Drop the Charges Against Gay Ugandan AIDS Activists!

"AIDS activists arrested last week for protesting the government’s unhealthy anti-gay policies: “The 3 Ugandan LGBT activists that were arrested at the HIV Implementers’ Meeting in Kampala on the 4th of June 2008, have been released on bail this morning. The charges against them HAVE NOT BEEN DROPPED. They have been charged with Criminal Trespass, under Section 302 of the Uganda Penal Code. All have pleaded “not guilty” and were released on a bail of 500,000 UGX ($310 USD)…The case was adjourned to the 20th of June 2008."

Click here to email the Ugandan President & Minister of Justice!

H/T to Queerty for the Alert

New Yorker's Working for an LGBT-Youth Center at Pier 40

FIERCE! is a community organization for Transgender, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Queer, and Questioning (TLGBTSQQ) youth of color in New York City. They are working hard to oppose commercial development of Pier 40 which has traditionally been a place for Queer youth to feel safe and hang out. They are trying to build a 24 hour LGBT youth center in its place. Please help with their efforts.

Fierce NYC

Thank Jay Leno for his Stance on Marriage Equality

Comedian Jay Leno has come out publicly in favor of same-sex marriage according to BGay.com

"Talk show host Jay Leno showed up at the symbolic mass commitment ceremony at the Abbey in West Hollywood Wednesday night to show his support for gay marriage.

Leno - who several times has been criticized for being insensitive towards LGBT people on his late night talk show - said he didn't understand why people are concerned about gays being allowed to marry.

Daily News' Greg Hernandez interviewed Leno at the even:

Greg: What made you decide to be here?
Jay: I have friends in the gay community, I mean we live in Hollywood. Who doesn't know gay people in Hollywood? So, they asked me to come down and I said, 'Sure!' I mean, what's everybody afraid of?"

Greg: What do you think about gay marriage in California and all that's happened in the last few weeks?
Jay: "Well, I come from Massachusetts and they have it there and the sky didn't fall in, everyone seems to be fine. It's one of those things where it's a matter of time, you sort of ease into it and you see what happens."

Greg: Do you have any friends who you want to see married?
Jay: Oh, I have a lot of gay friends. We have a couple of gay couples at 'The Tonight Show' who've been together 7,8,9 years. Whether they want to get married or not...Well, the nice thing about gay marriage is you have TWO people excited about the wedding. In straight marriages, only one person is excited. Gay marriage, both persons are excited.

"But you know what's so funny to me, it's how people miss out on the economic benefits just in terms of catering and flowers and planning. The services that come with it. I see all the companies that have benefited from gay travel. If you look at it, gay people have probably the most disposable income of any group and the businesses that cater to them do very well. So it just seems like common sense. Gas is four bucks a gallon. For me to worry about what Larry and Bob are doing seems sort of ridiculous.

Greg: If (Sen. John) McCain came on your show, would you ask him about gay marriages?
Jay: Yeah. I know what he would say because that's sort of what you have to say. But I think things gradually change and that's what happens. Obviously when you put people on the spot and you confront them and you stick a mic in their face, well, they're gonna say one thing. I don't know what would happen if he become president but I know that you just have to kind of ease into these things. Like I said in Mass., people just got married, no protests, no parade. Just, 'Oh, OK. Life went on."

Greg: Were we too hard on you over the whole Ryan Phillippe thing? (Leno was blasted for asking the actor to give him his "gayest look" while guesting. He later apologized for any offense)
Jay: "That seemed a little over the top to me, I have to admit. Only because it was not my intention. When I've had straight actors on who've played sexy roles, I'll say, 'Give me your sexiest face.' So, when I said it to Ryan, we had said he's a kid from a Baptist community who was now playing a gay part and I said, 'OK, now give me your gayest look' knowing he wouldn't do it. You laugh and OK fine. Obviously it upset some people. Hey loo, I'm an entertainer, sometimes you annoy people, you make people mad. Alright, that happens. But, I really think there are bigger issues than that. That's a classic case where you're not talking about morality or lifestyle, you're just talking about silly stuff."

Contact Jay Leno to Thank Him for His Pro-Equality Position

Shameless Self Promotion Sunday

Pimp out your queer blog entries or any queer websites you found of interest this week.

TiVo Sponsors “SuperDad” Contest with Right-Wing Focus on the Family

Join the Family Equality Council in making Gay/Bi/Queer & Trans Dads visible.

"Nominate the GBTQ Dads in YOUR Life Today!

TiVo, the home entertainment company servicing millions of families nationwide, is working with James Dobson’s Focus on the Family on a “SuperDad Essay Contest” for Father’s Day. As you can imagine, Focus on the Family is only looking for one type of “super” dads and they certainly are not part of our community. That a national company many of our families send checks to each month would sponsor a Father’s Day contest with Focus on the Family is horrendous. I need you — all of you — to help us respond.

I won’t often ask you to visit Focus on the Family’s website, but today I am. The Family Equality Council is organizing a response to this discriminatory contest, asking you to nominate yourself or the GBTQ dads in your life. To do so, you have to visit http://www.family.org/fathersday/, sign up for their parenting forums (message boards), and submit your nomination (100 words or less) through the boards. I’m encouraging two-dad families to submit joint stories, highlighting the greatness of both dads in one entry!

In addition, I’m asking that you copy the text of your nomination and email it to OUTSpoken@familyequality.org, so we can feature your beautiful stories and hard work on Family Equality Council’s Blog and with others in our community!

This is a great opportunity for GBTQ dads in our community and their family members and friends to share the real stories of their lives and let TiVo and Focus on the Family know that all dads can be Super Dads!

Others can and should participate, as well. The Family Equality Council has created a petition for parents, family and friends to sign. The petition is aimed at TiVo and will let them know just how many LGBTQ-parented families and supporters are out there! Click here to sign the petition now!

Last summer more than 50 families sent their stories to Adoption.com in response to their discriminatory actions online (read about it here). I want to increase that number 10-fold this year. Let’s send 500+ nominations to Focus on the Family’s “SuperDad” contest and show them how truly super our GBTQ dads are!

Thank you for your time and for celebrating all loving families with us each and every day!"

*Picture courtesy of RandomlyRoaming off of Creative Commons.

Open Forum: Is Bisexuality Old School?

Bisexuals get the hard end of the stick, they are often shunned by heterosexuals as being "confused", "selfish", "hedonistic" and often times they are rejected by gays/lesbians as being "traitors" or unwilling to admit that they are gay.

Bisexuality is very much a valid orientation as demonstrated by Dr. Kinsey who showed that sexuality lies on a continuum and that we all fall along that continuum to some degree or another.

There has been criticism however of the term and identity of bisexuality in recent years, especially by younger demographics who are having a new understanding of sexuality and gender as we have come to see it.

Bisexuality is the attraction two both males and females. "Bi" connotates two and by definition falls into the gender binary system. What if you are someone who is attracted or has the capability of falling in love emotionally/physically with someone who is male, female, transgender, intersexual, or genderqueer?

Bisexuality is often see as an equal division of attraction to both males and females, but some people do not have a 50/50 split in attraction and have varying percentages of how much they like either gender.

More recently many people no longer claim the term bisexuality, and prefer terms like pansexual or queer to define their identities.

Do you feel Bisexuality is an old and antiquated term, should the term be changed to be more inclusive of all gender identities?

Dish Network Votes Down on Anti-Gay Discrimination Proposal

According to the Denver Post:

"Dish Network shareholders shot down a proposal Thursday that would bar the company from discriminating against employees based on their sexual orientation.

At the company's annual meeting, a representative for the New York City Employees Retirement System — which holds 533,032 shares — floated a resolution to add a clause in the company's equal-opportunity policy that would prohibit discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. More than 90 percent of voters rejected it.

Executives insisted that GLBT employees are not subject to harassment at the company, which follows federal anti-discrimination guidelines, which do not include sexual orientation. The board of directors recommended that shareholders vote against the resolution.

Colorado has an anti-discrimination law protecting gay employees, signed by Gov. Bill Ritter last year. Ergen said the company follows state law in Colorado.

"We just don't appreciate the proposal," he said."

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/customer_service/contact_us/email/index.asp

Phone: (303) 723-1000

Demonstration by LGBT & Allies at "Ex-Gay" Conference in Orlando, Florida

According to Lavender Newswire:

"June 7 Event to Send Message that Parents Love Their LGBT Children “Just the Way They Are”

WHAT: Parents, family members, clergy and allies from across the Gulf Coast region will greet attendees entering the Orlando, Florida “Love Won Out” conference. The conference, organized by the American Family Association, endorses so-called “reparative therapy” for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Members of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) will greet attendees with donuts, coffee and information on embracing lesbian and gay loved ones.

WHO: PFLAG parents will be joined by supportive members of the clergy from around Orlando, as well as PFLAG National executive director Jody M. Huckaby and Lance Helms, Gulf Coast Regional Director for PFLAG.

WHY: So-called “ex-gay ministries,” such as “Love Won Out,” use out-moded medical theories and radical religious beliefs to justify trying to alter gay and lesbian people’s natural sexual orientation. In 1990, the American Psychological Association (APA) stated that scientific evidence does not show that conversion therapy works and that it can do more harm than good.

WHEN: Saturday, June 7, 2008 7:00am

WHERE: First Presbyterian Church, 106 E. Church Street, Orlando, FL 32801"

Northern Ireland Politician Suggests "Gay Conversion" Therapy

According to BBC News:

"Iris Robinson, is the chair of the Stormont health committee in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Robinson said with help, gay people could be "turned around".

"I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in," she said.

"I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals."

Perhaps you would like to remind her that the Royal College of Psychiatrists said that homosexuality is NOT a psychiatric disorder and that she should stick to her day job of politics and representing all people in her district.

Ms. Iris Robinson

12 North Street
Newtownards
BT23 4DY
Tel: 9182 7701
Fax: 9182 7703

Email: Click here to email Ms. Robinson!

Counter the "Westboro Baptist Church" Anti-Gay Demo

The Westboro Baptist Church AKA "God Hates Fags" hate group is planning a demonstration to oppose same-sex marriage on June 17 when same-sex couples will begin being issued marriage licenses.

Tuesday, June 17, at
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Contra Costa County Clerk’s office
555 Escobar St., Martinez, CA.

Anyone interested in a counter-demonstration? Show up and speak your mind.

Word of the Gay: "Genderqueer"

Individuals who self-identify as genderqueer may consider themselves to be both male and female, androgynous, being neither male or female, or falling completely outside of the gender binary spectrum.

Organization Spotlight: CenterLink

Center Link offers a comprehensive listing of LGBT community centers around the United States. There are currently 168 LGBT community centers, and likely one in an area near you! The organization also does work to help foster the creation and development of community centers and programs that benefit the community.

Center Link - Directory of LGBT Centers

Demand Release of Gay Ugandans!

"KAMPALA, June 4 (Reuters) - Ugandan police arrested three gay rights demonstrators who stormed a major AIDS conference in Kampala on Wednesday in protest at the government's stance on homosexuality, which is banned in the east African nation.

Uganda's government said this week it would not focus any HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes on homosexuals because it is short of funds.

Ugandan courts can punish homosexual acts with life in prison, and even "attempted" homosexuality can draw a jail term of seven years."

Please exert pressure to demand the release of these prisoners as well as tell the government it is time to decriminalize homosexuality.

Email: Contact Ugandan State House Officials

Please also use the Parliament of Uganda's Contact Form:
Click Here!

Ugandan Police Force:
LOCATION: Plot 1303 Sserumaga Road, Bukoto behind Kabira Country Club.

CONTACT:

TOLL FREE LINE: 0800200019
HOT LINE: 0414-595133
FAX LINE: 0414-533608

New Yorker's Thank Your Assemblymembers for Vote on GENDA

"The New York State Assembly just voted 102-33 to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and amend the state’s human rights law to include anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity and expression. This is the first time that GENDA has ever made it to the floor of the Assembly for a vote!

We now need you to take a moment to thank your Assemblymember for voting for GENDA. We often call on our elected officials to act on issues that are important to us, and we need to be sure that they know we appreciate what they’ve done once they’ve acted."

PRIDE AGENDA Action Center E-Alert!

John McCain Bad for America, Bad for Queers!

A Record of Opposing the Interests of GLBT Americans

"OPPOSED Ending Discrimination Against GLBT Americans in the Workplace. Senator McCain cast a deciding vote against the federal Employment Non Discrimination Act.

OPPOSED Protecting GLBT Americans from Hate Crimes. Senator McCain voted three times against expanding the federal hate crimes law to include sexual orientation.

PROPONENT of Discriminatory Military Policy. Senator McCain supports Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and does not believe that gays should serve in the military.

OPPONENT of Equal Benefits for Same-Sex Couples. Senator McCain voted for the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits same-sex couples from receiving federal rights and benefits in any state.

ACTIVELY SUPPORTED State Ban on Domestic Partnerships. Senator McCain campaigned for a ban on same-sex relationship recognition in his home state of Arizona – even appearing in a campaign television ad.

SUPPORTED the Confirmation of Anti-GLBT Equality Judges. Senator McCain voted to confirm President Bush’s judicial nominees who had taken anti-GLBT positions. He has pointed to Justice Samuel Alito as a role model for future Supreme Court appointments.

SUPPORTED a Discriminatory HIV/AIDS Policy. Senator McCain supported a Jesse Helms strategy to cut off funding for prevention efforts aimed at the gay community and voted to prohibit foreign nationals with HIV from immigrating to the United States."

HRC - Year to Win 2008