Via AmericaBlogGay: Obama mentions gays during UN address in NYC

Yes, actions speak louder than words, but a US president speaking this way to an international body is actually quite significant.  Here's the relevant part of what he said: 

And to make sure our societies reach their potential, we must allow our citizens to reach theirs. No country can afford the cancer of corruption. Together, we must harness the power of open societies and open economies. That is why we have partnered with countries from across the globe to launch a new partnership on Open Government that helps ensure accountability and empower their citizens. No country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere. And no country can realize its potential if half its population cannot reach theirs. This week, the United States signed a new Declaration on Women’s Participation. Next year, we should each announce the steps we are taking to break down economic and political barriers that stand in the way of women and girls. That is what our commitment to human progress demands.

http://gay.americablog.com/2011/09/obama-mentions-gays-during-un-address.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AMERICAblogGay+%28AMERICAblog+Gay%29

Daily Show on DADT repeal

Via JMG: Airman Randy Phillips Comes Out On YouTube To His Dad, Military

Via JMG: "Peace Is Hard" President Obama UN Speech To The General Assembly pt.3

AMAZING: "No country should deny people their rights, the freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but also no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere." - JMG

Via AmericaBlogGay: I heart Rob Reiner

http://gay.americablog.com/2011/09/i-heart-rob-reiner.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AMERICAblogGay+%28AMERICAblog+Gay%29

After today, our enemies can no longer claim we don't serve openly in our military, as well, when attempting to make the case we should be second class citizens. We are able to openly fight and risk our lives for our country in our nation's armed forces. We should be able to marry our spouses as well.

Via AmericaBlogGay: DADT: Lest we forget who the true villains were

President Clinton gets a lot of flack for instituting the policy of "Don't Ask Don't Tell," but I remember who the true villains of the day were. It is instructive to note that it was conservatives in the Democratic party, like Sam Nunn, who were instrumental in overturning Clinton's desire to openly integrate the military. 

I remember, as a submarine veteran, how horrified I was that conservative Senator Nunn had a press briefing onboard a submarine to prove how incompatible service would be for those of us who might be gay serving "in close quarters on a ship that spends lots of time underwater." I wish some of those press stenographers would have interviewed me, inadvertently serving as Protestant Lay Reader while proving gays could serve in any environment.

Why is this important? Easy answer. Our relatively progressive Democratic party is only as intelligent and strong as the most backwards conservative member of the Democratic caucus when it comes to social policies. The Democratic party cedes inordinate amount of power to conservative Blue Dogs who continuously undercut its ability to move our country forward, and provide the opportunity to more starkly contrast itself to the ultra conservative Republicans.

For instance, I remember the pathetic response from my Democratic representative in congress, Dan Boren, regarding open military service for gays and lesbians. Of course, Dan NEVER served in the military, but does serve on the House Armed Services Committee, and his conservative principals, and maybe all those persistent rumors about his dad, Senator David Boren, guided him to decide open service wasn't a good idea.

One needs to ask themselves, "How many times does President Clinton, instead of Senator Sam Nunn, get blamed for 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'?" and you will have your answer as to just how damaging it is to allow conservatives to craft policy.

Also, we would be remiss to not remind ourselves the overturning of DADT didn't happen in a vacuum. The gay blogs and activists were directly responsible for stopping conservatives from ruining the potential to finally realize this victory. It is instructive to google "slow walk AMERICAblog Gay DADT" to read the number of times, here, here and here, this particular gay blog PUSHED AND PRODDED the Obama administration to do the right thing while conservative "Chicken Littles," within the Obama Administration and Democratic caucus, pushed for Obama to back away from this obvious victory.

It would serve President Obama well, in the future, to use this example to note just how much attention needs to be paid to the conservative voices advising them to not move forward. If I were Obama, I would provide conservatives in the Democratic party attention indirectly proportional to the amount of noise they make while gnashing their teeth over any policy that would please his base and move this country forward. In fact, his reelection might just hinge on his finally ignoring the wrong way conservatives in his own party.

Filho assume a sua Heterossexualidade aos pais #MORRI

Via JMG: Tweet Of The Day - White House

Posted shortly after midnight.

Labels: DADT, LGBT rights, White House

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: LGBT Groups Celebrate DADT End

National Center for Lesbian Rights

"Today is not just the end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ it is the beginning of a new era in which government policies that discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity are rightly seen as shameful and outmoded. We salute President Obama for his leadership in bringing this inexcusable discrimination to an end. We also honor the thousands of men and women who were harmed by this policy, including many who made great personal sacrifices in order to speak out against it. While more work lies ahead in the movement for full equality, today we should celebrate how far we’ve come.”

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

“While we observe this tremendous, hard-fought victory for lesbian, gay and bisexual service members, we recognize the journey is not over. Transgender service members are still being forced to serve in silence. This is unacceptable. All qualified, patriotic Americans willing to risk their lives for this country should be able to do so free from discrimination. In addition, the military still lacks explicit nondiscrimination protections, equal benefits and an inclusive equal opportunity policy for LGBT people. We will continue to work toward the day when full inclusion is a reality in the military.”

Lambda Legal

"This has been a long time coming. After 18 years and more than 13,000 people discharged based on their sexual orientation, the end of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law is here. Today, Lambda Legal celebrates with lesbian, bisexual and gay service members who for the first time in history will be able to serve their country openly," said Lambda Legal Executive Director, Kevin Cathcart. "We congratulate the many lesbian, bisexual and gay servicemembers who risked or sacrificed their careers to fight for justice, our colleagues at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Log Cabin Republicans and everyone who has valiantly helped bring the freedom to be out to those who fight for freedom for all," Cathcart said.

National Stonewall Democrats

The work of 17 years and untold sacrifice by many made this day possible. We thank Congress members from both sides of the aisle who passed repeal, helping President Obama keep his promise for open service. And, of course, many thanks are owed to President Obama for his leadership and commitment to the men and women who simply want to serve their country openly and freely. Today, we can hold our heads a bit higher knowing that our men and women in uniform have taken a giant step toward equality in service for all.

I'll add more to this post as the press releases arrive.

Labels: DADT, LGBT rights, NCLR, NGLTF

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: AFA Boycotts AARP

Two AFA boycotts in the same day. Remember, we're the fascists trying to tell people what to think and how to live their lives.

Labels: AFA, assholery, boycotts, hate groups, hypocrisy, religion, seniors

reposted from Joe

Viam JMG: NEW YORK: Buffalo Teen Kills Himself After Years Of Anti-Gay Bullying

Heartbroken Buffalo parents Tracy and Tim Rodemeyer say they found their 14 year-old son Jamey dead yesterday morning in a presumed suicide. Jamey had long complained of vicious homophobic bullying at the hands of his classmates.

Jamey Rodemeyer needed help. At 14, he was grappling with adolescent demons that could torment grown men. And when he was online, he wrote about it. "I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens," he wrote Sept. 9. "What do I have to do so people will listen to me?" Just over one week later, Jamey was found dead outside his home of an apparent suicide. In the months prior, he routinely blogged about school bullying and thoughts of suicide in between upbeat posts about his pop star idol Lady Gaga and the ordinary types of teen rants typical for kids his age. On Sept. 8, he wrote: "No one in my school cares about preventing suicide, while you're the ones calling me [gay slur] and tearing me down."

Much of Jamey's tormenting came via cyber-bullying. His parents, who say they discussed and supported Jamey's questioning of his sexuality, intend to carry on his campaign against bullies.

 

Labels: Buffalo, bullying, LGBT youth, New York state, suicide

reposted from Joe

Telling my dad that I am gay-LIVE

Quote of the Day:

“It is wrong that in the United States of America a teacher or a nurse or a construction worker who earns $50,000 should pay higher tax rates than somebody pulling in $50 million."

Anybody who says we can't change the tax code to correct that, anyone who has signed some pledge to protect every single tax loophole so long as they live, they should be called out.”

President Obama

OAB aprova proposta sobre diversidade sexual e destaca luta contra intolerância

Parabéns   OAB.

 

Com esta   aprovação OAB ( vide  abaixo)  mostra mais  uma  vez  seu  compromisso com os  princípios  da  igualdade  de  direito e  da  dignidade  humana  para  comunidade  LGBT . 

 

Uma grande  vitória    no  Brasil  contra  discriminação  e a violência  a  comunidade  LGBT.

 

É  fundamental as  parcerias  para  o enfrentarmos  deste  terrível  mal   que  é  a Homofobia.

 

Toni Reis

Presidente

 

 

 

 

OAB aprova proposta sobre diversidade sexual e destaca luta contra intolerância

Brasília, 19/09/2011 - O Pleno do Conselho Federal da Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil aprovou hoje (19) em sessão plenária projeto de Proposta de Emenda à Constituição (PEC), que será encaminhado ao Congresso Nacional como contribuição da cidadania brasileira, visando o combate à discriminação e a intolerância por orientação sexual ou identidade de gênero. A aprovação foi saudada pelo presidente nacional da OAB, Ophir Cavalcante, que conduziu a sessão, como "a reafirmação de que incumbe ao advogado a luta pela paz social, pela defesa dos direitos humanos e dos princípios constitucionais de que todos são iguais perante a lei e, portanto, não podem ser discriminados". A PEC foi apresentada pela Comissão Especial da Diversidade Sexual do Conselho Federal da OAB e teve como relator o conselheiro federal Carlos Roberto de Siqueira Castro, do Rio de Janeiro.

 

Ophir Cavalcante destacou que, ao enviar esse projeto à apreciação do Poder Legislativo, a OAB expressa também seu apoio ao princípio constitucional e mundialmente reconhecido da tolerância. Dessa forma, segundo ele, o envio da proposta tem ainda o objetivo de manifestar ao Parlamento que a entidade exerce pressão legítima por uma demanda da sociedade, ao requerer aprovação de lei de proteção aos direitos de homossexuais, lésbicas, bissexuais, transexuais, travestis, transgêneros e intersexuais. Uma das principais mudanças é introduzida pela PEC ao artigo 3º, inciso IV da Constituição Federal, que trata dos objetivos fundamentais da República Federativa do Brasil. Hoje, tal inciso prevê: "promover o bem  de todos, sem preconceitos de origem, raça, sexo, cor, idade e quaisquer outras formas de preconceitos". A proposta da OAB inclui entre eles, "a orientação sexual ou identidade de gênero".

Quanto à legislação infraconstitucional que necessariamente deve se seguir à aprovação de uma PEC, nesse caso a OAB ficou de examinar em outubro próximo, um anteprojeto contendo as propostas de legislação que "consagram uma série de prerrogativas e direitos a homossexuais, lésbicas, bissexuais, transexuais, travestis, trangêneros e intersexuais e propõe também o reconhecimento das uniões homoafetivas". A Comissão Especial da Diversidade Sexual já apresentou proposta de um Estatuto regulando essas questões a partir da vigência da Emenda à Constituição. O Estatuto deve ser apreciado em sessão plenária da entidade dia 24 de outubro.

fonte http://www.oab.org.br/noticia.asp?id=22689

Via AmericaBlog Gay:

DOD: Anti-gay discrimination is like a "white Marine having a problem with a Latino or black Marine" 

Wash Post: 

As for the barracks, Jeff, the company commander, said he expects some Marines to complain about having openly gay roommates.

As a commanding officer , it may be up to him to decide whether to approve a room change. He compared it to a white Marine having a problem with a Latino or black Marine. He wouldn't grant a room change. Instead, he'd tell the Marines to act “like grown-ups.”

Nice.

Via AmericaBlog Gay:

Conservative-leaning CO paper comes out for DADT repeal 

Denver Post editorial: 

The origins of "don't ask, don't tell" were based largely on ignorance and discriminatory fears. With its demise, we must take the fight to other laws crafted in that same vein. 

Nationally, the federal Defense of Marriage Act comes to mind. In the Senate, Democratic Sens. Udall and Michael Bennet are co-sponsors of a measure that would repeal it. Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, and Jared Polis, D-Boulder, have signed on to a companion measure in the House. 

At the state level, that means passing legislation that creates legally recognized civil unions until such time as voters agree to the repeal of Amendment 43, the 2006 measure that outlawed gay marriage in the state. 

We are on the path to progress in America. But we will not reach the end point until we have removed all of those barriers that penalize our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters, based solely on their sexual orientation.

Via AmericaBlog Gay:

Gay Navy officer, partner, to get married moments after midnight 

Nice. From the Washington Post:

When Navy Lt. Gary Ross and his partner were searching for a place to get married, they settled on a site in Vermont, in part because the state is in the Eastern time zone. 

That way, the two men could recite their vows at the first possible moment after the formal repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The partners of 11 years plan to get married at the stroke of midnight, just as the ban ends.

“We feel that it’s important that as soon as we’re allowed to commit to each other that we do,” Ross said Monday. “It’s important not to hide anymore.”

Via JMG: Prop 8 Trial Tapes To Be Released

California District Court Judge James Ware has ordered the release of the video tapes of the Proposition 8 trial. The recordings will be issued on September 30th unless "a further stay is granted by the Court on timely motion or by a higher court." You may recall that Focus On The Family last month predicted that Christians might be murdered by "radical homosexuals" if the tapes were ever released.

UPDATE: The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) celebrates.

This is a significant victory for the American people, who will soon be able to see the evidence put forward by both sides in this historic federal trial. Unlike political campaigns, in a court of law, the truth and facts are all that matter. When witnesses take the stand, they are under oath and under penalty of perjury, and their statements are subjected to cross-examination and scrutiny. The public will soon see the extraordinarily weak case that the anti-marriage Proponents presented in a desperate attempt to defend this discriminatory law.

Labels: California, LGBT rights, Proposition 8

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Gamers Solve HIV Puzzle

The hive mind of a group of video game enthusiasts has solved a question about an AIDS-related enzyme that has long stumped virologists.

Players of the online game Foldit have helped discover the structure of an enzyme that had the scientific community stumped for a decade, representing a significant step forward in attempts to cure retroviral diseases like AIDS. The enzyme, a Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) retroviral protease, was accurately modeled by Foldit players in just three weeks, and opens the door to development of antiretroviral drugs. Foldit makes use of players' 3D puzzle-solving abilities and competitive nature to solve problems that computers alone have been unable to do. A report, published by the University Of Washington and crediting gamers as well as researchers, says the discovery "provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs."

Well done, geek heroes! Cheetos for everybody!

Labels: good work, HIV/AIDS, video games

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Official Notice Of DADT Repeal

Labels: DADT, military, Pentagon

reposted from Joe

The Sacramento Bee CapitolAlert ®

BREAKING NEWS

Judge decides to release Prop. 8 trial recording

A federal judge in San Francisco has decided to unseal video recordings of last year's landmark trial on the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban.

Charter for Compassion

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

http://charterforcompassion.org/share/the-charter

Via AmericablogGay: DADT HBO documentary to air September 19th at midnight, just as DADT goes away

HBO: Documentaries will be ringing in the inclusion of openly gay and lesbian servicemen and women with their documentary, "The Strange History of Don't Ask Don't Tell." It is to air on September 19th at midnight and then re-air on September 20th at 8:00 p.m.

Via AmericaBlogGay: Great AP story with all the latest on DADT’s demise come Tuesday

Just a great story  Long and interesting.  Read it.

Via JMG: Married After 58 Years

Fire Island News managing editor Michael Lavers tips us to yesterday's wedding of Robert Scherffius and Victor Alfieri, who met 58 years ago.

Labels: Cherry Grove, Fire Island, gay weddings

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Harry Potter And Homos! Oh Noes!

Televangelist John Hagee, who preached from the stage at Rick Perry's Christ-A-Thon, is probably most famous for his claim that God sent Hurricane Katrina because of wicked homosexuals. He's also called for a preemptive nuclear strike on Iran.

 

reposted from Joe

Via AmericablogGay: Kristin Chenoweth drops gay bombshell on Tulsa, Oklahoma

Kristin Chenoweth dropped a gay bombshell on Tulsa, Oklahoma by appearing on Piers Morgan and announcing support for LGBT Americans. 

"I am a Christian, and I would call myself conservative in some ways and not so conservative in some ways," she told Morgan, which was reported on piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com

"And I don't think the gay issue is a political one, but I do think it's a civil rights issue," she said. "I believe as a woman, as a Christian, as an actor and as an artist that people who love each other should be allowed to be married, and I know that doesn't go along with what Mrs. Bachmann and everybody that proclaims that, but that is why I believe," the Tony and Emmy award winner told Morgan on the show.

She also told him: "If it was a sin to be short, what would I do? Well I'd be right on the hell bus ... I believe that's the way God made me, and I don't believe God makes mistakes, and that includes a person's sexuality."

One of the reasons this particular interview makes so much difference is that Kristin Chenoweth hails from a very conservative Tulsa suburb, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

I'm a firm believer that any kind of activism by celebrities that forces people to challenge their ultra-fundamentalist beliefs in the conservative areas of our nation, like Broken Arrow, is a very good thing. Those areas are overrun with backwards, hateful Michele Bachmann types, and should be ground zero for positive change. Kristin Chenoweth's statement makes her a heroine for our community, and especially the young LGBT kids who struggle to survive in an environment that can be downright dangerous for them.

Be sure and read the comments below the story in the Tulsa World.

Via AmericablogGay: NYT TV critic thinks it’s time for Anderson Cooper to come out

NYT: 

The one thing he hasn’t done yet — and the lacuna grows more obvious and awkward with each show — is talk about his love life. It’s hard to see how he can continue to leave that out selectively and preserve one particular zone of privacy while building a confessional talk show wrapped around his good looks, high spirits and glamorous adventures.

Gossip magazines like Us and People, and Web sites like TMZ.com follow his exploits, but he has so far managed to avoid mainstream prying. As he put it in a 2007 interview, “The whole thing about being a reporter is that you’re supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you’re in, and I don’t want to do anything that threatens that.”

The whole thing about being a talk show host is that you stop observing and make a spectacle of yourself, and that usually entails losing control over what you disclose and what you hold back. “Anderson” raises the question of whether Anderson is quite ready for that, and its success may hinge on the answer.

I've defended Anderson in the past. He's done good work for the community on his show, and never commits hypocrisy. Sure, it'd be nice for him to come out, but I understood his desire not to, and respected it. I think what the Times is getting at is the fact that it was once a secret, but not any longer. At this point, it's almost interfering with his show(s): knowing the truth, but knowing that it must not be spoken.

I'm still not terribly worked up over this subject, but if the Times is writing about it publicly, then perhaps it's time to just get it out of the way.

Via Bjork Espana:

Foo Fighters sing to Westboro in counter-protest

Jay Leno confronts Michele Bachmann on gay marriage