Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Today's Headlines From LGBTQNation
Matt Barber: Children of gay couples are ‘little props’ to ‘promote post-modern sexual anarchy’
June 29 — Matt Barber, the Director of Cultural Affairs with the so-called Liberty Counsel, said on his program this week that the children of gay couples are nothing more than "little props." Read more »Author, self-appointed ‘prophet’ warns gays could bring about the Antichrist
June 29 — Self-anointed “American Prophet” Michael Bresciani, a Christian author who likens himself to the biblical prophets Isaiah and Micah, has a revelation from God that is meant to serve as a warning to America... Read more »Rhode Island state Senate approves civil unions for same-sex couples
June 29 — Coming just days after the New York legislature voted to legalize same-sex marriage, Rhode Island state lawmakers on Wednesday voted to approve a bill that would permit civil unions between gay and lesbian couples. Read more »The National Organization for Marriage had a good run, but ‘the jig is up’
June 29 — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) had a good run. The group, led by anti-gay activists Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown, has been able to demagogue and exploit existing anti-LGBT prejudice and foment new fears by lying about the allegedly negative impact marriage equality would have on civilization. Read more »Town clerk balks at issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples
June 28 — As marriage equality becomes law across New York state on July 24, same-sex couples looking to wed in Volney, N.Y. will likely encounter a disapproving town clerk. Read more »Brody's Notes... Michigan House Committee Tables Anti-Bullying Bill Today; Advocates Call For Comprehensive Bill
By Michael Gregor | LANSING, MICHIGAN -- This morning, Michigan’s House Education Committee heard testimony from over 10 people, including five high school students, on House Bill 4163, which would ask schools to implement policies prohibiting bullying or harassment. Testimony given noted that committee members would strengthen the bill by requiring school districts to adopt policies that list protected categories and report incidents of bullying and harassment. The committee did not hear all of the fifteen citizens wishing to offer testimony and will reconvene after the summer break for further work on the bill.
House Bill 4163 is sponsored by Republican Philip Potvin of Cadillac. Earlier this year, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a similar version of the bill.
Equality Michigan opposes the bill in its current form because it will not provide comprehensive protection for Michigan students. According to the group, nine out of ten gay and transgender students experience harassment at school.
The Michigan State Board of Education has developed a Model Anti-Bullying Policy that school safety advocates strongly support, but lawmakers have not used it in developing new legislation. The model policy is available online here.
Statement released by Emily Dievendorf, Director of Policy, Equality Michigan:
“We are disappointed to have to oppose House Bill 4163 today but feel that changes can be made to strengthen it so it becomes the powerful tool it is intended to be. We need to require school districts to adopt policies that list protected categories and report incidents of bullying and harassment. We have all been reluctant witnesses to the rash of suicides nationwide as a result of bullying. Michigan has no time to waste in addressing the crisis of bullying in our schools. Our kids need to be assured that their second home, their school, is conducive to learning and is accepting of who they are.This is about making sure all young people are safe from bullying and harassment at school, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity or religion. Governor Snyder recently called for the state to pass comprehensive anti-bullying legislation. He noted that ‘Studies have long shown that it leads to low self-esteem, depression, poor academic achievement, truancy and even suicide. School is not a house of learning for a bullying victim; it is a house of pain. A bullied student is not only being tormented; he or she is being denied an equal opportunity to a quality education.The House Education Committee can still add language to make this bill effective and useful. Michigan can do this right the first time by ensuring that policy created for our kids is of the highest quality.”
Brody's Scribbles... We All Do It
Bart Vogelzang, an editor, and an advocate as well as an online community leader for those suffering from Asperger's syndrome, and who in his spare time is a rally enthusiast, participant and rally-race coordinator in British Columbia.
By Bart Vogelzang | VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA -- We all do it, some often, some not so much; worry, that is.
The lucky ones will sail through life and never really encounter a situation in which they don’t know what to do. They will have a momentary pang of worry, but quickly their direction becomes clear to them, and they happily, or maybe stoically, go on their way. I have always wondered about these people, since they seem almost like aliens to me. How did they come to be this way? How did they learn to just switch directions without getting uselessly upset, without being in a total funk? Many years ago I read a rather profound statement that sort of sums it up:
“Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”
How did these people learn to get up out of that chair?
Most of us, me most definitely included, get stuck with directional changes. We know we are in trouble, but the endless numbers of options that lie before us cause more bewilderment than opportunity. Like some kind of sickeningly complex chess game, all the moves are available, except the one we expected. One move off our expected path leads to unexplored and possibly hostile territory. Another move beyond that, and we feel we will be at risk of losing our way entirely. We get completely hung up in our own, wait for it…web of worry. We end up endlessly analyzing all the possible moves we can think of, and looking at the downside of each. Oh sure, we will maybe think of something positive that could happen, but because it is so far from what we were looking forward to, we seldom see the positive. Maybe that’s what the others, those lucky ones, do. Maybe they analyze the positives rather than the negatives. Well, we can worry about that later, “tomorrow, for tomorrow is another day,” and all that.
One rather obvious answer, which is completely useless due to its inherent impracticality, is drugs. At best this is a momentary ‘fix’, because before you know it, the reality of what needs to be decided is right back in your face. Some people, sadly, end up in a never-ending loop of chemical fixes, recovering to reality, only to get another fix. Why do we call it a fix, when it doesn’t fix anything? But we think it does, and this includes the fix of booze. Even more depressingly, those same people end up slowly causing themselves brain damage, so that their viable options decrease over time, justifiably mixing their apprehension with intense worry.
Another path, chosen by quite a few people, is to just accept their doom (even though it is not doom, just the lack of a decision on their next step, one they cannot see or take) and jump right into ridiculously dangerous behavior, as if they are ‘dead men walking’. They no longer care, as they careen down city streets at insane speeds, plumb the depths of the inner city in the middle of the night, or give in to unprotected sex. They have stopped thinking they have any future, given up on worrying about it, and will continue to bounce around like a pinball in a pinball machine, with each surprising bounce and twist of life flipping them from one disaster to another until they drop into the final chute. Unlike a game though, there is no putting in another token and starting over again.
Fortunately, the vast majority of people who worry will finally work their way through the endless decisions. Not all at once, but one decision at a time. Each choice brings a new worry, and new decisions, but suddenly, out of some depth of inner strength they never knew they had, they will find a path that works for them, make consistently useful choices, and the worry ends. What we absolutely need to do is assist these people in recognizing the options, and even offering to help them take that next step forward. Once we recognize that the choices and steps that lie ahead for those worried people are actually ones already taken by us, we can literally show them that their worries need not be overwhelming, and that there is a viable path. The unknown, to them, is not unknown to all, and being a guiding beacon to them can be immensely fulfilling. This is a major aspect of the “It Gets Better” campaign, giving reassurance by those who have already taken those paths and made those decisions. The danger though, is that reassurance isn’t always enough. This is particularly important to recognize if the situation is not really changing, or changeable in the near future. An unrealistic reassurance actually doesn’t fall very far from the path of drugs, with the ‘good feeling’ being a slightly less dangerous form of momentary mental blanking. It has its place, certainly, but it needs to be combined with some really practical steps to get the worrying person actually onto a different path.
Let’s assume the worry is money, not orientation or bullying. “It gets better” is NOT going to help the person in financial straits. Money may, a financial plan may, reduction in expenses may, but simple reassurance that ‘things will be okay’ are just not going to help. What if the problem is family arguments? “It gets better” won’t help much either. In fact, it is patently obvious that things are NOT getting better, and saying they are actually causes even more frustration. What will help? Communications counseling and guidance on personal goals and expectations within the family group will. Practical help, helps. Simple loving reassurance, however well intentioned, doesn’t help in the long term.
So, what do we do about the LGBTQ people, many of them teens, who are worried sick? Do we give them indiscriminate loving reassurance that things will get better? Well, yes, if for no other reasons than that we know they could get better, and the goal is mostly the short term one of stopping suicide attempts. Long-term, however, we need much more. We need to change things so that they actually do get better. The previous practical advice reveals some of what is needed; money, a financial plan, communications counseling, and guidance on personal goals and expectations. So there you go, steps are revealed, and paths are there to be chosen. Do we now worry about which to take, or do we just step right in and just do.
Dan Savage has taken a huge first step, with the “It Gets Better” campaign. Now it is up to us to get up out of our own rocking chairs and move forward, taking along our worried brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, grandkids. Worry can be resolved, but only with action. Worry can be resolved, but as it’s a personal thing, only with action at a one on one level. It needs someone who can explain that worry can, like all things, pass. Once accepted, a way to a hopeful future will be a real possibility.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Brody's Notes... Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell Vs. NOM's Maggie Gallagher On Marriage Equality In NY
Brody's Notes... MSNBC's Thomas Roberts Hosts Debate: Rev. Al Sharpton Vs. NOM's Brian Brown
MSNBC correspondent Thomas Roberts substituting for MSNBC anchor and veteran talk radio host Ed Schultz last night, talks with Brian Brown from "National Organization For Marriage" and the Reverend Al Sharpton about the state of marriage equality in New York.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Brody's Journal... National HIV Testing Day Is Today!
By D. Gregory Smith | BOZEMAN, MONTANA -- HIV wins every time someone is afraid to take an HIV test. Taking an HIV test is not about surrendering to fear, it's about saving human beings. We need to suppress the HIV virus by suppressing the HIV virus in everyone's body.
In a message from the Center's for Disease Control today, the CDC's Director placed special emphasis on just how critical this issue is for the health and well being of all Americans:
The majority of the estimated 56,000 new HIV infections that occur each year are transmitted by those who are unaware of their infection. Effective HIV treatments now allow people living with HIV to live long, productive lives, yet nearly 17,000 people with AIDS still die every year in the United States. Despite these troubling statistics, the majority of Americans have still never taken an HIV test. Many people don’t recognize that they’re at risk for HIV infection, even if they engage in behaviors that put them at risk. Others may fear what a positive diagnosis could mean for them, despite the effective treatments now available. And many people don’t yet realize that testing today is quick, easy and confidential.
On this National HIV Testing Day, don’t let fear or misinformation stop you from getting tested. I strongly encourage all Americans to get tested for HIV, and to text and tweet hivtest.org to your friends and family to encourage them to do the same. HIV testing is the critical first step to protect yourself and your loved ones from HIV, and to help end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
Nearly every major city across the country today is offering free and confidential testing. Check with your local LGBTQ action centers, community centers, and health care resources. Go get tested and encourage others to get tested as well.
Remember:"HIV wins every time someone is afraid to take an HIV test."
Editorial- When Are Enough Messages of Divisiveness, Enough? More Fallout From NY Same-Sex Marriage Vote
By Brody Levesque | WASHINGTON DC -- The number one story that my peers and I in the media have been covering this past weekend has been the tremendous impact that the political maneuvering and legislation, culminating with the law that legalises same-sex marriage in New York state, will have on equality for LGBTQ citizens across the United States.
Troublesome though, has been the outrage from so-called Christians and their politically aligned allied organisations and allies that not only decry the courage of the lawmakers in New York, but so completely demonise LGBT persons so as to make mockery of the word 'humanity.'
Watch or Read the following please:
Reverend Pat Robertson: God Will Destroy America Because of Gay Marriage:
Ruben Diaz - Hate Crimes Victim:
"For taking a principled, religiously-rooted stand for the institution that undergirds all of human civilization, Diaz has become the latest in a long, sad string of victims of the true hatemongers in America, homosexuals activists. [sic] Their hate crime against him is motivated by prejudice against his religion, which teaches that God designed marriage exclusively as the union of one man and one woman. Chuck Colson is another whose eyes are wide open to the steaming hate billowing from the denizens of the homosexual lobby. 'The gay-rights groups have shown their fangs. They want to silence, yes, destroy those who don't agree with their agenda.' Homosexuals are rapidly cementing their position as the number one perpetrators of hate crimes in American today. Sen. Diaz is simply the latest prey of the hatemongering hunters on the left, who live in mortal fear that someone, somewhere, actually believes what God says about marriage and human sexuality. And the list will grow longer before it grows shorter." - American Family Association radio host Bryan Fischer, writing for Right Side News.
Linda Harvey On New York Marriage:
"This 'freedom' will include much more than a perpetual pansexual pagan party. It will, and already does, include libel, slander, intimidation, corruption of youth, revolt in congregations, suppression of parental rights, revision of language, disease, loss of employment and loss of life. Oh, and did I mention public sex, the porn explosion and public nudity? Welcome to entitlement sex. The New York crowd was on board with this concept, too, erupting into applause for Obama at all the appropriate moments. And why not? They live in a city that has already earned its Good Sodomizing Seal of Approval. More than 36,000 men who have sex with men in New York City are currently living with HIV/AIDS. This bleak prognosis casts a shadow on these 'marriages,' but no one wants to think about that." - Linda Harvey, Mission American Director, writing for World Net Daily.
The Problem with Gay Marriage:
There absolutely does not seem to be any call for reasonable discussion from the far-right on issues of equality pertaining to LGBTQ Americans. There also has been a lack of a measured voice coming from the administration as President Obama has proven himself to be ineffectual on this issue, with little display of true leadership, by directly countering the message that somehow LGBTQ Americans are evil, sin filled, sexually depraved and obsessed beings who are incapable of being human.
While he may direct his Justice Department to cease defending DOMA, while he may have pushed hard for ending DADT, while he says that he supports the rights of states to legislate marriage in such a manner as to benefit all of their citizens including the LGBTQ community, what is truly missing is his standing up and saying that the unceasing messages of divisiveness are truly enough.
There is absolutely nothing to be gained from these tirades Mister President. The Constitution was written guaranteeing that Americans will have the religious freedoms to worship as they please without fear of retribution, government interference or regulation or suppression.
This is very simple sir, the time has come that you must use the bully pulpit that is your office and tell persons like those I have illustrated above, that their messages are not only far removed from Christianity, but indeed reflect very un-America values that frankly mirror the repressive theocratic regimes in Iran or Saudi Arabia, which ironically, many of these same persons or groups also demonise in terms of citizens who have fled those regimes and now live in the United States.
Mister President? It's time to "grow a pair" politically on this topic. When are enough messages of divisiveness, enough?
This is very simple sir, the time has come that you must use the bully pulpit that is your office and tell persons like those I have illustrated above, that their messages are not only far removed from Christianity, but indeed reflect very un-America values that frankly mirror the repressive theocratic regimes in Iran or Saudi Arabia, which ironically, many of these same persons or groups also demonise in terms of citizens who have fled those regimes and now live in the United States.
Mister President? It's time to "grow a pair" politically on this topic. When are enough messages of divisiveness, enough?
Brody's Notes... 42nd Anniversary Of Stonewall Riots Observed Today
New York, New York -- Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
[ Photograph ] The Stonewall Inn, taken September 1969. The sign in the window reads: "We homosexuals plead with our people to please help maintain peaceful and quiet conduct on the streets of the Village—Mattachine".
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. They are frequently cited as the first instance in American history when people in the homosexual community fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted sexual minorities, and they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.
American gays and lesbians in the 1950s and 1960s faced a legal system more anti-homosexual than those of some Warsaw Pact countries. Early homophile groups in the U.S. sought to prove that gay people could be assimilated into society, and they favored non-confrontational education for homosexuals and heterosexuals alike. The last years of the 1960s, however, were very contentious, as many social movements were active, including the African American Civil Rights Movement, the Counterculture of the 1960s, and antiwar demonstrations. These influences, along with the liberal environment of Greenwich Village, served as catalysts for the Stonewall riots.
Very few establishments welcomed openly gay people in the 1950s and 1960s. Those that did were often bars, although bar owners and managers were rarely gay. The Stonewall Inn, at the time, was owned by the Mafia. It catered to an assortment of patrons, but it was known to be popular with the poorest and most marginalized people in the gay community: drag queens, representatives of a newly self-aware transgender community, effeminate young men, hustlers, and homeless youth. Police raids on gay bars were routine in the 1960s, but officers quickly lost control of the situation at the Stonewall Inn, and attracted a crowd that was incited to riot. Tensions between New York City police and gay residents of Greenwich Village erupted into more protests the next evening, and again several nights later. Within weeks, Village residents quickly organized into activist groups to concentrate efforts on establishing places for gays and lesbians to be open about their sexual orientation without fear of being arrested.
After the Stonewall riots, gays and lesbians in New York City faced gender, class, and generational obstacles to becoming a cohesive community. Within six months, two gay activist organizations were formed in New York, concentrating on confrontational tactics, and three newspapers were established to promote rights for gays and lesbians. Within a few years, gay rights organizations were founded across the U.S. and the world. On June 28, 1970, the first Gay Pride marches took place in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York commemorating the anniversary of the riots. Similar marches were organized in other cities. Today, Gay Pride events are held annually throughout the world toward the end of June to mark the Stonewall riots.
RELATED ARTICLE- Joe.My.God:
By Joe Jervis | NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- It was June 27th, 1969.
That was the day that the queers of New York City finally said "Enough!" For some historical perspective, I'm posting the story that the New York Daily News ran about the Stonewall Riots. Note how the reports drips with condescension and ridicule. We've come a long, long way in 42 years and we've still got some distance to cover, but today we should all offer up a shout, a snap, and a moment of thanks to the people who started us down this road.
HOMO NEST RAIDED - QUEEN BEES ARE STINGING MAD
By Jerry Lisker | New York Daily News, July 6th 1969 -- She sat there with her legs crossed, the lashes of her mascara-coated eyes beating like the wings of a hummingbird. She was angry. She was so upset she hadn't bothered to shave. A day old stubble was beginning to push through the pancake makeup. She was a he. A queen of Christopher Street.
Last weekend the queens had turned commandos and stood bra strap to bra strap against an invasion of the helmeted Tactical Patrol Force. The elite police squad had shut down one of their private gay clubs, the Stonewall Inn at 57 Christopher St., in the heart of a three-block homosexual community in Greenwich Village. Queen Power reared its bleached blonde head in revolt. New York City experienced its first homosexual riot. "We may have lost the battle, sweets, but the war is far from over," lisped an unofficial lady-in-waiting from the court of the Queens.
"We've had all we can take from the Gestapo," the spokesman, or spokeswoman, continued. "We're putting our foot down once and for all."
The foot wore a spiked heel. According to reports, the Stonewall Inn, a two-story structure with a sand painted brick and opaque glass facade, was a mecca for the homosexual element in the village who wanted nothing but a private little place where they could congregate, drink, dance and do whatever little girls do when they get together.
The thick glass shut out the outside world of the street. Inside, the Stonewall bathed in wild, bright psychedelic lights, while the patrons writhed to the sounds of a juke box on a square dance floor surrounded by booths and tables. The bar did a good business and the waiters, or waitresses, were always kept busy, as they snaked their way around the dancing customers to the booths and tables. For nearly two years, peace and tranquility reigned supreme for the Alice in Wonderland clientele.
The Raid Last Friday
Last Friday the privacy of the Stonewall was invaded by police from the First Division. It was a raid. They had a warrant. After two years, police said they had been informed that liquor was being served on the premises. Since the Stonewall was without a license, the place was being closed. It was the law.
All hell broke loose when the police entered the Stonewall. The girls instinctively reached for each other. Others stood frozen, locked in an embrace of fear.
Only a handful of police were on hand for the initial landing in the homosexual beachhead. They ushered the patrons out onto Christopher Street, just off Sheridan Square. A crowd had formed in front of the Stonewall and the customers were greeted with cheers of encouragement from the gallery.
The whole proceeding took on the aura of a homosexual Academy Awards Night. The Queens pranced out to the street blowing kisses and waving to the crowd. A beauty of a specimen named Stella wailed uncontrollably while being led to the sidewalk in front of the Stonewall by a cop. She later confessed that she didn't protest the manhandling by the officer, it was just that her hair was in curlers and she was afraid her new beau might be in the crowd and spot her. She didn't want him to see her this way, she wept.
Queen Power
The crowd began to get out of hand, eye witnesses said. Then, without warning, Queen Power exploded with all the fury of a gay atomic bomb. Queens, princesses and ladies-in-waiting began hurling anything they could get their polished, manicured fingernails on. Bobby pins, compacts, curlers, lipstick tubes and other femme fatale missiles were flying in the direction of the cops. The war was on. The lilies of the valley had become carnivorous jungle plants.
Urged on by cries of "C'mon girls, lets go get'em," the defenders of Stonewall launched an attack. The cops called for assistance. To the rescue came the Tactical Patrol Force.
Flushed with the excitement of battle, a fellow called Gloria pranced around like Wonder Woman, while several Florence Nightingales administered first aid to the fallen warriors. There were some assorted scratches and bruises, but nothing serious was suffered by the honeys turned Madwoman of Chaillot.
Official reports listed four injured policemen with 13 arrests. The War of the Roses lasted about 2 hours from about midnight to 2 a.m. There was a return bout Wednesday night.
Two veterans recently recalled the battle and issued a warning to the cops. "If they close up all the gay joints in this area, there is going to be all out war."
Bruce and Nan
Both said they were refugees from Indiana and had come to New York where they could live together happily ever after. They were in their early 20's. They preferred to be called by their married names, Bruce and Nan.
"I don't like your paper," Nan lisped matter-of-factly. "It's anti-fag and pro-cop.""I'll bet you didn't see what they did to the Stonewall. Did the pigs tell you that they smashed everything in sight? Did you ask them why they stole money out of the cash register and then smashed it with a sledge hammer? Did you ask them why it took them two years to discover that the Stonewall didn't have a liquor license."
Bruce nodded in agreement and reached over for Nan's trembling hands.
"Calm down, doll," he said. "Your face is getting all flushed."
Nan wiped her face with a tissue.
"This would have to happen right before the wedding. The reception was going to be held at the Stonewall, too," Nan said, tossing her ashen-tinted hair over her shoulder."What wedding?," the bystander asked.Nan frowned with a how-could-anybody-be-so-stupid look. "Eric and Jack's wedding, of course. They're finally tying the knot. I thought they'd never get together."
Meet Shirley
"We'll have to find another place, that's all there is to it," Bruce sighed. "But every time we start a place, the cops break it up sooner or later.""They let us operate just as long as the payoff is regular," Nan said bitterly. "I believe they closed up the Stonewall because there was some trouble with the payoff to the cops. I think that's the real reason. It's a shame. It was such a lovely place. We never bothered anybody. Why couldn't they leave us alone?"
Shirley Evans, a neighbor with two children, agrees that the Stonewall was not a rowdy place and the persons who frequented the club were never troublesome. She lives at 45 Christopher St.
"Up until the night of the police raid there was never any trouble there," she said. "The homosexuals minded their own business and never bothered a soul. There were never any fights or hollering, or anything like that. They just wanted to be left alone. I don't know what they did inside, but that's their business. I was never in there myself. It was just awful when the police came. It was like a swarm of hornets attacking a bunch of butterflies."
A reporter visited the now closed Stonewall and it indeed looked like a cyclone had struck the premises.
Police said there were over 200 people in the Stonewall when they entered with a warrant. The crowd outside was estimated at 500 to 1,000. According to police, the Stonewall had been under observation for some time. Being a private club, plain clothesmen were refused entrance to the inside when they periodically tried to check the place.
"They had the tightest security in the Village," a First Division officer said, "We could never get near the place without a warrant."
Police Talk
The men of the First Division were unable to find any humor in the situation, despite the comical overtones of the raid.
"They were throwing more than lace hankies," one inspector said. "I was almost decapitated by a slab of thick glass. It was thrown like a discus and just missed my throat by inches. The beer can didn't miss, though, "it hit me right above the temple."
Police also believe the club was operated by Mafia connected owners. The police did confiscate the Stonewall's cash register as proceeds from an illegal operation. The receipts were counted and are on file at the division headquarters. The warrant was served and the establishment closed on the grounds it was an illegal membership club with no license, and no license to serve liquor.
The police are sure of one thing. They haven't heard the last from the Girls of Christopher Street.
Brody's Notes... Equality Michigan Commends Holland Activists Who Demand Equality For LGBTQ Citizens
The writer is Director of Communications for Equality Michigan and can be reached via e-mail at michael@equalitymi.org.
By Michael Gregor | DETRIOT, MICHIGAN -- Despite the Holland City Council’s recent no vote on an inclusive nondiscrimination policy, thousands of residents are organizing in support of equality for gay and transgender citizens. The proposal would have instructed city attorneys to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s nondiscrimination policies. The city council tie was broken by Holland Mayor Kurt Dykstra to produce a final 5-4 vote.
Eighteen other Michigan cities have adopted ordinances that prohibit discrimination in housing and employment against gay people, transgender people or both. Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Saugatuck are among them.
Equality Michigan, a statewide advocacy group that serves victims of discrimination, was disappointed in the vote but praised local activists for their determination.
Denise-Brogan Kator, the Interim Executive Director of Equality Michigan said:
“The Holland City Council vote was irresponsible and a step in the wrong direction. It was clear that most Holland residents want to treat gay and transgender people fairly, yet some council members failed to represent their constituents. We believe that all Holland residents should be able to live without fear of being denied housing because of who they are or losing a job for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance.Concerned citizens have done an outstanding job of moving this conversation forward. Thousands of Holland residents, including business owners, have shown the courage to make their city a more welcoming place. We applaud those residents and pledge to support them as they plan to bring this proposal to the ballot.”
Brody's Scribbles... How Allowing Gays to Marry in California Could Rescue A State Teetering On The Brink Of Bankruptcy
By Terry Angel Mason | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- “Today, you would think that because I am an African-American, that I would have awakened with a new zest for living, a belief that all things are possible and a renewed hope in America, the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. But instead, I felt a chilling numbness emotionally very similar to the kind of feeling that I experience when someone close to me in my family has just died!”
These were the words penned in my Pulitzer Nominated book, “Love Won’t Let Me Be Silent” after Proposition 8 passed in California, amid the euphoria and jubilation of electing America’s first African-American President. At that time my feelings were very conflicted because there was a part of me that was overjoyed because Barack Obama had been elected. Conversely, another part of me was in complete despair because of the bigotry and hatred that would later take on the form of denying same-gender-loving people the right to adopt children in other states and/or the right to wed the person of their choosing; in addition to the countless suicides, abuse and extreme acts of violence committed against LGBT community – all the direct result from the implementation of this hideous Bill!
Prior to the passing of Proposition 8 (aka Prop. 8), African-American clergy, Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons and some non-denominational Christians urged their parishioners to vote “YES” on Prop. 8, ignoring and completely disregarding the fact that thousands of LGBT people attend their churches and participate in every aspect of ministry, pay their tithes, and have an undying devotion to the ministry. Parishioners were told, “We must do everything we can to preserve the Institution of marriage.” Oh, if they would have only acted earlier with the same fervor years ago, perhaps heterosexual Christians would not lead the country in divorces and separations -- long before Prop. 8, gay marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships were ever established.
Yes, you heard me right! I was amazed to discover that born-again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce. These statistics have been the case for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps is that when these divorcees publicly announce their divorce, many of them are rejected by their community of faith rather than provided with support and healing. It is apparent that many Christians are quick to criticize gay unions, having forgotten to remove the beam from their own eye before trying to get the speck out of their brother’s eye (Matthew 7:5). And what of the Bishops, whose stories garner constant media attention in the Black churches throughout our great country? The same Bishops, who bash from the pulpit, are on their third and fourth marriage, cleverly cover up sex and drug scandals, and violently abuse their wives. The media is constantly exposing the fact that more and more of these same Bishops are committing adultery and fathering illegitimate children with women in their congregations, other than their spouses. And let's not forget to mention the ones who are on the downlow (meaning they are closeted gays) who cheat with other men!
What is even more alarming is that HIV/AIDS and poverty in the African American and Hispanic Communities is staggering! Furthermore, many, if not most of these same Pastors, Bishops, Priests and ministers who encouraged their parishioners to vote “Yes” on Prop 8, don’t even have a food pantry for their members, senior care programs, effective HIV/AIDS outreach programs and sadly, no prison ministry rehabilitation program; a tragic oversight, especially since there are over 170,000 inmates in the California penal system (many of whom are Black and Hispanic). Yet, they thought nothing of spending over 60 million dollars to oppose same-sex unions, money that they could have and should have used to fund much needed programs like these! Moreover, another glaring example of the Church's misdirected priorities, are the many cases of their parishioners being evicted out of their apartments and homes, unable to procure financial support from their home churches. The same home church that will justify and miraculously produce money to fight Marriage Equality issues like Prop 8!
One reason I always cringe when I hear Pastors bash the gay community from the pulpit is because little do they realize, had it not been for the gay community, little or nothing would have been done to combat the AIDS virus, and the death toll would have been even more catastrophic. It should also be noted that because the African-American and Hispanic American heterosexual community is disproportionately affected by the pandemic, subsequently, their faith community offers little to no services. As a result of working hand-in-hand with many AIDS organizations, I can attest to the fact that thousands of heterosexual males and females frequently access HIV treatment and Case Management services provided by the gay community -- whom by the way attend these same churches. I am extremely grateful to the gay community for responding so compassionately and effectively to those suffering from the virus because the majority of services and medications that are offered today is the direct result of their resolute response. The LGBT community continues to effectively and compassionately minister to the needs of people from all walks of life; doing what many Evangelical Christians have failed to do, even today!
As a child, I was taught to believe that the Constitution created by our founding fathers would always protect the rights of the people. Even if, humanity somehow lost its way in the muck, mire and rhetoric of misguided souls and redneck politicians, I believed that somehow, truth and justice would prevail and win out in the end because after all, did we not elect an African-American President? Isn’t that proof? I know that such a belief to some may seem naïve. Still, deep down inside, I keep hearing the chant of our forefathers boldly declaring to my heart and consciousness these empowering words that I refuse to cast aside: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness . . .”
These words became a reality on June 24, 2011, for the people of New York when their State Senate approved marriage equality legislation, despite of the disgraceful passing of Proposition 8 in California three years earlier. All the despair I felt back in 2008 when Prop. 8 passed was a stark contrast to the immense joy that I experienced yesterday along with the multitudes from every race and gender, who exuberantly celebrated in the streets of New York after such a long awaited victory. But all the euphoria wore off when I awakened this morning, and was slapped in the face by the reality that I still lived in California. I wiped the sleep out of my eyes, showered, got dressed and boarded a train headed to luncheon that a circle at my church was giving for the fathers and mothers in our congregation.
Even though I have been blessed financially and have garnered international attention and media acclaim as an author, I have chosen not to move out of my present neighborhood. I like the interaction with the people I meet and it keeps me in touch with my community and aware of the things that people living in my neighborhood experience in their day-to-day struggles to survive. It also allows me to experience firsthand what is like to be black, gay and Christian, all of which I am very proud of!
Because I am well known in my community, (though many adamantly disapprove of my sexual orientation and interpretation of scripture), it affords me the opportunity to dialogue with ministers, local politicians, and with the movers and shakers in my community and I am often able to effect change because I live among them. Admittedly, it isn’t easy and I often become discouraged because of their close-mindedness and deep seated homophobia and think of retreating to a more upscale community where same-gender-loving people are more accepted and celebrated, but I just can’t do it! I can’t do it because of the lingering homophobic plague stalking my community that endangers the lives of children and youth I see going to and fro on a day-to-day basis. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to intervene to stop fights and bullying on buses and trains (one of the primary reasons I use public transportation). I realize that this is dangerous and often places me in great jeopardy, but I refuse to sit idly by and let another innocent child or young adult be abused by a hateful, ignorant person, simply because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender! The reality is that in these situations, few people are willing to come to the aid of our children, even if they feel the bullying or abuse is wrong or inappropriate and this saddens me – but I refuse to be one of those people!!!
What is perhaps more devastating about the passing of Prop. 8 is not only the negative social effect it has had on our community, but also the devastating financial affect it has also generated because we missed the tremendous window of opportunity for financial gain and the potential to create many much needed new jobs. You see my brothers and sisters, prejudice and intolerance is unfortunately a double edged sword because it tragically eliminated the possibility of California bringing in an estimated 385 million dollars of revenue over a ten year period, if same-gender-loving people had been allowed to marry. Statistically speaking, married people often accumulate more wealth and have more to spend on property and consumer goods, which bolsters tax revenue.
Thank God that in New York; Governor Cuomo had the wisdom and good sense to see the tremendous economic potential and opportunity that his state had to improve its economy. He wisely acted by seizing this opportunity to sign the Bill into Law only hours after it had been passed. It was a good thing that he did, because wedding plans are likely to generate an estimated $284 million dollars to the state's economy, according to a report by the Independent Democratic Conference.
In the wake of New York’s good fortune, California now teeters or the brink of bankruptcy, unable to balance its budget, barely even able to keep the doors of its schools and higher learning institutions opened, due to mismanagement of funds and overspending, and sadly, because of missed opportunities. Even though Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn overturned Prop 8, the matter is still not resolved because the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has been sitting on the matter. I believe the delay is due to Prop. 8 being a very contentious issue and the Commissioners themselves are conservatives and fear the wrath of right wing conservatives that could result should they overturn the proposition. In the meantime, California’s economy is in critical condition and on financial life support! Moreover, it is in desperate need of an economic boost. Many single people in the LGBT community are still being unfairly denied the right to marry the person they love and receive their entitled constitutional and federal benefits. Perhaps, the courageous move on the part of New York and Washington, D.C. lawmakers will embolden them and motivate them to do what they already know in their hearts is the right thing to do and overturn Prop. 8. Their courageous intervention would rescue our failing economy which is currently in desire straits and preserve the integrity and promise of our Constitution by courageously granting equal rights to same-gender-loving people – accomplishing the very objective that we elected them to do!
Brody's Scribbles... Will New York Marriage Spread to Other States?
By Matt Baume | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA -- We did it! New York Marriages can start in less than a month. That success gives us new leverage in the 44 states that have yet to enact marriage equality. We also won victories this week in Wisconsin and Maryland, but gay couples in Illinois are just discovered a dangerous new civil unions loophole. And phony anti-gay polls could skew voting in Minnesota.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Des Downunder On Sundays
Des Rutherford is away on holiday this week and will return on Sunday, July 3rd. Substituting for him is Bart Vogelzang, an editor, and an advocate as well as an online community leader for those suffering from Asperger's syndrome, and who in his spare time is a rally enthusiast, participant and rally-race coordinator in British Columbia.
By Bart Vogelzang | VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA -- Loving Equality
The momentous decisions in New York, resulting in legalizing of same sex marriage, are seen to be an equality issue, and while this may be true “under the eyes of the law”, true equality is still a distant hope.
The biggest challenge facing equality advocates is that equality, in the truest sense of the word, requires each to be treated equally, but how can we really do that, since each of us is unique and therefore unequal in just about everything; from body construct, to intellect, to compassion, to life experience, and yes, Lady Luck. Some have more of one thing, or many things, and others are lacking in those things. The combinations of those ‘more things’ and ‘fewer things’ are close to infinite, and they change on a minute-to-minute basis, as we wend, or force, our way through life.
What we need to do is identify the common denominator, and create equality for each of us based on that; that trait that is common to each and every person. Although there will obviously be some who will discuss (as in ‘argue’) about this, I feel that the common denominators for all of us are the need to share love, and the need to be respected; two things that are as closely tied together as your right arm and your left arm sharing your torso.
The new law in New York has taken the first steps, not only giving respect to homosexuals, but also acknowledging that they too can love just as deeply as heterosexuals. Sadly, the general public will take much longer to embrace it all, not from a legal viewpoint, but from a ‘gut’ viewpoint, in which everyone not only tolerates love between same sex people, but embraces love in all forms (and I’m not talking about marrying your cat as that would be a purrversion). Often we hear of even LGB people picking on T people, or L and G denouncing B. It has got to stop…love is such a beautiful thing, and if you don’t support it in all its many facets, you are doing humanity a disservice. Every time you see a couple and you think, or worse, actually say, “What the hell does she (he) see in him (her),” you are not really being true to yourself, as what you are really feeling is “Why can’t someone love me like that, despite my flaws?”
When each and every one of us can be happy when we see others loving each other, we will be on the road to equality. When each and every one of us can express our happiness at seeing others loving each other, we will be even further down the road of equality. It is up to each of us to take that step, and hopefully it will all end up in a surging mass of people all joined together in a common cause…love and respect for all. Or as John Lennon put it, “The love you get is equal to the love you make.”
Saturday, June 25, 2011
"It's A Big, Big Deal. The Country Is Ready To Acknowledge The Right Of Gay Couples To Marry."
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| Crowd outside the historic Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street NYC, June 24th, 2011 [Photo via Joe Jervis] |
WASHINGTON D. C. -- "It's a big, big deal. The country is ready to acknowledge the right of gay couples to marry. For young people, it's a no-brainer. For those of us who are older, a lifetime of experience has taught us that gay Americans are our friends, our neighbors, our relatives, and maybe our children. But change has been thwarted by the structure of our politics, which give disproportionate strength to tiny slivers of voters.
We needed some stalwart lawmakers to break the jam. Who would have imagined we'd find them in Albany?"
I watched the session from start to finish last evening, taking the time to cook supper, make phone calls, and when it came down to the vote, my good friend & fellow Canadian Warren Austin, who was on the speaker phone with me, & I listened as history was made.
As my colleague Dan Collins pointed out, it is a really, really, big deal.
I rejoice for New Yorkers and I rejoice for my fellow LGBTQ folk who now have seen equality moved a couple of centuries past the bronze-age mentality and propaganda of the Yank far-right Christonazis, and as a Gay man, I rejoice for me to have the very essence of my self and humanity validated by the legislative body of the State of New York.
I now have another option, if I so chose, to have my love for my partner registered officially and sanctioned by law. I just hope that the Congress of the United States and the Supreme Court of the United States is paying attention.
To those brave legislators in Albany, I say well done and "brilliant."
Brody Levesque
Correspondent & Editor
BL Freelance News Service LLC
Washington D. C.
Complete coverage of New York's historic same-sex marriage vote from LGBTQNation:
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| Photo By @ComfortablySmug (Twitter) |
History in NY state – Almost 42 years after Stonewall, marriage equality passes
June 24 — Today, June 24, 2011, New York state gay and lesbian committed couples cross a great milestone to being equal citizens by being allowed to enjoy the rights of marriage. Read more »Christine Quinn: ‘This is a monumental occasion for myself, my family, and the LGBT community’
June 24 — This is a monumental occasion for myself, my family, and the LGBT community. Today true equality is closer than ever. Read more »New York becomes sixth, most populous U.S. state to legalize marriage equality
June 24 — New York State on Friday night, June 24, became the sixth and most populous state to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. Read more »Stonewall celebrates passage of marriage equality in New York (Video)
June 25 — Thousands gathered in the street and inside Stonewall on Friday night, the site of the birth of the day rights movement, to celebrate the passage of marriage equality in New York. Read moreThe Final NY Senate Vote Roll Call:
Friday, June 24, 2011
Today's Headlines From LGBTQNation
Wolfson: New York marriage equality ‘a watershed moment for our country’
June 24 — Winning the freedom to marry in New York is without a doubt a watershed moment for our country and our campaign.Read more »New York state legislature approves marriage equality for same-sex couples
June 24 — In a historic late night vote -- the last vote of the legislative session, after years of failed efforts to align votes in both Assembly and the Senate, and on the eve of New York City pride -- the New York state Senate late Friday approved a marriage equity bill. Read more »Brody's Notes... New York Senate Approves Same Sex Marriage 33-29
By Brody Levesque | ALBANY, NEW YORK -- In a late night vote Friday, the New York State Senate approved the amended compromise version of the domestic law legislation [Same-Sex Marriage Bill] put forward by NY State Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, (D) and backed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, (D) in a 33-29 vote.
The Republican-controlled Senate broke a lengthy deadlock after negotiating broader exemptions for religious groups behind closed door sessions Thursday and earlier in the day Friday. The state Assembly, which approved a similar bill last week, adopted the Senate version. The negotiated amendments add protections for religious orgainsations that are affiliated with churches along with language that limits legal remedies in disputes concerning those exemptions by state courts.
The Governor was expected to sign it promptly. The law would take effect 30 days after he signs it making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples can wed, and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born.
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