NCIS Star Pauley Perrette Wears NoH8 Dress

Pauley Perrette an actress on the hit drama Naval Criminal Investigative Service has continued in her outspoken opposition to proposition 8. The actress showed up at the People's Choice Awards in the politically motivated "NoH8" gown.

Perrette has been an outspoken critic of the ban on same-sex marriage and has urged Californians to oppose the measure. She refuses to wed her partner until LGBT people are given equality in marital rights.

Thank this awesome civil rights activist via twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/pauleyp

Activist Tip: Reclaim Distorted Phrases

Anti-gay foes and conservatives have co-opted many words and distorted their true meaning. It is time to reclaim these terms, and bring truth not distortion to our language.

"Family Values" - We are proud to be a family values website, we are very concerned with the future of the family unit. We support the right of families whether they be queer headed households or heterosexual, we firmly stand behind these loving couples and their children.

"Activist Judges" - Judges who uphold the rights of minorities and seek to expand rights not eliminate them are staying true to the constitution. It those conservative judges who seek to amend the constitution to take away rights, and those who violate the law who are activist judges who seek to further their own radical religious agenda.

"Marriage Protection" - Advocates of equality are all about protecting marriage. We want to ensure that gay and lesbian couples have equal access to this cherished institution. While much of the country is marrying for money and looks, and divorcing at alarming rates, we want to strengthen the institution of marriage.

"Values Voters" - We are values voters, we go to the ballot box with our morals and values in mind when we decide on a candidate, and an issue. The difference is we open our minds, hearts, and vote based on equality, liberty and justice for all.

"San Francisco Values" - This term is used to insinuate how supposedly outlandish the radical hippies "homosexual & abortionist advocates" are. We do not have to be ashamed to espouse views, nor be degraded for believing in the constitution which declares a right to privacy, a right for all people to be treated equally.

I encourage you all to take back these terms from the activist linguists out there. It is about time that pro-equality folks, use words that truly represent what we are trying to accomplish, don't hesitate to use these words, and be clear on your intent when using them.

Word of the Gay: "Earth-Crunchy Dyke"

An "earth-crunchy dyke" are stereotypical lesbians or bisexual women who are usually die-hard feminists, activists, vegetarian/vegan, and embrace new age religions.

Web Spotlight: Queer Today

Queer Today is the myspace for queer activists and allies. It offers an opportunity to communicate, organize, and empower one another in our efforts. The website offers groups, events, videos, and photos.

http://queertoday.ning.com/

Word of the Gay: "Purple Hand"

The "purple hand" was an early symbol of the gay liberation movement and an effort to show resilience in the face of anti-gay attacks. The term originates from Oct 31st 1969 when activists protested the San Francisco Examiner's series of anti-gay articles by protesting in front of the building. Employees of the newspaper dumped purple ink on the peaceful protesters. The activists used the ink to draw slogans on the building and to make a visible mark of gay uprising.

Soulforce's Equality Ride is Desperate for Donations!

Soulforce an organization dedicated to "freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance" sends numbers of students yearly to conservative religious academies and seminaries that bar or are hostile towards queer people. The mission is to create dialogue and inform them of the misinterpretations of scripture. Some campuses allow these activists to come and communicate and others call the police on the riders, which in turn the activists are prepared to get arrested and physically removed from the property in a demonstration of nonviolent resistance. The Equality Ride as it has come to be called has been influential in changing the hearts and minds of students, faculty, and clergy on many of the respective campuses

"The Equality Ride is the signature program of the Soulforce young adults. It saves lives and opens minds. Of the 55 colleges and universities already visited, we've seen significant progress made in the official policies of several schools.

Nearly twenty schools have formed Gay-Straight Alliances and created "Safe Zones" for LGBT students. LGBT students have begun to come out of their closets to their friends, professors and families in order to live whole and complete lives."

Soulforce's Equality Ride is set to launch Oct 1st, 2008. The Equality Ride is in dire need of contributions in light of the fact that a large donation has fallen through. The organization must raise $70,000 to meet the costs of transportation, lodging, food, and expenses for training, as well as bale money.

Please help out the equality ride by donating to Soulforce or sponsoring an individual rider. Please click here to help support the Equality Ride!

"Guerilla Gay Bar"

"Guerrilla Gay Bar" is when dozens of gays and lesbians on a given night converge on a bar/club that caters predominantly to straight people. This is a form of activism and a way to blend into the population.

Activist Tip: Get Queer Books in Your Library!

Inspired by a right-wing blog I read that was advocating for their readers to request "ex-gay" books for their local libraries I decided to post a reverse entry.

Your local library is about serving the community, they want to carry books and videos that their residents want.

They have a suggestion box or email form, why not go ahead and list some good queer political books, coming out resource guides, and queer history books to be added to the shelves?

In addition to requesting new books, make sure to take out the existing books on queer culture so that the libraries do not discontinue these books.

Many libraries have been forced to place LGBTQ books on high shelves due to community outcry, making it harder or virtually impossible for people to have access to them. Speak to the head librarian and demand that the books are visible and available for those who want them.

Sponsor the 2008 Equality Riders

"The Equality Ride is a traveling forum that gives young adults the chance to deconstruct injustice and the rhetoric that sustains it. The idea is this. We get on a bus and journey to various institutions of higher learning. Through informal conversation and educational programming we explore concepts of diversity, weighing the effects of both inclusive and exclusive ideologies. More practically, we share and gain insights about how our beliefs influence policy and culture, thereby impacting society. Our goal is to carefully and collectively examine the intersection wherein faith meets gender and human sexuality. Such discourse plays an essential role in creating a safe learning and living environment for everyone.

The 2008 Equality Ride begins in October. Get to know more about each member of the Equality Ride and read about how you can sponsor him or her by clicking a name below.

In order to make participation in the Equality Ride possible for all young activists, Soulforce Q covers 100% of the training, transportation, accomodation, food, materials, and Equality Ride apparel for the two-month journey. Your generous donation provides for hotel rooms, meals, books and many other Rider needs. The 2008 Equality Ride would not happen without your financial support. Thank you for fueling our work to move society and faith forward by sponsoring our 2008 Equality Riders!"

Learn About and Sponsor an Equality Rider

Support Soulforce by Making a Purchase from Their Store

Open Forum: Are You a Queer Superhero?

Queer activism can take on many forms. Whether it be marching in a PRIDE rally, to calling your legislators to take action on specific legislation. Making a difference for the community, can and does manifest itself in many different ways. For some it means protesting and being out loud and proud. For others it's more subtle in the form of coming out to someone with more conservative views on sexual/gender identity. While some people can be be allies and make a difference simply by speaking out against misinformation and hateful rhetoric. Every little bit of activism makes a difference, the bucket to equality can only be filled if we all work together, each drop we make no matter how insignificant we think it is, helps as far as the broader goal of reaching freedom and acceptance.

What are some of the things YOU do to help promote Queer equality? Nothing is insignificant so please share, even if its as simple as just coming to this site and shooting an email or signing a petition, or just being a friend to someone in need who is coming out.

Simple Ways to Be a Queer Activist

I want to give a shout out to this new blog Simply Queer and their great post on Queer Activism.

"1. Donate to Queer-Friendly Charities
One of the most silent, but highly important, ways to support the community is through financial support of queer initiatives. As always, make sure that the charity your are supporting is legit; ask to review their financial statements before committing dollars of your own.

2. Support Local Businesses Run by Queer Owners
There are a number of businesses worldwide which support a queer lifestyle, and they are easy to find thanks to internet resources. You can easily find a number of queer-friendly businesses to support by checking out the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, which runs a list of LGBT owned and friendly businesses in North America.

3. Write Letters to Businesses and Members of Government
The social freedoms which queer people have, limited as they may be, are almost all thanks to the generations of people who made an active political stance for LGBT lifestyles. While picketing and marches are important activities which have made real differences, the simple act of writing a letter or e-mail to those in political authority can make a substantial political impact. If an event occurs in your community which ruffles your queer-aware feathers, grab a pen and paper and speak your mind.

4. Know Who You Are Voting For
Do your research and vote! Support politicians who are committed to make a positive difference for the LGBT and other marginalized communities. Even for those of us who are especially shy about showing our rainbow stripes in public, the private act of voting makes a big public impact!

5. Affirm Others, Especially Strangers, Who Are Openly Queer
A couple summers ago, my girl and I were strolling hand-in-hand in Notting Hill, London, and a older gentleman in called out: "Girls holding hands. Never let go! Never let go!" Such seemingly small gestures of warmth from a complete stranger goes a long way in making people feel comfortable expressing their lifestyle in public. Next time you see a queer couple, don't be shy about showing them your pearly whites in affirmation!

Do you have any other suggestions for simple activism?"