategy-in-washington/), hundreds of top LGBT Democratic Party donors are heading to Washington, D.C., in late April, “to plan strategies and marshal financial commitments for state and federal elections around the country.”
Details about the conference, organized by the Gill Fund, are still sketchy—intentionally so, it would seem, to protect attendees “from unwanted scrutiny or attacks from opponents.”
Gays and lesbians are a key fundraising demographic for President Obama (http://www.queerty.com/gay-lobbyists-and-donors-pack-bags-for-top-secret-pow-wow-in-dc-20120321/#), who has seen other sources prove less bountiful. Though many in the LGBT community feel frustrated with the President’s continuing “evolution” on gay marriage, they appreciate his work on DADT and DOMA—and realize an almost-there Obama is a far better option than a miles-away Romney or Santorum:

A growing number of the top “bundlers”—volunteers who gather checks from friends and business associates — to President Obama are gay men or women, a constituency Mr. Obama has avidly courted in recent months as he seeks to find new sources of large donations (http://www.queerty.com/gay-lobbyists-and-donors-pack-bags-for-top-secret-pow-wow-in-dc-20120321/#) to finance his re-election campaign. A “super PAC” supporting Mr. Obama, Priorities USA Action, is also avidly courting gay donors, as traditional sources of large checks, including Wall Street, prove more resistant to appeals.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-lobbyists-and-donors-pack-bags-for-top-secret-pow-wow-in-dc-20120321/#ixzz1pmgW7TqI

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd March 2012, 20:53

Perhaps as a counterpoint to has-been actor Kirk Cameron, Piers Morgan welcomed director Kevin Smith (Red State) onto his CNN (http://www.queerty.com/director-bear-icon-kevin-smith-says-anti-gay-fundamentalists-are-hiding-something-20120322/#) chat show last night. The outspoken filmmaker spoke candidly about how irritated he gets with judgmental fundamentalists (us too), especially when they go after gay people like his brother:

“My brother’s a great guy—goes to church [and] doesn’t screw anybody over, and yet he’s still got some religious yahoos and politicos over to the side going: ‘Change your ways or you’re going to hell,’” Smith said. “Stay out of my brother’s bedroom, buddy. Like I don’t know what else to tell you. He’s a good dude, as are most people in this world.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/director-bear-icon-kevin-smith-says-anti-gay-fundamentalists-are-hiding-something-20120322/#ixzz1psQIAMkm

P.S: See source for video

We always thought Europeans were more evolved than the Colonies, but the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) made the same bonehead argument against marriage equality as American opponents, ruling (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2117920/Gay-marriage-human-right-European-ruling-torpedoes-Coalition-stance.html?ito=feeds-newsxml) this week that if gay and lesbian couples were allowed to marry, “any church that offers (http://www.queerty.com/human-rights-court-says-european-countries-not-required-to-offer-same-sex-marriage-20120322/#) weddings will be guilty of discrimination if it declines to marry same-sex couples.” The Court was hearing a case involving a lesbian couple who had been denied the right to adopt a child in France because, in legal (http://www.queerty.com/human-rights-court-says-european-countries-not-required-to-offer-same-sex-marriage-20120322/#) terms, they were not a couple. In its verdict, it stated that same-sex marriage is not a human right: “The European Convention on Human Rights does not require member states’ governments to grant same-sex couples access to marriage.”
While this is a setback for marriage advocates on the Continent, the ECHR isn’t affiliated with the European Union and, hopefully, this ruling won’t affect the current push for gay marriage in Great Britain.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/human-rights-court-says-european-countries-not-required-to-offer-same-sex-marriage-20120322/#ixzz1psQXL77Z

At the annual Starbucks (http://www.queerty.com/queerty-applauds-starbucks-for-giving-nom-a-very-respectful-*****-slap-20120322/#) shareholders meeting yesterday, NOM showed up to question Starbucks’ “controversial stance” on gay marriage. Starbucks stood in pro-gay solidarity (http://www.queerty.com/starbucks-rolls-out-support-for-gay-marriage-new-beer-and-wine-menu-20120125/) with Microsoft (http://www.queerty.com/queerty-applauds-starbucks-for-giving-nom-a-very-respectful-*****-slap-20120322/#) and other prominent Washington-state companies when governor Christine Gregoire led the successful push for marriage equality in January.
After questioned by a NOM lackey whether it was a decision made at the highest levels, an eloquent Starbucks spokesman replied:

“Any decision of this type and magnitude has to be made with great thougtfulness and I would assure you that the senior team of Starbucks discussed this. To be candid with you, it was not something that was a difficult decision for us. [applause] We made that decision through the lens of humanity and being the company (http://www.queerty.com/queerty-applauds-starbucks-for-giving-nom-a-very-respectful-*****-slap-20120322/#) that embraces diversity.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/starbucks-feat-360x270.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/starbucks-feat.jpg)And you know what, we applaud NOM for standing up for what they believe in with their wallets, no matter how wrong they are.
They have their right not to patronize Starbucks, and to start a DumpStarbucks (http://www.dumpstarbucks.com/) petition, which currently has less than 2,500 pledges. We don’t think they’ll have much economic impact on Starbs, just as “One Million Moms” had little effect on JC Penney.
In just the same way, we reserve the right not to patronize Chick-fil-A or Urban Outfitters, companies that hate the gays.
The thing is, though, that Starbucks merely vocalized their support for gay marriage, they didn’t pump money into any pro-marriage groups, as far as we know. Chick-fil-A and Urban, on the other hand, have provided money to anti-gay hate groups for years.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/queerty-applauds-starbucks-for-giving-nom-a-very-respectful-*****-slap-20120322/#ixzz1psR3fGk7

Dominica News Online is reporting (http://dominicanewsonline.com/news/all-news/court/breaking-news-men-found-guilty-of-indecent-exposure/) that the men arrested yesterday (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-dominican-police-arrest-men-on-atlantis-cruise-for-gasp-having-gay-sex-20120321/) on an Atlantis cruise ship docked in a Dominican port have pleaded guilty to indecent exposure in a Magistrate’s Court in Roseau, the capital of the small Caribbean island nation:
Two cruise tourist from California pleaded guilty of indecent exposure when they appeared in a Roseau Magistrate’s court on Thursday.
They were charged for reportedly having sex on a cruise ship, Celebrity X Cruises (http://www.queerty.com/update-two-men-from-atlantis-cruise-plead-guilty-to-indecent-exposure-in-dominica-20120322/#), docked on the Roseau Bayfront.
John Robert Hart,41 and Dennis Jay Mayer 43 were both fined EC $2,400 [about US $890].
The fines are to be paid immediately failing which they will each have to spend two months in jail.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/update-two-men-from-atlantis-cruise-plead-guilty-to-indecent-exposure-in-dominica-20120322/#ixzz1psRLdgtg

Hey Tim, Just heard that your trade to the New York Jets from the Denver Broncos was finalized (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/sports&id=8590853). Congrats! New York is a big city, and Denver kind of sucks. I think you’re going to like it here.
But let’s set some things straight first.
We don’t give a shit about your religion here. We think it’s a cute little aspect of your life, and this is a live-and-let-live city: you can pray for mad touchdowns at St. Patrick’s Cathedral every Sunday, have brunch with Cardinal Dolan at Swifty’s over virgin mimosas, whatever.
But don’t get it twisted: New York City is a fundamentally agnostic place, and we don’t want to hear about your religious calling.
Do keep Tebowing, though. That’s silent, cute and easy to make fun of.
Money and power run New York, Tim, not God. Which is why you’re going to need to step it up and trade verse 3:16 for 316+ completed (http://www.queerty.com/an-open-letter-to-tim-tebow-new-york-citys-newest-evangelical-football-star-20120322/#) yards a game.
John Elway, legendary Hall of Fame quarterback and owner (http://www.queerty.com/an-open-letter-to-tim-tebow-new-york-citys-newest-evangelical-football-star-20120322/#) of the Broncos, didn’t have much faith in you. He told ABC News: “Tim Tebow’s a great kid. If I want someone to marry my daughter, it’s him.”
He called you a “great football player,” but refused to say much about your primary (http://www.queerty.com/an-open-letter-to-tim-tebow-new-york-citys-newest-evangelical-football-star-20120322/#) duties: being a great quarterback. And now he’s canned you after one season, opting for the more bankable Peyton Manning.
Your 46.5 completion percentage? I’m a flaming homo and I know that ain’t good. Step. It. Up.
And while we know you’re an evangelical Christian, what do we know about your political views? You and his team refused to make (http://www.queerty.com/dont-expect-a-it-gets-better-video-from-the-denver-broncos-20111221/) an “It Gets Better” video, which, whatever, you’re not obligated to. More tellingly, he starred in an anti-abortion ad (http://www.queerty.com/the-super-bowl-welcomes-2-8-million-ad-buy-from-hate-group-focus-on-the-family-20100117/) from Focus on the Family that aired during last year’s Super Bowl.
Be careful, Tebow. You’re going to get the best reporters in the world asking about your stances on every political issue of the day. You better have some good answers, and “no comment” is not going to fly.
We’ll just say this: even if you don’t like gay people, or think we suck, or shouldn’t get married, do not say so. Because that, above all else, will not fly in New York.
Love,
Queerty

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/an-open-letter-to-tim-tebow-new-york-citys-newest-evangelical-football-star-20120322/#ixzz1psRc0eTv

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd March 2012, 21:03

Harvey Weinstein is getting serious about suing the MPAA over its giving Bully an R rating (http://www.queerty.com/bully-documentary-given-r-rating-cant-be-used-to-educate-high-schoolers-20120224/), reports the Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/22/Prop_8_Attorneys_Boies_Olson_Team_To_Get_Bully_Rat ing_Changed/). Speaking at Harvey’s screening of the movie Tuesday night were high-powered attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson (a former Solicitor General), who recently successful advocated for the striking down of Prop 8.
“You can kill kids, you can maim them, you can torture them and still get a PG-13 rating,” said Boies, “But if they say a couple of bad words you blame them. I hope, for heaven’s sake, that they find some rational basis before we have to sue them to revise the rating system.”
Added Olson:

“This is an irrational decision, and I’ve heard it defended as ‘[The MPAA] really can’t do anything about it because if we make an exception here, they’ll be all sorts of people lined up wanting to have exceptions made with respect to their movies.’ What a reason for not doing something. So they better shape up, or here we come.”
Also in attendance were powerful celebrities like Tom Brokaw, Katie Couric, and Meryl Streep, who got emotional (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/meryl-streep-screening-bully-hears-daughter-mamie-gummer-standing-victims-article-1.1048517?localLinksEnabled=false) after learning (http://www.queerty.com/harvey-weinstein-brings-out-meryl-streep-and-big-legal-guns-to-intimidate-mpaa-20120322/#) that her daughter Mamie Gummer used to help bullied students.
The MPAA responded to the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/bully_gets_legal_support_OG8IKOHvsgHKdukiZV6CbI?ut m_medium=rss&utm_content=Page%20Six), “There is a misconception about the R [for] this film . . . Many other R-rated movies on important topics, such as Schindler’s List, have been screened in schools (http://www.queerty.com/harvey-weinstein-brings-out-meryl-streep-and-big-legal-guns-to-intimidate-mpaa-20120322/#) and viewed by children accompanied by their parents.”
Anybody remember watching Schindler’s List in middle school with your mommy at your side, or before the age of 13? Yeah, it didn’t happen.
Harvey will be making an appearance (http://www.queerty.com/glee-stars-host-2012-glaad-media-awards-facebook-and-wells-fargo-to-be-honored-20120315/) at the GLAAD Media Awards (http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards) this Saturday to confer an award on Katy Butler, a bullied Michigan teen who started a Change.org petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-don-t-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating) to downgrade the rating. The petition has over 425,000 signatures at the moment.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/harvey-weinstein-brings-out-meryl-streep-and-big-legal-guns-to-intimidate-mpaa-20120322/#ixzz1psSCWinv

In an exclusive interview with the New Jersey Star-Ledger (http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2012/03/exclusive_interview_dharun_rav.html), Dharun Ravi has finally shown some remorse over the death of Tyler Clementi. Ravi was found guilty (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-jury-delivers-verdict-in-dharun-ravi-trival-guilty-on-most-counts-20120316/) of bias intimidation (a hate crime) and invasion of privacy last Friday and faces up to 10 years in jail and deportation. Sentencing goes down May 21. Here’s what Ravi said when asked what he felt after he found out Tyler was dead:

“I’m very sorry about Tyler. I have parents and a little brother, and I can only try to imagine how they feel. But I want the Clementis to know I had no problem with their son. I didn’t hate Tyler and I knew he was okay with me. I wanted to talk to his parents, but I was afraid. I didn’t know what to say. At first, I actually thought I could be helpful because as far as I knew, I was the last one to see him alive.”
But Ravi won’t admit that Clementi’s homosexuality caused him to treat him differently than if Clementi had been straight.
“I don’t even recognize the person I was two years ago,” he said, admitting he was insensitive and immature. “But I wasn’t biased. I didn’t act out of hate and I wasn’t uncomfortable with Tyler being gay.”
He shows surprising faith in his decision not to take a generous, jail-time-free plea deal (http://www.queerty.com/tyler-clementi-tormenter-dharun-ravi-would-rather-face-an-nj-jury-than-do-600-hours-of-community-service-20111209/), stating in no uncertain terms that he does not lament missing an easy out.
“I’m never going to regret not taking the plea. If I took the plea, I would have had to testify that I did what I did to intimidate Tyler and that would be a lie. I won’t ever get up there and tell the world I hated Tyler because he was gay, or tell the world I was trying to hurt or intimidate him because it’s not true.”
Lastly, Ravi says he’s sad that he’ll never know if his apology text ever got through to Clementi.

“One of the most frustrating parts is that he never got my apology. I texted an apology and when he didn’t answer, I e-mailed him. I told him I didn’t want him to feel pressure to have to move and that we could work (http://www.queerty.com/dharun-ravi-finally-tells-the-world-im-very-sorry-about-tyler-20120322/#) things out.”
This was one of those times where you needed to pick up the freaking phone (http://www.queerty.com/dharun-ravi-finally-tells-the-world-im-very-sorry-about-tyler-20120322/#) and call, Ravi. Maybe you’ll learn that as you grow up.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/dharun-ravi-finally-tells-the-world-im-very-sorry-about-tyler-20120322/#ixzz1psSXSENy

Reuben Lack, the student-body president at Alpharetta High School in Alpharetta, GA, wanted prom to be more inclusive for LGBT students, so he suggest a resolution at a meeting in January that would rebrand the prom king and queen competition as simply “prom court.” What a nice thing to do—especially considering Lack is straight.
But the student council’s faculty advisor, Michelle Werre, didn’t like where that was going and silenced the discussion before a formal vote could be taken. At the next council meeting Lack (right) tried again to raise the issue, but was cut off by Werre.
“A week after that, he is called into a meeting with the two faculty advisers for student council, and they inform him, ‘We’re sorry, but you are no longer president of the student council,” Lack’s attorney (http://www.queerty.com/ga-teachers-axe-student-council-president-for-trying-to-welcome-gays-to-prom-court-20120322/#), James Radford, told the Atlanta-based magazine Fenuxe (http://www.fenuxe.com/2012/03/21/gay-prom-controversy-at-ga-high-school-leads-to-federal-lawsuit/). “It was that abrupt.”
Attorney?
Yep, Lack and his family are taking Werre and fellow advisor Emily Reiser—as well as principal Shannon Kersey—to federal court. The Lacks had tried to reach an agreement with the school without resorting to a lawsuit, but were greeted by a “dismissive letter” from the school’s lawyer (http://www.queerty.com/ga-teachers-axe-student-council-president-for-trying-to-welcome-gays-to-prom-court-20120322/#). Lack is looking to be reinstated as student council president, as well as unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.
Good for you, Reuben, for standing up for what you believe in and letting your school know they don’t operate in a vacuum. And congratulations (http://www.queerty.com/ga-teachers-axe-student-council-president-for-trying-to-welcome-gays-to-prom-court-20120322/#) on having some awesome parents.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ga-teachers-axe-student-council-president-for-trying-to-welcome-gays-to-prom-court-20120322/#ixzz1psSn5Fmj

The two candidates in the 2012 Massachusetts Senate race could not be more divided on marriage equality. While Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) has “moved on” (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/03/20/448173/scott-brown-i-encourage-everyone-else-to-move-on-from-same-sex-marriage/) from the issue, saying the issue is “settled” in his state despite his anti-gay stance, his Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren is lashing out at her party’s leader, Mr. Barack Obama (http://www.queerty.com/elizabeth-warren-shouts-down-obama-on-his-slow-evolution-on-marriage-equality-20120322/#).
Warren called on the president to finish his 17-month evolution on marriage equality, telling the Washington Blade, “I want to see the president evolve because I believe that is right; marriage equality is morally right.”
That’s a position that most lockstep Democrats are afraid to take, at least vocally. Even fierce gay-marriage advocate Martin O’Malley, the Maryland governor who just passed the issue in his state, stammered and sputtered (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-md-senate-passes-marriage-equality-25-22-sign-on-the-dotted-line-gov-omalley-20120223/) when pushed about his opinion on Obama’s evolution.
Warren supports the cause in more than just her outspokenness; she’s also buddy-buddy with out Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who is running for the open Senate seat in Wisconsin. If she wins, she’d become the country’s first openly gay U.S. senator. Writes the Blade (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/21/exclusive-elizabeth-warren-pledges-to-lead-on-lgbt-rights/):

The two have set up a joint fundraising (http://www.queerty.com/elizabeth-warren-shouts-down-obama-on-his-slow-evolution-on-marriage-equality-20120322/#) group called the Massachusetts-Wisconsin Victory Fund, which thus far has raised $171,250, and have appeared together in a joint fundraiser in Philadelphia hosted by donor Peter Buttenwieser.
“I was delighted to do the event with Tammy,” Warren said. “We actually did a second [event] together. We were out in San Francisco with other women senators and women challengers. And I hope we’ll have more opportunities to do that. I’d really love to see Tammy get elected. I worked with Tammy before, so I’m a big fan.”
What an ally!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/elizabeth-warren-shouts-down-obama-on-his-slow-evolution-on-marriage-equality-20120322/#ixzz1psTLcnc3

Bill Maher Defends Kirk Cameron and Others Who Offend

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-16/maherx390.jpg
Bill Maher
Comedian Bill Maher is fed up with everyone getting offended by racially charged and antigay comments.

"When did we get it in our heads that we have the right to never hear anything we don’t like?" wrote (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/opinion/please-stop-apologizing.html?_r=1) Maher in a New York Times op-ed.

While Maher goes on to spend most of his time defending President Obama (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/21/Bill_Maher_Defends_Kirk_Cameron_and_Others_Who_Off end/#) and his advisers and also Rush Limbaugh, he refers to Tracy Morgan and Kirk Cameron among the list of celebrities who didn't deserve the public ire they got.

"In the last year, we’ve been shocked and appalled by the unbelievable insensitivity of Nike shoes, the Fighting Sioux, Hank Williams (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/21/Bill_Maher_Defends_Kirk_Cameron_and_Others_Who_Off end/#) Jr., Cee Lo Green, Ashton Kutcher, Tracy Morgan, Don Imus, Kirk Cameron, Gilbert Gottfried, the Super Bowl halftime show and the ESPN guys who used the wrong cliché for Jeremy Lin after everyone else used all the others," he wrote. "Who can keep up?"

Morgan apologized repeatedly after joking during a performance that he'd stab his son to death if he were gay and effeminate. The 30 Rock star's public turmoil later became the subject of a hilarious episode about Morgan, called "Idiots Are People Two!"

For his part, Cameron said during an interview on CNN (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/21/Bill_Maher_Defends_Kirk_Cameron_and_Others_Who_Off end/#) that being gay is "unnatural" and bad for society. "I think that it's detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization," Cameron told Piers Morgan.

Maher's solution to all of this: "If you see or hear something you don’t like in the media, just go on with your life. Turn the page or flip the dial or pick up your roll of quarters and leave the booth."

It should be noted that Maher is a staunch supporter of LGBT rights. Most recently, he's begun talking about the ostracization he felt during school to draw attention to that form of bullying, specifically against kids who are perceived as LGBT.

The host of Real Time With Bill Maher on HBO has a history with the downsides of free speech that might contribute to his view. His ABC show, Politically Incorrect, was canceled when Maher lost advertisers for saying shortly after September 11 that it was the Americans who were "cowards" for the way we fight wars with bombs and airplanes, which many interpreted as antimilitary and a defense of the terrorists.

"I don’t want to live in a country where no one ever says anything that offends anyone," he wrote in the Times. "That’s why we have Canada. That’s not us."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/21/Bill_Maher_Defends_Kirk_Cameron_and_Others_Who_Off end/

State Senator Loses Support of Local G.O.P.

By JOHN ELIGON (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/e/john_eligon/index.html?inline=nyt-per)

Published: March 21, 2012

ALBANY — Senator James S. Alesi, one of four New York State Republicans who voted in favor of same-sex marriage (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier) last year, is unlikely to receive the nomination of the main Republican committee in his district, setting the stage for a difficult re-election race that could have implications in the fight for control of the State Senate.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/03/22/nyregion/ALESI/ALESI-articleInline.jpg
Librado Romero/The New York Times

Senator James Alesi, one of four New York Republicans to vote in favor of same-sex marriage, is unlikely to receive the nomination of a crucial committee in his district.

Two Republicans in Monroe County, where a majority of Mr. Alesi’s district sits, said that Mr. Alesi, an eight-term senator, had no support from local party leaders, in large part because of a lawsuit that he filed last year against two of his constituents and that many considered frivolous. The Republicans, who requested anonymity to discuss a developing process, said that Mr. Alesi’s support of same-sex marriage also was a factor, but that it was not decisive.
William D. Reilich, an assemblyman who is chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/republican_party/index.html?inline=nyt-org), said town leaders told him they were not behind Mr. Alesi.
“They’ve expressed to me it would be difficult for the senator to receive their towns’ endorsements,” Mr. Reilich said.
This most likely means that at the Monroe County Republican nominating convention in May, the towns will not vote to put Mr. Alesi on the ballot. Mr. Alesi could still petition to force a Republican primary (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/nyregion/state-senator-james-alesi-loses-support-of-local-gop.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1332446539-+Pvz2FN3MAbuzrwt8NouJg#). If he wins a primary, then he will be on the ballot under the Republican line.
Mr. Alesi, in an interview in his office here, acknowledged his quandary.
Yet he expressed confidence that the town committees might change their minds, and that he would win a primary and then the general (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/nyregion/state-senator-james-alesi-loses-support-of-local-gop.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1332446539-+Pvz2FN3MAbuzrwt8NouJg#) election, even if the committees did not select him.
“If I’m in the general election, there’s no question I’ll win the seat,” he said. “I know the district better than anybody. I’ve worked hard for 20 years. I have great relationships with every segment of the people I’ve served.”
Other Republicans who favored same-sex marriage have seen some consequences.
The Republican committee in Wilton, the hometown of Senator Roy J. McDonald, endorsed a potential opponent. The Erie County Conservative Party endorsed a Democrat to challenge Senator Mark J. Grisanti. But, unlike the others, Mr. Alesi’s marriage vote is not his greatest problem.
After entering a house (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/nyregion/state-senator-james-alesi-loses-support-of-local-gop.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1332446539-+Pvz2FN3MAbuzrwt8NouJg#) in 2008 that was under construction and that he said he thought was for sale, Mr. Alesi broke his leg while climbing a ladder. The couple that owned the house did not file trespassing charges. But in January 2011, Mr. Alesi sued them for failing to maintain safe conditions. Outrage ensued, and Mr. Alesi withdrew his lawsuit.
Many town leaders are not supporting Mr. Alesi because they felt he exercised bad judgment in filing (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/nyregion/state-senator-james-alesi-loses-support-of-local-gop.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1332446539-+Pvz2FN3MAbuzrwt8NouJg#) the lawsuit, Mr. Reilich said. But Mr. Alesi said he thought the lawsuit was just a front for conservatives upset that he supported same-sex marriage.
“I think you have a small handful of people that are vengeful and just have hatred in their hearts,” he said. “They’re so narrowly focused on — what I concede is a weak spot — the lawsuit; they’re so focused on that as a weapon that they’re losing sight of all the good things that I’ve done.”
No Republicans in Mr. Alesi’s district have formally announced they will run for the seat, but several party insiders have favored Assemblyman Sean T. Hanna. Mr. Hanna said that he had been approached about running for the seat but that he was in no hurry to make a decision.
With Mr. Alesi’s moderate record, some have speculated that he would consider running as a Democrat. He denied that, but said that “if you lose a major party, then you’ve got to look for another major party.”
Joseph D. Morelle, the Monroe County Democratic chairman, said he had spoken with Mr. Alesi in previous years about switching parties. Now, Mr. Morelle said, he would not take Mr. Alesi just to save his political career.
“There’s no question it improves our prospects when there’s an intraparty fight,” he said.
Mr. Alesi said he was holding out hope that the Monroe Republicans would change their minds when they realized they were risking the Senate Republicans’ slim hold on the majority.
There are more registered Democratic voters in Mr. Alesi’s district than Republicans. The two senators who represented the district before he won the seat were Democrats.
“This is not a traditional Republican district,” he said. “They can take me out in a primary and go around and bang their chests, but there’s no guarantee they can win this seat, and this is why they’re playing a dangerous game.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/nyregion/state-senator-james-alesi-loses-support-of-local-gop.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1332446539-+Pvz2FN3MAbuzrwt8NouJg

TheGodlessUtopian

26th March 2012, 17:09

Democracy Now! has done an in-depth interview with David France, the filmmaker behind AIDS activism doc How to Survive A Plague, and Peter Staley, one of France’s subjects.
Staley was diagnosed with AIDS in the fall of 1985 and left his high-paying bond-broker job at Morgan Stanley to join (http://www.queerty.com/watch-commemorate-act-ups-25th-anniversary-by-hearing-story-of-game-changing-aids-activists-20120324/#) ACT UP as one of its most vocal members. Having lived nearly 27 years with the disease, he’s among the longest-surviving people with AIDS. Queerty covered the doc back when it premiered at Sundance (http://www.queerty.com/sundance-how-to-survive-a-plague-resurrects-the-energy-and-sorrow-of-early-aids-activism-20120127/), but this interview offers (http://www.queerty.com/watch-commemorate-act-ups-25th-anniversary-by-hearing-story-of-game-changing-aids-activists-20120324/#) additional insights and footage from Plague. Skip to the 13:15 mark for the start of the interviews.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/watch-commemorate-act-ups-25th-anniversary-by-hearing-story-of-game-changing-aids-activists-20120324/#ixzz1qEu4nUrX

P.S: See source for video

It seems the leader of Albania’s royalist party likes his queens bloodied. Ekrem Spahiu (seen right), who’s also the Balkan nation’s deputy defense minister, responded yesterday to the announcement by LGBT activists (http://www.pinkembassy.al/en/lgbt-albania) that they would hold the country’s first ever gay pride march (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/23/albanian-lgbt-to-stage-first-gay-pride-march/) on May 17.
“My only commentary on this gay parade is that they should be beaten with billy clubs,” uttered Spahiu.
Albanian gay rights advocates were quick to react to Spahiu’s fighting words.
“This is a call to violence,” said Kristi Pinderi, one of the country’s leading LGBT anti-discrimination activists. “We will ask through our lawyers that Spahiu be convicted, in accordance with Albanian law, to a prison sentence of up to five years.”
Though Albania passed a bill (http://www.queerty.com/albania-says-yes-to-federal-lgbt-protections-20100205/) granting LGBT people anti-discrimination protections in 2010, homophobia is admittedly still rampant in the southeastern European country. Of the upcoming parade itself through the capital of Tirana, observers say it’s impossible to yet know how safe (http://www.queerty.com/albanian-official-gay-pride-marchers-should-be-beaten-with-billy-clubs-20120324/#) the marchers will be.
“We cannot predict whether there will be any reaction from the society or [whether it] will be smooth,” said Elsa Ballauri (http://www.balkanweb.com/bw_lajme2.php?IDNotizia=84839&NomeCategoria=shqiperi&Titolo=parada-gay-ekrem-spahiu-do-i-kapim-ne-hu&IDCategoria=2685), an Albanian human rights activist.
In other aggressive anti-pride news from the Balkans this week, a Facebook group in Croatia — with the catchy title “Blood will flow in the streets of Split, there will be no gay parade” — drew international attention (http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=03&dd=23&nav_id=79412) for advocating violence to stop the upcoming June 9 march in that country’s second largest city of Split.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/albanian-official-gay-pride-marchers-should-be-beaten-with-billy-clubs-20120324/#ixzz1qEuRTo1H

After coming out at school six months ago, 15-year-old Austin Rodriguez (right) started experiencing intense bullying. He kept it to himself, but last Friday it became too much for the Ohio teen to bear, so he swallowed 100 prescription (http://www.queerty.com/ohio-teen-hospitalized-for-suicide-attempt-after-coming-out-in-school-to-intense-bullying-20120323/#) pills in an apparent suicide attempt. MFMJ reports (http://www.wfmj.com/story/17234194/wellsville-mother-speak-out-against-bullying-after-son-tried-to-take-his-own-life):

The teenager’s mother [Bonnie] says it was shortly after coming out that her son, who is a straight-A student, began getting bullied at school.
She says at first her son appeared happy and relieved, and then she thought he may have been going through a depression (http://www.queerty.com/ohio-teen-hospitalized-for-suicide-attempt-after-coming-out-in-school-to-intense-bullying-20120323/#) and asked him about it several times, but he never really explained the extent of what he was going through.
Austin Rodriguez is now heavily sedated, and on a ventilator to help (http://www.queerty.com/ohio-teen-hospitalized-for-suicide-attempt-after-coming-out-in-school-to-intense-bullying-20120323/#) him breathe. His mother says her son swallowed more than 100 of his own prescription pills. She has now learned from his friends that the bullying became overwhelming.
Rodriguez says, “I actually didn’t know how bad it was for him in school until he actually did this. And until friends came out of the woodwork saying we knew Austin was going through this, we thought he was handling it a lot better. We didn’t know what to do.”
Doctors are optimistic that he will recover, but the next few days will be critical for Austin.
After hearing one of these news reports, it can be easy to dismiss the work (http://www.queerty.com/ohio-teen-hospitalized-for-suicide-attempt-after-coming-out-in-school-to-intense-bullying-20120323/#) of organizations like the Trevor Project and the “It Gets Better” campaign.
But, yes, while the gay media does pay due attention to each of these tragic suicides and suicides attempts, we have to remember that those suicide support lines are at least helping to make these cases less and less common. Let’s keep our chins up and pray for Austin’s recovery.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ohio-teen-hospitalized-for-suicide-attempt-after-coming-out-in-school-to-intense-bullying-20120323/#ixzz1qEuinqBB

Reports that Facebook has censored LGBT imagery and language are hitting the Internet today. It’s an unwelcome change from Facebook’s long-standing pro-gay stance, from diversity initiatives at the corporate-employee level to the site’s permissive attitude toward gay content to its proactive (http://www.queerty.com/hey-facebook-dont-let-a-few-dumb-censors-ruin-your-very-pro-lgbt-image-20120323/#), GLAAD-approved anti-bullying efforts. Towleroad reports (http://www.towleroad.com/2012/03/facebook-removes-gay-kiss-photo-ironically-an-advertisement-for-a-cultural-project-against-homophobi.html) that Facebook took down a picture of two men kissing, taken by well-known Spanish photographer Juan Hidalgo (right), on a group page that ironically was promoting a homo-positive art festival in Madrid. The reason: it breached a decency code that barred images of a “political, sexual or other sensitive” nature.
UPDATE (Fri, 3/22, 5:30pm): Facebook spokesperson Andrew Noyes responds: “Upon investigation, we concluded the advertisement does not violate our guidelines and was removed in error. The ad is now running and we apologize for the inconvenience.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/gay-censor-intel.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/gay-censor-intel.jpg)Another instance of censorship, reported by AMERICAblog (http://gay.americablog.com/2012/03/intel-facebook-app-censors-word-gay-in.html): Intel has a Facebook app (http://www.queerty.com/hey-facebook-dont-let-a-few-dumb-censors-ruin-your-very-pro-lgbt-image-20120323/#) called “What About Me?” (http://bit.ly/AE9CFK) that allows you to make a pretty graphic with information pulled from your Facebook and Twitter feeds. The objectionable thing: the word “gay” is censored whenever it appears, such as in a shared news story about Tyler Clementi (the **** roommate at left). Now, this is more on Intel (http://www.queerty.com/hey-facebook-dont-let-a-few-dumb-censors-ruin-your-very-pro-lgbt-image-20120323/#) than on Facebook, but Facebook should not allow a homophobic app to pull content from its feeds.
Perhaps the international nature of the Spanish culture group and the Intel app mean that Facebook has to be more conservative, but these instances are downright unbecoming given GLAAD’s announcement that Facebook will receive a Special Recognition Award “for the company’s strong stand and leadership around bullying prevention (http://www.queerty.com/hey-facebook-dont-let-a-few-dumb-censors-ruin-your-very-pro-lgbt-image-20120323/#) as well as its inclusive options for LGBT users,” presented at the San Francisco GLAAD Media Awards (http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards) on June 2nd.
It’s probably just a cog or two in the FB machine gone rogue, but don’t let those dumb censors ruin your very positive image, Facebook.
Here’s Queerty’s independent test of the Intel app’s censorship. It censors the F-word, gay, and lesbian, but not GAYEST or LGBT. Ha.
The Facebook post was: “gay gay test Facebook gay LGBT then lesbian.”
And the Twitter: “what’s the gayest thing you could LGBT gay tweet gay.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-23-at-12.01.54-PM.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-23-at-12.01.54-PM.png)

(http://www.queerty.com/hey-facebook-dont-let-a-few-dumb-censors-ruin-your-very-pro-lgbt-image-20120323/#comments)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/hey-facebook-dont-let-a-few-dumb-censors-ruin-your-very-pro-lgbt-image-20120323/#ixzz1qEv5n7Kl

It’s a blast from the bullying past! The Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/sues-school-student-bully-8-yrs-article-1.1049387#ixzz1px2DkQ8q) reports that a college student is suing a kid who bullied him eight years ago at a ritzy Manhattan middle school and gave him a broken nose (right). He’s also suing the school for failing to protect him, to the tune of $1.5 million in damages.
Writes the News:

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Eric Giray—now a sophomore at Brandeis University — accuses Daniel Dworakowski—now a sophomore at Cornell—of taunting him for years before shoving him into the school’s bleachers on Oct. 15, 2004.
Giray, who attended Calhoun for the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, broke his nose and needed 18 stitches to close the gashes, according to his attorney (http://www.queerty.com/college-student-slams-ex-classmate-and-school-with-1-5-lawsuit-for-2004-bullying-20120323/#) Ric Cherwin.
Dworakowski’s mom’s side of the story:

“Oh, please. That was not a bullying. That was just an accident. A teacher told us it was an accident and nothing else.”
The bullied kid’s attorney is pulling out some serious punches, though:

“On his life, Eric said Daniel with malice and intent in his eyes pushed Eric extremely hard and quickly so that Eric had no time to react and smashed him into the bleachers.”
The malice and intent was in his eyes, you guys! Our prediction: the judge is going to laugh at the fact that the case was brought eight years later (when anti-bullying sentiment is hitting a peak) and dismiss this suit as soon as he can.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/college-student-slams-ex-classmate-and-school-with-1-5-lawsuit-for-2004-bullying-20120323/#ixzz1qEvZUNFJ

Last Sunday, Tim Miller and his partner David were were headed to the Mississippi river for an evening stroll in New Orleans’ French Quarter (http://www.queerty.com/gay-couple-taking-romantic-stroll-in-new-orleans-attacked-for-no-apparent-20120323/#), as they often do. This time, they were interrupted by 23-year-old Jeffrey Lee and a group of young men, who beat them up “for no apparent reason,” Fox 8 reports. (http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Surveillance-shows-beating-in-French-Quarter/46RSt_voiU2SNx91JOPSPQ.cspx) Only Lee was arrested and booked on simple battery, but now the Orleans Parish District Attorney (http://www.queerty.com/gay-couple-taking-romantic-stroll-in-new-orleans-attacked-for-no-apparent-20120323/#) is investigating whether to prosecute it as a hate crime.
Miller told Fox 8:

“It all happened at the same time, they were yelling and punching us and we were on the ground very quickly. David said they were trying to get into my pockets and I was just fighting them off. They got nothing from us.”
He also said that the couple is planning on leaving New Orleans and going back to Oklahoma (it’s better there?) because of the incident:

“I love New Orleans. I love this city but it’s just become too much. It’s out of control and there just doesn’t seem to be any remedies to the problem.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-couple-taking-romantic-stroll-in-new-orleans-attacked-for-no-apparent-20120323/#ixzz1qEvkwYoz

TheGodlessUtopian

26th March 2012, 17:16

Gay-hating Russian politico Vitaly Milonov had some stark words yesterday for Madonna, in response to her announcement that she wouldn’t be cancelling (http://www.queerty.com/madonna-rails-against-st-petersburgs-dont-say-gay-rule-but-is-happy-to-open-a-gym-there-20120323/) her upcoming Saint Petersburg concert in protest of the city’s recently passed “gay gag” law (http://www.queerty.com/sht-gets-real-as-gay-propaganda-ban-gets-signed-into-law-in-st-petersburg-20120312/), but would instead (http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/madonna-vows-to-defy-anti-gay-law-at-st-petersburg-concert/455330.html) “speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity.” “If Madonna or one of the organizers of the concert breaks the city law, they will be punished,” warned Milonov, who has promised to be present at the August 9 event, likely brandishing his trusty Samsung (http://www.queerty.com/saint-petersburg-official-well-punish-madonna-if-she-breaks-our-gay-gag-law-20120323/#) Galaxy Nexus at the ready for naughty Madge. (Milonov is pictured above using his smartphone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoG4-ze6S4Y) to capture what he characterized as “disruptive” international observers during the recent farce election of Russian President Vladimir Putin.)
Milonov, the author of the Saint Peterburg bill that makes illegal anything that can be perceived as “promotion of homosexuality,” added that the superstar would likely be fined under the law’s “individual” category, which would mean a fine of 5000 rubles, or about $170.
Considering the price of Madonna’s 2012 World Tour tickets — as well as the fact that Milonov will most likely not be comped into the show — we’ll call that a wash.
Meanwhile in rather surprising news, Russian gay rights freedom fighter Nikolai Alekseev announced yesterday that a Saint Petersburg district court has allowed his defamation lawsuit (http://www.gayrussia.eu/russia/3953/) to continue against Milonov.
Alekseev filed the one million (http://www.queerty.com/saint-petersburg-official-well-punish-madonna-if-she-breaks-our-gay-gag-law-20120323/#) ruble (about $34,000) suit two weeks ago after Milonov appeared in a Russian TV interview accusing Alekseev of being funded by Western sources. Milonov also questioned Alekseev’s gender, saying that he didn’t know how old Alekseev is, but “you don’t usually ask girls about this.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/saint-petersburg-official-well-punish-madonna-if-she-breaks-our-gay-gag-law-20120323/#ixzz1qEw6E3Hi

James Langteaux (left) cut his teeth in the TV game producing segments for The 700 Club, Pat Robertson’s platform for blaming gays for everything from the stalled economy to 9/11. But after years of spreading the Gospel, Langteaux eventually realized that there was something wrong with what he was doing. Especially since he was, y’know, a big fag and all. So he left (or was helped out of ) traditional televangelism and struck out on his own.
After all, why should only haters make money (http://www.queerty.com/self-serving-700-club-producer-repents-comes-out-and-writes-a-book-what-a-mensch-20120323/#) at this religion racquet?
He’s already penned books like God.com and God.net—tomes targeted to a younger kind of sheep (lamb?) less interested in fire and brimstone and more eager to find the next self-help guru.
The way Langteaux pitches it, that guru is Jeebus himself.
Though he’s been hawking feel-good fundamentalism for a few years—and used to talk about how Jesus was helping him overcome his “struggle” with same-sex attractions (http://www.todayschristianmusic.com/artists/james-langteaux/features/hearing-is-believing-with-james-langteaux/)—Langteaux’s coming out publicly on April 1 (yep, April Fool’s Day) with the release of Gay Conversations with God: Straight Talk on Fanatics, Fags and the God Who Loves Us All. The book’s press release promises it’s “set to send shockwaves through” Christian broadcasting—but given how many homos work at CBN and the like, we kind of doubt it.
Perhaps we sound a little bitter (us, never!) but this just seems like a snake-oil salesman changing formulas. Langteaux’s big on sharing the “Good News,” but doesn’t spend too much time apologizing or explaining how he could serve the Devil for so long.
Heck, in a recent interview with HuffPo’s Phil Shepherd, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-shepherd/god-hates-who_b_1310551.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false) Langteaux says it was God who made him go work for Pat Robertson!

You mentioned earlier that you told God that you never wanted to be in Christian Television – so how did you end up being a senior producer for The 700 Club?
Yeah, God really does have a sense of humor. I also told him I would never go to a Christian school. So while at graduate school at Pat Robertson’s Regent University (http://www.queerty.com/self-serving-700-club-producer-repents-comes-out-and-writes-a-book-what-a-mensch-20120323/#), one of the executive producers of The 700 Club taught a small http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/gay-conversations-with-god.jpg.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/gay-conversations-with-god.jpg.png)class I ended up taking. He knew I lived in the artsy neighborhood (read: gay neighborhood) and he would occasionally joke and ask, “Did your boyfriend bring you into class today?” Despite that I was buried deeply in the closet, I would do a faux lisp and tell him, “Yeah, Shane is so good that way.”
All the other students were vying for positions on the show, and since I didn’t want any part of Christian TV, my surliness may have made me stand out. Months later, I was working on the crew of an NBC mini-series on Jackie O and had determined to drop out of grad school and join (http://www.queerty.com/self-serving-700-club-producer-repents-comes-out-and-writes-a-book-what-a-mensch-20120323/#) the TV circus in L.A. I even dared God to stop me if he didn’t want me to go by presenting me with an alternative offer. The very next day the executive producer called and asked if I would be interested in a job on The 700 Club.
Wow, that is some amazing rationalization right there. You might even call it miraculous!
Langteaux says he doesn’t consider himself a “Christian” anymore because that brand has been damaged so much. (Yes, he calls it a brand.) But it seems like he’s still holding to that fundie notion that you can do horrible things in your life and then just wave them away by rededicating yourself to the Lord.
Hey, it worked for New Gingrich.
In the clip below, a promo video for God.com, Langteaux discusses the “universal” rejection of Christianity (really?) and how he can help you find the path back to goodness and enlightnment. Order now! Operators are standing by!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/self-serving-700-club-producer-repents-comes-out-and-writes-a-book-what-a-mensch-20120323/#ixzz1qEwQ9VoN

P.S: See source for video

Serbia isn’t exactly the most LGBT-friendly country in Europe—attempts to throw Pride parades have been met with suppression and violence (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-hate-leader-mladen-obradovic-faces-charges-over-belgrades-violent-gay-pride-parade-20101226/)—but a new gay-themed movie there isn’t just rockin’ the box office, it’s challenging long-held cultural and anti-gay prejudices.
Winner (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-movie-the-parade-eases-homophobia-ethnic-tensions-in-the-balkans-20120323/#) of the audience-favorite award at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-pride-comedy-nabs-audience-award-at-berlin-film-fest-20120221/), Serbian filmmaker Srdjan Dragojevic’s The Parade is a black comedy about a gay couple from Belgrade who hire (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-movie-the-parade-eases-homophobia-ethnic-tensions-in-the-balkans-20120323/#) a war vet to protect their upcoming Pride march. He, in turn, hires a rag-tag bunch of fighters from Bosnia, Albania and Croatia to provide some extra muscle.
Call it The Fabulous Seven—or maybe The LGB-Team. (Okay, we’ll stop.)
Released in October, The Parade is the biggest blockbuster (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-movie-the-parade-eases-homophobia-ethnic-tensions-in-the-balkans-20120323/#) in the region in ages—drawing more than a half-million viewers—and is equally popular across the former Yugoslavia’s various republics. (No mean feat given the brutal wars and ethnic cleansing there in the 1990s.)
“The whole region is united for the first time in liking this film,” Dragojevic tells the AP (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/gay-themed-movie-by-serbian-director-helps-overcomes-balkan-ethnic-divide-and-homophobia/2012/03/22/gIQATArATS_story.html). Given the suffering and devastation the Balkans have seen, he says “it is very important for people to recognize… that it is irrelevant what nationality you are, how you pray or who you go to bed with.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-movie-the-parade-eases-homophobia-ethnic-tensions-in-the-balkans-20120323/#ixzz1qEwmeoIy

Queerty first met Arizona high-schooler Caleb Laieski (http://www.queerty.com/tag/caleb-laieski/) when, as a wee 15-year-old, he told the Arizona school (http://www.queerty.com/the-kids-are-all-right-az-teen-caleb-laeiski-goes-from-being-bullied-to-mayors-office-20120322/#) system they better address the issue of bullying or they’d find themselves on the receiving end of a nasty lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/caleb-laieski-15-warns-arizona-schools-stop-bullying-or-ill-sue-20110105/).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-26.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Picture-26.png)Having come out at 13 and formed Gays and Lesbians Unite Against Discrimination (http://www.queerty.com/the-kids-are-all-right-eight-young-lgbt-leaders-of-tomorrow-20110907/9/www.gluad.org), Laieski (right) faced bullying and death threats at his Arizona high school—threats that were ignored by administrators—and was forced to drop out and get his GED.
Laeiski continued his advocacy, though: Before he was old enough to drive (http://www.queerty.com/the-kids-are-all-right-az-teen-caleb-laeiski-goes-from-being-bullied-to-mayors-office-20120322/#), he lobbied politicians in DC to promote the Student Non-Discrimination Act. And we recently included him in our roundup (http://www.queerty.com/the-kids-are-all-right-eight-young-lgbt-leaders-of-tomorrow-20110907/9/) of right-on young people making the world better for the LGBT community.
Now, Laeiski, who’s all of 17, is working part-time in the office of Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton (http://phoenix.gov/news/032112teenadvocate.html) as a youth and diversity liaison.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work for one of the largest cities in our nation, and I look forward to continue making Phoenix a safer place for our entire community,” Laieski said in a statement. “I will strive to see the dropout rate lower, intervention by school administrations steadily increase and the suicide rate rapidly decline.”
This is a pro-bono gig, though the LGBT group One n Ten has arranged for Laieski to get a small stipend. For his part, Mayor Stanton is tickled pink about his young out aide:

“I’m excited to have someone as talented as Caleb working in my office because I know he truly cares about our community, our city and our youth,” Stanton said. “I want Phoenix youth to have a voice in my office. I also want our students to be able to concentrate on their education for future success, not be bullied. All our kids deserve to live their lives, no matter who they are.”
We did the math, and Laeiski will be eligible (http://www.queerty.com/the-kids-are-all-right-az-teen-caleb-laeiski-goes-from-being-bullied-to-mayors-office-20120322/#) to run for president in 2040 (we think). So far, he’s got our vote!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/the-kids-are-all-right-az-teen-caleb-laeiski-goes-from-being-bullied-to-mayors-office-20120322/#ixzz1qExQ2SCF

TheGodlessUtopian

26th March 2012, 21:41

A gay couple and their daughter have been denied a family discount at a West Manchester, Penn. swimming club. Writes the York Daily Record (http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_20247997/same-sex-couple-denied-family-discount-claims-discrimination):

Michelle [Gladfelter] applied for membership at the pool and later received a call from owner Russ Jacobs. Jacobs told her she and her family would be welcome to join, but the discount does not apply (http://www.queerty.com/pennsylvania-pool-club-refuses-to-give-lesbian-couple-and-daughter-family-discount-20120326/#) to them.
“We don’t recognize same-sex marriages,” Jacobs said in an interview.
The reason, he said, isn’t political; it’s economic. He wouldn’t bar Michelle and her family or any other family from joining the pool. But Jacobs says if he gives the discount to Gladfelter, he’d have to extend it to grandparents, cousins—you name it.
Um, no. You just have to give the discount to families with heterosexual and homosexual parents, that’s it. Unfortunately, this particular township of Pennsylvania doesn’t have an anti-discrimination law on the books, so what Jacobs is doing is perfectly legal.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/pennsylvania-pool-club-refuses-to-give-lesbian-couple-and-daughter-family-discount-20120326/#ixzz1qG1UAVcB

This week, Towleroad reported (http://www.towleroad.com/2012/03/facebook-removes-gay-kiss-photo-ironically-an-advertisement-for-a-cultural-project-against-homophobi.html) that Facebook was censoring a photo of a gay kiss (right), taken by Spanish photographer Juan Hidalgo and being used to promote an LGBT art festival in Madrid. The reason: it breached a decency code that barred images of a “political, sexual or other sensitive” nature.
On Friday, Andrew Noyes, the DC journalist turned FB’s manager of public policy communications, emailed Queerty to tell us that, “upon investigation, we concluded the advertisement does not violate our guidelines and was removed in error. The ad is now running and we apologize for the inconvenience.”
Given Facebook’s longstanding pro-gay policies, both internally and publicallyl, its highly unlikely the decision to ban the image was made at the corporate level.
But, as social media grows and mandates and algorithms replace human decision-making, we’re likely to see more content filtered “in error” across major platforms. Sometimes even in the interest of protecting LGBTs and other minorities.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/update-facebook-does-turnaround-approves-gay-image-used-in-spanish-art-festival-20120325/#ixzz1qG1kN6ny

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/gay-pride-flag-afghanistan-600x450.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/gay-pride-flag-afghanistan.jpg)
A brave Marine hoists the rainbow flag proudly at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan. The shot is quickly going viral after being posted to Wipeout Homophobia’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=416733445019385&set=a.382764341749629.108480.122256581133741&type=1&permPage=1).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/photo-rainbow-flag-flies-proudly-over-u-s-military-base-in-afghanistan-20120326/#ixzz1qG20jQAq

TheGodlessUtopian

27th March 2012, 19:55

A district court in Belgrade, Serbia has sentenced the leader (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/far-right-leader-jailed-in-serbia-for-making-death-threats-against-gays/2012/03/27/gIQAhRAFeS_story.html) of a far right gay-hating movement to ten months in jail for inciting violence against LGBT people before the city’s scheduled 2009 pride parade, which was ultimately cancelled for safety reasons. The man, Mladen Obradovic (seen right), has also been convicted of two years in jail on separate charges incurred during the run-up to Belgrade’s 2010 gay pride parade (http://www.queerty.com/belgrade-pride-47-police-officers-among-the-injured-as-rioters-firebomb-cars-vandalize-stores-20101010/), during which hundreds of marchers and police were ultimately injured.
The group, Obraz (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-serbia-sentences-far-right-leader-for-gay-death-threats-20120327/#) (which ironically translates to “Honor”), has issued statements to the media and spread graffiti around the Serbian capital with slogans such as “Death to faggots,” “Blood will flow, there will be no gay parade in Belgrade,” and “We’re waiting for you.”
The Serbian-made comedy film The Parade (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-pride-comedy-nabs-audience-award-at-berlin-film-fest-20120221/), a recent runaway hit in the Balkans, has attempted to find humor in the very real danger facing the country’s would-be gay pride marchers.
Obradovic remains free (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-serbia-sentences-far-right-leader-for-gay-death-threats-20120327/#) while appealing both verdicts. After today’s sentencing, he proclaimed that the rulings would only strengthen the movement’s violently gay-hating resolve.
“Let them prosecute and rule, but they cannot stop us,” he said, adding that the movement’s ongoing slogan will be “We’re waiting for you.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-serbia-sentences-far-right-leader-for-gay-death-threats-20120327/#ixzz1qLPJJMuC

On March 11, a shooting went down at an IHOP in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C. The attack was later determined to be a hate crime. According to a press release (http://www.queerty.com/d-c-mayor-heralds-arrest-in-ihop-hate-crime-shooting-20120327/#) from the police, LaShawn Carson, 27, has now been charged (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/dc-arrest-ihop-hate-crime_n_1380656.html) with aggravated assault while armed. Said D.C. mayor Vincent Gray in a statement:

“I am pleased and relieved to announce that a suspect in this dastardly crime has been arrested,” the mayor said in a statement. “As I said at the time of the shooting, while all crime is horrific and destructive to the fabric of our community, hate crimes are particularly insidious, because they instill fear in an entire group. All of our residents should have the right to walk the streets of our neighborhoods free (http://www.queerty.com/d-c-mayor-heralds-arrest-in-ihop-hate-crime-shooting-20120327/#) of fear that they will be targeted because of their identities, beliefs or characteristics.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/d-c-mayor-heralds-arrest-in-ihop-hate-crime-shooting-20120327/#ixzz1qLQ8D6Ps

Berlin’s state court, the Kammergericht, has ruled that an 11-year-old transgender girl can be legally institutionalized in a mental-health facility against her and her mother’s wishes, ScallywagAndVagabond.com reports (http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2012/03/german-courts-rule-that-an-eleven-year-old-german-transgender-girl-can-legally-be-institutionalized/).
Initially, the mother of Alexis Kaminsky (above) had sought to get her daughter therapy to cope with the dissolution of her parents’ marriage and the stress of her gender-identity (http://www.queerty.com/german-courts-rule-11-year-old-trans-girl-can-be-institutionalized-against-mothers-wishes-20120327/#) disorder. (Alexis’ father does not support her desire to live as a female.) But after only an hour-long interview, a nurse with the Youth Welfare Office decided that the best course of action was for Alexis to be remanded to an institution and eventually entered into the foster care system.
After a request by Alexis’ mother to get an impartial professional diagnosis was rebuffed, she filed suit—and lost. Last Thursday, the court upheld the earlier ruling that gave Alexis’ father the right to determine her fate.
Trans advocates protested the ruling on Monday with a banner reading:

“Stop Alex forced into institutionalization at once! Institutions like the youth office and the Charité use force on humans through enforcement and psychological pressure! Each gender and each gender identity is a right, not a disease.”
British trans activist Katrina Swales has begun a petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-of-berlin-stop-the-institutionalization-of-a-11-year-old-transexual) on behalf of Alexis, which states, “This young girl gets taught that her feelings are wrong. She gets pushed into self-denial more and more. Something that has already cost the lives of so many transsexuals.” More than 9,000 signatures have been collected to date.
While it can be debated whether a child of 11 is old enough to make decisions regarding her mental state and gender identity, the youth office maintains Alexis’ mother is pressuring her to adopt a female persona and that, in the best (http://www.queerty.com/german-courts-rule-11-year-old-trans-girl-can-be-institutionalized-against-mothers-wishes-20120327/#) interest of the child, Alexis be removed from any “sphere of influence.”
Previously, the German government has suggested it was more enlightened than other European nations: Last year, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to require citizens to undergo sterilization and gender-conforming surgeries in order to be legally recognized as the sex they identify as.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/german-courts-rule-11-year-old-trans-girl-can-be-institutionalized-against-mothers-wishes-20120327/#ixzz1qLQOaNOO

Don’t say HRC doesn’t do anything for you: The Human Rights Campaign’s NOM Exposed project (http://www.hrc.org/nomexposed) has turned up some juicy dirt on the National Organization for Marriage, including a previously sealed, confidential document that reveals the hate group’s plan to defeat marriage equality by pitting African-Americans and other minorities against the LGBT community. Written in 2009, NOM’s National Strategy For Winning (http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/#) The Marriage Battle spells out the group’s plan to attack same-sex marriage initiatives in New Hampshire, Iowa, Vermont, Connecticut and DC. Their strategies, most of which have thankfully failed, include gathering celebrity endorsements (Kirk Cameron hasn’t exactly galvanized the nation) and viral videos depicting the innocent “victims” of gay marriage.
But what really sticks in our craw is how NOM plotted to divide and conquer by pitting blacks against gays in their own spin on the Republican Party’s old Southern Strategy. And they had the temerity to put it down on paper (http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/#)!

The strategic goal… is to drive (http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/#) a wedge between gays and blacks—two key Democratic constituencies. Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage, develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots.”
There was also a lovely attempt to alienate Hispanics and gays:

“The Latino vote in America is a key swing vote, and will be so even more so in the future, both because of demographic growth and inherent uncertainty: Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values? We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity (http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/#) —a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation.”
It’s hard to say how successful this campaign was, as Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire don’t exactly have huge black and Latino populations. But NOM was able to throw its weight into a successful effort to get Iowa Supreme Court justices David Baker, Michael Streit and Marsha Ternus—whose unanimous ruling brought gay marriage to the state—unseated.
Says HRC President Joe Solmonese (http://www.hrc.org/nomexposed/entry/hrcs-solmonese-secret-documents-are-game-changer#.T3G4j45QRL0):

“Nothing beats hearing from the horse’s mouth exactly how callous and extremist this group really is… Such brutal honesty is a game changer, and this time NOM can’t spin and twist its way out of creating an imagined rift between LGBT people and African-Americans or Hispanics.”
We shudder to think what other nefarious plans Brian Brown, et al, are brewing that we don’t know about.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/#ixzz1qLQvd3F1

Albania’s Prime Minister Sali Berisha said today (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iusmyIUhbiuRvp_gq9WUc2b61Klw?docId=01314c4c6 b5e47aaa0fa714ba88d6e8d) that comments by the country’s deputy defense minister Ekrem Spahiu suggesting that marchers in the country’s first-ever gay pride parade should be “beaten with billy clubs” (http://www.queerty.com/albanian-official-gay-pride-marchers-should-be-beaten-with-billy-clubs-20120324/) were simply “unacceptable.” “Different sexual orientations are as ancient as antiquity itself, and they exist regardless of religious beliefs,” said Berisha (right) during a parliamentary meeting, according to BalkanWeb (http://www.balkanweb.com/bw_lajme2.php?IDNotizia=85115&IDCategoria=2685). “[Albania's capital] Tirana is a city of tolerance, the country is a country of freedoms, this is our goal.”
Two Albanian gay rights groups, Aleanca LGBT and Pro LGBT, also filed criminal charges (http://www.balkanweb.com/kryesore/1/parada-gay-shoqatat-lgbt-kallezim-penal-ndaj-ekrem-spahiut-85145.html) against Spahiu today, saying his comments violated Article 266 of the country’s criminal code. Several gay groups have also called on Spahiu to be dismissed from his post as the country’s deputy defense minister.
Albania’s first gay pride (http://www.pinkembassy.al/en/lgbt-albania) is scheduled to take place in Tirana on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (http://www.dayagainsthomophobia.org/).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/albanias-pm-officials-call-for-gay-pride-violence-unacceptable-20120326/#ixzz1qLR7pQ6d

NEW YORK — He had been through sex-change surgery and wanted his birth certificate (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ruling-victory-transgendered-yorkers-seek-change-gender-birth-certificates-article-1.1051013#) to reflect the man he’d become, at nearly 70.
City health officials said they needed a psychiatric report and detailed surgical records to switch the gender on his birth certificate — requirements that put up undue roadblocks, a judge recently ruled in a case that highlights legal questions around a sensitive issue of identity (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ruling-victory-transgendered-yorkers-seek-change-gender-birth-certificates-article-1.1051013#).
The ruling, made public last week , orders the city Health Department to re-evaluate his request and questions the agency’s understanding of “the lives and experience of transgender people.” It marks something of a victory for advocates seeking to make it easier for people who have changed gender to change their identity documents.
“I hope that the Department of Health will really take this to heart and really see that the court is, in this decision, recognizing the importance of respecting the identities of transgender individuals,” said Erica Kagan (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Erica+Kagan), a lawyer (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ruling-victory-transgendered-yorkers-seek-change-gender-birth-certificates-article-1.1051013#) for the man, Louis Birney (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Louis+Birney), who declined to be interviewed.
Updating identity documents has become a growing concern for transgender people as government-issued IDs are increasingly needed and scrutinized, whether to get a job or board a plane. Some transgender people have ended up with one sex listed on a driver’s license and another on a birth certificate, for instance, because of a patchwork of agencies and rules.
After having sex-change surgery in his late 60s in 2009, Birney applied to change his birth certificate. He enclosed a doctor’s letter saying the operation had been completed (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ruling-victory-transgendered-yorkers-seek-change-gender-birth-certificates-article-1.1051013#) successfully.
The Health Department called for more details on the “reconstruction procedure,” plus a psychiatric evaluation and a physician’s record of a post-operative examination.
City officials have said they need robust proof of a permanent sex change to make sure there are safeguards on changing a crucial identity record, one used to obtain important items ranging from passports to government benefits. Birney said the requests invaded his privacy and he’d already provided enough information to satisfy a city regulation requiring proof of the surgery — a demand that is itself a focus of criticism from transgender advocates.
In ruling on Birney’s lawsuit, Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Paul G. Feinman (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Paul+Feinman)’s ruling declined to address whether the surgery requirement was justified. But he faulted the Health Department for not providing “a clear, straightforward list” of requirements for changing a birth certificate. And he suggested that calling for psychological records amounted to overreaching for information and underappreciating what it takes to change genders.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ruling-victory-transgendered-yorkers-seek-change-gender-birth-certificates-article-1.1051013#ixzz1qLROEsdS

Gay Pride Events Emerging at Military Schools

By Advocate.com Editors (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Advocate.com%20Editors)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/PRINT_ISSUE/2011/1045/VICTORYX390.jpg

More than six months after official repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” gay pride events at military academies are cropping up, the Associated Press reports.

Via AP:

Cadets in uniform at Norwich University, the nation's oldest private military academy, participated Monday in sessions about handling bullying and harassment as part of the school's first gay pride week. The events are believed to be the first of their kind on a military campus. [...]

Until last year, only a select few at Norwich knew of the sexual orientation of Joshua Fontanez, 22, of Browns Mills, N.J., a past president of the student government who quietly laid the groundwork for the school's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Club, which held its first meeting the day the law ended.

"The aspects of my sexual orientation, how that played in the military, that was something I was willing to sacrifice, being open versus serving my nation," Fontanez said. "It's something I feel I was truly called toward and truly loved, so it's great that I don't have necessarily to make that sacrifice."

Read the article here (http://online.wsj.com/article/APfb3c6470c262453b87f0fd6a59dcf56f.html) via WSJ.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/27/Gay_Pride_Events_Emerging_at_Military_Schools/

TheGodlessUtopian

27th March 2012, 20:01

CAMDENTON, Mo. — Students using the computers at Camdenton High School here in central Missouri have been able to access the Web sites for Exodus International, as well as People Can Change, antigay organizations that counsel men and women on how to become heterosexual.

But the students have not been able to access the Web sites of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
They have been able to read Bowers v. Hardwick (http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0478_0186_ZS.html), the 1986 Supreme Court ruling that upheld a Georgia statute criminalizing sodomy. But they have been blocked from reading Lawrence v. Texas (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=000&invol=02-102), the 2003 Supreme Court ruling that held that laws criminalizing sodomy were unconstitutional.
They have been given access to scores of antigay sites, but not to those supportive of gay people.
A clear-cut case of censorship?
Actually, not so clear.
It does not appear that the school superintendent or the librarians or board members or the district Web master made these decisions.
Instead, the district’s Web filter determined which sites would be open to students and which would be blocked. Since the passage of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (http://ifea.net/cipa.pdf) in 2000, public schools have been required to use Internet filters (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/education/missouri-school-district-questioned-over-anti-gay-web-filter.html?_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120326#) that shield students from pornography and obscenity.
As for who developed this particular filter, which along with blocking obscenity also discriminates against content supportive of gay people, that person’s identity (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/education/missouri-school-district-questioned-over-anti-gay-web-filter.html?_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120326#) is hidden behind URLBlacklist, a company that sells filter software to schools.
“These filters are a new version of book-banning or pulling books off the shelf,” said Pat Scales of the American Library Association. “The difference is, this is much more subtle and harder to identify.”
Over the last year, the American Civil Liberties Union (http://www.aclu.org/) has asked officials from hundreds of school districts around the country to make changes in their Internet screening systems to eliminate bias, said Anthony Rothert, a civil liberties lawyer (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/education/missouri-school-district-questioned-over-anti-gay-web-filter.html?_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120326#) based in St. Louis.
All have agreed to, he said, except Camdenton, which the A.C.L.U. sued last summer.
The lawsuit — believed to be the first of its kind — does not claim that this rural district of 4,200 students purchased the software with the intent of discriminating. Rather, it says, once there were complaints about the filter last year, school officials refused to replace it. An investigator for the A.C.L.U. has been able to figure out how the filter works, but not who developed it.
This is known: The creator goes by “Dr. Guardian” and lives in Fareham, England, in a house that, according to a Google Maps image, has children’s bicycles in the front yard.
“Some person, nameless and faceless, working out of his house in the United Kingdom, winds up determining what information students in Camdenton will have access to,” said David Hinkle, an expert on software filters with the A.C.L.U.
Camdenton officials say that any student who wants access to a pro-gay site that is blocked by the URLBlacklist filter can appeal to the district’s Web master. They point out that last May, when the A.C.L.U. sent a letter of complaint identifying four pro-gay sites that students did not have access to, the district unblocked them.
“We do not discriminate against gay people or anyone else,” Tim Hadfield, the superintendent, said in an interview.
In a hearing in federal court in October, Thomas Mickes, the lawyer for the Camdenton school district told the judge, “Just because the A.C.L.U. or some other liberal group says, ‘Hey, you know, I don’t like what you’re doing, you’ve got to change that,’ and if we don’t change it, then somehow we’re showing discrimination, that’s not the law. That would be crazy.”
A photo on a local conservative club’s Web site shows (http://www.lakeareaconservativeclub.org/camdenton-r-iii-school-district-vs-the-aclu/) a single-engine plane flying over the area with a banner that reads, “Thank you Camdenton — Get Lost A.C.L.U.”
Last month, Nanette K. Laughrey, a United States district judge in Jefferson City, Mo., issued a preliminary injunction ordering Camdenton to discontinue “its Internet filter system as currently configured.” She wrote that “any new system selected must not discriminate against Web sites expressing a positive viewpoint toward LGBT individuals.”

The judge noted that a girl who had complained to the A.C.L.U. — identified only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit — was afraid to ask school officials to have sites unblocked because it would “draw attention to her and make her the subject of further taunting.”

The A.C.L.U. identified 41 Web sites supportive of gay people that were blocked by URLBlacklist, and then tested those 41 sites on five other Internet filters.
None of the 41 were blocked by the five other filters tested.
In traditional school censorship cases, civil liberties lawyers have relied on professional librarians as expert witnesses. For this case they found Mr. Hinkle, of Davenport, Iowa. He has no college degree, but in 1999, at the age of 20, he developed an Internet filter (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/education/missouri-school-district-questioned-over-anti-gay-web-filter.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120326#) now used by more than 1,000 school districts.
The civil liberties lawyers spent weeks looking for someone who would be able to explain in plain English how an Internet filter could be configured to discriminate. “We found experts who understood the technology, but we didn’t know what they were talking about,” Mr. Rothert said. “David was able to explain so we could understand, and if we could understand him, a judge could.”
The way it worked: the URLBlacklist filter classified gay organizations in the “sexuality” category. The sexuality filter also screened out pornography. As a result, when URLBlacklist filtered pornography, it also filtered Web sites supportive of gay causes.
On the other hand, antigay Web sites were typically classified under “religion” or not categorized at all and so were allowed through the filter.
Evangelicals Concerned, a religious support group for gay people, was classified as sexuality and blocked; the Christian Coalition, a leading opponent of gay marriage, was considered religion and permitted. The 2003 Supreme Court ruling was included on a pro-gay list and blocked; the 1986 antigay ruling was not categorized and allowed through.
Judge Laughrey noted that the URLBlacklist filter was even bad at doing its primary, legal (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/education/missouri-school-district-questioned-over-anti-gay-web-filter.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120326#) job: blocking pornography. Tested on its ability to recognize 500 sexually explicit sites, it missed 30 percent of them. CIPAFilter, one of the leaders in the field, missed 3 percent.
The judge concluded that the only reason she could see for continuing to use an “ineffective” product “falling below professional standards” was a desire to discriminate.
I sent an e-mail to URLBlacklist seeking comment but did not receive a response.
When I asked the superintendent if gay students felt comfortable about being open at Camdenton High School, he said that three different students in the last few years had approached administrators about forming a Gay-Straight Alliance club. “It was never established,” Mr. Hadfield said. “But they’d have the same opportunity as any other student organization.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/education/missouri-school-district-questioned-over-anti-gay-web-filter.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120326

Bully Film Will Be Released as Unrated

Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Craig_a_lawbreaker/Bully.jpg

The controversial documentary Bully will be released without a rating, prompting director Lee Hirsch to say he knows "kids will come, so it's up to the theaters to let them in."

Entertainment Weekly reports the film (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/03/26/unrated-bully-mpaa/), which looks at the bullying epidemic in the American school system, will be released in Los Angeles and New York Friday without a rating. Theater owners will then be able to make decisions on who will be permitted to see the film. This is despite the efforts of the Weinstein Co., numerous high-profile personalities including marriage equality attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson, and others to have the rating changed by the Motion Picture Association of America from R to PG-13, which would allow it to be seen by a wider audience, including the young people being affected by bullying.

Katy Butler, the lesbian teen who famously launched a petition that collected nearly half a million (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/26/Bully_Film_Will_Be_Released_as_Unrated/#) signatures to urge the MPAA rating changed to PG-13 also released a statement, saying, “I am happy Bully will maintain its authenticity and will be an accurate portrayal of what thousands of kids experience every day.”

In a statement released to the media by the Weinstein Co., Hirsch defends the decision to not edit out the language used by the teens in the film. "The small amount of language in the film that's responsible for the R rating is there because it's real. It's what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days,” he says. “All of our supporters see that, and we're grateful for the support we've received (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/26/Bully_Film_Will_Be_Released_as_Unrated/#) across the board. I know the kids will come, so it's up to the theaters to let them in."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/26/Bully_Film_Will_Be_Released_as_Unrated/

Robertson: Gays Are Possessed

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-26/ROBERTSONX390.jpg

Today’s broadcast of The 700 Club found televangelist Pat Robertson in top form (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/26/Robertson_Gays_Are_Possessed/#), saying homosexuality “is somehow related to demonic possession.”

Robertson’s comments came during a segment profiling an “ex-gay” man who once “trolled the streets, longing for cheap sex with other men,” as the religious right figure put it, while his wife remained “clueless” about this aspect of his life.

Watch video below, courtesy of People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch (http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/pat-robertson-says-homosexuality-related-demonic-possession) blog.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/26/Robertson_Gays_Are_Possessed/

P.S: See source for video

Proposed Revisions to U.S. Customs Forms Would Recognize Lesbian and Gay Families
Immigration Equality Hails Proposal as a Significant Step Toward Federal Family Recognition
Washington, DC – Immigration Equality, a national organization fighting for equality under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive people, hailed the announcement today from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that would recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families (LGBT) on the customs form (http://www.immigrationequality.org/2012/03/proposed-revision-to-u-s-customs-forms-would-recognize-lesbian-gay-families/#) required to enter the country. When adopted, today’s proposal will end discriminatory treatment of LGBT families, who until now have been forced to fill out two separate forms despite the fact that the form says “only ONE written declaration per family is required.”
“Immigration Equality is proud to see this change come to fruition,” said Rachel B. Tiven, the group’s executive director. “We asked the Obama administration to stop discriminating against families on federal customs forms, and today’s announcement is welcome news. Separating families in the customs line was a waste of government resources and a painful symbol of the double standard LGBT families face at the federal level. This proposal ends that insult. It sends an unmistakable message that the Administration, and the United States, recognize gay families as ‘real families,’ too. We thank our coalition partners, especially Family Equality Council, for their part in this victory.”
The proposed change (https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/03/27/2012-07122/members-of-a-family-for-purpose-of-filing-cbp-family-declaration) will undergo a series of reviews prior to implementation, including a period of public comment. Immigration Equality vowed today to rally public support for the changes, including support from families directly impacted by the change, such as Mihail S. Lari and his partner, Scott Murray.
In June 2011, Mihail – a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Pakistan – and Scott entered the U.S. following a European trip. They filled out one customs form, “since it states that only one form is needed for each family,” said Mihail. The customs officer asked why they had only completed one form, and when they replied they were domestic partners registered (http://www.immigrationequality.org/2012/03/proposed-revision-to-u-s-customs-forms-would-recognize-lesbian-gay-families/#) in the state of California, the officer said, “The federal government doesn’t recognize that.”
“Scott and I met the qualifications on the customs form, including a shared address, yet the federal government (http://www.immigrationequality.org/2012/03/proposed-revision-to-u-s-customs-forms-would-recognize-lesbian-gay-families/#) refused to recognize us as a family,” said Lari. “After waiting years for citizenship because federal law would not allow Scott to sponsor me, we were then faced with the reality that, even after I naturalized, we were still not family in our government’s eyes. This proposal is one step towards correcting that, and our family is glad to see it moving forward.”
For more information, visit www.immigrationequality.org (http://www.immigrationequality.org/2012/03/).

Source: http://www.immigrationequality.org/2012/03/proposed-revision-to-u-s-customs-forms-would-recognize-lesbian-gay-families/

TheGodlessUtopian

27th March 2012, 21:58

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Jenna-Talackova-miss-universe-canada-400x600.jpg
Despite the fact that Jenna Talackova is more stunning than most biological females, the powers that control the Miss Universe Canada beauty pageant have disqualified her, reports the Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1151386--miss-universe-canada-yanks-transgendered-contestant-from-pageant?bn=1). Writes the Star:
According to Denis Davila, national director of Miss Universe Canada, the rules set by the Miss Universe franchise state that each contestant must be a “naturally born female.” According to Davila, Talackova claimed on her registration (http://www.queerty.com/outrage-after-transgender-miss-universe-canada-contestant-with-bangin-bikini-bod-is-disqualified-20120327/#) form she was born a female. He said he suspected otherwise and asked her about it on March 13, when she admitted she was not. She was pulled from the contest that day.
Now internet outrage has bubbled up over the incident, and a change.org petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/miss-universe-canada-donald-trump-reverse-the-unfair-disqualification-of-jenna-talackova) has over 30,000 signatures demanding she be allowed to compete.
In a 2010 interview, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqvYPL1d3UI) Talackova said she knew she was a female at age 4 and began hormone therapy (http://www.queerty.com/outrage-after-transgender-miss-universe-canada-contestant-with-bangin-bikini-bod-is-disqualified-20120327/#) at age 14, before undergoing gender reassignment surgery at 19.
That Jenna has a better bikini body (http://www.modelmayhem.com/1743229#VIEWALL) than 99% of the female population ought to make these anti-trans pageant directors ashamed of themselves.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/outrage-after-transgender-miss-universe-canada-contestant-with-bangin-bikini-bod-is-disqualified-20120327/#ixzz1qLwqCdhq

TheGodlessUtopian

28th March 2012, 20:52

Rainbow wedding bells should be ringing within the year for MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, who’s been fianced to boyfriend Patrick Abner for a while.
“We do have a date set, but I want to keep it under wraps,” said the handsome newsman. “We’re not going to be runaway grooms or anything like that, it’s just confirmation of that date, then we gotta send the save the date cards (http://www.queerty.com/msnbc-anchor-thomas-roberts-has-a-date-set-for-his-gay-wedding-20120328/#). It’s an inevitability that we’re going to do it, it’s just the date. The date, and then the planning. There’s a lot of work that goes into it.”
Roberts also took the National Organization for Marriage to task for their misleading name, after we commented that their name ought to be the National Organization Against Gay Marriage.
“If they really wanted to be the national organization for marriage, they would be the National Organization Against Divorce,” said Roberts. “And they would put all the money that they waste, trying to thwart marriage equality, into trying to reassure heterosexual and gay couples around this country that divorce is the only evil to marriage. That’s the biggest threat to it, is divorce.”
And, speaking of NOM, he invited Maggie Gallagher to be on his show this morning to talk about its recently revealed race-baiting (http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/), dumb-celebrity-recruiting (http://www.queerty.com/nom-wants-to-recruit-glamorous-young-latina-celebrities-like-naya-rivera-fail-20120328/) tactics. Although at first they believed she was a cowardly no-show (http://www.towleroad.com/2012/03/besennom.html), it turns out she was just in the wrong studio because of an MSNBC mix-up (http://www.whosay.com/thomasroberts/content/254803?code=zrk1Enl). Oops.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/msnbc-anchor-thomas-roberts-has-a-date-set-for-his-gay-wedding-20120328/#ixzz1qRUWrK10

Fiona Apple (http://www.queerty.com/check-out-fiona-apples-handwritten-letter-to-a-gay-high-schooler-starting-a-gsa-20120328/#) is a pretty fierce musician, but a letter she wrote to a 16-year-old kid in 2000 reminds us she’s also a fierce ally. “It’s hard to conjure up some new profound way of commenting on this issue,” writes Fiona, now 34, then 22. “I’m so tired of it being an issue at all, and I suppose I’ve lucky, because I see the truth so clearly.”
She continues:

“If a good boy loves a good girl, good. If a good boy loves another good boy, good. And if a good girl loves the goodness in good boys and good girls, then all you have is more goodness, and goodness has nothing to do with sexual orientation.”
Click through for the full handwritten letter to her 16-year-old gay fan.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/check-out-fiona-apples-handwritten-letter-to-a-gay-high-schooler-starting-a-gsa-20120328/#ixzz1qRUqIZQ0

P.S: See source for letter

As the gay movement moves toward full equality, the fight against discrimination appears to be an ever-shifting battleground. With an increasing number of gays and lesbians are starting families, more kids are finding they must “come out” as the child of queer parents. ABC News’ hidden-camera show What Would You Do?—which seems to tackle LGBT issues weekly—is airing an episode this Friday that tests the responses of bystanders when they see children being bullied for having gay parents. Actors were hired to play the adopted children of a same-sex couple as well as a “bully” who lays into the boys when their dads walk away.
By and large, WWYD‘s coverage of gay topics—which has included a parent verbally abusing her trans child (http://www.queerty.com/watch-what-would-you-do-if-you-witnessed-a-mom-refusing-to-accept-her-trans-son-20120316/), a gay young man being pushed into reparative therapy (http://www.queerty.com/abcs-what-would-you-do-tests-viewers-reactions-to-reparative-therapy-20120214/) and a lesbian refused service at a bridal shop (http://www.queerty.com/wedding-dress-shoppers-react-to-bridal-discrimination-on-what-would-you-do-20120327/)—has been positive, with members of the public stepping in to defend the fictitious subjects. But we worry that constantly depicting queers as victims of abuse and oppression is sending a message to the rest of America that we’re kinda, well, pathetic.
Or maybe we’re just being oversensitive. What do you think? Reveal yourself in the comments section.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/what-would-you-do-goes-back-to-the-queer-well-with-scenario-involving-children-of-gay-parents-20120328/#ixzz1qRVYVL2k

P.S: See source for video

The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell has trickled down to military academies, with the recent news that Norwich University—the country’s oldest such institution—is celebrating its first Pride festival this week (http://www.queerty.com/condom-olympics-and-queer-prom-touch-down-at-nations-oldest-private-military-academy-20120327/). Now a new branch of Spectrum, an LGBT alliance founded at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in December, is forming at West Point. Cadet Andrew Fitzsimmons says, “everyone has been very professional… It’s been a very positive environment.” Knights Out (http://www.knightsout.org/)—an association of West Point alumni, staff and faculty who support the LGBT community—has existed since 2009, but this would be the first time active (http://www.queerty.com/americas-oldest-milgbt-group-forming-at-west-pointlitary-academy-celebrates-gay-pride-week-20120328/#) cadets are joining an openly gay group. Knights Out is holding its first gala dinner (http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=lkloa4dab&oeidk=a07e5klrvkgd8b93949&oseq=a01g4gfa28unw) at West Point on March 31 and ticket sales are so brisk they’ve sold out. (Organizers are trying to find room for more seats.)
Hmm, what was all that talk about military cohesion?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/americas-oldest-milgbt-group-forming-at-west-pointlitary-academy-celebrates-gay-pride-week-20120328/#ixzz1qRVpVlWp

The Great Chick-fil-A Controversy rages on! The editor of DCist, a blog covering DC happenings, including food news, heralded the anti-gay fried-chick chain’s arrival in our nation’s capital with a glorious tweet.
Tweeted (http://twitter.com/DCist_Updates/status/184305908967411713) DCist editor Martin Austermuhle: “Chicken lovers rejoice: a Chick-fil-A food truck is coming to D.C. http://t.co/4x962y3P.”
In the blog post, he cheekily notes that the Christian-oriented place will be closed on Sundays but fails to note that Chick-fil-A donates money, from proceeds it earns Monday to Saturday, to causes that actively fight (http://www.queerty.com/chick-fil-a-served-up-2-million-to-anti-gay-groups-in-2010-and-possibly-some-waffle-fries-20111101/) for the disenfranchisement of gay people.
After prominent DC restauranteurs gave Austermuhle a Twitter (http://twitter.com/dinodc/status/184308730580566018)-lashing (http://twitter.com/DCHagedorn/status/184307674077347840) for heralding the arrival of an anti-gay food chain, he decided to pen a lengthy post on the matter (http://dcist.com/2012/03/the_news_about_chick-fil-as_coming.php), titled “An Editorial Aside: The Great Chick-Fil-A Controversy of 2012.”
Austermuhle tries to play the victim here: he says he was “surprised” and blindsided by the huge negative reaction, although DCist’s sister blog Gothamist has amply covered the wide-spread hate of the company (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgothamist.com%2F2012%2F03%2F01%2F chik-fil-a_protest_at_nyu.php&ei=HTRzT5-vCZDogQeBjqU0&usg=AFQjCNHLYG1SNNhfOZlepwGeG-anlKnd6Q&sig2=jfWWsYOhgRtU7TspDiKhPQ), labeling Chick-fil-A as “homophobic” (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CC0QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgothamist.com%2F2012%2F03%2F05%2F nyu_students_voted_to_keep_homophob.php&ei=HTRzT5-vCZDogQeBjqU0&usg=AFQjCNEJ9_892n17hgL_w81f9q-JPcg4Cg&sig2=pmzNrHaj9RdMxVhRNZHNuQ) in headlines.
He should have known better, especially when he claims (http://www.queerty.com/dcist-heralds-chick-fil-as-arrival-then-realizes-its-anti-gay-marriage-donations-20120328/#) to be a “staunch supporter of gay rights and equality.” He does himself one worse when he “throws us a bone,” after getting called out:

As a 10-year D.C. resident and staunch supporter of gay rights and equality, they certainly rub me the wrong way. But that doesn’t mean that Chick-fil-A’s food truck isn’t news—for its food. (Good news or bad? We report, you decide.) Gold may have had a point that more information on the restaurant’s charitable contributions could make people think twice about whether to eat there. That’s why I didn’t shy away from including one of his tweets on the issue in the original post and dedicating the time to exploring the issue further today. So here you have it—Chick-fil-A gives money to conservative groups that have long fought gay rights.
Yes, of course, report the news, but he should’ve known that Chick-fil-A was homophobic in the first place, and included that fact in the original post. He should’ve have needed the tongue-lashing to do so, and his playing the victim now is just an annoying way of showing his ignorance of Chick-fil-A’s anti-gay donations (http://www.queerty.com/dcist-heralds-chick-fil-as-arrival-then-realizes-its-anti-gay-marriage-donations-20120328/#) till internet commenters pointed it out to him.
He also tries to downplay the donations. To be clear, Chick-fil-A is also not donating (http://www.queerty.com/dcist-heralds-chick-fil-as-arrival-then-realizes-its-anti-gay-marriage-donations-20120328/#) to your run-of-the-mill “conservative groups” who champion issues other than anti-gay-rights causes—they donate to known hate groups (http://www.queerty.com/northeastern-student-government-nixes-plan-to-invite-anti-gay-chick-fil-a-on-campus-20120307/) like Focus on the Family and Exodus International, whose sole focus is, respectively, fighting gay marriage and pushing ex-gay reparative therapy.
This all gets us to thinking, ourselves. Perhaps the solution to the Great Chick-fil-A Controversy is not just to not patronize Chick-fil-A. Perhaps it’s to tell other corporations, ones that supposedly hail gay rights in their hiring (http://www.queerty.com/dcist-heralds-chick-fil-as-arrival-then-realizes-its-anti-gay-marriage-donations-20120328/#) and diversity policies, like Macy’s, J.C. Penney, and Ben & Jerry’s, to create charitable organizations similar to the WinShape Foundation—but ones that give in the opposite direction, to groups like the HRC, GLAAD, Freedom to Marry, the Ali Forney Center, and state-level marriage-equality advocacy orgs.
That way the arc of the moral universe will bend toward justice, with a little helping pull from money and corporate clout.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/dcist-heralds-chick-fil-as-arrival-then-realizes-its-anti-gay-marriage-donations-20120328/#ixzz1qRW9jYVI

Ricky Martin’s Twitter-blessing three days ago was not enough to save Daniel Zamudio, a Chilean gay man who was viciously hate-crimed (http://www.queerty.com/suspects-arrested-after-carving-swastikas-in-cutting-ear-off-gay-man-in-chile-20120315/) by neo-Nazis in Santiago on March 3rd. Zamudio died yesterday afternoon after a long struggle for his life (http://www.queerty.com/chilean-victim-of-brutal-gay-bashing-dies-after-month-in-coma-20120328/#), according to Emol (http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emol.com%2Fnoticias%2Fnacional% 2F2012%2F03%2F27%2F533022%2Ffallecio-el-joven-daniel-zamudio-tras-larga-lucha-por-su-vida-en-la-asistencia-publica.html&act=url).
After receiving a GLAAD Award, Ricky Martin had tweeted (https://twitter.com/#%21/ricky_martin/status/184094483657392128): “I am honored and thankful and would like to dedicate it to #DanielZamudio (https://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23DanielZamudio) and his family #Chile (https://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23Chile).” Just last night, Martin tweeted (https://twitter.com/#%21/ricky_martin/status/184836221346914304): “Daniel Zamudio RIP.”
Zamudio’s attacks allegedly hit him with bottles, rocks and other blunt objects before they cut off part of his ear, carved swastikas into his chest and burned other parts of his body with cigarettes.
The accused, part of a vile collective called “nazis del Centro” (“the Downtown Nazis”), are Raul Alfonso Lopez Fuentes (25), Axel Alejandro Angulo Tapia (26), Patricio Ahumada Ivan Garay (25) and Fabian Alexis Mora Mora (19). They remain in policy custody and will probably be charged with murder now that Zamudio has passed.
Guess these four Latino neo-Nazis will finally get to see their idol, the great Fuhrer, in hell.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/chilean-victim-of-brutal-gay-bashing-dies-after-month-in-coma-20120328/#ixzz1qRWY5zTp

Yesterday, we brought you the news that unsealed documents from 2009 revealed (http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/) the anti-marriage-equality National Organization for Marriage sought to “drive a wedge between gays and blacks.” (Read the whole despicable thing here (http://www.scribd.com/doc/86816881/Nom-Depo-Exhibit-25).) Another part of NOM’s plan to insert the race card (http://www.queerty.com/nom-wants-to-recruit-glamorous-young-latina-celebrities-like-naya-rivera-fail-20120328/#) heavily into the fight against gay marriage: recruit “glamorous young” Hispanic celebrities to the cause. Sounds pretty similar to the tactics liberals have been using (more effectively).
From NOM’s unsealed 2009 report:

“We seek to identify glamorous young Latino and Latina leaders, especially artists, actors, musicians, athletes, writers, and other celebrities willing to stand for marriage, regardless of national boundaries. Develop Spanish-language radio and TV ads in an appropriate range of dialects; develop pamphlets, YouTube videos, church handouts for Spanish-speaking people, and create a template that can be used abroad.”
Beautiful Latina star Naya Rivera, who plays lesbian cheerleader Santana on Glee, seems exactly the star they’d be looking for. Unfortunately for them, she’s already in the LGBT pocket, telling the Huffington Post that “we need more” gay characters on TV:

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nom-wants-to-recruit-glamorous-young-latina-celebrities-like-naya-rivera-fail-20120328/#ixzz1qRWnxwWJ

TheGodlessUtopian

29th March 2012, 21:11

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it would continue $33 million worth of funding (http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/aidshousing/programs/index.cfm) for the permanent housing of over 1,200 low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. “These grants (http://www.queerty.com/federal-government-awards-33-million-to-hiv-aids-housing-programs-20120329/#) offer housing, vital healthcare and hope to hundreds of households that combine to literally save lives,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “Having stable housing can make all the difference to the health of someone living with HIV/AIDS who might otherwise be struggling to live on our streets.”
Most of the centers receiving this federal assistance (http://www.queerty.com/federal-government-awards-33-million-to-hiv-aids-housing-programs-20120329/#) are directed toward urban centers based on the number of AIDS cases reported to the CDC. New York City’s Bailey House, for example, will receive just over $1 million, while the City of Los Angeles Housing Department will receive $1.5 million.
Major ups (http://www.queerty.com/federal-government-awards-33-million-to-hiv-aids-housing-programs-20120329/#) to the Obama administration for supporting housing for some of the most deserving in the population.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/federal-government-awards-33-million-to-hiv-aids-housing-programs-20120329/#ixzz1qXPwqjpL

Police in Miami aren’t sure who started a violent episode between a lesbian couple Tuesday morning that resulted in one woman’s death and another’s grievous wounding. According to Channel 10 (http://www.local10.com/news/1-dead-1-injured-after-domestic-dispute/-/1717324/9719254/-/md9bs2z/-/), the two women were domestic partners in the process of ending their relationship when things turned ugly, as Maria Linares, 48, pulled a gun and her girlfriend picked up a knife.
When police arrived, the unnamed girlfriend was dead on the scene from a bullet wound. Linares was flown to Kendall Regional Medical Center with stab wounds and was listed in critical but stable condition.
The National Coalition of Anti-Violent Programs reports a 38% increase in reports of LGBT intimate-partner violence in 2010, as well as an increase in the severity of violence acts.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/domestic-disturbance-in-miami-leaves-one-woman-dead-girlfriend-with-stab-wounds-20120328/#ixzz1qXQcc7GT

Israel allowed gays in the military years before America and it looks like the country might beat the U.S. in lifting the complete ban on homosexual men donating (http://www.queerty.com/israeli-health-ministry-considers-lifting-total-blood-ban-20120329/#) blood, too. Last week, Labor Party chair M.K. Shelly Yachimovich asked Health Ministry director Dr. Roni Gamzu and Eli Bin, CEO of Magen David Adom’s National Blood Bank (http://www.queerty.com/israeli-health-ministry-considers-lifting-total-blood-ban-20120329/#), to alter the country’s current policy:
“The question about sex between men, without asking the donor whether he had had unprotected sex, is a serious deficiency,” Yachimovich wrote. “Under such circumstances, there is a significant risk of AIDS infection even among heterosexuals, yet the questionnaire doesn’t address this and creates the mistaken and dangerous impression that AIDS is a ‘homosexual disease.’”
Next month, the ministry will discuss altering the policy to allow blood banks to accept donations (http://www.queerty.com/israeli-health-ministry-considers-lifting-total-blood-ban-20120329/#) from men who haven’t had what Haaretz refers to (http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-health-ministry-may-end-ban-on-blood-donations-from-gay-men-1.420885) as “same-sex intercourse” in at least a decade. Currently any homo who has engaged in what the Ministry defines as “homosexual relations” since 1977 is disqualified.
First of all, the language being bandied about is distressingly vague: Can we use grown-up words like “anal sex,” please? Or would a gay man who’s only ever performed oral sex be denied for having had “homosexual relations”?
Leave it to heteros to be coy about what constitutes intercourse.
Secondly, if the change passes, it’ll be a positive symbol but we can’t see it having much practical importance: How many gay men stopped fucking ten years ago?
Okay, it’s been a while for us, but not that long!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/israeli-health-ministry-considers-lifting-total-blood-ban-20120329/#ixzz1qXR5FqF3

After issuing a quick Twitter mea culpa yesterday, Carson Daly has done the LGBT community one better and met with GLAAD.
Daly originally joked (http://www.queerty.com/carson-daly-doesnt-think-gay-people-couldve-stopped-that-whackjob-jet-blue-pilot-20120328/): ““Most of the people [on board] were on their way to some sort of security conference in Las Vegas. It was, like, a bunch of dudes and well-trained dudes, thank God. With my luck, it would be like, this is the flight going to [gay Pride] in San Francisco… I mean, that would be my colleagues.”
Post-GLAAD meeting (http://www.glaad.org/blog/carson-daly-releases-statement-following-discussion-glaad), he issued a longer statement:

We live in a time where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals find courage every day to overcome adversity, stand up to bullying and find equality. I’m truly saddened that my words today suggested otherwise. I’ve long been a supporter of gay, lesbian, and transgender rights, and I’m saddened that my comments, however unintentional, offended anyone, specifically members of the LGBT community.
The fact that I have hurt anyone is devastating. I’m not that guy. I’m proud to be an ally of the LGBT community and will continue to fight with them.
What do you guys think? Should we accept Daly’s apology at face value or make him walk the plank?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/carson-daly-meets-with-glaad-over-jetblue-flight-comments-apologizes-again-20120329/#ixzz1qXRJIzSG

The publisher of Fort Lauderdale-based South Florida Gay News is not happy (http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/editorial/publishers-editorial/5908-boycott-atlantis-cruises.html) about what went down in Dominica last week, when two gay men from Palm Springs were arrested (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-dominican-police-arrest-men-on-atlantis-cruise-for-gasp-having-gay-sex-20120321/) on board an Atlantis cruise for being naked (http://www.queerty.com/update-two-men-from-atlantis-cruise-plead-guilty-to-indecent-exposure-in-dominica-20120322/) and/or boinking in public (http://www.queerty.com/exclusive-very-very-obvious-that-atlantis-cruise-duo-in-dominica-were-having-sex-says-witness-20120327/). So not happy, in fact, that he’s calling for a boycott of the gay cruise company. SGFN publisher Norm Kent, who’s also a local criminal defense attorney (http://www.queerty.com/publisher-of-florida-gay-mag-in-fiery-tirade-boycott-atlantis-20120329/#) and former talk radio host, comes out swinging and doesn’t mince words about what he sees as the main cause of the brouhaha:

This is because the land of Dominica is socially retarded, a lot like the emerging African community of Kenya, recently stirred to insane and bizarre ideological frenzies over homosexuality. They hate their gays in Dominica. Beat ‘em, but don’t be ‘em.
Kent then details the account (http://www.queerty.com/publisher-of-florida-gay-mag-in-fiery-tirade-boycott-atlantis-20120329/#) of what happened to the arrestees, Dennis Mayer and John Hart, as has been previously reported here (http://www.queerty.com/arrested-atlantis-men-dominican-officials-paraded-us-around-like-we-were-some-oddity-20120323/). He then continues:

In summary, these island guests were treated like a black kid wearing a hoodie in Sanford, Florida. Here is the thing, though. Gay America and LGBT Californians can do something about it. We can rightfully expect the cruise ship companies (http://www.queerty.com/publisher-of-florida-gay-mag-in-fiery-tirade-boycott-atlantis-20120329/#) to defend their guests and stand up for their rights. Or so we thought.
Asks Kent:

Why the hell is a cruise ship company catering to the LGBT community running cruises to islands that openly and brazenly discriminate against gay populations? What kind of morons are we giving our money to? What kind of morons must we be to give them our money?

This may all be minor and unfortunate to Mr. [Rich] Campbell and his multi million dollar parade of cruise ships, but they are not minor to the South Florida Gay News or our website, nationalgaynews.com. They represent a major concern. Consequently, we are going to stand up for the rights of the LGBT community even if the cruise cartel won’t. First, from this day forth this paper shall not accept advertising or publicize the programs of Atlantis Events or Celebrity Cruises. Second, this paper calls for all gay men of good conscience to conscientiously boycott those cruises and their launches to ports which openly discriminate against gay life and gay Americans. This is not about the wrongfulness of two gay men being caught engaged in a pubic act in a public place. They would be as wrong for doing the nasty on a public balcony on a cruise ship as in front of a condo swimming pool in a retirement community (http://www.queerty.com/publisher-of-florida-gay-mag-in-fiery-tirade-boycott-atlantis-20120329/#) in Boca.

This is about the wrongfulness of a cruise ship enterprise being so willing to ask the gay community to spend their gay dollars in ports of call that are harbors of hate, decks of discrimination, and points of poison.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/publisher-of-florida-gay-mag-in-fiery-tirade-boycott-atlantis-20120329/#ixzz1qXRXAd96

Twelve high-ranking members from the Religious Society of Friends of Truth, better known as Quakers, were recently treated to an audience with the Queen Mother, reports Gay Star News (http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/quakers-tell-queen-we-want-gay-marriage290312). The Quakers beseeched the Queen with the following message:

“Our commitment to equality led us in 2009 to seek a change in the law to provide for same sex and opposite sex marriages on an equal basis. This is because of our deeply held belief that we see the light of god in everyone which leads us to respect the inherent worth of each individual and each loving relationship.
We see the recent move to allow the celebration of civil partnerships on religious premises as a step (http://www.queerty.com/quakers-to-queen-elizabeth-let-englands-lgbt-queens-get-married-20120329/#) towards full equality in marriage.”
Would that the Queen had any actual political power! Perhaps she can bring it up at her weekly tea with Prime Minister David Cameron? Of course, Cameron already supports marriage equality (http://www.queerty.com/quakers-to-queen-elizabeth-let-englands-lgbt-queens-get-married-20120329/www.queerty.com/marriage-equality-videos-from-around-the-globe-20111203/4/) and has been moving forward plans to make it the law of the land.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/quakers-to-queen-elizabeth-let-englands-lgbt-queens-get-married-20120329/#ixzz1qXRmxiDb

Santorum is the gift (http://www.queerty.com/santorum-on-bowling-the-heterosexual-way-friends-dont-let-friends-use-pink-balls-20120329/#) that keeps on giving of Republican presidential candidates.
First, he gave Dan Savage the honor of Google-bombing him.
Then, he gave us countless opportunities to make fun of his poopy nickname, including a poster that looked like it was written in Santorum.
And now, he gives us Pink-Bowling-Ball-gate.
While bowling at some dumb photo op in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Santorum told a young man (https://twitter.com/#%21/samyoungman/status/185058432775241728) next to him: “You’re not gonna use the pink ball. We’re not gonna let you do that. Not on camera.”
Santorum added, “Friends don’t let friends use pink balls.”
Probably because pink balls turn you GAY, obviously. Let’s take a look through the types of pink balls that you and your heterosexual friends must avoid in order to not catch the gay.
Click through for some homosexuality-inducing pink balls.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/santorum-on-bowling-the-heterosexual-way-friends-dont-let-friends-use-pink-balls-20120329/#ixzz1qXS3vJug

P.S: See source for remainder of story

TheGodlessUtopian

30th March 2012, 23:41

Six Filipino high-school students are being banned from their graduation ceremony after officials discovered images of them simulating a kiss in public that were posted on Facebook. The boys, who describe the kiss as a prank, were in their school uniforms from the Infant Jesus Academy (above) when they took the photos on Monday. Though they will still graduate, they won’t be allowed to attend the ceremony or receive their diplomas.
A mother of one of the kids, who are all between 16 and 17, told Inquirer News (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/169117/catholic-school-bars-6-boys-from-joining-graduation-over-public-kissing%E2%80%99%E2%80%99):

“For them, the school diploma is sacred. The school will give it to the students [eventually], as the punishment will not be for life. But it will take two years, three years, four years—even eight years,” she claimed. “The officials said [the boys] are not deserving, as of the moment, to receive their diplomas.’”
According to officials at the academy, the boys violated a school policy banning “any conduct inside or outside the campus which brings the student, his/her family and the school in disrepute.”
Well that’s pretty vague.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/filipino-teens-not-allowed-to-attend-graduation-after-posting-gay-kiss-on-facebook-20120330/#ixzz1qdscDl8Z

The National Organization for Marriage got a figurative black eye this week when secret documents surfaced revealing the group’s strategy to pit blacks and Latinos against gays.
NOM blob Maggie Gallagher was supposed to appear on MSNBC on Wednesday (http://www.queerty.com/msnbc-anchor-thomas-roberts-has-a-date-set-for-his-gay-wedding-20120328/) to discuss the documents with out anchor Thomas Roberts, but was a no-show. (Apparently she was told to go to a different studio. Suuure.)
Gallagher finally waddled into the studio last night to defend the group’s actions. Ugh, we’d rather look at an empty chair.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/maggie-gallagher-finally-shows-up-on-msnbc-to-defend-noms-race-baiting-20120330/#ixzz1qdt4qoNx

P.S: See source for video

At the tender age of 71, Wanda Derby still has the energy to attack her son’s friend with her cane, call him a homophobic slur, and tell him he “has AIDS and is going to kill her son.” The Star-Telegram reports (http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/29/3846525/richland-hills-woman-71-accused.html) that Derby, of Richland Hills, Texas, has been charged with a hate crime in the matter.
The attack went down Wednesday, after she got wind of the fact that her son was moving out (http://www.queerty.com/crazy-texan-old-lady-attacks-sons-friends-with-cane-calls-him-gay-slur-20120330/#) and into the friend’s apartment. It’s unclear if her son is gay and was moving in with this dude, or if he was just tired of her crazy and wanted to get the heck away from her.
Derby has a pretty hilarious Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/people/Wanda-J-Derby/1171366984?sk=wall) littered with cantankerous overshares about her neighbors, sons, and politics. Here’s what she posted on the day of the attack:
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-30-at-8.55.25-AM-360x110.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-30-at-8.55.25-AM.png)
Derby was free (http://www.queerty.com/crazy-texan-old-lady-attacks-sons-friends-with-cane-calls-him-gay-slur-20120330/#) Thursday afternoon on $11,500 bail, at which point she posted a “Don’t Mess With Texas” image to her Facebook wall.
Photos via Richland Hills PD, Facebook
UPDATE: Here’s a TV report of what happened, which has comment on what happened from the next-door neighbor Lloyd Guerrero, who is gay, but none from Derby or her son.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/crazy-texan-old-lady-attacks-sons-friends-with-cane-calls-him-gay-slur-20120330/#ixzz1qdtWnEbN

On Tuesday, a Taiwanese court denied a petition by two gay men to be recognized as a same-sex household, despite initially accepting their application (http://www.queerty.com/taiwanese-court-denies-couples-request-to-be-recognized-as-same-sex-household-20120330/#). Chen Jing-hsueh and Gao Jhih-wei (right) have been together for six years but their relationship isn’t recognized by the Taiwanese government. According to Taiwanese civil law, the only requirement for a legal marriage is a public ceremony with at least two witnesses. Chen and Gao were wed in September 2006 but the Department of Household Registration (http://www.queerty.com/taiwanese-court-denies-couples-request-to-be-recognized-as-same-sex-household-20120330/#) (DHR) turned down their request for joint-household status several times in the intervening years.
In August 2011, after Chen and Gao filed a lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/taiwanese-court-denies-couples-request-to-be-recognized-as-same-sex-household-20120330/#), it appeared the DHR was changing its mind and said it would accept their request for joint-household status.
Then, just a month later, the Department formally denied the application.
Chen and Gao appealed but, at the Taipei High Administrative Court on Tuesday, a government representative claimed gay couples couldn’t get joint-household status because marriage was “a monogamous conjugal union between a husband and a wife.”
The reversal illustrates the complexity and differing interpretations of of marital law in Taiwan. Writes Gay Star News (http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/taiwan-insists-denying-gay-household-registration280312):

“There had been considerable back-and-forth contact among the Department of Household Registration, the Department of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice before there was a final denial.”
We wish we could say things were less murky here in the States, but alas…

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/taiwanese-court-denies-couples-request-to-be-recognized-as-same-sex-household-20120330/#ixzz1qdtntSBv

Today, The Weinstein Company is releasing the documentary Bully without a rating, following the recent controversy surrounding the R-rating it was given by the MPAA for including six F-bombs.
The documentary, which follows five American families affected by bullying, has gathered a lot of attention as it’s the first to deal (http://www.queerty.com/bully-released-today-without-a-rating-movie-theaters-try-to-figure-out-how-to-get-kids-to-see-it-20120330/#) head on with the epidemic of childhood bulling and its potentially fatal consequences. No group of kids is more at risk than LGBT youth, but an R rating would mean faculty couldn’t screen the movie in schools and young people couldn’t see it in theaters without their parents.http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/bully2.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/03/bully2.jpg)
The film contains real footage of real kids being bullied at or on the way to school. It’s during these scenes that the F-bombs are dropped, the first two within the first 10 minutes of the film. Addressing the MPAA’s sugestion to re-edit Bully, director Lee Hirsch told the Hollywood Reporter, “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real.”
Ironically, it is kids who are uttering the curse words in Bully. Does anyone really think we’re protecting the fragile ears of innocent children here? That kind of mentality is why the bullying epidemic has gone unchecked for so long.
Releasing a film without a rating is a big risk for already embattled movie houses: Most big theater chains having a policy never to show such films, leaving it to art houses to screen it. However Regal Cinemas has stated it will release the film with an R rating, while AMC has announced it will show it at many locations to anyone with a permission slip or guardian. Which is basically the same as an R rating.
Getting Bully into as many theaters as possible is paramount. Celebrities like Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Ellen DeGeneres and Meryl Streep have stepped up in support of the film and an online petition collected over a half-million signatures urging the MPAA to reconsider. Speaking at a special viewing in New York organized by GLAAD this week, Hirsch said “I hope the movie touches and moves people… small-town America. That’s where people are begging for it.”
What do you think? Should young teens be allowed to see a film with such disturbing issues (and, apparently, language) without adult supervision? Sound off below.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/bully-released-today-without-a-rating-movie-theaters-try-to-figure-out-how-to-get-kids-to-see-it-20120330/#ixzz1qdu7UOLh

I don’t see how a father, or any parent, can look at their son, the one they’ve loved since before the child was even born, and upon hearing him say, “Dad, I’m gay,” turn their back on him. The comments from men much older than me telling stories just like that break my heart. My wife always wants to adopt the teenage kids who write to her; I want to adopt the 60-year-old men who cry when they read that I tell my son how awesome he is. I don’t care if they are as old as my father; they deserve love just as much as anyone else.”
[I]—Blogger Dave, discussing his 7-year-old gay son,

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/dad-of-young-gay-boy-is-in-the-running-for-father-of-the-year-20120330/#ixzz1qduTdEKn

TheGodlessUtopian

31st March 2012, 23:10

The metro Atlanta high student ousted (http://projectqatlanta.com/news_articles/view/school_reuben_lack_fired_for_being_poor_leader?gid =10593) from his student council post over a proposal to make the prom more gay friendly was slapped down Friday by a federal judge.
U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story, who at times seemed sympathetic (http://www.dailyreportonline.com/Editorial/News/singleEdit.asp?l=100401433302) to Reuben Lack’s plea during a hearing on Thursday to be reinstated as Student Body President, declined on Friday to reinstate Lack to his Alpharetta High School post. The decision came in a 12-page ruling from Story.

While the Plaintiff engaged in protected speech which was a motivating factor in the Plaintiff’s removal, the Court finds that Plaintiff has not shown a substantial likelihood of success on the merits because the Defendants have presented sufficient evidence that they would have made the same decision to remove him even in the absence of the protected speech.
Read the full ruling at the bottom of this post.
Lack was sacked as Student Body President at Alpharetta High School in early February. A federal lawsuit filed on March 20 alleges the firing came when Lack proposed making the prom more gay friendly. But an attorney (http://projectqatlanta.com/index.php/news_articles/view/federal_judge_wont_reinstate_ousted_student_leader #) for Fulton County Schools says Lack “was essentially a poor leader” and that’s why he was removed. That shot came when school officials finally spoke out March 23 – both in a statement (http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/alpharetta-high-student-sues-1396148.html#.T20q51lhFI8.mailto) from attorney Suzann Wilcox Jiles and a summary (http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/03/23/alpharetta-teen-says-he-was-ousted-from-student-presidency-for-suggesting-a-gay-friendly-prom/) from school system attorneys.
Critics have taken to Twitter with their reactions, claiming (https://twitter.com/#%21/Austinkleezzy/status/182998679622385664) they “don’t want to see a guy in a tiara win (http://projectqatlanta.com/index.php/news_articles/view/federal_judge_wont_reinstate_ousted_student_leader #) prom queen” and attacking Lack with tweets that include this (http://jamesradford.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Screen-shot-2012-03-24-at-12.55.03-PM.png):

fuck reuben lack and his gay ass. he is stupid as fuck
The immense reaction—news of the lawsuit (http://projectqatlanta.com/index.php/news_articles/view/federal_judge_wont_reinstate_ousted_student_leader #) quickly became a national story—has overwhelmed Lack and his attorney (http://jamesradford.com/2012/03/a-statement-about-the-reuben-lack-case/), James Radford.

This was initially very exciting. But the story may have gotten too big, too fast, and I believe the students, faculty, and administration at Alpharetta High School have found themselves overwhelmed. I know Reuben and his family have felt overwhelmed. Reuben is just a kid who wants to finish his term of class president, something that is very important to him, and something that he earned through his own hard work and persistence.
UPDATE: Radford tells the Daily Report (http://www.atlawblog.com/2012/03/judge-rejects-student%E2%80%99s-bid-to-regain-council-presidency/) that the lawsuit will continue, despite not receiving the temporary restraining order (http://projectqatlanta.com/index.php/news_articles/view/federal_judge_wont_reinstate_ousted_student_leader #) from Story.

Source: http://projectqatlanta.com/index.php/news_articles/view/federal_judge_wont_reinstate_ousted_student_leader

MSNBC's Chris Matthews Sides With Tony Perkins

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-31/1MatthewsPerkins.jpg

Chris Matthews said he doesn't believe in "silencing people," and that includes Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and other activists have launched a campaign (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/08/MSNBC_Rejects_Anti_Perkins_Ad/) to keep off the air the Family Research Council, which is labeled a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its habit of spreading misinformation about LGBT people.

Matthews was confronted during a book signing in Massachusetts this month by a group called Faithful America (http://www.faithfulamerica.org/about/) that has made ridding cable television (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/31/MSNBC_Chris_Matthews_Sides_With_Tony_Perkins/#) of Perkins a top priority.

"I don't believe in fatwas, I don't believe in silencing people," Matthews said when confronted. "I don't believe in it, OK? I want Rush Limbaugh on the air. I want him on every day. I want people to hear, I want everybody to hear all the arguments. It's a free country."

MSNBC most recently had Perkins on to offer his reaction to Rick Santorum's win (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/31/MSNBC_Chris_Matthews_Sides_With_Tony_Perkins/#) in Louisiana. But Matthews' show, Hardball, is accused of inviting Perkins on as a guest more than any other.

GLAAD recently launched its Commentator Accountability Project with Perkins listed (http://www.glaad.org/cap/tony-perkins) prominently as one voice that shouldn't be used to represent evangelical voters on television because while off the air he's pushing antigay rhetoric.

"He doesn't pull that homophobic stuff on my show," Matthews claims, though Faithful America doesn't agree (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/31/MSNBC_Chris_Matthews_Sides_With_Tony_Perkins/#). And even so, one of the people confronting Matthews points out: "But when he's on your show, you lend legitimacy to the things he says off your show."

Just this week, the Family Research Council spoke out in favor of businesses legally being able to turn away LGBT customers. In an email to supporters, the group used the example of a Kentucky T-shirt maker that backed out of an order when it learned it was for a gay pride festival.

"Just because it sells to the public doesn't mean it has to surrender its private views," the newsletter said, according (http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201203300004) to Equality Matters. "Like any business, Hands On has the freedom to establish its own criteria of conduct and conscience. The same applies whether the clients are Planned Parenthood, the Ku Klux Klan, or baby seal hunters."

Matthews was unswayed by the argument that putting Perkins on his show lends any credence to that sort of view.

"OK, OK, you made your case," he told the people off camera. "You may be right. But not right now."

Matthews is an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights and he and his wife were honored guests during a Human Rights Campaign benefit earlier this month in Los Angeles. Watch video of the confrontation and his HRC speech below.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/31/MSNBC_Chris_Matthews_Sides_With_Tony_Perkins/

P.S: See source for video

lol.... I think it is funny that every time a so-called "ally" of the queer community steps out of line the queer bourgeoisie are quick to remind people that they have supported queer positions in the past.

The "Bully" ratings battle looks to have one more round. According to the Los Angeles Times, The Weinstein Company might release a new, PG-13 version of the documentary (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/03/bully-g-13-new-cut-rating-mpaa-harvey-weinstein.html), which would excise the foul language that earned "Bully" an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.
In lieu of that decision, TWC released the film on Friday in New York and Los Angeles as unrated (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/bully-rating-unrated_n_1380915.html).
"At this time, there are no plans to change the film for a PG-13," Weinstein Company marketing head Stephen Bruno told the Times blog 24 Frames. "We are in constant conversation with the MPAA and hope a compromise can be reached."
Harvey Weinstein and the creators of "Bully" have been warring with the MPAA for weeks over the rating, which would restrict children under 17 from seeing the film. "Bully" focuses on the bullying epidemic in America's schools.
On Tuesday, celebrities took to Twitter to protest the R-rating (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/27/bully-movie-celebrities-tweet_n_1383434.html). Last month, teenager Katy Butler started an online petition to combat the ruling, which netted nearly 470,000 signatures (http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-don-t-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating).
While releasing the film as unrated got TWC around the R-rating, it wasn't a perfect solution. Many theaters treat unrated films like they are NC-17, and don't allow minors in at all. In a show of solidarity for the message of the film, AMC theaters announced on Wednesday that they would accept permission slips from parents who want their children to see "Bully." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/amc-bully-will-be-screene_n_1385776.html)
"Bully" earned its R-rating because of one scene of profanity. As the Times points out, for "Bully" to earn a PG-13 rating, the offending moment will likely need to be cut; simply bleeping out the curses is often not enough for the MPAA to reconsider (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/03/bully-g-13-new-cut-rating-mpaa-harvey-weinstein.html).
"Bully" is out in New York and Los Angeles now.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/bully-rating-pg-13-recut_n_1392841.html

Alleged Extortion Plot Involves Gay Relationship With Major Leaguer

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-30/PAVANOX390.jpg
Carl Pavano
A man accused of an extortion plot against Minnesota Twins pitcher Carl Pavano says they had a sexual relationship while in high school in Connecticut.

Police in Southington, Conn., are investigating whether there is sufficient evidence that Christian Bedard sought compensation from Pavano’s family in exchange for his silence about the relationship, the Hartford Courant (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/hc-southington-pavano-0330-20120329,0,6675452.story) reports. They searched Bedard’s home last week and seized a laptop (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Alleged_Extortion_Plot_Involves_Gay_Relationship_W ith_Major_Leaguer/#) computer and a journal, but no charges have been filed.

The search warrant affidavit states that Michelle DeGennaro, Pavano’s sister, says Bedard contacted her via Facebook in December. It summarizes the exchange by saying, “Bedard states Pavano is gay, and they had a relationship when they were growing up. Bedard said he has a book deal (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Alleged_Extortion_Plot_Involves_Gay_Relationship_W ith_Major_Leaguer/#) in place worth $1.2 million and that it can all go away if Pavano buys him a navy Range Rover with tan leather.”

Bedard, however, says DeGennaro made the initial contact, “asking under what conditions would I not talk about my relationship with Carl,” according to a statement he emailed the Associated Press. He says he replied asking for an apology for his treatment by Pavano when the relationship ended and made the comment about the Range Rover (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Alleged_Extortion_Plot_Involves_Gay_Relationship_W ith_Major_Leaguer/#) “in jest.”

Bedard also says his friends and family knew about his sexual relationship with Pavano. DeGennaro says there was no such relationship, and Pavano, who is married with two children, has declined to comment to the press.

Bedard, whose mother, Elaine, is a prominent local politician, has been convicted of several crimes, including driving under the influence and third-degree burglary, according to the Courant. Pavano, a former New York Yankee, is beginning his third season with the Twins.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Alleged_Extortion_Plot_Involves_Gay_Relationship_W ith_Major_Leaguer/

Mitt Romney Is a NOM Donor, Document Shows

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-03/2012-03-30/romnomnyx390.jpg

Mitt Romney has not only signed a pledge from the National Organization for marriage to fight for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, he's also given money to the antigay group's efforts, according to a document circulated by the Human Rights Campaign.

HRC posted a copy (http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/one-of-noms-top-secret-donors-revealed-mitt-romney) of a Federal Election Commission filing from the Alabama-based Free and Strong America PAC, run by the Romney presidential campaign in 2008. It shows a $10,000 donation (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/30/Mitt_Romney_Is_a_NOM_Donor_Document_Shows/#) to NOM that could be the very same contribution that a campaign spokesman once bragged would help fund the Proposition 8 battle that was happening at the time.

The Huffington Post reports (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-wooledge/mitt-romney-nom-10000-donation_b_1390284.html?ref=gay-voices) that Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom told Salt Lake City's Deseret News in October 2008, "The governor feels strongly that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman, and one of the most high-profile fights on this subject is happening in California." He revealed that Romney had made a $10,000 donation, but until now there hasn't been any docmentation to confirm (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/30/Mitt_Romney_Is_a_NOM_Donor_Document_Shows/#) it — that is, if it's the same donation.

As a donor and presumably a member of NOM, since a portion of all donations (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/30/Mitt_Romney_Is_a_NOM_Donor_Document_Shows/#) automatically goes toward membership dues, it's possible that the Romney campaign saw the "confidential" memo in which NOM outlines its strategy to "drive a wedge between gays and blacks — two key Democratic constituencies."

HRC and others are calling on (http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-that-mitt-romney-disavow-nom-s-hateful-homophobic-strategy) Romney to denounce NOM. But as a 2012 candidate he's signed a pledge from the group that commits him to its ideals, including a ban on marriage equality via an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, an effort to repeal marriage equality in Washington, D.C., and the formation of a presidential commission to investigate NOM's opponents.

"The evidence continues to pile up and is painting a very clear picture of Mitt Romney’s anti-LGBT associations," the HRC said in announcing the document. "A candidate can’t claim to be 'better for gay rights than [Ted] Kennedy' when it’s convenient, but then fund a far-right anti-LGBT strategy to keep other interest groups happy."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/30/Mitt_Romney_Is_a_NOM_Donor_Document_Shows/

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd April 2012, 00:10

Author of Self Help Book for Gay Men Stuns Friends With Suicide

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-01/1BobBergeron.jpg

The last words of the author of a book intended to advise aging gay men on finding happiness dash that thesis and have left friends wondering what happened, the New York Times reports.

In a thought-provoking piece, the Times tells the story of therapist Bob Bergeron, age 49, who was writing "The Right Side of Forty: The Complete Guide to Happiness for Gay Men at Midlife and Beyond." The book's release has been canceled in the wake of news about Bergeron's suicide.

The note he left behind was written on the book's cover page: “It’s a lie based on bad information.” An arrow pointed to the book's title, according to the report.

Times reporter Jacob Bernstein remembers that In Dancer From the Dance, which he calls "the seminal 1970s novel about gay life in New York," the main character commits suicide "rather than facing getting older and watching his beauty fade." Bernstein asks, "Had Mr. Bergeron made the same decision?"

Bergeron had talked often about his age and whether it marked the end of happiness. "Thinking that 50 is the new 35 potentially leads us to behave inappropriately, instructing men to act like a 35 year-old," he said in an online complaint about the supposedly inspirational notion that 50 is as good as 35. "It also sets up the 50 year-old for failure as he tries to compete with 35 year-old gay men because he’s been told 50 is the new 35. I really don’t see how this helps an older man or assists in bringing him happiness."

Bergeron said he considered 40 to be "the beginning of the final twenty-five years of being young."

"This is something I can get my head around," he wrote in a blog post (http://bobbergeron.com/2010/11/10/50-is-not-the-new-35/) in 2010 that was a precursor to his book. "I’m 48, that puts me right in the middle of the final twenty-five years of being young. That means I have 17 years of being young left."

Read the complete Times profile. (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/fashion/the-life-and-death-of-the-therapist-bob-bergeron.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/Author_of_Self_Help_Book_for_Gay_Men_Commits_Suici de/

Mayor Rahm Emanuel Has a Plan to Make LGBT Residents Healthier

By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2011/2011-01/2011-01-27/RAHMX390.jpg

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a plan for improving the health of LGBT residents that some city leaders say should be a model for the nation.

The Chicago Department of Public Health (http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/city/en/depts/cdph/supp_info/lgbt/lgbt_health.html) released a 22-point plan, according (http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/CDPH-releases-citywide-LGBT-plan/37034.html) to the Windy City Times, that focuses (http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/City-Launches-LGBT-Community-Action-Plan-145412865.html) on areas where the LGBT community is affected more so than the mainstream, including higher levels of smoking. A linchpin of the plan is its call for healthcare providers (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/Mayor_Rahm_Emanuel_Has_a_Plan_to_Make_LGBT_Residen ts_Healthier/#) to ask about patients' sexual orientation and record the information so that more can be learned in the aggregate about areas of need.

“What we are doing in Chicago could be a model for the entire nation,” the Chicago Phoenix (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/Mayor_Rahm_Emanuel_Has_a_Plan_to_Make_LGBT_Residen ts_Healthier/#)reports (http://chicagophoenix.com/2012/03/31/chicago-launches-lgbt-health-action-plan/) that Alderman Tom Tunney, who is gay, said in response to the program.

The plan also considers bullying in schools and hate crimes as health risks, and it specifically targets violence against transgender residents.

“Chicago’s strength is in the diversity of its communities,” said Emanuel, according to Phoenix. “And I am committed to ensuring that Chicagoans have access (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/Mayor_Rahm_Emanuel_Has_a_Plan_to_Make_LGBT_Residen ts_Healthier/#) to the care and information they need to live healthy lives and contribute fully to the vibrancy of our city.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/Mayor_Rahm_Emanuel_Has_a_Plan_to_Make_LGBT_Residen ts_Healthier/

WATTISHAM, England -- A young soldier at Prince Harry's army base in eastern England was allegedly the victim of a shocking gay sex attack.
A drunken gang of three soldiers allegedly pinned the soldier down as he slept at the base in Wattisham. A military police investigation is underway.
The gang of three male soldiers -- who had been out drinking -- are alleged to have pounced on him as he lay sleeping in his room.
They are then said to have subjected the young man to a terrifying sexual assault. The victim ran from his bed screaming for help.
Officers from the Royal Military Police's Special Investigation Branch were investigations the shock claims late Saturday.

A source said, "There were claims of overt sexual overtones. The victim was horrified. He escaped and ran naked to the guard room screaming for help."
The alleged assault happened at Wattisham air station, the home to 3 and 4 Regiment Army Air Corps.
Apache helicopter pilot Harry, 27, is stationed there, but it is not known if he was on the base at the time.
The source said, "They found this lad asleep in his bed and pinned him down."
"There were claims that it was a sexual assault. I think the accused are denying what happened. But it's not what you want going on at a base, especially when there is a Royal stationed there. This is massively out of the ordinary and very worrying," the source added.
The alleged incident was not near Harry's officer's quarters, which are on another part of the military base.
His unit is undergoing intensive training (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/base_military_investigates_alleged_hOILfvtuL229qgV WNCgvqK#) at Wattisham in preparation for action in Afghanistan.
In the summer his skills as a foot soldier will be honed in the intense heat of Kenya, where he faces tough night marches and escape and evasion drills.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said, "Action will be taken against all those who fall short of the Army's high standards."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/base_military_investigates_alleged_hOILfvtuL229qgV WNCgvqK#ixzz1qpiX7guM

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/base_military_investigates_alleged_hOILfvtuL229qgV WNCgvqK

Rick Santorum made clear in a series of Sunday talk show appearances that he isn't going anywhere if he loses Tuesday's Wisconsin primary. But he also left open the possibility of running again in 2016.

"I don't think Wisconsin is do or die," he said on Meet the Press. Santorum compared himself to David versus the Goliath of Mitt Romney's spending in Wisconsin. Polls show him behind. But it's the first state to vote since Newt Gingrich cut most of his staff and signaled that he'll be watching from the sidelines.

Santorum brushed off pressure to get out of the race from a string of Romney endorsements that include Wisconsin's Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Ron Johnson.

"Four years ago we had a nominee in March. How did that work out for us?" Santorum jabbed. "What hurts us is not getting the right candidate."

While on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace raised the possibility that if Santorum loses this time around and Romney is unable to beat President Obama (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/A_Look_Into_the_Future_Rick_Santorum_in_2016/#), then Santorum might be the natural nominee in 2016.

"You talk a lot about Ronald Reagan," Wallace pointed out. "He lost in 1976, came back and won in 1980. Do you ever think at all about, you know, if you were, you know, at some point, this doesn't work out, you could come back in 2016 as the front runner?"

Santorum has been citing the Reagan example not as an example of a comeback, but as the only time Republicans were able to bring down an incumbent Democrat.

"In 1976, I think the Republican Party made a mistake in not choosing Ronald Reagan and we went on with a moderate to lose the election," he said (http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/2012/04/01/rick-santorum-pressure-quit-gop-race-dean-barbour-preview-general-election?page=2) on Fox. "And we suffered four years of Jimmy Carter."

Carter lost versus Reagan's second try for office. Still, Santorum pointed to a long list of states he expects to win (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/A_Look_Into_the_Future_Rick_Santorum_in_2016/#) in the next set of contests come May and swore that he's focused only on winning in 2012. He promised, "I'm not thinking about the future."
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/01/A_Look_Into_the_Future_Rick_Santorum_in_2016/

TheGodlessUtopian

2nd April 2012, 00:12

FEATURED BLOG POST: In Memoriam: Adrienne Rich (1929-2012)

Poet Adrienne Rich died on March 27, 2012 at her home in Santa Cruz, California from complications of rheumatoid arthritis. One of the most honored and most widely read poets of her generation, Rich, in the words of Martha Nell Smith, "aestheticized politics and politicized aesthetics."
http://www.glbtq.com/blogs/in_memoriam_adrienne_rich_.html

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POINT OF VIEW: Thomas Keith on "The Late Plays of Tennessee Williams"

In a wide-ranging and deeply informed essay, Thomas Keith explores the late plays of Tennessee Williams, which have often been ignored or scorned, but are now gaining recognition. Keith begins with a caution, "If you are not familiar with the later plays of Tennessee Williams and would like to be, then it is helpful to put aside some assumptions about the playwright, or throw them out entirely."
http://www.glbtq.com/sfeatures/williamslateplays.html

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NEW ON glbtq

Award-winning television director Paris Barclay (b. 1956) is also an activist for glbtq rights, including marriage equality and the opportunity to adopt children as he and his husband have done.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/barclay_paris.html

In 2009, after a dozen years in elective office in Houston, Texas, Annise Parker (b. 1956) won election to the mayoralty of the fourth-largest city in the United States, becoming the first open lesbian to lead a major American city.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/parker_annise.html

The diverse South African glbtq community both thrives and struggles amid the contradictions between a conservative traditional culture and some of the most progressive gay rights legislation in the world. http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/south_africa.html

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Classical Music before the Twentieth Century

glbtq people have made major contributions to Classical Music since its earliest days.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/music_classical.html

Castrati, male singers who were castrated before they reached puberty, attained the height of their popularity in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Though they were not necessarily homosexual, they occupy a "queer space" in cultural history.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/castrati.html

Over the course of the nineteenth century, the conductor became increasingly more influential and powerful, growing into a celebrity in his own right. However, conductors who would now be classified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual necessarily exercised great discretion.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/conductors.html

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), who was probably homosexual, was one of the seventeenth century's most widely admired and influential composers and performers.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/corelli_a.html

The Diva has traditionally played a significant role in both gay and lesbian culture as an object of cult worship. Those who suffer the heartaches of forbidden love and ostracism from an unaccepting society have traditionally found solace through adulation of and identification with the Diva.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/divas.html

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), a towering figure of Western classical music, has been surrounded by a biographical closet that has concealed the possibility that he was in some sense queer.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/handel_gf.html

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), a German Benedictine abbess, mystic, scientific and theological writer, dramatist, and composer, formed a strong emotional attachment to a young nun and wrote music that expresses physical and spiritual desire for the Virgin Mary.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/hildegard_bingen.html

Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) was a composer who established the basic principles of French opera. His career declined as the result of a homosexual scandal.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/lully_jb.html

Opera, an eclectic synthesis of voice, drama, music, costume, visual arts and spectacle, has played an integral role in queer culture since its development in seventeenth-century Venice.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/opera.html

Johann Rosenmüller (1619-1684) was an important seventeenth-century German composer who survived a homosexual scandal in Leipzig to reconstitute his career in Venice.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/opera.html

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was considered one of the greatest composers of his day. His personal life was both dramatic and glamorous, and he traveled in circles that included many of the most prominent homosexual figures of the fin-de-siècle.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/saintsaens_c.html

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) enjoyed popularity in his native Vienna, but the depth of his talent remained unknown until after his death because many of his most important works were unperformed during his lifetime.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/schubert_f.html

Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944), who became England's most important female composer of the early twentieth century, wrote a number of operas and chamber ensemble works in the last two decades of the nineteenth century.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/smyth_e.html

Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was one of the greatest composers in history. Scholars continue to debate the impact his homosexuality had on his music.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/tchaikovsky_pi.html

Siegfried Wagner (1869-1930) the son of composer Richard Wagner, was himself a prolific composer and conductor. His homosexuality (or, more accurately, bisexuality) was the source of both scandal and also of elaborate attempts to erase it from histories of the Wagner family.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/wagner_siegfried.html

Wagnerism is concerned with the music, theoretical writings, political ideas, and aesthetics of the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). Wagnerism had a profound influence on late nineteenth-century European culture, including the expression of same-sex desire.
http://www.glbtq.com/arts/wagnerism.html

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NOTABLE BIRTHDAYS, April 1 through April 30

April 1: Russian writer Nikolai Gogol, 1809; blues singer and recording artist Alberta Hunter, 1895; writer, editor, and one-time Communist Whittaker Chambers, 1901; science fiction master Samuel Delany, 1942; television and radio host Rachel Maddow, 1973

April 2: Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, 1805; dancer and choreographer Serge Lifar, 1905; social commentator and literary critic Camille Paglia, 1947

April 3: English diarist Anne Lister, 1791; actor David Hyde Pierce, 1959

April 4: Actor Anthony Perkins, 1932; comedian and talk-show host Graham Norton, 1963

April 5: English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne, 1837; actor Nigel Hawthorne, 1929; French activist and historian Pierre Hahn, 1936

April 6: German filmmaker Monika Treut, 1954; American documentary filmmaker Rob Epstein, 1955

April 7: Chilean Nobel laureate in literature Gabriela Mistral, 1889; French novelist Violette Leduc, 1907; American activist Harry Hay, 1912; songwriter and singer Janis Ian, 1951

April 8: Artist Sonja Sekula, 1918; comedian and activist Robin Tyler, 1942; choreographer, director, and producer Michael Bennett, 1943

April 9: French poet Charles Baudelaire, 1821; dancer, choreographer, and actor Sir Robert Helpmann, 1909; actress Cynthia Nixon, 1966

April 10: English playwright and poet John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, 1647; landscape architect and philanthropist James Ogilvy, Earl of Findlater, 1750

April 11: Novelist Glenway Westcott, 1901; novelist Dorothy E. Allison, 1949

April 12: Playwright William M. Hoffman, 1939; actor and playwright Charles Ludlam, 1943; Indigo Girl Amy Ray, 1964

April 13: Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy, 1890; African-American novelist Nella Larsen, 1891; playwright Lanford Wilson, 1937; U.S. Federal Judge Deborah A. Batts, 1947

April 14: Actor Sir John Gielgud, 1904; screenwriter and director Don Roos, 1955

April 15: Renaissance artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci, 1452; Classical scholar Benjamin Jowett, 1817; Anglo-American writer Henry James, 1843; blues singer Bessie Smith, 1894; photographer George Platt Lynes, 1907; physician and activist Howard Brown, 1924; film, stage, and television producer Craig Zadan, 1949

April 16: Dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham, 1919; rocker Dusty Springfield, 1939; African-American poet Essex Hemphill, 1957

April 17: Greek poet C. P. Cavafy, 1863; American playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder, 1897; Costa Rican-Mexican singer and performer Chavela Vargas, 1919; filmmaker Lindsay Anderson, 1923

April 19: Actor Dick Sargent, 1930

April 20: Actor and activist George Takei, 1937; writer and editor Katherine V. Forrest, 1939; writer and political activist Andrew Tobias, 1947; Canadian painter and figure skater Toller Cranston, 1949; Nigerian-born photographer Rotimi Fani-Kayode, 1955; African-American artist Glenn Ligon, 1960

April 21: Publisher Muriel Inez Crawford, 1914; performer, writer, and filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell, 1963; screenwriter and director Alice Wu, 1970

April 22: Filmmaker John Waters, 1946

April 23: Playwright and poet William Shakespeare, 1564; U.S. President James Buchanan, 1791; British composer Dame Ethel Smyth, 1858; fashion designer Halston, 1932; writer Alex Sanchez, 1957

April 24: Fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, 1952; writer and actor John Epperson, 1955

April 25: Edward II, King of England, 1284; pop singer Andy Bell, 1964

April 26: Blues singer Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, 1886; philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889; novelist Gale Wilhelm, 1908; composer Conrad Susa, 1935

April 27: Canadian-American painter, writer, and activist Mary Meigs, 1917; rocker Kate Pierson, 1948; Mexican painter Luis Zapata, 1951

April 28: New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins, 1869

April 29: Poet and composer Rod McKuen, 1933

April 30: American playwright and screenwriter Craig Lucas, 1951
Source: glbtq newsletter

TheGodlessUtopian

3rd April 2012, 21:17

A New York City jury has awarded $1.2 million (http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-chef-wins-1-6-million-from-boss-who-forced-her-to-pray-away-the-gay-20120403/#) in punitive damages and $400,000 in compensatory damages to lesbian chef Mirella Salemi from her religious employer, reports the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/boss_pray_day_turns_to_payday_for_2a83ReI750393HXl AbErkJ#ixzz1qze8Cswt). Salemi accused restaurateur Edward Globokar of forcing her to participate in prayer meetings at Mary Ann’s, a Mexican restaurant in Tribeca. Globokar was known to include all employees in these meetings, but it seems that Salemi was especially singled out since she was an out lesbian.
Said Salemi’s lawyer (http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-chef-wins-1-6-million-from-boss-who-forced-her-to-pray-away-the-gay-20120403/#): “He not only threatened her soul, but he also threatened her livelihood. He thought praying might cure her of her sexuality, but she is someone who didn’t need to be saved.”
Speaking of saving (http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-chef-wins-1-6-million-from-boss-who-forced-her-to-pray-away-the-gay-20120403/#), Globokar might want to start doing that now that all the gold in his papal coffers is probably cleaned out.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-chef-wins-1-6-million-from-boss-who-forced-her-to-pray-away-the-gay-20120403/#ixzz1r0gLwjkM

Today, Lambda Legal filed papers in a federal lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/oh-student-sues-school-for-not-allowing-him-to-wear-pro-gay-tee-shirt-20120403/#) against Waynesville High School in Waynesville, OH, after administrators threatened to suspend a student (http://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/couch-v-wayne-local-school-district) if he wore a tee shirt with the slogan “Jesus is Not A Homophobe.”
Maverick Couch, an openly gay junior at the school, first wore the shirt last spring in honor of National Day of Silence, when principal Randy Gebhardt told him to turn the shirt inside out (which Couch did). But after researching his First Amendment rights, Couch came back to Gebhardt in the fall and asked if he could wear the tee again. Gebhardt restated that he would be suspended if he did.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Jesus-Is-Not-A-Homophobe.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Jesus-Is-Not-A-Homophobe.jpg)
Lambda Legal is totally calling shenanigans on Gebhardt’s threat, especially considering the slogan is pretty pro-Christian:

“Schools should be in the business of educating students about First Amendment freedoms, not trampling on their right to express themselves,” said Christopher Clark, Senior Staff Attorney (http://www.queerty.com/oh-student-sues-school-for-not-allowing-him-to-wear-pro-gay-tee-shirt-20120403/#) for Lambda Legal. “The school has not offered—and cannot offer—any legitimate reason for threatening Maverick with disciplinary action. They have singled-out an intelligent, respectful student and tried to shame him just because he’s gay.”
The nonprofit sent Waynesville High a letter explaining Couch’s legal rights, but the district responded by saying “the message communicated by the student’s T-shirt is sexual in nature and therefore indecent and inappropriate in a school setting.”
You just know if Couch wore a shirt saying “I’m saving (http://www.queerty.com/oh-student-sues-school-for-not-allowing-him-to-wear-pro-gay-tee-shirt-20120403/#) myself for marriage,” his school would have given him a friggin’ medal.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/oh-student-sues-school-for-not-allowing-him-to-wear-pro-gay-tee-shirt-20120403/#ixzz1r0gg4aOG

Another great job from GLAAD—the LGBT media watchdog org has worked with the Miss Universe Organization to reinstate that stunning transgender woman who was disqualified (http://www.queerty.com/outrage-after-transgender-miss-universe-canada-contestant-with-bangin-bikini-bod-is-disqualified-20120327/) for not being born a man. The Miss Universe Organization, which is partly owned by Donald Trump, has done an about-face on the matter and released the following statement:

“The Miss Universe Organization will allow Jenna Talackova to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada pageant provided she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions.”
It’s safe (http://www.queerty.com/glaad-gets-rejected-transgender-miss-universe-canada-back-in-competition-20120403/#) to say Donald Trump, who has previously bloviated rather idiotically (http://www.queerty.com/donald-trump-wont-back-gay-marriage-cause-it-gives-him-the-heebie-jeebies-20110331/) against marriage equality in his fake presidential candidacies, signed off on these agreements to move toward inclusion of all women.
“The Miss Universe Organization made the right decision and has taken an important first step (http://www.queerty.com/glaad-gets-rejected-transgender-miss-universe-canada-back-in-competition-20120403/#),” said GLAAD spokesperson Herndon Graddick. “Now, GLAAD urges the Organization to include all women and use this incident to speak out in support of the transgender community.”
“So many women today do not have equal opportunities for employment (http://www.queerty.com/glaad-gets-rejected-transgender-miss-universe-canada-back-in-competition-20120403/#), housing and safety simply because they are transgender. The Miss Universe Organization should look to state non-discrimination laws and institutions including the Olympics, NCAA and The CW’s America’s Next Top Model, which do not discriminate against transgender women,” said Graddick.
Now that Jenna can compete, it begs the question: how long will it take for beauty-pageant judges to crown the first transgender woman winner (http://www.queerty.com/glaad-gets-rejected-transgender-miss-universe-canada-back-in-competition-20120403/#)?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/glaad-gets-rejected-transgender-miss-universe-canada-back-in-competition-20120403/#ixzz1r0h5PXS9

"Several LGBT people were left to die in the rubble after houses and buildings collapsed, explains Reginald Dupont, a manager at SEROvie. Even those LGBT people who survived faced spontaneous blame and persecution; radio sermons, church talks, word of mouth, and general discussions in the street targeted LGBT people as “sinners” who had called the earthquake upon the country by angering God. “After [LGBT people] were taken out of the debris, they had to get out of the immediate area as soon as possible so as not to attract anger,” explains Dupont.
The scapegoating and persecution took several forms documented in the report, including physical violence against LGBT people in the camps where displaced people were living (and where half a million (http://www.queerty.com/report-lgbts-left-to-die-in-rubble-of-haiti-earthquake-blamed-and-raped-afterward-20120403/#) people continue to live), and sexual violence, including so-called “corrective rape.” Corrective rape is a phenomenon that has garnered significant media attention in South Africa, among other countries; it is a crime in which rapists attempt to justify their acts by purporting to “correct” their victims’ same-sex identities and acts.
IGLHRC and SEROvie also documented the arrest of 40 women for “woman on woman activities in tents” in one camp for displaced people, according to the first Haitian television station to air a story about the arrests. In interviews, the Port-au-Prince police commissioner explained that the women would be charged with “indecency and immorality,” perhaps because Haitian law does not specifically criminalize same-sex activity. The women were released after two days in detention, but the police commissioner signaled his intent to expand such operations to other areas."

Humanitarian activist Mark Canavera details the woes of LGBT in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-canavera/lgbt-haitians-persecution_b_1390097.html), drawing on reports (http://www.iglhrc.org/binary-data/ATTACHMENT/file/000/000/505-1.pdf) from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (http://www.iglhrc.org/)and SEROvie (https://www.facebook.com/pages/SEROvie/144658378899904?sk=info), a Haitian gay advocacy organization.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/report-lgbts-left-to-die-in-rubble-of-haiti-earthquake-blamed-and-raped-afterward-20120403/#ixzz1r0hQE7bw

A report by scientists at the University of Michigan indicates LGBT college students who face discrimination are more likely to have a problem with alcohol.Published in Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, the study suggests subtle discrimination, not just blatant homophobia, can impact drinking behaviors. “Addressing disrespectful, discourteous behaviors on campus may seem unimportant compared to addressing overt discrimination and violence, but this study’s results suggest otherwise,” says U of M social-work professor Michael Woodford, who authored the report.
Almost 2,500 students—including some 400 sexual minorities—were asked to complete an anonymous online survey asking about their drinking and drug use and any situations where they felt they or others had been discriminated against. According to Medical Xpress (http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-gay-college-students-problems-peers.html), LGBT students were also “significantly more likely to report any alcohol or drug use and problematic drinking and problematic drug use,” as compared to their straight classmates.
Ironically, while discussion of harassment and homophobia can be helpful for students, it can also be a trigger, says Woodford. The study revealed that hearing stories of how friends and classmates were mistreated is a risk for misusing or abusing alcohol.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-gay-and-lesbian-college-students-at-higher-risk-for-alcohol-abuse-20120403/#ixzz1r0hv2C1Z

Researchers in Western Australia (http://www.queerty.com/study-male-bottlenose-dolphins-engage-in-extensive-bisexuality-and-exclusive-homosexuality-20120402/#) have recently published a paper that details the very gay lives of male bottlenose dolphins. According to Discovery News (http://news.discovery.com/animals/dolphin-society-120327.html), the study found that, while male dolphins court females during the mating season, they often have longterm gay partners in the off-season (who says homosexuality is going to extinct our race?). The authors of the paper (http://www.queerty.com/study-male-bottlenose-dolphins-engage-in-extensive-bisexuality-and-exclusive-homosexuality-20120402/#) write:

Male bottlenose dolphins also were found to engage in extensive bisexuality, combined with periods of exclusive homosexuality. Male pairs, or even trios, cooperate to sequester and herd individual females during the mating season. Most males are also members of second order alliances consisting of 4 to 14 males. Such relationships appear to be long lasting, with one known 7-member group still intact after 17 years.
At first the researchers thought the dolphins lived somewhat like chimpanzees, since male bonding is strong, but in chimps can also lead to patrolling and defending community territory. But because of their open watery range, the Shark Bay dolphins may instead have ranges that overlap with those of other dolphins in the area.
While dolphins can be aggressive, their “make love not war” lifestyle seems to be more peaceful than that of some other mammals, possibly even humans.
And lest we forget, male dolphins love to “make blowhole” with one another (http://www.queerty.com/male-dolphins-arent-afraid-to-blowhole-each-other-20101121/), too:

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-male-bottlenose-dolphins-engage-in-extensive-bisexuality-and-exclusive-homosexuality-20120402/#ixzz1r0iIgTqi

TheGodlessUtopian

3rd April 2012, 21:28

Hmm… is Kathryn Lehman the lesbian version of Ken Mehlman (http://queerty.com/tag/ken-mehlman)? Sixteen years ago, Lehman was a Republican Hill staffer helping to write the language for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA (http://www.queerty.com/gop-lesbian-who-had-hand-in-writing-doma-now-lobbying-for-its-repeal-20120402/#)), the federal law that limits the definition to marriage as between one man and one woman, reports the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/kathryn-lehman-doma_n_1341775.html?ref=mostpopular).
Then, she was chair of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution. She was engaged to the one man that her one womanhood would eventually marry.
Nowadays, the 52-year-old is working on the Hill as as a lesbian GOP lobbyist trying to repeal DOMA, the product of her hand. She’s also happily partnered with longtime friend Julie Conway, a political fundraiser who she really hit it of with at the 2004 RNC.
She tells HuffPo reporter Jennifer Bendery that, when she wrote DOMA in 1996, it was just a totally different time:

“There was nobody married, it wasn’t allowed anywhere. The view of gay people … it wasn’t Ellen [DeGeneres]. It wasn’t Neil Patrick Harris. It was kinky sex and women riding around on motorcycles (http://www.queerty.com/gop-lesbian-who-had-hand-in-writing-doma-now-lobbying-for-its-repeal-20120402/#) without shirts on. That was sort of the view that the community projected as well. It wasn’t people that you know, people that you work with, people just like everybody else.”
Well, Ellen did the “Yep, I’m Gay” People mag cover in April 1997 (http://www.people.com/people/ellen_degeneres/biography/0,,,00.html), so DOMA doesn’t quite predate it so much. And, right, all lesbians were affiliated with Dykes on Bikes in 1996. Obviously! The worst part might be that Lehman realized what she was doing was wrong but didn’t act on it. She says of Barney Frank’s moving testimony against DOMA:

“I remember Barney Frank saying at the time, ‘I don’t understand how me being married to my partner hurts your ability to be married.’ And I remember thinking, ‘Yeah, I don’t either.’”
Well, now you’ve got the platform to reverse the harm you did, Lehman, so that your partner can receive the federal health benefits you wrote that she didn’t need back in 1996. Better work hard on that!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gop-lesbian-who-had-hand-in-writing-doma-now-lobbying-for-its-repeal-20120402/#ixzz1r0ipxJBz

Though the “theater gay” is a well-known stereotype, it seems that a Christian instructor at a Texas university isn’t so okay with gay theater. According to the Southeast Texas Record (http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/242934-instructor-alleges-lamar-discriminated-against-her-religious-beliefs), Linda Ozmun has filed suit against Lamar University and Judith Sebesta, chair of the Department of Theater and Dance.
Says the Record:

According to the lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/theater-instructor-sues-university-for-making-her-attend-gay-theater-shows-20120402/#), Ozmun is a faculty member of the theater department. In 2010, the department sought to bring in Tim Miller, an artist who advocates for homosexual marriage, to perform a show centered on homosexuality. However, his show was cancelled when the community complained.
In response to the cancellation, several students organized a show called “Coming Out Collective,” which Ozmun refused to attend.
When Ozmun received (http://www.queerty.com/theater-instructor-sues-university-for-making-her-attend-gay-theater-shows-20120402/#) her annual review in March 2011, Sebesta included her failure to attend the event as part of her evaluation and gave her a grade of “unacceptable,” the suit states.
She filed a grievance, which was returned and noted “unheard,” the suit states.
In the fall 2011 semester, Lamar brought Miller back to perform his show “Glory Box” and conduct a workshop. According to her suit, Ozmun asked to be excused from attending the show but was threatened with disciplinary action if she failed to attend.
Now, while it is delicious to think about the irony of a teacher in such a typically gay department being so unsettled by the gays, Queerty believes that teachers have the right to be as prudish as their students, should they choose to be. But it is kind of annoying when an academic type, who’s supposed to be open-minded, refuses to go see a show like Miller’s?
Miller already gets enough flack from conservatives and government bureaucrats (http://www.queerty.com/villanova-disinvites-queer-performance-artist-tim-miller-not-in-keeping-with-our-catholic-values-20120223/)—shouldn’t fellow theater academics have his back?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/theater-instructor-sues-university-for-making-her-attend-gay-theater-shows-20120402/#ixzz1r0j7Yjz6

Last Monday, Father Martin McVeigh of St Mary’s School (right) in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, was busy explaining the sacrament of First Communion when his presentation to parents—and at least one child—went awry and his computer slideshow was interrupted by some 16 X-rated images of naked men, reports the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17582542). A parent told the Beeb that McVeigh was shaken and flustered after the gay-porn images screened: “He gave no explanation or apology to the group and bolted out of the room. Faculty at St Mary’s went on with the presentation.”
Oddly enough, the Father returned to the room some 20 minutes later and continued with the meeting, explaining “that the children get lots of money for their Holy Communion and should consider giving some of it to the church.”
Cardinal Brady, the head of Ireland’s Catholic Church, gave a more detailed, technical explanation: “Inappropriate imagery was inadvertently shown by a priest at the beginning of a PowerPoint presentation, causing concern to those present.”
Um, no shit, Pope Benedict.
Though the presentation came from McVeigh’s memory stick (http://www.queerty.com/irish-priest-inadvertently-shows-x-rated-gay-pics-at-school-meeting-20120403/#), he claims no knowledge of the sinful images. And the Public Service of Northern Ireland reports that, based on the evidence, no crime has been committed.

Like Father McVeigh, we have no idea (http://www.queerty.com/irish-priest-inadvertently-shows-x-rated-gay-pics-at-school-meeting-20120403/#) where those porn pics came from. Let’s just chalk it up to divine intervention.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/irish-priest-inadvertently-shows-x-rated-gay-pics-at-school-meeting-20120403/#ixzz1r0jP2pxq

You would think that religious right leaders would be happy to see a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan flying a flag. But when the flag is of the rainbow variety, it’s time for the full freakout that includes suggesting that it will lead to deaths of American soldiers (presumably none of whom are gay). It all began with an image posted on the Facebook wall for Wipeout Homophobia (http://www.facebook.com/WHOF1) by Nicole Jodice on March 24.
“hubbie in afghanistan raising a gay pride flag = )” she wrote.
It’s an amazing photo: Demonstrating just how fast the military’s institutional homophobia is falling.
That would have been the end of it, but of course nothing that smacks of tolerance can escape the detection of the religious right. In this case, Tony Perkins, head of the designated hate group (http://www.queerty.com/just-in-case-you-forgot-why-the-family-research-council-is-a-hate-group-20110531/) Family Research Council, sympathized with fundamentalist Muslims who might be driven to murder our soldiers because they’re homophobes, too.
“Where is the concern now for angering Afghan Muslims, who vehemently oppose homosexuality?” Perkins lamented. “The issue is as much an issue of military security as it is of religious morality. After February’s accident with the Korans, American lives were lost. What price will we pay because some want to use the military to show their gay pride?”
We’re touched that Perkins should suddenly be so concerned about the accidental burning of Korans by American soldiers, an incident that he said just three weeks ago “doesn’t hold a torch to what’s happening to faith in America (http://www.frc.org/washingtonwatchdailyradiocommentary/president-plays-with-fire-after-koran-burnings).” And unless we’re mistaken–and we’re not–this is the same Tony Perkins who called Islam “evil (http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/blog/tony_perkins_failure_of_leader_1/)” and said that “the Islamists and the homosexuals work out of the same playbook (http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/perkins-islamists-and-homosexuals-work-out-same-playbook)” (presumably the Tehran edition of Vogue).
Apparently, a rainbow flag is such a provocation that it excuses attacks on our troops. Or it could be a sign of the strength of our diversity and tolerance, principles we’re supposed to treasure. We’ll leave it up to you to decide.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/u-s-soldier-flies-rainbow-flag-in-afghanistan-professional-homophobe-flips-out-20120403/#ixzz1r0jjHHAO

On Wednesday Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage, will be the site of a court case over the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to married gay couples.
In 2010, Massachusetts judge Joseph Tauro ruled DOMA was unconstitutional because it “interferes with the right of a state to define marriage and denies married gay couples an array of federal benefits given to heterosexual married couples, including the http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/paul-clement-TH.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/paul-clement-TH.jpg)ability to file joint tax returns (http://www.queerty.com/massachusetts-gears-up-for-court-battle-over-doma-20120402/#),” according to the AP (http://online.wsj.com/article/AP22a1bcd474b548278729f09a7a2b0d67.html).
But even though President Obama (http://www.queerty.com/massachusetts-gears-up-for-court-battle-over-doma-20120402/#) has made it clear his Administration will no longer defend DOMA, there is still someone appealing Tauro’s decision: Yep, House Speaker John Boehner and his Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG).
Thanks guys!
BLAG has brought in Paul Clement (above), who’s been busy arguing against Obama’s health-care plan before the Supreme Court, to head up the challenge in the Bay State.

In legal briefs filed in court, Clement argues that the challenges to the law appear to be based on the claim that Congress has no legitimate interest in providing a federal definition of marriage and has no choice but to adopt the state definition.
“Congress has multiple rational bases for preferring a uniform federal definition over a patchwork, so DOMA should survive unless there is something categorically different about marriage. There is not,” Clement wrote.
“Congress has ample power to define the terms used in federal statutes to apportion federal benefits and burdens. Any other rule would turn the Supremacy Clause and our entire constitutional structure upside down.”
So not only will gay marriage destroy the institution of marriage, it’ll obliterate the Constitution. What were we thinking?!?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/massachusetts-gears-up-for-court-battle-over-doma-20120402/#ixzz1r0k8jSUA

Catholic School Cancels Victoria Kennedy Speech Over Pro-Gay Stances

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-03/1Kennedy.jpg
Vicki Kennedy and late husband, Ted Kennedy
A Massachusetts Catholic college has scrapped plans to have Victoria Kennedy, Ted Kennedy’s widow, deliver its commencement address, citing her support for marriage equality and abortion rights.

Robert J. McManus, the bishop of Worcester, Mass., pressured Anna Maria College in Paxton to cancel Kennedy’s speaking engagement and an honorary degree the college was to give her, Religion News Service reports. A spokesman for McManus said the bishop believes Catholic schools “should be honoring Catholics for their consistent public positions with the church, not for contrary positions with the church, especially on core issues such as the right to life and the sanctity of marriage.”

Actually, Victoria Kennedy has not been particularly outspoken on these matters, but her late husband was a strong advocate for LGBT rights and women’s reproductive freedom during his long tenure in the U.S. Senate. She issued a statement saying she was “disheartened” by the cancellation but understood the college’s position. Anna Maria College officials said they regretted withdrawing the invitation to Kennedy but had to take the action to maintain good relations with the local Catholic hierarchy. Read more here. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/catholic-school-cancels-address-by-kennedy-widow/2012/04/02/gIQAUoLlrS_story.html)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/03/Catholic_School_Cancels_Victoria_Kennedy_Speech_Ov er_Pro-Gay_Stances/

TheGodlessUtopian

5th April 2012, 00:01

Legendary AIDS activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) turns 25 this year, and most commemorations have included lengthy ruminations of the past: An in-depth interview with AIDS historian David France and activist Peter Staley on DemocracyNow! (http://www.queerty.com/watch-commemorate-act-ups-25th-anniversary-by-hearing-story-of-game-changing-aids-activists-20120324/) , a New York magazine feature (http://nymag.com/news/features/act-up-2012-4/) (by France, natch) on the controversial group’s founding figures, a screed open letter from Larry Kramer on HuffPo (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-kramer/act-up_b_1382314.html). But ACT UP is looking to the future—and getting back to its radical roots—on April 25, when members will join (http://www.queerty.com/act-up-and-occupy-wall-street-team-up-to-fist-the-finance-industry-20120404/#) protestors from Occupy Wall Street for a march through New York’s financial sector. The objective is to push for a “financial speculation tax,” which would charge banks, brokerage houses and other institutions for speculative trading. It even has a handy acronym with populist/communist/gay-sex undertones: FiST!
The march, which begins at the sane hour of 11am, starts at City Hall and ends at nearby Wall Street. A press release (http://actupny.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93:act-up-25th-anniversary-action-media-advisory&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50) from ACT UP New York reads, in part:

[ACT UP and OWS] are calling on local, state, and federal legislators to “give Wall Street the FiST,” which is needed to fill AIDS funding gaps and—once and for all—provide universal healthcare in the US. It’s time for effective healthcare to be made available to everyone—to the 99%, not just the 1%…
Both ACT UP and OWS suggest the revenue from a Financial Speculation Tax would be significant—potentially in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The revenue from this tax should be used to fund the end of the AIDS pandemic (http://www.queerty.com/act-up-and-occupy-wall-street-team-up-to-fist-the-finance-industry-20120404/#), i.e. to fill in US budget gaps in the fight against HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. It should be used to provide treatment, services and prevention to thousands of Americans and millions around the world. The groups also say the tax could help pay for universal healthcare in the U.S.
You know what? As far-fetched a pipe dream as this tax is, it’s not a half-bad idea. And you gotta love the innuendo: Wall Street robber barons fucked over the American public—now it’s our turn to double-FiST them!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/act-up-and-occupy-wall-street-team-up-to-fist-the-finance-industry-20120404/#ixzz1r7Cd55iV

On Monday’s broadcast of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert joked that “pink slime”—a.k.a. “lean finely textured beef” or LFTB if you work for the USDA—has so many hormones in it, it’s “part of the transgender community.”
Possibly after a call from GLAAD, Colbert offered a humble apology–or rather, a “Colbology”—in last night’s show:
“Apparently, some in the Twittersphere have accused me of being transphobic,” he explained. “So I just want to get out in front of this and say that I, Stephen Colbert, apologize to any of my transgender bovine viewers that may have been offended. No matter how you were born, no matter how you identify, I want to be clear that I would be proud to grind you up and eat you.”
Well, at least he’s willing to put his mouth where his money is.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/stephen-colbert-issues-colbology-for-transgender-cow-joke-about-pink-slime-20120404/#ixzz1r7DJjGm3

P.S: See source for video

The Los Angeles Times is reporting (http://projects.latimes.com/prop8/donation/8930/) Brendan Eich, the co-founder of Mozilla and the inventor of JavaScript, donated $1,000 to the Proposition 8 Fund, which worked to pass a marriage-equality ban in California. Despite some legal wrangling (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/07/BA0Q1LRL5E.DTL), the names, home states and employers of Prop 8 donors’ are on the public record (http://www.queerty.com/l-a-times-javascript-inventor-gave-1000-to-pro-prop-8-forces-20120404/#) and have been tallied by the Times in a handy online database (http://projects.latimes.com/prop8/). (It also lists people who contributed against the ban.) Thankfully, it appears Eich (right) was the only staffer from Mozilla—which operates Firefox, the Web browser you’re probably reading this on—to cough up some dough for the haters.
Y’know, there are a lot of ugly stereotypes about computer programmers (http://www.queerty.com/l-a-times-javascript-inventor-gave-1000-to-pro-prop-8-forces-20120404/#), but we’d never put “homophobes” among them—Eich just makes his fellow tech nerds look bad.
Here’s hoping he stays a virgin for another 51 years.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/l-a-times-javascript-inventor-gave-1000-to-pro-prop-8-forces-20120404/#ixzz1r7DgUQ7p

With 90 percent of precincts reporting, it appears that 58 percent of Anchorage voters rejected Proposition Five a measure that would have ensured protections for LGBT people. According to the Anchorage Daily News (http://www.adn.com/2012/04/03/2406275/voters-reject-gay-rights-initiative.html), the “equal rights ordinance that was far and away the most controversial and emotional component of this spring’s election.”
The Daily News writes that it was a chaotic election, and that neither side of the Prop 5 debate has conceded defeat:

An unexpectedly high turnout, with some polling places running out of ballots, resulted in a large number of votes that might be on “questioned” ballots, which have to be counted by hand. The final results may be days or longer away, said municipal clerk Barbara Gruenstein.
Reports began circulating late in the day Tuesday that some precincts were running out of ballots because of heavy turnout. By 7 p.m.—an hour before polls were to close—lines were long at many polling places and extra ballots were being rushed to precincts that had run out.
The New York Times says it was strange for so much national attention be paid to a measure in a small city with a population of just 300,000:

The vote followed an unusually loud and expensive campaign for a city ballot measure in Anchorage. The organizers of Proposition 5, a group called One Anchorage, included prominent politicians from both sides of the aisle (Alaska’s United States senators, Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, and Mark Begich, a Democrat, both said they supported it) and the group outspent the opposition more than 4 to 1.
One Anchorage, which had raised about $340,000 as of last week, received some of its support from outside the state, including a $25,000 donation (http://www.queerty.com/did-anchorage-voters-reject-an-lgbt-anti-discrimination-ordinance-20120404/#) from Tim Gill, a Colorado billionaire who has given generously to gay causes. Opposition was led by conservative religious leaders in Alaska, including within the Catholic Church, and was financed largely by one source, the Anchorage Baptist Temple and its leader, the Rev. Jerry Prevo.
Queerty is holding out hope that the Yes on Prop 5 side comes out with the extra votes they need in the recount. In a small election such as this, it’s not inconceivable. Plus, a lot of the people who voted no on the measure were told (http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/will-anchorage-voters-cry-foul-after-tuesdays-election) that they could register on the same day, which is incorrect (you need to register (http://www.queerty.com/did-anchorage-voters-reject-an-lgbt-anti-discrimination-ordinance-20120404/#) 30 days prior), so many of those votes could get invalidated.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/did-anchorage-voters-reject-an-lgbt-anti-discrimination-ordinance-20120404/#ixzz1r7E5n755

TheGodlessUtopian

5th April 2012, 00:43

Of course, two gay bashings don’t equal a trend of homophobia in the city, but these incidents certainly are startling when you consider they occurred in gay-friendly neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
First up is Brooklyn art-photographer Iannis Delatolas, who was gay-bashed inside a gay-friendly bar in Gowanus. Second, we have Thomas Dolan, who witnessed a gay bashing on a very gay-bar-heavy stretch of West 52nd Street (home to hot-spots Therapy (http://newyork.gaycities.com/bars/428-therapy) and Industry (http://newyork.gaycities.com/bars/300623-industry-bar)).
In Delatolas’ case, he took a photograph of himself in an ACT UP shirt standing in the street with a baseball bat. In Dolan’s, he has written an eloquent essay entreating cosmopolitan gays not to accept complacency simply because the LGBT-friendly urban center shelters us.
Delatolas tells the Village Voice‘s Michael Musto (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/04/artists_gay-bas.php):

“On the night of Friday the 17th of February, I went to Mission Dolores, a gay friendly bar in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn… I got in line to order a beer, and a white man in his mid twenties cut in front of me as I was about to order.
“I told him to wait his turn and he mouthed off some ‘f**k you, you f**king queer’. I had some loud words with him, and he took his beer and left. I was shaken, I go there all the time, I never thought this would happen there…
“[Later] the security guy comes to back me up. He saw the original confrontation. The frat boy says he is going to bash my head in. The security guy tells him to shut up and that maybe they should leave the bar.
“While I am having it out with the frat boy, a friend of his from that table, someone I had not even looked at or spoken to, jumps on me from my left and punches my head. I fall to the ground covering my head, while holding the leash. This happened very fast.
“He was not in my field of vision. He was able to get in 5 to 10 punches on my head before the bouncer got him off of me. I get up in a daze. I ask for a witness as I am dialing 911. The courtyard is packed with about 30 mostly white hipsters. No one comes forward.
“The attackers and their girlfriends flee the bar before the cops get there. The bouncer, a black man in his twenties, is my only witness. The security cameras (http://www.queerty.com/is-nyc-becoming-more-homophobic-two-stories-of-recent-gay-bashings-might-indicate-so-20120404/#), a total of 4, are not recording any of this. The police came, took a report. There is nothing that can be done since no one knows who they are.”
Next up is Thomas Dolan, who witnessed a gay-bashing occurring in Hell’s Kitchen. He sends us an essay imploring the young gay men of New York City not to embrace complacency just because we’ve escaped the homophobia of our upbringings and found a stable place to co-habitate.

Around 2am in the early morning of January 16th (MLK Day, no less), a friend and I stumbled through Hell’s Kitchen, hopping toward whichever bar had the biggest crowd. As we crossed onto 52nd Street, perhaps the gayest block in the gayborhood, I saw a man push another in what I assumed was some bar brawl. Being more of a lover than a fighter, I rolled my eyes and sauntered to the other side of the street. I soon heard the predictable crack of bone connecting with flesh, but was surprised that the attacker kept swinging even after the other fell to the curb. Instead of anger, though, the victim’s response was one of bewilderment: “What are you doing?! I don’t even know you!” This only incited the attacker, and he began stalking up and down the street, punching random men from among the gaggles heading home.
As the attacker’s friends began a too-familiar chorus of slurs, my mind leapfrogged from confusion to recognition – never disbelief. Though I hadn’t seen something like this in Hell’s Kitchen, the specter of hate crime is never too far out of mind for most gay men. However unexpected, the reality of what was happening became immediately clear.
I cowered behind an SUV and called the police, but the assault ended as quickly as it had begun. A silver car flew down the block in reverse, before picking up the attacker and disappearing into the lights of Times Square.
As the half dozen witnesses and victims fumbled introductions and entered into a strange brotherhood, I finished my call to 911. I asked that they send an ambulance, gave what a witness remembered of the license plate of the get-away car, exchanged contact information with the other witnesses and waited.
I shivered in a mix of cold and adrenaline, not knowing quite what to think but feeling awful. Fundamentally, I knew I had been right not to intervene and get into a fight myself, but I felt emasculated to have done nothing. I also reassured myself that I had done the right thing in calling the police, but after officers arrived and doodled some notes, I felt like a fool for so blindly believing in a system that barely took my concerns (and community) seriously.
Once I finished relating my story, I headed into the bar, both a practical decision because of the cold and an attempt not to “let the terrorists win.” When I got inside, everything was as if nothing had happened. A part of me wanted to shout from the top of the bar that something terrible had just happened and that we weren’t doing anything, but an apparently stronger part of me wanted to fade into the background of just another night at the gay bar.
I thought of other moments when I felt both a call to action and the far easier (and more selfish) call to join the party. I remember the guilty pleasure I took in marching, shouting and invariably flirting in the streets after Proposition 8 passed. I thought of my trip to see Normal Heart, when I felt inspired by Larry Kramer handing out a flier in the rain, but ultimately capped off the evening with a surfeit of brown liquor and banter. These experiences left me, metaphorically and more literally, unsure of where to go from there, but I somehow always chose the simpler option of escapism.
I realized that I have tried to avoid these moments—the loss of marriage equality in California, a play about the holocaust of AIDS, a gay-bashing close to home—because they are reminders that my existence as a gay man remains precarious, even in 2012. I cringed at the time and energy I would spend dealing with the assault not because of the value of my time, but because to treat this attack seriously would mean acknowledging that this sort of ugliness still exists and that things aren’t as great as I want to think.
As a generation, we have witnessed an unprecedented deluge of LGBTQ images and rights, but we must remember that these victories have been accompanied by increasing conservative retrenchment and heartbreaking stories of bullying and violence. We (presumably) stand on the cusp of an unprecedented era of equality and acceptance, but much though I hate to admit it, we’re not there yet.
I didn’t suddenly become Larry Kramer, but the proximity of this assault reminded me that I need to strike a better balance between guilt, escapism and actually doing something. I have sought my next drink, next party, next paramour, because I hoped they might validate what I know deep down remains a precarious existence. There’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, but there is a problem when escapism becomes so pervasive as to preclude any action.
By all means, we should take advantage of the comfort in which we lead our lives (why else do I scrimp for this overpriced corner of Tenth Avenue?) but we should also acknowledge that our complacency is premature. For many, this kind of assault is a common, rather than extraordinary occurrence. We all know that. However, we do ourselves a disservice by burying our heads in the sand or simply meditating on change from a comfortable distance. I’m proud to have had the courage to come out and embrace who I am, knowing that that entails certain risks, but rather than give me carte blanche to retreat into hedonism, my being out should require me to do whatever I can to ensure that my sort of life is possible for all LGBTQ persons, should they choose it.
I’m grateful to report that this assault is now being investigated as a hate crime, however unlikely it may be that the attacker is ever brought to justice. Beyond sympathy and public flagellation, I hope that my writing is in some small way a step toward ensuring that there isn’t a next time.
We hope so too, Thomas.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/is-nyc-becoming-more-homophobic-two-stories-of-recent-gay-bashings-might-indicate-so-20120404/#ixzz1r7NCXlOp

Jeremy Renner has been the subject of gay rumors in the National Enquirer a few times, first (http://www.queerty.com/the-outing-of-the-hurt-lockers-jeremy-renner-20100310/) after he leaped to fame with the Oscar-winning Hurt Locker and second (http://www.queerty.com/how-long-before-the-tabloids-take-tom-cruise-jeremy-renners-platonic-co-star-role-to-a-closed-door-trailer-20101029/) for getting too bro-mancy with Tom Cruise (http://www.queerty.com/bourne-identity-star-jeremy-renner-once-choked-a-dude-for-calling-him-a-gay-slur-20120404/#) when they filmed Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jeremy-renner-avengers-bourne-legacy-307421) now tells of a Jeremy Renner who is intensely defensive about his private life, but who will open up about choking a ***** who called him gay. Says THR:

Renner tells the story of how, on Christmas Eve a few years back, when he was with his family in a bar, “This guy chokes me with the scarf I was wearing. He called me a fag ’cause I was wearing a scarf! Then he shoved my sister and I got behind him and I choked him out—put him to sleep.”
Kind of an overreaction, wouldn’t you say?
But anyway, Renner insists he’s straight, doesn’t like people speculating about his personal life, and has had plenty of long-term engagements with lady friends.

For Renner, Internet speculation already has centered around whom he’s dating (http://www.queerty.com/bourne-identity-star-jeremy-renner-once-choked-a-dude-for-calling-him-a-gay-slur-20120404/#) (everyone from Jessica Simpson to Scarlett Johansson, if you believe the tabs) to his sexual orientation. “I want my personal life to be personal, and it’s not f—ing true,” he says of the suppositions. “And I don’t care if you’re talking about things that are true, you’re still talking about my personal life. How about I go peek in your window, take what underwear you wore last night, whose husband you were f—ing, and shove that in the megaphone throughout your neighborhood? How does that feel?”
As to his long-term involvements, he says he had one five-year relationship with a woman while in his 20s and another that ended two years ago after 4 1/2 years. He met that girlfriend, Jes Macallan — who, as her Twitter account (http://www.queerty.com/bourne-identity-star-jeremy-renner-once-choked-a-dude-for-calling-him-a-gay-slur-20120404/#) reveals, married actor Jason Gray-Stanford (Monk) on March 17 — when she was 23 and working at a film festival in Florida; subsequently, she decided to go into acting. “That was part of the issue,” says Renner. “I was going through the Hurt Locker campaign and she’s like, ‘Where do I get headshots?’ ”
Guess he doesn’t like helping his girlfriends get a leg up in the business. But until somebody comes forward as his ex-boyfriend, I’m considering the gay rumors totally bunk.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/bourne-identity-star-jeremy-renner-once-choked-a-dude-for-calling-him-a-gay-slur-20120404/#ixzz1r7NYGFwb

Over the weekend in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, a group called the Movement Against Gays In Liberia distributed a hit list with the names of gay activists and those who support gay rights. Reports the AP (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/anti-gay-group-in-liberia-issues-hit-list-threatens-to-get-to-them-one-by-one/2012/04/03/gIQA8UVwsS_story.html):

The fliers distributed over the weekend in parts of Liberia’s capital were signed by the Movement Against Gay’s [sic] in Liberia, or MOGAL [how does that acronym correspond?]. The group said those involved in promoting gay rights “should not be given space to get a gulp of air.”
“Having conducted a comprehensive investigation, we are convinced that the below listed individuals are gays or supporters of the club who don’t mean well for our country,” the fliers read. “Therefore, we have agreed to go after them using all means in life.”
While it’s not an open death threat, it’s pretty clear that they want to track down and kill gay people one by one. And their vagueness about the methods (“all means in life”) leaves room for other terrible punishments, including torture and “corrective rape.” And apparently they have the support of the community:

No individual members of MOGAL signed the flier. But Moses Tapleh, a 28-year-old resident of the main community where the flier was distributed, said he was affiliated with the group and stressed that its threats should be taken seriously.
“We will get to them one by one,” Tapleh said. “They want to spoil our country.”
Asked what specific action might be taken against those on the list, he said they could be subjected to “dangerous punishments” including “flogging and death.”
A relative of one of those targeted, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the person on the list already had received threatening phone (http://www.queerty.com/liberian-group-threatens-to-track-down-and-kill-lgbt-people-one-by-one-20120404/#) calls.
Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has said that she will not sign any law (http://www.queerty.com/liberias-nobel-prize-winning-president-in-testy-exchange-i-wont-decriminalize-homosexuality-20120320/) decriminalizing homosexuality–Liberia’s current one puts you in jail for up to a year if you’re found guilty of gay sex acts, and lawmakers have tried to push the penalty up to ten years (http://www.queerty.com/liberias-former-first-lady-introduces-bill-making-homosexuality-a-felony-20120223/).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/liberian-group-threatens-to-track-down-and-kill-lgbt-people-one-by-one-20120404/#ixzz1r7Nx5WBG

Some months back Dan Pearce (right), the Utah blogger behind Single Dad Laughing (http://www.danoah.com/), wrote the fairly amazing essay, “I’m Christian, Unless You’re Gay (http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html).” Though he’s received (http://www.queerty.com/brave-teen-uses-dan-pearces-im-christian-unless-youre-gay-essay-to-come-out-to-mom-20120404/#) a mountain of responses to the post since then—and had pretty much decided to move on to other topics—Pearce announced this week that he had gotten an e-mail (http://www.danoah.com/2012/04/a-teens-brave-response-to-im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html/1/) about i that he just had to share. And we felt the same.
The e-mailer, “One Proud Mom” says her 15-year-old son was given a copy of “I’m Christian, Unless…” by his teacher and told to write about it. The lad decided to use the assignment to come out to Mom, even though she had always been rabidly (and vocally) anti-gay. Having learned the error of her ways, OPM forwarded Pearce her son’s plea for acceptance, which—fair warning—will just shred your heart.
He writes, in part:

I am gay and only my one friend knows so far. My mom doesn’t know yet. My dad doesn’t know yet. You didn’t know it when you gave us this homework. I am only 15 years old and I have never felt so alone. My mom and dad always are being angry about gay people and talking about how they are bad and going to hell and they also always talk about how all the gays should be shipped off to their own private island or something so that the rest of us could live God’s commandments in peace.
I have been so scared of them finding out that I’m gay because I know that they would hate me and would want me out of their life and at the same time I can’t keep this secret anymore because it is not something I asked for, never in a million (http://www.queerty.com/brave-teen-uses-dan-pearces-im-christian-unless-youre-gay-essay-to-come-out-to-mom-20120404/#) years would I ask to be gay in a town like this where everybody would hate me. And anyways I can’t keep this secret anymore because I’m about to do something crazy like run away or hurt myself or something. I just want to be dead sometimes…
Tonight I am going to send this to my mom and see what she says I guess. I don’t know what will happen but I know that I deserve to be loved just like everybody else does I just hope she thinks so too.
Read “A Teen’s Brave Response to ‘I’m Christian Unless You’re Gay,” (http://www.danoah.com/2012/04/a-teens-brave-response-to-im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html/1/) in its entirety to learn how a scared gay boy’s courage and honesty helped open his mother’s mind and her heart. Then hop back here and share your thoughts in the comments.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/brave-teen-uses-dan-pearces-im-christian-unless-youre-gay-essay-to-come-out-to-mom-20120404/#ixzz1r7OjzhV9

TheGodlessUtopian

5th April 2012, 21:14

After the brutal gay-bashing death (http://www.queerty.com/chilean-victim-of-brutal-gay-bashing-dies-after-month-in-coma-20120328/) of Daniel Zamudio (right), who had his ear cut off and was branded with swastikas via cigarette burns, many Chileans called for action to be taken. Now, the federal government (http://www.queerty.com/chile-barely-passes-anti-discrimination-law-after-brutal-gay-bashing-death-of-daniel-zamudio-20120405/#) has acted on his behalf by passing an anti-discrimination law in a very tight 58-56 vote, reports the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/chiles-congress-approves-anti-discrimination-law-after-killing-of-gay-man-in-brutal-assault/2012/04/04/gIQAirE4vS_story.html#).
Zamudio was viciously attacked and tortured for an hour by four anti-gay neo-Nazis in a park in Santiago, Chile, and died after over three weeks in a coma. Prosecutors want to charge the perpetrators with murder and torture.
The law refers to illegal discrimination as “any distinction, exclusion or restriction that lacks reasonable justification, committed by agents of the state or individuals, and that causes the deprivation, disturbance or threatens the legitimate exercise of fundamental rights.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/chile-barely-passes-anti-discrimination-law-after-brutal-gay-bashing-death-of-daniel-zamudio-20120405/#ixzz1rCNe0KVX

Today’s lesson: Don’t reveal you want to get married to a man if you are a high-school boy who wants to win the Mr. Fullerton pageant at Fullerton Union High (http://www.queerty.com/student-disqualified-from-campus-contest-for-saying-he-wants-to-get-gay-married-20120405/#) School in Orange County, California. This week, an unnamed student in the competition was asked where he saw himself in ten years, and answered he wanted to be legally wed to the man of his dream—which opened the door for administrative censoring. According to the Orange County Register (http://www.ocregister.com/news/student-347726-assistant-principal.html):

A student was removed by an administrator from the Mr. Fullerton competition Tuesday night after a pro-gay remark. The student said he hoped to find the love of his life, marry him and hoped gay marriage would be legal…
In a statement, Fullerton Joint Union High School District Superintendent George Giokaris said the student’s answer did not violate any school rules.
“The district has concluded that the matter was not handled appropriately by the assistant principal,” Giokaris said. “The district believes that the matter should have been handled privately with the student by the assistant principal.”
Giokaris said the administrator apologized privately to the student and publicly over the school’s public-address system Wednesday morning.
Bravo to this high-school senior, who was brave enough to admit he’s gay and furthermore unashamed to want to be in a loving, healthy relationship.
UPDATE: The student’s name is Kearian Giertz, and he spoke with NBS Local Los Angeles (http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/05/11034730-student-booted-from-pageant-over-gay-marriage-remark):

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/student-disqualified-from-campus-contest-for-saying-he-wants-to-get-gay-married-20120405/#ixzz1rCO1wBpS

P.S: See source for video

We just got an email from Queerty reader Chad Eldred of Minnesota, who forwarded us a letter he sent to State Senator Amy Koch (R-Buffalo), a staunch enemy of marriage equality. Why’d he bother to write Koch, when gay-marriage foes are a dime a dozen? Well, as we reported in December (http://www.queerty.com/mn-senate-majority-leader-marriage-equality-foe-amy-koch-resigns-amid-adultery-scandal-20111219/), Koch stepped down as the state’s Senate Majority Leader when her adulterous affair with a male staffer became public. Ironically, Koch (right) asked the public to respect her family’s privacy—something she failed to do when she helped put a gay-marriage ban proposition on the ballot this coming November.
Here’s Eldred’s missive. We can only hope Koch reads it (or, y’know, has someone spell out the big words for her).

Dear Amy,
While I’ve come to learn that you view me, your fellow Minnesotan, as a second-class citizen undeserving of the same rights you yourself have taken for granted, I still wanted to take a brief moment to tell you my story.
Perhaps you’ll disregard this message, or more likely than not, you’ll never even take the time to read it, but on the miniscule chance you will, I impart to you the following:
Growing up gay, I learned quickly what forms of relationships are accepted and realized early on that two boys falling in love was simply not an option. Despite being blessed with loving and supportive friends and family, I still struggled with learning (http://www.queerty.com/concerned-voter-calls-out-adulterous-mn-senator-amy-koch-on-her-hypocrisy-over-sanctity-of-marriage-20120405/#) to be OK with myself. And when a car full of guys, in broad daylight and in full public view, roll down their windows as you walk by and yell, “You f*cking fag. We’ll f*cking kill you,” you sincerely start to question your own worth as a person.
But my story is really no different than the thousands of other gays and lesbians who you share this great state with. And this isn’t meant to be a sob story, either. Fact is, I’ve probably had it easier than most, actually.
I met my current partner almost a year and a half ago, and I’m happy to tell you we’ve been inseparable ever since. We recently moved into an apartment together (I can show it to you sometime if you like), and adopted a puppy (http://www.queerty.com/concerned-voter-calls-out-adulterous-mn-senator-amy-koch-on-her-hypocrisy-over-sanctity-of-marriage-20120405/#) from a local rescue organization. She’s the cutest Border terrier mix you’ll ever meet. Her name is Bri.
We spend most of our nights at home catching up on our favorite shows, playing with our puppy, organizing the apartment or otherwise engaging in a slew of other mundane life activities. To be sure, we’re probably not so different from yourself.
And just as you pleaded with the media after your affair to leave you and your family in peace, my partner and I also wanted nothing more than to enjoy our private lives in peace, surrounded by our loving friends and family. Ironically enough, though, Amy, you’ve now made that impossible for us.
You see, that same privacy you so desperately sought for yourself after you selfishly destroyed your own marriage has been ripped from our lives, not by our own doing mind you, but by yet another one of your misguided decisions. Come November, you and your legislative colleagues have invited the entire state of Minnesota to take a public vote on the validity of not only my relationship, but the relationships of thousands of your fellow Minnesotans.
In a post-affair interview with WCCO, you had this to say about your support for the anti-gay marriage amendment. “The marriage amendment is a question the people of Minnesota will decide. It’s not about any one relationship at all.”
You’re right, Amy. This amendment isn’t about one relationship. It’s about thousands of them, including my own. And while I assuredly know I could have counted on your support to pass a bill this coming legislative session to let the people of Minnesota vote on banning adulterers such as yourself, hellbent as you are on destroying the sanctity of marriage, from having the right to get and/or stay married, I won’t ask you to do that.
In fact, I’m not asking you to do anything except to listen to, and respond to, stories like mine. Perhaps had you taken the time from the beginning to listen to our stories you would have realized the evil that is the ballot initiative you supported.
Perhaps you also would have realized the sad, sad irony behind you asking for your marriage and private life to be kept private, while at the same time subjugating thousands of other people’s private lives to a public referendum.
In a juicy little twist, Michael Brodkorb, Koch’s axed communications director and the man implicated in the affair, is threatening to name other staffers (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/amy-koch-affair-michael-brodkorb_n_1348773.html) who have had similar liaisons with Minnesota politicos. Oh Michael, please do. You’d make our year!

Check out the twitter hash tag: #KARMASA***** (http://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/aclk%253Fsa%253DL%2526ai%253DBcBYExvx9T4OhEsO8sQeL 8ajsDKju_sIDAAAAEAEggNSMJTgAWMCLmOpPYMmOm4mMpNQPsg EPd3d3LnF1ZWVydHkuY29tugEJZ2ZwX2ltYWdlyAEJ2gGEAWh0 dHA6Ly93d3cucXVlZXJ0eS5jb20vY29uY2VybmVkLXZvdGVyLW NhbGxzLW91dC1hZHVsdGVyb3VzLW1uLXNlbmF0b3ItYW15LWtv Y2gtb24taGVyLWh5cG9jcmlzeS1vdmVyLXNhbmN0aXR5LW9mLW 1hcnJpYWdlLTIwMTIwNDA1L-ABBMACAuACAOoCGFF1ZWVydHlfdGV4dF9zcG9uc29yc2hpcPgC 8tEegAMBkAPgA5gDrAKoAwHgBAGgBhY%2526num%253D0%2526 sig%253DAOD64_2GoVL9k5zlzVKidMNvuZfEwODD-w%2526client%253Dca-pub-7540897501752280%2526adurl%253Dhttps://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23karmasa*****)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/concerned-voter-calls-out-adulterous-mn-senator-amy-koch-on-her-hypocrisy-over-sanctity-of-marriage-20120405/#ixzz1rCOKZerW

Brian Johnson, an especially zealous evangelical who has made it his business (http://www.queerty.com/evangelical-taxidermist-sues-for-right-to-hand-out-bibles-at-mn-pride-parade-20120405/#) to hand out bibles at Minnesota’s Twin Cities Pride Parade since 1995, is suing for the right to do so after parade organizers have cut him off. Reports FOX News (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/04/evangelical-christian-files-federal-lawsuit-over-no-pride-policy-at-midwest/#ixzz1rAkKOxpY):

In recent years, the people behind the event, which draws as many as 300,000 people, have tried to oust him, first nixing his bid for a booth and then having him arrested in 2009.
Johnson, a taxidermist by trade and an evangelical by calling, sat out last year’s event for fear of arrest, according to his attorney (http://www.queerty.com/evangelical-taxidermist-sues-for-right-to-hand-out-bibles-at-mn-pride-parade-20120405/#). But the legal wrangling has continued behind the scenes, and this year parade organizers, at the suggestion of a federal judge, designated “free-speech zones” on the Pride Festival grounds, where people like Johnson could distribute literature the organizers wouldn’t otherwise approve.
Johnson and his attorney reject the policy, which is backed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Johnson believes he not only has God on his side, but the Constitution, too.
Can’t this crazed taxidermist just keep to his freaking Bible-approved zones? Some people.

“Johnson believes that the Bible is God’s word and sets out a plan of salvation for all people,” his attorney wrote in a 26-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court of Minnesota. “Johnson believes the Bible teaches that all people are sinners and therefore deserve God’s wrath, but anyone can receive salvation by believing and trusting in Jesus Christ.”
If he really thinks that all people are sinners, he ought to be stumping, on a regular basis, at other sinful public causes other than the gay pride parades. Such as: wet T-shirt contests (http://www.queerty.com/evangelical-taxidermist-sues-for-right-to-hand-out-bibles-at-mn-pride-parade-20120405/#), garage sales, Puerto Rican Day Parades, outdoor concerts, taxidermy conventions, etc.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/evangelical-taxidermist-sues-for-right-to-hand-out-bibles-at-mn-pride-parade-20120405/#ixzz1rCOZL56H

TheGodlessUtopian

5th April 2012, 21:19

The school that threatened to suspend Maverick Couch if he wore a “Jesus Is Not A Homophobe” T-shirt to school has agreed to let him wear it for one day only: April 20, the national Day of Silence, which protests the bullying of LGBT students. That won’t be enough to stop Couch from proceeding with his lawsuit against the high school (http://www.queerty.com/oh-student-sues-school-for-not-allowing-him-to-wear-pro-gay-tee-shirt-20120403/), according to the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ohio-school-agrees-to-let-gay-student-suing-district-wear-t-shirt-for-1-day/2012/04/05/gIQAHsyHxS_story.html).

“We’re glad that Maverick is able to wear his shirt on April 20,” Couch’s attorney (http://www.queerty.com/oh-school-sued-by-student-will-allow-him-to-wear-pro-gay-t-shirt-for-one-day-only-20120405/#), Christopher Clark, said. “However, a student’s First Amendment rights are not restricted to one day of the year — we will continue to fight until Maverick is allowed to express who he is on any day he chooses.”
Clark is an attorney with the civil rights group Lambda Legal, which is assisting Couch in the lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/oh-school-sued-by-student-will-allow-him-to-wear-pro-gay-t-shirt-for-one-day-only-20120405/#) against the school, located 35 miles northeast of Cincinnati.
The school said the shirt was “sexual in nature” and therefore inadmissible, which I imagine will not old up so well in court. After all, the place probably is okay with students wearing chastity rings and “I’m Saving (http://www.queerty.com/oh-school-sued-by-student-will-allow-him-to-wear-pro-gay-t-shirt-for-one-day-only-20120405/#) Myself For Marriage” shirts, right?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/oh-school-sued-by-student-will-allow-him-to-wear-pro-gay-t-shirt-for-one-day-only-20120405/#ixzz1rCOuf8sL

The National Organization for (Divine, Divorce-Proof, Heterosexual) Marriage is alleging that the Human Rights Campaign “stole” confidential documents from the IRS with the help of a traitorous “criminal” whistleblower. How dare that whistleblower leak damning information about NOM’s race-baiting tactics? How dare HRC expose their repugnant plans to set minorities against each another (http://www.queerty.com/revealed-noms-master-plan-to-turn-blacks-latinos-against-lgbts-20120327/) and to recruit dumb celebrities (http://www.queerty.com/nom-wants-to-recruit-glamorous-young-latina-celebrities-like-naya-rivera-fail-20120328/)! And who at the IRS can NOM yell at?
So bloggeth Brian Brown (http://www.nomblog.com/21437/), savior of America’s straight marriages/president of NOM:

“It appears that someone with either the IRS or the HRC may have committed a federal crime by illegally obtaining and then releasing a confidential tax return (http://www.queerty.com/nom-raving-mad-that-hrc-used-a-criminal-whistleblower-to-expose-race-baiting-tactics-20120405/#) of the National Organization for Marriage. It’s clear that the tax return was stolen, either from NOM or from the government. The Huffington Post article says that HRC claimed they received the document from a ‘whistleblower.’ But the term ‘whistleblower’ is completely inapt. We’re talking about a criminal who has stolen confidential tax return information. We demand to know who this criminal is, whether they work for the HRC or the IRS, and how they obtained confidential tax information filed only with the US government.”
What’s that Machiavelli once said? The ends justify the means?
Oh, and BTW, did Maggie Gallagher get her live bunnies for her Easter feast yet?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nom-raving-mad-that-hrc-used-a-criminal-whistleblower-to-expose-race-baiting-tactics-20120405/#ixzz1rCP85rBu

In 2009, Justin Goodwin was so severely gay-bashed (http://www.queerty.com/massachusetts-bashing-victim-head-trauma-wired-jaw-partially-blind-deaf-20090414/) outside a bar in Gloucester, Massachusetts that, following ten hours of surgery, he ended up blind in one eye, deaf in one ear, and with a mouth that needed to be wired shut for two months. Last year, he tragically committed suicide (http://www.salemnews.com/obituaries/x598331790/Justin-C-Goodwin-37), reports the Salem News (http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1560876797/Trial-starting-in-beating-of-gay-man). His lawyers say he took his own life because of his difficult recovery from (http://www.queerty.com/civil-trial-begins-in-case-of-man-so-brutally-gay-bashed-he-committed-suicide-two-years-later-20120405/#) the incident, stating that he was surrounded by journals he’d kept about getting back to health. While the four men who attacked him have been criminally convicted (but not of a hate crime) and are behind bars now, his family is proceeding with a civil case to seek justice—and damages—for Goodwin’s pain.
Writes the News:

His family and lawyers say he was never the same after the beating, touched off after he went to the aid of his sister when she got into a fight in the bar.
Goodwin died of a lethal mixture of prescription (http://www.queerty.com/civil-trial-begins-in-case-of-man-so-brutally-gay-bashed-he-committed-suicide-two-years-later-20120405/#) drugs he injected on March 31, 2011.
Shortly after the beating, Goodwin filed a civil rights lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/civil-trial-begins-in-case-of-man-so-brutally-gay-bashed-he-committed-suicide-two-years-later-20120405/#) against the bar’s owners and his assailants.
After Goodwin’s death, his father, Paul Goodwin Sr., took over the case as executor of his son’s estate. Lawyers for the Goodwins sought to add a wrongful death count.
Judge David Lowy will hear arguments today on whether to allow the jury to consider that.
The lawsuit names the bar (under its legal name Sportsmans Pub Inc.); former owner Michael Favazza; former manager Jon Churchill; four men who were eventually charged criminally and convicted, Jonathan and William Chadwick, John Curley, and Mark Elwell; and another alleged participant, James Hiland.
The Old Timer’s Tavern lost its license for 30 days and later shut down.
A wrongful death count would probably allow for more civil damages to be collected, despite the fact that these assaulters have already been criminally convicted (http://www.salemnews.com/local/x657342979/Brothers-get-prison-time-for-Old-Timers-beating-case) and are serving out their two-year-plus sentences in jail. The criminal conviction was not considered a hate crime, which could have been a point of distress for Goodwin in his difficult recovery and eventual suicide.
Should the court look to collect more damages against the bar’s owners and the perpetrating patrons, or should it let the criminal charges be enough punishment?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/civil-trial-begins-in-case-of-man-so-brutally-gay-bashed-he-committed-suicide-two-years-later-20120405/#ixzz1rCPJPKo0

Associated Press to Honor Out Gay Reporter Hank Plante

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - 1:18pm by Danny Heffernan, GLAAD's Advertising & Campaigns Fellow (http://www.glaad.org/blog/dannyheffernan)
http://www.glaad.org/files/styles/medium/public/Hank%20Plante.jpgOn June 2nd, retired political reporter Hank Plante will accept (http://www.towleroad.com/2012/04/plante.html) the 2012 Stan Chambers Award for Extraordinary Achievement from the Associated Press Television (http://www.glaad.org/blog/associated-press-honor-out-gay-reporter-hank-plante#) and Radio Association. Plante was one of the first openly gay TV reporters in the country, from the time he began a career in TV journalism thirty-five years ago. For his work, Plante has received local and national Emmys, honors from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and a George Foster Peabody Award. In 2005, GLAAD honored Plante’s groundbreaking career with the Pioneer Award. He is known for his many high-profile political interviews and for covering the AIDS crisis at a time when information was hard to come by, especially in mainstream media.
According to a profile (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/05/DDI41CP05N.DTL) in the San Francisco Chronicle, Plante once hoped to work in politics. Raised outside of Detroit, he went on to study sociology at Michigan State University. After graduating in 1968 as senior class president, Plante moved to Washington DC in search of a job on Capitol Hill. Finding himself out of work in 1970, he applied to be a copy boy at The Washington Post and realized he wanted to be a reporter. He was promoted to the copy desk, and after two and a half years the Post, he applied for a reporting position at a suburban affiliate (http://www.glaad.org/blog/associated-press-honor-out-gay-reporter-hank-plante#), the Montgomery County Sentinel. Plante began reporting for free after persuading the paper to let him tryout working on general-assignment stories, but after only five years, he was the Sentinel chain’s managing editor.
http://www.glaad.org/files/styles/large/public/PlanteGLAADAwards.JPGFollowing his years at the Sentinel, Plante pursued radio reporting and then TV journalism, moving around the country for job opportunities (http://www.glaad.org/blog/associated-press-honor-out-gay-reporter-hank-plante#) in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Houston, and San Francisco. As a reporter at San Francisco’s CBS affiliate, KPIX-TV, Plante began reporting on the AIDS crisis. “The government wasn’t talking about AIDS,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/06/DDI41CP05N.DTL) of the 1980s. “We were. We were doing stories every night.” His devoted reporting earned him the Peabody Award, and his pioneering style would inform his interviews with political figures, in which he often raised issues around LGBT-equality. Over the course of his career, Plante interviewed several prominent politicians, including President Obama (http://www.glaad.org/blog/associated-press-honor-out-gay-reporter-hank-plante#), former presidents Richard Nixon and George Bush, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Plante retired in March of 2010, after ten years as political editor at KPIX-TV, and moved from San Francisco to Palm Springs with his partner, Roger Groth. He will accept the 2012 Stan Chambers Award from the Associated Press in Pasadena, California. GLAAD congratulates Plante for this honor and for his exceptional work committed to elevating concerns of the LGBT community.

Source: http://www.glaad.org/blog/associated-press-honor-out-gay-reporter-hank-plante

Gay Student Booted From Contest Gets Apology

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-05/Fullerton-Union-High-School-Assistant-Principal-Joe-Abellx390.jpg
Fullerton Union High (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Gay_Student_Booted_From_Contest_Gets_Apology/#) School; Joe Abell
A Southern California high school administrator has apologized for removing a student from a campus contest (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Gay_Student_Booted_From_Contest_Gets_Apology/#) because the student mentioned wanting to marry a same-sex spouse.

The Fullerton Union High School student, who has not been identified by media because he is a minor, was competing in the school’s Mr. Fullerton contest, “an annual, semi-humorous event” for male seniors, notes The Orange County Register. (http://www.ocregister.com/news/student-347726-assistant-principal.html) Contestants took the stage Tuesday night to answer questions, one of which concerned where they hoped to be in 10 years.

After first answering that he wanted to be a successful entertainer, the student in question said he hoped to find the love of his life and be able to legally marry him in California. Assistant principal Joe Abell then removed him from the stage and the competition.

By Wednesday morning, students were distributing letters of support for the student and calling on Abell to apologize, which he did privately with the student and then to all students and staff over the school’s public address system.

Superintendent George Giokaris also said Abell should not have removed the student from the contest, the Register (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Gay_Student_Booted_From_Contest_Gets_Apology/#) reports. He declined to discuss other potential disciplinary actions, saying personnel matters were confidential.

The students who protested Abell’s action are also asking for school policy to include clear prohibitions on bullying based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, news site Voice of OC reports. Read more here. (http://voiceofoc.org/countywide/this_just_in/article_f51f86da-7e9b-11e1-8fda-001a4bcf887a.html)
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Gay_Student_Booted_From_Contest_Gets_Apology/

TheGodlessUtopian

5th April 2012, 21:25

Latinos are more likely than other Americans to say they’re liberal, according to a poll out Wednesday.
Three out of 10 Latino adults say they consider themselves liberal compared to 21 percent of the general U.S. public, the Pew Hispanic Center’s 2011 National Survey of Latinos poll (http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/04/04/when-labels-dont-fit-hispanics-and-their-views-of-identity/1/) found. And more native-born Hispanics than immigrant Hispanics say they are “very liberal” or “liberal,” 34 percent to 27 percent.

Three out of 10 Latino adults say they consider themselves liberal, compared with 21 percent of the general U.S. public, the Pew Hispanic Center’s 2011 National Survey (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/74835.html#) of Latinos poll found. And more U.S.-born Hispanics than Hispanic immigrants say they are “very liberal” or “liberal,” 34 percent to 27 percent.
Looking at the other end of the spectrum, 32 percent of Hispanics say their political views are “very conservative” or “conservative,” and 34 percent of all U.S. adults say the same. Meanwhile, Latinos born in another country are more likely than those born in the U.S. to describe themselves as conservative, with 35 percent to 28 percent.
On social issues, Hispanics hold more conservative views on abortion than does the general U.S. public, but they share similar opinions on accepting homosexuality in society.
More than half, or 51 percent, of Hispanics told pollsters that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, compared with 41 percent of the general population. But there is a divide among Hispanics — 58 percent of immigrants say abortion should be illegal, while 40 percent of second-generation and 43 percent of third-generation Hispanics agree (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/74835.html#).
On the issue of whether homosexuality should be accepted by society, a majority — 59 percent — say that it should. Just 30 percent told pollsters it should be discouraged. Those numbers line up with the general U.S. public, with 58 percent saying homosexuality should be accepted, and 33 percent saying it should be discouraged. Again, there is a slight difference by immigrant generation: 53 percent of immigrant Hispanics say it should be accepted, and it jumps to 68 percent among second-generation Hispanics. Like the general public, more Hispanics who are younger say homosexuality should be accepted, with 69 percent of 18- to-29-year-olds and 60 percent of 30- to-49-year-olds telling pollsters that society should not discourage it.
The poll surveyed 1,220 Latino adults Nov. 9-Dec. 7, 2011. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.59 percentage points.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/74835.html#ixzz1rCQ81iTD

National coffee chain Starbucks Wednesday received a card (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/640000_Say_Thanks_to_Starbucks/#) thanking the company for its continued support of marriage equality in its home state of Washington.
The National Organization for Marriage launched a boycott of Starbucks because the company's leaders supported marriage equality legislation that recently passed in Washington. NOM recruited about 28,000 to "Dump Starbucks," (http://www.dumpstarbucks.com/) but a counterprotest to "Thank Starbucks" (http://sumofus.org/campaigns/thank-starbucks/) grabbed the attention of 640,000 marriage equality supporters.

The pro-Starbucks effort was organized by SumOfUs.org, MoveOn.org, and Washington United for Marriage, which submitted a card with 640,000 signatures at Starbucks' main corporate offices Wednesday.

“We’ve been stunned by the passionate response to 'Thank (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/640000_Say_Thanks_to_Starbucks/#) Starbucks' – our most viral campaign ever,” Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, executive director for SumofUs.org, said in a statement. “We’ve seen in our campaigns that consumers expect corporations to do right by their workers and by their community. We hope that this overwhelming show of support for Starbucks for supporting gay rights will inspire other corporations to keep making similar public statements.”

James Olsen, Starbucks’ vice president of global corporate communications, thanked customers for their support.

“We are long-standing supporters of a culture of diversity, and inclusion and equality for everybody, and I'll share this with our fellow leaders,” he said. “Thank you very much.”

Click through for more photos from the rally at Starbucks’ HQ.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/640000_Say_Thanks_to_Starbucks/

Cameroonian authorities on March 27, 2012, illegally shut down a human rights workshop in Yaound? that was to include discussion of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and arrested one of the workshop organizers. The action violated rights to freedom of assembly and expression under both Cameroonian and international law.

(Nairobi) - Cameroonian authorities on March 27, 2012, illegally shut down a human rights workshop in Yaoundé that was to include discussion of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and arrested one of the workshop organizers, Human Rights Watch said today. The action violated rights to freedom of assembly and expression under both Cameroonian and international law, Human Rights Watch said.

The workshop, scheduled to be held at a Yaoundé hotel, had been authorized by the local sub-prefect, an administrative official, in accordance with Cameroonian law. But the sub-prefect revoked his authorization as the event was beginning, upon realizing that the "human rights" to be discussed included the rights of sexual minorities. Police arrested Stéphane Koche, an activist working (http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/cameroon-lgbt-rights-workshop-shut-down#) with the convening organizations, and detained him for three hours before releasing him without charge.

"Cameroonians have the right to freedom of assembly and expression, even if their viewpoints are not popular in the eyes of the authorities," said Boris Dittrich (http://www.hrw.org/bios/boris-dittrich), lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "Shutting down a workshop and detaining an activist is no way for Yaoundé authorities to treat people who have come together to talk about human rights."

The workshop, which was scheduled to take place over three days, was coordinated by three groups - Adolescents against AIDS (SID'ADO), Association pour la Défense de Homosexuel-le-s, (Association for the Defense of Gays and Lesbians, ADEPHO), and Collective des Familles des Enfants Homosexuel-le-s (Collective of Families of Gay and Lesbian Children). It was to include a range of human rights and professional organizations, including women's rights groups, AIDS organizations, and groups representing pharmacists, doctors, and lawyers. Representatives of the United States and German embassies in Yaoundé were also present.

Participants told Human Rights Watch that shortly after they arrived at the hotel, local youth, described by a participant as "thugs," arrived. A representative of the Cameroonian Youth Rally - an anti-gay youth organization with no public authority or policing powers - arrived with a group of young men and told participants, "Leave - this meeting is not going to take place."

Shortly thereafter, police, gendarmes, and civilian authorities, including the prefect of Mfoundi and the Yaoundé sub-prefect who had authorized the meeting, arrived and dispersed participants.

Participants told Human Rights Watch that the sub-prefect claimed that he had authorized a meeting that was to address HIV/AIDS, not a meeting at which homosexuality would be discussed. "They said it was illegal to talk about homosexuality because homosexuality is illegal," one participant said.

Cameroonian law prohibits "sexual relations with a person of the same sex." The existing law violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to privacy (article 17) and the right to be free (http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/cameroon-lgbt-rights-workshop-shut-down#) from discrimination (articles 2 and 26). Cameroon has no law that could justify a prohibition on meetings to discuss the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

Contacted by Human Rights Watch regarding the legal basis for shutting down the meeting, a Justice Ministry official said he was not aware of the incident.

"Using Cameroon's disputed sodomy law as a pretext to prohibit discussion of sexual rights is unfair and extreme, compounding one human rights violation with another," Dittrich said. "The Cameroonian authorities should apologize to the workshop organizers and permit them to hold this workshop and others, safely and peacefully."
Source: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/cameroon-lgbt-rights-workshop-shut-down

Scott Brown Makes No Promises in LGBT Newspaper

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/scott_brownx390.jpg

U.S. senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who has come under fire for not supporting legislation such as the Employment (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Scott_Brown_Makes_No_Promises_in_LGBT_Newspaper/#) Non-Discrimination Act and repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, published a guest opinion column for a regional New England LGBT newspaper saying that it was not his style to “support everyone’s pet project.”

In the column for Bay Windows (http://baywindows.editme.com/Guest-Opinion-by-US-Senator-Scott-Brown-R-MA#.T3zEg_YVzUM.facebook)published Wednesday, Brown recounted his support for the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in 2010. He was one of eight Republican senators to vote for repeal.

“I spent months studying the issue, talking to service men and women, including the service chiefs, commanders on the ground as well as listening to testimony,” wrote Brown. “During the process, I kept an open mind. After completing my due diligence and hearing arguments from people on both sides of the issue, I determined that the time had come to repeal the policy.”

Brown is seeking election to a full six-year term. He won an upset special election in 2010 to succeed the late Ted Kennedy, and current polls show him tied with Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren in a closely watched race. Brown has received (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Scott_Brown_Makes_No_Promises_in_LGBT_Newspaper/#) the endorsement of the Log Cabin Republicans.

Senator Brown, who described himself as an “independent voice” in the column, alludes to the differences between himself and Warren on key LGBT legislation. Brown does not support high-profile agenda items such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and DOMA (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Scott_Brown_Makes_No_Promises_in_LGBT_Newspaper/#) repeal. Last month, in an interview with the Washington Blade (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Scott_Brown_Makes_No_Promises_in_LGBT_Newspaper/%20http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/21/exclusive-elizabeth-warren-pledges-to-lead-on-lgbt-rights/), Warren pledged to become a leader on DOMA repeal if elected.

“I don’t come before you with a checklist of items promising that I will be an advocate for you on each and every one of them,” wrote Brown. “My opponent has already started down that road, promising to support everyone’s pet project. That’s not the way I have ever operated.”

Instead, Brown said that he would focus on “the most important issue facing us — getting this bad economy working again and creating jobs (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Scott_Brown_Makes_No_Promises_in_LGBT_Newspaper/#).”

Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to marry in 2004, and a federal appeals court heard oral arguments (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/04/DOMA_Under_Scrutiny_in_Federal_Appeals_Court/) in a challenge to DOMA Wednesday in Boston.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/05/Scott_Brown_Makes_No_Promises_in_LGBT_Newspaper/

Right-Wing Preacher Defends Remark on Gay Execution — Sort Of

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-04/bradleedeanx390.jpg
Bradlee Dean
Fundamentalist preacher and Christian rocker Bradlee Dean is trying to defend himself against the allegation that he endorsed execution for LGBT people, but he’s also evading questions about it, says commentator Michelangelo Signorile.

He writes in The Huffington Post that Dean appeared on The Michelangelo Signorile Show Monday saying his comments about Muslims being more moral than Christians because some Muslims call for the execution of gays were taken out of context.

“Speaking on my radio program on SiriusXM OutQ, Dean, at times quite heated, said that when he had made the statement that Muslims seem ‘more moral,’ he only meant it as ‘a wake up call for the [Christian] church,’” Signorile says. Dean has sued Rachel Maddow for defamation for using a clip of his remarks on her MSNBC show and, he claims, presenting them in a way that left the impression he approved of the death penalty for homosexuality.

Signorile adds, “Asked five times, however, if he believed some Muslims are more moral than Christians because they support the execution of gays, Dean refused to answer yes or no, several times repeating the same line: ‘I have continually reached out to the homosexual community.’”

Signorile notes that Dean has made numerous bizarre and derogatory statements about gays, such as claiming they were responsible for the Nazi Holocaust, and about Muslims as well. “Dean has in the past also suggested that Representative Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat who is Muslim, is using support for gay marriage as way to usher in Sharia Law in the United States,” Signorile writes. Ellison, the only Muslim in Congress, is a strong advocate for LGBT equality.

Read the full story and listen to the interview here. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/bradlee-dean-preacher-allegations-gays-execution_n_1399971.html)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/04/RightWing_Preacher_Defends_Remark_on_Gay_Execution _Sort_Of/

TheGodlessUtopian

6th April 2012, 20:41

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One small step (http://www.queerty.com/awesome-austrian-cardinal-allows-partnered-gay-man-to-serve-on-parish-council-20120406/#) for the Church, one huge leap for gay kind. The Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2012/04/02/austrian_cardinal_oks_gay_man_for_parish_council/) reports that Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, who rules over Austria in his understated crimson biretta, has overruled the decision of a local priest not to allow a partnered gay man to serve on a parish council.
Writes the Globe:
Florian Stangl lives in a registered (http://www.queerty.com/awesome-austrian-cardinal-allows-partnered-gay-man-to-serve-on-parish-council-20120406/#) domestic partnership. The 26-year-old was overwhelmingly elected to the council recently, but it was overruled by the priest—a decision initially backed by the archdiocese.
Such councils include lay people and discuss local church and parish affairs.
Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn changed his mind over the weekend after hosting Stangl and his partner for lunch, declaring Stangl to be “at the right place.” Despite his close ties to his one-time professor, Pope Benedict XVI, Schoenborn has voiced an open mind to such taboo issues as priestly celibacy.
How long before Cardinal Schoenborn is consecrating gay bishops the Episcopalian way (http://www.queerty.com/tag/gene-robinson/)?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/awesome-austrian-cardinal-allows-partnered-gay-man-to-serve-on-parish-council-20120406/#ixzz1rI5G6Ede

Ron Paul’s chances of winning (http://www.queerty.com/why-does-gay-billionaire-peter-thiel-fund-crazy-ron-pauls-presidential-dream-20120406/#) the Republican presidential nomination are about as small as Mitt Romney’s chances of taking a position and sticking to it (http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/143590615/romney-stance-on-gay-rights-issues-its-complicated). Yet, like some soldier still fighting long after armistice, Paul seems not to have heard the news that the war is over—at least for him. In part, that’s because he treats libertarianism as a kind of religion. But it’s also because he still has money to wage his repeal-the-federal-government crusade.
And for that, he has gay billionaire Peter Thiel to thank.
On the list of top ten donors to super-PACs—the sky’s-the-limit spending organizations that are (wink, wink) separate from political campaigns—German -born Thiel is tied for fourth place (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57402073-503544/super-pac-donors-by-the-numbers/). As of February, Thiel has plunked down $2.4 million (http://www.queerty.com/why-does-gay-billionaire-peter-thiel-fund-crazy-ron-pauls-presidential-dream-20120406/#) for the Paul’s Endorse Liberty PAC.
For all intents and purposes, Thiel is Endorse Liberty: He’s donated more than 70% (http://www.freep.com/article/20120322/NEWS15/120322081/Super-donors-keep-GOP-race-going)of the committee’s total funding. Without Thiel’s contributions, Ron Paul for Prez advertising would be relegated to 3am spots on low-rated cable channels (http://www.queerty.com/why-does-gay-billionaire-peter-thiel-fund-crazy-ron-pauls-presidential-dream-20120406/#).
Of course, Thiel, 44, has plenty of capital to invest in quixotic ventures: He made his money co-founding Pay Pal and taking an early stake in Facebook, earning him a net worth estimated to reach as much as $3 billion. Not all Thiel’s investments (http://www.queerty.com/why-does-gay-billionaire-peter-thiel-fund-crazy-ron-pauls-presidential-dream-20120406/#) have been blessed: He lost most of an $8 billion hedge fund he managed during the Great Recession. (For more on Thiel and his mega-millions, check out Queerty’s profiles of The World’s Eight Richest Gays (http://www.queerty.com/8-mega-wealthy-gays-who-are-they-howd-they-make-bank-and-are-they-single-20120406/).)
But why is Thiel backing Paul, whose record on gay issues is hardly stellar? Well, the gay Midas’ enchantment with the Ayn Rand school of politics (http://www.queerty.com/surprise-the-philosopher-behind-the-new-gop-budget-hated-gays-20110504/) is nothing new: In a piece for the Cato Institute, (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/10/18/what-s-wrong-with-silicon-valley-libertarianism.html) he explained, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” He later clarified that “While I don’t think any class of people should be disenfranchised, I have little hope that voting will make things better.”
In the 1995 book he-coauthored with David Sacks, The Diversity Myth, Thiel praised a renegade law student who shouted “Faggot! Faggot! Hope you die of AIDS!” outside an instructor’s window:
“[The student's] demonstration directly challenged one of the most fundamental taboos: To suggest a correlation between homosexual acts and AIDS implies that one of the multiculturalists’ favorite lifestyles is more prone to contracting the disease and that not all lifestyles are equally desirable.”
Of course, Thiel was still closeted at the time—he didn’t come out until nine years ago, at age 35. In the New Yorker profile, Thiel says he now wishes he had never written about the episode and writer George Packer adds that, “the subject of homosexuality remains one that he doesn’t much like to discuss.”
Which might explain why, when Thiel does talk about homosexuality in relation to politics, he seems to be viewing it from a different planet. It’s hard to imagine that anyone would characterize today’s Santorum-worshipping GOP as more tolerant of gays and lesbians than it was under George W. Bush, but Thiel does. Explaining away the homophobes in the Grand Old Party, Thiel said in a New Yorker article, “there are a lot ohttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/2840822829_46a53fd670.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/why-does-gay-billionaire-peter-thiel-fund-crazy-ron-pauls-presidential-dream-20120406/2840822829_46a53fd670/)f people who have crazy emotional issues, and politics is a way to channel that.”
Unfortunately, a lot of those same people have found their way to the Paul campaign that Thiel enables.
Among these crazies (http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/ron-paul-hired-anti-gay-activist-to-run-iowa-campaign.php) is Mike Heath, who served as Paul’s Iowa state director and led anti-gay efforts in Maine for 15 years. (Heath likened gay equality to “Nazi ty (http://www.pressherald.com/archive/his-relevance-fading-away-heath-exits_2009-09-22.html)ranny (http://www.pressherald.com/archive/his-relevance-fading-away-heath-exits_2009-09-22.html).”) And there’s the Rev. Phillip Kayser, who believes in the death penalty for same-sex sodomy. He supports Paul because the Senator’s Representative’s philosophy enables groups interested in implementing Christian fundamentalism as the law of the land.
And it’s not as if Paul himself is likely to be on the lead float of a gay Pride parade any time soon: Former aide Eric Dondero (http://www.queerty.com/former-aide-ron-paul-personally-uncomfortable-around-gay-people-20111227/), claims Paul is “personally uncomfortable” around gay people, enough so that he wouldn’t use the bathroom at the home of a gay supporter. (Paul denies the charge, and it’s likely he’s found a way to make himself comfortable around benefactor Thiel.)
Then there are the vicious comments (http://www.queerty.com/ron-pauls-racist-homophobic-newsletters-will-pretty-much-kill-his-campaign-20111225/)in the Ron Paul newsletters from the 1990s—like the line that gay people didn’t fight AIDS because, “they enjoy the attention and pity that comes with being sick.” Pushing the limits of credibility, not to mention responsibility, Paul claims he didn’t write (or even read) the columns. Amazingly, He’s gotten a pass from liberals (http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2011/12/ron_paul_s_anti_gay_newsletters_why_they_don_t_bot her_liberal_gays.html) on language that would have rightfully sunk any other candidate.
And while Paul has opposed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, it’s only because he believes there is no federal authority (http://glassbooth.org/explore/index/ron-paul/12/gay-rights/15/) to define the institution in the first place.
Apparently none of that bothers Thiel. It’s not like he’s not the type to fail to do his homework. Of course, when your fabulously wealthy, it’s easy to believe what will hurt the common man doesn’t apply to you. From press accounts and interviews, it’s clear Thiel pretty much lives in his head, which is filled with ideas for a futuristic libertarian utopia that includes underwater cities (http://www.seasteading.org/2008/04/introducing-the-seasteading-institute/) and a cure for death (http://www.mprize.org/index.php?pagename=newsdetaildisplay&ID=0107) (we can only imagine what that would do to rents!).
As Paul makes a well publicized campaign swing this week through the Bay Area—where he’s surprisingly popular among progressives—it’s not too late for Thiel to pull back from the Ron Paul cliff. When you have truckloads of money, the public is awful forgiving. And as Facebook prepares for an IPO, friends say he’s become more comfortable in gay settings: Thiel recently addressed StartOut (http://startout.org/), a group of LGBT entrepreneurs. He’s also supported the American Foundation for Equal Rights and GOProud (http://www.goproud.org/).
But Thiel needs to go further: Rather than fixating on a cure for death, a fantasy only a billionaire could indulge, why not start with a cure for HIV? And rather than underwater cities, which might be a tad claustrophobic, wouldn’t it make more sense to further the cause of the cities where we already dwell? Right over the hill from Thiel’s San Francisco mansion is Larkin Street Youth (http://sanfrancisco.gaycities.com/organizations/300346-larkin-street-youth), a highly-regarded organization that provides shelter, counseling and HIV education for kids on the streets, many thrown out of their homes.
Still, no matter how many good deeds Thiel does, it’s not going to erase his belief in an ideology that trumps common sense in politics. That attitude is bad enough, but it’s truly destructive when accompanied by large checks to a candidate that’s hurting the cause.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/why-does-gay-billionaire-peter-thiel-fund-crazy-ron-pauls-presidential-dream-20120406/#ixzz1rI5SnS7U

Tuesday night, an over-capacity crowd spilled out of a second-floor auditorium in Brigham Young University’s Martin Building, where four students were discussing their attraction to members of the same sex and the conflict that created with their Mormon faith. It’s rare for the subject matter to even be broached at BYU. And as Trevor Rantley reports (http://trevorantley.com/2012/04/05/byus-gay-mormon-panel-a-huge-success/), the audience’s response was largely positive.
One student who attended told me:
“These four students [in the panel] have some of the strongest testimonies and wonderful relationships with Christ. I hope that those who are struggling with same-gender attraction may see these four strong individuals and realize that they don’t have to choose between being honest about themselves and who they are and in being a member of the Church.”
While the fact that homosexuality is being discussed in the very heart of Mormon indoctrination is encouraging, we can’t help but be wary: The four students (three of whom are gay, one of whom identifies as bisexual) have all committed to following LDS (http://www.queerty.com/brigham-young-universitys-gay-mormon-panel-draws-crowds-questions-20120405/#) standards and adhering to BYU’s honor code—which translates to lifelong celibacy for gays and lesbians.
Also, that phrase “struggling with same-gender attraction” kept cropping up in Rantley’s report of the event—it’s basically fundamentalist code for “trying to pray the gay away.” Are BYU administrators and students trying to be tolerant or are they simply pitying students they see as afflicted?
Most disturbingly, one of the speakers, Brandon Bastian, is married to a woman and has a young daughter. The secret to his “success” over homosexuality? “A genuine love… not based on physical intimacy,” he told the crowd.
That’s not a healthy marriage—that’s a perversity. Is it any wonder, as Bastian casually mentioned, that his blushing bride is on medications that suppresses her libido (http://www.queerty.com/brigham-young-universitys-gay-mormon-panel-draws-crowds-questions-20120405/#)?
Thankfully, at least two of the panelists seem to have accepted their sexuality as an intrinsic part of their personalities. During the question-and-answer period, speakers Adam White and Bridey Jensen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKvTQk6mmTQ) both said they see themselves, down the road, in relationships with members of the same gender. Sadly, White clarified that if he did settle down with a guy and start (http://www.queerty.com/brigham-young-universitys-gay-mormon-panel-draws-crowds-questions-20120405/#) a family, they’d all attend the Mormon Church together.
And so the cycle continues.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/brigham-young-universitys-gay-mormon-panel-draws-crowds-questions-20120405/#ixzz1rI5gbtOF

Corpus Christi, Terrence McNally’s controversial Passion play that debuted on Broadway in 1998, is being resurrected—but this time on the big screen. Directed by Nic Arnzen and James Brandon, the documentary Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption details the play’s evolution in the decade-plus since its premiere, looking at a small production in L.A. that led to a world tour and, eventually, a staging in Corpus Christie, TX. The film also chronicles how various groups have reacted to the play—productions have been met with protests, cancellations and even bomb threats—and how the show has become a vehicle (http://www.queerty.com/jesus-may-have-died-for-our-sins-today-but-hell-rise-again-only-gayer-in-corpus-christi-20120406/#) of change.
With the show depicting Jesus Christ and his Apostles as gay men, Christ performing a same-sex marriage, and Judas betraying him over romantic jealousy, we thought it’d be the perfect post for Easter.
Happy holidays!
Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption (http://www.corpuschristi-themovie.com/) premieres at the Castro Theater in San Francisco (http://www.sanfrancisco.gaycities.com/) on April 29 before touring the country with a live stage production. Photo via Mikki Willis

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/jesus-may-have-died-for-our-sins-today-but-hell-rise-again-only-gayer-in-corpus-christi-20120406/#ixzz1rI5xcN4s

TheGodlessUtopian

7th April 2012, 20:54

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Yesterday, Queerty reported on a panel discussion at Brigham Young University (http://www.queerty.com/brigham-young-universitys-gay-mormon-panel-draws-crowds-questions-20120405/) that featured LGBT students sharing their stories and struggles. We’ve never been able to figure out why some people cling to a faith that rejects them—let alone attend a school that is wholly infused that faith—but it was encouraging to see the subject brought into the light.
Today we received (http://www.queerty.com/byus-it-geys-better-video-doesnt-really-make-it-sound-like-it-gets-any-better-20120406/#) this video from Understanding Same-Gender Attraction (http://www.queerty.com/byus-it-geys-better-video-doesnt-really-make-it-sound-like-it-gets-any-better-20120406/facebook.com/groups/byuusga) (USGA), an unofficial group at BYU that provides “a place for open, respectful discussions on the topic (http://www.queerty.com/byus-it-geys-better-video-doesnt-really-make-it-sound-like-it-gets-any-better-20120406/#) of same-gender attraction.”
Though the video is titled “It Gets Better at Brigham Young University,” the pain in the voices of these students as they talk about praying to God to make them straight is palpable. And the stats flashed across the screen—some 25% of gay and lesbian BYU students attempt suicide—are heartbreaking.
It seems like USGA has been something of a lifeline for these kids, but you have to wonder why they didn’t leave BYU and go elsewhere. (Sure, they might have to foot the bill, but millions of students do that every year.) At 20, 21, even 24, they’ve decided to stay in a place that, at best (http://www.queerty.com/byus-it-geys-better-video-doesnt-really-make-it-sound-like-it-gets-any-better-20120406/#), doesn’t know what to do with them.
Is this an It Gets Better video? We didn’t hear anyone saying that they were happy. That they had embraced their sexuality as a blessing, not a curse. That they had met someone and fallen in love.
Are you a recent Brigham Young graduate? Is there truly openness and acceptance on campus? Or is homophobia just wearing a different hat—hate disguised as compassion? Share your story in the comments.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/byus-it-geys-better-video-doesnt-really-make-it-sound-like-it-gets-any-better-20120406/#ixzz1rNy601Wb

Don’t shoot the messenger! Health-care contractor Jarrod Scarbrough and his partner of nearly 20 years, Les Sewell, have been invited to the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll on Monday. They’re going, all right—and Scarbrough’s using the opportunity to urge President Obama (http://www.queerty.com/gay-couple-to-urge-obama-to-sign-pro-lgbt-workplace-executive-order-at-easter-egg-roll-20120406/#) to sign an Executive Order banning any firm that gets a federal contract from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The order has already been approved by both the Department of Labor and Department of Justice.
In a press release, GetEqual (http://getequal.org/) quoted Scarbrough:
“I work for a federal contractor (http://www.queerty.com/gay-couple-to-urge-obama-to-sign-pro-lgbt-workplace-executive-order-at-easter-egg-roll-20120406/#), and there’s a piece of paper sitting on President Obama’s desk that would give me a little more security for my family. As so many families gather on the White House lawn next week, I hope that the First Family takes a moment to reflect on how hard gay families like mine work to ensure that we have the stability and security that so many others take for granted.”
Let’s hope Obama takes this seriously. We have a feeling he might just hop away now that the news is out.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-couple-to-urge-obama-to-sign-pro-lgbt-workplace-executive-order-at-easter-egg-roll-20120406/#ixzz1rNzlcqpU

Malaysia has decided to take a big ol’ shit on the gays this spring, and it’s a double whammy.
The Southeast Asian nation has banned all LGBT characters from shows, and also pledged to allocate $32,600 toward reparative therapy in hopes of turning its gays into heterosexual breeders.
According to The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/6/nation/20120406131722&sec=nation):
The Information Department has banned shows featuring gay characters, Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz confirmed.
He said the ban was effective immediately but would only start with state-owned TV and radio stations.
“If it means cancelling some of the shows, so be it,” he told The Star Friday, adding that the decision was to curb the “influence” of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.
He also said the decision will be expanded to cover privately-owned stations as well as satellite TV providers.
As for foreign productions, he said the Censorship Board will remove episodes from running TV shows and bar movies with gay characters from being screened locally.
Say buh-bye to Glee and Modern Family, denizens of the Malay Kingdom.
And depleting mainstream media of gay character isn’t all—elected officials want to turn their existing gays straight.
The Sun Daily (http://www.thesundaily.my/news/340421) says that Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin made some pretty ridiculous remarks at the launch of the “National Counseling, Education and Career Carnival,” including funding of ex-gay reparative therapy. Said Yassin, as if it were common sense:
“This includes counseling skills for those faced with sexuality problems which threatens the integrity of the family institution.
“The symptoms of sexual orientation disorder like LGBT, which was previously faced by the Western society are now faced in our society also. I believe that through an effective counseling approach, we will be able to curb this negative phenomenon from spreading in our community… For now [the allocated spending] is RM100,000 ($32,600). If it not enough, we can add more later…
“The skills to counsel the disabled people is important to help them live a normal life in the midst of challenges.”
And here I thought the Malaysian Prime Minister was all about ending child labor, not treating “the gay” like a negative contagion… and is this just a shitty translation, or did girlfriend just call us “disabled”? WTF!

If you’re a transgender student at the University of Pittsburgh and you gotta “go”, you’re either going to have to hold it in or find a Starbucks: Pitt administrators have rejected a recommendation by the Anti-Discriminatory Policies Committee (ADPC) to allow students to occupy bathrooms based on their gender identity. Pittsburgh city law forbids discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression but, on March 20, the school announced it was sticking to gender-policed toilets. Unsurprisingly, activists are pissed:
“The university is ignoring their equal access statement by actively discriminating against and creating a hostile environment for transgender students,” Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition Deputy Director and Pitt student Joy Horner said. “We call on the University to redact this medieval policy—to force transgender students to provide a birth certificate to use the bathroom. We must work on improving the campus for transgender students by adding trans-inclusive policies and providing gender-neutral bathrooms and housing.”
The University of Pennsylvania, on the other hand, has tackled the problem by increasing the number of gender-neutral bathrooms. We’re glad at least administrators at Penn are doing their duty.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/u-of-pitt-flushes-plan-to-allow-trans-students-to-use-bathroom-of-choice-20120406/#ixzz1rO0GVMgB

TheGodlessUtopian

7th April 2012, 21:01

White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS

Hosted by:
The White House Office of Public Engagement & Office of National AIDS Policy
In partnership with:
Morehouse School of Medicine
Thursday, April 19, 2012
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA
The White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS will provide advocates, community leaders, and members of the public an opportunity to engage with the Obama Administration on issues related to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the LGBT community, with a specific focus on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Participants will receive updates from senior officials from The White House and key agencies and departments, connect with Federal government (http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/white-house-lgbt-conference-hivaids#) resources and opportunities through workshop sessions, and provide valuable feedback through the “Open Space” process.

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/white-house-lgbt-conference-hivaids

Buenos Aires Positioned to Become Gay Wedding Destination?

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/TRAVEL/CONTINENTAL/BUENOS_AIRES/Buenos%20Aires%281%29.jpg

Nearly two years after Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize marriage equality, Buenos Aires, the nation’s capital, may extend the right to visiting couples from abroad.

As San Diego Gay & Lesbian News’ South American correspondent reported (http://sdgln.com/causes/2012/04/06/gay-lesbian-foreigners-may-soon-be-allowed-marry-buenos-aires-argentina) Friday, a city lawmaker recently introduced legislation to allow couples to marry in Buenos Aires without proof of residency.

The legislation, which if passed would likely be a boon for the city’s LGBT tourism industry, comes soon after the first foreign gay couple married in the city of Rosario, which is located about 200 miles northwest of Buenos Aires and has no residency requirement for marriage.

In the summer of 2010, Argentinian lawmakers approved a same-sex marriage measure, one that was politically popular in the nation and vigorously supported by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who called (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/world/americas/14argentina.html?_r=1) the Roman Catholic Church’s oppositional rhetoric akin to something from “the times of the Crusades.”

A few years prior, in a 2008 meeting with Argentina's ambassador to the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI had urged the country to uphold "the defense of the family based on marriage between a man and a woman" and said that the definition of marriage should not be "at the mercy of political agreements."

But Kirchner fired back, saying of the church in 2010, “It would be a terrible distortion of democracy if they denied minorities their rights."

In Buenos Aires, city lawmaker María Rachid’s bill proposes that a non-resident couple seeking to be married would need only present a photocopied passport with entry stamp, among other minimal requirements. (Read the report here (http://sdgln.com/causes/2012/04/06/gay-lesbian-foreigners-may-soon-be-allowed-marry-buenos-aires-argentina).)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/07/Buenos_Aires_Positioned_to_Become_Gay_Wedding_Dest ination/

Ohio College Students Rally Against Hate Crimes

By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-06/OHIOX390.jpg

Students rallied Thursday night at two Ohio universities to protest a recent attack on two gay men and promote greater acceptance of LGBT people.

The rallies, at the University of Cincinnati and Miami University in Oxford, were in response to an attack (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Antigay_Attack_Under_Investigation_in_Ohio_College _Town/) that occurred early in the morning of March 24. Miami student Michael Bustin and UC student Adam Voegele were holding hands as they walked home from an event on the Miami campus when they were attacked and beaten by four men who yelled antigay slurs. No arrests have been made.

“Every student should feel safe to walk through campus and our local communities without fear of brutal violence,” Blake Jelley, president of the UC Alliance, said at the rally on his campus, according to Cincinnati TV station WXIX. (http://www.fox19.com/story/17347817/rally-to-support-gay-college-students-who-were-attacked) “We urge students and staff at Miami and UC to take a stronger stance against antigay attacks and urge administration to take more proactive measures to ensure that our university communities are safe for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.”

“Kids shouldn’t have to fear expressing their feelings, no matter if it’s gay, straight, anything,” Voegele told WXIX. “And people should just love each other for who they are.”

WXIX reported that the rallies drew 300 attendees combined, but the Associated Press put the number at about half that. Read more here. (http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/dc990a3bc746461cbae908a3682ad22a/OH-Gay-Hate-Crimes-Rally/)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Ohio_College_Students_Rally_Against_Hate_Crimes/

TV Station Defends Releasing Identities of Men Arrested for Sex

By Neal Broverman (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Neal%20Broverman)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-05/sexstingx390.jpg

A Los Angeles television station is defending itself after releasing the names, pictures, and birth dates of 18 men arrested for lewd behavior and loitering in a Manhattan Beach restroom.

The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center castigated KCAL/KCBS (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/04/LA_Gay_Center_Slams_TV_Station_for_Humiliating_Gay _Men/) for releasing the mugshots and information of the men, which was picked up by online news sources. Center officials said KCAL's decision needlessly humiliated the men, who are charged with minor offenses.

"Like other stations in the market, we reported on a significant local news story regarding the arrest of a large number of individuals," KCAL said in a statement. "Our coverage, like that of several other media outlets, included showing the official photos of those arrested, photographs that were provided by the Manhattan Beach Police Department. This reporting is consistent with our long-held journalistic standards by which we provide the public with information and photos from law enforcement agencies about arrested individuals on a regular basis without regard to their gender, race or sexual orientation."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/06/TV_Station_Defends_Releasing_Identities_of_Men_Arr ested_for_Sex/

EA Games Will Not Edit Content

By Josh Hinkle (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Josh%20Hinkle)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-05/EA_mass-effectx390.jpg

Over the past few weeks, Electronic Arts has been flooded with letters and emails protesting LGBT content in some of its most popular games.
In more recent EA games like Mass Effect 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic, the player is given the option to lead same-sex relationships. Upon release of these games, the Florida Family Association and the Family Research Council spawned a letter writing initiative. In a statement, Tony Perkins, leader of the Family Research Council, said, "In a new Star Wars game, the biggest threat to the empire may be the homosexual activists."
EA's vice-president of corporate communications told Games Industry International, (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-04-04-ea-defends-itself-against-thousands-of-anti-gay-letters) "Every one of EA's games includes ESRB content descriptors so it's hard to believe anyone is surprised by the content. This isn't about protecting children, it's about political harassment." Letters have been directed to executives of the gaming company with the writers threatening to boycott (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/06/EA_Games_Will_Not_Edit_Content/#) the games published by the company if they do not remove LGBT content.
Matt Kane, GLAAD's associate director of entertainment media believes this campaign will fall off like most others. Kane told Games Industry International, "Anti-LGBT campaigns are falling into a pretty consistent pattern these days, in which messages of hate directed at our allies are met with an overwhelming outpouring of support for our allies in response."

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/06/EA_Games_Will_Not_Edit_Content/

TheGodlessUtopian

7th April 2012, 21:04

If hardline conservatives, including country artist Toby Keith, former GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Vinroot, Tea Party advocate U.S. Rep. Renee Elmers (R-NC), John Hood of the Art Pope-funded John Locke Foundation as well as the Republican grandson of the man who drafted North Carolina’s constitution are willing to speak out against poorly thought-out discriminatory behavior by our politicians, it’s time for people to give (https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/ncmoneybomb) and to work to defeat this nonsense. Via the National Conference for Community and Justice of the Piedmont Triad (http://nccjtriad.org/aboutus/index.php) (h/t BlueNC (http://www.bluenc.com/why-isnt-pat-mccrorys-name-%3F#new)):
http://static1.firedoglake.com/48/files/2012/04/conservativesagainstA1.jpg (http://static1.firedoglake.com/48/files/2012/04/conservativesagainstA1.jpg)
Early voting is April 19-May 4, with the primary on May 8.

Source: http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2012/04/06/from-tea-party-activists-to-ultra-conservatives-ncs-amendment-one-is-unwise-unfair/

Mexican Legal Group Urges President to Sign ENDA Stopgap

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-06/Thomas-Saenzx390.jpg
Thomas Saenz
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund became the first non-LGBT organization to join a movement urging President Obama (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/06/Mexican_Legal_Group_Urges_President_to_Sign_ENDA_S topGap/#) to sign an executive order (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/The_Executive_Order_Gatekeepers/) that would require federal contractors to have LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policies.

The Chicago Phoenix (http://chicagophoenix.com/2012/04/05/latino-civil-rights-group-endorses-enda-exec-order/) reports that MALDEF president Thomas Saenz called on President Obama to embrace the "We Can't Wait" initiative.

“In recent years, multiple Congresses have failed to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would ban workplace bias based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity,” Saenz wrote in a letter to Obama. “MALDEF believes the time is now right to promote workplace fairness for LGBT individuals by taking strong executive action.”
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/06/Mexican_Legal_Group_Urges_President_to_Sign_ENDA_S topGap/

Budapest Pride Group Fights Police on March Restriction

By Michelle Garcia (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Michelle%20Garcia)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-06/BUDAPESTX390.jpg

The Budapest Police Department will not allow gays to gather this summer for a gay pride march, planned in the Hungarian capital for July 7.

Police have again rejected requests for the festivities because they said it would be impossible to redirect traffic to another route, according to the organizers of the Budapest Pride Film and Cultural Festival.

"Banning the march is one of the means used to silence the LGBTQ community," organizers said in a statement. "The last two years have seen democracy, human rights, and the rule of law threatened in Hungary, and through its actions, the government has infringed upon the rights of many groups."

Last year police withdrew permission for the march after learning that the group wanted to end its route at Parliament to protest discrimination and injustice toward LGBT people. The group said banning the pride march, the passage of a "family protection" law last year, and the rise of the Hungarian Society for the Science of the Family have all contributed to making life worse for the country's LGBT population.

Budapest Pride is working with the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union to appeal the police's decision.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/06/Budapest_Pride_Group_Fights_Police_on_March_Restri ction/

TheGodlessUtopian

8th April 2012, 22:48

With a population of less than 300,000, Anchorage is hardly a teeming metropolis. But a recent gay-rights ballot initiative has put the Alaskan city at the center of a big election controversy, with allegations of voter fraud, disenfranchisement, ballots being uncounted and more. Under debate is the results of Tuesday’s vote on Proposition 5, which would have banned discrimination in the city on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. While it appears 58% of the electorate voted against the measure (http://www.queerty.com/did-anchorage-voters-reject-an-lgbt-anti-discrimination-ordinance-20120404/), numerous irregularities have brought these results into serious question:
* More than half of the city’s voting districts reporting running out of official pre-printed ballots and the Municipal Clerk’s office has acknowledged that there were more than 1,400 “unscanned ballots” not counted by official Accuvote machines. Reports of unauthorized substitutes, including photocopies of sample ballots, have surfaced in the media. Mayoral candidate Paul Honeman claims some voters were forced to use napkins (http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/#) as ballots.
* The Anchorage election code allows people who don’t appear on the voter roll to submit a “questioned ballot,” which is sealed and then evaluated by a commission appointed by the mayor. Of the roughly 50,000 votes cast on Tuesday, more than 6,000 were questioned ballots—as compared to 1,060 such ballots in last year’s election.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/JimMinnery.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/JimMinnery.jpg)* Anti-gay activist Jim Minnery (right) has been accused of encouraging illegal voting (http://aksarbent.blogspot.com/2012/04/bent-alaska-proves-jim-minnery.html) in Tuesday’s election: Minnery sent an email out to his followers asking, “Did you know that people can register (http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/#) and vote at the same location and it doesn’t even have to be at their precinct location?” (This is actually not true: Voters must register 30 days before an election.)
Later, a post on Minnery’s Protect Your Rights: Vote NO on 5 (https://www.facebook.com/votenoon5) Facebook page again claimed it was possible to register (http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/#) on Election Day.

Attention Young People or First Time Voters – YOU CAN REGISTER AND VOTE AT THE SAME LOCATION TODAY !! It is super easy. Take a few minutes TODAY and stop by a polling station, register to vote (all you need is your AK driver’s license) and cast a NO Vote on Prop. 5. We really need you to vote. Tell at least 3 of your friends how easy it is.
* Barbara Gruenstein, Anchorage’s Municipal Clerk, told KTUU Channel 2 (http://www.ktuu.com/news/anchorage-election-results-clouded-by-ballot-shortage-040312,0,6368562.story) that she had reason to believe people from outside Anchorage were attempting to vote in the election. Even if they were ultimately unsuccessful, their presence would have no doubted added to the long lines and ballot shortages (http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/#) widely reported.
The city has appointed municipal attorney (http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/#) Dennis Wheeler to investigate these voting irregularities but ACLU of Alaska director Jeffrey Mittman claims that since Wheeler works for Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan—who won handily in Tuesday’s election—there’s a clear conflict of interest. (Mittman’s got a little conflict himself: He headed up the One Anchorage (http://www.oneanchorage.com/) campaign, which pushed for Prop 5.) The ACLU is calling for “an independent, special counsel to investigate the conduct of the April 3, 2012 Municipal Election.”
The contentious presidential election of 2000 had a smaller number of irregularities and it still wound up going to the Supreme Court. We have to think this situation deserves a lot more scrutiny by open and impartial parties.
Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/04/05/2409681/aclu-calls-for-special-counsel.html#storylink=cpy

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/#ixzz1rUJ7Z4FJ

New York City during the Pride parade can be a real shit storm. For MTA custodian Reginald Jenkins, it was a horror show. Last June, as trains were shuttling passengers to and from the parade, Jenkins says his co-workers shouted “batty boy” and “kill them faggots dead.” Jenkins, who is openly gay, says he became physically ill and was taken the hospital the same day.
“It was extremely disconcerting to be surrounded by co-workers yelling about killing gay people,” he tells the Village Voice. (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/04/mta_hit_with_la.php#Comments) “I am proud of who I am, but I know how hostile people can be.”
When he went to supervisors to complain, Jenkins says his superior told him to lighten up and called him “cupcake.” He was then told he could either have the incident investigated while he remained on the job—or accept a promotion out of the department. Jenkins declined both options and says he was then fired for unspecified reasons. He’s now suing the MTA for $1.5 million dollars.
The MTA vehemently denies the allegations, (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/04/mta_disputes_cl.php) claiming Jenkins was canned for being a bad worker:

Jenkins wasn’t even an actual MTA employee when he was fired, he was a “probationary employee” working as a car cleaner — and according to [MTA spokesperson Marjorie] Anders, he wasn’t a very good one.
She says two performance evaluations—one in February of 2011 and one in March of 2011—showed him as doing poor work, not adhering to safety compliances, having a bad attitude, being slow, and failing to complete assignments—for example, he refused to clean up coffee, which, as a car “cleaner,” was one of his responsibilities.
“We don’t hire you and wait to see if you’ll be a bad employee,” Anders says, which is why the MTA has a “probationary employee” program—to see what type of worker a person will be before hiring them outright.
According to Anders, Jenkins went missing during his shift on Pride Sunday and never accounted for his whereabouts or presented proof that he was at the hospital.
What really happened that day? It’s hard to say if the truth will come out, even in court. But it does seem odd Jenkins turned down both the chance to have the incident investigated and an opportunity to get out of a hostile work environment. If he’s telling the truth, we’re not sure what he wanted to happen.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nyc-transit-worker-claims-boss-called-him-cupcake-fired-him-for-being-gay-20120408/#ixzz1rUJLkIiG

John Derbyshire is having a rough weekend: A writer for the National Review and a celebrated novelist (http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Calvin-Coolidge-Dream-Novel/dp/0312156499), he came under attack yesterday for his essay, “The Talk: Nonblack Version,” published on the reactionary website Taki’s Magazine (http://takimag.com/article/the_talk_nonblack_version_john_derbyshire#axzz1rPz l56jx). In this polemic http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/takis-mag.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/takis-mag.jpg)disguised as a lesson to his children, Derbyshire offers (http://www.queerty.com/fired-national-review-writer-john-derbyshire-is-racist-homophobic-and-none-too-bright-20120407/#) several interesting bits of advice, including:

* If planning a trip to a beach or amusement park, find out whether it is likely to be swamped with blacks on that date
* Do not attend events likely to draw a lot of blacks.
* If you are at some public event at which the number of blacks suddenly swells, leave as quickly as possible.
* Do not act the Good Samaritan to blacks in apparent distress, e.g., on the highway.
* If accosted by a strange black in the street, smile and say something polite but keep moving.
NR editor Rich Lowry said that “no one at National Review shares Derb’s appalling view of what parents supposedly should tell their kids about blacks.” It was announced today that Derbyshire had been fired from his post at the magazine. (Of course, that will only fuel his legend as a victim of political correctness.)
British by birth (http://www.queerty.com/fired-national-review-writer-john-derbyshire-is-racist-homophobic-and-none-too-bright-20120407/#), Derbyshire comes from a long line of English intellectuals who flirted with racism, fascism, anti-Semitism and other “isms,” as if they stood above it all from the perch of Her Majesty’s Empire. People like Evelyn Waugh and Derbyshire’s hero, Kingsley Amis. These were the kind of folks who thought Hitler took it a bit too far.
Sohttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/John-Derbyshire-2-360x433.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/John-Derbyshire-2.jpg) what’s Derbyshire’s take on the love that dare not speak its name? The New Civil Rights Movement (http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/1-john-derbyshire-im-even-more-of-a-homophobe-than-i-am-a-racist/politics/2012/04/07/37724) dug up an interview he did with blogger Kevin Holtsberry in 2003. (http://collectedmiscellany.com/2003/11/an-interview-with-john-derbyshire/) It was supposed to be about Prime Obsession, Derbyshire’s then-new book about mathematician Bernhard Reimann. But somehow the eccentric conservative got talking about his political views and explained that—having grown up before political correctness—he considered himself a homophobe, “though a mild and tolerant one.”

This means that I do not like homosexuality, and I think it is a net negative for society. As a conservative, inclined to give the benefit of the doubt (when there is doubt) to long-established practices, I cannot help (http://www.queerty.com/fired-national-review-writer-john-derbyshire-is-racist-homophobic-and-none-too-bright-20120407/#) note that there has never been a human society, at any level of civilization, that has approved egalitarian (that is, adult-adult) homosexuality.
Male-male buggery has been proscribed in every society that ever existed. I am inclined to think that there are good reasons for these universal prohibitions. To say the least of it, male homosexuality is very unhealthy–much more so than, for example, cigarette smoking.
What does that even mean—is being a lesbian healthier than smoking? Are bisexuals at equal risk? Remember this guy is a trained mathematician.

Homosexuality both male and female is also antisocial, in a profound sense. I do not believe that any stable society can be founded on any basis other than heterosexual marriage. Under modern conditions, I think you would have to add “monogamous,” too.
That’s the “homophobe” part. Now here’s the “mild, tolerant” part. I think homosexuals should be left alone by the state. While I do not think, as I have said above, that private discrimination against them (or any other group) should be outlawed, I do not believe that homosexuality should be criminalized. Where it currently is criminalized, I should like to see it decriminalized.
I think homosexuals who are willing to give normal life a try should be offered all possible encouragement and support, public and private. Those who are determined to live as homosexuals, or who feel they have no choice in the matter, should just be left alone. It goes without saying–I hope–that I would like to see anyone found to have beaten up a homosexual to be charged with assault and battery, and dealt with accordingly.
Derbyshire’s “mild” strain of homophobia is fairly rampant—we’d dare say it’s prevalent in Western society. Most Republicans would blanch at seeing gay people assaulted in the street, even crusty ol’ Newt Gingrich.
They’d just prefer us out of sight and out of mind.
But suggesting that a whole community of people should be just “left alone” is fairly vague. Would Derbyshire and his ilk want someone who called us names in the street to be “dealt with accordingly”? How about people who kick us out of our apartments? What about the government—can it deny jobs based on an applicant’s race? Can doctors deny treatment to patients because of their sexuality? Because in the absence of legal protections all of these things will happen.
And what does giving a “normal life” a try entail exactly? Banging a few babes before giving in to dick? Getting married to a man and popping out a few kids before accepting you’ll always be a dyke?
It’s nice that you cop to your homophobia, Mr. Derbyshire, but we’re gonna need a little more information if we’re gonna ratchet back our civil rights to your liking.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/fired-national-review-writer-john-derbyshire-is-racist-homophobic-and-none-too-bright-20120407/#ixzz1rUJZkt1s

.

TheGodlessUtopian

9th April 2012, 19:28

It seems that there is at least one Muslim clergyman out there willing to break ranks with Islam’s unfavorable view of gay people.
According to Al Arabiya (http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/04/08/206218.html), a gay Mauritian imam named Jamal presided over the marriage of Ludovic Mohamed Zahed, a French man of Algerian origin, (on right in photo at right) and Qiyam al-Din (left) in Din’s native South Africa earlier this year.
Furthermore, Zahed says Jamal introduced him to his new life partner at a conference on AIDS in South Africa (http://www.queerty.com/miracles-do-happen-gay-imam-blesses-union-of-same-sex-muslim-couple-20120409/#) a few months earlier.
Zahed tells France 24 TV (http://www.queerty.com/miracles-do-happen-gay-imam-blesses-union-of-same-sex-muslim-couple-20120409/#) of how he met his new partner through the gay imam:

“I was in the lecture hall when an imam, who incidentally is gay himself, introduced me to Din. We discovered we had a lot in common and a mutual admiration was cemented. I stayed on after the convention for two months, deciding to get married, since South African laws were more friendly [to same sex unions]…
“Being married in front of my family, was like a new start (http://www.queerty.com/miracles-do-happen-gay-imam-blesses-union-of-same-sex-muslim-couple-20120409/#) of life for me, I could have never imagined such a day would come, seeing the joy in my parents’ eyes after they had battled with my sexuality and tried with all their might to change the course of my sexual orientation.”
Zahed and Din returned to France recently, but have been having trouble getting their marriage recognized by the French government. Continues Al Arabiya:

Zahed wants to pursue his doctoral studies in Islam and homosexuality and he also heads an organization that researches issues relating to Islam and homosexuality. He said his absolute priority is to get a legal permit for his new spouse to stay and work (http://www.queerty.com/miracles-do-happen-gay-imam-blesses-union-of-same-sex-muslim-couple-20120409/#) in France.
The couple does not intend to travel to an Arab or Muslim nation for fear of being discriminated against. “We want to stay in France, because my husband really likes this country. However, if it becomes impossible for him to stay, we will return to South Africa to live.”
What an amazing, inspiring story. Zahed and Din can hold out hope that Francois Hollande will beat Nicolas Sarkozy (http://www.queerty.com/unpopular-french-president-nicolas-sarkozy-desperately-woos-gay-rights-20120330/) in the upcoming French presidential election. Hollande has stated he will push the legalization of gay marriage as a priority in 2013.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/miracles-do-happen-gay-imam-blesses-union-of-same-sex-muslim-couple-20120409/#ixzz1rZLIVQOQ

Saying that rancid homophobes were often gay themselves was once a just anecdotal supposition, and a great irony that befell the likes of like Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, George Rekers, and so on.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/01/haggard-revelation.jpg
Now a study from Richard Ryan, professor of clinical and social psychology at the University of Rochester (http://www.queerty.com/study-yup-the-biggest-homophobes-tend-to-have-repressed-gay-tendencies-20120409/#), says that people who identify as very heterosexual (and very anti-gay) often tend to have unexpressed homosexual tendencies.

Medical XPress summarizes (http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-homophobia-linked-lack-awareness-sexual.html):

The findings provide new empirical evidence to support the psychoanalytic theory that the fear, anxiety (http://www.queerty.com/study-yup-the-biggest-homophobes-tend-to-have-repressed-gay-tendencies-20120409/#), and aversion that some seemingly heterosexual people hold toward gays and lesbians can grow out of their own repressed same-sex desires, Ryan says…
The findings may help to explain the personal dynamics behind some bullying and hate crimes directed at gays and lesbians, the authors argue. Media coverage of gay-related hate crimes suggests that attackers often perceive some level of threat from homosexuals. People in denial about their sexual orientation may lash out because gay targets threaten and bring this internal conflict to the forefront, the authors write.
Four separate experiments were conducted in the United States and Germany, drawing on a total of about 640 college (http://www.queerty.com/study-yup-the-biggest-homophobes-tend-to-have-repressed-gay-tendencies-20120409/#) students—a good sample size.
Is it good to have science confirm (http://www.queerty.com/study-yup-the-biggest-homophobes-tend-to-have-repressed-gay-tendencies-20120409/#) what a lot of us already expected—that the anti-gay bullies really just want to make sweet, sweet love to their gay targets?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-yup-the-biggest-homophobes-tend-to-have-repressed-gay-tendencies-20120409/#ixzz1rZLTFrqx

* The MPAA has reversed its decision about Bully, the documentary about America’s bullying epidemic that was initially saddled with an R rating. The film, which hits theaters nationwide (http://www.queerty.com/news-bully-gets-new-pg-13-rating-first-gay-pta-forms-kerry-aids-lesbian-bi-nationals-and-more-20120409/#) on April 13, will now have a PG 13 rating—which teens can see it without adult supervision. “Putting anything in the way of kids seeing this movie—kids who could well be victims of bullying themselves –was not only foolish but destructive,” says media analyst Paul Levinson. [Christian Science Monitor (http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0406/Bully-downgraded-to-PG-13-as-ratings-system-assailed-from-all-sides)]

http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/04/maryland.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/wp/docs/2009/04/maryland.jpg)* Maryland’s State Supreme Court will hear a divorce case involving a lesbian couple who were originally wed in California. Though marriage equality passed in the state earlier this year, it won’t take affect until January—if opponents don’t manage to overturn it in a voter referendum first. “”If you’re validly married somewhere else, the rule in Maryland is your marriage is going to be respected in Maryland, and that’s what we’re asking the court to do here,” said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco.” [Associated Press (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-04/D9TVKHT00.htm)]

* Next week, The Long Island Gay Parent Teacher Student Association (LI G-PTSA) will officially receive its charter, making it the first PTA in the country to specifically address the needs of LGBT students. “Anti-GLBT bullying is a problem that affects the entire community, both on school grounds and off,” said G-PTSA co-president Laurie Scheinman. “The LI G-PTSA will for the first time engage not only students and teachers to create safer schools (http://www.queerty.com/news-bully-gets-new-pg-13-rating-first-gay-pta-forms-kerry-aids-lesbian-bi-nationals-and-more-20120409/#), but parents and the community will now also have a stake in this work. It is truly historic.” [LIGALY (http://www.ligaly.org/news.php?i=192)]

http://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2012/04/Jackie-and-Gloria-credit-Stop-the-Deportations-The-DOMA-Project-250x134.jpg* Senator John Kerry (D-MA) is stepping in to help a married lesbian couple in his state who are facing separation because one of them is not a legal U.S. citizen. On March 27, Kerry sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano asking her to stay the deportation (http://www.queerty.com/news-bully-gets-new-pg-13-rating-first-gay-pta-forms-kerry-aids-lesbian-bi-nationals-and-more-20120409/#) of Gloria (right), who is only making her first name public, back to Pakistan. “I know that you and I both believe that every family is worthy and recognition and respect, and that no family should be torn apart based on a discriminatory law,” wrote Kerry. “Abeyance will allow this remarkable young couple to move forward with their dream of building a life together at home in Massachusetts.” [Washington Blade (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/04/08/kerry-seeks-to-aid-lesbian-bi-national-couple/)]

* The Tennessee Senate has passed a new sex-education (http://www.queerty.com/news-bully-gets-new-pg-13-rating-first-gay-pta-forms-kerry-aids-lesbian-bi-nationals-and-more-20120409/#) measure—a revised version of its odious “Don’t Say Gay” bill that would ban discussion of LGBT subject matter in public classrooms. The new bill classifies students holding hands as a “gateway sexual activity” and allows parents to sue schoolteachers if they deviate from the so-called family-life education curriculum, which prohibits the promotion of contraception, homosexuality and any activity or health message that might encourage children to explore sexual activity outside of marriage. “Abstinence’ means from all of these activities, and we want to promote that,” Republican state Sen. Jack Johnson told The Tennessean. “What we do want to communicate to the kids is that the best choice is abstinence.” [The New Civil Rights Movement (http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/holding-hands-a-gateway-sexual-activity-in-just-passed-tennessee-bill/politics/2012/04/09/37765?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNewCivilRightsMovement+%28 The+New+Civil+Rights+Movement%29)]

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/news-bully-gets-new-pg-13-rating-first-gay-pta-forms-kerry-aids-lesbian-bi-nationals-and-more-20120409/#ixzz1rZLmkc64

At the White House’s annual Easter Egg roll today, Jarrod Scarbrough and his partner of 18 years, Les Sewell, plan on asking President Obama to sign an executive order (http://www.queerty.com/gay-couple-to-urge-obama-to-sign-pro-lgbt-workplace-executive-order-at-easter-egg-roll-20120406/) banning any firm that gets a federal contract from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Thomas Roberts invited them on the show earlier today to talk about why they’re going to “get political” with Obama at the holiday event.
“It’s definitely a political event,” said Scarbrough, who will be taking his eight-year-old daughter to the event. “As is anything that takes place in a place like the White House. We feel that, since this is a family event, it’s the perfect opportunity to talk about all of the thousands of families that could benefit from this action.”
Sewell, who was sporting rainbow-dyed hair, said he thinks Obama will sign the executive order eventually—he’s had it since 2009, and the Departments of Justice and Labor have both approved it. But he wants to exert pressure on Obama to sign it sooner than later.
Sewell said they plan on moving to Florida in June, where the protections are less solid than in their current New Mexico. “Without this administrative action,” said Sewell, “Jarrod could lose his job, and then where would our family be?”
The event is attended by a lot of people, perhaps who also have political motivations of their own, so it will be difficult for this gay couple to get any real time with the President. But at least they’re trying, and honestly the publicity they’re getting from this media coverage should be enough to give the Obama administration the message, Easter Egg Roll facetime or no.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/watch-gay-couple-talks-about-getting-political-with-obama-at-easter-egg-roll-20120409/#ixzz1rZLzJlhg

P.S: see source for video

TheGodlessUtopian

9th April 2012, 19:35

.
Four freshmen walking home from a party Friday night were violently attacked by three Colorado State University football players, reports 9News (http://www.9news.com/news/article/261768/339/Victims-say-CSU-football-players-attacked-them).
The football players had been yelling homophobic slurs at them from an SUV, and when one of the freshmen talked back, the CSU jocks got out of the car (http://www.queerty.com/colorado-state-football-players-beat-crap-out-of-freshmen-yelling-gay-slurs-20120409/#) and started beating them very harshly.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/gocha-gay-bash-360x479.jpg
Now, it doesn’t appear that any of the freshmen attacked were gay, but the coupling of senseless violence with gay slurs is still alarming.
The football team has suspended three players: Nordly Capi, Mike Orakpo and Colton Paulhus, but has not yet admitted that they were the attackers.
Donny Gocha, the freshmen who was worst attacked, has been chronicling the story on his Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=601041676), posting a picture of himself the day after (right, with caption “I can literally barely see today”). He also acknowledged that other football players have come to him to apologize for the actions of their teammates and to say that they don’t want this to represent the rest of the CSU team:
Had a bunch of football players just come to my room and apologize for what happens [sic]. I agree (http://www.queerty.com/colorado-state-football-players-beat-crap-out-of-freshmen-yelling-gay-slurs-20120409/#) it shouldn’t make the whole team look bad! Only if nothing was done then I’d be upset and that isn’t the case. Glad I have so many people who care though.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/colorado-state-football-players-beat-crap-out-of-freshmen-yelling-gay-slurs-20120409/#ixzz1rZMNVvku

Right now, travel agents, journalists, hoteliers and others in the hospitality industry (http://www.queerty.com/brazil-is-a-gay-travelers-paradise-but-violence-against-lgbts-is-on-the-rise-20120409/#) are packing their bags and heading to Brazil for The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association’s (http://www.iglta.org/) annual global convention, held this year in the southern city of Florianopolis from April 12-14. They’ll check out hotels (http://www.queerty.com/brazil-is-a-gay-travelers-paradise-but-violence-against-lgbts-is-on-the-rise-20120409/#), network with contacts, discuss best practices and discover all that Brazil has to offer queer travelers (and there’s a lot). And the country is one of the most gay-friendly on the planet, with gays and lesbians allowed to marry, adopt and serve in the military. Gender-reassignment surgery is offered for free as part of the country’s national health service.
But as The Daily Beast’s Kristian Jepsen reports (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/08/brazil-s-surge-in-violence-against-gays-is-just-getting-worse.html), all is not well for LGBTs who call the South American country home: Murders of gays and lesbians in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais—and more notably in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo—are on the rise.
Attacks against gays have climbed steadily for most of the last decade, with 272 murdered in 2011—one every 36 hours, according to Grupo Gay da Bahía, a leading gay-rights group that tracks antigay violence. This year, GGB reports, it’s even worse, with 75 murders in just the first 10 weeks. That’s one every 24 hours.
São Paulo is home to the world’s largest Pride celebration, but the stories of anti-gay violence are chilling: Between 2007 and 2008, 13 gay men were killed in the city (http://www.queerty.com/is-there-a-serial-killer-in-sao-paulo-targeting-gay-men-20081208/), possibly the work of a serial killer or hate group. In 2009, 21 people were injured at São Paulo Pride when an explosive was thrown into a crowd of revelers. (http://www.queerty.com/3-million-celebrated-sao-paulo-pride-21-of-them-injured-from-explosive-20090616/#ixzz1rVfsI13u) (In a separate incident, a 17-year-old was beaten so badly by a group of assailants that he fell into a coma.) And just last year, a young man walking with two gay friends down the popular and cosmopolitan Avenida Paulista was attacked by a group of teenagers, who smahttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Picture-60-360x278.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Picture-60.png)shed a fluorescent bulb (http://www.queerty.com/brazil-is-a-gay-travelers-paradise-but-violence-against-lgbts-is-on-the-rise-20120409/#) over his head.
To address São Paulo’s anti-gay crime wave, Telma de Souza, a Worker’s Party representative, has proposed a special unit in the city’s police force that would specifically address attacks on the gay community with officers receiving special training (http://www.queerty.com/brazil-is-a-gay-travelers-paradise-but-violence-against-lgbts-is-on-the-rise-20120409/#) in counseling and human rights.
But solutions on the national level are being met with resistance, reports Jepsen. Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff recently vetoed a popular program that would have taught schoolkids about respecting sexual diversity. And a proposed “anti-homophobia law”—which would make it a crime punishable by up to three years in prison to discriminate or incite violence against LGBTs—was attacked by evangelicals, who complained it would outlaw sermons and religious instruction against homosexuality.
It was reworded, but fundamentalists still rejected it and now the measure languishes in legislative limbo.
“The evangelical bloc will never pass one law which would be to our benefit,” says Toni Reis, president of the Brazilian Association of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transexuals (ABGLT), who recently criticized the redrafted law for creating a human-rights hierarchy.
Fundamentalist bigots disguising hate as religious freedom? Maybe things aren’t so different down in Brazil as they are in the good old US of A.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/brazil-is-a-gay-travelers-paradise-but-violence-against-lgbts-is-on-the-rise-20120409/#ixzz1rZMhELVX

Management analyst Peter TerVeer is claiming he was fired from his position at the Library of Congress following months of discrimination by his bible-quoting supervisor (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/04/09/library-of-congress-staffer-fired-claims-anti-gay-bias/).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/library-of-congress-360x240.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/library-of-congress.jpg)TerVeer, 30, who worked in the LoC’s Office of the Inspector General, claims that John Mech created a hostile work environment by repeatedly stating his religious objections to homosexuality and intentionally giving him assignments Mech knew he’d be unable to complete.
TerVeer has filed a claim with the Equality Opportunity Commission and is considering legal action:
“I contend that I have been subjected to a hostile work environment by Mr. [John] Mech since August 2009 on the basis of my sex (male), sexual orientation (homosexual), and religion (non-denominational Christian/Agnostic),” TerVeer states in an affidavit accompanying his complaint. “I maintain that Mr. Mech has acted to impose his religious beliefs on me.”
After beginning at the Library in 2008, TerVeer received (http://www.queerty.com/library-of-congress-staffer-claims-he-was-shelved-for-being-gay-20120409/#) positive reviews, promotions and praise for his work. But that changed in 2009, when Mech, the lead auditor for the Office of the Inspector General, discovered he was gay.
“All of a sudden now, every time I’m going into his office he’s starting off with a religious conversation. Then it comes out where he pointed out he was a believer with a literal translation of the Bible,” said TerVeer. “Then he goes specifically into homosexuality.”
TerVeer says Mech’s brimstone-and-hellfire act kicked into overdrive (http://www.queerty.com/library-of-congress-staffer-claims-he-was-shelved-for-being-gay-20120409/#) in June 2010:
“He came into my office on that date and said he wanted to educate (http://www.queerty.com/library-of-congress-staffer-claims-he-was-shelved-for-being-gay-20120409/#) me on Hell and that it was a sin to be a homosexual,” TerVeer says in the affidavit. “He said he hoped I repented because the Bible was very clear about what God does to homosexuals.”
Among other things, TerVeer says in the affidavit that Mech quoted the Old Testament passage of Leviticus, stating, “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their heads.”
After that encounter, TerVeer says, Mech began piling on work and warned him against filing a discrimination complaint. Mech’s supervisor, Nicholas Christopher, seems to have supported Mech’s campaign against TerVeer, despite the fact that Christopher himself is gay.
TerVeer says the strain of such a hostile work environment forced him, in October 2011, to take a unpaid leave from the Library. But when he didn’t return to his post in January, the Office of the Inspector General declared he was “AWOL” and fired him.
Inspector General Karl W. Schornagel wrote in a letter:
“I considered that you failed to report for duty as scheduled for over 37 consecutive workdays and failed to properly request approved leave despite being reminded of the proper procedures for requesting approved leave and advised of the consequences of your failure to report for duty as scheduled,”
TerVeer’s attorney (http://www.queerty.com/library-of-congress-staffer-claims-he-was-shelved-for-being-gay-20120409/#) says his client had wanted to extend the leave, but was financially unable to pay doctors for the necessary examination and documentation. A requested transfer to another department was denied.
Sadly, it’s unclear whether TerVeer’s rights are protected: The Library of Congress adopted a policy banning discrimination against employees based on sexual orientation in the 1990s, but a spokesperson for the institution wouldn’t confirm (http://www.queerty.com/library-of-congress-staffer-claims-he-was-shelved-for-being-gay-20120409/#) that the measure is still in effect. Title 7 of the U.S. civil code bans discrimination based on race, religion, gender and ethnicity, but not orientation.
In 2008, a trans woman who had applied for a senior position with the Library won a lawsuit claiming (http://www.queerty.com/library-of-congress-guilty-of-trans-discrimination-20080922/)she was passed over for the position because of her gender identity.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/library-of-congress-staffer-claims-he-was-shelved-for-being-gay-20120409/#ixzz1rZN0NZK1

Rachel Maddow has distinguished herself in the sea of cable-channel talking heads by basing her opinions on common sense and reportage. To our knowledge, she’s never cried on camera, badmouthed her network or referred to anyone as a “slut.”http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Drift_Rachel_Maddow_book_cover.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Drift_Rachel_Maddow_book_cover.jpg)
In her new book, Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, Maddow argues the United States has moved into a perpetual state of war, with little concern for the financial cost and loss of lives involved. It’s a serious tome, but is still infused with Maddow’s signature brand of snarky humor.
NPR’s Ira (http://www.queerty.com/win-a-copy-of-rachel-maddows-drift-the-unmooring-of-american-military-power-20120409/#) Glass has said of Drift: “People who love Rachel Maddow will discover that her gift for (http://www.queerty.com/win-a-copy-of-rachel-maddows-drift-the-unmooring-of-american-military-power-20120409/#) finding amazing anecdotes and funny, revealing details totally translates to the page. People who hate her may be surprised by how often in Drift she espouses some of the most conservative values: a suspicion of big government and unbridled federal power, a zeal to cut wasteful spending and a yearning to return to the intentions of the Founding Fathers.”
Well, media junkies, you can rejoice: We’re giving away a copy of Drift for one lucky reader to enjoy at home, on the train or as a fun beach read! It’s easy: Just subscribe to the new Queerty newsletter and you’ll automatically be entered to win. (If you’re already a subscriber, you’re already entered!)

The deadline to enter is Friday, April 13, at 12pm. The winner will be contacted via email and sent their prize (http://www.queerty.com/win-a-copy-of-rachel-maddows-drift-the-unmooring-of-american-military-power-20120409/#) via regular U.S. Mail.
Drift (http://www.randomhouse.com/book/105954/drift-by-rachel-maddow#blurb_tabs)($25, Random House) (http://www.randomhouse.com/book/105954/drift-by-rachel-maddow#blurb_tabs) is available in stores and online now.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/win-a-copy-of-rachel-maddows-drift-the-unmooring-of-american-military-power-20120409/#ixzz1rZNN51x2

TheGodlessUtopian

10th April 2012, 22:32

Edwin Peacock, a Republican congressional candidate (http://www.wcnc.com/news/politics/9th-District-race-1-Democrat-1-Libertarian-11-Republicans-141014023.html) for North Carolina’s 9th district, has broken party lines and come out against the widely misunderstood (http://www.queerty.com/study-majority-of-north-carolinians-misunderstand-support-amendment-banning-same-sex-unions-20120330/) Amendment One, which bans all same-sex unions in the state.
ThinkProgress reports (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/10/461401/gop-house-candidate-comes-out-against-north-carolinas-discriminatory-marriage-amendment/) that Peacock told a local NBC affiliate (http://www.queerty.com/gop-congressional-candidate-calls-ncs-same-sex-union-ban-bad-for-business-20120410/#): “I think we need to look at who are we welcoming here. You look at our top five employers, every single one of them has clearly embracing inclusiveness and in general in their behavior as it relates to some of the benefits that they offer.”
Gay marriage ban: bad for North Carolina’s economy.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gop-congressional-candidate-calls-ncs-same-sex-union-ban-bad-for-business-20120410/#ixzz1rfvY6wyK

P.S: See source for video

A study from the UK Office of National Statistics reveals that civil partnerships between gay couples are dissolved at about half the rate of heterosexual marriages. “Homosexual couples that joined in 2005 were significantly less likely to have filed for dissolution four years later than heterosexual couples were to have filed for divorce: 2.5% compared to 5.5%.” Additionally, gay-male couples were less likely to split than lesbian pairs. [The Daily Beast (http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/04/why-do-lesbians-divorce-more-than-gay-men-.html)]
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/800px-Flamingos_Laguna_Colorada-360x242.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/800px-Flamingos_Laguna_Colorada.jpg)
Speaking of Merry old England, two male flamingos at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire are still going strong after five years. “They only have eyes for each other—I have never seen two male flamingos fall for each other before, although homosexuality is not uncommon in the animal kingdom,” says zookeeper Nigel Jarrett. [Pink News UK (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2006/02/04/gay-flamingos-celebrate-fifth-anniversary-with-their-children/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2006/02/04/gay-flamingos-celebrate-fifth-anniversary-with-their-children/)]

And speaking of kids, proud papas Jarrod Scarborough and Les Sewell, who publicized their plan to challenge President Obama to sign a federal anti-discrimination bill at yesterday’s White House Easter egg roll, never got the chance to talk to the Commander in Chief at the event, which drew some 30,000 kids and parents. But they were happy the issue got so much media attention. “Given our economy, this is an absolute wonderful chance to get a little bit of information out about this executive order and hopefully get some education and a little push to get it signed,” said Scarborough. [Edge on the Net (http://www.edgeonthenet.com/news/family/news/131816/gay_families_attend_white_house_easter_egg_roll)]

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/mattachine-society-360x253.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/mattachine-society.jpg)
In L.A.’s Silver Lake neighborhood, a set of stairs at the bottom of Cove Avenue was renamed The Mattachine Steps, in honor of the pioneering gay-rights group the Mattachine Society, which held its first meeting at a house there in 1950. The renaming ceremony took place Saturday, April 7, when Mattachine founder Harry Hay would have turned 100 years old. [Patch.com (http://echopark.patch.com/articles/new-silver-lake-signage-honors-pioneering-gay-rights-group)]

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/news-gay-divorces-half-of-straights-in-uk-queer-flamingos-flock-together-silver-lake-honors-mattachines-and-more-20120410/#ixzz1rfvsuZXz

Electronic Arts is one of the world’s biggest video-game (http://www.queerty.com/60000-thank-electronic-arts-for-including-gay-video-game-characters-20120410/#) companies, and they’ve recently come under fire from Tony Perkins (http://www.queerty.com/gossip-matt-bomer-comes-to-glee-cher-loves-the-70s-and-patsy-and-edina-are-in-vogue-sweetie-20120127/) and the Family Research Council for including gay characters and plotlines in Star Wars: The Old Republic (http://www.queerty.com/the-force-is-with-us-new-star-wars-rpg-adds-gay-option-20110918/) and Mass Effect 3 (http://www.queerty.com/watch-mass-effect-3-gives-gamers-an-intergalactic-gay-tryst-20120306/).
Activist group AllOut.org decided to thank EA for “fighting the dark side” with a petition (http://allout.org/en/actions/theforce) that has garnered 60,000 signatures.
Andre Banks (http://www.queerty.com/60000-thank-electronic-arts-for-including-gay-video-game-characters-20120410/#), executive director for AllOut.org said, “Electronic Arts customers are speaking out loud and clear: Being for equality is good for business. Groups like the Family Research Council are truly on the ‘dark side’—they put pressure on companies like EA to block fair, balanced portrayals of gay characters in gaming and other media. You don’t have to be a gamer to understand that it makes a real difference for Electronic Arts to present positive portrayals of gays and lesbians to its community of 100 million players.”
The force is strong with EA and AllOut. With any luck and more support from these groups, positive plotlines for LGBT characters will become completely unobjectionable before 3069.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/60000-thank-electronic-arts-for-including-gay-video-game-characters-20120410/#ixzz1rfw7VEsE

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/sweden.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/sweden.jpg)
Queerty reader Yamil sent us this item from the Local, (http://www.thelocal.se/39988/) an English-language site from Sweden: Apparently Leklust, a catalog company in the Scandinavian country, thinks its okay to warp young minds into a flurry of gender confusion. As you can see in the photo above, the company decided to advertise its kid’s toys by having a girl ride a tractor and a boy push a baby carriage. And just to make sure young males develop deviant sexual fetishes, they’ve dressed the boy in a full-body Spider-Man costume. Elsewhere in the catalog, another boy is seen standing in front of a toy stove making a pretend dinner.
In the immortal words of Helen Lovejoy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo): Won’t somebody please think of the children?!?
Leklust CEO Kaj Wiberg defended the photo, telling Metro newspaper that “gender roles are an outdated thing. I’m 71 years old, and those of us who have worked in this industry for a while know that boys play with doll houses. We know that boys can play with Barbie dolls.”
That splashing sound you hear is the Whore of Babylon emerging from the Baltic Sea.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/society-crumbles-as-swedish-toy-catalog-swaps-traditional-gender-roles-20120410/#ixzz1rfwTfok7

The White House is hosting an LGBT Pride Month Champions of Change Video Challenge (http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/pride-month-champions-change-video-challenge), encouraging members of the public to submit inspirational videos about everyday people who have exhibited exemplary commitment to the gay cause.

We know that the American people are the source of some of the best ideas and most innovative solutions. That’s why the White House Champions of Change (http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions) series spotlights everyday heroes who are demonstrating commitment to improving their own communities, their country, or the lives of their fellow citizens. And in that spirit, we are launching the LGBT Pride Month Champions of Change Video Challenge (http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/pride-month-champions-change-video-challenge) to explore the stories of unsung heroes and local leaders who are leading our march towards a more perfect union.
Interested applicants can submit their three-minute-or-less videos online (http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/pride-month-champions-change-video-challenge) until May 4th, and the general public will have a chance to vote on the best videos in June, which is LGBT Pride Month, of course.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/white-house-solicits-inspirational-gay-themed-videos-for-lgbt-pride-month-challenge-20120410/

TheGodlessUtopian

10th April 2012, 22:38

As it has in the past (http://www.queerty.com/2-reasons-america-isnt-good-enough-for-the-european-union-20100216/), the European Union has issued an ultimatum to countries hoping to join the EU: get better on gay rights or you won’t be allowed in. A new LGBT survey, conducted over the next year, will determine whether hopefuls like Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo sufficiently protect gay people by gathering “data on levels of discrimination, hate crimes and legal protection experienced by LGBT people.”
Some of the EU’s specific concerns in its 2012 accession report, according to the Gay News Network (http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/northern-territory/5808-eu-launches-lgbti-survey-warns-countries-to-improve-gay-rights.html):

The report recommended Turkey include homophobia and transphobia in hate crime provisions and criticised the Turkish Army for continuing to classify homosexuality as a ‘psychosexual illness’.
Serbia’s government was rebuked for a “lack of political will … to ensure the safety of the participants of the Pride Parade” that was supposed to be held in Belgrade last year.
Serbia, for its part, seems to be making progress—a district court recently sentenced (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-serbia-sentences-far-right-leader-for-gay-death-threats-20120327/) a far-right leader who has incited violence at Belgrade Pride Parades (which even became the subject of an award-winning parody film, The Parade (http://www.queerty.com/serbian-gay-pride-comedy-nabs-audience-award-at-berlin-film-fest-20120221/)).
Do you think Turkey, Montenegro, or Kosovo will make enough progress on gay rights to please the EU within the next year?

Source: http://www.queerty.com/european-union-to-hopeful-member-nations-get-better-on-gay-rights-or-stay-out-20120410/

So we still haven’t had an openly gay active pro athlete yet, though we could have one in basketball (http://www.queerty.com/mark-cuban-there-absolutely-will-be-an-openly-gay-nba-player-within-the-next-three-to-five-years-20111219/) or soccer (http://www.queerty.com/two-hot-homosexual-soccer-players-coming-to-americas-tv-screens-20111205/) soon.
But it’s promising to see college athletes de-closet themselves, and even more promising when they lead the charge for an entire athletics department to record an “It Gets Better” video and to stand in solidarity against the kind of gay slurs that are all too common in locker rooms and practices.
Jay Hayes, a senior at NYU and captain of the volleyball team, did just that by directing and starring in an “It Gets Better” video sanctioned by the NYU Athletics Department.
Hayes tells NYU Local (http://nyulocal.com/on-campus/2012/04/09/nyu-volleyball-captains-struggles-as-a-gay-athlete-inspire-an-it-gets-better-video/) that the video is part of his journey to come out as a gay athlete:

At the beginning of his sophomore year, he finally told his friends and family back home. Throughout his coming out process, the one group that remained in the dark was his team at NYU.
“For me sports was my way of being straight because it was such a straight environment. It was a nice getaway from the reality of who I was. So that’s why coming out to my teammates was the hardest part of me coming out,” said Hayes.
Hayes’s teammates not only quelled his concerns, they took his announcement surprisingly casually, as if he was talking about the weather. “He just kind of straight up told us and everything was fine. Teammates are supposed to support each other, and it actually brought our team closer,” said teammate and fellow senior Pat Dodd.
Hayes helped NYU continue its tradition of being a volleyball powerhouse in Division III, with the Violets finishing in the top 10 in the nation multiple times in the last four years.
But, when Hayes was elected captain of the volleyball team this year, he wanted to do something for the gay community.
“I contacted Outsports.com, and told them my story, and they asked if I wanted to record an It Gets Better video with just me and my story. But it was awkward for me, and I didn’t feel comfortable,” said Hayes. “One day when I was working out I realized that we have such a good film school here, and we have such a close-knit community among the athletes, why don’t we do a video with all the athletes here at NYU.”
Hayes contacted the NYU athletic department, and with the help of the other sports’ captains and a friend in NYU’s film school, Hayes was able to complete the video over the course of his final semester in college.
His video is now only the second in the It Gets Better campaign done by a major university’s athletic program, the other from Northwestern University.
If other college departments continue to blaze the trail like Hayes and NYU are doing, I think it’s clear we’ll have an openly gay pro athlete in no time.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/nyus-gay-volleyball-team-captain-directs-and-stars-in-it-gets-better-video-20120410/

P.S: See source for video

Carri Jenkins, an assistant to the president of Brigham Young University, says that the LGBT students who made a depressing “It Gets Better” video (http://www.queerty.com/byus-it-geys-better-video-doesnt-really-make-it-sound-like-it-gets-any-better-20120406/) won’t be punished unless they act on their gay feelings, which is against the Mormon college’s Honor Code. According to CNN (http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/10/byu-student-video-on-homosexuality-is-not-in-violation-of-honor-code-says-administrator/):

Jenkins went on to say that for the video alone, the students would not be punished. The honor code, Jenkins said, is “based on conduct, not on feeling, and if same-gender attraction is only stated, that is not an honor code issue.”
All BYU students sign on to the honor code upon enrollment. The code outlaws premarital sex and breaking the code “may result in actions up to and including separation from the university.”
“Homosexual behavior is inappropriate and violates the honor code. Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings,” reads the honor code.
“Homosexual behavior is inappropriate and violates the honor code. Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings.”
So that’s probably why none of the kids in the video looked very happy. Because, in addition to being told they’re aberrations from the norm sexually, they can’t even act on their feelings to see how healthy and fulfilling a gay relationship can be—sex included.
Are straight Mormons at BYU being kicked out for having sex? I at least hope these students are allowed to masturbate. Because if the “It Gets Better” campaign needs a helping hand anytime, I have an idea for a “Just Jack Off” project.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/byu-students-who-made-it-gets-better-video-wont-be-expelled-unless-they-have-gay-sex-20120410/

TheGodlessUtopian

11th April 2012, 22:17

Was there an unofficial gay bar in the outskirts of the Gambian capital? The AFP (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Gambia+police+arrest+suspicion+homosexuality/6435245/story.html#ixzz1rkEGLDXi) says that fifteen men “suspected of homosexuality” were arrested in a watering hole in the suburbs of Banjul yesterday:
The men, all Gambians except one Senegalese, were arrested late Monday when police raided a bar in a popular tourist area. Officers had received a tip of people “publicly displaying or promoting homosexual activities,” a senior police officer (http://www.queerty.com/15-gambian-men-arrested-for-publicly-displaying-or-promoting-homosexual-activities-20120411/#) speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP.
“They will be charged accordingly after we have completed our investigations,” the police official said.
What exactly will these investigations entail? Logging in to their emails, Manhunt, and Grindr profiles?
The men face severe penalties: homosexuality is banned in Gambia and can be punished by up to 14 years in jail. Back in 2008, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh said gays should get out of the country or risk being decapitated, though he later rescinded the statement after widespread international outrage.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/15-gambian-men-arrested-for-publicly-displaying-or-promoting-homosexual-activities-20120411/#ixzz1rlhZcMLW

Surprise, surprise: Boston University has come out with a study saying coming out to supportive parents improves long-term health for LGBTs, reports PsychCentral.com (http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/04/11/parental-support-of-coming-out-improves-long-term-health/37203.html). That’s something you probably could’ve verified personally or anecdotally, although having the weight of science behind you is always nice.
According to the study, which surveyed 5,658 adults ages 18-64 in Massachusetts:

Boston University School of Public Health researchers determined that two-thirds of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in a representative Massachusetts sample reported receiving positive support from their parents after coming out to them.
Their incidence of mental health and substance abuse problems was significantly lower than those who did not receive support, the authors reported.
Researchers discovered 75 percent of Massachusetts lesbian, gay and bisexual adults have informed their parents on their sexuality. On average, individuals told their parents of their sexual orientation when they were 25 years old.
But one interesting, unexpected aspect of the study is that gay men were able to remain closeted with less health problems.

The authors found that the act of coming out (instead of remaining “closeted”) was generally associated with better health for lesbian and bisexual women, but that this was not similarly true for gay and bisexual men.
“It’s possible that the stress of not disclosing your sexuality to your parents affects men and women differently,” explained Rothman, an associate professor of community health sciences.
“In general, gay and bisexual men may be able to conduct their sexual lives apart from their parents with less stress. On the other hand, it’s also possible that this was an artifact of our particular sample.”
Is the nature of ladies to need to want parental affirmation for their sexual orientation, while men are more able to cope on their own, or do you think the study was flawed with some odd “artifact”?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-lesbians-gain-more-health-benefits-from-coming-out-to-parents-than-gay-men-20120411/#ixzz1rlhjr26H

Actor Paul Iacono, star of MTV’s The Hard Times of RJ Berger, has come out of the closet in an interview with the Village Voice‘s Michael Musto (http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/04/paul_iaconos_co_1.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogs%2Fdailymusto+%28Village +Voice+Blogs%3A+La+Daily+Musto%29).
Musto asks the 23-year-old actor if he’s openly gay now, and he responds:

“Yes. I’m rolling with the punches here. I was asked if I was comfortable doing gay press. I said, ‘Of course.’ I didn’t think I’d be coming out. But why not now? I think it’s the right time to say something. It’s not about me, it’s about change and the work.”
Iacono also discusses his MTV show Kenzie’s Scale (a play on the Kinsey Scale, we assume), in which he plays gay. He says:

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Paul-Iacono.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Paul-Iacono.jpg)I play Cole, Kenzie’s boyfriend. It’s about a high school sweetheart couple who move to New York for college (http://www.queerty.com/mtv-star-paul-iacono-comes-out-of-the-closet-20120411/#). He has this gay awakening when they get there. So they continue living together more as friends than lovers. It’s like a radical young Will & Grace. It explores the sexual spectrum from a millennial, ambiguous generation [point of view]. I believe that in 100 years, none of us will be having to identify ourselves as gay, straight, bi, or otherwise. Sexuality will be a more fluid thing. The show is a progressive outlet of that idea…
The whole reason we came up with Kenzie’s Scale is to give young gays characters to look up to. It’s great that we have Chris Colfer, but we need more characters. I was so moved by your comment on Facebook that ‘If I’d grown up with gay TV icons that were out, I’d have been so much better off.’ I didn’t have much to look up to as a kid. I had to search to find like-minded images. I’m happy to be that person so kids won’t have to grow up and be afraid of their sexuality and this won’t be an issue.
RJ Berger—from out co-producer Seth Grahame-Smith—was cancelled last year, but we’re looking forward to Kenzie’s Scale. Its placement on MTV, along with Dan Savage’s new Savage U, begs the question: now that Logo is not featuring all-gay programming (http://www.queerty.com/exclusive-logos-new-programming-slate-reveals-shift-away-from-gay-centric-shows-20120221/), will the LGBT-interest stuff become more visible on its corporate sisters, MTV and VH1?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/mtv-star-paul-iacono-comes-out-of-the-closet-20120411/#ixzz1rli4eNv5

American Prospect web editor Gabriel Arana underwent nearly a college (http://www.queerty.com/esteemed-psychiatrist-retracts-2001-study-widely-cited-by-ex-gay-therapists-like-marcus-bachmann-20120411/#) education’s worth (four years) of ex-gay therapy, as he writes in a story called “My So-Called Ex-Gay Life.” (http://prospect.org/article/my-so-called-ex-gay-life) So when Arana interviewed 79-year-old Robert Spitzer, a man esteemed in psychological-academic circles who gave some mainstream acceptance to the idea that ex-gay therapy could work (http://www.queerty.com/esteemed-psychiatrist-retracts-2001-study-widely-cited-by-ex-gay-therapists-like-marcus-bachmann-20120411/#) with a 2001 study, he asked a lot of questions. It turns out Spitzer wants to retract that study, which is widely cited by all the major ex-gay organizations as the primary piece of objective evidence that ex-gay therapy works.
The funny thing about Spitzer is that he led the charge to declassify homosexuality as a psychological disorder back in 1973. This guy should be a legend hailed by the gay movement, not one abused by terrible ex-gay therapists like Marcus Bachmann.
Arana tells Queerty that Spitzer is “old as hell, and everyone was afraid he was going to die before he took [the study] back.” So, please, mark Spitzer’s words here, and take his retraction seriously as part of his legacy—he’ll be celebrating his 80st birthday next month.
Writes Arana:

Spitzer was drawn to the topic of ex-gay therapy because it was controversial—“I was always attracted to controversy”—but was troubled by how the study was received. He did not want to suggest that gay people should pursue ex-gay therapy. His goal was to determine whether the counterfactual—the claim (http://www.queerty.com/esteemed-psychiatrist-retracts-2001-study-widely-cited-by-ex-gay-therapists-like-marcus-bachmann-20120411/#) that no one had ever changed his or her sexual orientation through therapy—was true.
I asked about the criticisms leveled at him. “In retrospect, I have to admit I think the critiques are largely correct,” he said. “The findings can be considered evidence for what those who have undergone ex-gay therapy say about it, but nothing more.” He said he spoke with the editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior about writing a retraction, but the editor declined. (Repeated attempts to contact the journal went unanswered.) …
Spitzer was growing tired and asked how many more questions I had. Nothing, I responded, unless you have something to add.
He did. Would I print a retraction of his 2001 study, “so I don’t have to worry about it anymore”?
Of course, Arana agreed to do so. The full article is very much worth reading. Check it out online (http://prospect.org/article/my-so-called-ex-gay-life) or pick up (http://www.queerty.com/esteemed-psychiatrist-retracts-2001-study-widely-cited-by-ex-gay-therapists-like-marcus-bachmann-20120411/#) a copy of the American Prospect when you can.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/esteemed-psychiatrist-retracts-2001-study-widely-cited-by-ex-gay-therapists-like-marcus-bachmann-20120411/#ixzz1rliiNSBZ

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (http://cts.vresp.com/c/?NewYorkCityGayandLes/b3b4a9a468/aa3f2e2325/de0305b5d2) (NCAVP) is reporting that Jeffrey Caldwell, 56, was shot and killed by longtime boyfriend John Reed, 54, on April 6 after a heated exchange. The incident happened at their home in Columbus, OH, some time just after 10pm on Friday night. After shooting Caldwell in the chest, Reed called emergency services and told a 911 dispatcher that his partner “was trying to kill me.” Despite Reed’s claim of self-defense, Franklin County Municipal Court has charged him with murder.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/oh-man-shoots-kills-boyfriend-in-apparent-self-defense-20120411/

It appears that the National Organization for Marriage’s Facebook page was hacked earlier today. A tipster sends a screenshot where NOM apologizes for banning Facebook users from commenting on their page. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we have banned from this page in the past,” said the Facebook update. “That is why anyone who was ever banned for simply exercising their right to free (http://www.queerty.com/nom-facebook-hacker-apologizes-for-race-baiting-strategies-silencing-foes-20120411/#) speech is now welcome once again to engage with this page.”
Sounds too good to be true, right? I checked back on NOM’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/NationForMarriage) now and the post and thread have been deleted, indicating it was probably the work (http://www.queerty.com/nom-facebook-hacker-apologizes-for-race-baiting-strategies-silencing-foes-20120411/#) of a hacker.
Later in the thread, NOM even apologizes for their recently revealed race-baiting tactics: ”We were embarrassed by the truth of a racial wedge strategies being made public. So this is a gesture of our good faith to turn things around.”
What a benign, benevolent hacker. NOM sure could learn something from him or her.
UPDATE: Twitter also hacked. Screenshot below. Plus, the NOM blog is “down for maintenance (http://www.nomblog.com/).”
Oh, BTW, NOM endorsed Romney (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/04/11/nom-endorses-romney/) now that Santorum’s dropped out (http://www.queerty.com/breaking-santorum-suspends-2012-campaign-20120410/).
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/nom4equality-600x337.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/nom4equality.png)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nom-facebook-hacker-apologizes-for-race-baiting-strategies-silencing-foes-20120411/#ixzz1rljOuVGl

TheGodlessUtopian

12th April 2012, 21:32

.
Call it a chicken-and-egg conundrum, but a new study published in Social Science Quarterly (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6237.2012.00854.x/abstract) has found that activity in hate groups (http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map) like the Ku Klux Klan and the Family Research Council correlates strongly to the number of Wal-Marts in a given region. Summarizes Raw Story (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/04/11/hate-groups-associated-with-wal-mart-stores/):
The number of Wal-Mart stores was a better predictor of hate group participation than the unemployment rate (http://www.queerty.com/study-where-theres-a-wal-mart-theres-a-whole-ton-of-active-hate-groups-20120412/#), high crime rates and low education…
The researchers believe that the correlation between Wal-Mart and hate groups exists because of breakdown of the community. Small local businesses are more likely to be members of civic groups and involved in the community. They are also more likely to have closer relationships among their employees.
It would be interesting to see, though, if generally pro-gay big-box retailers like Macy’s, JCPenney and Target correspond to a similar atmosphere of hate-group preponderance. We’re guessing not.
In any case, just another reason to support small businesses (http://www.queerty.com/study-where-theres-a-wal-mart-theres-a-whole-ton-of-active-hate-groups-20120412/#): they’re less anti-gay!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-where-theres-a-wal-mart-theres-a-whole-ton-of-active-hate-groups-20120412/#ixzz1rrMZJMPx

While there was a lot of controversy coming out of the recent local elections in Anchorage, AK (http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/)—where a majority of precincts ran out of official ballots and anti-gay activists encouraged voter shenanigans to help block an LGBT protections measure—the Anchorage Assembly has voted not to launch an independent investigation. The ACLU has called for an independent assessment of the election, the AP reports (http://www.necn.com/04/11/12/Anchorage-Assembly-rejects-probe-into-el/landing_politics.html?&apID=4ba65bb785034cc9960f612778eebffa), because the appointed investigator (http://www.queerty.com/investigation-into-anchorage-anti-discrimination-bill-is-a-no-go-for-now-20120412/#), Dennis Wheeler, works for the mayor (who nabbed 59% of the vote).
The nonprofit has produced affidavits from poll workers and voters detailing ballot shortages, instances where voters were sent from district to district, and other serious irregularities.
Among the ACLU-solicited sworn statements was one from Collin Smith, a polling place chairman. By 6:30 p.m. on election day, he was out of ballots, he said. The polling station began the day with too few ballots, he said, and called three times for more. When none arrived, he temporarily closed the ballot box, he said, adding he was told to send voters to another precinct.
“Overall, voters were very upset and yelled at me for not having adequate ballots,” Smith wrote.
Offering a glimmer of hope, the Assembly will convene on Friday to discuss the election and hear from city clerk Barbara Gruenstein and the six-person Election Commission.
The lack of adequate ballots can be attributed to human error, but not a lack of foresight: Gruenstein said the city printed enough ballots for a 70 percent voter turnout, more than enough to cover everyone who showed up to vote. But for some reason, a large number of ballots were never distributed and just sat in City Hall. “We never ran out of ballots; they were just in the wrong spot,” Gruenstein said.
Was that just stupidity—or a conspiracy?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/investigation-into-anchorage-anti-discrimination-bill-is-a-no-go-for-now-20120412/#ixzz1rrNYXkAX

Sometimes a company declares war on the gay community and a boycott (http://www.queerty.com/debunked-gays-pro-choicers-should-feel-free-to-order-dominos-pizza-20120412/#) is justified. (We’re looking at you, Chick-fil-a (http://www.queerty.com/activists-cry-fowl-over-chick-fil-as-hypocritical-homophobia-20110921/).) But sometimes a boycott is called hastily—or goes on so long that the reasons for it are forgotten. At least since the 1990s, we’ve been told to never order from Domino’s Pizza because it donates money (http://www.queerty.com/debunked-gays-pro-choicers-should-feel-free-to-order-dominos-pizza-20120412/#) to anti-gay and anti-choice groups. It’s become such a truism we can’t even remember when it started. Well, thanks to the efforts of Queerty reader Steven K., we’ve learned we can once again order ourselves a large MeatZZa Feast and some stuffed cheesy bread. (Don’t judge!)
Steven came across an old Queerty post that listed Domino’s as one of ten companies that hate the Gays (http://www.queerty.com/dont-buy-here-10-companies-that-hate-the-gays-20090224/). Other sites have similarly painted the company as homophobic. After all, founder Tom Monaghan financed a 2001 ballot initiative to remove sexual orientation from Ypsilanti, Michigan’s, non-discrimination ordinance. And he’s a staunch pro-lifer—having given tons of money to groups like Operation Rescue and the Committee to End State-Funded Abortions in Michigan.
Incensed, Steven reached out to Domino’s to find out what was going on and get himself removed from its mailing list (http://www.queerty.com/debunked-gays-pro-choicers-should-feel-free-to-order-dominos-pizza-20120412/#). But Steve got a reply from Domino’s Vice President of Communications, Tim McIntyre, that seems to dispel some of the notions about the pizza purveyor:
Thanks for writing because it gives me the opportunity to make the record clear about some things…
Mr. Monaghan (the founder of the company) is a conservative Catholic, yes. But, he sold Domino’s Pizza in 1998. We went public in 2004 and the stuff written here about David Brandon is completely false…plus, he left the company in 2010. Out of date, factually incorrect.We are an extremely diverse company, with 9,700 stores in 72 countries, owned independently by thousands of individuals. We employ 185,000 people around the world. There is a large number of gay and lesbian employees, franchise owners (http://www.queerty.com/debunked-gays-pro-choicers-should-feel-free-to-order-dominos-pizza-20120412/#) and executives in our company, including thttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Dominos_pizza-360x360.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Dominos_pizza.png)wo vice presidents. We recently began providing benefits to all married couples, same-sex or otherwise.
What Mr. Monaghan stands for and does is his business (http://www.queerty.com/debunked-gays-pro-choicers-should-feel-free-to-order-dominos-pizza-20120412/#), but he does not represent Domino’s Pizza. He is the founder, yes, but he’s one individual, and he’s been gone a long time. The company has never been “anti-gay” and in fact, we are going to be a sponsor of a gay Pride festival in St. Louis later this summer.
Say what you will about our pizza—that’s up to you. But if you’re going to let your judgment of our company to be based on bogus information, I would encourage you to reconsider.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Tim

Tim McIntyre
Vice President, Communications
Domino’s Pizza, LLC
We researched McIntyre’s claims and they seem to be accurate. Even Snopes, (http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/dominos.asp) the legendary myth-debunking site, corroborates.
Now, Domino’s has a ways to go to be considered pro-gay: The company only scored a 35 on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index last year. But so did Archer Daniels Midland—and their corn syrup is in everything. (Dole Foods only scored a 30.)
And, sure, Monaghan still probably makes some money from his remaining links to Domino’s. But when was the last time you investigated the individual shareholders of a company you bought from?
As to whether Domino’s Pizza tastes good—well, as McIntyre says, that’s up to you.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/debunked-gays-pro-choicers-should-feel-free-to-order-dominos-pizza-20120412/#ixzz1rrNvQ8Gn

Despite the fact that an estimated 2 million kids live in families with gay or transgender parents, many are ineligible for a host of government programs designed to protect children’s health and well-being.
Thank you DOMA!
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/paul-ryan.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/paul-ryan.jpg)Last week, House Republicans passed a proposed federal budget put forth by Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan, R-WI (right) that would cut trillion from social programs over the next devade (that’s trillions). Obviously that would have a serious impact on lower-income families, but studies show LGBT families would be particularly devastated.
Crosby Burns of the Center for American Progress analyzed the budget—and various studies on LGBT families— and makes some interesting points in a piece on ThinkProgress (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/11/462869/ryan-budget-lgbt/):
* Many gay and trans families cannot access government programs aimed at improving household economic security because of the government’s narrow definitions of a family when calculating household size and income. “This results in both inequitable treatment under government safety net programs and imposes a higher tax burden on same-sex couples,” explains Burns.
* Because many employers do not offer health benefits to the partners of LGBT employees, gay and transgender families disproportionately rely on public-health programs like SCHIP and Medicaid. But the Ryan budget includes dramatic cuts to both.
* A 2007 California Health Interview Survey (http://action.familyequality.org/site/DocServer/AllChildrenMatterFullFinal10212011.pdf?docID=2401) found that half of the state’s families headed by gays or transgenders relied on public programs to help put food on the table (as opposed to 41% of hetero clans). But the Ryan budget would cut the funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—which aids more than 46 million families—by $133.5 billion over 10 years. “This includes drastic cuts to the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC,” says Burns.
* The Ryan budget also attacks financial assistance for higher education, slashing Pell grants (http://www.queerty.com/study-the-gops-proposed-federal-budget-would-suck-for-gay-families-duh-20120412/#) by $200 billion. Thanks to the federal government’s narrow definitions, spouses of gay head of households aren’t factored in. If the spouse is a working parent, that can actually work in a child’s favor. But if the parent is, say, a stay-at-home dad, the real size of the household and the actual cost of living isn’t taken into consideration.
While these broad-based cuts will affect American families straight and gay alike, it’s clear that discriminatory policies like DOMA aren’t just immoral. There’s a very real cost involved—one that can be measured in dollars (http://www.queerty.com/study-the-gops-proposed-federal-budget-would-suck-for-gay-families-duh-20120412/#) and sense

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-the-gops-proposed-federal-budget-would-suck-for-gay-families-duh-20120412/#ixzz1rrO7RBFF

In an announcement that should surprise no one, White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett told representatives from gay-advocacy groups yesterday that the President would not be signing (http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/04/white-house-no-sexual-orientation-nondiscrimination-120277.html) an executive order on LGBT non-discrimination for federal contractors anytime soon. “While it is not our usual practice to discuss executive orders that may or may not be under consideration, we do not expect that an executive order on LGBT non-discrimination for federal contractors will be issued at this time. We support legislation that has been introduced and we will continue to work with congressional sponsors to build support for it,” she told members of the Center for American Progress, Freedom to Work, HRC and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Jarrod Scarborough made headlines last week (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.queerty.com%2Fwatch-gay-couple-talks-about-getting-political-with-obama-at-easter-egg-roll-20120409%2F&ei=2jiGT9nuGsOcgwepsKzEBw&usg=AFQjCNEOH-4n-bY8JoV3N8Ey1L5AOjbJUQ) when he announced he would broach the topic of the executive order with Obama (http://www.queerty.com/did-anyone-really-think-obama-was-gonna-sign-a-gay-rights-executive-order-before-the-election-20120412/#) at Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll. But, alas, Scarborough never got a chance to speak to the Commander in Chief. (Hint: If you’re gonna ambush the President about a political issue at a holiday party, don’t announce it to the world on national television!)
Look, Barry, we get it. Romney’s basically been anointed the GOP candidate and the election is kicking into overdrive. It would be suicide to make a pro-gay move between now and November. Right now those moronic swing voters could be swayed by the color of your tie, let alone something potentially polarizing. We don’t like it, but we get it. And the activists who hued and cried about your inaction on the executive order—HRC president Joe Solmonese said he was “extremely disappointed”—they get it too.
They just want to remind you we’re watching and waiting.
So we’re gonna give you a pass… until November 7. Then, if we don’t start seeing some action, we’re gonna start squishing some eggs—and we don’t mean the Easter kind. (The preceding should not be construed as a threat against the President of the United States, for whom we have nothing but respect.)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/did-anyone-really-think-obama-was-gonna-sign-a-gay-rights-executive-order-before-the-election-20120412/#ixzz1rrOLuiXA

Parents and Friends (http://www.queerty.com/its-a-pfox-versus-pflag-pamphlet-off-outside-ritzy-maryland-high-schools-20120412/#) of Ex-Gays (PFOX) has apparently not let up with handing out their idiotic fliers (http://www.queerty.com/pfox-is-handing-out-their-idiotic-flyers-at-a-high-school-in-maryland-20120203/) at high schools (http://www.queerty.com/its-a-pfox-versus-pflag-pamphlet-off-outside-ritzy-maryland-high-schools-20120412/#) in affluent Montgomery County, Maryland. So Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PLAG), their redemptive counterpart, has been fighting back by blanketing schools with their own fliers.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a pamphlet-off!
According to the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-county-schools-anti-gay-leaflet-renews-flier-wars/2012/04/11/gIQATPQiBT_story.html), the problem is so bad that schools administrators are considering banning nonprofits from distributing fliers outside schools:
Montgomery school officials say the flier wars could soon be over. A policy committee for the Board of Education (http://www.queerty.com/its-a-pfox-versus-pflag-pamphlet-off-outside-ritzy-maryland-high-schools-20120412/#) is recommending a ban on flier distribution by outside groups in middle and high schools starting the next academic year.
“I find it concerning that nonprofits have come to believe that it’s our responsibility to get their message out,” said board member Patricia O’Neill (Bethesda-Potomac), the committee chairwoman.
What do you think—should it be a battle of the fliers, or should PFOX’s message of self-loathing be censored alongside PFLAG’s one of self-love?
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/EinsteinPFOXLetter-463x600.png

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/its-a-pfox-versus-pflag-pamphlet-off-outside-ritzy-maryland-high-schools-20120412/#ixzz1rrObNuQy

TheGodlessUtopian

13th April 2012, 21:37

Our Spanish is pretty rudimentary (if you needed a blue pencil, we’d totally have you covered) but a Queerty reader sent us this clip of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s foreign minister. Filmed by a Caracas news channel, it shows Maduro apparently condemning Chavez’s opposition party in the upcoming election as “sifrinitos” and “mariconsotes”—”preppies” and “little faggots” who have tried to hurt the Venezuelan people, but weren’t able to and never will because of the spirit of liberty of the people. His comments are met with laughter and applause from other ministers and audience members.
The event was a celebration of the “Hechos de Abril 2002,” when Chavez was returned to power after a 47-hour coup saw him briefly ousted and detained by the military.
But, hey, what’s 47 hours when you’ve been leader for 14 years, right?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/hugo-chavezs-foreign-minister-calls-opposition-party-little-faggots-20120413/#ixzz1rxE2Kzop

P.S: See source for video

Bloody hell! Soon after news broke that a Christian group was given the green-light to post anti-gay adverts (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/12/christian-anti-gay-ads-buses?newsfeed=true) on center-city buses, London mayor Boris Johnson used his executive power to block the whole cockamamie campaign, reports The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/12/anti-gay-adverts-boris-johnson?intcmp=239).
The ads, taken out by Core Issues Trust, read: “Not gay! Ex-gay, post-gay and proud. Get over it!” (See above.) Core Issues’ leader, Mike Davies, has been known to make statements like “homoerotic behavior is sinful.”
While ex-gay therapy has taken even another hit recently with the retraction of the only real piece of evidence (http://www.queerty.com/esteemed-psychiatrist-retracts-2001-study-widely-cited-by-ex-gay-therapists-like-marcus-bachmann-20120411/) propping it up, the Guardian writes (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/12/christian-anti-gay-ads-buses?newsfeed=true) that the campaign was a response to a pro-gay bus advert campaign:
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/london_bus-360x202.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/london_bus.jpg)

The campaign is an explicit attempt to hit back at gay rights group Stonewall, which ran its own bus advert saying: “Some people are gay. Get over it.” The Christian groups have used the same black, red and white colour scheme as Stonewall and accuses it of promoting the “false idea that there is indisputable scientific evidence that people are born gay.”
Mayor Johnson said of his decision: “London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance. It is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/london-mayor-blocks-cockamamie-ex-gay-post-gay-and-proud-bus-advertisements-20120412/#ixzz1rxEmlxiC

After GOP gay Fred Karger hit Maggie Gallagher with accusations that her husband was fictional/nonexistent (http://www.queerty.com/fred-karger-restarts-quest-for-maggie-gallaghers-elusive-husband-raman-srivastav-20120412/), Buzzfeed was more successful in getting a response out of the NOM co-founder than us. Writes Buzzfeed (http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/the-marriage-wars-get-personal-for-maggie-gallaghe):

Gallagher laughed when asked about Karger’s speculation, and said “I think I would know better than Fred.”
Gallagher, who was a single (http://www.queerty.com/noms-maggie-gallagher-claims-shes-still-married-to-raman-srivistav-show-us-proof-20120413/#) mother for years after college, says she married her husband Raman Srivastav in Arizona in 1993: “We are still married and living together. He’s a very private person.”
“They just make up all kind of stuff about me,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter. I could be divorced (http://www.queerty.com/noms-maggie-gallagher-claims-shes-still-married-to-raman-srivistav-show-us-proof-20120413/#) and I still could not be for gay marriage. I don’t really see that it’s relevant. It is a fact — I am in fact married. I’ve only been married once. I am not about to get a divorce.”
Whatever. We won’t believe it still she produces some actual proof. We’re like birthers on this shit. Give us papers, Maggie! We want your marriage license! Photos of you with him! Produce!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/noms-maggie-gallagher-claims-shes-still-married-to-raman-srivistav-show-us-proof-20120413/#ixzz1rxF6ymSP

Dante Parrish, the now-37-year-old man who sexually assaulted and murdered 15-year-old Jason Madison Jr. in November 2009, has been sentenced to life in prison without any possibility of parole.
The Washington Blade (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/04/12/gay-teens-killer-gets-life-without-parole/) reports that the vulnerable out teen was seeking refuge in a relative’s home because his mother was not okay with him being gay:

Assistant State’s Attorney (http://www.queerty.com/killer-gets-life-in-prison-for-raping-and-stabbing-a-15-year-old-boy-to-death-20120413/#) Jennifer Hastings argued during the trial that Mattison, who was openly gay and popular at school, was found stuffed into a closet in an upstairs bedroom of an East Baltimore house in the 2400 block of Llewelyn Avenue with a pillowcase jammed in his mouth. His throat was slashed and he had been sexually assaulted.
Hastings pointed out that Mattison was virtually homeless because he was reportedly not welcome in his mother’s home as a result of his sexual orientation. He was living “place to place to keep a roof over his head,” she told jurors. He had been living in the home of a relative at the time he was murdered.
No parole sounds about right.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/killer-gets-life-in-prison-for-raping-and-stabbing-a-15-year-old-boy-to-death-20120413/#ixzz1rxFUiCug

An intrepid group of child stars has united to “get all up in Kirk Cameron’s ass” with a new organization, Child Celebrities Opposing Kirk Cameron (CCOKC), at least according to this Funny or Die video. Brice Beckham, former star of Mr. Belvedere, calls out Kirk for being such a hater when he obviously grew up around homosexuals on set: “They were our wardrobe stylists, our hairline stylists, our… I’m sure they did other things, too, but mainly they were our stylists.”
Okay, this is funny—but where’s Danny Pintauro?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/watch-child-celebrities-opposing-kirk-cameron-ccokcs-speak-out-with-hilarious-results-20120413/#ixzz1rxFl8GUg

P.S: See source for video

To football player Roddy White, the difference between winning (http://www.queerty.com/to-dumb-jock-roddy-white-being-gay-is-a-losing-choice-20120413/#) and losing is as stark as the difference between being straight or gay.
In response to a fan’s question (https://twitter.com/#%21/Mack_Vaughn/status/190300866018938880) (“You would rather lead the league in stats than win (http://www.queerty.com/to-dumb-jock-roddy-white-being-gay-is-a-losing-choice-20120413/#) a Super Bowl???”) Atlanta Falcons wide receiver tweeted back in kind a “masterful” rhetorical question: “Would u rather be gay or straight come on u know that answer.”
Would you rather use punctuation marks or not? Come on, you know that answer.
Instead of apologizing quickly to defuse the situation, OutSports notes (http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/04/12/roddy-white-doesnt-want-to-be-gay/#more-23132) that Roddy is digging himself a deeper hole by squealing about “freedom of speech.” He tweeted in response to outrage (https://twitter.com/#%21/roddywhiteTV/status/190316255415238656): “Freedom of speech. I don’t care how much money (http://www.queerty.com/to-dumb-jock-roddy-white-being-gay-is-a-losing-choice-20120413/#) I make. I should be held to my own standards and not the standards of others opinion.#period (https://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23period).”
#WereHoldingYouAccountable, not trying to silence you, bro. And as an influential, moneymaking (http://www.queerty.com/to-dumb-jock-roddy-white-being-gay-is-a-losing-choice-20120413/#) black fellow, we’d ask you to think twice about the power of what you say.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/roddy-lol-360x239.jpg
This is the only apology Roddy has issued thus far (https://twitter.com/#%21/roddywhiteTV/status/190582265456238592): ”Ok people I apologize for saying the word gay I know it’s a sensitive subject and a [sic] athlete of my stature should not use it.” (And yes, the photo at right is Roddy’s actual Twitter profile pic, lolz.)
The worst part about this whole kerfuffle is that White didn’t get called out by any of his bros for his not-cool words, as you can see below. In order to deal with language like this, we need Roddy’s peers to come out and tell him: This is not about fans or haters, this is about being respectful of LGBT people. People who have not chosen their sexuality, but were born this way. And enjoy the happy accident that they were. I personally wouldn’t trade my life as a gay man for anything in the world, though there were some hard times in middle and high school.
It’s time for Roddy’s teammates and athletic colleagues to wise up and tell him: Change your speech. Meet some gay people. You might just find that you like them. And to all the football players hiding in the closet, come out. We’ll welcome you.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Screen-shot-2012-04-13-at-2.22.06-PM.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Screen-shot-2012-04-13-at-2.22.06-PM.png)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/to-dumb-jock-roddy-white-being-gay-is-a-losing-choice-20120413/#ixzz1rxGDFjoY

Queerty reported earlier this month that Father Martin McVeigh got hot under the priestly collar when his Holy Communion slideshow presentation for parents (and at least one boy) at his parish in Northern Ireland was interrupted by a series of 16 gay-porn stills (http://www.queerty.com/irish-priest-inadvertently-shows-x-rated-gay-pics-at-school-meeting-20120403/). At the time, McVeigh claimed he had no knowledge of how the photos got on his laptop and the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland said the good father was co-operating with an investigation. Of course, when the dirty pictures appeared before the parishioners, McVeigh grabbed his memory stick and ran from the room like the Devil was on his tail.
Now local police in Pomeroy say their investigation has hit a brick wall, reports the Irish Times, because McVeigh says his latop was “stolen” in a burglary (http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Priestss-gay-image-computer-is-robbed-from-parochial-house-147294355.html) of the parochial house. A very odd burglary, since absolutely nothing else was taken.
And if he’s lying, may God strike him dead, right?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/its-a-miracle-gay-porn-priests-laptop-is-stolen-before-police-can-investigate-20120413/#ixzz1rxGUH1JI

TheGodlessUtopian

15th April 2012, 19:51

Herndon Graddick (http://www.glaad.org/press/meetherndon)!
Graddick was formerly the VP of Programs and Communications at GLAAD, so this is a nice promotion for him.
The media-watchdog organization laid off 11 staffers (http://www.queerty.com/glaad-lays-off-11-staffers-restructures-and-refocuses-20120125/)early this year, and has been restructuring since the departure of former president Jarrett Barrios, but insiders are pleased with the choice. Graddick would do well to remember Barrio’s exit (http://www.queerty.com/four-things-glaad-should-do-now-to-restore-their-image-20110622/), which came after GLAAD’s controversial support of a proposed ATT/T-Mobile merger (http://www.queerty.com/exclusive-glaad-responds-to-queertys-post-questioning-att-merger-20110603/).
Here’s some more background on the org’s new prez:

Herndon is the current Vice President of Programs and Communications at GLAAD, a position he assumed in 2010. In his role, he has lead GLAAD’s media initiatives and oversees the organization’s National & Local News; Entertainment; People of Color; Religion, Faith & Values; Advertising; and Spanish-Language Media programs.
Under his leadership, GLAAD has engaged in numerous highly visible and impactful campaigns including ‘Stand Up For Ellen (http://www.glaad.org/standupforellen),’ which prompted the group One Million Moms—a project of the American Family Association—to end their call for J.C. Penney to fire Ellen DeGeneres as its new spokesperson because she is gay. Herndon also oversaw GLAAD’s work on the Commentator Accountability Project (http://www.glaad.org/cap) – an initiative launched in March to highlight the extreme rhetoric of anti-LGBT activists who currently appear in national news outlets.
Prior to his work at GLAAD, Herndon served as the Executive Producer of the Global Observatory, a media and communications effort which aimed to bring public awareness to the climate change crisis. He also served as Supervising Producer at E! Networks and the day-of-air news division director at Current TV, the youth-oriented news and entertainment network created by former Vice President Al Gore.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/breaking-and-glaads-new-president-is-20120414/

Jay Parmley, the executive director of the North Carolina Democratic Party, has been implicated in a sexual-harassment suit filed by a former male staffer. According to The Daily Caller (http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/13/top-nc-dem-official-named-in-same-sex-harassment-claim-by-male-staffer/), Adriadn Ortega, a former communications staffer for the state DNC, filed charges against Parmley (at left in photo) and received a financial settlement to prevent a lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/nc-democratic-party-director-jay-parmley-named-in-male-ex-staffers-sexual-harassment-suit-20120414/#).
No one’s talking, though, as both Ortega and Parmley signed nondisclosure agreements.
Not surprisingly, Democratic operatives in the state are banging their heads against the wall, as the revelation could interfere with efforts to defeat Amendment One (http://www.queerty.com/gop-congressional-candidate-calls-ncs-same-sex-union-ban-bad-for-business-20120410/), an odious gay-marriage ban on the upcoming May ballot. Democratic statehouse candidate Watt Jones emailed state Democratic Party chair David Parker:

“With a Democratic Party which is suppose [sic] to be fighting to defeat Amendment One on the May 8 ballot, yet we have this in Goodwin House?,” Jones said. “How does that look?”
Of course, with a gag order in effect, we can’t know for sure what, if anything happened between Parmley and Ortega. It could have been a consenting relationship that went south or workplace grievances masquerading as a harassment suit. Keep in mind, the original revelation came from the Civitas Institute, a conservative think tank only too happy to torpedo marriage equality in the Tar Heel State.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/nc-democratic-party-director-jay-parmley-named-in-male-ex-staffers-sexual-harassment-suit-20120414/#ixzz1s8VOQsHB

Sorry we haven’s commented on this urgent news earlier, but we were busy rending our Jil Sander one-offs into sackcloth: Hollywood ür-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reneged on their pledge to stay happily unwed until marriage equality is the law of the land in the U.S. After Jolie was photographed wearing a Flintstones-sized rock on her wedding finger, a spokeswoman for Pitt confirmed Friday that the two stars indeed engaged.
“Yes, it’s confirmed. It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy. There’s no date set at this time,” said publicist Cynthia Pett-Dante. The ring was crafted by Pitt, who dabbles in design and architecture.
We sort of saw this coming: In January, Queerty reported (http://www.queerty.com/brangelina-might-break-pledge-not-to-wed-until-marriage-equality-passes-20120126/)that Pitt acknowledged he didn’t know how much longer he and Jolie could avoid the altar, as their children were really pushing for mummy and daddy to stop living in sin. “It means so much to my kids, and they ask a lot. And it means something to me, too, to make that kind of commitment.”
Jeez, when we were kids and whined for our parents to do something, they usually just told us to shut the hell up or we wouldn’t be going to Chuck E. Cheese. Those Jolie-Pitt brats have it easy!
At any rate, we think there’s only one way Brangelina can make this up to the LGBT community (well, short of Brad starring in the gay-porn sequel to A River Runs Through It) : The next kid Angelina adopts should be a 33-year-old boricua drag queen from the Bronx.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/outrage-selfish-brangelina-breaks-promise-to-lgbt-community-and-get-straight-engaged-20120414/

Young Hollywood actor Paul Iacono (The Hard Life of RJ Berger) appeared on MTV News recently, elaborating on his decision to come out to Michael Musto in the Village Voice.
“I think at the moment, we need to have gay pride, because there are so many people who don’t feel as comfortable as I do,” says Iacono, 23. “And it’s taken me a very long time to get to be comfortable about it, but it’s our duty to the community to step forward and be vocal. I’m gay, it’s cool.”
Here here!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/paul-iacono-talks-coming-out-to-mtv-news-we-need-to-have-gay-pride-20120414/

P.S: See source for video

While we’re all scratching our heads over the insanity that was the recent election in Anchorage, Alaska (http://www.queerty.com/results-on-gay-rights-prop-in-anchorange-clouded-by-voter-fraud-ballot-shortages-and-other-shenanigans-20120408/), there’s at least a little joy for the LGBT community in the Last Frontier. In March, a trans woman going by the initials K.L. in court documents successfully sued the state to get the Department of Motor Vehicles to change its policy requiring drivers to undergo complete gender-reassignment surgery to change the sex on their license.
A pilot by profession, K.L. has lived as a woman full-time since 2009, and is identiifed as female on her passport, work IDs and airman certificate. She was also given a new license from the DVD that listed her gender as female, but then received a letter ordering her to prove that she had undergone certain surgeries or return the card. K.L. appealed the decision but was told, “absent an official regulation, the DMV had no authority to change the gender on her license,” reports the ACLU.
She appealed again and ultimately won her case before the Alaska Superior Court, which ruled the DMV’s refusal to change the gender on her ID violated K.L.’s privacy by forcing her to reveal her trans status every time she showed her license.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/anchorage-election-a-mess-but-trans-woman-scores-court-victory-against-dmv-20120414/#ixzz1s8WhTNA8

TheGodlessUtopian

16th April 2012, 20:11

When Tea Party activists gathered in Boston yesterday afternoon, they weren’t given license to shout their Small Government slogans at disinterested passersby—liberal activists of all stripes showed up to shout them down. Who doesn’t love a good counter-protest?
The rally was led by the notoriously anti-gay missionary Scott Lively, who has spread his brand of dangerous homophobia in Uganda and other parts of Africa. (He’s even being sued for it, thank the good gay-friendly god (http://www.queerty.com/lawsuit-filed-against-u-s-missionary-who-cultivated-anti-gay-sentiment-in-uganda-20120316/).)
Don Gorton, a board member of gay-rights advocacy org Join (http://www.queerty.com/gay-and-occupy-activists-confront-scott-lively-and-his-merry-band-of-tea-party-protestors-20120416/#) the Impact’s Mass. branch, reported live to us:

A crowd of approximately 75 tea party activists gathered round the bandstand on the Common to hear speakers representing groups like “Show ID to Vote,” “Newsbusters” and the Mass. Republican Assembly. From the outset about 20 protestors from Join the Impact MA stood along the edge of the surrounding sidewalk quietly holding signs condemning Scott Lively and Brian Camenker for their homophobic advocacy.
Everything was going according to Tea-Party plan, but! Have no fear, Occupy Wall Street is here!

Just before Lively’s and Camenker’s turns at the podium came, roughly 100 exuberant protestors from the Occupy movement charged onto the scene chanting loudly and waving signs. The din became an uproar as Lively took the microphone. In his speech, Lively blasted conservatives who would minimize the importance of social issues. Then he denounced LGBT rights activists as “fascists” who were intent on destroying civilization. Camenker met with similar pushback as he criticized the work (http://www.queerty.com/gay-and-occupy-activists-confront-scott-lively-and-his-merry-band-of-tea-party-protestors-20120416/#) of GLSEN for allegedly promoting homosexual recruitment of public school students—in reference to the group’s efforts to prevent anti-LGBT bullying. Lively and Camenker were loudly booed, and much of their speech-making was drowned out by Occupy chants and “mic check” counterpoint.
Not all counter-protestors joined the chanting. I argued that Lively and Camenker should be allowed to speak, both out of respect for freedom of expression and because they tend to discredit the opposition to LGBT equality when their extremist views are publicized. Yet the passions these two hate group leaders stir are difficult to contain. Tea Party organizers learned that giving a platform to anti-gay bigotry effectively drowns out any other message they may seek to propagate. The Boston Police kept the peace while allowing everyone an opportunity to be heard. By the time anti-government activist Carla Howell took the podium after Camenker, most of the “tea party” attendees had frittered away, the momentum of the rally dissipated.
Right on. Totally radical (http://www.queerty.com/gay-and-occupy-activists-confront-scott-lively-and-his-merry-band-of-tea-party-protestors-20120416/#). Now can Scott Lively be convicted for inciting anti-gay violence in Uganda already too? This dude practically inspired the “Kill The Gays” bill.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-and-occupy-activists-confront-scott-lively-and-his-merry-band-of-tea-party-protestors-20120416/#ixzz1sEQUXDDL

Enemies of marriage equality are always going on about how allowing gay people to wed will irrevocably harm the holy unions of heterosexual couples. But a new study shows that people who make this claim think their own marriages are ironclad (http://www.livescience.com/19693-gay-marriage-harms-perception.html), raising the question: exactly whose marriage is being threatened? Matthew Winslow, a psychologist at Eastern Kentucky University, says this phenomenon is a demonstration of the “third-person perception,” in which people believe others are much more influenced by outside sources—television, movies, gay people getting married—than they themselves are.
“It just dawned on me, most of the people who were really vehemently against gay marriage were not likely to say they were worried about their own marriages, but they talked about how if we allowed gay marriage it was going to be bad for society in general,” Winslow told the site LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/19693-gay-marriage-harms-perception.html).
Winslow and his researchers polled 120 heterosexual unmarried college students on their support for gay marriage, their opinion about how marriage equality would affect their own and other people’s relationships, and their general political attitudes.
Though his test group was small, and leaned toward pro-marriage equality, Winslow did see third-person perception take effect.

The group most likely to see itself as impervious and others as vulnerable was composed of people with a personality trait called right-wing authoritarianism. People with this trait strongly value tradition and authority, and dislike people not in their own social group.
Right-wing authoritarians’ perceptions of themselves as strong and others as weak might help explain this group’s strong opposition to gay marriage, Winslow said. But the study, published April 10 in the journal Social Psychology, also highlights that everybody judges themselves as a little bit better than the next guy.
“If everyone believes that other people are more affected than they are, that’s just not logical,” said Winslow, who suggested that focusing on putting yourself in others’ shoes might help banish this bias. “If you believe you are not going to be affected by [same-sex marriage], just recognize that probably other people believe the same way, so the good news is that probably people aren’t going to be affected by it that much.”
That’s a nice idea, but applying logic to the thought processes of fundamentalist homophobes is kind of like trying to teach a cat to sit up and roll over. It just won’t work.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-homophobes-think-gay-marriage-a-threat-just-not-to-their-marriages-20120416/#ixzz1sERSwfIH

You’ll have to read itin unimpressive 2-D (take that, James Cameron!), but this tale of possible queer love aboard the Titanic brings far more flutters to our heart than Rose and Jack’s story ever did. Francis D. Millet and Major Archibald Butt (gotta love the name) were very close friends who both went down with the ship that fateful night 100 years ago.
Millet and Butt (an aide-de-camp to President Taft—see photo at right) probably didn’t consider themselves “gay” as we understand the term—and were booked in separate rooms—but LGBT historian James Gifford over at OutHistory.org dredged up some intriguing details on the couple (http://www.outhistory.org/wiki/James_Gifford:_Archie_Butt), including the text of a plaque on a Washington, DC, memorial honoring their enduring friendship:

No Damon and Pythias friendship could have been closer than the friendship of Major Butt and Millet,’ said Mr. [Richard B.] Watrous [Secretary of the American Civic Association]. ‘The two kept quarters together and were inseparable when both were in Washington. They lived near the Metropolitan Club, Butt being, as is well known, a bachelor and Mr. Millet’s family being quartered at his home in England… Among all of us who knew of the close friendship of Major Butt and Mr. Millet there has been the tensest of feeling since the news of disaster to the Titanic reached us.
Gifford also writes that Taft was devastated at the loss of Butt, taking it as if his son had died. He didn’t find any letters between Millet and Butt, but there are love letters (http://www.outhistory.org/wiki/Millet_to_Stoddard:_May_26,_1875) from Millet to writer Charles Warren Stoddard.

“My dear old Boy, I miss you more than you do me and gaum [pine] constantly—after dark. Why should one go and the other stay. It is rough on the one who remains.”
Other parts of their correspondence indicate Millet had a hot-and-steamy sexual relationship with Stoddard in Venice nearly 37 years before his death in the freezing Atlantic.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/revealed-gay-love-story-between-two-male-titanic-passengers-20120416/#ixzz1sERkNDAz

Source: http://www.queerty.com/revealed-gay-love-story-between-two-male-titanic-passengers-20120416/

For many gays, lesbians and trans people, accepting who you are means chucking the standards of mainstream society. But retired nurse Gloria Allen doesn’t think that means young LGBTs have to sacrifice things like politeness, deportment and civility. Allen, a 66-year-old trans woman, is running an unconventional charm school out of Chicago’s Center on Halsted (http://www.centeronhalsted.org/), where students learn how to speak like a gentleman and sit like a lady—whether they were born one or not. “I may be sounding old-fashioned, but I would see these young people wearing negligee-type clothes on the street and I would say, ‘How could they leave the house looking like that?’” Allen, who often goes by “Mama Gloria,” tells the Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-trice-charm-school-0416-20120416,0,3446855.column). “When you’re a part of a minority community, what you do reflects the whole,” she said. “It may not be fair, but that’s reality.”
Her class, which meets Thursday evenings at the center, offers lessons in makeup, dress, diet and exercise, proper dining etiquette and conversation skills. (No profanity, for example.)
Some might think Allen is setting the movement back by telling teens to cross their legs and wear conservative clothing. But she also offers practical, sometimes life-saving advice about safe sex, drug and alcohol abuse and transitioning. Allen cautioned one trans girl who was doubling up on her hormone treatments: “You’re putting your body, your liver and kidneys, at risk… You’ve been a boy for 19 years. You can’t turn into a girl overnight. Be patient. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
Mama Gloria sounds like a wonderful blend of Miss Manner, RuPaul and Auntie Mame. We kind of wish we had her in our lives when we were growing up. We might have avoided that whole sloppy bleach-blonde and flannel-shirt grunge look of the 1990s.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/chicagos-mama-gloria-is-teaching-lgbt-teens-the-abcs-of-etiquette-20120416/#ixzz1sES1MrhY

Federal agents have accused a transgender woman and her transitioning transgender male partner of being connected to 5 bomb threats made over the weekend against the University (http://www.queerty.com/transgender-couples-stands-accused-of-university-of-pittsburgh-bomb-threat-plot-20120416/#) of Pittsburgh. Alarmingly, more than 90 bomb threats have been made since February 13. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_791442.html#ixzz1sDk1BU4Z):

“We have absolutely nothing to do with (the threats), except for wanting the people who are making the threats caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Katherine Anne McCloskey, 55, of Jackson. “Whoever is doing this is a lunatic.”
McCloskey, who was born a man but lives as a woman, and partner Seamus Johnston, 22, who was born female but lives as a male and is undergoing hormone treatments, denied any involvement with the bomb threats. They said they will appear before the grand jury and will surrender two computers (http://www.queerty.com/transgender-couples-stands-accused-of-university-of-pittsburgh-bomb-threat-plot-20120416/#) for study.
“I’m very afraid, but I’m as confident as any innocent person can be in this country,” Johnston said.
Investigators may believe that Johnston is disgruntled and has possible bad blood with Pitt. He was expelled in January for “indecent exposure” in a men’s locker room.

McCloskey and Johnston said they believe Pitt officials gave their names to federal investigators because of an ongoing legal dispute Johnston has with the university.
The university in January expelled Johnston, a junior computer science student, from Pitt-Johnstown this year and charged him with indecent exposure after he used a men’s locker room. His birth certificate identifies him as female though he is undergoing hormone therapy (http://www.queerty.com/transgender-couples-stands-accused-of-university-of-pittsburgh-bomb-threat-plot-20120416/#).
McClosky says the couple themselves received a number of bomb threats at their home themselves a few days ago.
What crazy person is making bomb threats all over the place in Pittsburgh?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/transgender-couples-stands-accused-of-university-of-pittsburgh-bomb-threat-plot-20120416/#ixzz1sESNqA2x

TheGodlessUtopian

16th April 2012, 20:19

I’ve been told Alberta is the Texas of Canada: they like things big, they’re rich from oil, and they’re conservative (and homophobic) as all hell. Well, here’s some more evidence to at least prove the most latter of those generalizations: Alberta Wildrose Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildrose_Party) leader Danielle Smith has said that she’s okay with a member of her party using extremely fire-and-brimstone hate language against gays. Well, she’s “refused Sunday to condemn a blog post by one of her candidates decrying tolerance toward gay people, but reiterated her party won’t legislate on contentious moral issues,” according to The National Post (http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/15/allan-hunsperger-wildrose-blog/?__lsa=e912f4b1), which, in our eyes, is almost worse.
In case you’re not familiar with the Wildrose Party, they’re a provincial conservative party named after a pretty flower native to the province (right).
The party member she “refused to condemn” is, obvi, an evangelical pastor named Allan Hunsperger, a pastor with The House church who’s running for a seat in the Edmonton-South-West district.
In a blog post on his church website inspired by Mother Monster, Hunsperger shat on accepting gays for being who they are, and instead said that LGBTs need saving.
“You can live the way you were born,” blogged Hunsperger in an anti-ode to Lady Gaga, “And if you die the way you were born, then you will suffer the rest of eternity in the lake of fire, hell, a place of eternal suffering.”
He sounds like some of those Queerty commenters who don’t realize this is a gay blog!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/canadian-party-leader-totally-okay-with-fire-and-brimstone-hate-speech-against-gays-20120416/#ixzz1sESmm8zn

Last year, Scottish transportation magnate Brian Souter (right), who has an estimated worth of more than £400 million ($630 million) was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Gay activists were immediately outraged because, in addition to his many charities, Souter donated more than £1 million ($1.6 million) to prevent the repeal of Clause 28, which banned UK authorities and schools from “promoting homosexuality.” Tthough he was allegedly honored “for services to transport and the voluntary sector,” allegations have risen that Sir Brian “bought” his knighthood by donating £1 million to the ruling Scottish National Party.
This month, the SNP announced it wouldn’t release (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2012/04/01/scottish-government-refuse-to-publish-secret-correspondence-with-tycoon-brian-souter-86908-23809090/) secret correspondence between Souter and party members. Their reasoning? The paperwork costs too much.
According to an SNP spokesperson, it would cost more than the established £600 cap to retrieve the correspondence. Previously the SNP claimed it couldn’t comply with the Labour Party’s freedom-of-information request for the letters because Buckingham Palace forbid it—and then because Labour hadn’t clarified exactly what they wanted.
Souter’s profile on his website defends his support of Clause 28:

Some saw it as controversial when he personally funded a national referendum in Scotland on Clause 28. A total of 1,262,686 people returned ballot papers and a staggering 86.8% – that’s 1,096,011 – agreed with Brian that Clause 28 should not be repealed.
It’s worth noting that the number who voted with him to keep the clause far exceeds the number of votes cast for any single political party in Scotland at any election over the last 10 years.
Sir Brian is a man of conviction who simply stands up for what he believes in—a value lauded by those who believe in free speech and democracy—a right which he would passionately defend for anyone.
So Souter likes to defend free speech? Not when someone is speaking on behalf of gay people, apparently.
Of course, this is all going on as the debate on gay marriage in Scotland rages on, a change which, ironically, has been approved by the SNP, which is generally left-leaning and supports Scottish independence.
So could homophobic Sir Brian’s money actually help legalize marriage equality? What delicious irony!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/was-homophobic-scottish-tycoon-brian-souter-knighted-for-charity-work-or-as-a-payoff-20120416/

On Friday, it was announced that Mable and Alexis Jenkins, both 19, plead guilty to aiding and abetting their male cousins in the kidnapping and assault of a gay man, Kevin Pennington, in April 2011 (http://www.queerty.com/heres-this-weeks-round-up-of-horribly-violent-gay-bashings-20110923/). The two women admit they helped lure Pennington into a pickup truck with David Jenkins, 37, and Anthony Jenkins, 20, the first people to be indicted under a new federal hate-crimes statute’s sexual-orientation provision.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, enacted in 2009, criminalizes violence motivated by a victim’s real or perceived race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability (http://www.queerty.com/more-pleas-questions-in-groundbreaking-ky-hate-crimes-case-20120416/#). If convicted, the men could face life in prison.
On Thursday, David and Anthony were indicted on federal hate-crime charges in a London, Kentucky, courthouse after pleading not guilty. According to earlier reports, Pennington, 28, had angered Ashley Mable and David by refusing to date either of them. The foursome took Pennington “to go riding around for cigarettes and soda,” but wouldn’t let him out of the truck when he asked.
While one the male Jenkins searched for a tire (http://www.queerty.com/more-pleas-questions-in-groundbreaking-ky-hate-crimes-case-20120416/#) iron and one of the girls agreed to help throw Pennington’s corpse over the mountainside after they killed him, Pennington jumped over a cliff, hid behind a rock and waited 45 minutes for them tohttp://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/09/kevin_penington_th.jpg leave. He was left with a torn ear, a torn shoulder ligament, boot marks on his body and gravel embedded into his face
The victim told investigators that David Jenkins demanded sexual favors and threatened to violently rape Pennington when he refused. After they pulled over, Anthony and David began hitting Pennington while screaming, “How do you like this, faggot?”
Michael Cole-Schwartz of HRC called the indictment “vindicating” after years of working to get the Shepard-Byrd Law passed, but David Jenkins’ lawyer (http://www.queerty.com/more-pleas-questions-in-groundbreaking-ky-hate-crimes-case-20120416/#), Andrew Stephens, says his client denies committing a hate crime (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/12/2-face-federal-hate-crime-charge-in-ky-gay-attack/). “The hate-crime component of this is just flat wrong,” says Stephens. “I think it’s very difficult to get into the mind of somebody and figure out what their intent is.”
We’re sure Stephens is the worst kind of good-old-boy Southern lawyer and that the Jenkins boys picked on Pennington (left) because he was gay. But doesStephens have a point? Can we get into the mind of a criminal and know exactly why he committed a crime? Is one reason worse than another? Isn’t attacking someone out of sheer sadism just as bad as doing it out of homophobia, as Bill Keller suggests in a New York Times op-ed (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/opinion/keller-tyler-and-trayvon.html)?
Or as Politico writer William Yeomans posits (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75059.html), do hate-crime laws act as shield fort groups that are disproportionately terrorized. And do they allow the federal government (http://www.queerty.com/more-pleas-questions-in-groundbreaking-ky-hate-crimes-case-20120416/#) to step in when local authorities might want to forget the whole thing happened? Do we need them to protect (and avenge) the Kevin Penningtons and Trayvon Martins of the nation?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/more-pleas-questions-in-groundbreaking-ky-hate-crimes-case-20120416/#ixzz1sETZ5MEc

Katie Ricks: Presbyterians Ordain Their First Out Lesbian

The Presbyterian church cleared the way for openly gay clergy in a vote last year, and Katie Ricks is the first woman to cut a new path forward.
By Trudy Ring (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Trudy%20Ring)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-23/katie_ricksX390.jpg
Katie Ricks
When Katie Ricks became the first out lesbian ordained by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Sunday, she was following tradition as well as breaking new ground.
Ricks was brought up in the denomination, and her mother is also a Presbyterian minister. Because the family moved around a great deal due to her father’s military career, “church became home base,” Ricks says.
Ricks, 41, has long known she wanted to be a minister. Clergy members often say they were “called” to the vocation, and Ricks means this literally. “Sitting in church one Sunday, I heard God’s voice telling me, ‘This is where I want you to be,’” she says. That was several years ago, and there was one problem: The Presbyterian Church did not ordain openly gay or lesbian clergy.
Ricks, however, was undaunted. “I just trusted that God was going to show me the way,” she says. Some people thought her naive, she notes, but her faith didn’t waver. “I was having these amazing encounters with God,” she says. “I remember saying to God, ‘You got me into this, so show me the way.’”
The way finally cleared in May of last year, when a majority of the denomination’s presbyteries, or regional governing bodies, approved an amendment to church law allowing for the ordination of openly gay and lesbian clergy, including those who are partnered. Ricks and her partner, retired police officer Paula Gibbs, were joined in a holy union ceremony 11 years ago, and they have a 5-year-old daughter, Jordan.
Scott Anderson of Wisconsin last fall became the first out gay man to be ordained by the Presbyterian Church. Several lesbians have been awaiting ordination, but Ricks was the one for whom the pieces fell into place first; these included oral and written exams and a vote of her local presbytery. Not that she hasn’t been serving the church. She has been an associate in ministry at the Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, N.C., since 2002, when she graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga.
She will stay at the Church of Reconciliation after her ordination and perform some of the same duties, such as working with the children’s and youth ministries. Being ordained, though, will mean she can expand her role; for instance, she will be able to perform sacraments, including baptisms and offering communion. “I love the sacraments,” she says. “They mean a ton to me.”
Since 1993 the Church of Reconciliation has been a More Light Presbyterian congregation, meaning it officially welcomes and affirms LGBT people. It is located in a liberal college town — Chapel Hill is home to the main University of North Carolina campus. Still, Ricks has encountered some Presbyterians who don’t think gays and lesbians should be ministers. When dealing with those people, Ricks has emphasized that the faith she has in common with them is more important than any differences they have.
“The more that you’re working with people, the more that we can gather around the things that hold us together,” she says. Also, she simply tries to be her authentic self. That’s what lesbian Presbyterian minister Jane Spahr (who was not out at the time of her ordination, in the 1970s) called “personing the issue,” Ricks says.
“Our responsibility as leaders is to continually live our faith the way we’ve been called to,” she adds. “It’s important for me to reach out and important for me to accept the reaching out of people from other sides.” She has received much love from her fellow Presbyterians too, she says.
The time leading up to the ordination ceremony has been exciting and emotional for Ricks. At the Maundy Thursday service (the night before Good Friday) she was washing the feet of congregants, as Jesus did for his disciples, and “I just broke down,” she recalls.
“This is bigger than Katie Ricks,” she adds. “It’s even bigger than the Presbyterian Church.” But it’s all part, she says, of the church’s “witness to the greater world.”

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Katie_Ricks_Presbyterians_Ordain_Their_First_Out_L esbian/

Hunger Games Star is Youngest Ever GLAAD Vanguard Honoree

The Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson, 19, is a longtime equality advocate and becomes the youngest recipient of the Vanguard award in the organization's history.
By Jeremy Kinser (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Jeremy%20Kinser)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/POLL_COMMENTS/Faith-based/Josh-Hutcherson999.jpg

The Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson, 19, will be presented with Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's Vanguard Award, making the longtime equality advocate the youngest recipient of that award in the organization's history.

GLAAD's Vanguard Award is annually presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. Hutcherson, who stars as Peeta Mellark in the box office smash, has also appeared as the son of two lesbian mothers in the acclaimed dramedy The Kids Are All Right, and is, along with close friend, actor Avan Jogia (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Commentary/Oped_Avon_Jogia_Bully_Is_A_Way_For_Us_To_Fight_Bac k/), a cofounder of the Straight But Not Narrow (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Commentary/Oped_Avon_Jogia_Bully_Is_A_Way_For_Us_To_Fight_Bac k/) (SBNN) campaign. "We just launched [SBNN], and it’s a very exciting time for us and it hits close to home for me," Hutcherson said in an earlier interview with SamaritanMag.com. "I have a lot of gay friends in Los Angeles. My roommate’s gay and I lost two uncles when I was young to AIDS, so it’s an important cause in my family." Hutcherson appeared in one of the first PSAs for the campaign. (Watch it below.)

"As the youngest person to ever receive the Vanguard Award, Josh Hutcherson represents a new generation of equality advocates who know that no one should be denied vital legal protections or face discrimination because of who they are," GLAAD's Mike Thompson says in a statement. "Through his work in trailblazing films like The Kids Are All Right, as well as his leadership in projects like the Straight But Not Narrow campaign, Josh is helping countless Americans understand the importance of equality."

The ceremony for the 23rd annual GLAAD Media Awards will be held in Los Angeles April 21. Chaz Bono has previously been announced as the first transgender recipient of the Stephen F. Kolzak Award. Ellen DeGeneres is scheduled to open the show and singer Jason Mraz, another longtime equality advocate, will perform a musical set. Other guests at the event include Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Happily Divorced's Fran Drescher, Scandal's Guillermo Diaz, Fringe's Joshua Jackson, Pariah's Kim Wayans, and the cast of Hot in Cleveland, including Betty White.

For more on the GLAAD Media Awards go here (http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Film/josh_Hutcherson_Youngest_GLAAD_Vanguard_Honoree/

P.S: See source for video

Tammy Baldwin Reacts With Rally Call to Obama's Executive Order Decision

The Wisconsin representative and candidate for Senate said more work must be done by activists and politicians if LGBT employees are going to get workplace protections.
By Lucas Grindley (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Lucas%20Grindley)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-01/2012-01-23/BALDWINX390.jpg
Tammy Baldwin
Candidate Tammy Baldwin, who could become the first gay person to be elected to the Senate, reacted to the news that President Obama won't ban discrimination by federal contractors by urging more action from activists.

“We’ve got to keep on organizing,” the congresswoman from Wisconsin told (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/04/16/exclusive-baldwin-calls-for-marriage-equality-plank-in-dem-platform/) the Washington Blade.

The president's decision not to issue an executive order has roiled LGBT rights groups, with many issuing statements about their disappointment. Obama said he would instead press for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ensuring gays and lesbians can't be fired from any job nationwide just because of their sexual orientation. And Baldwin said that would become an important emphasis.

“We embrace executive orders when they can occur," she told the Blade. "This president has issued several that have advanced our protections as a community significantly, but there’s no substitute for having Congress act in sending the president the bill to sign.”

As a member of the House, Baldwin knows the chances of passing ENDA while Republicans are in control are poor. That's why voters need to elect "a pro-equality majority" and "leadership that's pro-equality," she said.

Meanwhile, polls (http://www.gaypolitics.com/2012/04/03/new-poll-finds-baldwin-beating-generic-gop-challenger/) show Baldwin in a tight race but leading Republicans in Wisconsin to replace outgoing Sen. Herb Kohl. Plus Baldwin has continued her fundraising strength into the first quarter of 2012 by raising (http://www.gaypolitics.com/2012/04/11/baldwin-raises-2-million-for-senate-run-in-q1/) $2 million, significantly outpacing her potential opponents.

Baldwin is an outspoken supporter of LGBT equality, and she also told the Blade that she sides with the growing number of Democrats who are calling for the party's platform to include marriage equality.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Tammy_Baldwin_Reacts_With_Rally_Cry_to_Obama_Execu tive_Order_Decision/

TheGodlessUtopian

17th April 2012, 20:07

We’ve taken flack for tossing around the “T” word (http://www.queerty.com/now-it-can-be-revealed-barak-obamas-nanny-was-a-tranny-ho-20120306/), but it was in a satirical post illuminating how the mainstream media can sensationalize members of the trans community. We’d expect a major network news affiliate (http://www.queerty.com/cbs-chicago-reports-murder-of-male-to-female-transgender-person-20120417/#) to be a little more tactful: In a headline that ran on its website yesterday (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/04/16/man-found-shot-to-death-in-west-garfield-park/), CBS (http://www.queerty.com/cbs-chicago-reports-murder-of-male-to-female-transgender-person-20120417/#) 2 in Chicago exclaimed “Male-To-Female Transgender Person Found Shot To Death In West Garfield Park.” Reporting on a woman found shot in the head in an alley, the piece repeats the the term “male-to-female transgender person” twice in a 95-word story. It also refer to her as “the body” and “the victim” but never use female pronouns. (It’s a transcription of a radio item by WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller, but it’s unclear who wrote the original text.)
We suppose in the grand scheme of things using clinical, dehumanizing language like this isn’t that big a deal: There was a time not long ago when much crasser language would’ve been used—if, in fact, this crime would have been reported on at all. And, sure, Queerty is hardly a bastion of political correctness—but when when someone’s life is brutally snuffed out, is it so hard to give her the final dignity of using her stated gender identity?
Especially considering she may very well have been killed because of it.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/cbs-chicago-reports-murder-of-male-to-female-transgender-person-20120417/#ixzz1sKGsaCFb

Though oil-rich Sauda Arabia is our “ally” in many ways, it’s no secret their social practices tend to more than raise eyebrows from international human-rights activists. The newest transgression: a ban on “gays and tomboys” that will be enforced by their ruthless morality police. It mirrors a similar crackdown in Iraq that has claimed the lives of nearly 60 people perceived to be either gay or emo (http://www.queerty.com/almost-60-iraqis-perceived-to-be-gay-or-emo-have-been-murdered-in-last-6-weeks-20120312/).
The girl on the left in this photo wouldn’t survive a day in Saudi Arabian schools because of her dangerous admiration of un-feminine things, it seems.
Emirates 24/7 (http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/saudi-arabia-bans-gays-tom-boys-from-schools-2012-04-16-1.454017) quotes a newspaper called Sharq Arabic, who had the news:

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most feared law enforcement authority in the oil-rich country, has been asked to enforce the new orders, Sharq Arabic language (http://www.queerty.com/saudi-arabian-morality-police-to-enforce-ban-on-gays-and-tomboys-from-schools-20120417/#) daily said.
“Instructions have been issued to all public schools and universities to ban the entry of gays and tom boys and to intensify their efforts to fight this phenomenon, which has been promoted by some websites,” it said.
The paper (http://www.queerty.com/saudi-arabian-morality-police-to-enforce-ban-on-gays-and-tomboys-from-schools-20120417/#) did not make clear who issued those instructions but said gay and tom boy students can go back to schools and universities if they prove they have been corrected and have stopped such practices.
The last big gay Saudi Arabian scandal came when they wanted to behead (http://www.queerty.com/saudi-arabia-planned-to-behead-british-nurse-stephen-comiskey-for-being-a-gay-20110401/) British nurses Stephen Comiskey for “flaunting his sexuality” (and possibly being connected to a Saudi gay prince (http://www.queerty.com/saudi-prince-saud-abdulaziz-bin-nasser-al-saud-life-in-prison-20101020/)).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/saudi-arabian-morality-police-to-enforce-ban-on-gays-and-tomboys-from-schools-20120417/#ixzz1sKH7sRm9

How much can one person do to combat institutionalized homophobia? Quite a bit actually: Two weeks ago, Joseph Amodeo (right) resigned his post on the Junior Board of Catholic Charities (http://www.queerty.com/petition-to-get-cardinal-dolan-to-meet-lgbt-youth-gaining-traction-and-just-might-work-20120417/#) after New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan refused to reach out to needy LGBT youth at the Ali Forney Center. Since then Amodeo launched a petition on Change.org (http://chn.ge/DolanHearUs) to urge Cardinal Dolan to meet with LGBT youth. So far, he’s gotten bearly 1,200 signatures—and support from a broad spectrum of Christian leaders, including Father Anthony Ruff, professor of Liturgical Studies (http://www.queerty.com/petition-to-get-cardinal-dolan-to-meet-lgbt-youth-gaining-traction-and-just-might-work-20120417/#) at St. John’s Abbey; Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director of New Ways Ministry; Joan Horgan, Director of Spirituality at the College of St. Rose; former Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ),; Brother. Brian Halderman, Minister for Social Justice at St. Mary’s University; and Archbishop Michael J. Champion of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
Amodeo hopes to deliver the petition to Cardinal Dolan’s office on May 17, the Feast of the Ascension. It reads, in part:

It’s wrong that 30-40% of homeless youth are LGBT. We’re asking Cardinal Dolan to meet with homeless LGBT youth, hear their stories, and dialogue with them.
A little over eight years ago, I came out as a gay man to my family and friends and continued to practice my faith as a Roman Catholic. I came to witness the overwhelming support that so many people have for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/cardinal-dolan.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/cardinal-dolan.jpg)Despite support for LGBT people from so many Catholics today, I resigned from the Executive Committee of the Junior Board of Catholic Charities two weeks ago. My resignation was a result of Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York’s decision to avoid a request to help (http://www.queerty.com/petition-to-get-cardinal-dolan-to-meet-lgbt-youth-gaining-traction-and-just-might-work-20120417/#) young people served by the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency care to homeless LGBT youth.
Cardinal Dolan is the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and U.S. media often refer to him as “the American Pope.” That such a well-known Catholic leader would oppose responding to a request to assist youth represents a deviation from Catholic social teaching (http://www.queerty.com/petition-to-get-cardinal-dolan-to-meet-lgbt-youth-gaining-traction-and-just-might-work-20120417/#).
Since my resignation, the support from Catholic people and other people of faith – gay and straight – has been overwhelming.
Do you believe we should embrace our young adults and not turn our backs on them for being who they are?
I do. I believe we need to raise our voices and seek a dialogue with the Cardinal on this and other issues affecting the LGBT community. Those sitting in the pews must send a message that leaders in the pulpits need to hear: we stand in solidarity with LGBT youth.
A high-level source tells Queerty that Dolan is aware of the effort and is considering at least making a statement in support of at-risk LGBT youth.
Who knows, with enough names on the petition he might even meet with the kids. God works in mysterious ways, after all.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/petition-to-get-cardinal-dolan-to-meet-lgbt-youth-gaining-traction-and-just-might-work-20120417/#ixzz1sKHQzUKy

At their 29th Annual Global Convention in Florianopolis, Brazil, The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (http://www.queerty.com/international-gay-and-lesbian-travel-assoc-launches-new-site-at-conference-in-brazil-20120417/www.lgbt.travel) facillitated panels, lead group excursions and gave out awards. It also announced a partnership with multimillion-dollar marketing firm MMGY Global that resulted in a a new website, lgbt.travel (http://www.lgbt.travel/). The new public site offers a directory of LGBT and LGBT-friendly travel agents, transportation companies and tour operators who meet IGLTA guidelines. There’s also an online calendar of tours and parties; and, in the months to come, members will add information about special discounts.
Born with a little more than 20 members in 1983, IGLTA quickly grew into the premiere chamber of commerce for the gay-travel industry.. It currently hosts members in almost 90 countries, thanks to their expertise in gay-friendly accommodations, services and events. “For 30 years we’ve successfully connected LGBT tourism businesses around the world,” says GLTA President John Tanzella, and now we’ve created a dynamic website to easily connect LGBT travelers with these gay-welcoming businesses.”

Source: http://www.queerty.com/international-gay-and-lesbian-travel-assoc-launches-new-site-at-conference-in-brazil-20120417/

TheGodlessUtopian

17th April 2012, 20:12

A post on CNN’s iReports (http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-776747?ref=feeds/latest)—which doesn’t vet or fact-check its content—is saying 14-year-old Kenneth James Weishuhn of Primghar, Iowa, committed suicide on Saturday night and was found dead on Sunday. (A funeral announcemen (http://www.gaudian-eldridgefuneralhomes.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1454931&fh_id=10513)t seems to confirm (http://www.queerty.com/14-year-old-kenneth-james-weishuhn-commits-suicide-after-coming-out-20120417/#) the story.) Details are sketchy at this point, but James had been bullied regularly since he came out at school several months ago.
Below are some comments left on this tribute video made by his friend Brandi on YouTube.

* I am ashamed of the people who bullied Kenneth. i Didn’t know him but as a local gay kid, i know what he went through. Rest in peace, Kenneth. His friends and family is in my thoughts. I hope those responsible get justice. I can’t believe we live in a world where people still treat people so inhumanely.
*Justice will be served one day. When they stand before the Lord. they will be judged. He will choose the[ir] fate. For now, let’s not let this kid EVER be forgotten. Let his legacy and story be told around the world. Let his cause be carried on

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/14-year-old-kenneth-james-weishuhn-commits-suicide-after-coming-out-20120417/#ixzz1sKIMLgWv

See source for video

They also claim (http://www.queerty.com/sorry-homophobic-gamers-queers-in-sci-fi-aint-nothing-new-20120417/#) ‘there were no LGBT characters in any of the Star Wars movies.’ I don’t know which wacky re-cut version of Star Wars they’ve been watching, but I saw the original when I was about six years old and even then I was struck by how outrageously camp C-3PO is. He was a gilded John Inman in space. And what about Luke Skywalker? Apart from briefly kissing his own sister, he shows no interest in women whatsoever. The first film is a tender gay parable in which Luke falls in love with Alec Guinness and gradually “comes out” as a Jedi. The final scene oozes symbolism: having penetrated the Death Star’s trench in his phallic spacecraft, he closes his eyes, submits to his true inner instinct and triumphantly blasts his X-Wing’s seed into an anus-like aperture, causing an orgasmic eruption that changes his universe for ever. It’s hard to see how they could make Star Wars any gayer, unless they gave the Millennium Falcon a handlebar mustache.”
—Writer Charles Brooker, zapping gamers complaining about gay storylines in new releases like Mass Effect 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic, in The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/15/charlie-brooker-gay-video-game).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/sorry-homophobic-gamers-queers-in-sci-fi-aint-nothing-new-20120417/#ixzz1sKIdnmfM

In late March, a student at Berry College in Mount Berry, GA, came back to his dorm room one night to find bleach poured in his top dresser drawers, and a note that read “faggot nigger fuck off.” When he went to his car, he discovered his back right tire slashed and the bottle of bleach behind his car. The student, who name isn’t be released, told The Carrier (http://www.scribd.com/doc/87215403/Campus-Carrier-3-29-12), “Racially it’s upsetting that someone hates me for who I am. Sexually it’s upsetting that some-one hates me for who they think I am. The past couple days have been extremely uncomfortable. I consider Berry my home and I feel like I have been violated in my own home.”
The incident brought immediate response from campus police, Resident Life, and the Dean of Students, as well as from professor John Countryman, who asserted the need for an official LGBT club on campus.
Responding to a campuswide email from VP for Student Affairs Debbie Heida, Countryman said (http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/548530_10150809223661204_626596203_11697204_457507 141_n.jpg), “That’s terrific but it would be a honorable start on the college’s part to back up those words by sanctioning an official LGBT organization on campus. Talk is cheap.”
A Berry alumni emailed Queerty to explain that though there have been efforts to try and start a gay-student group at Berry for almost a decade, it’s been routinely denied. “The current president, Dr. Briggs, thinks that homosexuality is a moral choice,” she says. “and that an LGBT club is an advocate group [that] does not deserve official club status.”
The Berry grad cites numerous “ridiculous” clubs that are officially recognized by the school—including the Society of Outdoor Life and Experience (SOLE), Ultimate Frisbee, Berry College Alternative Realities Club, the Vikettes (Women’s Dance Team) and the In His Name Gospel Choir.
LISTEN, an unoffical group that doesn’t receive funds from student fees, was founding in 2003. It was approved by then- President Scott Colley in 2004, but the Board of Trustees intervened and denied LISTEN club status on the stated grounds that it is an “advocacy” group. It doesn’t appear Briggs will sanction it any time soon.
Y’know who else is an officially recognized club at Berry? The Fellowship of Christian Athletes! You know, that group that doesn’t allow LGBT members and that works with ex-gay groups to, what—exercise the gay out of you?
Yeah that’s some money well spent right there.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/campus-hate-crime-inspires-another-push-for-lgbt-student-group-at-ga-college-20120417/

The City of Brotherly Love will be home to a new affordable housing project for LGBT seniors, a labor of love of Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal. ”In their golden years, LGBT seniors need a safe (http://www.queerty.com/city-of-philadelphia-primed-to-open-lgbt-retirement-home-20120416/#) and loving place to grow old,” Segal told the Philadelphia Inquirer (http://articles.philly.com/2012-04-15/news/31345387_1_lgbt-seniors-senior-housing-community-housing-project/2). “This is going to change the lives of so many people.”
For three years, Segal’s been working with nonprofits, politicians and activists to make his dream a reality. The residency—a $19 million six-story, 56-unit building on South 13th and Locust Streets—cleared a major hurdle recently when it won a bid for an $11 million state tax (http://www.queerty.com/city-of-philadelphia-primed-to-open-lgbt-retirement-home-20120416/#) credit. The building will include 2,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, plus a community center, social-services offices and a garden.
Segal cited several cases explaining why a gay-centric facility is essential for elderly gays and lesbians: One man reached out to Segal after residents at his nursing home started forming prayer circle around him to lift his homosexuality. Others speak of the loneliness of being the only gay in the retirement village.

“And then, there are people who have lived closeted their whole lives,” Segal said. “For them to be able to move into the gayborhood where they can be surrounded by their community for the first time, do you know what kind of freedom that will give them? The impact that will have?”
Wow, shops, a garden and amenities—all in the heart of Philly’s gayborhood? When can we move in?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/city-of-philadelphia-primed-to-open-lgbt-retirement-home-20120416/#ixzz1sKJLnyx3

TheGodlessUtopian

18th April 2012, 20:30

“The cause of LGBT equality has suffered because of a deficit of trust and a surplus of ill will between HRC and the rest of the movement,” Matt Foreman, a former executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, wrote in a blogosphere-distributed op-ed late last year. HRC’s tendency to push self-perpetuation over teamwork is both legendary and manifold, Foreman argued. “They would undertake new initiatives or announce unhelpful positions in policy areas where they had little or no expertise; they were unnecessarily vague and secretive about meetings they were holding; they would take credit (http://www.queerty.com/will-hrcs-new-president-make-the-organization-more-symbiotic-with-the-movement-20120418/#) for things in which they’d never even been involved,” he wrote, cuing the collective nods of movement leaders and activists in Washington, D.C., and beyond.
The critique may have been on the minds of HRC’s board of directors as it vetted candidates to replace its president, Joe Solmonese, who announced last summer that he would leave the organization’s top spot, which he has held since 2005. That’s because his successor, American Foundation for Equal Rights board president Chad Griffin, has been hailed as a game changer. Even HRC’s most steadfast detractors praised Griffin’s appointment, in what bordered on cult worship of the Los Angeles–based political consultant behind the federal lawsuit (http://www.queerty.com/will-hrcs-new-president-make-the-organization-more-symbiotic-with-the-movement-20120418/#) against Proposition 8.
See why The Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Will_New_HRC_President_Be_a_Game_Changer/)‘s Andrew Harmon thinks HRC’s new president Chad Griffin will steer the organization in a new, more symbiotic direction. And say whether you agree (http://www.queerty.com/will-hrcs-new-president-make-the-organization-more-symbiotic-with-the-movement-20120418/#) in the comments.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/will-hrcs-new-president-make-the-organization-more-symbiotic-with-the-movement-20120418/#ixzz1sQD9COAx

More details have emerged in the suicide of Kenneth James Weishuhn, a 14-year-old high-school freshman who had just come out of the closet a month ago. Weishuhn was severely bullied at South O’Brien High School in Paulina, Iowa, as soon as he came out, reports KTIV (http://www.ktiv.com/story/17473534/family-says), with former friends turning against him. Boys in his class made a hate group against gays and added Kenneth’s friends to it.
Then death threats started coming in to his cell phone (http://www.queerty.com/heartbreaking-details-emerge-in-suicide-of-just-out-h-s-freshman-kenneth-weishuhn-20120418/#), says Kenneth’s sister Kayla.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Screen-shot-2012-04-18-at-9.42.11-AM-360x189.png
It’s especially saddening to remember this all went down in a marriage-equality state. Kenneth even had a Pinterest page envisioning a highbrow gay wedding (http://pinterest.com/15kweishuhn/when-i-get-married/) (right), with items ranging from two grooms on a wedding cake and vintage menswear attire to a Rolls Royce honeymoon car (http://www.queerty.com/heartbreaking-details-emerge-in-suicide-of-just-out-h-s-freshman-kenneth-weishuhn-20120418/#).
Weishuhn also wasn’t shy about his gay crushes, who included boy-bander Louis Tomlinson the cover image on his Facebook page, and Justin Bieber and Zayn Malik.
Then there’s the Pinterist section titled “inspiration,” (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Screen-shot-2012-04-18-at-10.12.47-AM.png) which had pictures of “It Gets Better” t-shirts and a quote from Chris Colfer: “There’s nothing wrong with you. There’s a lot wrong with the world you live in.”
Says Weishuhn’s mother Jeannie Chambers: ”He [said], ‘Mom, you don’t know how it feels to be hated’… When I’d question him about the phone calls, he just blew it off. So I just thought everything was okay.”
Chambers is unsure if she wants to press charges against the bullies: “I really don’t want to ruin somebody else’s life, or take someone else’s son or daughter from them. But, I don’t know what it’s going to take to get it to stop.”
Kenneth’s favorite quote was “be buddies, not bullies.” If only they’d listened.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/heartbreaking-details-emerge-in-suicide-of-just-out-h-s-freshman-kenneth-weishuhn-20120418/#ixzz1sQDUN1wK

Another painstaking fact that marriage equality won't solve the discrimination epidemic.

Tennesse’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill has cleared a hurdle, narrowly passing through the state’s House Education (http://www.queerty.com/dont-say-gay-bill-passes-tennessee-house-committee-20120418/#) Committee with a 8-7 vote. The bill passed in the Senate last year (and a subcommittee earlier this year (http://www.queerty.com/dont-say-gay-bill-passes-tn-house-subcommittee-20120216/)), and now will head to the Republican-dominated House. Republican gov. Bill Haslam has said he wishes the bill would just go away, (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/13/Governor_Wishes_Dont_Say_Gay_Bill_Would_Disappear/) but that he has no power to veto it (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/28/tennessee-dont-say-gay-bill-delayed) because it only needs a simple majority to pass.
The state already bans sex education in K-8 grades, but TN Republicans don’t think that’s quite enough—they want to make it absolutely clear that mentioning alternative lifestyles to youngsters is a no-no-no.
Reports The Tennessean (http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120418/NEWS0201/304170105/-Don-t-Say-Gay-bill-advances-in-the-House):

Bill sponsor Rep. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, and others argued that outside groups and some teachers slip those conversations in, and the bill serves as an accountability reminder.
“I have two children—in the third- and fourth-grade—and don’t want them to be exposed to things I don’t agree with,” Hensley said. “… Even though the state board disallows this now, I’m afraid it does happen, and sex education is talked about in a way that it is acceptable.”
Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, who voted for the bill, said he’s seen documentation that outside groups are entering classrooms at the invitation of principals and teachers and not staying within the curriculum guidelines.
One can only hope more fancy TN restaurants continue to deny service to the bill’s sponsor (http://www.queerty.com/right-on-knoxville-bistro-gives-anti-gay-sen-campfield-the-boot-20120130/), Sen. Stacey Campfield. He’ll either starve or get fat off fast food.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/dont-say-gay-bill-passes-tennessee-house-committee-20120418/#ixzz1sQDo9nxN

The Fairness Campaign, which advocates for fair employment and housing to the gay and lesbian community, has joined in the protest against a disturbingly public rally thrown by the Neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement (NSM). It all goes down this Saturday at 3pm in front of the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort.
WTF? I knew they had some strange customs like eating squirrel in Kentucky (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/05/20/give-squirrel-a-whirl/), but I wasn’t aware there were enough active neo-Nazis to stage a rally in the state capital.
Among the NSM’s myriad positions of prejudice, they believe, “Only those of pure white blood may be members of the state… Accordingly, no Jew or homosexual may be a member.”
“We can never be silent in the face of racism,” said Fairness Campaign director Chris Hartman. “The intersections of oppression are made clear by the NSM, whose prejudice spans the entire spectrum of perceived ‘difference’ in our country—race, color, religion, nation of origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and more—all the unique identities that, woven together, form the brilliant tapestry of our great nation.”
Other participating groups include the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and Standing Up for Racial Justice. You’d hope some more general liberal and conservative groups could join in this protest against what is such a clearly wrongheaded movement.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-group-joins-protest-against-neo-nazi-rally-at-kentucky-state-capitol-20120418/#ixzz1sQDxznoJ

Gay parents find themselves in quite a pickle on Tax Day (did you file yet? deadline’s today), especially if they’ve got more than one kid. One parent claims one or more child as his/her own, and the other claims the others as his/her own. Essentially you’ve got two people living in the same house each acting as single parents to their kids. The result: nearly two million children who are brought up by an LGBT couple or an LGBT parent aren’t able to receive the tax breaks their families deserve.
Good Morning America (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/irs-makes-gay-parents-lie-shortchanging-million-children/story?id=16147428#.T42Gco7eu0Y) explored the issue today:

Tom Bourdon and his husband Jimmy have been legally married for seven years and are raising two children in a home they jointly own in suburban Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been legal since 2004.
But this weekend, as they finish up their taxes, filing a joint state return as a married couple, they will have to essentially lie to Uncle Sam about the most essential aspects of their life.
They will file two separate tax returns and “divide up” their two children—Lukas, 2, and Maya, 6 months—so that they can claim child-related exemptions, deductions, and credits.
Married same-sex couples cannot file jointly, and instead must misrepresent themselves as “single” on their federal tax forms, sacrificing the $1,000 deduction for married couple.
And it’s all because of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which refuses to recognize same-sex marriages on the federal level—in defiance of the seven states like Massachusetts and New York who have legalized the measure.
Says Bourdon: “It feels really strange to be forced to lie. Ethically speaking, we are doing what we are supposed to do and at the same time be accurate. It’s a Catch-22. The government forces you into it and there’s no way around it … but we are literally not recognized.”
ThinkProgress has more (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/17/465515/tax-season-lgbt-families/) on the “Top 5 Ways Marriage Inequality Hurts Gay Couples During Tax Season,” and the only way to make these problems go away is by repealing DOMA.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/irs-forces-gay-parents-to-lie-about-marital-status-cheating-two-million-children-of-benefits-20120417/

TheGodlessUtopian

18th April 2012, 20:36

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (http://www.sldn.org/) (SLDN) announced today that U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Anthony Loverde, who was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in 2008, has been reinstated (http://www.sldn.org/news/archives/sldn-client-to-be-reinstated-to-active-duty-in-air-force/) and will return to active duty in May. Loverde is only the second service member welcomed back to the Armed Forces (http://www.queerty.com/staff-sergeant-ousted-under-dadt-reinstated-in-air-force-20120417/#) after the September 2011 repeal of DADT. (Petty Officer Jase Daniels, another SLDN client, was previously reinstated as a linguist in the U.S. Navy.)
Loverde, 31, joined the Air Force at age 20. Before being discharged, he was an expert at calibrating weapons systems and oversaw cargo loads for more than 60 flights into Iraq. “I am honored and humbled to return to the service of my country and the job I love,” Loverde said. “I am grateful to my legal team and all of those in the armed forces who helped to facilitate this reinstatement. I am eager to take the oath and get to work (http://www.queerty.com/staff-sergeant-ousted-under-dadt-reinstated-in-air-force-20120417/#).”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/staff-sergeant-ousted-under-dadt-reinstated-in-air-force-20120417/#ixzz1sQEXrVRd

A mentally disturbed man has been arrested on second-degree murder charges in connection with the murder of a gay activist in Halifax, Novia Scotia, CBC News is reporting (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/04/17/ns-man-dead-assault-gottingen.html). Raymond Taavel (right), the former chairman of Gay Pride week and an editor for Wayves magazine, was found lying bleeding in the street outside a gay club, Menz Bar, shortly before 3am Tuesday morning. Paramedics were called but Taavel died on the scene.
A police spokesman told reporters that investigators believe Taavel was trying to break up a fight between two men, one of whom, Andre Noel Denny, began attacking him. Witnesses told police Denny used anti-gay slurs during the assault. Denny is a psychiatric patient who failed to return to the East Coast Forensic Hospital after a one-hour leave. He has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia (http://www.queerty.com/mentally-ill-man-kills-beloved-gay-activist-in-nova-scotia-20120417/#) and grossly psychotic with a history of aggressive impulsivity and unpredictability.
A vigil is being held tonight at 7pm outside Menz Bar and members of Youth Project are asking people to hang Rainbow flags and placards in their windows (http://www.queerty.com/mentally-ill-man-kills-beloved-gay-activist-in-nova-scotia-20120417/#) in Taavel’s honor.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/mentally-ill-man-kills-beloved-gay-activist-in-nova-scotia-20120417/#ixzz1sQEnQgvZ

GLAAD is teaming up with lesbian mom Jennifer Tyrell to take on the Boy Scouts (http://www.glaad.org/equalityscouts), who have a long history of discriminating against LGBT people. Tyrell (right) was ousted from her position as den leader after a year of solid service, simply because she found some “inconsistencies in the pack’s finances” as treasurer. Only then did her sexual orientation become an issue.
This is the second time in a year (http://www.queerty.com/morally-straight-boy-scouts-dump-lesbian-den-mother-20110829/) the “morally straight” Boy Scouts they’ve ousted a lesbian pack leader.
Need I remind you that the Boy Scouts are run by the Mormons? But at least they’ve instituted a “no name-calling week” (http://www.queerty.com/boy-scouts-institute-glsens-no-name-calling-week-but-dont-address-gay-slurs-outright-20120126/) in conjunction with GLSEN, eh?
Says Tyrell:

I was recently removed from this volunteer position, and my membership was revoked after nearly a year of service—just because I happen to be gay. Shortly after registering my son for Cub Scouts, I was asked to assume the role of den leader and was persuaded by a platform of tolerance, acceptance and support. Throughout the year, my cubs performed volunteer service at a local soup kitchen, collected canned goods for area churches to distribute in food baskets, participated in bell-ringing for the Salvation Army, and, at the time of my removal, were working on a conservation project for a state park.
My Tiger Cubs earned multiple Scout badges for service and skills, while learning and exercising the 12 Core Values of Scouting: citizenship, compassion, cooperation, courage, faith, health & fitness, honesty, perseverance, positive attitude, resourcefulness, respect, and responsibility.
The revocation of my membership came shortly after I was elected treasurer of my pack and uncovered some inconsistencies in the pack’s finances. Within a week of reporting these findings to the council, I received notice that my membership had been revoked, based on my sexual orientation, citing that due to being gay, I did “not meet the high standards of membership that the BSA seeks.”
GLAAD’s new President Herndon Graddick calls out the BSA’s b.s.:

“The Boy Scouts of America is one of the only cultural institutions to categorically discriminate against LGBT Americans,” said . “Sending the message to America’s youth that they or their parents are somehow less than everyone else is dangerous, inaccurate and should be changed immediately.”
So, go sign the change.org petition (https://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-boy-scouts-of-america-to-reconsider-their-policy-of-exclusivity-against-gay-youths-and-leaders) and tell the BSA to cut the bull.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-mom-ousted-from-den-leader-position-by-anti-gay-boy-scouts-20120418/

Though Taiwan is more gay-friendly than some of its neighboring countries (like mainland China) and is home to the largest Pride parade in Asia (50,000 attended last October’s event), a new study by the Gender/Sexuality Rights Association of Taiwan (GSRAT) found that 30% of the nation’s LGBT population has considered suicide and 18% have actually attempted it, reports Dawn.com (http://dawn.com/2012/04/17/one-in-five-taiwan-gays-has-attempted-suicide-poll/).
“Taiwan is not that open towards homosexuality,’ said GSRAT’s Wang Ping. “[Schools] can be very unfriendly. It’s common that gay students (http://www.queerty.com/study-nearly-20-of-taiwanese-lgbts-have-attempted-suicide-20120418/#) are excluded and ridiculed so they feel lonely and under stress.” Of the 2,785 people polled, nearly 60% reported being targets of violence, harassment or sexual abuse—mostly during adolescence, when suicide attempts were highest as well.
Plans to include a LGBT-inclusive curriculum were canceled last year after complaints from conservative Christian groups.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-nearly-20-of-taiwanese-lgbts-have-attempted-suicide-20120418/#ixzz1sQFUHXaM

Last year, the Florida Family Association hired one of those banner-wielding airplanes (http://www.queerty.com/florida-family-association-warns-all-of-orlando-about-gays-at-disney-world-20110604/) (the type that usually flies by beaches advertising half-off lobster) to tell all of Orlando: “WARNING: GAY DAY AT DISNEY 6/4.” This year, the FFA has already raised $4,100 to fly the banner for 10 hours (http://floridafamily.org/full_article.php?article_no=148), but they want to raise $8,400 so they can get in a solid 20 hours.
The right-wing organization claims that the “airplane banner influenced mainstream family attendance at Disney during Gay Day to DROP between 50% to 60%… [it] SPARED TENS OF THOUSANDS of children from the unexpected exposure to this coming out party.”
Is it time for the Walt Disney Company, who has never officially sanctioned the event (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1995839-2,00.html) and told employees to treat it just like any other day, to get involved?
The unofficial event, which has been going on since 1991 (http://www.gaydays.com/), benefits Orlando with a reported influx of 150,000 LGBT tourists.
By neither sanctioning nor banning its existence, Disney allows itself to reap the benefits of the pink dollar once a year without losing their staple of family dollars.
Disney’s definitely in a hard place here—I believe that some families don’t want to see men in thongs making out, and they have the right to fair warning. But Disney’s laissez-faire approach is probably for the best—it’s sort of cool to see a corporation feel no obligation to let families of all stripes know that their fairytale vacation (http://www.queerty.com/yet-again-florida-family-association-to-warn-disney-world-tourists-that-the-gays-are-coming-20120418/#) might just include an eye-opening introduction to the gay community.
Check out photos from last year’s harmless celebration here (http://www.queerty.com/see-orlandos-disney-world-become-the-gayest-place-on-earth-despite-right-wing-efforts-to-kill-it-20110610/5/). This year’s festivities go down June 2nd.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/yet-again-florida-family-association-to-warn-disney-world-tourists-that-the-gays-are-coming-20120418/#ixzz1sQFivIE0

TheGodlessUtopian

19th April 2012, 18:28

A Brooklyn man shot his boyfriend and then himself on Tuesday, reports the Daily News (http://cts.vresp.com/c/?NewYorkCityGayandLes/ba16db6843/f6d03eeb6c/11bcafc475/localLinksEnabled=false), killing both. Jason Lopez, 22, of East New York, found boyfriend Tony Curtis, 23, in their apartment with an unidentified man. And in what the News called “a love triangle turned fatal” (ya gotta love their way with words), Lopez killed Curtis while the third man hid in the closet. Then Lopez turned the gun on himself.

The terrified survivor then fled the apartment, witnesses said.
“He came out from the house screaming,” said a witness. “He said, ‘My best friend got shot and the guy killed himself.’
He said, ‘My boyfriend!’ Then he fainted.
We might never get to the bottom of this: Relatives of Curtis told the News he wasn’t gay or relationship (http://www.queerty.com/gay-brooklyn-couple-die-in-bizarre-murder-suicide-20120419/#) with Lopez.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/gay-brooklyn-couple-die-in-bizarre-murder-suicide-20120419/#ixzz1sVYfy152

After Kirk Cameron told to CNN’s Piers Morgan (http://www.queerty.com/has-been-sitcom-star-kirk-cameron-calls-gays-destructive-in-cnn-interview-20120305/) that homosexuality was “unnatural,” “detrimental” and “ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization” , a cadre of former child actors got together and filmed a mock PSA video for Funny or Die, announcing the formation of CCOKC: Child Celebrities Opposing Kirk Cameron (http://www.queerty.com/watch-child-celebrities-opposing-kirk-cameron-ccokcs-speak-out-with-hilarious-results-20120413/). The clip, which has gotten more than a million views since it went up a few days ago, straight up calls Cameron a “dick.” But the former Mike Seaver is doing like Jesus and turning the other cheek, Fox News reports (http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/04/18/kirk-cameron-thinks-fellow-80s-sitcom-stars-video-slamming-his-views-on-gay/#ixzz1sQS7F5gS).

“When Kirk heard about the spoof, he didn’t have any bad feelings—in fact, he thought it was funny,” a source explained. “He doesn’t hate anybody.”
Right, right. We don’t hate Kirk either. “Hate” is such a strong word—as opposed to “unnatural” and “destructive.” Keep your eyes peeled for CCOKC-inspired merchandise and a blooper reel.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/kirk-cameron-thinks-the-child-star-parody-about-him-is-funny-20120418/#ixzz1sVYq0MHN

Glee debuted a transgender character last night!
The character is a reserved boy named Wade who actually prefers to be a strong-minded girl named Unique. You can see Unique work (http://www.queerty.com/glee-debuts-transgender-character-in-falsetto-filled-disco-episode-20120418/#) a killer falsetto and five-inch heels in her performance of “Boogie Shoes” above. The whole episode is disco-inspired, with lots and lots of 70s outfits and groovy dancing.
Unique/Wade is played by Alex Newell, who told Queerty (http://www.queerty.com/glee-project-runner-up-alex-newell-says-he-was-bullied-less-after-winning-guest-role-on-glee-20120327/) three weeks ago he had no idea (http://www.queerty.com/glee-debuts-transgender-character-in-falsetto-filled-disco-episode-20120418/#) what character he’d be playing on the show.
I wonder, did the recent controversy over the transgender Miss Universe contestant (http://www.queerty.com/miss-universe-will-allow-transgender-women-to-compete-as-official-policy-20120410/) influence Ryan Murphy’s decision to write Alex into the script as a trans-woman-to-be?
Alex has one more episode as a guest star, so it’ll be interesting to see whether his character makes a decision to start dressing as a woman at school (http://www.queerty.com/glee-debuts-transgender-character-in-falsetto-filled-disco-episode-20120418/#).

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/glee-debuts-transgender-character-in-falsetto-filled-disco-episode-20120418/#ixzz1sVZH2hST

P.S: See source or videos

Trans activist and gamer Anna Anthropy (http://www.auntiepixelante.com/?p=1515) (a.k.a. Auntie Pixilante) has created a flash-based game that embodies her early experiences on hormones. Taking elements from classic games like “Tetris,” “Dys4ia” allows players navigate through various screens where they try to deflect hate speech, dodge (http://www.queerty.com/video-game-designer-incorporates-the-transgender-experience-into-dys4ia-20120419/#) embarrassment and defeat other obstacles.
Says Anna:

dys4ia is the story of the last six months of my life: when i made the decision to start hormone replacement therapy (http://www.queerty.com/video-game-designer-incorporates-the-transgender-experience-into-dys4ia-20120419/#) and began taking estrogen. i wanted to catalog all the frustrations of the experience and maybe create an “it gets better” for other trans women. when i started working on the game, though, i didn’t know whether it did get better. i was in the middle of the shit detailed in level 3 of the game, and at the time i had no idea what the ending would be; it was hard to envision a happy ending.
If you want to get your game on, you can play “Dys4ia” for free at NewGrounds.com (http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/591565). Warning: You might actually learn something!

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/video-game-designer-incorporates-the-transgender-experience-into-dys4ia-20120419/#ixzz1sVa6aIjR

TheGodlessUtopian

19th April 2012, 18:38

Gay Reporter's Account of Lesbian Murder Wins Pulitzer

Eli Sanders wins the Pulitzer (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Gay_Reporters_Account_of_Lesbian_Murder_Wins_Pulit zer/#) Prize for a story about the 2009 murder of Teresa Butz.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-18/SANDERS_GRABX390.jpg

The Seattle double-rape/homicide on July 18, 2009 that left Teresa Butz dead and her partner, Jennifer Hopper, in the hospital was a harrowing experience for that family, the people of Seattle, and lesbians nationwide as many pondered the random brutality of the possible hate crime. Gay writer Eli Sanders, an associate editor of The Strange, Seattle's alt-weekly newspaper, followed the crime and the aftermath, chronicling the tragedy for readers from July 19, 2009 through the killer's 2011 trial. His reportage of Hopper's days on the witness stand and her recounting of the day of the horrifying attack — The Stranger witheld the victim's name out of respect for her privacy, something unusual these days — just earned Sanders the highest journalism honor: a Pulitzer Prize (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Gay_Reporters_Account_of_Lesbian_Murder_Wins_Pulit zer/#).

"I was stunned at first," Sanders told the Miami Herald (http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2012/04/the-stranger-writer-eli-sanders-wins-pulitzer-prize-for-account-of-lesbian-couples-rape-stabbing.html#storylink=cpy), adding that it's "cool that a scrappy little alt-weekly in Seattle can produce something that resonates on this level." Isaiah Kalebu was sentenced to life without parole for killing Butz (the sister of Tony-award winning (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Gay_Reporters_Account_of_Lesbian_Murder_Wins_Pulit zer/#) actor, Norbert Leo Butz) and attacking Hopper, who later came out in the media with a riveting essay in The Stranger entitled, "I would like you to know my name." (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/i-would-like-you-to-know-my-nam/Content?oid=9434642)

Read the Pulitzer-winning article at The Stranger. (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-bravest-woman-in-seattle/Content?oid=8640991)

Source: http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Gay_Reporters_Account_of_Lesbian_Murder_Wins_Pulit zer/

Vatican Rebukes American Nuns for “Radical” Views

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-19/Nuns.jpg
Radical feminists
The Vatican reprimanded the largest group of nuns in the United States on Wednesday, saying the sisters had promoted “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith” and remained too “silent” on same-sex marriage.

The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/us/vatican-reprimands-us-nuns-group.html?_r=1)reports on the results of an investigation against the Leadership (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Vatican_Rebukes_American_Nuns_for_Radical_Views/#) Conference of Women Religious that began in 2008 by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The conference is based in Silver Spring, Maryland and represents about 57,000 sisters, the vast majority of women in the country’s religious orders.

In its assessment, the Vatican claimed the nuns had “serious doctrinal problems” and failed to submit to bishops, the “authentic teachers” of the church (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Vatican_Rebukes_American_Nuns_for_Radical_Views/#), on issues including the male-only priesthood, homosexuality, and the health care overhaul, which the Catholic social justice lobby Network supported. Network, founded by nuns, was specifically cited in the report for focusing too much on poverty and economic injustice while staying “silent” on abortion and same-sex marriage.

Cardinal William Levada, the former San Francisco archbishop who now leads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith, has appointed Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle to lead reforms of the nuns’ conference. Changes will include revision of the group’s statutes, replacement of a handbook used by the nuns, and approval of every speaker at their public programs (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Vatican_Rebukes_American_Nuns_for_Radical_Views/#), according to the Times.

The Vatican has also ordered a separate investigation of all American congregations for religious sisters, according to the Christian Science Monitor (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Vatican_Rebukes_American_Nuns_for_Radical_Views/%20http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0419/Vatican-nun-crackdown-hits-US-group-for-radical-feminist-ideas). The results of the inquiry have not been released at this time.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Vatican_Rebukes_American_Nuns_for_Radical_Views/

NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - Parents on New York's Long

Island who are starting the nation's only gay PTA (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/education/pta-OREDU0000168.topic) say they want
to confront gay bullying and ease isolation by including gay
historic figures in classroom lessons.

When it receives its charter on Thursday, Long Island (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/travel/long-island-PLTRA000031.topic) Gay
PTA will become the only parent-teacher association in the
country to focus on the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender students (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-usa-gaysschooll2e8fil6f-20120419,0,7833279.story?page=1#) and their families, said the National
Parent Teacher Association.

Part of the National PTA, which has about 5 million members,
it also one of a growing number of PTAs linked not to individual
schools but to special-interest groups, such as students with
learning disabilities.

"GLBT youth issues were never something that PTAs were
interested in tackling," David Kilmnick, a founding member of
the gay PTA.

"So many parents have come to us over the years and felt
that they really didn't have a voice in their school's PTA,"

Kilmnick said.

He said the gay PTA wants to help schools better understand

how to support students (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-usa-gaysschooll2e8fil6f-20120419,0,7833279.story?page=2#) who are being bullied because of their
sexual orientation. It also hopes to ensure the curriculum
includes the historic contributions of gay men and women in an
effort to ease the sense of isolation felt by students
struggling with their identity, Kilmnick said.

Prominent gay figures from Long Island include the 19th
Century poet Walt Whitman (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/arts-culture/walt-whitman-PEHST002107.topic), considered the father of free verse,
and slain politician Harvey Milk (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics/government/harvey-milk-PEHST000002182.topic), who became the first openly
gay man to win public office in California when he was elected
to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.

While the Long Island group will be the only PTA in the
country dedicated to representing gay students, a similar
association was founded in Seattle in 1999 but has since been
disbanded, said James Martinez, a spokesman for the National
PTA.

The Long Island Gay PTA will be open to everyone, Kilmnick
said.

"You don't have to be gay, you don't have to have a child,"
he said, adding that he hoped the PTA would benefit all students
by making schools safer and more welcoming of diversity.

Laurie Scheinman, a PTA organizer who has a teenage daughter
who is gay, said she hoped students and teachers from a wide
range of schools across Long Island would become involved.

"My more optimistic side believes that many schools will
welcome this," she said, "but my fear and worry is that there
will be some resistance."
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-usa-gaysschooll2e8fil6f-20120419,0,7833279.story?page=2

Britney Spears’ home state of Louisiana let the gays get hit one more time by failing to pass an anti-bullying law. After Rep. Pat Smith (D-Baton Rouge) proposed stronger language in the anti-bullying bill, the Louisiana House committee voted 10-5 to strip the bill of those changes.
According to the Times-Picayune (http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/04/anti-bullying_bill_for_public.html), Smith wanted to name the types of reasons kids bully other kids:

Smith proposed several tweaks and additions, but the most pertinent passage extended the definition to acts “a reasonable person under the circumstances would perceive as being motivated by an actually or perceived characteristic, including but not limited to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, exceptionalities, physical disability (http://www.queerty.com/louisiana-again-fails-to-pass-anti-bullying-legislation-20120419/#), intellectual disability, developmental disability, mental illness or emotional health disorder, language ability, sexual orientation, physical characteristics, gender identity, gender expression, political ideas or affiliations, socioeconomic status or association with others identified by such characteristics.”
That’s alotta language! But it’s good to cover all your bases, isn’t it? Not according to Bayou State Republicans:

Opponents, lead by the conservative Louisiana Family Forum and aides to Gov. Bobby Jindal, argued that the measure went too far by listing perceived or actual characteristics that should not subject a student (http://www.queerty.com/louisiana-again-fails-to-pass-anti-bullying-legislation-20120419/#) to bullying.
The committee voted 10-5 to strip the bill of those key changes, which included sexual orientation. Smith shelved the measure, saying the action gutted its intent.
Louisiana Family Forum President Gene Mills, who said he’s an ordained minister, told lawmakers: “You could make a criminal bully out of a child who holds an orthodox view of Christianity.”
In other words: if an orthodox Christian causes a gay teen to commit suicide by abusing the LGBT youth, verbally or phsyically, that’s okay.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/louisiana-again-fails-to-pass-anti-bullying-legislation-20120419/#ixzz1sVc34IHM

'Archie' Gang Goes on a Gender Bender

By: Rick Andreoli
4.19.2012
Dear One Million (http://www.gay.net/hot-reads/2012/04/19/archie-gang-goes-gender-bender#) Moms,
If Kevin Keller's gay wedding (http://www.gay.net/news/2012/03/03/archie-comics-antigay-boycott-good-business) seemed upsetting, publisher Archie Comics has a new plot twist that might send you into a freaky Friday frenzie.
Comics Alliance reports (http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/04/16/archie-comics-gender-swap/) that in Archie #636, Sabrina the Teenage Witch will be teaching (http://www.gay.net/hot-reads/2012/04/19/archie-gang-goes-gender-bender#) the Riverdale kids a lesson or two. No, she won't be opening up demonic portals and selling their souls to the devil like all those other witches we know and love. Instead, she'll be causing a gender bender by switching everyone's sexes.
Archie will become Archina—because tons of girls have that name—while Betty will become Billy and Veronica becomes Ronnie. It's the kind of switch that's been seen in the Freaky Friday movies and book series, where everyone learns that life isn't always easier when you're walking in someone else's shoes. The big switch here, of course, is that gender is involved. Sadly, it seems like Archie (seen below as Archina and sitting between the boy versions of Betty and Veronica on the comic's varient cover) still can't pick which person he likes best.
Archie #636 comes out (literally) in August.

Source: http://www.gay.net/hot-reads/2012/04/19/archie-gang-goes-gender-bender

With the tragic death of Iowa teen Kenneth James Weishuhn, the subject of gay-teen bullying and suicide has come back to the forefront—if it ever, in fact, left.
What more do we need to do to help (http://www.queerty.com/question-what-more-do-we-need-to-do-to-help-bullied-lgbt-youth-20120419/#) bullied LGBT youth?
As the statistics mount, many are saying things like It Gets Better, the Trevor Project and even in-school anti-bullying programs (http://www.queerty.com/question-what-more-do-we-need-to-do-to-help-bullied-lgbt-youth-20120419/#) are not enough. But if that’s true, what should we be doing?
Is it a question of more interventions from parents, teachers and administrators? Stiffer penalties for bullies?
Or are all the news reports, vigils and celebrity statements in effect glamorizing suicide? Should we be giving gay youth some tough love?.
What’s your take on it? Share with the group in the comments section.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/question-what-more-do-we-need-to-do-to-help-bullied-lgbt-youth-20120419/#ixzz1sVcWTwkF

Investigation Opened into Murder of Canadian Gay Activist

By Julie Bolcer (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Julie%20Bolcer)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-19/Taavel.jpg
Raymond Taavel
Government officials in Nova Scotia are seeking to determine how a suspect accused of beating gay activist Raymond Taavel to death was granted a temporary release from a psychiatric hospital for patients in custody of the correctional system.

Andre Denny, 32, is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Taavel, 49, early Tuesday outside Menz Bar. The prominent gay activist had tried to break up a fight between two men, according to the Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/nova-scotia-government-to-review-terms-of-accuseds-pass-after-gay-activists-death/article2406280/print/). Denny was arrested in a nearby alley.

According to the CBC (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/04/18/ns-beating-death-review-251.html), Denny was a patient at the East Coast Forensic Hospital, where a review board composed of lawyers and psychiatrists issued him a temporary pass on Monday. He did not return to the facility as required that night, although he has since been returned to the facility.

Denny was first admitted to the hospital in 2009 and then returned to a small Native American community on Cape Breton Island after a successful stay. He returned to the hospital last year after he was found not criminally responsible for assault causing bodily harm. By the time he killed Taavel, according to the CBC, his history was clear enough for the board to recommend (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Investigation_Opened_into_Murder_of_Canadian_Gay_A ctivist/#) that he be granted a conditional discharged.

According to the Globe and Mail, Denny’s lawyer said during his first court appearance Wednesday that he has no history of homophobia but is “prone to violence when off his medication (http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Investigation_Opened_into_Murder_of_Canadian_Gay_A ctivist/#) and intoxicated.” He said that Denny, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, should not have been granted the one-hour leave from the hospital. When the accused was led into the courtroom, he told reporters, “Self-defense. What can I say?”

Peter Lederman, the chair of the hospital review board for 10 years, called the killing “extremely unfortunate” and a “horrible occurrence.” The province has launched an investigation into the policies and procedures surrounding the incident with a progress report due in 30 days.

Denny was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment and his case was adjourned until May 17, the Globe and Mail reported.

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/04/16/Investigation_Opened_into_Murder_of_Canadian_Gay_A ctivist/

TheGodlessUtopian

20th April 2012, 20:12

Bettie Naylor, a lesbian gay-rights pioneer likened to the “Rosa Parks of the LGBT movement,” died yesterday (http://www.statesman.com/news/local/bettie-naylor-longtime-advocate-for-women-lgbt-community-2315477.html) in her sleep at the age of 84. Among Naylor’s many achievements: founding board member of the Human Rights Campaign, founder of the Texas and National Women’s Political Caucus groups, and friend and influencer of late Texas gov. Ann Richards.
Naylor (right, in photo at right) had three children in a thirty-year-long marriage, then had an epiphany about her sexuality and found love with her longtime partner Libby Sykora (left).
And she did all of it in Austin, Texas, the little liberal haven inside the big red state. Reports the Austin Statesman (http://www.statesman.com/news/local/bettie-naylor-longtime-advocate-for-women-lgbt-community-2315477.html):

She came to Austin in the 1970s and spent decades as a lobbyist, making friends and allies with each cause she believed in. Naylor fought for gay rights, marriage equality and female politicians and, in the 1980s, she helped organize the owners of gay bars in Texas who had little voice in the Legislature.
“She was little this itty bitty powerhouse,” said friend Candice Towe, former executive director of Austin-based Out Youth, an organization Naylor co-founded in 1990 as a support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth and young adults in Central Texas. “I don’t even think she stood 5 feet tall. When she walked into a room, she cast a spell over everyone. She lit up the room. She was bigger than life itself. Bettie was truly a champion in every sense of the word.”
Our friends over at the Six Pack (http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-pioneer-bettie-naylor-dead-at-84-20120420/#) did a radio interview with her in October 2010. Check it out here to remember Naylor fondly. (http://sixpackradio.com/private/21405142318/tumblr_m2r28ipSpi1qcsc4s)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/lesbian-pioneer-bettie-naylor-dead-at-84-20120420/#ixzz1sbpdIBdL

The Masorti movement, Israel’s branch of Conservative Judaism, voted yesterday to approve the ordination of homosexual rabbis, according to Haaretz. (http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/israeli-conservative-movement-approves-ordination-of-gay-rabbis-1.425491) It was a clear mandate, with all 18 rabbis present voting in favor of the move. (One rabbi abstained.) In 2006, The Conservative moment approved contrasting measures that both allowed and banned gay seminarians—in effect giving individual rabbinical schools the freedom to make their own decision. Seminaries in the U.S. opened their doors to LGBT students (http://www.queerty.com/conservative-jewish-movement-in-israel-approves-ordination-of-gay-rabbis-20120420/#), while those in Israel and Argentina chose to forbid them.
“I see it as a very important development in Jewish law,” Rabbi Mauricio Balter, President of the Israeli Conservative Movement Rabbinical Assembly, said of the vote: “We were all made in the image of God, and as such we are all made equal. For me this is a very important value. I always said we should admit gay and lesbians into our ranks.”

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/conservative-jewish-movement-in-israel-approves-ordination-of-gay-rabbis-20120420/#ixzz1sbq0z7HM

Did you know there are LGBT rights marches tomorrow in cities all over the world? We didn’t either.
The effort is the work of Oklahoma City activist Joe Knudson, who started a Facebook campaign called “Let’s Reach 1 Million (http://www.queerty.com/what-if-they-threw-a-worldwide-lgbt-march-and-nobody-came-20120420/#) People Campaign… It’s a Start! LGBT Equality.” Though the Washington Blade reports (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/04/19/worldwide-lgbt-marches-set-for-saturday/) between 1,000 and 2,500 people are expected at a rally in the nation’s capital—at least according to the permit organizers filed with D.C. police—no major American LGBT groups have signed on to participate and publicity for the events has been sparse.
Across the country, similar rallies have been scheduled in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Las Vegas (http://www.queerty.com/what-if-they-threw-a-worldwide-lgbt-march-and-nobody-came-20120420/#), New York and Orlando. Overseas, marches are planned in England, Namibia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda and the Philippines.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/what-if-they-threw-a-worldwide-lgbt-march-and-nobody-came-20120420/#ixzz1sbqG75eE

Out spokesperson Richard Grenell has been tapped by the Romney campaign to be their go-to spokesperson on matters of foreign policy and national security (http://www.queerty.com/romney-taps-openly-gay-ex-bush-spokesperson-to-speak-on-foreign-policy-national-security-20120420/#), reports (http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/04/romney-hires-out-gay-spokesman-for-foreign-affairs.html)Metro Weekly (http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/04/romney-hires-out-gay-spokesman-for-foreign-affairs.html). Grenell previously served as a spokesperson for the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. during most of the Bush administration. He told The Advocate (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Gay_Bush_Appointee_Loses_Appeal%C2%A0for_Fair_Trea tment/) in 2008 that he and his partner (now of 10 years) Matt Lashey considered themselves married and would do so as soon as same-sex unions were legalized in New York State, though we couldn’t dig up any reports saying whether they’d actually tied the know after it passed last year.
Metro Weekly reminds us that though Grenell served a generally anti-gay administration, he did do his best to assert some rights as a gay man, particularly when it came to his dear partner Matt:

At the end of Grenell’s service in the Bush administration, he took a notable whack at the administration, telling (http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Gay_Bush_Appointee_Loses_Appeal%C2%A0for_Fair_Trea tment/) The Advocate‘s Kerry Eleveld of his effort to have his partner, Matt Lashey, listed in the United Nations’ Blue Book (http://www.queerty.com/romney-taps-openly-gay-ex-bush-spokesperson-to-speak-on-foreign-policy-national-security-20120420/#), which is “a reference guide of contact information for different member states of the United Nations as well as diplomatic personnel and their spouses.”
Grenell had attempted to have Lashey’s name added several times, to no avail. He told The Advocate back in 2008, “What put me over the edge was a friend and colleague who met her spouse after I was already with my partner—they got married and subsequently were put into the Blue Book in a matter of days.”
The State Department eventually told him that the Defense of Marriage Act prevented the listing. Although he protested the decision behind the scenes, Lashey’s name was not ever added, which led to his coming forward to criticize the treatement publicly as he left his post.
What do you guys think of this homocon? He seems a hell of a lot better than fellow gay GOPers Ken Mehlman (http://queerty.com/tag/ken-mehlman) and Kathryn Lehman (http://www.queerty.com/gop-lesbian-who-had-hand-in-writing-doma-now-lobbying-for-its-repeal-20120402/), both of whom actively worked against gay rights. But Grenell still served a tremendously anti-gay administration, and for some people that is unforgivable.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/romney-taps-openly-gay-ex-bush-spokesperson-to-speak-on-foreign-policy-national-security-20120420/#ixzz1sbqSHpXv

After being shunned by his family for being gay, 24-year-old Christopher Higa decided he would impersonate his 21-year-old brother Nicholas in order to open credit cards and buy a car (http://www.queerty.com/l-a-gay-man-stole-brothers-identity-after-family-shunned-him-20120420/#). The L.A. Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/feeling-shunned-for-being-gay-man-allegedly-defrauds-brother.html) doesn’t report exactly how he did it, but we imagine he stole his bro’s ID. The Times does have the specifics of his sketchy behavior, as confessed to police:

Christopher Higa told police he used his brother’s identity at Toyota of Glendale to purchase a 2011 Chevy Malibu, which he returned after discovering he could get a better deal on a newer model at the Chevrolet dealership, according to police. He allegedly told Toyota employees that he was unable to make payments because he was unemployed, so they took the car back.
Glendale Police Det. Robert Zaun described it as a “carefully constructed fraud by Christopher Higa, who obviously has no morals or conscience.”
He is charged with six felony counts of identity theft, second-degree commercial burglary, grand theft auto, issuing multiple checks with insufficient funds, and grand theft of personal property for pilfering $950 from Mad Dog Bail Bonds, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court complaint.
I feel the pain of gays who are shunned by their families, but that doesn’t make it okay to steal from them. But you could make the point that they deserve financial retribution for the emotional damage they purposefully inflicted on their own flesh and blood. What say you, commenters?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/l-a-gay-man-stole-brothers-identity-after-family-shunned-him-20120420/#ixzz1sbqccN9p

http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Screen-shot-2012-04-20-at-12.18.16-PM-360x181.png
I wasn’t aware that this was a trend (http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/16/protesting-the-lameness-and-the-homophobia-of-the-kiss-cam/), but apparently it’s common at baseball games for the “Kiss Cam” to train itself on two presumably heterosexual dudes, who then have to smooch for the entire audience, because it’s “funny” to put them in an awkward spot like that. NBC Sports (http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/19/tweet-of-the-day-brandon-mccarthy-takes-on-the-kiss-cam/) showcased a tweet from Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who railed against the practice: “They put two guys on the ‘Kiss Cam’ tonight. What hilarity!! (by hilarity I mean offensive homophobia). Enough with this stupid trend.”
Good on him for calling out a practice that belittles homosexuality to something embarrassing that two straight men are forced into for cheap (http://www.queerty.com/oakland-as-pitcher-thinks-making-two-straight-guys-smooch-for-kiss-cam-is-offensive-20120420/#) laughs.
But couldn’t we also start (http://www.queerty.com/oakland-as-pitcher-thinks-making-two-straight-guys-smooch-for-kiss-cam-is-offensive-20120420/#) advocating for real live gay men to be featured on the kiss cam? Ten dollars for whoever wears an “I’m really gay—Put me on the Kiss Cam” t-shirt to a baseball game.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/oakland-as-pitcher-thinks-making-two-straight-guys-smooch-for-kiss-cam-is-offensive-20120420/#ixzz1sbqmJCJ3

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TheGodlessUtopian

20th April 2012, 20:25

We’re kind of blown away by this clip from young members of the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. (http://www.illinoissafeschools.org/) By projecting themselves into the future—where they see themselves as confident and successful adults—these queer teens are able to put their present stresses and difficulties in perspective. (It’s kind of genius, actually)
And it’s amazing how, in the few years since we were their age (very few years), LGBT youth have found their own voices and develop a sense of community. As we reflect on the Day of Silence, lets also remember that our strongest weapon against intolerance is our ability to speak out.
Check out the Alliance website (http://www.illinoissafeschools.org/) for more info or to make a donation. (http://www.illinoissafeschools.org/)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/watch-lgbt-teens-record-messages-to-their-40-year-old-selves-20120420/#ixzz1sbrfDR5K

See source for video

There’s no reason a gay person should automatically be pro-choice. Sure, someone who demands the right to do what they want with their body sexually should allow others to do what they want with their reproductive systems. But when it comes to decisions for yourself and your family, it’s a very personal thing. Right?
Not to Pastor Jim Domen, it isn’t.
In a video launched this week (see below), Pastor Jim shares the story of his wife’s miscarriage at 15 weeks. Interspersed with footage of a toddler (obviously not “Baby Samantha”), Jim rattles off statistics about fetal heartbeats and the number of first-trimester abortions in America. He’s asking viewers to kick in $20.12 this year “to help end abortion in California and United States.” ($20.12 in 2012—how cute!)

That would be bad enough, except that Pastor Jim used to be a flaming, cock-sucking homo. He even shared his testimony about “coming out of the gay lifestyle” on The 700 Club (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq6pea_R6_E).
Domen worked to pass Prop 8 in California (the photo of him above was taken right after the measure passed) and even proposed an Ex-Gay Pride Month. But we guess hating on the gays wasn’t enough for Domen—now he’s got to hate on women, too. Is a guy who’s jury-rigged some kind of heterosexual sham really someone who should be speaking out about morality? Probably not.
We feel terrible for Domen’s wife, Amanda. Not just for the loss of her baby—but because she’s shackled herself to such a hate-filled, manipulative and deluded man. A man who would turn a family tragedy into propaganda to fill his coffers.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/ex-gay-minister-jim-domen-hops-on-the-anti-abortion-bandwagon-20120420/

P.S: See source for video

A new study (http://www.queerty.com/study-gay-men-with-lots-of-partners-should-take-daily-pill-to-prevent-hiv-20120420/#) by scientists at Stanford University suggests gay men who have five or more sex partners a year could benefit from taking a daily pill to ward off HIV. The study, cost-benefit analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at the costs involved with prescribing Truvada (tenofovir-emtricitabine) to men who had sex with enough men to put them in a higher risk category for HIV.
In a 2010 trial, Truvada was shown to prevent HIV infections in almost 75% of men who have sex with men (MSM) who took it regularly. Though right now Truvada is only available as a treatment for people with HIV, its maker, made by Gilead Sciences Inc, is trying to get approval to market it as preventative care.
But there’s a financial factor to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), as the strategy is called : “Promoting PrEP to all men who have sex with men could be prohibitively expensive,” Jessie Juusola, who authored the Standford study, told the Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/gay-men-sex-partners-daily-pill-ward-hiv-cost-benefit-analysis-article-1.1063640#ixzz1sYYnkBwo). “Adopting it for men who have sex with men at high risk of acquiring HIV, however, is an investment with good value that does not break the bank (http://www.queerty.com/study-gay-men-with-lots-of-partners-should-take-daily-pill-to-prevent-hiv-20120420/#).”
Here’s the math:
* Prescribing Truvada to all gay guys would cost $495 billion over two decades. But only prescribing it to high-risk gay men lowers the cost to $85 billion.
* Right now, the CDC predicts 500,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. the next 20 years. If 1 in 5 gay men took Truvida daily, it would prevent 63,000 of those.
* If even just 1 in 5 high-risk men took the drug, 41,000 new infections would be prevented.
So long as there wasn’t harmful side-effects, we say give ‘em the drugs—It’s not often something saves lives and money.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/study-gay-men-with-lots-of-partners-should-take-daily-pill-to-prevent-hiv-20120420/#ixzz1sbtiTgy6

Josh Hutcherson has opened up to E! Online’s Marc Malkin (http://www.eonline.com/news/marc_malkin/hunger_games_josh_hutcherson_opens_up/309766), revealing that he has two gay uncles who died from AIDS in 1993, at the height of the epidemic. Said the 19-year-old actor, who plays Peeta in The Hunger Games:

“They were in their early thirties, in great shape, but unfortunately they were taken away from us too soon. Both passed away at about the time I was born.
“My mom has always been a big advocate, especially in the gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual community so for me it’s always been a part of my soul. This is what my family is most proud of and the same for me. Acting is one thing, but actually trying to change the world and the way people think to make people’s lives better? That’s the stuff I’m most proud of.”
Aw. I’ve been #TeamPeeta since I finished the Hunger Games books, and then when I saw that Josh, who I find adorable, was cast as Peeta, I was even more #TeamPeeta. And now, regardless of my feelings for his HG character, I am #TeamJosh.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/josh-hutcherson-on-why-gay-rights-are-close-to-his-heart-i-had-two-uncles-die-from-aids-20120420/#ixzz1sbtsXw1z

TheGodlessUtopian

20th April 2012, 20:32

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SXsskhafDk4
Above, out MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts discusses the significance of National Day of Silence (http://www.dayofsilence.org/resources/) tomorrow, April 20, when students across the country will a vow of silence to call attention to anti-LGBT bullying. Founded in 1996 at the University of Virginia, the Day of Silence is the largest student-led action aimed at creating a safe environment for all schoolkids. This year students from more than 8,000 middle schools, high schools and universities are expected to participate.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/msnbcs-thomas-roberts-discusses-what-the-day-of-silence-means-to-him-20120419/

James Beard was one of the great foodies of the 20th century, a friend of Julia Child and an out gay man at a time that was unheard of. And he helped popularize fine dining in America, a nation reared on burgers and fried chicken. After Beard’s death in 1985, the James Beard Foundation continued his work (http://www.queerty.com/james-beard-foundation-prez-returns-award-to-anti-gay-boys-scouts-20120420/#), awarding recognition to great chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook writers and other defenders of great cuisine.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/susan-ungaro.jpg (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/susan-ungaro.jpg)Ironically, the Foundation’s president, Susan Ungaro, was just honored by the Boy Scouts of America. Y’know, that bigoted group that doesn’t allow gay men to be scouts or troop leaders? Ungaro apparently didn’t think there was a problem accepting an award from a group that wouldn’t let the man responsible for her job be a member. She was only too happy to accept the trophy.
Until O.G. (Old-Gay) rabble rouser Michelangelo Signorile called Ungaro on her shit (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/susan-ungaro-boy-scouts_b_1438367.html). (Actually he politely asked her press rep if for an explanation.)
First Ungaro’s rep said, “[She] accepted the award to support the dozens of New Jersey chefs who give of their time and resources year after year to raise money (http://www.queerty.com/james-beard-foundation-prez-returns-award-to-anti-gay-boys-scouts-20120420/#) to send deserving at-risk youth to camp.”
Signorile responded by asking if Ms. Ungaro, a former editor at Family Circle and an occasional judge on Top Chef, would accept an award from an organization that banned blacks, just because it was giving food to needy white kids.
After that Ungardo did a complete 180 and returned the honor. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/james-beard-foundation-pr_b_1439135.html)
In a statement to Signorile, she said:

While I support all the poverty and hunger-fighting programs (http://www.queerty.com/james-beard-foundation-prez-returns-award-to-anti-gay-boys-scouts-20120420/#) of the Boy Scouts of America, including sending at-risk youth to camp, your report brought to my attention that accepting the Distinguished Citizen Award implied I support their anti-gay policy, which I absolutely do not. When I accepted the honor, I was focused on supporting the New Jersey chefs and restaurant community. I have informed the Boy Scouts of America that I am rescinding my acceptance of the award.
People, people, people: Have we not all accepted that we live in a digital, hyper-intrusive society where you can’t pass gas without someone updating their Facebook status about it? The whole thing leaves a bad taste in our mouth.(Get it? Food… taste…? Ah nevermind.)

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/james-beard-foundation-prez-returns-award-to-anti-gay-boys-scouts-20120420/#ixzz1sbuaGWDY

New York City-based industrial pop singer Danny Blu (http://thefactoryblu.com/) and his band The Factory Blu are making more than just intense sound waves with their first music video. The song is the punky dance track Set Me On Fire and the video–a surprisingly high-production value joint coming from an independent artist–tells the story of a freakishly unique and bullied teenager.
“We took a jab at the right wing which uses religion against people,” Danny says. “(We) take that and use it as a weapon right back at them. We took the story of Jesus Christ and made him a modern day high school (http://www.queerty.com/watch-bisexual-rocker-danny-blu-channels-jesus-christ-as-bullied-teenager-20120419/#) bullying victim, a perfect parallel.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/danny2.jpg (http://www.queerty.com/watch-bisexual-rocker-danny-blu-channels-jesus-christ-as-bullied-teenager-20120419/danny2/)If Jesus Christ had spiky blue hair and wore black leather lace-up bustiers to school.
Besides his ever-changing goth style, the 23-year old bisexual rocker has a personal “gospel” that defines his art: Share your inner freak with the world and live life without fear or regret. Heck, we can get behind that.
A frequent performer at Pride, the Factory Blu is riding high with their first album, Do Your Worst (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/do-your-worst/id453117799), and is currently working on number two. They’re performing at NYC’s Sullivan Hall (https://www.facebook.com/events/210145399096845/) on April 26 and Piscataway, NJ’s SteamPunk World’s Fair (http://steampunkworldsfair.com/?p=5897) on May 19.
Watch the video and then listen to our interview with Danny on this week’s Queerty/GayCities (http://www.gaycities.com/)’ sponsored Swish Edition (http://www.swishedition.com/) interview and comedy talk show. Both are below.

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/watch-bisexual-rocker-danny-blu-channels-jesus-christ-as-bullied-teenager-20120419/#ixzz1sbuoDaMG

Bill O’Reilly surprised us when he defended transgender Miss Universe Canada contestant Jenna Talackova, saying she should have the right to compete as a woman. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/jenna-talackova-transgender-miss-universe-bill-oreilly_n_1397535.html)
But, as always, it’s one step forward, two steps backwards with GOP blowhards. Today he takes aim at Glee for promoting that transgender ideology that he just defended.
What’s the difference here? Jenna was a pretty little blonde woman, and Bill said “What right does the Miss Universe pageant have to violate this lady’s right to be a woman? They are basically saying because you weren’t born a woman you don’t have a right to be a woman..[it] doesn’t sound right to me.”
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Screen-shot-2012-04-18-at-3.40.40-PM1-360x214.png (http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/04/Screen-shot-2012-04-18-at-3.40.40-PM1.png)Now, on Alex Newell playing a big and beautiful transgender lady on Glee‘s latest episode (http://www.queerty.com/glee-debuts-transgender-character-in-falsetto-filled-disco-episode-20120418/), he says he doesn’t want kids to start experimenting with gay sex and with their gender, comparing it with the fact that seeing James Dean smoking on TV made him want to smoke as a teen.
Luckily, there is a voice of reason on the set in Judge Jeanine Pirro to set Bill right. “Do you really think that this is the kind of thing that is contagious?”
She continued: “That’s a behavior, that’s like a beer. Not your sexuality. Bill, did you ever want to be a woman?”
He does kind of look like the kind of dude who’d cross-dress on the side, doesn’t he?

Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/bill-oreilly-backtracks-on-lgbt-issues-saying-glee-promotes-gay-and-trans-experimentation-to-kids-20120420/#ixzz1sbv3UHMV

P.S: See source for video

Gays Get Booted from America's Next Top Model

Three long-time judges on America's Next Top Model won't be returning next season.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-04/2012-04-20/Nigel-Barker--J.-Alexander-Jay-Manuelx390.jpg

Faced with slipping ratings, Tyra Banks, the creator and executive producer of the long-running America’s Next Top Model, has declined to renew the contracts of three people who’ve been most integral to the show since it began nearly a decade ago—including two LGBT judges. According to the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/ugly_firings_on_model_show_jAR2Gfjsd9ip5WqR3Gmd6O# ixzz1sa2wLevX), photoshoot director Jay Manuel, runway expert slash judge J. Alexander, and judge and photographer Nigel Barker were all informed on Thursday that their contracts would not be renewed after the current season of the show (now in Cycle 18).

The CW declined to comment on the subject while Banks and Ken Monk, also an executive producer, released a statement that read, “Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel, and J. Alexander have been an integral part of the America’s Next Top Model brand and they helped turn this show into the household name it is today. They have been amazing assets to the show and will always be a part of the Top Model family. We will continue to actively work (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Style/Gays_Get_Booted_from_Americas_Next_Top_Model/#) with each of them on future projects.”

Banks also posted a note on her Facebook page that read: “To my Nigel Barker, Miss J, and Mr Jay: Thank (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Style/Gays_Get_Booted_from_Americas_Next_Top_Model/#) you for all of our years together on America's Next Top Model. Working with you is always an absolute pleasure. Excited for what the future holds for us.” She also tweeted that the four of them had become a “family” doing the show.

The Jays, as they were often called on the show, have yet to comment but Barker posted on his blog today: “I will miss the cast, the crew and ANTM will always have a special (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Style/Gays_Get_Booted_from_Americas_Next_Top_Model/#) place in my heart, having made life-long friendships with countless fond memories.”

What’s disconcerting to LGBT viewers is that Top Model has always been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of inclusive casting, not just in the contestants (several lesbian and bisexual women, including Azmarie who got booted last week, and one transgender woman have competed on the show) but in the regular cast of judges like Manuel and Alexander. Manuel, who debut his own women’s fashion line last year called ATTITUDE Jay Manuel, has already parlayed his work with Top Model to become a fixture in the fashion circuit on Style and E! networks, but having his gay presence on the show weekly offered one of the most consistent gay images on reality TV for nearly a decade.

Alexander has pushed the boundaries even further, giving transgender, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming individuals their rare role model on TV. That’s because the label-free Alexander technically is queer, is technically male but presents himself with a decidedly female gender expression and is known worldwide as Miss Jay. Many refer to Alexander with female pronouns, and even his Wikipedia page calls him a she. All of which has always delighted Alexander, as well as audiences and contestants, and what was awkward in those early Cycles (with contestants whispering, “Is that a man or a woman?”) has actually pushed TV viewers further in understanding the complexity of gender and a world in which some people can be both or neither.

Alexander, who lives in Paris, wrote Follow the Model: Miss J's Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise, and Power in 2010, and is an in-demand runway consultant. As for Barker, the het-but-hot judge with the magnetic eyes, he wrote on his blog that “This change will allow me to take on new projects and turn my attention to other business (http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Style/Gays_Get_Booted_from_Americas_Next_Top_Model/#) prospects in the worlds of fashion, beauty and entertainment.”

Barker says he has a “number of new ventures that have been in the works, and I look forward to sharing them with you very soon. Of course, as you might have expected, my efforts on behalf of Haiti, The HSUS, the Make A Wish Foundation, The United Nations Foundation and many more will continue with full force. This next chapter promises to be even more thrilling with the sky’s the limit. I look forward to taking you with me.”

As for Banks and what remains for Top Model in cycle 19, the Post reported that there are “major changes” planned for the show, and producers have reached out to “bloggers and fashion insiders with a strong Web presence, including street-style blogger Bryan Boy.”

Bryanboy is a Filipino fashion blogger with a “non-sexual” wife named Hannah who also calls himself “Planet Earth’s Favorite Third World Fag” and “so gay I sweat glitter.” He once posted on his blog (http://www.bryanboy.com/bryanboy_le_superstar_fab/category/press-coverage/page/17) that he and his wife Hannah were “getting fat and we’re ageing disgracefully! We need liposuction, cocaine, and crystal meth to get our 95-pound figures back!” Perhaps he’ll fit in at ANTM well.
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Style/Gays_Get_Booted_from_Americas_Next_Top_Model/

P.S: See source for video

Fighting For Her Life: Transgender Woman Charged With Murder

One night in front of a Minneapolis bar has changed CeCe McDonald's life forever.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Diane%20Anderson-Minshall)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/CRIME/2012/CeCe2x390.jpg

In light of the Trayvon Martin killing — an incident in which a black youth armed with only a cell phone and pack of Skittles was killed by a white neighborhood patrol member — there’s been a whirlwind of media coverage debating the issues of race and justice and occasionally how LGBT folks should or do fit into the mix.

Nowhere are those issues more apparent than in the case of CeCe McDonald, a 23-year-old African-American transgender woman who goes on trial in Minneapolis April 30 for second-degree murder. It’s a case that has galvanized Minnesota’s LGBT community as well as transgender and African-American individuals nationwide. To many it’s served as a stark reminder that that black and transgender people experience imprisonment at a rate significantly disproportionate to that of the general U.S. population. And according to recent studies (http://transequality.org/Resources/NCTE_prelim_survey_econ.pdf)by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, trans people are at greater risk of discrimination, mistreatment, harassment, and assault throughout their experiences with the criminal justice (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Fighting_for_her_Life_Trans_Woman_Charged_With_Mur der/#) system.

McDonald (named Chrishaun by her parents, nicknamed CeCe by her friends) was charged with second-degree murder after a June 5, 2011, incident in Minneapolis, on an evening that began like many in the city. At the time, McDonald was a vibrant and creative young woman known by her friends as energetic and optimistic. She was studying fashion at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Fighting_for_her_Life_Trans_Woman_Charged_With_Mur der/#), a program that’s the only one of its kind in the upper Midwest and has led many bright young students to Minneapolis’s rather vibrant fashion and theater scenes for work.

She lived with and helped support four other African-American youth, her chosen family of queer and trans kids she was trying to mentor and assist. Each person described her as a leader, a role model, and a loyal friend, and notably, a woman who had, say many supporters, a history of handling prejudice with amazing grace. Her friends called her Honee Bea.

On June 5, 2011, McDonald and four black friends, all of them trans or queer, headed out to Cub Foods, a popular grocery (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Fighting_for_her_Life_Trans_Woman_Charged_With_Mur der/#) store in south Minneapolis, just after midnight. The grocery store is in one of those business strips where working-class and immigrant entrepreneurs struggle for the American dream. It is, writes Redlark, a white lower-middle-class queer activist in the Twin Cities, in a Tumblr post in support of McDonald (http://notcops.tumblr.com/#21108812854), “a busy, polluted, vital artery” between a police station and a light rail station, “in a historically contested neighborhood where communities meet, mix, and sometimes contend: the older white working class who bought in during the ’70s and ’80s meets immigrants from Mexico, Somalia, and Central America who came looking for work (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Fighting_for_her_Life_Trans_Woman_Charged_With_Mur der/#) or for political refuge; Native people still under the gun of colonization; African-Americans who’ve lived in Minneapolis for generations or arrived from Chicago or New Orleans in the last few years; students, punks, and radicals, mostly, but not exclusively white, gentrifiers or born in the neighborhood.”

Along the route, the group had to pass a dive bar, the Schooner Tavern, one of the first liquor establishments in Minneapolis, which has been going strong since Prohibition ended. It’s the kind of place that has pool tables (http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Fighting_for_her_Life_Trans_Woman_Charged_With_Mur der/#) and karaoke, Viking games on the TV, Jagermeister Tuesdays and free hot dog Fridays, 15 types of beer on tap, and open jams on the weekend.

But as McDonald and her friends walked near the bar, two women and a man, all of them Caucasian, began to verbally harass the group, according to witnesses. McDonald says they called her and her friends the n word as well as “faggots” and “chicks with dicks.” Her roommate Latvia Taylor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/123777049.html)that the man, Dean Schmitz, also asked McDonald, “Did you think you were going to rape somebody in those girl clothes?”
Source: http://www.advocate.com/Crime/Fighting_for_her_Life_Trans_Woman_Charged_With_Mur der/