Sunday, September 20, 2009

Religious intolerance cuts deep in gay community, Gold says

From the Pendulum at Elon University

by Laura Smith,



On Tuesday, civil rights activist, Mitchell Gold spoke to the Elon community at the Elon School sharing what he described as "such an incredibly painful memory."

Gold is the current CEO of the Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams furniture business, founder of Faith in America (a non-profit organization aimed at educating people about how religious-based bigotry is used to justify discrimination against homosexuals) and is now the author of his book, "Crisis."

"Crisis" was published in September 2008 and is a compilation of stories from those who have experienced religious intolerance and persecution as a result of growing up gay in America, something Gold felt quite a bit himself.

"People use the Bible to marginalize and dehumanize people," Gold said.

Growing up Jewish, Gold knew what it meant to be an oppressed minority. He also saw the discrimination towards black Americans that took place in the 1950s and 1960s.

He did not know how much he would one day experience that same intolerance for being gay.

"It's a problem because it's not acceptable," Gold said on realizing he was gay as a young teenager.

Gold described how he lived in fear every day of how his family would react if they knew he was gay. He feared getting beaten up at school, being seen as an outcast and not getting a decent job.

"I don't want one more kid to go through what I had to go through during my teenage years," Gold said.

He even contemplated suicide and saw a psychiatrist for help, who helped him learn to live being gay.

"I was lucky," Gold said of being able to get help and gain happiness.

Gold later moved to New York City, where being gay was commonplace and openly accepted. He got a job at Bloomingdale's, where several of the employees were gay. He even met someone he could settle down with, his current business partner, Bob Williams.

He even got to meet actor Richard Chamberlain, whom he discovered was gay as well.
"I got really comfortable," Gold said.

But all of this changed in 1988 when he moved down South to North Carolina.

"It's interesting to see how being naïve can be a good thing," he said of not realizing the difference of homosexual social acceptance in the South.

Gold began hearing conversations from co-workers and employees who described marriage as only being between a man and a woman.

"I started realizing there was a real movement afoot," Gold said of seeing how large of an intolerant sentiment there was toward gays.

He then realized this persecution was no different than what he had seen as a child.
"The same kind of discrimination that was used so horribly against black people was being used against gay people," he said.

Gold began his personal movement to create awareness of religious intolerance towards the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.

"This country has a sad history of segregation," Gold said. "I wanted to go out and teach people and remind them of that. Most decent people in America don't want to be a part of that history. Most decent people don't want to continue that hatred."

"Crisis" was compiled with contributors such Chamberlain, U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, Major League baseball player Billy Bean, TV actor Alec Mapa and former tennis champion Martina Navatilova. All are gay and openly talk about the struggle and pain of being a gay teenager in the book.

Gold is happy to be living in North Carolina, where there is currently no federal ban on gay marriage.

"In the state of North Carolina, we have the chance to be the shining light of this country," Gold said.

Gold said he hopes Americans will see the harm that intolerance toward the LGBT causes.

"Anybody who is oppressed has the right to confront their oppressor," he said.

Proceeds from "Crisis" go toward seven national gay advocacy programs for teens.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

For those in Phoeniz, AZ:

Len Clark sent a message to the members of People Against Clergy Who Preach Hate !

--------------------
Subject: This is a very short email from the Love Rally,thanks for your patience.

Brothers and sisters I hope you will be with us in spirit if you can't make it to the Love Rally tommorrow in front of Steven Anderson's church who openly prays for the death of our president and advocates the killing of gay people by the use of guns. The scary thing is many of his congregation carry guns into his service.

For those of you that might be mad that I have sent this email, I'm sorry, but we need to let everybody know about the Love Rally in Tempe, Arizona tomm and we are making sure to only send one email per week. Please, be patient with us. Thanks.

Well, I hope you can make it to the Love Rally tommorrow, (2707 W. Southern Ave., major cross-roads are: 48th street and Souther, Tempe Arizona).

Oh, one last thing: I hope you'll tune into our internet show today (The Progressive Coalition) to call in (Sunday, 5:00 PM Mountain Pacific Time) about our Love Rally at:
http://www.facebook.com/l/ae424;thejefffariasshow.com

Please, call in with your ideas. 602-275-4130 or 1800-385-1566, I sure would like to hear from you.

Leonard Clark
founder of: People Against Clergy Who Preach Hate!

This makes it easy, just click the image and go... do it!

GLAD Challenges DOMA Section 3

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Quote of the Day

“Holding to the letter of the law is many times an indication of a desire for leadership. One who assumes to be the enforcer of the law shows an intellectual understanding of the Cause, but that spiritual guidance in them is not yet established.”

Abdu'l-Baha

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Important Message from PFAW

The signs speak for themselves:


Depiction of Obama mugging elederly woman



See more signs here.

Dear Daniel,

Over the weekend, tens of thousands of right-wing activists rallied in Washington, DC with signs that challenged President Obama's citizenship, accused him and Democratic congressional leaders of everything from Nazism to communism, promoted paranoia about "death panels" and euthanasia, and declared support for figures like Sarah Palin and Rep. Joe Wilson.

Of course, right-wing commentators like Michelle Malkin tried to report that the number of protesters was as high as two million, but officials estimated the crowd to be about 60,000. Significant, yes, but not indicative that these people are anything more than a vocal minority representing the views of only a small portion of Americans.

A PFAW staffer who showed up to check out the scene talked to many participants, and when she asked why they showed up, an overwhelming number gave the same answer: "Glenn Beck sent me."

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, when the House of Representatives voted on a resolution of disapproval rebuking Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting "You lie!" at President Obama in the middle of his address to Congress. The vote put members of the House on record as to where they stand. The resolution passed, but nearly every Republican (all but seven) voted against it -- and with Joe Wilson and Glenn Beck's brand of extremism.

It is shameful that the GOP would give someone like Glenn Beck that sort of power. The Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks of the world have been pulling the strings of the Republican Party for too long. But it's getting even worse than that.

At the end of this month, some of the most fringe players on the Radical Right are hosting a conference called How to Take Back America and currently scheduled to speak are five Republican members of Congress and, according to polls among Republicans, one of the most popular expected GOP presidential candidates, Mike Huckabee.

When I say that the people hosting this conference are on the outer fringe, that's actually something of an understatement. Some of the scheduled workshops at the conference are titled, "How to recognize living under Nazis and Communists," and, "How to counter the homosexual extremist movement."

Here's a little about just two members of the Host Committee:

Joseph Farah has been the most ardent and vigilant leader of the "Birthers," yet has also made the astonishing claim that President Obama's maternal grandmother might really be his mother. He recently eulogized Sen. Ted Kennedy by calling him "a rotten man -- a wicked man, an 'enemy within'" and wrote that President Obama was secretly advocating the destruction of the Jews. His web site WorldNetDaily is the epicenter of countless right-wing lies and conspiracy theories and routinely serves as a forum for zealots to espouse anti-gay hysteria.

Janet Porter has helped to promote some of the most paranoid conspiracies out there, like claims that the Obama administration is setting up internment camps for conservatives and plotting to commit genocide against Americans through the use of the swine flu vaccine. Before the election, she said that supporting Obama was akin to supporting Nazis and declared that anyone who voted for him would go to hell. She's also an active participant in spreading Birther lies.

Americans need to be aware of the resurgent Radical Right as well as its growing influence on government officials and the Republican Party. People For the American Way is working hard to expose the Right and its influence, and to hold accountable those in our government who choose to ally themselves with extremists instead of the vast majority of Americans and the country's greater interest.

We can do it with, and because of, your continued support. And I thank you for it.

Sincerely,
Michael B. Keegan signature
Michael B. Keegan, President

P.S. The need for our vigilance against extremism has been disturbingly evidenced by gun-toting protesters outside of town hall meetings and Obama speeches. One such protester was part of an Arizona church congregation whose pastor, Rev. Steven Anderson, screams about "faggots running this country" and advocates the death penalty for gays, who he says "recruit through rape" and "molestation." Rev. Anderson is an extreme example, but extreme examples like him are becoming more and more commonplace. We need to fight back.

365 GAY ASK THE EXPERT: MONEY & REAL ESTATE

The Game Show Network’s Newlywed Game will make history this year--by adding same-sex celebrity pairs to their format.


Random Things
WENN

The network is in the midst of producing special Celebrity Newlywed Game episodes, one of which will feature the first gay contestants ever: George Takei (Sulu from the original Star Trek series) and longtime partner Brad Altman.

The duo married in September 2008 in Los Angeles, Ca., just before the state's Proposition 8 approval banned same-sex marriage.

Read the rest of the article at: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/09/exclusive-newlywed-game-adding-same-sex-celeb-couples

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A Message from Cleve Jones


Dear Friends:

It has been over 30 years since my friend and teacher, gay rights activist Harvey Milk, was assassinated. Today, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have won limited rights in a handful of states, but we are still second class citizens throughout the United States.

Harvey once said, "It takes no compromising to give people their rights."

This morning, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced a bill in Congress to repeal the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act." If passed by the Congress, Rep. Nadler's legislation would be a real step forward in the march for full equality and we applaud his efforts, but LGBT people must stop settling for compromises and half measures.

Send a message to your Representative demanding full equality now!

Equal rights are not a "gay" issue. They are about our shared human rights: safety in our schools and jobs, equitable healthcare and housing, and protection for our families, to name a few.

Like all other Americans, LGBT people are guaranteed equal protection under the law by the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Free and equal people do not compromise, and that's why we're marching on Washington next month with one simple demand: Equal protection for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. Now.

Please ask your Representative to co-sponsor this legislation as an important first step, and remind them that there are no fractions of equality.


When Harvey spoke at Gay Freedom Day at San Francisco City Hall in 1978, he invoked the words of the Declaration of Independence: "All [people] are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words."

No more compromises. We are equal.

- Cleve Jones

Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Grim Truth


Our American churches may condemn us, but they don't murder us outright.

Let's not, however, take much pride in this one higher rung on the ladder of civilized behavior. If the extreme homophobes in our churches thought they could get away with murdering us, as do the Islamic extremists who, according to the report, in the course of just this year, have murdered at least 130 gay men in Iraq, they would do the exact same thing. Here, we have police protection and legal recourse against homophobic religious extremists. Without it, we would probably have been tortured and murdered as were these men. It's a chilling thought.

courtesy of
Father Tony of the Farmboyz

The 50 Best Gay Movies (2009)


via After Elton

Gay-friendly church launches anti-discrimination campaign.

A liberal church movement based in Texas has launched a campaign that is “designed to ask people whether Jesus would discriminate against others,” according to PinkNews.

The Would Jesus Discriminate? movement launched its campaign on the web by quoting a series of Biblical passages suggesting Jesus never discriminated against gays.

The DFW Metropolitan Community Churches, which have five chapters in the Texas area, say they provide an alternative to the perceived discrimination and intolerance from “religious institutions [which] have used their interpretation of the Bible to justify discrimination against women, ethnic minorities, and people with a different sexual orientation and/or identity issues.”

courtesy of 365

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Why I like KCRW... its not even on ITunes yet...

A great gem from Ms.Spaulding's Most excellent Blogg

Julian Bond's message to LGBTs: 'keep pushing on - victory is just ahead'

by: Pam Spaulding

Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 08:30:00 AM EDT


Reading Alvin's earlier diary ("From 'outside agitators' to 'wealthy gay activists' - Some of us black folks haven't learned a thing" bumped back up below this post), it's good to remind people that there are black folks who DO get it. Rev. Walter Fauntroy may have been director of the DC bureau of Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference, but that clearly didn't enlighten him to the fact that civil rights are human rights. He has hopped into bed with charlatan Bishop Harry Jackson.

However many others who were part of the black civil rights struggle, like Congressman John Lewis, who will keynote at Equality Alabama's conference later this month, have our backs.

read the rest at: PHB


Gay Bands... hmmm...

The lovely people over at God Hates Fags! Love Gods Way! have taken all the worry out of your music concerns. They have a very useful lsit of bands that they have decided that you ( avoid... I loved the reasons fro some of them. My comments and observations are in red:

Bands to watch out for

  • Ween (Rainbow) What? as in weenie, Oscar Meyer is gay too?
  • Lil'Wayne (I think these folks got size issues)
  • P!nK (gay family) good gawd! a gay family!?
  • The Black Keys (racist and homophobic? what is this a two for one?)
  • Coldplay (well they are kind a hot.. .but I think they be straight dudes)
  • SlipKnot (make-up) (what? style is not Christan too?)
  • RadioHead(h'bout Christan radio head?)
  • Michael Jackson (but he said he wasn't gay... just ask his daddy!)
  • Boredoms (ok, so I can't have fun with these folks, and yet I can't be bored either... no wonder i ended up in therapy)
  • School of Seven Bells (gay twins) (what all twins are gay too?)
  • Jason Mraz
  • Jonas Brothers (Gay people don't kiss their brothers. Normally..)
  • Rilo Kiley
  • Death Cab for Cutie (they are kinda cute... I watched them last night, that would make PBS gay too?)
  • Sarah McLachlan (totally!)
  • George Strait (what Staight is gay now too?)
  • Cold War Kids (that just about rules out most folks my age)
  • Toby Keith (cowboy) (true, after Brokeback Mountain, we all know 'bout 'dem cowboys!... yee haw!)
  • P-Diddy
  • Black People (what all Black Peoole are gay too?)
  • Vampire Weekend (Not sure here, most vampires I know are hetero...)
  • King Crimson (just the name is suggestive)
  • Kate Bush (kissed a girl) (stop that!)
  • Bob Dylan (aw c'mon... Dylan is gay?)
  • Fleet Foxes
  • Sigur Ros (nudists) (most nudists arn ot gay, and most of my gay friends won't get neked in public)
  • Twisted Sister (well... maybe her sister is twisted)
  • The Spores (endorse suicide)suicide is not a gay thing... tho because you assholes have made head-trips out of a lot of kids there ARE a lot of kids who off themselves when they are tryign to come to grips with their sexual orientation)
  • Scissor Sisters (obvious reference to our penchant to sewing and decorating, that would make my mother gay... trust me she's not!)
  • Turbonegro(there you go again... another antiblack refrence again)
  • Rufus Wainwright (an proudly so)
  • Merzbau(really? I kinds thought most glbt folks were better spellers)
  • Ravi Shankar(aw c'mon... he can't be gay... tho his music rocks!)
  • The Butchies (lizbians) (bitch... that's spelled L E S B I A N S)
  • Wilco (Walmart but not Wilco)
  • Bjork (mb)(well SHE IS from Iceland and all..)
  • Tech N9ne
  • Ghostface Killah
  • Bobby Conn
  • Morton Subotnik
  • Cole Porter (WTF?)
  • The String Cheese Incident
  • Eagles of Death Metal
  • Polyphonic Spree
  • The Faint
  • Interpol (Iwoud assume that they supported law and order)
  • Twisted Sister (jj) (What the hell is a jj?)
  • Tegan and Sara
  • Erasure(well I thought for sure the Christians would allow for mistakes)
  • The Grateful Dead (drugs too) (wtf pt 2)
  • Le Tigre(they neverhave liked bilingualism)
  • Marilyn Manson (dark gay) (well that girl is definitely problematic)
  • The Gossip(Yeajh like (Christians don't gossip! My people call it dishing... )
  • The Magnetic Fields
  • The Doors (wtf pt 3)
  • Phish (where's the beef?)
  • Queen (well duh!... but what cha gunna do next tiem they paly We will Rock you @ the ball park, bud?)
  • The Strokes (no comment)
  • Morrissey(?questionable?) (What as in morals?)
  • Metallica (duh!)
  • Judas Priest (duh!)
  • The Village People (double duh!)
  • The Secret Handshake on't tell its a secret!)
  • The Rolling Stones (duh!)
  • David Bowie((triple duh!)
  • Frankie Goes to Hollywood(duh!)
  • Man or Astroman my students ask that about me all the time, "is he a man or is he an astroman?")
  • Richard Cheese what as in head cheese?!)
  • Jay-Z
  • Depeche Mode
  • Kansas (oh now you are getting crazy, the whole barking state of Kansas is gay?)
  • Ani DiFranco
  • Fischerspooner
  • John Mayer
  • George Michael (texan) (All Texans are gay? Well they do have a size issue and all... No wonder DubYah is so messed up,,, he was havign a sexual crisi, and took it our on Iraq! Freud explains everything)
  • Angel Eyes
  • The Indigo Girls
  • Velvet Underground
  • Madonna ( Her holiness Madoona please...)
  • Elton John (His holiness Sir Elton Jon, please)
  • Barry Manilow (duh!)
  • Indigo Girls (repeat!)
  • Melissa Etheridge (duh!)
  • Eminmen which ones the blue or the red ones?!)
  • Nirvana(so I guess Budhists and Hindus are no good either?)
  • Boy George (duh!)
  • Jon Brion
  • The Killers(I can understand this one...)
  • Lou Reed (hmm!)
  • Lil' Wayne (repeat... your issues are showing again!)
  • Motorhead
  • Jill Sobule
  • Wilson Phillips
  • DMX
  • Wesley Willis
  • Lisa Loeb
  • Ted Nugent (loincloth) loin cloths are NOT gay!)
  • Dogstar
  • Thirty Seconds to Mars NASA is gay too!)
  • Lil' Kim(so they don't like short women either?)
  • kd lang (duh!)
  • Frank Sinatra (wtf!)
  • HinderI thought they were in business to hinder...)
  • Nickleback
  • Justus Kohncke
  • Bob Mould
  • Clay Aiken (duh!)
  • Arcade Fire
  • Bright Eyes
  • Corinne Bailey Rae
  • Audioslave
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers (duh!)(duh!)(duh!)(duh!)
  • Panic at the Disco (listen Mary, thats Panic at the GAY Disco!)
  • The Cure (makeup)
  • Spin Doctors
  • The Deers (Os Viados!)
  • Lindsey Lohan
  • The Smiths
  • Beck(I thought they unquestioningly follow Fox TV)
  • Tom Waits
  • The Cramps (what Christians women don't menstruate?)
  • Cannibal Corpse(yeah this one creeps me out too)
  • Britney Spears (kissed Madonna) (OH Dear... she kissed THE Madonna! But really, her music is too bad to be gay... I mean really!)
  • Perfect Sin(ok... well...)
  • The Queers (ok, just the name is a give away)
  • NoFx(gay punk) (you... talk'n to me?)
  • Soup Dragons(wtf is a frick'n Soup Dragon anyway?)
  • Elton John(really gay) (honey that's really really really gay... and damn proud of it!)

Friday, September 11, 2009

Gay Rights on the Double: Bill to Repeal DOMA to Hit Capitol Just as Same-Sex Marriage to Be OK'd in Capital -- BuzzFlash News Analysis



Gay Rights on the Double: Bill to Repeal DOMA to Hit Capitol Just as Same-Sex Marriage to Be OK'd in Capital -- BuzzFlash News Analysis

Gordon Brown Apologizes To Alan Turing




British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued a posthumous apology to Alan Turing, the brilliant World War II code-breaker and computer scientist who killed himself after being convicted of the "crime" of homosexuality. Turing elected to Turing's decoding of the Nazi's "enigma machine" is credited as one of single-most crucial factors in ending the war.

I am both pleased and proud that, thanks to a coalition of computer scientists, historians and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activists, we have this year a chance to mark and celebrate another contribution to Britain's fight against the darkness of dictatorship: that of code-breaker Alan Turing. Turing was a quite brilliant mathematician, most famous for his work on breaking the German Enigma codes. It is no exaggeration to say that, without his outstanding contribution, the history of the Second World War could have been very different. He truly was one of those individuals we can point to whose unique contribution helped to turn the tide of war. The debt of gratitude he is owed makes it all the more horrifying, therefore, that he was treated so inhumanely.

In 1952, he was convicted of "gross indecency" – in effect, tried for being gay. His sentence – and he was faced with the miserable choice of this or prison – was chemical castration by a series of injections of female hormones. He took his own life just two years later. [snip] It is thanks to men and women who were totally committed to fighting fascism, people like Alan Turing, that the horrors of the Holocaust and of total war are part of Europe's history and not Europe's present. So on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan's work, I am very proud to say: we're sorry. You deserved so much better.

Turing is considered by some to be the "father of computer science." More about him here.

Labels: Alan Turing, computers, Gordon Brown, LGBT History, UK, WW II


Another awesome post lifted from JMG

Remembering Mark Bingham on 911