Today's "We are one of our own worst enemies" Post: VIA JMG

Queers Against Equality

Apparently they've been around for a couple of years, but I've only just learned about them via Slog. From the Against Equality about page:

Against Equality is an online archive, publishing, and arts collective focused on critiquing mainstream gay and lesbian politics. As queer thinkers, writers and artists, we are committed to dislodging the centrality of equality rhetoric and challenging the demand for inclusion in the institution of marriage, the US military, and the prison industrial complex via hate crimes legislation. We want to reinvigorate the queer political imagination with fantastic possibility.

On marriage equality:

Gay marriage apes hetero privilege and allows everyone to forget that marriage ought not to be the guarantor of rights like health care. In their constant invoking of the “right” to gay marriage, mainstream gays and lesbians express a confused tangle of wishes and desires. They claim to contest the Right’s conservative ideology yet insist that they are more moral and hence more deserving than sluts like us. They claim that they simply want the famous 1000+ benefits but all of these, like the right to claim protection in cases of domestic violence, can be made available to non-marital relationships.

Against Equality also opposes the repeal of DADT, because nobody should be in the military.

Is it the uniforms? The always flattering navy blue of a seaman’s uniform? The adventurous khaki of a soldier in the desert? Or might it be the rituals of military life, the sado-masochistic infliction of rules and tortuous drills, which drive today’s gays and lesbians to insist that they ought to be allowed to serve freely and openly in the military?

There's a Facebook page for an upcoming speaking engagement by the group at Seattle's Cornish College.

Labels: anarchists, DADT, marriage equality, Seattle

reposted from Joe

Lançada a Frente Parlamentar Mista pela Cidadania LGBT

O salão nobre do Congresso Nacional, no dia 29/03/2011, foi palco de um dos momentos mais significativos na luta pelo reconhecimento dos direitos de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais-LGBT e a efetivação da cidadania da comunidade homossexual. Numa bela cerimônia, aconteceu o lançamento da Frente Parlamentar Mista pela Cidadania LGBT.

A Frente de caráter supra-partidário, tem como objetivo reunir todos os parlamentares comprometidos com os direitos humanos, com o combate à discriminação e ao preconceito de todos os tipos. E que, independente de suas crenças religiosas, reafirmam o caráter laico e republicano do Estado brasileiro.


A Frente apóia e articula a apresentação e aprovação de proposições legislativas de interesse da comunidade LGBT, assim como trabalha para colaborar na garantia de recursos para a execução do Plano Nacional de Política LGBT. E, neste novo momento, é composta por 175 parlamentares, incluído deputados federais e senadores.

Para Carlos Magno, secretário de comunicação da ABGLT, a Frente LGBT é uma grande iniciativa, pois os parlamentares poderão atuar no Congresso, no Senado e defender os interesses da comunidade LGBT. “ Além de leis que nos proteja, precisamos de porta-vozes que possam garantir o debate prol-LGBT no congresso. Precisamos de vozes para denunciar os crimes, a violência homofóbica e, fundamentalmente, a falta de leis”, comemora Magno.

Um dos deputados de destaque na Frente é o Jean Wyllys (PSOL-RJ).

Carlos Magno e Jean Wyllys no lançamento da Frente Mista pela Cidadania LGBT( foto)

--

Carlos Magno

Supervisor do CRLGBT-BH

Sec. de Comunicação da ABGLT

Militante do CELLOS-MG

Pós- Graduando em Mídias Sociais e Comunicação Digital

 

Que a gente viva feliz mesmo sem permissão ( Mário Benedetti)

 

Reposted from JMG: Clique Chart

(Source)

Labels: bears, LGBT culture, silliness

reposted from Joe

It Gets Better: Columbus Children's Choir and the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus

Via AMERICAblog Gay: GOP Homophobia was on display at hearing on DADT repeal implementation

As we mentioned earlier this week, the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel was holding its first hearing on DADT repeal today. It was supposed to be about the implementation process. But, these GOPErs can't help themselves. Their homophobia was on full display. And, they wanted another debate over whether DADT should be repealed.

Keep in mind that 80% of the American people support repeal. But, you wouldn't know that from the way the Republicans today. It was pretty clear these GOPers still don't want repeal to happen. At this point, any opposition to DADT repeal is based on bigotry.

SLDN blasted the hearing:

“Today’s hearing represents a shameless and transparent attempt by a few repeal opponents to delay, defund, and derail the timely certification and full repeal of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law.

“Mr. Wilson knows better. There was nothing undemocratic about last year's vote to repeal ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell.’ The measure passed both houses of Congress on a strong bi-partisan vote.

Alex Nicholson took a swipe at the hearing organizers, but sees progress:

"Despite the transparent intentions behind the scheduling of today's oversight hearing on the progress toward 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal, the hearing went very well and revealed smooth sailing for ongoing training and certification preparation. Under Secretary Stanley and Vice Admiral Gortney thoroughly answered all questions regarding the progress of repeal training, and opponents of repeal noticeably struggled to try to get in digs about this inevitable change in policy. Overall, the Department of Defense continues to do an admirable job in deliberately moving forward toward certification and finality on this issue."

At Think Progress, Zack Ford report on the hearing is titled, "GOP Digs For Dirt At Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Oversight Hearing." Chris Johnson from the Washington Blade live-tweeted the hearing. Rep. Joe "You Lie" Wilson chaired the hearing:

WIlson (R-S.C.) says he was "troubled" by the process that led to #DADT repeal and thought it was rushed through lame duck session

Yeah, the House only voted on repeal twice, in May and December. The Senate only debated repeal three times. That's a real rush job. But, I think this is my favorite:

Hartzler you have a "double-standard" by not requiring men and women to shower together, but requiring gays to shower with straight troops

Hartzler is Rep. Hartzler (MO) is the sponsor of the resolution on DOMA that's given us the list of the biggest homophobes in the House. Now, why she puts so much thought into people showering together is intriguing. Clearly, she thinks about it a lot. She's vying to be the next Marilyn Musgrave.

We're just seeing more and more evidence that a lot of these House Republicans don't really care what the American people think. They're trying to impose their warped, homophobic views on the country.

Guess it's a good thing we didn't wait to push the repeal bill in 2011, which was part of the original plan.

Via AmericablogGay: More on America's unfair gay immigration policy

More on America's unfair gay immigration policy

ABC News has a story that provides some concrete examples of just how devastating the decision to continue with "business as usual" is destroying gay American bi-national couple's lives.

Vandiver and Velandia, who have been together since 2006, have been recognized by Princeton, New Jersey as domestic partners in 2007, and married in Connecticut. Unfortunately for Velandia, he is Venezuelan and is now in danger of deportation.

"I started from zero in this country -- new language, new culture," said Velandia. "It's been like the American Dream."

But when his visa expired, an application for a green card was denied. In 2009, Velandia received a notice of deportation. If deported, he could be barred from entering the U.S. for 10 years.

Nice, huh? Next we have an example of a bi-national lesbian couple, Carry Tucker, 55, of Sacramento, CA, and her LEGAL wife, Claire Pollar, 49, of the United Kingdom. Thanks to our nation's inhumane policies justified by politicians who serve conservative theocratic Talibangelicals, their daughter has missed the support of two loving mothers.

The couple was prepared to move to Canada where Pollard had applied for legal residence under the skilled-worker program, but the economy went sour in 2008.

Under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California recognized legal same-sex marriages, but DOMA stood in their way.

They have now been separated for five years. Tucker says her 18-year-old daughter is a "stranger" to Pollard.

"All of her teen years, my daughter did not have her loving stepmother in her life," said Tucker. "They are the two loves of my life, and they don't know each other. That is the most painful part for me."

Wonderful family values, America. And hardly liberty for all.

[[[[[Madness]]]]]

Words are worse than Sticks and Stones

Stand Up! - Don't Stand for Homophobic Bullying

Via JMG: Gay Sailor Wins Discharge Hearing

Petty Officer Derek Morado today won his discharge hearing with the Navy after being told he faced ejection due to a MySpace photograph that was turned in anonymously. In the photo, Morado is seen kissing another man. Morado's lawyer told KMPH News that even though DADT has been repealed, that doesn't mean the military's investigations are over.

"There's nothing illegal about what the Navy is trying to do to this man right now as I understand it," Attorney Mark King said. King says that's because the law, is the law. "If someone does something in January that by June is no longer a crime, there's nothing unconstitutional about prosecuting them in September over what happened in January, because in January it was against the law," King said. A Navy spokesperson tells KMPH News, the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has to be certified by the Secretary of Defense, Chairman and President. After that, it will take another 60 days before it goes into effect. "We have to treat them all with dignity and respect. At the same time there is a law and we have to maintain that law," Navy Commander Danny Hernandez said. But for Derek Morado, it wouldn't matter. On Thursday the board voted against discharging him, which means he can continue his dreams of a decorated military career.

According to a press release from GetEQUAL, the Navy's panel voted 3-0 in favor of Morado's retention.

Labels: DADT, LGBT rights, military, Navy

reposted from Joe

Via AMERICAblog Gay:

Navy decides NOT to discharge gay sailor

Joe and I just sent out the following update to our email list about yesterday's action to help a gay sailor who was almost kicked out under DADT today. Great news.

Victory!

Derek Morado -- who was faced with discharge even though we were "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was history -- just telephoned GetEQUAL to let them know he won his battle to stay in the military today.

Thank you to the thousands who signed our petition on behalf of Derek over the past 24 hours. We sent your names to Derek this morning right before he went into his hearing, so in a very real way you were there with him.

According to Derek, all three members of the hearing board voted to retain him in the military -- an incredible result.

Derek gets the lion's share of the credit for today's victory, but I really believe each and every one of you who joined AMERICAblog and GetEQUAL in this action played a role, and you should be proud.

Please share this success with your friends -- and encourage them to join us in our effective activism.

Click here to share on Facebook.

Click below to tweet this message:

Victory! Navy will not discharge sailor under DADT. Join our action ntwk & join the fight: tinyurl.com/684aghv @americablog

There isn't anything we can't accomplish if we work together. Thanks so much, and congratulations again,

John Aravosis, Editor of AMERICAblog
Joe Sudbay, Deputy Editor of AMERICAblog

P.S. You can read some background on Derek's story here.

Via JMG: WASHINGTON: Legislature Votes To Recognize Out Of State Gay Marriages

Today the Washington state Senate voted 28-19 to recognize all legal partnerships (marriages, civil unions, etc) from other jurisdictions. The state House approved the bill last month.

“This bill is about making sure that people who love one another - and that love and friendship respected and honored in another state or another country - when they come here they have the same opportunity,” Sen. Kevin Ranker, D- San Juan Island, said on the Senate floor. Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, cautioned lawmakers against passing the bill because he argued it would subject the Legislature to laws that other state legislatures pass.

The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who has promised to sign it.

Labels: LGBT rights, marriage equality, Washington state

reposted from Joe

reposted from jmg: Tax Campaign: Refuse To Lie

Equality Florida tips us to a new campaign in which legally married gay couples will "refuse to lie" and will therefore file joint tax returns.

Each year the federal government demands that thousands of married couples lie. The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) not only denies legally married gay couples the benefits of heterosexual marriage, but we are also told to disavow our spouses and file our taxes as "single." The Federal Government must stop requiring legally married gay couples to deny the existence of our families and hide our marriages. It is dehumanizing and it is wrong. Across the country, legally married gay couples are taking a stand. We are refusing to lie about the fact that we are married.

Refuse To Lie organizers warn: "Taking this principled stand is not without risk and each person doing so needs to carefully consider those risks before deciding if it is a stand you are willing to take." Facebook page here.

Labels: activism, DOMA, marriage equality, taxes

reposted from Joe

reposted from jmg: Tweet Of The Day - Porno Pete

Presumably PFOX head Quinlan's "testimony" won't include mention of his ex-wife, who dumped his totally gay ass four years ago after they'd paraded themselves on Christian networks as models of reformed homosexuals.

Labels: "ex-gay", assholery, bigotry, Greg Quinlan, liars, Peter LaBarbera, PFOX, religion, still totally gay

reposted by Joe

Via AmericaBlog: Vatican warns the Internet is leading the young to Satan, then finds way to wiggle out of pedophilia scandal (again)

A Vatican affiliated university is holding a conference on Satan and exorcism because apparently the Internet has been a big boon for the lord of darkness.

"The internet makes it much easier than in the past to find information about Satanism," said Carlo Climati, a member of the university who specialises in the dangers posed to young people by Satanism.

"In just a few minutes you can contact Satanist groups and research occultism. The conference is not about how to become an exorcist. It's to share information about exorcism, Satanism and sects. It's to give help to families and priests. There is a particular risk for young people who are in difficulties or who are emotionally fragile," said Mr Climati.

The Internet is for Satan? And here I thought the Internet was for porn.


(Another very cool version of this song.)

And it wouldn't be the Vatican if they didn't roll out yet another excuse for their aiding and abetting of pedophilia.

The Vatican's chief exorcist claimed last year that the Devil lurked in the Vatican, the very heart of the Catholic Church.

Father Gabriele Amorth said people who are possessed by Satan vomit shards of glass and pieces of iron, scream, dribble and slobber, utter blasphemies and have to be physically restrained.

He claimed that the sex abuse scandals which have engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Germany and other countries, were proof that the anti-Christ was waging a war against the Holy See.

Yes, the devil made you do it. Considering the Pope was a party to all of this, that would mean he's been influenced by the devil too. And tell us again why then its okay for him to continue leading the church?

Via ALCU: Don't Filter Me!

Reposted from JMG: Andrew Sullivan On Gay Deportations

"The US government regards gay Americans as sub-human in their needs and wants and rights. Their loves and relationships mean nothing under the law every time they encounter federal authoritah. Aaron and I are total strangers to one another in the eyes of federal law. And because we are legally married, I am paradoxically more vulnerable to being deported than I would be if I were single - because it's plain that I intend to reside in the US indefinitely, even though my visa has an expiration date.

"So I'm a risk - hence my huge anxiety if I ever leave the country. I am lucky to be able to apply for a Green Card on my own merits, under the rubric of what's called extraordinary ability in my field (it's still in process). But most people are not so lucky. They just fall in love. Only to have their own government rip their marriage apart, or force the American into exile. If this isn't wrong, what is?" - Andrew Sullivan, commenting on the news that the foreign partner of legally married binational gay couples may still be deported.

Labels: Andrew Sullivan, DOMA, immigration, LGBT rights

reposted from Joe

Repost from GetEqual:

Dear Daniel,

In December, when President Obama signed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010," I breathed a sigh of relief. Although there is still work to do to make repeal fully inclusive and get it implemented, my hope was that at least now we would not lose another servicemember because of that discriminatory law. After so many discharges even as late as last year [1], I thought we were finally out of the woods.
Sadly, I thought wrong.
A short time ago, we were contacted by an active-duty servicemember who -- despite the repeal of this horrible law -- is still going through the process of being discharged. The process started for him on November 8, 2009, when someone anonymously outed him after seeing his MySpace page.
Within weeks, his discharge process began -- but it limped along while the government waffled about what to do about repeal. A year went by before he got any kind of update, each day believing it was his last day to serve his country. After the repeal bill was signed into law, he believed his case to be over.
But Derek got bad news earlier this month. Despite DADT repeal, his case is still being pursued and his hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. With implementation still not in place, is this the Navy's attempt to slip in another discharge or bully him with a hearing...just because they still can?
Click here to show your support for Derek and to fight back against his discharge!
Derek joined the Navy right after high school -- here are his own words:

This lengthy matter has been tearing me up; it has destroyed relationships and displaced loved ones who were relying on me. But even after the U.S. Government has made it clear they don’t want this law in effect the Navy has said that, because the paperwork has been submitted and the policy is technically still active, they have no choice but to continue.

I have been in the U.S. Navy since I graduated high school. It’s all I know and all I want to do. I have dreams of grandeur, hopes of retiring a young, highly-decorated, respected senior enlisted sailor. My resolve is weakened but not broken. I just have to place my fate in the hands of three strangers -- strangers who I hope have strong moral convictions and like-minded sentiments to my own.

Click here to add your name to the list of supporters Derek will take into his hearing with him!
Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!
Robin McGehee, Director
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[1] "Servicemembers United: An 'unusually high' 261 discharges under DADT in FY 2010" -- http://gay.americablog.com/2011/03/261-discharges-under-dadt-in-fy-2010.html

Via AMERICAblog Gay: 'There is light at the end of the tunnel for binational couples'

Lavi Soloway has a guest column over at Karen Ocamb's LGBT POV where he dissects the latest news from the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) relating to binational couples and DOMA. A lot has happened over the past couple days. Yesterday, USCIS confirmed to Metro Weekly that cases relating to same-sex couples have been put in "abeyance," pending resolution of DOMA.

Lavi, an immigration lawyer who also writes the blog, Stop The Deportations, explains what it means and who it helps for now:

This development will have the greatest impact on two groups of couples:

1. Married gay and lesbian couples where the foreign spouse lawfully entered the United States but is now an “overstay” and without lawful status. For these couples, the filing of an alien relative petition and application for adjustment of status to permanent resident should automatically give temporary lawful status to the foreign spouse for the duration of the period that the case is pending. If these applications are in fact held in abeyance until DOMA’s final demise, this could mean that couples who have wrestled for years with the nightmare of deportation, separation and instability caused by a lack of lawful status may now be on the verge of a new reality. The foreign spouse will not only receive (temporary) lawful status, but also employment authorization and potentially other benefits, as long as they have a pending green card application. Unfortunately, despite the temptation that this will present to many couples, for many it will be better to wait until there is greater certainty about this policy and the future of DOMA.

2. Married gay and lesbian couples who are already facing removal (deportation) proceedings. It is now likely that we will be able to stop virtually all deportation proceedings involving married gay and lesbian couples who have filed green card petitions/applications and who are, but for DOMA, otherwise eligible to receive a green card based on their marriage. Even couples in removal (deportation) proceedings must proceed cautiously when considering whether to marry and file a green card petition/application based on that marriage. However, unlike those who are not in proceedings, the risk of deportation is very real, and the likelihood is that this new development will provide protection to almost every couple facing deportation, if they are currently in proceedings.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for binational couples. The individual stories of binational couples suffering separation, exile or the threat of deportation continue to be our most important weapon in the fight against DOMA. There is still a long road ahead before we achieve full equality and we cannot be complacent.

DOMA really has to go.

John Boehner is going to be spending a lot of your tax dollars defending a law that is based on pure bigotry.