Paterson Is Cheered At NYC's Gay Pride Parade

Gay residents cheered Gov. David Paterson on Sunday as he joined the city's annual gay pride march a month after he directed state agencies to provide full marriage benefits to same-sex couples who were legally married elsewhere."What he did ... sends a message that leadership isn't about waiting. It's about finding the opportunity. It's about finding the way to move progress and civil rights forward," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the city's most powerful openly gay elected official.Tens of thousands of gay people and their supporters marched down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in the always colorful celebration, which is officially called the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March. A violent thunderstorm halfway through did not halt the parade.

There were floats, marching bands, stilt walkers, motorcycle riders and bicycle riders wearing T-shirts that said "bike-sexual."
"I think it's sensational," said Dolores Stoia, who watched from behind police barricades. "I'm not really a big fan of parades, but it's very entertaining."

Paterson, the first New York governor to march in the gay pride parade, took part even though he had surgery to remove a cataract on Saturday."The doctors told me I couldn't march today," he said. "I ran 8 1/2 miles Friday. I can march today. And I will."

Even though gay couples cannot legally marry in New York, Paterson said last month that the state must recognize marriages legally performed in other states and countries that allow gay marriage.

Read the Full Article

AP article by KAREN MATTHEWS -- June 30, 2008

Image of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Gov. Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg at the 39th Annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March along Fifth Ave. in Manhattan Sunday. Credits: Mariela Lombard Published: 06/29/2008 20:31:59

Keeping the Bad Guys off the Streets

In Recent News...

The two officers responsible for the severe beating of a Black, transgender woman were fired today after an internal hearing. Former officer Bridges McRae was terminated for beating and verbally assaulting Duanna Johnson while officer James Swain held her down. The entire event was caught on a surveillance camera.

Officer Swain was already on probation and was fired. Memphis Police Association President J.D. Sewell says McRae went into today’s hearing thinking that he would be keeping his job. According to Sewell, McRae says he did nothing wrong.

Duanna Johnson is planning on filing a $1.3 million lawsuit against the city of Memphis.

Racial and Homophobic Slurs Painted on Personal Property in VA

By ERIC HANSON

RICHMOND — Fort Bend County Sheriff's detectives are investigating more than a dozen incidents of theft and vandalism involving racist and obscene words spray painted on homes and vehicles.
The incidents were reported about 7:30 a.m. Sunday in the New Territory development, said sheriff's spokeswoman Terriann Carlson.
"It appears that white spray paint was used on all of the vehicles and the residences and racial and derogatory slurs such as the swastika symbol, and male body parts," Carlson said. The slurs also targeted homosexuals, she said.
The vehicles were parked in driveways as well as on the street. Several vehicles were vandalized and also burglarized.
Carlson said the preliminary investigation indicates the vehicles were left unlocked by the owners. Investigators would not say how much property was taken.
The crimes happened between 11 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the case to call Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281- 342-8477. or the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office Detective Division at 281-341-4685.

Michelle Obama: Barack Will Fight For Gay Equality

The Associated Press June 27, 2008 - 9:15 am ET


(New York City) Barack Obama will fight for equal rights for gays just as he fought to help working-class families overcome poverty, the Democratic presidential hopeful's wife told a gay Democratic group Thursday night.
Recalling his past work as a community organizer to help struggling families, Michelle Obama said he would take the same approach as president.
"Barack believes that we must fight for the world as it should be, a world where together we work to reverse discriminatory laws," she said at a Manhattan fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee's Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council.
Michelle Obama also drew a connection between the struggles for gay rights and civil rights.
"We are all only here because of those who marched and bled and died, from Selma to Stonewall, in the pursuit of a more perfect union," she said at the event, held days before the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots between gays and New York police, and the city's annual gay pride parade.
"The world as it is should be one that rejects discrimination of all kinds," she said.
Touting her husband's record pushing for workplace discrimination legislation as an Illinois state senator and his support of civil unions, Obama noted her husband also had brought a call for equality to conservative groups, telling churchgoers they need to combat homophobia in the black community.
Although he does not support marriage for same-sex couples the Illinois senator opposes a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and says states should make their own decisions on the matter. He has said he's interested in ensuring that same-sex couples in civil unions get federal benefits.
His Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, also opposes a federal constitutional amendment but worked to ban gay marriage in his home state. McCain supports the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, while Obama has called it "counterproductive."
Michelle Obama's speech brought a standing ovation from the crowd of about 200 donors, who raised about $1.3 million, organizers said.

Black Media Fails Its LGBTQ Community

Had the video camera in the Memphis jailhouse not been on, we may never have seen how a police officer repeatedly hit Duanna Johnson, an African American transwoman, with his fists. The officer had wrapped around his hands pairs of handcuffs, adding to its brutality.What the camera also recorded was how an African American nurse went directly to the white officer to see if he was OK, ignoring Johnson.
After the video footage was seen, the NAACP declared a state of emergency about how police treat African Americans, a fact celebrated by Monica Roberts, founder of the African American transpeople online group Transsistahs-Transbrothas, in a post on the Bilerco Project Web site: “Yo NAACP, NBJC...Where Y’all At?”“While I applaud you [NAACP] for declaring a state of emergency over the treatment of African-Americans by the police, I have yet to hear any NAACP local, state or the national chapter speak up not only about this case, but about the verbal and physical hate attacks on African-American transpeople in general. As Duanna Johnson’s case graphically points out, some of the problems we transpeople of African descent face are at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect and serve us.”
But it’s not the local NAACP groups that have remained silent. Media outlets purporting to represent the African American community have also stayed silent on the story. Do you think you’ll read the story in Jet, Ebony or Essence?And although I am thankful that the gay news media have captured the details surrounding Johnson’s arrest, the real story has not been told. And that story is how the intersection of racism and trans phobia unleashed its rage on the bodies of black transgender men and women, triggering the type of violence Duanna Johnson experienced. It is this story that needs to be reported, which begs the question, why isn’t it happening?
The first reason is an unspoken “politics of silence.” All too often members of the GLBTQ press, especially of-color members, will opt not to report when we are attacked by someone else of color to ensure we don’t look like a race traitor. Another reason, the “politics of avoidance,” occurs when black media outlets opt not to cover hate crimes against its LGBTQ population for fear that the white media view violence as synonymous with people of color.Another reason — there just aren’t enough openly GLBTQ of-color reporters.
This month, for the first time in its history, the Bay State Banner — an Boston-based African American newspaper — wrote a piece on black queer culture. Why? Because Katherine Patrick came out. Katherine is the daughter of our governor, Deval Patrick, the second African American elected governor in the U.S. This media attention underscores the fact that we have always been a part of the black community.
Very little is understood about transgender people because they are relegated to the fringes of society. Crimes against transgender people often go unnoticed, and the fact that we are calling Johnson “lucky” for surviving the attack since violence against black transgender men and women often result in death, shows how far we still need to come as a society.
In 1998, Rita Hester, a 34-year-old African American transsexual was murdered. Ms. Hester was found dead inside her first-floor apartment in Allston, just outside of Boston, with multiple stab wounds to her chest. She was further violated by media outlets reporting the death. The Boston Herald depicted Ms. Hester as “he,” or as a “transvestite,” or as “William.”
Johnson explained that the officer attacked her because she refused to respond to the derogatory names he called her. “Actually he was trying to get me to come over to where he was, and I responded by telling him that wasn’t my name — that my mother didn’t name me a ‘faggot’ or a ‘he-she,’ so he got upset and approached me. And that’s when it started.”
Just getting called the proper name is hard enough for many transgender men and women. Add racism on top of it, and you have an untenable problem. “A white person who transitions to a male body just became a man. I became a Black man. I became the enemy,” London Dexter Ward, an LAPD cop who transitioned in 2004, told Alternet.org.
And becoming a black transman Louis Mitchell didn’t think “driving while black” would be such an offense. Mitchell, who resides in Springfield, Mass., told ColorLines that he gets pulled over “300 percent more now than in his 23 years of driving.”
Issues of race, gender expression, and sexual orientation trigger a particular type of violence against people of color that black media cannot afford to let go unreported. Not reporting what is going on its LGBTQ community leaves unchecked the constant violence we face, but it also puts us all at risk.

Article by Rev. Irene Monroe found in 6/26/08 New England Blade

Black AIDS Institute Tests Celebrities

AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women aged 25-34 years and the Center for Disease control estimates over 260,000 people in the U.S. are infected with HIV and don't yet know it. Of those, up to 46% of Black gay men may already be HIV-positive. The Black AIDS Institute - our nation's first organization dedicated to reducing HIV/AIDS among Black people - will be kicking off their second annual "Test 1 Million" campaign on Friday with a few notable celebrities. Eric "Lil E" Wright ," Jimmy Jean-Louis from "Heroes", Coolio , Harold Perrineau from "Lost" and "Oz", Brian White from "The Family Stone" and "Stomp the Yard" and Doug Christie & his wife Jackie - among other notable Black stars - will be setting the stage and an example for Black folks everywhere. The message: Get tested and get tested often. The immediate goal: 1 million people tested by the end of the day - June 27th.

Click here for more information

High School Principal is Taking His Ball and Going Home

In a Recent update...

The Lexington-Richland School District 5 - located in South Carolina - announced that they will not ban all school clubs unrelated to sports. The district considered banning student clubs in an effort to thwart Irmo High School students from creating a Gay-Straight Alliance on their campus. The school board drew a few provisions by which school clubs in district 5 must abide. 1) parents/guardians have the power to remove their children from any school club and 2) students are prohibited from talking about sexually explicit material in deference to the district's abstinence policy.

The decision was a clear upset for Irmo High School principal Eddie Walker who threatened to leave the school if the gays got their way. Walker says that an official GSA would conflict with his beliefs and religious convictions. I think Walker should stay at his post, attend a few GSA meetings, maybe subscribe to HRC's "Out in Scripture" publication and learn something new. I only speak from an assumption that people who have made a profession in academia actually care about expanding their viewpoints. I guess quitting is easier for some.

Read the AP article

Three is a charm: Trio of youth centers cater to young, Black, gay population in ATL

Article by Ryan Lee 6/13/2008


AS MORE GAY YOUTH COME OUT OF THE closet at an earlier age, the number of gay youth centers in Atlanta continues to increase. There are currently three self-standing gay youth centers in the heart of the city: Da C.R.I.B.B. in Grant Park, Youth Pride in Inman Park and AID Atlanta’s Evolution Center downtown.


“We need all three in the city right now,” says Frances-Ann Moran, board president of YouthPride. “We need to have as many options available for young people. They have the same issues that youth who aren’t LGBTQ have, and they have issues that are compounded.”


Established in 1995, YouthPride is the largest and longest-operating of the three gay youth groups, serving about 200 youth per month. The organization recently created an in-house counseling position that it hopes increases its abilities to help gay youth deal with the variety of struggles the experience.


“We realized we had a need for it when our staff reached out to the executive director and board saying it was an urgent need,” Moran says.



After a seven-month search, YouthPride hired Tana Hall, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in youth and family issues. Hall is also a former board chair of YouthPride, and Moran hopes her familiarity with the organization will jumpstart the organization’s counseling project.“It’s not a stranger, it’s not setting up an appointment in a new place - it’s creating a space where youth are comfortable talking about their lives,” she says. But the prolonged search for a new counselor also further exposed challenges YouthPride has had diversifying its leadership. Throughout the entire search process, not a single African-American with a counseling license applied for the job, Moran says.“That for us highlighted the need for us to continue to reach out to the community, and building relationships, and healing wounds,” Moran says. “Quite frankly, [YouthPride has not been] able to historically deliver a truly diverse organization on the adult level and the youth level.” With African-American gay and lesbian youth accounting for nearly half of YouthPride participants, they “need folks who look like them in positions of power, and who they can look up to,” she said.


AFRICAN-AMERICAN GAY YOUTH ARE THE primary target demographic of both Da C.R.I.B.B. and the Evolution Project, two CDC-funded initiatives aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS infection rates among young gay black and Latino men.“It helps to bring this generation some awareness and education about HIV/AIDS, but it also gives them a safe space to be who they are,” says Jon Gabriel Ortiz, director of Da C.R.I.B.B., which stands for Creating Rich Intelligent Black Brothas.


Read The entire Article at: http://www.sovo.com/2008/6-13/locallife/feature/8692.cfm

Mistrail Declared as Jury Cannot Agree on What a 'Hate-crime' Is

According to the friends of recently deceased Satender Singh, Singh and six of his friends were drinking and playfully dancing to Indian music. The events happened differently according to Michael D. Long – Aleksandr Shevchenko’s lawyer – who reports that Singh provoked Aleksandr and his friends by dancing lewdly with another man while other families and children were nearby. The gay, outdoor dance party led Aleksandr and his friend, Andrey Vusik, to confront Satender and his friends. The confrontation led to an outright brawl where Andrey punched Satender, which led to brain damage and Satender’s ultimate death. The state charged Aleksandr with disturbing the peace and simple assault for throwing a bottle at Satender and his friends. Avoiding arrest and prosecution, Andrey fled the country.

Aleksandr assaulted a gay man who was dancing with another man. Is this a hate-crime? The disparity in the two testimonies has apparently confused the Sacramento Superior Court’s jury on the definition of a hate-crime. The jury could not agree whether Satender’s homosexuality instigated Aleksandr’s involvement in the confrontation, which led to a devastating mistrial. The mistrial last Wednesday was an upset for not only the friends and family of Satender, but also those in the local gay community. Satender’s death and Aleksandr’s subsequent mistrial “has emerged as a symbol of tensions between local gays and some members of a Slavic evangelical movement that has publicly spread anti-gay rhetoric,” according to reporter Crystal Carreon.

Juror Patty Dowell said she could not vote to convict Aleksandr of the felony hate-crime enhancement. She questioned the testimony from those who were with Singh that day. “slurs were yelled from both sides…I don’t think it was hate.”
Juror Deedee Boland said she felt strongly that Aleksandr was guilty of a hate crime. “If you use racial comments or comment on someone’s sexual orientation, that is bias. … We’ve seen what hatred could do to a person.” Referencing Satendar’s postmortem photographs, she concluded, “This was the consequence, because he was gay.”

Read the entire article at: http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1024340.html

HRC CALLS FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IN CASE OF POLICE BRUTALITY AGAINST A BLACK TRANSGENDER WOMAN

A newly released video out of Memphis, Tennessee clearly shows a police officer brutally abuse Duanna Johnson as she was held in the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center. Johnson is a transgender woman, and had been arrested on a charge of prostitution.

“This type of profound violence is the exact thing that police officers are supposed to protect people from,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “HRC is calling for a full criminal investigation and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”

Surveillance video of the incident shows an unidentified officer hit Johnson several times with handcuffs wrapped around his knuckles, as another officer holds Johnson's shoulders as she tries to protect herself. After being struck repeatedly Johnson rose up to protect herself, and was maced in response. Johnson also reports that the officers reportedly called her a “faggot” and “he-she,” before and during the incident.

News reports indicate that a copy of the tape has been reviewed by the FBI and the District Attorney’s office – which has since dropped all charges against Johnson. The FBI investigation into possible civil rights violations is ongoing.
The Memphis Police Department has also reportedly fired the officer who held Johnson while she was struck, and that the officer who actually threw the punches is currently on non-enforcement status pending an administrative hearing.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Transgender Americans are often targeted for hate violence. Hate crimes against transgender people tend to be particularly violent. Bias-motivated violence against transgender people appears to be epidemic, although statistics are not collected on the incidents of violence against transgender people. Crimes against transgender people are under-investigated and under-prosecuted.

Video of the attack can be viewed at (warning, the violence is graphic): http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=8515744

HRC Press RELEASE: June 18, 2008

With love and pride, Mass. Governor Deval Patrick’s Daughter Comes Out Publicly

Article by Laura Kiritsy Editor-in-chief of Bay Windows


On June 14, 2007, the day that lawmakers finally voted down an anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution, Katherine Patrick stood outside the State House and looked up at her father. Gov. Deval Patrick was standing on the front steps, surrounded by a jubilant crowd of hundreds that mobbed the brick sidewalk and spilled halfway across Beacon Street. As they cheered the defeat of the amendment - an effort led by the governor, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Sal DiMasi - Katherine had never before felt more proud of her father."Because, of course, he didn’t know that I was gay then," the 18-year-old recalls. "So, for someone so publicly to fight for something that doesn’t even affect him was just like, ’That’s my dad,’ you know?" she says with a laugh. "That’s all I could think. I was very, very proud to be part of this family, and this state in general.""It was great. I’m very glad," she adds, looking at her father. "Don’t cry, Dad." Patrick’s eyes are brimming with tears, prompting some good-natured teasing from his daughter. "He’s done some good things," she says with a laugh, patting his arm. "I appreciate it. Want a tissue? Oh, God. He’s a crier."

Read More about Katherine's coming out: http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc3=&id=75834

New Scholarship Addresses Old Problem

What is believed to be the first, local, needs-based scholarship for LGBT college students, a philanthropist couple, Tim and Neil Griffin, have made an effort to advance and assist the LGBT students in their area. The scholarship, appropriately titled the Griffin Scholarship, is sponsored by Time Out Youth - a support group for youth ages 13 to 23 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered - who have also agreed to administer the program. The Griffins committed to provide two $2,500 scholarships annually by collecting donations at community events they sponsor. Scholarship recipients must be from the Charlotte area and attend a college or technical school in the Carolinas.
“Neil and I believe that education is the key to a successful life,” said Tim Griffin. “So we decided that an LGBT scholarship fund was the most important impact we could make on the lives of young people in our community.”
Many scholarships directed at LGBT students place an emphasis on shown leadership in the community, ethnic diversity, and the almighty report card. The Griffin scholarship is the first of its kind to focus merely on financial need.
“Many LGBT youth are disconnected from their high schools or lack financial support from their parents, making college an unreachable goal,” said Judy Seldin-Cohen, board chair of Time Out Youth. “With the Griffin’s foresight, Time Out Youth can bridge that gap for two deserving youth each year, changing the trajectory of their futures.”
Juan Vazquez, one of two recipients of the newly offered scholarship, is a first generation college student and will be attending N.C. Central University in Durham.
Azze Waldron, the second recipient, 'came out' as gay while her parents were going through a divorce, which drastically had an effect on her grades. She will be attending Central Piedmont Community College.

Read More about the scholarship: http://www.timeoutyouth.org/?page_id=23
... And: http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/671612.html

Seattle Black Pride Calls It Quits

Seattle Black Pride retroactively closed up shop on Sunday calling the dissolution "bitter sweet". The Northwest organization brought LGBT Black folks together for one of the most anticipated events on the West Coast. Seattle Black Pride has also canceled their Pride 2008 event - scheduled on the weekend of July 18-20. The organization's board blamed a lack of leadership and basic exhaustion for halting all operations stating, “The commitment of providing leadership to an organization such as [Seattle Black Pride] was more than what people were able to commit to for various reasons. For the past several months the organization has operated with three Board members and as you can imagine, the demand has been overwhelming."

Seattle Black Pride, a partner with the Human Rights Campaign, not only organized the Black Pride summer event, but also was responsible for much of Seattle's city scene by managing and promoting events such as drag performances, the annual New Year's Eve party, and providing HIV/AIDS Prevention services. "We have had the opportunity to provide space for individuals to connect and form support systems for one another," says Seattle Black Pride president Kiantha Duncan.

It is sad to see them go. I can only hope another organization will step up and fill the void SBP has left. In true dramatic fashion, SBP’s famous last words were, “Together we gave voice and visibility to our Black GLBT community in a way that cannot be forgotten.”

FYI: Seattle Black Pride 2008 would have been the city's 4th annual Black Pride event.

Vote Delayed on Gay-friendly Student Club

The Associated Press

IRMO, S.C. - A South Carolina school district has delayed until later in the month a vote on whether to ban all student clubs that don't relate to academics or sports as a way to close a gay student organization.
Vice Chairman Robert Gantt said Monday the Lexington-Richland School District 5 board was delaying its vote on whether to ban the clubs to get more public input.
Irmo High School principal Eddie Walker said last month he would step down at the end of the next school year because the Gay-Straight Alliance conflicts with his beliefs and religious convictions.
Officials had said the district couldn't stop the alliance from forming because federal law prohibits discriminating against a club based on its purpose.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network says there are about 4,000 gay-straight alliances at schools nationwide, including 16 in South Carolina.

Philly Police Department Make It Safe

In light of Philadelphia's recent and successful gay pride event this last weekend, I thought it appropriate to highlight the great strides the Philadelphia Police Department is making in the protection and safety of LGBT people. The Philly PD, led by Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, has initiated a pro-LGBT program that will focus protection of LGBT individuals in the predominately gay neighborhood, and change the environment and "macho and homophobic" attitudes of his police department.

The gay neighborhood, or affectionately termed the "gayborhood" by the locals, is a geographical area in Philly known for its gay themed commerce and nightlife. Known by its partially rainbow street signs (among other things), the gayborhood is the area of concentration for Ramsey's initiative to protect LGBT people. As advised by his in-house counsel on LGBT affairs, Ramsey will permanently station 2 to 3 officers in the center of the gayborhood. The stationed officers are not required to identify as LGBT because as Ramsey says, "You don't have to be gay to serve the gay community, or black to serve the black community." His officers will be thoroughly trained to deal with and understand the LGBT community because over the next two to three years Ramsey will require his entire Philly PD to attend queer-sensitivity training.
The commissioner insists there is zero tolerance for any kind of discrimination in his department of 6,700. He also acknowledges that unless the culture changes, gay men and lesbians will continue to be reluctant to become police officers.

In a city where homicide rates nearly top the charts, police enrollment is steadily declining and hate crimes are "drastically" under-reported, Ramsey hopes to make a difference from the inside out.

Read More on Ramsey's Pro-Gay actions: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080609_Making_the_police_safe_for_gay_officers.html

The Human Rights Campaign Endorses Senator Obama

HRC today announced that the organization will endorse Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president of the United States. The decision was made by the HRC Board of Directors based on Senator Obama’s support for GLBT equality, his demonstrated leadership, and his unwavering commitment to civil rights.

“HRC is proud to throw our full support behind Senator Obama’s presidential campaign,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Senator Obama has consistently shown that he understands, as we do, that, GLBT rights are civil rights, and human rights. Senator Obama has said that embracing ‘our gay brothers and sisters’ is true to Martin Luther King’s vision; I know that Senator Obama’s vision is one of equality, fairness, and justice for all of us,” he said. “We have just witnessed a historic primary contest in which two champions of our community demonstrated that they hear our voices and share our dreams. For millions across this country, their candidacies—as the first woman and the first African American to be top contenders for the nomination of a major party—have already been life-changing, inspiring, and groundbreaking. Senators Obama and Clinton both remained our allies whether they were campaigning in New Mexico or Nebraska; in California or Kansas. They are, quite simply, heroes to anyone fighting for equality,”

Senator Obama supports federal benefits and protections for same-sex couples, a fully-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act and hate crimes legislation, comprehensive sex education, the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and increased funding for HIV/AIDS. He opposes the federal marriage amendment and bans on adoption by GLBT people. Senator Obama participated in HRC’s and Logo’s historic presidential forum in 2007.

“The Human Rights Campaign has been at the forefront of the fight for GLBT equality and opportunity, and I am proud to have its endorsement,” said Senator Obama. “Too often, the issue of GLBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. I look forward to working with HRC to end discrimination against GLBT Americans and to ensure that all of our citizens are treated with dignity and respect.”

Solmonese concluded, “I’ve been consistently impressed by Senator Obama’s willingness to speak about GLBT issues in front of diverse audiences. Matters of life and livelihood for GLBT Americans are on the line in this election and after eight years of an anti-gay stranglehold on the presidency, Sen. Obama’s message of fairness and acceptance is a breath of fresh air.”

See where Senator Obama stands on LGBT issues: http://a4.g.akamai.net/f/4/19675/0/newmill.download.akamai.com/19677/anon.newmediamill/pdfs/Questionnaire_ReportCard.pdf

Above text was taken directly from HRC's Press release on June 6, 2008 titled "Human Rights Campaign Endorses Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States".

Black Nominee Paves way for Future Gay President

The brutal battle between Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama over the Democratic nomination is finally at its last throes if not over. With Clinton’s concession speech planned for this weekend, the nation will see Barack Obama as our first Black nominee of a major party. The not-so-innocuous race to the nomination left the candidates bruised and bloody, but brought about great strides in the equality for racial and gender minorities. Clinton fought the aggressive and relentless fight and showed the country that women and girls everywhere are just as capable as their male counterparts – a fact that is unbelievably not common knowledge. Obama continues to give African Americans a resounding voice, set an example for our youth, and encourage changes in attitude among those who continue to rank people by race, sexuality, gender, etc. I have the utmost respect for both senators and I am proud that our country was able to show its greatness in this democratic process.

What are our next steps toward equality? Now that we know our world can democratically elect racial minorities like Obama and religious minorities like India's first Sikh prime minister Manmohan Singh without major concerns, the electability of LGBT people should not be entirely out of the question. In fact, Hunters college studied the impacts of 'coming out' as lesbian and gay. They found that lesbian and gay individuals are more politically active than those who identify as straight. As queer individuals find comfort and acceptance in society, it is likely that their political involvement will increase exponentially. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund - an organization that endorses LGBT politicians - reports that in 1991 they represented 49 openly gay public officials. Today, that number has increased to an almost unbelievable 412 nationwide. Hopefully, the shift in acceptance among racial and gendered minorities, as seen with Obama and Clinton, will translate in future presidential campaigns involving sexual minorities.

The buzz is spreading over Paris’s mayor Bertrand Delanoë and his interest in running for President of France. To my knowledge, Delanoë can possibly be the first openly gay head of state in global history. It is quite possible that the first Black US president will shake hands with the first openly gay president. Despite the Pew poll that states 46% of Americans are not likely to vote for a person who identifies as gay, an openly gay executive is not an impossible occurrence. In fact, Portland recently elected its first openly gay mayor, Sam Adams, and despite the scandals, former New Jersey governor James McGreevey was our countries first openly gay chief executive.

When polls ask, “Is the country ready for a Black president?” my visceral response is an audible, “duh.” When mainstream polls start asking the related question, “Is the country ready for a gay president?” I respond with, "we might be now."

Read more on Paris Possibility: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/gay-mayor-of-paris-sets-his-sights-on-french-presidency-832857.html

Read more on US Possibility: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/05/could_a_gay_person_get_elected_2.html

New Study Concludes LGBTQ Blacks and Latinos more Likely to Attempt Suicide

A new scientific study released by authors of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University finds that LGBTQ Blacks and Latinos are more likely to attempt suicide than LGBTQ Whites are. The study samples 388 New York residents ages 18-59 and concludes that Latinos are at a substantially higher risk at attempting suicide than Blacks who are at a slightly higher risk than Whites are. However, to the surprise of everyone involved, LGBTQ Blacks are least likely to suffer from mental illness, anxiety or mood disorders than LGBTQ Whites and Latinos who are pretty even in mental disorder prevalence. The study concludes that its original hypothesis is wrong, which states, “Black and Latino lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals have more mental disorders than do White lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals because they are exposed to more stress related to prejudice and discrimination associated with their race/ethnicity.”

Also related to the study, the authors find that bisexuals in general are more likely to suffer from substance abuse, but are least likely to suffer from mood disorders and mental illness.

The study’s conclusion brings about new questions like, ‘what elements actually provoke mental illness?’ because we now know prejudice and discrimination based on race are not obvious elements in generating mental disorders OR ‘what are the natural outcomes of mental illness?’ because we now know suicide or drug abuse are not natural indications of mental disorders.

Read More About the study: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1413899/lifetime_prevalence_of_mental_disorders_and_suicide_attempts_in_diverse/

HRC Expands Mission to Include Latino Communities

The Human Rights Campaign represents a grassroots force of more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where LGBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. The Diversity Department is one of HRC's newest sectors. The mission of the Diversity Department is to foster an environment where diversity is explicitly recognized as a fundamental part of our organizational culture. Through strategic initiatives, we position HRC as one of the most successful organizations in the country at uniting LGBT people and straight allies with people of all races and backgrounds to improve the quality of our lives.

The Diversity Department houses the HBCU program, The Transgender alliance program, which is coming soon, and sponsors multiple People of Color Prides. The Department hopes to expand again by integrating a staff member dedicated to bridging the Hispanic community’s fight for equality with that of the LGBT fight for equality. Currently, the LGBT community often overlooks the Latino community along with other racial and ethnic minority groups. HRC hopes to change this by immediately hiring a Diversity Intern dedicated to the aforementioned cause.

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Position Description: Diversity Intern
Time Period: June 16 to September 19, 2008
Reporting Line: Diversity Coordinator
Department: Diversity
Location: HRC Headquarters, Washington, DC

Position Summary:
The Diversity internship is a paid internship providing programmatic and administrative support to the projects of the Diversity Department. This internship will focus on expanding HRC’s work with Hispanic-serving organizations by working with Latino/a youth specifically. The Diversity intern reports to the Diversity Coordinator, who manages the intern’s tasks, responsibilities, and professional development.

The mission of the Diversity Department is to foster an environment where diversity is explicitly recognized as a fundamental part of our organizational culture. Through strategic initiatives, we position HRC as one of the most successful organizations in the country at uniting GLBT people and straight allies with people of all races and backgrounds to improve the quality of our lives.

The summer internship can be either a full-time position of 37.5 hours/week or a part-time position of 20 hours/week. Compensation consists of $262.50/week or $131.25/week respectively and/or academic credit.

Position Responsibilities:
The Diversity Intern will focus on providing programmatic support to the following areas:

Work with LGBT students of color, Latino students specifically, through focused programming and outreach
Work across HRC to integrate the Hispanic community into HRC’s legislative, policy, communications, and membership priorities
Organize cultural events to create dialogue, education and advocacy on identity and other issues that LGBT Latinos/Latinas face today
Work across Hispanic-serving organizations to create coalitions and partnerships with HRC.
Other duties as determined by the Diversity Coordinator

Outcomes:
From this internship, the Diversity Intern will learn about:
Strategies to engage the participation of diverse communities in our local leadership
Community organizing techniques
Incorporating partnerships and alliances into issue campaigns
The logistics and challenges of coalition-building

Required Skills:
The successful applicant for this position must have skills for timely multi-tasking; tactful verbal and written communication; proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook; and a mature sensitivity to working with people of diverse backgrounds and identities. Fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Application
To apply for this internship with the Human Rights Campaign, you must submit a detailed cover letter and resume by June 11, 2008.
Your cover letter should include the following information in the first paragraph:
Ø All your contact information, including addresses both at home and at school
Ø Your major and minor programs of study
Ø Your current level of education (e.g. freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate student)
Ø The hours you are available

In addition, please answer the following questions in your cover letter:
Ø Have you previously applied for a job or internship at HRC? What was the approximate date of your previous application?
Ø How did you hear about our internship opportunities? If from a job posting website, please be specific.
Ø Why are you excited to intern at HRC?
Ø What are some of the skills, experiences and personal attributes you would contribute to HRC?
Ø How would an internship at HRC relate to your personal and professional goals?
Ø What type of experience do you hope to get while interning at HRC?
We will not consider applications that do not include all of the above information.
Please e-mail your cover letter and resume as separate attachments, in either MS Word or PDF format, to josh.crosson@hrc.org.
We will contact you directly if there are any problems opening your attachments, if we have any further questions about your candidacy or if we would like to schedule an interview with you.
Send any questions you have to josh.crosson@hrc.org — no phone calls please. We do not accept applications via mail or fax. Thank you for your interest in interning at the Human Rights Campaign.