Leather labors of love
All over the country leather people are competing for local titles so that they may represent their communities at home and also at international contests next year. Producing a contest is an expensive and time consuming labor of love but the leather women of San Diego have found an ingenious way to raise funds and put a little camp into a community that sometimes takes itself way too seriously. Next Saturday, October 9th is the thirteenth annual Butch Revue which will benefit the charities of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and SD Leather Pride. Former Ms. World Leather and producer of Ms San Diego Leather, Annie Romano is the founder of the Butch Revue which was initially a fundraiser for her travel fund when she ran for IMsL in 1998 during her reign a…
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Thursday, March 31, 2011
On Filling A Void
We were recently interviewed by Zack Rosen (of thenewgayway.net -- a great new site) for a premiere section supplement to the Washington Post Magazine called DC LGBT Quarterly. The section featured various business owners and economic topics pertaining to Washington D.C.
For those of you who missed it, here's what we had to say:
read more
For those of you who missed it, here's what we had to say:
read more
LGBT-Inclusive Initiatives Garner Support in Virginia's Legislature
A number of state legislative initiatives aimed at providing protections for LGBT people garnered support from Democratic lawmakers in Virginia this Tuesday. House Bill 2046, sponsored by Del. Adam P. Ebbin, D-Alexandria, and Senate Bill 747, sponsored by Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, would both provide legal protection against discrimination in the public workforce based on sexual orientation. Ebbin, the only openly gay member of Virginia?s legislature, noted that his bill ?makes good business sense? considering that Virginia?s top 10 employers already have policies that protect gay and lesbian people from discrimination. Openly gay Army captain Anthony Woods, who was discharged from the military for refusing to conceal his sexual orientation after serving two tours in Iraq, has joined Del. Joseph D. Morrissey, D-Henrico, in the backing of House Bill 2345, which seeks to end discrimination based on sexual orientation in the Virginia National Guard. Despite a lack of bipartisan support for such initiatives during General Assembly sessions of the past, many in the legislature are optimistic that opinions on matters of equality are changing across the political board. The sponsorship of House Bill 1964, which would protect public employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation, by Republican Del. Thomas Davis Rust has been highlighted as an example of this change. The bills will be considered this week. Lawmakers are also promoting legislation that would toughen anti-bullying laws for Virginia schools, give local governments the power to regulate benefits policies for employees and repeal a 2006 amendment to the Virginia Constitution that prohibits marriage equality.Related Media Coverage:Richmond Times-Dispatch - January 26, 2011"Democratic Lawmakers Back Protection for Gays"http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/jan/26/tdmain06-democratic-lawmakers-back-protections-for-ar-798779/
Openly Gay Man Elected to Head NAACP Worcester
On Saturday, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Worcester chapter elected Ravi Perry, 28, as its new president after five years of inactivity. Perry, an openly gay political science professor at Clark University, hopes to help the organization address LGBT issues. Related Media Coverage:Boston Herald ? March 7, 2011?28-year-old Gay Men Elected NAACP Worcester Chief?http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011030728-year-old_gay_man_elected_naacp_worcester_chief
Failed Iowa Gubernatorial Candidate Fights Marriage Equality
Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa?s failed Republican gubernatorial candidate for last year?s election, is campaigning against marriage equality. In his ?Capturing the Momentum? tour, Vander Plaats plans to reach all of Iowa?s 99 counties, discussing what he calls ?pro family issues.? Marriage equality was enacted in Iowa in 2009, and Vander Plaats? campaign focuses on disbanding the original seven Supreme Court justices who unanimously approved it, four of which remain on the bench. Vander Plaats hopes to change the way Supreme Court justices are selected in the future and claims he would like to re-affirm the so-called ?Defensive Marriage Act? by bringing a marriage amendment to a people?s vote.Related Media Coverage:KTVO - January 21, 2011"Vander Plaats Campaigning Iowa Against Gay Marriage"http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story.aspx?list=194788&id=570841
"I don?t know, but I think they?ll like the uniform."
??I don?t know, but I think they?ll like the uniform.?? - Jennifer Beals on what she expects loyal L Word fans to think about her new lady cop role on The Chicago Code.�
Pretty spot on?
Pretty spot on?
California Supreme Court May Address Proposition 8 Appeal Case
On Wednesday, recently appointed Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who succeeds retired Chief Justice Ronald M. George, said that the California Supreme Court may decide whether or not to address the federal Proposition 8 appeal as soon as next week. Cantil-Sakauye joins the court as its only Democrat, Justice Carlos R. Moreno, is leaving to pursue a career in the private sector. LGBT advocates, hopeful that Moreno would once again show his support for overturning Proposition 8, lament his decision to leave at this potentially crucial time for marriage equality in the state of California. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is handling the Proposition 8 case, has deferred to the high court to decide if sponsors of an initiative have the authority to defend it in court when state officials decline to do so. Lawyers advocating for equality say that if the high court decides that sponsors do not have such authority, the 9th Circuit is ready to dismiss the case on those grounds, resulting in the demise of Proposition 8. Though Cantil-Sakauye has not stated her position on marriage equality, she did perform a marriage for a gay couple during California?s brief period of marriage equality and said she ??didn?t have any qualms about it.?Related Media Coverage:Los Angeles Times - February 3, 2011"New Chief Justice Says California Supreme Court Will Decide Soon on Entering Proposition 8 Fray"http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0203-chief-justice-20110203,0,4196539.story
Two BISEXUAL MEN'S CONFERENCES SET FOR MAY 2011
(03-28-11) -- Two BiMen Confereces are set for May 2011 by the Bi Men Network - the Southwest Bi Men Conference to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexio over the weekend of May 13, 14 and 15, 2011 and the Heartland Bi Men Conference to be held in Oklahoma City, Ok over the weekend of May 20, 21 and 22, 2011. Both Bi Men Conferences are hosted by the Bi Men Network - www.bimen.org - the world's largest social and support organization with a bisexual male focus. The Bi Men Network - founded 12 years ago - now has over 250,000 bisexual, bi-curious and gay adult male members worldwide.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
In the Pit
Leather labors of love
All over the country leather people are competing for local titles so that they may represent their communities at home and also at international contests next year. Producing a contest is an expensive and time consuming labor of love but the leather women of San Diego have found an ingenious way to raise funds and put a little camp into a community that sometimes takes itself way too seriously. Next Saturday, October 9th is the thirteenth annual Butch Revue which will benefit the charities of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and SD Leather Pride. Former Ms. World Leather and producer of Ms San Diego Leather, Annie Romano is the founder of the Butch Revue which was initially a fundraiser for her travel fund when she ran for IMsL in 1998 during her reign a…
Read More
All over the country leather people are competing for local titles so that they may represent their communities at home and also at international contests next year. Producing a contest is an expensive and time consuming labor of love but the leather women of San Diego have found an ingenious way to raise funds and put a little camp into a community that sometimes takes itself way too seriously. Next Saturday, October 9th is the thirteenth annual Butch Revue which will benefit the charities of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and SD Leather Pride. Former Ms. World Leather and producer of Ms San Diego Leather, Annie Romano is the founder of the Butch Revue which was initially a fundraiser for her travel fund when she ran for IMsL in 1998 during her reign a…
Read More
Andy Warhol Monument to be Unveiled in NYC's Union Square Today
Visual artist Rob Pruitt will be unveiling "The Andy Monument", a statue commemorating pop artist and icon Andy Warhol, today at 6 pm in NYC's Union Square.
The NY Post:
The statue?s surface is finished in chrome, and at a Connecticut factory yesterday, it was mounted atop a concrete pedestal before being transported by train to New York in time for today?s unveiling. The statue will be displayed at a street corner where Warhol, who died in 1987 at age 58, regularly stood and handed out copies of his brainchild, Interview magazine. The monument features the icon with a Polaroid camera around his neck and holding a Bloomingdale's bag in his right hand because Warhol, said Pruitt, regularly carried a shopping bag filled with copies of the magazine and candy.
Rob Pruitt, the monument's creator writes, on the event Facebook page:
'You know the song "New York, New York," and how for year after year people have come to New York to "make it." One of the most important examples of that is Andy Warhol, who spawned a generation of people who think they can make it here in this city. Andy Warhol embodies the spirit of the city that still draws people. Every day a thousand more kids come to New York propelled by his legacy. And even if the decades pass and Warhol becomes a vaguer and vaguer character, there will still be something here that's directly linked to him - this pilgrimage, or calling, coming here from the Midwest, Eastern Europe or South- East Asia, to make it big, to be an artist. I think there should be a destination in New York to mark all those journeys. There are hundreds of monuments to politicians in the New York City, but I can?t think of any monuments to artists, and other figures who actually represent the lived experience of most of the people who live here. When I was a teenager, I visited Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, where Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde are buried. I was struck by the throngs of people that came to visit the tombs of their idols. When Andy Warhol died, his family had his remains sent back to Pittsburgh, where he was born, and so no such marker for him exists in New York. So a public statue of Warhol has a sense of righting a wrong. Andy, like so many other artists and performers and people who don?t fit in, moved to New York to be himself, fulfill his dreams and make it big. That?s why I moved here, and that?s what my Andy Monument is about. Of course it could be argued that someone could just go to the Modern and look at his Soup Cans, but I think there is something to being truly out in streets of New York, to have something you can visit at 4:20 in the morning with your friends. I will be unveiling the Andy Monument at the North-West corner of Union Square on Wednesday, March 30 at 6:00PM. I hope you will be able to join me to celebrate one of our own. '
See a full-length rendition of the monument, AFTER THE JUMP...
The NY Post:
The statue?s surface is finished in chrome, and at a Connecticut factory yesterday, it was mounted atop a concrete pedestal before being transported by train to New York in time for today?s unveiling. The statue will be displayed at a street corner where Warhol, who died in 1987 at age 58, regularly stood and handed out copies of his brainchild, Interview magazine. The monument features the icon with a Polaroid camera around his neck and holding a Bloomingdale's bag in his right hand because Warhol, said Pruitt, regularly carried a shopping bag filled with copies of the magazine and candy.
Rob Pruitt, the monument's creator writes, on the event Facebook page:
'You know the song "New York, New York," and how for year after year people have come to New York to "make it." One of the most important examples of that is Andy Warhol, who spawned a generation of people who think they can make it here in this city. Andy Warhol embodies the spirit of the city that still draws people. Every day a thousand more kids come to New York propelled by his legacy. And even if the decades pass and Warhol becomes a vaguer and vaguer character, there will still be something here that's directly linked to him - this pilgrimage, or calling, coming here from the Midwest, Eastern Europe or South- East Asia, to make it big, to be an artist. I think there should be a destination in New York to mark all those journeys. There are hundreds of monuments to politicians in the New York City, but I can?t think of any monuments to artists, and other figures who actually represent the lived experience of most of the people who live here. When I was a teenager, I visited Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, where Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde are buried. I was struck by the throngs of people that came to visit the tombs of their idols. When Andy Warhol died, his family had his remains sent back to Pittsburgh, where he was born, and so no such marker for him exists in New York. So a public statue of Warhol has a sense of righting a wrong. Andy, like so many other artists and performers and people who don?t fit in, moved to New York to be himself, fulfill his dreams and make it big. That?s why I moved here, and that?s what my Andy Monument is about. Of course it could be argued that someone could just go to the Modern and look at his Soup Cans, but I think there is something to being truly out in streets of New York, to have something you can visit at 4:20 in the morning with your friends. I will be unveiling the Andy Monument at the North-West corner of Union Square on Wednesday, March 30 at 6:00PM. I hope you will be able to join me to celebrate one of our own. '
See a full-length rendition of the monument, AFTER THE JUMP...
Lesbian Missed Connections
Ok. So everyone has their guilty pleasure, right? While the rest of you are reducing your brain cells by indulging in Snooki, The Situation, Bethanny Frankel, or Lindsay Lohan?s Trainwreck Life, I?m surfing craigslist. No no, I don?t get my rocks off with random chicks on craigslist ? that?s not where I?m going with this. But? I DO read the ads.
GLBT History Month 2010
Annise Parker
Mayor of Houston
b. May 17, 1956
““The voters of Houston have opened the door to history. I know what this means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office.””
In 2009, when Annise Parker was elected, Houston became the largest city in the nation with an openly gay mayor.
In 1997, Parker won a seat on the Houston City Council, making her Houston’s first out elected official. In 2003, Parker was elected City Controller. She served two additional terms before being elected mayor.
Catherine Opie
Photographer
b. April 14, 1961
““Let’s push the boundaries a little bit here about what you guys think normal is.””
For over a decade, photographer Catherine …
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Mayor of Houston
b. May 17, 1956
““The voters of Houston have opened the door to history. I know what this means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office.””
In 2009, when Annise Parker was elected, Houston became the largest city in the nation with an openly gay mayor.
In 1997, Parker won a seat on the Houston City Council, making her Houston’s first out elected official. In 2003, Parker was elected City Controller. She served two additional terms before being elected mayor.
Catherine Opie
Photographer
b. April 14, 1961
““Let’s push the boundaries a little bit here about what you guys think normal is.””
For over a decade, photographer Catherine …
Read More
Washington State Senate Introduces Marriage Equality Bill
Legislators introduced a marriage equality bill in the Washington state Senate on Monday, and a companion bill is expected in the house today. The state passed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1998, limiting the definition of marriage to a man and woman, but the legislation does not prevent a reversal of the ban. Democrats currently control both houses of the legislature as well as the Governor?s mansion. Gov. Christie Gregoire signed a law extending domestic partnership rights in 2009, but her position on marriage is unclear.State Senator Ed Murray of Seattle introduced the current bill. Recognition of the "loving, lifelong commitment" among gay and lesbian couples "is the final step to achieving full equality. I believe the legislature and the public are both ready to take that final step," he said.Related Media Coverage:The Advocate ? February 14, 2011?Wash. State Senate Introduces Marriage Bill?http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/02/14/Wash_State_Senate_Introduces_Marriage_Bill/
Equality Days Off to a Great Start in Carson City, NV
Last night, the Las Vegas steering committee hosted the opening reception of Nevada's biannual Equality Days, where constituents come to Carson City to speak with their legislators face to face.
It was great to see many community partners and members rally for a great cause. Our guest speaker, Allyson Robinson, Associate Director of Diversity at HRC, spoke with passion about her story and the need for passing an inclusive ENDA and more specifically, AB211, state legislation would provide anti-discrimination policies to the state's employment laws in regards to gender identity and expression.
It was great to see many community partners and members rally for a great cause. Our guest speaker, Allyson Robinson, Associate Director of Diversity at HRC, spoke with passion about her story and the need for passing an inclusive ENDA and more specifically, AB211, state legislation would provide anti-discrimination policies to the state's employment laws in regards to gender identity and expression.
Click Click Expose Gay Podcat Network - Weekly Update - February 10
Hey Podcast Fans...another week...another round of podcast shows from Click Click Expose CELEBRATING OUR 5TH YEAR OF PODCASTING FOR THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY. What is the Click Click Expose Gay Podcast Network? We are a network of different podcast shows either produced by Click Click Expose (Gay Entertainment Media) or distributed by our official content producers and supporters. Our goal is to bring you a wide variety of LGBT podcast shows designed to enrich, entertain and enlighten the gay and lesbian community AND our website has undergone a major re-design (again)- check it out: Click Click Expose and let us know what you think. It's easier now to listen to your favorite shows, watch videos, read news, etc.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY:
Subscribe via RSS Feed HERE!
THIS WEEK'S SYNOPSIS: 1. Gay News Week In Review - "Week Ending 2/10/2011" 2. Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - "Episode #10 - Sex stories and bad relationships" 3. This Show Is So Gay - "Actress Michelle Bonilla" 4. Same Gender Loving Expressions - "Dishin Tea with 'Big Meech' Taylor" 5. House Music Show - DJ Carlos Dali - "Hazey Morning"
LISTEN:
Gay News Week In Review w/e 02/10/2011 (Podcast)
Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - Episode #10 (Podcast)
This Show Is So Gay - Actress Michelle Bonilla (Podcast)
Same Gender Loving Expressions - Episode #23(Podcast)
DJ Carlos Dali - Be Yourself Radio Show (Podcast)
read more
SUBSCRIBE TODAY:
Subscribe via RSS Feed HERE!
THIS WEEK'S SYNOPSIS: 1. Gay News Week In Review - "Week Ending 2/10/2011" 2. Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - "Episode #10 - Sex stories and bad relationships" 3. This Show Is So Gay - "Actress Michelle Bonilla" 4. Same Gender Loving Expressions - "Dishin Tea with 'Big Meech' Taylor" 5. House Music Show - DJ Carlos Dali - "Hazey Morning"
LISTEN:
Gay News Week In Review w/e 02/10/2011 (Podcast)
Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - Episode #10 (Podcast)
This Show Is So Gay - Actress Michelle Bonilla (Podcast)
Same Gender Loving Expressions - Episode #23(Podcast)
DJ Carlos Dali - Be Yourself Radio Show (Podcast)
read more
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Chaz Bono to speak at HBHC event
Chaz Bono, renowned advocate for LGBT rights and social justice, will be the featured speaker at Howard Brown Health Center's Lifeline Celebration Friday, May 6, at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe, according to a press release.
My Latest Interview (Ray Boltz)
Here IS A LINK to my latest interview. I got to talk to Ray Boltz, a former Christian music superstar who came out of the closet 2 years ago. He and his ex-wife are an inspiration. Enjoy!
eQualityGiving: 20 Out Of 37 National LGBT Organizations Don't Have Any Transgender Board Members
Update: One of the two eQualityGiving moderators who updates that particular eQualityGiving webpage now says the number is actually now 22 of 37, not 20 of 37. See the comment thread comment below.
According to eQualityGiving, 20 out of 37 national LGBT non-profit organizations don't have any transgender board members. Of the national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organization boards, only 3% of the board members are transgender.
The numbers are shocking, but hardly surprising.
The following chart gives a breakdown of the board members by organization:
Of the 6 state organizations eQualityGiving highlighted later on that same webpage, only 5% of the board members are transgender.
eQualityGiving's suggestions for adding more transgender representation on LGBT non-profit organization boards:
Contact the organizations you support who do not have any transgender board members, and express your concern about this lack and your desire to help identify a transgender person to fill the gap.
Identify one or more transgender friends who are board member prospects, and begin mentoring them in their involvement and philanthropy.
Consider funding the give/get requirement for a trans person who cannot afford it.
Ask your board to relax give/get requirements if necessary for trans members.
Ask your board to reduce time requirements for trans members serving on multiple boards.
Ask your boards ask potential trans members to bring one or 2 others with them to a board in order to minimize tokenism.
Identify one or more transgender friends who are board member prospects, and begin mentoring them in their involvement and philanthropy.
Consider funding the give/get requirement for a trans person who cannot afford it.
Ask your board to relax give/get requirements if necessary for trans members.
Ask your board to reduce time requirements for trans members serving on multiple boards.
Ask your boards ask potential trans members to bring one or 2 others with them to a board in order to minimize tokenism.
Protest at Aboriginal trans death inquiry
Activists will converge at the coronial inquiry into the case of an Aboriginal transwoman who died while in custody
Lessons Learned From Mr. Freund
When I started college at 40 a little over a year ago, I began a journey that I should have taken at 18. It isn?t important why I delayed my education, just that I went ahead and began it. I chose Marketing as my major since I am interested in it and Journalism wasn?t offered at a 2 year college where I had to begin due to my past horrid grades.Mr. Freund was the first teacher of my first class, Intro to Marketing. I have had him for at least 1 class each quarter since I began, but often having him for 2 classes at a time. Last night was the last class that I will ever have with him. He is moving out of state and I am moving out of my marketing classes and into my core classes now. This all has me feeling sentimental and pondering the things that I have learned from someone who I now consider a friend and a mentor. So here they are, in no particular order:1. Do your best work ALL OF THE TIME. It has not been easy to start college after a 22 year break but I wanted to set an example for my teenagers. I also wanted to show a 4 year college that I am not the same student that I was at 18. I really paid attention to everything that Mr. Freund said and wanted to do a good job for him because he was giving me his best in the classroom. As a result, I have taken 17 classes thus far and have received A?s in every damn one of them.2. Don?t put up with bullshit, but extend grace when you can. At the beginning of each class when students are just starting their new quarters, Mr. Freund gives his ?Not my problem? speech. I always thought him very wise to let the students know up front that he expects them to take personal responsibility for turning their work in. If they wait until the last minute and then have difficulties with the computer, it?s too damn bad. If you don?t establish your standards in the beginning, there will always be a class of people (excuse-makers) who will give you elaborate stories of why they were not able to complete their work. This speech is for them. However, I have seen him truly listen to people who have valid problems and he doesn?t cling rigidly to his ?not my problem? mantra when he knows that there is a valid reason. I love him for telling people that excuses will not work, but I love him more for having the ability to see when he needs to bend those rules and work with someone.3. You don?t have to raise your voice to make your point. Okay, I already knew this from my experience as a mom. But Mr. Freund has shown me that it still works with adults. He is a slow talker and he keeps his voice at a normal level. When people are acting up in class (which is rare), he just needs to give them a look and they are suddenly filled with shame for disrupting him. (Or they should be). I?ve never heard him raise his voice because his demeanor commands respect.4. Go out of your way to help when you can. Mr. Freund has extended one favor after another to me each and every time I have asked. Whether it is writing a letter of recommendation for a scholarship or sending me a file that I lost on my flash drive, he is quick to help with a smile. What does he get in return? Nothing but my sincere and heartfelt appreciation.5. If you want to advance in a company, go where they want to send you. I don?t know if I will ever need this advice or not, but it makes me realize that flexibility is something that an employer values. For that matter, it is something that everyone values. It doesn?t always have to be my way or the highway. I can yield my will to others and consider their needs and interests ahead of my own.6. Don?t let a physical handicap keep you from living your best life. I have seen Mr. Freund struggle to write on the white board because he has some pretty bad tremors. From what ailment? I really don?t know. But I do know that whatever it is, he has found a way to work around it and it isn?t even an issue for him. He no longer writes on the white board but his Power Point presentations ROCK! Whatever you think is going to keep you from your goal, you can find a way to get there despite your circumstances as long as you have the will to be successful.7. Nothing ventured, nothing ventured. Mr. Freund has always encouraged his students to be brave about trying to do things and not let fear paralyze you and keep you from trying to take action to make your dreams come true. So many people are too scared to lose that they just stay content working for someone else on their terms. Failure isn't anything but a lesson to learn so that it brings your next attempt one step closer to success. I am no longer full of self-doubt because I can see all along that he has been right. Whenever I step out and start to do something out of my comfort zone, I end up being successful. At the same time, new and unexpected opportunities end up in front of me. Fear isn't anything for me to even consider now. I can only succeed.I think about the teachers that I could have been learning under and I am so thankful and appreciative that I got Mr. Freund - someone that genuinely wants to impart wisdom and knowledge and invests himself in those who want to be invested in. Words can?t say how much I?m going to miss him but I can promise you one thing: as I go forward with my education, in my career and in my life, I am going to make him proud.
Cops Fired for Beating Gay Man
Two police officers in Denver were fired Friday for lying about their
assault on a gay man, which was caught on surveillance video.
assault on a gay man, which was caught on surveillance video.
Conversations with Nicole
Well I’ll be very busy next week…Stuart Milk (founder, Harvey Milk Foundation) is coming into town and so is Miguel Claudio Jimenez Vizcarra (Mexican Tequila Business Baron)…major announcements coming soon!
Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers;
2011 Honorees:
The Lambda Archives of San Diego will soon officially announce the 2011 Honorees of their prestigious “Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers” presentation and among the well deserved recipients are: AL BEST the first openly gay candidate to run for office in San Diego. GLORIA JOHNSON Ms. N.O.W. and Ms. Democrat of our community. BILL BECK, major charity, civil rights, AIDS, and political fundraiser. JENNIFER LE SAR community, civil leader and co-founder of GLBT Youth Housing…
Read More | View Comments (7 comments)
Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers;
2011 Honorees:
The Lambda Archives of San Diego will soon officially announce the 2011 Honorees of their prestigious “Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers” presentation and among the well deserved recipients are: AL BEST the first openly gay candidate to run for office in San Diego. GLORIA JOHNSON Ms. N.O.W. and Ms. Democrat of our community. BILL BECK, major charity, civil rights, AIDS, and political fundraiser. JENNIFER LE SAR community, civil leader and co-founder of GLBT Youth Housing…
Read More | View Comments (7 comments)
Will Carl Kruger and Michael Turano get Adjoining Cells?
WHOOPSIE!
In the past week the New York Post has reported separately on two anti-gay New York state senators who are under investigations for corruption.
The two Senators are among the turncoat ?group of 8? Democrats who helped kill the marriage equality bill in the New York state legislature in 2009.
State Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn), according to the Post, traded political favors for more than $1 million in bribes over the last five years ? which his live-in boyfriend helped launder.
Kruger and his secret longtime companion, Manhattan gynecologist Michael Turano, were among eight men arrested in a sweeping government ?pay-to-play? corruption scandal. The charges include allegations that Kruger received bribes and other largess to help two competing health-care companies buy hospitals, and direct state funds to those firms.
Kruger?s constant companion, Turano, is accused of using bribe money he deposited in two shell companies for Kruger to pay the lease on a Bentley luxury sedan, credit-card bills and the mortgage on the garish, multimillion-dollar Mill Basin home where the two men for years have shacked up with Turano?s mom and brother, authorities and neighbors said. W T F ?
It's not just New York State Sen. Carl Kruger -- the anti-gay gay male ass admirer -- who's being investigated on corruption charges.Separately, the state Attorney General?s Office is investigating state Sen. Shirley Huntley and her ties to non-profits that have soaked taxpayers for more than $400,000.
News of the probe comes a week after the Post revealed the Queens Democrat tried to funnel $155,000 to her Parent Workshop nonprofit and as new questions emerge about the shady group.
In the past week the New York Post has reported separately on two anti-gay New York state senators who are under investigations for corruption.
The two Senators are among the turncoat ?group of 8? Democrats who helped kill the marriage equality bill in the New York state legislature in 2009.
State Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn), according to the Post, traded political favors for more than $1 million in bribes over the last five years ? which his live-in boyfriend helped launder.
Kruger and his secret longtime companion, Manhattan gynecologist Michael Turano, were among eight men arrested in a sweeping government ?pay-to-play? corruption scandal. The charges include allegations that Kruger received bribes and other largess to help two competing health-care companies buy hospitals, and direct state funds to those firms.
Kruger?s constant companion, Turano, is accused of using bribe money he deposited in two shell companies for Kruger to pay the lease on a Bentley luxury sedan, credit-card bills and the mortgage on the garish, multimillion-dollar Mill Basin home where the two men for years have shacked up with Turano?s mom and brother, authorities and neighbors said. W T F ?
It's not just New York State Sen. Carl Kruger -- the anti-gay gay male ass admirer -- who's being investigated on corruption charges.Separately, the state Attorney General?s Office is investigating state Sen. Shirley Huntley and her ties to non-profits that have soaked taxpayers for more than $400,000.
News of the probe comes a week after the Post revealed the Queens Democrat tried to funnel $155,000 to her Parent Workshop nonprofit and as new questions emerge about the shady group.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Court Rules Not to Allow Marriage for Gay and Lesbian Couples During Appeal
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled to uphold an order that stayed the injunction issued by the U.S. District Court that barred further enforcement of Proposition 8, which bans marriage for lesbian and gay couples in California. California Attorney General Kamala Harris, along with the lawyers for the two married couples in the case, wrote a letter earlier this month asking that the court allow marriages to continue while it deliberates. Harris and the lawyers were prompted to write the letter by the California Supreme Court?s announcement that it would take at least until the end of the year to come to a decision regarding the legal question asked by the appeals court in the case.Related Media Coverage:The Associated Press - March 23, 2011"Court: No Gay Marriages in California During Appeal"http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2011/03/23/court-no-gay-marriages-in-california-during-appeal/
SUGAR & SPICE Hoyt's
Hotel 71 recently revamped its restaurant. The hotel made over the space with warm browns, cozy oversized beige booths and mod ivory leather barstools. The eatery brought in chef Gabriel Kolofon from Telluride, Colo., and created a new menu filled with modern American tavern fare and, voila, 71 East Café is now Hoyt's.
Denver Police Officers Fired After Beating Of Gay Man
Two Denver police officers were fired from their jobs yesterday, two years after an incident that led to the arrest of a gay man who had used the women's room at a local club. Police used excessive force to arrest the man's partner, Michael DeHerrera, who, at the time, was simply placing a cell phone call to his father. The two officers were found to have lied about the incident after surveillance video surfaced soon afterward that showed a different version of events than they had filed in their police reports.
In announcing the firings, Denver's Manager of Safety Charles Garcia said the actions of officers Devin Sparks and Randy Murr, did "immeasurable harm" to the department. "We are entrusted with the public's confidence and that requires incorruptible character, fair treatment of all people and truthfulness in all of our officers," Garcia said. Garcia is the civilian authority who oversees Denver's police and fire departments and sheriff's office.Sparks was fired for "inappropriate use of force" and lying in his police report. Murr was fired for falsifying his report on the altercation. The flap stemmed from an April 2009 incident when Michael DeHerrera and his partner, Shawn Johnson, were detained by police after Johnson was ejected from a bar in lower downtown Denver.Murr and Sparks said in their police reports that the men were belligerent, and force was required to subdue them. But a city surveillance camera showed DeHerrera talking on a cell phone when Sparks suddenly hurled him to the ground and pummeled the prone man with a sap, a metal rod wrapped in leather.
There has been speculation that the two men were targeted by the officers because they are gay.
Watch a news report of the incident, including the street surveillance video in which the claims of the officers are completely debunked, AFTER THE JUMP.
In announcing the firings, Denver's Manager of Safety Charles Garcia said the actions of officers Devin Sparks and Randy Murr, did "immeasurable harm" to the department. "We are entrusted with the public's confidence and that requires incorruptible character, fair treatment of all people and truthfulness in all of our officers," Garcia said. Garcia is the civilian authority who oversees Denver's police and fire departments and sheriff's office.Sparks was fired for "inappropriate use of force" and lying in his police report. Murr was fired for falsifying his report on the altercation. The flap stemmed from an April 2009 incident when Michael DeHerrera and his partner, Shawn Johnson, were detained by police after Johnson was ejected from a bar in lower downtown Denver.Murr and Sparks said in their police reports that the men were belligerent, and force was required to subdue them. But a city surveillance camera showed DeHerrera talking on a cell phone when Sparks suddenly hurled him to the ground and pummeled the prone man with a sap, a metal rod wrapped in leather.
There has been speculation that the two men were targeted by the officers because they are gay.
Watch a news report of the incident, including the street surveillance video in which the claims of the officers are completely debunked, AFTER THE JUMP.
Navy Completes Investigation of Videos With Anti-Gay Content
The Navy has completed its investigation of a series of lewd videos produced and broadcast by Capt. Owen Honors in 2006 and 2007. The videos, which were viewed by thousands of sailors aboard an aircraft carrier, included anti-gay slurs, depictions of sailors in shower scenes and vulgar language. According to his attorney, Capt. Honors was never ordered to stop showing the videos by his superiors, and Honors has yet to comment publicly on the matter. Commander of Fleet Forces Adm. John Harvey wrote on his blog last Friday that he will be reviewing the investigation this week, saying the videos were unacceptable by Navy standards. Capt. Honors was expelled from his position as commander aboard the USS Enterprise. Related Media Coverage:Associated Press - February 4, 2011"Navy: Investigation into Lewd Videos Complete"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/04/AR2011020405448.html
(7) The I Have No Show, Show. Going Topic-less!
All I need is the right man, Thank God I’m gay, No topic whatsoever, Being ditched, Bad Karaoke Nonsensical ramblings, Paris? Kelly Clarkson? Farting? A tasteless show indeed …
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Failed Iowa Gubernatorial Candidate Fights Marriage Equality
Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa?s failed Republican gubernatorial candidate for last year?s election, is campaigning against marriage equality. In his ?Capturing the Momentum? tour, Vander Plaats plans to reach all of Iowa?s 99 counties, discussing what he calls ?pro family issues.? Marriage equality was enacted in Iowa in 2009, and Vander Plaats? campaign focuses on disbanding the original seven Supreme Court justices who unanimously approved it, four of which remain on the bench. Vander Plaats hopes to change the way Supreme Court justices are selected in the future and claims he would like to re-affirm the so-called ?Defensive Marriage Act? by bringing a marriage amendment to a people?s vote.Related Media Coverage:KTVO - January 21, 2011"Vander Plaats Campaigning Iowa Against Gay Marriage"http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story.aspx?list=194788&id=570841
Got Questions for Dev?
chubbyjones:
I?ll be interviewing Dev (of ?Fly Like a G6? fame) in like three hours - if you?ve got questions, send them my way.
I?ll be interviewing Dev (of ?Fly Like a G6? fame) in like three hours - if you?ve got questions, send them my way.
ABC News - Washington Post Poll -- 63% of American Catholics Support Same-Gender Civil Marriage
03-19-11 WASHINGTON -- Catholics for Equality, a national organization of Catholics who put their faith into ethical and effective political action on behalf of the LGBT community and their families, applauds an ABC News / Washington Post poll released today showing that 63% of American Catholics believe it should be legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry. This is 10% higher than the national sample and shows a more rapid rate of acceptance by Catholics than most Americans.
Canada Bans Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" for Being Too Offensive. No, I'm Not Kidding
Please don't ever tell me that Canada is a
more enlightened country than the U.S. and A.:
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has ruled that Dire
Straits' 1980s hit Money for Nothing is too offensive for Canadian
radio.
The ruling, released Wednesday, was in response to a complaint
against St. John's radio station CHOZ-FM. The listener complained
that the word faggot ? which appears three times in the song is
"extremely offensive" to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
people.
The council is an independent body created by Canadian radio and
television broadcasters to review the standards of their content.
[...]
The council ruled that the song contravenes its ethics code
which states: "broadcasters shall ensure that their programming
contains no abusive or unduly discriminatory material or comment
which is based on matters of race, national or ethnic origin,
colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or
physical or mental disability.":
It ruled that "faggot," when used to describe a homosexual, is
"even if entirely or marginally acceptable in earlier days, is no
longer so."
Here's your Canadian samizdat, which if anything should
be banned for animating Sting:
Read more about Canada's "human rights censors"
here.
By the Great White North's ape-like logic, there is no end to
songs that Canadians should be protected from. Starting with Randy
Newman's "Rednecks":
And, obviously:
more enlightened country than the U.S. and A.:
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has ruled that Dire
Straits' 1980s hit Money for Nothing is too offensive for Canadian
radio.
The ruling, released Wednesday, was in response to a complaint
against St. John's radio station CHOZ-FM. The listener complained
that the word faggot ? which appears three times in the song is
"extremely offensive" to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
people.
The council is an independent body created by Canadian radio and
television broadcasters to review the standards of their content.
[...]
The council ruled that the song contravenes its ethics code
which states: "broadcasters shall ensure that their programming
contains no abusive or unduly discriminatory material or comment
which is based on matters of race, national or ethnic origin,
colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or
physical or mental disability.":
It ruled that "faggot," when used to describe a homosexual, is
"even if entirely or marginally acceptable in earlier days, is no
longer so."
Here's your Canadian samizdat, which if anything should
be banned for animating Sting:
Read more about Canada's "human rights censors"
here.
By the Great White North's ape-like logic, there is no end to
songs that Canadians should be protected from. Starting with Randy
Newman's "Rednecks":
And, obviously:
Lesbian News - 18 Mar 2011
Gay Pride Banned From New York St. Pat?s ParadeCarol Ann Duffy Pash Protest Harding University blocks pro-gay website posted by students West Hollywood is Too Gay to Function MetLife Named 2011 Straight For Equality in Business Award Winner Miriam Margolyes hates playing lesbians The village school lauded for its lessons in tolerance
The GLT turns the spotlight on Mila Rivera
Dancer and bartender at Rich’s and Numbers
Upon meeting Mila people are surprised to find out she is not a wild party girl. Her passion is dancing, however she is a self described puzzle geek and somewhat of a homebody. She is surprisingly reserved and likes spending her days cooking, reading and relaxing. Her nights are reserved for her showboating alter ego, she says. A girl who lives to learn new things and who has interests that range from one extreme of the spectrum to the other makes for a really well rounded and interesting person.
“I love garlic, bats and sharks, caverns and canyons, drag shows, deep philosophical conversations and the smell of sandalwood. I enjoy studying language, archaeology, history, the arts, and science. My past jobs include working at zoos and observatories, wri…
Read More
Upon meeting Mila people are surprised to find out she is not a wild party girl. Her passion is dancing, however she is a self described puzzle geek and somewhat of a homebody. She is surprisingly reserved and likes spending her days cooking, reading and relaxing. Her nights are reserved for her showboating alter ego, she says. A girl who lives to learn new things and who has interests that range from one extreme of the spectrum to the other makes for a really well rounded and interesting person.
“I love garlic, bats and sharks, caverns and canyons, drag shows, deep philosophical conversations and the smell of sandalwood. I enjoy studying language, archaeology, history, the arts, and science. My past jobs include working at zoos and observatories, wri…
Read More
Social Security: Tell Your Senators to Oppose Benefit Cuts
http://action.now.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3732Conservatives want to severely cut Social Security, even though it has nothing to do with the deficit. NOW is pushing for the Social Security Protection Amendment that says "Hands off Social Security!" Take action today!
Watch: Former Staffer Attacks Iowa's Leading Anti-Gay Bigot Over Campaign to Oust Pro-Equality Judges
The Iowa judge battle rages on.
Dan Moore, a former campaign staffer for Bob Vander Plaats, the bigot leading the charge to rid Iowa of all its judges over their ruling for marriage equality in 2009, came out against his former boss today and the ugly judge campaign.
Said Moore: "Our justices had conviction, they had courage, and they had commitment, all to the Iowa Constitution. I'll tell you what. I want those three justices to rule on my cases."
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Dan Moore, a former campaign staffer for Bob Vander Plaats, the bigot leading the charge to rid Iowa of all its judges over their ruling for marriage equality in 2009, came out against his former boss today and the ugly judge campaign.
Said Moore: "Our justices had conviction, they had courage, and they had commitment, all to the Iowa Constitution. I'll tell you what. I want those three justices to rule on my cases."
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Pope Books Take That for the Next Vatican Show
After this weeks Royal Variety Performance (the one where Duchess Camilla was attacked with a stick when caught up in the London riots), the Pope has booked Take That. The show included hundreds of near naked male dancers.
Naked from the back
The five Take That members sang on top of a raised platform while the remainder of the stage was covered in male dancers wearing nothing but flesh-coloured jockstraps.
As the song continued the men re-enacted the five poses on the front of the band?s new album, Progress.
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Naked from the back
The five Take That members sang on top of a raised platform while the remainder of the stage was covered in male dancers wearing nothing but flesh-coloured jockstraps.
As the song continued the men re-enacted the five poses on the front of the band?s new album, Progress.
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Same-sex marriage bill dies in Maryland
The effort to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland died for the year Friday after supporters said they could not find enough votes to pass the measure in the House. House leaders avoided a final vote on the bill and...
Women's History Month: Jane Rule
Jane Rule was the author of a dozen books including Desert of the Heart, which the movie Desert Hearts was based on. After Desert of the Heart was published in 1964, Jane Rule was flooded with letters from other lesbians who felt she was the only one who could understand them....Read Full Post
Yet another flash of white underwear from David Beckham
You'd think he would at least be wearing Armani underwear! This time it was on the pitch in LA whilst playing against FC Dallas
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Hating the "Sinner"
Do those of you who cluster around urban areas have some
hereditary aversion to limited government or fiscal
conservatism?
Doubtful.
And since you brought it up, it's social conservatism that will
most often turn those with secular sensibilities away from the
right. Even within the movement, a libertarian vs. social
conservative debate has roiled on forever. This dynamic is only
going to change when political expediency becomes a force more
powerful than faith?which is to say the day after we pay off the
national debt.
Now, it's true that social conservatives can be unfairly
ridiculed as bigots in these debates. But sometimes, as it happens,
they act like bigots.
When, for instance, a bunch of influential organizations decide
to boycott the Conservative Political Action Committee yearly
confab simply because a gay Republican group named GOProud happens
to be participating, we have stumbled upon such a moment.
As Peter Wehner of conservative Commentary magazine
noted, "the boycotting organizations come across as defensive and
insecure, as if they fear that their arguments cannot win the day
on the merits." It's worse. The boycott demonstrates a lack of any
argument. For some, apparently, it's not really the policy sin but
the sinner him-and-himself that's the real problem. (I know, it's
not technically in the Good Book.)
Though I support gay marriage?more specifically, removing
government from the marriage business altogether?it strikes me as
deceitful to dismiss legitimate arguments for preserving
traditional marriage and ugly to smear everyone making them as
homophobic Neanderthals.
Yet, really, what can one say about a person who won't attend a
political event featuring 70 disparate groups?including, yes, The
John Birch Society?because he or she might be sitting a table or
two away from a lesbian infiltrator who agrees with him or her
approximately 90 percent of the time?
As Hot Air's Ed Morrissey recently pointed out, the GOProud
agenda is perhaps a point or two off the conventional conservative
agenda. Actually, it seems to me, GOProud is more focused on the
fundamental problems facing the country than the Concerned Women
for America and the Family Research Council are.
Then again, these groups will probably tell you the kerfuffle is
about far more than gays. The popular right-wing conspiratorial
website leading the charge has even cooked up a transcendentally
silly (and retroactive) theory that claims CPAC is now under the
influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. Quite convenient, I say,
because it allows someone to point out that one of the many quirks
about religious fundamentalists is that they make no distinctions
between politics and religion or personal behavior and individual
freedom.
Speaking of which, let's remember that last year, leading GOP
presidential contender Mike Huckabee skipped CPAC, explaining that
the event had become "more libertarian and less Republican."
"Republican" must be a code word for those who have sworn their
rock-ribbed allegiance to the entire consecrated GOP agenda. Others
won't be engaged or debated or shown the errors of their decadent
ways, I suppose.
Which is a fine way to bring down your own party or, if that
party happens to smarten up, your own cause.
David Harsanyi is a columnist at The Denver Post and the
author of Nanny State. Visit his website at www.DavidHarsanyi.com.
COPYRIGHT 2011 THE DENVER POST
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
hereditary aversion to limited government or fiscal
conservatism?
Doubtful.
And since you brought it up, it's social conservatism that will
most often turn those with secular sensibilities away from the
right. Even within the movement, a libertarian vs. social
conservative debate has roiled on forever. This dynamic is only
going to change when political expediency becomes a force more
powerful than faith?which is to say the day after we pay off the
national debt.
Now, it's true that social conservatives can be unfairly
ridiculed as bigots in these debates. But sometimes, as it happens,
they act like bigots.
When, for instance, a bunch of influential organizations decide
to boycott the Conservative Political Action Committee yearly
confab simply because a gay Republican group named GOProud happens
to be participating, we have stumbled upon such a moment.
As Peter Wehner of conservative Commentary magazine
noted, "the boycotting organizations come across as defensive and
insecure, as if they fear that their arguments cannot win the day
on the merits." It's worse. The boycott demonstrates a lack of any
argument. For some, apparently, it's not really the policy sin but
the sinner him-and-himself that's the real problem. (I know, it's
not technically in the Good Book.)
Though I support gay marriage?more specifically, removing
government from the marriage business altogether?it strikes me as
deceitful to dismiss legitimate arguments for preserving
traditional marriage and ugly to smear everyone making them as
homophobic Neanderthals.
Yet, really, what can one say about a person who won't attend a
political event featuring 70 disparate groups?including, yes, The
John Birch Society?because he or she might be sitting a table or
two away from a lesbian infiltrator who agrees with him or her
approximately 90 percent of the time?
As Hot Air's Ed Morrissey recently pointed out, the GOProud
agenda is perhaps a point or two off the conventional conservative
agenda. Actually, it seems to me, GOProud is more focused on the
fundamental problems facing the country than the Concerned Women
for America and the Family Research Council are.
Then again, these groups will probably tell you the kerfuffle is
about far more than gays. The popular right-wing conspiratorial
website leading the charge has even cooked up a transcendentally
silly (and retroactive) theory that claims CPAC is now under the
influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. Quite convenient, I say,
because it allows someone to point out that one of the many quirks
about religious fundamentalists is that they make no distinctions
between politics and religion or personal behavior and individual
freedom.
Speaking of which, let's remember that last year, leading GOP
presidential contender Mike Huckabee skipped CPAC, explaining that
the event had become "more libertarian and less Republican."
"Republican" must be a code word for those who have sworn their
rock-ribbed allegiance to the entire consecrated GOP agenda. Others
won't be engaged or debated or shown the errors of their decadent
ways, I suppose.
Which is a fine way to bring down your own party or, if that
party happens to smarten up, your own cause.
David Harsanyi is a columnist at The Denver Post and the
author of Nanny State. Visit his website at www.DavidHarsanyi.com.
COPYRIGHT 2011 THE DENVER POST
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
(9) Interview w/ Lea Delaria and More Nonsensical Babblings
Interview with Lea Delaria and some more nonsensical babblings ..
Kentucky Survey Says 83 Percent of State Supports Fairness Protections
The Fairness Coalition in Kentucky released survey results on Monday showing that a substantial majority of state citizens support statewide fairness protections. The survey was given to 600 registered voters and revealed that 83 percent of respondents were in favor of the protections?nearly a 20 percent increase since 2004. Chris Hartman, Director of the Fairness Campaign commented, ?83% of Kentuckians believe that their citizens should all have a fair chance to earn a living, to have a roof over their head, and to visit their favorite restaurants or other public accommodations without the fear of being discriminated against on the basis of simply who they are.? The campaign is also launching an advertising campaign to draw awareness to job discrimination and the importance of hospital visitation rights.Related Media Coverage:Fox 41 ? February 7, 2011?Fairness Campaign Sees Broad Support For Gay Rights?http://www.fox41.com/story/13984456/fairness-campaign-sees-broad-support-for-gay-rights
Friday, March 25, 2011
Does the party ever stop?
An interview with Nick Lewis, bartender at various San Diego bars
Nick Lewis is a bartender for several Lesbian nights that are hosted across San Diego. Nick is from Boston and if you ever order a drink from her you will know right away because her charming Boston accent is a dead give away. Nick is a fan of Softball and Ice Hockey and her favorite team is North Eastern University. Along with working the wild San Diego nightlife, Nick is a huge fan of comfy clothes, movies or a good book. Nick has given us the opportunity to ask her a few questions about herself and her job.
GLT: What is your favorite part of the night at Bourbon Street?
NL: Well I think it’s only fair I give all my bars some credit LOL. Rich’s: every time the girls get on the bar. Brass Rail: every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month I love beca…
Read More
Nick Lewis is a bartender for several Lesbian nights that are hosted across San Diego. Nick is from Boston and if you ever order a drink from her you will know right away because her charming Boston accent is a dead give away. Nick is a fan of Softball and Ice Hockey and her favorite team is North Eastern University. Along with working the wild San Diego nightlife, Nick is a huge fan of comfy clothes, movies or a good book. Nick has given us the opportunity to ask her a few questions about herself and her job.
GLT: What is your favorite part of the night at Bourbon Street?
NL: Well I think it’s only fair I give all my bars some credit LOL. Rich’s: every time the girls get on the bar. Brass Rail: every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month I love beca…
Read More
What I missed blogging this week
I spent a lot of this week completely buried under email and the day job so, save Tuesday when I covered the Equality NC Town Hall, I've been too beaten down to do blog posts; I've been more present on Facebook and Twitter of late. Also, I will have a post with the responses to the PHB Reader Survey soon. There was quite a bit of news that you may want to discuss on the Blend - have at it:
* Good polling news - DOMA Poll Analysis: Opposition to Federal Recognition Ban Crosses All Major Demographics (HRCBackStory):
Majorities of every age group oppose DOMA including those over age 65 (52 percent oppose, 31 percent support). Catholics oppose DOMA 51 percent to 37 percent. Southerners oppose DOMA 51 percent to 36 percent. The list goes on and on. Check out our full analysis: Beyond the Top Lines of the DOMA Poll [pdf].
* GOP Clown Car contest entry - CNN: Bachmann to form exploratory committee in June, possibly earlier. Begin popping the popcorn...
More fun below the fold... * Fred Karger First to File for President at FEC in Washington, DC .
Today is a very significant day for my community and me. I have just submitted my papers to the Federal Election Commission, making me the first candidate to file for the 2012 Republican nomination for President. I am also the first openly gay person, in a major political party, to ever run for President of the United States.
I know that I will not be invited to participate in some of the debates and forums that will be held during the next year. Some will not include me because I am an outsider, others because I am gay. I will fight to get into each and every debate, so that my ideas and my voice may be heard.
I want to send a loud and clear message to anyone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer, that you can do anything you want to do in this country. You can even run for President of the United States.
Mother Jones has a good article on Karger's campaign.
* This almost defies reality. Would you put even a nickel into this black hole - James O'Keefe Asks Supporters For $50,000 To Pay Off 'Major Credit Card Debt'.
For undercover sting savant James O'Keefe, the task of self-funding his missions to bust groups such as ACORN and NPR is apparently causing a strain on his pocketbook.
In a recent fundraising email to supporters, O'Keefe, who recently filed to have his group, Project Veritas, listed as a nonprofit, claims he's in deep credit card debt, and that he needs $50,000 to pay it off.
* The Oprah Winfrey Network announces premiere of 'Becoming Chaz'. (LAT): It will air at 8 p.m. May 10.
The premiere will be followed by a special hosted by Rosie O'Donnell in which she will interview Bono, girlfriend Jennifer Elia, directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, and other people who have undergone transgender operations.* Speaking of OWN, Dan Savage sat down to discuss the 'It Gets Better' Campaign on "The Gayle King Show."
* 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals has denied a motion filed by opponents of California's Proposition 8 to lift the stay over a District Court ruling that had found Prop. 8 unconstitutional last summer. Via the Courage Campaign:
The 9th Circuit Court's ruling means that the stay will remain in effect, and LGBT families will be unable to marry, at least until the California Supreme Court settles a procedural matter in the case. A hearing on that issue is not slated to take place until September.
The Courage Campaign has documented the stories of hundreds of families facing permanent harm because of the continuing legal delays in this case. Most notably, the story of Ed Watson and Derence Kernak-a couple that's been together for forty years, but because of Ed's advancing Alzheimer's disease, may never get the chance to marry before the Prop. 8 case is resolved. More than 7,500 people signed the Courage Campaign's Amicus Curiae letter, filed on behalf of Ed and Derence and other impacted families, urging the 9th Circuit to lift the stay.
Ed and Derence's StoryThe Courage Campaign's Amicus Curiae LetterIn response to today's developments, Courage Campaign Chairman and Founder Rick Jacobs has issued the following statement:
"The Ninth Circuit's decision not to lift the stay is a stunning miscarriage of justice. Judge Walker's District Court decision and the body of evidence in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial have unequivocally shown that marriage and society are only strengthened by allowing loving same sex couples to marry. These facts are further supported by an accelerating shift in American public opinion in support of marriage equality, and President Obama's recent decision to stop defending the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which has also been declared unconstitutional in federal court.
By effectively rubber stamping another six or twelve months of state sanctioned discrimination against thousands of loving California families, today's ruling unfairly and irreparably harms parents who may never see their children marry, and couples like Derence and Ed, who are racing the clock against terminal illness.
It is appalling that corporate mergers get fast tracked by courts, but human ones are treated with far less urgency. We cannot and will not rest until all families have equal access to the dignity, security, and recognition that only comes with marriage."
* Huckabee Would Reinstate DADT: "That's Really What The Military Wants". Well, you figure this aspiring GOP Clown Car occupant would continue pandering to the fringe. "I would -- because that's really what the military wants," says Huckabee. "There's been some talk that the military is fine with having same-sex orientation people. But if you really surveyed the combat troops, that is not at all the case." The Log Cabin Republicans responded.
"Mike Huckabee's ill-informed comments fly in the face of overwhelming public opinion and common sense," said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. "A clear bipartisan majority in Congress voted in December to enact the will of the American people, which demanded that 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' be stricken from the books. The Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and leadership throughout the Pentagon are in full support of the implementation process that is now moving forward throughout each branch of the military. This debate is over. Today our military is confronting real challenges around the globe, and reopening this debate is an unnecessary distraction.
"That Mr. Huckabee continues to fight the end of this failed and unconstitutional policy demonstrates that he is willing to put personal ambition and political pandering ahead of the priorities of the American people."
VoteVets slapped Huck:
Iraq War Veteran and Interim Chairman of VoteVets.org said, "Governor Huckabee is flatly wrong. There have been multiple surveys of troops and veterans that have shown a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is simply not an issue. Military leaders currently implementing training in preparation for the change say the same thing."... Even among only the combat troops that Huckabee refers to, a very strong majority of 60 percent believe a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell will have a positive or no impact on the military.
* Gay and Lesbian Couples Enters Crate & Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest. The retailer has a contest for engaged couples; they must submit an online entry describing their love story, their ideal wedding, and their dream home. Fianc?s Robbie Cronrod and Allen Artcliff are in the pool as are Megan Younkman and Lauren Campisi of Tampa, Florida, who wrote PHB:
Megan and I are a Lesbian couple from Tampa, Florida. Megan is an LPGA professional and I am a teacher and blogger (Mermaiding the Globe). We are currently entered in Crate & Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest...It would be wonderful for a gay couple to win a nationally recognized contest on marriage (especially in the current political climate).
President and First Lady Discuss Upcoming Anti-Bullying Conference at the White House
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama recorded a message on Facebook regarding the anti-bullying conference being held at the White House tomorrow. Attendees will include teachers, students, parents and community leaders. The conference will stream live on www.WhiteHouse.gov/live, and a policy panel of experts will answer questions submitted to the White House blog or posted on Facebook. In the message, President Obama asserted that bullying, ??isn?t an issue that makes headlines every day, but it affects every single young person in our country.? First Lady Michelle Obama added, ?It?s tough enough being a kid today, and our children deserve to learn and grow without constantly being picked on, made fun of, or worse.?Related Media Coverage:Towleroad - March 9, 2011"Watch: Barack and Michelle Obama Record Facebook Video Against Bullying Ahead of White House Conference"http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/bullying.html
Va. Bed and Breakfast Changes Policy After Denying Gay Couple
After denying a married couple lodging because of their sexual orientation, a Virginia bed and breakfast has changed its discriminatory policy. The reform comes after Russell Williams and David Schaefer, who have been together for 40 years, were told by the receptionist of the Stafford House in Fairfax, Va., "Well, we don't accept non-traditional couples."Donna Stafford, an owner of Stafford House, told the Washington Blade on Wednesday that the bed and breakfast will no longer bar anyone from making a reservation. ?We were in the process of [changing our policy] even before your article came out,? Stafford said. ?We?re not going to put restrictions on anyone that stays.? Related Media Coverage:Washington Blade ? Updated March 23, 2011?Va. B&B rejects gays, couple claims" http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/03/22/va-bb-rejects-gays-couple-claims/
Thursday, March 24, 2011
21st ANNUAL AIDS WALK & RUN SAN DIEGO SET FOR SEPT. 26
San Diego’s Largest HIV/AIDS Fundraiser Will Take Place
in Balboa Park
WHAT: The 21st annual AIDS Walk & Run San Diego, the largest one-day HIV/AIDS fundraiser in San Diego County.
WHEN: Sun., Sept. 26
Registration begins at 6am; opening ceremonies at 7:30am
Walk steps off at 8:10am
WHERE: Balboa Park — step off is near Sixth Avenue and Quince
WHY: To raise awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS, and to raise critically-needed funds for more than 20 San Diego County HIV/AIDS organizations that serve the more than 16,000 people living with the disease in San Diego County.
NOTE: Walkers and organizational spokespeople will be available on Sept. 26 from 6-9am at Sixth and Quince. To arrange advance or day-of-event coverage, plea…
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in Balboa Park
WHAT: The 21st annual AIDS Walk & Run San Diego, the largest one-day HIV/AIDS fundraiser in San Diego County.
WHEN: Sun., Sept. 26
Registration begins at 6am; opening ceremonies at 7:30am
Walk steps off at 8:10am
WHERE: Balboa Park — step off is near Sixth Avenue and Quince
WHY: To raise awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS, and to raise critically-needed funds for more than 20 San Diego County HIV/AIDS organizations that serve the more than 16,000 people living with the disease in San Diego County.
NOTE: Walkers and organizational spokespeople will be available on Sept. 26 from 6-9am at Sixth and Quince. To arrange advance or day-of-event coverage, plea…
Read More
Asexuals leave the closet, find community
When she wasn't drawn to boys as a teenager, Cathy Roberts figured she was just shy. As she steered men away from her college bed, she convinced herself she wasn't ready. Later, when a therapist coaxed her along a path...
Click Click Expose Gay Podcat Network - Weekly Update - February 10
Hey Podcast Fans...another week...another round of podcast shows from Click Click Expose CELEBRATING OUR 5TH YEAR OF PODCASTING FOR THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY. What is the Click Click Expose Gay Podcast Network? We are a network of different podcast shows either produced by Click Click Expose (Gay Entertainment Media) or distributed by our official content producers and supporters. Our goal is to bring you a wide variety of LGBT podcast shows designed to enrich, entertain and enlighten the gay and lesbian community AND our website has undergone a major re-design (again)- check it out: Click Click Expose and let us know what you think. It's easier now to listen to your favorite shows, watch videos, read news, etc.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY:
Subscribe via RSS Feed HERE!
THIS WEEK'S SYNOPSIS: 1. Gay News Week In Review - "Week Ending 2/10/2011" 2. Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - "Episode #10 - Sex stories and bad relationships" 3. This Show Is So Gay - "Actress Michelle Bonilla" 4. Same Gender Loving Expressions - "Dishin Tea with 'Big Meech' Taylor" 5. House Music Show - DJ Carlos Dali - "Hazey Morning"
LISTEN:
Gay News Week In Review w/e 02/10/2011 (Podcast)
Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - Episode #10 (Podcast)
This Show Is So Gay - Actress Michelle Bonilla (Podcast)
Same Gender Loving Expressions - Episode #23(Podcast)
DJ Carlos Dali - Be Yourself Radio Show (Podcast)
read more
SUBSCRIBE TODAY:
Subscribe via RSS Feed HERE!
THIS WEEK'S SYNOPSIS: 1. Gay News Week In Review - "Week Ending 2/10/2011" 2. Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - "Episode #10 - Sex stories and bad relationships" 3. This Show Is So Gay - "Actress Michelle Bonilla" 4. Same Gender Loving Expressions - "Dishin Tea with 'Big Meech' Taylor" 5. House Music Show - DJ Carlos Dali - "Hazey Morning"
LISTEN:
Gay News Week In Review w/e 02/10/2011 (Podcast)
Strange Dreamz with Kevin J. Thornton - Episode #10 (Podcast)
This Show Is So Gay - Actress Michelle Bonilla (Podcast)
Same Gender Loving Expressions - Episode #23(Podcast)
DJ Carlos Dali - Be Yourself Radio Show (Podcast)
read more
Lesbian News - 14 Mar 2011
Rep. Judy Chu To Keynote Celebrate Diversity Breakfast today World?s worst place to be gay? Gay student site shut down at Harding University Couple fights for rights in public, but lives an ordinary private lifeHomophobic Donald Trump: No On All Forms Of Legal Recognition For Gay Couples Lesbian doesn't want to abandon church Pink rights now a national movement
Sleeping With the Enemy
Ray Cook questions the nature of new gay culture in his latest exhibition at the Australian Centre for Photography
Help Support 1n10 and GLBT youth!
It’s really great when local businesses recognize the struggles of LGBT youth, and want reach out and do what they can to help. 1n10 has been around since 1993 helping and supporting LGBT youth in Arizona. To read more about … Continue reading →
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Gay binational couples speak of experiences
The possibility that the Defense of Marriage Act DOMA might be repealed under a sympathetic Obama administration has given hope to many gay and lesbian U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents LPRs in binational relationships.
Gay Marriage Laws Across The U.S.
A breakdown of policy on gay marriage in the United States. Gay marriage legal : Massachusetts, Connecticut (recognizes marriage licenses outside the state) States with constitutional ammendments banning gay nuptials :...
Dining, Drinks & Desserts
A wine lover’s dream
It is with great sadness I report that Nicole will no longer be co-authoring this column. Time constraints for him are at an all time high and he needed to cut back somewhere. We would like to say THANK YOU NICOLE for helping us to launch this column. I will do my best to carry on in our “own style” and I wish you continued success my dear friend.
When considering what to do in Nicole’s absence I thought it might be fun to have a “Special Guest” from our community each week. These people will be from all walks of life in our local GLBT/Friends community, and I look forward to some great dinner conversation.
We begin with a visit to North Park’s MOSAIC WINE BAR. Owners Maz and Shanna Ebrahimi opened up this establishment,…
Read More | View Comments (1 comment)
It is with great sadness I report that Nicole will no longer be co-authoring this column. Time constraints for him are at an all time high and he needed to cut back somewhere. We would like to say THANK YOU NICOLE for helping us to launch this column. I will do my best to carry on in our “own style” and I wish you continued success my dear friend.
When considering what to do in Nicole’s absence I thought it might be fun to have a “Special Guest” from our community each week. These people will be from all walks of life in our local GLBT/Friends community, and I look forward to some great dinner conversation.
We begin with a visit to North Park’s MOSAIC WINE BAR. Owners Maz and Shanna Ebrahimi opened up this establishment,…
Read More | View Comments (1 comment)
Baldwin hopes DOMA repeal effort sparks discussion, organizing
Though it is unlikely a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act will see action in the U.S. -More-
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Amsterdam Pride to Have Armed Forces Participants
Amsterdam Pride As America continues with baby steps toward full GLBT equality, nations abroad take leap after leap toward the same goal.
Donald Trump...The Man Who Would Be President says NO to Gays
THE MAN THAT WOULD BE PRESIDENT. God Help us all!
Donald Trump is shoring up support for a 2012 presidential run after sending an aide to the key election state of Iowa.
Michael Cohen, executive vice-president at the Trump Organization, flew to Des Moines, the state capital, on today, where the first votes in the contest for the Republican nomination will be cast on February 6.
FYI - Trump is not so big on gays. Trump told Greta van Susteren on her talk show last month that though he loves the fact that there are lots of gays and lesbians in New York City, he doesn't love them enough to allow them to get married (or divorced like he's been three times). In an article in the Des Moines Register, Trump not only reiterates his feelings opposition on marriage equality but expanded on those thoughts saying that gays and lesbians should not be allowed to have partner benefits.
"Asked whether he supports allowing same-sex couples to marry, Trump said no. Iowa conservatives have overwhelmingly opposed the 2009 Iowa Supreme Court decision overturning the state?s ban on gay marriage."?They should not be able to marry,? he said. But asked whether gay couples should be able access the same benefits as married couples, he said his ?attitude on it has not been fully formed. Given a second to think, Trump said on marriage and civil benefits, ?As of this moment, I would say no and no.?"He's an extreme bigot," says Allen Roskoff, who was the first openly gay appointed official in New York City and has served under Gov. Mario Cuomo and Mayor David Dinkins, among others." Roskoff adds: "Not only should gays be furious, we should be boycotting the products of the advertisers on his TV show" - "Celebrity Apprentice," which premiered Sunday night on NBC-TV "and certainly boycotting his casinos and hotels and apartment buildings." Noting that Trump recently switched his stance on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life, Roskoff says: "His game plan is to appeal to the extreme right." Trump's daughter Ivanka has attended marriage equality fundraisers.Stop this insanity!BestGayNewYork.com
Donald Trump is shoring up support for a 2012 presidential run after sending an aide to the key election state of Iowa.
Michael Cohen, executive vice-president at the Trump Organization, flew to Des Moines, the state capital, on today, where the first votes in the contest for the Republican nomination will be cast on February 6.
FYI - Trump is not so big on gays. Trump told Greta van Susteren on her talk show last month that though he loves the fact that there are lots of gays and lesbians in New York City, he doesn't love them enough to allow them to get married (or divorced like he's been three times). In an article in the Des Moines Register, Trump not only reiterates his feelings opposition on marriage equality but expanded on those thoughts saying that gays and lesbians should not be allowed to have partner benefits.
"Asked whether he supports allowing same-sex couples to marry, Trump said no. Iowa conservatives have overwhelmingly opposed the 2009 Iowa Supreme Court decision overturning the state?s ban on gay marriage."?They should not be able to marry,? he said. But asked whether gay couples should be able access the same benefits as married couples, he said his ?attitude on it has not been fully formed. Given a second to think, Trump said on marriage and civil benefits, ?As of this moment, I would say no and no.?"He's an extreme bigot," says Allen Roskoff, who was the first openly gay appointed official in New York City and has served under Gov. Mario Cuomo and Mayor David Dinkins, among others." Roskoff adds: "Not only should gays be furious, we should be boycotting the products of the advertisers on his TV show" - "Celebrity Apprentice," which premiered Sunday night on NBC-TV "and certainly boycotting his casinos and hotels and apartment buildings." Noting that Trump recently switched his stance on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life, Roskoff says: "His game plan is to appeal to the extreme right." Trump's daughter Ivanka has attended marriage equality fundraisers.Stop this insanity!BestGayNewYork.com
Ask The Expert: ?A new house is blocking my view ? Can I do anything??
It's hard to construct a million-dollar home on the DL.
Victoria Beckham, Tyra Banks and Richard Hatch
"Summer Rain," the debut single from Glee star Matthew Morrison, has debuted on iTunes and is slated to premiere on radio March 14, according to a press release. Morrison wrote the song with Claude Kelly who has worked with Bruno Mars, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, to name a a few and the Norwegian duo Espionage, who produced the track in New York City. Morrison—who plays Mr. Schuester on the Fox show—has been nominated for Tony, Golden Globe and Emmy awards.
Lesbian News - 15 Mar 2011
Out Pols Key to Partner, Marriage RightsNew Release Tells One Woman?s Story of Coming Out and Creating Lesbian Community in Southern Appalachia Gay legislators having impact in marriage debate Ron Helizon, 'The Polish Princess,' diesMarlee Matlin is guest of honour at Winter Party Festival 2011 VIP reception Gays and Lesbian Couples Plan Their Unions
A Gay in the Life
Mark Bowden is celebrating his 25th year working along Halsted Street, including the last 15 at Cell Block, 3702 N. Halsted, where he is a bartender four nights per week and one of its two managers.
Lesbian News - 09 Mar 2011
Lesbian Party-Throwers, ?PYT? Celebrate One Year Anniversary Tonight
Fringe sex groups more likely to be victimised: Study
Amritsar's lesbian couple land in trouble
Philadelphia one of top 10 U.S. gay and lesbian destinations
Interview: Singer/songwriter Jonathan Richman
Lesbian film goes online
Cat Food, Dog Carriers, Neglect and Abuse Of Adopted Children By Straight Couple
Berlusconi ?watched lesbian sex show?, says belly dancer
Preparing for repeal of DADT brings training for Soldiers
Eloped lesbian couple nabbed
Anti-Gay Pastor Arrested near playground
Fringe sex groups more likely to be victimised: Study
Amritsar's lesbian couple land in trouble
Philadelphia one of top 10 U.S. gay and lesbian destinations
Interview: Singer/songwriter Jonathan Richman
Lesbian film goes online
Cat Food, Dog Carriers, Neglect and Abuse Of Adopted Children By Straight Couple
Berlusconi ?watched lesbian sex show?, says belly dancer
Preparing for repeal of DADT brings training for Soldiers
Eloped lesbian couple nabbed
Anti-Gay Pastor Arrested near playground
For My Dad: Chef Henry
Just ignore this post. My dad asked me to TiVo this and I wasn't able to manage making it down the hall where I took his call to my TiVo machine without forgetting all about it. Since he visits the blog, I thought it would be just as convenient for him to watch it here. It's a Nightline story about a local chef from my town that won this national competition this week... his food is AWESOME and if you ever make it to Acworth, GA - you should plan to take me to Henry's for dinner..
Monday, March 21, 2011
Valentine's Day - Matthew Presidente on BTGWTV, Vancouver, Canada
BTGWTV Productions is proud to present Matthew Presidente's new performance video, Valentine's Day directed by Tara C Taylor and filmed/edited by Stephen Emery.
Check it out at
Beyond the Ghetto / Within the Village videocast blog.
read more
Check it out at
Beyond the Ghetto / Within the Village videocast blog.
read more
Matthew Shepard Gay Ski Week
Spring is almost here which means time is running out to hit the slopes. So why not do that and benefit a good cause at the same time? Crested Butte ski resort in Colorado is hosting a gay ski resort … Continue reading →
Datebook
Friday, March 18
?The Long Christmas Ride Home?: Japanese puppetry meets Thornton Wilder?s classic in Paula Vogel?s play. Thru Apr 17. 7:30pm. $10-20. Single Carrot Theatre, 120 W. North Ave SingleCarrot.com
?The Long Christmas Ride Home?: Japanese puppetry meets Thornton Wilder?s classic in Paula Vogel?s play. Thru Apr 17. 7:30pm. $10-20. Single Carrot Theatre, 120 W. North Ave SingleCarrot.com
For My Dad: Chef Henry
Just ignore this post. My dad asked me to TiVo this and I wasn't able to manage making it down the hall where I took his call to my TiVo machine without forgetting all about it. Since he visits the blog, I thought it would be just as convenient for him to watch it here. It's a Nightline story about a local chef from my town that won this national competition this week... his food is AWESOME and if you ever make it to Acworth, GA - you should plan to take me to Henry's for dinner..
WTF is Wrong With Apple Ipod Ipad Freaks?
WTF is wrong with people? I DON"T GET IT! This is not a gay news - just a crazy news! Amanda Foote is smiling because earlier today, she sold her spot in the iPad 2 line (in NYC) for $900. Foote waited outside the Fifth Avenue Apple flagship for almost 41 hours, powering through sleep deprivation, yesterday's downpour, and an incident in which a stranger stole her donuts. Ultimately, she sold her space to an app developer who told Mashable that he bought it because he wants his new iPad with him when he leaves on a business trip tonight. I don't think you can write that off dude. If you had bought Apple stock instead of an iPod back in 2001, you?d be about $10,000 richer. According to an assessment by Kyle Conroy, you?d be a few times richer if you bought Apple stock instead of Apple gear on day of launch. What does this say about us, as consumers?
Edgewater group to present LGBT exhibition
Edgewater Historical Society EHS will present "Edgewater PRIDE: Oppression to Expression"—an exhibit focusing on the LGBT movement within the Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park communities—from June 3 until Sept. 24.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
New York Governor Pledges to Advocate for Marriage Equality Legislation
On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York held a closed-door meeting between himself, his top advisors, and leaders of the state?s prominent LGBT advocacy groups to discuss marriage equality legislation. At the meeting, Gov. Cuomo expressed his sincere investment in passing such legislation in New York and said he is prepared to devote his attention to the cause this spring. In 2009, a marriage equality bill was defeated in the state Senate when former Gov. David A. Paterson overestimated the bill?s support. Gov. Cuomo emphasized that he is not keen to repeat that mistake and will avoid bringing the bill to a vote without confidence in its favorable reception. Attendees of the meeting asserted that Gov. Cuomo?s enthusiastic participation signals a crucial change in the movement for marriage equality.Related Media Coverage:The New York Times - March 9, 2011"Cuomo Vows Personal Push to Legalize Gay Marriage"http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/nyregion/10marriage.html?_r=1&
Conversations with Nicole
Well I’ll be very busy next week…Stuart Milk (founder, Harvey Milk Foundation) is coming into town and so is Miguel Claudio Jimenez Vizcarra (Mexican Tequila Business Baron)…major announcements coming soon!
Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers;
2011 Honorees:
The Lambda Archives of San Diego will soon officially announce the 2011 Honorees of their prestigious “Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers” presentation and among the well deserved recipients are: AL BEST the first openly gay candidate to run for office in San Diego. GLORIA JOHNSON Ms. N.O.W. and Ms. Democrat of our community. BILL BECK, major charity, civil rights, AIDS, and political fundraiser. JENNIFER LE SAR community, civil leader and co-founder of GLBT Youth Housing…
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Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers;
2011 Honorees:
The Lambda Archives of San Diego will soon officially announce the 2011 Honorees of their prestigious “Heroes, Pioneers and Trailblazers” presentation and among the well deserved recipients are: AL BEST the first openly gay candidate to run for office in San Diego. GLORIA JOHNSON Ms. N.O.W. and Ms. Democrat of our community. BILL BECK, major charity, civil rights, AIDS, and political fundraiser. JENNIFER LE SAR community, civil leader and co-founder of GLBT Youth Housing…
Read More | View Comments (7 comments)
Sexy Fridays: US Sex Survey
The Federal Government released the findings in its latest survey of sexual behavior in the United States. I think it gives us a glimpse into the the sexual lives of people, but I also wonder about surveys like this. All of the data was collected in person. I wonder how honest people really are. Would people be too embarrassed to answer truthfully? Or would they "brag" or exaggerate about their sexual activities and partners? Regardless, it's one of the few ways we have to see what people do in their bedroom. Here's a break-down of female same-sex activity.
And if you want, you can read the whole study here.
� yarranz
And if you want, you can read the whole study here.
� yarranz
Gay Pop Singer Jonny McGovern Seeking Help to Produce Next Music Videos
WHO? It's yer Gay Pimp Daddy, Jonny McGovern here! Comedian, Podcaster and undergrounddirtygaypopstar. Since before the dawn of youtube I've been making the gayest music videos known to human kind, "Soccer Practice", 'Lookin' Cute/Feelin' Cute", "Something For The Fellas (That Like the Fellas)", "Don't Fall in Love with a Homo", "Bossy Bottom" and most recently the extremely classy viral smash "Likin Big Dicks".
WHAT? This Gay Pride June I am coming out with a new solo album, The Gayest of All Time... produced by underground super producers, Adam Joseph and Markaholic, and I want to be able to release 4 SUPER GAY music video singles in a row, just like all you're other fave pop superstars with major label backing are able to do. So that you're NOT getting a new Jonny McGovern video once every six months or a year but 4 NEW VIDEOS released one after another through the summer and fall! As an independently funded gay artist singin' about dude on dude topics, that's not so easy to do.
To shoot and edit 4 amazing music videos consecutively it's gonna take a great creative team and some mo' money! I've got the creative team DOWN!! I will be working with the uber hilarious and talented comedian and director Michael Serrato (director of some amazing videos such as BAM! by Markaholic, The Vagina Song by Willem Belli and Thought Ya Knew by his drag ater ego, Heaven) as well as shooting a video with Mr. Scott Video (director of my Somethin' for the Fellas video and the editor of My Pumps by Erickatoure Aviance) But the money part is where we need your help!
From the glamour of my past videos one might think i am a rich celebrity with unlimited funds but, girl! you'd be wrong! In fact, lot of the money I do make I do make goes back into creating my faggity projects like the (free) podcast, new CDs and homotastical music videos. Even with the everyone workin' for "A Help a Gay Brutha Out" price of free we still need money for lights, cameras, sets, costumes, rentals and sexy gentleman! So to make to make sure this big ass SUPER GAY VIDEO PROJECT happens we need you!
WHEN: I want to raise this money by April 12th and then shoot the videos in April and May with the first of the 4 videos premiering in June to coincide with the release of my new CD!
Help me my lil' gay babies, you're my only hope!VISIT KICKSTARTER AND HELP THIS PROJECT !
WHAT? This Gay Pride June I am coming out with a new solo album, The Gayest of All Time... produced by underground super producers, Adam Joseph and Markaholic, and I want to be able to release 4 SUPER GAY music video singles in a row, just like all you're other fave pop superstars with major label backing are able to do. So that you're NOT getting a new Jonny McGovern video once every six months or a year but 4 NEW VIDEOS released one after another through the summer and fall! As an independently funded gay artist singin' about dude on dude topics, that's not so easy to do.
To shoot and edit 4 amazing music videos consecutively it's gonna take a great creative team and some mo' money! I've got the creative team DOWN!! I will be working with the uber hilarious and talented comedian and director Michael Serrato (director of some amazing videos such as BAM! by Markaholic, The Vagina Song by Willem Belli and Thought Ya Knew by his drag ater ego, Heaven) as well as shooting a video with Mr. Scott Video (director of my Somethin' for the Fellas video and the editor of My Pumps by Erickatoure Aviance) But the money part is where we need your help!
From the glamour of my past videos one might think i am a rich celebrity with unlimited funds but, girl! you'd be wrong! In fact, lot of the money I do make I do make goes back into creating my faggity projects like the (free) podcast, new CDs and homotastical music videos. Even with the everyone workin' for "A Help a Gay Brutha Out" price of free we still need money for lights, cameras, sets, costumes, rentals and sexy gentleman! So to make to make sure this big ass SUPER GAY VIDEO PROJECT happens we need you!
WHEN: I want to raise this money by April 12th and then shoot the videos in April and May with the first of the 4 videos premiering in June to coincide with the release of my new CD!
Help me my lil' gay babies, you're my only hope!VISIT KICKSTARTER AND HELP THIS PROJECT !
Stonewall Awards London - 2010
The fifth Stonewall Awards, hosted by Sue Perkins, were held last night at London's V&A and attended by 450 people including celebrities, politicians, sportspeople and writers. The event celebrates those who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain in the last year.
Chris Grayling Bigot Of The Year
Bigot Of The Year
Former shadow home secretary Chris Grayling was named ?Bigot of the Year?.
Tory MP Mr Grayling, who was secretly recorded in May saying that bed and breakfasts should have the right to bar gay couples.
Gareth Thomas, Hero Of The Year
Gareth Thomas, Hero Of The Year
Gareth Thomas, who became the first out gay professional rugby player last December, was named ?Hero of the Year?. He attended the London ceremony with his parents. Some audience members were in tears as he spoke after accepting the award. Mr Thomas said: ?I don?t really know what denotes a hero. I?m just myself. But when you live in a world that tries to make different a wrong thing, to me, being a hero is just being honest. He added: ?To be a hero, you have to follow in a hero?s footsteps. And there?s people here tonight who?ve been my heroes all my life and will be forever ? that?s my mother and father.?
Stella Duffy, joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Stella Duffy, joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Stella Duffy for Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore
Rupert Smith joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Rupert Smith joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Rupert Smith author of MANS WORLD, which is also shortlisted for the inaugral Creen Carnation prize.
Patrick Strudwick, ?Journalist of the Year?
Patrick Strudwick, ?Journalist of the Year?
Gay British journalist Patrick Strudwick spent several months investigating gay-to-straight conversion therapy, undergoing "treatment" from two psychotherapists who made no secret of their view that homosexuality was far from natural, but rather a composite of "mental illness, addiction and anti-religious phenomenon". Mr Strudwick, said: ?I am dedicating this award to all the victims of hate around the world who have told me their stories. Their strength and dignity spurred me on.?
He also thanked the thousands of people who added their support to his campaign to stamp out the controversial therapy.
John Partridge, Entertainer of the Year
John Partridge, Entertainer of the Year
EastEnders actor John Partidge won the ?Entertainer of the Year? award for his gay storyline in the soap. He paid tribute to screenwriter Dominic Treadwell-Collins for managing to ?tell a gay story at 7.30 in the evening?.
Martina Navratilova, Sports Person Of The Year
Martina Navratilova, Sports Person Of The Year
Martina Navratilova won huge applause when she was given the sports award. The tennis star is currently in Colorado training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and pre-recorded a message of thanks.
John Bercow, Politician of the Year
John Bercow, Politician of the Year
Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow was named ?Politician of the Year?. The MP, whose wife Sally recently completed a charity parachute jump for Stonewall, praised Mr Summerskill for his ?truly inspirational leadership?.
The Times, ?Publication of the Year?
The Times, ?Publication of the Year?
The Times won the award for ?Publication of the Year?
Coronation Street, Broadcast of the Year
Coronation Street, Broadcast of the Year
Corrie which broadcast its first lesbian storyline and first lesbian kiss this year, won the award for ?Broadcast of the Year?.
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Chris Grayling Bigot Of The Year
Bigot Of The Year
Former shadow home secretary Chris Grayling was named ?Bigot of the Year?.
Tory MP Mr Grayling, who was secretly recorded in May saying that bed and breakfasts should have the right to bar gay couples.
Gareth Thomas, Hero Of The Year
Gareth Thomas, Hero Of The Year
Gareth Thomas, who became the first out gay professional rugby player last December, was named ?Hero of the Year?. He attended the London ceremony with his parents. Some audience members were in tears as he spoke after accepting the award. Mr Thomas said: ?I don?t really know what denotes a hero. I?m just myself. But when you live in a world that tries to make different a wrong thing, to me, being a hero is just being honest. He added: ?To be a hero, you have to follow in a hero?s footsteps. And there?s people here tonight who?ve been my heroes all my life and will be forever ? that?s my mother and father.?
Stella Duffy, joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Stella Duffy, joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Stella Duffy for Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore
Rupert Smith joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Rupert Smith joint winner of ?Writer of the Year?
Rupert Smith author of MANS WORLD, which is also shortlisted for the inaugral Creen Carnation prize.
Patrick Strudwick, ?Journalist of the Year?
Patrick Strudwick, ?Journalist of the Year?
Gay British journalist Patrick Strudwick spent several months investigating gay-to-straight conversion therapy, undergoing "treatment" from two psychotherapists who made no secret of their view that homosexuality was far from natural, but rather a composite of "mental illness, addiction and anti-religious phenomenon". Mr Strudwick, said: ?I am dedicating this award to all the victims of hate around the world who have told me their stories. Their strength and dignity spurred me on.?
He also thanked the thousands of people who added their support to his campaign to stamp out the controversial therapy.
John Partridge, Entertainer of the Year
John Partridge, Entertainer of the Year
EastEnders actor John Partidge won the ?Entertainer of the Year? award for his gay storyline in the soap. He paid tribute to screenwriter Dominic Treadwell-Collins for managing to ?tell a gay story at 7.30 in the evening?.
Martina Navratilova, Sports Person Of The Year
Martina Navratilova, Sports Person Of The Year
Martina Navratilova won huge applause when she was given the sports award. The tennis star is currently in Colorado training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and pre-recorded a message of thanks.
John Bercow, Politician of the Year
John Bercow, Politician of the Year
Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow was named ?Politician of the Year?. The MP, whose wife Sally recently completed a charity parachute jump for Stonewall, praised Mr Summerskill for his ?truly inspirational leadership?.
The Times, ?Publication of the Year?
The Times, ?Publication of the Year?
The Times won the award for ?Publication of the Year?
Coronation Street, Broadcast of the Year
Coronation Street, Broadcast of the Year
Corrie which broadcast its first lesbian storyline and first lesbian kiss this year, won the award for ?Broadcast of the Year?.
Gay newsView Australian Queer News on the web at Gay News Blog
Civil Union Legislation Heads to Governor in Hawaii
Civil union legislation cleared the last legislative hurdle in Hawaii on Wednesday, receiving an 18-5 vote in the state senate. "Today is a momentous day," said Sen. Clayton Hee. "There is no denying that by this action Hawaii takes a significant step towards true equality." Governor Neil Abercrombie has promised to sign the bill into law. Last year former-Governor Linda Lingle vetoed similar legislation. Related Media Coverage: Honolulu Star Advertiser ? February 16, 2011 ?Civil unions bill wins final approval; awaits governor's signature? http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/116352634.html
Belarus LGBTs Hope to March in May
Gay activists in Minsk, Belarus, applied to the city government March 4 for permission to hold a "March of Equality" on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
Thea Gill: Queer As Folk actress finds her voice
When Thea Gill called me from her oasis in the mountains, the connection was a little shaky, but she was certainly not. The Canadian-born actress best known for her role on the Showtime series Queer As Folk was down-to-earth, gracious, full of energy regardless of the fact that she was fighting a cold and extremely welcoming. It was an absolute joy to spend a little bit of time with the iconic personality—even if our conversation was paused in order to redial a few times.
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