President Obama on Gay Rights

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

"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

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

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

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

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

“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!