Commentary -
Sargent Fag, Corporal Dyke, you'll wait in the back of the bus while we determine if what you do in the privacy of your homes, with other consenting adults, is so detrimental to unit cohesion that it disqualifies you from laying down your life to defend our nation. And while you're back there, make out, or at least pretend to be attracted to each other so you don't creep out our more easily offended Generals, Admirals and chaplains.
Yes, last night's votes in the Senate and House, when and if they play out the way the Administration and Congressional Democrats assure us they will, are a major step in the path towards more equality for GLBT Americans. And for that we will be very grateful to all those who voted in place a mechanism to end this absurdly discriminating policy. But since no one has bothered to end the steady stream of discharges under DADT in the mean time, something that could have and should have been done with a wave of a pen, let's talk reparations. It's only appropriate that when this law is finally repealed, GLBT Americans drummed out of active military service for their sexual orientation be not only reinstated but paid back wages and/or given pensions for the years of service they have been denied under this discriminatory law.
And now let's talk spousal benefits and military families shall we?...
President Obama's statement on last night's vote-
I have long advocated that we repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, and I am pleased that both the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee took important bipartisan steps toward repeal tonight. Key to successful repeal will be the ongoing Defense Department review, and as such I am grateful that the amendments offered by Representative Patrick Murphy and Senators Joseph Lieberman and Carl Levin that passed today will ensure that the Department of Defense can complete that comprehensive review that will allow our military and their families the opportunity to inform and shape the implementation process. Our military is made up of the best and bravest men and women in our nation, and my greatest honor is leading them as Commander-in- Chief. This legislation will help make our Armed Forces even stronger and more inclusive by allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve honestly and with integrity.
Let me wrap this up by saying that this was much more work than it should have been, considering 78% of the American population favored repeal, and that other, well respected military powers have had long established non-discrimination policies already in place for us to learn from and implement. But here again, with this long, protracted battle for repeal, the need for a strong, effective, aggressive, GLBT rights umbrella advocacy group is glaringly obvious. Is this really the most effective lobbying effort we can cobble together, with literally dozens of organizations, many with overlapping areas of advocacy, shouting from dozens of little soapboxes? We need to decide now whether the HRC can be that much needed central hub for activism or whether we want to coalesce around a new one. It's obvious that Joe Solmonese does not have the support of much of community at this point. Can we work with the infrastructure in place at the HRC minus it's leadership? Is there someone we can all rally around to lead us to full equality? The demographics all point to full equality on the horizon, how quickly we get there will largely depend on how effective our lobbying efforts are going forward.
DOMA News -
tnichlsn-
DOMA repeal lawyers David Boies and Ted Olson receive the 15th annual International Role Model Award at the International Equality Dinner on May 23rd. The case for overturning prop 8 sounds like a slam dunk as described here.
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musing85-
Steve King (R-Iowa) is peeved that out-of-state gay and lesbian couples are turning his state "into the gay marriage Mecca." The Iowa Department of Public Health recently reported that of the more than 2,000 same-sex couples married in Iowa between April 27, 2009, and March 31, 2010, sixty percent were from out of state.
I'd have thought that Rep. King, being a conservative Republican and therefore in favor of allowing the "invisible hand" of "the market" to control, well, just about everything, would be in favor of anything that brought money into Iowa's coffers. But apparently it's more important to be a discriminatory bigot than it is to promote businesses in Iowa. Wonder how well that's going to sit with his constituents?
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jpmassar-
Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas and other actors and actresses have begun to reprise key scenes from the Proposition 8 trial that took place back in January, and whose final arguments are (finally!) scheduled for June.
Called "Testimony: Equality on Trial," the novel campaign launched Thursday encourages people across the country to videotape key scenes from the trial and post them on a website alongside performances by Tomei and other professional actors.
see - jpmassar
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HIV/AIDS Roundup -
FogCityJohn-
Palmetto Fans
On May 27, AIDS advocates will gather for a protest in the Palmetto State's capital, Columbia, to call for emergency funds for South Carolina's AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
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Once More, Without Feeling
After making headlines recently for an abominable proposal that could make gays and lesbians subject to the death penalty, Uganda is again in the news, and not in a good way. Agence France-Presse reports that Uganda's new HIV/AIDS bill, which calls for mandatory testing of pregnant women, compels people to disclose their status to their sexual partner and allows medical practitioners to reveal a patient's status to others. After protests from human rights organizations, however,
Afrique en ligne reports that a provision providing criminal penalties for the transmission of HIV from mother to child through breastfeeding has been dropped. Cold comfort to HIV+ mothers in Uganda.
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Wait Listed
TheBody.com reports that as of May 20, there are 1,143 people in 10 U.S. states who are on waiting lists for their states' AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), which help low-income HIVers who are often uninsured pay for HIV/AIDS medications. In South Carolina, which proposed eliminating all ADAP funding, one person has already died on the waiting list.
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Beyond BP
As if Louisiana didn't have enough to worry about right now, The Advocate of Baton Rouge reports that a bill that would add sex education to the public school curriculum for students in grades 4-12 was crushed in the state house by a vote of 67 to 23. The bill would require "age-appropriate" instruction on human sexuality, including the benefits of abstinence and the importance of "effectively using contraceptives and barrier methods" as a way to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The measure failed even though Louisiana has the fourth highest rate of HIV infection in the nation.
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Elton John's letter to Ryan White, 20 years after his death from AIDS -
Twenty years ago this month, you died of AIDS. I would gladly give my fame and fortune if only I could have one more conversation with you, the friend who changed my life as well as the lives of millions living with HIV. Instead, I have written you this letter.
I remember so well when we first met. A young boy with a terrible disease, you were the epitome of grace. You never blamed anyone for the illness that ravaged your body or the torment and stigma you endured.
When students, parents and teachers in your community shunned you, threatened you and expelled you from school, you responded not with words of hate but with understanding beyond your years. You said they were simply afraid of what they did not know.
When the media heralded you as an "innocent victim" because you had contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion, you rejected that label and stood in solidarity with thousands of HIV-positive women and men. You reminded America that all victims of AIDS are innocent.
When you became a celebrity, you embraced the opportunity to educate the nation about the AIDS epidemic, even though your only wish was to live an ordinary life.
Ryan, I wish you could know how much the world has changed since 1990, and how much you changed it.
Young boys and girls with HIV attend school and take medicine that allows them to lead normal lives. Children in America are seldom born with the virus, and they no longer contract it through transfusions. The insults and injustices you suffered are not tolerated by society.
Most important, Ryan, you inspired awareness, which helped lead to lifesaving treatments. In 1990, four months after you died, Congress passed the Ryan White Care Act, which now provides more than $2 billion each year for AIDS medicine and treatment for half a million Americans. Today, countless people with HIV live long, productive lives.
It breaks my heart that you are not one of them. You were 18 when you died, and you would be 38 this year, if only the current treatments existed when you were sick. I think about this every day, because America needs your message of compassion as never before.
Ryan, when you were alive, your story sparked a national conversation about AIDS. But despite all the progress in the past 20 years, the dialogue has waned. I know you would be trying to revive it if you were here today, when the epidemic continues to strike nearly every demographic group, with more than 50,000 new infections in the United States each year. I know you would be loudly calling for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy that was promised by President Obama but has not yet been delivered. I know you would reach out to young people. I know you would work tirelessly to help everyone suffering from HIV, including those who live on the margins of society.
It would sadden you that today, in certain parts of the United States, some poor people with AIDS are still placed on waiting lists to receive treatment. It would anger you that your government is still not doing enough to help vulnerable people with HIV and populations that are at high risk of contracting the virus, including sexually active teenagers. It would upset you that AIDS is a leading cause of death among African Americans.
It would frustrate you that even though hundreds of thousands of HIV-positive Americans are receiving treatment in your name, more than 200,000 don't know their HIV-positive status, largely because a lingering stigma surrounding the disease prevents them from being tested. It would disappoint you that many teenagers do not have access to science-based HIV-prevention programs in school, at a time when half of new infections are believed to be among people under 25.
I miss you so very much, Ryan. I was by your side when you died at Riley Hospital. You've been with me every day since. You inspired me to change my life and carry on your work. Because of you, I'm still in the struggle against AIDS, 20 years later. I pledge to not rest until we achieve the compassion for which you so bravely and beautifully fought.
Your friend,
Elton
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Immigration News -
smellybeast-
Next week the D.C. Council will discuss a resolution showing support of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) pending in Congress.
Councilman At-Large David Catania authored the resolution last week, and the other 12 members of the council co-introduced it.
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In addition to being included in the Senate Comprehensive Immigration Reform outline, Rep. Gutierrez, who leads the effort in the House, now supports adding the UAFA to the House bill.
Rep. Gutierrez, who leads the effort in the House, now supports adding the UAFA to the House bill.
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Democratic Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL-19) has signed on as the 124th co-sponsor to the UAFA, leaving us only 4 short of the 128 usually needed to push for a floor vote.
Democratic Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL-19) has signed on as the 124th co-sponsor to the UAFA
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International News -
dirkster42/tnichlsn-
Gay magazine launched in Morocco. Homosexuality is illegal in Morocco but the publishers of the magazine feel its launch is a sign of progress. The European Union sees Morocco's defence of individual freedoms as vital to talks on closer trade and investment ties. Abdellah Taia, a gay Moroccan author who lives in Paris, said: "It seems that something is happening in Morocco that does not exist elsewhere in the Arab world. A new generation ... has achieved a certain freedom of expression thanks to the internet, and this magazine is a result of that freedom."
With gay rights under attack across Africa, it might not seem the best time to launch a magazine for homosexual people there.
But the owners of Mithly believe the launch of the magazine in Morocco is a sign of progress in a country where most gay men and lesbians tend to keep their sexuality secret.
Since its launch last month, Mithly – the title is an Arabic word meaning "the same as me", signifying gay – has covered subjects including the controversy over Elton John playing at a music festival in the country, a study of suicide among gay Moroccans and a book by an Algerian transsexual named Randa. The Arabic-language publication has sold 200 copies so far.
The paper edition circulated informally because it lacked a distribution licence from the government, said Samir Bargachi, general co-ordinator of Kif-Kif, Morocco's only gay rights group and the magazine's publisher.
He told the website Afrik.com that Mithly could reduce the stigma of being gay. "For over five years now, there has been a debate surrounding homosexuality in Morocco. But the mainstream media has the tendency to sensationalise the subject. With Mithly, we have the opportunity to give the views of homosexuals, and the opportunity to interact directly with society."
Homosexuality is taboo in the Arab world, and Moroccan law punishes "lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex" by jail terms of up to three years and a fine, although in practice convictions are rare.
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Quote: Tiwonge Chimbalanga of Malawi- "Freedom without him is useless and meaningless".
Madonna issued a statement last week condemning the Malawi court decision to sentence same-sex couple Steven Monjeza and Tinwonge Chimbalanga to 14 years in prison for "gross indecency" and "unnatural acts." Now the singer, who has adopted two children from Malawi, is asking fans to add their names to her statement.
The website for Raising Malawi, a charity Madonna helped form in 2006, lists her statement regarding the antigay court decision and asks visitors to "stand with Madonna in support of equal rights and the freedom to love in Malawi." Please consider signing her petition.
"We must not sit back and allow this injustice to continue," a statement on the website reads after supporters add their email address to Madonna's statement. "Everyone deserves to have the freedom to love. Ask your friends to get involved, too."
from the Advocate.
I am shocked and saddened by the decision made this week by the Malawian court, which sentenced two innocent men to prison.
As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation.
This week, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved.
I call upon the progressive men and women of Malawi—and around the world—to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all.
—Madonna
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Politics and Elections News -
musing85-
Donna Milo is a transgender Cuban-American candidate running for Congress in Miami (FL-20), where she is trying to unseat liberal Democrat (and vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee) Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Milo, 48, is a conservative Republican who transitioned ten years ago. She's a licensed pilot, a member of the NRA, and the owner of boat fabrication business. She is divorced with two grown children.
She recently appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's Sirius radio show for an interview, in which she stated that she's in favor of ENDA, and she's opposed to marriage equality for religious reasons ("marriage is between a man and a woman"). While she does favor allowing gay and lesbian parents to adopt, she thinks that "traditional families" should take precedence. And she doesn't think that the government has any place paying for sex reassignment surgery (SRS) for transfolk.
So what's a politically active LGBT person to make of this woman and her candidacy? On the one hand, it's epic to be the first openly trans candidate for national office. On the other, do we really want to support someone so significantly out of synch on issues of importance to the LGBT community? (In other words, is it more important to support LGBT candidates regardless of their politics, or do the issues matter more than the personalities?)
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tnichlsn-
Democratic Senate Candidate Alex Giannoulias has started a petition drive to repeal DADT on his website. The latest polls have Giannoulias pulling even with Former Republican Congressman Mark Kirk in the Illinois Senate race.
What's Wrong:
Currently, Americans in same-sex relationships are denied inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, equal pension and health care benefits, and all of the other legal protections that the government grants married couples.
Alexi's Plan to Make it Right:
Alexi believes that all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, are part of the American family, and that the federal government should extend the same rights and responsibilities to all of its citizens.
Marriage Equality
While marriage as a religious institution should be governed by people's faith and the tenets of their religion, marriage as a civil institution should be governed by principles of fairness.
Civil marriage should be equal for all people and provide the same protections under the law, with all legal rights and responsibilities.
Alexi supports the right of individual states to give same-sex couples the right to marry, and would work to ensure that the federal government recognizes these marriages by supporting the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
Brave men and women who are willing to fight and die for our country should be asked only one question: can they do the job? That is why Alexi supports the repeal of the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy.
Hate Crimes
Hate crimes target individuals, but inflict pain on entire communities. All people are entitled to live in dignity without fear of violence. Alexi fully supports the recently-signed Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention/Matthew Shepard Act, which increases the federal government’s power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence and expands the law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Promote Employment Non-Discrimination and Tax Equity
Workers should be evaluated on their ability to do a job, not on their identities. Alexi supports efforts, modeled after existing civil rights and disabilities legislation, to prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. As State Treasurer, he ended years of a misguided policy in his office by extending health coverage to domestic partners. As a U.S. Senator, he would also work to end the double taxation of couples.
I'm sure a few bucks would be welcome by Alex's campaign. He's not yet got an ActBlue page.
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Culture News -
ajewella-
DADT Fight Puts a Renewed Spotlight on Yank!
In 2005, the musical Yank! A WWII Love Story was struggling as a workshop production written by gay brothers Joe and David Zellnik (music and lyrics, respectively) at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. But thanks to a very successful Off-Broadway run Yank! is headed to Broadway for the 2010-2011 season.
Set in WWII, it's the story of a war reporter named Stu and an army private named Mitch who fall in love and struggle to survive in a time and place where the odds are stacked against them. Yank! features songs in period style (swing, big band, boogie-woogie) and explores the stories that usually don't get told about wartime - especially how WWII became a great catalyst in bringing gay men and women together. Producer Stuart Wilk says that while Yank! isn't "an overtly political musical, we've been mindful of 'don't ask, don't tell' moving right to the center of the national discussion. There has never been a better time on Broadway for a musical wartime love story that just happens to involve two GIs."
A recent cache of award nominations (including seven Drama Desk Award nods) and big name director David Cromer leading the Broadway production is increasing the buzz that Yank! could be a huge hit - especially in the wake of the dismal lack of hit musicals last year.
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GLBT Sports News -
tnichlsn-
Openly Gay College Coach Makes a Low-Profile Role Model-
Tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac in a leafy suburban neighborhood, Kirk Walker lives the life of a role model quietly.
Walker told his Oregon State players he was gay in 2005, when he and his partner, Randy Baltimore, were in the process of adopting their daughter, Eva, now 4.
No rainbow flags hang from the front of his house; political causes have never stirred him. And truth be told, Walker, the longtime Oregon State softball coach, has always been so absorbed by his work that he has not given much thought to being possibly the only publicly gay man coaching a Division I sport.
And then the phone will ring. Or an e-mail message will pop up in his inbox.
It will be from someone wanting to talk, and Walker is eager to listen.
"Although it’s only my story, it has definitely changed a lot of people’s perspectives — just internally, of how they view themselves," Walker said. "It tells them there’s a little bit of hope. ‘It may not be the right time for me, but this can happen.’ "
To be gay in 2010 is something met with a shrug of the shoulders in many places. Though court and legislative battles are still being waged over same-sex marriage and other civil liberties, acceptance has become the norm.
Sport, though, is one of the last quarters where many gay people are not comfortable enough to step out — particularly men. The former N.F.L. players David Kopay, Roy Simmons and Esera Tuaolo came out after their careers were over, as did the former baseball player Billy Bean and the former basketball player John Amaechi.
Even though Walker is in a low-profile sport played by women, his being out is significant, according to Jim Buzinski, a founder of Outsports.com.
"It’s probably not as sexy as if he were coaching a men’s team — that’s a different dynamic because people always freak out about the locker room," Buzinski said. "But Kirk’s value is in putting a name to the concept that ‘Oh, we know there’s gay coaches and gay players.’ Here’s one you can identify with. By being himself, he is trail-blazing."
from the NY Times.
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Have you signed our petition to encourage the World Cup organizers to honor Eudy Simelane and all of the South African women who have suffered "corrective rape" at the hands of homophobic thugs? The 2010 FIFA World Cup is being held in South Africa and Eudy was raped and murdered in part for her love of the game of soccer/football and in part for her living an open life as a lesbian. We're at 233 signers to date. PLEASE take a second and add your voice! I'll turn the signatures in to FIFA over the weekend, so this is your last chance to be heard and show support for the women of South Africa being so brutally abused for expressing their sexuality.
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Obama Puts "More Muscle" Behind DADT Repeal-
On May 28, 2010 at 12:01 PM
Per DNC spokesguy Hari Seguvan: The White House push to repeal DADT (Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell) just got more muscular (Mmmmm... muscles.). The DNC is tapping the 14 million-folks-strong Organizing for America (nee Obama for America) mailing list, asking supporters to lobby their senators for repeal. Last night (as I was watching Glee, if you must know), the House passed an amendment that would legislate repeal with a surprisingly strong 234-194 win. Hill-watchers (including the White House) have known that the Senate vote will be closer, though with traditionalists like Robert Byrd now saying they'll support repeal, the White House's stepping in more forcefully does not seem like the waste of political capitol it might have been.
Text of email to OFA members.
Subject: Keeping the President's promise
Friend --
This is big news: Yesterday, the full House of Representatives and the Armed Services Committee in the Senate voted to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
In his State of the Union address, President Obama pledged to end the law that denies gays and lesbians the right to serve their country. Now, we are closer than ever to making good on that promise.
The full Senate will soon start its debate on repeal. But some Republicans are digging in their heels. Senator John McCain said, "I'll do everything in my power" to block a vote. And Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker called the repeal bill "a major mistake" -- announcing that the GOP plans to filibuster.
We can defeat those who'd stand in the way of history. But we must show our senators that Americans -- in every state -- overwhelmingly support repeal.
Stand with the President and join the pledge to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
From the Recovery Act to health reform to Wall Street reform, one by one President Obama is delivering on his campaign promises. And, now -- if we can overcome Republican obstruction -- we have a chance to deliver on another: bringing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to an end.
As the President has said, this is about more than just living up to his word. We must end this law because "it's the right thing to do."
Any policy that punishes brave men and women who step forward to serve their country simply for being who they are isn't just misguided -- it's discrimination.
That's why President Obama didn't just campaign on ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; he made it a priority. And it's why it's now a matter of how and when -- not if -- we will repeal this law.
But as the Republicans prepare to block a vote on this historic legislation, we must do all we can to help deliver on the President's promise.
Add your name to the pledge today -- and then please pass it on:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
Thanks,
Mitch
Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
— Ana Marie Cox