Open Forum: The Concept of a Queer Nation

While there has not been much talk or serious consideration among queer people to create a gay homeland, there has been some discussion whether joking or fantasy about the concept. A nation state owned and operated by LGBT people, where people are free to express their sexual orientation and gender identity, while being affirmed. A queer homeland would serve as a refuge for those who are discriminated against in other countries, and would bring an LGBT perspective to the United Nations delegation.

In 2004 Australian activists declared the Cato Islands the "Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea" since this deserted island was not being utilized. While this was merely symbolic it once again brought up the discussion and perhaps dreams of many LGBT people. There are even organizations such as the Gay Homeland Foundation, Gay and Lesbian Commonwealth Kingdom, Unified Gay Tribe, and Gay Parallel Republic embrace the idea of a queer nation state although lack the funding, movement, or credibility to push forward their agenda.

What do you make of the concept of a queer homeland? Would it help create a safer world for LGBT people or only further segregate queer people from the populace? Would you support or even immigrate to such a country if it was created?

Blog Spotlight: Grace the Spot

Grace the Spot is an entertainment, lifestyle, pop culture and current events blog founded by two lesbians.

The Kardashian Family Stands for Marriage Equality

The Kardashian family are a celebrity family with their own reality TV show 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' that airs on E! The family has been in the spotlight for many years, and two of the daughters branched off with their own show called 'Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami'.

The sisters recently posed for the NO H8 campaign photo shoot and proudly say the whole family strongly supports marriage equality.

On Kim Kardashian's blog she states:

EVERYONE should have the right to choose who they marry and that we do have the power to make a difference. What I love about the NOH8 campaign is that it symbolizes more than just people's desires to bring down Prop 8... it's about promoting love in general! Stop the H8, people! (Kim Kardashian).

The family has also been active for LGBT rights in the past. After proposition 8 passed, Kim Kardashian responded to then Miss California Carrie Prejeans anti-gay statement with her own affirming message of equality. Khloé Kardashian has also been outspoken in favor of gay rights, taking on a gay basher on her radio show, and supporting SAVE Dade a South Florida LGBT organization which hosted a Khloé Kardashian crossdresser look alike contest.

Be sure to leave a comment on their NO H8 blog post thanking them.

You can also tweet the sisters @ KimKardashian, KhloeKardashian, KourtneyKardash.

Blog Spotlight: Bipolar Bisexual

Bipolar Bisexual is a blog about sexuality and mental health issues. The author discusses ways for people who are bisexual, bipolar or both to live a positive and affirming life.

Start 'A Day in Hand' Chapter in Your Area

A Day in Hand is an international movement supporting the right of same-sex couples to display their affection publicly in the same fashion that many heterosexual couples do on a daily basis. Simple gestures like hand holding, kissing, and cuddling, are ways that couples are romantic with each other. Society makes it very uncomfortable and at times potentially dangerous for same-sex couples to show their love publicly. The Same-Sex Hand Holding project seeks to put an end to this form of societal injustice and intolerance.

Gay, bi or straight, hold a partner or friends hand in public and show support for gay couples love and visibility. There are events every month throughout the world but anyone can show their support at any time!

There are even worldwide chapters that have been formed:

For London In Hand contact David / email: info@adayinhand.com

For California In Hand contact Tami / email: california@adayinhand.com

For Minnesota In Hand contact Philip / email: minnesota@adayinhand.com

If you would like to start A Day In Hand Helping Hand chapter in your area please email: info@adayinhand.com

Joy To The World!

Joy Behar is a comedian, writer, actress, and commentator. She has been a co-host on ABC's The View and recently got her own show on HLN called The Joy Behar Show. Behar has been a friendly, smart and outspoken voice for the LGBT community over the years, always standing up for us. Her new show has not been on the air long but is being called a "gay show" by some because so many of her segments include or discuss LGBT people or issues.

Whether it's discussing marriage equality, the movie MILK, or speaking with openly queer people, Joy Behar has been a remarkable straight ally to the LGBT community.

Please thank her for her commitment to discussing and supporting LGBT issues.

Contact Joy Behar on twitter.

Web Spotlight: QueerUK

QueerUK is a guide and forum for the gay community within the United Kingdom. Features on the web portal include a message board, latest news, a guide, blogs, photos and more.

Equal Love - Nov 28th Australian Marriage Rallies

The Australian Senate is due to release a landmark report on same-sex marriage and activists across the nation will be demonstrating on November 28th for marriage rights through the Equal Love campaign two days after the expected report comes out. The rallies will either express enthusiasm and call for government adoption of the report or will express outrage at the reports findings.

Rallies will be taking place in the following five cities:

Melbourne

November 28, 1pm
State Library

Sydney

November 28, 1pm
Sydney Town Hall
www.caah.org.au

Adelaide

November 28, 11am
Parliament House

Canberra

November 28, 1pm
Garema Place, Civic

Brisbane

November 28, 1pm
Queens Park, City
(Opp. Treasury Casino)

In the mean time sign the petition to the Prime Minister demanding marriage equality.

Veterans Day Action to End DADT

Letters to the editor are a great way to engage local media and raise awareness about our efforts to get rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” A particularly effective letter to the editor can get thousands of people talking about the issue and have effects well beyond the pages of the paper. The letters to the editor section is one of the most read parts of a newspaper!

Join Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's action alert to write an editorial now. Their website will automatically connect you to multiple local newspapers to write an op-ed.

Endorse the Florida Competitive Workforce Bill

The Florida Competitive Workforce bill adds "sexual orientation and gender identity and expression" to Florida's civil rights law that bans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.

Take a stand today. Sign on to this letter of support as an individual, organization and/or company and spread the word.

New Toolbar Feature

Hey folks,

We have a handy dandy new toolbar below if you haven't realized. It's pretty snazzy if I say so myself. You can now translate the website into a variety of different languages, bookmark us, and can use the share feature to spread our campaigns on social networks and news sites.

I hope you find it useful and I'd love to hear any thoughts about the new feature :)

Thanks for your continued support and readership!

Trans Student Ejected from Texas High School

17 year old O’Rhonde Chapman, a Nimitz High School senior says she’s being discriminated against because of her gender expression. The transgender teen always wears womens clothes to school but decided to wear a wig and stiletto heels, and the principal turned her away citing a violation of the male dress code.

Chapman is standing by her decision to not return to school, and fight for her right to self expression:

“I would like to be able to wear my hair and everything and still be treated the same and have an equal opportunity to have an education, as others do. I ought not be segregated or sent home because of what I have on,” Chapman said. “I am losing out on my education. That upsets me. That upsets me because I don’t go to school to be judged.”(Trans Griot).

Please support this brave young woman by demanding the school allow her to attend the way she is, and to institute policies protecting transgender youth.

Nimitz Senior High School
2005 W.W. Thorne Drive
Houston, TX 77073-3301
Phone: (281) 443-7480
E-contact form (Scroll down to Nimitz High School)

Your Support Can Help End HIV

Dr. Sudhir Paul of the Covalent Immunology Foundation offers a promising new vaccine that potentially eradicates HIV in the human blood through an enzyme that interacts with the virus. The study needs to go into the next phase of research which involves testing. They want to make this vaccine affordable and accessible to the public if it is successful.



Help take the research into the next phase at End HIV.

Intersex Solidarity Day - 11/08/09

November 8th is Intersex Solidarity Day. In honor of the day please make the commitment to educate yourself about intersexuality and to promote intersex activism to others.

I'd also like to encourage this post to be about what it means to stand in solidarity with the intersex community, whether you are intersex or not, what we can do to be advocates and allies?

Other topics for possible discussion as suggested by the official Intersex Solidarity Day are The life of Herculine Barbin, intersex "normalization" treatments without consent, the violence of the binary sex and gender system, the sexism implicit within the binary construct of sex and gender.

Please sign the Solidarity with the Intersex Community Petition

Miley Cyrus: "You're Vain, You're Gay"

Pop star Miley Cyrus from the hit Disney show Hannah Montana has changed the lyrics of one of her popular songs '7 Things' in a recent Louisville, Kentucky concert from 'You're Game' to 'You're gay'.

'You're vain
You're GAY
You're insecure
You Love me you like her...'

Watch her on stage performance clip in Louisville with the words being altered below:



It is unacceptable to use 'You're Gay' as an insult, and it's particularly dissapointing coming from Miley who only recently endorsed marriage equality.

Contact Miley Cyrus on Twitter or Myspace and urge her to apologize for these 'lyrics'