Word of the Gay: "Faux Queens"

"Faux Queens" are women who dress in exaggerated styles to emulate drag queens.

National Drag History Month 2010

January 2010 marks the second year with the celebration of National Drag History Month! This month-long event salutes the richness of drag culture and pays tribute to the courageous queens & kings who have fought for equality while inspiring, educating & entertaining us all.

See films, articles and more at:
http://www.draghistorymonth.com

Word of the Gay: "Fluffy"

"Fluffy" is a term used by lesbian women to suggest a woman is turned on. The term is also used among gay leather circles as a put down of someones bad attire.

Word of the Gay: "The 123 Words"

"The 123 Words" was the U.S. military policy formulated in 1982 barring gays and lesbians from serving prior to the Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy.

Singer Jazon Mraz Resolves to Speak for Equality!

Singer and songwriter Jason Mraz has written a beautiful post on his blog speaking up for LGBT equality as his new years resolution.

On his blog the Freshness Factor Five Thousand he writes:

"As a straight man I really have nothing to gain by standing up for equal rights for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexual, and/or my Transgender friends. Except for the fact that I have many friends who are still subjected to hurtful comments by a society that hasn’t yet embraced fully the nature of… nature.

Supporting a limiting system of rules for specific people to follow is prejudice. It’s the Antithesis of Christ Consciousness and (like smoking) it’s Soooo last century.

Allowing love to freely flourish will only enhance the life experience - For All.

Imagine telling cyclists to stay off the road. “These roads are for cars only! Those who dare to pedal on the shoulder will most likely get hit! Drivers will not expect to see you. It will not be the drivers’ fault if you get hurt.”

Yet, by sharing the road, the same rules get to apply to all of us. And surprisingly, we all get somewhere.

No one has to sit at the back of the bus.

A Marriage is a powerful commitment by any two people who are committed to each other’s lives being great. The God that is present in ceremony is looking itself in the eye in the form of the two worthy participants. Their commitment is the divine expression “love loving itself.” Any interference from the outside world be like a bear coming out of the woods and mauling the two lovebirds in front of the entire wedding party, the family and invited guests. Interference is messy and downright rude.

Hosting closed minded thoughts or making lewd comments about the intimate affairs of someone else does not make life great. In fact, it clogs up the judicial system, diminishes entire communities, and turns the clock backwards to our ultimate realization that we are all One - living in harmony with the Earth, with the cosmos, and with great things unseen. Thinking that others are a ‘particular way’ rather than reinventing them as new everyday makes you separate and disconnected from the really easy, peaceful solution.

Life is too short. The age of interfering with someone’s natural rights (and natural born gifts) are over.

Love is too powerful to resist. I think the whole world would be better if we just got out of our own way. It would certainly be sexier.

I understand many people who stumble onto this blog are already dialed in and ready to transform the world. Much of my community is too. But there are some who still don’t care one way or the other about the ways of being in the world. Thereby, it’s up to us to share our positive outlook on our favorite issues.

To learn more about how you can be a part of the Epic Movement for Equal Rights. Visit The Human Rights Campaign at http://www.hrc.org/ and support the True Colors Fund.

This Year I Resolve to Join the Conversation on Equality. I will Stand Up and be outspoken about Same Sex Marriage and Let Freedom Sing."

Be sure to thank Jason Mraz by leaving a comment on his blog, and joining him in the 'Conversation on Equality'

Word of the Gay: "Tragicula"

"Tragicula" is a term used within the gay community when someone has a poor taste in fashion, and personal upkeep.

Cheers Queers - Happy New Year!

May you all have a fun and safe time tonight wherever and however you choose to celerate the New Year. Let's move forward into 2010 more energized and ready to live, love, and thrive as openly queer people and allies.

What are your plans for New Year's and more importantly what are your queer resolutions for the the upcoming year?

Word of the Gay: "Theater Queen"

A "theater queen" is a gay man devoted to musical theater.

Web Spotlight: Kashish - Mumbai Queer Film Festival

The Kashish - Mumbai Queer Film Festival is the first ever film festival in the region for Indian and Desi queer films that celebrate sexual diversity. The four day festival is scheduled to be held April 22-25th 2010.

Upcoming January 2010 Phelps-A-Thon's

The Phelps-a-Thon is continuing on into the New Year, proceeding with it's protests and fundraising for LGBT equality to counter the Westboro Baptist Church's anti-gay hateful rhetoric. This January counter protests will be held at a highschool and college in New Hampshire, and at the Golden Globes in California.

Join the demonstration, and help the fundraiser for LGBT equality, for every minute the Phelps clan protests, they will be helping to promote the gay agenda through Phelps-A-Thon.

Word of the Gay: "Dykes on Spikes'"

"Dykes on Spikes" is a term to reference lesbian softball players.

The Top Five Straight Allies in Congress for 2009

Who are the leading advocates for LGBT rights inside the Beltway? Well, common sense would lead you to the three openly gay and lesbian politicians currently serving in the U.S. Congress –- Rep. Tammy Baldwin, Rep. Barney Frank, and Rep. Jared Polis. Great or legendary figures, but what happens when you get beyond these three folks?

5. Senator Tom Harkin – Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin did what a handful of Senators did this year –- publicly stated that he regretted his vote on the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. Harkin joined Sen. Arlen Specter and Sen. Chris Dodd in denouncing their vote for DOMA. But Harkin had a sense of eloquence in his comments that made his thoughts seem particularly genuine. It also helps that they came right after Iowa’s Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution required the recognition of same-sex marriage in order to ensure equal rights for all of Iowa's residents. Talk about reinforcements. “We all grow as we get older, and we learn things and we become more sensitive to people and people’s lives,” Harkin said. “And the more I’ve looked at that, I’ve grown to think differently about how people — how we should live. And I guess I’m at the point that, you know — I’m to that point of live and let live.” Anyone else see visions of their own parents in that statement?

4. Rep. Earl Blumenauer – Count Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer among the legislators blasting the Defense of Marriage Act. Like Sen. Harkin above, Rep. Blumenauer also issued a blaring statement regretting his original vote for DOMA. (Note: Nothing is quite so blaring as one of Rep. Blumenauer’s bow ties.) But Blumenauer not only said he was regretful – he went so far as to say it was the worst vote he ever cast in his entire political career. And that covers more than 37 years (we’re going all the way back to the times of Richard Nixon). Blumenauer also said that he would lobby his fellow legislators in efforts to overturn DOMA. “I will work to make sure that my colleagues who once, for whatever reason, joined me in supporting [DOMA] take this opportunity to correct their record and eliminate an injustice,” said Blumenauer.

3. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand – Talk about crossing the ocean in support of LGBT rights. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand started this year as kind of a Blue Dog Democrat in the U.S. House, and is ending this year as one of the Senate’s biggest supporters for equal rights. Gillibrand is one of the lead voices in the U.S. Senate for repealing the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and in an interview with the Women’s Rights blog here at change.org, went so far as to say that marriage equality could be the civil rights battle of today’s generation. She even tried to exert some pull with the New York State Senate, encouraging the body to vote for marriage equality legislation earlier this year (sadly, that vote failed). And to top it off? She’s also a supporter of a fully inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which ought to be a legislative goal for every LGBT rights activist in 2010.

2. Rep. Patrick Murphy – As the first Iraq War veteran to serve in the halls of Congress, Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Murphy certainly has the bonafides to talk about military issues. That’s why his voice on ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is so critical. But Rep. Murphy isn’t just a casual proponent of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He’s a downright leader on the issue, making it one of his legislative goals, and touring with the Human Rights Campaign’s “Voices of Honor” tour, calling attention to how eliminating gays and lesbians from the U.S. Armed Forces not only smacks in the face of equality and freedom – the very principles that our military stands for – but also threatens our national security. “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ clearly isn’t working for our military, and it hinders national security and military readiness at a time when America is fighting in two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Rep. Murphy said. “My time in Iraq taught me that our military needs and deserves the best and the brightest who are willing to serve -- and that means all Americans, regardless of their orientation.” Anybody have the resume to argue with Rep. Murphy on that? Didn’t think so.

1. (Tie) Rep. Joe Sestak - Another Pennsylvania Congressman, Rep. Joe Sestak has emerged as a fighter for LGBT equality. As Rep. Sestak wrote for change.org earlier this year, one of the fights that keeps him going in politics is the battle to end the only form of institutionalized discrimination still legal in the U.S. – discrimination against LGBT people, as evident by policies like the Defense of Marriage Act and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In fact, that’s one of the best things about Rep. Sestak – he draws the connection between both of those bad policies in ways that would make even the hardest heart melt. “How can we demand that the 65,000 of our troops who are estimated to be gay act dishonestly and conceal information from their comrades and commanders? No one who serves in defense of liberty should be forced to live a lie,” writes Rep. Sestak. “I cannot imagine denying equal rights to anyone I served with. How can anyone say, we fought and served together, we depended on one another, we risked our lives for this country, but back home you shouldn’t enjoy the rights that you defended?”

1. (Tie) Rep. Jerrold Nadler – Being the lead voice in the U.S. Congress on dumping the Defense of Marriage Act better be good enough to get you first place! Rep. Nadler, long one of the biggest allies the LGBT population has in Congress, continued his streak of homerun hitting for equal rights. This year it came in the form of introducing the Respect for Marriage Act. It’s a proposed piece of legislation that will dismantle DOMA, billed by many as the most discriminatory law passed by the U.S. in decades. Rep. Nadler’s reason for introducing the Respect for Marriage Act (ROMA, if you will!): he wants to send DOMA “into the history books where it belongs.”

Crossposted via Gay Rights @ Change.org

Web Spotlight: Asexual Meetups

Asexual Meetups is a place to find groups, members and those interested in meeting with others who have little to no sexual desire.

Word of the Gay: "Bias Crime"

A "bias crime" is a crime perpetrated on the account of a persons sexual, gender, religious, ethnic or racial identity.

New Year's Resolution: LGBT Inclusivity on Dr. Phil Show!

People who have been reading this blog for some time know that I have been monitoring and demanding that the Dr. Phil show refrain from using homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic topics on their show as they have done several times in the past. I was also quick to praise them for their attempt to create positive and LGBT-affirming coverage.

Over the past several months I have continued to monitor their upcoming shows to make sure that topics such as those in the past are not scheduled. I am pleased to say that there seems to have been major improvement, although instead of negative LGBT coverage, there now is no LGBT coverage.

Make 2010 the year Dr. Phil tackles topics sensitive to the LGBT community in a fair, affirming, and positive way!

Sign the Twitter petition demanding positive coverage, and send the show a direct email.