“I was touched by young Will’s plight so I’ll tell you what I’m going to do: If I find out that anybody has hassled this young man or teased him or called him a wad of any sort, I and perhaps a few of my friends will come to his school and bring a world of pain. Teachers, faculty, students be ware because the eyes of Mick Foley are upon you.”

Jon Stewart has been a very comic ally of the LGBT community over the years. The Daily Show will be on vacation until after Thanksgiving.

Even though a recent poll had Giuliani beating [Gillibrand] by nine points, Giuliani laughs off the idea. “My value is in running things,” he told me. “Commenting is great, but I get to do that anyway on television and radio and [in] op-ed pieces.” “It’s a job that we have discussed in the past, and he just has no desire to do it,” [longtime advisor Anthony] Carbonetti says.

The polls on this issue are all over the place, and there are other issues involved with polling this race. The most notable is that most New Yorkers know who Giuliani is, but lack knowledge about Gillibrand. Polls a year out from an election tend to have more to do with name recognition than they do with the substance of the platform or the campaign itself. Giuliani is more familiar to New Yorkers than Gillibrand, and thus, they are more likely to say they would vote for him rather than her. A campaign changes that.

In many ways, what Guiliani does depends upon Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Should Cuomo challenge Governor David Paterson, the probability is that Cuomo would win hands down. Cuomo would also beat Guiliani for Governor without too much of a fight.

Beyond the statement given by Giuliani’s people, there is a harsh reality on the ground of New York. Rudy Giuliani has problems. He has Presidential sized problems. In order to really win either the Senate or the Governorship, Rudy Giuliani would have to renounce his Presidential aspirations. New Yorkers tend to be very leery of having someone get into office for two years only to start running for another office. They tend to prefer to have their Senators and Governors paying attention to their job and not wasting time posing for their Presidential Candidate’s photo ops.

Rudy Giuliani then has other major issues. One of those is, of course, his attempt to postpone the election in New York City and continue as Mayor in the wake of 9/11. This is a sore spot for many residents of the city who will bring it up time and again.

Then there are the other issues. Mayor Giuliani was forced into exile from the Mayoral residence during his last divorce. The divorce itself was extremely messy. Giuliani ended up living with two openly gay friends while he and his then wife duked it out in public. The fact that Guiliani is now three times married, and a Catholic, would also be brought to bear, especially if he were to continue to espouse social conservative views on marriage.

It is unclear what Mayor Giuliani’s future is. Voters of New York and members of the press will continue to keep an eye on him.

Politico
New York Daily News

Current polling for a general election match up between Giuliani and Gillibrand would put Giuliani with a six point advantage over her, but polling in a race between Giuliani and Paterson for the Governor’s mansion would result in Giuliani crushing Paterson. The big factor in his decision to not run for governor may be that Andrew Cuomo, son of former Governor Mario Cuomo, will more than likely run for governor, and he pretty much crushes all people in his way. Another possible reason for his decision to not run for governor may have to do with the chaotic nature of the New York General Assembly right now. However, it should be pointed out that he would not have to deal with all of those individuals should he win the race.

Gillibrand may have some issues in the Upstate region of New York because of her more liberal positions, which some felt betrayed her platform as a Blue Dog Democrat prior to becoming Senator. However, her advocacy for marriage equality will play well in many regions of the state, where support for marriage equality is growing.

Additionally, Giuliani’s growing Conservative credentials in the vein of Doug Hoffman could result in him losing support of more Moderate Republicans who will either not vote or who will vote for Gilibrand. In announcing his decision to not run for the Senate, Representative Peter King stated “Senator Gillibrand generates neither strong support nor opposition. This makes it virtually impossible for me to raise the campaign funds I would need to overcome the built-in Democratic registration advantage and the countless millions of dollars which the Democrats will make available to Senator Gillibrand.” This creates the same problem for Mayor Giuliani, who is a polarizing figure in and of himself. Recent polling regarding a potential race between Gillibrand and Giuliani may reflect more of the dissatisfaction with the current political situation and not any particular issue with Gillibrand.

Given that the term would be up in 2013, the fact that he is running to be a Senator for two years may not be a big issue, but the perception that he is more there to play on the national stage than represent the state could hurt his campaign severely given that this particular issue was one that hurt Doug Hoffman in his bid to become the Representative from New York District 23.

Giuliani’s personal exploits may also come back to haunt him in a run for the Senate. His flipping on social issues, and his exile from Gracie Mansion would become fodder for political attacks which will make the scandals surrounding John Ensign and Mark Sanford seem tame by comparison. Certainly the pictures of Giuliani in drag will make his base think twice about electing him.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has amassed quite a lot of power for one so young to the Senate. She has been a strong voice on LGBT and abortion rights. While she is a Fiscal Conservative in her positions even now, she has become a vocal social progressive.

Despite the tone of the New York Daily News article, and the headline proclaiming Giuliani will run for Senate, he has made no formal announcement. It should also be pointed out that Senators rarely win Presidential elections. Prior to Senator Obama becoming President, the last man to make the leap from Senate to President was John F. Kennedy in 1960. Giuliani would be better served becoming Governor of New York than becoming Senator. Since President Johnson, every President had served at least some time as Governor of a given state. In the last 109 years, eight Presidents have been Governor of a state, but only three Senators have gone to the Presidency without stopping somewhere else first- usually the Vice Presidency.

New York Daily News

Corrected for transposition of ‘i’ and ‘u’ in Giuliani’s name.

DPBO moves to the House floor for consideration, and it’s up to us to make sure that it passes and protects the thousands of devoted, hard-working LGBT government employees.  Equal work demands equal compensation. We must speak up and remind Congress about this basic principle of fairness, to ensure that the domestic partners of government employees are able to receive their partners’ benefits, including health insurance and access to pensions.

President Obama is ready to sign DPBO into law but we need to make sure that it passes in Congress. Call your representative today and ask them to vote for equality and fairness. Ask them to pass the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act.

Please take a minute and call your representative at (202) 224-3121. We must make sure that a House vote on DPBO will happen soon and that our representatives support DPBO. We need to stand together as a community and urge our representatives to fight for the rights of the domestic partners of federal employees.”

Notes from Melanie: -Thank you NCLR for keeping us informed and active.  

It is time now for LGBT groups and organizations to get married….(imagine!)  To work on the BIG ONE – Repeal of DOMA – it will solve many problems.  DOMA is a gift – because now it provides the opportunity for overt recognition- through its repeal, that might not otherwise have been there.  The recognition of our relationships, the cornerstone of who we are, may never otherwise have had this opportunity.

I know easier said than done, but imagine if we can pool our brains and set aside mutual resources as we pursue a “PINK-PRINT” ( as in blue print…) A comprehensive plan- to unify our movement. This can happen with a BIG conference of leaders and  defined and shared purpose… Full equality  is our civil right goal and must happen more urgently than fragmented piecemeal legislation will allow. Congressman Nadler has provided the tool, now lets all work it.    

Melanie Nathan.
www.visualcv.com/melnathan  nathan@privatecourts.com   www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com   www.privatecurts.com

“Committed, loving households in which there is more than one conjugal partner” and “queer couples who decide to jointly create and raise a child with another queer person or couple, in two households” appear to be among the statements which have tripped up Chai Feldblum, who has been an ardent supporter of LGBT rights, including marriage rights. While it is easy to state that these might be seen as supporting polygamy, it appears that they are, more or less, confusingly written. Instead of fighting back on that particular subject, Ms Feldblum chose to issue this statement instead:

I am writing to ask that you remove my name as a signatory to the Beyond Same-Sex Marriage statement. I signed this document because it supports societal recognition of relationships between LGBT couples. But the statement was overly broad and there are parts of it with which I do not agree. Because the text of the statement does not reflect my views, I must ask you to remove my name.

It might be easier if Ms Feldblum were to fight back against the accusations rather than simply backtracking on the statement and opening up further opportunities by those opposed to everything that President Obama wants to accomplish to attack her. This time, they can attack her for backtracking on her statements and accuse her of flip-flopping on the issue of polygamy, and thus paint her not only as being a radical lefty, but a hypocrite as well.

Yes, men get breast cancer. Certainly men get it in smaller numbers than women do, but it is something that does happen. It even influenced an early episode of the series Family Guy where Louis Griffin discovers a lump in Peter’s breast. It turned out to be a fatty corpuscle, but, despite the humor of the episode, the reality is that men do get breast cancer. Yet, there is no guidelines on when a man should go into a doctor’s office to have his boobs pressed flat, folded and manipulated in order to find out if they have a lump in their breast. Alright, while a man getting a mammogram seems incredibly unlikely and even down right impossible, there is a serious lack of information and education regarding breast cancer in men.

Many people might find it hard to fathom the notion of men getting breast cancer, but there are 2000 confirmed cases of men getting it every year, and one in four of them die. Men are often more likely to be misdiagnosed with regards to breast cancer. Often times it is not caught until so late that it ends up being fatal. What is more, it may not be properly diagnosed even after it has hit the fatal stage. Breast cancer also changes as it spreads, which may make it harder to diagnose if not caught in the breast first. What it means is that, as understanding of the disease gets better, more men may be diagnosed with breast cancer per year than currently are.

It is a common institutional bias within both the political and medical establishment to view disorders and diseases as belonging to one group or another. With politicians it is an easy way of saying “hey, see, I support YOUR concerns” by throwing money into researching diseases and disorders that often strike many people outside the niche group. Within the medical establishment, it is a combination of different factors which make it appealing to simply box in disorders and diseases rather than investigate and educate as a whole.

It is this expediency, this institutional bias, which makes it all that much easier to throw the minority concerns under the train in order to get political results. It results in men dying of breast cancer, women dying of heart attacks, and straight men and women dying of AIDS related causes. It is an issue that comes up constantly, but is not often addressed or adequately resolved.

The John W. Nick Foundation has information regarding male breast cancer. As an additional note, not only is Kathleen Sebelius maintaining that women should still get their first mammogram at age 40, but many cancer physicians and societies as well.

The new guidelines released this week by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force suggested that only women over 50 need to get routine mammograms as part of breast cancer screening and said the early screenings are causing excess biopsies, unnecessary anxiety and the discovery and treatment of tumors that would not cause problems if let alone. Many doctors and experts however object to these recommendations, and say the task force is sending conflicting messages to women about how they can prevent breast cancer.

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, (D-FLA), a survivor of breast cancer, said she was “very concerned” that the recommendations conflict with those of other authorities, like the American Cancer Society.

“At a time when we are working to reform our health care system to provide greater access to preventative care,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement, “these guidelines and the fact that they conflict with many of the recommendations from leading cancer organizations only adds to the confusion that so many women have when it comes to breast health.”

“I am concerned that women are being given differing messages about how to prevent breast cancer,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said. “In addition to getting my own mammogram each year, I have been involved in public awareness campaigns to encourage other women my age to do so. I understand that there were many independent scientists involved in making this decision, but that there are also many respected medical experts that are disagreeing with the recommendations. I plan to seek some answers here so that women are getting a uniform message about how to protect themselves.”

Republicans meanwhile pointed out that the recommendations illustrated the dangers of a government role in medical decision-making and they raised the boogey man of health care rationing for woman.

“This is the little toe in the edge of the water,” said Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “This is where you start getting a bureaucrat between you and your physician.”

Democratic staffers on Capitol Hill acknowledged yesterday that the recommendations in the midst of negotiations over a health care overhaul were “not helpful,” and one staffer from Representative Tammy Baldwin’s (D- WIS) office told LGR that people over at the executive branch, “sometimes just don’t seem to be on the same page, with what is going on in congress or with their bosses.”

Secretary Of Health And Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, acknowledged in a statement that the recommendations, by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, had “caused a great deal of confusion and worry,” and emphasized that the task force “is an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who make recommendations” that neither “set federal policy” nor “determine what services are covered by the federal government.”

“The task force has presented some new evidence for consideration,” Sebelius added, “but our policies remain unchanged. Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action.”

However Sebelius did not say in her statement the government would not eventually embrace the recommendations from the task force, which is appointed by her department, and said only that “there has been debate in this country for years” about the proper age and interval for breast cancer screening.

Women in the United States have the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in the world. Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer (after skin cancer) and the second-most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer).

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Steve Myers, publisher of the Southern Voice and David Atlanta had this to say upon the shutting down of the two publications in Atlanta:

“As far as the circumstances that have led to the operations of Window and Unite Media to being closed down, I can’t speak to that. Unfortunately, the closing of the company was a circumstance we could not control. We wish we could have been in each market to talk to the employees on Monday and not surprise them with the notice that was posted. However, as former officers and employees of the companies, our fiduciary duty required us to secure all assets. Unfortunately there were only two of us and three offices. We cannot answer any logistical questions at this time. We can only wish the best for every employee and for the community in general and hope that the voice that the community has relied on for so many years will not be quieted for very long.”

Window and Unite Media will be filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. This means that the businesses and all their subsidiaries will be shuttered. Avalon Equity Fund, the owners of Window and Unite, was seized by the Small Business Administration after they failed to continue to meet the terms of the $39 million loan that they received in 2000. They have been in receivership since 2008. According to the SBA, the decision to shutter the papers was entirely that of Window and Unite, but they have not produced the legal documentation that they had given that authority over to them. According to the court order, the SBA has the right to determine the fate of all publications.

Mike Kitchens (back to camera), Steve Myers

The decision to shutter both papers is baffling given that there were already people interested in buying both papers. Chris Cash, the former owner of SoVo, contacted the SBA about possibly buying back the paper that she had owned from 1988 to 1996. Ms Cash was, apparently, never given the opportunity to prove that she was a viable candidate to purchase back her old newspaper. Nicholas Benton, publisher of the Falls Church News-Press had been contacted by Window to let him know that he was the winning bidder for the Washington Blade. That was six weeks ago.

Chris Cash has already gotten in touch with Laura Douglas-Brown, the former editor of SoVo, in order to begin raising funds to bring the paper back. The editors and staff of the Blade are already doing the same as well. Neither paper can, in all honesty, be brought back to life as they were due to the financial problems that they face. Instead, new papers will have to be created. This may take some time.

Former Southern Voice staffer Dyana Bagby sent this to LGR’s staff:

About a dozen former Southern Voice and David Atlanta magazine staffers gathered at their office today to gather their belongings. While the mood was somber, there was some light-hearted laughter among co-workers as well. Matt Schafer, reporter at SoVo, had everyone sign his large rainbow flag. The former staff of the publications gathered at approximately 11 a.m. at the office on Zonolite Road. Yellow tape stuck to orange pylons had signs that stated “No Media.” At least one TV truck was there from a local station. Mike Kitchens and Steve Myers, co-presidents of Window Media, held a meeting with the former employees at about 12:30 for approximately a half-hour.

Everyone had until 2 p.m. to get belongings out.

Steve Myers said: “The reason we weren’t here Monday is we only have two officers three offices (Atlanta, DC and Fort Lauderdale) and we had to secure assets. We would have loved to been here and Ft Lauderdale and not wait until Wed. So I apologize for that.”

Unfortunately they will not be able to pay us for four weeks. Archives are going to be tried to be saved. Still considered lien holder asset. Will be asking to keep them. Editor Laura Douglas Brown said local archivists and libraries are interested in everything we have.

No one asked questions.

Mike Kitchens: “We (he and Myers) are no longer employees (of Window Media) but we are forced to be doing a lot of wrap up. Just from a personal note, this is painful and not intentional by any means. We did not know until Saturday Night this was course of action we would have to take. I just had to say that. … [W]e were trying to get to next point and sell and keep the mission going. For 90 percent of you, this is not just a job, but a mission. We Know through the bounced paychecks, the holding paychecks, it was hard. And when it fell apart in June and July when Unger left, we tried.”

Steve Myers: (Broke down in tears.)

“When I came back in may (after being out for several months due to cancer), I was so excited. Working with everyone was so wonderful. This is biggest let down for us.” He said it would have been easier if we all had come in yelling this morning and telling them how horrible they were. (Personal note: There was no anger. There was sadness, hugging with former employees, and even some laughter) You all have done everything. Anything I can do for anyone I will. I dreaded this morning. Again, I’m sorry.”

Myers also said: “The proudest I am is we had a wonderful Pride … I wish it could have continued.”

What happened:

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Laura Douglas-Brown Making Leaving An Archive Note

The business were up for sale. There were different liens against the assets leaving few options, Myers said.

Option No. 1 would have been foreclosure and that didn’t happen
Option No. 2. File for chapter 11, but that is a very costly endeavor and a cost the company was unable to bear
Option 3. File chapter 7 and close.
Option 4. Try to keep going, but there was not enough cash to pay employees or creditors or bills.
So only option was chapter 7.

As both papers shut down, the hope is that the archive of materials that they have collected over the years will be preserved.

The newspapers have been in a state of flux since David Unger, the owner of Avalon Equity left to pursue a career in the financial sector. In his wake, he left some of the strongest voices in the LGBT movement in tatters.

The resurrection of both papers depends on several factors, most notable of them is finances. The new papers may find it easier to compete, as well, in a new media world where the internet can be just as important as the print venue. While the papers have been silenced, it would be impossible to believe that the voices of those who have been such strong advocates and reporters of LGBT issues over the last several decades will remain silent.

Our thanks to Dyana Bagby who provided the pictures and information as well as the Atlanta Progressive News and Gay City News for additional background information.

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Ms Richardson appeared erratic before she was arrested. She arrived alone at a fancy restaurant where she was invited to join a group of other young individuals. While with them, she said some strange things, including talking in gibberish and telling them that she was from Mars. The problem began when the check arrived and she could not pay the $89 tab. After unsuccessfully talking to her grandmother about paying the bill, the sheriff’s office was called in. A search of her 1990 Honda Civic turned up a small amount of marijuana. Her car was impounded and she was arrested. At 1am on the 17th, she was released on her own recognizance without money, identification, or transportation. Her identification was in her impounded car. The officer at the Sheriff’s Office offered to let her stay at the station until morning, but she refused. She has not been reliably seen since.

Ms Richardson is a star pupil who has plans to study psychology. There is no explanation for her erratic behavior before her arrest. There certainly were no indications that Ms Richardson was suffering from any mental illness. There may be some other reason, but it is unclear. “She wasn’t diagnosed with any [mental illnesses]. She wasn’t getting any medication,” according to Teresa Moon, Ms Richardson’s girlfriend of two years.

If anyone sees Ms Richardson, please contact the LAPD or their local police organization. Some sightings of Ms Richardson have been as far afield as Thousand Oaks.

For further information on this story:
MSNBC
The Advocate

(To those who come in here screaming about my writing up of this report, follow the links and take a look at the fact that I am reporting what others have reported. It is necessary that she be found and returned to her family. I understand the gravity of the situation. However, even MSNBC is reporting details of her life.)

Levenson married his longtime partner, Tony Sears, on July 12, 2008, during the five-month period when same-sex marriagewas legal in California. A ballot measure. Reinhardt, who is the federal judge responsible for resolving employee disputes in the Federal Public Defenders office within the 9th Circuit, had earlier ordered the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to process Levenson’s application for spousal benefits for Sears. The federal government’s Office of Personnel Management stepped in to derail the enrollment, however, citing the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that prohibits the recognition of same-sex marriage for the purpose of federal benefits or programs.

Levenson appealed, seeking either an independently contracted benefits package for his spouse or payment of the equivalent value of the coverage denied. Reinhardt ordered the latter, based on a “back pay” provision in the law covering federal defense lawyers’ employment.  “Considering that the federal government won’t give Tony the equal benefits package of other spouses, we are very pleased with this decision,” said Levenson. “Is it equal treatment? No. Is it a good remedy? Yes. And we are appreciative of the judge’s order.”

The men have been keeping track of the costs of separate insurance  and estimate the back pay and future compensation will amount to thousands of dollars each year.  The judge’s order is expected to resolve the injustice Reinhardt has cited in previous orders in Levenson’s case.  Several other challenges by those denied federal benefits, like filing joint tax returns, are making their way slowly through the federal courts.

The Obama administration has spoken out against what it sees as a discriminatory policy toward gay spouses of federal employees but Atty. Gen. Eric Holder has also said his office is obliged to defend the practice as long as the Defense of Marriage Act remains law. 

Comments Melanie Nathan:- When I wrote to President Obama about Holder’s pursuit I received the following (probably generic) email which was signed with the President’s name.

“Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  I appreciate your perspective. Every American deserves equal protection under our laws, and neither Federal nor state law should discriminate against any American.  The issue of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights has all too often been used to divide our country.  We must treat all of our citizens with dignity and respect, and stand united in our protection of equality–a founding principle of our Nation and a moral imperative. 
      
I continue to oppose a Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.  We must also extend the over 1,100 Federal marital rights and benefits to same-sex couples, because every American should be able to visit a loved one in the hospital, transfer property, and receive equal health insurance and other employment benefits.  
     
My Administration is committed to addressing a full spectrum of issues important to the LGBT community.  We can reduce
discrimination by strengthening hate crimes statutes; supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; ensuring adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation; and opposing discrimination in public accommodations.  To combat HIV/AIDS, we need policies that support people living with this illness and increased funding for prevention, care, and research.  I also support repealing the current Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy in a sensible way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security.  Please join me online to learn more about my civil rights  agenda at:  www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights.     Together, we can create a more open and tolerant society that protects and values all people.  Thank you again for writing.  To be a part of our agenda for change, join us at www.WhiteHouse.gov 

Sincerely,

Barack Obama“

Mr. President – our families cannot wait any longer. Our binationals are being turned away at the airports, even as I write these words.  Just a few days ago a same-sex couple came home and  dispite having a  same-sex valid marriage and visa, the foreign partner was turned away at the airport and sent back to a country where he has no work, at the command of one ICE official given arbitrary power belying his age and qualifications.

If you cannot effect change immediatley, you must create a moratorium on all the unconscienable results of the inequitous laws that plague our lives; you MUST make what you yourself term civil rights your number one priority issue.  What could be more important than ALL Americans being treated the same way.   Is that not why we fight abroad.  What is the point of fighting on foreign soils and losing our soldiers while you continue to fail  your own at home when it comes to basic fairness and human rights. You must provide full civil rights to all your own citizens.

Do something now. Our LGBT leadership is disjointed and fragmented and we cannot expect our non-profits to take the helm in the face of this fragmentation.  Mr. president we voted for you to be our leader and now we expect YOU to be the ONE to lead us to equality. Please spare us your generic words and your purported civil rights agenda – you must come up with something to end all this – the Repeal of DOMA should be first on your list.  You must lead us to equality because you can;  ”YES YOU CAN”

Thank you Sir, for listening.

Article  Melanie Nathan. nathan@privatecourts.com; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com www.visualcv.com/melnathan ;
Picture by Refael Nathan-Israel, 4 years old – taken at kid level of fridge magnets

The full report by researchers from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice won’t be completed until the end of next year, but initial finding are saying that evidence so far has found no data indicating that being gay was a predictor of abuse.

“What we are suggesting is that the idea of sexual identity be separated from the problem of sexual abuse,” said Margaret Smith of John Jay College, in a speech to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “At this point, we do not find a connection between homosexual identity and the increased likelihood of subsequent abuse from the data that we have right now.”

The question has been raised repeatedly within and outside the church because the overwhelming majority of known victims were boys. As part of the church’s response to the crisis, the Vatican ordered a review of all U.S. seminaries that, among other issues, looked for any “evidence of homosexuality”.

Many experts on sex offenders have in the past, rejected any link between sexual orientation and committing abuse. Karen Terry, a John Jay researcher, said it was important to distinguish between sexual identity and behavior, and to look at who the offender had access to when seeking victims.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops commissioned the $2 million study as part of extensive reforms they enacted at the height of the abuse crisis after the scandal rocked the church in 2002 with the cases predator priests in the Archdiocese of Boston, (John Geoghan, John Hanlon, Paul Shanley, Robert V. Gale and Jesuit priest James Talbot) which ultimately resulted in the conviction and sentencing of each to prison. The scandal then spread to nearly every diocese both in the United States and other countries after the church came under  fire for its role in covering up the crimes.

Nearly 14,000 molestation claims have been filed against Catholic clergy since 1950 and abuse-related costs paid out by the church have reached a minimum $2.3 billion in the same period. According to the John Jay report, one-third of the accusations were made in the years 2002-3. Another third of the allegations were reported between 1993 and 2001.

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The drive to ban same-sex marriage in the nations capital by means of a voter referendum had bee pushed by a number of area pastors, including Maryland’s Rev. Harry Jackson, in response to the D.C. Council’s imminent passage of legislation that would guarantee marriage equality for same-sex couples in the District.

”We have considered all of the testimony presented to the Board and understand the desire to place this question on the ballot,” said Board Chairman Errol R. Arthur. ”However, the laws of the District of Columbia preclude us from allowing this initiative to move forward.”

D.C. Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large), who was responsible for introduction of the  marriage equality legislation to the Council, late yesterday saluted the BOEE decision.

”The proposed initiative would have stripped legally married same-sex couples of their vows. Those who proposed the initiative were attempting to write discrimination into our law, and I am pleased that the Board rejected this effort as an impermissible trespass on the human rights of District residents.”

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The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida — also known as The Center — and a second nearby gay-owned business were hit by vandals who spray painted a swastika and the words “Gay Pawer,” “Die Fags,” “Go To Hell” and other homophobic slurs.

“We feel this act is clearly homophobic and transphobic in nature,” said Michael Vance, executive director of The Center. “It is meant to invoke fear in our community; however, we will not act in fear and we will not close our doors. This act illustrates how our services are still badly needed throughout the Central Florida and we will come out stronger and more united as a community.”

The Center said on it web site that it was working to cover the messages on the building and that it has also launched a fund raising effort to install security cameras following the incident to prevent additional vandalism.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida,  has been in operation for over 30 years. It hosts AA, NA, CODA, HIV+ and transgender support groups, CMA, counseling for individuals and couples at a reduced cost, counseling for youth for free, plus various social groups that serve more than 15,000 individuals a year on site and over 8,000 a month online.

The Damage to the two buildings has been estimated to be in excess of $1,000.

http://www.glbcc.org/

Posted by Melanie Nathan an BLOG by David Taffet  and Tammye Nash (quoting Haaretz); Also appeared Boston Globe; 9/2009

If you Think some things you hear from American right wing Christian groups are loony? Well, we Jews are very proud of our own right wing lunatic fringe as well.  According to the Israeli newspaper HaAretz, one Orthodox Jewish group in Israel  (Remember there are many such groups and this would only apply to their own group) has ruled that gay men can marry a woman and still have a male partner.  Imagine liberal? Maybe – maybe not… These are the conditions.

The gay husband can acknowledge he is gay and marry a woman with the understanding that he is not physically attracted to her whatsoever. Any children they have would be conceived artificially or through sexual relations that were only for the sake of reproduction.

At the same time, the gay man may continue a relationship with his male partner, but they would not be allowed to have sexual intercourse. Unclear is whether they may have any type of sexual relations whatsoever, but the rabbis who made this ruling probably only imagine one type of sex.

The husband would be required to undergo counseling with therapists from a group called Atzat Nefesh, whose only purpose is to treat gays and lesbians. Conversion therapy is as discredited by Israeli medical groups as it is by American medical and psychological associations. Since Israel has socialized medicine, it’s not clear who would pay these quacks.

A quote from the Orthodox ruling is that “there is nothing wrong with a close and loyal friendship between two men living with each other,” as long as they refrain from sex.” (All sex or penetration? The translation is unclear).

The ruling claims to adhere to the Bible and in the Bible, polygamy is common.   What is not clear is if the gay men live together, if the gay man lives with the wife or if all three live together. Why would a woman agree to this? Either the rabbis have been watching too much “Will & Grace” (Grace is Jewish, after all, and probably would have married Will) or they applied the Orthodox attitude toward women. A woman, of course, would be seen as little more than property.

The ruling, however, is hailed as liberal. No, not because it allows a relationship outside of marriage or condones an odd three-way relationship. This ruling is liberal because for the first time, an Orthodox body in Israel acknowledges that gay men exist among them. Well there thats a start …   I wonder where us gals fit in – maybe someone can own two of us and we can all live happily ever after… if you get what I mean.

posted by melanie nathan – nathan@privatecourts.com.

 Melanie Nathan Posts:   Rocking’ The Gay 50’s  presented by The Graceland Girls

“Rockin’ The Gay 50’s” brought to you by The Graceland Girls, is a hysterically funny satire on gay adolescence in the 1950’s, the way many of us wish it had been! The show is an amalgam of 50’s rock music with same-sex vignettes for every occasion.

The Graceland Girls is a group of Lesbian musicians and actors over 50. They raise awareness around Gay Equality by spreading laughter through entertainment. They believe in serving a larger community irrespective of age, race, gender or ability.

“The reason I took up the production of this show, besides its enormous entertainment value, is I saw a group of women over 50 so passionate about creating something unique for the community that they were ready to turn their savings into production cost!”, comments Roke Noir. Ms. Noir is the President of Roke Noir Productions, “In Business for a world without strangers” which brings inspiring, innovative and intentional events to the queer community and its friends in the SF Bay Area.

The World Premiere of “Rockin’ The Gay 50’s” will run for 4 days in the SF Bay Area at two landmark theatres; solar powered Ashby Stage in Berkeley on Nov 21st and 22nd and The Victoria Theatre, the oldest operating theatre in San Francisco on Dec 5th and 6th.

Four Shows Only:
- Saturday Nov 21st, 8:00 PM – Ashby Stage, Berkeley
- Sunday Nov 22nd, 2:00 PM – Ashby Stage, Berkeley
- Saturday Dec 5th, 8:00 PM – The Victoria Theatre, San Francisco
- Sunday Dec 6th, 2:00 PM – The Victoria Theatre, San Francisco

“ I had so much fun singing and dancing to the music” says Susan Newman, who came to watch a Sneak Preview of the show on Oct 24th at a Rock & Roll Halloween Party in Oakland “ and I laughed the entire time till I started crying. I am going to bring my son and my mother to the show.”

J. Althea, the Director and one of The Graceland Girls, conceived the show quite accidentally, when love gone awry again and again whispered in her ear: “If only love had been gay from the start”. “Rockin’ The Gay 50’s will be performed by an all gay cast & band but since gay people don’t have a monopoly on adolescent angst, the show is for all folks of all ages and persuasions. Come on down and have some FUN !” says Althea in between playing the piano and advising on Elvis’s entry.

The comedy acting that accompanies the music includes scenes such as The Leader of the Pack crashing & dying, and being dragged offstage to return with wings in time for “Teen Angel”. Another over-the-top scene occurs during “Sherry”. “If you know the lyrics (“won’t you come out tonight”) you can imagine the twist The Graceland Girls have on that song” says Althea with a big grin.

Special discounted tickets are available for children, seniors and members of the community with disability. “We don’t want anyone to be turned away for lack of funds” says Ms. Noir. “ We have a work-exchange in place for people who want to see the show but are going through financial hardships.”

Please go to http://www.gracelandgirls.com/ for More Information and Tickets. Contact Roke Noir at info@gracelandgirls.com or 510.681.9740 if there are further questions.

There has been a great deal of blow back over this particular amendment. Many writers have gone back and forth on the necessity of this, but make it clear that it could end up hurting people all around and on both sides.

A recent article in the Daily Beast by Dr. Willie J. Parker explained his decision to begin to provide abortions. Initially, he refused to due to his religious convictions, but he watched as the lack of availability or the cost of an abortion compounded the pain and suffering already hurting many women, he changed his mind. “In my 15 years as an OB-GYN, I have seen what happens when women can’t afford the abortions they need…But my patients, their families, and their pain don’t matter to the architects of the Stupak amendment,” he stated in that article. He went further, however. “I have spent years learning how to take care of women’s health. But because of my religious beliefs, I didn’t provide abortions right away. It took me a while to realize that by refusing to end a woman’s pregnancy when she decides abortion is the best course for her, I was compounding her suffering, the very opposite of my goal as a physician,” he states towards the end of his article. He explains about two of his patients, women who needed abortions for different reasons, and the likely aftermath of the inability for them to get an abortion.

This video is of the press conference that was held yesterday. For our audience, what will follow the video is text of Senator Gilibrand’s speech.

This week the US Senate is set to begin debate on historic health care legislation to provide affordable, quality care to all Americans. As we begin this historic debate, we must commit ourselves to real health care reform that delivers equal health care for every single American.

Over a week ago, the House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill that delivers affordable, quality care, including a public plan that will bring competition to the market and drive down costs. However, there is one aspect of the House bill that is greatly concerning and moves us farther away from real health care reform: The Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

I am proud to stand here today with this broad coalition of important women leaders – doctors, businesswomen, teachers, public health experts, city, state, and federal elected officials and pro-choice leaders from Gloria Steinem, to Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Council Speaker Quinn to NARAL, Planned Parenthood and so many others to speak out against this discriminatory and dangerous anti-choice provision and ensure that we defeat any similar measures in the Senate this week.

By banning reproductive coverage in all subsidized plans, the Stupak measure would likely prevent women from purchasing insurance with reproductive care even with their own money. This would put the health of millions of women and young girls at grave risk.

While proponents of the measure say this is a continuation of current federal law, this amendment will, in fact, bring about significant change and dramatically limit reproductive health care in this country. This is government invading the personal lives of many Americans, establishing for the first time restrictions on people who pay for their own private health insurance.

We all agree that it’s important to reduce abortions in this country, and I will continue to work on many ways to reduce unintended pregnancies and to promote adoption. However, the Stupak amendment effectively bans reproductive coverage in all health insurance plans in the new system, whether they be public or private.

Proposing that women purchase a separate abortion rider is not only discriminatory, but ridiculous. It would require women to essentially plan for an event that occurs in the most unplanned and sometimes emergency situations.

There are currently five states that require a separate rider for abortion coverage, and in these five states it’s nearly impossible to find such a private insurance policy. In one state, North Dakota, one insurance company holds 91 percent of the state’s health insurance market and refuse toss even offer such a rider.

This anti-choice measure poses greater restriction on low-income women and those who are more likely to receive some kind of subsidy and less likely to be able to afford a supplemental insurance policy. Denying low-income women reproductive coverage in this way is discriminatory and dangerous.

Without proper coverage, women will be forced to postpone care, while attempting to find the money they need to pay for it. A delay that can lead to increased costs and graver health risks, particularly for younger girls. Or these women will be forced to return to dangerous, back alley providers.

In fact, this amendment represents the only place in the entire health care bill where the opponents are actually correct. It limits access to medical care by giving the government, not the patient or the doctor, the power to make medical decisions. The Senate bill already ensures that no federal tax dollars may be used to pay for reproductive services in any public or private insurance plan beyond cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment. The House language goes far further and should be removed from the final bill.

Women and girls deserve better.

I will work with my colleagues in Congress and everyone here today to oppose any similar amendment in the Senate and fight to end disparities among race and gender in our health care system. Thank you.

After our night at the Cougar bar, Jo and I decided to give ourselves a treat and go Gay. We searched the area and found a gay bar within driving distance. It was Rose’s last night in town and she was very supportive of our Sapphic desires. We called our puppy sitter, packed the car, and piled in for a little road trip.

Determined to cancel out the previous night with Buzz cut, Jo and I dressed to the nines in our favorite gay gear. I ditched my dress for one of Jo’s sexy vests. With jitters in my belly, one would think it was my first time. I felt eighteen all over again as I entered a gay bar after being strictly closeted for the past six months. Getting stamped by the sexually ambiguous bouncer offered a breath of fresh air. The emotions from our previous night’s debacle washed away.

As we made way to the bartender, my smile grew larger from ear to ear. Sitting on an open bar stool, Rose leaned over to tell me how comfortable my body language had become. I was home. Although I didn’t know a single person in this foreign place, I was home.

We joined the masses on the dance floor and Jo came in behind me. The love of my life was dancing close to me in a place where we could be ourselves. Yet, so much time had passed since we had been affectionate in public, it felt oddly unnatural. I grabbed her hand, determined to overcome this out-of-body experience I was having. As a Madonna classic came overhead, we broke for a bathroom break. I asked Jo how she felt about our long awaited night OUT. Sadly, it was odd for both of us. Although we sleep intertwined on a nightly basis and kiss endlessly in our home, we were officially that awkward gay couple who were unsure how to behave outside our closet walls. How could this possibly have happened in such a short time? I was once the girl who planned group trips to Provincetown. Who is this person I have become?

And then as quickly as the homecoming came, it was gone. I noticed that there were an unusual amount of (what seemed to be) straight men. Hmmm? Certainly nothing I had experienced before but if they were intrigued or curious, good for them for coming out. Unfortunately, as I watched more closely, it appeared that these men were checking out the lesbians.

Another beer in hand, I calmed myself, We deserve this night; I will not let my uneasy feeling and these sleazebags bother me. Jo and I just need to relax.

And then my typically calm and collected girlfriend gasped and ducked behind Rose. The dreaded words that I prayed would not be spoken during our gay getaway came out of Jo’s mouth in a sad and defeated whisper, “I work with that man across the bar.”

At first, Rose and I were relaxed, despite my internal horror. If he was here, far from base, then he must be gay too. But as Jo hid behind us, we studied him. He appeared to be enjoying the women much more than the men. Who knows if our interpretation of his behavior was accurate? I do know we cannot risk Jo’s career. What if he was straight? And what if he has seen us touch or kiss? Defeated, we got back in the car after only three dances and two beers. After our first attempt at girls’ night out, I had no tears left to shed.

My grandmother, very Catholic until her last breath, must have been in the car with us on that trip home.  Suddenly a prayer came to me that I heard for years growing up. Ironically, for the first time in my gay life, my Catholicism offered some peace.

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.

“This is an assault on marriage from beyond the grave. They’re like gay zombies,” Colbert says at one point in the segment. In another, he says “Heaven is singing in a choir in a flowing white robe, wearing little white wings, playing a harp. You know, guy stuff.”

Colbert also went after the Catholic Church for their attempt to blackmail the Washington, DC City Council by saying “I mean, they have no choice. After all, as Jesus said, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, unless a couple of dudes register at Pottery Barn, in which case, f**k the poor.’”

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30 pm, and repeatedly throughout the day on Comedy Central.

Ian McKellen was born on the eve of World War II on 25 May 1939 in the Lancashire town of Burnley, but spent much of his formative years in the town of Wigan, which is part of Greater Manchester. The town was the site of factories and coal processors, and the whole area was extensively bombed by Nazi forces. The effects of the war linger with McKellen even to this day. During the 9/11 attacks, a reporter asked him why he was so calm, and he reported as having quipped “Well, darling, you forget — I slept under a steel plate until I was four years old.” For many a lower and middle class family, the evacuations out of the major metropolitan areas was financially impossible.

As the child of civil engineer and lay preacher Denis Murray and Margery Louis McKellen, he grew up in a non-conformist, but deeply Christian household. His mother passed away when he was twelve, and his father remarried. Denis McKellen would pass away twelve years later.

McKellen attended Bolton School, where he was first introduced to the theater as an actor. He remains a supporter of both the school and the Bolton Little Theater to this day.

Sir Ian came out publicly in 1988. When he told his step-mother, Gladys, she was glad that he no longer had to lie about his homosexuality, but she was completely accepting. She was a member of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. Recently, the Quakers came out in support of full marriage rights for gays and lesbians in Great Britain.

What prompted McKellen to come out to the public on a BBC Radio 3 program was the Parliamentary amendment Section 28 which made the public promotion of homosexuality a crime. The amendment, championed by Dame Margaret Thatcher (who is still alive despite rumors of her recent demise due to a cat of a similar name), did not have any criminal penalties, and thus was never actually enforced. It was put into law in 1988, removed from the law books in Scotland in 2000, and in England in 2003. McKellen chose to get involved in the LGBT rights movement, including becoming one of the founders of Stonewall, no matter what the negative effects of his decision would be to his career.

If it had a negative effect on his career, it does not show in his filmography. From 1988 until the present, McKellen has made some fifty film and television appearances, including his most famous role to date- Gandalf the Grey in Lord of the Rings. He also teamed up with fellow Royal Shakespeare Society alum Patrick Stewart for the X-Men movies where he played Eric Lehnscherr, a Nazi Concentration Camp survivor.

Like many a good British actor, he does television for the exposure, film for the money, but does stage for the love of acting. He has had numerous roles on the stage ranging from appearing in Dr. Faustus to the most recent revival of Waiting for Godot, opposite Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, most famous in the United States as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played to sold out crowds for various productions including his recent foray as King Lear, in which he teamed up with long time director Trevor Nunn. Indeed, across the years, McKellen has worked with many famous actors and actresses such as Dame Judi Dench in MacBeth, and Sir Derek Jacobi, who was one of McKellen’s first great unrequited crushes. Derek George Jacobi is also openly gay (and likely to be profiled here in the future).

Over all, McKellen has made his life in acting one that is often intertwined with his activism. He has appeared in films such as And the Band Played On, and Gods and Monsters. The film Gods and Monsters, in which he stars opposite Brendan Fraser, is a biopic about James Whale, director of Frankenstein. Whale was openly gay throughout the majority of his career.

In 2002, McKellen attended the Oscars with his then boyfriend Nick Cuthell, and was the second actor to do so. The first was the late Sir Nigel Hawthorne in 1995.

As one last note, in 1994, McKellen announced at the closing ceremonies of the Gay Games, “I’m Sir Ian McKellen, but you can call me Serena.” Serena was a nickname given to him by Stephen Fry, who is also openly gay. Fry is most famous for being part of the comedy duo Fry and Laurie, where he starred opposite House actor Hugh Laurie.

Ian McKellen continues to act, and to be active in LGBT advocacy. It is rumored that he will return to the big screen as Gandalf the Grey in the upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit. Currently, he is starring in the remake of The Prisoner as Number Two on AMC.

Photo via Wikipedia

Nassau Broadcasting, the owner of WEMJ 1490am in Laconia, says it terminated its contract with air conservative radio host Doug Lambert’s “Meet the New Press” show after Lambert called New Hampshire’s Democratic Party chairman Raymond Buckley, who is gay, “a faggot,” and further insulting him by mimicking the way gay men are purported to walk during a live web cam streaming to the Internet last weekend.

“Although the comments by Mr. Lambert were not aired on our station, we find the comments by him to be completely out of line and unacceptable, and we will not allow Mr. Lambert the opportunity to continue to air his show on our radio station,” said Rob Fulmer, regional manager for Nassau.

In addition, Ed Engler, the editor of the Laconia Daily Sun, announced his newspaper would no longer carry Lambert’s weekly column.

While Lambert apologized immediately after his comments, Lambert also found himself being forced to resign from his county co-chairman position on Republican congressional candidate Frank Guinta’s campaign as well, after local Republican leaders condemned Lambert’s comments.

Ryan Williams, a spokesman for the Granite States GOP said, “Mr. Lambert’s comments were completely inappropriate, offensive and hurtful” and they “having nothing to do with the party whatsoever.”

Mo Baxley, executive director of N.H. Freedom to Marry Coalition, also responded to Lambert’s comments at a press conference Monday in Concord and called on former governor and current N.H. Republican Party, John H. Sununu, to ” denounce his (Lambert’s) despicable comments.”

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091117/GJNEWS02/711179924/-1/CITNEWS

The Conservative Party in New York is stating that they will withhold their endorsement of any Senator who votes for marriage equality. Conservative Party chairman Michael Long said “That happens to be one of the lines in the sand. As far as I’m concerned, in the areas where I have a say — and I don’t have a say in every district — one need not apply if they vote in favor of the issue.”

The question, of course, is how much influence the Conservative Party holds at this point in time. While it may be easy to say that the Conservative Party’s fortunes have risen in the wake of the Doug Hoffman loss, it may also find that they have now been saddled with the fortunes of the Tea Party and Sarah Palin faction of the Republican Party. This could turn off or offend people who feel that that wing of the Republican Party are too loony to vote with.

The vote in New York 23 is not as much of a victory as the Conservative Party or the Tea Party Wing would like to believe. Doug Hoffman still lost, and had Scozzafava pulled out of the race early enough to pull her name off the ballot, it is still likely that Doug Hoffman would have lost. Those who voted for Scozzafava did so because they did not like either of the two candidates, not because they supported her. Polling indicated that that group would have been more likely to break for Owens than Hoffman had Scozzafava not been in the race.

The other problem facing the Conservative Party is the reality that they may be facing a lot of state senators who realize that winning in 2010 is almost impossible at this point and who are going to break towards marriage equality rather than away from it. Many of those who are already in danger via the Conservative Party’s threat to withhold their endorsement are already politicians who have stated that they will not vote for marriage equality anyway. Thus, this may not be the level of threat that it appears.

The other problem is money. Doug Hoffman got as many votes as he did because the Club for Growth and other such outside groups poured a great deal of money into the race. That kind of money, from groups which view local concerns as being parochial, that will not really be there for the Conservative Party in the upcoming state elections.

Furthermore, a lot also will depend upon the kinds of resources that the LGBT Advocacy groups can muster to help defend those at risk politicians. Vermont Freedom To Marry is already gearing up for 2010 in order to defend those senators who voted for marriage equality in that state.

What Long has done is less put his party into a situation where he can count on his party’s fortunes rising, but rather simply made the situation in New York next year extremely chaotic. What he could end up doing is creating a situation in these individual districts where the Republican Moderates in the same vein as Dierdre Scozzafava vote for the Democratic candidate who does not have the backing of the Conservative Party instead of voting for the person that Long endorses.

The Advocate
Albany Times Union

Jo and I needed to let loose.  Hence, Friday was “Girl’s Night Out.”  In my pre-Navy existence, this would have consisted of our beautiful lesbian friends and a hot ‘girl’ party in the city.  Jo and I would slow dance, kiss, and walk home, hand in hand.  While we can no longer be publically affectionate, we still get giddy drunk and love dancing with our new girlfriends.  For Friday’s festivities, we chose a Cougar hot spot, as our friend Candy is a recent (hot) divorcee.  I love any reason to put on my favorite dress and paint on smoky eye makeup (yes, I am what you may call a lipstick lesbian.)  Jo, typically cozy in her kicks, broke out heels for this rare night out.

The best thing you’ve ever done for me
Is to help me take my life less seriously, it’s only life after all…

The evening began fabulously.  We snapped photos, danced to the live band and sang loudly. Grabbing a drink and cooling down at the bar, I was approached.  Tall, blond, chubby and not so handsome, he asked, “Can I buy you a drink?”
This is certainly not the first time I’ve been hit on by a man.  But it was the first time I could not respond with my usual, “I don’t think my girlfriend would like that.”  I suppose I could have said boyfriend, but I just said “No thank you.”

I am so proud of who I am and who I am with.  Moments like this,  blatant  denial of who we are, make me want to cry.  I suddenly longed for my lesbian haven.

Well darkness has a hunger that’s insatiable
And lightness has a call that’s hard to hear…

My sad darkness started to close in around me and then the night got worse.  Lightness was farther and farther away.  Our friend Rose, single, straight and very sexy, was approached by a man with a buzz cut.   As I walked up from the bathroom, Jo sharply whispered, “He’s military, don’t touch me.” I hadn’t touched her once the entire night, but that didn’t matter. Her fear had kicked in and punched me in the gut.

I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it…

As Rose danced with Buzz cut, my head began pounding.  I stopped ordering cocktails and began tearing up, sitting there listening to “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Regardless of our night OUT, we always have to be IN.

I stopped by the bar at 3 a.m.
To seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend…

There is no solace in this gay Navy world, just constant reminders of the fact that we can no longer be true to who we are.  This will never be even CLOSE to fine.

I woke up with a headache like my head against a board
Twice as cloudy as I’d been the night before…

As I drove to get coffee and bagels on Saturday morning, “Closer to Fine” by the Indigo Girls came on the radio (hence, the italic song reference throughout this post.)  Oddly, I immediately felt peace.  Jo and I may feel isolated in this new world without our lesbian network, but you are out there.  Just when I seem to lose sight of the community we were so actively a part of, an iconic lesbian duo streams through the radio and pulls me out of my own trenches. Perhaps we’ll be fine after all.

The arguments for and against abortion and marriage rights are often boiled down into a soft, mushy, ambiguous statement which is easily countered and easily held onto. It lacks any real depth, but it is that shallowness that makes it easy to understand and easy to cling to.

Abortion, like most social issues, is not about murder, changing a definition, or any of those surface issues. They are about how the country defines itself, and what reality is. In truth, you have one side of this fight who wish beyond hope that they could shut their eyes and cover their faces and make all the “bad” stuff disappear, and those who know that the “bad” stuff is not going to go away.

You end up on one side of the equation, a group of people who lack empathy and the ability to understand, and on the other, a group of people who think that an emotional argument will break down those barriers. The recent battle over marriage equality in Maine is a prime example. The No on 1 campaign waged a battle showing how non-threatening LGBT families are, and how we are all like them. It was an emotional appeal to let us have equality in order to have normal lives. The Yes on 1 campaign focused on fear of the other, and making darned sure that people feared the idea of even empathizing with LGBT Americans. The hope out of the Yes on 1 campaign is that, by banning same-sex marriage, they can make it go away because it is uncomfortable and scary to them. They hammer away with arguments which are blatant in their fear mongering, and equally blatant in their incoherence, and yet, they get away with it because they have a lot of people who believe that, should marriage be denied to gays and lesbians, they’ll just marry a straight person. Their logic does not include the idea that homosexuality is genetic, and it certainly does not include the idea that marriage equality will actually preserve far more marriages than it will destroy.

The past is something that has been romanticized over and over again with a Victorian patina of respectability. Read Edith Hamilton’s Mythology some time, there will be no single mention of the same-sex love between Athena and Pallas, and the role of Ganymede as Zeus’ lover is certainly not part of that book. Mythology was sanitized for the reading public. It is to that patina, that mythology, of what the past use to be like that these people want to return, and there is little arguing with them. They have created their own little belief system which states that, if abortion is illegal, it will stop, and that, if gays and lesbians are unequal, they will disappear. It has nothing to do with reality since it is, ultimately, divorced from reality.

Theirs is a world view in which crime must be punished and not understood. Theirs is a world which believes that a psychotic should be executed. Theirs is a world view where the reality of the life of ordinary people cannot penetrate. They make arguments rooted in religion, in culture, in the past. They ignore what does not fit within those set beliefs, even within their own religion.

They often know that what they are preparing to do is going to hurt others. They know that what they are doing is, at some level, wrong. They do not care so long as it returns this nation back to the mythological past. They seek to return to a white picket fenced house with a mother, a father, two kids, and not a problem in the world.

Of course, they fail to see the Audrey in the yard (think Little Shop of Horrors).

Theirs is a procrustean bed upon which reality must be put and the bits that do not fit must be chopped off.

I make these assertions with gravity, for they are grave assertions to make. I do not make them without thought and research. I do not make them without grave concerns about what I am saying. Each word is often worked over. This particular article is the work of three days. Its roots are in the wake of the Stupak Amendment and the Maine Vote.

It is often hard to be the person standing in the middle wanting not to abandon reason or to go to extremes. It is often hard to want to understand the motivations and rationales of everyone, and yet to be unable or unwilling to forgive trespasses on either side. There are issues on the Left that drive me as far up the wall as those on the Right. There are Liberals who make me as upset as there are Conservatives. Even Keith Olbermann can anger me as much as Bill O’Reilly, no matter how much I like Mr. Olbermann, and no matter how much what he says matches my own beliefs. Of those times that the Left angers me as much as the Right, I will write about at a future date.

Where’s My Lesbian is a site for the LGBTQ community to express themselves using all forms of artwork. We encourage members to contribute their poetry, music, artwork and participate in our forums. We want to help develop an online community where all members will feel welcome and feel like they have a place to go when they want to be heard or seen. Everyone is welcome.

It is a place where one can find humor, enjoy a video, and network with others in the online LGBTQ Community. There are resources to off site places, including one to this site. There are also forums to which people can go to discuss various topics as well. the site includes movie reviews, reviews of various other topics, and on site games.

The site is a work in progress. The site is small, but growing, and there is certainly hope that it will grow further in the future. We certainly recommend that those who are interested in a welcoming LGBTQ online experience head over, give it a good look, and join if social networking is something you love to do.

The site can be found at: Where’s My Lesbian

As a note of caution, hate crimes are not simple categories. A person may fit into multiple categories and the hate crimes may fall into several categories. For instance it is possible for someone to be African-American, gay, and Jewish. Thus, adding up all the numbers from the different categories might result in a number far in excess of the 1,397 reported crimes.

More than half the crimes were committed based upon a person’s race or ethnicity, with the majority of those being against African-Americans.

Of the two categories which saw the biggest rise, hate crimes against Jews rose the most. In 2008, there were 184 threats and assaults against Jews in California, a rise of thirty-seven percent. Crimes against LGBT-Americans rose to 440 crimes.

The rise in hate crimes against these two groups likely has different origins. The rise in crimes against Jews likely has its roots in the economic uncertainty of the last year. While the stereotypes of the wealthy Jewish business mogul are inaccurate, many people tend to believe them. Thus, they tend to blame Jews for the economic problems that they, themselves, are facing.

Hate crimes against LGBT-Americans have more to do with the push for marriage equality rather than economics. When it comes to civil rights pushes, there tends to be a push back irregardless of economic situation. Often times, those perpetrating hate crimes often seek to punish the minority trying to gain equality. This is usually meant to make sure that the group caves in on its demands regarding equality and silently slinks back into the shadows.

All statistics are those released by the office of California Attorney General Jerry Brown.

There is, however, one wrinkle to this that could mean that Major Hasan will not be serving time in jail. What has been ignored by those who have more of a stake in revving up anti-Muslim sentiment is that there are reports that Major Hasan may have been mentally imbalanced. That, at some point, he suffered a psychotic break. If he did suffer a psychotic break, then the stories he listened to from returning soldiers would have only fueled that. The tormenting that he received for his religion would have driven him further into both the psychosis and the most radical ends of the Islamic spectrum. After all, when under assault, one tends to seek refuge in the comforts of the solidness of the past, and radical Islam always portrays itself like radical Christianity- as Defenders of the Past.

In the coming weeks, months and years that this horror story unfolds, we will likely see a number of reasons and rationales for why Major Hasan was not pulled out of the ranks. We will hear people say why he was not given treatment for his degrading mental status. We will probably hear people state that they kept him in and under surveillance in case he could lead them to other radical Islamists. We will hear people say that they were worried that his mental health was going down the tubes, but did not think that he was bad enough to report. We will hear people give a thousand and one reasons, including ones that fit into the cries of the Conservatives in this nation. We may even here that Major Hasan was not removed because he did not seem bad enough to remove, and the military needs the men. Of course, they do not need gays and lesbians according to some generals.

Major Hasan, it has been reported, wanted out, at least of deployment. By the time he got to that point, however, it was already too late. He had been the victim of hate crimes, of harassment, and of a conflict between his faith and his duty. He had become incoherent.

He had snapped.

The problem with someone who is put into that pressure cooker is that they will, eventually, break. It does not matter if that person is Muslim, gay, lesbian, transgender, African-American, Asian, or what ever minority. Eventually, a person put into the pressure cooker of hate crimes, harassment, and degradation will snap. Some will just sink into depression. Others will take a gun and start shooting people. It is a pattern seen over and over again, but one that is never actually addressed. It never occurs to people that crimes like those allegedly committed by Major Hasan are a result of the harassment and prejudice of others.

It is a prejudice that blooms every time we see someone calling this terrorism, or attacking this because Major Hasan’s religion. All that ends up happening, in the end, is that someone, somewhere will snap as well.

With the growing tensions between the Religious community and the LGBT community, there is a lesson to be learned. The hate, prejudice and lies by the religious community will, at some point, lead to a backlash that will get physical instead of verbal.

The price of prejudice is often blood.

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11/13/09-By Paula Brooks
Federal investigators moved to seize four mosques in the US and a skyscraper in Manhattan yesterday over their alleged financial aid to Iran.

Federal Attorneys in Manhattan filed a civil complaint in the federal court seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets of the Alavi Foundation, which describes itself as a charitable foundation, and a company, Assa.

The mosques are in New York City, Maryland, California and Texas.

Prosecutors claim that the foundation and the company have been engaged in money laundering, with the cash sent back to Tehran.

The Alavi Foundation on the other hand says while many of its contributors do feel that the spiritual center of their faith does reside in Iran, the funds are for “religious works,” and that the money is being used to make “contributions to not-for-profit organizations within the United States that support interfaith harmony and promote Islamic culture and Persian language, literature and civilization.”

But New York prosecutors allege that the foundation is funneling the money back to Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli, who the Feds say is helping  finance the Iranian nuclear bomb program.

I am not going to say I have any love for the Theocratic Dictatorship of Iran, because I don’t. I think them dangerous and in opposition to everything I hold dear. But I do feel the takeover of mosques will raise serious constitutional questions around the right of freedom to religion and I do think there is a bit of a discriminatory double standard being put forth here by the US Government…

Because if you are going by the details the Justice Department is putting out in this case… this situation has been going on a long time before Iran even became a problem child, and the last time I checked the Vatican was also officially another country that at times has been hostile to US policy, and has organizations in this country collecting and laundering money that will be later used against US citizens.

The Vatican, like Iran is a sovereign country, which has been internationally recognized as an independent nation. It was created in 1929 as the end result of a deal with the Italian Fascist Dictator Benito Mussolini, which established the independent State of the Vatican City.

The Vatican, like Iran, issues passports, prints it’s own money, has an army, a national police force and has founded its own national bank to invest and increase the funds given to the Roman Catholic Church for “religious works”.

And like Iran the Vatican is also a Theocratic Dictatorship, in which the head of the Roman Catholic Church, holds the power. Its current leader, Pope Benedict XVI, has full and absolute executive, legislative and judicial power over his country and he is not exactly a friend to the current administration in Washington.

In 1973 the Supreme Court recognized the right to privacy was protected by the Constitution and that such right encompassed the right of every woman to weigh the personal, moral, and religious considerations involved in deciding whether to commence, prevent, continue, or terminate a pregnancy.

That decision carefully balanced the rights of women to make important reproductive decisions with the state’s interest in potential life and has protected the health and lives of women in the United States by not forcing some 1,200,000 American women each year to resort to illegal abortions, with known hazards including unsanitary conditions, incompetent treatment, infection, hemorrhage, disfiguration, and death. Before 1973 as many as 5,000 women died each year in the United States as a result of having an illegal abortion.

Illegal abortions were, needless to say, extremely violent to American Women, since some 180,000 American Women would have died in this country as a result of back alley abortions had the Supreme Court had not ruled the way it did in 1973. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed between 90,000 and 140,000 people.

However, since Benedict has ascended to the papacy, he has been hostile to many of the official policies of the United States, such as the fact abortion has been ruled legal and a fundamental right of American woman by the United States Supreme Court and he has been working aggressively to change this country’s abortion policy to what it was prior to 1973.

The Vatican’s Theocratic Dictatorship has also made it clear that relations between the United States and the Vatican will sour if President Obama were to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would codify that right into U.S. law and that Theocratic Dictatorship has made more the a few threats about what they would do should that happen.

Right now, anti-abortion terrorists, who tend to quote the Vatican Theocratic Dictatorship a lot and seem to be pretty well funded, are conduct bombing, arson and assassination campaigns in the United States against the supporters of a Women’s Right to make up her own mind about what is best for her health.

Notwithstanding, The Catholic Church and related organizations such as the Knights of Columbus here in the United States are still being allowed to do exactly the same thing the Alavi Foundation is accused of doing … they collect money… move it around till it is cleaned up and eventually moved off shore to a country that has shown itself hostile to the rights and wellbeing of some citizens of the United States, namely American Women.

Those funds are at some point deposited in the official Vatican Bank, founded to invest and increase the funds given to the Roman Catholic Church for “religious works”. But those “religious works,” seem to increasingly include the Theocratic Dictatorship of Pope Benedict XVI aggressively trying to influence politics and policy in the United States and other countries, by bribing, intimidating and bullying elected officials, conducting well financed propaganda campaigns and who knows what else.

And as we all know from the Iranian example, you really can’t believe a thing those Theocratic Dictatorships say.

So when is the Justice Department moving to seize the funds of the Knights of Columbus and padlock St Patrick’s Cathedral?

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Senator Gillibrand stated, in accepting the endorsement, “I am very honored to once again have the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign. Equality, civil rights, and equal justice for the LGBT community must be a clarion call for our party and our generation. This is the civil rights march of our generation. We must continue to push every day to repeal DADT, repeal DOMA, and provide equal protections in the work place for all Americans. There is far more support for our cause than people realize. Let’s continue working together to write a new chapter of equality in this country.”

Senator Gillibrand has been a strong advocate for LGBT rights, including being willing to sponsor the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. She is also supportive of repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. She added her name to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and to the Matthew Shepard Act.

11/12/09-by Paula Brooks
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced today that she would be holding a press conference with other elected women in Manhattan next Monday. They are expected to speak out against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

Introduced by Michigan Rep Bart Stupak as part of a last minute deal to get passage of the larger Health Care Bill, the amendments language not only prohibits abortion coverage in the public insurance option included in the House bill. It would also prevent private plans from offering coverage for abortion services if they accept people who are receiving government subsidies and will require that women want to continue to receive such services purchase a separate policy rider that covers reproductive services.

Abortion-rights advocates are calling the Stupak amendment a “de facto” abortion ban and have mounted an intense lobbying campaign against it.

Earlier this week, Gillibrand joined the fight against Stupak’s anti-abortion health care amendment and went on the Senate floor, throwing down the gauntlet on saying, “Proposing that women … purchase a separate abortion rider is not only discriminatory, but ridiculous.”

A Gillibrand spokesman says the Senator will be also be standing up in opposition to the Stupak amendment with other women elected officials, pro-choice leaders and women’s health experts during the press conference.

The event is scheduled for 11:15am Monday, November16th 2009 at 780 3rd Avenue in New York City.

For more information you can call 212 688-9595.

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According to their press release “The ESF was one of the first LGBT organizations to approach the Mormon Church after the Church influenced its members to spend millions for the passage of Proposition 8 in California . The 2008 referendum on gay marriage became the most costly in United States history, and passed by 52 percent to restrict marriage to be between only a man and a woman.”

A non-partisan, non-profit organization, the ESF is an advocacy group dedicated to equality for LGBT-Americans. They work to gain equality by educating those outside the LGBT-Community about the similarities that all people have and to not focus upon the differences.

According to their press release, A. Latham Staples, ESF President & CEO has stated “We have a long way to go though before trust can be restored with the Mormon Church. But it is time that we move on from Prop. 8, and focus on building relationships, understanding our differences, and focusing on our similarities – this is the only way we can change people’s minds and hearts.” However, he also stated “We’ve worked hard to engage the church to discuss LGBT issues and get past the bitterness of Prop. 8, and I am encouraged by their recent endorsement of the Salt Lake City non-discrimination housing and employment acts.”

However, the attitude of the Mormon Church about marriage equality and their suspected continued involvement in groups fighting marriage equality laws in the country makes it hard for much of the bitterness and suspicion regarding the Mormon Church’s support of other rights hard to shake.

Fifty years ago, Kennedy was lucky to have a Pope who did not seek to interfere in national or even local politics. Unfortunately, Pope Benedict has been far less than willing to withhold his political instructions and has been actively supporting people who hae pushed a socially conservative agenda. Those he supports have even gone into active lobbying, as per the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. Regarding the amendment, Catholic Bishops actually went to the Capital and lobbied to make it all but impossible for a woman to get an insurance plan that could help her pay for an abortion.

This time, the tactic appears to have backfired. The Catholic Church’s DC Archdiocese is threatening to stop all social services within the city should the marriage law go through without an exemption written into it that would give the Church the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians. The bill, as it stands, would exempt churches from performing marriage ceremonies and renting out space to gays and lesbians should it conflict with their religious beliefs; however, it would still require all institutions to abide by laws regarding benefits.

The Catholic Church made this announcement following the vote regarding a provision which would have exempted individuals from providing marriage related services to gays and lesbians based upon religious belief. The amendment was sponsored by Ward-6 Councilor Yvette M. Alexander. She told the Washington Post “Lets say an individual caterer is a staunch Christian and someone wants him to do a cake with two grooms on top. Why can’t they say, based on their religious beliefs, ‘I can’t do something like that’?”

It was pointed out that such an exemption could be subject to abuse. “The problem with the individual exemption is anybody could discriminate based on their assertion of religious principle. There were many people back in the 1950s and ’60s, during the civil rights era, that said separation of the races was ordained by God,” said Councilor Phil Mendelson, head of the Council’s judiciary committee.

Some have stated that they believe that the exemption could pass with some changes. With regards to those institutions which currently receive city funds to operate, they would still be required to give medical benefits, allow for adoptions to be granted through their services, and to rent halls to gays and lesbians for reasons other than marriage.

According to David Catania, an Independent City Councilor, the Catholic Church’s charities received some $8.2 million dollars from 2006 through 2008. Catania, a large supporter of the Catholic Charities, stated “If they find living under our laws so oppressive that they can no longer take city resources, the city will have to find an alternative partner to step in to fill the shoes.” Indications are that the DC City Council has already begun searching for a new contractor to fill the Catholic Church’s role should they pull out.

Campaign for All D.C.’s Pete Rosenstein called what the Roman Catholic Church was doing “blackmail.” “The issue here is they are using public funds, and to allow people to discriminate with public money is unacceptable,” he stated. LGBT groups have strong support on the DC Council.

Mary M. Cheh, Democrat of Ward 3, stated “Are they really going to harm people because they have a philosophical disagreement with us on one issue? I hope, in the silver light of day, when this passes, because it will pass, they will not really act on this threat.”

Currently, Representative Lynn Woolsey is calling for an IRS investigation into the activities of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. The question will arise regarding whether or not other instances of direct interference in government should be investigated as well.

While President Barack Obama has been openly critical of DADT and asked for it to be repealed, he has not done a significant amount of lobbying for the repeal. According to Representative Barney Frank, the President does support ending the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the United State’s military.

Several countries allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, including several which have been working actively with the United States military in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

According to Representative Frank, “‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ was always going to be part of the military authorization.” It seems unlikely that this was the original plan since the Military Readiness Enhancement Act has been introduced; however, given the reluctance of some within Congress to touch LGBT related issues, this may have been the backup plan. Recently, several Democrats from ‘red’ districts have voiced reluctance to deal with DADT or the Defense of Marriage Act.

That day became known as Armistice Day, but today is known as Veterans’ Day.

In the past 400 years, my family has heeded the call to arms for four nations. First for France and England, then for Canada and the United States. Among the wars that have been fought on this continent, they have served in nearly all. I sit today just over twenty-five miles from where ancestors of mine fought to prevent the English from sailing down the Champlain.

The promise of America has always been that all of its citizens are equal. While, at the time that promise was made, only white men were considered to be true citizens, that promise was made to all. This country fought a Civil War in order to put an end to the ownership of one man by another, and almost fought another in order to make sure that the political and civil rights of those people were held to be equal to those who had enjoyed them for so long.

That promise was extended to women.

That promise was extended to gays, lesbians and transpeople.

That promise is, as of yet, unfulfilled.

It matters little that our President is African-American, and it matters little than a woman is Speaker of the House.

What matters is that our President has been attacked for his race and not his merit. That people have attacked the Speaker of the House for being a woman. That, in the last campaign, the one woman who was fighting to become President was belittled for being a woman. What matters is that our gay and lesbian soldiers serve in silence and dread every day because of policies which betray the very promise of this nation.

What matters is that, today, America is still far from the promises that were made to its citizens, and that the fight for a more perfect Union continues.

I am also a deaf lesbian widow and the working mother to twin three year olds… I don’t make a lot of money and what I do make goes to feeding, housing and clothing my little family. But I am fortunate to have a job that has healthcare coverage.

I have not been with out tragedy or struggle in my life … I lost my wife and soul mate Debbie due too breast cancer far to early and am now being denied her benefits for our children…. children we created together… Because of DOMA

My beautiful Debbie was a Navy pilot when we met… and she love to fly, but she was forced to choose… between her love for me and her first love of being a pilot.

I had to watch her get tears in her eyes every time a Navy jet flew over and her heart broke for 8 years… Because of DADT

But we went on to build a successful, tax paying, business together and created a wonderful family.

As she was dying, Debs spoke so much of her days in the Navy as one of the best things she ever did, but at her funeral… that had full military honors because of her honorable service to our country… a country Debs loved so very much and would have been willing to die for… I had to pitch a bitch just to get the officer in charge of her funeral detail to give me the flag off my wife’s coffin… Because of the current policies of my country…

I voted for President Obama… I sent him money and knocked on doors for him… because he promised to end all these policies. Policies that keep Debbie’s children from benefit entitled to them and disrespected her funeral.

But in the time since they have been in office, President Obama and the Democratic leadership have a pretty solid track record of saying one thing about LGBT rights then doing something entirely different.

Last month at an HRC fund raising dinner, on the eve of a march by 100,000 LGBT rights activists, President Obama promised to end that Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell policy and called on Congress to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act. Yet not two week later, on the weekend before a major referendum on same-sex marriage in Maine, President Obama’s Justice Department filed a brief in a Federal Court defending that same Defense Of Marriage Act he vowed to repeal.

To make matters worse, when Stonewall Democrats in Maine asked the Democratic National Committee for financial help and logistic support in that referendum, they were refused, only to have that same Democratic National Committee turn around to send e-mails to Gay Democrats in Maine asking for their assistance in the re-election effort of Gov. Jon Corzine… in NEW JERSEY.

LGBTs in Maine lost the right to marry in that referendum and you can be sure that lost is going to be mentioned prominently in any future effort to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act.

On Saturday, we entered the final stretch of a 100-year march toward extending health care coverage to the millions of Americans who currently live without.

The goal of overhauling the heath care system was supposed to be equality – to give every American access to comprehensive coverage and make it affordable.

But the Democratic leadership in the House did not have the votes to advance their version of the bill Saturday and were willing to trade away a woman right to chose what is best for her and her body by cutting a Faustian Bargain with anti-choice Democrats and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to get those votes by allowing passage of the Stupak-Pitts amendment.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment will prohibit federal funds from being used for abortion services in any health exchange, public or private and prevents private insurance companies from receiving government subsidies if they cover abortions and will require that women who want such coverage purchase a separate abortion rider.

What this amendment does is tell woman that if their current insurance company is covering reproductive services in a policy that they are currently paying for that company will not be allowed to offer those paid for services if they are participating in any way in the new Health Care legislation.

The Stupak amendment will disrupt the very equality that healthcare reform was supposed to accomplish and does exactly the opposite of what this whole exercise in health care reform was supposed to do. It says only women who can afford a special insurance rider deserve access to reproductive health care and marks an unprecedented restriction on people who pay for their own insurance.

It directly and unfairly attacks the rights of lower and middle class women. It directly and unfairly attacks my rights.

President Obama and the Democratic leadership have been busy saying they will get the Stupak language stripped out of any final bill, so we can have healthcare reform without having to sell our souls to some old men in Rome to get it.

As a working widowed mom who is not getting Social Security Survivor Benefits for her kids, I fervently hope they do, because I, like most working single moms, really need some help with the cost of my healthcare. I’m all for moving forward on health care reform, but I hope that the president and congress understand that progress on healthcare will not come at the expense of the rights of the more than 150 million women in America.

However, as an fairly well abused by the system lesbian, who has watched President Obama and the Democrats say one thing, then do another and play politics in the area of LGBT rights, my trust level of these folks is pretty low, so I can’t say I’m that confident President Obama and the Democratic Leadership will try not sell out the rights of American Women to get their win on healthcare….

That is if we let them do that…. And we as American Women cannot let them do that.

In a nearly unanimous decision, the AMA called for the repeal of DADT. There was little opposition from the governing medical organization. At the heart of the issue for the AMA is the effect of DADT on patient-provider care. Apparently, DADT makes is much harder for soldiers to be open with their doctors, and they are often forced to keep information secret in order to avoid falling victim to the law which would mean dismissal of them should they be discovered to be gay or lesbian.

Servicemembers United has documented cases of soldiers being unwilling to seek treatment for potentially life threatening conditions due to a perception that there is no patient-provider confidentiality in the military. Many have sought treatment for complex conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder outside the military.

“The provider-patient relationship is sacrosanct in the practice of medicine and in the provision of healthcare. Virtually all physicians can agree that nothing should impede open and honest communication between a patient and his or her doctor. In this way, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” threatens the lives and safety of our troops, and it often puts military health professionals in a moral and ethical dilemma,” stated ,” said Dr. Alan M. Steinman, a retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral and a member of the Servicemembers United Policy Council.

The AMA resolution means that it is now the official policy of the AMA to push for the repeal of DADT.

There has long been doubt that gay and lesbian servicemembers being open about their sexuality would harm unit cohesion, the most common excuse given; however, it appears that DADT does have a negative impact upon the soldiers, and that could have an effect on unit survival.

And then I heard from you, a lot of you. Calls, emails, texts, and blog messages. Thank you for your concern and thank you for asking me to write.

During one of these phone calls, I heard from a friend I had lost touch with. She is a writer and is also struggling with getting her career off the ground. We talked endlessly and inspired each other. We both admitted to being in ruts filled with writer’s block and despair. By the end of the conversation, she had purchased a plane ticket. We were going to get each other out of this and forge forward.

Rose arrived on Sunday. In two days, I’ve used my mind more than I have in a month. I have also made a huge decision. Previously, I held back with writing the “Navy Wife” novel. I believed this story was only my own and completely based on true events. I was not working on the novel because these events needed to unfold. I thought DADT needed to be overturned before I could really tell this story.

However, I realize now that I have the capability to represent the voice of so many silent spouses. I am not only telling my story: I want to tell yours. “Navy Wife” is no longer only the lives of Isabell James and Jo McCafferty. The book will now be based on true events occurring in the lives of gay military families across our nation.

I must sign off now and get moving with Chapter One.

Until next time…

According to Rep. Woolsey:

I expect political hardball on any legislation as important as the health care bill. I just didn’t expect it from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Who elected them to Congress? The role the bishops played in the pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy. They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure.

Rep. Woolsey stated that churches in her district are careful to keep their activities non-political. Many LGBT-Americans would wish that were completely true. The recent battle in Maine showed just how willing the Catholic Church is to get involved in political matters if it regards the social agenda that they are pursuing.

Rep. Woolsey pointed out that the US Council of Catholic Bishops is a tax exempt entity. As such, the USCCB acted in a political manner without actually paying taxes.

In calling for an investigation of the RCC, Rep Woolsey has added her voice to that of LGBT-Americans who have been calling for an investigation into the campaign involvement of the Roman Catholic Church for some time now. Perhaps, as a politician, Rep. Woolsey can get further than the LGBT Community has in getting that investigation.

The amendment has been marketed as being about keeping Federal funds from being used for abortions, but the bill already has that language. The bill, without the Stupak Amendment, would have maintained the status quo on the issue of abortion funding. Instead, this bill goes beyond that. The HRC pledged to work with their pro-choice allies to have the Senate strip this amendment from the bill.

The HRC is also hoping to add in some provisions to the reform package which would directly benefit Americas LGBT citizens. What this may entail is difficult to determine. Likely, this will include the right of same-sex couples to the benefits of their partner.

“Proposing that women … purchase a separate abortion rider is not only discriminatory, but ridiculous,” said Gillibrand, who also noted that in five states that do require such riders, it’s nearly impossible to find coverage for abortions.

“This anti-choice measure poses greater restriction on low-income women,” she added.

“Denying low-income women reproductive coverage in this way is discriminatory and dangerous.”

Standing as an advocate for poor women and girls who will not be able to afford such riders, Gillibrand argues that it would be those poor women and girls who would be especially hard hit as they would forced to delay getting help for unplanned pregnancies.

“Or these women would be forced to return to dangerous back-alley providers,” said Gillibrand.

You go girl….

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The Stupak Amendment is simple. Women should not be allowed to get an abortion, after all, it would mean murdering the tiny little homunculus inside her, and that tiny little person of which the woman has contributed nothing will be denied the right to grow into a full human being inside the fertile land of her womb. And a man must own that land, for after all, a man must own what he plows.

It sounds crazy, does it not? This is the center of the logic behind those who want to deny women any right to choose. It is at the center of the beliefs that these groups espouse.

The important question is why have the Democrats decided to put the rights of men ahead of the rights of women? Why is it that men will be granted superior health care, but women are expected to pay for their own abortion if they run into a complication? Abortions are not just about “on demand, after the fact birth control” as many men would like to portray it as. Many women who get abortions do so because of necessity. They have to terminate a pregnancy because of the risk to themselves, or because it is unhealthy to carry around a feotus which is, in all likelihood, going to be stillborn or be so twisted that it will not survive for long. It apparently never occurred to men like James Clyburn that women have elective abortions for reasons other than just decided that the baby is not worth it.

The Stupak Amendment is not about preventing federal funds from being used for abortions, but it is about preventing women from getting one at all. It is about ensuring that the maternal and infant mortality rate in this country goes even further upwards. After all, what is next, making sure that insurance companies won’t pay for contraception, but they will pay for Viagra. After all, is that not what the Catholic Bishops who demanded the Stupak Amendment want? Is it not their belief that contraception should be outlawed like it is in many third world nations?

The Stupak Amendment needs to be removed if this is to pass, and it must be removed. This is not about abortion rights, but rather about the rights of women to be equals. The debate is often framed as being about the life of the feotus, but, in truth, it is about ensuring that women have no say in their lives at all.

It is time for Congress to remember that one does not get a bill to pass by selling out the rights of one minority. After all, it feels like a pattern. First sell out LGBT-Americans so as to not upset the Social Conservatives by getting rid of DOMA, DADT, and passing ENDA. Then sell out women in order to get the healthcare bill passed. Which group will be next?

Vangsness has been out since 2007, when she came out to the broader audience on a blog relating to the series.

Ms Vangsness, according to the IMDB, first broke into acting in a Dr. Pepper commercial. She later went on to other roles, of course, but had a lot of different day jobs before even then. She spent time as a child councilor, a substitute teacher, a grand writer and a murder mystery theater actress. She is a member of the NOTE theater in Los Angeles. She continues to perform there.

Now in its fifth season, Criminal Minds has had a few nail biters with Vangsness’ character Penelope Garcia. In a two part episode, Garcia was shot and almost died after a predator thought that she had stumbled upon a series of crimes that the man had been committing. In that episode, Garcia met someone who paralleled her own life in a character played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Nicholas Brendon.

Over all, Ms Vangsness gives the impression of a very private person. Of course, we in the LGBT Community are always happy to have one of our own who is open about their sexuality. We wish her the best in her career and in her marriage.

In brief remarks from the Rose Garden yesterday, the president said the 220-215 House vote brings the country closer than it’s ever been to a health care overhaul and stated the “historic” passage of the House version of the Health Care Bill marked a “courageous vote” for many representatives, given the toxicity of the debate surrounding the bill, and predicted that lawmakers will view the eventual signing of the legislation as their “finest moment” in public service.

“Now it falls on the United States Senate to take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line on behalf of the American people. And I’m absolutely confident that they will,” said Obama.

Conveniently however, Obama made no reference to the Stupak-Pitts amendment in his remarks.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment will prohibit federal funds from being used for abortion services in any health exchange, public or private and prevents private insurance companies from receiving government subsidies if they cover abortions.

Many Health Care bill advocates, in an effort to bamboozle woman in to supporting this bill, are currently trying to sell a line of BULL CRAP saying that federal funding of abortion is already covered in current law and this amendment changes nothing.

But this is NOT the truth, as currently most private insurers cover reproductive health related services and that practice would cease if Stupak’s amendment remains in a finalized version of any legislation.

Those advocates are also saying that women could purchase a separate, single service rider to cover abortion related expenses. But no woman plans for an UNPLANNED pregnancy or one that has serious complications that would ultimately call for an abortion.

Under the mandates of the House version of the Health Care Bill all American citizens will be FORCED to participate, but women who are currently covered with reproductive health services under their current policies will now be FORCED to pay more for those services. This despite President Obama repeatedly saying, “If you like your health plan, you can keep it, the only thing that will change is that you’ll pay less.”

Right-wingers are hailing the passage of the Stupak measure “as a victory for the pro-life Americans across this country who have flooded Congress this week with the message that abortion does not belong in health care.”

The Human Rights Campaign is taking no notice of at all of the passage of Stupak on it web site and is saying the House Bill “a tremendous advance for the health needs of LGBT people,” conveniently ignoring the fact the “L” in LGBT are women who are being stripped of rights by this “tremendous advance.”

There are rumors on Capitol Hill that President Obama promised Henry Waxman Saturday that he will “personally” work to remove the Stupak language in conference…

From experience… I am sure Obama will “personally” work on Stupak the same way he has so far “personally” worked on the repeal of DOMA and DADT.

Over the weekend I have talked to many in the LBGT community trying to enlist their support in defeating Stupak… Unfortunately most have told me that while they don’t like Stupak and think it is wrong, they are willing to accept Stupak if it gets them a health care bill and a win for Obama ….

Many have told me I need to look at the bigger picture on this issue

Easy enough to say since many of those folks saying this will never have a need of or even the possibility to need any of the services being taken away from women by Stupak. And they need me to pay for THEIR health care.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Strict Abortion Ban Included In House Health Care Bill (huffingtonpost.com)

I’m also one of those people who won’t support the Salvation Army or the Boy Scouts because they actively discriminate against LGBT persons (and sometimes receive public funds to do so).  Walking by the red kettles is incredibly difficult. I feel like a complete jerk until I think of my sisters and brothers feelings when they experience the institutional discrimination these groups practice. I smile because the bell ringer isn’t to blame for institutional policies (probably not) and wish them a Happy Holiday as I walk past.

Finding an organization to support during the holidays that embraces the LGBT community requires some effort, but it can be a way to make your holiday donation go a little further toward helping our community – you might “adopt” the family with the gay child or your might simply help stretch the dollars of an organization that invests $$ into domestic partner benefits.

So what do you do?

First, ask.  More than a few of your LGBT friends (and allies) probably work for non-profits.  Ask if their organizations have holiday projects and then ask about the “LGBT-friendliness” of the organization.  Not only do you get firsthand insight, you have the added bonus of supporting the work of your friend.  As a supervisor, I certainly appreciate staff who invest their energy into helping me find donors for these particular projects.

Second, take a look at the LGBT focused organizations in your community.  They have food pantries and clothing closets and all sorts of projects that could benefit from your holiday support.  Google, phone book or local pink pages can lead you to an organization directly serving our community.  Maybe a few bags of groceries or office supplies isn’t what you have in mind, but you never know how you can make an impact.

Third, look for indicators.  When you google “giving tree” and your city name, find a contact and ask pointed questions.  Does the organization include sexual orientation and gender identity in their non-discrimination policy?  Do they offer domestic partner benefits?  Do they serve LGBT consumers?  I never shy away from questions and I’ve had no problem redirecting people to other holiday projects that are a better fit for their vision.  Some of this information may be available via their website or printed materials if you prefer to do the research.  Or it should be available, right?  If it matters.

Finally, use the power of Google.  Look in the local paper for recent stories about human service agencies.  Check out the blogs and Facebook for events spearheaded by LGBT civic groups and find out who they benefit. Conversely, see what the local LGBT performers and artists are doing and to benefit what groups.

The most important recommendation I can make is to please find a way to give.  Yes, it certainly makes a difference in the lives of those on the receiving end.  But having run holiday projects for several years, I can personally attest that the benefits of giving transcend the effort you may invest to find the right match.  I’ve seen the sheer joy when a carload of officemate pull up, jump out and start unloading.  Their care with wrapping, their careful designation of which gift belongs to which recipient and their shared pleasure are far and away some of the best moments of the year.

You might organize your office, your book club or even your immediate family to do a collective project or simply reach out on your own.  Organizations having Giving Trees, Adopt a Family, Food Basket and many other projects available.  Don’t be afraid to suggest your own.  I have a group of students who won’t be in town during the holidays, but they came up with the idea of preparing “stocking stuffers” that we can distribute during our party.  Another local restaurant is donating turkeys for our group homes to prepare a holiday meal, while staff contribute small gift items to help us ensure everyone has something to open.

It feels good to help other people.

*************************************************************************************************

Sue Kerr works for Pittsburgh based Community Human Services Corporation which is very active with the local LGBT community, particularly those experiencing homelessness or mental illness.  For more information on their holiday projects, visit  http://www.chscorp.org//Holiday%20Giving.html Feel free to “ask” her via email skerr@chscorp.org.

My problem here is that a press release was sent out initially making very harsh allegations against the campground and town with no further information provided. A brief round of response from the campground, one denial by the campground owner and a Georgia Lesbian activist via Southern Voice, a long delay in hearing from the event organizer, and then nothing. It seems that legal should have given the advice to “keep quiet” prior to the sending of the initial press release. Bottom line here is that an issue of safety at GLBT events is the issue we can and must address. All too many times I have seen our community members rush off to events with out a care or even slight investigation regarding security and or local attitudes toward our community. Of course they believed it was a safe event as sponsored by and or for the GLBT community.

That is not a good idea as this situation has defined. In my opinion it is the responsibility of the organizer and the host to insure such safety. No where did I see any information indicating a conversation about security and local attitudes took place on either side. Nor is the issue of how a permit was to be obtained addressed. In cases where I have been involved in the planning of such events, if permits are required it is a pretty cut and dried procedure. Complete with deadline dates, limits and coverage, as well as costs. Events I have been involved with have always shown it to be the organizer’s responsibility to obtain necessary required permits. I am not saying it is above belief that a small town would have more casually applied rules, just not something I have experienced in small or large towns.

All the information submitted is below for your edification. There are two sides to every story. Sadly we do not have any real answers. This casts a light of doubt over the organizer and campground for me. As pointed out in several posts in several topic/blog areas; there were no cameras at this event? In this day of cell phone cameras it seems we catch photos of everything from police actions to cute animal tricks. But none from this event. The organizer should have had information on any prior problems as well. If not offered by the host, then an investigation should have been initiated by the organizer. I also could not find an artist or attendee who would collaborate either side. So all information other than from “Carolyn Bowden, president of First City Network in Savannah, Ga., the oldest LGBT group in the state, said she was there and saw nothing of what Blankenship is claiming in her press release.” is from statements issued by both sides.

I would have preferred to see both sides sit down and go through some needed research.
How did it happen? Why did it happen? How can we prevent this from occurring again? This would have been of huge benefit to organizers and our community as a whole. As that did not occur we at this time are left to our own determinations. So be it. My recommendation is that before you attend any event or go on any trip to an unfamiliar location, investigate first! Sadly that is my recommendation with regard to events by either party in this case. As we have not been provided with answers, seek them yourself. Check on security, get details. Check local attitudes and laws. Not just through the host or organizer, check with the town and local businesses. Neither of the parties involved should expect any less. The shadow of doubt was cast by the involved parties themselves by not providing adequate information in a timely and complete manner.

I have made this same recommendation to those using travel agencies. In checking that area, I found many “community” travel agencies do not provide information to clients on local attitudes, local laws, and dangers pertinent to the GLBT community. That being said, what is the reason for using a community agency? Shouldn’t this information be automatic? So ask your agent before booking that trip. Make your safety and enjoyment level your priority, and a more secure and enjoyable time will be had by all.

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Below is what was received in chronological order.

Subject: Press Release: GA Women’s Festival Shut Down-Incident Report
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 14:59:56 +0000 (GMT)
From: Vicki Blankenship
Official Indiegrrl Women in the Arts Press Release:

Georgia Women’s Festival Shut Down – Incident Report

My name is Vicki Blankenship and I am the volunteer president of Indiegrrl Women in the Arts, Inc a non profit that works to create networking, educational, and showcasing opportunities for women in the arts. Indiegrrl does not discriminate against religion, race, sexuality, age, political views or anything else and accepts all women involved in the arts to participate in our programs and events. We work to build community type events to bring awareness to women in the arts and to raise monies for various charities and are presently working to raise funds to build a facility that will hold children’s music and art camps and songwriting/music retreats and workshops for adults. The prospective location for this facility is Mineral Bluff, GA which borders NC and is very close to TN.

Indiegrrl has produced many festivals in the southeast that were community events as well as showcases in venues all around the United States showcasing various female music acts, comedians, spoken word artists, and local artisans selling their arts and crafts. We have also produced 2 national music conferences, one in Spencer, VA in August 2008
and one in Nashville, TN in August 2009. We have future goals to produce many more events. All of these events have been welcomed with open arms in the communities in which they were held, accept for the very last event we produced this month on October 2, 3, 4 in Tattnall County, GA. This event was the first festival event that we produced as
a weekend event for women only ages 18 and up and was called the Georgia Women’s Festival. This event had the soul purpose to create a safe environment for a weekend of celebration in sisterhood through music and art, no matter what your religion, political view, ethnic race, or sexual views were. It was also a fund raiser to help bring in funds to
go toward the construction of bunk houses for the facility we plan to build in Mineral Bluff, GA. Roy’s Hideaway Campground located in Tattnall County Georgia between Reidsville and Collins Georgia was the hosting site for this festival and is a gay and lesbian 21 year old and up membership campground.

On two occasions prior to the festival taking place on October 2 to 4, campground owner Roy McLeroy tried going through the proper channels on finding out if we needed an event permit and if so to obtain the permit for the event to take place on his campground. He was told by the on duty deputies of Tattnall County Sheriff’s department that he did not need to obtain a permit since it was private property and also a membership campground and that Indiegrrl the producer of the event was a non profit organization. The second time he tried to obtain the permit was Thursday morning October 1, 2009 and he was told the exact same thing.

The GA Women’s Festival music was scheduled to begin on October 2 at 2:00pm and was advertised on both the campground website as well as the Indiegrrl website and event flyers. Our first two Friday music acts canceled the day before the event due to illness so the music was rescheduled to start at 4:00pm but we did not change the schedules on
our websites. At 3:00pm two local deputies arrived on site telling owner Roy McLeroy and our event sound engineer Steve Wolfe that neighbors of the campground had phoned in a complaint that the music was too loud and we would have to turn it down. Roy and Steve informed the deputies that the music had not even started and was not starting until
4:00pm. The deputies verified that no music was being played on the stage and that the stage was not even fully set up yet and the deputies left the premises. At 10:30pm that same night four cars full of deputies returned to the campground and told us we would have to stop the music. We were told in front of many witnesses whose names and contact info we have, that we could go get a permit at 10:00am, Saturday morning, at the Tattnall Sheriff Department from Captain Bradley and we could resume our event on Saturday after getting the permit. With the permit we would be allowed to play music until midnight. The deputies stated they had lots of complaints about the noise and a permit would allow us to over ride the complaints. After the deputies left the premises, people lined up outside the fenced perimeter of the campground and began yelling obscenities at the festival attendees and chanted “F___ing Queers go home”. One neighboring piece of property had cars line up in a field that separated the properties between them and the campground and shined their car headlights down into the campground, blared loud music from their car speakers, and proceeded to fire guns down into the pond areas in the campground. 911 calls were made to the Tattnall County Sheriff Department to come put a stop to this but nothing got stopped. I personally never saw a police vehicle respond to the area with the cars shining their headlights down on us and my cabin was 30 feet from the pond they were shooting into. This went on until 4:00am when they finally stopped.

On Saturday morning campground owner Roy McLeroy, his mother Dorothy, Steve Wolfe our sound engineer and I went to the Tattnall County Sheriff Department and asked for Captain Bradley to obtain our permit. We were told it was his day off so we asked if they would phone him to come in and explained out situation. When Captain Bradley arrived he walked past us and sat behind the window opening at the entrance. I extended my hand for him to shake as I introduced myself and he refused to shake my hand all the while as he kept his arms crossed and seemed to be very
irritated. I gave him our non profit brochure and our non profit federal number and asked if we could get the permit the deputies the night before had told us to get from him so we could resume our event today. He pushed the papers aside and told me he told them to shut us down and no he would not give us a permit. I explained that the deputies had told me in front of many witnesses that Captain Bradley would give us a permit so we could resume our fund raising festival on Saturday. I asked him on what grounds was he refusing us a permit. He said he would not give us a permit and again I questioned him as to why not. He stated “I just am not going to do it.” I asked to see a magistrate judge and Captain Bradley told me there was not one on duty and told me “leave the premises right now.” I then stated that I wanted to see a magistrate judge to know my rights on their laws and ordinances on event permits, noise restrictions, and event guidelines. At that point Captain Bradley demanded that I leave the premises and advised campground owner Roy McLeroy to make me leave the premises. I then stated that I have a right to stand on public property and that I was not breaking any laws and that I had the right to see in writing the laws and ordinances governing events and noise restrictions in their county. Captain Bradley, who was out of uniform and refused to give me his first name when I asked him, walked off again yelling “Roy take her out of here before I lock her up.” I told Captain Bradley he had no grounds to lock me up that no laws were being broken and that I would leave but I would find the proper authorities to find out the Tattnall County ordinances and laws. I also questioned him why the harassment from the people outside the campground toward the festival attendees was not stopped during the night along with the gun fire after numerous 911
calls were made. He said “We took care of that” and I stated “Well obviously not because it went on for 5 hours until 4:00am”. He again yelled “Roy get her out of here”. I then went to the parking lot and began making phone calls along with Steve Wolfe to try to find out the county ordinances. Inside the precinct Captain Bradley told Roy McLeroy
and Dorothy “Ms Blankenship better watch her back while driving out of this county or she might find herself locked up in my jail.” This was a verbal threat on my safety and well being.

We returned to the campground and gathered everyone and I made an announcement to the festival attendees that we were not granted the permit that the officers on Friday night told us we could get and that the stage could not resume with music. We then started phoning various county offices including the Sheriff’s department to find out what the county noise ordinance was and we were told several different answers including 9:00pm, 10:00pm, 2:00pm, and All Day. 30 minutes after returning to the campground the magistrate judge drove up. I then questioned him on the ordinances and questioned Captain Bradley’s behavior. His direct comment to me was “Well you know how small towns are and Captain Bradley is a good old boy and a pretty good officer.” I then stated “I only know about the small towns that go by their ordinances and laws that are on the books and that do not make up laws as they go along, and where police officers did not threaten people who were just asking to know their rights and to see those laws and
ordinances in writing.” The magistrate apologized for Captain Bradley’s behavior and stated he did not think we had to have a permit because the campground was private property in the county and a membership campground. He then walked away and phoned Sheriff Quinton Rush and came back and told me we could not go on with our event and that he would not issue us a permit.

At 8:00pm that night people once again lined up outside the campground fence line and resumed yelling obscenities at us and were chanting the same “F___ing Queers go home”. Once again the loud music, headlights from the cars, and the shooting of firearms into the ponds and into the air resumed until 5:00am on Sunday morning. Again 911 phone calls were made and nothing got stopped. The women in the campground were literally crying in their tents and cabins afraid for their lives and the Tattnall County Sheriff Department did not respond to or stop the harassment.

Indiegrrl had no prior knowledge that the neighboring community had harsh feelings towards Roy’s Hideaway Campground and had acted out against them in the past. We would not have organized an event at this facility if prior knowledge had existed. We in no way would put festival attendees in any danger by holding an event in a possible
hostile environment. We will not hold any more events at this facility in the future nor in the county of Tattnall. We do want to make the public aware of the unjust treatment that existed for this event and the harassment that did take place. Events that we produce bring monies to the local area including hotel rentals, restaurant revenues, gas and grocery revenues and more. Our goal at Indiegrrl is to create fun community events that benefit the attendees, the community, and the artists participating. Indiegrrl is still exploring our options on legal proceedings with this situation. It is unacceptable for this type of blatant harassment and prejudicial treatment to go on and the lives of US citizens to be put in jeopardy. There was a severe and open violation of civil rights on offering equal protection by the law in Tattnall County. This violation of safety was not a gay thing or a straight thing it was a human thing and a violation of human safety and human rights occurred.

Contact Info:
Vicki Blankenship
Indiegrrl Women in the Arts, Inc.
P.O. Box 4021
Martinsville, VA 24115

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Article in Southern Voice. on 10-8-2009 http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=27567#

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From Freddy Freeman 10-9-2009
Events and Promotions Director Roy’s Hideaway Campground

Dear Outvoicers;
There has been a lot of stuff going around about the recent events concerning Indiegrrl and Roy’s Hideaway. As the new Events Director , I am releasing a statement on Roy’s behalf. I was not at the event, but based upon my experiences there and the testimony of Roy, and a number of guests, I do not believe events occurred as alleged and do not believe anyone’s safety was at risk. I do however want to make it clear to Outvoice that we do support the mission of Indiegrrl and are committed to providing a safe environment for all of our community, and opportunities for all of its performing artists.

My Statement Below:

We are so sorry that Vicki Blankenship has had a negative experience in Tattnall County while holding an event at our facility; however the actual details of what occurred are unclear, and there have been conflicting accounts. Our main concern has always been to make sure that all of our guests feel safe, secure and respected. We have and will continue to work with local authorities to ensure our guests’ continued safety.

We are aware that there was some confusion over permits and noise levels, but the engineer was asked to lower the volume numerous times, but did not comply with the requests. The event was not fully shut down, as performances
continued poolside. Many of the women who attended have expressed how much they enjoyed themselves despite not being able to have amplified music.

Mr. McLeroy and other guests did not witness or experience the alleged harassment, but of course the safety of our guests is of utmost concern. Roy has met with Tattnall County Sheriff Quinton Rush, who has once again pledged his support, and also guaranteed permits for future events and even offered to post two deputies, if requested, at our larger events to ensure everyone’s safety. Mr. McLeroy has spent considerable time developing relationships with the community and has the full support of the Sherriff’s Office, Magistrates, Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations, who have all once again pledged their support of Roy’s Hideaway.

I have held events at Roy’s Hideaway and spent considerable time there getting to know Roy and his family, and I have also been into the community with Roy. I have never experienced anything but support and friendliness from anyone I have encountered. I held a very successful gay men’s music event with a number of musical acts there in August and we all had such a great time and never once felt threatened in any way. My friend (openly gay) singer-songwriter Charles K. Brown was even invited to play at the local Wiregrass Festival in Reidsville and had a wonderful time and was well received by the crowd. A local straight owned restaurant has also opened its doors during off hours to accommodate parties from Roy’s Hideaway.

The impression left on me by Roy and his establishment is so great that I am moving there to join his family and work on creating unique events and programs for the Campground. I have been involved in the LGBT music community for 8 years, doing conferences, festivals and other community activism. I am uprooting my whole life to be a part of his team, because I feel like it is a great place to build something positive for our community.

We are interested in what we can create for our community. I am looking forward to the opportunities a place like Roy’s Hideaway can give to LGBT people in South Georgia. In our experience, we are establishing a great relationship with the surrounding community. Local officials have expressed their desire to continue to work with us and show their support, so I think we should all try to turn this into a positive thing for our community. Please join us in creating positive change for all of us by working with the County and supporting Roy’s Hideaway. LGBT people of Georgia will be better
off if we accept the County’s offer of continued support and create new allies instead of enemies. Roy has worked hard to create something positive for all of us and I don’t want to see it fail because of a misunderstanding, especially when community leaders are so eager to fix the perceived problems. Wouldn’t it be nice to read articles about how local officials are supporting an LGBT campground and helping to combat homophobia and any other form of discrimination? If anyone has any questions about the campground, the surrounding community or anything else, please feel free to contact us, or visit our website at www.royshideaway.com

Freddy Freeman
Events and Promotions Director
Roy’s Hideaway Campground

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Final statement from Freddy Freeman 10-13-2009
Events and Promotions Director
Roy’s Hideaway Campground
Len;

I’m sorry I have not had the opportunity to fully answer your questions. As you are aware, we are currently dealing with unsubstantiated allegations and threats of legal action. I would like to let you know that Roy’s Hideaway is committed to providing a safe, friendly, and warm environment for performers, attendees and community members and will be moving forward with our 2009/2010 schedule. We look forward to offering many LGBT performers opportunities to perform in the coming year. I’m sorry I could not offer more information at this time, but Thank You for your efforts to resolve this and get to the truth. I will let you know when I am able to offer any more information.

Freddy Freeman
Events and Promotions Director
Roy’s Hideaway Campground

——————————————————————————–

Final and only statement received from Vickie Blankenship on 10-14-2009

For the Record:
Indiegrrl stands behind our initial statement as to the incidences that occurred at the GA Women’s Festival. We are being advised by legal as to the best way to pursue this incidence if we do decide to continue with legal action. We have a list of witnesses who were at the festival and were at the Tattnall Sheriff Department and saw various incidences take place and they have come forth voluntarily. This list will not be disclosed by Indiegrrl at present until we decide if legal action will take place.

Sincerely,
Vicki Blankenship
President
Indiegrrl Women in the Arts
P.O. Box 4021
Martinsville, VA 24115

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That is all the information I have received to this date. I held this end information in anticipation that someone else would respond with more information. If you would like to comment and or provide information email me len@stonewallsociety.com  and I will post here.
Thanks, Len Rogers
OutVoice / StoneWall Society Network

As many already are aware, Maine’s population recently vetoed marriage equality in the state, instead choosing to hold fast to the traditional Judeo-Greco-Christian view of marriage rather than to allow other traditions to inform what marriage should be.

On the subject of Maine, Thomas K. Duane, the chief sponsor of the marriage equality bill before the Legislature: “Legislators in a representative democracy are not simply beholden to a fearful majority, but have a duty to lead and educate their constituents on the importance of enacting civil rights for all of its citizens.” Duane has stated repeatedly that he has the votes to get the bill passed, including a number of Republicans.

The return of State Representative Dierdre Scozzafava will mean that marriage equality will continue to have some Republican support. Scozzafava was pushed out of the recent race to replace John McHugh, who went on to be the Secretary of the Army. Scozzafava’s stance on marriage equality- she has twice voted for laws extending marriage to LGBT citizens- did not fuel the collapse of her campaign with voters, or so it appears. It was part of what lead to the recruitment of Doug Hoffman, and the Tea Party Faction’s decision to try and force her from the race.

Given the chaos of the New York 23 vote, the fallout regarding any state level race would be hard to fathom. In truth, while many may feel that it would have an impact, the fact that the organizations behind it are more focused upon the national rather than the local and state stages, they are more than likely to stay out of any attempt to oust a local candidate based upon a vote regarding marriage equality.

According to Governor Paterson, the marriage equality bill is unfinished business. There appears to be support for it, including the former State Senate Majority Caucus Leader John Sampson. Governor Paterson noted “Senator Sampson I’ve heard on occasion say that he thinks the bill can pass… My understanding is he’s a supporter.”

The head of the Empire State Pride Agenda noted that he and others are optimistic that this bill will pass. Alan Van Capelle “Based on my conversations with senators, they are planning on being in Albany next week. That said, the governor is still required to issue an extraordinary session calendar. Our community should rest assured we have full commitment from the governor that the marriage equality bill will be on the very first calendar.” Van Capelle noted that trying to instill fear of LGBT citizens in New York does not work quite so well anymore.

New York City was the site of the Stonewall Riots, which was the initial impetus towards the current LGBT Civil Rights Movement.

Duane, ESPA Ready For Prime Time

The reasoning behind Ms Scozzafava’s support of abortion and marriage equality are important to look at. Recently, Michael Smerconish interviewed Ms Scozzafava for his radio show. A transcript of the interview was posted at The Daily Beast. For the record, Mr. Smerconish is a Republican.

On the subject of abortion:

Smerconish: [What about social issues?]
Scozzafava: Well, taking pro-choice, I think it’s up to each individual.
Smerconish: Because you regard it as a matter of individual liberty?
Scozzafava: Absolutely.

Mr. Smerconish then asked about the Terry Schaivo case:

Smerconish: OK, and I take it from that that like me you thought that the federal government had no business getting involved in the Schiavo case?
Scozzafava: Correct.
Smerconish: Yeah, because that is a fundamentally conservative opinion, which is let people determine their own fate.
Scozzafava: That’s right. And the second issue, on marriage equality, I still believe again that each person has certain unalienable rights, that it’s a civil-rights issue. I think it’s important to have the separation of church and state, that church should not have to adopt anything they don’t believe in. So I also have very much over my career pushed for freedom of religion as well. But they aren’t talking about those cases that I was involved in. This comes down to a couple of issues, and then they twisted and spun a lot of other things around it.

Scozzafava points out that on all other issues, she is a direct line Conservative. From Cap and Trade to federal regulation, Ms Scozzafava is very Conservative. It is largely upon the issues of civil rights and the government’s intrusion into people’s lives that she disagrees. In many ways, Ms Scozzafava is far truer to her beliefs than most people who say “I don’t want the government involved in regulating businesses, but I want them meddling in people’s lives.”

In large part, Ms Scozzafava was ousted from the race because she is a pragmatist and a social progressive. She exists in one of those odd places along side small government Liberals where labels do not really work properly. Part of the problem is that many of these labels have been so twisted into knots that they do not really have meaning anymore, but the drive to purge the Republican Party of their more pragmatic, socially accepting voices is something that could, in the long run, result in the Republican Party being stuck in the political desert for some time to come.

After being ousted from the race, Ms Scozzafava endorsed her Democratic rival. In part, it might be explained by this quote: “I think the Republican Party needs to know if they don’t have room for us and they don’t want us working with them, we’re going to find a way to work against them.” In the end, Bill Owens won.

The push for ENDA is one that has been long ongoing. Like the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act, the move to provide employment protections for lesbians, gays, and transpeople is one that has had its ups and downs. ENDA was first introduced in 1994.

“No American should be denied a job or the opportunity to earn promotions, pay raises and other benefits of employment because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity, which have no bearing on work performance. No one should be fired because he or she
is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender,” Mr. Perez stated.

In many ways, ENDA would simply add to the protections already garnered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That law, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by Lyndon Johnson, has granted rights to people based upon race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Title VII makes it illegal to fire anyone who is of those categories. ENDA would simply extend those protections to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transpeople.

According to Mr. Perez, nearly one million LGBT citizens work in a variety of government jobs across the country, and another seven million in private sector jobs, and discrimination is rampant. Twenty-nine states provide no protection when it comes to employment.

The last of the big non-discrimination laws was the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Mr. Perez went on to detail three cases of discrimination with regards to sexual orientation, including a police officer who was assaulted by another officer who had come out as gay.

One question that Mr. Perez did not address was whether or not this law would impact Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, a law which is, in and of itself, discriminatory.

Mr. Perez concluded his testimony with “Lastly, there is nothing to suggest that ENDA will burden employers, unleash a flood of
complaints that would threaten to overwhelm the EEOC or the Department of Justice, or clog the federal courts. On the contrary, the experience of states and local governments with sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination statutes for decades demonstrates that complaints under these statutes make up a relatively small portion of total employment discrimination complaints.”

Laws like ENDA typically protect those who are the most vulnerable to discrimination. It does not end discrimination entirely, but does help to damp down the problem.

The current bill, which was submitted by Representative Barney Frank includes gender orientation.

Ms Brewer did a fine job reporting on the Maine election despite her own dislike of the outcome. She did not stop reporting on the outcome until late in the night, and was up and at work reporting again early the next morning. The people who are busy commenting upon his blog are already stating that she is a big supporter of our cause, and that most had either not noticed or not been offended by her wording.

Ms Brewer was a natural choice for this report. The thirty-five year old is from Parsonsfield, Maine in York County. This is her home state.

When Mr. Towle chose to go after Ms Brewer for her phrasing, he said simply that she had done some fine reporting. She did do some fine reporting. By backhandedly complimenting Ms Brewer, Mr. Towle is still condemning her for using a phrase that he does not agree with.

To Mr. Towle, I would say this…we are not the Republican Party. Public pillorying of our own hurts us more than it helps us. Simply writing to Ms Brewer on this subject would have been better than dragging this into the public for a lot of people who, quite frankly, probably did not notice the words that she used.

Addendum: The story itself comes from Jamison Foser at Media Watch. While they are busy condemning Ms Brewer for using non-neutral language, they themselves are guilty of the same thing in not using non-neutral language to describe Ms Brewer’s stance on this issue. If the language is non-neutral in its tone, it does not help to attack someone for using it by implying that they are anti-gay, especially when the opposite is true.

If they had a problem, they should have used less problematic language in describing this.

Edited to reflect the removal of the post from Queers United.

Nor will this category be limited to just the recent in celebrity. The hope is that we can include many historic gays and lesbians and shine a belated light upon them. After all, it would be nice to raise the profile of some famous LGBT people from the past such as poet Amy Lowell.