Mary & Heather under fire

Widely publicized already, the birth of a son to Mary Cheney and Heather Poe has the wingnuts collective panties in a wad. As Good As You has the scoop!

Mary C: Let the condemnations begin

[...]this is offensive to the millions of gay people who know their truths. But you know who else should be offended? Anyone who is an adoptive parent or child of such!

Gay vets call for repeal of DADT

The story of Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva is not only heart warming it is inspirational as well. One of the first Americans to be wounded in Iraq he remained quiet about his sexual orientation until now. He has joined with the HRC to demand the repeal of DADT.

Read on...

Gay veteran calls for end of 'Don't ask, don't tell'

"Who would have guessed that the first American wounded was a gay Marine?" Alva said Wednesday.

Alva's service and sacrifice in Iraq earned him medals, media attention and a meeting with President Bush and the first lady.

Now, he wants to use his place in history to win support for a proposed law to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. armed forces.

He announced his homosexuality at a Wednesday news conference on Capitol Hill, where he called for the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the service to be abandoned.

DADT must be repealed! Alva's story is a testament to this broken policy that not only hurts our military but also weakens our country.

Hooray!

Lesbians Register Mexico's 1st Gay Union

How much does bigotry cost?

Apparently $410,000 in Massachusetts. That is what it cost the MA wingnuts to get a anti-marriage amendment on the legislative agenda. The anti-gay amendment has to pass one more round of votes in the legislature in order to be put to voters who will, by their vote, determine the civil rights of tens of thousand American citizens.

From 7 News Boston:

A campaign finance report filed last week with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance shows VoteOnMarriage.org spent more than $389,000 last year, including money raised the previous year.

It also used in-kind donations worth more than $60,700 in legal fees and staff time from the Massachusetts Family Institute, which helped form VoteOnMarriage.org to raise money for the ballot question.

Now what does it cost to fight the bigots?

MassEquality.org’s campaign director, Marc Solomon, said the group formed to fight the ballot question spent $1 million lobbying against the amendment last year.

And apparently that is not enough to retain an Americans' civil rights when pitted against the passion of religious fundamentalism, hatred and bigotry.

WA Hears testimony on Civil Unions Bill!

Washington Civil Unions Bill Gets First Hearing From 365Gay.com

(Olympia, Washington) A woman who same-sex partner died as a result of last December's floods told Washington state lawmakers Thursday that she had difficulty getting into the hospital to see her dying lover.

The Washington State Senate Committee On Government Operations and Elections was hearing the first day of testimony on a bill that would create civil unions in the state.

Charlene Strong told how partner Kate Fleming got trapped in the basement studio where she ran an audio company. As the water rose she was unable to open the door to get out.

Rescuers finally broke through and rushed Fleming to an area hospital.

But at the hospital Strong was told told she could not be with her dying partner of nearly 10 years because she was not a relative. Finally officials relented when a family member interceded. Fleming died moments later.

Even as she tried to plan Fleming's funeral Strong faced roadblocks.

Strong told committee members that if they had been an opposite-sex married couple, or had civil union rights she would have had no trouble.

As soon as I track down some of the Wingnut vitriol I will post it! Stay tuned!

The Nigerian Law

Some of you have probably heard about the horific anti-gay laws being considered in Nigeria. The law would ban EVERYTHING related to homosexuality. This includes holding hands, browsing gay related websites, all publications and any social groups of gays. Gays are also prevented from association or organizing.

From the Advocate:

Activists fight Nigerian anti-gay law

Nigeria seems certain to legislate one of the world's most sweeping and repressive anti-gay laws unless international pressure is bought to bear on the Nigerian government in the next few weeks, according to Peter Tatchell of the London-based LGBT rights group OutRage!

I am now marking Nigeria off of the list of places to visit in my life time.

I am also going to recommend the entire congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church relocate their operations to Nigeria where they will apparently find numerous like minded individuals to preach to.

HOORAY!

FMA Backers: No New Attempt To Revive Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment In New Congress

Gay memorial for victims of Nazis

From UK Gay News

***WARNING - Clicking the link will take you to a photo of Gay detainees at a Nazi concentration camp and may be unsettling to some viewers***

Plan for Warsaw Monument to the Gay victims of Nazi concentration camps

WARSAW, January 16, 2007 – Gays in Poland revealed last night a plan to erect a monument in the centre of Warsaw that will be a permanent reminder of the “Pink Triangle” gays who were slaughtered in the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War.

The horrors of our past will be repeated if we refuse to acknowledge and remember.

A Gay Jew in Nazi Berlin - The Gad Beck Story

I just read the most incredible book EVER! It is a quick read and you can order it from Aunties Book Store here in Spokane!

Beck lived through horrors of Nazi persecution of Jews and survived. It is truly amazing that any Jew survived during this time but to be a openly gay Jew in addition is truly amazing. Throughout the entire memoir, Beck meets every situation with daring, ingenuity and a refined sense of humor. The story of this inspiring person is one of tragedy, adversity, love and even joy at the prospects of living for just one more day.

Because Gad was one third Christian, by the legal definition of race as created by the Nazi’s, he was considered of mixed race or "mischling" and was not deported with the first full blooded Jews. Beck remained in Berlin and became a leader in the Chug Chaluzi, a youth oriented resistance group. Through his activities within the Chug, Beck was able to assist Jews to live illegally in Berlin and also began an underground railroad to help Jews escape to Switzerland. “As a homosexual, I was able to turn my trusted non-Jewish, homosexual acquaintances to help supply food and hiding places.” Gad Beck.

Beck assisted in organizing the emigration of Jewish survivors to Palestine after the war. In 1947 he joined his family in Palestine and after a period of 15 years of settled stability, Beck returned to Berlin. In the 1960s Beck founded the German-Israeli Student Association (BDIS) and was a highly demanded public speaker. In 1976, Beck met Julius Laufer who remained his lifelong companion.

Beck experienced moments in his life where he was forced to completely redefine himself and re-engineer his underground and illegal activities in order to adjust to the changing realities of Jewish persecution. Beck was a resilient leader who never despaired in the face of adversity; he met challenges head on and persevered during the most heinous of atrocities in human history.

The most significant turning point that Beck underwent was after an entire family was called up on “the list”. This family was dear to the Beck’s and had been personal friends for many years. Their son, Manfred, was one of Beck’s most cherished lovers and was also a grade school classmate. “The list” was a register of up to one thousand Jews who were required to appear at a local school (Beck’s former grade school). The Jews on “the list” were told that they were being deported to work on munitions at a Nazi factory. Not until later did Beck and the Jews remaining in Berlin learn that these Jews were sent to their deaths at concentration camps.

For the resue mission, Beck disguised himself by dressing in a Nazi uniform. He walked into the school and demanded that the Jew “Manfred” be released. The Nazi supervisor of the detainment center allowed Manfred to be taken into custody by Beck.

“I walked out of my old school building onto the street. The buildings were familiar, the sidewalk, the streetlamps. I was back in my world, with my Manfred next to me. I was filled with such a combination of triumph and security as we walked down the street together, past the former Old Age Home, past the entrance to the cemetery, with its couple of trees. Only a few minutes. I beamed at him, held out a twenty-mark bill – quite a bit for those times – and said quietly, ‘Here’s some money. Now go to my uncle in Teltow like we discussed and wait for me. I’ll come as soon as I can.’

“He stood there, took the twenty marks, and looked at me. “Gad, I can’t go with you. My family needs me. If I abandon them now, I could never be free.” No smile, no sadness. He had made his decision. We didn’t even say goodbye. He turned around and went back.

In those seconds, watching him go, I grew up.”

Gad never saw Manfred again and never overcame the loss of his first true love.

His attraction to men allowed him to use sex as a tool to achieve some of his goals, from getting food and supplies to facilitating the evacuation of Jews to Switzerland. The escapades were mutually beneficial and Beck seemed to enjoy being creative in achieving his goals.

In the most harsh of circumstances Beck still maintained a positive attitude and dealt with these situations with humor. In one case, an Italian refugee caught his eye as he was working at clearing rubble as a slave laborer for the Reich.

“For an Italian he was unusually tall and thin, with black curly hair, fiery eyes, and soft lips that turned up at the corners happily. Even back then that was an important detail for me. I keep away from people with turned-down mouths. Much too much trouble to get them turned up.”

This Italian became the object of his desire and served as a distraction from the slave conditions. Even in the midst of the labor camp Beck treated this situation with humor as well;

“I didn’t know of any helpful guidebooks with tips for such a situation: how do you pick up a foreign prisoner while doing slave labor?”

For the entire sordid and exciting story you must read the book! Order it from Aunties!

Hooray!

Alan Cumming Weds Long-Time Partner

Getting to know our elected marriage equality advocates

WA State Representative Dave Upthegrove



State Representative Dave Upthegrove spent some time in Spokane just before Christmas to visit the Odyssey Youth Center and the Gonzaga Young Democrats. Rep Upthegrove is the only state legislator who has his own "MySpace" account. You can take a look at his online profile at Myspace/Upthegrove.

Rep. Upthegrove is from the 33rd Legislative District which includes Des Moines, Burien, Sea Tac, Normandy Park and Kent areas just south of Seattle. While he is representing his own constituency he has also visited our area to engage in conversation about the "East Side" views on marriage equality and LGBT youth issues.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Rep. Upthegrove during a fund raiser for Senator Chris Marr (who ousted LGBT arch nemesis Brad Benson in November). Then got to know him a little better when he visited Spokane last fall. I found him to be witty, intelligent, authentic and with a genuine passion for politics and the struggles of the LGBT community on both sides of the state.

I recently asked Upthegrove what his thoughts were on the marriage initiatives. He said that “The long-term goal remains marriage equality for gay & lesbian families. However, we recognize that more work remains to be done to educate the public and our legislative colleagues about the need for and importance of marriage equality.”

According to Upthegrove, a key component of the initiative is building healthy communities. “We will continue to make the point that all families, including gay & lesbian families deserve access to the stability, security and equal benefits of marriage. This is important because strong families are the building blocks of healthy communities.” Most importantly, building healthy secure families and community is the foundation of a healthy and tolerant society.

Rep. Upthegrove and 24 other Democrats who sponsored HB 1350, which would repeal the “Defense of Marriage Act”, do not expect this legislation to advance through the process this year. In addition to HB 1350, in a bi-partisan effort, he and his colleagues have introduced HB 1351 which provides a few of the basic rights that married couples are granted by our government.

"In order to provide some level of immediate protection to gay & lesbian families, and in order to continue to educate our colleagues and the public, we also have introduced House Bill 1351 to provide a limited number of protections for all same-sex domestic partners, and for opposite-sex domestic partners over the age of 62 (because they have unique problems relating to pensions and federal benefits). HB 1351 has 55 co-sponsors, including 3 Republicans, and we are optimistic that we can pass the bill into law. Early indications have been positive from the Democratic leadership of both the House and the Senate, as well as Governor Gregoire."

I asked Rep. Upthegrove what we could do to support the efforts in Olympia:

"The best thing supporters can do is to contact their legislators to ask them to support the domestic partnership bill (HB 1351) this year. Continue to educate your legislators about the importance of full marriage equality. Talk to your friends and neighbors about why marriage equality matters to you. The Legislature is a reflection of the people who send us here, so it is important to engage in community and public education. Join civil rights groups, donate money to organizations that are working for marriage equality. Most of all, don't lose hope. We're making progress, and with your continued commitment and hard work the values of equality and fair treatment will prevail."

Upthegrove is currently the youngest member of the Washington State House of Representatives and a strong advocate for equality and youth involvement in civic affairs and politics. He is one of our elected representatives taking a stand for equality and social justice. Please let him know what you think! You can send Rep Upthegrove some love for taking a stand on marriage equality here.

MLK Jr. Day Observances

MLK Observances This Year Include Gay-Positive Coretta Scott King For First Time

In March 2004, she told a university audience that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue and denounced a proposed amendment to the Constitution ban it.

"Gay and lesbian people have families, and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union," she said in a speech at The Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey.

"A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages."

I posted a tribute to Coretta Scott King when she passed last year here.

If only they would take her words to heart as they did Martin Luther King Jr.

In Spokane, the MLK Day parade will begin at the Opera House at 10AM. There will be booths and activities at the Convention Center all day.

Hoooray!

Original Stonewall Inn saved by gay developers

Mexico gets it

Coahuila passes civil unions! One more state in Mexico has passed a civil union bill to allow same sex couples the same rights as opposite sex couples!

2nd Mexico State OKs Civil Unions

The bill passed the state Congress Thursday on a 20 - 13 vote despite pressure from the Catholic Church to defeat the measure.

Fascinating...

An interview with a Gay African American Freemason.

Inside a secret society: A gay African American Freemason's story

Secrecy. Conspiracy. Mystery. Power. Influence.
These are just a few of the words that have been used to describe the elusive brotherhood called the Freemasons.

Let the bleating begin!

In response to the two bills introduced in the Washington State Legislature by Ed Murray, the right wing religious conservative group "Allies for Marriage and Children" responded in quick typical fashion with a press release.

The press release is the typical blathering about how same sex marriage will bring the destruction of Society. The really funny part that sent a side-splitting guffaw roaring our of me is this:

Another Allies Board member and co-chair, Aaron Haskins of the Coalition for Community Development and Renewal in Seattle, (and Cheryl Haskins’ husband of 25 years) said: “Marriage is not a package of government benefits. It is not a right. It is more than a piece of paper. It was not created by government, and it should not be redefined,” Aaron Haskins said.

OK Aaron (who, by the way, is redefining marriage in his statement!) if you do not have the government recognition, the "package of government benefits" or the "piece of paper" that says you are married then are you in fact married? That would be a big fat in-your-face NO! You may be married in your mind but the reality is that you are not in fact legally married unless you have "a piece of paper" that is signed by a legal authority of the government. Nice try bozo.

They go on to say that "traditional marriage" must be preserved but offer no definition of "traditional marriage" other than it is between one man and one woman. They fail to acknowledge that only recently has marriage been anything other than a legally binding business arrangement between two families. Traditional marriage was the purchase of a woman from another family for a dowry, a man that could afford it could purchase as many women as he wished.

Each generation defines marriage in its own unique fashion. "Traditionally" the definition of marriage has been as fluid as the uniqueness of those who choose to marry. The government benefits package is the exact discrepancy between marriage discrimination and marriage equality.

Gay marriage bills introduced in WA state!

Can't wait to post some bleating of the wingnuts - stay tuned!

The strategy of our lawmakers is interesting to say the least. It would appear that these two bills are designed to not actually succeed but to further the debate and education of the public. It will be interesting to see if the strategy works (knocking on wood).

Bill Would Legalize Gay Marriage In Washington State

The [two] bills introduced Thursday would correct a longstanding wrong the five lawmakers said at a morning news conference.

Senator Ed Murray, D-Seattle, prepared the legislation along with four colleagues in the House: Representatives Joe McDermott, D-Seattle; Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver; Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle; and Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines.

"Our goal is marriage equity, and we will work for that," said Rep. McDermott. "In the meantime, our effort is to provide immediate relief, immediate benefits, to same-sex couples."

Murray has introduced same-sex marriage measures before, the first in 1997, but none has ever received a hearing.

Murray said he wants to make sure at the very least that benefits are extended this year.

"This is not about domestic partnership; this is about marriage," said Murray. "The only reason we are introducing the domestic partnership bill is to further the cause of educating the public."

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said she would co-sponsor the domestic partnership bill in the Senate.

Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) supports "marriage-like civil rights" but a spokesperson said the governor had not seen either bills.

Lambda Legal, one of the groups involved in last year's lawsuit, applauded the legislation.

"Without offering even basic protections, the state of Washington currently holds same-sex couples as strangers under the law," said Jennifer C. Pizer, Senior Counsel in Lambda Legal's Western Regional Office.

" We believe that the right way to fix this injustice is by treating all of us equally - by changing the law to allow devoted same-sex couples to marry just as different-sex couples can. As states like Washington move toward that goal, we welcome the passage of intermediate laws that recognize our families, offer some critical legal protections, and help the state care better for Washingtonians."

Republicans say they will oppose both bills.

Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, is promoting a constitutional amendment that would bar same-sex marriage. He said any attempt to legalize gay marriage should be put to voters as a referendum.

Just once I would like the religious conservatives (not all Republicans oppose marriage equality!) to put their relationships to a public vote! They screech about big government and about invasion of privacy and yet they put forth these bills in the form of constitutional amendments that create larger government and greater intrusion into our personal lives! Yeesh.

Good for us or Bad for us?

There has been much conversation and debate about the gay sheep experiments going on in Oregon. "Science told: hands of gay sheep"

SCIENTISTS are conducting experiments to change the sexuality of “gay” sheep in a programme that critics fear could pave the way for breeding out homosexuality in humans.

The experiments introduce hormones into the systems of male sheep that are oriented towards sexual intercourse with other male sheep. The hormones appear to change the orientation and the once gay sheep start having intercourse with female sheep.

On the one hand it is good for us because the right wing religious conservatives cannot start bleating "see, we told you homos can be cured" because this would validate the premise that homosexuality is biological. This is good for us because it can now be proven that attraction to the same sex is a biological function; we are gay not by choice but by design. According to religious conservatives the only biological “designer” out there is God, in fact, religious conservatives believe that God’s law is natural law and that nothing occurs in nature that is not the will of God. God is the ultimate designer (look at any argument for intelligent design and creationism). Therefore, if homosexuality is in fact biological then homosexuality, by this definition, is God’s will because God “designed” us to be gay.

Coincidentally, there are 28,200 Google results for the search “gay sheep Oregon” and the leading ultra conservative activist group “Concerned Women of America” (who are immediate to respond to any gay findings) have absolutely nothing on their website in response to the scientific study! On the ultra-conservative-facts-be-damned World Net Daily website (fondly referred to as “wingnut daily” by progressive bloggers”) there is only one article regarding the gay sheep. Because they know they will lose the argument if they acknowledge homosexuality as occurring by design, the following is the best they could come up with:

Lesbian tennis star slams 'gay sheep' research

OHSU researchers found a difference between "straight" and "gay" rams in one region of the hypothalamus. While the region is generally twice as large in rams as in ewes, in male-oriented rams it was nearly identical in size to hat in normal females. Similar differences have been found in the brains of homosexual men, but since most of those studied had died of AIDS-related illnesses, scientists were unable to say whether the condition was related to disease or sexual orientation.

In true wingnut fashion, they do not cite the study that was conducted of gay men so this "study" is likely loosely based on fact or completely fabricated.

This issue has been going on since 1995! Only recently did it come to the forefront and start receiving media attention as a result of Martina Navratilova’s letter to the President of Oregon State University. The study itself is a punch to the face of the religious conservatives because it is scientific proof that homosexuality is biological in nature.

NOW – Bad for us.
The fact that homosexuality is a biological function and, according to the Oregon State University scientific research, can be treated with hormone therapy, would place homosexuality squarely back on a “treatable disease” list, just like diabetes. This was Navratilova’s objection to the experiments. What is to stop a pregnant woman from treating her unborn child with the “anti-gay hormone” therapy? This would put an end to gay men being born and ultimately end homosexuality (in theory).

The big hole in the experiment that I see is that it has been conducted on male sheep ONLY! What about female homosexuality? Does the same condition with the hypothalamus occur in women? No studies that I have seen have been conducted on lesbians.

Also, being gay is not just sexual attraction; there is the psychological and emotional attraction as well. The studies only indicate that the sheep will convert to heterosexual physical interaction (and it was not conclusive that the sheep became exclusively heterosexual). What about the emotional aspect of gay relationships? No, treatments to fix the hypothalamus will not eliminate homosexuality; after all, humans are not sheep! We have emotions and loving bonds that transcend any physical relationship. Gays have existed thru ought history and will exist until the end of time, the OSU is further proof of this fact. This is what the religious conservatives are afraid of and why they are not acknowledging the existence of the OSU research.