HomoQuotable - David Mixner

You have to be totally operating on blind faith if you believe that President Obama and his team cannot make a difference. Tragically if we lose closely, that defeat almost can be laid at the steps of the White House for their refusal to stand by our side in the battle for freedom. The Holder remark basically gave those Obama supporters and non-white voters permission to vote against our freedom. The Attorney General let them know that Obama didn't care one way or another so why should those voters change their votes? He gave their votes respectability which was devastating for our side.

"The failure of our national organizations to obtain a clear cut endorsement for the LGBT community is something that needs to be discussed. This one isn't rocket science. What happened?

"We certainly know by the president's repeated visits to Virginia, New York and New Jersey that he at least had time to issue a tough statement against this form of ballot box bigotry. What they did and failed to do these past weeks, whether we win or lose tonight, is just tragic, sad and unconscionable." - Activist and National Equality March co-founder David Mixner, saying that President Obama will be partially to blame for any losses in today's anti-gay ballot measures.

Courtesy of JMG

Age, Income, Kids: New Study Says Gay Families Similar To Straight Families

According to new study of U.S. Census Bureau data performed by researchers at UCLA, there's not much difference between straight families and gay couples who report themselves as married.

Same-sex couples who identify as married are similar to straight spouses in terms of age and income, and nearly one-third of them are raising children, according to Census data released Monday that provides a demographic snapshot of gay families in America. The study released by a think tank based at UCLA also found that Utah and Wyoming were among the states with the highest percentages of gay spouses in 2008, despite being heavily conservative states with no laws providing legal recognition of gay relationships. The data from the annual American Community Survey showed that nearly 150,000 same-sex couples in the U.S., or more than one in four, referred to one another as "husband" or "wife," although UCLA researchers estimate that no more than 32,000 of the couples were legally married. The couples had an average age of 52 and household incomes of $91,558, while 31 percent were raising children. That compares with an average age of 50, household income of $95,075 and 43 percent raising children for married heterosexual couples.

The Census Bureau has promised to perform its own study of married gays after the 2010 count, but says they were not able to alter the questionnaire to separate out legally married gays from those claiming a non-legal marital-type relationship.

Courtesy of JMG

A Short History of Gay Men on TV

HomoQuotable - Dan Savage

"This boy has been out to his family since age 12 and when he wanted to go out in drag on Halloween and his mother made his costume and his dad took him to West Hollywood. There's just one comment on the post at YouTube right now and it's from Elliott: 'Dad let me upload this :D' His dad let him post this video to YouTube.

"You know, whatever happens in Maine and here in Washington state tomorrow, where marriage equality and domestic partnerships are on the line respectively, we can all take comfort in something as seemingly trivial as a 14-year-old boy's night out in West Hollywood with his folks. I've said it before and I'll say it again: We are winning—despite the setbacks—because our families are on side now. It's almost impossible to imagine an openly gay 14-year-old twenty years ago, much less an openly gay 14-year-old with parents like Miss Poppy and her husband. Moms and dads like Elliott's—parents who aren't ashamed of their gay children, parents who love and support their gay children for who they are, parents who want their gay children to be safe and happy and treated equally—used to be the exception. Not anymore. We are winning." - Dan Savage, with a sweet Halloween story.

Another gem from JMG

Ken Pierce sent a message to the members of One Year Ago – A Day of Smiles - A Day of Tears – A Day of Action.

Subject: Meet me at the CA State Capitol Building

ACTION ALERT UPDATE

One Year Ago – A Day of Smiles - A Day of Tears – A Day of Action

Remember what happened a year ago on November 4, 2008? Proposition 8, a California ballot proposition passed in the November general election. The measure added a new section (7.5) to Article I of the California Constitution. The proposition overturned the California Supreme Court’s ruling saying that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, by restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples. California’s State Constitution put the measure into immediate effect the day after the election.

On November 4, 2009, Sacramento’s LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transsexual, Questioning, Intersex) Community will host a rally and march at the California State Capitol Building to highlight the fact that the fight for civil rights for all citizens is not over. The theme of the rally centers on the next generation of activists and how they stand ready today to have the baton passed to them and even lead the way to overturning Prop 8.

The November 4th rally will serve as a reminder to the public at-large that the LGBTQI community, along with their many straight, political, and religious allies will not give up the fight for full equality until their rights are fully restored. While the decision of when to place this issue back on the ballot (2010 or 2012) is being decided by others, organizations such as Equality Action Now are continuing to “mobilize, motivate, activate like-minded individuals and educate opponents who may have heard only one side of the issue”.


WHAT: Rally at the State Capitol Building calling attention to the fact that the issue of same-sex-marriage here in California is not dead. The theme of the rally is how our community’s youth is stepping up and leading the way in the fight to repeal Prop 8 and to win back their civil rights.

You can create a sign on the spot or bring your own signs. Participants are encouraged to bring a flashlight or electric candles (flame candles are not allowed on the capitol grounds). Please invite family members, co-workers, schoolmates, teachers, and neighbors. It is important to have as many people participate as possible to show the world that our issues are still relevant and supported in numbers.

WHO: Organizers are the many volunteers from Equality Action NOW. Helping to sponsor the event are the following: Camp Courage Sacramento, EQCA (Equality California), Congregation Kol Ami, California Faith for Equality, Sacramento LGBTQI Leadership Consortium, Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, Stonewall Democrats.

For more information: http://www.facebook.com/l/c8eb9;www.EqualityActionNow.org or email info@EqualityActionNow.org


WHEN: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
5:00 p.m. – Gather and Sign-making
6:00 p.m. – Speakers
6:30 p.m. – March around State Capitol Building
7:00 p.m. – End


WHERE: California State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 10th and L Street, West Steps
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Quote of the Day

"As a black man and a father I 100% support gay equality, gay marriage etc. I don't have to be gay to understand it Why? because I can marry any woman I want. even outside the US and make them a US citizen. it wasn't always this way for African Americans. Now if a gay person can't do what I can do it's not equal. a lot of people fought against slavery, segregation. which gave me equal rights. This is our fight now this is our cause, freedom and equality for all, I will accept nothing less" - sx200ser

a on youtube post

CNN Reports On Blacks & Gay Equality

Adam & Andy

See the entire collection / story here