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The HRC HBCU Blog Has Moved

2010-04-01T14:14:00.002-04:00

The HRC HBCU Blog has moved to the new HRC HBCU website. You can find HBCU specific blog posts on the homepage @:

www.hrc.org/hbcu

We will eventually be removing this blog so that there isn't any confusion.

Thank you!

College Employee’s Homophobic Email Gets Her Canned

2009-10-05T11:11:00.001-04:00

One employee at all-male Morehouse College, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia, has been fired, and another reprimanded, in the wake of discriminatory comments emailed about the wedding of two African-American men.

From edgeonthenet:

The unnamed employee who lost her job had worked in the office of the college president as an administrative assistant, the article said.

The unnamed former employee reportedly was the recipient of an email that included photos taken at the wedding of two gay men. She then allegedly sent the email along to others, having included her own commentary.

Those remarks were seen as conflicting with the college’s values, according to statements by college president Dr. Robert M. Franklin, who said in a statement that, "The views expressed in the e-mail entitled, ’The WTD of the Week,’ (September 28, 2009) were the personal views of one individual and do not reflect the values or policies of Morehouse College."

Read the full report here.

Teen in Exorcism Tells "Tyra Banks" He is "Healed" and Ex-Gay

2009-09-24T10:42:00.002-04:00

The teen that has caused a sensation when a video of him being exorcised from "homosexual demons" was posted on YouTube has stated on "Tyra Banks" that he has been "healed."

From Rod 2.0:

There is a disturbing update to the case of the fundamentalist Connecticut church that became the focus of a child welfare investigation after it posted YouTube video which shows the pastors performing an exorcism of a black gay teen's "homosexual demons." The 16-year-old appeared on Tyra Banks on Wednesday and now claims he has been "healed" by the exorcism and no longer gay.

Read some more of his statements here.

Is homosexuality still taboo and unacceptable in the black community? Is this the only way for this teen to be accepted by his family? The conflict between sexual identity and the religious community (and identity) is very real, and one that seems to be difficult to resolve.

First HIV Vaccine Helps Prevent AIDS Infection

2009-09-24T10:36:00.002-04:00

For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the HIV virus.

From The Huffington Post:

The World Health Organization and the U.N. agency UNAIDS said the results "instilled new hope" in the field of HIV vaccine research.

The vaccine – a combination of two previously unsuccessful vaccines – cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the world's largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/24/first-vaccine-helps-preve_n_298250.html

Read the full report here.

More Tour Dates Canceled for 'Homophobic' Jamaican Singer

2009-09-15T12:57:00.004-04:00

You may have heard recently about Buju Banton, a Jamaican reggae singer who's currently on tour. More of this dates are getting cut. Banton's anti-gay anthem, "Boom Bye Bye," a popular song in Jamaica that talks about shooting gays and burning their bodies, has been a source of controversy. Banton however still has around 30 stops on his U.S. tour.

From Edge on the Net:

One venue that refused to cancel Banton’s appearance was the Trocadero in Philadelphia. Banton was scheduled to appear there on Sept. 12, but so were protesters who vowed to show up and demonstrate against Banton and against Trocadero owner Joanna Pang and a local promoter.

A Sept. 13 press release from the Gay Liberation Network noted that Web site CancelBujuBanton.com had announced that the performer had seen gigs fall through in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Minneapolis in the span of a few days.

Read the full story here.

Author E. Lynn Harris, 54, Dies Today

2009-07-27T17:12:00.002-04:00

We here are mourning the death of E. Lynn Harris, one of the most significant cultural figures in the black LGBT community and modern movement. This mourning period, while sad, has served the important educational purpose of spreading Harris' powerful literary influence.

Our own Donna Payne has writes today:

Today I learned that someone very dear to the African American LGBT Community died. E. Lynn Harris was a well known author in our community and on a book tour when he had a heart attack. He blew everyone away in the early 1990’s with his first book “Invisible Life”. It chronicled the life of an African American male living a double life- one as a so-called straight man following the traditions of our black culture (going to church, attending college and family life). The other part of his double life was seeing a man on the side and keeping a cover of beautiful women around to appear straight.

E. Lynn Harris released us all from the “cultural secret” called the “down low” life. He left us over 12 books on the NY Best Seller list for over 15 years! His latest book out this week is “Basketball Jones”.

From CNN.com:

Though Harris wrote primarily about black gay men, some of his biggest fans were black women. His books became staples in black beauty salons, bookstores and book clubs.

"It was hard to go on a subway in places in New York or D.C. and not see some black woman reading an E. Lynn Harris novel," Boykin said.

Harris was an unlikely literary pioneer. He was a former IBM executive who decided to write about his life. He started off in 1991 selling books from the trunk of his car to African-American beauty salons and bookstores.

He eventually became one of the nation's most popular writers with an estimated 4 million of his books in print.

Read the full obituary on this extremely culturally important figure after the jump

Rainey Cheeks, an Affirming Bishop

2009-07-27T15:35:00.003-04:00

Today the Washington Post did a biographic snapshot of one of the HRC's allies who works within black, faith-based communities to promote LGBT awareness and affirmation. Bishop Rainey Cheeks, who is often interviewed and placed in debate on both radio and television as a progressive voice, is truly a valued member of our community.

From the Post:

In the middle of a sermon, Bishop Rainey Cheeks felt his medicine bottle bulging in his pocket and realized he hadn't taken his pills. He paused in the pulpit and faced the congregation in his tiny storefront church.
"Excuse me," Cheeks remembers telling his parishioners last year as he poured three pills into his hand. "This is my HIV medicine. I'm going to take it now."

As he washed down the pills with water, Cheeks saw some members staring with wide eyes. Everybody knew that their pastor, an imposing man with flowing dreadlocks who once competed in taekwondo championships, is gay. But not everyone knew that he is HIV-positive.

"Go ahead, Rev," a few congregants urged. But most shrugged and waited for the bishop to swallow and get on with delivering the good word.

Inner Light Ministries in the District's H Street corridor might seem like a traditional black church, with fiery sermons, electric gospel music, a soulful choir and a congregation that sways and claps in rhythm. But it is hardly that.

For 16 years, it has served as a sanctuary for a small community of black gays and lesbians who say they feel shunned from all directions -- by black men and women who give them cutting looks of disapproval, by mainstream black ministers who condemn homosexuality, and by white gays who make them feel unwelcome in subtle ways, such as switching from hip-hop to country music in a club when too many black men hit the dance floor.

Read the rest of the mini-bio after the jump

Anthony Woods for Congress!

2009-07-22T15:54:00.002-04:00

Today, the HRC released their official endorsement for Anthony Woods as congressman of California's 10th District

From HRC Backstory:

Today the Human Rights Campaign PAC along with the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund announced their endorsement of Anthony Woods for U.S. Congress. Woods, who is running in the September 1, Special Election for California’s 10th Congressional District, earned the Bronze Star after serving two tours in Iraq in the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged after challenging the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law.

Said HRC President Joe Solmonese: “The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse Anthony Woods, a veteran of the Iraq war and steadfast advocate for our community, to become the next U.S. Congressman from California’s 10th district. Anthony hasn’t just shown his support on issues of LGBT equality, he’s lived them — especially the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ Anthony’s support of marriage equality will also be important as we work to repeal Proposition 8, which stripped marriage rights away for California’s same-sex couples. There is no doubt that Anthony will be a role model for LGBT youth, and we applaud his continuing service to our country.”

"Gay is not the New Black"

2009-07-22T15:47:00.003-04:00

Picture Property of ESPN

Commentator and public personality, LZ Granderson, Recently wrote a piece for CNN on why the gay rights movement is distinct from the civil rights movement, and where there might be confusion and conflict within the two (according to him) separate sequences of events. We'd definitely like you to weigh in and share your own thoughts and experiences with the two conflicting identities of race and sexuality.

From CNN.com:

When Proposition 8 passed in California, white gays were quick to blame the black community despite blacks making up less than 10 percent of total voters and whites being close to 60 percent. At protest rallies that followed, some gay blacks reported they were even hit with racial epithets by angry white participants. Not to split hairs, but for most blacks, the n-word trumps the f-word.
So while the white mouthpiece of the gay community shakes an angry finger at intolerance and bigotry in their blogs and on television, blacks and other minorities see the dirty laundry. They see the hypocrisy of publicly rallying in the name of unity but then privately living in segregated pockets. And then there is the history.
The 40th anniversary of Stonewall dominated Gay Pride celebrations around the country, and while that is certainly a significant moment that should be recognized, 40 years is nothing compared with the 400 blood-soaked years black people have been through in this country. There are stories some blacks lived through, stories others were told by their parents and stories that never had a chance to be told.
While those who were at Stonewall talk about the fear of being arrested by police, 40 years ago, blacks talked about the fear of dying at the hands of police and not having their bodies found or murder investigated. The 13th Amendment was signed in 1865, and it wasn't until 1948 that President Harry S Truman desegregated the military. That's more than an 80-year gap.

Check out the full opinion after the jump and don't forget to weigh in here!

NAACP Conference

2009-07-22T15:37:00.002-04:00

Recently, the NAACP held national meetings and conferences in DC to celebrate its 100th anniversary as the nation's oldest civil rights organization. The center of the event, NAACP president, Benjamin Todd Jealous, who touched on a number of pertinent civil rights issues, was also interviewed later to talk about other, less mentioned issues such as LGBT Rights and Marriage equality.

According to Pam's House Blend:

Ben Jealous has has a strong background on social justice issues; his efforts have been forward-thinking in many respects, including outreach to the blogosphere. I met Mr. Jealous last year as he was starting on the job at the NAACP, and I asked him specifically about the organization and its public stance on marriage and LGBT rights. At the time he was quite firm in saying that there is strong support for marriage equality in some individual chapters (they are autonomous) and in leadership in the NAACP(board member Julian Bond is also a strong ally as well).
But it's clear, based on this interview with T.J. Holmes of CNN the other day, that he's getting the message loud and clear from membership that this it's a third rail issue they don't want to touch. Jealous says now that "We don't take a position on that nationally."

Read the entire story after the jump

Also, you can read the full commentary on the event by HRC's own Donna Payne who attended the conference on HRC Backstory

Ya Es Hora

2009-07-14T11:00:00.002-04:00

Ya Es Hora, Spanish for "It is Time" is the name of a new HRC collaborative initiative to register Legal Permanent Residents (LPR's) in the United States for citizenship. This past Saturday was the very beginning of Ya Es Hora, with South Florida, Los Angeles, and Phoenix being the first cities to hold the event.

On HRC Backstory:

This past weekend, Human Rights Campaign volunteers participated in Ya Es Hora events — the largest and most comprehensive effort to incorporate Latinos as full participants in the American political process. Its multi-layered integrated campaign provides a comprehensive approach that links naturalization to voter participation and Census enumeration under a single message: “it’s time.”
Ya Es Hora is led by four national organizations and dozens of regional and local organizations including: Univision, the largest Spanish-language media network in the U.S.; Mi Familia Vota Education Fund; National Council of La Raza; National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund; and the Service Employees International Union. Together, the Ya Es Hora partners have a goal to move over 1 million Latino eligible legal permanent residents (LPRs) on the path to U.S. citizenship during 2009 and 2010. Since 2007, this campaign has helped process U.S. citizenship applications for more than 1.4 million Latinos.

Read the whole story, including commentary and reflection from our volunteers, after the jump

If you'd like to find out more about Ya Es Hora, or find out where the nearest Ya Es Hora will be happening near you, please contact me or Hyacinth Alvaran

President Obama on Gay Rights

2009-07-06T15:02:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month, President Obama declared June to be National LGBT History Month. Following through with this declaration, last week, President Obama made the landmark decision to grant all federal employees equal benefits for themselves and their partners, regardless of the marital status or sexual orientation of the employee and his or her partner. For the signing of this article, Obama invited numerous civil rights and political leaders to the oval office where he delivered some remarks on the topic.

The Daily Voice reports:

Forty years after the Stonewall riots sparked the gay rights movement, President Barack Obama hosts an historic reception for LGBT activists and their families to honor LGBT Pride and the 40th Stonewall anniversary. The speech, carried live on CNN and other networks, marks the first time a sitting president has given a live televised speech on LGBT issues.

The President, who has been criticized by many LGBT rights advocates for inaction on his many campaign promises, says his Administration has made some progress on behalf of gay Americans and will do more.

Read the whole story, including all of President Obama's Remarks, after the jump

Following Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2009-06-29T14:22:00.002-04:00

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or DADT, a policy put into effect in the Clinton administration, has made the many LGBT men and women fighting in our military both invisible and expendable. Since the inauguration of President in Obama alone, the military has lost 265 gay men and women to this policy, and the policy remains unchanged. Between 1994 and 2006, more than 11,000 people had been discharged from the military under this policy.

Recently, Lt. Dan Choi has recently become the face of the war against DADT, being both an outspoken person of color and LGBT representative.

The California Progress Report writes:

Lt. Dan Choi on Tuesday faces a hearing to determine whether he will be kicked out of the military due to his violation of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy." This despite the fact that he has willingly and proudly served his nation with honor. This despite the fact that he has the rare skill of speaking fluent Arabic. On Friday night, he was in Davis to campaign for his friend and classmate from West Point, Anthony Woods who is running for Congress in the 10th Congressional District.

According to Lt. Choi, for him this is an issue of honor and integrity. Lt. Dan Choi said, “I graduated from West Point, we learned that a cadet would not. It had nothing to do with your orientation, it does not say that a straight cadet would not lie, but a gay cadet must lie. So that kind of dissonance we don't deal with. There's a zero tolerance policy, there's not compromise on that. So those things don't change. A West Point cadet and graduate has a certain level of character, certain level of man and woman. We don't put up with it, we don't say it's okay for our government to discriminate. That was the little piece of sand that was creating the friction that created the pearl that we see today.”

Read all about Lt. Dan Choi and DADT after the jump

A Gay Exorcism in 2009

2009-06-29T14:10:00.003-04:00

Last week a story got picked up from a church in Bridgeport, CT with a primarily black congregation. The non-denominational Christian Manifested Glory Church recorded a video of them, as they claim, ridding a young (16 year-old) black man of a homosexual demon that had supposedly possessed him. When outreach and interview were requested, the church leaders had no comment, making the video that they posted to be the only gimpse into the workings of their church.

The Examiner writes:

A video has emerged illustrating the exorcism of a reportedly 16 year-old homosexual teenager by a Connecticut church—Manifested Glory Ministries—which had posted the activity on their website. Not surprisingly, the footage of the young, black man, flailing about on the floor, sometimes violently and to the point of physical illness as Pastor Patricia McKinney ordered the “homosexual demon” out of his body, has garnered some attention.

Watch the video and read the full article after the jump

Isaiah Washington joins the NO H8 Campaign

2009-06-29T13:37:00.002-04:00

Isaiah Washington, who made news years ago for the controversy surrounding using a homophobic slur against co-actor T.R. Knight of the show Grey's anatomy, just joined the No H8 Campaign. The No H8 Campaign is a photo-driven advertising project headed up by Adam Bouska that aims to send a backlash to this past year's passage of Proposition 8, held up by the courts of California.

Towleroad writes:

Isaiah Washington is the latest star to take part in photographer Adam Bouska's "No H8" campaign.
He gave a rambling interview to Entertainment Tonight:

"What has been purported about me has nothing to do with who I am. I have been dealing with organizations like ACT UP for over 25 years. Right before Keith Haring passed away I was working with him. City kids of New York. Fighting for awareness of HIV/AIDS for 25 years of my life..."

Watch the video after the jump

Support for Marriage Equality over Racial and Ethnic Lines

2009-06-23T16:02:00.002-04:00

A new poll out by the L.A. times has tried to compile all the stats showing the divisions in support for marriage equality across the lines of race and ethnicity. The summary of the poll shows how hard it can be for individuals in more than one minority position.

In the state's continuing political battles over gay marriage, both sides are targeting Latino voters, and a new Los Angeles Times poll illustrates why.

Overall, the poll showed a majority of voters in Los Angeles support the right of same-sex couples to legally marry, with 56% in favor and 37% opposed. That finding closely tracked results of November's election, when Proposition 8, which limited marriage to a man and a woman, won statewide but lost in Los Angeles.

Read the rest of the story after the jump

Human Rights Campaign Statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Denial of Certiorari in Pietrangelo v. Gates Case

2009-06-08T14:10:00.002-04:00

Please find the official HRC response to the rejection of DADT by the Supreme Court:

WASHINGTON –The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization issued a statement today on the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of a writ of certiorari in the case of Pietrangelo v. Gates, a challenge to the U.S. Military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. Captain Pietrangelo was discharged in 2004 under the U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. The Supreme Court’s decision ends the appeals process for Captain Pietrangelo. This decision comes weeks before the Board of Inquiry hearing is scheduled to review the case of First Lieutenant Daniel Choi of the New York Army National guard who is being discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

“The time to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is now. The Supreme Court’s denial of a writ of certiorari in this case, and the upcoming hearing to discharge Lt. Dan Choi, is only further proof that this law is not working and is putting our national security at unnecessary risk,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Every day, patriotic lesbian, gay and bisexual service members continue to be discharged under this discriminatory policy. Every moment that the Administration and Congress delay repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” our nation is robbed of brave men and women who would risk their lives to keep our country safe.”

Pietrangelo v. Gates, originally Cook v. Gates, was brought by twelve former members of the U.S. Military who were discharged under DADT. At the time the case was called Cook v. Gates. The district court dismissed the suit for a failure to state a claim and the plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Last year, the appeals court affirmed the district court’s ruling. Captain Pietrangelo on his own subsequently appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court by filing a petition for a writ of certiorari.

First Lieutenant Daniel Choi of the New York Army National Guard is one of those service members affected by DADT. Later this summer, Lt. Choi will go before a Board of Inquiry to fight the U.S. Military’s efforts to discharge him under DADT. Lt. Choi, is an Arabic linguist who graduated from West Point. His case has received significant national media attention, underscoring the need for repeal of DADT.

The rejection is especially problematic given Pres. Obama assurances that he would repeal DADT during his term in office. In this particular case we see why it is important for us to continue to educate the general public about our issues, and pressure our representatives to keep their promises.

For more information on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or other LGBT military issues go here...

A Message from Morehouse: Robert M. Franklin's Speech

2009-05-08T16:26:00.002-04:00

“The Soul of Morehouse and the Future of the Mystique”

President’s Town Hall Meeting
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
11 a.m.

(The following is an excerpt from prepared remarks delivered by Dr. Robert M. Franklin to
the students of Morehouse College.)

…I’d like to address a subject that is vital to every man of Morehouse, namely,
the soul of Morehouse and the future of the Mystique.

I have tried to translate the mystique into terms more comprehensible to the
public. So, you have heard my vision language on many occasions and many of
you have already begun to interpret and apply this vision in creative ways. Here
is the vision in eight simple words:

Renaissance Men with social conscience and global perspective.
Morehouse produces such leaders in a very special kind of community; we call
it “The Brotherhood.” … [The Morehouse Mystique] is a distinctive and
mysterious bond between good men that strengthen us when we’re together and
sustains us when we’re apart and until we meet again. It is captured in rituals
like the College hymn. Show me one other college that sings its hymn in a
manner where a mystical bond seems to radiate above and within the members.
This is Morehouse. It cannot be reduced to words or data.

But after two years, I have learned something that I did not [know] before. One
of the critical ingredients in the Morehouse mystique is a fundamental sense of
discontent with mediocrity and nonsense. Morehouse men bond around their
complaints about how Morehouse often functions or ‘dysfunctions.’ In other
words, you cannot be a Morehouse Man in the making—a Renaissance Man
with social conscience and global perspective—unless you are uneasy about the
human condition. I want each of you to have a healthy impatience with the
status quo. And I will declare at every Morehouse commencement that
Morehouse men must be so sensitive to the presence of disorder, mediocrity and
injustice that they cannot sleep well at night until they tip the scale toward
justice. Unto whom much is given, much is required.

THE SOUL IN DISTRESS

But today, our soul is sick and our mystique is threatened. Not for want of more
financial resources. We have never had enough money. (And, it is amazing that
we continue to produce Ivy League results with HBCU resources.) Nor is the
mystique threatened by what the Harvard historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. called
“discrepancies between our rhetoric and our reality.” Every institution has its
discrepancies and gaps in quality and performance. My administration is fully
committed to eradicating and alleviating Morehouse discrepancies and I trust
that you see evidence of progress….

Our soul is threatened by the presence of a few people inside and outside the
Morehouse village who are spiritually ill and disoriented. So, I’d like to speak
very directly to those men and women, but primarily to men of Morehouse. As
all of you listen to these remarks, I want you to do two things: first, help us to
disseminate this message widely, especially to our brothers who were unable or
unwilling to join the president in this historic chapel meeting….

Second, to those who have not yet committed to the Renaissance and renewal of
Morehouse, I want you to listen and make a decision about whether you should
remain at Morehouse. I know that a few of you are enrolled because it was
mama’s or daddy’s dream. But, if it isn’t your dream, you should exercise the
discernment and the courage to transfer to a more suitable environment. There
are a lot of schools out there that would love to have a young man who
qualified for admission to Morehouse. And remember that there are thousands
of brothers out there who did not receive a Morehouse admission letter.

A PIVOTAL DATE FOR THE MOREHOUSE RENAISSANCE

On this day, April 21st, I want to set forth and clarify the expectations of the
Morehouse Renaissance. This date is pregnant with meaning. According to
tradition and myth, on April 21, 753 B.C., Romulus and his twin brother,
Remus, founded Rome, perhaps the first great international city, the first world
house. Today, I use that event to symbolize the groundbreaking of a renewed
Morehouse as world house.

I have articulated five attributes of the Renaissance Man. My staff calls them the
“Five Wells.” Well read, spoken, traveled, dressed and balanced. (To remember
them in order, remember that “R,S,T” are consecutive letters of the alphabet.
You’re on your own for remembering the final “D” and “B.”) I want to highlight
three of these today: reading (or the life of the mind), speech and dress.

· Well-read. You have seen that HBCUs face a crisis of graduating
students, especially black men. In many schools, less than 29% of the
men enrolled graduate within six years. This year, Morehouse is
reporting a rate of 67%, which is exceptional to most people—but not
good enough for Morehouse. Last week, at the student election debate, I
heard a candidate announce an initiative called “GOT: Graduate On
Time.” Perhaps more parents should follow the model of elite institutions
that award scholarships. They pay for eight semesters, period, and only if
the student maintains a 3.0 GPA.

· Last week, the College honored several hundred men who earned a place
on the Honor Roll at Morehouse College. Recently, a record was set as
688 students (out of our 2,600 total) earned the distinction of Dean’s List
placement. I challenged all of my students to aim for this honor and then
to aim higher. But, if you need assistance, be man enough to ask for help
rather than fail a course. Our teachers are smart, but most of them cannot
read your mind or follow the games some students play to pass courses
without really learning much.

· It gives me heartburn to mention this topic, but there is the matter of
academic dishonesty. During my time here, we heard the joke, ‘All work
and no plagiarism make for dull papers.’ Some of you are smart, but not
as smart as you think. We know about using technology to cheat, about
texting answers into exams. Brothers, someone is paying for a
Morehouse education. Shouldn’t you be trying to get it? Do the right
thing.

· I have seen too many students standing in lines wasting time. You should
carry something to read and make good use of your down time. Read
books, not just summaries of books. Choose an accomplished and prolific
writer as a role model. But just as important—if not more—study
grammar and syntax and the art of composition. General Education at
Morehouse seeks to teach and encourage you to apply these fundamental
rules. Learn the power of accurately constructed sentences and well positioned
words.

· It matters how well you write. Each of you must be able to write a solid
personal statement for a job, graduate application or a fellowship. Once
you have been accepted into the prestigious programs, it is crucial to be
able to write flawless research papers, theses and dissertations. And on
an ongoing basis, your written communications with superiors and
colleagues in the workplace are of even more importance. I do not want
employers or professors to call us and ask, ‘How did Morehouse graduate
a student who writes so poorly?’

· If you are not learning, if you need a tutor, ask for help. Morehouse
provides tutors and we are about to establish a more comprehensive
mentoring program inspired by a student-led movement called
Resurgence of the Crown….

· … The Renaissance Man is well-spoken. He chooses his words
carefully. This reduces the necessity of relying on profanity or empty
verbal placeholders like, ‘um, um, ahh…’ or nonsense like ‘you know
what I’m saying, you know what I’m saying?’
· Strive to have something valuable to say, and be in possession of elegant
words and phrases that allow you to effectively communicate complex
emotions and ideas. Profanity does not reflect your verbal grace and
style. It suggests a lazy mind and is contrary to the Morehouse ideal…

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE RENAISSANCE

· In the matter of violence. Morehouse will be a campus of peace and
justice. We will be a violence-free zone. … We have an excellent judicial
council and it will continue to render decisions in student misconduct
cases. But, I intend to take a personal interest in brothers who try to
resolve conflict by violent means….

· In the matter of gender relations, Morehouse will be a community that
respects women. We will be a community of zero tolerance for sexual abuse,
date rape, prostitution, pimping and other forms of illegal behavior….

· In the matter of customer service and professionalism, Morehouse will
operate in accord with the best practices of a selective, private college. I
have heard your call for improved customer service. It is outrageous to learn
that occasionally a faculty or staff member has behaved in ways that fall
below Morehouse standards. We will not tolerate this. But, at the same time,
we expect every one of you to show respect to all faculty and staff.

· It is unacceptable to be demanding or demeaning, threatening or
challenging, insulting or inflammatory. We are here to meet your needs, but
the staff and faculty are not obligated to yield to rudeness….

· The other issue concerns our campus and its conservation efforts. We are
becoming a greener Morehouse. We will improve utilization of energyefficient
light bulbs and paper recycling. I want to thank students and alumni
for working with my team to accomplish this.

· As for our attractive ambience, we employ the services of professionals to
help maintain the grounds of the campus. …We have a collective
responsibility to ensure the cleanliness and hygiene of our dorm rooms,
classrooms, bathrooms and the entire campus. If I can stoop to pick up trash,
may I ask that you do the same?

· After all of the filth and trash that the slave system forced us to endure, how
can we deliberately litter our campus with flyers and handbills? I have asked
our General Counsel to prepare a legal communication to the companies that
are employing people to dump handbills on our campus grounds....

SQUARING IDENTITY AND ETHICS: A CAMPUS IMPERATIVE

In the matter of diversity, Morehouse will be a safe, respectful campus that
balances personal liberty with the responsibility of membership in a moral
community. Morehouse is blessed with a variety of diversity assets. You hail from
43 different states and 27 different countries. You are diverse in ethnicity and race,region, socio-economic background, culture, religion, political loyalty and personal interest. But all of you can and will become Renaissance Men.

As an all-male institution with the explicit mission of educating men with
disciplined minds, perhaps the great challenge of this moment in history is our
diversity of sexual orientation. … Part of our greatness lies in our ability to accept men of quality who wish to uphold the Morehouse mystique. We do not pry into a
person’s private identity; nor do we wish to have identity paraded in an undignified
manner. We do demand that everyone aspire to high ethical standards and
responsible community behavior. Identity must always square with, and yield to,
ethics.

…I have appointed a committee on Diversity and Tolerance to review the
effectiveness of what we have done and are currently doing. You will hear more in
the fall. But, let me be clear: three basic principles will govern our life together in this moral community:

1. The principle of safety and security. Anthropologist Abraham Maslow
has observed that if people do not feel secure, not much else will matter.
Every student, staff and faculty member must feel safe and secure in the
Morehouse community.…

2. The principle of diversity. It is a privilege to study and live in a diverse
community. People often assume that an HBCU is less diverse than other
majority institutions. Well, I’ve been a student and taught at majority
institutions and they are hardly more diverse than Morehouse. We have a
small percent of non-African American men. Most majority schools have
a small percent of nonwhite students.

· Since we are unique, why don’t we use this opportunity to model
something our community needs? Straight men should learn more about
the outlooks and contributions of gay men. Read a book by a gay author.
Have an intelligent conversation with a gay neighbor. At a time when it
was truly scandalous to have homosexual friends or associates, Dr. King
looked to Bayard Rustin, a black gay man, as a trusted adviser. And,
Malcolm X regarded James Baldwin, a black gay man, as a brilliant
chronicler of the black experience. To my straight brothers, diversity at
Morehouse is an opportunity that can enrich your education if you are
courageous enough to seize the opportunity. We cannot force you, but we
invite you to learn from your environment.

3. The principle of decorum. Decorum is a Latin word that means orderly,
dignified, becoming and handsome. …

· Here, I offer a word about being well-dressed, the fourth of the
“Well” attributes. I have not desired to be overly prescriptive about
this. You do not have to wear a tie and jacket to class, although no one
would object to it. You’re a college student. You can enjoy yourself
while wearing comfortable clothing that respects the fact that you are
part of a community of educated and ethical men…

· We cannot monitor what you wear when you leave campus, but
while you are on the Morehouse campus, in the presence of adult
learners, do not sag your pants, do not show your undergarments.
Do not wear do-rags, and do not wear baseball caps in class or in
the cafeteria. …

· And, to those who would experiment with wearing clothing
associated with a women’s garb (dresses, tunics, purses and
pumps) I am directing that you not exhibit these items on the
Morehouse campus. Wear what you wish to off campus. But, while
you are here on the ground where Mays and Martin and Maynard
walked, those items are off limits. A man in women’s clothing on
campus is provocative and will not be tolerated.

I want to establish a culture of high expectation and encouragement, not one of
enforcement and harassment. But, I ask you to work with me to restore the
Morehouse that our mothers and fathers prayed and sighed for.

THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER

So, in summary, I want to say that Morehouse is your house. You must take
responsibility for its excellence.

…If you cannot follow the guidelines of a moral community, then leave. Change
your behavior or separate from this college.

…If you want to be part of something rare and noble, something that the world has
not often seen—a community of educated, ethical, disciplined black men more
powerful than a standing army—then you’ve come to the right place….

Up you mighty men of Morehouse, you aristocrats of spirit, you can
accomplish what you will!

The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees List

2009-04-28T14:45:00.003-04:00

As the school year winds down and job searches pick up, are you wondering which companies are America's most LGBT friendly. Diversity Inc. just published their own list of the 10 ten best employers for LGBT Americans:

What makes a company the right place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender employees--and their friends and families--to work? To determine this list, we looked at several factors, including inclusive benefits for same-sex partners of employees, strong diversity training programs, recruitment efforts aimed at LGBT people and the vitality of the company's LGBT employee-resource group.

Since the workplace demographic data on LGBT employees is inconclusive (most companies don't ask about orientation, and even those that do believe a certain segment is uncomfortable coming out), we also include ratings from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)'s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which measures workplace rights for LGBT individuals. No company can be on our Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees list that doesn't receive a 100 percent CEI rating. Interestingly, 74 percent of The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® received a 100 percent CEI rating this year, compared with 52 percent in 2006 and 28 percent in 2004.

We also examined the company's web site to assess its visible commitment to the LGBT community, as well as its relationships with external organizations such as the HRC and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). And we gave companies extra points for marketing to the LGBT community and for use with LGBT suppliers certified by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Here are the top 10 and a reason why each of them made the list:

No. 1: Ernst & Young, No. 3 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

The Big Four firm has a strong employee network for LGBT employees called Beyond Professional Resource Network. E&Y spends 0.5 percent of its total procurement budget with certified LGBT contractors. The company's nondiscrimination policy includes gender identity.

No. 2: Wells Fargo & Co., No. 31 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention; No. 10 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Latinos; and No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans

Well known for its efforts to reach out to LGBT customers, the San Francisco-based bank offers its LGBT employees and their partners benefits equal to those of heterosexual partners. Its diversity training includes sexual orientation and gender-identity components.

No. 3: PricewaterhouseCoopers, No. 5 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 1 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Global Diversity Companies

The firm's commitment to its LGBT employees is clear in its collateral material and on its web site, where its inclusive policies are emphasized. It has a strong LGBT resource group, called GLBT Mentoring Circles.

No. 4: IBM Corp., No. 10 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 1 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities; No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity; No. 4 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans; and No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Global Diversity Companies

IBM has strong ties to the LGBT community, as demonstrated by its philanthropy to such groups as International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, International Lesbian and Gay Association, Out for Work, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Gay Men's Health Crisis and others.

No. 5: Aetna, No. 48 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 7 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

Aetna's president, Mark Bertolini, is a strong advocate for the company's LGBT employees and received an Out & Equal Champions Award in 2007. The company has very strong benefits for its LGBT employees and their partners, as well as an excellent LGBT employee-resource group.

No. 6: KPMG, No. 21 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 10 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

The Big Four accounting firm, which is being honored this year at GLSEN's Respect Awards for its commitment to LGBT equality, has a strong employee-resource group for LGBT workers and has excellent benefits for LGBT employees and their partners, including coverage for transgender treatment.

No. 7: Sodexo, No. 6 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 3 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention; No. 3 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for African Americans; No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Latinos; No. 1 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women; and No. 9 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

The company has excellent benefits for LGBT employees and their partners, including bereavement leave, relocation assistance and retiree healthcare benefits. It also has mandatory diversity training for managers, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

No. 8: AT&T, No. 2 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 7 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention and No. 1 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for African Americans

The company has a strong employee-resource group for LGBT employees, called LEAGUE -- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered United Employees at AT&T. The company has strong benefits for LGBT employees, including adoption assistance.

No. 9: Cisco Systems, one of DiversityInc's 25 Noteworthy Companies. Also No. 3 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities and No. 4 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Global Diversity Companies

Cisco is a supporter of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007, has excellent benefits for LGBT employees and their partners, and has been a strong supporter of LGBT nonprofits.

No. 10: Johnson & Johnson, No. 1 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 4 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention; No. 5 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans; and No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women

The company has strong diversity training that includes orientation and gender identity as well as first-rate benefits for LGBT employees and their partners.

Coalition urges swift passage of hate crimes bill

2009-04-28T14:32:00.003-04:00

The momentum around pro-LGBT legislation is truly staggering. The hate crimes legislation is up for debate in the House and there is a broad coalition supporting it. 365gay is reporting:

(Washington) The US House is expected to vote this week on legislation to add sexual orientation to the list of categories covered under federal hate crime law.

The bill was marked up last week by the House Judiciary Committee.

A wide coalition of national civil rights, human rights, and faith communities is calling for swift approval of the bill. Among the groups is the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

“Violence against people because of who they are, where they worship, or the color of their skin, is the antithesis of what we stand for as a nation. Hatred that leads to violence is a matter of fundamental concern to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and its 200-member coalition and we are unified in our support of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act,” said Wade Henderson, president of the LCCR.

“The right to be protected and to be safe and free from physical harm or intimidation is the most fundamental of civil and human rights. We urge Congress to quickly pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, legislation that will enhance protections against hate crimes and give local police departments the resources they need to crack down on hate motivated violence,” said Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP.

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

Judy Shepard Video as Congress Takes up Hate Crimes Legislation

2009-04-21T11:30:00.001-04:00

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization – released a video today as part of the effort to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) featuring Judy Shepard whose son Matthew was murdered in 1998 because he was gay.

“It’s been ten years since Judy Shepard lost her son Matthew and this video is a painful reminder that the federal government does not have the resources it needs to assist in prosecuting these horrific acts,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Since Matthew’s murder, tens of thousands of Americans have been victims of hate violence and it’s time to give local law enforcement the tools to combat this scourge.”

Tomorrow, the House Judiciary Committee will mark up the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA), also known as the Matthew Shepard Act. The bill would give the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence by providing the department with jurisdiction over crimes of violence where the victim is chosen because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

The video profiles the stories of hate crimes victims who were targeted because of who they are. They include:

· Angie Zapata who on a summer night in Greeley, Colorado, was bludgeoned to death with a fire extinguisher because she was transgender.

· Billy Ray Johnson a mentally disabled man from Texas who was taken to a party, ridiculed, knocked unconscious, and then dumped by the side of the road.

· Luis Ramirez who while walking home to his family in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, was beaten him to death by a group of young men yelling racial and ethnic epithets.

· Ryan Skipper of Eloise, Florida, who was robbed, driven to a dirt road and stabbed more than twenty times because he was gay.

· Sean Kennedy, a South Carolina man who died after he was assaulted by a man yelling anti-gay slurs. The state has no hate crime law and his attacker was sentenced to three years in prison.

Would middle school GSAs help curb anti-gay bullying?

2009-04-21T10:09:00.002-04:00

As we work to secure LGBT student orgs on the college level, the discussion is being had in the middle school arena. In Boston, MA three youth panelists testified to the importance of GSAs and other LGBT youth support groups during their high school years. The Edge reports:

During an April 14 legislative briefing by the Massachusetts Commission on GLBT Youth, commissioners, lawmakers and young people debated whether middle schools would be the next frontier for the gay/straight alliance (GSA) movement. Three youth panelists testified to the importance of GSAs and other LGBT youth support groups during their high school years, but commission vice-chair Eleni Carr pointed out that research suggests students are now coming out at much younger ages. The briefing took place in the House Member’s Lounge inside the State House.

"Today the average age is actually 13.4, which is middle school. ... I’m wondering if there are any thoughts here on the panel or in the room of the appropriateness and possibilities that might exist in gay/straight alliances in middle schools," said Carr.

Find the rest of the article after the jump...

Watch: MTV presents Pedro

2009-03-30T15:48:00.002-04:00

The HBCU Program got this alert from the HRC Communications Department:

In 1994, Pedro Zamora captured the hearts of millions on MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco as the first-ever openly gay, HIV-positive main character on a national television show. Pedro is an intimate bio pic tracing his humble Cuban immigrant roots to his courageous rise to national prominence as the most recognizable HIV-AIDS activist in the United States. The world premiere of Pedro provides us with a unique opportunity to begin an honest discussion about the realities of sexually transmitted infections.

To carry on Pedro’s fight, we want to encourage all sexually active people to get tested. To make this as easy and fun as possible, we set up an SMS code so all anyone has to do is text their zip code to 49809 and they will get a text back with the location of the nearest testing center. In addition, everyone who texts that SMS code will automatically be registered to win a trip for 2 people to the 2009 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles! Not a bad deal for doing something we should all be doing anyway right?

Watch the trailor here!

Gay student stripped of university student senate seat

2009-03-28T17:13:00.002-04:00

Injustice or a matter of procedure?? Lezgetreal.com is reporting that a lesbian student at Valparaiso University was stripped of her senate seat in the student government. The seat was apparently set aside for minority students, and the bylaws do not include LGBT in the definition of minority. Students are saying that the admin used this technicality to minimize LGBT representation on the campus.

In February, Tia Kolasa, an openly gay undergraduate at Northern Indiana’s Valparaiso University, was overwhelming elected by her classmates to fill a student senate seat designated for minority students. Kolasa sought to fill that seat so she could represent the gay community on campus.

Sources at the school say Kolasa is well liked and popular with her peers on the senate. They also say she was doing “a great job” as a senator, that she was bringing a new awareness of LGBT issues to non gay students and had instilled a sense of pride in the members of Valparaiso University LGBT student community.

But a few weeks after Kolasa assumed her new responsibilities as a student senator, questions were raised by some students and school administrators if being gay should be considered a minority and soon after Valparaiso University officials informed the counsel that sexual orientation did not qualifying under the student senate’s bylaws or under school policies for minority status and directed that Kolasa be removed from her seat.

In issuing his ruling, President Mark Heckler said the issue of unseating Kolasa was entirely a matter of procedure. Heckler also said the ground rules were established from the beginning, and that changing those rules in midstream to seat someone was the reason for Kolasa was removed.

Read the rest of this article after the jump...

President Obama Appoints Out Lesbian to the D.C. Superior Court

2009-03-28T17:00:00.002-04:00

Shewired.comr is reporting that Prez. Obama has appointed an out lesbian to D.C. Superior Court. Marisa Demeo, who currently serves as a Magistrate Judge, demonstrated understanding and unwavering commitment to civil rights.

The White House Press Office announced President Obama is, ”pleased to put forward two nominees who have served the people of the District of Columbia with such distinction. Marisa Demeo and Florence Pan have dedicated their careers to serving the public good and they will be esteemed and eminent additions to the DC Superior Court.”

The appointment of Demeo, who currently serves as a Magistrate Judge, pleased the Human Rights Campaign.

The HRC applauded the choice noting, “Demeo has a demonstrated understanding and unwavering commitment to civil rights. She has more than 15 years of experience working with LGBT, community, Latino, and civil rights groups such as DOJ Pride and GAYLAW. Judge Demeo is also a former co-chair of GELAAM where she conducted HIV and breast cancer outreach and education to the local Latino community. Demeo clearly possesses the intellectual rigor and experience required of an Associate Judge and we are confident her knowledge and expertise will serve our community well.”

You can read the article after the jump...

Why the African American community should embrace gay rights.

2009-03-23T17:54:00.003-04:00

The Bay Area's Contra Costa Times just published an opinion piece by Pastor and syndicated columnist, Byron Williams. Williams makes some pretty good points, check it out:

WHENEVER THERE is a discussion about gay rights and the African-American community, someone can be depended upon to offer the juvenile critique that the cause of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is not the same as the historical Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s.

It's not uncommon to hear African-American pastors suggest "my skin cannot be compared with their sin" as a way to poetically justify their homophobia.

This argument assumes a collective understanding of what the Civil Rights Movement is and what the LGBT movement is not.

If one views the civil rights movement and the current LGBT struggle through the linear paradigm of race and sex, I would agree there is little that connects the two.

If, however, one understands the civil rights movement as something that helped America get closer to the democratic values to which it committed itself in 1776, along with the preamble of the Constitution that reads: "We the people of the United States in order form a more perfect union," then I would suggest the LGBT struggle is very much an extension in the ongoing civil rights struggle.

Find the rest of the article after the jump...

Anonymous E-mail Accuses Diversity Program of Promoting ‘Gay Agenda’

2009-03-18T14:21:00.002-04:00

Julie Bolcer at the Advocate is reporting that a mass email has been sent to thousands of parents of a California high school complaining that the school's diversity program is advancing the "gay agenda". It seems like the email didn't illict the response the author had hoped for:

An anonymous e-mail potentially sent to thousands of parents accused the Castro Valley High School in California of promoting a "gay agenda" in its diversity program last week.

The high school near San Francisco is the alma mater of lesbian MSNBC host, Rachel Maddow.

The two-day “Days of Diversity” program, now in its ninth year at the school, teaches students about the history of their community and country, including inter-religious relations and civil rights, according to Principal Pete Alvarez.

Whoever sent the e-mail thinks otherwise, however.

“I find out that the influence of the gay agenda at CVHS is much worse than I had been led to believe,” said the message. “I already knew that most of my child’s teachers were gay.”

Officials are unclear how the sender received the e-mail addresses of parents, many of whom expressed their disgust with the anti-gay sentiments.

Find the original article after the jump...

Human Rights Campaign Applauds Obama Administration for Supporting UN Declaration Affirming Human Rights of LGBT People

2009-03-18T14:12:00.003-04:00

Some amazing news is coming off of the HRC wire. This is the change we can believe in:

Human Rights Campaign Applauds Obama Administration for Supporting UN Declaration Affirming Human Rights of LGBT People

Bush administration had previously refused to sign

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, issued a statement today on the Obama administration’s announcement that it formally endorsed a United Nations declaration calling for an end to discrimination and other human rights abuses based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The move is a reversal of the Bush administration’s refusal to sign the statement, which made the United States the only western nation not to support the measure when presented by the U.N. General Assembly in December.

“This is a welcome step forward as it signals to the world that, after years of a hostile administration, the United States recognizes the humanity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at home and abroad,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We applaud the Obama administration for joining the other 66 member nations that have officially recognized that basic human rights include the equality of LGBT people.”

“The United States supports the U.N.'s statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and is pleased to join the other 66 U.N. member states who have declared their support of the statement,” the State Department said in a statement released today. “The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world. As such, we join with other supporters of this statement, and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora.”

In December, HRC was a vocal critic of the Bush administration’s refusal to sign the declaration. Nearly 2,500 HRC members called the State Department urging it support the declaration. HRC also released a joint statement denouncing the Vatican’s opposition to the declaration. The statement, which was signed by faith program directors from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and National Black Justice Coalition, can be found read online by visiting, http://www.hrc.org/news/11728.htm.

NAACP National Chairman Julian Bond Gives Amazing Speech at HRC LA Dinner

2009-03-17T13:52:00.003-04:00

National NAACP Chairman Julian Bond gave an amazing speech in support of LGBT rights at HRC’s Los Angeles Gala Dinner on Saturday, March 14. Check the video out below!!!

South Africa: 'Corrective Rape' Spreads To 'Fix' Lesbians

2009-03-12T16:27:00.004-04:00

The Huffington Post is featuring a story by The Guardian on the rise of sexual violence against lesbians in South Africa:

The partially clothed body of Eudy Simelane, former star of South Africa's acclaimed Banyana Banyana national female football squad, was found in a creek in a park in Kwa Thema, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Simelane had been gang-raped and brutally beaten before being stabbed 25 times in the face, chest and legs.As well as being one of South Africa's best-known female footballers, Simelane was a voracious equality rights campaigners and one of the first women to live openly as a lesbian in Kwa Thema.

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

Human Rights Campaign Recognizes Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

2009-03-11T15:04:00.003-04:00

More than 26 years after its discovery, HIV/AIDS continues to change the face of human health like no other modern illness. Today we know that women and female adolescents account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses - and the infection rates among women of color are even more alarming. In 2004, the CDC reported these shocking statistics (.PDF) about HIV/AIDS:

• is the leading cause of death for black women (including African American women) aged 25–34 years.
• the 3rd leading cause of death for black women aged 35–44 years.
• the 4th leading cause of death for Hispanic women aged 35–44 years.

That same year, HIV infection was named the 5th leading cause of death among all women aged 35–44 years and the 6th leading cause of death among all women aged 25–34 years. Only cancer and heart disease caused more deaths among women.

Khadijah Tribble, Executive Director of Pediatic HIV/AIDS Care and member of the HRC Diversity and Inclusion Council, writes about the significance of the day and what it means to all of us working for equality and justice.

Find the article after the jump...

HRC Launches Endthelies.org

2009-03-11T14:56:00.002-04:00

The Human Rights Campaign launched a new website this past week. When the right-wing attacks the LGBT community, their messages usually consist of one main ingredient - lies. HRC's EndtheLies.org will help you counter to those lies with the truth. EndtheLies.org has videos, audio, pictures and quotations calling out those who knowingly use lies and misinformation to disrupt the LGBT community's path to equality. Users can add comments on multimedia discussion boards, learn how to fight the far-right's misdeeds and nominate their own candidates for inclusion on the interactive wall of shame.

Click here to find more!

Morehouse Men Respond to Homophobia

2009-02-18T19:22:00.002-05:00

The brave men at Morehouse are again confronting homophobia face on, and they're doing it in an impressive way. This article comes from the Southern Voice:

Morehouse College under fire again for alleged homophobia
Student newspaper column questions masculinity of gay men at all-male institution
By DYANA BAGBY, Southern Voice | Feb 17, 4:51 PM

A Morehouse College student newspaper column titled “Is Gay the Way?” has caused a stir in Atlanta as well as the national blogosphere, with many gay and transgender activists accusing the writer of being homophobic. The opinion article, published Feb. 16 in The Maroon Tiger, questioned masculine norms at the all-male historically black college.

Gerren Gaynor, who wrote the column and serves as the paper’s associate opinions editor, told Southern Voice he believes his message has been misunderstood.

“In no way was my article an anti-gay piece,” said Gaynor, a sophomore English major.

“This article was exclusive about the way in which it affects the campus of Morehouse College and no other institution, not even the United States government … While I do agree that I went about my topic the wrong way — and please be advised that this was an article done over night for a weekly college publication — it is completely wrong to disregard the feelings of other students on campus, gay and straight, because every homosexual is not comfortable with seeing a man with feminine qualities,” he said. “Nowhere in my article do I attack gays. The article is strictly a critique on gender norms.”

In his column, Gaynor states, “It’s not so much that ‘straight’ men of Morehouse are uncomfortable with the gay lifestyle, but more so because that the lifestyle is constantly and robustly thrown in their faces. Does being a gay man include adopting the traits of a woman? Because if that’s the case, there’s a more fitting school, and it’s not an all-male institution.

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

More Grins Than Grumbles at a Gay Ball

2009-01-21T17:29:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-14T16:46:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-14T16:37:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-14T16:30:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-07T14:17:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-07T14:01:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-06T14:19:00.003-05:00

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

Homophobia: The issue of the era

2008-12-16T18:30:00.003-05:00

The aftermath of the Prop 8 failures is still driving the discussion about equal rights in the country. The Coloradoan posits that homophobia could be the issue of our era:

Fifty years ago the Civil Rights movement was the issue of the era. Martin Luther King and several others fought to make blacks an equal part of this country, and his life was sacrificed for this cause. Now, we as a country can proudly say that we are past that sort of thing. I mean we have a black president now for Pete's sake. Two women were prominent figures in the presidential race. Discrimination against race and sex is a thing of the past, right? That's certainly cause for celebration, but there is still another hurdle or two for us to leap over before we can safely say that America is the land of equality.

Today there's a new battle being fought in the war against discrimination, and it is that of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) rights. Bigotry in this country has, for the most part, left behind the racist and sexist themes but that of homophobia is still around and as strong as ever. There are many definitions and ideas of the word homophobia, but what does it really mean? Merriam-Webster defines it in the following manner:
Homophobia (n.) [hoh-muh-foh-bee-uh] - The irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals; From the Greek words homs (one and the same) and phbos (fear, phobia).

To me, homophobia is that and a little more. Every true homophobe I've ever encountered has been repulsed by the very mention of homosexuality. Every one of these same people has probably never known a homosexual person, much less befriended them, much less tried to open their mind and understand the nature of homosexuality. It is, in many minds, a black-and-white matter. You choose to be gay or you choose not to be; if you so happen to choose to be gay, then you are so choosing a life of discrimination and intolerance. That is just how it is. Ok so perhaps that is a bit of an extreme outlook on the matter, but it's actually how a lot of people think, which is a scary concept. This is America, the land of the free; where people are welcome to be what they are and believe what they want, right? Wait, I said welcome. I should have said free, because while I have the legal right to be gay, I am not necessarily welcome to be gay wherever I want to be. If you looked at a fancy statistics map that gave different colors for different areas of the country where gays were accepted and tolerated, sure you'd see splotches here and there around the country where it's acceptable, but there's still a lot of work to be done.

You can read more after the jump...

Gay man shot, killed in Logan Circle

2008-12-16T18:21:00.002-05:00

Here in Washington, DC, Durval V. Martins was killed last night on his way home from the 17th street bars in the area of 11th and Q. This is the same general area where Tony Hunter, another gay man, was killed a few months ago. The Washington Blade reports:

A 35-year-old gay man was shot in the head and killed shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday at 11th and Q streets, N.W., while walking home from the Fox & Hound, a restaurant and bar near Dupont Circle, according to D.C. police.

The victim was identified as Durval V. Martins of the 200 block of Bates Street, N.W. A police statement said Martins also suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

Acting Lt. Brett Parson, who oversees the police’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, said the motive for the killing was unknown but could have been robbery. He noted that officers found the victim’s wallet in his hand.

Martins’ credit cards, cash, cell phone, and jewelry were still in his possession, Parson said.

The victim lived off of New Jersey Avenue near Q Street, Parson said. The residence is located about 16 blocks from the Fox & Hound.

Parson, who also responded to the scene, said a police officer on patrol along the 1000 block of Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., “heard multiple gunshots and observed several individuals fleeing north on 11th Street.”

Upon arriving on the scene, the officer found the victim unconscious with a gunshot wound to the head, Parson said. Emergency medical responders found no signs of life.

Parson told the Blade that people who knew the victim said he had patronized the Dupont Circle gay bar Omega and the 17th Street restaurant Jack’s before going to the Fox & Hound.

People who knew the victim said he was openly gay and apparently worked at a D.C. restaurant, Parson said.

You can find out more about this incident after the jump...

American gay rights advocate dies in Scotland

2008-12-16T18:08:00.002-05:00

Sad news of a student activists death has crossed the Atlantic. 365gay.com reports:

(Edinburgh) Cody Lavender, an American exchange student, has fallen to his death from a dormitory room window at the University of Edinburgh.

Police are investigating but say there is nothing to indicate foul play.

Lavender, 20, had been watching television with friends when he suddenly plunged through the window witnesses said.

He was to have returned this week to the US for Christmas.

Lavender was raised in southern Arizona and in 2006 headed east to Dartmouth College to major in women and gender studies . He became co-chair of the student LGBT group Gender Sexuality XYZ and was an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights.

Earlier this year he went to Edinburgh as a part of Dartmouth’s foreign study program to take a religious studies course.

For the rest of this tragic story jump here...

Faith Leaders from LGBT Groups Issue Joint Statement Denouncing Vatican, Supporting UN Resolution

2008-12-10T16:04:00.003-05:00

The Vatican has taken a position against decriminalizing homosexuality as the UN moves to encourage such a measure in countries around the world that hold on to such draconian laws. HRC has just released a statement about the Vatican's decision:

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization, along with faith program directors from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and National Black Justice Coalition today issued a joint protest over the Vatican's recent decision to oppose an initiative to decriminalize homosexuality. Advocates are pushing the U.S. State Department to support the initiative and urging media to cover this life and death concern.

The following joint statement was issued on United Nations Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

“For far too long people around the world have been ostracized, imprisoned, tortured and denied basic rights to housing, health care and employment simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). In more than 70 countries people can be imprisoned for homosexuality and in several countries same gender love is a crime punishable by death.

“This is why the French government, backed by 27 European Union nations, put forward a proposal, on Human Rights Day to recognize that LGBT rights are human rights and to decriminalize homosexuality. Such a statement simply affirms the most basic of rights for LGBT people: that they be allowed to live in dignity and safety. As faith leaders who work every day with LGBT people who feel the stigma of discrimination, this UN initiative speaks to our core belief that we show our love for God when we care for our neighbors, particularly those who are shunned and marginalized.

“As faith leaders we were shocked by Vatican opposition to this proposed initiative. By refusing to sign a basic statement opposing inhumane treatment of LGBT people, the Vatican is sending a message that violence and human rights abuses against LGBT people are acceptable. Most Catholics, and indeed most Catholic teachings, tell us that all people are entitled to live with basic human dignity without the threat of violence. The Catholics we know believe that Scripture asks us to be our brother and our sister's keeper. Many are speaking out against this immoral stance in the name of religion.

“Compounding the Vatican's opposition is the inaction to date of the government of the United States. As faith leaders and citizens of the United States, we call on the U.S. government to join the 50 countries throughout the world that have officially supported this U.N. proposal. We urge U.S. leaders to stand against discrimination. It is time to let the teachings of the world's great religions guide us toward justice rather that encouraging prejudice, fear and violence. It is time for the U.S. to stand as a moral leader for LGBT people and to help create a more just world for all of us.”

Harry Knox, Director
Religion and Faith Program
Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Director
Institute for Welcoming Resources and Faith Work
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Director
Religious Affairs
National Black Justice Coalition

Ann Craig, Director
Religion, Faith & Values Program
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

2008-12-02T14:16:00.002-05:00

The Lexington News reports an officer has been found guilty of killing his gay lover because he feared the student would reveal their relationship to his wife and family. The officer slashed the students throat and left the young man's body in the yard of a neighbor.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A former Columbia police officer was convicted yesterday of first-degree murder in the death of a gay college student from Kentucky with whom he had an affair.

The jury, brought in from Clay County, Mo., deliberated nine hours before convicting Steven Rios of slashing Jesse Valencia's throat last June. Valencia, 23, of Danville, was attending the University of Missouri-Columbia.Rios, 28, was also convicted of armed criminal action and faces a mandatory sentence of life without parole for the murder conviction.

The jury recommended a 10-year term for armed criminal action. Formal sentencing was set for July 5.

"I hope every day he's in prison, he suffers," said the victim's mother, Linda Valencia of Perryville, Ky. "I never felt compassion for him while I looked at him because he had no compassion for my son."

You can find the full account after the jump...

US researchers find evidence that homosexuality linked to genetics

2008-12-02T13:38:00.003-05:00

The Guardian is reporting that scientist are drawing closer to proving a genetic link to sexuality. On the one hand this is encouraging, but on the other it's scary. Does this mean that parents will be able to request gene therapy to ensure they child doesn't turn out to be gay? Is that even ethical...

Compared to straight men, gay men are more likely to be left-handed, to be the younger siblings of older brothers, and to have hair that whorls in a counterclockwise direction.

US researchers are finding common biological traits among gay men, feeding a growing consensus that sexual orientation is an inborn combination of genetic and environmental factors that largely decide a person's sexual attractions before they are born.

Such findings - including a highly anticipated study this winter - would further inform the debate over whether homosexuality is innate or a choice, an undercurrent of California's recent Proposition 8 campaign in which television commercials warned that "schools would begin teaching second-graders that boys could marry boys", suggesting homosexuality would then spread.

Some scientists say the political and moral debate over same-sex marriage frequently strayed from established scientific evidence, including comments by Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin that homosexuality is "a choice" and "a decision".

Until 2007, CNN polls had found that a majority of Americans believed gay people could change their sexual orientation if they chose to; it was only last year that a majority for the first time said homosexuality was an inborn trait.

You can read more about these latest discoveries after the jump...

Is gay the new black?

2008-12-02T13:26:00.002-05:00

The New York Blade is taking its cue from the Advocate and ponder whether gay is the new black. I find a few things problematic with this article, for example, "Racism was defanged by Obama's triumph, leaving gays as perhaps the last group of Americans claiming that their basic rights are being systematically denied." Racism still has it bite though, trying being me and catching a cab...

Gay is the new black, say the protest signs and magazine covers, casting the gay marriage battle as the last frontier of equal rights for all.

Gay marriage is not a civil right, opponents counter, insisting that minority status comes from who you are rather than what you do.

The gay rights movement entered a new era when Barack Obama was elected the first black president the same day that voters in California and Florida passed referendums to prevent gays and lesbians from marrying, while Arizonans turned down civil unions and Arkansans said no to adoptions by same-sex couples.

Racism was defanged by Obama's triumph, leaving gays as perhaps the last group of Americans claiming that their basic rights are being systematically denied.

"Black people are equal now, and gay people aren't," said Emil Wilbekin, a black gay man and the editor of Giant magazine. "I always have this discussion with my friends: What's worse, being a black man or a black gay man?"

"Civil rights have come much further than gay rights," he said. "A lot of people in the gay community have been condemned for their lifestyle and promiscuity and drugs and sex, so it's odd that when they want to conform and model themselves after straight people and have the same rights for marriage and domestic partnership and adoption, they're being blocked."

You can read more after the jump...

Gay is the New Black

2008-11-14T16:54:00.003-05:00

Check out this interesting article in the Advocate! Provocative title but great writing:

By Michael Joseph Gross
Excerpted from The Advocate November 12, 2008

The night before Election Day, a black woman walked into the San Francisco headquarters of the No on Proposition 8 campaign. Someone had ripped down the No on 8 sign she’d posted in her yard and she wanted a replacement. She was old, limping, and carrying a cane. Walking up and down the stairs to this office was hard for her.

I asked why coming to get the sign was worth the trouble, and she answered, “All of us are equal, and all of us have to fight to make sure the law says that.” She said that she was straight, and she told me about one of the first times she ever hung out with gay people, in New Orleans in the 1970s. “I thought I was so cool for being there, and I said, ‘You faggots are a lot of fun!’ Well, that day I learned my lesson. A gay man turned on me and said, ‘A faggot is not a person. A faggot is a bunch of sticks you use to light a fire.’ ”

The combination of Obama’s win and gay people’s losses inflicted mass whiplash. We were elated, then furious. I’d spent the week in the No on Prop. 8 office in the Castro, a neighborhood where our defeat was existential. For the next few days, wherever I went -- barbershop, grocery store, gym, bars -- I heard people talk of almost nothing else.

The next day, Barack Obama was elected president, and gay marriage rights in California were taken away. At the same time, Arizona voters amended their state constitution to preemptively outlaw gay marriage. Florida went further, outlawing any legal union that’s treated as marriage, such as domestic partnerships or civil unions. Arkansas passed a vicious law denying us adoption rights.

You can find the rest after the jump...

‘Uniting for the greater cause’

2008-11-14T16:33:00.005-05:00

Transgender Day of Remembrance is right around the corner and this is a very important day in the LGBT community. For more information about TDOR click here.

By DYANA BAGBY
NOV. 14, 2008

After honoring the Transgender Day of Remembrance for 10 years, Tracee McDaniel says it never becomes easier.

“It’s always emotional for me, but it’s always good to see we have support,” said McDaniel, executive director of the Juxtaposed Center for Transformation.

McDaniel is an organizer of Atlanta’s Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony, set for Nov. 20 at the State Capitol.

Each year on Nov. 20, cities across the globe take time out to remember transgender people who were killed or died because of who they are. Remembering their names once a year is an important way to mark the discrimination transgender people face on a daily basis, McDaniel said.

“We just need to keep awareness out there that there is discrimination against transgender people and until we get some kind of legal protections, employment protections, we will continue to raise awareness,” she said.

This year’s theme for the vigil is “Community Uniting for a Greater Cause” because, McDaniel said, “we are all one community regardless how we identify.” (Southern Voice)

Find more after the jump...

Black gays celebrate Obama’s win

2008-11-07T12:53:00.002-05:00

The Washington Blade steps into the black LGBT community to get their take on the Obama victory:

Black lesbian activist Sheila Alexander-Reid, founder of D.C. based Women in the Life, is struggling to put her thoughts into words on the morning of Nov. 5.

“I am so incredibly exhausted,” she says.

Reid is speechless for other reasons, too. She cannot believe that the U.S. has elected a black man to its highest office.

Carlene Cheatam, a lesbian activist and one of the original organizers of D.C. Black Pride, said that on election night, she was “totally filled.”

Though she had never really thought about whether she’d see a black president in her lifetime, she said she “knew he would win.”

“The impact that he has on people here and around the world, I think, is amazing, and I’m grateful to be here today,” she says.

Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, a black gay group, said he had faith the American people would eventually support a black president, but didn’t believe it would happen this soon.

Earline Budd, longtime transgender rights activist and former executive director of Transgender Health Empowerment Inc., said that as an HIV-positive transgender woman, Obama’s presidency means health services that are important and vital to her life will not be eliminated and will be given more consideration.

Budd worked to get transgender people in D.C. registered to vote in time for the election. A lot of her clients, she said, were voting for the first time.

And she admits that she never thought she’d see this day.

These longtime gay and black activists professed their belief that the administration of president-elect Barack Obama will be the best in history on gay rights.

Find more after the jump...

What can we expect from an Obama administration?

2008-11-07T12:29:00.003-05:00

Now that Obama has won the election, one question remains: What now? Ethan Jacobs of the Boston Edge examines what we can expect from an Obama administration:

With the election of Barack Obama and the expanded Democratic majority in Congress LGBT advocates are hopeful that they will be able to move forward with a federal agenda that had largely stalled under the Bush administration. Yet despite the change in leadership in the White House, advocates say it is unclear when the new president and Congress would begin taking action on some of the big-ticket items on the LGBT political agenda - passage of an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), expansion of hate crimes laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity, repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and passage of the Uniting American Families Act, to name a few measures Obama said he supports during the campaign.

Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), said HRC and other advocates would be assessing the make-up of the new Congress and the priorities of the new Obama administration to determine when different agenda items would be most viable.

"As a community and as a movement ... before we go back to talking about how [different agenda items] might play out, I think the first thing for us to do is evaluate what the face of the new Congress looks like. ... But I think you then have to move with an evaluative look at a whole range of LGBT issues, and I think you can see that different issues are at different places along the spectrum," said Solmonese.

He said hate crimes legislation, which passed in the House and Senate last year but was dropped from a defense authorization bill before final passage, would potentially be an easier victory in the short term, since lawmakers in both chambers have passed it and Obama has announced his support for the measure. ENDA would require more work, Solmonese said; last year the House passed a non-transgender-inclusive version of the bill, and the Senate has not yet voted on it, so there would be more work needed to build support for it in both chambers. Repealing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" will require significantly more work, Solmonese said, since Congress has not voted on any repeal legislation and the new administration would have to win the support of the Defense Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Allison Herwitt, HRC’s legislative director, said as of the morning of Nov. 5 it was too soon to tell how supportive the new Congress would be.

Find more after the jump...

You can’t take this away from me: Proposition 8 broke our hearts, but it did not end our fight.

2008-11-06T17:27:00.003-05:00

An Op-Ed from Joe Solmonese, President of HRC:

Like many in our movement, I found myself in Southern California last weekend. There, I had the opportunity to speak with a man who said that Proposition 8 completely changed the way he saw his own neighborhood. Every “Yes on 8” sign was a slap. For this man, for me, for the 18,000 couples who married in California, to LGBT people and the people who love us, its passage was worse than a slap in the face. It was nothing short of heartbreaking.

But it is not the end. Fifty-two percent of the voters of California voted to deny us our equality on Tuesday, but they did not vote our families or the power of our love out of existence; they did not vote us away.

As free and equal human beings, we were born with the right to equal families. The courts did not give us this right—they simply recognized it. And although California has ceased to grant us marriage licenses, our rights are not subject to anyone’s approval. We will keep fighting for them. They are as real and as enduring as the love that moves us to form families in the first place. There are many roads to marriage equality, and no single roadblock will prevent us from ultimately getting there.

And yet there is no denying, as we pick ourselves up after losing this most recent, hard-fought battle, that we’ve been injured, many of us by neighbors who claim to respect us. We see them in the supermarkets, on the sidewalk, and think “how could you?”

By the same token, we know that we are moving in the right direction. In 2000, California voters passed Proposition 22 by a margin of 61.4% to 38.6%. On Tuesday, fully 48% of Californians rejected Proposition 8. It wasn’t enough, but it was a massive shift. Nationally, although two other anti-marriage ballot measures won, Connecticut defeated an effort to hold a constitutional convention ending marriage, New York’s state legislature gained the seats necessary to consider a marriage law, and FMA architect Marilyn Musgrave lost her seat in Congress. We also elected a president who supports protecting the entire community from discrimination and who opposes discriminatory amendments.

Yet on Proposition 8 we lost at the ballot box, and I think that says something about this middle place where we find ourselves at this moment. In 2003, twelve states still had sodomy laws on the books, and only one state had civil unions. Four years ago, marriage was used to rile up a right-wing base, and we were branded as a bigger threat than terrorism. In 2008, most people know that we are not a threat. Proposition 8 did not result from a popular groundswell of opposition to our rights, but was the work of a small core of people who fought to get it on the ballot. The anti-LGBT message didn’t rally people to the polls, but unfortunately when people got to the polls, too many of them had no problem with hurting us. Faced with an economy in turmoil and two wars, most Californians didn’t choose the culture war. But faced with the question—brought to them by a small cadre of anti-LGBT hardliners – of whether our families should be treated differently from theirs, too many said yes.

But even before we do the hard work of deconstructing this campaign and readying for the future, it’s clear to me that our continuing mandate is to show our neighbors who we are.

Justice Lewis Powell was the swing vote in Bowers, the case that upheld Georgia’s sodomy law and that was reversed by Lawrence v. Texas five years ago. When Bowers was pending, Powell told one of his clerks “I don’t believe I’ve ever met a homosexual.” Ironically, that clerk was gay, and had never come out to the Justice. A decade later, Powell admitted his vote to uphold Georgia’s sodomy law was a mistake.

Everything we’ve learned points to one simple fact: people who know us are more likely to support our equality.

In recent years, I’ve been delivering this positive message: tell your story. Share who you are. And in fact, as our families become more familiar, support for us increases. But make no mistake: I do not think we have to audition for equality. Rather, I believe that each and every one of us who has been hurt by this hateful ballot measure, and each and every one of us who is still fighting to be equal, has to confront the neighbors who hurt us. We have to say to the man with the Yes on 8 sign—you disrespected my humanity, and I am not giving you a pass. I am not giving you a pass for explaining that you tolerate me, while at the same time denying that my family has a right to exist. I do not give you permission to say you have me as a “gay friend” when you cast a vote against my family, and my rights.

Wherever you are, tell a neighbor what the California Supreme Court so wisely affirmed: that you are equal, you are human, and that being denied equality harms you materially. Although I, like our whole community, am shaken by Prop 8’s passage, I am not yet ready to believe that anyone who knows us as human beings and understands what is at stake would consciously vote to harm us.

This is not over. In California, our legal rights have been lost, but our human rights endure, and we will continue to fight for them.

Third Gay Elected to Congress

2008-11-05T15:44:00.002-05:00

365gay.com is reporting that the third gay representative has been elected to Congress:

(Washington) Colorado Democrat Jared Polis will become the third openly gay member of Congress when he is sworn in in January.

Polis, a 33-year-old entrepreneur who made millions creating Internet-based businesses, beat Republican Scott Starin to represent the 2nd District , which includes his hometown of Boulder.

He will join fellow Democrats Barney Frank (Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.) in the House.

There have been at least five other gays and lesbians in Congress, including currently serving Reps. Frank and Baldwin. Frank came out while in Congress. Baldwin was open about her sexuality when first elected.

Frank and Baldwin had little difficulty Tuesday winning re-election.

Polis’ 2nd District is firmly Democratic, but he took no chances and ran a strong campaign, putting much of his own money into the run. He also had the support of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.

Previously, Polis was elected statewide to the Colorado State Board of Education from 2001 - 2007. During that time he served a term as vice-chairman and one as chairman.

Find more after the jump...

Bittersweet Day for LGBT Americans

2008-11-05T14:48:00.003-05:00

Nov. 5th marks a bittersweet day for LGBT Americans. There is great celebration within our community surrounding the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. His efforts of inclusion were exemplified again in his victory speech, where he made mention of gay Americans. This is a remarkable achievement of progressive advocates everywhere, that work so hard to see Obama elected.

Unfortunately, discriminatory measures were passed in states across the US:

WASHINGTON—Voters in Arizona and Florida passed amendments to their states’ constitutions enshrining discrimination against LGBT people and denying marriage, and in some cases civil unions or domestic partnerships as well, to same-sex couples. Proposition 8 in California still remains too close to call.

“We all know that our marriages did not begin with a court decision and they will not end with a vote on a discriminatory amendment,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

“In California, we firmly believe that all votes should be counted before calling the race. Several million votes in CA have yet to be counted. We are waiting to see the final results from those ballots and we should not be speculating about something as important as people’s fundamental rights,” continued Solmonese.

“Although we lost our battles in Arizona and Florida, we will not allow the lies and hate—the foundation on which our opponents built their campaign—to break our spirits. We are on the right side of history—and we will continue this journey.

“The continuing movement in public opinion underscores that it is only a matter of time before we undo this loss and add more states to the march for marriage equality,” Solmonese continued.

HRC played a key role in the efforts to defeat Proposition 8 and other the other ballot measures in Arizona and Florida. (HRC Press Release)

We must continue the fight to bring fair-minded Americans together in support of equality, as well as support a president that values who we are as a community.

Transsexual gene link identified

2008-10-27T16:58:00.003-04:00

For those that look to a science to explain phenomenon like male to female transsexuals, there argument has gotten stronger. The BBC is reporting a new break through in genetic science concerning out transgender brothers and sisters:

Australian researchers have identified a significant link between a gene involved in testosterone action and male-to-female transsexualism.

DNA analysis from 112 male-to-female transsexual volunteers showed they were more likely to have a longer version of the androgen receptor gene.

The genetic difference may cause weaker testosterone signals, the team reported in Biological Psychiatry.

However, other genes are also likely to play a part, they stressed.

Increasingly, biological factors are being implicated in gender identity.

One study has shown that certain brain structures in male-to-female transsexual people are more "female like".

In the latest study, researchers looked for potential differences in three genes known to be involved in sex development - coding for the androgen receptor, the oestrogen receptor and an enzyme which converts testosterone to oestrogen.

Comparison of the DNA from the male to female transsexual participants with 258 controls showed a significant link with a long version of the androgen receptor gene and transsexualism.

Find the rest of this article after the jump...

Gay priest is true to his faith, at odds with his church

2008-10-27T16:43:00.004-04:00

Steve Lopez of the LA Times writes about Father Geoffery Farrow, a Catholic priest that came out as gay and in opposition to Proposition 8 (the discriminatory Calif. ballot measure that would strip marriage rights from gay couples).

So who is this Catholic priest from Fresno who stood up and spoke out against Proposition 8, putting his career on the line? As a gay man who finds the church's views on homosexuality so objectionable, why has he been a priest for more than 20 years and subjected himself to such moral conflict?

After reading my colleague Duke Helfand's story about Father Geoffrey Farrow and his recent career-suicide from the pulpit, I was curious.

Farrow agreed to meet me for lunch in the middle of a schedule that's gotten very busy since he became persona non grata to his employer. He's been asked to appear all over the state for rallies against Prop. 8, which would amend the California Constitution to say marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

Father Farrow, who was suspended by his bishop two weeks ago, strolled into the lobby of the Kyoto Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles wearing the collar.

"I'm still a priest," he said over lunch, though he fully expected to be disciplined for speaking to his congregation about Prop. 8 and wouldn't be surprised if he's ultimately fired.

For the moment, he's staying with friends in Los Angeles. Farrow, 50, doesn't know what he'll do after the election. He was suspended without pay and said his medical benefits run out at the end of the month.

Find the complete article after the jump...

FBI Reports Six Percent Increase in Hate Crimes Based on Sexual Orientation in 2007

2008-10-27T16:03:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON—The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, responded today to the Federal Bureau of Investigation report which showed the incidence of bias-motivated crimes based on sexual orientation increased by 6 percent in 2007. Hate crimes based on sexual orientation remain the third most common type of hate crimes, behind race and religion. This increase comes as the Hate Crimes Statistics, 2007, also reported that the overall incidence of bias-motivated crimes decreased in 2007.

“The FBI’s 2007 hate crimes report shows once again that hate crimes protections for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are long overdue,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We are hopeful that after next week’s election we will finally have a President and a Congress that will enact federal hate crimes legislation into law.”

The FBI report shows the continuing crisis of hate violence in America. This month marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard from hate violence. In those ten years, the FBI has documented over ten thousand hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone. A decade after Matthew’s death, federal hate crimes legislation protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens has yet to be signed into law.

Last year, Congress passed federal hate crimes legislation in both the U.S. House and the Senate in a bipartisan vote. Unfortunately, President Bush’s veto threat blocked enactment of the legislation.

Federal legislation is crucial to ensuring local law enforcement is given the tools they need to combat hate violence in our communities. If signed into law, the Act would give the federal government expanded jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute violent crimes based on a person’s race, color, religion or national origin as well as their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability. It also provides assistance to local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence. Existing federal hate crimes law covers only certain hate crimes that are based on a victim’s race, color, religion and national origin.

BACKGROUND:

Historical Pervasiveness of Bias-Motivated Violence

Each year the FBI releases statistics of bias-motivated crime in the United States. While thousands of crimes are reported by hundreds of jurisdictions each year, the Human Rights Campaign believes this is only a fraction of the actual number of bias-motivated crime that occur in any given year. Reporting by state and local authorities to the FBI is voluntary and many jurisdictions lack the time and training to effectively report each incident of bias-motivated violence that occurs in a year.

While the FBI statistics provide a glimpse of the pervasiveness of bias-motivated violence in the United States, these statistics should be used as a starting point, not a comprehensive number. The Human Rights Campaign compiles media reports of hate crimes throughout the United States, in 2007 alone the media reported dozens of incidents of violent, bias-motivated crime that were clearly not reflected in the FBI report. While not authoritative, the Human Rights Campaign was able to match up several jurisdictions that reported zero incidents and non-reporting jurisdictions with media reports of bias motivated violent crime towards the LGBT community.

FBI statistics show that since 1991 over 100,000 hate crime offenses have been reported, with a slight decrease in the number of hate crimes reported in 2007. In 2007, 2,025 law enforcement agencies reported 7,624 hate crime incidents involving 9,006 offenses. This is a decrease from the 2006 report in which 2,105 law enforcement agencies reported 7,722 incidents involving 9,080 offenses.

Violent crimes based on race-related bias were by far the most common, representing 51 percent of all offenses for 2007. Violent crimes based on religion represented 18 percent and ethnicity/national origin, 13 percent. Violent crimes based on sexual orientation constituted 16.6 percent of all hate crimes in 2007, with 1,265 reported for the year. This is an increase from the 2006 report where hate crimes based on sexual orientation totaled 15.5% of incidents reported (1,195). The FBI does not report hate crimes based on gender identity.

In contrast, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), a non-profit organization that tracks bias incidents against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,1 reported 1,833 incidents for 2007 from only 14 regions, compared to the 2,025 agencies reporting to the FBI in 2007.

The historical trend regarding hate crimes based on sexual orientation is unclear. While violent hate crimes based on sexual orientation declined from 2004 to 2005 according to both FBI statistics and the NCAVP, the NCAVP records show that one-year decline merely dropped the levels back to the pre-2003 levels.

Police Candidate Sues for HIV Discrimination

2008-10-21T14:32:00.003-04:00

Don't let anyone tell you the stigma around HIV/AIDS is dead. An Atlanta man is suing the police department for job discrimination because of his status, the Advocate reports:

A man who applied to be police officer in Atlanta is suing the department after higher-ups claimed he could not be admitted because he is HIV-positive. Suing under the pseudonym Richard Roe, the applicant said the department violated his privacy and that it has a history of not accepting officers who have HIV, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday.

City officials say the department did not turn Roe away because of his HIV status, but city documents sent to the the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission show that Atlanta disqualifies potential officers with blood-borne diseases, such as HIV. "Diseases passed through the blood present a hazardous condition and as such are disqualifying conditions," the city wrote to the EEOC about Roe's case.

Atlanta Human Resource Department director Alfred Elder said that Roe disqualified himself because he did not return phone calls from a police recruiter.

The Americans With Disabilities Act prohibits employers from firing or denying employment to those with HIV.

Roe was working another job within the department when he applied to become an officer in 2006, according to court documents. He claims he was told that the routine blood test was strictly for drug use. The department says Roe was notified that he was also being tested for HIV. The doctor administering the test told Roe he was HIV-positive and that the police department does not hire people with the virus. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)

You can find the original article after the jump...

Fresh Face on Cable, Sharp Rise in Ratings

2008-10-21T14:20:00.003-04:00

The NYT's is published a story today about out lesbian and successful political pundit, Rachel Maddow. Here's what they're saying:

Rachel Maddow, a woman who does not own a television set, has done something that is virtually unheard of: she has doubled the audience for a cable news channel’s 9 p.m. hour in a matter of days.

More important for her bosses at MSNBC is that “The Rachel Maddow Show,” her left-leaning news and commentary program, has averaged a higher rating among 25- to 54-year-olds than “Larry King Live” on CNN for 13 of the 25 nights she has been host. While the average total audience of her program remains slightly smaller than that of Mr. King’s, Ms. Maddow, 35, has made MSNBC competitive in that time slot for the first time in a decade. The channel at that hour has an average viewership of 1.7 million since she started on Sept. 8, compared with 800,000 before.

Given that advertising dollars — and the reputations of networks — rise and fall on prime-time ratings, Ms. Maddow’s rise has been closely watched by media executives.

“I’m pinching myself,” said Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC, who used to caution that it “takes two or three years for a show to find its audience.” That was certainly true for Keith Olbermann, whose five-year-old “Countdown” program at 8 p.m. (which leads into Ms. Maddow’s program) now beats CNN in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic segment every evening.

You can find the entire NYT's article after the jump...

The Full Spectrum of acceptance

2008-10-21T14:16:00.001-04:00

Members of the gay-straight alliance group Spectrum at UNLV are on a mission. They want to raise awareness for their one-of-a-kind organization, which is also known as the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender-questioning-queer-and-straight alliance group, or GLBTQQSA for short. Try saying that five times.

By: Anela Saday for The Rebel Yell

UNLV has had a diversity awareness group on campus for more than 15 years. This was the predecessor of what would later become Spectrum, UNLV's only current gay-straight alliance group. The name was adopted six years ago. Spectrum encompasses all the different groups of the GLBTQQSA, said Lillian Nadeau, vice president of Spectrum.

"We welcome everyone who wants to be a part of something great," she said.

Spectrum is for anyone who is against discrimination. You do not have to be gay to join.

Spectrum's constitution explains their purpose: "Since it is our belief that all forms of oppression are related, and because gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people come from all walks of life, Spectrum at UNLV will cooperate with other organizations which combat racism, sexism, ableism and other forms of oppression."

Find more after the jump...

Soulforce Activists Arrested at Christian College in Alabama

2008-10-20T17:46:00.002-04:00

Three gay rights activists were arrested for trespassing at a Christian university on Friday after attempting to deliver letters advocating for the acceptance of LGBT students. The activists, all women, are affiliated with Soulforce's Equality Ride, which is touring university campuses across the South this fall to promote religious tolerance of gay students.

The Equality Riders met with one student during their stop at Heritage Christian University in Florence, Ala., who described the atmosphere on campus as a "homophobic panic." Faculty and students had been warned by school administrators not to communicate with the Riders.

The three arrested were Caitlin MacIntyre, 19; Katie Higgins, 26; and Taueret Manu, 21. Equality Ride codirector Jarrett Lucas said in a statement that the university is clearly unwelcoming of LGBT people. "The school’s choice to arrest us shows just how far they will go to suppress the message we bring," Lucas said. "HCU trains missionaries to go beyond the walls of their school to spread the inclusive gospel of Christ, but today they chose not to uphold the principles they preach."

HCU is the sixth school on the tour, which ends in November. The Riders are also planning to visit Mississippi College, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Simmons College of Kentucky. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)

State lawmakers move to dismiss lawsuit by transgender employee

2008-10-20T17:40:00.001-04:00

By MATT SCHAFER, Southern Voice | Oct 17, 6:11 PM

Three state lawmakers have asked a federal judge to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit filed against them by a former employee who alleges she was fired after announcing her gender transition.

Vandiver Elizabeth Glenn claims she was fired from her job as a legislative editor last year because of her transition from male to female. A lawsuit filed this summer named Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), Senate President Pro-Tempore Eric Johnson (R-Savannah), Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, lawyer Sewell Brumby and Robyn Underwood, the state’s legislative financial officer.

Cole Thaler serves as transgender rights attorney for Lambda Legal, which is representing Glenn. Thaler said he was aware of the motion to dismiss but had not reviewed the motion with enough detail to comment.

The motion, filed by the lawmakers' attorney on Oct. 16, contested Glenn’s ability to sue and said she did not state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

“Asking this Court to determine if (Glenn) is similarly situated to other employees requires the Court to second guess the subjective, individualized assessments that are a part of any employment decision. It would make every decision by a government employer a constitutional matter,” the lawmakers' attorney argued in the motion.

Find more after the jump...

Gay teens face hard times in Tri-Cities

2008-10-20T17:05:00.003-04:00

By Sara Schilling, Herald staff writer

Gay and lesbian teens in the Tri-Cities say they've been targeted in the community and at school because of their sexual orientation.

They've been whispered about, laughed at and called names such as "faggot" when they're on the street and in school hallways, they say.

"I've had people try to fight me because I'm gay. I've had people try to fight me because I hang out with people who are gay and stand up for them," said Alex, 17, who goes to high school in the Tri-Cities.

The Herald agreed not to fully identify students to protect them from harassment.

Their experiences are backed up by a national survey released this month. It found that 86 percent of students who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered -- abbreviated as LGBT -- had been verbally harassed at school in the past year.

Find more after the jump...

Donnie McClurkin Goes International

2008-10-17T16:41:00.002-04:00

Our good, good judy, Donnie McClurkin took his ex-gay ministry on the road this past week. McClurkin spoke in Barbados where he suggested that gay men are the product of abuse and compares them to drug dealers and prostitutes.

For more on McClurkin's spreading of the good news, check out Rod 2.0...

Surrogates for GOP, Dem. campaigns rally Ga. voters

2008-10-17T14:30:00.001-04:00

By MATT SCHAFER
OCT. 17, 2008

As polls show a tightening presidential race in Georgia, high-ranking openly gay supporters of candidates Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made their way to Atlanta last week to shore up support and get a look at conditions on the ground.

Patrick Sammon, chair of the national Log Cabin Republicans, and Tobias Wolff, chair of Obama’s LGBT Policy Committee, both made visits to Atlanta to speak with the party faithful about the Nov. 4 election.

Wolff’s visit was higher profile, incorporating public stumps at an “Out for Obama” event at Bazzaar and the Human Rights Campaign’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” fundraiser. Sammon’s visit was more informal, but he met with several Log Cabin Republicans at Einstein’s on his swing through Atlanta.

Both men said their presidential candidate is the most open on gay issues ever nominated by their party.

McCain “is not perfect on our issues, but certainly has an inclusive record,” Sammon said. “He’s promised he would be a president for everyone.”

Wolff, no relation to the author of the same name, said he originally tried to keep a count of how many times Obama mentioned gay rights in public.

“I have tried to keep track of the number of states and number of times he has mentioned gay issues in his stump speeches, and I’ve long since given up on trying to keep a tally,” Wolff said. “That’s very important. I don’t think presidential politics will ever step back from that.”

Find more after the jump...

BLAGOSAH's Back: Howard University student group revives for 8th anniversary at HRC Hype '08 launch

2008-10-14T14:36:00.002-04:00

Check out this article in the Metroweekly on the amazing event we had in conjunction with the GLBT student leaders at Howard University:

There was a full agenda in one particular room of Howard University, Monday night, Oct. 6. Outside, the quad offered a peaceful, moonlit, academic oasis. Inside a theater of the Blackburn Center, however, peace made way for progress, as the Human Rights Campaign launched ''Hype '08,'' and the Bisexual, Lesbian and Gay Organization of Students at Howard (BLAGOSAH) stirred back to life after a sort of hiatus, marking the group's 8th birthday that very evening.

Hype '08 is HRC's new, nationwide program partnering with about a dozen historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to discuss issues such as hate crimes, HIV/AIDS and discrimination in the context of HBCU student issues.

For this launch, four speakers tackled these sorts of topics with about 60 people in attendance. The speakers were Jasper Hendricks, who directs field operations and political programs for the D.C.-based National Black Justice Coalition; Chris Scalise, president of the D.C. chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans; Courtney Snowden, recent president of D.C. Black Pride; Jeff Marootian, vice president for political affairs of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club here in D.C.; Chris Scalise, president of the D.C. chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans; and Courtney Snowden, president of D.C. Black Pride from August 2007 to August 2008.

While much of the evening was spent discussing the presidential election, the room -- both panelists and the audience -- was largely behind Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama, though Scalise was able to spend some time discussing his club's support the GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain. Opinion from the audience also brought Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney into the mix.

The dialogue was most intense when discussing hate crimes, with Joey Gaskins of HRC and the evening's moderator, sharing that some students may be carrying mace and box cutters to protect themselves in the Shaw neighborhood that abuts the campus, scene of a recent attack that left one gay man, Tony R. Hunter, dead.

''Carrying a gun is not the way to go,'' insisted Hendricks. ''Carrying a knife is not the way to go. You're not kids. You're young men and women.''

From her seat in the audience, Roberta McLeod, BLAGOSAH's faculty advisor, reminded students, ''You're still black in America,'' and that carrying weapons may make them more suspect than people of other races.

Clarence Fluker, of the Mayor's Office of GLBT Affairs, also in attendance, offered that representatives of the Metropolitan Police Department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit would be available for come to campus and speak to BLAGOSAH members if requested. He added that the office would likely be releasing a report soon to underscore that, statistically, bias crimes against GLBT people in the District are declining, compared to this time last year.

Along with Fluker, other notable attendees included Donna Payne, HRC's associate director of diversity; Phil Attey of Obama Pride Metro-DC; and Falls Church City Councilmember Lawrence Webb, the first openly gay, African American elected to office in Virginia.

Sterling Washington, an original founder of BLAGOSAH closed out the evening, along with the group's current president, Amari Ice. Washington challenged the revived BLAGOSAH to win to the student group of the year award, as the group did when he was leading, for which he received a standing ovation.

Find the original article after the jump...

Separate is not Equal

2008-10-14T14:22:00.003-04:00

This New York Times editorial draws on one of the tenants of the 1950's and 60's civil rights movment:

With a 4-to-3 ruling on Friday that granted gay and lesbian couples the right to marry, the Connecticut Supreme Court ended a serious injustice within its own borders, and the national debate over the issue was catapulted forward. The ruling made Connecticut the third state to legalize same-sex marriage, following Massachusetts in 2004 and California in May.

Connecticut’s Supreme Court was considering a ruling by a lower court that found that there was no denial of equal protection in excluding gay people from the institution of marriage. The lower court cited supposedly comparable protections and benefits afforded by the state’s civil-unions law. The Supreme Court’s decision correctly rejects that standard, which is the same as the excuse of separate but equal once used to rationalize racial segregation.

Justice Richard Palmer wrote in the majority opinion that segregating heterosexual and homosexual couples into different institutions constitutes a “cognizable harm” in light of “the history of pernicious discrimination faced by gay men and lesbians, and because the institution of marriage carries with it a status and significance that the newly created classification of civil unions does not embody.”

Because of that history of discrimination, the decision properly treats sexual orientation as a “suspect classification” entitled to the sort of heightened legal scrutiny applied to distinctions based on race or sex.

The new ruling is especially timely. Californians are about to vote on a ballot initiative that in effect overturns the May ruling that gave gay people the right to marry. Its message about the unfairness of treating the relationships of same-sex couples as somehow inferior needs to be taken to heart.

Find the original article after the jump...

Longtime friends say Obama would benefit gays

2008-10-14T14:19:00.000-04:00

Want to know what kind of president Barack Obama would be for gay Americans? Just listen to his longtime gay friends.

That was the thinking of the Human Rights Campaign PAC, the political arm of the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender group.

So after endorsing Obama, HRC sent a camera crew to Chicago to interview gay folks like activist Gail Morse who knew him way before the rest of us.

“We’re going to have a partner in the White House. We’re not going to have an enemy,” Morse says in the “Friends” video. “He sees us as people with issues that government can address.”

On the night Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, HRC e-mailed the “Friends” video to nearly 900,000 of its friends and urged them to forward it.

The video is part of HRC’s all-out effort to persuade gay Americans that by helping Obama win they’ll get a real friend in the White House, who could help Uncle Sam catch up with changes in the states.

Find more after the jump...

86% of LGBT teens face harassment in US schools

2008-10-14T13:54:00.003-04:00

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk

The most comprehensive study ever undertaken into the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in the United States has found they face widespread abuse.

GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, released the 2007 National School Climate Survey yesterday.

6,209 middle and high school students took part.

GLSEN said nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students (86.2%) experienced harassment at school in the past year, three-fifths (60.8%) felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and a third (32.7%) skipped a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe.

“The 2007 National School Climate Survey reveals that, on a whole, the situation is still dire for many LGBT youth when it comes to school safety,” GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings said.

Find more after the jump...

State of emergency: Black gays, Fenty, Lanier must all be more visible in D.C.’s hate crimes fight.

2008-10-14T13:50:00.002-04:00

Local activist, Brian Watson, writes into the Metroweekly about important community partners being missing from the fight against hate-crimes in DC:

RECENTLY, I WAS asked to attend the second meeting of Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV), as a leader in the African-American gay community.

I became involved in the community’s hate crime dialogue when several friends of Tony Hunter asked me to help organize a candlelight vigil to draw attention to the attack. (This occurred prior to Hunter’s death.) I was eager to hear what GLOV organizers, other community leaders and the GLLU had planned to combat the recent rash of suspected hate crimes in the District.

While the meeting was well attended, I couldn’t help but notice that there were very few people in the audience from my own community, even though Hunter was African American. At the candlelight vigil held this past Sunday in remembrance of Hunter, I noticed the same thing. While there were more African Americans in attendance at the vigil than that meeting, there was definitely not the support from the black community that there should have been after such a horrible crime.

I personally sent e-mails to many friends and local and national activists I knew, and spoke with print media and TV reporters. I wondered where the other African-American LGBT community members were and what was so important that they couldn’t take time to honor a life that was lost and make a statement to city leaders that this type of violence would not be tolerated. I also wondered where Mayor Fenty and Chief Lanier were and why they had not attended the GLOV meeting or the vigil.

Find more from Brian after the jump...

Gay man injured in new D.C. bias attack

2008-10-06T00:05:00.001-04:00

By JOSHUA LYNSEN | Oct 3, 5:47 PM

D.C. police arrested two men today after a gay man was attacked in Georgetown.

Acting police Lt. Brett Parson said the “aggravated assault” occurred near the neighborhood’s canal area around 3 a.m. Parson declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding the attack, but noted it was being handled as a hate crime.

Parson said that police arrested two men soon after the attack. Prosecution was being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which confirmed that both men were in custody today and would be arraigned Saturday.

Parson said the gay man who was injured in the attack was treated and released from a local hospital.

A source familiar with the case told the Blade that the injured man, a 23-year-old Georgetown medical student, was walking along the canal path with a 22-year-old man when two men approached them.

The source said the men, who he described as Muslim and being of “Middle Eastern descent,” asked the other men if they were gay. When one of the men answered yes, the source noted that the man and his companion began using “profane language.”

At one point, the source said, the two men told the gay men, “If you were to do this type of behavior back in our country, you’d be stoned,” and that “a man’s asshole is for shitting not fucking, you fucking faggots.”

Find more after the jump...

Siciliano: LGBT teen homelessness is an epidemic

2008-09-29T16:56:00.000-04:00

By Carl Siciliano, Executive Director, Ali Forney Center
09.25.2008 10:49pm EDT

As National Coming Out Day approaches, I find myself wondering if the LGBT community is failing too many of the teens who come out.

When a teen comes out, and their parents are able to accept them, it is a wonderful thing. However, recent studies have shown that as many as 25 percent of teens face rejection by their parents and families when they come out. Our nation’s homeless youth population is swollen with LGBT youth who have been thrown to the streets as a punishment for their honesty and integrity in coming out.

In last year’s report “An Epidemic of Homelessness,” the Task Force cited studies showing that up to 40 percent of all the homeless youth in the United States are LGBT.

It is upsetting and disturbing to hear the stories kids tell us when they seek help from the Ali Forney Center. We hear of kids being battered and beaten by their parents and family members. We hear of kids being told that they are damned and unloved by God by their religious leaders.

We hear of kids being gaybashed in youth shelters, most of which in our country are “faith-based.”

A common theme I hear in the stories our kids tell us is how, in the eyes of their families and communities, their being LGBT cancels out their human value. They become no longer worthy of love and protection in the eyes of their parents.

A common theme I hear in the stories our kids tell us is how, in the eyes of their families and communities, their being LGBT cancels out their human value. They become no longer worthy of love and protection in the eyes of their parents.

This is where the broader LGBT community must come to the table.

We need to show our kids that they are loved and cherished for who they are. We have an obligation to our youth to create and support structures that protect queer youth when their parents refuse to do so.

In every city we need to be advocating that youth shelters be safe for LGBT youth, and that distinct programs be created and funded to meet the needs of LGBT youth. Paying closer attention to the needs of our kids needs to be a higher priority for us as a community on local and national levels.

I am proud of the Ali Forney Center’s trailblazing efforts in responding to the urgent needs of homeless LGBT youth. We opened in 2002 with six cots in a church basement. Since then, we have grown to offer eight seperate residential sites with the capacity to house 50 youth per night. We have a drop-in center that offers food, showers, medical and mental health care, HIV testing and prevention services, and vocational and educational assistance to over 500 youth per year.

We offer the kind of guidance, support, and protection that youth should be receiving from their families.

When Ali Forney, a homeless queer youth, was murdered on the streets of NYC in 1997, this kind of support for LGBT youth did not exist. Ali was faced with the choice of staying in a Roman Catholic-run youth shelter where gaybashing was notoriously prevelent, or of struggling to survive on the streets. Ali chose the streets, and was mudered on a cold December night.

It is wonderful now to see how our youth are able to thrive when given the kind of nurturing and support they need. We were so proud this past summer when one of our former clients, Lamont, was fearured in a New York Daily News article about his courageous efforts in founding the first LGBT student club at Medgar Evers College, where he became a student while living in our housing program.

We were also filled with pride last summer when Andre, another of our kids, was given a full scholoship to dance at the Alvin Ailey School.

Most recently we have exhaulted in the accomplishments of Isis, who came to us last year with a fierce determination to pursue a career in fashion, and moved from our housing program in June to become the first trans woman contentent on America’s Next Top Model!

However, the Ali Forney Center is a rarity. There are only a small handful of programs in our country dedicated to housing LGBT youth - there are tens of thousands of LGBT youth enduring the terrors and humiliations of homelessness on our streets.

The protection and safety of our youth must become a central priority of our community. We need to show these kids, and ourselves, that they are valued. When a kid is thrown to the streets for being gay, it is an assault against each one of us.

We need to do a better job, so that when kids come out of the closet, they do not have to be thrown to the streets.

"Every day, I was afraid for my sister. The world, the way it is, most people wouldn't accept who she was."

2008-09-29T16:18:00.002-04:00

By Monte Whaley
The Denver Post

BRIGHTON — Angie Zapata's life was becoming more complicated and dangerous by the day.

As she neared her 19th birthday, she needed to shave daily to keep up appearances. Her Adam's apple was growing larger, an emerging tip-off that Angie was not exactly whom she claimed to be.

She was living in Greeley away from her protective older sister, Monica, and other family members for the first time. The striking, 6-foot-tall Latina began running with a bad crowd that sold drugs.

Angie was restless. She needed money for cosmetology school and for counseling to prepare her for hormone treatments so her breasts would develop.

"Every day, I was afraid for my sister," said Monica Zapata. "The world, the way it is, most people wouldn't accept who she was."

Born Justin Zapata, Angie wanted to live and love as a transgender female.

Her quest for a normal life on her terms ended in July, when she was beaten to death in her one-bedroom, $300-a-month apartment.

Her alleged assailant, 31-year-old Allen Andrade of Thornton, met Angie on a dating website. He grew suspicious while looking at photographs of Angie in her apartment, according to Greeley police. He confronted her about her sexual status; she allegedly said: "I'm all woman." Then he grabbed her crotch and felt a penis, police said.

Enraged, he first hit Angie with his fists. Then he used a fire extinguisher, hitting her up to five times, prosecutors said.

He covered her body with a blanket and left the apartment, taking a credit card belonging to Monica Zapata as well as Monica's 2003 PT Cruiser.

Find more after the jump...

Google opposes ban on gay marriage

2008-09-29T16:13:00.001-04:00

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • September 29, 2008

Internet company Google will publicly oppose an attempt to ban same-sex marriage in California.

Co-founder Sergey Brin said in a blog posting that the company, which is headquartered in the state and employs nearly 20,000 people, sees the issue as one of equality.

It is unclear if Google will contribute to the campaign opposing Proposition 8.

In the past weeks Hollywood celebritities Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg have donated to the campaign.

Proposition 8 is an initiative measure on the 2008 California General Election ballot in November.

It would amend the state Constitution to "eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry."

In May the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages in the state.

The Court voted 4 to 3 to strike down the ban.

Opponents of gay marriage raised over more than a million signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot.

"While there are many objections to this proposition - further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text - it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8," wrote Mr Brin.

Find more after the jump...

Police ‘very close’ to arrests

2008-09-29T16:06:00.002-04:00

LOU CHIBBARO JR
Friday, September 26, 2008

Police homicide detectives said they were “very close” this week to arresting one or more suspects in the murder of Tony Randolph Hunter, a gay Maryland man who died after he was attacked near a D.C. gay club.

Assistant D.C. Police Chief Diane Grooms said Monday before a meeting of Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) that investigators were “very close to closing” the case.

Find more after the jump...

Hunter died Sept. 17, 10 days after four men attacked him near BeBar.

Grooms and acting Lt. Brett Parson, director of the department’s Special Liaison Units, including the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, said at the GLOV meeting that police officers stationed near the scene of the Sept. 7 attack against Hunter and his friend, Trevor Carter, saw the attackers fleeing the scene from about one block away.

Grooms and Parson said they could not disclose additional details of the investigation, but noted they were hopeful that arrests would be made soon.

Gay man flies under radar as major mover and shaker in Obama’s campaign

2008-09-26T15:26:00.002-04:00

Steve Hildebrand has the opportunity to become one of the highest-ranking openly gay members of a presidential administration if Sen. Barack Obama is elected this year.

Hildebrand has been with the campaign since before it officially formed, and currently serves as deputy national campaign manager.

“I was the Kool-Aid drinker from the beginning,” Hildebrand said, smiling during a recent trip to Atlanta.

Hildebrand grew up in a small South Dakota city best known for the Mitchell Corn Palace. He wears his graying hair in a buzz cut, and admits to feeling unfashionable at some of the campaign’s more trendy events. He doesn’t enjoy talking about himself and hates having his picture taken.

Hildebrand started in politics working for Democrats in western states. Quickly earning praise for his field operations skills, he ran the Gore Iowa Caucus campaign in 2000 and managed campaigns for Sen. Tom Daschle and Sen. Tim Johnson in his home state. He was also one of the first to talk about an Obama presidency.

“I was the one who was literally emailing 300 people Barack Obama clips every day for months, driving people crazy,” he said. “I then got connected with him and had a long series of meetings around a conference table trying to make sure that this made any sense.”

Find more after the jump...

‘These kids are invisible’: An LGBT youth shelter in words and pictures

2008-09-26T15:14:00.002-04:00

It’s a gorgeous mid-September Tuesday evening in New York City and the setting sun warmly glows over the streets of Midtown. Chelsea, New York’s gayest enclave, shifts into party mode just a few blocks south. To the northeast, the world is starting to queue up for Broadway hits. Meanwhile, commuters rush to the comforts of home.

But for thousands of gay youth in Gotham, there will be no partying, no theater, no playing tonight.

And once again, no home.

Estimates say that a staggering 20,000 young people are homeless every night in the city, - anywhere from a quarter to a third of those are LGBTQ kids. A lucky fraction of that number has found its way to Sylvia’s Place, tucked here on the city’s far west side, so near and so far from so much wealth.

Sylvia’s Place is the subject of Queer Streets, a new Logo documentary shot in 2006 which followed seven LGBT teens who frequented the shelter. To see what Sylvia’s place is like now, I step into this surreal and humbling world to meet with Kate Barnhart, director of Sylvia’s Place since 2004.

Tonight, like every Tuesday evening, dinner is being served by a small team of volunteers from the adjacent Metropolitan Community Church of New York. I take a seat on a metal folding chair next to Kate’s desk, not quite sure where to put my manpurse amidst the overflowing boxes, plastic bags, and just plain stuff that’s everywhere. She motions for me to throw it into the area behind her, with a dozen other backpacks and handbags.

“Behind my body is the safest place, so everyone stashes their stuff back here,” she says.

Find more after the jump...

Dallas Southern Pride adds black/Latino summit, literary reading to 2008 event schedule

2008-09-26T15:10:00.001-04:00

By Ben Briscoe
Sep 25, 2008

Dallas Southern Pride, an annual celebration for the African-American LGBT community, will run Oct. 2-5 and has a significantly different direction this year than in the past, according to organizers.

“Last year there was a big focus on parties, but this year we are going to focus on our daytime events as well,” said Cochair Venton Jones. “The community felt the need to extend our programming and services to foster holistic change with African-American, Latino and LGBT communities.”

Jai Makokha, of Legacy of Success Foundation, is excited about the new direction.

“I think the coordinators are bringing a much warranted change,” he said. “This event is really about uplifting the community, and I think this will do that.”

This year’s theme for the event, which normally draws about 10,000 people, will be “Come Out and Play.” The two biggest additions to the celebration will be a literary reading showcasing national black LGBT authors and the “National Black & Brown Summit.”

The reading will bring in Michael Christopher, Fiona Zedde, Tim’m T. West, Nikki Rashan. It will take place Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m at the same location as all of the other Southern Pride events, Sterling Hotel Dallas.

Find more after the jump...

100th Post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-22T15:08:00.003-04:00

Thank you to all our readers for continuing to support this effort. Please be sure to let friends and family know about us...about our truth and our voice!

This is HBCU+HRC Blog 100th post!!!!

Nashville conference to support gays in the pews

2008-09-22T15:03:00.002-04:00

Does God love and accept His gay children? Is it possible to be gay and religious? Where do struggling parents, friends and family go to understand and accept a gay family member? These questions are at the heart of the Our Family Matters conference held Wednesday, Oct. 22 through Saturday, Oct. 25 at Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

Launched as a live version of Kim Clark’s documentary, God and Gays: Bridging the Gap, the four-day conference offers a contemporary Christian perspective on being gay and Christian. The schedule includes a film festival, live concerts, national keynote speakers (Dr. Jack Rogers, Rev. Deborah Johnson) and three days of workshops.

Reverend Jim Kitchens is pastor of the event’s host church, and is elated this conference is coming to his hometown.

“There are many more affirming churches in Tennessee than most initially think. Most mainstream congregations are very inclusive and welcome everyone as they are, with open arms. Especially given the recent shooting at the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Knoxville, it’s important that we all stand together to give public witness to our love for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters,” said Kitchens.

Clark agrees that Our Family Matters comes to Tennessee at a crucial time.

Find more after the jump...

Activist tries to break cycle of gay teen suicide

2008-09-22T14:58:00.003-04:00

"Why did God create me this way?"

That's what Mitchell Gold asked himself as a teenager in the mid-1960s as he hid his homosexuality from family and friends. The better he got at the hiding game on the outside, the more torn up he became on the inside.

What he called "the black cloud" swallowed him up. And he found himself thinking of ways to kill himself -- from overdosing on sleeping pills to driving off a cliff.

Gold felt completely alone, but the sad truth is that countless other gay and lesbian teens were feeling just as painfully isolated. Unlike Gold, many gay and lesbian teens of his generation didn't make it. Many gay teens are still not making it. And this tragic pattern won't change unless all of us -- gay and heterosexual alike -- help break the cycle.

hat's the latest message of the once self-hating gay teen who grew up to become the successful co-founder of the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture company and an innovative gay-rights activist.

Find more after the jump...

VP Nominee Joe Biden to Address HRC Dinner

2008-09-22T14:52:00.002-04:00

With Barack Obama's campaign continuing its outreach to LGBT voters, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden is expected to speak at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner this weekend in Washington, D.C.

Biden’s decision to speak comes on the heels of the Obama camp’s landmark policy call discussing the Democratic presidential ticket’s opposition to “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Biden has long supported a repeal of the policy.

"If the support Senator Biden has proven on our issues is any indication of the type of vice president he will be," HRC President Joe Solmonese said in a statement just after Biden was added to the Democratic ticket, "then our community can be assured that Senator Obama has chosen a thoughtful and staunch advocate for equality as his closest adviser."

Biden returned the compliment, expressing his support of the HRC in a statement.

"I'm honored to participate in this event," Biden said. "Discrimination has no place in this country and I am proud to stand with HRC in the fight to end it."

In recent years Biden served as one of the most vocal advocates of repealing the U.S. ban on HIV-positive visitors and immigrants in the latest renewal of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Biden has also vocally opposed “don’t ask, don’t tell” and the Federal Marriage Amendment. Additionally, Biden supports extending hate-crimes and job bias protection to LGBT people. (The Advocate)

Sam Ronson is a "Fresh Kid", says Kanye

2008-09-19T12:18:00.003-04:00

Star rapper and fashion icon, Kanye West, featured Sam Ronson on his daily blog as today's Fresh Kid. Kanye's Fresh Kid post is reserved for fashionable, up and coming entertainers and known personalities. Ronson has gain more fame over the last few months because of the speculation that she and Lindsey Lohan are an item. Here's what he had to say about Ronson:

In 2000, Ronson spun live for MTV New Year's Eve 2001's show from the network's studios in New York Times Square. In 2002, it was announced Duncan Sheik would be co-producing an album for Ronson that would be out in the spring. In 2004, she opened for JC Chasez on his Schizophrenic tour.

Ronson distinguished herself by becoming the first rock act signed to Roc-A-Fella Records. She released four songs under the label "Super" with very little public interest: "Pull My Hair Out", "Fool", "If It's Gonna Rain" and "Built This Way," and wrote and recorded her first album, Blue. "Built This Way" was featured in the movie Mean Girls starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. RED was never officially released, though song downloads were made available from her MySpace page. Ronson has also made a number of appearances on mix tapes produced by artists on the Roc-A-Fella label. In a January 2008 interview with MTV News, it was revealed Ronson had parted ways with her label and is currently focusing on DJing.

Ronson was co-owner of the New York City nightclub The Plumm, along with actor Chris Noth among others.

While comments on the post seem to varied, I have to agree that Ronson is indeed a Fresh Kid...if only for bagging the very ovah Miss Lohan!

Find the post here...

Indictments in N.J. killings

2008-09-17T15:45:00.004-04:00

Six defendants were indicted Monday on murder and other charges in the brutal killings of three teenagers last summer in Newark, N.J. A fourth victim survived and two of the suspects are charged with sexually assaulting her.

Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow said yesterday that robbery and gang activity were factors in the case, but she declined to reveal what police think is the motive for the attack.

The Blade has been reporting all along that the real motive for the killings was anti-gay bias. At least two of the victims were gay and sources have told us that jewelry, cell phones and other items of value were found at the crime scene, eliminating the robbery motive. The teens were said to be en route to a Black Gay Pride event in New York.

It’s been more than a year since the grisly murders, the full details of which the Blade and other media outlets have declined to report. And yet in all that time, mainstream media still won’t touch the gay angle. The New York Times mentioned the gay rumors in passing, but local media in New Jersey are colluding with police to cover up the true motive for the attack. If the Blade can uncover sources in Newark — activists, friends, politicians — who knew the victims to be gay and are urging a full investigation of the hate crime angle — then surely the New York Times, the Newark Star-Ledger and other nearby outlets can do the same. I’d be happy to share our sources with them.

Find more after the jump...

LGBT group focuses on voter registration

2008-09-17T15:45:00.002-04:00

Shannon Simcox
Daily Collegian, The

Daniel Kolbe said this election will directly affect how he lives his life.

"It's important to me to have the right to be an equal citizen in our country," said Kolbe, a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT).

Passionate about his beliefs, Kolbe is president of LGBT Students for Obama, created in March. Kolbe (junior-information sciences and technology) would like to bring LGBT issues into the spotlight this election by informing voters.

Both Kolbe and Zachary Zabel, president of Penn State Students for Barack Obama, said Obama has the community's best interests in mind.

At this time, LGBT Students for Obama is focusing mainly on registration, with a forum planned for the upcoming Coming Out Week. In the future, Kolbe has strong goals for the group.

"One of our plans, our goals, I guess is to try and include the State College community with it. We also want to basically try and bring a lot of LGBT and basic human rights issues to the front and have people look honestly at all the issues within the campaign and make informed decisions on who they are going to be voting for," Kolbe said.

Obama addresses many of the issues the LGBT community is interested in, Zabel said.

Find more after the jump...

Racist "Obama Waffles" Sold at "Value" Voters Summit

2008-09-15T11:59:00.003-04:00

Black, gay blogger extraordinaire Rod 2.0 is reporting this story, take a look:

Over the weekend at the Values Voters Summit, conservative activists eagerly bought boxes of "Obama Waffles" that featured several racist caricatures of Sen. Barack Obama on the front, back and top flap. The Democratic presidential nominee is depicted with "popping eyes and big, thick lips" and another image depicts Obama wearing an Arab-like headdress on its top flap. "Point toward Mecca for tastier waffles!" reads the instructions.

Find more after the jump...

PFLAG to counter ‘ex-gays’ at Palin church-supported conference

2008-09-11T15:25:00.002-04:00

(Anchorage, Alaska) Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays intends to offer support Saturday outside an Anchorage conference of the controversial “Love Won Out” conference in Anchorage.

The conference, which claims homosexuality can be “cured” through prayer, is being promoted by Gov. Sarah Palin’s church. “Love Won Out” is part of Focus on the Family, the national Christian fundamentalist organization.

Mainstream psychiatrists and psychologists have discredited the group’s assertion that homosexuality is learned and can be reversed.

Gay rights advocates call the conference “dangerous.”

“Families never win at Love Won Out,” said Jane Schlittler, president of PFLAG’s Anchorage, Alaska chapter.

“The conference’s organizers maliciously target often well-meaning parents who are dealing with a difficult issue in their lives, and in the process put their kids’ well-being at risk. Make no mistake: There is far more ‘preying’ than ‘praying’ taking place at these meetings, and far more harming than healing in the doctrine of Love Won Out,” she said.
Critics of the so-called ex-gay movement say groups like “Love Won Out” use outmoded medical theories and radical religious beliefs.

Find more after the jump...

Obama’s gay mentor speaks out

2008-09-11T15:19:00.001-04:00

By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade

As an 18-year-old undergraduate student at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Barack Obama was among a coterie of students who spoke regularly with Lawrence Goldyn.

Goldyn, an openly gay political science professor who served as a mentor and friend to many of the school’s minority students, said Obama joined him and other students in discussions about social and political issues at a time when Obama was beginning to develop an interest in politics and civil rights causes.

“He was one of those unusual, straight young men who was secure enough in his sexuality that he was not fearful of being associated with me, whether that involved taking a class or just talking socially,” said Goldyn, who also served as faculty adviser for Occidental’s gay student group.

Goldyn, who was at Occidental from 1978 to 1981, has since changed professions and now works as a physician and medical director for a clinic in Northern California, with a specialty in HIV medicine.

He decided to speak with the Blade about his interaction with Obama during their years at Occidental after Obama told the Advocate, in an April interview, that Goldyn had a “strong influence” in his understanding and perception of gay people and gay rights.

Find more after the jump...

Anti-Gay Protest Fizzles, Obama Pride Sizzles in NYC

2008-09-11T15:14:00.003-04:00

by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Contributor
Tuesday Sep 9, 2008

An Obama Pride gathering sizzled in New York City last weekend, while a few blocks away a Hispanic anti-gay demonstration fizzled.

Sunday, Sept. 7 saw two very different gatherings taking place in Manhattan, with one--a GLBT Obama rally--attended by a supportive throng, while the other--an anti-gay protest led by Hispanic clergy--drew only a relatively paltry crowd.

The anti-gay clergy and their supporters met at 25 Federal Plaza, even as the Obama Pride crowd assembled mere blocks away.

As noted by gay Web blog Blabbeando, the NYC Obama Pride gathering took place at City Hall, while an estimate 250-300 people showed up for the anti-gay event, which Blabbeando reported featured homophobic speeches, including an address from "the very non-Latino... Joseph Mattera of the Christ Covenant Coalition," whom Blabbeando said had "been at work in 'diversifying' religious opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion-rights for more than a few years perhaps in order to make discrimination a tad bit more palatable to the general masses."

Find more after the jump...

HIV-Positive Man Sues McDonald's for Wrongful Termination

2008-09-09T15:36:00.000-04:00

A man is suing a McDonald's restaurant in Dyersville, Iowa, allegedly it fired him because he is a gay man with HIV. Daniel Carver claims he was promised a promotion and a full-time schedule, which he did not receive, according to the Dubuque Telegraph Herald newspaper. A manager punched him in the stomach, and another employee called him a "faggot rat" and slapped him with a slice of cheese, Carver alleges. Additionally, he claims he received death threats from other employees. Though he reported the problems to a manager, the incidents continued. He was fired in February 2008, after almost four months of employment.

He has filed his claim with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. The commission has sent Carver, 46, a right-to-sue letter, prompting him to file suit in the Dubuque County district court.

Iowa law prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Since the law was enacted in 2007, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission has received six complaints for gender identity discrimination and eight for sexual orientation discrimination, according to the Telegraph Herald. State law also bans discrimination against an employee who is HIV-positive. The state's department of health reports that nearly 2,000 Iowans have HIV. (The Advocate)

Find the article here.

Palin supporters, black Obama voters will help pass Florida's gay marriage ban

2008-09-09T15:25:00.001-04:00

Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald

TALLAHASSEE -- The ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage in Florida continues to be in trouble, a new poll released Monday by Quinnipiac University found, so promoters are now pinning their hopes on presidential politics to push them over the top.

The poll found Florida voters support the same-sex marriage ban by 55-41 percent, but that falls short of the 60 percent needed to become law.

Supporters say that both Sarah Palin, the right-leaning Alaskan governor credited for firing up the Republican's conservative base, and the historic candidacy of Democrat Barack Obama will bring out more proponents of Amendment 2.

''Palin may turn out more conservative voters who might have stayed home,'' said Steve Strang, founder of Orlando-based Charisma Magazine for evangelicals. ``If they support Sarah Palin, they most likely will vote on this amendment.''

OBAMA SUPPORTERS

Meanwhile, Obama will draw black voters ''who know and understand this issue,'' said John Stemberger, president and general counsel of the Florida Family Policy Council, which is promoting the Yeson2 campaign.

The poll of 1,427 Florida voters was conducted Sept. 2-4 and has a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points. Amendment 2 would define marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman.

Although same-sex marriage is already illegal in Florida, the amendment enshrines it in the constitution and prevents the establishment of civil unions by adding that ``no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.''

Find more after the jump...

GOP accused of ignoring domestic AIDS issue

2008-09-08T16:07:00.001-04:00

HIV/AIDS groups are accusing Republican presidential candidate John McCain of ignoring the growing rate of new HIV cases in the US.

The Republican National Convention concluded last week with no mention of the domestic AIDS epidemic and only passing reference to the epidemic overseas. Neither McCain nor his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, mentioned AIDS in their remarks to convention delegates.

The Republican Convention was held one month after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new estimates indicating that the HIV infection rate in the United States is 40 percent higher than previously thought.

Every year, more than 56,000 Americans become infected with HIV, a rate that has not fallen in eight years and is higher than it was for most of the 1990s, according to the CDC.

Find more after the jump...

Bashing victim publishes photos of injuries

2008-09-08T16:01:00.002-04:00

By ZACK ROSEN, Washington Blade

One of three men injured in an Adams Morgan anti-gay attack in July has sparked renewed media interest in the case by releasing photos of his injuries.

In the July 13 incident, three gay men were assaulted by a group of five men who used anti-gay epithets. The Blade covered the attack a week after it happened. This week, the victim released photos of himself that appeared on a blog, thenewgay.net. Since then, local radio station WAMU has covered the story.

The victim in question, who asked to be identified only by his first name Todd, said that he chose to release the graphic photos to raise awareness about homophobia and hate crimes in Washington.

Find more after the jump...

2008-09-08T15:56:00.002-04:00

A Yeshiva University professor left two years ago as a man - and returned last week as a woman.

Literature Professor Joy Ladin, formerly known as Jay Ladin, 47, showed up for her first day of school sporting pink lipstick, a tight purple shirt and a flirty black skirt. She cheerfully strutted through the doors of the Midtown campus' main building, where she oversees the writing center.

Many at the Jewish university are horrified by the presence of the transgender professor. Some fear the news could cut alumni donations.

Ladin and the school won't comment on the situation, but some rabbis are shocked that she's still a member of the faculty.

Find more after the jump...

Spelman for Obama

2008-09-08T14:20:00.000-04:00

Check out the video:

Get Involved!!!

Take Action: Send McCain A Message About Marriage!!!

2008-09-04T15:49:00.001-04:00

This week, when John McCain wants to sell himself as a moderate, can you take a moment to ask him why he's marching in lockstep with the radical right?

* He has publicly embraced the hateful California marriage initiative that would deny marriage rights to committed same-sex couples.

* In 2006, he appeared in the TV ad below for a similar measure in Arizona.

* He doesn't believe GLBT couples should
be able to adopt children.

Sign this petition and tell Sen. McCain to stop supporting discriminatory anti-GLBT measures.

Human Rights Campaign to Host Minn., N.C., and Va. “Camp Equality,” Train Activists for Election 2008

2008-09-04T15:16:00.003-04:00

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, will hold campaign trainings in St. Paul, Minn., Charlotte, N.C., and Crystal City, Va., as part of a national program to help elect fair-minded candidates and defeat discriminatory ballot measures. The program – called Camp Equality – will train nearly 1,500 people in 18 cities to work on political campaigns. The Camp Equality trainings will take place in Charlotte and Crystal City on September 6-7 and in St. Paul on September 6. Those interested in participating in Camp Equality are encouraged to apply online here.

“We are searching for talented and committed supporters of equality who are engaged in the political process and eager to build the skills necessary to win,” said National Field Director Marty Rouse. “By maintaining a visible presence on campaigns, we’re ensuring that the fight for equality remains a priority in this election cycle and beyond.”

Camp Equality builds on the Human Rights Campaign’s successful Campaign College, which brings 40 college students to Washington, D.C. every summer for intensive campaign training. Camp Equality takes that model out to the country, training individuals in their own communities and providing them with information about opportunities to engage in competitive political campaigns. By recruiting and training supporters of equality, HRC is bringing more people into the political process, training them to help fair-minded candidates achieve victory, and building support for equality across the country.

From mobilizing the GLBT community, recruiting and training a cadre of grassroots political advocates to staff and assist political campaigns on the ground, and strategically targeting “high-impact” races, the Human Rights Campaign is gearing up to make sure that issues of equality for the GLBT community are discussed in ’08 on our terms – not used as a divisive wedge by anti-gay forces on the right.

In 2006, the Human Rights Campaign flexed its political muscle in unprecedented and strategic ways that helped alter the political dynamic in key races across the country. HRC’s influence was felt in key victories for strong pro-equality candidates like Florida’s Ron Klein, Arizona’s Gabrielle Giffords and Pennsylvania’s Bob Casey.

Through an expanded field team and an unprecedented focus on state-level activity, the Human Rights Campaign helped ensure victory for 211 endorsed candidates, offering up a stinging defeat for some of the most anti-gay politicians in the country, including Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. Because of these efforts, HRC was ranked the second most successful political organization in the country by National Journal (“Reversal of Fortune”, National Journal, 11/11/06).

St. Paul, Minn.

WHAT: Camp Equality Training by Human Rights Campaign

WHO: Human Rights Campaign, Stonewall DFL, the Progressive Majority, and America Votes Minnesota

WHEN: Saturday, September 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Time is for media purposes only)

WHERE: Minnesota Humanities Center in the Library. 987 Ivy Ave East, St. Paul, MN 55106 (Location is for media purposes only)

Charlotte, N.C.

WHAT: Camp Equality Training by Human Rights Campaign

WHO: Human Rights Campaign, Equality North Carolina

WHEN: Saturday, September 6 from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, September 7, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Time is for media purposes only)

WHERE: UNC – Charlotte, Fretwell Hall Rooms 106 & 122, Charlotte, NC 28223 (Location is for media purposes only)

Crystal City, Va.

WHAT: Camp Equality Training by Human Rights Campaign

WHO: Human Rights Campaign

WHEN: Saturday, September 6 from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, September 7, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Time is for media purposes only)

WHERE: Holiday Inn National Airport, 2650 Jefferson David Highway, Arlington, VA 22202 (Location is for media purposes only)

Man Charged in Murder of NYC College Student

2008-09-03T15:32:00.001-04:00

by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Contributor

The alleged killer of a college sophomore expressed no remorse when he spoke with his father and confronted the media, multiple news sources reported.

22-year-old Jeromie Cancel was charged in connection with the Labor Day weekend slaying of Kevin Pravia, an honor student at Pace University.

Pravia was murdered in the Chelsea, NY, apartment he shared with roommate Josephine Madonna, who discovered his body when she returned from a trip out of town.

Cancel claimed responsibility for the slaying, describing to authorities how he punched Pravia in the face, then wrapping a cord around his neck and suffocating him.

Cancel had been detained by police on an unrelated matter, after Cancel's father reported that he had been robbed, reported The New York Times in a Sept. 2 story.

According to GLBT news site Towleroad, the victim was a gay man.

Police said that though Pravia had been found in his underwear, there was no indication that anything sexual had taken place.

Cancel told authorities that he had met Pravia early on the morning of Aug. 30 in Union Square Park. According to the suspect, he had gone to the park looking to buy drugs; police said there was no evidence that Pravia had supplied any drugs to Cancel.

As reported in the NY Times and The New York Post, Cancel said that he had accompanied Pravia back to the student's apartment before attacking and killing him. Then, Cancel said, he watched a movie while sitting next to Pravia's body: the 2004 horror film Saw.

Cancel then left the apartment, taking Pravia's iPod, laptop and cell phone, which he said that he subsequently sold.

Cancel was charged with first- and second-degree murder following his confession, but he exhibited no remorse. In photos published at the New York Post, Cancel looked into the camera lens with a smile.

At some point following the murder, Cancel seems to have gone to his father's apartment in Queens, Towleroad reported; Cancel's father, Jesus Soto, described his son's demeanor to the Post, saying, "He's mentally imbalanced."

Added Cancel's father, "He seemed off-balance. He didn't seem right."

In June, the media sources said, Cancel had stayed with Soto for a couple of weeks before disappearing, along with some of Soto's property, including a PlayStation.

Towleroad and the Post quoted Soto as saying that when Cancel visited him in the Queens apartment, "All the time he was gloating, like it didn't mean nothing to him."

"He was not remorseful, like he was happy with what he did."

Added Soto, "He had this big smile on him."

Police showed up at Soto's apartment to take Cancel into custody.

The Post quoted Soto as saying, "I called the cops, and when they pulled up... he just turned to the cops and told them he just killed someone."

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The Post reported that as Cancel was taken out of police headquarters, he told reporters that he had killed Pravia "because I wanted to," and then challenged, "You got a problem with that?"

Uncovered Questionnaire Shows Republican VP Nominee Palin Opposes Hate Crimes Laws

2008-09-02T16:17:00.003-04:00

WASHINGTON – During her 2006 run for Governor, Sarah Palin filled out an Alaska Eagle Forum questionnaire that reveals even more about her stance and view on equality for LGBT equality.

One of the questions the conservative group asked her on the questionnaire was her views on expanding hate crimes laws. The question reads, “Will you support an effort to expand hate crimes laws?”

Palin answered, “No, as I believe all heinous crime is based on hate.”

Another question from the same survey asked, “Do you support the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling that spousal benefits for state employees should be given to same-sex couples? Why or why not?”

Palin answered, “No, I believe spousal benefits are reserved for married citizens as defined in our constitution.”

And last, but not least, Palin was asked what her top three priorities, as regards to families, would be while Governor.

Palin answered, “#2 - Preserving the definition of ‘marriage’ as defined in our constitution.”

“I’d say we have a pretty definitive understanding of where Sarah Palin stands on issue of equality for our community. Sarah Palin is against recognizing our relationships, against domestic partner benefits, and against hate crimes laws. She championed that her second top priority in office would be preserving an anti-gay definition of marriage. The more we find out about her record, the more frightening her record becomes,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

The full questionnaire and answers can be found here...

When asked about the right-wing’s reaction to the choice of Gov Palin, the New York Times quoted Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition as saying, “They’re beyond ecstatic”.

Highlights of Governor Palin’s Anti-Equality Record

· Prior to being elected governor, Palin supported the 1998 constitutional amendment barring marriage for same-sex couples and has said she would support a ballot measure overturning a state supreme court decision mandating benefits for domestic partners of state employees

· She is close to “traditional values” groups, like Family Research Council, because she is strongly anti-choice

Marriage and Relationship Recognition

· Palin told the Anchorage Daily News that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment on marriage.

· In addition, she told the Daily News that she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to the domestic partners of public employees, which were ordered by an October 2005 decision of the Alaska Supreme Court, because, she said “honoring the family structure is that important." http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html

· While she followed the Court’s decision and he also signed legislation –her first legislative act as Governor of Alaska—to put the issue on the April 2007 ballot for a nonbinding advisory vote. This was the only issue on the ballot and that election cost the state taxpayers $1.2 million. This measure passed, but the legislature did not follow the public’s advice and it chose not to take any further action to overturn the court’s decision.

· She did, however, veto legislation passed by the state legislature in 2006 that would have prohibited providing DP benefits to state workers, in defiance of the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling. She did this after the Supreme Court had already ruled and the Attorney General (Republican) advised her that the legislation was unconstitutional. Palin went on to state that, as a matter of policy, she was in favor of the bill.

Ties to Anti-LGBT Groups

· She will be honored alongside anti-gay Representative Michelle Bachman (R-MN) at an event at the 2008 Republican Convention, the “Life of the Party,” sponsored in part by long-time opponent of GLBT rights, Phyllis Schlafly.

Deomcratic Strategist James Carville on GOP Vice Presidential Pick

2008-09-02T15:03:00.002-04:00

I love this man, the Raging Cajun!