January 2012
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Happy New Year's Eve! Have fun and be safe!
Friends,
It’s been a great year of blogging the LGBT world and I look forward to what 2012 will bring our community. It’s getting better every day!
May tonight be full of laughter and good company for all of you. Each and every one of you means something to me, and you all have made this an exceptional year for me, for your families and friends, and for yourselves. You are...
December 2011
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“Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must...”
– John Locke. I hope 2012 brings you all of these things (whether or not you’re a gentleman). What are you reflecting on this New Year’s Eve?
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Should toys be gendered - at all? →
We’re all familiar with the layout of a typical toy store - pink stuff in one direction, primary colors in the other, aisles sorted by what toy executives think girls and boys prefer.
As this New York Times editorial points out, it’s also common knowledge that boys and girls do generally play with different toys. But as a 6-year-old girl in a now viral YouTube video points out, some...
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2011: A Year in LGBT News
This has been an eventful year for the LGBT community. We rejoiced over political victories, mourned the losses of individuals young and old, and saw the rise of activism in more ways than ever.
Here’s a look at some of the most important things that happened this year, and how they’ll affect the LGBT world in the year to come.
Marriage equality.
The Obama administration declared...
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Read this now: "More gay-friendly senior housing... →
What happens when LGBT baby boomers get older and consider senior living facilities, even though they risk dealing with homophobic staff or insensitive medical care? We’re not sure.
This piece from the Wall Street Journal discusses why it’s important to develop more senior living facilities designed for elderly LGBT people. So far there’s only one “affordable housing...
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Homophobic calendar sparks online controversy →
Christian cartoonist Joe King has released a 2012 wall calendar based on gay jokes and homophobic stereotypes, and online shoppers aren’t pleased. Here’s the Huffington Post’s description of the calendar:
Titled “I’m Not Gay, I’m Just A Sissy,” the calendar — which promises “12 months of sexual confusion” — has drawn staunch...
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Kelly Clarkson announces support for Ron Paul,... →
In a few heated moments on Twitter on Wednesday, singer Kelly Clarkson announced that she “loves” Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul and would support him if he were to win the Republican nomination.
Shortly after, her followers informed her of the racist and homophobic comments he made in recently discovered newsletters from the 80s and 90s. She apologized, but didn’t...
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LGBT inclusive nativity scene vandalized →
At a church in southern California, a nativity scene depicting same-sex couples was vandalized in what’s being considered a hate crime.
Claremont United Methodist Church has a history of putting up nativity scenes with social or political messages. This year’s display included lightboxes showing three couples holding hands - a man and a woman, two men and two women.
Sometime before...
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After trans woman murdered, media coverage... →
A transgender woman was murdered on Christmas Eve in Kansas City, and LGBT activists are angry with the way the story has been reported.
Kenyan L. Jones is accused of killing Dee Dee Pearson, also listed as Darnell Pearson in some stories. Several hours after paying her to have sex with him, Jones allegedly learned that Pearson was biologically male and then shot her.
The primary complaint is...
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Latin American airline creates LGBT-specific... →
LAN Airlines recently launched a web site geared specifically towards LGBT travelers. The site, LAN Diversity, is committed to showing travelers the diversity of South America and providing information that can make travel more enjoyable for LGBT people.
LAN Diversity includes descriptions of South American travel destinations with information specific to LGBT travelers, like gay-friendly...
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Bachmann's platform: "I'm the least gay-friendly" →
Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is using her anti-gay track record as one of her strengths in comparison to her fellow candidates, the New York Times reports.
Again, this is not a surprise - her web site lists “supporting the family” and “defending marriage” as some of her political priorities. Oy. From the NYT:
“Mitt Romney has defended gay marriage and even...
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Russia considers criminalization of homosexuality →
Following in the footsteps of countries like Nigeria and Uganda, Russia is considering a measure that would ban any reference to homosexuality.
Russia’s law would consider talking about homosexuality to be “propaganda” that isn’t allowed, the brainchild of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak:
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak called for banning any “propaganda” of...
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Psychological association takes down gay marriage... →
The North Carolina Psychological Association has published a straightforward list of reasons why opposing marriage equality is simply incorrect. This comes at a time when North Carolina is considering an amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
A summary of the reasons:
1. There is no empirical evidence that supports the denial of marriage rights to people in same-sex relationships.
...
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Same-sex couples pay higher taxes →
CNN Money recently conducted an analysis that supported the theory we all assumed to be true: because the federal government doesn’t recognize same-sex relationships, married same-sex couples often pay more in taxes than married heterosexual couples.
H&R Block crunched numbers comparing taxes for gay and straight couples and found that gay couples can pay as much as $6,000 more than...
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New Hampshire focused on repealing marriage... →
Officials in New Hampshire have made repealing the state’s gay marriage law a priority, but legislators may not vote on the matter until after the Jan. 10 presidential primary to save the spotlight for the candidates.
Both the state House and Senate are Republican-controlled and expected to pass a bill repealing New Hampshire’s marriage equality law, but Gov. John Lynch has promised...
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“It’s not as many rights as marriage, but it helps couples during very...”
– Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan on the recently passed domestic partnership registry in Orlando, expected to bring out a large number of gay couples. More.
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Portland LGBT newspaper shuts down →
Just Out, the major LGBT newspaper in Portland, announced that after 28 years of publication, the paper’s December issue would be its last. The news came via a short blurb on their site:
“Effective December 26, 2011, Just Out newsmagazine, serving Portland’s LGBTQ community since 1983, is no longer in business,” the statement said. “Three years of recession have taken their toll. Please...
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Israeli textbook calls homosexuality a curable... →
The most recent edition of a major psychiatry textbook in Israel has caused major controversy for referring to homosexuality as a disorder that should be treated “to aid normal sexual development.”
It cites American psychiatrist Charles Socarides, who infamously believed homosexuality to be “curable,” in stating that “the most accepted approach” to “deal...
purehomosexualart asked: The media and stories you post reassure me when I'm in doubt that I'm blessed, not cursed, with the wonderful gift of my sexuality. You are dedicated, devoted, and a true gift to those who need it most. Thank you so much for your endless efforts to educate others about LGBT issues and rights.
eachageisadream asked: Hi! First of all I love your blog. I'm a co-president of the GSA at my high school and I get a lot of my information here which makes meetings that much more informative, so thank you! I was wondering though: With the Presidential Race heating up what are the candidates stances on LGBT issues/same-sex marriage? I've been searching online but it seems to be something that some of the...
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“There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the...”
– Freya Stark, The Journey’s Echo
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The states with no openly gay elected officials →
Here’s a question: which two states don’t have any openly LGBT elected officials? Any guesses?
The answer, according to a recent Advocate.com article: Alaska and South Dakota. Mississippi was on the list too, until Southhaven Mayor Greg Davis came out this month.
My question: if there are openly gay officials in openly homophobic states, including my dear home of Florida, how come we...
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Hawaii hotels expect to benefit from civil unions →
Hawaii’s law legalizing same-sex civil unions will take effect January 1, and local hotels are eager to accommodate the happy couples.
A Maui News article (linked above) explains that Hawaii “industry insiders” think the civil unions law will boost tourism from same-sex couples, a perfectly valid and practically commonsensical hypothesis. Hotels and restaurants are prepared with...
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WatchHillary Clinton’s iconic speech to the United Nations for LGBT human rights inspired a video featuring some of the speech’s most important moments. More.
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“As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by...”
– Donald E. Westlake
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Best travel destinations for LGBT people →
Traveling for the holidays? Community Marketing Inc. recently released the results of its 16th LGBT tourism study to compile the top 20 most popular travel destinations among LGBT people.
Most of these places have a vibrant gay and lesbian culture, some LGBT-specific hotspots and lots of traditionally traveler-oriented things to do, plus they’re generally cool places. The full list is at...
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“Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.”
– Janice Maeditere
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Merry Christmas!
To all my followers celebrating Christmas today, I wish you a day of joy, peace and love. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, may the generally cheery holiday season give you a reason to smile.
The year is drawing to an end, so don’t forget to check back for a recap of some of the year’s most important events in LGBT news. Look for shorter blurbs throughout the week and a...
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“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation...”
– John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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School bans all mention of homosexuality →
Rossville Christian Academy, a K-12 school in Tennessee, has banned the promotion of or association with homosexuality via speech or action, and one parent believes the move is targeted at one gay student out of 300 kids at the school.
The policy is legal because there is no state or federal law protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and because the...
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Minnesota LGBT community apologizes for "ruining"... →
When Amy Koch, recently resigned Senate Majority Leader from Minnesota, engaged in an extramarital affair with a Senate staffer and publicly apologized for it, the LGBT community of Minnesota saw a chance to make a point and poke a little fun.
On behalf of Minnesota’s LGBT people, John Medeiros issued a letter to Koch sarcastically apologizing for ruining her “traditional...
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DePaul sees first openly gay student body... →
DePaul University, the largest Catholic college in the country, has its first openly gay student body president this year.
Anthony Alfano was raised Catholic and officially came out to the world on National Coming Out Day, Oct. 10. He’s studying political science and international studies at DePaul. Students at the Chicago university and members of his family have been overwhelmingly...
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Lance Bass uses transgender slur on air →
Out entertainer Lance Bass used a slur on air to describe transgender people during an appearance on Access Hollywood and seemed unapologetic when comic Billy Eichner casually mentioned the word wasn’t “supposed to be used.”
Here’s the Advocate’s summary of what went down (and there’s a video at the link above):
“So you need to go to Christopher and...
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Read this now: "It's Ok to Be Neither" →
This story went around a little while back, but it was brought to my attention again recently and I wanted to share it with you all.
It’s a piece written by an elementary school teacher who has a gender non-conforming child in her class. To accommodate Allie, a biological girl who likes to dress like a boy, the teacher starts to incorporate lesson plans about simple gender issues, like how...
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More hookups among teen girls? →
Seventeen-year-old girls are more likely to hook up with other girls than they were ten years ago, according to a new study.
The U.S. National Survey of Family Growth found that 11 percent of girls in the most recent survey had had sexual contact with another girl, as compared with five percent in the 2002 version of the study. The same group also showed less sexual contact with boys, fewer...
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Michigan bans partner health coverage →
Michigan governor Rick Snyder signed into law yesterday a bill ending health care coverage for domestic partners of government workers. Republican officials introduced and have been pushing the legislation - surprise!
“Governor Snyder’s support for this bill is appalling,” Emily Dievendorf, director of policy for Equality Michigan, said in a statement. “Today, the governor told...
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Hospital apologizes to lesbian couple →
We recently discussed Val Burke, the woman who was denied the right to visit her female partner in the hospital because she wasn’t family or a legal spouse, even though the hospital where she was staying technically should have allowed her partner to make that decision.
Reps from the hospital say the mistake was a result of human error, and they’re going to talk with the couple to...
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Broncos say no to It Gets Better →
fter a petition asking the Denver Broncos to participate in the It Gets Better Project gathered 8,000 signatures, the NFL team denied the request, basically saying they’d rather spend their time on other causes. From Yahoo!:
Denver Broncos spokesperson Patrick Smyth said, “The Denver Broncos are committed to tolerance, acceptance and respect for all in the community. The National...
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“I asked [Gingrich] if he’s elected, how does he plan to engage gay Americans....”
– Scott Arnold, an adjunct professor at William Penn University, who recently asked Newt Gingrich how the LGBT community should support the candidate. Newt’s answer? Don’t. More.