Posts Tagged LGBT issues

By Katie Halper • 12 years ago

Who Will Speak for the Closeted Christmas-Celebrators? Rick Perry, that’s who!

Who will speak for the persecuted Christians?

“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian…But you don’t have to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion, and I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.”

That would be Rick Perry, who, in his latest campaign ad, laments that, thanks to that Muslim-atheist-Nazi-Communist Obama, we live in a world run by the gays and secularists… a world in which our ...

Who will speak for the persecuted Christians?

“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian…But you don’t have to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this ...
By Eesha Pandit • 12 years ago

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers historic LGBT rights speech in Geneva

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced that the United States would use all the tools of American diplomacy to promote LGBT rights around the world. President Obama issued a memorandum in Washington, D.C. and Secretary of State Clinton gave the following speech in which the administration vowed to actively combat efforts by nations who criminalize homosexuality conduct and deny LGBT citizens equal rights.

(Transcript.)

“Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct,” Secy. Clinton said at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, “but in fact they are one and the same.”

The speech and memo is aimed at raising LGBT equality on the administration’s foreign policy agenda. I particularly value the connection of social justice issues ...

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced that the United States would use all the tools of American diplomacy to promote LGBT rights around the world. President Obama issued a memorandum in Washington, D.C. and Secretary of State Clinton ...
By Miriam • 12 years ago

Honoring Brooklyn’s oldest Black-owned gay bar: The Starlite Lounge

I moved into my neighborhood in Brooklyn just a few weeks after the Starlite Lounge, the cities oldest Black-owned bar, shut down.

Founded on a principle of non-discrimination in 1959, the Starlite Lounge was a cherished meeting place for people of all walks of life and famous for being the oldest Black-owned bar in the heart of Brooklyn. Throughout enormous social change over five decades from civil rights to gay liberation to AIDS activism, the Starlite Lounge has been a fixture and central space in these movements. Just as the Starlite community has been deeply affected by these waves of change, the bar has also felt the impact of rapid gentrification in central Brooklyn. By following the eviction of Brooklyn’s ...

I moved into my neighborhood in Brooklyn just a few weeks after the Starlite Lounge, the cities oldest Black-owned bar, shut down.

Founded on a principle of non-discrimination in 1959, the Starlite Lounge was a cherished meeting ...
By Miriam • 12 years ago

Lady Gaga launches Born This Way Foundation

A new initiative from pop super-icon Lady Gaga purportedly will “will focus on youth empowerment and equality by addressing issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development,” according to the Washington Post.

The new website for the initiative keeps it simple, with the only description being:

This Way, Towards Bravery
Where Youth Are Empowered.
This Way, Towards Acceptance
Where Humanity is Embraced.
This Way, Towards Love
Where Individuality is Encouraged.

To be totally honest, I haven’t been able to wrap my mind around Gaga. She seems one part super-genius for the way she’s launched herself to super stardom, but also one part WTF?

I think mega-celebrities have an obligation to use their power and wealth to give back, so ...

A new initiative from pop super-icon Lady Gaga purportedly will “will focus on youth empowerment and equality by addressing issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development,” according to the Washington Post.

The

By Vanessa • 12 years ago

On Spirit Day, push for enumerated anti-bullying policies

Today is the nation’s annual Spirit Day. Today, I think of 18-year old Tyler Clementi, 11-year old Carl Walker-Hoover, 13-year old Asher Brown — or 15-year old Jamie Hubley, who ended his life just this past weekend because of anti-LGBT bullying.

While the major “ask” on Spirit Day is for folks to wear purple in order to raise awareness around the issue of anti-LGBT bullying, I’d also like to talk problem-solving. We need to use today not just for awareness-raising, but to make specific calls for action, like pushing for enumerated anti-bullying policies in school districts (which means the listing of protected categories, such as race, religion, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation) — and calling ...

Today is the nation’s annual Spirit Day. Today, I think of 18-year old Tyler Clementi, 11-year old Carl Walker-Hoover, 13-year old Asher Brown — or 15-year old Jamie Hubley, who ended his ...
By Jos Truitt • 12 years ago

Why we come out

National Coming Out Day was last week, and on Sunday Zachary Quinto (Spock 2) came out in a New York Magazine interview. It’s been a good couple weeks for the geeky gays – Sean Maher (Dr. Simon Tam on Firefly/Serenity, of which I am a huge fan) came out recently as well.

Quinto posted about why he came out on his blog, and I think his words say a lot about why coming out is so important:

when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself – i felt deeply troubled. but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life – i felt indescribable despair. ...

National Coming Out Day was last week, and on Sunday Zachary Quinto (Spock 2) came out in a New York Magazine interview. It’s been a good couple weeks for the geeky gays – Sean Maher (Dr. ...
By Miriam • 12 years ago

Second out lesbian, Alison Nathan, confirmed for Federal Judgeship

Via Poliglot:

On a 48-44 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Alison Nathan’s nomination to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Nathan, an out lesbian, will be the second out lesbian federal judge with lifetime tenure in the country, joining U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Batts on the bench of the Southern District of New York. White House spokesman Shin Inouye praised the Senate action, writing, “The President welcomes the confirmation of Alison Nathan. She will serve the American people well from the District Court bench.”

Five members of the Democratic caucus did not vote for Nathan’s nomination, and ...

Via Poliglot:

On a 48-44 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Alison Nathan’s nomination to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Nathan, an out lesbian, will ...
By Miriam • 12 years ago

On National Coming Out Day, celebrating all families

Today is the annual National Coming Out Day, where LGBTQ people are encouraged to be out and proud about their sexuality and gender expression as a way to raise awareness and build support for LGBTQ people.

An organization that I am working with, Basic Rights Oregon, has a new video series out that celebrates people of color in the LGBTQ community. Specifically, the three videos highlight the experiences of Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander and African-American LGBTQ folks.

The mainstream LGBTQ community often marginalizes the experiences of queer and transgender people of color, so this series does the important work of bringing those unique voices to the forefront.

Happy Coming Out Day!

Today is the annual National Coming Out Day, where LGBTQ people are encouraged to be out and proud about their sexuality and gender expression as a way to raise awareness and build support for LGBTQ people.

An organization ...

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