Mitcham came out in 2008 just before he won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, and has stated that he embraces his sexuality. “It’s a part of me that I love and enjoy and I like being known as gay. I see it as something positive, so it’s just another positive thing to be known as.”

Mitcham believes that the backlash against the column written by Akermanis proves that “The reaction [Akermanis] got from that has pretty much vindicated to everyone his comments were unfounded, his own, and really quite narrow-minded and probably wrong. Even his own football club said they don’t hold the same opinion as him. He has come out and said a couple of things and people are now saying, ‘What are you doing?’ People are deciding to ignore him.”

Mitcham ridiculed Akermanis’ “The world of AFL is not ready for it. To come out is unnecessary for a lot of reasons.” Nearly thirty AFL footballers and coaches have signed up to help the campaign to mark International Day Against Homophobia.

Source

Greene denies that he called anyone these things and stated “That’s not true. She is a troublemaker and she is not with my campaign.”

For his part, Bigger is not sure what to believe, but feels that it is rather disappointing. He stated “You try to do a public service for people. You try to respect the dignity of human beings and this is what you get. There’s no honesty, it seems like, in politics anymore.” He does not regret the York county forum where Greene came to speak and answer questions.

For her part, Maggart-Feldmen has apparently threatened to ruin Greene. That may be hard to do since he currently trails is opponent, Senator Jim DeMint by 44 points. Greene is also know for saying that he could turn the economy around by selling dolls of his likeness. Greene is also an unemployed veteran, and he is facing a felony charge for allegedly showing a University of South Carolina female college student pornography.

Source

http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=13087887

Where the Tea Party once split the Republicans between the Moderates and the Conservatives, now the social and civil issues are threatening to split the Tea Party with more and more people demanding that the ‘Jesus Freaks’ get the ‘hell’ out of the movement.

Blackwell and Klukowski are both appalled by the recent decision by Judge Vaughn Walker strike down “part of the California Constitution defining marriage as one man and one woman,” and by the recent decision by Ken Mehlman to come out of the closet and to start “pushing the Republican Party to support the homosexual-rights agenda.  Republican leaders are beginning to weigh in on where they stand, including on the agenda’s centerpiece: Redefining marriage.”

They went on to say :

“The Republican Party has an official position on same-sex marriage. It’s found in the 2008 GOP platform, which is the clear and uncontestable Republican position until the 2012 convention. When one of your authors (Ken Blackwell) was serving as vice chairman of the GOP Platform Committee, there was a singular focus on producing a party platform that fully reflects the vast majority of Republican Party members.

“The GOP platform could not be more explicit: Marriage is the union of one man and one woman. The fundamental institution of human civilization should be preserved as it has been known through the entirety of American history and Western civilization. Supporters of same-sex marriage had the full opportunity to make their case to the party. They made it, and they lost.”

Of course, as always, they mean the Judeo-Christian-Greco-Roman part of Western Civilization since many outside of those regions had very different definitions of marriage.  Of course, they also begin talking about how there is no right to marriage equality in the US Constitution, and that it is a state issue.  This would be true if it were not for the fact that the Federal Government recognizes marriages given by states and the Constitution requires all states to recognize the laws and contracts entered into in other states.  Of course, their big problem is the supposed rewriting of the Constitution from the bench by ‘activist judges’, which is a very old and tired ploy.

On this point, the two men are absolutely correct

“Republican leadership is working hard to prevent a party split. Millions of Tea Party supporters are justifiably fed up with the GOP, and threatening to abandon the GOP in favor of a third party if Republicans do not fully attack out-of-control federal spending and power with a commitment to constitutional government.

“That danger cuts both ways.

“Social conservatives cannot be played as fools by the Republican Party. They are not “useful idiots.” If Republican leaders abandon social conservatives and the party platform, then they will face the same kind of disaster they could be facing if Tea Partiers abandon the GOP. — Millions of social conservatives will either stay home, or will vote for a third-party candidate who takes up the mantle of marriage, life, faith and family.”

They point to 1912 without actually explaining the events of that year.  In 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt and then President William Taft had a major falling out.  Roosevelt went on the war path, and when he was unable to take the Republican Party back from Taft, he formed a third party called the Progressive Party.  Roosevelt and Taft’s split ended up splitting the Republican party and President Woodrow Wilson was catapulted into the Presidency.

The GOP today is in a very dangerous spot.  In all likelihood, the split that their leadership is trying to avoid is coming, and it will not be pretty.  In fact, in the wake of Glenn Beck’s little revival on 28 August, that split is coming sooner than the leadership can cope with many Beck fans now wondering openly why they were at a Mormon revival.

Source

In the wake of the AG Jerry Brown and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger request for the same-sex  marriages to resume in California pending Ninth circuit appeal, a Conservative group has filed a Petition to compel the State of California to oppose the Prop 8 decision Appeal.

The new lawsuit is being filed by Pacific Justice Institute on behalf of Dr. Joshua Beckley, a minister in the Los Angeles area. The lawsuit is called an extraordinary writ of mandate and was filed with the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento. The writ asks the court to enforce Government Code Section 12512, which states that the Attorney General “shall defend” the state and its public officials against all legal challenges. At a minimum, the suit argues, this law requires Attorney General Brown to file a one-page Notice of Appeal of Judge Walker’s decision. Otherwise, the Attorney General can effectively veto ballot initiatives by simply refusing to defend them in court.

The lawsuit includes a sworn Declaration from former U.S. Attorney General and legal advisor to Governor Reagan, Edwin Meese III. Meese affirms that neither he nor Governor Reagan refused to defend duly-enacted laws based on personal disagreement with the laws. Former California Attorney General Dan Lungren has also publicly stated his belief that it is the attorney general’s duty to defend all state laws, regardless of his personal feelings or beliefs.

It is not often that I re-blog. But what follows is in effect a complete re-BLOG – this one was difficult to resist, being that I would not have had the knowledge or the license to phraseology and even the opinion expressed for that matter. But when my friend Derrick Mathis drew my attention to his piece I decided it would be interesting to re-Blog here on Lez Get Real to see what comments we could jointly receive.

By Derrick Mathis:

” I noticed that all of the numerous LGBT news related outlets and blogs who’ve covered the petitioning  by the Pacific Justice Institute on behalf of Pastor Joshua Beckley of San Bernardino’s Ecclesia Christian Fellowship—-to force the state’s Governor and the AG to defend Prop 8— have failed to mention the ethnicity of Pastor Joshua Beckley. How odd…

NO PROB.’ WE’LL DO IT.

AFRICAN AMERICAN church minister Joshua Beckley, head of a BIG ASS BLACK CHURCH in San Bernadino, is the man behind this latest lawsuit on behalf of Prop 8.  And as you may surmise from the photo below, he is VERY WELL connected in the state’s black political realm. Wait! Hold up! We originally noticed just the good Pastor Beckley and Assembly members Wilmer Amina Carter and Sandré Swanson in this picture. We didn’t see Karen Bass!

Well I may not have expressed this in this fashion, I decided to give voice to my fellow blogger Derrick Mathis on site RENWL.

Just how many black ministers of humongous black churches in Cali who are also front row and center leaders against LGBT equality is Bass tight with? Momma’s becoming a regular poster child for jive ass black politicians with an unquenchable fetish for holy homo hatin’ brothas.

We know she’s tight as hell with big baller Bishop Charles E. Blake of the West Angeles Christian Center—he’s the one NOM’s Maggie Gallagher waddled her fat ass to the hood to PERSONALLY HONOR for his outstanding work in the black community in helping to rob LGBTs of their rights. Yea, that’s just how fierce he is. And then there’s Rev. Fred Price of the Crenshaw Christian Center, another dear dear friend of Bass’s we understand and a staunch and vocal naysayer against gay marriage. Now apparently there’s this guy Beckley. With friends like Bass, dang who needs republicans or Mormons?

But politically sophisticated white gay folks like the local Stonewall Dem Clubs and Rick Jacobs of Courage Campaign, why they’ll drink Bass’s dirty bath water on command that’s how much they love her. So, ya know, we’ll turn our heads and look the other way too, just like all those really smart ‘n’ on the ball white gay folks in charge of white gayness do.

Getting back to Pastor Beckley—this isn’t the first time he has involved himself in a legal action against gay marriage in Cali. Back in 2004 in a case against the City and County of San Francisco for issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples (In Lockyer v. City and County of San Francisco) he was among a group of black church ministers calling themselves African American Pastors in California, who submitted a brief as amici curiae in support of the Defendant and Appellant (Attorney General Lockyer).  You can see the amicus brief at the end of this post….. which can all be found at ….. http://renwl.org/news/prop-8/black-church-minister-behind-effort-to-force-state-defense-of-prop-8   ”

————————————————————————————–

In solidarity
Mel Nathan.

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U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and Republican senatorial nominee Carly Fiorina delivered a spirited debate tonight at St, Mary’s, Moraga, Bay Area, California.  Fiorina clearly on the defensive unable to lift her leg high enough to the tree with big Boxer, who sparred like a heavy weight, while deflecting the occasional light weight banter from her opponent.

Topics ranged from this year’s hot-button issues of the economy and immigration to the always-debatable subjects of gay marriage and abortion.

Yet no incumbent bloodshed over the biggest issue – relief for California’s struggling economy. Rather a pointed dagger at the heart of Fiorina’s tenure at HP where Boxer noted that the 30,000 jobs shipped abroad by Fiorina reflected the size of an entire Foster City; and with a payoff to Fiorina of $100Million.

Irony of Irony – that very money now being used to fund this very campaign!

“Each did her best to portray her opponent as out of touch with Californians’ needs. Fiorina cast Boxer as a 28-year officeholder with an unabashedly liberal, failed record that has been “devastating for this state.” Boxer defended her record while casting Fiorina as a failed “Wall Street CEO” who got rich while laying off thousands of workers and shipping their jobs overseas before being fired by her board of directors.” (Mercury news tonight)

When asked whether the war in Iraq was worthwhile and what lessons should be applied to Afghanistan, Boxer noted she was among 23 senators who voted against the Iraq war, yet she later voted for funding to protect troops and veterans; she said she wants a clear exit strategy for Afghanistan. Fiorina disingenuously admonished Boxer’s votes as being against the interests of troops several times. Yet Fiorina forgets she continues to tout the rhetoric of the very administration that got us into the war as well as tacitly endorsed the war through her silent acceptance thereof.

Fiorina, who has aired a campaign ad likening Boxer’s concern over climate change as a national security issue to worrying about “the weather,” refused to say despite the moderator’s insistence for a ‘yes or no’ answer– either during the debate or at the spin news conference afterward — whether she will support Proposition 23, which would roll back California’s landmark greenhouse gas emissions law. When Fiorina said she had not yet taken a position. Boxer jumped at her saying that she could not understand how Fiorina failed to take a position at this time on so important an issue;  ”If you can’t take a stand on Proposition 23, I don’t know what you will take a stand on,”   noting that the measure would cripple California’s burgeoning clean-energy economy and give other nations the lead.

Boxer jabbed “My opponent is kind of used to creating jobs in China and other places,” noting Fiorina is supported by the same oil and coal interests backing Prop. 23, and “They are hoping that I don’t make it.”

Asked about the status of children of undocumented immigrants, Fiorina said she supports the DREAM Act — bipartisan legislation providing such youths a path to citizenship through college studies or military service — but opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants.

URGH no one ever asks about UAFA-The Uniting American Families Act – which could feasibly be introduced as a stand-alone bill together with the Dream Act.

Boxer insisted she has supported two bipartisan immigration bills in recent years, while Fiorina has called the battle for comprehensive reform “a distraction” from more important issues.

After the debate, Boxer said the two campaigns are working to schedule another faceoff.

Boxer wins on Knockout round 1.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Posted by Melanie Nathan; September 01, 2010

On MONDAY, October 4th, the NOH8 Campaign will set up studio at Texas University in Rudder Theater in College Station, TX opening up the opportunity to join the campaign to Texas area supporters!

…The photo shoot is scheduled to begin at 4 PM and end at 7 PM.

Anyone that would like to join the NOH8 Campaign is asked to wear a plain white shirt to match the look of the signature NOH8 photos.

Solo NOH8 photos will require a minimum donation of $40 per person while any group or couple photos will require a $25 donation per person in the photo.

Adam Bouska will be working around the clock to photograph 5-10 frames for each person that comes through. The final selection he chooses will be retouched and made available to you through the www.NOH8Campaign.com website!

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

ARRIVE BETWEEN 4 PM AND 7 PM @

Texas A&M University
Rudder Theater
200 Discovery Drive
College Station, TX 77845-7546

~ COME CAMERA READY ~

~ WEAR WHITE ~

~ POSE & MAKE A STATEMENT! ~

**The NOH8 Campaign will apply the NOH8 temporary tattoo to your face upon arrival, and we will also supply you with the silver duct tape for the photo.**

***Due to the generosity of Texas A&M we will be able to offer a $10 Discount to ALL solo photos for anyone who presents a Student ID. (ANY student ID not just A&M) So anyone who presents a student ID at check out will only be charged $30 for their solo***

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Yes we were; nice Jewish lesbian feminist girls and we made a book. The first one of its kind – decades ago and it is still being used in Women’s Studies classes, to this day!  And now, the Union of Orthodox Rabbis is proclaiming acceptance of gay and lesbian Jews.

Ok, so it’s the “love the sinner hate the sin” line perhaps, but for Orthodoxy to come out with a proclamation such as this one, we have something to celebrate. Something IS changing.

Gloria Greenfield was the driving force behind and in front of “Nice Jewish Girls” and with pen and her press (Persephone Press), she made sure we were a force to be seen and heard. Amazing, beautiful and unstoppable, she got us onstage to read our contributions.

We filled an auditorium somewhere in Boston, eight of us, facing a room full of beaming ‘Nice Jewish Girls’ and their non-Jewish lovers and friends. Outside the hall a group of self –proclaimed Preservers of Judaism were yelling at the women going in, and claiming our “Excommunication!”

Growing up a rare Jew in Japan; sent to Catholic missionary school, for lack of choice, I fully understand the idea of excommunication.  We also knew Jews cannot be excommunicated!

So the taunts were laughable and we laughed!

The men in the black robes soon left with little impact on the magnificence of the evening and everything we believed it stood for. Our ‘Nice Jewish girl’ faces glowed, as we read our stories aloud – all about being Nice Jewish lesbians- to our non Jewish girlfriends and their friends.

We were so validated by what we had accomplished; the book, the stories, our lives, regardless of black gowned frowns. Unstoppable, our courage and energy took up all the space. There was no place left for the men to go but back to where they came from.  Change happens. They may be singing a different tune today. Who knows?

And now the Orthodox Rabbinate have  made an important – sensational- statement; Jews must accept all Jews, as a requirement of Torah, rather than rejection as professed by the men in black those decades ago – how nice for us ‘Nice Jewish Girls’   these 2.5 decades later.

Picture:- Left to right:  front row: Evelyn Torton Beck,Adrienne Rich, Gloria Greenfield, Melanie Kaye Kantrowitz, Standing, left t o right:  Savina Teubal, Josylyn Segal, Rachel Wahba, Irena Klepfisz.

The Book can be purchased at Amazon, in a new edition -( which excludes the original pictures.)

By Rachel Wahba

Other Articles by Rachel

• Lez Talk with Rachel – Brit Milah Penis Rage (lezgetreal.com)
• Outing My Father (lezgetreal.com)
• Generation to Generation – “you’re with girls now aren’t you?” (lezgetreal.com)
• Lesbian Separatist Alix Dobkin Changes Tune – BUT Outlandish Caveat (lezgetreal.com)

• U.S. Orthodox Rabbis Urge Community to Accept Gays, Lesbians BT (lezgetreal.com)

Posted by Melanie Nathan; September 01, 2010

Senator Mark Leno has lent his support to LGBT issues in the State of California’s legislature; what many outside California may not realize is the importance and impact of  local leadership on the rest of the Country.

It is when one’s State Senator takes the time to fight for Resolutions pronouncing upon Federal legislation (e.g. Kevin de Leon CA State Assemblyman and Leno for Resolution AJR 15  that passed in California  calling for the enactment of the Federal legislation by Congress of the  Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)) – and now this Article sent out today by Senator Mark Leno, that  we realize – we may well underestimate the importance of the influence that local representatives can have on the National arena. After all when reading this all I could think about was the absurdity of the” Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) and the fact of its continued impact during this Congress consisting of a Democratic  President and a Democratic majority in both houses.

Senator Mark Leno: “Nearly two years after the passage of Proposition 8 in California, a U.S. District Court judge has ruled that the divisive measure denying same-sex couples the freedom to marry is unconstitutional, violating both due process and equal protection rights. In a landmark decision, the first ever on this issue in federal court, Judge Vaughn Walker upheld justice and equality, concluding there is no rational basis for preventing marriage between same-sex couples.

In his 136-page decision, Judge Walker eloquently dispels the myths promoted by Prop 8, including that heterosexual couples are somehow better than same-sex couples and more deserving of the universal recognition of marriage and that families led by two parents of the same gender are inadequate. Walker’s decision echoes the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s 2004 findings when it ruled that there is no constitutional basis for denying same-sex couples marriage licenses and stated that by doing so we perpetuate a “destructive stereotype that same-sex relationships are inherently unstable and inferior to opposite-sex relationships and are not worthy of respect.” Do we really want our government determining that some people love better than others?

Based on overwhelming evidence presented at trial, Walker concluded that Prop 8 likely passed due to a “desire to advance the belief that opposite-sex couples are morally superior to same-sex couples” and that the proposition “enacts, without reason, a private moral view that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-sex couples.”

While public opinion in California and across the nation continues to shift more in support of marriage equality, the moral opinions of the masses should not dictate such important issues, especially when it involves fundamental rights. In 1948, California became the first state in the nation to end the ban on interracial marriage, although about 90 percent of Americans at that time opposed these unions. As with marriage for same-sex couples, the California Supreme Court’s 1948 decision was controversial at that time, even though that ban clearly trampled on the rights of targeted minority groups and violated equal protection laws.

In 2004, I had the distinct honor of marrying Marvin Burrows and his lifelong partner Bill Swenor during the short time period when San Francisco granted marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Marvin and Bill had met as teenagers in the 1950s, fell in love, and spent 51 years together as a couple.

One year after Marvin and Bill were married, Bill unexpectedly died of a heart attack. While the men were domestic partners, their marriage license from San Francisco had been invalidated. Because they were not legally married, Marvin was denied Bill’s pension, veteran and social security benefits and his health insurance suddenly ended. As a result of Bill and Marvin’s inability to have their half century relationship honored and validated with a marriage license, in the midst of grieving Bill’s death Marvin was now homeless. Why would we want to kick senior citizens to the curb for the crime of loving someone of the same gender? While Marvin turned his despair into action and became an outspoken advocate for marriage equality, Marvin and Bill’s tragic story demonstrates the cruel and unfair consequences of inequality.

While it’s likely that the legal challenge to Prop 8 will continue to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the current stay preventing same-sex couples from marrying is justice delayed and denied, Judge Walker’s ruling is a giant leap forward for marriage equality. It deflates the prejudiced stereotypes that have long demonized gay men and lesbians and relationships between same-sex couples and their families. It attacks the blatant lies and fears that were fostered by the supporters of Prop 8 during the 2008 campaign. It upholds the U.S. Constitution’s promise of equal protection under law and restates that this fundamental right cannot be denied to any one group of people, regardless of the electorate’s majority opinion.

Finally, the August 4 U.S. District Court decision reiterates a fact that opponents of Prop 8 and supporters of marriage equality have long asserted. Denying loving same-sex couples the freedom to marry unfairly promotes inequality and the perception of inferiority. In the words of Judge Walker, “opposite sex-couples are not better than their same-sex counterparts; instead, as partners, parents and citizens, opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples are equal.”

By Senator Mark Leno who represents the Third Senate District of California, which includes portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties and all of Marin County. He can be reached via the web at www.sen.ca.gov/Leno Senator.Leno@senate.ca.gov.

by Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

The thing is, both men are not exactly the most supportive of same-sex marriage.  Instead, it is probably just a ploy by them to outflank President Barack Obama on the issue of LGBT rights, and they have no intentions of ever supporting the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act or Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, or support the enactment of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.  Cornyn even once likened homosexuality to “man on box turtle.”  He also opposes same-sex marriage, though he has backed off the extreme rhetoric and claimed that he was not trying to degrade the dignity of lesbian and gay people.

The Log Cabin Republicans may be trying to build bridges with their support of the Conservative movement, but they seem far from choosy when it comes to who they associate with and they have done very little to bridge the gap between the Republicans and the LGBT Community.  Many lesbians, gays and transpeople have been hurt by the Republican Party and they are far from willing to open up and accept their support just yet.

C.D. Kirven, the co-founder of Get Equal Now, released this statement regarding the LCR fundraiser:

“Mr. Sessions and other members of the Texas GOP have a ‘zero’ score by
the Human Rights Campiagn on supporting LGBT issues for years. Get Equal Now has protested TX GOP events and will protest Log Cabin Republican events that include candidates willing to accept money from LGBT citizens but turn a blind eye to repealing DADT or championing ENDA. My message to the TX GOP and their supporters is simple put your vote where your LGBT donations are otherwise we will remember in November. The rich just keep getting richer and with threats of a double dip recession middle class Texans can no longer afford to support candidates willing to take our money and blatantly ignore our struggle. Governor Perry’s unreported million dollar donation from Bob Perry was recently reported by various media outlets so Texans are waking up to the fact that some Republicans continue to play corporate games with the lives of middle class diverse families.  My advice to Mr. Session’s is understand when you attend LGBT events know that we will vote, protest and follow closely candidates that do not serve the public interests of all voters. If you come to LGBT events and take LGBT money, then LGBT activists will hold you accountable!”

Background source data

Roger Doughty, the Executive Director of Horizons, stated “Horizons is proud to announce these grants that will support issues and programs important to the LGBT community. The grants begin to address longstanding issues and challenges to greater support for marriage equality in communities of color. We have a great deal of work to do, and it’s exciting to help these extraordinary nonprofits do some extraordinary work.”

According to the press release “San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, along with representatives from grantee organizations, attended the event to express the importance of the grant program and to tell their personal stories related to marriage equality. This included several mothers of Latino LGBT youth with Somos Familia, which is receiving a $25,000 grant to work with BAYCAT studio to produce video storytelling with LGBT youth and their families in the Latino community.”

Dufty stated “To hear these stories from the mothers about their sons and daughters is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Building support and understanding for marriage equality is so important and I applaud Horizons and all the organizations involved in these efforts for their dedication to the cause and helping change lives.”

The Center for Lesbian/Gay Studies in Religious Ministry will receive $25,000 to help create a curriculum designed for use to help in the dialogue with the African-American faith community in order to debate the theological rationales for marriage equality and the inclusion of LGBT members in their congregations.

According to Roland Stringfellow, of that group, “It is our belief that when a path is created for understanding and hope, people will generally take it. To this end, we hope to provide a powerful resource for these churches to build bridges to their children, other relatives and significant loved ones.”

According to Doughty, “Our Community Issues grants are an important cornerstone of support for organizations that really do so much work throughout the year in the LGBT community. As Horizons celebrates 30 years of service, these grant programs help us continue our mission of supporting LGBT issues, causes and people who rely on the programs and services provided by the organizations we help fund.”

For a full list of the grants please visit Horizons’ website.

The lawsuit, known as an extraordinary writ of mandate, was filed with the Third District Court of Appeals in Sacramento and seeks to have the court enforce Goverment Code Section 12512. That code stated that the Attorney General ‘shall defend’ the state and all public officials against legal challenges. The suit argues that AG Brown must at least appeal the ruling from Walker. Of course, maybe they are right and AG Brown should not only appeal the decision, but defend it in the manner he believes to be proper by arguing that the constitutional amendment is wrong.

PJI president Brad Dacus stated “While we strongly believe that ProtectMarriage.com has standing to defend and appeal the Prop. 8 lawsuit, there is at least a possibility the Ninth Circuit will hold otherwise. This suit is therefore necessary to enforce state law and to prevent the Governor and Attorney General from seizing unprecedented powers to veto ballot initiatives by simply refusing to defend them in court.”

In truth, the group is probably looking to force Brown to file the appeal so that the Ninth Circuit is force to then allow ProtectMarriage.com to defend the constitutional amendment. This may not end up working. Additionally, even on appeal, they have a slender chance of winning in the appeals court and there stands a strong possibility that the Supreme Court could chose not to hear the case.

So far, former US Attorney General to Ronald Reagan, Edwin Meese, and former California Attorney General Dan Lungren have both voice their belief that Brown should be defending this suit.

The PJI bills itself as a defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. Mainly, they appear to target those on the social conservative end of the spectrum.

Source

Mrs Gumpertz passed away last year of a heart attack. She is survived by her husband Donald, who has donated to the GOP repeatedly, including donating over $7000 to Vitter’s campaign this year, which may be a violation of the law.

Mrs. Gumpertz’ ghost appears to have also donated to the Republicans for Choice PAC and to Representative Paul Broun of Georgia. Since it appears that donations to candidates by ghosts are not allowed, it is unclear what will happen next.

Source

Melanie Nathan,  September 01, 2010

Martina Navratilova was introduced at the opening ceremony at the U.S. Open in New York  Monday evening and received a rousing welcome inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens;

Stating  “In 1981, I came out as a gay woman,”  to strong applause. “That was not a good thing to do back then. There were a lot of doors that were shut in my face because of that, but you know what, I could still play tennis, no matter what.”

She was amongst other honorees who were being honored for their ability to dream and inspire people.

“In a brief speech, the Czech-born Navratilova credited tennis and a positive attitude with helping her field some of life’s “nasty curve balls,” including her upbringing in a Communist country and her health battle. The 53-year-old was diagnosed with noninvasive breast cancer this year and underwent surgery and six weeks of radiation, returning to the court in June to win the Wimbledon ladies’ invitation doubles.,” Reports The Advocate’s Julie Bolcer.

Her famous on-court rivalry with friend Chris Evert is the subject of a new ESPN documentary, Unmatched, which will premiere September 14.



Luis Lopez, the President of HONOR Fund, stated “Now is the time to begin the work necessary to win Latino hearts and minds in the question of LGBT rights and marriage equality. It is important to have an organization of the Latino community to work collaboratively with other groups – both LGBT and Latino organizations – to build culturally and linguistically relevant programs. HONOR Fund is well poised to meet that challenge.”

HONOR Fund is affiliated with HONOR PAC, which is a Latino LGBT political action committee. HONOR PAC helped fund the ‘No on 8′ campaign. Specifically, they funded the East Los Angeles Office. The Fund’s launch happened because of the awarding of some $160,000 in grats from The Arcus Foundation, Horizons Foundation, Liberty Hill Foundation and private donors. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund is acting as fiscal sponsor for HONOR Fund.

The impetus for the formation of the HONOR Fund came out of Prop 8. A majority of 53% of the Latino voters supported Prop 8 in 2008. HONOR Fund is hoping to change those opinions.

Victor Viramontes, National Senior Counsel for MALDEF, said “LGBT rights are civil rights. Our two communities –Latinos and LGBT – understand the struggle to seek equality and constitutional protections and, therefore, we join HONOR Fund in their efforts to create one movement for both communities.”

Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Nury Martinez said “We need organizations like HONOR Fund to stand up for LGBT students and their families. LGBT youth struggle to find validation and acceptance at school and home, and that is why HONOR Fund’s work will be so important for the future success of our gay and straight community.”

Source

What appears to be odd in this case is that none of the three changed their votes on the legislation. Republicans John Campbell of California and Tom Price of Georgia both voted against the bill while Democrat Joseph Crowley of New York voted for it. What is more baffling is that the OCE appears to have provided no evidence that these men broke ethics rules or any laws. The ethics office also refused to ask for further investigations on five others, namely Democrats Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota and Mel Watt of North Carolina, and Republicans Jeb Hensarling of Texas, Chris Lee of New York, and Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.

All three Democrats voted for the bill, and all five Republicans voted against the bill that President Barack Obama signed into law on 21 July. While the law was suppose to rectify the failures that lead to the 2008 meltdown of the financial system, it only managed to rectify some of them.

Campbell felt “perplexed by OCE’s decision, as they have presented no evidence that would suggest wrongdoing.” He also maintains that he “always complied with the letter and the spirit of the law. To suggest otherwise is unfounded and untrue. In addition, my voting record and my opposition to a culture of taxpayer-funded bailouts has been and always will be unshakeable.”

The California Republican was joined in his bafflement by his colleague Price from Georgia. Price stated “There being no evidence of any wrongdoing or any inconsistency in my policy position, one can only guess as to the motive behind their decision or even why they chose to initiate a review in the first place. My constant allegiance to a transparent and conscious divide between my official duties as a member of Congress and my actions as a candidate is without question.”

Crowley, the Democrat from New York, also asserted that he complied to the “letter and spirit of the rules regarding fundraising and standards of conduct.”

The three did attend fundraisers in and around the time that their votes were cast, but this is normal for any politician given that they are often attending fundraisers right through the year.

Crowley may be the only one with any potential for a problem since he did attend a fundraiser and then turn around and vote against a Democratic sponsored amendment to the bill which could have toughened some financial regulations, but that seems more like a coincidence than a violation of the rules since a hundred Democrats also voted against it.

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The Appeals Court sided with the state and decided that the language of Texas’ law was clear in that it never intended to have the state of Texas acknowledge the existence of same-sex marriages. In so doing, the court ignored the principle of comity which is where one state acknowledges and gives effect to the laws of another state. The court, in violating the Constitution, stated it would not acknowledge the Massachusetts law because doing so would violate Texas public policy. The court also ignored all the rulings from other states regarding this issue. The court also ruled that there was no fundamental right for same-sex couples to get married.

This will likely effect the case from Austin which granted a divorce to a lesbian couple with the state likely to appeal that one as well. One or both cases will likely end up before the Texas Supreme Court, and may even get appealed into the Federal system.

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The twenty year old did run into some negativity, largely in the form of her hometown newspaper.  The 2008 graduate from Findlay High School found that there were people who were not happy about her coming out as lesbian, a fact she hid through much of her time in High School.  Miller stated “I was shocked that I didn’t receive more support than that from my hometown.  I think the Findlay area has been especially harsh on me – just really wary of what my intentions were.  These are the people I spent most of my childhood growing up with … so I was hoping that Findlay would be able to accept me as one of their own and to support me in this. But I ended up getting some of my toughest critics from my hometown, and that personally disturbed me.”

Katie Miller’s secret was known to her mother Lisa, a few close friends, and her girlfriend.  Her brother did not know until around forty minutes before her interview with Dr. Maddow.  Thomas, her twin, stated “I got a phone call about 40 minutes before she was on Rachel Maddow. That’s how I found out.”  He got the call from their mother.

While she does have her supporters, many anonymous commenters on the website of the local newspaper were biting.  This is, alas, one of the big problems in that people who are supportive tend not to comment as often as those who either want to put people down or with to criticize.  Most of the criticism attacked Miller for joining the military despite the fact that she knew that she would have to hide her sexuality.  One person known only as ‘J’ wrote “She knew what the rules were when she accepted the appointment, and now to stick the government with the tab for the first two years of college is just wrong.”

Miller is not alone in leaving West Point before she finishes her education.  She quit before she signed the commitment to finish her last two years and to serve five years in the Army.  If she had signed that and then quit, she would have had to repay the costs of her education.  In other words, it is because of the slow pace of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell that she quit, not because of the law itself.  About twenty percent of all cadets brought into West Point each year drop out before they graduate.

Sidewalk interviews with the residents of Findlay, OH regarding her were far more kind than the anonymous online comments.

Melissa Gertz stated “I know the Bible does speak against homosexuality, but it doesn’t speak against the person,.  I don’t believe you throw people out when something happens. You embrace them.”

Seventy-five year old Army veteran Bill Frack stated “She apparently is very bright. I feel bad [she is leaving West Point] because she is obviously a good cadet. I’m sure she will do well at Yale.”

Her brother, who still lives in Findlay, said “No matter what her sexual orientation is, she’s still my sister and I still love her.”

Source

Police at Scotland Yard have denied speculation that there was gay paraphernalia found in the flat nor that there has been any link to a male escort. Williams was found dead last Monday at his £400,000 flat in Pimlico, Central London, about half a mile from MI6 headquarters. He was discovered in the bath stuffed into a sports duffle bag.

There are no signs of violence on Williams’ remains, and toxicology has yet to return. It may be another week before it is known if there were poisons, drugs, or alcohol in his system, and those results might show that he was asphyxiated. What is known is that Williams was stuffed into the bag after he died. There is one line of inquiry that he died in a strange accident and then was put into the bag.

His death is still being described as ‘suspicious and unexplained’ by Metropolitan police. Police are also looking into the movement of some £18,000 which disappeared from William’s bank account two months ago by what they are describing as ‘complex means’. Williams was known to work on interception of messages and code-breaking.

The police are trying to determine whether or not the money was moved as part of something innocent, such as to another account or that he may have been paying blackmail. The movement of the money is being scrutinized to find out if it may be linked to his death. Williams had recently made trips to Afghanistan to help decode Taliban messages at MI6’s station in Kabul. He also apparently played an important role in the development of the electronic intelligence gathering system called Echelon.

No arrests have been made, and so far no one has come forward to say that they had seen him in the eight days before his body was discovered.

Source

“They were moments of great injustice, great injustice! If someone is responsible, it’s me,” Castro told journalist Lira Saade from La Jornada, a Mexican daily. “We had so many and such terrible problems, problems of life or death, that we didn’t pay it enough attention,” Castro stated about how lesbians and gays were treated. Currently, the island nation off of Florida is grappling with the possibility of legalizing same-sex unions.

Fidel Castro was recently forced to hand power over to his brother Raul Castro due to ill health. He had ruled the nation since he rose to power in 1959 and stepped down in 2008. He is currently 84 years old.

His remarks were made in the second part of a two part interview. They also bring up the question of why is it that an old and vicious dictator can change his mind about injustice, but it seems so many in the United States, including President Barack Obama, cannot?

Source

The fundraiser is not a totally Republican-driven effort. Former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta will be there as well. The people attending just shows a growing divide between the fiscally conservative/socially liberal groups and the socially conservative/fiscally liberal groups. As one Republican put it

“I think there is a growing mass of people in Republican politics who are fundamentally sick and tired about being lectured to about morality and how to live your life by a bunch of people who have been married three or four times and are more likely to be seen outside a brothel on a Thursday night than being at home with their kids… There is a fundamental indecency to the vitriol and the hatred directed against decent people because of their sexuality. People have reached a critical mass with this.”

Lesbian and gay Republicans have long had problems within the wider LGBT Community which has tended to side with Liberalism and Democrats for a long time due to the support on the Left for LGBT Rights. Between President Barack Obama’s reticence over LGBT issues and a growing sense of distaste for social conservativism, the Republican Party is splitting on the issues that effect the LGBT Community.

Steve Schmidt, the former campaign manager for Senator John McCain stated “There is a strong conservative case to be made in favor of gay marriage. Marriage is an institution that strengthens and stabilizes society. It is an institution that has the capacity to bring profound joy and happiness to people and it is a matter of equality and keeping faith of one of the charters of the nation, the right to live your life. More and more conservatives are saying that opposition to gay marriage would not be a litmus test for membership in the GOP. And more conservatives are making the case that no more do you want big government conservatives in the bedroom than big government liberals telling you how to live your life.”

This split in the GOP is something that is causing more and more problems for the Party in the long run since many people who are advocates for LGBT rights are not well received by many supporters of the GOP. Conservative lesbians and gays also often face problems inside the LGBT Community as there is a long standing feeling of them being willing to work with those who would oppose the very rights that they deserve and hurting their fellow lesbians, gays and transpeople. It may be a long time before anyone forgives Ken Mehlman for his hand in orchestrating the restriction of marriage rights for America’s lesbians and gays.

Source

Posted by Melanie Nathan; 08-31-10-

- A Personal Memory

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, 93, has reportedly been rushed to a hospital after being found unresponsive by her husband.

Gabor’s husband, Prince Frederic Von Anhalt, called 911 Tuesday morning, and the actress was taken from her Bel Air home to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The television and film star had just finished one of several hospital stays in recent weeks after falling at her home and breaking her hip. She said she wanted to spend her final days at home after she returned from the hospital August 17, having received her last rites from a priest.

Gabor was born in Budapest in 1917 and followed her sister Eva to Los Angeles. After her debut in the 1952 film Lovely to Look At, she appeared in We’re Not Married! with Ginger Rogers, Moulin Rouge, and Death of a Scoundrel.

She was as well known for her off-screen persona as her film and television appearances. Gabor’s husband is her ninth, and she has been married to such notables as hotel magnate Conrad Hilton. Also of note was her three days spent behind bars when she slapped a Beverly Hills police officer in 1989 and was found to be driving with an expired license. Gabor was fined $13,000 in court costs.

I personally recall an encounter with GABOR when I was seconding my Cousin as a stylist back in the 80’s in Los Angeles.  Zsa Zsa Gabor may be best remembered by most for her refusal to admit her age.  That received a lot of press – as I recall her driver’s license may not have been correct.

Well she did the same when it came to the size of her clothing – we were trying to style her for a Vogue Magazine cover. However when she could not fit into the dress that my Cousin had provided, based on the information Zsa Zsa provided herself, – she threw her bra at my cousin and fired us from the job; yelling ,  “AND my name is not ZSA ZSA – it is MS. GABOR to yooooo DAHLING!”

I wish her well and a speedy recovery.

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Yes, an earthquake is beginning- an earthquake of common sense. The Charities Commission in New Zealand has rejected the Exodus Ministries Trust Board’s attempt to keep its status as a charitable organization. In fact, the Commission flat out booted them out of the list of tax-exempt charities because they are not performing any public benefit because being lesbian or gay is not a mental illness. In other words, the Charities Commission sided with the scientific and realistic evidence against the mythology and psudoscience of Exodus.

The US based Exodus Global Alliance promises “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ”, but has yet to actually back up any of its claims. The group even claimed to have a legitimate point of view and to be providing support to homosexuality during “very difficult times”. Of course, what they do not say is that they try to force people to stop being gay using techniques which have been proven ineffective at best and damaging at worst.

They compared themselves to Rainbow Youth Inc., a group aimed at raising the self-esteem of LGBT youth and their families. They decried Rainbow Youth’s continued charitable states because clearly an education provided by Rainbow Youth Inc. would be from a preconceived point of view, ie that homosexuality and other forms of sexuality are perfectly normal for some people.”

Of course, if the United States would just follow behind New Zealand and start yanking these fraudulent groups’ tax exempt status, then, perhaps, the country would be better off. Of course, NOM manages to really screw it up when the decried the decision in New Zealand. It is suppose to be “Gay is the new Black”, even though most people disagree with that statement. Oh yes, and not all Christians are homophobic. Just the people at NOM and the people just like them.

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She stated “We feel more and more that activists are being deceptive in using anti-bullying rhetoric to introduce their viewpoints, while the viewpoint of Christian students and parents are increasingly belittled.” She explained her comment to Talking Points Memo thusly “Listing certain categories creates a system ripe for reverse discrimination, sending the messge that certain characteristics are more worth of protection than others.”

Of course, the fact that anti-bullying laws and regulations already cover religion seems to be lost on Cushman. She believes that the arguments are wrong on two levels in that they put the focus on the characteristics of the victim and not on the wrongful actions of the perpetrator. She also believes that LGBT rights activists are using the whole issue to push their agenda into the schools. She went on to denounce the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

On the first argument, she does have something of a point, but the problem with trying to list behaviors that qualify as bullying is that they can often shift and change without notice and the law might be overturned if it is too vaguely designed in order to cover all behaviors. As for the rest. . .that is the usual line of attack out of FotF, which should be renamed Focus on the White, Fundamentalist Christian, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Bigoted Family.

She went on to cite GLSEN’s publications which are being used to help alleviate some of the LGBT biased bullying that is going on. She said “In many cases, these politicized bullying policies are being used as tools to undermine parental rights, and censor or marginalize students and parents with differing viewpoints.”

In schools, there is one group of students who are always worse off than the lesbian and gay students- and that is the ‘Holy Rollers’ or ‘Christ Freaks’ or a dozen other put down names. These Christians are often seen with their Bible in hand and are often teased, mocked, bullied and beaten up.

But, that is alright because we do not want to be teaching diversity and tolerance in our schools according to Cushman.

Source

Tonight, at 7pm, the wake for Durand Robinson will be held at the Donald Trimble Mortuary.  Tomorrow, the memorial service will be held at Beulah Baptist Church before the repass is held for a gathering of friends and loved ones at the nightclub that Robinson was co-manager of, Traxx. In addition to the nightclub, Robinson was also the organizer of Atlanta Black Gay Pride

On 28 August, more than a hundred people gathered there to have a candlelight vigil for Robinson.  For the man known to many as “Uncle Durand”, it was an opportunity to share memories.  Jermaine Heslin remembered being allowed to hang out outside the nightclub when he was fifteen.  Heslin said “He never let us in the club but would let us hang out outside and dance around.”  He went on to tell how, when he was old enough to get into the club, Robinson encouraged him to be honest with himself.  He said “He [Robinson] really brought me out of my shell.”  Robinson encouraged Heslin to become a J-setter, which is a popular dance style.  Helsin also stated “[His death] was a shock, because it was so sudden. I don’t think it’s hit me yet. But when I start dancing, and getting in the moment, I think that’s when I’ll know.”

Times and locations for the services can be found at The GA Voice.

Robinson’s sexuality remains something of a mystery as he appears to have lead a very quiet life.  Friend, ally, member- in the end it does not matter to the LGBT Community.  Robinson stood beside us.

Currently, the police have made no arrests and appear to have no leads in the case.

Source

The rationale for why they rejected the case is that they did not find sufficient evidence with regards to the allegations. However, the why they did not find sufficient evidence is a bit baffling. According to their press release on this issue “The jurisdiction of the Duke Student Government Judiciary does not include criminal offenses such as death threats or allegations of criminal behavior by individual students that are unrelated to their capacities as leaders of student organizations.”

In April, the Judiciary ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict the DCR of discrimination; however, Robinette maintains that he did not have enough time to prepare his argument. In this case, he offered some thirty pages of emails, comments and other evidence indicating that club members discriminated against him and others.

Travis Rapp, senior representative for the DCR, stated that the club looks forward to moving on. He stated “I support that decision because I guess the US Constitution wouldn’t try the case twice. As far as I know, right now we’re planning to go forward with business as usual.” Given that this is not a court of law, it seems impossible to say that this is an accurate analogy. If this was a court of law, the case could be brought back since it was dismissed for lack of evidence.

Robinette will continue to press his case. This time, he will go before the Duke Student Government meeting on Wednesday. He stated regarding this situation “There is no easy path to resolution unless [DCR members] reach out to us on a personal level.”

Mediation has been at a standstill. While Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta has tried to have both informal and formal mediation between the two groups, neither former DCR member Cliff Satell nor Robinette have been overly willing to engage in mediation without certain demands met before hand. These include a formal apology.

Satell wrote in a 4 August email to the Office of Student Conduct “I trusted that [the Office of Student Conduct] would not succumb to the institutional deafness that permeates every corner of the Administration. Maybe if I were a Durham prostitute at some frat party you might take me more seriously.” Robinette received a meeting requrest from a dean of the Undergraduate Conduct Board that he will be attending.

Depending on the actions of the administration, though, both men are willing to sue the University. Satell stated “All of the options are on the table. We’ll find out over the ensuing days how hard we have to look at that option based on the administration.”

Source

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Melanie Nathan; 8-30-2010

Sen. Kirstin Gilibrand had pledged to fight for the LGBT community and has often spoken quite loudly for LGBT equality.

However the frustration of the LGBT community cannot abate for what remain mere words. At A Fire Island event this past weekend,  a few donors strongly urged the Democratic party to do more on LGBT issues. According to Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out “While largely supportive of the senator’s work, there was palpable frustration with the pace in Washington for repealing Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell and passing ENDA.”  http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2010/08/10833/

Andrew Tobias, treasurer for the democratic party, made the case for supporting democrats in the upcoming elections, warning of the dire consequences for LGBT equality if Republicans win the House, Senate or both.

“Still,”  fellow blogger Besen asserts “think how much easier it would be to persuade LGBT voters to show up if ENDA had been passed or DADT repealed? The case AGAINST the more radical elements of the GOP is an easy one. However, the case FOR the Democrats is much more difficult and complicated to make. The Democrats have controlled Washington for two years and while there has certainly been progress on LGBT issues, the big prizes — other than hate crimes legislation — have so far been elusive.”

While this may be the case, it is my contention that very little pressure has been placed on our members in Congress even when President Obama has begged us to hold feet to fire.

The problem in my opinion is the self-marginalization that our community has succumbed to in response to the Bush ‘wedge issue’ political environment, preceded by the lets sneak in through the back door approach that followed Stonewall.

What we have done is carved a thinking that piecemeal legislation will serve us in the first place.  To date, it clearly has failed us and until we set our own standards a lot higher it probably will continue to fail us.

ENDA is a misdirected absorption of resources that we can no longer afford.  It has taken us off the path of a composite Civil Rights movement that should be seeking full equality for LGBT people under one Omnibus/ Civil Rights Amendment Bill.

Besen adds: “Fear will send many Democratic voters to the polls in November. However, scaring people into voting against the bad guys and Mama Grizzlies in the other party is not a long-term strategy. The Democrats, particualrly on LGBT rights, have to sharply define who they are, what they stand for and then fight like hell for their beliefs.”

I agree with Wayne on this, however find that our own community, save for a few voices, such as that of Todd Fernandez, Melanie Nathan, CD Kirven, and a handful more have yet to define what we truly stand for, in terms of a unified benchmark. See – http://lezgetreal.com/2010/07/the-launch-of-hope-finally-grassroots-find-feet-the-american-equality-bill/

Do we stand for equal employment rights – well of course we do; do we stand for equal marriage rights- well of course we do; do we stand for a repeal of DADT, well of course we do. But what the hell are we doing fighting for each such right separately – we should be a one goal stop minority, – and our quest – One Hundred Percent Equality on every issue in respect of which our Constitution purportedly stands at the helm.

Plain and simple – we are a CIVIL RIGHTS Movement and we demand our FULL Civil Rights.  The ONLY way this can happen is via our inclusion (sexual orientation, et al,) in the Cvil Rights Statute.

While Wayne says that “prominent conservatives are speaking out in favor of marriage equality, the Dems have no more excuse to be timid. Whatever cover they felt they needed to be bold, they now have, thanks to Ken Mehlman, Ted Olson and even Glenn Beck.” I find little relevance with such assertion save to say marriage equality per se has served as nothing more than a red herring to detract form Civil Rights in general.

Marriage equality is a natural flowing concomitant of Full Civil Rights. We as a community have made the mistake of focusing only on Marriage, albeit a tremendously important fight and one that must continue.  We can only continue in its fight for as long as we detract from its religious significance and focus our advocacy talking points on “We Demand our Equal Civil Rights Now!”

So to Fund raising and support for democrats I say we ought not hold back our dollars; we must continue to fund our friends,  our only friends. When we can come out as a community with fully competent leadership at the helm of a ‘one stop’ movement, powerful enough to demand full equality and to hold our electeds accountable , maybe we will then found our true champions in Congress who will see less of the career risks and more of standing up for what is right.

Note: Written by Melanie Nathan, with Love and Respect for our Brothers at TWO  (Truth Wins Out)- thanks for encouraging the conversation and for your amazing work.

Melanie Nathan
Private Courts Inc.
Mediation, Human Rights, & Advocacy
nathan@privatecourts.com

http://lezgetreal.com/2010/07/the-launch-of-hope-finally-grassroots-find-feet-the-american-equality-bill/

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The family of his victim moved more than three hundred miles to try and rebuild their lives. Prine stated during the sentencing “Shepherd is a monster, and the only way anybody will be safe from him is to keep him locked up in prison for life.”

Shepherd’s crimes were premeditated. Initially, police believed Shepherd to be an habitual sex offender preyed on children in multiple states and using multiple aliases on the Internet. No evidence of that was found, but that may be because none of his other victims have come forward or know that he is the man who molested them. According to Judge Ben Johnson “I think the business of Mr. Shepherd, advertising himself as a nanny and going around the country working with children, at a time when he obviously knew he was a pedophile, indicates premeditation.”

Shepherd showed some regret in court, but it is unlikely that swayed many people. He stated “I am sorry for how its affected him and his family and several others in the community.” Judge Johnson, however, pointed out that the crime was calculated. He said in court “I think that the 25 to life is appropriate, because of the great harm that’s been caused. Because there was pre-meditation, because this was done in a very deliberate fashion.”

In twenty-five years, Shepherd will be reassessed to see if he is still a threat to society as a pedophile. If he is, then he will remain in jail until he is either considered to be rehabilitated or he dies.

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Right now, Keller, who is of Florida, is preaching at the Marriott on 85 West Street. The weekly service is planned at the hotel until he raises some $8 million in order to build his 9/11 Christian Center. He has even stated that fundraising is going well.

Keller is anti-Islamic. He has stated things such as Islam is a religion of “hate and death” and stated “Islam is a wonderful religion …for PEDOPHILES!” He is also a birther- a person who believes that President Barack Obama was born somewhere other than the United States. He has used this cause to raise money. He has called Obama the new Hitler, and believes that homosexuality is a ‘perversion’. In 2008, he attacked former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for being a Mormon saying that people voting for him were “voting for Satan.”

Justin Elliott, of Salon.com, questioned the sincerity of those who have condemned the so-called Ground Zero mosque, stated “But the only logic by which Keller’s project would not be horrifying to those who oppose Park51 is if they believe all Muslims, including the progressive Muslim Americans behind Park51, should be treated as suspicious or even in the same category as the Sept. 11 terrorists. If mosque opponents’ concerns are truly about sensitivity to the neighborhood around ground zero — and not about Muslims — we’ll hear them denounce Keller loudly in the coming days.”

Marriage Equality can only mean full equality under the law! It is a legal contract between two people that ought to be available to all and any who choose it, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and race. Civil Marriage is NOT equal in the USA.

What do you think of the Wikepedia definition?

Wikepedia – Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found. Such a union, often formalized via a wedding ceremony, may also be called matrimony.

People marry for many reasons, including one or more of the following: legal, social, emotional, economical, spiritual, and religious. These might include arranged marriages, family obligations, the legal establishment of a nuclear family unit, the legal protection of children and public declaration of commitment.^[1][2]

Marriage practices are very diverse across cultures, yet almost every known society has had some form of marriage between a man and a woman. In some societies an individual is limited to being in one such couple at a time (monogamy), while other cultures allow a male to have more than one wife (polygyny) or, less commonly, a female to have more than one husband (polyandry). Some societies also allow marriage between two males or two females. Societies frequently have other restrictions on marriage based on the ages of the participants, pre-existing kinship, and membership in religious or other social groups.

The act of marriage usually creates normative or legal obligations between the individuals involved. In some societies these obligations also extend to certain family members of the married persons. Almost all cultures that recognize marriage also recognize adultery as a violation of the terms of marriage,^[3] and forbid incestuous marriages.^[4] In cultures that allow the dissolution of a marriage this is known as divorce.

Marriage is usually recognized by the state, a religious authority, or both. It is often viewed as a contract. Civil marriage is the legal concept of marriage as a governmental institution irrespective of religious affiliation, in accordance with marriage laws of the jurisdiction. If recognized by the state, by the religion(s) to which the parties belong or by society in general, the act of marriage changes the personal and social status of the individuals who enter into it.

Marriage Does Matter!
melanie nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Melanie Nathan; 8-30-10-

Editors say Qadita.net will be the first Arabic website to include a section on gay and lesbian writing, including reviews of Arab gay-oriented cinema and literature.

Two prominent Israeli-Arab literary figures yesterday launched www.Qadita.net, an Arabic-language politics and culture website they say will tackle issues widely considered taboo in the Arabic press, according to Israeli news HAARETZ.

The site’s editors are author Ala Hlehel and Anton Shalhat, a journalist and culture critic.

Hlehel said quality will be the sole determining factor for featuring items on the site. “We’ll post controversial texts that touch on social and cultural sensitivities,” he said. “The margins of freedom of the press in Arabic are shrinking under political and social tension from the whole Arab-Islamic scene, with its suffocating effect on free creation.”

Hlehel said yesterday that the site is aimed at “restoring the written word as the center of content in Arabic discourse and returning cultural texts as the focus of the Arab literary, cultural, political and societal experience.”

This will be the first Arabic website to include a section on gay and lesbian writing, he said.

“That section will be featured prominently on the home page,” he said. “It will include texts written by Arab gays and lesbians who, naturally, will publish anonymously.” He said the section would include reviews of gay-oriented cinema and literature in the Arab world and beyond.

The Full article here…

Reblogged by Melanie Nathan
Article by Maya Sela at
HAARETZ.

The Education Committee of the Tel Aviv municipality is the first in Israel to require city schools to integrate learning content to change stereotypes about gays, lesbians and gender identity. The program will start next January.

The Education Committee o yesterday approved unanimously the proposal to integrate the Hoshen curriculum into every school.

Hoshen is a professional organization working on education to change existing stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity through information and activities within schools.

The upcoming school year will begin a pilot of 10 schools, which will include working with consultants, teachers, administrators and with students.

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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This is not surprising because one of the few areas where they could come into Rutland is the Diamond Run Mall, which is ailing badly right now.  According to Belliveau, “Finding a good site for their purposes could be challenging.”  Unfortunately for Target, right now, many people in Williston would prefer something less box-storey.  They currently have a Walmart and a Home Depot.  Residents of the town near Burlington want a more multi-use shopping center.  Belliveau stated “We’re pulling for really high-quality development and something that’s going to yield a much better pedestrian orientation.”

Target told WCAX this about their possible move into Vermont, “We’re always looking for opportunities to grow when and where it will make sense, at this point, we have not identified a site that will suit both the needs of our guests, and Target.”

Target has one major problem, though.  Vermont’s LGBT population accounts for the largest minority in the state.  A total of five percent of Vermont’s population is open and self-identified as lesbian, gay or transgender.  Given the recent flack that Target has gotten from the LGBT Community nation wide regarding its contribution to a PAC supporting anti-LGBT Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, Target may want to wait a little bit before doing any kind of movement into the state.

Additionally, Vermonters take a great deal of pride in the state’s politics.  A contribution such as the one that they made to MN Forward in support of Tom Emmer would probably not be a good move in Vermont at all.  In fact, it would probably play out in a far worse manner than it has in the state of Minnesota.

Source

Not including the hate crimes designation is another problem with this. According to all accounts except for the two Marines, Cronauer and Stanzel both called Daly several epithets and harassed him even as he was walking away. As he turned to leave the two, they struck him. According to both Cronauer and Stanzel, Daly winked at them, though that is in dispute. Both men ran from the scene and eventually told police that they were being harassed by a gay man.

According to news reports at the time, “Daly said after his friends performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene, he was taken to Memorial University Medical Center and diagnosed with bruises to his brain. He had two seizures immediately after the attack and was expected to remain at Memorial for several days.” Injuries to the brain can linger, and even appear to not effect a person for a long time before they are effected by it in some manner.

It now falls upon the Department of Justice and Attorney General Eric Holder to determine if there will be any Federal hate crimes prosecution under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr Hate Crimes Law. According to 2009 testimony of AG Holder “The Federal government has a strong interest in protecting people from violent crimes motivated by such bias and bigotry. . .I am particularly pleased that Section 249(a)(2) would for the first time allow for Federal prosecution of violence undertaken because of the actual or perceived gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity of any person. The Department therefore welcomes the expanded coverage of section 249, which would allow us to prosecute and deter violent acts of this sort more effectively.”

Now, the question is, will Holder and President Barack Obama do what is right or will they continue to worry about the Midterm Elections?

Source

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – August 30,2010 — OutServe, an organization of gay and lesbian military personnel, announced Monday the creation of several base and regional chapters around the globe. At least ten will be organized by OutServe this week on military bases and regions where the organization has significant presence, including Afghanistan and Iraq. For safety reasons the exact location of the chapters will not be known, except for inside the exclusive network, but 5 chapters will be located overseas and 5 chapters will be located stateside. Although the demand to establish additional chapters is high, OutServe will start with ten this week and expand in the near future. For information on the group go to www.outserve.org

The goal of each base and regional chapter will be to provide information, resources and social support to actively serving military personnel. “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” places an immense burden upon individuals who think they are alone at their base and these networks will seek to fix that. Each chapter will be charged with growing and expanding their networks and offering support in their specific areas. OutServe Headquarters will be tasked with supporting those networks and serving as the voice of the national organization.

“We need to start to empower local military networks to expand and unite them under one banner,” said JD Smith, OutServe’s co-director and active duty officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. He continued, “Informal networks of gay and lesbian military members have existed well before World War I and it’s time to take those networks and start connecting them and giving them more resources.”

Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” it can be difficult for LGBT military personnel to network with one another. “Our goal is to create an OutServe-based information superhighway where we can help LGBT military personnel connect with one another both locally and globally more efficiently,” stated Ty Walrod, OutServe’s co-director. “We want military personnel to know commands that are friendly, commanders which should be addressed with caution, and where to turn for both friendship and support.”

“Our Commander-in-Chief directed us that this law is changing soon and we need to prepare ourselves to offer one other support in this time of transition,” stated JD Smith. “Regardless when DADT is repealed, our goal is to continue to lay the foundation for a strong network of support.” As the policy changes to allow open service in the future, these chapters will serve as hubs of social and professional support for OutServe’s members in the future.

According to Michael Pecha, a spokesman for the Omaha Police, “initial indications are he was probably targeting the Wesbtoro Baptist Church.” Vogul, who lives just north of Omaha, was booked for sixteen counts of medemeanor assault and one count of felony assault on a police officer. He also faces one count of child neglect because he had a child in his truck.

WBC is, of course, led by pastor Fred Phelps, and his people have gone out to various events at which they mostly protest against homosexuality. Phelps believes that God is punishing the United States for “the sin of homosexuality” through various events ranging from Lady Gaga, ComicCon, Justin Beiber, the deaths of soldiers and natural disasters. They are normally seen at various funerals with signs saying “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “God Blew Up the Troops” and “AIDS Cures Fags.”

Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of Fred Phelps, stated that none of the sixteen (which is unusually high for the church’s protests), were hit by the pepper spray, but claims that it was directed towards them. “Of course it was directed at us,” she has stated, but none were hit because they raised their signs to protect themselves. Given that most of the signs appear to be reused over and over again, they may have been damaged by the spray. WBC’s group departed soon after the incident.

Phelps-Roper also disputes accounts that there were no altercations. She has stated that the police failed to control the counter-protesters, who numbered thirty, and that members of the Patriot Guard Riders were among those jostling the protesters.

Some six hundred members of the Patriot Guard Riders ringed the church and stood vigil, according to the group’s state leader. The group was created to shield the families of the fallen from distractions, and only come to funerals where they are invited. They stand vigil during the funeral. According to Scott Knudsen, “We don’t get close to them. We have our backs to them. We don’t condone counter-protesters.” Knudsen also felt troubled by the incident.

According to Pecha, there were no altercations at all before Vogel drove by.

Source

Melanie Nathan – August 29, 2010-  Gay-supportive officeholders topped the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C. (GLAA) candidate ratings for the September 14 primaries. Ward 1 Democratic Councilmember Jim Graham and At-Large Democratic Councilmember Phil Mendelson earned perfect scores of +10. Council Chairman Vincent Gray, running for Mayor, earned +8.5, well ahead of the man he is challenging in the Democratic primary, Mayor Adrian Fenty, who earned +4. Ward 6 Democratic Councilmember Tommy Wells earned +8.5. Ward 3 Democratic Councilmember Mary Cheh, unchallenged in the Democratic primary, earned a +7.5. Ward 5 Democratic Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. earned +6, well ahead of his challengers.

Openly Gay Candidates Marc Morgan in Ward 1 and Tim Day in Ward 5 have protested the rankings from the non-partisan Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, which rates candidates based on their records and questionnaire responses.

“Morgan sent out a statement today accusing GLAA of engaging in a ‘high school popularity contest,’” reported the Washington Post on Thursday.

The GLAA indicated that being Gay was not a factor  that would earn overriding points.

The following are explanations of the individual ratings.

Mayor

Democrat and Council Chairman Vincent Gray earned +8.5. His strong score reflects his agreement with GLAA on all issues and his efforts in leading the Council in support of equal marriage rights, setting a tone and leading hesitant councilmembers by his example. Gray directed the solid legal work by the Counsel to the Council in support of marriage rights before the Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) and in court. He worked with Councilmember Jim Graham and other colleagues in 2007 to achieve a compromise on legislation to help adult businesses relocate after being displaced by the ballpark.

Democrat and incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty earned +4. Fenty disagrees with GLAA on a number of issues, and his record is mixed. While his administration led the exceptional legal fight to keep and defend our marriage rights; they also spent nearly two years obstructing the Domestic Partnership Judicial Determination of Parentage Act, which is now a model law protecting the rights and responsibilities of LGBT parents. We were struck by the numerous promises made four years ago that were promptly broken. GLAA was excluded from the selection process for the Chief of Police and the Director of the Office of Human Rights. Fenty has given short shrift to GLAA’s concerns about Police Chief Cathy Lanier’s disregard for civil liberties as demonstrated in her Neighborhood Safety Zone Initiative, which was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2009. The HIV/AIDS Administration made remarkable gains in the past year; but the administration tried to remove protections for transgender people, and has failed to enforce the non-discrimination laws that were passed. For nearly every positive step, we found a negative. Overall, Mr. Fenty has earned a positive rating.

We note that Mr. Gray and Mr. Fenty share some credit for designating the 1600 block of 17th Street NW as Frank Kameny Way. This honor is neither minor nor merely symbolic. It is a tribute to our community’s greatest hero.

Democrat Leo Alexander earned -3. Alexander is running an explicitly anti-gay and anti-marriage-equality campaign. He has been endorsed by the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and received a total of $2,950 in campaign donations from their overlapping anti-equality organizations. He also received $200 from Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum. He did not return a questionnaire.

Council Chairman

Democratic At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown earned +5.5 in his race for Chairman. Brown agrees with GLAA on nearly every issue, but offered limited substance in his questionnaire. He co-introduced the marriage equality bill and supported the marriage recognition bill before that; has marched with our community in response to hate crimes; and has a strong voting record in support of LGBT issues.

Democrat Vincent Orange earned +4.5. Orange is the most improved candidate in this election. For 8 years, Orange was the weakest member of the Council on GLAA’s issues. He railed against us on the nude dancing night clubs. He ignored GLAA’s concerns on domestic partner regulations and on the creation of the Office of GLBT Affairs. Four years ago he declared the other mayoral candidates morally unfit for office due to their support of marriage equality. He has also never before answered GLAA’s questionnaire. He has apologized several times for those statements and has atoned. He led the effort for the Democratic State Committee to take a position for marriage equality, and he has spent considerable time at the D.C. Center learning about their issues and concerns. He stated agreement with GLAA on nearly every issue, and showed a reasonable understanding of the issues.

Democrat Dorothy Douglas, who currently serves on the Board of Education, earned +2. She agrees with GLAA on many issues but lacks a record and showed a poor grasp of substance in her questionnaire responses.

Council At-Large

Democratic At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson earned a perfect +10 reflecting his extensive efforts in advancing the rights of LGBT people. Phil set the bar for the most extensive and detailed questionnaire demonstrating his in-depth knowledge of the issues and support of LGBT people in all areas. Phil is our greatest champion on the Council. He not only steered the marriage equality law through the council and greatly improved it. He wrote the marriage recognition bill, the domestic partnership parentage bill, a variety of domestic partnership laws, and personally testified before the Board of Elections and Ethics opposing four different ballot measures that would have banned marriages by same-sex couples. He carefully removed every obstacle in the law that would hinder our ability to defend marriage equality in court. More than anyone, Phil is responsible for the passage of the marriage law, and our ability to preserve it. Mendelson is a rare thing in this town in that he’s not all about himself. He set aside his personal ambitions to work on a quiet strategy that created dramatic advances in the rights of same-sex couples without seeking publicity or the credit that he richly deserved and earned.

Statehood-Green candidate David Schwartzman earned +6. Schwartzman is a thoughtful candidate who agrees with GLAA on every issue. He has a record of activism on the medical marijuana initiative and or human rights issues.

Democratic candidate Clark Ray earned +5.5. As Director of Parks and Recreation, he required departmental staff to take sensitivity training. He testified before the council hearing chaired by Phil Mendelson in favor of the marriage equality law. Ray’s embrace of Rev. Willie Wilson troubles us, given Wilson’s long and unrepentant record of vile homophobic and racist sermons and his action in blocking LGBT representation at the Millions More March. Ray agrees with GLAA on most issues, but his questionnaire does not demonstrate a solid understanding of the duties and function of the Council. His support for mandatory HIV testing in D.C. jails runs counter to the consensus of experts who have found mandatory approaches counterproductive, and ignores the highly effective voluntary testing program in the D.C. Department of Corrections which is touted as a national model by law enforcement, legal, and medical professionals.

Statehood-Green candidate Darryl Moch earned +5. Moch had a strong questionnaire agreeing with GLAA and demonstrating an understanding of the issues, but has no LGBT-related record that we are aware of.

Ward 1 Council

Democratic Councilmember Jim Graham earned a perfect +10. Graham has been a strong fighter for our rights and our community’s health for decades. GLAA has found him to be pragmatic and constructive. Graham excelled in helping gay businesses displaced by the baseball stadium — especially those offering nude dancing — to relocate. The legislation took considerable skill in negotiation and building support across the Council. The legislation is not the sort of thing that most politicians seek out, but we are especially grateful for the difficult work that Graham handled so deftly. Graham also led the effort to expand and advance the rights of transgender people in the District. In adding gender identity and expression to both the Human Rights Act and the Bias Crimes Act, Jim modernized and advanced D.C.’s civil rights laws, which remain models for the country. Graham was an early and outspoken supporter of marriage equality and worked with us to ensure a resounding victory.

Democrat Bryan Weaver earned +5.5. Weaver agreed with GLAA on most issues and showed a reasonable understanding of the issues. He has been supportive of LGBT rights in his campaign, but does not have an extensive record. We appreciate the letters endorsing marriage equality to the Council and the Board of Elections and Ethics representing his ANC.

Republican Marc Morgan earned +3. He agrees with GLAA on the issues but offered no substance in his questionnaire. We found only a minimal record.

Ward 3 Council

Democratic Councilmember Mary Cheh earned +7.5. She has been a strong advocate for LGBT rights, civil liberties, and marriage equality. She strongly opposed the appointment of Attorney General Peter Nickles, after he stated that he would not represent the people of the District, but instead only the Mayor. She spoke against Councilmember Yvette Alexander’s unsuccessful amendment to allow broad discrimination against LGBT people, and she pushed PEPCO to adopt domestic partner benefits.

Ward 5 Council

Democratic Councilmember Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr. earned +6. While he agrees with us on most issues, he opposed us on the club relocation bill, which let loose some very ugly anti-gay emotions from his constituents. However, he went out of his way to take a risk in supporting marriage equality. More than any other councilmember, Thomas risked his political future to do what he thought was right.

Democrat Tracey D. Turner earned +2. His questionnaire was often non-responsive and failed to demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues. He has no known record on LGBT issues.

Republican Tim Day earned +1.5. His questionnaire failed to show either a strong support of the issues or an understanding of them. He has no known record on LGBT issues.

Democrat Hunter Delano earned -2. He has been endorsed by NOM. He accepted $450 from them, and he attended the NOM bus tour rally at the Capitol. He did not return a questionnaire.

Ward 6 Council

Democratic councilmember Tommy Well earned +8.5. Wells is a consistent leader on our issues. He agrees with us on the issues and has a clear understanding of their complexities. He was very helpful on marriage equality, and a leader opposing vouchers, which largely fund religious schools outside of the protections of the Human Rights Act.

Democrat Kelvin Robinson earned -1. He was endorsed by NOM when he first ran for the At-Large Council seat. He said at the time that he thought there should be a vote on our right to marry. He refused to say how he would vote. After switching to the Ward 6 race he has not been endorsed again by NOM. He still opposes marriage equality, having recently repeated his call to place same-sex marriage rights on the ballot. He did not return a questionnaire.

GLAA rates candidates on a scale of -10 to +10, based on their answers to our questionnaire and their record on behalf of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. The questionnaire addresses a variety of issues on marriage and family, public health, public safety, human rights, youth, and protection for LGBT consumers and businesses. GLAA’s policy brief, questionnaire, and complete candidate responses are available online at www.glaa.org.

All candidates were provided with a copy of “Agenda: 2010,” GLAA’s policy brief on LGBT issues in Washington, D.C.

Ratings should not be interpreted as endorsements. GLAA does not endorse candidates in partisan elections.

GLAA has rated candidates for office in every D.C. primary and general election since 1971. Independent mayoral and council candidates will be rated prior to the general election.

The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C., founded in 1971, is a local, all-volunteer, non-partisan, non-profit political organization devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights in Washington, DC. We are the nation’s oldest continuously active GLBT civil rights organization.

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On Tuesday of last week, we were the first to report that we had uncovered suspect information and then proceeded to report the facts regarding the Lawsuit brought by the Gay Couple in Wyoming.

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 13 by David Shupe-Roderick, 25, and Ryan W. Dupree, 21, is the first legal challenge in recent memory to Wyoming’s law defining marriage as being a contract solely “between a male and a female person.” The couple, who are representing themselves, filed the lawsuit after the Laramie County Clerk’s Office refused three times to issue them a marriage license. That’s unequal treatment, they said, and they’re asking U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson to stop the state from enforcing any laws that block gays and lesbians from access to civil marriage. “We determined that a lawsuit was the only possible way for them to get to recognize us as people,” Shupe-Roderick said. “I think it’s time that Wyoming lives up to its title. You know they call themselves the Equality State? Well, they’re not so equal.”

Lezgetreal investigated further and found that all was not as it seemed. We reported that the Plaintiff Shupe had in fact been involved in prior law suits that were suspect and revealed some startling details. Now more has come to light.

Shupe-Roderick, 25, served 4 years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary after he, his brother, and their two girlfriends left Cheyenne in a rental car in January 2004. When they didn’t return the rental car on time, the rental company contacted police. Two days later, Shupe-Roderick – then known as Gerald Shupe — was arrested in Arkansas after being pulled over for an illegal lane change.

After being sentenced, Shupe-Roderick unsuccessfully requested a reduction in his prison sentence on the grounds that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and wasn’t taking his prescribed medication when he took the rental car.

Lezgetreal has been contacted by parties close to source as well as information from local authorities and now received further verification through the investigation of other media outlets.

Gerald David Shupe-Roderick, aka Gerald Shupe, now asking to be called David- is currently being prosecuted for falsifying state documents. Last October, he applied to become a notary public, and he allegedly certified on his application form that he wasn’t a convicted felon.

The lawsuit also alleges Shupe-Roderick used a fake same-sex union certificate from Massachusetts to obtain a Wyoming driver’s license.

Shupe-Roderick has also been a plaintiff in court as frequently as he has been a defendant. Besides the gay marriage case,  says the Billings Gazette. “He’s filed five other lawsuits in the past three years. In one, he accused prison guards of sexual misconduct, and in another, he accused a would-be business client of assault and breach of contract. He has also sought $16,398 in loans and debts from his former employers/roommates and asserted that Bank of America unlawfully refused to release $5,107 from his bank account. All of those cases were eventually dropped or dismissed.”

There is yet a  fifth case is pending in federal court in which Shupe-Roderick is suing “Wyoming Child Support Services” — an apparent reference to the Wyoming Department of Family Services — for allegedly intercepting a $643 federal tax refund. Shupe-Roderick had previously paid child support to his ex-wife to support their 5-year-old son, but in 2009 he agreed to give up his parental rights in exchange for dropping all child support obligations.

It has also been alleged that Shupe has two other children with yet a second woman.  Likely the Gay behavior of a man who is so upset he cannot marry a same-sex partner who he told LezGetReal he has known for a mere year! It would seem also that Dupree has a neurological problem and one can only wonder if Mr. Shupe, adept at lawsuits, is using the younger man, to further his personal agenda.

Shupe-Roderick and Dupree, 19, are now not answering our calls and e-mails – at first so willing to respond. Shupe told us he did not expect the attention this has received and that was only last Tuesday.   I can only imagine how much more they have received since.

After granting several interviews to reporters, Lezgetreal being the first, on Monday, after news of the suit came out, the couple has stopped talking to reporters and gay-right activists.

On Tuesday, Shupe-Roderick said he and Dupree were prepared to handle the spotlight. But he said they were surprised that their lawsuit was receiving so much publicity.  “I kind of assumed that it would just be a quiet lawsuit,” he said.

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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LezGetReal features two key LGBT events for the Month of September, the State of Balck Gay Summit and Out on The Hill:-

The 4th Annual STATE OF BLACK GAY AMERICA SUMMIT with SHARON LETTMAN Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition giving  the Keynote speech. This one day event  will include panelists Rep. Simone Bell, APD LGBT Liaison Patricia Powell, Sandra Lawson, Maurice Jamal  as well as others. It  will be held on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 11am-3pm, Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel, at the time when Atlanta enjoys a myriad of Pride events.

In October 2009, Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks became the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

Since 2003, NBJC has provided leadership at the intersection of mainstream civil rights groups and mainstream LGBT organizations, advocating for the unique challenges and needs of the African-American LGBT community that are often relegated to the sidelines.

NBJC envisions a world where all people are fully-empowered to participate safely, openly and honestly in family, faith and community, regardless of race, gender identity or sexual orientation. In concert with NBJC’s mission to eradicate racism and homophobia, her personal goals are to make the Black family the focal point of NBJC; to tell compelling stories about the Black LGBT community; and to see Black LGBT people understood, embraced and respected for their valuable contributions to society.

The National Black Justice Coalition’s First OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit.

September 15-18th in D.C.  – A gathering of the Black LGBT leadership during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 40th annual Legislative Conference.

OUT on the Hill convenes the nation’s top Black LGBT thought leaders, faith leaders, philanthropists and activists to participate in social action that empowers our communities while educating our Congressional leaders, the Obama Administration and federal agencies about our public policy concerns. We plan to come together annually to let the powers that be know that we exist, we are organized and informed, and we have the ability to move the masses towards an America that is more inclusive of Black LGBT people.

OUT on the Hill, September 15-18, features a Lobby Day, which serves as an opportunity for Black LGBT leaders to discuss important policy issues with their Members of Congress and Congressional Leadership; a White House Briefing, which will include presentations from key White House Officials and representatives from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and Health & Human Services.

http://www.nbjc.org/outonthehill/NBJC-OUT-on-the-Hill-package_2010.pdf

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Melanie Nathan; August 29, 2010 -

Gov Charlie Crist running as an independent for the US Senate Seat for Florida met his match today on CNN’s State of the Union.  Run of the mill questions fueled the tough reality that this Governor  is nothing more than slick politician who wants to rise in ranks, while refusing  to commit to any real answers on important issues.

Except of course -the one and only commitment he was willing to make was about his views on LGBT rights and same-sex marriage equality.

When it comes to Gay and Lesbian, LGBTQI – forget any uncertainty- Crist is off the charts anti!  Still this one has me stymied beyond repair, with Crist saying  “ I am a live and let live kinda guy;  I support a constitutional ban of gay marriage; and I think Government should stay out of the lives of the people.”

I certainly would not vote for someone who cannot – perhaps even predict – let alone commit to whom he will caucus with if elected. The question: “Governor will you caucus with the Democrats or the GOP? “ I cannot answer that?   Until I have the honor to be elected!  Then I will decide what is best for the people of Florida? ” mmm..

Okay Florida are you going to allow this patronizing slickster to get away with his Paterfamilias state of righteousness? Ed Henry, guest host on Candy’s Crawley’s State of the Union pushed hard but got little in answers yet much in revelation!  This man is hiding his truth and he does not want to share it with voters. He wants you to close your eyes Florida and its hit or miss.

All said and done Crist is a self made disaster and whether pro gay or not, Floridians this is your worst nightmare!  Imagine electing someone who refuses to state who he will caucus with – he wants you to TRUST him yet he will not commit to you.

These type of independents are in no man’s land – if he does not caucus he will not get into any of the all important power making committees.

Typical of the cake and eat it types, this candidate slipped and slid around what was originally his on record ever vocal support for one Sarah Palin – he believed she would make a great a great President – or so he said! Now Crist refuses to comment on whether or not he stands by those words from the Presidential election.  “Do you think she will still be a good president?” asked Ed Henry  “ It does not matter what matters, says Crist, “is not Alaska but Florida “ (huh?)  “Can we assume no longer supporter of Sarah Palin?”  “Whats important to me is the Sarah’s of Florida my issue are about Florida and I care about my fellow Floridians.”

Florida -  in Solidarity !

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Glenn Beck predicted that there would be some 100,000 people at the rally, but now has FOX News claiming that there ware upwards of 500,000. Given the tendency of the network to overestimate the rally sizes by figures in excess of several degrees, including claiming one protest had as many as two million attendees when it did not even manage to get a quarter of that, it is hard to credit them with an accurate count.

According to the company AirPhotosLive, the total number of people there was somewhere between 78,000 and 96,000. Given how heavily this rally was promoted, that level of attendance would be considered rather pathetic. In fact, without heavy promotion, the National Equality March pulled in some 30,000 marchers, and all of the promotion regarding that was done via the internet.

Irony struck, of course, when the people who put this thing together chose to use Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” as one of the songs that they played despite the fact that song is very much anti-war. It also seems unlikely that Springsteen gave his permission for them to use the song.

On the ground reports from LGR’s Dr. Paula Brooks noted that the rally was attended largely by white men and that minority representation appeared to be very sparse, if not almost completely absent. The sentiment, by and large, was of people who wanted to return the nation to before the Civil Rights era socially, and before the Great Depression economically. Several groups of blatant white supremacists were in attendance. Rather than Beckapalooza and Beckalypse, perhaps it should be dubbed Whitestock.

Dr. Brooks also noted that many people there attended as counter protesters instead of supporters of Glenn Beck, and that there were many tourists, including many people who were going around the Beck rally to see the Lincoln Memorial itself.  Yes, those people behind Beck are not attending his rally.

The rally itself has been described as being a church revival, political rally and country music fair rolled into one.

Despite the messages that are sent out by Glenn Beck, the crowd itself was largely anti-Black, anti-LGBT, and anti-Hispanic. Many of them, such as the unidentified man seen in a video clip blaming gays for his lack of promotion, seem more than willing to blame someone else for their ills rather than they themselves.

Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly both had a bet going regarding the size of the crowd. Given the FOX prevarications on this, perhaps O’Reilly would be interested in seeing these numbers.  As a note, the people beyond thee line of trees to the right looking at the Lincoln Memorial are not part of the crowd.  That area was largely off limits and impossible to see anything due to the trees.  It houses the war memorials, which are always crowded in the Summer.

These are from inside the rally. Please note the grass, the chairs and how there is plenty of room to move around.

Bilerico has posted this particular t-shirt with its rather racist bent to it.  As a note, it is spelled Mauritania, not Mauitania.  Oh, and there is no legal slavery in Haiti.  What goes on there is a form of unpaid child servitude which is considered a form of slavery, but is not the same thing.  That kind of servitude existed in the United States well into the 20th Century, and was popular in the South as a means of settling debts.  (source- the Probate Records of the County of Glynn, Georgia.)

For contrast, THIS is the view of the 1963 March on Washington.  Note, this picture is very packed and estimates range between 200,000 and 300,000 of people pretty close to shoulder to shoulder.  The Beck Rally had a lot of open space between the people as evidenced by the pictures available.

And for another contrast, this is the inauguration of President Barack Obama, which drew some two million attendees, and surpassed that of Lyndon B. Johnson’s which was 1.4 million.

This is a picture of one of the rally attendees. He is holding an anti-Obama sign. This was taken specifically by Dr. Brooks on the scene.  According to her “This is a RACIST…. who for the most part pretty much reflected the attitude yesterday at Whitestock”

This is one of the counter protesters who was not there to see Beck. He is standing in front of a bus full of tourists.

Source
And original reporting.

Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Lynch, , gay actors, actresses, writers, producers and directors have a multitude of nominations.  In the Supporting Actor in a Comedy category, half of the nominees are gay, and a fourth is nominated for playing gay.  The Advocate has done our homework in its countdown to the Emmys. ! A collective thanks in the coming out climate – mayby a few closet doors will open to reveal more..

Gay, Gay friendly, an industry comes to life- or should we say would never have been but for our brothers and sisters; as I fondly remember my own Hollywood days, with an ex- a film Editor who chose to stay quiet for fear of no jobs. The irony- the closet was shut tight not only to the hetero colleagues but queer to queer too! Ah those were the 80’s and this be the 2010’s-

Best Comedy Series

Glee and Modern Family seem to be running neck and neck for the win, according to most predictions, with Glee eking out a win. Other nominees are Nurse Jackie, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, and The Office.

Best Drama Series

Mad Men and True Blood are both gay favorites and both nominated, and while both are deserving, Mad Men is the critical favorite. Still, some are predicting Lost will take the prize over the other nominees, including The Good Wife, Dexter, and Breaking Bad.

Best Comedy Actor

Glee’s Matthew Morrison scored a surprise nomination, but most predictions are giving this prize to The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons. Other nominees are Steve Carell for The Office, Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock, Tony Shalhoub for Monk, and Larry David for Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Best Comedy Actress

United States of Tara’s Toni Collette has won this prize before, but this year seems to be Edie Falco’s turn for the also gay-inclusive Nurse Jackie. Lea Michele of Glee will have to settle for a nod, as will Julia Louis-Dreyfus for the now-canceled New Adventures of Old Christine, Amy Poehler for Parks and Recreation, and Tina Fey for 30 Rock.

Best Supporting Actor Comedy

Packed with actors who are gay and actors who are playing gay, most predictions are handing this award to one of two nominees for Modern Family — Eric Stonestreet as deliciously over-the-top Cameron and Ty Burrell as his straitlaced brother-in-law. Glee’s Chris Colfer may be a dark horse. Other nominees are Jesse Tyler Ferguson for Modern Family, Neil Patrick Harris for How I Met Your Mother, and Jon Cryer for Two and a Half Men.

Best Supporting Comedy Actress

The best chance at a gay win goes to Jane Lynch as evil (if misunderstood) coach Sue Sylvester on Glee. Modern Family’s Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara will give her a run for her money, but Lynch has a solid lead. Other nominees are Holland Taylor for Two and a Half Men, Jane Krakowski for 30 Rock, and Kristen Wiig for SNL.

Best Supporting Drama Actress

As bisexual private investigator Kalinda on The Good Wife, Archie Panjabi was undoubtedly the breakout star of this TV season. But she has some stiff competition from the Mad Men girls, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss. Other nominees are Christine Baranski for The Good Wife, Rose Byrne for Damages, and the dark horse, Queer as Folk’s Sharon Gless for Burn Notice.

by Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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The revelations come as word of a secretly taped meeting between the Cardinal, the Bishop and the victim has surfaced.

In January, Danneels retired as head of the Belgian Catholic Church, but police continued their inquiry including interviewing him as a potential witness in the case. They also raided his home and office as well as searched the Cathedral. These actions were decried by Pope Benedict at the time, but one has to wonder if he is going to decry the decision by Cardinal Danneels to circumvent the law and protect a child molester.

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Melanie Nathan – August 28  2010;

JERUSALEM — Israelis demonstrated in Jerusalem in the thousands in support of Gilad Shalit, marking the soldier’s 24th birthday and his fifth as a captive of Palestinian Islamists in the Gaza Strip.

He was a child when captured – surely there is a fiber of compassion – something that would show the world that these Palestinians could end this torture of a human life and find peace for a family who have done little more than love a son.

Shalit’s mother Aviva called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do everything he could to secure freedom for her son, who was seized by Gaza-based militants in a deadly cross-border raid in June 2006.

“You have the chance of freeing Gilad,” she told a gathering from a makeshift podium outside the premier’s residence. On August 3, the soldier’s father Noam appealed in an open letter to Palestinians in Gaza to pressure their Hamas rulers to agree to release his son in a prisoner exchange.

And where is America? Where is the outcry? There is no reason to hold a boy turned man; a child captured for what – to make little men look powerful? It is nothing more than an act of cowardice sustained by the continued oppression and a human right infraction that renders the Palestinian’s own case unworthy.

It is terrorists who capture and kidnap and threaten and abuse.

Hamas and other militant groups have demanded a swap involving hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including several top militants. Yes thousand for one. Gilad you rock! Happy Birthday you will come home.

Israel made its most recent offer late last year through a German mediator, but Hamas has yet to formally respond to the deal. Each side has blamed the other for the failure to reach an agreement.

On Saturday, Aviva Shalit said she would continue a sit-in in a tent outside the Netanyahu residence, begun two months ago, and would not return home until her son was free.

Both France and Britain marked the birthday of Shalit -- who also has French citizenship — by calling for his release. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in a message read out by a French diplomat, said Paris was working hard for his freedom.

“Gilad is not a prisoner of war, for POWs have rights such as visits from humanitarian organisations or exchanges of mail with their loved ones. Gilad does not have these rights because he is a hostage,” Sarkozy’s message said. He denounced “this revolting way of treating a human being which provokes our collective indignation, in Israel, France and across the globe.”

Britain also used the occasion of Shalit’s birthday to condemn his “unjustifiable” detention. But where is President Obama? Can you please speak up Mr. President? Leader of the free world.

“The thoughts of many in Britain are with Gilad Shalit and his family as he spends his 24th birthday in captivity,” a Foreign Office spokesman said in London.

“His detention is unjustifiable and unacceptable. The British government demands his immediate and unconditional release.”

President Obama we await your response!

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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London:- Conservative Crispin Blunt, who is prisons minister in the coalition government has disclosed that he is gay and that he has separated from his wife.

Blunt said he had “decided to come to terms with his homosexuality”. In a statement, he said the move was “difficult” for his family and hoped for their “understanding and support”.

He married Victoria Jenkins in September 1990 in Kensington and they have a son (born August 1994) and daughter (born March 1992). His niece is Golden Globe-award winning actress Emily Blunt^[.  Blunt’s voting record in Parliament had previously been broadly unsympathetic towards gay rights.

He has been MP for Reigate since 1997, before which he served in the Armed Forces for many years.  The 50-year old – a junior minister in the Department of Justice – has two children.

He announced his separation from his wife Victoria in a statement on the Conservative Home website, saying he had “explained the position” to his family. “There is no third party involvement but this is difficult for his immediate and wider family and he hopes for understanding and support for them,” the statement said.

As prisons minister, Mr Blunt is responsible for penal policy and finding savings in the prisons budget as part of this autumn’s departmental spending review.

He hit the headlines last month when he called for rules banning comedy gigs, parties and other recreational events being held in prisons to be relaxed – which No 10 immediately ruled out.

Apparently a local commented – everyone in the local party likes him and it’s a courageous thing to do. It’s really a private matter for him.

By Melanie Nathan
This pattern of anti-gay votes and campaigns leading right to the gay watering hole is becoming too much!

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Melanie Nathan; August 28 2010 -

If there is a claim to ownership of  the civil rights movement can we please stake our claim?  Today is the anniversary of the ‘I have a Dream Speech’ -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln memorial and it will always be  remembered! Nothing can change what it was about or who it was for and yet in many ways all of us own it.

It belongs to America and American history.

However some say its been hijacked and others say its their domain… “They want to disgrace this day this is our day and we will not give it to them.” Says Sharpton of Beck! and We want to reclaim honor in America says Beck as he trespasses the turf on this day – impeaching the way!

No one group’s struggle can be measured against that of another; yet according to Glenn Beck it can and he is the victim!  Now that slavery is done the “I have a Dream” moment belongs to King Beck?  Or is it Beck the Messiah claiming the Jesus domain?

You may have noticed that LezGetReal has barely given – if any – time to Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck and their Rewriting History Rally.   But now we must, in sharp contrast, give credence to Rev.  Al Sharpton and the crowd of diverse thousands who may seem to have stood in counter to Beck who may have stood in counter to Sharpton – ok – it can be confusing. But if you are queer it ought not be. It ought to be damn clear!

In truth there is only ONE Civil Rights movement – the only one that can ever be – and it must remain all inclusive and as Sharpton noted – it belongs to no ONE group but to everyone.  It belongs to America and it is an ongoing quest – for as long as there is any one group that is the subject of  flagrant discrimination via legislation.

DOMA (The Defense of marriage Act) is the perfect example of  legislated discrimination – as is the Don’t Ask Don’t tell Policy (DADT)

This week I watched Keith Olberman on the subject of Beck and also delighted in 2 Comedy Central pieces, by Jon Steward and Steven Colbert, respectively, on the topic of some omni-power-messianic idea orchestrated by Beck – that he is going to fill the shoes of “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the place of the I have a Dream Speech” and take back a rotten sordid America!  Back from whom – for whom?

Well allow us to inform  Mr. Glenn Beck – the only group without civil rights in this Country are us the Gay Lesbian (LGBTQI) people in the USA.

The rest who acquired such rights under the 1964 Civil Rights Act are now Beck’s victims -  not the other way around as Beck tacitly imposes on the people he incites to hate – to  perpetuate the racism that the Civil Rights Act did not cure – the hate that remains in the hearts of those who listen to  beck, et al!

Beck is no victim- he just cannot not fit that mold.

Now the only overt leadership in this country that recognizes the LGBT plight as a civil rights issue and has had the courage to make the statement – is the African American leadership.  Rev. Al Sharpton said today on CNN that   LGBT equality is a civil rights issue. Julian Bond has stated the point in many speeches including in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for UAFA.

Now while we know racism is at an all time high in this Country, all this “we have a DREAM ownership claims” – is a slap in the face to all good Americans who see it in its totality – in its historic context and as a vortex for unity and the  future of equality for all.

The only dream yet to be attained in this country, (besides the de facto riddance of racism and hate,)   in so far as the LAW (de Jure)  is concerned, is the dream as dreamed by same-sex and LGBT populace; LGBT people and their families,  - to marry, to sponsor for immigration, to adopt, to serve, to work, to be included  and protected fully under the federal  law of the USA – ultimately an amendment to the Civil Rights Act, of 1964 that includes Sexual Orientation and Gender identity.

Thanks for your support to the American Equality Bill – and the Amendment of  the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include Sexual orientation and Gender Identity. The Omnibus for all LGBT Equality legislation.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@provatecourts.com
@oblogdeeoblogda

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Covington Police are investigating the origins of the fliers, and the person or persons behind them may face fines for violating the city’s sign ordinance. That ordinance prohibits signs and advertisements being attacked to lamp posts and utility poles. Fines can range from $100 to $500 per violation up to a maximum of $10,000.

Spike Jones, assistant chief with the Covington Police stated “We are locating them and removing the hateful remarks from the public areas. They are violating city ordinances being posted on trees and poles. We are very concerned about the message this flier contains.”

There is no organization signed to the letter. It does ask people to contact the National Alliance, a White Supremacist group which is also anti-LGBT. The fliers are type written and have no pictures. They are also laden with anti-LGBT epithets and calls homosexuality a perversion. It also makes references to serial killers Jeffery Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy. Amazingly, it does not appear to mention the lunatic idea that Adolf Hitler was gay as is being perpetuated by several anti-LGBT groups despite there being any evidence at all.

Most of the fliers were found on Bakewell, Greer, and Willard streets, and City Commissioner Shawn Master tore several them down after he received a call regarding it. The fliers did not disrupt a planned rally to raise funds for an anti-hate crimes campaign being held at six bars in MainStrasse.

Masters has stated “We are still standing united on moving forward with the rally on Saturday. I’ve shared this with the commission. Everyone is pretty appalled by the flier. It just assures us that we will stand even stronger.”

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Ari Zavaras Leave Women's Labias alone!!!

DENVER – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Colorado are calling on officials at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility (DWCF) to immediately end a new type of degrading body cavity search in which correctional officers force prisoners to open their labia, and, according to some reports, even to pull back the skin of their clitorises.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the Department of Corrections and to work with the 6700 corrections professionals who are dedicated to public, employee, and offender safety,” says Ari Zavaras, the head of the Colorado Department of Corrections in his message online.  “In keeping our mission of public safety the Department of Corrections is committed to employing best practices and evidenced based programs to ensure that public funds entrusted to the Department produce the best results for all Coloradoans.”

(My comment – Public Funds to belittle and torture women? Zavaris you should be ashamed of your department !)

In a letter sent this week to  to Zavaras,  the ACLU says the searches – which occur even when guards have no particular reason to suspect concealment of contraband – raise grave concerns under the Fourth and Eighth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. In its letter, the ACLU says that while courts have upheld visual inspections of prisoners, forcing women to hold open their labia for inspection on a routine basis is gratuitous and constitutes unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain and humiliation.

“Given that prisoners at DWCF are already subjected to a strip search policy designed to uncover contraband, this new policy adds little to the search procedure other than additional humiliation and suffering,” said David Shapiro, staff attorney with the ACLU National Prison Project. “Prisoners have a constitutional right to be free from pointless and humiliating searches.”

Experts on mental health care in prison have estimated that as many as 80 percent of women who are in jail or prison have been the victims of domestic violence and physical abuse prior to their conviction, a reality that compounds the infliction of pain caused by the needless body cavity searches. According to the ACLU’s letter, courts have found that the previous sexual abuse suffered by many female prisoners increases the trauma caused by invasive strip searches and heightens the constitutional violation. Indeed, the ACLU has received letters in recent weeks from prisoners at DWCF who complain that being forced to comply with the new search policy – under the threat of being doused with pepper spray – exacerbates prior sexual trauma.

The ACLU’s letter also charges that body cavity searches also may have occurred after prisoner visits with their lawyers. Not only are the searches unwarranted after such visits because of the low probability that an attorney would ever agree to smuggle narcotics or weapons into a prison, but they also could deter prisoners from meeting with their lawyers, compromising legal representation.

The ACLU also asserts in its letter that DWCF’s new policy could jeopardize the safety of communities across the state of Colorado by undermining the rehabilitation of prisoners and compromising the Colorado Department of Corrections’ stated goal of “assist[ing] offenders’ successful re-entry into society” and “reduc[ing] the likelihood of future victims.” The ACLU’s letter charges that prisoners have refused visits from friends and family in order to avoid post-visit searches.

“The fact that these searches deter visits can have a devastating impact on prisoners’ families, especially for prisoners’ children, who can only see their mothers during visits,” said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado. “Also, exacerbating mental illnesses through traumatic body cavity searches decreases the likelihood of re-entry into the community and could well lead to higher rates of recidivism.”

A copy of the ACLU’s letter is available online at: www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/letter-colorado-department-corrections-challenging-degrading-body-cavity-search-pol

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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Afraid of putting their partner as next of kin

Afraid of losing their VA benefits

Afraid of losing their disability

Afraid of denial of medical benefits

Afraid of harassment by VA staff

The VA is changing on their outlook of no vet left behind. This includes LGBT veterans as well. They are trying to get the word out that “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” “Doesn’t Apply” to LGBT veterans at the VA. I understand for those still in military service that your VA records can be solicited by the military, which is still a stumbling block if you’re in reserve or on active duty. However, those who are out of the service have nothing to fear. You served and you have the right to your VA benefits without any fears of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.

VA hospitals across the country are now developing Diversity Panels, comprised of mental health providers, doctors and nurses. Their job is to make the facilities more open to the LGBT veterans returning from service. Being a disabled vet myself, I’ve seen significant changes in how the VA is adopting this policy.

Working with the VA, through my organization, there are now support groups for LGBT veterans in Milwaukee, Dallas and many other VA facilities across the country. These groups are designed to address the specific needs of LGBT veterans. In Wisconsin there are signs on the doors of offices that state that the office is LGBT friendly. This takes an effort of the LGBT community reaching out to the VA and letting them know what we need. I also noticed that on one of the video displays it had a reminder to keep your information up to date and under the list of items it listed spouse/next of kin/partner.

If you are mistreated by any of the staff or harassed because of lifestyle, you can go to the patient advocate’s office and file a complaint. All complaints are taken very seriously. You can even request to have a doctor changed if you feel you’re not receiving the best treatment from that physician.

Don’t feel that you’re alone. There are many vets who don’t know the system and how to get what they need. I’ve help many vets, green, blue, purple as well as LGBT find the right resources. Just don’t give up.

You’ve served your country and now it’s time for your country to help you. Your VA benefits are a right and not a privilege.

The overall mission of the Vets Do Ask Do Tell, Inc is to bring awareness to and educate Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender veterans of the Veterans Administration programs that are targeted to their specific needs. To consolidate information important to these veterans and give National awareness and education about programs that may not be known by all LGBT veterans. To provide educational resources that may be needed to pursue benefits they are entitled to.

SSG Ellen Kozel, Retired, is President of Vets Do Ask Do, Inc. According to their website

The mission for the organization is to:

1. Make known and educate LGBT veterans to any and all VA programs targeted to the LGBT community when information becomes available to Vets Do Ask Do Tell, Inc.
2. Educate LGBT veterans to policy changes within the VA and the military concerning “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.
3. Provide a forum where LGBT veterans can openly discuss issues that are related to their service, benefits, and social aspects.
4. Promoting and supporting change within the VA system to give awareness to the specific needs of LGBT Veterans.
5. Develop groups of veterans in support of Vets Do Ask Do Tell, Inc.

St. Malachy’s in Rantoul, Illinois had never had a priest changed over an internal rebellion. According to Phillip Warner, one of the church trustees and a member of the church since 1943, “It’s the first one they’ve ever changed.” Do was appointed to the parish by Bishop Daniel Jenky, the head of the diocese. The parish learned of the changes in May, and Warner began holding parish meetings soon there after. The result of the meetings was a set of letters sent to the bishop.

Warner has also stated “There was enough local people that had issues about [Do]. People in Thomasboro and Ludlow, where he had been before, also had issues.” Do has had nothing to say publicly about the change.

According to the information available around the suit, Do, who was the pastor at St. Philomena’s in Monticello, engaged in “inappropriate sexual contact [that] progressed from repetitive hugging to unsolicited and unwanted kissing, touching and fondling of Jane Doe’s breasts” The suit also alleged that the woman’s husband was threatened with loss of his title as deacon by a diocesan official if he had spoken publicly about incidents. The diocese denied the allegations and Do was put on a leave of absence in 1998.

Do then went into some counseling and was later cleared to return to work. He took another leave of absence in 1999.

According to Monsignor Paul Showalter, the decision to pull Do from his assignment to St. Malachy had nothting to do with the suit. He released a statement “Father Vien Van Do is a priest in good standing. The changes to his assignment to St. Malachy Church in Rantoul were due to his desire to stay at his present assignment as well as routine personnel changes.”

Warner has a different story to tell about the change, though. According to him, “When push came to shove, I got a hold of Monsignor (Albert) Hallin, vicar of Champaign (a group of 22 area churches) and he came up to talk to us.” Hallin stated of Do, though, that he is “unfortunately, not familiar with American customs and kinds of distance required of people not married or related.” After the suit was settled, the Church impressed upon him that his behavior was not appropiate.

According to Hallin “When that (Do appointment) hit the (St. Malachy) community in Rantoul … it didn’t help that we (Catholics) have had more problems with clergy sexual abuse… You don’t tell the bishop what to do, but in most matters like this he asks, ‘What do you think?’ . . .I said, ‘It won’t work (to appoint Do); you need to do something different.’ . . .Then the bishop asked Father Bird and I think it’s a marriage made in heaven. He has enough personality, tact and quiet demeanor.”

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Gutierrez was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas where he was apprehended on 8 August for being in alleged violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. His wife Gina has since begun cooperating with authorities in order to protect herself. According to her, he contracted HIV while stationed in Italy in 2007. At the time, he apparently notified his former sexual partners, but stopped doing so once he was reassigned to McConnell AFB. Both are well known to the Witchita swingers scene, though it may have been him who was supposedly addicted to the adult networking websites.

Gutierrez, a twenty year veteran, came under suspicion for his activities after using his work computer to access these sites. He is likely being charged with the aggravated assaults on the men for recruiting them for sex with his wife, who appears to have been a full fledged participant in the activities.

Indeed, so far, the only people interviewed with regards to Sgt. Gutierrez have been women, but it appears that Gina Gutierrez had sexual encounters with both men and women over the course of the last three years, and that she may be in as much trouble as he is due to her sexual contacts with her husband and probable status as also having HIV. Part of Gutierrez’ thinking regarding his HIV positive status has to do with this post on one of his profiles Why are people scared of the HIV virus, don’t you wear condoms to protect yourself from HSV? The research I have done raises several questions on weather or not HIV is even related to AIDs.” There is a lot of rather misleading and inaccurate research out there regarding the issue of the link between HIV and AIDS.

According to one of the two women who has been interviewed so far, Gutierrez was in the habit of taping the sexual encounters that he had with women at these swingers events. Investigators seized his collection of pornography, condoms, vibrators and sex toys, a “blood chemistry report” addressed to Gutierrez from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and two manila envelopes containing some 146 pages of HIV related research.

Information gathered so far by LezGetReal shows that the two were well known to the swingers scene in Kansas, and that the two engaged in the reckless behavior that they were arrested on. Both David and Gina Gutierrez have been implicated in the entire endeavor despite the tendency by some in the media to portray this as being all about Sergeant Gutierrez having reckless, unprotected, and dishonest sex with strangers of both sexes. The portion of the affidavit covering the alleged crimes of Gina Gutierrez were redacted, likely as part of the preparations for a plea deal on her part for her decision to hand over evidence against her husband in order to save herself. Unfortunately, such reckless behavior by certain people within the media only feeds into the propaganda that is already out there that the reason why Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell needs to remain in place is to protect the military from HIV/AIDS. By not reporting that this was a straight couple engaged in sexual acts with other swingers and implying that Sergeant Gutierrez was bisexual and not a straight man who only had sex with women, many in those in the media do the work of the American Family Association, the Family Research Council and Westboro Baptist Church.

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