Commentary-
by Kerry Eleveld and The Advocate
While the Obama administration has made more gains toward LGBT equality than any previous administration, it has fallen short of the promise and potential of the times.
Last week, the Obama administration made what is arguably one of the largest federal equality advancements for transgender Americans in the history of this country when it revised an antiquated passport policy to allow people to accurately declare their gender identity without having undergone gender reassignment surgery.
Unsurprisingly, the change emanated from the Department of State, where secretary Hillary Clinton has continually used her authority to the fullest extent possible to advance equality on behalf of the global community’s minorities and most disadvantaged – not least of which include women and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals here at home and around the world.
In fact, the State Department exceeded Mara Keisling’s expectations. Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said she had expected to see the policy emerge by the end of the year. "It came faster than I thought," she marveled.
This change absolutely happened on the Obama administration’s watch and President Barack Obama deserves credit for it, but I can’t help but note the pattern that has developed at the State Department and draw some conclusions. Chief among them is what’s possible when the top few decision makers at State – including secretary Clinton herself – are more inclined to make an unabashed push on behalf of equality rather than a tepid one.
So has the Obama administration arguably made more LGBT gains than any other administration? Yes, clearly it has. But the country also just came off eight years of Rovesque Republican rule and the last time we saw a Democrat in office was during the bulk of the 1990s.
One of the headlines out of the panel was, "Record number of LGBT staff in Obama administration." A good thing, no doubt. But let’s be real: There are probably twice as many openly gay people in Washington than there were in the ‘90s – myself included.
Then there’s the other accomplishments they touted: the passage of hate-crimes legislation; assuring hospital visitation rights for same-sex partners which the Department of Health and Human Services is currently working on; equality advancements in housing practices at the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and the extension of some benefits to federal workers – not health and pension – but things like being able to take sick time off if your partner falls ill or having your family included in moving expenses if you have to relocate for your job.
It seems fair to say that the trickle of events has flowed into a slow but steady stream of smaller, yet meaningful, policy gains for LGBT Americans. But given that the "hope" president came to the White House endowed with heavy Democratic majorities in Congress and a mandate to forge a fresh course for our country, what could have amounted to a watershed moment for LGBT equality has felt less like a waterfall than the drip from a leaky faucet. Sure, water is getting through, but not nearly enough to fortify or sustain a vilified minority that has been systematically burned by a swarm of homophobic laws that swept the nation as the vast majority of politicians either cheered or turned a convenient blind eye.
The president teed up DADT repeal with his State of the Union address, the White House helped line up stellar testimony from Defense secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs chair Admiral Mike Mullen, and then the administration hoped to slow walk a vote on the issue into next year, when it’s still far from clear the votes will exist to pass it.
Would "don’t ask, don’t tell" repeal be a major accomplishment? Absolutely. But based on all the concessions that were made to win over votes in the absence of a sustained White House campaign, repeal not only isn’t assured if it’s passed by Congress, it also doesn’t resemble anything activists imagined.
Namely, if the DADT policy is lifted, it’s not clear what will be installed in its place since no explicit prohibition on discrimination against lesbians and gays accompanies repeal. Perhaps serving with honesty and integrity will no longer be grounds for discharging our nation’s gay heroes. But would the partner of a lesbian soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice be the first to know of her beloved’s death? Could she access the government support networks currently available to heterosexual spouses? And would she receive survivor benefits as she attempted to piece together the fragments of her family’s world for herself and perhaps her children too?
for the complete commentary see The Advocate, (June 14th, 2010).
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DADT News-
contributed by Clarknt67
As Clarknt67 reported on Tuesday, the advocacy group Citizens for Repeal delivered an open letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, requesting that enforcement of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" be suspended for the Pentagon Working Group study participants. This would allow LGB servicemembers to speak freely without fear of reprimand, investigation or expulsion. More importantly, it would allow the Working Group to look more closely at existing units where open service is currently being practiced, in violation of existing law. This too, would relieve commanders from concerns of being reprimanded for insubordination for tacitly condoning open service.
The Denver Post reported the story and quoted Senator Mark Udall as saying:
"I will be on close watch to ensure that gay and lesbian service members currently serving in the military who participate and answer questions as part of Secretary Gates' review are able to speak openly and honestly about their experiences without fear of retaliation," Udall said.
Always a fierce advocate, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand linked to the Post article, agreeing via Twitter:
contributed by Clarknt93
Careful oversight of the Pentagon's study may be a necessary component to seeing that a fair and objection picture of this issue is delivered to the Working Group, it's good to see people on the job.
The legislative path having offered no clear demarcation for a victory lap, many repeal advocates' eyes have turned to the pending Constitutional challenge of DADT currently brewing in Federal Court. Wednesday Politico reported the Department of Justice (yes, them again, sigh) argued for a stay in the proceedings. Congress having moved on a bill, that may or may not pass, and should it, it may or may not deliver equality and open service to our troops apparently is reason to ask for a halt:
"Accordingly, the Court should await the outcome of the process in which the political branches are now engaged before deciding the constitutional question presented," the Justice Department lawyers wrote.
Yes, wait again, familiar ring? The basis for stay appears shaky, and should the request be rejected, the case is likely to start trial in July.
I'm loath to reward idiocy with attention, but Arizona assures itself a spot in the Final Four in Bill Maher's Stupiest State Showdown with this news.
Not all the stupidity and hatefulness comes from Republicans, Democratic House Armed Services Chair Ike Skelton, who apparently has no trouble discussing the horror of war with the kids, explained his opposition to repealing "Don't ask, don't tell" stems from his concern for the children. Rachel Maddow provides her usual serious dressing down:
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contributed by Clarknt67
Admiral Mike Mullen spoke at a USC Town Hall GetEQUAL reports:
Robin McGehee and several other GetEQUAL members attended a town hall meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen today at USC. Mullen was engaged no less than six times by separate members of the LGBT community regarding DADT repeal. He was gracious in accepting a packet of questions we had prepared for him - and again reiterated that he is for repeal of DADT. We'll post video tomorrow.
McGehee reported the walked in with the intention of respectful engagement and that's what happened. She reported speaking to both Mullen and his wife and felt listened to and respected.
In his hand, Mullen is holding a packet of questions that we had prepared. We weren't able to ask them all during the public Q&A, but handed them to him after the event was over while we were personally engaging him about repeal.
The group as also launched a campaign aimed at demanding an apology from Rep. Ike Skelton for his insensitive and homophobic remarks. Sign their petition here.
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DOMA and State Marriage Equality News-
contributed by musing85
According to Maine Public Broadcasting, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston has ordered the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) to hand over information about its donors to the state of Maine:
[NOM] contributed nearly $2 million to last year's successful campaign to overturn Maine's gay marriage law. Opponents say NOM has failed to comply with the state's financial disclosure law, a claim that is now under investigation by the state Ethics Commission.
NOM, meanwhile, has filed its own constitutional challenge of the state law, and Kate Simmons of the Maine Attorney Generals' office says Monday's ruling will help the state defend itself.
The ruling, which is not yet available on the court's web page, does require the state to keep the information it receives from NOM confidential. NOM president Brian Brown said June 8 that his group will appeal the latest ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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GLBT Culture-
contributed by Clarknt67
Not all gay prom news is bad, this sweet story comes out of Hudson, NY.
A couple of gay best friends were voted prom king and queen by such a wide margin at an upstate New York high school that the school didn’t even bother with any runners-up.
Seniors Charlie Ferrusi and Timmy Howard won their respective crown and tiara by a landslide Saturday. They started thinking about running about a month ago and ran the idea past advisors and the principal, who gave their blessing.
For the record, this city boy has several friends with places upstate in Hudson. Having spent many weekends there, I totally recommend this progressive, artsy, charming Hudson River hamlet as a perfect weekend getaway from the City.
The boys surely danced to plenty of Lady Gaga tunes that night. The pop diva discussed her support of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell's repeal with Larry King, then cemented her place in the hearts of gay men worldwide with the release her new video "Alejandro" this week. It was apparently shot on location at a gay circuit party. Hope everyone drank lots of water.
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contibuted by Clarknt67
A new documentary, 8: The Mormon Proposition, about the Church of the Latter Day Saint's involvement in Proposition 8 in 2008 will be making the rounds in theaters during pride month. News breaking this week of the Mormon Church being fined for violating CA campaign finance reporting laws is a fortunate coincidence for director Reed Cowan.
Free screening passes to Chicago, New York and other cities may be available from this email (tell them Daily Kos sent you). Information on specific cities and theaters available here.
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ENDA News-
contributed by KentuckyKat
Four lesbians arrested for protesting in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office the continued failure of the House of Representatives to vote on ENDA will not risk jail time according to the presiding judge. link
Charges against the women were dropped, but the women are not permitted near Speaker Pelosi's office for 6 months, are barred from "disruptive behavior" around the Capitol for 6 months, and must do community service.
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Hate Crimes-
contributed by tnichlsn
A gay couple were beaten so severely they ended up in hospital in Vancouver Saturday night.
Peter Regier and his partner David Holtzman were coming home from a Dionne Warwick concert, when they saw two men urinating on the doorstep of their Keefer Street home.
The couple had earlier been singing "What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love," with other Warwick fans at the River Rock Casino, but Mr. Regier said there was "no love" when they asked the men to stop.
Mr. Regier said the two men launched into a "barrage" of homophobic slurs and insults before beating himself and Mr. Holtzman, with their fists.
The attackers ran off when they realized there were witnesses watching the events unfold, he said.
The assault left both men with concussions. Mr. Holtzman was also bitten and is suffering from impaired vision. Mr. Regier had his scalp torn open. Both were taken to hospital.
"We came out of this certainly damaged, but anti-gay assaults tend to be extremely savage," said Mr. Regier. "We recognize that there are many others in the GLBT community that have been hurt much, much more badly than we have."
According to the Vancouver Police Department witnesses have been interviewed and investigators are looking into all aspects of the assaults and any comments made by those involved in the incident.
Mayor Gregor Robertson spoke out against Saturday’s attack, saying in a statement that he was "troubled and saddened" by the assault.
"Vancouver is a wonderfully diverse city and there is zero tolerance for any action or behaviour that discriminates or harms people for their beliefs, ethnicity or sexuality," he said.
"We need to speak out about it. This is a huge problem for the LGBT community and the greater community as well," Mr. Regier said.
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HIV and AIDS News-
contributed by FogCityJohn
Class Cancelled
Disappointing news on the drug development front. Aidsmap reports that Myriad Pharmaceuticals has halted development of a new class of anti-HIV drugs called maturation inhibitors. There were hopes that bevirimat, as Myriad's experimental drug is known, would offer an additional treatment option for patients who have developed resistance to other medications. Myriad said in a press release that it will now seek to partner with another company to develop its maturation inhibitors.
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contributed by FogCityJohn
Double Whammy
Hate to dump on the city I call home, but the Bay Area Reporter notes that Mayor Gavin Newsom is trying to balance San Francisco's budget by reducing housing subsidies for people with HIV and eliminating a program that helps transfolk find jobs. Maybe we'll be better off with Gavin as Lieutenant Guv.
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contributed by FogCityJohn
Seceding from Reality
Its governor is talented enough to woo women in Argentina while hiking the Appalachian trail, but South Carolina's elected officials can't seem to find the money to help poor people with HIV. TheBody.com reports that the Palmetto State will cut $3 million from HIV treatment and prevention programs. The ICFI's web site (warning: they're socialists) notes that Dr. Bambi Gaddist, who chairs the HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Taskforce, says that the cuts will make antiretroviral medication unavailable to people who depend on the state's ADAP program.
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contributed by FogCityJohn
Sex, Lubes, and Videotape
Just kidding about the videotape, but there's important news about the safety of lubricants commonly used for anal sex. (Gasp! Did FCJ just write "anal sex"? You're damned right he did, so either listen up or repair to the swooning couch with your smelling salts.) ScienceDaily summarizes the results of one study that found that use of lubricants with anal sex is associated with more rectal STIs. Another study, conducted in collaboration with International Rectal Microbicides Advocates (betcha didn't know they existed), looked at the safety of lubricants frequently used during anal sex. Six products were studied -- Astroglide, Elbow Grease, ID Glide, KY Jelly, Wet Platinum, and PRÉ. As the article notes:
Based on the tests performed, PRÉ and Wet Platinum were shown to be safest, while Astroglide was the most toxic to cells and tissues, and KY Jelly had the worst effect on the good bacteria, essentially wiping out an entire colony. PRÉ was the only water-based lubricant that was not hyperosmolar and did not disrupt the epithelium.
After all those safe-sex pamphlets preaching the importance of water-based lubes, now they tell us?
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GLBT Immigration News-
contributed by smellybeast
Worlds Apart-
SFWeekly just published a long profile of families affected by immigration discrimination. It’s worth reading in full. The passage excerpted below provides a sad parallel to DADT as it recounts what one couple goes through as the result of an "honesty" slip-up. Under some temporary visas, immigrants can be expelled from the country if they demonstrate intent to stay. Even though the federal government doesn’t recognize same sex relationships, marrying a US citizen is considered demonstrating intent to stay in the country.
"Just a few minutes ago, I spoke with Mark and he admitted you were his husband. Is this correct?" the officer asked.
"Yes."
After Sang said he lied because he was scared, the agent revoked his tourist visa for misrepresenting himself to a federal immigration officer and for being an immigrant (which technically means someone intending to stay in the country) not in possession of an immigrant visa. To reapply for a visa in the future, he would have to apply for a waiver for fraud. What she didn't say is the only way to get a waiver is to prove his absence would cause "extreme hardship" for his spouse in this country — and, of course, in the eyes of the U.S. government, Sang does not have a spouse.
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contributed by smellybeast
Religious leaders, gay rights activists disagree on same-sex issue.
The rift in the immigrant rights community continues to grow over whether to extend visa benefits to same-sex couples.
Evangelicals and Catholic leaders who otherwise favor amending the nation's immigration laws say they can't go along with a proposal that gives same-sex couples "marriage-like" privileges.
"A lot of evangelicals would not support same sex provisions," Jenny Hwang of the Christian World Relief aid group said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday. Hwang is a member of Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, a growing group of religious leaders backing the overhaul.
But the leading liberal immigration coalition continues to favor same-sex inclusion. Liberal activists say faith groups won't get in the way of their plan to make immigration rules fair to all families.
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On June 7, Albany, NY joined cities across the country in passing a resolution supporting the Uniting American Families Act, in what was apparently the shortest city council meeting of the year. Nice to see so little controversy here.
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On a personal note, I’ve managed to score an in person meeting next week with Nancy Pelosi’s staff to discuss the UAFA. Wish me luck!
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International GLBT News-
contributed by musing85
According to Malawi-based newspaper The Nation:
In a dramatic twist to the tale of Malawi’s convicted but pardoned gay lovebirds, the man, Steven Monjeza, has dumped his homosexual 'wife' Tiwonge Chimbalanga to marry a Blantyre-based woman. Twenty-four-year old Dorothy Gulo on Monday confessed her love for Monjeza whom she described as "a real man capable of doing to women what other men ably do in bed." She was explicit about the issue and said she had nothing to hide. "I have tried him on two occasions and he proved to me he can live with a woman. I was impressed with him when my curiosity got the better of me and here I am. My only worry is what Chimbalanga would do if he found out," said Gulo, who does nothing for a living.
Monjeza claims the entire relationship with Tiwonge was a lie, but it is impossible to know what kind of pressure or other methods of coercion (there were rumors of torture) may have been applied to make him change his story.
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GLBT Families News-
contributed by KentuckyKat
Two-Father Families Are Thriving!
Hot on the heels of the news that Lesbians raise children that are well-adjusted, I found this article which reports the positive effects of parenthood (through surrogacy) on gay men.
The study gathered information on four aspects of the participants experience as they transitioned to parenthood: 1) work and career changes, 2) lifestyle issues, 3) couple, family and friendship experiences, and 4) self-esteem and self-care.
The men studied indicated greater closeness with their extended families. In addition:
It is noteworthy, the researchers wrote, that many of these gay fathers negotiated their career prospects downward and focused on their parenting responsibilities as being primary, at least for the time being while their children were so young. This is in sharp contrast to heterosexual fathers, who often augment their work hours and career commitments after having children.
The overwhelming majority of the fathers also indicated that their self esteem rose as a result of becoming a father.
Our findings reinforce the growing research evidence that the sexual orientation of the parents makes little difference in parenting. At this early stage of child development, the infant's or toddler's needs drive the family interactions and structure the couples' relationships with friends and relatives. This is as it should be. Gay couples are making major accommodations in their lives just like their heterosexual counterparts who become parents, said Robert-Jay Green, PhD., executive director of the Rockway Institute.
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GLBT Media-
contributed by Texas Blue Dot
BBC television show hosted by out gay rugger Gareth Thomas.