Contact P&G and Vote in Support of Luke & Noah!

Procter & Gamble which is the sponsor of the CBS show "As the World Turns" which has a gay couple Luke and Noah AKA: "Nuke" who have been the subject of much controversy over their on tv gay romance. Anti-gay activists have been calling on their constituents to complain to CBS and P & G. They were succesful in limiting their presence on the show for months, recently the couple has again kissed on air. Now the American Family Association has created an action alert against P&G asking them to stop the gay programming.

P&G has created an automated toll-free hotline to contact them about whether you support the gay plotline on the show. Whether you watch the show or not, please contact them and vote so that we can win against anti-gay forces and increase gay exposure and visibility.

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Just call 1-800-331-3774 (Press 1 for English), (Press 2 to vote about ATWT) and finally press 1 (one) to keep the Gay Storyline.

Open Forum: Do We Need to Reclaim the Term "Homosexual"?

The term "homosexual" has become very popular when anti-gay activists refer to our community. They use terms like "homosexual activism", "homosexual agenda", and "homosexual militants". Homosexuality used to be the prefered term when discussing people who are attracted to the same-sex but times have changed. Gay and Lesbian activists feel the term sounds too medical, too disease like and so prefer to use terms like gay, lesbian, bisexual, LGBT, GLBT, etc.

While the Rainbow community has moved away from using the word "homosexual" anti-gay activists have been constantly using it in order to ratchet up fear, and to bring back the notion that homosexuals are unhealthy, unstable, and mentally/physically ill.

What I find interesting is that the Rainbow community has made renewed efforts to embrace the word "Queer" which was up until recently considered a derogatory term for LGBT people meaning "freak, oddball, different" but now it can also be an umbrella term representing those who are of a different sexual orientation/gender identity.

So I pose this question to you "homosexual activists" out there, do we need to reclaim the term "homosexual" or do we need to keep insisting on other words?

Organization Spotlight: Intersex Society of North America

Pride Graphics by HitupMyspace.com

I am introducing a new type of posting that I will be doing from time to time which is highlighting organizations that serve the Queer community, these are organizations which have resources for us, advocate for us, and are worth checking out and donating to.

Today, I wanted to give a shout out to the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) which works tirelessly for the rights of intersexual individuals (people born with ambiguous genitalia who are not male or female). ISNA advocates for change within the medical establishment which currently deals with intersex children by assigning them a gender the doctor and parents feel is reflective of the child. The child often undergoes "cosmetic surgery". Intersexual children face many difficulties later in life such as gender identity issues, depression, and suicidal tendencies because of these surgeries. ISNA advocates for allowing the child to choose their gender and to make the decision if they want surgery as an adult. Many people choose to remain intersexual and not undergo surgery and can live healthy and productive lives. Please check out their website and learn more about Intersexuality, and what you can do to to be a better advocate for this community!

Intersex Society of North America

College Newspaper "The Daily Mississippian" Publishes Hate

According to Wayne Bessen:

"In a disgraceful example of journalistic malpractice, the college newspaper The Daily Mississipian printed right wing talking points - while calling it an Op-Ed .
"Homosexuality is unhealthy," writes Zack Williams, "Not in the way that cigarettes and booze are unhealthy, but in the way that drinking a shot of turpentine every Wednesday afternoon while perusing real estate catalogues for houses near nuclear waste dumps is unhealthy."

MEDIA ALERT: Please send your own letters to the editor of the Daily Mississipian,
Marti Covington, at:

editor@thedmonline.com

HRC Launches "Year to Win"

The Human Rights Campaign's "Year to Win" campaign has announced pro-equality candidates it endorses, has the option to pledge to vote, and donate to pro-equity candidates and see where they stand on the issues.

"2008 U.S. Senate endorsements by the Human Rights Campaign as of April 28, 2008:

Max Baucus, D-MT

Joe Biden, D-DE

Susan Collins, R-ME

Dick Durbin, D-IL

Al Franken, D-MN

Tom Harkin, D-IA

John Kerry, D-MA

Mary Landrieu, D-LA

Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ

Carl Levin, D-MI

Jack Reed, D-RI

Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH

Mark Udall, D-CO

Tom Udall, D-NM"

Not So Fast - We Saw The Anti-Gay Bias WNEM!

WNEM, a CBS affiliated network has published fiercely biased anti-gay coverage of the Day of Silence. They quickly took down the article after Queer activists complained that this was a mouthpiece for the right-wing homophobic agenda.

Check out this cached page of the article

Contact them at:

WNEM TV

55409 Gateway CentreBuilding C, Suite D

Flint, MI 48507

Phone: 810-232-3900

Newsroom: 810-234-5607



EMail WNEM: wnem@wnem.com

Email Ian Rubin:
ian.rubin@wnem.com

Act to Stop SB 1250 Anti-Marriage Equality Bill in PA

"The "Marriage Protection Amendment" is legislation to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to define marriage as solely between one man and one woman, as well as prohibit civil unions and potentially more. If this legislation passes, it could harm thousands of Pennsylvanians including same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples and their children.

We need everyone to contact your Senator and Representative give a voice to the millions of Pennsylvanians who oppose writing discrimination into our State Constitution. In addition to calling your Senator and Representative, please email them about this important legislation."

(Click here to contact your representatives if you are a Pennsylvania resident)

Urge Salt Lake County Council to Vote in Favor of Partner Benefits

The council in Salt Lake City Utah is scheduled to vote on a health insurance plan that would include lesbian and gay couples. The plan would enable anyone living together who can demonstrate financial ties regardless of their gender or if they are legally married to be able to access coverage.

Please urge council members to vote in favor of equality.

Click below to find contact information for council members:

http://www.council.slco.org/html/contact.html

Join MoveOn.org in Pressuring John McCain

Influential right-wing conservative pastor John Hagee has endorsed John McCain for president, the mainstream media has ignored the controversial and radical comments by this leader. Pastor Hagee has said hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for an upcoming gay pride parade that was scheduled. He has made bigoted comments against the Catholic church as well. Moveon.org is protesting John McCain's visit to Louisiana today and calling on him to speak out against these anti-gay, bigoted viewpoints.

Please sign the MoveOn petition and hold John McCain accountable for his allegiance to this homophobe

http://pol.moveon.org/mccain_pander/?r_by=-9222762-XOMBpM&rc=paste

Video of his hateful rhetoric:

Day of Silence 4.25.08

Friday, April 25th, Silence traditionally begins 10am and is broken at 6pm!

"The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. This year’s event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students will come together on April 25 to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior." Whether you are a student, a faculty member or just a concerned citizen please see how you can get involved in this important day that has shaped and changed the lives of many Queer and straight allied students around the country. Order your t-shirts, print out your silent cards, and see what you can do to be active on behalf of GLBT equality."

Printable cards to notify people of why you are silent:
CLICK HERE!

http://www.dayofsilence.org/

Open Forum: Heterosexual Priviledge

I wanted to create an open forum for us to discuss ways that heterosexual privledge influences our lives and how we feel we can overcome it.

Gay people know all too well that we take a risk and we face a decision when we display affection in public, come out as Queer, talk about our significant other, or even just being who we are with regards to our gender expression.

How do you feel about heterosexual privledge, people who don't need to think twice about their actions, and how can we make the world a safer and more tolerant place for us?

The Gays are being Gay Again...

According to The Advocate:

It appears our activism in contacting CBS has been fruitful, the threats by the anti-gay American Family Association are no longer dissuading CBS.

"As the World Turns's ban on gay kissing was apparently lifted Wednesday as characters Luke and Noah shared their first on-screen kiss after seven months of chastity.

After two passionate on-screen kisses last fall, the couple lovingly referred to by fans as "Nuke" suddenly stopped displaying their affection toward one another. Jeannie Tharrington, the producer's spokeswoman, told The Advocate, "To be frank, a lot of people weren't expecting that first kiss. We got a lot of letters -- not from activists but from regular fans who said, 'We're not ready for this.'"

Shortly after the abrupt end to their sensuous kisses, however, fans and activists mailed in bags of Hershey's kisses to CBS's studio offices in Los Angeles in protest. After letters protesting both the kisses and their absence, April 23 marked the day the passion returned."

*Photo by Cstardust off of Creative Commons.

Arizonans Speak Up Against Anti-Marriage Amendment

According to Pam's House Blend:

"The anti-marriage amendment is back. After it looked like the amendment had been derailed, it is back on the agenda for the Arizona House of Representatives. Things may move very quickly-the House could vote on the amendment at any time, possibly on today, April 22, and the Senate might immediately follow. If the legislature approves the amendment, it will be on this November's ballot, just two years after a similar effort was defeated."

Arizona residents click CLICK HERE to contact your representatives.

Please call them now at 602-926-4221 or 1-800-352-8404 to urge them to vote no on SCR 1042, as amended. Urge them to keep this divisive amendment off the ballot.

Senator Brophy: "Finds No Pattern of Gay Discrimination"

According to Lavender Newswire:

Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray of Colorado, has introduced a stunt amendment arguing that gay people do not need a bill to protect against discrimination.

"The debate on the Senate floor over a bill that would expand the prohibition of sexual orientation-based discrimination became personal and emotional this morning after a senator offered a rhetorical amendment to ban discrimination against short people.

Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, withdrew the stunt amendment after arguing that there is no need for the bill because he has not seen evidence that gays and lesbians are discriminated against when seeking a job or a home.

“What I’m talking about is economic discrimination, political discrimination, employment discrimination,” Brophy said. “I find no pattern of any of those.”

Email him to let him know why sexual orientation/gender identity need anti-discrimination laws as a form of protection.

Citizens for Greg Brophy

P.O. Box 332

Wray, CO 80758

970-332-5766

Email: greg@gregbrophy.net

Hate Crimes in 2008 - Fight OUT Loud

Thanks to Fight OUTloud for making this moving clip. Please share this over the internet to let people know hate crimes legislation is crucial. Currently the statistic is 1 person is killed due to sexual orientation/gender every 8 days! We need to act now!