Our biggest thanks go out to our loyal readers. Thank you all for your patience as we have been working hard to get this site back up and running.

Today, I appeared on the Jessie Lee Peterson Show. I would like to thank Reverend Peterson for the opportunity to discuss the Macy’s firing of Natalie Johnson even thought I sense that the interview did not go as planned given the rather abrupt cut off at the end, and the comment that I was somehow boring and sucking the energy out of Mr. Peterson that came after the commercial break. I shall bear that in mind for the future since that was my second radio interview, and the first on the subjects relating to the LGBT Community. In the future, I shall make sure to keep my responses entertaining.

The interview ranged from the issues of Natalie Johnson being fired to the issues of transsexuality. While I did my best to try and educate and inform Reverend Peterson about what it means to be transsexual, I do have a sense that he did not quite understand what I was trying to say. Being transsexual is not something that the bulk of us take with anything other than dire seriousness. There are standards of care, and there are set procedures that have to be followed. Overcoming being transsexual or lesbian or gay is not simply overcoming some kind of mythic resentment of our mothers or some kind of trauma growing up. If anything, I defy all of those quite simply since my home life was never that horrific. In fact, my home life growing up might have been poor, but lacked any of the major traumas that would have been considered normal for a transsexual back thirty years or so ago.

Unfortunately, those are ones that Mr. Peterson still believes in.

Far too many people are willing to believe that their religion trumps the law, and that their personal beliefs allow them to hold onto beliefs that have never been tested. Transsexuality is about having a gender other than the sex you were born with. This may not sit well with many who see sex and gender as some monolithic entity, but the reality is that gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are all very different.

I do have to fault Mr. Peterson for his constant reliance upon the rhetorical fallacy whereby he universalized his beliefs. With roughly half of Americans openly supporting LGBT equality, it is hard to claim that there is a universalization of belief here. There are many straights who support LGBT rights in the United States, and to rely upon that fallacy is to try to inflate one’s position. It often means that people do not have a strong argument for or against a given position.

By and large, the interview was an attempt to get me to discuss why transsexuals want equality and why we are women without actually engaging in something whereby there was a dialogue.

The interview will be up on iTunes at some point in the near future.

Despite our differences, I feel that the discussion was civil, and I still am thankful to Mr. Peterson for the opportunity to have it.

Related articles

• LezGetReal’s Owner To Do Radio Interview Tomorrow (lezgetreal.com)
• AFA-Tied Group Angry About Natalie Johnson’s Firing For Transphobia (lezgetreal.com)
• Macy’s Fires Employee For Harassing Trans Woman (lezgetreal.com)
• Great Strides Made For Transsexual And Transgender Workers (lezgetreal.com)
• Ex-Macy’s Employee Files Complaint, Admits Disregarding LGBT Policy (lezgetreal.com)
• Court Rules In Favor Of Trans Woman Fired By GA Legislature (lezgetreal.com)

If you are in the South, you can listen to the interview, which begins at around 10am tomorrow, on the stations listed here. If not, you can hear the show through his website which can be found here.

28 August 2011
by Bridgette P. LaVictoire

Now that I have gotten the Futurama reference out of my system, our readers may have noticed that we have begun posting once again. Yes, LezGetReal is still undergoing some major back end work, our ads are all over the place, our categories are scattered, but we are, for the most part, back. We also have a new writer- P.S. Carbonell. Yes, she is a relative. LGR is rapidly becoming a family operation, I guess.

That means that most of us are in the path of Irene. If we stop posting later today, it is because we are either without power or the site is still not doing superbly. Luckily, our house is up on high ground.

So, thank you all for your patience. I hope everyone is staying safe.

24 August 2011
by Bridgette P. LaVictoire

LezGetReal is not going away. We are currently trying to upgrade our template to a new, more streamlined and better one. Unfortunately, switching templates is a bit messy. We hope to be back to our regular posting schedule within a day. Some stories will be going out, but comments are disabled for the moment, at least for older posts.

Our hope is that the new template will mean a more stable site and faster load times.

Thank you for your patience.

And for those who missed it:

http://www.bilerico.com/2011/06/lez_get_real_successors_clarify_relationships_with.php

So, here is a comic written by my cousin Jo making fun of this, and after, the Daily Show featuring, yes, LezGetReal.

LezGetReal has also seen a few changes going into the month of June. We have added several new writers, whom we would like to welcome onboard, namely Cynthia Wright, Jamie Clark, Amina Abdullah, AJ Allen, and L.S. Carbonell. As always, each of us will contribute as we can. For some, such as Amina, that is difficult due to her location. We will be adding an additional entertainment writer shortly.  We are also working on getting the site’s loading problems fixed.

For all of us, the road ahead is dangerous, but for some, it is far more dangerous than for others. For some of us within the Community, to be who we are, we must give up our rights in order to be true to ourselves. For our transgender and intersexed sisters and brothers, being true to ourselves means giving up the rights that we had under the laws that govern the heterosexual world.

LGR remains committed to the fight ahead of us. We know that equality does not mean toleration. We continue to fight, and we do so proudly.

There will be some 2,200 online activists, bloggers, journalists, organizations and even some blog groupies attending.

Ms Wright will also be attending the LGBT pre-conference that is held every year as well. This is the first time that anyone from LGR will be able to attend, as usually the expense is prohibitive. We are all grateful for the financial support that is coming via Mr. Rogers.

This conference is very important, especially since it is being held in the shadow of the recent vote to enshrine bigotry into the Minnesota constitution. Several LGBT Blogs have already started to coordinate getting more and more information out of Minnesota in order to push this onto the national state.

We do hope that Ms Wright enjoys her stay in Minneapolis hobnobbing with people we often only ever see on the other side of a screen.

Time To Hit UGANDA Hard – there is not much to lose at this point.  Some activists from within Uganda are reporting that if  the AHB makes it to  a vote it will probably pass in this current 8th Parliament. It will be heard in committee tomorrow, Monday 9th  for a second day. Parliament sessions end for 8thy Parliament on May 12, 2011.

Grassroots and LGBTI Organizations worldwide it is time to mobilize; to protest  outside buildings of prominence.  Call on President Museveni to stop LGBTI persecution through street savagery and now impending legislation.   Call on Museveni to Stop killing and torturing all Ugandans.   Do Not allow the LGBT community of Uganda to be scapegoated – that is why we must mention all oppression in Uganda when we speak of this Bill.

South Africa GLAAD is the first such organization to condemn the Uganda Government and call for Sanctions by the UN.

SA GLAAD condemns the Kill-the-Gays Bill’s new momentum.

The South African Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (SA GLAAD) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Ugandan parliamentary hearings on the Anti-homosexuality Bill of 2009.

Recently it seemed that the Bill was to be shelved and declared officially dead, but new Parliamentary hearings appear to be a fast-tracking mechanism to pass this heinous piece of legislation, whose existence is an affront to human rights values – as well as the “family values” Bahati and his associates claim to represent. The right thing to do in this case would be to permanently shelve this odious and morally reprehensible bill and to place it in a museum of Crimes Against Humanity where it could join reminders of past horrors such as the Holocaust, and the Rwandan and Baltic genocides of the 1990′s.

Mr Bahati carps that “the gays recruit our children” and considers being gay a “lifestyle choice”, thereby perpetuating what has by now become a stereotype which denotes how ignorant and out of touch with reality those are who hate some people so much that they demand they be killed for who they are, while simultaneously denying their humanity and individual worth.

Gay people do not recruit children. Mr Bahati displays his contempt for gay people by fabricating claims so absurd that any right-minded individual who has taken the trouble to read up on these topics would see right through it. There are reams of studies conducted by numerous authorities to completely disprove this insulting and totally false accusation. There is also a vast difference between pedophilia and homosexuality – pedophilia is the sexual attraction of an adult to a child and is non-consensual abuse, not a loving consenting adult relationship – and to confuse the two is to confirm to the world their ignorance and to lay bare this hate mongering propaganda for what it is.

Being gay is not a lifestyle choice as Mr Bahati claims, it never was. So much research has been conducted on this issue over the past 30 years, delivering so much substantiating evidence that only brute stupidity, willful ignorance and blatantly malicious bigotry would sound such blind judgment. The only driving force behind this bill is pure, unadulterated hatred driven by personal discomfort and religious fundamentalist fervor. Which is precisely why so much of the information and tactics employed in the Ugandan campaign is akin to the tactics employed by the likes of the Nazis.

We call on the government and parliament of Uganda to stop this legislative process before any more harm is done to the lives of the citizens of Uganda. We call on the judiciary of Uganda to stand firm against such draconian legislation. We call on the people of Uganda to hold their government to account and to demand the basic human rights of all Ugandans. The right to equality is not a privilege and sole preserve for those who happen to have been born straight.

SA GLAAD calls on the governments of the free world, including the South African government to decisively condemn this action by the Ugandan parliament. We expect South Africa to do more than talk. We expect South Africa to live up to our Constitution and to intervene and also to immediately recall the homophobic High Commissioner, Jon Qwelane – regardless of any pressure brought to bear by the Ugandan government or demagogues like Bahati or Martin Ssempe.

We call on multinational companies and South African companies to divest and withdraw from Uganda if this abhorrent legislation is passed. We understand that businesses and investors need to make money, and that South Africa clearly would like to extend our assistance to fellow African states in the spirit of ubuntu – but money made at the cost of human rights, human dignity and human lives is blood money that will stain their hands for all time.

We call for UN sanctions and the toughest measures possible to be implemented. This debate around the implementation of the state-sanctioned oppression and murder of the Pink Community in Uganda has raged now for almost 2 years with no end in sight, and little action if any taken against the country. It is time to put this issue to bed.

SA GLAAD sees the Bahati-bill for what it is, a ploy. A scapegoat mechanism to detract attention from the civil unrest currently manifesting in Uganda.

ABOUT SA GLAAD:

The South African Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation – fighting for the rights of the entire LGBTIQ community
Follow us on Twitter: @saglaad

The SA Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (SA GLAAD) is an equal civil rights advocacy group that documents and responds to homophobia and heterosexism in the South African popular media and society. Responses to defamation range from letter writing campaigns to direct action activism and protests.The goal of SA GLAAD is the elimination of anti gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and intersex bias in reporting, television and film.

Uniting the LGBTIQ community Unity in diversity An injury to one is an injury to all Silence gives consent Anything less is not equal Right Wing Watch of South Africa Fighting the reparative therapy fraud Political lobbying Protection and expansion of civil rights.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Time To Hit UGANDA Hard

David Bahati, the member of Parliament is so keen to push it through that he has even said he would and I quote “consider” taking the death penalty out.   That would not help the witch hunts, the persecution and life terms in prison.

After speaking to a spokesperson at the Department of State – all I can say is that the State department is aware of what is going on. I would presume that they have had people on the ground in Uganda attend the hearings.

I also have been informed from a source in Uganda that the Sexual Minority Civil Society group will be allowed to testify on Monday.

Imagine testifying before a committee that could render one guilty of a crime the very following week, by mere provision of such testimony. Could these LGBT activists in Uganda be more brave? Now we the Global community must rally and show our support.

Grassroots and LGBTI Organizations worldwide it is time to mobilize; to protest  outside buildings of prominence.  Call on President Museveni to stop LGBTI persecution through street savagery and now impending legislation.   Call on Museveni to Stop killing and torturing all Ugandans.   It is imperative that Gay and Lesbian (LGBTI) America  show the people of Uganda that we are here to support all Ugandan victims of oppression – those who  suffer because of the criminalization of their existence and others who may be straight who have suffered human rights infractions over these post election months.

So read this and see what you are willing to do:-

IN THE NAME OF OUR BROTHER DAVID KATO; END HOMOPHOBIA IN AFRICA

Dear Fellow Activists, Organizations et al;

This is critical and Urgent… I am especially asking the pre-eminent LGBTI Orgs on my list to respond with urgent action and any member of clergy or others involved in the fight for LGBTI Equality and human rights advocacy. IFor some and you know who you are this is merely an FYI.

In my capacity as MEUSA Ambassador to Africa and for the Purpose of my report on LezGetReal – I need your urgent Assistance

This week we saw the anti-gay bill in Uganda actually – better believe it – find its way into a committee hearing. When I spoke to David Bahati – he told me it would probably be a two day hearing. Then it will go to Parliament for a vote.

Although Bahati is in his seat until 201, they are trying to push the Bill through to a vote before the conclusion of this 8th Parliament – set for May 12, 2011.

The hearings continue on Monday. The State Department will be making a BIG statement if the law passes.

The impact will be tremendous on the community there. The State department informed me they are taking these developments very seriously.

I think we need to show the same from our community but we must act now – maybe we can actually stop it from passing.

OUR community outcry is critical and I believe it is helpful NOT to wait until after the Bill passes – as it may well do – but to try and impact it now.

ACTION PLAN RE UGANDA

• I am asking all of you to please submit a statement directly to me condemning the action in committee
  
• Statement and Comments could be unified or separate –
• Please e-mail same to me as a matter of urgency-

I also plan to publish the statements in LezGetReal, which is also widely read in Africa and Uganda – our articles get picked up by Ugandan Press-

The US State Department reads my work as a matter of course and so will see the statements as well-

I would also then submit the statements to one of the local newspapers in Uganda -

PS .Longer term – ACTION PLAN if the Bill passes and perhaps even if it does not…
We need to prepare for the eventuality as it could happen quickly
Need to Reach out to DHS and the Administration to explore and ask for a special refugee category / fast track – for LGBT people in Uganda   More later…

Here are some articles that could provide some direction.

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/05/alert-ugandan-anti-homosexuality-bill-is-getting-its-hearing-today/

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/05/uganda-president-museveni-heading-straight-into-idi-mode-anti-gay-bill-kidnapping-torture-of-straight-people/

http://www.gayapolis.com/news/artdisplay-news.php?artid=8433

If you want to hear David Bahati the MP and author of the Kill the Gays Bill,  on homosexuality go to www.sworlradio.comn and listen to the Podcast from 5/7/20100 – it should be up tomorrow.

Thanking you all in advance for your kind consideration and participation in ths action…. please feel free to pass on as you deem fit.

If you are concerned or outraged feel free to send your own private statements directly to the email adds I have provided below. Please send us your statements so we can show them on site and we will email them to every member of Uganda’s parliament.  Also please be polite and purposeful. It is important to impart that we are born LGBTI and cannot be recruited.  If you have seen any studies, then reference them.

Thank you also to those friends of equality and Human rights in the international community for participating in this. Best wishes and

in extreme solidarity,

mel

MELANIE NATHAN
BA LLB LLM

www.lezgetreal.com

PRIVATE COURTS, INC.
Media * Mediation * Advocacy (415) 601-1099 / mobile
www.visualcv.com/melnathan
www.privatecourts.com

LGR will provide publicity to any organization having a Rally and we will link to your website donation buttons.

First Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for East Africa     Hon. Eriya Kategaya ekategaya@parliament.go.ug

Second Deputy Prime Minister &  Public Service     Hon. Henry Kajura kmuganwa@parliament.go.ug

Third Deputy Prime Minister &  Internal Affairs     Hon. Kirunda Kivejinja kkirunda@parliament.go.ug

Minister for Security     Hon. Amama Mbabazi mamama@parliament.go.ug

Presidency     Hon. Beatrice Wabudeya wmukaye@parliament.go.ug

General Duties (Office of the Prime Minister)     Hon. Mukwaya Janat jmukwaya@parliament.go.ug/jm@mtti.go.ug

Gender, Labour and Social Affairs     Hon. Opio Gabriel gopio@parliament.go.ug

Trade and Industry   Hon. Kahinda Otafiire kotafiire@parliament.go.ug

Water and Environment     Hon. Maria Mutagamba mmutagamba@parliament.go.ug

Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries     Hon. Hope Mwesigye hmwesigye@parliament.go.ug

Defence     Hon. Crispus Kiyonga ckiyonga@parliament.go.ug

Relief and Disaster Preparedness     Hon. Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere kabwegyere@parliament.go.ug

Lands, Housing and urban Development     Hon. Omara Atubo oatubo@parliament.go.ug

Health     Hon. Stephen Malinga smallinga@parliament.go.ug

Foreign Affairs     Hon. Sam Kutesa skutesa@parliament.go.ug

Education and Sports     Hon. Geraldine Bitamazire bnamirembe@parliament.go.ug

Energy and Minerals     Hon. Hillary Onek honek@parliament.go.ug

Communication & Information Communication Technology     Hon. Aggrey Awori awori@parliament.go.ug

Information & National Guidance     Hon. Kabakumba L. Masiko klmasiko@parliament.go.ug

Local Government     Hon. Mwesigye Adolf amwesige@parliament.go.ug/ mwesigeadolf@yahoo.com

Minister Without Portfolio     Hon. Dorothy Hyuha shyuha@parliament.go.ug

Finance, Planning and Economic Development     Hon. Sydda Bbumba sbbumba@parliament.go.ug

Works     Hon. John Nasasira jnasasira@parliament.go.ug

Justice, Constitutional Affairs & Attoney General     Hon. Khiddu Makubuya mekhiddu@parliament.go.ug

Government Chief Whip     Hon. Daudi Migereko dmigereko@parliament.go.ug

Leader of the Opposition –    Hon. Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo latigo@parliament.go.ug

The Opposition Chief Whip    Hon. Kassiano Wadri ekwadri@parliament.go.ug

The opposition Deputy Chief Whip    Judith Franca Akello jakello@parliament.go.ug

THE SHADOW CABINET MINISTERS

Presidency and Ant-Corruption     Hon. Fungaroo Kaps Hassan kfungaroo@parliament.go.ug

Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Attorney General    Hon. Erias Lukwago elukwago@parliament.go.ug

Information and National Guidance    Hon. Christopher M. Kibazanga ckibanzanga@parliament.go.ug

Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries   Hon. Christine Bako acbako@parliament.go.ug

Local Government    Hon. John Arumadri Drazu jarumadri@parliament.go.ug

Finance, Planning and Economic Development    Hon. Okello Oduman aoduman@parliament.go.ug

Defence and Security    Hon. Angiro Gutomoi cangiro@parliament.go.ug

Internal Affairs and Human Rights    Hon. Hussein Kyanjo hkyanjo@parliament.go.ug

Foreign Affairs, Regional and East African Cooperation    Hon. Geoffrey Ekanya gekanya@parliament.go.ug

East African Cooperation      Kiyonga Francis fkiyonga@parliament.go.ug

Health    Hon. Dr. Fransis Epetait fepatait@parliament.go.ug

Education and Sports    Hon.Alice Alaso aalaso@parliament.go.ug

Public Service    Hon. Micheal Nyeko Ocula mnyeko@parliament.go.ug

Gender, Labour and Youth    Hon. Susan Nampijja nsusana@parliament.go.ug

Works and Infrastructure Development    Hon. Eng. Patrick Amuriat pamuriat@parliament.go.ug

Lands and Physical Planning    Hon. Nabilah Nagayi Sempala nsempala@parliament.go.ug

Housing and Urban Development     Hon. Matia Nsubuga nbirekeraawo@parliament.go.ug

Tourism, Trade and Industry    Hon. John Baptist Kawanga jkawanga@parliament.go.ug

Water and Environment    Hon. Beatrice A. O. Atim cogwal@parliament.go.ug

Energy and Mineral Development   Hon. Harry Kasigwa hkasigwa@parliament.go.ug

Communication, ICT and Technology     Hon. Loius Opange lopange@parliament.go.ug

Rehabilitation, Relief and Disaster Preparedness    Hon. Betty Aol Ocan baol@parliament.go.ug

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Vigil Protests for Lesbian Rape & Murder Victim, Noxolo Nogwaza, as South African LGBT Groups and Activists Call upon Honorable  Minister Jeff Radebe, DOJCD to Speak out Against  Corrective Rape & President Zuma to Recall Jon Qwelane.

“Research conducted in the Western Cape indicates that 86% of black lesbians live in fear of sexual assault because of the high prevalence of corrective rape in the area,”  (South Africa)

A collaboration of NGO’s, Grassroots Activists, Service providers from the USA and South Africa join in Solidarity – as Protests around South Africa are being planned  calling for a unified message.

LGBT Communities are holding vigils in South Africa and abroad for Noxolo Nogwaza, the 24 year old lesbian, whose tortured and savagely beaten body was found in an alley in Kwa-Tema South Africa. The vigils shall take the form of protests, in solidarity and  to express outrage at the endemic nature of so called “corrective” rape in South African Townships.

In March 2011, Luleki Sizwe, represented by Ndumie Funda and Melanie Nathan,  with Benjamin Joffe Watt of Change.org  participated in a meeting with Mr. Tlali Tlali  of the DOJCD at Parliament, Cape Town.  The honorable Minister of Justice Mr. Jeff Radebe who said he would be at the meeting, did not attend because of a high profile criminal arrest that day.

Luleki Sizwe proposed an ongoing commission to explore, legislate and implement reforms for prevention, health and safety of lesbian victims of so called “corrective rape” and to bring public awareness and education to local communities. The Department of Justice & Constitutional Development and the National Prosecutorial Authority agreed to follow through and so they set the stage for a second meeting to be held May 03, 2011.

Melanie Nathan, MEUSA Ambassador to Africa has been in contact with local grassroots groups and activists, stating “In the wake of this May 03, meeting and the brutal corrective rape and murder of 24 year old, Noxolo, the second such crime, in the same area, in a matter of one month, activists are unified in protest and a call to action,   alongside the vigils for the latest two victims:-

1. We protest the brutal rapes and slaughter of our young sisters who like anyone else have the legal right to pursue their happiness, with maximum protection of the law;

2.  We Ask the South African Government to keep their word and step up the call to action via the Commission to explore and effect reforms in terms of the meeting held in parliament between Luleki Sizwe and the Department of Justice on March 14, 2011 and to continue on May 3^rd, 2011 to move rapidly toward educating the public, enforcement, hate crimes  legislation, harsh bail and sentencing laws, instituting reforms for the health and safety of victim;

3. We ask Minister Radebe to make a statement in condemnation of the CULTURE of rape against all women and specifically corrective rape of lesbians.  The Leaders of South Africa are called upon to make bold statements condemning these actions as un-african and contrary to the South African post apartheid Constitution.

4. Additionally,  Minister Radebe must step forward to make a statement imploring upon the men of South Africa to refrain from rape of all women and to tell the South African people that it is unconstitutional to oppress sexual minorities. Unlike the era of apartheid all are equal under the Constitution and that we are all entitled to love who we choose.

5.  To express and guarantee that South Africa will enact legislation to make crimes against sexual minorities hate crimes with stiffer sentences and harsh bail requirements.

6.  We insist President Zuma recall homophobic ambassador Jon Qwelane from Uganda as a matter of urgency before the expiration of this Parliamentary session in Uganda, as a sign of solidarity to our sisters who have died under a culture where anti-gay sentiment is rampant and in direct conflict with South Africa’s progressive Constitution and promise for a future without oppression.

7. We will protest and stand vigil everywhere – until the Hon. Mr. Jeff Radebe makes a statement and  President Jacob Zuma recalls Qwelane and renounces homophobia in South Africa and the rest of the African Continent.”

Note:-

Anyone organizing a vigil or willing to sign on in solidarity, from anywhere in the world, has been invited to communicate so that protestors are made aware of events and solidarity is passed on to family and local groups.  nathan@privatecourts.com

Current Protests are in Planning for:

Pretoria Executive Branch Building
Parliament  Building, Cape Town
The Constitutional Court, Johannesburg

South African Embassy, New York,/ Los Angeles
South African Embassy/ Consuls around the World

Photo: Noxolo Funeral ©Private Courts Inc. Permission to Use with this Article is Granted to Cross Posters.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The arrest today of alleged accessory in the Lisa Miller abduction case renders a complaint with a bevy of names and revelations that can only serve to shock – how people are willing to risk defying the law of our Country in the name of religious anti-gay dogma.  What we suspected has in fact come to light and can be noted from the Complaint in the case of the Abduction of Isabella Miller.

Lisa Miller absconded in defiance of a Custody Order, abducting the child Isabella. It has been years since her non-biological mother, who has custody via the US Courts, has been able to see her daughter.  Had Lisa Miller the biological non custodial mother allowed jenkins visitation/ shared custody – none of this would have happened. It was that simple.  Instead with the help of the  ex-gay movement and right wing Christian groups around her, Miller was provided with the ability to abscond the USA – to abduct Isabella – in essence depriving her other lawful parent of her rights – Miller could not have done it alone.

The person arrested in the case is one, Timothy Miller, no relation to Lisa Miller, – read the complaint below.

Reading back on LGR’s articles over the past years on the case one notes the challenges LGR made to the Groups we believed were involved.

The FBI has done an amazing job of keeping on this case , in their determination to seek justice for Janet  Jenkins and the child Isabella.  The imperative of holding ALL people responsible to uphold the law of our Country cannot diminish because of someone having a separate religious ideology.   This shows that not even super wealthy right wing evangelical Christian Ministries will get away with crimes such as this.

Names, via emails and evidence indicated in the Complaint is extensive  – e.g.
“a. Philip Zodhiates is a wealthy man and a “Liberty Leader” who has a beach
house in Nicaragua. Lisa Miller and Isabella Miller have been staying at the home of Zodhiates.
b. Victoria Hyden is the daughter of Zodhiates. Zodhiates asked Hyden to
disseminate a request to get Lisa Miller supplies.”

THE  ARREST   As it broke has been reported by LGR here -

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/04/arrest-made-in-abduction-of-isabella-miller-by-lisa-miller/comment-page-1/#comment-157004

It seems the connection to Miller being in Managua – via other countries is explained in the detailed complaint below.

THE COMPLAINT

I am a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBn. I have been a
Special Agent since October of2008. I am currently assigned to the Burlington, Vermont Resident Agency. 2. The facts in this affidavit come from my personal observations, my training and experience, information obtained by other law enforcement officials and witnesses, and court documentation. This affidavit is intended to show merely that there is sufficient probable cause for the requested criminal complaint and arrest warrant and does not set forth all of my knowledge about this matter.    3. Based on my training and experience and the facts as set forth in this affidavit, there is probable cause to believe that Timothy David Miller has violated 18 U.S.C. §§ 1204, 2; aiding in   international parental kidnapping of minor Isabella Ruth Miller-Jenkins (IMJ) by Lisa Miller and  other unknown persons. This crime involved removing a child from the United States on or about September 22, 2009, and retaining a child who has been in the United States, outside of the United States from September 2009 to the present, with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights by Janet Jenkins. I have reason to believe that Timothy Miller violated 18 U.S.C. §§ 1204, 2 in that: a. Timothy Miller had knowledge of the parental rights litigation in the United States involving Lisa Miller and regarding IMJ.

FULL DOC Below…

Miller Jenkins Criminal Complaint

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Melanie Nathan-  March 08, 2011.

Update, March 8: Jamal’s removal has been stayed and he has been released from detention. Lord Justice Sullivan specifically linked his case to that of ‘Brenda Namigadde’. He said:

“In view of the claimant’s appalling immigration history I grant a stay with great reluctance. I do so because I understand that a stay of removal was granted in a similar case BN (Uganda) , which is awaiting an expedited hearing in the administrative court. The applicants case in BN to be a lesbian was not accepted, but the issue raised in her case is the risk on return of a perceived homosexual as a result of press coverage in the UK. In the present case neither the Tribunal nor the Secretary of State has accepted that the claimant is gay, but (perhaps as a result of his own efforts) there are press reports in the UK which identify him as a gay man: see eg Guardian dated 5 February 2011. It would be sensible to defer his consideration of his application for permission to appeal pending the Administrative Court’s decision in BN.”

________________________________________________________________________________________

The Case referred to as the BN case (under Press restrictions in the UK of the use of her name) accomplished this precedent setting status of “perceived homosexuality” as a direct result of my conversation with David Bahati, widely picked up by the International Press – the initial article can be found here.

“Notorious “Kill the Gays” Bahati Weighs in on Uganda Lesbian’s Urgent Deportation Fight”

Brenda Namigadde left Uganda 8 years ago, in 2003. She lived together with her partner, a Canadian woman Janet, but they were threatened, and both left the country, first Janet back to Canada, then Brenda went to the UK:

“Our relationship led us to be sworn at, threatened. Even the house where we were living was hurt, so we had to live in hiding for a month. Janet had to go back to Canada, the last time I saw here was in 2003. I’ve been in the U.K. for 8 years, applied for asylum last year for human protection.”

“I’ll be tortured, or killed, if I’m sent back to Uganda. They’ve put people like me to death there.”

“Yes I was involved in the protest at Trafalgar Square, we wanted to speak out against the law in Uganda. It’s not right how they treat gay people there. In Uganda, I have nobody there, it’s very dangerous for me. If I can stay here in the UK I can continue my studies, live my life freely, openly, without fear.”

This is the woman who faces deportation back to Uganda on January 28^th. International Activists have worked in unity to effect a campaign to save Brenda from certain harm.

Brenda is presently detained at Yarlswood Immigrtaion Removal Centre. She has another removal date set for 28th January 2011 to Entebbe Uganda in Flight VS671 & KQ412 via Nairobi, Kenya at 21.20 hrs.

But the story gets more sinister – and even more scary than Brenda knows at this time. Yesterday I wrote a piece for Lezgetreal reporting Brenda’s story – and in the piece I referenced my recent  interview with David Bahati which I had not previously  reported on.

Today when I was working with Joseph Huff-Hannon of  www.ALLOUT.org and Paul Canning  Editor of LGBT ASYLUM News, on Skype regarding a Petition to support Brenda’s urgent bid for asylum,  a call came through on my regular phone. It was David Bahati.  He had read my previous article where I reported that Brenda’s asylum case had been rejected and that her deportation to Uganda was imminent.

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/01/uk-home-office-deporting-ugandan-lesbian-to-certain-harm/

Bahati said he read the piece about Brenda  Namigadde where I quoted him and that he was calling to tell me to give Brenda a message. The author of the anti-gay legislation said that the legislation will be presented to the Ugandan Parliament in the next few weeks. Homosexuality Including men and women is considered a crime in Uganda as being against the order of nature. The new Bill by Bahati seeks to affirm its criminalization and also calls for the death penalty in certain circumstances.

He told me that Brenda should stop bad mouthing Uganda; that she would be welcome back to Uganda if she renounced her homosexuality and if she “repented.”   I asked him if he based this ideal upon religious beliefs and he said “yes” that he did. I asked what if Brenda did not have the same belief as he did?  I asked what if she did not believe that she could repent?  He affirmed then she would be tried as a criminal.

After speaking to Mr. Bahati, I realize that he believes that Ms. Namigadde is indeed a lesbian. This serves only to enhance the danger she is in and flies in the face of the UK assertion that she may not have proved that she is a lesbian. She is indeed in danger.

It was astounding to me that David Bahati would call to comment on this case and the very fact that he did is indicative of the danger that Brenda faces.

He seemed to be very concerned about Uganda’s image and that she should not portray “her country as bad.”  I believe that this adds to her danger.

Bahati said that Uganda is not harassing Brenda but rather it would be enforcing the law. I questioned him about the law itself and mentioned that the western world did not agree that homosexuality was not a human right as he had told me previously. I told him that the UK and the USA would expect Uganda to adhere to the terms of the Declaration of Human Rights and that if he could not see it that way that there would be every reason to grant her asylum abroad.

He did not agree…..  http://lezgetreal.com/2011/01/uganda-lesbian-files-urgent-new-asylum-claim-in-uk-in-face-of-friday-deportation/

Bahati said Brenda would be safe if she repented, denounced homosexuality and ceased “that sexual behavior.”

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

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• UK Readers Urgent Appeal- The Push for Ugandan Lesbian’s New Asylum Hearing (lezgetreal.com)
• UPDATE: Ugandan Lesbian Brenda Namigadde’s Deportation is set for 9.20PM from London (lezgetreal.com)

CAPE TOWN – After my speech at Cape Town pride Pink Gala, I was asked for copies – and also a few magazines wanted to publish it.  So I decided i would post it here. I may have veered or added some bits but this is what I wrote and hopefully said -  I do believe their are audio versions of it – I wrote it for verbal delivery so the writing style may seem different – but here it is – please feel free to republish without permission as long as you link back to this particular post and apply the appropriate accreditation.

KEYNOTE SPEECH
CAPE TOWN PRIDE
SOUTH AFRICA

MELANIE NATHAN

Greetings comrades, lesbians, gays, queers, LGBTQI people, allies, and everyone in between. It is a great honor for me to be here tonight -thanks to my fellow bloggers at www.lezgetreal.com, Swirl Radio America, Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA and my family and friends back home in the US for their help and support.

Thank you Gareth Dallas, and his amazing Cape Town Pride team – thank you British Airways – you got me a long way in style -thank you Hotel Cape Royale, Victoria Junction,  Protea, and to all sponsors of this fabulous gay pride event and most importantly thank you to every single one of you.

In 1965, in Port Elizabeth lived an eight year old girl. She lived in a nice house and never had to worry about anything. She thought everything was perfect in the world just as it was in her house and at her school where, each day, they sang a song everyday called Die Stem and another one “bless this house..”.

The kids learned about history about how Jan Van Riebeeck was a hero for coming to the Cape in 1652 and she was taught that respect must be given to authority and the Prime Minister of her Country, South Africa and that is all she knew.

One day in the windy city, her mother went out; and the little girl stayed home from school with a bad cold.  She listened to the radio – there was no TV – in those days.  Suddenly the program was interrupted and a very serious tone reverberated alarmingly through the airwaves “DR VERWOERD IS DOOD – Dr VERWOERD IS DEAD! “

The Prime Minister had been stabbed while he was inside the Parliament – right here in Cape Town.  The child was perplexed and yelled for her nanny.- who came running into the room to see what she screaming was about.

“Dr. Verwoerd is dead,” repeated the child, looking for comfort. A  smile crossed her nanny’s face and the next thing a wail – or rather a chant llalalalalal – and a dance of joy.

That child was me and how incongruous that dance seemed and her nanny was Mrs. Violet Zinto, of blessed memory.

From that day on I knew something was not right – here and with this world – with this place and my life changed forever.

Something triggered for me – in that moment… but I never knew it would lead to this day…

Little did I know that moment was the beginning of the end… for apartheid – as its architect lay without breath in his House of iniquity and that the very same HOUSE would one day pass a constitution that would go to the ultimate form of inclusion, for full equality.

There was a big struggle ahead to rebuild that place of ‘law making’; and much sacrifice followed and when Madiba (Nelson Mandela) was released came the new promise and a new constitution – one that guaranteed there would never be discrimination again in South Africa – and – it became the first ever country to boast a rainbow people – because in NO  other country is that term used for NOT ONLY LGBTI. But in SA it is used for everyone.  SA is the only country which has earned a rainbow flag with an SA Flag embed-design attached as its LGBT Symbol of freedom and equality- that waves a reflection of that significant truth.

I have come a long way to talk to you tonight./ From those days in Port Elizabeth then to SF and now back here to Cape Town.    Through my own journey over the past 25 years and my multi-national experience – I have come qualified in my heart to bring you a message – it is about you about your importance here in SA, here in Africa and here in the world.

I live in San Francisco – where we like to think we are ground zero for the gay struggle around the world – - – - and I may seem to interfering – but I am asking for help – your help.

Little do they know in SF and they should know – that this place right here- SA – is the real ground zero – It is because of your fight against the oppression of an entire nation, joined together , that this is the only  country on  this continent and one of very few globally to have sexual orientation and gender identity protected in its constitution.

I am here to remind you that not even the United State of America can boast such an accomplishment.

But it is HOW you live that accomplishment that becomes the real achievement.

The real triumph will come when people in South Africa accept all people unequivocally as equals and realize that gay people are normal people who having been born to enjoy love as a human right -we – want nothing more than our right to pursue happiness free of fear, safely with equal opportunities in every arena.

With this Constitution – you are charged with a hefty responsibility – here in South Africa, AND in Africa AND in the World.

You must demand enforcement and respect for those rights you now own.

Here is an example:-

In April 2010, I was contacted by Ndume Funda of Luleke Sizwe, after my online  News Magazine presented a story about the rape of Mille Gaika – I wrote Millie and Ndumie’s story for a year- they were suffering greatly – 15 women in 2 room flooded shack about to be evicted – all rape victims – and I prefer to say survivors – rapists who insulted our lesbian sisters by the denial of their being “ I will fix you and make you a real woman.”

Look at me brothers and sisters -  I am a lesbian and I am woman- I don’t need any help with that thank you,.!

Through these stories on lezgetreal I begged for attention. My Cousin visited Ndumie and the women in Gugu and when she got home from that visit she contacted me in the US and she said “Mel, it is worse than you expected.”

I contacted organizations in South Africa and I received no response – Millie sat injured physically – her body saved, and emotionally – her soul mortally wounded ;  While she may have had opportunities to reach out and accept help – her further victimization endured through a system that had no way of providing the resources in a sensitive or conclusive fashion.

So I started writing to the SA Consul in the US and to Minister Radebe here in SA – I asked – Min. Radebe – How many women must endure a gang rape and then years later another even more brutal rape only to hear your silence; how many woman can stand up and testify at a trial when she and her supporters are there under threat without police protection?  How many women must get on the same bus as her perpetrator who is out on $6.00  bail to go to court to testify; how many MORE must endure the brutality without the government stepping in and educating the public that (SHOUT) – RAPE AND VIOLENCE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE        AND THAT CORRECTIVE RAPE IS A HATE CRIME THAT must be OUTLAWED IN THIS COUNTRY with harsh sentencing ? …… and your continued silence- Members of this Government….

Others joined in the outrage and the more I wrote the more contact I received from the international community, wanting to help and it spread, viral – until Luleki Sizwe received money from a donor to move into a safe house.

Soon a Petition was put on the internet and something like 200,000 emails landed on the desk of Minister Radebe’s staff- resulting in an invitation to meet and discuss the  imperative reforms.  We have drafted some reforms which are necessary for survivors of these rapes and that is part of what we will pursue this month.

So you can see – this is a perfect example of having rights under the law – but not being protected through lack of solicitude, awareness, education and enforcement.

What good is a constitution if one cannot live in peace without fear of attack just because you are gay or lesbian or transgender or intersex.  So you must all demand and you must all support each other – and you must show up in great crowds like we will do tomorrow/.

You must forge a path that shows SA can be a leader;- and in order to do that – you cannot fear being out, open and proud.  You are the soldiers on this the last frontier of acceptability.  Tolerance of us in society, regardless of African Culture is not enough – we must be accepted.

In order for this to happen, it is absolutely imperative that you realize your place in AFRICA and in the WORLD.  You have a unique duty – and the more you express that duty on the greatest level available to you, the more you will be accepted in your own Country.

YOU have to tell the world of the brilliance of the SA Constitution- not even the USA – which purports to lead the world has such inclusion – and the USA still discriminates horribly in its law, through the Federal Defense of Marriage Act which says marriage can only be between one man and one woman.  If I fall in love with a South African and want to marry her and live with her in the USA – I cannot sponsor her for a green card – but straight people can. Here in SA you have that right!

Your rights under your Constitution are born from the hard learned lessons and the excruciating fight out of apartheid- you cannot let the people of SA , nor Madiba, nor the ANC of better memory down.  So you must fight as well on an international level – you must show leadership in Africa and the world and you must tell President Zuma – that he is expected by the SA people to do the same.

From these I have four PLEAS   -  (as in requests!_)

Plea number 1  is  for SA,  Stop the Rape – educate, and support victims with government medical care, with encouragement and help to testify and with all the resources fitting those who endure horrendous pain and torture and legislate appropriate sentencing and bail;

Plea number 2 is for Africa, Stop the criminalization of Homosexuality in AFRICA – we are human beings who love each other and we are families;  we are not criminals just because we fall in love with people of the same sex. We are not hurting anyone. Uganda stop the ‘Kill the Gays Bill.’  David Bahati get the hell out of South Africa, President Zuma take the lead and show that you have dignity and respect for your magnificent constitution – Tell Jon Qwelane to get the (F%CK) out of Uganda  NOW!!!! He must back to South Africa and sit on the same porch and smoke whatever it is that has made him hate.

Tell Museveni that South Africa will pull all its private investment AND government AID until Uganda decriminalizes homosexuality, even as the law stands now. Show the world you believe in the message of the ANC and the new SA and that your Constitution is not a phony patronization of those who joined you in your struggle against apartheid..   That human rights will be protected at all costs – and are critical to the development of South Africa and Africa in the world.

Show some spine President Zuma – stand up for your people – all your people – stand up for Africa- be a leader - live your constitution.

PLEA number 3 Stand up for the World -with great respect – when you express   loyalty to your country and your patriotism you are expected to uphold the constitution and then you are expected to deliver the message from a clean house… a house fully in order,. SA has that power because SA has the ALL TIME CONSTITUTION.  Help us in America teach those that hate how to truly separate church and state – marriage equality is universal – come to us in pride to talk about your constitution and help us attain full inclusion in our Federal law…..

For you my friends I say again thank you for this incredible opportunity. Who would have thought I would have left an apartheid SA 25 years ago to come home to ask you to fight for equality for the WORLD?

Fight for the rights that you already own and unite as one gay movement – avoid the appeal of fragmentation in the name of ego because unless you do that you will not succeed –

First and foremost Be Gay – be lesbian – be out be queer be transgender, be bisexual – intersex be straight – just be who you are there is no shame there can only be gain and you OWN the right!!

I love you,

I love South Africa…

From the deepest place in my heart

Picture above
Ndumie Funda and Mel on stage after speech

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By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Thank you Cape Town!

(Happy Birthday to both My Children – I miss you)

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• South African Broadcasting Corporation Quotes Melanie Nathan on Uganda (lezgetreal.com)
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To our readers, I wanted to let everyone know that, no, LGR is not going to be going away any time soon.  I want to take this time to apologize for the lack of stories the last two days.  Unfortunately, two of our writers are out of country right now, and cannot post at all.  Another one of our writers is on her work cycle, which means that she is sleeping all day and working at night.  A few of our other writers are busy with personal projects.  That left me to do the bulk of the writing, which I do anyway.

What a lousy time for me to get sick, huh?

Actually, I’m not sick with a cold or anything, but undergoing treatment for something which has, apparently, afflicted me since I was very young.  I have been overweight for much of my life, but it is not because I overeat horribly or eat the wrong things, but rather the fact that I have had food sensitivities much of my life.  I have celiacs, which is gluten intolerance, and lactose intolerance.  There is something else wrong with me, and that is that I apparently have had intestinal parasites for a very long time, probably since I was about six.  This means about thirty years.  I just began the treatments for it, and that made me incredibly ill.  I’ve written what I can and could, but right now, I have so little energy that it is hard to concentrate on the words in order to write anything valuable.

Hopefully, by tomorrow, I will be back up and running a bit better and i can get stories out.  I am also working on my Master’s thesis, so I really cannot afford to be ill.

Take care, and we will be getting more out soon.

Melanie’s biggest cause has always been to push back against so-called corrective rape. That is rape where the assailant believes that he can ‘cure’ a woman from her perceived or actual lesbianism by way of raping her. She has also worked hard on the area of lesbian and gay asylum seekers, including helping asylum seekers around the world. Her latest work has been centered around cases relating to Uganda.

Cape Town Pride reports:

Cape Town Pride is excited to host US based, South African born and qualified, Melanie Nathan. Melanie is Her writings about corrective rape have been enormously significant in terms of getting the SA Ministry of Justice to consider legislation. She has worked extensively in the International arena of gay and lesbian asylum; helping asylum seekers around the world. Specifically, she has been leading teams to save Ugandans from being deported to certain harm.

In preparation for her trip to South Africa, Melanie recently had lunch with a few fellow activists in the Castro in San Francisco. Melanie Nathan was sitting with Molly McKay from Marriage Equality USA, MEUSA Board Director, Carole Scagnetti, Matt Baum, Prop 8 activist, John Lewis without Stuart Gaffney, (Prop 8 Litigants) and Lt Dan Choi. The lunch was about Lt Dan Choi’s 30th Birthday, Mel’s advocacy trip to South Africa and the US Department of Justice’s decision to refrain from defending DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) Cases.

A rainbow flag was gifted by the HRC in the Castro and then signed by the activists and is being brought by Melanie Nathan to be gifted to Cape Town Pride – and will be auctioned at the Pink Ball, where she will be the keynote speaker.

The Pink Ball is one of the events in the calendar that specifically focuses on raising funds for the Cape Town Pride Shelter Trust – which is Africa’s first shelter for gay and lesbian people in a time of crisis.

Melanie was born in South Africa, but currently lives in the United States. She is well known for her often strong language given in her distinctive accent as well as her poof of curly black hair.

Melanie Nathan- Feb 17-2011

“My Mama told me when I was young – we are all born superstars – She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on in the glass of her boudoir There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are  so hold your head up girl and you will go far Listen to me when I say …………………   Born this Way!   Love yourself and you are all set – No other way – Born this way ………..  on  right track. Don’t be a drag – just be a queen!!! Rejoice and love your self today.  I’m beautiful….”

… and so the snippets from Lady Gaga’s new number 1 hit – already covered and felt  by a bevy of little and bigger than little Monsters.

Lady Gaga has  indeed birthed a movement and this song tops its impetus as kids as young as the little Monster in the Video below realize and absorb its truth… the new generation and the new reality….. Born Queer, born gay, born lesbian, born straight, born transgender, born inter-sex – BORN FREE!

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By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

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After David Bahati, the Member of the Ugandan Parliament who authored what has become known as the “KILL THE GAYS” bill came to the United States last year, I wrote an article title “BAHATI Booted out of the USA”, detailing his departure from this country after his now notorious interview on the Rachael Maddow show. And soon after Bahati contacted me, concerned about my reports on his visit and his departure were not accurate, and saying he wanted to set the record straight. But is that all he wanted to set straight….

Bahati believed that he had been most welcome in the USA, despite my reporting about a planned massive protest  of his visit and asserted that: “BAHATI Booted out of the USA” was not a fair depiction of his departure.

He was right -my depiction he was ‘booted out” was probably not fair, since the request for him to depart US shores was a lot more subtle and perhaps the word “nudged out” would have been more accurate description of his departure from the United States. However I was somewhat frustrated having played a lead part in stalling the grassroots protests because I was informed that Bahati’s movements in the U.S. were being tracked by some groups who wanted to see who he was cavorting with here in the U.S.A.

But what soon followed was a series of unexpected and extended phone calls between Bahati and me, which spanned the past several months, and increased in frequency during my reporting on the Brenda Namigadde and David Kato cases, when Bahati started to call me and comment on my reports.

Over the past few months I have released snippets of my conversations with Bahati, on the surface a likable and gregarious man; yet the contents were quite shocking.  And during our conversations… the more we spoke… the more I realized that this man of truly sinister intentions and that the exposure of his country’s stance against homosexuality had attracted his attention to me in an almost obsessive way.

But I never fully understood just how sinister and obsessed this man truly is ….

Fast forward to yesterday, February 10, 2011 – David Bahti calls me at my home:  Bahati wants me to write about Uganda in a positive light – he wants me to “convert” from being a lesbian –  and he wants me to visit Uganda…

MN:  Hello Mr. Bahati what is going on in Uganda?

DB:  nothing much really; we just waiting for election; the President
is going to win; it is very very peaceful here

MN: People are saying that President Museveni is suppressing the election

DB: It will be free and fair because the process is good; it will be okay -Uganda is very peaceful country.

MN: Yes but Sir, do you realize that the anti-homosexual law is making it not a peaceful country because of murders such as David Kato – people there think it is okay to kill gay people ….

DB: This law has nothing to do with that – it is about the children being safe from the homosexual who are recruiting them in our schools

MN:  Is that the words of Scott lively and the other Evangelicals who came from the USA?  Were you at the seminar that Mr. Lively gave in Uganda?

DB: No I was not there- Scott Lively has nothing to do with the law for homosexuals -That is very insulting for people to think that Africans cannot think for themselves. We are not puppets  on issue of homosexuality.  We don’t have to wait for America to know that the children are being destroyed and this homosexuality is spreading.  There is a group promoting it – from overseas money- “The Sexual Minorities Group”- they are Uganda group – they must stop what are they doing – to promote homosexuality –  My sister, what you need to do -   you really need to come here to see what is happening in schools for yourself. That is the best way you will understand.

The groups who are funding Sexual Minorities  Group- are operating in Uganda. If you come you will see this going on.  What is happening is we have the problem of promotion and funding it – I want you to visit us here and go to those schools and stop them sending their money from America to recruit homosexuals….

MN: Mr, Bahati – I will be very happy to come to Uganda, but I do not believe I am welcome or that I will be safe because I am a lesbian and you know that; Can I bring my wife?

BH: You will be very well rested  ( me:Arrested??) here…  we can reform you here.

This morning I awoke to a report out of the UK that detailed the BBC’s Radio One DJ Scott Mills and his accounts of his meeting with Ugandan MP David Bahati.

The 36-year-old Mills was filming a show called The World’s Worst Place to be Gay? For BBC3, when he confessed his sexual orientation to British-educated politician David Bahati – who Scott then said “went mental”.

Mills said, “He was scary. He ordered us to cut the cameras then brought a security guard.”

“We ran off and he rang one of our guys saying, ‘Where are they staying? What are the registration plates? I want them arrested. They won’t get far’.”

Fortunately Scott’s colleague lied about their location, and armed police arrived at the Sheraton – where they had been falsely told the team was staying.

Mill’s continued, “I’d heard horror stories about people getting arrested and roughed up and who knows what. I was scared.”

During our conversation yesterday, my initial impression of David Bahati’s offer to come to Uganda, was, that it was probably rhetorical, and his threat to arrest me and “convert” me was offered as a dark jest.

But, after reviewing the context my past contacts with him and tone in which he said those things to me yesterday, I am now sure that he has become completely obsessed over the gay press coverage reporting on the situation in Uganda and Bahati was serious in both his offer to go to Uganda and his threat to arrest and “convert” me.

Is it David Bahati’s intention to lure me to his country and force me, by whatever mean necessarily, to give his world view of homosexuality?  Lacking that, I believe he thought he could coerce me into favorable reports.  He tried long enough, over the phone- to no avail.

Shortly after my discussion I received a message from a friend who had been kidnapped and horribly tortured -over night, in Uganda- intimidated into withdrawing his campaigning for the opposition Party in the upcoming election.   My friend is in great pain and terror.   Even though this has nothing to do with being gay, per se, I have now been exposed to the lie first hand – that there will never be a fair and free election and that Uganda’s beauty is duly masked by Museveni, Bahati, government backed tabloids, and the gay scape-goating employed to divert attention from the real Ugandan truth- there is no democracy in Uganda!

I am likewise now sure, with no shade of doubt in my mind, that David Bahati is a very dangerous man, empowered with drafting legislation that could obstruct Uganda’s progress as a global player and also a clear motivator for more murder and mayhem in Africa.

Me, Castro Dyke – the Object of a Madman’s Quest

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

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A Side Note: - I asked Bahati what it was like to be on the Rachel Maddow show especially knowing she is a lesbian of high regard… He answered ” She is a Great woman – but I must pray for her to be saved.”

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• Uganda’s Great Gay Lie – Ready for an Honest Discussion about Homosexuality? (lezgetreal.com)

Melanie Nathan – Feb. 02, 2011-

A coalition of grassroots human rights organizations and activists in San Francisco will honor murdered gay Ugandan David Kato with a boisterous solidarity action tomorrow in an historical public community space in the heart of the Castro.  Last week, amidst a climate of intense anti-gay rhetoric and pending legislation, David Kato was beaten to death in Kampala.

WHAT: Rally to honor David Kato
WHERE: Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro Street
THEME: Stop killing queers
DATE: Thursday, February 3
TIME: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The rally’s focus is on demanding justice for the murder victim, an end to American Evangelicals meddling in Uganda’s internal policies, and the pending death-penalty-for-gays bill in the parliament to be soundly rejected.

Three volunteer groups are the key organizers of San Francisco rally, starting with Gays Without Borders/SF, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Trans Thrive.

“We have a loud, unified message to Uganda’s clerics and politicians: Stop the violence, social demonizing and killing against our brothers and sisters. Period.,” said sister PatnLeather, an event speaker.

“The word will go out clear and proud on February 3 from Harvey Milk Plaza: LGBT people under attack. What do we do? Act up! Fight back!,” said Michael Petrelis, one of the organizers.

Related articles

• The Confession of a Patsy – to Uganda Gay Activist’s Murder – Amounts to a Hit (lezgetreal.com)
• Insidious Ugandan Press Statement by Tormentors of Murdered Gay Activist David Kato (lezgetreal.com)
• Castro Merchant Group Refuses to Lower Rainbow Flag for David Kato (lezgetreal.com)
• What Does U.S. deployment of Ugandan Mercenary Troops Mean to GAY U.S.A. (lezgetreal.com)

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Kato had expressed fear for his safety after the verdict, telling AlertNet:

David Kato, one of the plaintiffs, said that he had been living in terror ever since he was named by the newspaper.

“Since we got exposed by Rolling Stone, we have been living like fugitives in our own country,” he said. “We have to keep shifting houses for fear of being attacked. Some of the gays have decided to leave the city and head to rural areas in order to protect themselves.”

Human Rights Watch in a Statement said: “The government should ensure that members of Uganda’s LGBT community have adequate protection from violence and take prompt action against all threats or hate speech likely to incite violence, discrimination, or hostility toward them.”

David Kato’s death is a tragic loss to the human rights community,” said Maria Burnett, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “David had faced the increased threats to Ugandan LGBT people bravely and will be sorely missed.”

Witnesses told police that a man entered Kato’s home in Mukono at around 1 p.m. on January 26, 2011, hit him twice in the head with a hammer and departed in a vehicle. Kato died on his way to Kawolo hospital. Police told Kato’s lawyer that they had the registration number of the vehicle and were looking for it.

Kato had been a leading voice in the fight against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which has been before Uganda’s parliament since October 15, 2009. While homosexual sex is already illegal in Uganda, the proposed law would criminalize all homosexuality, making it punishable by a fine and life imprisonment. “Repeat offenders” and those who are HIV positive would be subject to the death penalty. The bill would also oblige anyone with knowledge of someone who is or might be a homosexual to report that person to the police within 24 hours

I have been working on the case of Brenda Namigadde, as a reporter and as an activist.  Brenda may be deported from the UK on this Friday. Earlier reports can be read – what follows is some background, the reports and the importance of keeping the focus on getting Brenda out of her deportation setting, out of custody detention and into a real life in the UK>

RELATED EARLIER STORIES:

Melanie Nathan January 23, 2011 - The United Kingdom (UK) Home Office has rejected the asylum application of a Ugandan lesbian who can be sent back at any time.  The Ghana news reports that the “East African country is hostile to homos and recently proposed a bill which would make homosexual acts punishable by execution.”

The U.K. Border Agency, is now holding a Uganda born student, Brenda Namigadde, 29, who was among those took part in a demonstration outside the Uganda High commission in Trafalgar Square, Central London in 2009, when the Ugandan government introduced an Anti-Homosexuality Bill in parliament. The bill that shocked the liberal western governments suggested all Gays and Lesbians in the country should face the death penalty.

Speaking about her case from the UK Border manned Heathrow immigration detention center where she being held, Namigadde, said she fears for her life once in Uganda.

“They already know who I am, because photos were taken of me and my colleagues that day,” said a tearful Namigadde, with fear overwhelmed her face, she added: “Ugandan government has names of most of them as they have been published in several newspapers in the country.” Namigadde was referring a demonstration that took place after a public outcry from several organizations in the UK led by Gay Activists Alliance International (GAAI) with support from Gay Uganda, Sexual Minorities Uganda and Outrage organizations. Among the speakers on the day were Davies Mac-Iycllam, the co-founder of GAAT, Peter Tatchell and Skye Chirape.

Homosexual is illegal in Uganda and the country’s president previously attacked it calling it, “negative foreign culture”.

In the Ugandan parliament, there is an Anti-Homosexuality Bill which was sponsored by Ndorwa West, MP David Bahati, a legislator from President Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). It was only stayed when it received a sharp condemnation from around the world and after donor countries threatened to cut-off of aid to Uganda.

Last week I spoke directly to David Bahati in an interview which I am soon to publish in full. He informed me that the  Ugandan Parliament is going to go ahead with the anti-homosexuality Bil and it could become law in a matter of time. “All Ugandans support the Bill. We are a sovereign Country” –   He told me that Uganda “does not not consider homosexuality as a human right” and that it will do everything it can to enforce criminal sanctions against those who “practice homosexuality.”

Bahati said that homosexuality is a crime already in Uganda and the purpose of he new law will be to clarify it creating certainty in the mode of punishment.   He said that he had “proof” that “homos are recruiting children in the schools to their way of life” and that “Uganda must protect their children for the homos.”

I asked him if this was a religious ideal and based on religion. He said that it was and this clearly dates back to Scott Lively and USA Evangelical push to attack  gays and lesbians in Africa.

I cannot fathom how the UK Home Office can reject this case for asylum – it defies all sense of humanity.  I am calling on the US State Department to contact the Home Office and to effect a responsibility especially that our American Evangelicals have steeped themselves in the atrocious preamble to all this.

Paul Canning form LGBT Asylum based in the UK told me that before Lively went in to Uganda with his antigay propaganda, gays and lesbians had been left alone.  However now they are being harassed to the point where even a local Newspaper has been placing photos on its cover – of alleged gays- and calling for their capture.

The 29 year Ugandan lesbian, was due to be deported on Thursday the 20th of January, but only missed out after a mix-up with someone else name being submitted to the airline.

After speaking to Activists who know the lay of the land and after speaking to Bahati myself for over an hour. Brenda’s life is in certain danger. The UK Home Office must retract its decision immediately. It defies all logic that a Country such as the United Kingdom would deport a person back to a Country where even its members of parliament, such as David Bahati, announce publicly that they have no intention of adhering to the Declaration of Human Rights and that they plan on legislating in direct contradiction to its terms.

Brenda is presently detained at Yarlswood Immigrtaion Removal Centre. She has another removal date set for 28th January 2011 to Entebbe Uganda in Flight VS671 & KQ412 via Nairobi, Kenya at 21.20 hrs.

But the story gets more sinister – and even more scary than Brenda knows at this time. Yesterday I wrote a piece for Lezgetreal reporting Brenda’s story – and in the piece I referenced my recent  interview with David Bahati which I had not previously  reported on.

Today when I was working with Joseph Huff-Hannon of  www.ALLOUT.org and Paul Canning  Editor of LGBT ASYLUM News, on Skype regarding a Petition we were drafting to support Brenda’s urgent bid for asylum,  a call came through on my regular phone. It was David Bahati.  He had read my previous article where I reported that Brenda’s asylum case had been rejected and that her deportation to Uganda was imminent.

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/01/uk-home-office-deporting-ugandan-lesbian-to-certain-harm/

Bahati said he read the piece about Brenda  Namigadde where I quoted him and that he was calling to tell me to give Brenda a message. The author of the anti-gay legislation said that the legislation will be presented to the Ugandan Parliament in the next few weeks. Homosexuality Including men and women is considered a crime in Uganda as being against the order of nature. The new Bill by Bahati seeks to affirm its criminalization and also calls for the death penalty in certain circumstances.

He told me that Brenda should stop bad mouthing Uganda; that she would be welcome back to Uganda if she renounced her homosexuality and if she “repented.”   I asked him if he based this ideal upon religious beliefs and he said “yes” that he did. I asked what if Brenda did not have the same belief as he did?  I asked what if she did not believe that she could repent?  He affirmed then she would be tried as a criminal.

After speaking to Mr. Bahati, I realize that he believes that Ms. Namigadde is indeed a lesbian. This serves only to enhance the danger she is in and flies in the face of the UK assertion that she may not have proved that she is a lesbian. She is indeed in danger.

It was astounding to me that David Bahati would call to comment on this case and the very fact that he did is indicative of the danger that Brenda faces.

He seemed to be very concerned about Uganda’s image and that she should not portray “her country as bad.”  I believe that this adds to her danger.

Bahati said that Uganda is not harassing Brenda but rather it would be enforcing the law. I questioned him about the law itself and mentioned that the western world did not agree that homosexuality was not a human right as he had told me previously. I told him that the UK and the USA would expect Uganda to adhere to the terms of the Declaration of Human Rights and that if he could not see it that way that there would be every reason to grant her asylum abroad.

He did not agree.

Paul Canning Of LGBT Asylum News told  me  “This is outrageous hypocrisy by the British Government to one the one hand to criticize and be concerned about Uganda’s treatment of lesbians (homosexuals) and on the other to send people like Brenda  back to certain danger.   It is my hope that the UK Coalition government will live up to the agreement it made after the election – which included a statement that they would not send LGBT people back to danger. Obviously that promise was made after many, many were sent back. Activists should not be a in a situation where they have to keep having to campaign individually for people like Brenda.”

Here in the USA we can only wonder at how many have not come to our attention and slipped through the cracks.

Karen McVeigh of the UK Guardian called me saying she had heard about the story with Bahati calling me.  She called me what had happened. I gave her my story.  She asked if I thought Bahati would speak to her.  I told her that he would probably love to speak to her and gave her the special number to reach him directly. She called Bahati and provided her own  report as follows, which I do not think takes cognizance of the important nuances of this case, and may even be detrimental to Brenda’s well being.

Karen McVeigh’s UK Guardian report  (Guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 January 2011 18.26 GMT) “A lesbian woman due to be deported from Britain to Uganda has been told by a Ugandan MP that she must “repent or reform” when she returns home.

The politician, David Bahati, intervened in the case of Brenda Namigadde, due to be deported on Friday, saying he would drop a clause making homosexuality punishable by death in a bill he introduced to the Ugandan parliament.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender campaigners were sceptical of his pledge to drop the death penalty, and said that Bahatia’s intervention meant Namigadde was in “desperate trouble” if deported.

Gay sex is a criminal offense in Uganda punishable by a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Bahati told the Guardian: “Brenda is welcome in Uganda if she will abandon or repent her behaviour. Here in Uganda, homosexuality is not a human right. It is behavior that is learned and it can be unlearned. We wouldn’t want Brenda to be painting a wrong picture of Uganda, that we are harassing homosexuals.”

Asked what would happen if she did not “repent” he said: “If she is caught in illegal practices she will be punished. If she comes to promote homosexuality, if she is caught in the act, if she is caught in illegal acts, she will be punished. I would be surprised, if she was promoting homosexuality, if she were not arrested.”

His bill, currently in committee stage, would impose life imprisonment for consenting adults who have gay sex, and the death penalty for people with HIV, “serial” homosexuals and those who have sex with under-18s, if it became law.

Bahati said he was “willing to drop the death penalty” because of international concerns, but “key clauses”, including life imprisonment for gay people or gay marriage, imprisonment for the “promotion” of homosexuality and for those who fail to report an offence under the act, would remain. He was “confident” the bill would be passed following elections in the country next month, he said.

Speaking from Yarl’s Wood detention centre, Namigadde, 29, who fled Uganda in 2003 after being threatened and her house destroyed over her relationship with her Canadian partner, said: “I’ll be tortured or killed if I’m sent back to Uganda. They’ve put people like me to death there. Most of my friends in Uganda have disappeared.”

Her initial asylum claim was rejected in part on the basis that there was not sufficient evidence that she is a lesbian.

Namigadde’s lawyer, Alex Oringa, from Cardinal Solicitors, who submitted a fresh asylum claim on Monday, said he was “very worried” for her safety. “The moment she arrives at Entebbe airport she will be arrested. They will detain her and you never know what happens in detention. They think she has humiliated the Ugandan government.”

Gay rights groups, including AllOut, a US-based gay right group and LGBT Asylum news, have petitioned Theresa May, the home secretary, to grant Namigadde asylum.

The UK Border Agency, said: “Ms Namigadde’s case has been carefully considered by both the UK Border Agency and the courts and she has been found not to have a right to remain here. She has submitted further representations and these will be reviewed by the UK Border Agency prior to any removal.”

I must comment on the serious misjudgment in Karen McVeigh’s UK Guardian report  (Guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 January 2011 18.26 GMT)

The idea that Bahati will remove the death sentence clause is nothing new  and a statement to this effect in mainstream press does little more than to harm Brenda’s case.  The tome of the article reflects objective reporting indeed – or at least on its surface. However when we report in BLOGS, with “blogger’s”  license, not only are we reporting the facts, but also we are coming at them from an activists viewpoint.

In this instance. we worked 48 hours straight, behind the scenes to bring the story as well as to effect the activism behind the story, such as interviews, collaboration, strategical plans etc. all with her asylum and safety at the forefront.  I truly regret giving Ms. McVeigh Bahati’s phone number because she may  have caused harm than good, by not knowing or understanding the background to the Uganda “Kill the Gays Bill.”

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton had already advocated to the Ugandan President against the death Bill and had previously made the US position known on it.  From my hours of discussions with Bahati – I already knew the death portion was going to be changed and what Bahati did not tell McVeigh is that it would be included in certain circumstances.

So the Guardian Article fuzzes the issue.  The issue is that people are dying just because they are gay or lesbian already, but virtue of the existing antagonism and climate and if Brenda gets sent back, her fate will be the same as KATO’s as above reported to day.

When I interviewed the  Rolling Stone Managing Editor he informed me they would defy the Court Order and continue to publish faces of gays like the did of KATO, now murder victim.

The bottom line is if Brenda Namigadde is returned to Uganda the chances are high that ROLLING STONE Magazine will publish her face as they did of KATO and that she will be harmed.   The UK must not send her back and the UK Press should not bog itself down with believing that eradicating the Death Penalty portion of the case will make any difference at all.

Kato is dead and there is no death Penalty at this time!

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE BRENDA

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/01/uganda-lesbian-files-urgent-new-asylum-claim-in-uk-in-face-of-friday-deportation/

Related articles

• UK Home Office Deporting Ugandan Lesbian to Certain Harm (lezgetreal.com)
• Kill The Gays Bahati One Step Ahead of Deportation (lezgetreal.com)
• Ploy & Agenda for D.C. Visit by Uganda’s ‘Kill the Gays’ M.P. David Bahati (lezgetreal.com)
• DAVID BAHATI on Maddow Part 1- Save the Children Kill the Gays (lezgetreal.com)
• Is David BAHATI in US Illegally to Peddle his Ugandan KILL-GAYS Bill? (lezgetreal.com)
• Letter to American Hosts of Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill MP -Davaid Bahati (lezgetreal.com)

Related articles

• Notorious “Kill the Gays” Bahati Weighs in on Uganda Lesbian’s Urgent Deportation Fight (lezgetreal.com)
• DAVID BAHATI, Ugandan MP, Author of Kill Gay Bill Denied Entry to D.C. Conference (lezgetreal.com)
• US Sate Department Must offer Ugandan Gays Visas to USA (lezgetreal.com)
• UK Home Office Deporting Ugandan Lesbian to Certain Harm (lezgetreal.com)

Please join us for the January 17 edition of Standing on Ceremony, The Gay Marriage Plays, featuring performances by Amy Brenneman, Julie Hagerty, Richard Kind, Kathy Najimy, Steven Weber, Bradely Whitford and Amy Yasbeck!

Each showing benefits Equality California and AFER. Future dates are: January 24 & 31, 2011, and February 7, 2011.

Visit www.standingonceremony.net to purchase your tickets now.
———————————————————————————-

Sir Elton will perform a concert on January 19 at the Beverly Hills estate of Ron Burkle.

“We are deeply honored to have the support of Sir Elton John,” Chad Griffin, board president of AFER, said in a statement. “The American Foundation for Equal Rights stands for the enduring principle that all Americans are created equal, and believes that ending state-sanctioned discrimination is a critical step we must take toward ending the hate crimes and suicides that continue to claim the lives of young Americans.”

———————————————————————————

Melanie Nathan- Jan 12-2011— The petition “South Africa Declare Corrective Rape a Hate-Crime” hit the all-time high of 135,000 signatures on 4 January, 2011 – what a way to begin the New Year! The petition is still up and still growing – it is currently standing on a 135, 235… and still growing by the minute!  The publicity for the plight of corrective rape victims was partly birthed here on LezGetReal when Ndumie Funda reached out to us back in 2009.    After publishing the story and horrific pictures of “corrective” rape survivor, Millicent Gaika, we  continued to follow the story here on LGR and some twenty articles later, with approximately 40,000 page hits and over 6,000 shares on Face book, watched as awareness of the endemic crisis in South Africa made it to the pages of other media outlets as well as the conscience of activists in the UK and other countries.

When Ndumie first contacted me, she was caring for a fifteen lesbians,  victims of so called corrective  rape- in Gugulethu, near Cape Town South Africa.   They were desperate, no food and no money and on the verge of eviction from their flooded two room shack. I reached out to my South African contacts a large group of white privileged  lesbians in South Africa, but no one helped.  I reached out to the SA authorities and they were non responsive, I sent letters to US Consul, no answer. Finally I sent a month of my own mortgage money from the USA and also a dear cousin in Cape Town, Judy Favish, paid a visit taking money and supplies to Ndumie and the lesbian survivors.

Still raising money was slow, and then we started to hear from people abroad – Jules Hussey in the UK, and others jumped in and  secured a large contribution from LUSH a cosmetic UK Company – which enabled Ndumie to buy a safe house for vicitms. See http://www.lush.co.uk/articles/our-charity-support/groups-we-support/luleki-sizwe_1013-10154_10.html

We continued with our stories about the ridiculous bail, and the arrest and re-release of the known perpetrators, we reported more rapes, and suicides of victims and did this for the best part of a year until now when the resulting Petition drew so many signatures that the SA authorities can barely cope.

Millicent Gaika days after the attack

Soon a Petition appeared on Change.org and  who have over 135, 000 signatures from 163 countries, and local and international Media attention; we have been interviewed by KayaFM, BBC, had  articles LeZgetReal,  The Argus, Business Day, and The Sowetan, and requests for interviews from the SABC, Voice of America, and many more national and international Media Houses! The signatures were collected in a matter of a  month.

According to the article in the Business Day:

Justice spokesman Tlali Tlali acknowledged the receipt of the e-mails yesterday. “We view this matter in a serious light. Whether it is labelled as corrective rape or something else, it does not detract from the fact that (it is) … rape, punishable under our law regardless of what motivates those behind it to do so. “We have interacted with the (National Prosecuting Authority) and have requested them to look into these cases,” he said.

When Ndumie Funda finally managed to contact the Justice Department this morning, she was told by a visibly irritated Tlali-Tlali that he needs time until the 15th to respond to our petition, and he was not willing to set up a meeting with us at this time. (The only response to change.org when the petition was still on about 60,000, was a terse email from Tlali Tlali, the minister’s chief of staff, to Ben Rattray, the founder of Change.org, saying that the minister finds it “wholly unnecessary for you to send so many individualized emails whose content is the same… You have made it virtually impossible for us to access other emails as doing so is like looking for a needle in a haystack.” )

Well, Mr Tlali-Tlali, we have news for you – you have not seen anything yet! LulekiSizwe, with the help of change.org, and continued help of LezGetReal, is bringing in all the local and international big-guns to fight the good fight!

DEMANDING  a meeting with Minister Radebe to put the case to him, and these are the short-term goals being demanded -

1. We want the Government to acknowledge the existence of  “Corrective Rape” ~ currently they are trying to deny that such a thing exists.
2. The introduction into the school-syllabus of  anti-homophobic instruction and information, for the educators and the pupils, as a lot of the rapes and homophobic bullying occurs in schools, by pupils and educators.
3. A FEMALE officer who is trained to handle all aspects of rape on duty at ALL  police stations 24/7 , or a social worker trained in the same at ALL police stations.
4. Anti-homophobic training for ALL South African Police Members! (The detective who took Millie’s first statement was a drunk, homophobic male!)
5. A minimum bail amount for LGBTI violent crimes, and no chance of getting out on bail again if they break bail conditions (Andile R60)
6. A Minimum sentence of 25-life for corrective rape!
7. The right to a speedy trial – currently the court-cases are taking years! (howcome the Anni Dewani trial could be handled so quickly, yet our local rapes and murders take years?)
8. Victim assistance in the form of safe-houses when needed, as the perpetrator usually goes to the same school or lives in the same area as the victim, and they are traumatized and threatened daily.
9. A Task force to deal with LGBTQI crimes, or at least 1 detective @ each Police Station (especially in the townships) that handles all the LGBTI cases, so that they know what they are dealing with and how to handle the cases, as each time it is a different detective and there is no continuity.
10. A clampdown on the bribery and corruption at Police Stations and Courts, where the dockets are often “lost”

Millicent Gaika’s case comes to trial again Next Month in Wynberg magistrates Court.
Petition needs 15,000 more signatures to reach its goal.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Goal: 150,000 against “corrective rape” With the phenomenal support of 107,053 people from 163 countries — the most popular campaign ever launched on Change.org — a tiny group of lesbian activists in South Africa just scored a major victory, taking  “corrective rape” from an unspoken epidemic to a national discussion. We’ve set a new goal of 150,000 signatures to crank up the heat on the South African government. You’ve already take action — will you forward this email to five friends to ask them to sign the petition too? From Brazil, China, and India to South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, Change.org members are fighting this national epidemic in which men rape lesbian women to “turn” them straight or “cure” them of their sexual orientation. It’s a powerful story of what our community can accomplish together: Survivors of corrective rape and their allies launched a Change.org petition while hiding in a safehouse in Cape Town. Change.org members rallied to their cause, and now the media are amping up public pressure as well. International news sources are highlighting the 107,053 petition signatures to legitimize the cause of these lesbian activists and expose these atrocities to the world. And in South Africa, the nation’s most popular radio station and the Sowetan, Cape Town’s largest newspaper, have turned this into a story dominating the national debate. This is a pivotal moment. To reach our new goal of 150,000 petition signers in the next 48 hours, we need new people to join the movement. Please ask your friends to sign the petition. So far, the only response by South Africa’s Minister of Justice Jeffrey Radebe has been to complain about the volume of Change.org emails flooding his ministry’s inbox. It’s time for Radebe to instead focus his attention on helping the victims of “corrective rape.” If you agree, please take one minute to ask friends, co-workers, and family to add their name to this critical petition — and force Radebe and the South African government to take action now: http://change.org/petitions/view/south_africa_declare_corrective_rape_a_hate-crime Thank you so much for standing up to “corrective rape” and supporting our friends at Luleki Sizwe, the group that started this historic campaign. As they wrote to us today: “We’re so BLESSED to be part of a community like Change.org that fights together. Thank you for standing with us! When any Change.org member starts a campaign, WE will stand with them!” It’s remarkable what we can do when we stand together. Keep up the fight. – Patrick and the Change.org team P.S. In the days and weeks to come, we’ll keep fighting on this campaign and hundreds of others, from women’s rights and gay rights to animal protection and environmental issues. To keep up to date on the “corrective rape” campaign, just follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/humanrights.change.org

All our Stories can be read -

• South Africa: Another Corrective Rape of Lesbian – Victim Committs Suicide. (lezgetreal.com)
• Calling out Media & South African Government on Corrective Rape of Millicent Gaika (lezgetreal.com)
• South Africa Accused Corrective Rapist Breaches Bail Conditions (lezgetreal.com)
• Lesbian Corrective Rape Victim has her day in Court (lezgetreal.com)
• Breaking News – Big Donation for Victims of South African Corrective Rape (lezgetreal.com)
• Corrective RAPE, South Africa: Dear Mr. Radebe, Minister of Justice, …. (lezgetreal.com)
• Petition to declare ‘Corrective Rape’ a hate crime (feministphilosophers.wordpress.com)
• South African Anti-Rape Activists Generate 100,000 Signatures! (humanrights.change.org)
• The Powerful, Persistent Voices of Corrective Rape Activists in South Africa (gayrights.change.org)
• Breaking News – Big Donation for Victims of South African Corrective Rape (topix.net)
• South Africa: Another Corrective Rape of Lesbian – Victim Committs Suicide. (topix.net)
• Update on corrective rape – Note from Ndumi (ynative77.wordpress.com)
• The Shocking Truth of Corrective Rape – Survivors Speak from South Africa…. (topix.net)
• Joseph Huff-Hannon: Catch a Fire: Activists Fighting “Corrective Rape” in South Africa Take Campaign Global (huffingtonpost.com)

Related articles

• Petition to declare ‘Corrective Rape’ a hate crime (feministphilosophers.wordpress.com)
• South African Anti-Rape Activists Generate 100,000 Signatures! (humanrights.change.org)
• The Powerful, Persistent Voices of Corrective Rape Activists in South Africa (gayrights.change.org)
• Breaking News – Big Donation for Victims of South African Corrective Rape (topix.net)
• South Africa: Another Corrective Rape of Lesbian – Victim Committs Suicide. (topix.net)
• Update on corrective rape – Note from Ndumi (ynative77.wordpress.com)
• The Shocking Truth of Corrective Rape – Survivors Speak from South Africa…. (topix.net)
• Joseph Huff-Hannon: Catch a Fire: Activists Fighting “Corrective Rape” in South Africa Take Campaign Global (huffingtonpost.com)

Melanie Nathan, January 09-2011-

LezGetReal wrote a piece earlier Sunday,  by Bridgette P. LaVictoire, Sarah Palin, Tea Party, Right Wing Trying To Run From Rhetoric, AZ Shooting – “In the wake of the Arizona shooting deaths of six, there has been a lot made about the motives of Jared Lee Loughner, the alleged shooter, and a lot of people pushing back against the anger that is coming from people directed towards the Right over their rhetoric.” Also critically injured in the shooting is Congresswoman Gaby Giffords.  (Gabrielle Giffords- D-AZ)

When people in the media-eye speak on controversial and inflammatory issues and attach gun-like symbols and metaphoric language to the argument – using words like “bulls eye” and “target” – how do they expect people on the fringe -  the  lose-cannon- crazy people to react?

License via freedom of speech does not derogate from ‘responsibility of speech.’  Sarah Palin was a vice presidential candidate who was chosen by the Arizona Senator, John McCain – Clearly that very ‘legitimacy’ – exacerbates  the responsibility.

When people speak Palin talk, further evidenced by the Twitter capture from Palin’s twitter account, they cannot change what they have done nor hide behind their revisionism.   This graphic below shows that no matter how much Palin and Gang try to escape the truth it is embedded in every twitter, You-Tube and Facebook capture.  When people on the fringe enter the milieu of hate and rhetoric, fueled by incitement, tantamount to a finger on the red button,  they cannot erase the history  such as that which led to yesterday’s massacre, because we the watchers will hold them accountable.

Palin’s rhetoric and those who follow, are fueling homegrown terrorism of  Oklahoma proposrtions. This could be perceived as an invitation to a civil war of ideas having translated from twitter violence into street violence such as what we saw yesterday.

Sadly it has taken the lives of six human beings to bring this message. We cannot tolerate any more rhetoric that kills and we all saw it coming.   We as a nation must stand up to Palin type gangsterism – and while there is potential for retaliation that could lead to more violence, the Obama administration must look further into the tentacles of the rhetoric and where it has led.

Today the FBI in a Press Conference said they do not perceive any further threats out there. But they are dead wrong- as long as the hate remains unattended – (damage done)  and as long as the rhetoric continues (damage to be done) – there is a danger presented by every single person on the fringes of sanity.

Look at the message from Palin below; and note that now that number 19 is down – whats about her target number 20?

Question to self: Is it a coincidence that accused Loughner mentions on his You Tube text rants that “most Americas have not read the constitution”  (obviously a concern to him – coupled with his rants on 5% literacy and grammar )  and the fact that the Republicans made a big deal of the reading of the US Constitution, enough to spend seated time to read it out loud just days prior to the attack on Congresswoman Gifford’s Rally? Any thoughts…

by Melanie Nathan-
nathan@privatecourts.com
@oblogdeeoblogda

Related articles

• Rep. Giffords Expected To Survive Shooting; Child, Judge Dead (lezgetreal.com)
• Sarah Palin, Tea Party, Right Wing Trying To Run From Rhetoric, AZ Shooting (lezgetreal.com)
• Sarah Palin Pulls PAC Target List Including Giffords (lezgetreal.com)
• Pima County Sheriff Blames Vitriol From “Certain Mouths About Tearing Down The Government” (lezgetreal.com)
• Let the spin begin…… (lezgetreal.com)

Drive safe, be safe, and hopefully we will have some more stories up today.

Melanie Nathan- Dec 15, 2011 – San Francisco activists are organizing a sit in/ lie in on Saturday this week to protest the hostile take over of the Historic Harvey Milk Camera Store.  Who is the potential tenant – HRC – The Human Rights Campaign.

I will be protesting there with my kids – the new faces of LGBT community includes everyone and especially includes the emergence of LGBT procreation/adoption/family.   It is not the face of HRC – an nontransparent elitist lobby that has failed in its stance as “the main lobby org for LGBT equality in D.C.”

HRC wants to take over the Milk Store, thinking they can claim the old notion of grass root activism by merely tapping the name of Harvey Milk in a feigned association with HRC.  Additionally Harvey Milk would never have approved of this marriage – his name and HRC.

HRC is everything Milk would have deplored at a time like this.   Their presence in the Store will be a slap in the face to his Memory!

SO

Join us outside Harvey Milk’s former camera store at 575 Castro Street, on Saturday, December 18, from 12 noon-2pm.

We will declare that the sidewalks belong to everyone and to protest Human Rights Campaign’s plan to rent Harvey’s store and co-opt his legacy.

Sit/lie, which makes it illegal to sit or lie on sidewalks, will be selectively enforced against homeless queers in the Castro, homeless folks in the Haight and Day Laborers in the Mission. Harvey opposed the sit/lie law of the 1970s which was used to harass and arrest gay men in the Castro. It was  struck down in 1979.

HRC left transgender people out of ENDA (federal gay rights bill) and generally excludes grassroots LGBT activists from when decisions are made and lobby strategies employed, that impact us all.

We won’t let HRC put Harvey’s legacy up for sale, and we won’t let the police decide who can sit on a sidewalk.

Bring musical instruments; games; food to share; things to sell, give-away or barter; signs; face painting kits; fun activity to engage in; good conversation; jumping ropes, etc.

Sidewalks are for everyone
(The Petrelis Blog)

Caveat:  LezGetReal does not support or recommending any illegal action or risk of harm to LGBT protesters  and especially not to children.  There is a great ice cream store we can go to and observe the protest. Our presence in the area as a family is our way of protesting and hats off to those who are willing to take it to the level of civil disobedience.

Please Visit the related Article on  The-gay-Life – http://www.this-gay-life.com/2010/12/got-milk.html

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

No MILK for HRC ™ – Harvey’s Legacy ‘Not for Rent’ © All Rights Reserved – 2010 – LGR Media- LezGetReal.

——————————————————————————————————————–

Related articles

• HRC’s Planned Rental of Milk Camera Shop Strikes a Nerve (towleroad.com)
• HRC Moves to Castro Camera (advocate.com)
• Controversy at Castro Camera (advocate.com)
• The Castro Gets a Drag Store; Also, ‘True’ Gay Rights Activists Up In Arms About HRC Taking Harvey Milk’s Former Store (sfist.com)
• HRC defends retail outlet in the former Castro Camera (pinkbananaworld.com)
• HRC defends retail outlet in the former Castro Camera (bilerico.com)

“It is like sending them straight to the cemetery”, says MP Amine Kakabaveh (V). (see below)  They live in a small room in one of the Migration Board apartments. The Swedish Immigration Court has decided they should be expelled in a week. “We are so afraid that we can barely sleep or eat, “says Dilsa.  The two women , in their 30s fell in love in Iraq five years ago. But they had hide their relationship for fear of persecution. Pari’s family is one of the most powerful Muslim clans in the country with governmental power. Being a lesbian in the environment was impossible and dangerous.

Their advocate, Amine Kakabaveh. a Member of Parliament in Sweden, sent me this note a few moments ago and I am delighted …..

Dear Melanie,

I have a Good News , the girls have got a decision from the European court that Sweden should not deport them.  I’m very happy for that. I will thank you and everyone who has been engaged in their case. Unfortunately there are several other  cases of women who are victims for the same inhuman politician decisions. Please, be in touch when you have time. Thank you once again  from me and the girls for the very successful campaign.
Best regards

Amine Kakabaveh.

At LezGetReal we are deeply committed to get the stories of hardship suffered by lesbians around the world into the public eye. We could not be effective without the extraordinary support from our readers who loyally visit and watch out for updates and new stories. It is you whom we thank as well as other dedicated bloggers and activists here and around the world. When you see our stories you share them with others, as in this case.  The story was picked up by many others and the impact of getting it out there was tremendous.

There are other lesbians in a similar position – in grave danger – and we will bring those stories too. Please keep your eye out so we can continue to be a team…

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
@oblogdeeoblogda

Related articles

• Sweden to send Kurdish Lesbian Couple back to Iraq to Face Certain Death (lezgetreal.com)

- Add Yours to Comments.                Posted by Meanie Nathan – 11-27-10
PA: JUDY GOLD PERFORMS FOR THE LGBT EVENT: LADIES 2000 SUNDAY IN NEW HOPE

Event Date

Sunday, November 28 2010 : 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Location The Center Michael Matthews, a Long Island Reiki practitioner, and Catherine Desmond, a Reiki Master, are hosting a fund raiser to benefit The Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Center on Long Island, a facility that provides support services to gay youth and young adults. At the event Reiki practitioners, energy healers and massage therapists will provide sessions for a suggested $10 donation. Individual donations may also be made online.www.ligaly.org  Check website for Address in New York

Price   $10.

Arts & Entertainment
Salvador Dali: The Late Work” @ The High

The first major exhibition to reevaluate the last half of Salvador Dalí’s career. In the late 1930s, the most well known surrealist artist in history underwent a radical change in which he embraced Catholicism, developed the concept of nuclear mysticism and, in effect, reinvented himself as an artist. Comprising more than 40 paintings and a related group of drawings, prints and other Dalí ephemera, Salvador Dalí: The Late Work will explore the artist’s enduring fascination with science, optical effects and illusionism as well as his connections to such artists and celebrities of the 1960s and 1970s as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Willem de Kooning and Alice Cooper. High Museum Hours: Monday- Closed Tuesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 27, 2010. The High Museum of Art 1280 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30309. For more info visit www.high.org.

____________________________________________________________________________

Melanie Nathan Nov 24-2010

Minister Jeffrey Thamsanqa Radebe, MP
Minister Of Justice, South Africa
(Curriculum Vitae)
Pretoria: Private Bag X276, PRETORIA, 0001

16th Floor, 329 Momentum Centre, Pretorius Street, Pretoria

Tel:  012 – 357 8217

Fax: 012 – 315 1749

E-mail: Ministry@justice.gov.za Cape Town:

Private Bag X256, CAPE TOWN, 8000

120 Plein Street, Cape Town

Tel:  021 – 467 1700

Fax: 021 – 467 1730

I am loathe to give Alan Bounville any more attention as I have been forthright in saying that I do not agree with his strategy or target- with regard to his fast for Civil Rights.

When I spoke to Zoe Nicholson who is his fast coach and National Press Spokesperson, she told me that he was in a hotel in Manhattan  and that she had no idea which hotel he was in.

The family, his mother and his sister read my article and contacted me privately desperate for information on his whereabouts.  They are specifically asking Zoe Nicholson to stop the fast.  They believe that Nicholson, a proponent of political fasting, calling it a “beautiful thing.” is in direct contact with Alan Bounville as well as with Iona Di Bona who is helping Alan to fast.

Zoe has admitted that she is getting numerous calls from activists asking her to stop the fast, but she says she cannot do so.  I asked her if she was worried about any liability to her if anything happened to Alan and she said she was not because she had given him a list of what to do – to engage an attorney for healthcare agreements and live wills etc. as well as assured herself that he had a doctor.

I believe from a comment I received from  Alan via Zoe Nicholson in answer to one of my questions, that despite her assertion that “the doctor thinks he is doing great”  (MONDAY) I believe he is not doing very well and that his mental capacity had diminished drastically.

I too, like the family do not accept that Zoe Nicholson cannot stop the FAST- I also believe that Zoe can trace where the calls are coming from to locate Alan and Iona.  I believe this to be a matter of life or death. I do not think the target Senator/s should be blackmailed and I believe that they should NOT succumb to any demands derived from this incorrect and irresponsible action.

I believe that Nicholson MUST stop the fast – she is the only person in contact from the outside and admittedly providing support. She hasd not laid eyes physically on Alan and says she has only seen videos.

I implore on you Zoe, in any event, to grant this mother and sister access to their son/ brother. They are worried sick and you cannot keep them away from him – if this young man is going to die because of this and he is treading on thin ice, then you can at least let the family be in touch.

When we spoke Ms. Nicholson believed that responsible fasting would not lead to death.  But already Alan is vomiting up the water he is drinking and he told me his Uvula is double the size.   Zoe Nicholson used Ghandi as an example of such survival.  I wonder iof she realizes how close to death he was?

WHERE is ALAN Bounville. If anyone finds his location please contact me at commissionermnathan@gmail.com

or his sister

“Melanie,

I am Alan Bounville’s sister.  I read your article about his fast.  I was wondering if you could help with locating him.  I am trying desperately to find him and it seems people are reading your blog.  In fact, my mother is the one who found it.  Let me know if you would be willing to blog about our plight to find him.  We want this fast to stop and we want Zoe Nicholson to stop encouraging the fast.

Sincerely,

Christina M. Green, Esquire
cgreen@christinagreenlaw.com

Law Offices of Christina M. Green, P.A.

Putting Your Family First

Telephone:   407-574-8085

Facsimile:    407-574-8758″

http://lezgetreal.com/2010/11/civil-rights-fast-is-premature-and-off-target/

melanie nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Recently three Iowa State Supreme Court Judges lost their seats after last week’s elections due to a targeted attack campaign by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). NOM targeted the justices for ruling in favor of same-sex marriage in April 2009.

According to the Courage Campaign, NOM spent $600,000 on TV ads and a 45-county bus tour to campaign against the justices.

“Outside organizations such as NOM funneled tons of money and resources into Iowa to unseat these Judges.” said Eric Ross, a Unite To Make It Right organizer. “It’s actions like these that have inspired the community to come together the weekend prior to the Prop 8 appeals hearing. We want to let the judges of the Ninth Circuit know that the community supports them as well as the three justices from Iowa.”

Events are being planned in cities across the nation as part of the ‘Unite To Make It Right’ campaign. Unite To Make It Right, backed by large LGBT civil rights organizations, aims to show support of a ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that supports both marriage equality, as well as full equality on a national level.

The Unite To Make It Right campaign has been talking with local organizers in California, as well as organizers from out of state to plan upcoming events. A list of events can be found at www.UniteToMakeItRight.com/Events

To learn more about the ‘Unite To Make It Right’ campaign, visit: www.UniteToMakeItRight.com

Melanie Nathan 11-09-10 -;  Senators Renew Call To Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Mark Udall (D-CO), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) issued the following statement today urging the Senate to pass the National Defense Authorization Act and repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy this year.

“The Senate should act immediately to debate and pass a defense authorization bill and repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ during the lame duck session.  The Senate has passed a defense bill for forty-eight consecutive years.  We should not fail to meet that responsibility now, especially while our nation is at war.  We must also act to put an end to the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy that not only discriminates against but also dishonors the service of gay and lesbian service members.

“The National Defense Authorization Act is essential to the safety and well-being of our service members and their families, as well as for the success of military operations around the world.  The bill will increase the pay of all service members, authorize needed benefits for our veterans and wounded warriors, and launch military construction projects at bases throughout the country.

“The process established by the defense bill would also allow ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to be repealed in an orderly manner, and only after the President, Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have certified to Congress that repeal is ‘consistent with the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces.’  If Congress does not act to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in an orderly manner that leaves control with our nation’s military leaders, a federal judge may do so unilaterally in a way that is disruptive to our troops and ongoing military efforts.  It is important that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ be dealt with this year, and it appears that the only way that can happen is if it is on the defense bill.

“We are pleased that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has also called on Congress to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ We must act upon our responsibility to our troops and their family members and to the thousands of gay and lesbian service members who serve their nation bravely and honorably by passing the National Defense Authorization Act before the end of the year.”

For those who are kind of wondering, yes, it does sound a lot like Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, as is celebrated in Mexico. That celebration was moved by the Catholic Church coincide with All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day. It, too, is a celebration to remember the departed.

In later centuries, Samhain became a day when the goblins and demons of the other world came across and haunted the people. It became All Hallows Eve or Halloween.

So, for our readers and friends, have a happy, safe and joyous Samhain, Dia de los Muertos and Halloween.

And now for a bit of music from Inkubus Sukkubus to usher us through the day, and I will be getting stories out throughout the day.

Recently we have had one person make several comments on this site under the name SmartGuy, and given the recent problems regarding the effects of bullying- cyber or not- LGR has taken a harsh line on this. If the comments are originating from a company computer and are deemed harassing enough or threatening enough, we try to contact the company to inform them that someone on their computers is accessing this site in order to harass, intimidate and bully lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transpeople and our allies.

We did try to contact the employer of SmartGuy to inform them that they have had a problem with someone leaving harassing messages on LGR.

The IP where his comments originated from is a Blue Cross/Blue Shield office in Cincinnati, Ohio.

This man who goes by the name of SmartGuy has left several comments- none of them published- including:

Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage! Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage! Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage! Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage! Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage! Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage! Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage! Yes on Prop 8! Yes on 8! Protect Marriage!

LGR did try to contact the man in charge of the office, a Mr. Paul Sullivan, but so far there has been no word as to whether or not they received our inquiry.

Given the wave of suicides that have come from bullying, both in cyberspace and in real life, LGR is putting a severe lid on the issue of hate speech being posted on our stories. This is an editorial board decision. Given that this is our site, we do have the authority to block any content that we do not deem appropriate. This is not a First Amendment or Free Speech issue as this is a privately run site.

Thank you,
LGR Editorial Board

OutServe still does this. They also have people who speak at schools. After one appearance at SUNY-Oswego, the Secretary of the Army backed out of his graduation speech over the desire that many students expressed wanting to protest DADT. OutServe goes to various colleges and high schools to share the stories of servicemembers who have to live under DADT.

OutServe has also used the power of social media in order to gather people to push for the repeal of DADT. Citizens For Repeal currently has more than 32,000 fans, and OutServe has around 4,000.

Just over a month ago, OutServe was formed as an underground network to help the military members who are currently serving in the military to connect and get any help that they need. The group is designed to be a social and professional support system that will, after the repeal of DADT, help lesbian and gay servicemembers within the military.

OutServe’s launch statement was also signed by Knights Out, Blue Alliance and SAGALA. After a letter sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates gained significant attention, OutServe was brought in on the Pentagon work group as a full organization.

Melanie Nathan – 8-12-10

Washington, D.C. – Leaders of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence today announced the organization’s endorsement of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) for election to the United States Senate.

“In less than two years on the job, Senator Gillibrand has already become a leader in the United States Senate, voting against the gun lobby’s extremist agenda and introducing strong, sensible legislation to make it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign. “We want the people of New York to know that we enthusiastically support Senator Gillibrand’s campaign for the U.S. Senate.”

Michael Wolkowitz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Brady organization and a longtime New York City entrepreneur and activist, said Senator Gillibrand has shown a genuine commitment to reducing gun violence.

“She is someone that I consider a strong ally who I trust to do the right thing when it comes to strengthening gun laws in this country,” Wolkowitz said. “Senator Gillibrand is standing up to the gun lobby and fighting for the safety of New York families.”

“I am honored to have the support of the Brady Campaign,” Senator Gillibrand said. “The Brady Campaign has been at the forefront of the effort to rid our streets of illegal guns and keep our communities free of gun violence. I look forward to continue working together to make New York safe for our families for years to come.”

Some political observers and New York journalists questioned Gillibrand’s record on guns when she was appointed by New York’s Governor to fill the remainder of the term of former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, when Mrs. Clinton was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of State.  But Helmke noted that she has established a solid record on sensible gun laws as a U.S. Senator, voting against extreme gun lobby amendments on numerous occasions, and teaming with Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) in authoring important legislation to combat illegal gun trafficking.

Two-thirds of guns used in gun-related crime in New York come from out of state. Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman McCarthy’s legislation increases jail sentences for gun traffickers, straw purchasers and kingpins of criminal networks, and empowers law enforcement with the tools and resources they need to keep criminals behind bars, without infringing on the Constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners.

“On common sense gun laws, she truly represents the vast majority of New Yorkers,” Helmke said, “and she will be a strong voice for reducing gun violence in the years to come if she is returned to the United States Senate.

Melanie Nathan;  8-09-10

SAN FRANCISCO –  We have been receiving many a question on the appeal process and the current temporary stay of marriages, pending appeals.

An appeal hearing on California’s Proposition 8 case will likely not be held until early 2011, according to a briefing schedule posted Thursday by a federal appeals court in San Francisco.

Sponsors of the proposition are appealing a ruling in which U.S District Judge Vaughn Walker on Wednesday struck down the voter-approved same-sex marriage ban. A notice of appeal was filed minutes after Walker’s ruling. The briefing schedule, which was announced by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, does not set a date for hearing the appeal but provides for the final written brief to be filed in late December, suggesting a hearing will not be held until next year.

David Madden, a spokesman for the 9th Circuit, said the appeals court received the notice of appeal Thursday and set a standard briefing schedule under its normal appeals process. Proposition 8′s sponsors must file their opening brief by Nov. 12, and the plaintiffs must respond by Dec. 13. The initiative’s sponsors will then have the option of filing a reply two weeks later. The appeal will be heard by a three-judge panel, which will issue a written decision sometime after hearing arguments in the case. The judges on the panel have not been announced.

The appeal is on the substance of the decision and is separate from any possible appeals on the question of whether Walker’s ruling should be suspended during the appeal process. Walker on Wednesday issued a temporary indefinite stay suspending his ruling and thus blocking the resumption of gay and lesbian marriages in California.

Motions have been  from Attorney Jerry brown and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asking that California resume same-sex marriages immediately and that Judge Walker lift the Stay. on marriages starting immediately pending appeal.

The Judge ordered briefs by Friday on whether he should grant a longer-term stay during the appeals process. The temporary stay will remain in effect until he rules on those briefs. If Walker denies an extended stay, the Proposition 8 sponsors could appeal to the 9th Circuit.

In that event, the appeals court might set a different schedule for considering the stay issue. Proposition 8, enacted by a 52 percent majority of state voters in November 2008, amended the California state Constitution to read, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” Walker said in a 136-page decision that the measure violated the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of due process and equal treatment.

Lezgetreal has heard that Mayor Newsom is ready to open marriage licensing the moment the stay is lifted.  Many couples are at the ready waiting to add to the 18,000 already legally married.

Posted by melanie nathan

Posted by Melanie Nathan- 08-04-2010

List of Today’s Rally’s -

CALIFORNIA BIG CITIES

LOS ANGELES: 6 p.m. | West Hollywood Park | 647 N. San Vicente (There also is a gathering on Olvera St at 8 p.m.)

SAN DIEGO: March: 6 p.m. @ 6th & University | Rally: 7 p.m. @ LGBT Community Center | 3909 Centre St

SAN FRANCISCO: 5 p.m. | Castro & Market | March to City Hall | Rally: 6:45 p.m.

SACRAMENTO: 6 p.m. | Party | K & 21st | In the unlikely event Judge Walker rules against teh gay, there will be a march to the Capitol

SAN JOSE: 6 p.m. | Billy DeFrank Center

LONG BEACH: 6 p.m. | Bixby Park | Junipero & Cherry @ Broadway

CALIFORNIA

BAKERSFIELD: 5 p.m | Stockdale Hwy & Village Lane

CONCORD: 6 p.m. | Todos Santos Plaza

FRESNO: 7:30 p.m. | City Hall

INLAND EMPIRE (Rancho Cucamonga): 6 p.m. | Day Creek Blvd & Foothill Blvd

MARTINEZ: 6 p.m. | County Clerk | 822 Main St

MOUNTAIN VIEW: 6 p.m. | Caltrain Station & City Hall

NAPA: 6 p.m. | Veterans Memorial Park

ORANGE COUNTY (Santa Ana): 7 p.m. | Sasscer Park | 4th & Ross

PALM SPRINGS: 7 p.m. | Courthouse | 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way

PITTSBURG: 7 p.m. | Community Presbyterian Church

PORTERVILLE: 5 p.m. | Henderson & Port

RICHMOND: 6 p.m. | City Hall

SAN LUIS OBISPO: 5:30 p.m. | Mission Plaza Amphitheater

SAN MATEO: 6 p.m. | 5th & El Camino Real

SANTA BARBARA: 7 p.m. | 632 Santa Barbara St

SANTA CRUZ: 5:30 p.m. | Diversity Center

SANTA ROSA: 7:30 p.m. | City Hall

UKIAH: 6 p.m. | Alex Thomas Plaza | 295 S. State St

VALLEJO: 5:30 p.m. | Ferry Terminal | Mare Island Way & Georgia St

WALNUT CREEK: 6 p.m. | City Hall

OTHER STATES

ANCHORAGE: 5:30 p.m. | City Hall

ATLANTA: 6 p.m. | 10th & Piedmont

AUSTIN: 5:30 p.m. | City Hall

BOSTON: 6 p.m. | Copley Square @ Copley T stop on Boylston St

BOULDER: 6:30 p.m. | Pride House

CHAMPAIGN-URBANA: 7 p.m. | Green & Wright

CHICAGO: 6 p.m. | Daley Plaza

CLEVELAND: 5 p.m. | Bounce/Union Station

DALLAS: 6 p.m. | Legacy of Love Monument | Cedar Springs Road & Oak Lawn

DENVER: 6 p.m. | Capitol | Lincoln between Colfax & 14th

EUREKA SPRINGS: 6:30 p.m. | 19 1/2 Spring St

HOUSTON: 6 p.m. | City Hall

MADISON: 5 p.m. | Johnson & State

NEW YORK CITY: 7 p.m. | New York City Supreme Court | 60 Centre St

PHOENIX: 5:30 p.m. | Cesar Chavez Plaza @ City Hall | March @ 6 p.m. to federal courthouse

PROVIDENCE (RI): 6:30 p.m. | federal courthouse | 1 Exchange St

ROCHESTER (NY): 5 p.m. | Liberty Pole Plaza

SALT LAKE CITY: 8 p.m. | Capitol

SAN ANTONIO: 6:30 p.m. | City Hall

TULSA: 7 p.m. | 621 E 4th St

WASHINGTON, DC: 6 p.m. | Bravo Bravo Restaurant | 1001 Connecticut Ave NW | In the unlikely event Judge Walker rules against teh gay, there reportedly will be a march to the White House

Send info and links to this disposable e-mail address rexsbc-prop8@yahoo.com. The address will die in 3.75 hours.

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Melanie Nathan – 7-30-2010 -Today may be a good day to do just that!  On Friday, July 30, 1993, peace and civil rights activist David Mixner, who had done more than any other gay person to help elect President Clinton, was arrested in front of the White House along with 26 others, including NOW President Patricia Ireland and gay activists Diane Abbitt, Mel White, and Roberta Bennett, protesting the conversion of the ban against gays in the military into DADT after months of being assured by administration shills such as George Stephanopoulos that the ban would be lifted.

Well, then came DOMA – and where are we now?

17 years later – LGBT rights indeed entered the back door,  – well hallelujah!  However did we forget to open the front?  LGBT rights are domained out at a price -highest price has been at cost to our LGBT CIVIL RIGHTS movement.  The lack-lustre approach to a requisite benchmark – a Universal GOAL.

LGBT rights now  morphed into a  cottage industry, celebrating fundraisers as if victory, as we continue to push along -chug-chug- for piecemeal legislation.

Support for LGBT rights as a Civil Rights Issue has been laid on the table for us, by the Mr. Julian Bond of the NAACP.  The Civil Rights pursuit – means an amendment to The 1964 Civil Rights Act, where we ask for inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity.  Its purely a non-discrimination clause.

While of course gay marriage will follow, and DOMA’s lack of constitutional validity will be more pure than it is now, it indeed takes the issues out of the rights.  In other words, Gay Marriage will no longer be an issue.  The closest we have seen to this idea is the recent promotion of the grass root generated American Equality Bill,  which seeks to Amend to effect such.

I would prefer to see simple language in the Civil Rights Act – similar to that in the South African Constitution. Plain and simple – the right thing to do.

When the Prop 8 judgment comes down soon and it is my feeling that it will favor NO on 8.  That in itself will speak to us as a minority, and albeit State and local, it sets a tone.  A minority lacking rights – we must be included in the Civil Rights Act.  This is different to the  quest for an Equal Protection Amendment, which is justified too for other reasons – because I personally do not view women as a minority.

After sexual orientation et al, finds its fair space in The Civil Rights Act, all will follow organically be it through legislation, the Courts, or even an omnibus such as the American Equality Bill.

Can it be done – well that is up to us. Its not up for critics to weigh up and down.  It IS the front door. Short of the front door, we are bait for marginalization.  It is a benchmark and critical to a unified movement.   trying to estimate its chances at success is completely irrelevant and harms the opportunity for a Dr. MLKesque  Civil Rights approach.

Is setting a benchmark a dramatic leap.  Well, yes and no.  Yes if you think its not possible to attain and no if you believe that man made it to the moon!

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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On Friday, Charla Halverson, President of the Dane County Young Republicans, formally challenged Tammy Baldwin’s nomination papers. She chose to go toe to toe over this issue on the LezGetReal comment section, specifically engaging Dr. Paula Brooks in some specific banter related to the futility of their challenge. Ms Halverson published an email sent by Dr. Brooks to the Dane County Young Republicans under the heading “The Challenge Has Gotten A Lesbian Groups Feathers Ruffled.”

Dr. Brooks currently lives in Washington, DC. She is the publisher and managing editor of Lez Get Real. She has her Doctorate in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology from Bryn Mawr College. She has three Masters. Her first is from Gallaudet University and is a Masters in Linguistics. She has a Masters in Greek, Latin and Classical Archaeology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an Masters in Religious Studies from University of Dayton.

Here is Dr. Brooks, the editor of Lez Get Real to discuss this particular issue:

LGR: Dr. Brooks, LGR is now just shy of two years old, in that time, what groups have you taken on that have noticed your and your staff’s work here?

Dr. Brooks: Well if I understand your question right, we have not spared many from just criticism. We started calling out President Obama on his lack of action on LGBT issues as far back as March of 2009, and the HRC is never been spared, as you know. And we really see the efforts of Get Equal and Lt Dan Choi as more then counter productive. I like to think we know what is right and just what is not right.

LGR: Given that the title of the Young Republicans post regarding your email to them states that this small organization is a ‘group’, just how large an organization is LezGetReal?

Dr. Brooks: Well as you know Bridg, at one time LGR was pretty much just you and me, and while we have grown, we are hardly a group. We are basicly 4 writers in DC, San Francisco, New York City and Vermont. Then we have about 7 others who also contribute to the site. So if that makes a group, well then we are a group.

LGR: Would you say that your feathers were ruffled?

Dr. Brooks: I am 4-11, deaf, and a lesbian. I know bullying, and what the YR of DC is doing is bullying, albeit they are trying to put a whole different spin on this. They use pretty words, and admirable jargon, but what they are doing is taking any chance they can of getting Rep Baldwin out of office and they have decided to manufacture an issue. If Baldwin should give out her address, they win because you can be sure in the hostile climate of Wisconsin, someone will look her up. If she doesn’t, they win because then they can run around yell she does not live in the district, and have their own little Birth Certificate controversy. I hate bullies and I told them as much.

LGR: You have met several politicians in your time in Washington, DC, and even attended the inauguration of President Barack Obama, have you met Rep. Baldwin at any time while you were there?

Dr. Brooks: No, unfortunately I have not.

LGR: Given that both you and Representative Baldwin are lesbians, does sexual orientation play any part in why you have sought through your writers to defend Baldwin? Given that she is the only open lesbian in the Congress, could that play a factor in wanting to keep her in her seat?

Dr. Brooks: No mostly I have a real low tolerance for Chicken Shit, and this is in my opinion Chicken Shit. This looks almost like the chicken shit that got pulled down in Mississippi on McMillian. Play the technicalities and obstruficate  facts to bash the gay. I feel if they don’t like her orientation, say hey we hate fags, but they know people look down on a plain talking bigot, so they go the David Duke pretty word way. This is just more of that I think.

Now I see the timing of this as very planned. They dumped this challenge on Friday so no one can get a direct answer from Baldwin all weekend. They wanted people to  chew on it before she could answer, but I am sure they never asked Baldwin about any of this before they did this.

LGR: Politically speaking, you are someone that has been described as center-right, why defend someone who is seen as being liberal?

Dr. Brooks: As you know, I am a small business owner. I hate taxes, government regulations drive me nuts, and I own a Glock. I could be a Republican if they would just let go of the haters in their party, but they need the money, and fell they need their vote. So I can’t support them. How could I? They want to deny me my rights.

LGR: There are several LGBT groups which are disappointed that the three openly lesbian or gay politicians- Reps Polis, Frank and Baldwin- have not managed to get a great deal of pro-LGBT legislation through Congress, is your site taking a more pragmatic view of the political landscape than those?

Dr. Brooks: I am disappointed with the progress on LGBT rights, but I work in DC and get the dynamic here. No matter who they put in office here, and no matter how much they say they will change the system, it will not happen. So you have to understand you can’t get everything you want all the time.

LGR: It is known that Rep. Baldwin has not listed her current residence inside her district in Wisconsin on her nomination papers, do you have any formal information regarding a cause for that?

Dr. Brooks: Not beyond what we have already found out.. no. However I have taken a step back and asked Melanie Nathan to contact Rep Baldwin’s office to ask her about just what is going on here. I am sure what we have is Baldwin broke up with her partner, and this bunch took advantage of the fact , thinking someone had to move out, and they are attempting to make hay out of that, but till Rep Baldwin gets back to us I can’t really comment.

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6- 3-2010  MELANIE  NATHAN

Council Member Williams, Brooklyn, NY

Yesterday, June 2^nd, Councilman Jumaane D. Williams joined other elected officials, community members, clergy and immigrant advocates for a 3-day fast to call for comprehensive immigration reform.

This initiative is part Councilman Williams’ greater effort to highlight the issues around immigration reform and assure the Caribbean voice is represented. Two weeks ago, Councilman Williams was arrested to bring more national attention to this issue. He continues to fight for immigration reform with Make the Road New York, which is sponsoring the fast, and we expect him to participate in additional rallies for immigrant justice.

Through this fast, Make the Road New York hopes to demonstrate their support and commitment to justice for immigrants. The 3-day fast will culminate with a rally at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 5^th at Judson Memorial Church (located at 55 Washington Square South). We expect other fasting elected officials (Congresswomen Nydia  M. Velazquez and Council Members Julissa Ferreras and Ydanis Rodriguez) and members of the community to join.

Lezgetreal spoke to a spokesperson at the  Councilman’s office. we asked if in his advocacy and fast he was supporting the inclusion of UAFA, the right for LGBT partners to sponsor a foreign partner or spouse.The Spokesperson said that she did not think that Council member Williams had taken a position on this issue.   I explained that this was an imperative aspect of comprehensive immigration reform and especially to ALL  New Yorkers.

I suggested it would be remiss not take a position and to put it out there , especially as the Catholic Bishops and Evangelicals  have said they will NOT support Immigration reform that includes and thereby recognizes gay and lesbian families.

The spokesperson was extremely receptive – and was pleased to provide an email address where I could send articles and the NYCLU Video of Carla and Britta, a couples featured on Lezgetreal, who are caught up in the inequity of the denial of immigration equality to same-sex couples.  I also sent them the testimony video of Shirley Tan and other important articles on the subject.

We now await the Council members response to the question, knowing that he is concerned about keeping families together:

‘Council member Williams, while you are conducting your hunger fast, please can you inform the LGBT community whether or not your advocacy is truly for comprehensive immigration reform; do you believe that same-sex  couples should be included with language such as that of UAFA (Uniting American Families Act) included as suggested by the Schumer, Reid Reform Framework?

UPDATE – LEZGETREAL is pleased to note that The Council Member’s office provided a most favorable statement  from Mr. Williams.

“For immigration reform to be truly comprehensive it must include all American families, including the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. The right to sponsor a loved one and/or family member is a right that belongs to ALL American citizens. By incorporating the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) into the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), LGBT citizens will be permitted to sponsor their permanent partners, which is the equivalent of the right heterosexual citizens currently have to sponsor their spouses.”

Thanks, Melanie Nathan’  nathan@privatecourts.com

The spokesperson said we would hear back  from the Council member in about three days.

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A few thousand people attended a ceremony, where the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool, was ordained and consecrated on Saturday, making her the second openly gay bishop in church history and one of the first two female bishops in the Diocese of Los Angeles’ 114-year history.

The service was disrupted by a man and a young boy yelling for people to repent and calling homosexuality a sin. Nonetheless reports show it was a ‘joyous event.’

The Episcopal Church, which is the Anglican body in the United States, caused turmoil in the church in 2003 by consecrating the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Breakaway Episcopal conservatives have formed a rival church, the Anglican Church in North America.

Several overseas Anglicans have been pressuring Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, to officially recognize the new conservative entity.

In 2004, Anglican leaders asked the Episcopal Church for a moratorium on electing another gay bishop while they tried to prevent a permanent break in the fellowship.

In an interview with Reuters Television, Glasspool said she was ready to meet with critics. “I am a reconciling person and I will seek to reach out and engage with people who believe or think differently than I do, and to try to build a relationship with them,” she said. The ceremony also consecrated a second bishop suffragan, Diane Jardine Bruce.

Ordaining Glasspool may on the one hand fuel the fervent homophobia the LGBT community is subjected to in the USA, as the religious right will use this in their infiltration and gay agenda argument.  However on the other hand it provides positive visibility, as long as there are no major disasters in the next few days – you know what happens when the Earth shakes. It would be God’s anger at the New Bishop’s installation.

The Anglican Communion is the third-largest Christian denomination in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches.

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Why Jo-Vanni Roman should talk to the Gals at Lezgetreal:- What did Reker really do?

Lucien, a Young male escort,  was photographed accompanying Family Research Council co founder George Alan Rekers to Europe.  Rekers admits to hiring the undergraduate-age, blond escort for a European trip but denies any sexual conduct with the young man.

Rekers asserts it was purely to carry his baggage, but may well have to admit that Lucien turned out to BE THE BAGGAGE! The race was on with the Gay men Bloggers to find Lucien and lo and behold when the Advocate made contact, beating Joe from JMG, the young man refused to spill the beans. So we here at LGR offer young Mr. Roman a venue to tell the truth and also a good reason why he should.

The Advocate Reports, “Lucien,” the young man at the center of an emerging scandal involving one of the most influential leaders of the “ex-gay” movement, is known on his Facebook and MySpace profiles as Jo-vanni Roman.”  The Miami New Times broke the story in a Tuesday article, referring to the escort using the pseudonym “Lucien.” The story was quickly followed in the LGBT media and mainstream outlets, including CBS News and The Washington Post.

Advocate adds: “Despite his statement, Rekers intimated in a Tuesday message via Facebook to Joe.My.God blogger Joe Jervis that he had hired the escort as part of his ongoing Christian ministry. Rekers said he shared “scientific information on the desirability of abandoning homosexual intercourse” with the young man whom he had hired.  “Like Jesus Christ, I deliberately spend time with sinners with the loving goal to try to help them,” Rekers wrote.

In the New Times article Roman did not disclose details of the trip but described Rekers as a man who “honestly cares about taking care of kids.”

So  Lucien / Roman – The quest for truth is still in the air… That said LUCIEN, we here at lezgetreal respect your privacy; however what this Rekers has done has in effect not helped nor looked after any kids. He is the reason kids commit  suicide far too often. If he has practiced homosexual acts with you or anyone then he needs to be exposed. Because he is going around and making his living teaching that sex acts between men is an abomination and that gay people can be cured. This statement is a BIG cause of teen suicide. So why should kids think they can be cured when the guy saying it can be done, is himself not cured?

He has NOT looked after any kids. You see, he advocates for laws that discriminate against MY kids and tens of thousands of other kids.   So I suggest if you really want to help kids, give me a call and we will find a way to tell your story – placed under category – Come to the Gay Gals Page… “TRUTH.”

Rekers is a cofounder of the Family Research Council, along with Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. He is a board member of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, a group promoting “ex-gay” reparative therapy, which is widely condemned by health organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. Rekers is also a member of the American College of Pediatricians, which had submitted a friend-of-the-court brief opposing marriage equality in the federal challenge to Proposition 8, Perry v. Schwarzenegger.

In 2008, Rekers served as a paid expert witness in a lawsuit in which he defended Florida’s ban on adoption by gay people. According to Equality Florida, Rekers and a colleague were paid $87,000 for their testimony.

UPDATE: Unzipped is talking to Roman at this time 8.30 pm 5/5/10 you can follow at their site-

“I had NO idea who [George Rekers] was. Not until we got back from the trip,” said the most famous escort in America today. The shaggy-haired, 20-year-old blond, who was recently identified by The Advocate as Jo-vanni Roman, called me moments ago to announce that he was ready to tell his side of the story.

Unzipped: How are you doing?
Roman: I wasn’t sure how to handle it all at first, but now I understand how big of a story this is, that this guy was an anti-gay activist. My friends have been telling me about him.

Did you know someone was taking your picture in the airport?
No. Well, kind of. I didn’t really know they were taking it of us.

Then this teaser ends and Unzipped says ciao for the night see you tomorrow??

SO while we hang in abeyance waiting for the BIG did he do it answer I studied the much later released expose photo by Miami Herald and what is the first thing I notice?

Mr. Reker is the one handling the baggage – his and the Young escort’s as well.  Not only is Mr. Roman, the escort far away from the bags that Rekers asserts the young escort was hired to handle, but Mr. Reker is bending over the bags as if to say – here I am and I can take it. ….. Food for thought .urgh did I just say food. 

***

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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More coming up…  GO TO http://blog.unzipped.net/2010/05/exclusive-george-rekers-rentboy-talks-to-unzipped-1.html

4-28-10 – Melanie Nathan

According to Lezgetreal sources, Judge Vaughn Walker has set a June date to hear closing argument in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which challenged the legitimacy of Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage voted in by California voters.

What is more noteworthy( and we are unable to verify this at this time,) is that we have received information to suggest that the date is set for JUNE 16th?

Whether inadvertent or not, this date will always be historic to the Lesbian and Gay community of California as it was the day of the month that Mayor Gavin Newsom opened same-sex marriage in San Francisco,  California, albeit for a short time only.

It will depend on availability of Counsel for that date

By restricting  the definition of marriage to only opposite-sex couples, the proposition overturned the California Supreme Court‘s ruling of In re Marriage Cases that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. The wording of Proposition 8 was precisely the same as that which had been found in Proposition 22, which, as an ordinary statute, had been invalidated by the Supreme Court. California‘s State Constitution put Proposition 8 into immediate effect the day after the election. The proposition did not affect domestic partnerships in California  or same-sex marriages performed before November 5, 2008.

In January 2010 SB 54 became law, which has the effect of recognizing foreign Jurisdiction marriages as valid for all purposes in the State of California (meaning Canada, Abroad and marriages concluded in other States are recognized as such in California for purposes of divorce, benefits etc., as long as it is not called a marriage.)

The campaigns for and against Proposition 8 raised $39.9 million and $43.3 million, respectively, becoming the highest-funded campaign on any state ballot that day and surpassing every campaign in the country in spending except the presidential contest.

If I were to put money on this horse I would say we will win!!!  I am saying that after June 16, 2010 we are going to get our inherent and existing – yet infringed- marriage rights back.  If I am wrong I will not apologize because I am entitled to believe in what is right!

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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simplicity in the name of a movement

What happened to our LGBTQI movement?  Since 1970, post Stonewall, – Good question.  Nothing. We have a quest for gay marriage rights, we have a quest for social security, we have a quest for immigration equality, to serve in the army, to not have crimes committed against us because we are gay, we have a quest for employment equality and the list goes on.

We are denied many rights in many States under State Law

We are denied 1,137 rights on a Federal Level

For almost 40 years we have been rallying around organizations,  while they advance their ownership- of the future of our rights,which has ultimately turned into a cannibalization of our movement.

There is NO MOVEMENT eat has been chomped at and is now in pieces called DADT, ENDA, DOMA – What do we really want?Is it not complete equality – The color of my skin is GAY!

Environment:

• BAD:

We are stuck in a milieu of Republican obstructionists,
an election (midterm) about to happen
a majority in Congress
a President the victim of serious racial attacks and unprecedented disrespect
Catholic Bishops and Evangelicals impacting Congress and the separation of Church and State.

• GOOD:
• Is this any different from USA as usual?
• Well we have one advantage at this time -a majority in Congress.  (ah but the elections! Oh well that lasted a minute!

How does this comport?  The current environment  only precludes piecemeal legislation-and yet we forge on the same path to nowhere.

Our LGBT organizations have formed mostly around specific arenas of our struggle, which has actually wedged us all into compartments in our activism. There has been no Universal message for our movement.  Guess what? That is the tone the USA public has been hearing and so they are accepting the tone we have set.  Our own attitude by way of how we approach our rights- asking for a little at a time – reflects uncertainty and insecurity- it  has done little more than to make us look as if we believe we agree with our marginalization.

The closest endeavor to universal message is “marriage”  and that one is fraught with problems. Why? Because it sets us up for the religious arguments which have been working successfully against us and also for the “leave it to the States” excuse also working against us.

I believe all is not negative and I do not look back along the path of the past and say ‘oops we made a mistake.’  No, we did not; it was our path and it is done and it has gained a lot for us by way of visibility. There is so much more that is acceptable that was not and the marriage road has given us a good measure of legitimacy and won us many friends.

But what I am critical of, is our failure to take stock when we enter crossroads and I believe we are at one right now.

In other words we cannot go forward in the same direction, we must choose a left or right turn and then we can forge a new road. The left turn is = do something completely different and the right turn = do the same thing.

What we have going for us is a Volcano about to erupt and we must harness that energy in a way that will work.  The first little eruption can be noted by GET EQUAL’S push for Choi et al – chaining themselves to the White House fence in the hope of getting attention – because in truth that is all they may have accomplished and yet did not.  It caused more harm and the energy was not favorably harnessed. (see earlier posts)

So back to my point – the larva bubbling under are all of you who have “equality” as a middle name or in the fore of your mind and others of you who are of good conscience and allies.

So now it is time to utilize what is emerging from beneath – let us take the left turn here. The organizations and leadership can join in or they can crawl like tortoise to the finish line taking the right path.

The Left path is the PINK PRINT – it takes us right back to the beginning – what it does is it gives us the cement – the foundation for equality. If we have a Civil Rights Amendment to the ACT of 1964 – where we ask for one thing – not 100 things. Just one thing. If we pool everything we have into this one thing; hence the number  …1… significantly displayed on the PRINT… and ask for what we are entitled to  A CIVIL RIGHTS AMENDMENT to include the word “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” placed neatly next to the words “race and gender,” we would be setting the foundation for the Mansion to come….

After that our right to  equality is solidified and we cannot be denied anything thereafter.   What will fall will be an Omnibus to repeal all discriminatory law. We will not need ENDA and DADT will fall. As for UAFA – we will no longer have the problem as all the DHS will have to do will be to change their forms a little.

So Find me a champion. Find us a Senator and a member of the House.  Who wants to join this PINK PRINT? Who wants to have a one Goal Movement ?  For 40 years we have tried the other way and we are still begging for one piece of miserable legislation that a gay friendly President has yet to support to the point of passage.

What do we have to lose?

Our lives are no one’s priority – we must stop relying on those who do have a lot to lose  – we are gong to have to make sacrifices and do this from the bottom up – so to speak.  The leadership can follow. But please leadership, HRC,  et al, do not tell us to be patient while you fight for one piece at a time.

There IS no such thing as not possible. But it sure is not possible if you don’t not try.

Signing up for the Pink Print! One Goal – Mission Sexual Orientation and Gender ID as an amendment to the Civil Rights Act.

Melanie Nathan

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Last year, The California  Assembly Judiciary Committee in Sacramento held a hearing for a Resolution, AJR 15,  authored by Assembly member Kevin de Leon, CA -45, in support of UAFA, The Uniting American Families Act – (HR102 and the California State Senate version, S 424.)

I was privileged to testify at that hearing and pleased that the Assembly passed the resolution, (14-28 – with NO  Republican support,)  and now am delighted that within the next few weeks the Resolution will be heard in the California State Senate Judiciary Committee. I have been invited again to testify at this committee together with fellow victims of bi-national discrimination, Gina Caprio and Amos Lim – both activists with the Group Out-4-Immigration.

AJR 15 declares California’s disapproval of current US Immigration laws which forbids Same-Sex bi-national couples the opportunity from being able to sponsor their partners for immigration purposes.

According to the 2000 Census, at least 35,000 bi-national same sex couples currently live in the United States yet despite whether or not they are recognized as married by their State, they do not have legal authorization to sponsor their spouse or partner to permanently reside in the United States.  This number is significantly low, given that at that time the impact of people meeting and falling in love  over the internet was insignificant.  I have made up my own fuzzy math and belief that those numbers are closer to 99,000 – 200,000 at least.

This serious inequity has resulted in couples forcibly separated, unless the American of the pair choose to exile to a foreign Country. This is particularly impossible for those who would  have to give up businesses, mortgages, homes, jobs, pensions, the ability to work if language is a barrier,  and sometimes shared custody of children, simply to pursue their American right to happiness by having to exile abroad.   Some remain in the USA and their partners go into hiding, risking detention and unable to work; others exile and some suffer separation.

“By the passing of UAFA, The United States would join the more than 18 countries which already give full legal immigration rights and recognition to same sex couples,” says Gina Caprio in an Article on the San Francisco Examiner.

Thanks to the relentless and consistent efforts of Out-4-Immigration , with Tom Tierney at the helm of coordination, Cities around the country have been passing similar resolutions supporting the Uniting American Families Act. As of April 15, cities like Miami Beach, FL and Cambridge MA became the latest to join in support.

The coordination and work on the Resolution has been led by EQCA - who continue their efforts to ensure passage.

I will report further when we get the date to testify.

What you ca do:- 1. Please write your California State Senators and ask them to support this Resolution;  2. If you are interested in getting an action going to have a resolution passed in your own community please contact Tom T. via Out-4-Immigration

Picture: ©Melanie Nathan
In Picture Left to right: Gina Caprio, Amos Lim,  Assembly member Kevin de Leon (D), Melanie Nathan

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

My Story can be read at -  http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24121

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Tomorrow, Wednesday April, 14, 2010, I will be participating in a blog radio fund raiser to help of Millicent Gaika, the South African woman who after being brutally raped, is destitute. In a state of shock and trauma, she is unable to pursue her medical needs and the organization that has been helping her has exhausted all their funds.

Ndumi Funda , who lost her partner to such viscous rape, is one of the founding members of the the group, “Luleki ‘Isizwe Womyn’s Project,” which was born from what has now become systemic, the corrective rape of Township lesbians in South Africa.  Desperate for money they continue to help 8 victims who they are currently housing, not knowing how many more sisters may seek help, at any time.

In African culture names are not just names, they have deep meaning.  It connects the child to the family and community.  Because of this connectedness, the child’s duty is to live in harmony with this name.

This is What Ndumi has written  -

“So where does our name come from?

The first part of our name comes from Luleka Makiwane, who was a lesbian woman.  She lived openly and had no shame about her sexuality.  She was a strong and powerful woman, and even though she fought for lesbian women’s rights, she connected strongly to the struggles of the poor in general.  She worked tireless to fight against violence against all women.  This did not protect her though, and she was violated by her own cousin who raped her.  The reason he did it ‘was to prove that she was a woman, not a man.’    As a result of the rape she became a victim to HIV AIDS and died in 2005.  She spoke about her rape and status with many of the gay community to try and educate and bring awareness of sexual and sexuality abuse.

The second part of our name comes from Nosizwe Nomsa Bizana, who was a lesbian woman.  She too was raped, gang raped by five men, because of her sexuality.  Unfortunately as a result of the vicious rape, she succumbed to Cripto Meningitis in December 16, 2007. Her story is sad, the trauma of the rape silenced her in the beginning, and she could not share this with the community.  It took a while before she could share this experience with her mother and her partner at the time.  In the end, before she passed away she was happy to be involved in the HIV Booklets of Triangle Project and thus disclose her HIV status to the broader community.

There is a general belief that lesbian women are a low risk group in terms of sexually transmitted diseases and especially HIV/AIDS.  This opinion does not however take into consideration the high levels of rape, also called ‘corrective rape,’  that particularly township-based lesbians are exposed to and which puts them at risk for STI’s and HIV/AIDS.

The stories of Luleka and Nosizwe are not the only stories that we can tell.  There are many whose stories will most probably never be told or their lives being honored in the way which we are trying to do with our initiative.  Nonetheless, we have named our project as a means to celebrate and recognize the lives and contributions of these two lesbian women who have experienced great hardship and struggle when they were alive.  Yet they continued to fight and resist against homophobia and gender based violence in the communities that they lived in.

FOUNDING MEMBERS: Ndumie Funda /  Nozuko /  Olivia /  Nkulie /  Puleng / Pam 

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4-13-10, Melanie Nathan

An energized crowd of more than 700 people rallied at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and marched more than a mile to the Social Security Administration office in Hollywood today to demand an end to the unconscionable discrimination that deprives older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) taxpayers of more than $120 million in Social Security benefits every year.

Representative Linda Sanchez —a member of the House Subcommittee on Social Security—announced that she will author legislation to provide equal Social Security benefits for same-sex couples and Rep. Judy Chu offered to co-author the bill. Other political and community leaders who spoke out at the event included Sen. Barbara Boxer, Rep. Laura Richardson, L.A. City Councilmember Paul Koretz, West Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lorri L. Jean, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey and AIDS Community Action Foundation President Craig R. Miller.

“We now have quality, affordable health care coming to all. What good is the quality of our health care in America if Americans are not treated equally under all of our laws?” said Rep. Sanchez. “I look at this country—which is great but could be made better—and I see that there is still discrimination … I don’t think it’s right that Americans should be treated differently by the country they love because of who they love.”

Sanchez made the announcement at the Center’s McDonald/Wright building before the crowd marched down Hollywood Boulevard to the Social Security office on Vine Street. There, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lorri L. Jean led the crowd in chanting and picketing to demand an end to the discrimination that hurts seniors like Alice Herman, a client of the Center’s Seniors Services department. Herman spoke about being denied benefits after the loss of her beloved wife, Sylvia, even though the two were legally married.

“At the time I was burying Sylvia and grieving her loss, I had to look for a place to live as fast I as could,” says Herman, who was left “a heartbeat away” from living in her car because she could no longer afford to live in the home they shared. Had Sylvia been a man, Herman would have been entitled to receive her spouse’s larger Social Security payments. “This has got to change,” she said.

Herman’s story inspired Jean to speak out on the issue of discrimination in Social Security benefits.

“We must stop the discrimination heaped upon our elders just when they are suffering profound grief after losing a partner,” Jean says. “They shared their lives for 20, 30 even 40 years—and paid into Social Security with every paycheck just like everyone else. But they are cheated out of survivor benefits because their relationships are not recognized by the Social Security system.”

At Rock for Equality, it was announced that “What Kind of Planet Are We On?”—an online video that tells the story of a lesbian alien who is denied Social Security benefits—triumphed in YouTube’s 4^th Annual DoGooder Awards. The video, which won the Best Innovation in Video category, was featured at the top of the YouTube homepage, where it reached hundreds of thousands with its message about the need to stop discrimination in Social Security benefits. By Sunday afternoon the video, which is featured at www.youtube.com/nonprofitvideoawards, had been viewed more than 350,000 times.

The Center partnered with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in coalition with the AIDS Community Action Foundation, to launch Rock for Equality.

“Same-sex couples are being systematically short-changed by unfair Social Security policies, costing our families $2 billion in the past decade alone,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “The shock of this inequity comes at one of the most vulnerable times in our lives: when we lose our partner. Social Security was created to protect all Americans in their later years, but this hasn’t been the case for our families. We thank Rep. Linda Sanchez for committing to author legislation to end this unfairness once and for all.”

President Barack Obama has stated his opposition to Social Security discrimination against same-sex couples, and last week Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a resolution (introduced by Koretz and fellow Councilmember Bill Rosendahl and unanimously approved by the city council) calling on the federal government to end discrimination in Social Security benefits. Last week the city of West Hollywood passed a similar resolution.

At the rally, Craig R. Miller, Rock for Equality producer and president of the AIDS Community Action Foundation, noted the connection between the health of LGBT people and the government’s discrimination.

“There is an inextricable link between the ongoing HIV epidemic and matters of self-esteem, equal recognition of committed relationships, and a positive view of one’s future,” said Miller.  “We are unwilling to see yet another generation of kids grow up bombarded with messages from their own government that they are less than, that their relationships are less than, and that in the future, their Social Security, their fare share of our country’s social safety net, shall be less than that of other Americans.”

The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law has determined that, on average, the lack of eligibility for Social Security Survivors benefits alone has cost the surviving partners of same-sex couples $5,700 per year. LGBT Americans are denied other benefits as well. With more than 1 million Americans living in same-sex couples and an aging generation of Baby Boomers, hundreds of thousands of taxpayers are cheated by this unfair system every day. This discrimination is estimated to have cost the LGBT community more than $2 billion in the last decade alone.

About the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center: Since 1971 the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has been building the health, advocating for the rights and enriching the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.  Our wide array of services and programs includes: free HIV/AIDS care and medications for those most in need; housing, food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth; low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented families and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention programs; transgender services; cultural arts and much more. Visit us at: www.lagaycenter.org.

About the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.  Visit us at: www.thetaskforce.org.

About AIDS Community Action Foundation: Founded in 2004, AIDS Community Action Foundation (ACAF) is dedicated to reinvigorating the response of government, media, the private sector, non-profit organizations, and the public at large to the Human Immune-deficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in the United States.  ACAF is committed to engaging in and/or supporting at the community level organizing, advocacy, fundraising, and education efforts designed to create greater public pressure toward alleviating the human suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. Visit us at www.aidscaf.com .

About MZA Events: Rock for Equality was created and is being produced by MZA Events.  MZA was founded in 1984 by Craig R. Miller and his organization of activists. Miller is the originator of the AIDS Walk movement and has produced hundreds of events throughout the United States, generating more than $400 million for major AIDS organizations and other charities confronting public health and social justice issues. Visit us at: www.mzaevents.com.

By Melanie Nathan
@oblogdeeoblogda
nathan@privatecourts.com

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4-6-10; Melanie Nathan;

Many  websites are springing up to expose Meg Whitman for who she is; and while this is indeed a great way to counter her Goliath $200,000,000 AD- Campaign, it is useless until we all pitch in and help it to go viral. The LGBTQI community has the power to defeat her blast of billionaire wind.  Should Meg get to seat her tuchus in the Governor seat, rest assured every equality bill will stand more chance of being auctioned off on E-Bay than signed by the power hungry wicked witch of the West.

One such website is BLINDED BY  H8…..

In March 2010, she pulled ahead in the polls both for the Republican Party’s nomination for Governor of California, and in a hypothetical match-up between herself and the assumed Democratic nominee, Jerry Brown.  The newest site we have noticed is “Blinded by H8″

As former CEO of eBay, Meg Whitman amassed a personal fortune of over a billion dollars, and she isn’t shy about spending it.  Breaking campaign spending records set in all previous state elections, Meg Whitman has used her nearly unlimited financial resources to control the message of the gubernatorial campaign, buying television airtime that has garnered her close to a 50 point lead over her closest competitor for the Republican primary.

With the nomination for the Republican Party all but a foregone conclusion, she can now put that spending power towards the biggest prize: Chief Executive of the State of California.  Her blind ambition reflects her inability to see past her own inborn hatred of those different from herself.  This is a forum to counter her omnipresent message, an alternative to the echo-chamber that supports Meg Whitman.

As someone who willingly puts her own personal beliefs ahead of the needs of California families, Meg Whitman must be stopped.  She has no experience in government, no accountability to the people, and no qualms about spending whatever money is necessary to win.  Meg Whitman:  Bad for Families.  Bad for California.  Blinded by H8.

Just think, Meg is going to use our dollars which we spent on E-Bay to veto every piece of equality and gay supportive legislation.   We as a community must go for the jugular on this one. She cannot be allowed to win.   My eye is on Face Book as each and every one of my EQUALITY identified buddies do their magic…  Let’s go Viral on MEG!!!!!

P.S.  Judge the woman by the friends she keeps …   Stars of the Horror Movie -  “REPUBLICANS  RULE”  – Romney,  Steele and McCain

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/11/local/me-whitman11

By Melanie Nathan.

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The celebration includes a Hebrew language LGBT film series, theatrical and musical performances by prominent Israeli artists, cooking demonstrations, art exhibitions, literary readings, and panels discussions on LGBT culture in Israel and Zionist perspectives.

This Thursday April 8 a local anti-Israel group called QUIT (”Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism”)will be protesting outside the Roxie Theater (16th and Valencia Streets, San Francisco) where the festival will have its opening night films.

This is no time to be bringing  Israel’s political debates or American foreign policy into our LGBT  cultural explorations.  We are   fighting our own struggle here , in the USA – for Equality.    Our struggle is not one that has anything to do with Israel’s policies.  Separate issue, wrong place – I say please quit  QUIT!

Israel is one of the few Countries that treats its Queers with respect and dignity enacting pro gay laws in the Knesset and providing for full equality under the law, notwithstanding its religious basis.

The USA   is a Country that has a reprehensible discrimination record against the LGBT community.  I say QUIT should quit!

This festival is truly a gift and should be supported for what it is.  As an out Jewish lesbian I am grateful for Israel’s  Knesset.  It serves as a shining example and provides hope to us here in the US as we look up to its record on equality.

We are calling supporters of  LGBT equality to turn out and show support for ISRAEL as a country that fully supports LGBT equality. The right wing or religious views in Israel have not hampered equality there as it has done here.

However, my wife, Dorit Nathan-Israel,  who is Israeli disagrees with me completely (here we are -James and Mary) and says that QUIT has ever right to protest – that is their view and this is a legitimate venue to express it.   This, she says, is a human rights issue too, for them and so it is fair for them to be there. She says Quit should not Quit but supporters on the other side of the issue should come out to express heir views as well.

However, Dear Wife, because this post is mine…. I have the last word…. and it goes like this..

So San Francisco we are a Queer first CITY .… when it comes to our needs and right now our need is Equality which will only be engendered through acceptance.  This cultural event moves the discussion toward acceptance and so we are obligated to support it.   When we have full acceptance and full equality here in the USA, then we can afford to protest other issues should we choose.

To QUIT I say this – QUIT! Join the fight for Equality dear brothers and sisters and then we can talk more….

“Out in Israel” is, sponsored in part by the Israeli Consulate, the San Francisco and East Bay Federations, JCRC, BlueStarPR, and Congregation Sha’ar Zahav.

More information can be found about festival at http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=67384

Post dedicated to my beloved Granny Rosie, of  blessed memory,  on this what would have been her birthday.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Picture above: My Wedding at Congregation Rodef Sholom
Married by rabbi Stacy Friedman

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