Monday, April 26, 2010

Via 365gay: Our story: DOMA makes us feel erased


Bette Jo and Jo Ann became friends as college students in 1960. They reconnected 20 years later in Massachusetts, and fell in love. After 23 years as a couple, they were legally married on June 7, 2004 in the garden of their Jamaica Plain home.

Bette Jo, 68, retired last year after a 35-year career as a labor and delivery nurse. Jo Ann, also 68, still works part-time as a garden educator. But both are deeply involved in supporting their community full-time.

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GetEQUAL Rally Lafayette Square DC 12PM Sun May 2

Via JMG: Elton John Writes Letter To Ryan White On 20th Anniversary Of His Death

On the 20th anniversary of Ryan White's death from AIDS, Elton John has written Ryan a letter. From the Washington Post, an excerpt:

Ryan, I wish you could know how much the world has changed since 1990, and how much you changed it. Young boys and girls with HIV attend school and take medicine that allows them to lead normal lives. Children in America are seldom born with the virus, and they no longer contract it through transfusions. The insults and injustices you suffered are not tolerated by society.

Most important, Ryan, you inspired awareness, which helped lead to lifesaving treatments. In 1990, four months after you died, Congress passed the Ryan White Care Act, which now provides more than $2 billion each year for AIDS medicine and treatment for half a million Americans. Today, countless people with HIV live long, productive lives. It breaks my heart that you are not one of them. You were 18 when you died, and you would be 38 this year, if only the current treatments existed when you were sick. I think about this every day, because America needs your message of compassion as never before.


After the deaths of Ryan White and his good friend Freddy Mercury, in 1992 Elton founded the Atlanta-based Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has since raised hundreds of millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS research. This Wednesday the foundation will host an event in Ryan White's honor in Indianapolis.

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a repost lifted from JMG

Betty White's SNL Promo!

Via JMG: The Senate Armed Services Committee: Where They Stand On Repeal Of DADT

GetEQUAL sends us the above grid detailing the known (and unknown) DADT positions of Senators that serve on the Armed Services Committee. GetEQUAL: "These are very important targets to go after in the next 30 days with non-violent direct action and civil disobedience. It is of utmost importance that you contact ALL these Senators and express the importance of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." They suggest using these talking points when calling the above Senators.

VIDEO: Members of GetEQUAL visit the offices of some Senators. (The audio doesn't kick in for a few seconds.)

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reposted from JMG

From BoxTurtle: Liechtenstein introduces same-sex couple bill

From the Italian site Queerblog (Google translation):

Aurelia Frick, Minister of Justice of Liechtenstein, had promised that by summer 2010, the Principality will give itself a law that recognizes same-sex couples. Now the Government submitted the bill to Parliament which is expected to be treated de facto unions to heterosexual marriages as regards inheritance, social security, retirement pensions, immigration and naturalization, and other tax matters. Remain outside the law and adoptions that access to artificial insemination.

I am not certain whether this is a civil marriage bill, allowable on the same terms as heterosexual marriage, or if it is just the granting of limited rights to de facto couples.