More Grins Than Grumbles at a Gay Ball

Just a little insight into the big gay party this weekend. Here's a report from the NY Times blog:

“I’m so tired of Rick Warren,” Rufus Wainwright sang, tweaking the lyrics to his anthem “Going to a Town.” (”I’m so tired of you, America.”) “I’m so tired of California,” he sang, earning a smattering of “woos” at the Human Rights Campaign’s Out for Equality ball at the Mayflower Hotel on Tuesday night.

But the crowd was far more effusive when Mr. Wainwright brought out another performer, Cyndi Lauper. For one duet, she climbed up on the piano like an old-fashioned chanteuse, albeit one in leather pants.

There were far more tuxedos than gowns in the crowd; their owners feasted on miniature Chicago pizzas and miniature Chicago sliders, and posed for photos in front of a bright rainbow ice sculpture.

Still, President Obama’s choice of Mr. Warren, the California pastor and author of “The Purpose-Driven Life,” whose anti-gay-marriage stance has drawn criticism from the gay community, to deliver the invocation on Tuesday was much-remarked upon.

“I translated to Jerome that it was a controversial character,” said Robert Gould, 40, an administrative law judge from New York who attended the inauguration with his Parisian boyfriend, Jerome Riesterer, 36, an airline employee. When Mr. Warren addressed his prayer “to everyone,” Mr. Gould added, “all the people around us, who I assumed were straight — they said, ‘Except for gays.’ ”

But Mr. Gould said Mr. Warren’s presence did not put a damper on the festivities. “When you see this big achievement,” the grandness of it overshadows this one person, he said.

You can find the rest of the article after the jump...

Prop. 8 Exit Polling of African-Americans Way Off, Experts Say

The initial reports of African American support for Prop. 8 are continuing to be discredited by researchers. Take a look at this article from the Advocate:

A new study on California’s Proposition 8 voting trends released Tuesday found that far fewer African-Americans voted to pass the gay marriage ban than the 70% suggested by exit polling and concluded that race was not the most significant factor affecting people’s vote for or against marriage equality.

After conducting in-depth analysis of election returns from five key California counties and using census data to estimate the racial makeup of the voters in those counties, researchers found that between 57% and 59% of African-Americans voted in favor of Proposition 8, which amended the state's constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage.

"This is a far cry from the [National Exit Poll] estimate,” said Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College, one of the lead authors of the study.

You can read the rest of this eye opening article after the jump...

Marriage: The Time Is Now

News sources are reporting that a legislator in Vermont is preparing to introduce legislation that will secure marriage rights for the lesbian and gay community:

AUGUSTA, Maine—The gay marriage issue moved onto the legislative agenda Tuesday as supporters of the idea said this is the time to recognize marriages between same-sex couples -- even if the debate comes amid major concerns in the State House over budget cutbacks and their impact.

Sen. Dennis Damon said he is introducing a bill to rewrite Maine's existing statute that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, instead defining it as a union between two people. In addition, it recognizes gay marriages from other states.

Damon, D-Trenton, answered critics who questioned the timing of the bill as lawmakers face a $838 million shortfall by saying it's "long overdue."

"Currently there is discrimination. Heterosexual couples who have decided to spend their lives together are treated differently than same-sex couples who have ... that same commitment to each other," Damon said. "I don't see the fairness of that. I don't see the need for that, and this bill will put an end to that."

You can find the rest of the article after the jump...

More gays to serve in Obama White House

Is Obama sending signals to the rest of the country about his commitment to the LGBT community by hiring LGBT people? The Washington Blade is reporting that a three new lesbian and gay American's have been asked to join the Obama administration, including one HRC board memeber!

President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team has selected three more openly gay people to serve in his administration, according to a prominent Democratic activist.

The activist, who spoke to the Blade on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the selections, said David Medina, a gay man who is a former national political director for John Edwards’ presidential campaign, has been tapped as deputy chief of staff for Michelle Obama.

Medina is a member of the Human Rights Campaign’s board of directors and has a seat on the organization’s public policy committee.

Dave Noble, a gay man led efforts to mobilize gay voters for Obama’s presidential campaign, will serve as the White House’s liaison to NASA, the activist said.

Noble was formerly an official with the National Stonewall Democrats and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.

Karine Jean-Pierre, a lesbian, has been selected to be the White House liaison to the Department of Labor, the activist said.

Jean-Pierre was a regional political director for Obama’s presidential campaign, after working on John Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign. She has also worked at the Center for Community & Corporate Ethics in a program called “Wal-Mart Watch,” an initiative aimed at encouraging the retailer to change its business practices.

You can find the original article here...

2 men, teen charged in gang rape of Calif. lesbian

In this world, it's hard enough being a woman and feeling safe. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that a woman was gang raped because she was a lesbian:

Two men and a teenager were charged Tuesday in the alleged gang rape of a lesbian in the San Francisco Bay area.

Humberto Hernandez Salvador, 31, and Josue Gonzalez, 21, were charged with kidnapping, carjacking and gang rape in the attack last month in Richmond.

Hate-crime enhancements were added to charges against Salvador, which could mean a more severe sentence if he is convicted. Authorities say the woman was taunted for being a lesbian during the 45-minute assault. Salvador was also charged with being armed with a gun.

The pair did not enter pleas when they appeared in Contra Costa County Superior Court, but they asked to be represented by court-appointed attorneys. Bail was set at $2.2 million for Salvador and $1.9 million for Gonzalez. Both were being held at the county jail.

They face a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty, prosecutors said.

Darrell Hodges, 16, was charged as an adult with similar offenses Monday. A 15-year-old boy whose name has not been released was also arrested last week on suspicion of participating in the attack.

You can read the rest of this story after the jump...

Grassroots push for gay Cabinet member

Some in the LGBT community believe that one way to exemplify LGBT equality is for President-Elect Obama to nominate an LGBT person to the Cabinet. Some see Gov. Bill Richardson's exit as an opportunity the NY Blade reports:

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s decision to quit his nomination as commerce secretary has prompted activist groups to ask President-elect Barack Obama to name an openly gay official to the post.

The vacancy, announced earlier this week, gives Obama an opportunity to nominate a gay person to his Cabinet, something that transition officials have heavily hinted would happen in private meetings with gay rights activists.
Some of those activists publicly expressed their disappointment and frustration when Obama failed to include a gay nominee after making his final Cabinet picks.

Richardson, who initially competed against Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination but later endorsed him, withdrew as the commerce secretary nominee amidst a federal investigation into how his political donors landed a transportation contract in New Mexico.

According to the Associated Press, a grand jury is looking into possible dealings between CDR Financial Products, a national capital markets group, and someone in a position to push contracts through New Mexico’s state government.

You can find the rest of the article after the jump...

Civil Rights Leaders Support Eric Holder for Attorney General

Please read the following media advisory about HRC's enthusiastic support for the potential Attorney General:

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, will join with other civil rights leaders at a press conference tomorrow in support of Attorney General nominee Eric Holder. The Human Rights Campaign announced its support of Holder in a December 18, 2008 letter along with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. The letter is available from the Senate Judiciary Committee here: http://judiciary.senate.gov/resources/documents/upload/121808-LeadershipCouncilOnCivilRights.pdf



“In Eric Holder, President-elect Obama has chosen an attorney general who has demonstrated his dedication to civil rights, protecting communities from hate violence, and the fair and equal application of our laws,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Eric Holder has recognized the deleterious effect that hate and bias crimes have not just on victims, but on entire communities. President-elect Obama’s appointment continues to prove his commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.”



WHAT: Press Conference in Support of Attorney General nominee Eric Holder



WHEN: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. ET



WHERE: 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building



WHO: Sens. Whitehouse and Cardin along with leaders representing the civil rights community



BACKGROUND: After graduating from Columbia Law School, Mr. Holder joined the Department of Justice’s Attorney General's Honors Program. In 1988 he was nominated for and confirmed as Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In 1993 President Clinton nominated Mr. Holder for United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and he was confirmed later that year. In this role he worked vigorously to reduce crime and increase neighborhood safety. Notably, he emphasized hate crimes enforcement to ensure that bias-motivated crimes would receive adequate resources, attention, and punishment. Hate crimes continued to be a priority for Mr. Holder after his 1997 appointment by President Clinton to Deputy Attorney General. His dedication to the issue of addressing hate-based violence is exemplified in his 1999 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. The text of his remarks is available at: http://www.hrc.org/11605.htm