2015Place.com

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-04T08:16:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins today praised the citizens of Maine for exercising their right to a "People's Veto" and affirming marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Awards to be presented at annual Cracked Xmas event in Los Angeles

Garden State EqualityÂ released two new ads yesterday evening proving that despite pro-marriage Gov. John Corzine’s election loss, advocates are pressing forward on bringing marriage equality to New Jersey:

The following is from an e-mail sent to our members a nd supporters this morning from HRC President Joe Solmonese: A deep and bitter disappointment from Maine yesterday: Maine voters have passed a devastating Proposition 8-style measure overturning the stateâs marriage equality law. Our hearts are with everyone in Maine who fought so hard to win recognition for [...]

Some of the results are in with a big win in Kalamazoo, Michigan (upholding a LGBT inclusive non-discrimination ordinance) and disappointing losses in the Gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. Â News organizations are also calling New York’s 23rd Congressional district race for Bill Owens, defeating anti-LGBT candidate Doug Hoffman. Counting continues in Maine butÂ sadly those [...]

PFLAG, Morris County (Parents, Family and Friends of Gays and Lesbians), is a confidential, mutual support group to help parents, grandparents and friends adjust to a childâs gay or lesbian orientation.

CORUNNA - Seniors Jessica Kimble and Carol Barnett never backed down from what they believed in when the Corunna Board of Education ordered a Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender Awareness Month poster removed from a display case at the high school.

CORUNNA - Less than two weeks after voting to remove the Corunna High Diversity Club's display board highlighting gay and lesbian awareness, the the Corunna Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting at which it is expected to rescind that decision.

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LGBT News Headlines (T26T-5)

2009-11-04T07:23:00.001-08:00

Washington Post

Dejection fills ballroom after gay marriage vote
The Associated Press
When they joined about 1000 other gay marriage supporters for an election night party in a Holiday Inn ballroom, they hoped to celebrate the vote that would ...
Maine Voters Repeal Law Allowing Gay MarriageNew York Times
Maine Gay Marriage Law RepealedABC News
For gay marriage, difficult terrain aheadChristian Science Monitor
Newsday -Seattle Times -TIME
all 1,769 news articles »

Dallas Voice

Gay woman tops Houston mayoral field
United Press International
4 (UPI) -- The openly gay city controller and a former city attorney backed by business interests were the top vote getters in Tuesday's mayoral race in ...
Houston mayor's race going to runoffThe Associated Press
Annise Parker And Gene Locke Could Not Secure Majority, Head For RunoffThaindian.com
Parker, Locke in runoff for Houston mayorHouston Chronicle
Gay Socialites (blog) -Towleroad (blog) -Dallas Morning News
all 143 news articles »

Advocate.com

Kalamazoo To Keep Gay Protections Law
On Top Magazine
By On Top Magazine Staff Voters in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Tuesday decided to keep a controversial gay protections law approved by city leaders in June, ...
It looks Kalamazoo gay rights ordinance will remainWZZM
In Other Gay News...TheStranger.com
KALAMAZOO VOTE ON NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE A VICTORY FOR FAIRNESSOut In America
Michigan Radio -Towleroad (blog) -Tips-Q GLBT News (blog)
all 48 news articles »

Washington Post

Maine vote protests Wednesday at 6 PM
Bay Windows
by Sue O'Connell Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality activists and supporters are gathering Wednesday, November 4th at 6pm near the Park ...
LGBT activists demand action from ObamaDaily Cardinal
Stand and deliver for LGBT rightsSocialist Worker Online
The Power of Fear and the Obligation to HopeHuffington Post (blog)
Houstonvoice.com -Queerty (blog) -San Diego Gay & Lesbian News
all 1,769 news articles »

LGBT leaders eye changes for 2020 census count
EDGE Boston
The 2010 census count has yet to begin but LGBT leaders and demographers are already pushing for changes to the 2020 census. ...

and more »

Obama and LGBT Rights: A Year Since Election Day
Huffington Post (blog)
In his first year, Obama has done very little for LGBT Americans. He contributed to the passage of an inclusive hate crimes bill and finished a process ...
Open Thread - 11/4/2009The Moderate Voice

all 4 news articles »

Austin GLBT employees receive aid
UT The Daily Texan
The federal Defense of Marriage Act defines a âspouseâ as a husband or wife in an opposite-gender marriage, and therefore the 200 GLBT employees cannot be ...

and more »

Out in the Valley GLBT
New Richmond News
502, www.oitv.org Out in the Valley is the social and community-service group serving the GLBT citizens of the St. Croix Valley.

and more »

Conservatives, Republicans win Virginia, NJ
Metro Weekly
Both mcdonnell and Cuccinelli have espoused some rather strange anti-gay philosophies, and their election comes as a disappointment to many GLBT voters, ...

and more »

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and Lambda Legal jointly published a study that found a relationship between social work educatorsâ knowledge of LGBT issues and how prepared students are to work with LGBT populations. In the study, program directors and faculty were asked about institutional policies, program policies, course offerings, curriculum, educational environment, and instructor training.

The report showed that a majority of social work schools do not provide classes or training opportunities on LGBT issues. Lambda Legalâs Youth-in-Out of Home Care project attorney, Flor Bermudez, commented on the studyâs findings about social work curricula regarding LGBT youth. âPreparing the next generation of child welfare advocates so they are better equipped to help LGBT youth in out-of-home care is a critical first step in addressing the problems weâre hearing from youth.

It is clear that faculty and students need more LGBT youth specific training. Working in partnership with CSWE we can offer resources and suggestions for curriculum development.â The CSWE Council on Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression has agreed to assist with developing a series of resources and opportunities for program directors and faculty members to better prepare students to work competently with LGBT adults and youth. The Council will be working on the resources this fall for launch in 2010.

To read more about this study, please visit the website for the Council on Social Work Education.

From CNN.com: Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur's generosity lives on.

The actress, who died in April, included a $300,000 donation to New York's Ali Forney Center, an organization supporting homeless LGBT youth, in her will, leaving center Executive Director Carl Siciliano overwhelmed by her kindness.

Siciliano said he knew of Arthur's plan to include the center in her in her will, but never knew the amount.

He had been struggling to keep the doors of the shelter open. The organization assists more than 1,000 people each year, providing shelter for those who had to leave home "for being who they are," Siciliano said.

"The last year and a half, since the economic crisis started, it's been really hard to keep this program going," Siciliano said. "A lot of the foundation and corporate money that we used to get has dried up, and we've been growing. Every day, we have about 125 kids a night waiting to get into our housing."

But on Tuesday morning, a FedEx carrier delivered a $300,000 check.

Siciliano said he immediately started to cry. Arthur's donation couldn't have come at a better time.

"For months, I've been really sweating to make each payroll, and we're usually a month or two behind on our rent, and there have been times when I was afraid that I wasn't going to hold it together," he said. "That kind of terror of [trying to] keep this thing going has come to an end for now with this extraordinary generosity."

Arthur's relationship with the center goes back to 2005, when the stage and screen star agreed to do a benefit at the request of a former set designer to help ease the center's growing pains.

"At that time we were a really small, grassroots organization. We were only sheltering 12 kids at a time," Siciliano said.

The amazing thing, he added, is that Arthur "didn't realize at that point what a serious issue it was, that so many thousands of gay kids were on the streets of our country."

Nevertheless, she was on board. She flew to New York to reprise her one-woman show, "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends" for one night only, raising more than $40,000 for the organization and contributing another sizeable personal donation.

But her generosity didn't stop once the curtain fell. Arthur consistently raised the issue of LGBT homeless youth in press interviews, such as her November 2005 interview with Next magazine.

"I'm very, very involved in charities involving youth," Arthur said in the interview. "These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or transgender -- this organization really is saving lives."

With Arthur's donation, Siciliano hopes he can save a few more. Part of the $300,000 will go toward buying a residence that can house 12, and Siciliano plans on naming it after the woman who helped make it happen.

"To have her choose to shine that kind of light on us was remarkable," Siciliano said. "She became an advocate for the issue; she said she would do anything that she could to help these kids."

Here's another video, this time from a proud father in Maine, testifying last April in support of marriage equality in Maine.

Don't forget that the vote is on Tuesday, so please take a moment and call and email everyone you know in now in Maine and tell them to vote No on 1!

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Combined Gay News Headlines (T5T-1)

2009-11-04T05:07:00.001-08:00

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Come out and celebrate with us!

Fresno: Shaw and Blackstone: 6:30pm – 8pm. Nov 4th. B 4th. Bring signs and candles! “See you again in 2010!” More Info? 559-715-2010 Jay Matthew: Region.Eight@Gmail.com www.RestoreEquality2010.com

Last week’s INTEGRATION Halloween party was truly spectacular. If momentum has anything to say about it, this week’s anniversary party should be pretty cool too.

Mainers came out in droves for fairness; volunteers from around the country flocked to the state to educate, inform and appeal for equality. There were long dedicated hours spent to preserve the civil right of gay and lesbian couples to marry.

But even in the great state of Maine, there are far too many people who cannot move past the word "marriage" because of its ties to religion and cultural norms. The result is that the filthy hog of homophobia continues to be fed with lies and deception. Witness the reaction of Matt "Bam Bam" Barber. Read it; I know you don't want to, but you need to see the level of hate that propelled discrimination to a victory - historians will pore over this filth decades from now, and wonder how could anyone find satiety in this level of bigotry:

Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs with both Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance Action, issued the following statement on news that the voters of Maine have rejected counterfeit "same-sex marriage" by 53% - 47%:

"There's good news and bad news here," said Barber. "The good news is that even in one of the most liberal States in the Union, Maine, the people have once again rejected the ridiculous and oxymoronic notion of 'same sex marriage.' The momentum has again shifted - hopefully for good this time - in favor of protecting legitimate marriage. A counterfeit is a counterfeit. An orange is an orange no matter how much you want it to be a turnip. This isn't about 'marriage.' It's about hurting and broken people desperately seeking affirmation of an objectively deviant lifestyle. One that, even in their heart of hearts, they know to be a dead end. As for the militant 'No on 1' homosexual activists? I'm reminded of spoiled children dressing up and playing house, refusing to come in when mom calls for dinner.

"Here's the bad news. The margin of victory could have been greater. Many behind the 'Yes on 1' campaign, rather than simply telling the truth, chose the Neville Chamberlain approach. They merely circled the wagons around the word 'marriage,' even suggesting that 'domestic partnerships' ('gay marriages' by another name) are acceptable. This makes no sense. If that's a viable compromis e, then why not simply allow 'gay' duos the word 'marriage'? It's an incongruity that demands an explanation. This is an historic battle for the minds and souls of our children - for our very culture. The mealy-mouthed approach must end. This is not just about 'marriage.' It has everything to do with forced affirmation of homosexuality - under penalty of law. Indeed everyone who fought hard to defend marriage in Maine is to be congratulated, but if it weren't for a brave group of truth tellers - Paul Madore, Peter LaBarbera and Brian Camenker - who came to Maine in the final hour to hold a press conference and address the pink elephant in the room - homosexual deviancy and the radical 'gay' agenda - counterfeit marriage might have prevailed."

The fact is that it was, yet again, ain, not yet time to test equality when put to a popular vote. It is proof, yet again, that civil rights should never be decided by mob rule -- but the hateful people behind Yes on 1 capitalize on spreading fear -- suckling pigs at the teat of dying, mud-covered sow of homophobia.

The hog is going to die. Hate alone cannot sustain that beast.

We should find solace in the fact that the children and grandchildren of those who voted to rollback the rights of fellow Mainers will be embarrassed that their relatives were so short-sighted, duped by entities that exist solely to discriminate using the ballot box as a weapon -- and making money off of the hate with great gusto.

I want to thank barista Louise for her tireless citizen journalism during this journey; her reporting and enthusiasm exposed us to the wonderful teamwork of all of the No on 1 efforts, she captured the local faces and voices. She opened our eyes to the work that it takes to educate, motivate and GOTV. And a hat tip to barista Lurleen as well there's much to celebrate in Washington state (still so close!), she illuminated the hard work it took to battle the right-wing haters on the ground there on Referendum 71 in her reporting. It's a coup that the Blend had the perspective of local contributors to show readers the inner workings of activism.

All of those people fighting to kill Yes on 1 are to be heralded for making us see what outreach and organization can do to pull voters to our side -- and the limits of effecting change in firmly held beliefs despite using every tool in the tool box.

It's simply not time, not in this place. What this loss in Maine (and the victory in Washington State) says to me is that I am so grateful that my civil rights, as a person of color, were not put up to a popular vote. As we've seen over and over in the last year, the emergence of naked racism lives despite laws on the books banning discrimination based on race. Reality-based arguments to people who are raised with bias have little motivation to change their thinking outside of keeping their bigotry out of the realm of law-breaking (and even then -- it still occurs!). The feelings simply go underground.

That public expressions of racism have re-emerged and been cultivated by a major political party shows the work the LGBT community has to do as it waits for equality at the federal level. Changing hearts and minds every day is necessary -- not just when there's a pending bigoted mob rule ballot measure.

LGBTs -- and more importantly, allies -- need to come out of the closet advocating for equality in ways large and small. It's the 's the only way to move many voters, particularly the ones who think they don't know someone who is gay. Too many politicians who support us privately still don't have the spine to step up their game when our rights are under attack. That has to change.

I'm sure I'll have more to say later, but I just wanted to thank everyone for putting so much energy into fighting what is an unfair, unconstitutional battle.

Kerry Eleveld @ The Advocate has a great summary of last night's highs and lows. .

Results of the count of ballots received before election day are encouraging but too close to call. So far Referendum 71 is passing 51.12% to 48.88%, meaning the domestic partnership law is safe for the moment. Tomorrow late afternoon the state will release the count of ballots deposited into drop boxes today, and some recently mailed ballots. Final results may not be available for several days as ballots mailed at the last minute make their way to the county auditors' offices.

Hopeful note: of the estimated number of ballots on hand left to be counted, by far the most are from King County. This is encouraging, since King County is home to a large concentration of our base.

Fun fact: so far we're winning in Snohomish County. That would be Larry Stickney's county. ;)

Here's the official campaign press release

Voters affirming domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian families
For Immediate Release - Nov. 3, 2009
Washington may be first state in nation to support domestic partnership by popular vote
SEATTLE - Washington voters today appear to be approving Referendum 71, upholding a state law that provides important legal protections for gays and lesbians and seniors in registered domestic partnerships.
Nearly all of the state's voters now vote by mail and ballots only need to be postmarked by Election Day, not counted by Election Day, so many ballots won't actually be counted until Wednesday or Thursday. In King County, where 'Approve' is winning by a two-to-one margin, fewer than half the ballots have been counted, and the campaign estimates that the ballots that remain to be counted in King County will account for over 30 percent of the votes remaining to be counted statewide.
"Based on the results we saw tonight, we will be making history in moving forward toward full equality for gay and lesbian Washingtonians and their families," said Anne Levinson, Chair of the Approve 71 campaign. "Voters across the state listened to the personal stories of gay and lesbian families, and the challenges they face, and, based on the returns so far, they are sending a resounding message - we want to see all fam fefilies treated equally under the law."
"We believe the end result of this election will be a win not just for the couples and families, but for all Washingtonians who believe in values of fairness and equality," Levinson continued. "It was profoundly wrong for some to try to eliminate the rights of others."
"We are all harmed when any of us is treated differently under the lalaw. We hope this puts an end to the divisive and mean spirited attacks by extremist groups against gay and lesbian Washingtonians and that we can all work together on the real problems confronting all families - gay and non-gay alike."
The Approve 71 campaign was supported by a broad statewide coalition and received more than 500 endorsements, including faith-based groups and organizations representing communities of color, seniors, education, health care and public safety; clergy of many denominations; labor; large employers such as Microsoft, Google, Starbucks, Boeing; small businesses; civic groups, organizations that care for families, immigrant populations and children, who all took a stand in support of their friends, neighbors and co-workers.
"This was one of the shortest statewide ballot campaigns in Washington. We had only weeks between certification and the first ballots going out. If these trends continue, this will be only the sixth referendum approved in the history of our state," said Josh Friedes, Approve 71 Campaign Manager. "To have these kinds of numbers in an off-year election where those who vote tend to be older and more conservative is a real testament to the broad support for Washington's gay and lesbian families."
Friedes and Levinson both noted that because of Referendum 71 - which Protect Marriage Washington, the Family Policy Institute, the National Organization for Marriage and others fought to force on the ballot -Washingtonians now have a greater understanding of the challenges faced by gay and lesbian families and the legal protections they lacked.
"Were it not for the referendum, the law would have just quietly gone into effect in July. By forcing the referendum, those groups have likely done quite a lot to advance the cause of full equality for lesbian and gay families in Washington state," Levinson said.
# # #
Contact:
Sue Evans
media@approve71.org
Josh Friedes
media@approve71.org

As I wind up my evening in the West Coast Portland, I log in to the WCHS6 website on the East Coast Portland to follow the election results in Maine. For me it is a repeat of the mixed emotions I felt on Election Night 2008, where I was elated to see Barack Obama win but crushed to see California's Prop 8 win as well. I felt so happy to see an end to the eight year Republican nightmare but also so saddened to see my people (hets, funded largely by the religion that baptized me) openly abrogating the rights of 18,000 married gay couples.

Tonight it's happened again, as I am elated to see Maine's Question 5 win, establishing a state registry card system for medical marijuana patients (like Oregon) that will protect them from arrest, expanding the list of conditions for which Mainers may qualify for medical marijuana, and providing a system of dispensaries for patients, as only four of the twelve other states do. But I am also once again crushed to see Maine's Question 1 win. Once again, my people have voted to discriminate against my gay friends and family.

Why does medical marijuana win and gay equality lose on the same ballot? How can 60% of the voters support marijuana sales, but only 48% of the same electorate support recognizing love?

Perhaps one lesson can be learned from the marketing of medical marijuana. Advocates have had to fight hard against the iconic Cheech & Chong stigma of marijuana. What they didn't do is appeal to the higher reasoning that shows cannabis to be a superior therapy with less side effects and yada yada yada. What they did do is tell personal stories of extremely sympathetic sick and dying people whose lives were visibly improved through use of medical marijuana.

In other words, medical marijuana was never about nebulous analytical concepts, it was about a real live fragile person who was going to be busted any minute by cops and thrown into a cell for smoking a joint to stop puking from chemotherapy, and your vote mattered; you were the person who could end this cruelty!
I haven't followed all the ad campaigns, so maybe this was done, but have these No on 1 / No on 8 campaigns been floating around in the mental framework of fairness and equality and rights over these past couple of years? Or have they gone the medical marijuana route with emotional gut punches of a real live person about to suffer a horrible consequence from which only you, the voter, can rescue them?

Marriage equality, as a campaign, needs what my talk radio producer cynically called the "Why Do I Give a Shit" angle. Why does the average married religious conservative het voter need to vote for marriage equality? Because it's fair? Life ain't fair. Because it's a right? Never has been before. What's in it for them? Or, what bad thing is in it for them if they don't support it?

I don't have the answers, but I love asking the questions.

Still, I can't get my mind around the notion of more than half of the people buying the "one man one woman" line and consciously deciding that one certain group of people should be discriminated against. I believe in the 25% Rule (I think it was a Trey Parker notion) that 1/4th of the people are complete idiots (as evidenced by W. Bush's final approval ratings). So at least half the people voting for Q1 really do hate teh gay, but I figure the other half, if asked, probably like gay people just fine and if asked to support a law that gave gay people every single federal and state right of marriage so long as it were called "blumpkins", they'd do it.

I really do think the hang up for many het people is just that frickin' word, "marriage". You and I know gay marriage doesn't hurt het marriage in any way, shape, or form. But what it does do is change a married het couple's perception of their relationship to that word, "marriage". There is a "Why Do I Give a Shit" angle here. Currently, as a married het man, being married means I am like other married het men. We share sterotypical stories of wives who nag, mother-in-law jokes, and hidden stashes of porn.

But if gay marriage comes to pass, who I am as a married man is now like the old familiar straight married guys I identify with plus a new set of gay married guys whose roles and identities are different than mine. Absent any compelling need to change, I'm going to vote to keep things familiar.

(Now you and I know that there is far more in common than not, and we both know the old married gay couples who are as stereotypical as old married straight couples. And my gay friend's tales of a husband who nags, his mother-in-law, and hidden stashes of porn sound just like mine save for gender pronouns. I'm just trying to think like a Yes on Q1 voter for devil's advocacy socacy sake.)

Again, I don't have the answers, and I've written before how I dislike the "civil unions" false compromise that declares gay love "separate but equal". But maybe that is the only logical possible democratic progression toward full marriage equality. After all, I fully believe all adults should be free to use cannabis, and that medical marijuana, while a godsend to the sick and disabled, is a compromise that declares me a criminal for being too healthy. However, after thirteen years and thirteen states of compromise success, we're openly talking now about full legalization in two states. After a generation has grown up in California with some people getting partial access to cannabis, 56% of them are now in support of all people getting full access. After thirteen years of dispensaries in California and the sky not falling, a majority now favors taxing and regulating it commercially. Maybe with thirteen states over thirteen years passing civil unions, and the sky not falling, support would build to replace them with full marriage equality.

Eh, just thinking out loud here. I just can't figure out how 12% of the voters would be compassionate enough to help a granny with glaucoma get some OG Kush, but also think gay people shouldn't be married.

We are 11 days away from the November Election. The Portland, Maine office is humming with volunteer activity. Every day, volunteers drop off food provisions for all the other volunteers. The first day we had homemade chili, yesterday egg salad sandwiches, and this morning someone brought in some carrots from their own yard. Mainers are chipping in any way they can. My time has been spenown yard. Mainers are chipping in any way they can. My time has been spent in the office working in the communications department while Travis Prinslow and Meleanie Altaras have been adopted into the Data and Campus Outreach departments. We work 9 to 9, when we're lucky and have been working on a variety of projects. From confirming volunteers, to getting people to vote early and in person volunteer recruitment. The amount of work that goes into a campaign is astounding. You walk into any office and you hear typing, people on the phone, stapling, paper shuffling and people being directed. It's a small preview of what Oregon will be dealing with soon enough. However, Oregon's fight will be much larger-- Maine's population is a third the size of Oregon's. I'm grateful that Basic Rights Oregon is starting early and getting all our ducks in a row before we enter our own fight. Maine's latest YouTube celebrity goes by the name of Phillip Spooner. Mr. Spooner is 85 years old, a WWII vet, and a lifelong republicanâ"he is also in favor of marriage equality. Click here to watch his testimony in April during the Marriage hearings. His video has officially gone viral, with close to 500,000 views. Mainers are excited to have someone like Mr. Spooner speaking up for equality, so much so that he has unofficially become the face of the campaign. Click here to watch a segment of Mr. Spooner being interviewed about his views on Marriage Equality. The opposition is using children to scare voters into voting against equality. They are running ads claiming that "gay sex education" will be taught in schools. Fortunately, the Maine campaign has been very diligent about countering their ads and has caused a stir by featuring a French catholic woman who supports her son's right to get married. Yolande Dumont is also a Maine celebrity and has inspired Catholics and other religious denominations to come out and support the No on 1 campaign. Of course the Catholic DIoces is bankrolling the opposition's campaign along with National Organization marriage and Shubert Flint of prop 8 fame. When Yolande first came on the airwaves the Catholic Diocese was up in arms and started to spend resources countering Yolande's message. This is exciting because the opposition is now on the defensive. Not only do they have to counter multiple legislators, and educators on the whole "Teaching gay in Schools" issue, now they have to make sure that other fair minded Catholics reject Yolande's message. If the No on 1 Campaign wins on Election Day it will be a model on how to defeat the oppositions' vitriol and lies. Although, Maine is literally the farthest place from Oregon in the country, their efforts will have a huge impact on our work. They need all the help they can get. If you have not donated to the NO on 1 campaign you can do so by clicking here. If you cannot afford a donation but have some extra time on your hands you can phone bank from Oregon with their Call for Equality Program sign up here. I'm going to get back to work now but feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions about getting involved in the Maine campaign. In solidarity, Alejandro Juarez Communications Coordinator Basic Rights Oregon (503) 222-6151 x 105 alejandro@basicrights.org

âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ here Presented by PFLAG Pendleton in cooperation with Communities of Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four transgender people as they explore their relationships to family, gender, Christianity and spirituality. Â Rev. Tara Wilkins, executive director of Community of Welcoming [...]

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GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-04T04:15:00.001-08:00

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA Law issued a report today analyzing newly released data from the US Census Bureau. The study examines data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS).

Challenge Could Raise Questions of Civilian Control of Military

NEW YORK, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Logo, a unit of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), announced today that TripOutGayTravel.com, its comprehensive travel site dedicated to the LGBT traveler and MTV Networks' first stand-alone, travel-focused site, announced the winners of its first ever "TripOut Gay Travel Awards." The awards honor the most stylish, exciting and hottest destinations and services that attract, pamper and market to the LGBT traveler. The awards and winners will be officially celebrated tonight at a reception coinciding with the Community Marketing, Inc. 10th International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism in Boston, MA with select honorees in attendance to receive their award.

VICTORY! Â From an email to volunteers on the One Kalamazoo campaign, campaign manager Jon Hoadley declared victory in their effort to keep a LGBT inclusive non-discrimination ordinance on the books: âOur campaign started with a very basic idea, and today voters confirmed that we are One Kalamazoo,â said Campaign Manager, Jon Hoadley. With only absentee ballots outstanding, [...]

From HRC’s organizer in Washington State: Volunteers here in Seattle are still on the phones making sure Washingtonians head to the polls in Pierce county or to one of the many drop sites across the state. Seattle’s numbers will be reported around 8:15PM PST tonight. Since most of the state is mail-in only, most of the [...]

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

2009-11-04T01:50:00.000-08:00

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)
Maine voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in New England, the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state - 31 in all - in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine - known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate - and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.

With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes.

"The institution of marriage has been pres ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)
The Kansas City Chiefs have reached a settlement with Larry Johnson and agreed Monday to withhold only one week's pay for making gay slurs instead of two.

The settlement saved the two-time Pro Bowl running back about $315,000. His agent, Peter Schaffer, had threatened to take the matter to arbitration.

The Chiefs refused any comment other than to say they had finalized the settlement. Schaffer told the AP on Saturday night the agreement had been reached and needed only to be signed.

Originally, the Chiefs suspended Johnson for two weeks until Nov. 9, including this week's ga ...

SALEM, Ore. (AP)
Gay rights backers kicked off a voter education campaign Monday aimed at eventually overturning Oregon's ban on same-sex marriage.

Evan Wolfson of the national gay rights group Freedom to Marry said Monday he thinks "hearts and minds are changing" and that Oregon voters will at some point be willing to reverse their 2004 vote banning same-sex unions.

With states such as Massachusetts and Iowa now allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, he said, people around the country "are realizing there is no good reason to exclude them from marriage."

"They are seeing with their own eyes familie ...

Networking guru and arts advocate is determined to find meaningful work. When faced with a new opportunity, Nancy VanReece asks herself, "Does this fulfill my mission."

Jessie Maness, who is resident DJ at 508 Late Night Lounge (508 Lea Avenue, Nashville), said that for him, music was definitely an art form and has become his life's pursuit.

Local GLBT talent need not travel to the west coast or Big Apple to find an accepting talent agent anymore. With BNA Talent Group, Josh Robbins is offering a niche for them right here in Nashville.

Openly gay Houston city controller Annise Parker will face Gene Locke in a bid for mayor

Openly gay former news anchor Charles Pugh will lead Detroit City Council

Voters in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Tuesday decided to keep a controversial gay protections law

Openly gay Houston city controller Annise Parker will face Gene Locke in a bid for mayor

Openly gay former news anchor Charles Pugh will lead Detroit City Council

Voters in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Tuesday decided to keep a controversial gay protections law

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-04T00:15:00.001-08:00

NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Demonstrating its continuing commitment and support of diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry, Ogilvy & Mather New York was a proud sponsor of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's (GLAAD) first Media Awards in Advertising. The Awards recognize and honor individuals and projects in the advertising and marketing industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Canadian Gay News Headlines (T13T-4)

2009-11-04T00:14:00.001-08:00

I have three young children. Therefore it should come as no surprise to any of you that portions of this article were written in the small hours of the morning, squeezed into stolen portions of time under suboptimal circumstances. When you've got small...

Travel companies inviting gay and lesbian travellers to "paint the town pink" and claiming that South Africa has some of the most enlightened human rights policies in the world aren't technically wrong — but the push to attract gays from abroad stands in sharp contrast to the vi...

From Milk's Oscar campaign to homegrown hit I Killed My Mother, queer cinema has most certainly registered on the pop culture radar this past year. And 2009 doesn't seem to be an anomaly, as the recent commercial success of C.R.A.Z.Y., Ca...

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Combined Gay News Headlines (T5T-1)

2009-11-04T00:07:00.001-08:00

Permalink | Post a comment | Add to del.icio.us Tagged:

Come out and celebrate with us!

Last week week’s INTEGRATION Halloween party was truly spectacular. If momentum has anything to say about it, this week’s anniversary party should be pretty cool too.

After you wake up from your October 31 activities…come out to the campus and enjoy a FREE Battle of the Bands as a part of the 2nd Annual Latino Heritage Festival at Maple Mall (In Front of Joyal Administration Building) on Fresno State’s Campus on Sunday, November 1, 2009 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Featuring: [...]

Hopeful note: of the estimated number of ballots on hand left to be counted, by far the most are from King County. This is encouraging, since King County is home to a large concentration of our base.

Fun fact: so far we're winning in Snohomish County. That would be Larry Stickney's county. ;)

Here's the official campaign press release

Voters affirming domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian families
For Immediate Release - Nov. 3, 2009
Washington may be first state in nation to support domestic partnership by popular vote
SEATTLE - Washington voters today appear to be approving Referendum 71, upholding a state law that provides important legal protections for gays and lesbians and seniors in registered domestic partnerships.
Nearly all of the state's voters now vote by mail and ballots only need to be postmarked by Election Day, not counted by Election Day, so many ballots won't actually be counted until Wednesday or Thursday. In King County, where 'Approve' is winning by a two-to-one margin, fewer than half the ballots have been counted, and the campaign estimates that the ballots that remain to be counted in King County will account for over 30 percent of the votes remaining to be counted statewide.
"Based on the results we saw tonight, we will be making history in moving forward toward full equality for gay and lesbian Washingtonians and their families," lies," said Anne Levinson, Chair of the Approve 71 campaign. "Voters across the state listened to the personal stories of gay and lesbian families, and the challenges they face, and, based on the returns so far, they are sending a resounding message - we want to see all families treated equally under the law."
"We believe the end result of this election will be a win not just for the couples and families, but for all Washingtonians who believe in values of fairness and equality," Levinson continued. "It was profoundly wrong for some to try to eliminate the rights of others."
"We are all harmed when any of us is treated differently under the law. We hope this puts an end to the divisive and mean spirited attacks by extremist groups against gay and lesbian Washingtonians and that we can all work together on the real problems confronting all families - gay and non-gay alike."
The Approve 71 campaign was supported by a broad statewide coalition and received more than 500 endorsements, including faith-based groups and organizations representing communities of color, seniors, education, health care and public safety; clergy of many denominations; labor; large employers such as Microsoft, Google, Starbucks, Boeing; small businesses; civic groups, organizations that care for families, immigrant populations and children, who all took a stand in support of their friends, neighbors and co-workers.
"This was one of the shortest statewide ballot campaigns in Washington. We had only weeks between certification and the first ballots going out. If these trends continue, this will be only the sixth referendum approved in the history of our state," said Josh Friedes, Approve 71 Campaign Manager. "To have these kinds of numbers in an off-year election where those who vote tend to be older and more conservative is a real testament to the broad support for Washington's gay and lesbian families."
Friedes and Levinson both noted that because of Referendum 71 - which Protect Marriage Washington, the Family Policy Institute, the National Organization for Marriage and others fought to force on the ballot -Washingtonians now have a greater understanding of the challenges faced by gay and lesbian families and the legal protections they lacked.
"Were it not for the referendum, the law would have just quietly gone into effect in July. By forcing the referendum, those groups have likely done quite a lot to advance the cause of full equality for lesbian and gay families in Washington state," Levinson said.
# # #
Contact:
Sue Evans
media@approve71.org
Josh Friedes
media@approve71.org

Why does medical marijuana win and gay equality lose on the same ballot? How can 60% of the voters support marijuana sales, but only 48% of the same electorate support recognizing love?

I don't have the answers, but I love asking the questions.

But if gay marriage comes to pass, who I am as am as a married man is now like the old familiar straight married guys I identify with plus a new set of gay married guys whose roles and identities are different than mine. Absent any compelling need to change, I'm going to vote to keep things familiar.

I don't think Maine could ask for better friends than what you have all shown yourselves to be and I am incredibly grateful.

Kevinchi and JohnVisser were here with me most of the night; having such good friends here made all the difference in the world.

But- AP has called it, the staging is going down, and there are but a handful of us still in the room. And since I really don't wanna have to sweep, I think it's time to get some sleep.

And maybe call in sick for tomorrow...

This is a setback- it is not the end. Not by a long shot.

In the days leading up to my departure for Maine, I wasn't sure what to expect from the people I'd meet here. I'm no stranger to ballot campaigns; we've had our share of those in Oregon. I rode on Tuesday to a suburb outside of Portland, Maine with another volunteer staff to meet with nine high school students about their interest to get involved with the No On 1 campaign. Our goal was to start a âFriends and Familyâ Volunteer Recruitment Phone Bank with them on the spot, and to organize a few times when they and their friends could volunteer together, canvassing door-to-door the weekend before Election Day. We rolled up to their neighborhood Starbucks at about 3 o'clock and met the students inside. They'd come straight after school, and had heard about the campaign at an all-ages concert,about the campaign at an all-ages concert, where they'd been watching their favorite local band. Three of the youth were band members! A few of them had worn their No On 1 buttons to school that day, and mentioned that they'd started conversations with other students about the issue, and what it meant to them. After introducing ourselves and briefly describing the state of the campaign, we read through a script and role-played it, making sure to arm the students with the facts needed to express to their friends and family members how much this means to them and why we need their help in the last two weeks of the campaign. When we asked the students to get out their mobile phones and start calling to sign their friends up for volunteer shifts with the campaign, they excelled at the task! After about a half hour, the students made a plan to gather together with their newly signed up volunteers for a morning canvass on Halloween, knocking on doors to get out the vote. None of the nine students were affiliated with the Gay Straight Alliance at their school, (and none mentioned that they identified as LGBT,) but all shared a sense that whoever you are and whomever you love, couples deserve to be recognized equally under the law.

We are 11 days away from the November Election. The Portlom the November Election. The Portland, Maine office is humming with volunteer activity. Every day, volunteers drop off food provisions for all the other volunteers. The first day we had homemade chili, yesterday egg salad sandwiches, and this morning someone brought in some carrots from their own yard. Mainers are chipping in any way they can. My time has been spent in the office working in the communications department while Travis Prinslow and Meleanie Altaras have been adopted into the Data and Campus Outreach departments. We work 9 to 9, when we're lucky and have been working on a variety of projects. From confirming volunteers, to getting people to vote early and in person volunteer recruitment. The amount of work that goes into a campaign is astounding. You walk into any office and you hear typing, people on the phone, stapling, paper shuffling and people being directed. It's a small preview of what Oregon will be dealing with soon enough. However, Oregon's fight will be much larger-- Maine's population is a third the size of Oregon's. I'm grateful that Basic Rights Oregon is starting early and getting all our ducks in a row before we enter our own fight. Maine's latest YouTube celebrity goes by the name of Phillip Spooner. Mr. Spooner is 85 years old, a WWII vet, and a lifelong republicanâ"he is also in favor of marriage equality. Click here to watch his testimony in April during the Marriage hearings. His video has officially gone viral, with close to 500,000 views. Mainers are excited to have someone like Mr. Spooner speaking up for equality, so much so that he has unofficially become the face of the campaign. Click here to watch a segment of Mr. Spooner being interviewed about his views on Marriage Equality. The opposition is using children to scare voters into voting against equality. They are running ads claiming that "gay sex education" will be taught in schools. Fortunately, the Maine campaign has been very diligent about countering their ads and has caused a stir by featuring a French catholic woman who supports her son's right to get married. Yolande Dumont is also a Maine celebrity and has inspired Catholics and other religious denominations to come out and support the No on 1 campaign. Of course the Catholic DIoces is bankrolling the opposition's campaign along with National Organization marriage and Shubert Flint of prop 8 fame. When Yolande first came on the airwaves the Catholic Diocese was up in arms and started to spend resources countering Yolande's message. This is exciting because the opposition is now on the defensive. Not only do they have to counter multiple legislators, and educators on the whole "Teaching gay in Schools" issue, now they have to make sure that other fair minded Catholics reject Yolande's message. If the No on 1 Campaign wins on Election Day it will be a model on how to defeat the oppositions' vitriol and lies. Although, Maine is literally the farthest place from Oregon in the country, their efforts will have a huge impact on our work. They need all the help they can get. If you have not donated to the NO on 1 campaign you can do so by clicking here. If you cannot afford a donation but have some extra time on your hands you can phone bank from Oregon with their Call for Equality Program sign up here. I'm going to get back to work now but feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions about getting involved in the Maine campaign. In solidarity, Alejandro Juarez Communications Coordinator Basic Rights Oregon (503) 222-6151 x 105 alejandro@basicrights.org

âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ here Presented by PFLAG Pendleton in cooperation with Communities of Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four tran Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four transgender people as they explore their relationships to family, gender, Christianity and spirituality. Â Rev. Tara Wilkins, executive director of Community of Welcoming [...]

Gay Republicans Cheer Party's New Chairman (http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4378/173/) By Deb Price Shortly after voters dealt Republicans another devastating blow in November, Robert Kabel, openly gay chairman of the D.C. Republican Party, received a call from a longtime friend, Michael Steele. Steele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland credited with coining the chant Drill, baby, drill at the Republican National Convention, told Kabel he intended to run for chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Meowth is Dead. Long Live Meowth! (http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4377/175/) By Jacob Anderson-Minshall When Maddie Blaustein passed away suddenly this December few of her fans realized she’d gone. Like many voice actresses who disappear behind the scenes while their alter egos garner all the attention; Blaustein faced a certain level of obscurity, despite the fact that the characters she voiced are recognized on sight—especially a little beige cat named Meowth.

Support From Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle Help or Hurt Candidates? (http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/02/does_support_from_fort_lauderd.html) Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle - who leaves office next month because of term limits - remains a hero to some and villain to others, making him a factor in Tuesday’s primary for the next mayor and City Commission. Naugle is so controversial in the gay community that the Dolphin Democrats gay and lesbian political club is running advertisements targeted to gays and lesbians...

The News for Tuesday: France slams Uganda; Updates on the Lesbian Embezzlement Case; Oregon Activist Gear Up; The Stakes in Maine; Attacks at Georgetown University; A homophobic ‘kiddie gang’ on trial; Another teen arrested in Liverpool attack; A proposal during testimony… Crime & Court Watch: - Uch: - UK — Another teenager arrested over assault on gay Liverpool policeman. - [...]

Today’s Entertainment & Life Post Includes: Stephen Fry, Sir Elton, Militant Fashion, Japanese ‘Girly Men’, Scottish Rugby, Risky Writing, Revealing Diaries and Alumni reflections. Book Buzz: - Benjamin Britte Britten’s diaries reveal boys, bitching and brilliance — Writings show composer as lonely but driven and with low opinions of his rivals. - Risky Writing from Gay Malaysians Celeb & Showbiz [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Phone dating combined with computer dating: 888-Mega-Mates & GayMates.com

2009-11-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

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www.GayTalkRadio.org a 24/7 LGBTQIA Independent Internet Radio Station. Visit, Listen, Support and become involved.

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-03T13:54:00.001-08:00

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning January 2010 in Newark, African American men who have sex with men will be targeted by an HIV Testing social marketing campaign titled "Status Is Everything" organized by the African Amerifrican American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) of Newark. "Status Is Everything" aims to encourage African American men, particularly young men who have sex with men, to get HIV tested and reduce risky behaviors. AAOGC will unveil the "Status Is Everything" brand and outreach components on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009. Funding for "Status Is Everything" is provided by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as part of the department's HIV prevention efforts aimed at high-risk African American men.

In King County (where Seattle is located), voting turnout was only at 20 percent going in to Election Day, so it’s great to see lines at the King County Administration building in Seattle where one of several Election Day drop off boxes are located. Many more people are likely to turn in their ballots last [...]

For the past few months, HRC staff and volunteers have been on the ground working hard to elect fair-minded candidates across the Commonwealth of Virginia.Â Today, HRC staff and volunteers are pushing in these final hours of the campaign to ensure that fair-minded voters get to polls.Â From knocking on doors, to calling HRC members, [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Combined Gay News Headlines (T5T-1)

2009-11-03T12:48:00.001-08:00

ON OUR GAYDAR â" News, notes, clicks, and quips from around the web.

Tough call: Are we more excited about L.A. Zombie, the urban gore flick starring director Bruce LaBruce's 's porn friends including Francois Sagat, or Prince of Persia, starring white man Jake Gyllenhaal making use of a mystic phallus? CONTINUED Â» Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us Tas Tagged: Entertainment, FranÃÂ§ois Sagat, Jake Gyllenhaal, Movies, Porn, Prince of [...]

SOUNDBITES — "I've looked in vain for public polling on how much the gay-marriage issue hurt Dede Scozzafava with GOP and independent voters [in her in her U.S. Congressional race]. So I commissioned a poll. The results should be ready to release by tomorrow. Here's the key: The press (including conservatives) tend to lump gay marriage in [...]

For whatever reason for the pastÂ two decades the United States hasnes hasn’t allowed people with HIV or AIDs into this country. Granted we also don’t let gay people donate blood because, y’know, queers all have HIV. Today though that first issue was rectified by President Obama signing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Act. From the [...]

3:15PM update- Bangor Daily News Results, total and by county

2:30PM update- high turnouts reported in Farmington, Bangor, Brunswick, Saco, York, Portland and UMaine Orono campus.

Even our lil hometown, per Charlie, is VERY high! 1100 so far (including absentee)- we've got maybe 2400 registered voters at most!

And we've still got 5 1/2 hrs left until polls close.

Correction: Portland LOW, per one source. So will be looking into this.
============================================

GET UPDATES FROM THE CAMPAIGN VIA THEIR SITE, starting at 8pm tonight.

First thing, Secretary of State Matt Dunlap grossly underestimated the numbers of voters! We could well break the record for an off-year election of 50.9%, all due to GOTV efforts.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap now says voter turnout could be 50 percent rather than 35 percent.
More than 100,000 absentee ballots already have been returned to town clerks' offices, and more than 10,000 are still outstanding. The absentee ballots will be counted after the polls close.

Saco is on pace to have a 55% turnout!

Portland is busy...- Bangor also had lines of people waiting, as many as 50 at 7am, per WCSH6.

Voters line up by the dozens to cast their vote on election day.
Poll workers at the First Baptist Curch in Portland reported a steady stream of residents eager to do their civic duty as soon as the polls opened at 7:00 a.m. Many voters we spoke to say question one - the same sex marriage referendum issue, was what brought them to the polls.

From ElsieElsie comes this link regarding far southern Maine:

YORK - Turn out was heavy at the York polls on Tls on Tuesday, about 200 voters an hour, according to Town Clerk Mary-Anne Szeniawski.
Szeniawski said she believed by the time the polls closed at 8 p.m., York would have a turn-out rate of 50 to 60 percent of registered voters.
At least 30 percent of York's 10,800 registered voters cast ballot by absentee. The town clerk's office issues 3,300 absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 referendum, which is "huge," Szeniawski said.
Szeniawski believes Question 1, whether to repeal same sex marriage, got people out to vote, either in person or by absentee.

Below the fold, more info (to be updated) and rumors...
Farmington (big branch of University of Maine up there!) reporting high

Supposedly MSNBC's Countessa Brewer is in Maine, as is HRC's Joe Solmonese, who just spoke with Andrea Mitchell.

(I know he's a New Englander and all, but it burns my butt that Mitchell is interviewing HIM as "the face" of this battle in Maine!)

Oh well...

This is a guest post by Nancy Nangeroni. Nancy is a transgender community activist, writer, and musician. Former executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education and former co-host of Gender Talk Radio, she is widely known for her incisive writing and inspiring speaking and media appearances, including the landmark A&E piece "Transgender Revolution." She has been involved in the Transgender community since 1990, and became a leading voice in the Transgender Movement with her call for a national challenge to anti-transgender violence and discrimination in 1995.

Nancy is another member of the trans community who I've asked to share their thoughts on federal hate crime legislation -- the hate crime legislation that was signed by President Obama on October 28, 2009.
~~Autumn~~

By Nancy Nangeroni

Picture this: it's a crisp early December night, and you're walking down the sidewalk of a semi-urban street, carrying a candle whose flame flutters in the night, struggling to stay lit. On one arm, the mother of a trans woman who has just been murdered, and on the other, the sister. Trailing behind, a seemingly endless stream of mourners carrying candles. Against the semi-darkness of a busy street dominated by the sound of traffic and the glare of street lights, the stream struggles for visibility. The mother at your side is not shy about sharing her grief with the world around you, and her cries into the night - "Who took my baby!" - echo off the walls on either side. You did not know the murdered girl for whom the outpouring of grief and solidarity materialized almost overnight, but you cannot help but be moved, deeply, by her mother's generous sharing of her grief. You are part of a community of caring people who have lost one of their own to violence. The somber vigil moves on into the night, following as yo u lead the bereaved family to the site of the brutal crime. Your entire being resonates with shared loss.

Or this: you've been standing outside of a courthouse where the murderer of a transsexual woman is on trial. She was brutally stabbed to death, and you felt compelled to do something, even if it's just standing outside the courthouse holding a sign protesting violence against trans persons. There are only two or three other people with you. A single reporter asks you a few questions, a photographer takes a photo. Then the doors to the courthouse open, and several people emerge. One of them walks over to you. She tells you she's the sister of the murdered woman. Then she gives you a big hug, telling you how much she appreciates you being there. You feel helpless in the face of her loss, which you can't begin to imagine.

Or this: You've been holding a series of demonstrations ouns outside the courthouse where the murderer of another transsexual is being tried. Now, he's being sentenced, and you've once again stood outside the courthouse, handing out fliers protesting the denigration of the victim, the whitewashing of the murderer's guilt. It's your third demonstration in the past several weeks, and only one other person has joined you this time. After awhile, the two of you head inside to witness the sentencing firsthand. As you step off the elevator and turn towards the courtroom, a bathroom door across the hallway opens. A man emerges, and, unbelievably, you recognize the face of the bastard that strangled a transwoman to death in his own bedroom, and who is now trying to get away with it. For an instant, your voice catches in your throat. What do you say? Do you try to make him feel the weight of his guilt, the hurt that he has done not just to that girl, but to a family and a community? Do you lash out at him in raw hatred? Or do you stare at him stonily, and let him imagine his own worst nightmare?

I'm one of the lucky ones. These instances are as close as I've come to the brutality too often dealt to those who dare to follow their own transgender compass. I do what I can to help those less fortunate, joined by a growing community. And now we have a federal Hate Crimes law to help prosecute those who trample our humanity.

This is what progress looks like. It comes too late for too many. But it is the latest of many steps forward, and for that I am grateful.

~~~~~
Related:
* Pam's House Blend tag: Transgender Hate Crimes Essay Project

Today is the day! Here's some great advice from campaign buddy Josh:

Please make sure to mail in that ballot ASAP if you haven't yet and keep on your friends & family all through today to vote. Call them, text them, email them, FB them, show up at their house, bang on their windows. Its too critical to sit this one out! Let's make sure we can call this an Approve 71 VICTORY PARTY!!!

Yes, party! Join us Election Night at a party in your area. Here's the list. The Seattle party will be broadcast live starting at 8:00 PM. Video feed is below the fold, or you can watch here.

You can follow @ApproveRef71 on Twitter throughout the day today and on Facebook.

Results of King Co. mail ballots counted on election day will be posted at 8:15 pm over here. Statewide results will be posted here starting at 8 pm. (thx Tech Bear!)

VOTE VOTE VOTE! APPROVE APPROVE APPROVE!
Online video chat by Ustream

âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ here Presented by PFLAG Pendleton in cooperation with Communities of Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four tran Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four transgender people as they explore their relationships to family, gender, Christianity and spirituality. Â Rev. Tara Wilkins, executive director of Community of Welcoming [...]

Once upon a time I started writing a novel; about three years ago actually. And then I ran into a few snags. The plot was getting too complicated, the action too tedious and I was starting to not really care about what happened to any of my characters. After about a month’s worth of frustration [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

International Gay News Headlines (T25T-3)

2009-11-03T12:20:00.001-08:00

The US state of Maine will decide today whether a recent law allowing gay marriage should be allowed to remain.

Lesbian couples in Scotland will soon be given equal rights to fertility treatment on the NHS. Following legal action by one lesbian couple, the government has set up an advisory group which is expected to recommend early next year that lesbians should be routinely allowed access to NHS fertility services.

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has claimed he is a victim of "lies and smears" after complaining about a chapter in an academic text.

It seems hard to believe that a generation has grown up since 9 November 1989, the day the world was glued to the television witnessing Germans young and old smashing the Berlin Wall with sledgehammers and dancing the night away.

The countryâs top queer film honour, the My Queer Career Award, will be selected by some particularly keen and qualified eyes.

The Obama administration will lift a 20-year old ban on people with HIV travelling to the United States.

Gay rights groups to protest religious parents' meeting
USA Today
Other speakers include Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, and Nancy Heche, mother of actress Anne Heche. Nancy Heche talks about her ...

and more »

Washington Post

Christian Conservatives Eye Tuesday Election
Charisma News Online
Voters in Maine will decide today whether to repeal a gay marriage law passed by the legislature in May. Historically, traditional marriage has been upheld ...
A Broadway Musical That Dealt with Gay Marriage: In 1983Hartford Courant
Legislating Inequality: Last year in California, this year in Maine?OpEdNews

all 503 news articles »

Los Angeles Times

On Location Boston: 10th International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism
e-Travel Blackboard (press release)
The annual International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism is the brainchild of two hardworking people who apply their meticulously researched ...
West Hollywood reaches out to gay and lesbian touristsLos Angeles Times
Labour to set up LGBT sectionTimes of Malta

all 10 news articles »

Washington Post

Los Angeles Times

All 177 branches of BNZ bank across New Zealand will be closed tomorrow as staff support a variety of local projects, with one gay staff member and his team taking the opportunity to spend the day giving K' Road's Rainbow Youth Centre a makeover.

The team who will direct Wellington's LGBT sport and cultural festival for 2011 is now confirmed as David Hindley and Virginia Hopkins-Burns were elected the men's and women's co-chairs for the 2nd Asia Pacific Outgames at the group's AGM at the weekend.

The annual auction fundraiser for the Gay Auckland Business Association's Charitable Trust - traditionally held in the weeks before Christmas - has been rescheduled for March 2010.

OBAMA LIFTS HIV TRAVEL BAN Read more….

Second hearing for DC marriage equality Read more….

GOP Candidate mails anti-marriage mailer against gay-supportive incumbent governor. Read more….

OBAMA LIFTS HIV TRAVEL BAN Read more….

Second hearing for DC marriage equality Read more….

GOP Candidate mails anti-marriage mailer against gay-supportive incumbent governor. Read more….

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-03T09:54:00.001-08:00

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning January 2010 in Newark, African American men who have sex with men will be targeted by an HIV Testing social marketing campaign titled "Status Is Everything" organized by the African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) of Newark. "Status Is Everything" aims to encourage African American men, particularly young men who have sex with men, to get HIV tested and reduce risky behaviors. AAOGC will unveil the "Status Is Everything" brand and outreach components on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009. Funding for "Status Is Everything" is provided by the Newd by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as part of the department's HIV prevention efforts aimed at high-risk African American men.

Across Virginia, HRC staff and supporters have been out working for change since well before sunrise. Weâll be out today in force knocking on doors and calling voters until polls close at 7pm. Our organizers, pumped on coffee and leftover Halloween candy, have been building towards today for months. Itâs all about who goes to [...]

A report from HRC’s organizer Adrian Matanza in Washington State: After weeks of identifying voters, today is the day to turn in those mail in ballots. After calling voters until 9pm last night, APPROVE Referendum 71 volunteers and I are up early and waving signs to morning commuters making their way to work on election day. We [...]

This post is from Jarrod Chlapowski, a U.S. Army veteran who recently joined the Human Rights Campaign to consult on ending the militaryâs Donât Ask, Donât Tell policy. Having been trained as a Korean linguist and cryptologic voice interceptor, he served in Korea, supporting the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion on more than 300 sensitive reconnaissance [...]

The city is trying to shore up revenues by wooing a 'very lucrative segment.' If you plan on protesting a ban on same-sex marriage, what better place than West Hollywood, a town known nationwide as a center for gay activism and politics?

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Combined Gay News Headlines (T5T-1)

2009-11-03T07:49:00.001-08:00

What a perfect day to announce the collapse of Equality Across America's infrastructure. On the day we'll all be concerning ourselves with the outcomes in Maine, Washington, and Kalamazoo, the organization behind the National Equality March has collapsed — and doesn't even know if it has a future. CONTINUED Â» Permalink | 1 comment | Add to [...]

Not only is the president's silence on the battle in Maine (and Washington) leaving an obvious question about discrimination up to chance (and the blood, sweat, and tears of Protect Maine Equality) today, but so too is the failure of America's Gay Inc. groups to "to obtain a clear cut endorsement for the LGBT community." [...]

Like, six seconds ago NFL player Larry Johnson got into some shit for throwing around the word "fag" in public and on Twitter. Is the NBA so many worlds away that Dallas Mavericks player Drew Gooden hasn't yet learned that calling fans "faggots" isn't so great an idea? CONTINUED Â» Permalink | Post a comment | Add [...]

Last week’s INTEGRATION Halloween party was truly spectacular. If momentum has anything to say about it, this week’s anniversary party should be pretty cool too. ] " />

Today is the day! Here's some great advice from campaign buddy Josh:

Please make sure to mail in that ballot ASAP if you haven't yet and keep on your friends & family all through today to vote. Call them, text them, email them, FB them, show up at their house, bang on their windows. Its too critical to sit this one out! Let's make sure we can call this an Approve 71 VICTORY PARTY!!!

Yes, party! Join us Election Night at a party in your area. Here's the list. The Seattle party will be broadcast live starting at 8:00 PM. Video feed is below the fold, or you can watch here.

Results of mail ballots counted on election day will be posted at 8:15 pm over here.

VOTE VOTE VOTE! APPROVE APPROVE APPROVE!
Online video chat by Ustream

NOTICE: Pam has an event reminder up on the top left side of the front page regarding our CoverItLive coverage. Hope to chat with you all then! :)

Here we go!

b>CLICK ON THIS LINK.

Voting on Election Day
Where do I go to vote?
Every town and city has its own places where people vote. You can call your town office or city hall to find out where you vote, or use the online Voter Information Lookup service.
Voting places open between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., depending on the size of the town. Local officials can give you the exact opening time for your community. All polling places close at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Can I have help voting?
Yes. If you need help reading or marking the ballot, you may ask a relative or friend for assistance. The helper does not have to be a voter or old enough to vote. An election official can also help you read or mark a ballot. However, your employer or union official cannot help you vote.
How do I locate and contact my municipal clerk?
You can find contact information for your town office or city hall on Maine.gov at http://www.maine.gov/local/.
You may also contact:
Office of the Secretary of State
Division of Elections
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0101
(207)624-7650
CEC.Elections@maine.gov
http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/e...
Registering to Vote
Who can register and vote in Maine?
To register, you must be a United States citizen, at least 17 years of age, and live in Maine.
To vote in the November 3, 2009 General Election, you must be registered in the community where you reside, and be at least 18 years of age.
Where do I go to register?
You can register to vote at your town office or city hall, through any Motor Vehicle branch office, in most state & federal social service agencies, or at voter registration drives. Completed voter registration cards may be hand delivered or mailed to your town office or city hall, or sent to the Secretary of State's Office in Augusta.
Is there a deadline for registering?
No. It's never too late to register to vote in Maine. You can register to vote until, and including, Election Day. There is no cut-off date for registering to vote in person at your town office or city hall.

More photos and the story of these moose, LL Bean's latest exhibit, below the fold.

These moose were found dead in New Sweden ME, wh ME, which is way up near Houlton/Canadian border. I cannot imagine the work that was required to build this exhibit- even with the photos and narrative explaining how this was done, it's still an incredibly daunting project with beautiful results.
==============================================
Charlie and I heard about this amazing bit of taxidermy artistry awhile ago and decided that the image of 2 huge Maine bull moose, locked to the death, was a very strong image.

But the photos cannot do justice to the sheer SIZE of one of these creatures, let alone both together. This is a HUGE display!
=================================================
There was also this sign that Charlie saw and I missed:

If you compare the 2 sides of today's equality battle to this, the sign makes alot of sense!

Ever since the "Maine Won't Discriminate" law was passed in November 2005, there has been pushes to repeal it that failed to garner support. And frankly, SFMM has been, in many of their ads run during their campaign, shown that what they are fighting is not marriage per se, but acceptance of LGBTQ in our Maine communities.

==================================================

Attacking schools was especially nasty- what kind of message are they sending LGBTQ kids?

Yet they went there, time and again, desperate to find a way, ANY WAY, to win.

So- now here we are- Election Day. And hopefully in a matter of hours, we will know who won and not be deadlocked like these 2 moose!

Honest to god, it's hard to take Washingon State-based homobigot Rev. Ken Hutcherson seriously. This is a man who stood up and said he was going to take down Microsoft by buying shares and dumping them, "putting the fear of god" into the Redmond, WA software company for not hating on the gays.

The former NFL linebacker and full-time anti-gay activist has penned a column in -- irony alert here -- American Thinker -- that has to be read to be believed. He's tired of people picking on his pal, Oxy procurer and all-around fetid radio gasbag Rush Limbaugh for his ~~Obama the Magic Negro and "Child" moniker for the President~~ pro-American values.

I have watched the news, I have seen television, and I have heard different commentators talk about my friend, all the while knowing the things they say are lies. I am proud to be an American and proud of the United States of America, and again this makes it personal to me. I not only see Rush Limbaugh and the conservative movement in this action being att fefacked, but the entire foundation of what made America great.

Freedom is under attack, and we as Americans need to wake up and stop this madness in the greatest nation ever formed.

Let's talk about what seems to have happened to Rush Limbaugh. Here is a man who loves professional football almost as much as he loves Ameririca's traditions, values, and heritage of liberty. Rush has dedicated his life to the study of both football and America. He understands America and superbly communicates his understanding with millions every weekday. He understands the game of football, and has influenced it positively by being its biggest fan. Yet Rush has suffered attempts to destroy him with lies, misunderstandings and a direct effort to eliminate his influence in America...over the pretext of what? A game?

Hutch goes on to make an insane, but passionate case for honoring slavery and the masterful white men who arrived on this continent's shores and how their ~~whips and subjugation of red, yellow, brown and black people in various ways~~ hard work built this country. So damn unappreciated, says the reverend.

I truly believe that this is brought on by what I call the Minority Thought Pattern. Let's not mince words: the Minority Thought Pattern is the total disdain and hatred of what God has accomplished through the white male throughout history. Coming from an African-American, I know this will shock you.

I am not minimizing the accomplishments of women, African-Americans, immigrants, the religious, or anyone else who is part of America. But the white male was here on Plymouth Rock for God to use, and the Pilgrims had a great belief in that God. The nation built out of their efforts, reflecting their values (most especially their religious values), has become the light of liberty for the world and an obstacle to those power-hungry individuals who hate it.

WT ever-loving F? I'm not minimizing the accomplishments of these minorities, but I'll just go ahead now and do it. I think what we are seeing here is the Minority Lawn Jockey Thought Pattern, suffered from too much exposure to white evangelicals who prey on misguided, God-fearing black pastors from Washington State who sees them as his masters.

This is extremely personal to me. It's about a friend. When I look at Rush, I don't see a white man; I see a friend. I don't see a talk show host (a very famous talk show host); I see a friend, and friendship overrides color and political stances. I don't see a controversial figure, but a man whose heart and thoughts I know, and a man who is not a racist.

Screech....What? Barack The Magic Negro wasn't racist? How about this:

LIMBAUGH: As the economy performs worse than expected, the deficit for the 2010 budget year beginning in October will worsen by $87 billion to $1.3 trillion. The deterioration reflects lower tax revenues and higher costs for bank failures, unemployment benefits and food stamps. But in the Oval Office of the White House none of this is a problem. This is the objective. The objective is unemployment. The objective is more food stamp benefits. The objective is more unemployment benefits. The objective is an expanding welfare state. And the objective is to take the nation's wealth and return to it to the nation's quote, "rightful owners." Think reparations. Think forced reparations here if you want to understand what actually is going on.

What about his call to resegregate school buses? Or this one:

On the January 24 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, host Rush Limbaugh referred to Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and actress Halle Berry as "Halfrican American[s]," stating that "Barack Obama has picked up another endorsement: Halfrican American actress Halle Berry." Limbaugh then said: " 'As a Halfrican American, I am honored to have Ms. Berry's support, as well as the support of other Halfrican Americans,' Obama said." Limbaugh then conceded that Obama "didn't say it."

One more for the road:

When the reality show Survivor split competing groups by race/ethnicity, Limbaugh commented that the contest was "not going to be fair if there's a lot of water events" and suggested that "blacks can't swim."

I guess the good Rev. only watches Faux News and doesn't read up outside his boundaries. Psst, Hutch -- Rush is a race baiter. Hope you sleep soundly at night and dream about your BFF's open arms to the negroes.

Everyone has their price. The question is, was Rev. Hutch obtained during a find-an-anti-gay-black pastor fire sale?

In the days leading up to my departure for Maine, I wasn't sure what to expect from the people I'd meet here. I'm no stranger to ballot cI'd meet here. I'm no stranger to ballot campaigns; we've had our share of those in Oregon. I rode on Tuesday to a suburb outside of Portland, Maine with another volunteer staff to meet with nine high school students about their interest to get involved with the No On 1 campaign. Our goal was to start a âFriends and Familyâ Volunteer Recruitment Phone Bank with them on the spot, and to organize a few times when they and their friends could volunteer together, canvassing door-to-door the weekend before Election Day. We rolled up to their neighborhood Starbucks at about 3 o'clock and met the students inside. They'd come straight after school, and had heard about the campaign at an all-ages concert, where they'd been watching their favorite local band. Three of the youth were band members! A few of them had worn their No On 1 buttons to school that day, and mentioned that they'd started conversations with other students about the issue, and what it meant to them. After introducing ourselves and briefly describing the state of the campaign, we read through a script and role-played it, making sure to arm the students with the facts needed to express to their friends and family members how much this means to them and why we need their help in the last two weeks of the campaign. When we asked the students to get out their mobile phones and start calling to sign their friends up for volunteer shifts with the campaign, they excelled at the task! After about a half hour, the students made a plan to gather together with their newly signed up volunteers for a morning canvass on Halloween, knocking on doors to get out the vote. None of the nine students were affiliated with the Gay Straight Alliance at their school, (and none mentioned that they identified as LGBT,) but all shared a sense that whoever you are and whomever you love, couples deserve to be recognized equally under the law.

âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ here Presented by PFLAG Pendleton in cooperation with Communities of Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four transgender people as they explore their relationships to family, gender, Christiy explore their relationships to family, gender, Christianity and spirituality. Â Rev. Tara Wilkins, executive director of Community of Welcoming [...]

Tuesday’s Entertainment & Sports Edition Post — Mainly the ‘Entertainment’ edition….: Entertainment: - Johann Hari: Fame Is Like Sugar — A Little Is Great, Too Much Is Deadly - Derek Hough: I’m Not Gay, Though I Almost Played One on TV (This is either lame or witty.) - Texas Native Captures Miss Gay America Crown in St. Louis. - Controller [...]

The News for Tuesday: France slams Uganda; Updates on the Lesbian Embezzlement Case; Oregon Activist Gear Up; The Stakes in Maine; Attacks at Georgetown University; A homophobic ‘kiddie gang’ on trial; Another teen arrested in Liverpool attack; A proposal during testimony… Crime & Court Watch: - UK — Another teenager arrested over assault on gay Liverpool policeman. - [...]

Today’s Entertainment & Life Post Includes: Stephen Fry, Sir Elton, Militant Fashion, Japanese ‘Girly Men’, Scottish Rugby, Risky Writing, Revealing Diaries and Alumni reflections. Book Buzz: - Benjamin Britten’s diaries reveal boys, bitching and brilliance — Writings show composer as lonely but driven and with low opinions of his rivals. - Risky Writing from g from Gay Malaysians Celeb & Showbiz [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-03T05:53:00.001-08:00

After prepping canvass maps and materials until well after midnight, my team of amazing volunteers and I got a couple of hours of sleep before hitting the doors at 7 am as the polls opened. As we head into this historic day, there is a sense of excitement and responsibility as we fight to make [...]

Two updates from HRC organizers out in the field on election eve… Adrian Matanza in Washington State: In the last 48 hours before the election deadline, I will be working on turning out voters to vote APPROVE on Referendum 71. Working with volunteers across the state in our HQ, satellite offices and from home calling voters to [...]

As President Obama announced last week, the final rule to end the ban on HIV-positive visitors and immigrants was published in the Federal Register today.Â The repeal will go into effect on January 4, 2010.Â The discussion of the final rule makes note of the more than 19,000 comments in support of lifting the ban [...]

Ed. Note: The following guest post “The End of the Beginning: How the Passage of the Matthew Shepard Act Transforms Us” is from Stephen V. Sprinkle, Ph.D. of the Brite Divinity School. Researching LGBT hate crimes for four years has changed my life.Â Now that the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act is imminent, I feel [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

LGBT News Headlines (T26T-5)

2009-11-03T05:23:00.001-08:00

Columbus Dispatch

Gay Marriage Referendum Tops Maine Ballot
WBZ
Read more in our Privacy Policy PORTLAND, Maine (AP) ? Thousands of volunteers for and against gay marriage are working to get out the vote as Mainers go ...
Ore. gay rights activists aiming for new voteSeattle Post Intelligencer
As Maine goes, so goes gay marriagePolitico
At stake in Maine vote: a potential first for gay marriageChristian Science Monitor
The Associated Press -Washington Post -On Top Magazine
all 448 news articles »

Report: Gay couples similar to straight spouses
The Associated Press
The study released by a think tank based at UCLA also found that Utah and Wyoming were among the states with the highest percentages of gay spouses in 2008, ...

and more »

MyFox Washington DC

2nd GU student hurt in anti-gay attacks
Washington Post
For the second time in a week, a Georgetown University student has reported being attacked and called an anti-gay slur while walking near ...
Anti-Gay Attack on Georgetown StudentMyFox Washington DC
Georgetown University Sees Third Anti-Gay Hate Crime in a WeekTowleroad (blog)
Second Georgetown University Attack in 1 WeekWJLA
Washington Post
all 11 news articles »

Illinois Safe Schools Alliance forum addresses LGBT bullying codes in schools
Daily Illini
East Central Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, a subdivision of Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, sponsored the event, and the panel consisted of LGBT students, ...
Preventing hate crime starts in schoolsDaily Illini

all 2 news articles »

Students bring light to LGBT issues
SCSU University Chronicle
The documentary covers four topics that impact the LGBT community. The topics that are addressed include coming out, media portrayals and how they impact ...

and more »

Logo's TripOutGayTravel.com Announces Winners for Its First Ever Travel Awards ...
Reuters
The awards honor the most stylish, exciting and hottest destinations and services that attract, pamper and market to the LGBT traveler. ...

and more »

Dig The GLBT History Month Icon List? YOU Can Nominate Next Year's Icon Honorees
Just Out
October's National GLBT History Month Icon pool was anchored by 31 deserving figures. But if for some reason you felt your input or insight was left out, ...

and more »

CU-Boulder: Still work to do against gender violence
Colorado Daily
Wilenchek is director of cu's GLBT Resource Center, and Erwin is director of the Office of Discrimination and Harassment. Photo by Paul Aiken ( Paul Aiken ...

and more »

American Settler in Israel Accused of Hate Crimes, Bombings
EDGE Boston
Though police say that Teitel was not the gunman in the shooting that killed two people last August at the GLBT Youth Center in Tel Aviv, ...

and more »

From CNN.com: Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur's generosity lives on.

The actress, who died in April, included a $300,000 donation to New York's Ali Forney Center, an organization supporting homeless LGBT youth, in her will, leaving center Executive Director Carl Siciliano overwhelmed by her kindness.

Siciliano said he knew of Arthur's plan to include the center in her will, but never knew the amount.

He had been struggling to keep the doors of the shelter open. The organization assists more than 1,000 people each year, providing shelter for those who had to leave home "for being who they are," Siciliano said.

"The last year and a half, since the economic crisis started, it's been really hard to keep this program going," Siciliano said. "A lot of the foundation and corporate money that we used to get has dried up, and we've been growing. Every day, we have about 125 kids a night waiting to get into our housing."

But on Tuesday morning, a FedEx carrier delivered a $300,000 check.

Siciliano said he immediately started to cry. Arthur's donation couldn't have come at a better time.

"For months, I've been really sweating to make each payroll, and we're usually a month or two behind on our rent, and there have been times when I was afraid that I wasn't going to hold it together," he said. "That kind of terror of [trying to] keep this thing going has come to an end for now with this extraordinary generosity."

Arthur's relationship with the center goes back to 2005, when the stage and screen star agreed to do a benefit at the request of a former set designer to help ease the center's growing pains.

"At that time we were a really small, grassroots organization. We were only sheltering 12 kids at a time," Siciliano said.

The amazing thing, he added, is that Arthur "didn't realize at that point what a serious issue it was, that so many thousands of gay kids were on the streets of our country."

Nevertheless, she was on board. She flew to New York to reprise her one-woman show, "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends" for one night only, raising more than $40,000 for the organization and contributing another sizeable personal donation.

But her generosity didn't stop once the curtain fell. Arthur consistently raised the issue of LGBT homeless youth in press interviews, such as her November 2005 interview with Next magazine.

"I'm very, very involved in charities involving youth," Arthur said in the interview. "These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or transgender -- this organization really is saving lives."

With Arthur's donation, Siciliano hopes he can save a few more. Part of the $300,000 will go toward buying a residence that can house 12, and Siciliano plans on namion naming it after the woman who helped make it happen.

"To have her choose to shine that kind of light on us was remarkable," Siciliano said. "She became an advocate for the issue; she said she would do anything that she could to help these kids."

The LGBT community in Lansing, Flint, Detroit - even Traverse City - is all part of Kalamazoo. At least that's what supporters of the city's anti-discrimination ordinance believe.

The proposed ordinance would protect LGBT people from discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations. Passed twice unanimously by the City Commission, it was rescinded both times due to signatures gathered by opponents and eventually forced onto the ballot.

Since then, the fight to encourage voters to keep the ordinance on the books come Nov. 3 has exploded. Every day, volunteers at One Kalamazoo - which heads up the effort - take and make calls to citizens of the city to ask for support. Every weekend, they are on the front porches, ringing doorbells and making sure that voters are as well informed as possible.

They opened their offices in early September, and have announced a steering committee that includes local PFLAG Kalamazoo President Narda Beauchamp, Rev. Matthew Laney of the First Congregational United Church of Christ and former, current and hopeful members of the City Commission.

"We look forward to continuing a public conversation about the importance of protecting all hardworking Kalamazoo residents," said Jon Hoadley, campaign manager for One Kalamazoo. "Everyone should have the chance to earn a living, provide a safe home for their families and otherwise enjoy what Kalamazoo has to offer without fear of being treated differently or unfairly."

The campaign has brought grassroots efforts to the forefront of its battle in unique ways: an online survey that decided the design of their lawn signs; canvassing opportunities that can be accomplished from one's home; use of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook for purposes of spreading updates about the campaign.

As of Oct. 20, their Facebook page had almost 3,000 fans.

And though the ordinance would only apply to housing, employment and accommodations in Kalamazoo, help has come to the west Michigan city from all across the state.

For some, like activist and former Michigan Equality Chair Derek Smiertka, it was just something that needed to be done.

"This is something we should do," the White Lake resident said on the eve of his One Kalamazoo canvassing experience. "There should be no such thing as a non-political gay or lesbian person. We should all be deeply involved and feel very concerned about what happens to our friends in Kalamazoo because it will happen to our friends in Lansing and in Detroit and in South Lyon. ... Unless we get involved and help, there's not going to be people who will come and help us when we need it."

Currently, the campaign is working to raise enough money to keep running their pro-ordinance commercial on local TV stations. The ad has run 25 times with $2,500 raised just for that endeavor, and now they're shooting for 50 runs. They're also encouraging more people to canvass and to write letters to the editor of the Kalamazoo Gazette in support of the ordinance.

"We're all hoping and looking for more political victories in our state," he said. "I think a lot of us are feeling pretty kicked and down and we need a victory. It's for the sake of Kalamazoo, but it's also just a message to be sent across the state that not everybody is against us."

To read the entire article, click here.

Click here to see PFLAG Kalamazoo President Narda Beauchamp explain why this ordinance is important to her and her family.

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Canadian Gay News Headlines (T13T-4)

2009-11-03T03:52:00.001-08:00

Canada's telecom regulator released its much-anticipated net neutrality decision in October, but some say the new framework doesn't go quite far enough.

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Combined Gay News Headlines (T5T-1)

2009-11-03T02:48:00.001-08:00

MORNING GOODS â" It should come as no surprise 26-year-old West Hollywood model and student Garrett Charity finds himself with a "flexible schedule" that allows him to have "tons of fun" in the gym. 'Cause if we had those monstrous pecs, we'd have a great time letting others check us out at the gym, too. CONTINUED [...]

GRATUITOUS SKIN â" After showering naked with Dr. Christian Troy, how could Mario Lopez's Nip/Tuck character top those homoerotics? How about with some fishnets and a corset? (Note: It was all to seduce … a girl!) CONTINUED Â» CONTINUED Â» Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us Tagged: gratuitous skin, Mario Lopez, Models, Nip/Tuck, Photos, risque

Maggie Gallagher's disdain for Marriage Equality New York board president Cathy Marino-Thomas was palpable. The feeling, we're guessing, was mutual. The two shared the stage at Hofstra University's âDay of Dialogue," and even outside the confines of a 30-second spot, Gallagher was still trafficking in misinformation. And eye rolls. CONTINUED Â» Permalink | 16 comments | Add [...]

Fresno: Shaw and Blackstone: 6:30pm – 8pm. Nov 4th. Bring signs and candles! “See you again in 2010!” More Info? 559-715-2010 Jay Matthew: Region.Eight@Gmail.com www.RestoreEquality2010.com

Last week’s INTEGRATION Halloween party was truly spectacular. If momentum has anything to say about it, this week’s anniversary party should be pretty cool too.

Perhaps you saw when I posted the Comparing Gainesville, Florida to Kalamazoo, Michigan Bathroom Ads diary this past weekend. Here's the Kalamazoo ad, if you missed it:

We keep hearing about the potential danger of crossdressed and/or trans women predators in public restrooms, and yet the folks who purport that anti-trans Bathroom Meme can't point to any examples of trans people

But we can point to bad apples on their side of the house.

The Los Angeles Times had a story yesterday (November 2, 2009) entitled Clerk at religious bookstore arrested on peeping charge

A clerk at a Christian bookstore in Simi Valley was arrested on suspicion of peeping after Simi Valley police found a video camera hidden in a bathroom at the store, authorities said today.
Officers were called to the Family Christian Book Store in the 2900 block of Cochran Street on Sunday afternoon after a 40-year-old woman and her husband reported finding the video camera, said Simi Valley Police Sgt. Dwight Thompson.
After examin ing the video, investigators determined that 28-year-old Joseph Moreaux had gone to the restroom just before the victim to hide the camera and record her while she was inside...

And, this isn't a particularly new story when it comes to piety. Remember October 20th's Protect Us From The Male, CVS Managers Who Support Keeping Trans Women Out Of Women's Restrooms?

The CVS Pharmacy manager who allegedly admitted Friday to filming women in his store's bathroom was an active participant in the 2008 charter amendment to "keep men out of women's restrooms."
Jonathan Matheny, 27, was charged with one count of video voyeurism after a customer told police she had discovered a cell phone equipped with a camera under a pile of tissues in the CVS bathroom at 125 S.W. 34th St. St.

And you want to talk about predatory behavior towards children, the same Focus On The Family that posted this radio ad...

[The ad and more below the fold.]

SFX: [screen door closing book bag dropping on table]
ANNCR: If the Colorado Legislature has its way
GIRL 1: Mom! A man in a dress came into the girl's bathroom at school today!
ANNCR: We could all be dealing with a new type of predator
WOMAN: [ambient sound under of woman getting out of car, door beep and close] Honey, there was a man using the women's showers today at the fitness center I asked the management why?!...They said it was Colorado law!
ANNCR: And instead of our kids worrying about finals and the prom they'll have to worry about who's in the bathroom with them at school.
GIRL 2: [SFX: ambient hall noise, lockers close] No way I'm going in there I'd rather wait all day than go in there if he's in there, too...

...Is the same Focus On The Family that employed a staffer that was busted soliciting a teen for sex over Internet:

Juan Alberto Ovalle, 42, thought he was corresponding with a girl under the age of 15, but instead it was undercover officers with the Jefferson County district attorney's office, according to court documents.
Ovalle works for a Spanish-speaking arm of the Colorado Springs Christian group Focus on the Family and narrates Biblical text for CDs, according to Internet websites that sell the products.
...Ovalle asked the teen specific sexual questions and told her about sex acts he would perform with her, according to an arrest affidavit. According to the affidavit, during one exchange, Ovalle asked: "Would you like to meet?"
The undercover officer told Ovalle that her "mom" was working and she was home alone.
Ovalle responded by saying he was "horny" and that he'd come to the home.

The Denver Post reported on October 21st that this Former Focus on the Family employee sentenced to probation in Net sex case. In other words, Focus On The Family employed a man that we can all pretty much agree is a pedophile or a pederast.&#rast.

We have a Bathroom Meme that says that crossdressed men and trans women are potential safety issues in public restrooms. The ones who present these ads can't point to a single case where women or children have been preyed upon in public restrooms by crossdressed predators or trans women. However, we have examples just in the past two weeks of a "Christian" active participant in the 2008 charter amendment to "keep men out of women's restrooms," and an example of a "Christian" staffer who was employed by Focus On The Family attempting to engage in sexual acts with a young woman he thought was just 15-years old.

I think the gut level response to the gut level hitting Bathroom Meme is this: You have a lot more to fear from men who identify themselves as conservative Christians preying on women and children in public restroom than you do from crossdressed men or trans women that those who oppose civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) can cite. There are no examples of crossdressed men or trans women preying on women or children in public restrooms; there are multiple of examples of Godly Perverts on the side of those who would deny civil rights LGBT people that cite the Bathroom Meme.

So, now we're going to tag the stories of these perverted "Christians" with the new Godly Perverts tag -- complete with a little icon that links to the tag. We're going to go point out the Godly Perverts who prey on women and children -- especially those who prey on women and children in public restrooms, or who work at churches, Christian businesses, or religious right organizations. We're going to show that these Godly Perverts have benn repeatedly shown to exist, while folk at religious right organizations haven't been able to show that trans women who prey on other women and children in public restrooms actually exist.

Being trans has nothing to do whatsoever to do with whether a person is moral or not, and by the sheer numbers of Godly Perverts there are in the news -- heck, we have two Godly Perverts with cameras in women's restrooms just in the past two weeks -- I believe we by far have more to fear from Godly Perverts in public restrooms than we do from trans women.

Remember when Alan Grayson was chastised for opining about what health fef care reform would look like in a GOP plan?

1. Don't get sick.
2. If you do get sick...
3. Die quickly.

Well he wasn't wrong. Look at what's cooking in the GOP pot for America.&.

Republicans are preparing to unveil their own health bill in the next few days. Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) said Monday that the plan wouldn't seek to prevent health-insurance companies from denying sick people insurance -- a key plank of the Democrats' legislation.

Instead, the bill would allow insurance firms to sell policies across state lines, permit small businesses to pool their risks to bring down costs, change medical-malpractice laws and give state governments more flexibility to pursue rule changes.

I'm sorry, if the Republicans want to bash the Dem plan on legitimate policy grounds, first you have to bring a plan to the table based on reality. The primary problem with our broken system is 1) lack of access to insurance, 2) under coverage by insurance, 3) denial of coverage for specious reasons (being pregnant, or a victim of domestic abuse). Unless the GOP has a safety net for these circumstances, it needs to STFU. I can't wait to see the full revelation of this garbage.

Probably my favorite shot of the day- we share the same pride in our home state!

As The Grateful Dead once sang: "What a long, strange trip it's BEEN!"

But it all comes down to TOMORROW.

Will Maine show herself to be a state that is fair?

Will Maine 'put a ring on it'?

Here is what FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver thinks...

More below the fold.

Among the attendees were some bloggers we all know: Jeremy Hooper, Adam Bink and Julia Rosen!

While it is true that over 90% of No On 1's 8000+ volunteers are Mainers, there is no question in anyone's mind that our "friends from away" have been invaluable.

That folks have come from all corners of the of the country to help, that people from all around the globe have donated their time, money or both- it's overwhelming.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Here's some of my favorite clips from today's rally:

'No On 1's Sam Parker, introduced by Jesse Connolly:

Steve and Jim, who have been a couple for 34 years:

Darlene Huntress, explaining how we got here today:

The rest of her speech here.

1-MORE-DAY, folks...

âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ here Presented by PFLAG Pendleton in cooperation with Communities of Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four tran Welcoming Congregations & The Drama Queens Â Â - âYou Have Always Been Welcome Hereâ portrays the lives of four transgender people as they explore their relationships to family, gender, Christianity and spirituality. Â Rev. Tara Wilkins, executive director of Community of Welcoming [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-03T01:53:00.001-08:00

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning January 2010 in Newark, African American men who have sex with men will be targeted by an HIV Testing social marketing campaign titled "Status Is Everything" organized by the African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) of Newark. "Status Is Everything" aims to encourage African American men, particularly young men who have sex with men, x with men, to get HIV tested and reduce risky behaviors. AAOGC will unveil the "Status Is Everything" brand and outreach components on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009. Funding for "Status Is Everything" is provided by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as part of the department's HIV prevention efforts aimed at high-risk African American men.

Important news in the fight for workplace protections for LGBT people… Thursday the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing onÂ the Employment Non-Discrimination ActÂ at 10:00 a.m. inÂ the Senate Dirksen Building, roomÂ SD-430. The witnesses will be as follows: Tom Perez, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC Helen [...]

The following is from an alert that was sent today to our members in New York’s 23rd Congressional District where a special election tomorrow will fill a seat held by Rep. John McHugh.Â Ben Smith at Politico has more. This past Saturday, unfortunately, HRC’s endorsee, Dede Scozzafava, effectively ended her campaign. Though her name will still [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

2009-11-03T01:50:00.001-08:00

By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade
For the second week in a row, witnesses supporting a same-sex marriage bill far outnumbered opponents at a D.C. City Council hearing that was expected to hear testimony from more than 160 people and last into the evening.

Similar to the first hearing on the bill held Oct. 26, many witnesses for and against the Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009 gave emotional accounts of how the proposed bill would have a profound impact on their lives and their religious faith.

Andrew Hertzberg, a gay D.C. man who sat at the witness table next to Andy Rollman, his domestic partner, startled some in the audienc ...

By AMY CAVANAUGH, Washington Blade
Montgomery County Council member Nancy Navarro is introducing a bill that would obligate county contractors to make domestic partner benefits available to employees in same-sex relationships.

Navarro, a Democrat representing the Maryland county's eastern portion, said she would unveil Tuesday the Equal Benefits Bill.

"There have been conversations my office about my long interest in issues of equity and disparities and things of that nature, so it seemed to be a logical step to introduce this bill," she said. "This is already what the county is doing for employees, and we should require contractors to do the same."

...

By REBECCA ARMENDARIZ, Washington Blade
Larry Stansbury, the first executive director of Brother Help Thyself and a founding board member of the Capital Pride Alliance, died Saturday from complications following a kidney transplant, according to Brother Help Thyself.

Stansbury first came to the District from Richmond, Va., in the 1970s and began working at the D.C. Eagle, where he eventually became manager. He became involved in local LGBT activities largely through his memberships to the Centaur and Spartan gay motorcycle clubs, the latter of which he served in several roles, including president.

Stansbury helped create in 1978 and eventually ...

Gay media leader 'The Advocate' will be trimmed down from a standalone magazine to an insert

Tuesday's New Jersey gubernatorial race is as a much a referendum on who will governor the Garden State as it is a question on gay marriage

Maine's gay marriage referendum remains a tight contest but gay marriage advocates are heading into the final lap with the advantage

Conservancy impressed with Pride effort New wells help future of large festivals in Piedmont Park By MATT SCHAFER | Nov. 2 at 4:48 PM Nov. 2 at 4:48 PM As workers and employees removed the last vestiges of the Atlanta Pride festival on Monday, the...

To continue reading, please visit www.sovo.com

Report- Gay spouses look like heterosexual couples Age, income, parental status similar for both sexual orientations SAN FRANCISCO (AP) | Nov. 2 at 3:09 PM Nov. 2 at 3:09 PM A new analysis of Census data shows that same-sex couples who identify...

To continue reading, please visit www.sovo.com

Scozzafava steps down from Congressional race Candidate, who supports same-sex marriage, endorses former opponent ALBANY (AP) | Nov. 2 at 10:44 AM Nov. 2 at 10:44 AM Fighting plunging support, Republican Dierdre Scozzafava abruptly suspended her...

To continue reading, please visit www.sovo.com

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning January 2010 in Newark, African American men who have sex with men will be targeted by an HIV Testing social marketing campaign titled "Status Is Everything" organized by the African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) of Newark. "Status Is Everything" aims to encourage African American men, particularly young men who have sex with men, to get HIV tested and reduce risky behaviors. AAOGC will unveil the "Status Is Everything" brand and outreach componentsh components on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009. Funding for "Status Is Everything" is provided by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as part of the department's HIV prevention efforts aimed at high-risk African American men.

Important news in the fight for workplace protections for LGBT people… Thursday the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing onÂ the Employment Non-Discrimination ActÂ at 10:00 a.m. inÂ the Senate Dirksen Building, roomÂ SD-430. The witnesses will be as follows: Tom Perez, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United Stad States Department of Justice, Washington, DC Helen [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Combined Gay News Headlines (T5T-1)

2009-11-02T21:48:00.001-08:00

GRATUITOUS SKIN â" After showering naked with Dr. Christian Troy, how could Mario Lopez's Nip/Tuck character top those homoerotics? How about with some fishnets and a corset? (Note: It was all to seduce … a girl!) CONTINUED Â» CONTINUED Â» Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us Tagged: gratuitous skin, Mario Lopez, Models, Nip/Tuck, Photos, risque

Because Taylor Swift has not had enough public humiliation in her life lately, Ms. Ellen DeGeneres contributes. CONTINUED Â» Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us Tagged: Ellen DeGeneres, taylor swift

Fresno: Shaw and Blackstone: 6:30pm – 8pm. Nov 4th. Bring signs and candles! “See you again in 2010!” More Info? 559-715-2010 Jay Matthew: Region.Eight@Gmail.com www.RestoreEquality2010.com

Remember when Alan Grayson was chastised for opining about what health care reform would look like in a GOP plan?

1. Don't get sick.
2. If you do get sick...
3. Die quickly.

Well he wasn't wrong. Look at what's cooking in the GOP pot for America.

Republicans are preparing to unveil their own health bill in the next few days. Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) said Monday that the plan wouldn't seek to prevent health-insurance companies from denying sick people insurance -- a key plank of the Democrats' legislation.

Instead, the bill would allow insurance firms to sell policies across state lines, permit small businesses to pool their risks to bring down costs, change medical-malpractice laws and give state governments more flexibility to pursue rule changes.

Probably my favorite shot of the day- we share the same pride in our home state!

As The Grateful Dead once sang: "What a long, strange trip it's BEEN!"

But it all comes down to TOMORROW.

Will Maine show herself to be a state that is fair?

Will Maine 'put a ring on it'?

Here is what FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver thinks...

More below the fold.

Among the attendees were some bloggers we all know: Jeremy Hooper, Adam Bink and Julia Rosen!

While it is true that over 90% of No On 1's 8000+ volunteers are Mainers, there is no question in anyone's mind that our "friends from away" have been invaluable.

That folks have come from all corners of the country to help, that people from all around the globe have donated their time, money or both- it's overwhelming.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Here's some of my favorite clips from today's rally:

'No On 1's Sam Parker, introduced by Jesse Connolly:

Steve and Jim, who have been a couple for 34 years:

Darlene Huntress, explaining how we got here today:

The rest of her speech here.

1-MORE-DAY, folks...

Updated: LINK HERE FOR "DRIVE FOR EQUALITY" - sign UP FIRST and THEY will call YOU within 15 minutes!

Just got this:

The "Drive for Equality" hotel in South Portland still has space available, and the staging locations still need volunteers.
(A) We are providing FREE HOTEL ROOM SPACE for anyone from out-of-state who can make a spur-of-the-moment decision to drive up here, and volunteer. We have actually managed to recruit a few people at the last minute, and I know we can do more if the word gets out.
(B) The hotel is in South Portland. We have a block of rooms for tonight and tomorrow night, so people can stay until Wednesday.
(C) We're down by 4 points in the last poll -- this election is coming down to the last day-and-a-half. We could very well lose, simply because we don't have enough troops on the ground. New Hamsphire and Boston folks can easily get here -- and we will put them up if need be.
(C) People who sign up at the website will get a call back within 15 minutes.
(D) Our phone number -- someone will always answer it -- is 415-935-4552.

We are 11 days away from the November Election. The Portlandss.com/2009/09/noon1-maine.jpg" width="300" />

We are 11 days away from the November Election. The Portland, Maine office is humming with volunteer activity. Every day, volunteers drop off food provisions for all the other volunteers. The first day we had homemade chili, yesterday egg salad sandwiches, and this morning someone brought in some carrots from their own yard. Mainers are chipping in any way they can. My time has been spent in the office working in the communications department while Travis Prinslow and Meleanie Altaras have been adopted into the Data and Campus Outreach departments. We work 9 to 9, when we're lucky and have been working on a variety of projects. From confirming volunteers, to getting people to vote early and in person volunteer recruitment. The amount of work that goes into a campaign is astounding. You walk into any office and you hear typing, people on the phone, stapling, paper shuffling and people being directed. It's a small preview of what Oregon will be dealing with soon enough. However, Oregon's fight will be much larger-- Maine's population is a third the size of Oregon's. I'm grateful that Basic Rights Oregon is starting early and getting all our ducks in a row before we enter our own fight. Maine's latest YouTube celebrity goes by the name of Phillip Spooner. Mr. Spooner is 85 years old, a WWII vet, and a lifelong republicanâ"he is also in favor of marriage equality. Click here to watch his testimony in April during the Marriage hearings. His video has officially gone viral, with close to 500,000 views. Mainers are excited to have someone like Mr. Spooner speaking up for equality, so much so that he has unofficially become the face of the campaign. Click here to watch a segment of Mr. Spooner being interviewed about his views on Marriage Equality. The opposition is using children to scare voters into voting against equality. They are running ads claiming that "gay sex education" will be taught in schools. Fortunately, the Maine campaign has been very diligent about countering their ads and has caused a stir by featuring a French catholic woman who supports her son's right to get married. Yolande Dumont is also a Maine celebrity and has inspired Catholics and other religious denominations to come out and support the No on 1 campaign. Of course the Catholic DIoces is bankrolling the opposition's campaign along with National Organization marriage and Shubert Flint of prop 8 fame. When Yolande first came on the airwaves the Catholic Diocese was up in arms and started to spend resources countering Yolande's message. This is exciting because the opposition is now on the defensive. Not only do they have to counter multiple legislators, and educators on the whole "Teaching gay in Schools" issue, now they have to make sure that other fair minded Catholics reject Yolande's message. If the No on 1 Campaign wins on Election Day it will be a model on how to defeat the oppositions' vitriol and lies. Although, Maine is literally the farthest place from Oregon in the country, their efforts will have a huge impact on our work. They need all the help they can get. If you have not donated to the NO on 1 campaign you can do so by clicking here. If you cannot afford a donation but have some extra time on your hands you can phone bank from Oregon with their Call for Equality Program sign up here. I'm going to get back to work now but feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions about getting involved in the Maine campaign. In solidarity, Alejandro Juarez Communications Coordinator Basic Rights Oregon (503) 222-6151 x 105 alejandro@basicrights.org

Today’s Entertainment & Life Post Includes: Stephen Fry, Sir Elton, Militant Fashion, Japanese ‘Girly Men’, Scottish Rugby, Risky Writing, Revealing Diaries and Alumni reflections. Book Buzz: - Benjamin Britten’s diaries reveal boys, bitching and brilliance — Writings show composer as lonely but driven and with low opinions of his rivals. - Risky Writing from Gay Malaysians Celeb & Showbiz [...]

Late last week, Harvard University released the findings of a new study on facial preferences of men and women which included for the first time the facial feature preferences of gay men and lesbian women. The results weren’t surprising and sadly too predictable. Moreover, for gay and straight men, facial attraction operates similarly. CAMBRIDGE, MA., — [...]

Monday’s News Updates Includes: Updates on stories we’ve been following, updates from the weekend and a few new stories as well. Crime Files: Israelis Arrest Anti-gay West Bank Settler in Attacks (Although he was arrested for a string of other attacks, and he confessed to the communitommunity center killings, police concluded that he had not been [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Combined Gay News Headlines (T5T-1)

2009-11-02T16:44:00.001-08:00

GRATUITOUS SKIN â" After showering naked with Dr. Christian Troy, how could Mario Lopez's Nip/Tuck character top those homoerotics? How about with some fishnets and a corset? (Note: It was all to seduce … a girl!) CONTINUED Â» CONTINUED Â» Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us Tagged: gratuitous skin, Mario Lopez, Models, Nip/Tuck, Photos, risque

Fresno: Shaw and Blackstone: 6:30pm – 8pm. Nov 4th. Bring signs and candles! “See you again in 2010!” More Info? 559-715-2010 Jay Matthew: Region.Eight@Gmail.com www.RestoreEquality2010.com

Last week’s INTEGRATION Halloween party was truly spectacular. If momentum has anything to say about it, this week’s anniversary party should be pretty cool too.

As The Dead sang: "What a long, strange trip it's BEEN!"

But it all comes down to TOMORROW.

Will Maine show herself to be a state that is fair?

Will Maine 'put a ring on it'?

Here is what FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver thinks...

More below the fold.

Among the attendees were some bloggers we all know: Jeremy Hooper, Adam Bink and Julia Rosen!

Here's some of my favorite clips from today's rally:

'No On 1's Sam Parker, introduced by Jesse Connolly:

Steve and Jim, who have been a couple for 34 years:

Darlene Huntress, explaining how we got here today:

The rest of her speech here.

1-MORE-DAY, folks...

Updated: LINK HERE FOR "DRIVE FOR EQUALITY" - sign UP FIRST and THEY will call YOU within 15 minutes!

Just got this:

The "Drive for Equality" hotel in South Portland still has space available, and the staging locations still need volunteers.
(A) We are providing FREE HOTEL ROOM SPACE for anyone from out-of-state who can make a spur-of-the-moment decision to drive up here, and volunteer. We have actually managed to recruit a few people at the last minute, and I know we can do more if the word gets out.
(B) The hotel is in South Portland. We have a block of rooms for tonight and tomorrow night, so people can stay until Wednesday.
(C) We're down by 4 points in the last poll -- this election is coming down to the last day-and-a-half. We could very well lose, simply because we don't have enough troops on the ground. New Hamsphire and Boston folks can easily get here -- and we will put them up if need be.
(C) People who sign up at the website will get a call back within 15 minutes.
(D) Our phone number -- someone will always answer it -- is 415-935-4552.

Yes, the woman who represents the 5th District (Winston-Salem, Mt. Airy) in my state is completely batsh*t insane. You might recall that Foxx is the windbag who declared the hate crime killing of Matthew Shepard was a hoax. Now she's back comparing an attempt at fixing our broken health care system as worse that terrorists? I though homosexuality was a greater threat than terrorism (oh, wait, that's S>Sally Kern).

Everywhere I go in my district, people tell me they are frightened. ... I share that fear, and I believe they should be fearful. And I believe the greatest fear that we all should have to our freedom comes from this room - this very room - and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax increase bill masquerading as a health care bill. I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country.

If you want to send a message about real reform, today is the Alan Grayson money bomb.

UPDATE: The DNC's response:

Meet Virginia Foxx: The Extreme is Now Mainstream Inside the GOP
"If you haven't met Virginia Foxx, an extreme right wing Republican House Member from North Carolina you should because she, Glenn Beck, Sarah Plain and Michele Bachmann are the new and most powerful faces of the GOP," said DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse.
"Virginia Foxx's unbelievable assertion that Americans have more to fear from health care reform than from "any terrorist in any country" is just the natural extension of Sarah Palin's 'death panels' charge or other GOP luminaries who said reform would 'pull the plug on grandma.' It is outrageous that anyone would compare the action of terrorists to efforts to help American families get secure, stable and affordable health insurance. Sadly, these inexplicable comments represent what is now the mainstream of a Republican Party that has been hijacked by an extremist far right-wing faction that craves ideological purity, will purge dissent, and offer nothing but reactionary opposition to progress. So long as Virginia Foxx, Michele Bachmann, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin hold the keys to the GOP it will continue to be well outside the mainstream and a severely marginalized minority party well into the future."

We are 11 days away from the November Election. The Portland, Mainemaine.jpg" width="300" />

We are 11 days away from the November Election. The Portland, Maine office is humming with volunteer activity. Every day, volunteers drop off food provisions for all the other volunteers. The first day we had homemade chili, yesterday egg salad sandwiches, and this morning someone brought in some carrots from their own yard. Mainers are chipping in any way they can. My time has been spent in the office working in the communications department while Travis Prinslow and Meleanie Altaras have been adopted into the Data and Campus Outreach departments. We work 9 to 9, when we're lucky and have been working on a variety of projects. From confirming volunteers, to getting people to vote early and in person volunteer recruitment. The amount of work that goes into a campaign is astounding. You walk into any office and you hear typing, people on the phone, stapling, paper shuffling and people being directed. It's a small preview of what Oregon will be dealing with soon enough. However, Oregon's fight will be much larger-- Maine's population is a third the size of Oregon's. I'm grateful that Basic Rights Oregon is starting early and getting all our ducks in a row before we enter our own fight. Maine's latest YouTube celebrity goes by the name of Phillip Spooner. Mr. Spooner is 85 years old, a WWII vet, and a lifelong republicanâ"he is also in favor of marriage equality. Click here to watch his testimony in April during the Marriage hearings. His video has officially gone viral, with close to 500,000 views. Mainers are excited to have someone like Mr. Spooner speaking up for equality, so much so that he has unofficially become the face of the campaign. Click here to watch a segment of Mr. Spooner being interviewed about his views on Marriage Equality. The opposition is using children to scare voters into voting against equality. They are running ads claiming that "gay sex education" will be taught in schools. Fortunately, the Maine campaign has been very diligent about countering their ads and has caused a stir by featuring a French catholic woman who supports her son's right to get married. Yolande Dumont is also a Maine celebrity and has inspired Catholics and other religious denominations to come out and support the No on 1 campaign. Of course the Catholic DIoces is bankrolling the opposition's campaign along with National Organization marriage and Shubert Flint of prop 8 fame. When Yolande first came on the airwaves the Catholic Diocese was up in arms and started to spend resources countering Yolande's message. This is exciting because the opposition is now on the defensive. Not only do they have to counter multiple legislators, and educators on the whole "Teaching gay in Schools" issue, now they have to make sure that other fair minded Catholics reject Yolande's message. If the No on 1 Campaign wins on Election Day it will be a model on how to defeat the oppositions' vitriol and lies. Although, Maine is literally the farthest place from Oregon in the country, their efforts will have a huge impact on our work. They need all the help they can get. If you have not donated to the NO on 1 campaign you can do so by clicking here. If you cannot afford a donation but have some extra time on your hands you can phone bank from Oregon with their Call for Equality Program sign up here. I'm going to get back to work now but feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions about getting involved in the Maine campaign. In solidarity, Alejandro Juarez Communications Coordinator Basic Rights Oregon (503) 222-6151 x 105 alejandro@basicrights.org

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

Canadian Gay News Headlines (T13T-4)

2009-11-02T14:51:00.001-08:00

Could health officials try to lock the doors of the bathhouses, perhaps permanently, in the event of an H1N1 swine flu epidemic? Â Listen to reporter Joseph Couture's investigation.

Canada's telecom regulator released its much-anticipated net neutrality decision in October, but some say the new framework doesn't go quite far enough.

With trips to Washington DC, Colombia and China, Liberal MP Scott Brison has been a man on the go. As his party's international trade critic, Brison is charged with not only providing oversight to the government's trade relationships, but also building...

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org

GLBT News Headlines (T4T-6)

2009-11-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Challenge Could Raise Questions of Civilian Control of Military

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning January 2010 in Newark, African American men who have sex wi have sex with men will be targeted by an HIV Testing social marketing campaign titled "Status Is Everything" organized by the African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) of Newark. "Status Is Everything" aims to encourage African American men, particularly young men who have sex with men, to get HIV tested and reduce risky behaviors. AAOGC will unveil the "Status Is Everything" brand and outreach components on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009. Funding for "Status Is Everything" is provided by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services as part of the department's HIV prevention efforts aimed at high-risk African American men.

In less than 24 hours Virginia voters will not only cast votes for Governor and other statewide candidates, but also for the House of Delegates. There are many key races across the Commonwealth that HRC is following closely.Â Over a dozen HRC staff are working in key House of Delegate races, knowing that any bill that [...]

Listen to www.GayTalkRadio.org