Monday, January 31, 2011

Brody's Notes... Illinois Governor Pat Quinn Signs Bill Legalizing Civil Unions For Same-Sex Couples

By Editors LGBTQNation (Phoenix, Arizona) JAN 31 |Illinois became the 12th U.S. state on Monday to grant legal recognition to same-sex couples.
Gov. Pat Quinn drew cheers from a crowd of more than 1,000 people who turned out to witness him sign into law a bill legalizing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.
The civil unions bill will provide spousal rights to same-sex partners when it comes to surrogate decision-making for medical treatment, survivorship, adoptions, and accident and health insurance.
“Today is an important day in the history of our state because today we are showing the world that the people of Illinois believe in equality for all,” Quinn said after signing the legislation into law.
The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act passed in the Illinois General Assembly during the lame duck session following the November 2010 election.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), who is openly gay, drew a long standing ovation from the crowd.
The law takes effect on June 1 and also applies to heterosexual couples. Illinois law will continue to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Watch here, via WLS-TV:

Brody's Notes... Equality Florida Launches Full Time Presence in Gainesville

By Brian Winfield (St. Petersburg, Florida) JAN 31 | Equality Florida, Florida’s largest organization dedicated to securing justice for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, has placed staff full time in Gainesville.
The move to add staff comes after two years of deep investment in the Gainesville community, first in the No on Charter Amendment 1 campaign and then in the 2010 Mayor’s race.
“We are thrilled to be full time in Gainesville,” said Mallory Wells, Equality Florida’s Public Policy Director and new Gainesville resident. “I look forward to continuing to strengthen our coalition and connect Gainesville’s amazing progressive leadership to the work that’s happening on the state level.”
Equality Florida also has staff in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Miami, Orlando and Tallahassee during the legislative session.
“Gainesville has been at the forefront in the struggle for equality so it is only fitting that our city host an office of our statewide organization”, said Mayor Craig Lowe and added “Welcome Equality Florida!”

Brody's Scribbles... Dueling Letters To The Supreme Court

By Matt Baume (San Francisco, California) JAN 31 | Ted Olson, a lead attorney on the case against Prop 8, sent a letter to the California Supreme Court this week, explaining why, in his opinion, the court shouldn't get involved in the case.
His position boils down essentially to "none of your business," arguing that this is a matter for federal, not state, courts.
The case is stuck in a holding pattern right now, with everyone trying to figure out whether the anti-gay proponents of Proposition 8 can intervene and take the place of Attorney General Kamala Harris in defending Proposition 8.
If the California Supreme Court agrees with Ted Olson and doesn't intervene, then the case would be decided quickly and, most likely, against Proposition 8. From there, it would move to the United State Supreme Court.
But if the California Supreme Court does intervene, it would be mean lengthy delays, possibly over a year, and a win for the gay couples would be far less predictable. That's why Ted Olson wants the State Supreme Court to stay out of it.
Also filing letters were the proponents of Prop 8. They want the Supreme Court to intervene. And the city and county of San Francisco took a novel in-betweeny position, arguing that if the court takes the case, it should reformulate its approach in a way that is more favorable to the plaintiffs.
The California Supreme Court will rule on the matter sometime in the next few months. But in the mean time, this week's comment bait asks, should they get involved?
Ted Olson says no, the question of who defends a ballot proposition is spelled out in Article Three of the U S Constitution, and therefore a state court cannot rule on the matter.
The proponents of Prop 8 say yes, California Court Rules say that the Supreme Court can intervene when there is no controlling precedent.
And San Francisco says maybe, but if the court does intervene, they should consider that no one would be hurt if Prop 8 was overturned.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Brody's Notes... Hawaii Civil Unions Bill Passes State's Senate

Photo courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign-Equality Hawaii
By Editors LGBTQNation (Phoenix, Arizona) JAN 30 | The Hawaii State Senate on Friday passed a civil unions bill that would grant same-sex and heterosexual partners essentially the same protections, rights and benefits currently extended to married couples.
The bill says unmarried, unrelated couples may have a judge or clergy solemnize their civil union, which will provide the same responsibilities and benefits of marriage under state law, reports KITV-TV.
The bill passed the full Senate 19-6.
The bill is nearly identical to a bill last year, only to be vetoed by then Gov. Linda Lingle, a Repblican.
Hawaii’s new Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie has promised to sign civil unions legislation if approved, calling it a simple issue of civil rights.
After Friday’s vote, the measure moves to the state House, where, leaders said they expect it to pass by a wide margin.
If passed into law, Hawaii would become the sixth state to grant essentially the same rights of marriage to same-sex couples, albeit without authorizing marriage itself.

Brody's Journal... The Commandant and Sergeant-Major Of The U. S. Marine Corps Message to Marines

On December 3, 2010, General James Amos testified that if DADT was repealed, the Marine Corps would step out smartly to carry out the new policy. On January 28, 2011, the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps released this video to the Corps describing the way ahead.

Brody's Notes... U. S. Naval Academy Interment Of Gay Alumni & Treatment Of Spouse "Dignified & With Honour"

Mark Ketterson   Photo By John White Chicago Sun-Times
By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) JAN 30 | Last October in the Chapel of the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, a quiet funeral service with full military honours was held for John Fliszar, a veteran U. S. Marine Corps aviator and academy alumni. Fliszar, 61, had suffered a fatal heart attack last July.
Fliszar, Class of 1971, who had served two tours in Vietnam as an aviator and who was gay, had told his husband that he wanted his ashes interred at the academy's Columbarium,  a peaceful waterside white marble mausoleum located by the academy's cemetery.
Fliszar's husband Mark Ketterson, in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, said that he had contacted the U.S. Naval Academy and at the point that the memorial coordinator asked about his relationship to the deceased:
Ketterson said that John Fliszar was his husband. “They were always polite, but there was this moment of hesitation,” Ketterson recalled. “They said they’re going to need something in writing from a blood relative. They asked, ‘Are you listed on the death certificate?’ ‘Do you have a marriage license?’ ” He was and they did, the couple having been married in Des Moines when gay marriage became legal in Iowa two years ago. Ketterson sent a copy of the marriage license. That changed everything.
“I was respected,” he said. “From that moment on, I was next of kin. They were amazing.” The USNA alumni association sent Ketterson a letter expressing condolence for the loss of his husband. The USNA says Fliszar’s interment followed standard operating procedure. “His next of kin was treated with the same dignity and respect afforded to the next of kin of all USNA grads who desire interment at the Columbarium,” said Jennifer Erickson, a spokesperson for the academy. “We didn’t do anything differently.”
The official magazine of the academy' alumni association, 'Shipmate,' published Fliszar’s obituary taking note that he had been awarded two Purple Hearts for “having been shot down from the sky twice in military missions.”  The obit also quoted Ketterson saying that “for the rest of his life he would joke about his ‘government issued ankle.’ ” Ketterson also told the Sun-Times that the obituary recalled, “his burly but warmly gentle manner," and noted he was “survived by his husband, Mark Thomas Ketterson.
The USNA’s alumni association also sent him a letter expressing condolence for the loss of his husband. 
“The word ‘husband’ in the obituary has created a bit of a stir,” said Ketterson, a Chicago social worker. “I’ve heard from a number of officers. It’s been amazing. This has not been absolutely confirmed, but I think I’m the first legal same-sex spouse who planned a memorial.”

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Brody's Journal... William Morland On Definitions, "Coming Out" & The Queer Youth Network

By William Morland (Kingston On Thames, England) JAN 29 | A couple of months ago I gave a talk at a TEDx event as part of TEDxYouthDay, an international event. My talk was about communities and identity particularly in the context of LGBT issues. I'm not massively eloquent or as brave as some of the people, but I thought folks might be interested.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. [ Link ]
William Morland is an active member of the Queer Youth Network UK, who collectively as an organisation have the stated belief that "Queer" is a reclaimed word that is most commonly used today to describe anything relating to minority sexualities and gender identities:
We use it to encompass everyone and everything that could be described as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, curious, asexual, pansexual, polysexual, queer, or questioning - infact anyone who does not fit into the norms of the mainstream sexuality or gender identities.
The word is used often as an empowering, umbrella term to describe the diverse spectrum of communities recognised as being minoritised or socially disempowered due to their gender identity or sexuality. It is also a collective social identity which has many meanings to many people depending on who you ask.
In the past the word queer has been used as an insult and some still find the term offensive although "gay" has replaced it's usage in recent years in places most commonly assoicated with verbal abuse and opressive language. People of all ages choose to identify as "Queer" and it's usage is ever changing.
The word "Queer" entered the English language in the 16th century and is derived directly from the German word "Queer" which literally translates as "across, at right angle, diagonally or transverse"! 

Friday, January 28, 2011

Brody's Notes... Anti-Gay Pastor Scott Lively Issues "Feeble, Callous Statement-" Offers Bizarre Theory Of David Kato's Murder

Scott Lively  Photo By The Boston Globe
By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) JAN 28 | In what the Boston Globe has termed a "feeble, callous statement," notoriously anti-gay pastor Scott Lively offered his bizarre theory on the murder of Ugandan Gay rights activist David Kato:
"Ugandan homosexual activist David Cato was murdered yesterday in his home. To my knowledge, no one has been arrested for the crime so the motive at this time is purely a matter of conjecture. CNN is reporting that money and clothing had been stolen from his house, which would suggest a run-of-the-mill criminal intent. There is also the possibility that he was killed by a “gay” lover, as was the case with another homosexual activist two weeks ago in New York. Carlos Castro was castrated with a corkscrew by his boyfriend and bled to death in his hotel room."
Lively goes on to say:
"I caution the media against assuming Cato’s murder was a hate crime, Some homosexual activists and journalists rushed to judge another Ugandan gay murder as a hate crime in June 2010, only to sheepishly retract that claim when the murder turned out to be the work of pagan witch doctors involved in a bizarre occult ritual."
Boston Globe reporter Rob Anderson writes:
"The killing is still being investigated, but gay rights activists in Uganda have connected Kato's murder to the anti-gay climate fostered by a trip there by Lively and other American preachers in 2009. “David’s death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by U.S. evangelicals in 2009,” said Val Kalende, the chairwoman of one of Uganda’s gay rights groups. “The Ugandan government and the so-called U.S. evangelicals must take responsibility for David’s blood.”
According to LGBTQ Equality Rights activists in Uganda and abroad,  Lively and the other U.S. evangelical preachers who accompanied him on that 2009 trip, were keynote speakers at an alleged Christian conference and spoke condemning homosexuality.  Gay rights activists say their words galvanized an ugly anti-gay sentiment, and after that event, during which Lively argued that homosexuality "will lead to social chaos and destruction," the Ugandan government drew up legislation allowing for the execution of gay people.
Editor-In-Chief of the LGBTQ website Box Turtle Bulletin, Jim Burroway, who has been following the story since 2009 said today:
Police are attributing David Kato’s murder to robbery. We've seen it often enough elsewhere in Europe and America where local authorities are loathe to investigate hate crimes. The mere fact that items are missing doesn't mean that a hate crime did not occur. If a homophobe is burning a gay man to death, for example, why not take a watch as a trophy and money to party with later? Yet that’s often enough for police to quickly try to eliminate the stigma of a hate crime in the local community. If police in this country are very resistant to investigate crimes as hate crime even when the evidence for those charges are overwhelming, how can we expect anything different in Uganda?
Uguandan NTV Coverage:
Uganda police are working overdrive to tighten lose ends in the murder of a gay rights activist in the outskirts of Kampala. David Kato Kisule, was found murdered at his home in Mukono district, in an incident police have attributed to robbery.

Brody's Notes... Violence Erupts At Funeral For Ugandan Gay Rights Activist Kato

David Kato In His Coffin   Photo By Justin Dralaze  Reuters
By Mark Singer (Washington DC) JAN 28 | Fistfights and shoving matches erupted during the funeral services for slain Gay Rights Activist David Kato in his native village of Mukono, Uganda, yesterday after denunciation of Kato and other LGBT persons by the pastor conducting the service.
A Reuters Wire Service correspondent in attendance at the funeral reported:
"The world has gone crazy," the pastor told the congregation through a microphone. "People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man." Gay activists, wearing T-shirts featuring Kato's face with sleeves coloured with the gay pride flag, then stormed the pulpit and grabbed the microphone. "It is ungodly," the pastor shouted, before being blocked from sight.
An unidentified female activist then began to shout from the pulpit. "Who are you to judge others?" she shouted. "We have not come to fight. You are not the judge of us. As long as he's gone to God his creator, who are we to judge Kato?" 
Local villagers intervened on the side of the pastor and fights broke out before he was taken away to Kato's father's house to calm the situation. There were about 300 persons in total attending the funeral of which approximatively 100 were gay persons from all over Uganda.
After the melee broke-out, the villagers refused to bury Kato, forcing his friends to carry the coffin to the burial site and burying him themselves.
"I'm very upset," Julian Pepe, gay rights activist and a friend of Kato's who attended the funeral, told Reuters, her voice breaking with emotion.
"After we had read statements from everybody, including Obama, after all the nice things friends said about David, that this man could stand up and throw dirt at someone who should be resting in peace. It's just disgusting."

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Brody's Notes... The White House Issues Statement Regarding Murder Of Ugandan Gay Activist

By Editors LGBTQNation (Phoenix, Arizona) JAN 27 | The White House today issued the following statement by President Barack Obama regarding the murder of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato:
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of David Kato. In Uganda, David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom. The United States mourns his murder, and we recommit ourselves to David’s work.
At home and around the world, LGBT persons continue to be subjected to unconscionable bullying, discrimination, and hate. In the weeks preceding David Kato’s murder in Uganda, five members of the LGBT community in Honduras were also murdered. It is essential that the Governments of Uganda and Honduras investigate these killings and hold the perpetrators accountable.
David Kato via LGBTQNation
LGBT rights are not special rights; they are human rights. My Administration will continue to strongly support human rights and assistance work on behalf of LGBT persons abroad. We do this because we recognize the threat faced by leaders like David Kato, and we share their commitment to advancing freedom, fairness, and equality for all.”
Kato was found Wednesday having been beaten in the skull with a hammer a his home. Last year, he was featured in the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone, which featured names and photos of gay men under the headline “HANG THEM!”
Homosexulaity in Uganda is a criminal offense punishable in some cases by life imprisonment.
Lawmaker David Bahati has sponsored legislation that would introduce some of the toughest anti-gay punishments in the world, with a minimum life sentence for anyone convicted of having gay sex, and a mandatory death penalty if they were HIV-positive.
The bill, commonly referred to as the “Kill the Gays” bill, would also ban the “promotion of homosexuality,” making it a crime to advocate on behalf of gay rights.
Kato and his group, Sexual Minorities Uganda, had campaigned against the bill.
Earlier Today Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement: 
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues. We urge Ugandan authorities to quickly and thoroughly investigate and prosecute those responsible for this heinous act.
We are profoundly saddened by the loss of Ugandan human rights defender David Kato, who was brutally murdered in his home near Kampala yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues. 
This crime is a reminder of the heroic generosity of the people who advocate for and defend human rights on behalf of the rest of us -- and the sacrifices they make. And as we reflect on his life, it is also an occasion to reaffirm that human rights apply to everyone, no exceptions, and that the human rights of LGBT individuals cannot be separated from the human rights of all persons. 
Our ambassadors and diplomats around the world will continue to advance a comprehensive human rights policy, and to stand with those who, with their courage, make the world a more just place where every person can live up to his or her God-given potential. We honor David’s legacy by continuing the important work to which he devoted his life."

Brody's Notes & Scribbles... Journalist Joe Jervis Reports: Evidence Of Scott Lively's Complicity In The Murder Of David Kato

Joe Jervis is the editor & publisher of the widely popular LGBTQ activist blogsite Joe.my.God
Anti-gay activist Scott Lively via Joe.My.God
By Joe Jervis (New York, New York) JAN 27 | Yesterday Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death in his home just weeks after his photo was emblazoned on the cover of a local newspaper with the accompanying headline "HANG THEM!" The newspaper articles and Kato's murder came after months of international outrage over Uganda's proposed and still-pending "kill gays" bill, legislation that orders the death penalty for homosexuals in some cases and life imprisonment in others.
The inspiration for Uganda's gay death penalty bill, and surely, Kato's murder, arises from the work of American evangelists, chief among them the repulsive anti-gay activist Scott Lively, whose infamous book The Pink Swastika blames the rise of the Nazi Party and the Holocaust on gay men. One year ago, the New York Times profiled Lively's hand in Uganda's burgeoning pogrom against homosexuals, which began after Lively hosted a three-day meeting attended by thousands of Ugandan police, teachers, and politicians.
The three Americans who spoke at the conference — Scott Lively, a missionary who has written several books against homosexuality, including “7 Steps to Recruit-Proof Your Child”; Caleb Lee Brundidge, a self-described former gay man who leads “healing seminars”; and Don Schmierer, a board member of Exodus International, whose mission is “mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality” — are now trying to distance themselves from the bill.
“I feel duped,” Mr. Schmierer said, arguing that he had been invited to speak on “parenting skills” for families with gay children. He acknowledged telling audiences how homosexuals could be converted into heterosexuals, but he said he had no idea some Ugandans were contemplating the death penalty for homosexuality. “That’s horrible, absolutely horrible,” he said. “Some of the nicest people I have ever met are gay people.”
Mr. Lively and Mr. Brundidge have made similar remarks in interviews or statements issued by their organizations. But the Ugandan organizers of the conference admit helping draft the bill, and Mr. Lively has acknowledged meeting with Ugandan lawmakers to discuss it. He even wrote on his blog in March that someone had likened their campaign to “a nuclear bomb against the gay agenda in Uganda.” Later, when confronted with criticism, Mr. Lively said he was very disappointed that the legislation was so harsh. Human rights advocates in Uganda say the visit by the three Americans helped set in motion what could be a very dangerous cycle. Gay Ugandans already describe a world of beatings, blackmail, death threats like “Die Sodomite!” scrawled on their homes, constant harassment and even so-called correctional rape.
Yesterday Scott Lively's "nuclear bomb" against Ugandan gays went off in the form of the iron bar which crushed the skull of David Kato. In some countries, it's possible that Lively would be under arrest today. Also complicit in this murder is Peter LaBarbera, who for years has worked to publicize and praise Scott Lively's evil agenda. Then there's Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, who last year paid lobbyists $25,000 to convince members of Congress to block a planned resolution denouncing Uganda's gay death penalty bill. And let's not forget Pastor Rick Warren, who supported, funded, appeared with, and publicized the work of Uganda's leading anti-gay activist, Pastor Martin Ssempa.
Today we mourn David Kato, a brave LGBT activist who paid the ultimate price in defense of his brothers and sisters. But we've also got start looking at some serious legal remedies to the actions of American anti-gay activists in other countries. Outside of the United States, many legals systems are not so constrained by the American concept of freedom of speech. What can we do to leverage that difference to end this madness? Lawsuits? The Hague?

Brody's Scribbles... An Open Letter To President Obama From Dan Choi

Dan Choi  Photo By Dan Chung
The author of the following letter is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and Iraq War combat veteran discharged under "Don't As-Don't Tell." Since his ouster he has gained global recognition for his efforts to repeal the policy and has emerged as a leading spokesperson and activist for the greater LGBTQ community.
Dear Mr. President:

Today I received a $2,500 bill from your Defense Department Finance and Debt Services. Specifically, you claim payment for "the unearned portion" of my Army contract. Six months after my discharge under the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy I have tried to move forward with my life, and I was inspired by your clarion calls for our progress as one nation towards a more just society. I have served my country in combat and I have tried to live my life by the values I learned at West Point in continued service to our nation. To move forward in my own life I have finally sought treatment for Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), Insomnia, and Depressive Disorder from the Veterans Affairs Department. But I still find myself on a domestic battlefield for basic dignity as an American citizen. I know I am not alone in this fight because of the desperate cries for help I get from discharged, unemployed, discriminated, and suicidal veterans. I have felt all of their same pains personally. Today I also witness the disgrace of a country that perpetually discovers methods to punish its own citizens for taking a moral stand.

By flagrantly and repeatedly violating an immoral law, I have flagrantly and repeatedly saluted the honor of America's promise. At West Point, when we recited the Cadet Prayer we reminded ourselves "always to choose the harder right over the easier wrong." It would be easy to pay the $2500 bill and be swiftly done with this diseased chapter of my life, where I sinfully deceived and tolerated self-hatred under Don't Ask Don't Tell. Many thousands have wrestled with their responsibilities and expedient solutions when confronted with issues of this magnitude. I understand you also wrestle with issues of our equality. But I choose to cease wrestling, to cease the excuses, to cease the philosophical grandstanding and ethical gymnastics of political expediency in the face of moral duty. My obligations to take a stand, knowing all the continued consequences of my violations, are clear.

I refuse to pay your claim.

Respectfully,

Dan Choi
Former Army First Lieutenant
West Point Class of 2003

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Brody's Notes... Researchers Discover Transsexual Differences Caught By Brain Scans

Sample MRI Scan
By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) JAN 25 | Researcher's at the National University of Distance Education in Madrid, Spain have discovered a technique that they say will assist doctors to identify transgender people at an early age, giving them more options for treatment, such as delaying the onset of puberty. The Spanish university's research team was led by Antonio Guillamon, MD, a professor of psychobiology in the university's Department of Psychobiology-School of Psychology. 
A 2010 study published by  Graduate Journal of Social Science in the UK, had found that of 121 transgender people surveyed, 38 per cent realised they had gender variance by age 5.  White matter differences could provide independent confirmation that such children might benefit from treatment to delay puberty.
This new National University of Distance Education study looked at the white matter of the brain and its structural differences in men, women and female-to-male transgender people by running MRI scans on the brains of 18 female-to-male transsexual people who'd had no treatment and compared them with those of 24 males and 19 females.
The study found significant differences between male and female brains in four regions of white matter – and the female-to-male transsexual people had white matter in these regions that resembled a male brain.
"It's the first time it has been shown that the brains of female-to-male transsexual people are masculinised," Guillamon says.
In another study, the team used the same technique to compare white matter in 18 male-to-female transsexual people with that in 19 males and 19 females. Surprisingly, in each transsexual person's brain the structure of the white matter in the four regions was halfway between that of the males and females.
"Their brains are not completely masculinised and not completely feminised, but they still feel female," says Guillamon.
A separate study at King's College in London, UK, suggests it may soon be possible to look for these differences in such children. Researchers there adapted an MRI scanner to be as quiet as possible so it could be used to monitor the development of white matter in sleeping infants. Using new image analysis software they could track when and where myelin – the neuron covering that makes white matter white – was laid down. Although the sample was too small to identify any gender differences in development, the scientists expect to see differences developing in the brain "by 2 or 3 years of age."

Brody's Notes... Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie Nominates Lesbian To State's Highest Court

Aliʻiōlani Hale which houses the Hawaii State Supreme Court  
Photo By Rex Maximilian
By Mark Singer (Washington DC) JAN 25 | Hawaii's Governor, democrat Neil Abercrombie, has nominated an openly Lesbian to the state's Supreme Court. Honolulu Family Court Judge Sabrina McKenna, 53,  told reporters that she believes her sexual orientation is important to talk about.
“I think the reason I am willing to have this interview is that I want the young people to know that it doesn't matter who you are,” McKenna said. 
Judge McKenna, who has spent the last 17 years as a family court judge along with her partner, Denise Yamashiro, and their three children attended yesterday's announcement in the governor’s office.
KITV ABC4 News Honolulu, Hawaii
“I don't think I ever would have imagined achieving this kind of honor in my life,” McKenna told reporters.McKenna said “I do think that the world is changing,” McKenna said. “And I think that my appointment is an example of that.”
She said the message of her appointment is important for young people.
“Whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, be yourself.” McKenna said. ”Be honest with yourself, even if people reject you, just do your best and anything is possible if you work hard and try hard.”
Governor Abercrombie, in announcing her nomination, told the gathered press corps that McKenna’s appointment had everything to do with her intelligence, temperament and legal knowledge and nothing to do with her sexuality.
McKenna's confirmation hearing will coincide with the just-launched effort to pass civil unions in Hawaii, but legislators say that issue will not effect their assessment of her candidacy.

Brody's Notes... U. S. Citizen Viciously Beaten In British Columbia Because Of His Sexual Orientation

By Mark Singer (Washington DC) JAN 25 | The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are searching for a suspect after a 48-year-old U.S. citizen was beaten unconscious and left nearly naked in the snow after telling another man about his sexual orientation while bathing in a natural hot springs pool at St. Leon’s Hot Springs north of Nakusp, British Columbia, on Highway 23 last December 29th, 2010.
According to a RCMP spokesman, Corporal Bryson Hill, the victim was relaxing in the hot pool with his companion, when they were joined by two other men and a woman. Hill told reporters that once the suspect, who police believe is named Terry — learned the other two men in the tub were Gay, he allegedly told  his friends at the other end of the pool “that he was going to kill the two men."
Corporal Hill said that The victim’s partner fled to the bushes upon overhearing the initial threat but that,
“Unfortunately, the victim didn't hear (the threat) or didn't get out in time. The beating lasted for a little bit of time, where it ended up about 50 feet away from the hot springs. The victim obviously attempted to get away, but was continually kicked and punched and pushed to the ground as he attempted to flee. He was essentially left unconscious in the snow, in his shorts and in a wilderness environment.”
The RCMP spokesman also said that investigators have determined that there is no evidence to suggest the attack was motivated by any motive other than homophobic hate.
Hill said that the suspect’s friends — another man and a woman — were heard by the victim’s partner pleading for him to stop. He also noted that police have found that they were not directly involved in the assault, however they and the suspect left together on two snowmobiles following the assault.
Speaking about the victims' wounds, Cpl. Hill noted that the vicitm suffered bruising to most of his body and a cut on his nose.
“Physically, he’s fine,” Hill said of the victim. “All his wounds will heal . . . but the biggest scar he’s going to have is emotional, for both of them. You can only imagine the fear that one would have to go through to be beaten in the wilderness and left in the snow . . . disoriented and not even knowing where the hot springs were.”
According to the police spokesman, the reason the incident wasn’t publicized earlier was because the RCMP were hoping to locate the suspect without going public to avoid further distress to the victim in the case and his partner.
RCMP investigators think that their suspect might have been visiting the region from the Calgary area. He is described as a white male, about 44 years old, with a muscular build and a flat-top hair style. The silhouette of a bird is tattooed on his chest.
The RCMP are asking that anyone who may have information about this crime or its suspect please contact the RCMP or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Brody's Notes... Domestic Partnership Act Introduced in Florida State House

By Brian Winfield (St. Petersburg, Florida) JAN 25 | Yesterday, State Representative Mark Pafford (D- West Palm Beach) filed The Domestic Partnerships Act (HB-337) that will provide domestic partnerships protections to committed couples throughout Florida.
Florida currently ranks 8th in the nation, with 5.5 million people living in communities that recognize domestic partnerships, either through registries or public employer benefits. Rep. Pafford's bill would make these benefits and responsibilities available to all couples statewide.
More than half of Fortune 500 companies and a majority of Florida’s universities offer domestic partner benefits in order to attract and retain the best and brightest employees.
"Equality Florida is proud to work with Rep. Pafford and Sen. Sobel to provide these important protections to Florida's domestic partners, gay and straight," said Mallory Wells, public policy director for Equality Florida. "More than half of Florida’s universities and many of our major employers, such as Pepsico, BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, and Wells Fargo, offer domestic partnership benefits in order to attract and retain the best and brightest employees."
The Domestic Partnerships Act, would grant individuals in a domestic partnership the same benefits and responsibilities currently available through marriage.
"At a time when many Florida families are facing difficult financial challenges, this bill will provide valuable protections, as well as responsibilities, to unmarried couples and will help more Floridians to take care of their loved ones," said Representative Pafford. "House Bill 337 recognizes the intrinsic value of all families, and the importance that they be recognized and protected by law.”
Senator Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) is the sponsor of the Senate version of The Domestic Partnership Act (SB-348).

Brody's Notes... Rep. Scott Randolph Files Florida Competitive Workforce Act

Representative Scott Randolph (D-Orlando)
By Brian Winfield (St. Petersburg, Florida) JAN 25 | Representative Scott Randolph (D-Orlando) filed a bill today that aims to bring jobs to Florida. The Florida Competitive Workforce Act (H.B. 361) would prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
Major corporations have long known that diversity is good for business. Today, eighty-seven percent of Fortune 500 Companies include sexual orientation provisions in their anti-discrimination policies and nearly half include gender identity and expression.
“In a time of serious economic hardship, it is imperative that we do everything we can to encourage economic growth and investment,” Representative Scott Randolph said. “This bill promotes smart business practices that will attract employers to our state and create jobs. The Florida Competitive Workforce Act seeks to move Florida forward.”
In Florida, Pepsico, Wells Fargo, JetBlue, BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, and other billion-dollar corporations have joined with Equality Florida in the Equality Means Business project, an effort to spotlight major employers in Florida that have adopted comprehensive non-discrimination polices and have demonstrated their commitment to valuing and pro-actively including all employees.
"Passage of this bill will dramatically improve Florida’s national and international reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live, work and visit." said Mallory Wells, public policy director for Equality Florida. "We're proud to work with Rep. Randolph, one of our strongest champions in Tallahassee, to promote the Competitive Workforce Act."
Florida law currently fails to protect all Floridians against workplace discrimination. The Florida Competitive Workforce Act will not only ensure equal protection for all Floridians, but it will also demonstrate that Florida understands that diversity brings the skills, perspective and other assets that are essential to establishing a competitive workforce.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Brody's Notes... The President's Flip-flop On Same-Sex Marriage: What Changed Between 1996 & 2011?

Click to enlarge.
President Obama's 1996 letter Courtesy of Windy City Times
By Editors LGBTQNation (Phoenix, Arizona) JAN 25 | Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged the subject of same-sex marriage at Monday’s press briefing when Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson grilled him on President Barack Obama’s apparent flip-flop on gay marriage.
In 1996 as President Obama was running for the Illinois State Senate, he sent a letter to a local newspaper, The Outlines (now The Windy City Times), highlighting his positions on LGBT rights.
In the letter released by the The Windy City Times, Obama wrote: “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.”“That’s not the president’s current position. Has he backtracked on a earlier commitment he made to gay and lesbian Americans?,” asked Johnson.
Gibbs dodged the question, saying “I think there’s a whole host of issues that I would direct you to the campaign on — on different questionnaires and I would again reiterate what the president has said recently on that issue.”
Asked whether he questions the accuracy of the 1996 questionnaire response, Gibbs replied, “Again, I’m happy to send you the several thousand clips of which went around during the course of 2008 on a whole host of those issues.”
Since his presidential campaign, Obama has publicly opposed same-sex marriage, and the White House has repeatedly said the president’s position has not changed.
But in a December interview with Kerry Eleveld for The Advocate, on the subject of marriage equality, the President said his “attitudes are evolving.”
“Like a lot of people, I’m wrestling with this,” he said.
A number of gay rights supporters have called on Obama to declare support for same-sex marriage during the State of the Union address, reports the Blade.
In an editorial in The New York Times on Sunday, columnist and “It Gets Better” founder Dan Savage urged the President to address marriage equality in tonight’s speech.

Brody's Notes... Right Wing Conservative Anti-Gay Blogger Sacked By Florida Newspaper

Pamela Grothaus
By Joe Jervis (New York, New York ) JAN 25 | The Naples Daily News has finally booted anti-gay blogger Pamela Grothaus after she posted a nasty attack on PFLAG over the group's inclusion at a "religious freedom day" at Collier County, Florida public high schools. Last month Grothaus proudly declared that she was hoping to be named "Joe My God's Bigot Of The Year" for her attacks on LGBT rights. That prompted many of the Joe My God blog's readers to contact the Naples Daily News to complain and which likley contributed to their decision to terminate her. On her personal blog, Grothaus is complaining that the newspaper "didn't even have the decency" to tell her she was fired.

Brody's Journal...University Of Delaware Doctoral Candidate Anti-Gay Harassment & Social Support Study

By Deeanna M. Button (Newark, Delaware) JAN 25 | Hello, my name is Deeanna Button. I am PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware, and I am currently working on my dissertation which focuses on anti-gay harassment and social support. I would like to talk with young adults who identify as LGBTQ aged 18-24 who are willing to share their experiences of anti-gay harassment.
I'm having difficulty finding participants (especially women and minorities). I would really appreciate it if you could help spread the word!
In short, I am trying to understand what "helps" youth deal with anti-gay harassment in a homophobic world. The interview usually takes about an hour and a half and focuses on high school experiences.
Sharing your experience could help youth who are currently struggling with these issues.
Please contact me if your interested at the following email: dmbutton@udel.edu

Monday, January 24, 2011

Brody's Scribbles... BBC News Programme Asks: Is It Always Right To Uphold Your Religious Convictions?

By Dominic Casciani (London England) JAN 24 | Over the past five years, the law has swung decisively against Mr and Mrs Bull's expectations that their religious beliefs should influence how they run their hotel.
Everyone in British society enjoys equal protection of their right to live the way they choose.
But if your particular beliefs or actions unreasonably impinge on someone else's right to live the life that they do, then the law will find you in the wrong.
That is exactly the issue at the heart of the B&B discrimination case.
The Bulls said their double rooms were only for married couples - but Mr Hall and Mr Preddy, as civil partners, enjoy to all intents and purposes the same legal rights and protections as a married heterosexual couple.
The 2010 Equality Act has consolidated the law in this area and cleared up some grey areas.
So we may soon see more claims of sexual orientation discrimination before the courts - and probably more victories for those claiming they were treated badly.
Dominic Casciani is the BBC News home affairs correspondent based in London.

Brody's Journal... High School Senior "Comes Out" in Assembly

.High school senior Kayla K. comes out to her high school, in an assembly honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Jan 13 and 14, 2011.

Brody's Notes... A Preview of National Marriage Fights

By Matt Baume (San Francisco, California) JAN 24 | A busy week for marriage equality all around the country, with new cracks appearing in the Defense of Marriage Act. Meanwhile, a slew of now bills appeared this week in various states, both for and against marriage.
We're starting to get a clearer picture of what marriage quality battles across the country are going to look like in 2011, and it's going to be a busy year. Keep an eye on Wyoming, Iowa, New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, and Washington DC.
And on a national level, a new lawsuit is challenging the Defense of Marriage Act. That's Dragovich versus the Department of the Treasury, and it has a very good chance of overturning at least part of DOMA. The case advanced this week with a judge ruling that it should proceed.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Brody's Notes... Congresswoman Giffords' Lifesaver & Hero Intern Daniel Hernandez To Attend State Of The Union

Daniel Hernandez  Photo Courtesy Of ABCNews
By Mark Singer (Washington DC) JAN 23 | The White House has confirmed that congressional intern Daniel Hernandez, who went to the aid of his gravely injured boss, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords while the shooting rampage erupted around them in Tucson, Arizona, two weeks ago, has been invited to sit with the first Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, during the State of the Union address this coming Tuesday.
Hernandez, who coincidentally also turns 21 on Tuesday, told ABCNews White House correspondent Jake Tapper:
"I'm both honored and excited to have the opportunity to travel to our nation's Capitol for a once in a lifetime event. Also the chance to bring my father along for his first trip to Washington, D.C. The State of the Union is a pivotal moment because it is our opportunity to find where we are and where we will be going as a nation in this upcoming year," Hernandez said.
Hernandez who is openly Gay, will attend the presidential address to Congress with his father Daniel Hernandez Sr.

Brody's Notes... LGBTQ Seniors Dealing With Alzheimer's

Aging, Gay & Facing Prejudice In Twilight  
Spoon Feeding Photo By James Estrin The New York Times
By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) JAN 23 | As the nation mourns the passage of R. Sargent Shriver this past week, we also need to be celebrating an amazing life of public service filled with an incredible list of accomplishments benefiting his fellow human beings around the globe. But, we should also pause and reflect on the battle that he fought valiantly off the public stage with Alzheimer's disease in private.
Sargent Shriver was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2003, and his daughter Maria Shriver, [Schwarzenegger] the former first lady of California was an executive producer of HBO's "The Alzheimer's Project," which included the Emmy Award-winning segment "Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am," based on her best-selling children's book, "What's Happening to Grandpa?"
In 2009, she testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, offering advice to families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer's and asking the committee for increased funding for Alzheimer's disease programs and research.
Shriver was devastated watching the effects of Alzheimer's consume her father Shriver recalls visiting her father, the Peace Corps’s founding director and brother-in-law to John F. Kennedy, at his assisted living facility in Washington:
“When I went to visit my father recently in Washington, I took him outside. There we were, three people sitting quietly on a park bench—his caregiver and me, with my dad in the middle. After a while, my father put his head down on the caregiver’s shoulder and nuzzled him, just like a kid. It was a sweet moment, looking as he did like a child seeking and getting comfort. But not from me. It was as if I, his only daughter, weren't there at all. I could have been a bystander. Actually, I was a bystander. That blew my mind and broke my heart."
Shriver, a journalist, writes of the disease's personal toll in a forthcoming book, "Alzheimer's in America: The Shriver Report on Women and Alzheimer's," which examines the effects of the disease on those who suffer from it and the toll it takes on caregivers. It was first published as an e-book in October. Free Press will release it as a paperback in March.
This subject, while a hugely important issue for seniors and their families in the United States and elsewhere, it is of particular significance to the greater LGBTQ community. LGBTQ persons are largely overlooked when it comes to thinking about Alzheimer's disease.Mainstream and Gay Media attention seems to have principally focused mainly on younger people to the extent that LGBTQ issues seem to be something for those under age 40. Nothing could be further from the truth of course, but the older generation who were brought up in an era of little if any tolerance are more likely to be hidden from view. This means that they suffer in absolute isolation in cases where this devastating disease strikes. Often, in most cases, there's not a sufficient support network in place to assist them.
A leading expert this difficult subject for the LGBTQ community is Christine Kennard, from York, in the United Kingdom. Kennard has many years of experience in private and public sector nursing care homes for people with dementia. She has worked in a variety of hospital, public and private health settings and specialized in community nursing. Christine is qualified in group analytic psychotherapy, also registered in general and mental health nursing and has a Masters degree in senior mental healthcare issues.
In a recent article Kennard wrote:
When dementia is diagnosed more people become involved in the process of care. What was a previously private domestic arrangement comes into the domain of care and medical services. Issues of confidentiality, prejudice, ignorance, as well embarrassment can influence proper care provision.
The older generation are more likely to have spent a lifetime passing as heterosexual so it can be emotionally upsetting for the person, their partner and relatives, to disclose previously secret information.
Residential care settings can vary in their understanding and preparedness for dealing with the needs of lesbians and gays people with Alzheimer's disease.
The legal position of same sex partners can vary from country to country. In the UK recent reforms now provide the same rights to gay and lesbian couples as heterosexual couples, this is not the case in most places.
Issues of sexuality in the elderly still seem to be concerned more with inappropriate sexual behavior. Sexual expression can be viewed as symptomatic rather than natural. This is often an issue for straight as well as gay people.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) caregivers can face their own problems with stigma and prejudice.
The current generation of lesbian and gay people are largely hidden from view within care arrangements. For many, this has been a feature of their life and it extends into their twilight years. As a more vocal and open generation follows behind, caregiving services need to consider how they will react to these needs.
Dr. Melinda Lantz, chief of geriatric psychiatry at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, in a October 2007 New York Times article, notes that while elderly heterosexuals also suffer the indignities of old age, its not to the same extent as the elderly LGBTQ community.
“There is something special about having to hide this part of your identity at a time when your entire identity is threatened,” she said. “That’s a faster pathway to depression, failure to thrive and even premature death.”
Those LGBTQ seniors who end up suffering from the effects of Alzheimer's are placed at greater risk and more often than not, their caregivers are ill equipped to handle the disease's devastation and results. Worse, and what studies are now showing, is more often than not, there are no caregivers or family leaving those afflicted to suffer alone.

Information about LGBTQ services for dementia:
The Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network (LGAIN) works to raise awareness about the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders and about the unique barriers they encounter in gaining access to housing, healthcare, long-term care and other needed services.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Brody's Scribbles... FOX Rejects Conservative Website's 2011 Superbowl Ad

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) JAN 22 | The alleged conservative and self proclaimed comedy website, JesusHatesObama.com, says it really doesn't hate the president, nah, not at all, just his policies. Sure, they sell T-Shirts that say Jesus Loves You but hates Obama, and well they were more than ready to pay the Fox Sports network a pretty hefty sum to run the following commercial, but they don't hate the president. The ad shows two bobble heads, one of President Obama, and one of Jesus. Mr.Obama’s head bobbles idiotically, while Jesus stares on with apparent disgust. Eventually, the president falls into a fish tank.
Apparently, executives at the Fox network decided that they didn't need to make profit off this particular advert.
Personally I feel that it’s probably a good thing that this commercial got pulled. Not because it was offensive mind you, but because it wasn't even funny at least to anyone that has taste. This is what they claim in a message on their site:
Do we really believe that Jesus hates Obama? Of course not! However, we do believe in freedom…as in the freedom to make fun of the Obama administration with novelty t-shirts…our products may be a joke but so are the policies of this administration.”
 

Brody's Notes... Discharged Ex-Navy Chaplain Klingenschmitt Favors Gay Exorcisms-Says Gay Men Are Women

By Mark Singer (Washington DC) JAN 23 | In an interview with David Pakman on his 'Midweek' political news & issues show,  former U. S. Navy chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, who was discharged from active duty as a result of court martial, disciplinary proceedings, and gross insubordination told Pakman that the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, will force a draft, and he advocated gay exorcisms as an effective method of treatment for homosexuality, along with claims that Gay men are women.
Rob Boston, a senior policy analyst at Americans United for Separation of Church and State said of Klingenschmitt in an article he published in April of 2007:
Klingenschmitt claims he was drummed out of the Navy because he wanted to pray in the name of Jesus. In fact, he got tossed out for being insubordinate. Far from being a hero and a role model, Klingenschmitt is exactly what the military does not need: an officer who would not do what was expected of him.
Naval regulations forbid service members from wearing their uniforms to political or partisan events. This directive is clear and has been in place for a long time. Nevertheless, Klingenschmitt insisted on wearing his uniform to a Religious Right-hosted protest and press conference opposing the military’s inclusive policies on religion. He showed up on the street outside the White House in the company of former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, Religious Right activist Rob Schenck and Texas preacher-politician Rick Scarborough.
A former direct supervisor of Klingenschmitt's, Captain and Command Chaplain Norman Holcomb, USN (Ret.) writes:
“I was the dishonored ex-chaplain’s supervisor for the past 2 years. I found him to be totally untruthful, unethical and insubordinate. He was and is contemptuous of all authority. He was not court martialed for praying in Jesus’ name. I sent him out in uniform every week to pray at various ceremonies and functions. He always prayed in uniform and in Jesus’ name. He was never told that he could not pray in Jesus’ name. In fact, the issue of prayer had nothing at all to do with his dismissal from the Navy. He disobeyed the lawful order of a senior officer. I am sure that you understand that Navy Regulations forbid any of us, regardless of rank or position, to appear in uniform in support of any political or partisan event.”
Gordon Klingenschmitt
Captain Holcomb added:
“We have been relatively quiet regarding our ex-chaplain’s untruthfulness and lack of honor because we are embarrassed that one of our own could display such behavior in the name of our Lord. We wanted to spare all concerned the embarrassment associated with his dishonesty. However, it now seems that it would be wrong for those of us who know the truth to remain silent. I served with him and supervised him (as best as it was possible to supervise a person who refused to submit to lawful authority) and I know about his daily dishonesty and ‘spin’ of the truth.”
In an exhaustive investigative story about Klingenschmitt written by journalist and Editor-In-Chief Jason Leopold for media outlet, The Public Record, Leopold details some of Klingenschmitt's less than stellar character references and as he wrote in the August 2009 piece, "...claims [that] are flat-out lies."
Leopold also noted:
In February 2007, following his court-martial, Klingenschmitt sent a lengthy screed to Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter in which he came across as highly unstable and unwilling to accept the fact that he was denied his pension–hardly the voluntary gesture of a chaplain who said he sacrificed his livelihood for Jesus. His letter accused Navy officials of “raping” him because he filed a whistleblower complaint alleging his civil rights were violated.
Mikey Weinstein, the president and founder of the watchdog group The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), said the disgraced chaplain’s Oct. 6, 2006 e-mail to Vice Adm. Harvey requesting a cash settlement in exchange for dropping his complaints shows that Klingenschmitt is nothing more than a modern day “Judas Iscariot.”
“In my opinion, the shocking revelation of this blatantly extortionate demand letter for payoff money from Klingenschmitt to senior U.S. Navy leadership paints a crystal clear picture for all the world to see,” Weinstein said in an e-mail message. “That shamefully irrefutable picture is none other than one of a morbidly hypocritical, 21st Century, Judas Iscariot lustfully eager to betray his boundlessly self-professed piety, proselytizing ministry and missionary zeal for Jesus ‘for the right price’ to be paid to him by the United States Navy.
Read Leopold's entire story here: [ Link ]

The following is the video of Gordon Klingenschmitt's appearance on The David Pakman Show: