Strong But Accurate Words from a Surprising Source

As we hunker down watching the snow continue to fall - we have about a foot now in Charlottesville - I have been Internet surfing as we watch TV and talk (and the boyfriend bakes cookies and makes pasta sauce). In the process I was surprised to come across an opinion piece on The Advocate written by porn impresario Michael Lucas (pictured at left) - P.S. for the record, I have not watched any of his company's films.

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Much of what Lucas has to say is right on point and sounds much like what I and others have been writing about for sometime: the lack of a true leader in the gay rights struggle and the failure of many self-anointed gay rights organizations to play hardball with politicians who talk a good game and then do little or nothing to further LGBT equality. Indeed, Lucas sounds alot like David Mixner or Lady Gaga at the National Equality March last October or Pam Spaulding in the way he call for a new approach to demanding that politicians deliver on their promises. Here are some highlights:
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Michael Lucas looks for the country’s gay Martin Luther King Jr., and finds little to celebrate. . . . While it’s true that we have made great progress in some states, on the national level, we are stalled. This is particularly embarrassing considering that Democrats—our supposed friends—are in control of both Houses of Congress and the White House. With all these Democrats running around Washington, I don’t understand how we’re unable to achieve the rights we’ve been fighting for in the 18 years since Bill Clinton was elected, namely, overruling “don’t ask, don’t tell” and gaining the right to marry. I thought gay activists told us that putting Democrats in power would solve all of our problems.
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Our so-called leaders won’t acknowledge this. They’re not really leaders but extremely wealthy fundraisers whose desires have nothing to do with fighting for our rights. They use their status and fundraising campaigns for their own personal agendas. It seems that their goal is to be invited to the White House and have pictures taken with the Obamas and the Clintons. But these “leaders” are not interested in demanding action from the powerful people with whom they’re partying. They’re afraid to upset the powerful. We raise money to fight, not to kiss ass. The purpose of giving money to political campaigns is to get results, not to host lavish fundraisers and parties.
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We need leaders and organizations that are not intimidated by anyone, not even by our most eloquent president. To be perfectly honest, I don’t see much difference between our current Democratic president and George W. Bush. And I don’t think McCain would have been much different from Obama, either. Indeed, McCain’s wife, Cindy, just came out in favor of gay marriage and did a photo shoot for the NOH8 campaign. Where is Michelle?
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I don’t judge by words. I judge by actions. Politicians take gay votes for granted, and who can blame them? They probably should take our votes for granted because we don’t ask for anything from them in return. Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act and gay people still gave him their votes. Indeed, they cheer him whenever he speaks before a gay organization. So maybe we don’t deserve a real fighter. Gays are looking for fashionable icons and nothing more than that.
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At this point Obama is just a liar who makes a lot of promises. He took our money, the overwhelming majority of gay people gave him support, and a year into his presidency he has given us practically nothing back aside from lifting the HIV travel ban and hate crimes legislation. It doesn’t do us any good for the president to go to a gay fundraiser and say that he’s with us and tell us how great and wonderful we are. There’s a big difference in giving a speech at an event which only rich homosexuals can attend (these events are not televised or known to anyone outside a small set of the gay community), and saying the same things to the American people.
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The president just delivered his first State of the Union Address, and millions of straight Americans watched. He hardly said anything about us, except one sentence promising to repeal "don’t ask, don’t tell." He could have told the people of Maine—before the vote to revoke marriage equality there—that they should make the right choice and not take back our civil rights. But he didn’t. . . . Hillary Clinton has condemned anti-gay violence, but our president has not. How hard would it have been for him to show solidarity with our gay brothers and sisters living in some of the darkest places in the world?
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As we can’t depend on straight Democrats, we need a gay Martin Luther King, Jr., to fight for us. Someone who will face arrest, enact civil disobedience, and raise a ruckus on our behalf. We need to choose a leader who cares about us and not just him or herself. Those are the actions for which MLK is so admired today. But gays seem to think that giving lots of money to political candidates is all that needs to be done. Making political donations is important, but it has to produce results to be effective. The people who deliver our money to the president should not just be delivery boys; they should be fighters, they should be crusaders. Why are we content to have them merely rub shoulders with the powerful?

More Saturday Male Beauty

American Anti-Gay Legal Group Opens Branch in Kenya

Still more evidence of the efforts of American Christianist to export their anti-gay hatred to Africa continues to come to light. This time in the form of news that the East Africa Centre for Law & Justice (EACLJ)- an offshoot of Jay Sekulow’s American Center for Law and Justice ("ACLJ") - has opened in Nairobi, Kenya. Not surprisingly, Focus on the Family is trumpeting the development as something wonderful that will benefit local citizens. I'm not sure the breeding of hate and intolerance qualifies as something positive, but for the Christianist freedom of religion and freedom of conscience are things to be stamped outwherever possible. Here's how the FOTF propaganda machine desribes the new organization:
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The EACLJ aims to develop a Centre that will be credible and trustworthy in its information. This information will be used to inform the general public on issues of national importance being churned out of our parliament. It shall also be useful in lobbying legislators when debating and enacting laws. The Centre also aims to be a haven for those who find themselves in conflict with the law, especially over the exercise of their faith.
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This is only the beginning. The EACLJ will be a centre that will change the landscape of legislation for all Kenyans and eventually all of East Africa’s citizens.
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Box Turtle Bulletin has a far different take on this disturbing development and the likely toxic "accurate " information" that the EACLJ will disseminate. Here are highlights of Jim Burroway's thoughts on this issue:
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Unmentioned is Uganda, which just happens to sit between Kenya and Rwanda, with Burundi further south. The ACLJ has filed friend of the court briefs in the U.S. against just about every LGBT-related case brought to the courts. Specifically, they vigorously opposed (PDF: 212KB/28 pages) overturning American anti-sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas.

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In 1995, they also opposed overturning Colorado’s Amendment 2, which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down for illegally barring LGBT people from full participation in the legislative process. Since ACLJ now wants to meddle in the legal affairs of East Africa, now would be a good time for them to go on record with their position on Uganda’s proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Why Is CBS in Bed With the Religious Right?

As I expected would be the case, CBS has rejected the broadcast of a gay theme ad during the Super Bowl next weekend - even as it continues to plan on broadcasting an ad by Focus on the Family which furthers what appears to be an ad that disseminates an outright lie. Gee, imagine that! Christianists at FOTF lying. The better question is when does FOTF not lie. But then, from my experience the far right Christianists are among the biggest liars one is likely to ever encounter. If it is viewed as furthering their theocratic agenda, then any lie is allowed. First, some highlights from Entertainment Weekly that looks at CBS''s lame excuse for its bigotry toward a gay themed ad:

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CBS has decided it will not air an advertisement from gay dating website ManCrunch.com during Feb. 7’s Super Bowl XLIV, EW has confirmed. The ad depicts two football-watching men sharing a passionate kiss after their hands touch while reaching into a bowl of potato chips. “After reviewing the ad — which is entirely commercial in nature — our Standards and Practices department decided not to accept this particular spot,” a network rep said in a statement. “As always, we are open to working with the client on alternative submissions.” A rep for ManCrunch.com also confirmed the rejection and called the refusal to air the spot hypocritical. “We are totally of the opinion the ad was rejected due to the homosexual content,” spokeswoman Elissa Buchter said. She added, “The creative is PG-rated and doesn’t feature any tongue or overt sexuality.”
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CBS and its Super Bowl commercials made headlines earlier this week when women’s advocacy groups issued statements protesting the network’s decision to air a spot sponsored by Christian organization Focus on the Family, which features Florida Gators football star Tim Tebow, his mother, and what some are arguing is an overt pro-life message.
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As for the apparently false claims made in the FOTF ad, it seems that while the mother of Tim Tebow claims to have rejected advice to have an abortion when in reality she was in a country where abortions were 100% illegal at the time. Thus, it seems unlikely that anyone ever made the claimed recommendation. As Radaronline reports, attorney Gloria Allred is threatening to file FCC and FTC complaints against CBS for its disingenuous furtherance of what appears to be an outright lie. Here are some highlights (Allred's letter can be found here):
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Famed womens' rights campaigner and powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred has joined the ever growing hoard of people angered at the CBS network's decision to allow an pro life ad to air during the upcoming Super Bowl on February 7th. In an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com Allred shares that she is outraged by CBS and fears that the motivation for money has far outweighed any commitment to truth and any duty to upholding advertising standards.

The ad, featuring college football player and devout Christian, Tim Tebow, and his mother Pam, is funded by Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian organization that places emphasis on marriage and parenthood.
In the controversial ad, Pam reportedly shares the story of her difficult 1987 pregnancy which occurred when she was working as a missionary in the Philippines. In her harrowing tale she says she fell ill with amoebic dysentery while pregnant and was treated with robust antibiotics, which she says doctors told her had caused fetal damage, prompting them to urge her to terminate her pregnancy, but she refused their advice that she have an abortion for her own safety. Going on to give birth to Tebow, the now-famous quarterback who went on to become a Heisman Trophy winner, leading the Gators to two BCS wins.

In her exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com Allred slams the ad and CBS's decision to air it, pointing out factual inconsistencies with Pam's story. One glaring one is the fact that the act of abortion is totally illegal in the majority Catholic country of the Philippines - under all circumstances including rape and incest, and even without a provision in the circumstance that the mother's life is in danger. The law has been in effect since 1930.
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Allred says she believes it an impossible scenario to believe that Philippino doctors would of ever suggested abortion as a viable option for Tebow in the first place. And when you learn that physicians and midwives who perform abortions in the Philippines face six years in prison, and may have their licenses suspended or revoked, and that women who receive abortions - no matter the reason - may be punished with imprisonment for two to six years, it's easy to see why.
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It's a shocking turn around on policy for the network, who in 2004, were criticized by many liberal organizations for rejecting an ad by the United Church of Christ highlighting the UCC's welcoming stance toward gays and others who might feel shunned by more conservative churches. CBS cited at the time their strict "no advocacy in advertising" policy. Something that has obviously changed for some unapparent reason.

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The United Church of Christ ad which was rejected by CBS can be viewed below.

Censorship Alive in Virginia School System

In yet another case where one wingnut parent has complained about a book "not being appropriate," the Culpeper County Public Schools (Culpeper is about 45miles north of Charlottesville) have banned the use of a newer version of the Diary of Anne Frank. The irony is that on any given day on the afternoon soap operas one can likely watch even more sexually charged fair. I am amazed at parents that believe that keeping their children ignorant of the real world somehow helps their children be prepared to venture out into the world. It has been my experience that the children of the most restrictive parents are the ones that go wild and run amok when they leave home for college. The forbidden fruit is always made to look that much more desirable. Here are highlights from the Washington Post on this latest idiocy in Virginia:

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Culpeper County public school officials have decided to stop assigning a version of Anne Frank's diary, one of the most enduring symbols of the atrocities of the Nazi regime, after a parent complained that the book includes sexually explicit material and homosexual themes.
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"The Diary of a Young Girl: the Definitive Edition," which was published on the 50th anniversary of Frank's death in a concentration camp, will not be used in the future, said James Allen, director of instruction for the 7,600-student system. The school system did not follow its own policy for handling complaints about instructional materials, Allen said.
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The diary documents the daily life of a Jewish girl in Amsterdam during World War II. Frank started writing on her 13th birthday, shortly before her family went into hiding in an annex of an office building. The version of the diary in question includes passages previously excluded from the widely read original edition, first published in Dutch in 1947. That book was arranged by her father, the only survivor in her immediate family. Some of the extra passages detail her emerging sexual desires; others include unflattering descriptions of her mother and other people living together.
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Culpeper's policy on "public complaints about learning resources" calls for complaints to be submitted in writing and for a review committee to research the materials and deliberate, Allen said. In this case, the policy was not followed. Allen said the parent registered the complaint orally, no review committee was created and a decision was made quickly by at least one school administrator. He said he is uncertain about the details because he was out of town.
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Hasty decisions to restrict access to some books do "a disservice to students," said Angela Maycock, assistant director of the office for intellectual freedom at the American Library Association[ALA]. "Something that one individual finds controversial or offensive or objectionable may be really valuable to other learners in that community," she said. The ALA has documented only six challenges to "The Diary of Anne Frank" since it began monitoring formal written complaints to remove or restrict books in 1990.
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Not to sound overly mean, but it'd be great Divine justice if this bigoted parent turns out to have a gay child and children that run wild in later life.

Saturday Male Beauty

Ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ - and Allowing Gay Marriage

The New York Times had a great main editorial the other day that went after both President Obama and the supporters of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Living in the Hampton Roads area where we literally have service members from every branch of the U.S. military - obviously, the largest numbers are in the Navy - I see first hand daily what this religious based discriminatory policy does to LGBT service members and their families. Many are forced to live clandestine private lives, living in constant fear that someone will "out" them. Moreover, despite the supposed "Don't Ask" part of the policy, it is common for homophobes in the military to actively search gay dating sites or watch crowds leaving gay clubs in the hope of finding a military member that they can out. It is an ongoing travesty in a nation that claims to have freedom of religion for all - even gays. Proponents of DADT ultimately want the ban continued for one reason, which has NOTHING to do with military readiness. The Christianists' fear is that if gays are allowed to openly serve in the armed forces, it will ultimately undercut their relentless campaign to depict gays as less than full citizens - indeed as less than fully human. Here are some editorial highlights:

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Toward the end of his State of the Union address Wednesday night, President Obama said something that untold numbers of Americans who suffer discrimination had wanted to hear for more than 16 years. He promised to work to repeal the law that bans gay members of the military from living their lives openly.
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The 1993 law was always pointless and cruel, but today, when numerous polls show that a solid majority of Americans oppose it, “don’t ask, don’t tell” feels ever more like the relic of a bygone era. There is evidence that the attitude of military officers is shifting. All that is lacking is political will. Congress and the military should work with Mr. Obama to repeal the law quickly.
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Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not just a technicality on the books. It is actively being used to drive gay men and lesbians out of the military — more than 13,000 since the law was adopted, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. That includes people with vital skills, like Arabic translators. The legal defense network, which helps people facing charges under “don’t ask don’t tell,” estimates that 644 people have been discharged under the law since Mr. Obama took office.
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The policy of drumming gay men and lesbians out of the military is based on prejudice, not performance. Gay people serve openly and effectively in the armies of Britain, Israel, Australia and Canada.
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The winner of last year’s secretary of defense essay contest was a piece by an Air Force colonel, published in Joint Force Quarterly, a military journal, that called “don’t ask, don’t tell” a “costly failure” and debunked the canard that unit cohesion would be harmed if gay service members were allowed to be open about their sexuality.
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The law singles out a group of Americans for second-class treatment, forcing them to hide who they are and to live in fear of being found out and discharged. The policy hurts the military by depriving it of the service of a large number of loyal and talented Americans.
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This is a winnable battle, but it will take committed leadership, starting with Mr. Obama, who until Wednesday was not vocal enough on the subject as president. He should prod the Pentagon to speak out, but the military officers will need strong support in Congress, particularly from the many Republican lawmakers who voice their commitment to a strong military. The evidence is clear that this law makes the military weaker.
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Much more needs to be done, including recognizing same-sex marriage at the national level and passing a federal law protecting gay people from discrimination on the job. Repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” would be an important step forward.

McDonnell Has Not Banned Bias in Virginia's Workforce

Not surprisingly, to date Virginia's new governor, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell (at left) has not signed an executive order explicitly banning employment discrimination in Virginia government agency work force. McDonnell is the first governor in 36 years to fail to sign such an executive order as one of the first actions upon taking office. Obviously, this does not bode well for Virginia's public employees, particularly LGBT Virginians. In Michael Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History, McDonnell as Attorney General consistently maintained that sexual orientation is not a protected class and Ken Cuccinelli, the new Attorney General is even more homophobic than McDonnell. The irony is in all of this is that anti-gay discrimination is actual religious based discrimination which should already be illegal under Virginia and federal statutes and constitutions. Of course, McDonnell and Cuccinelli are Christianists and have in the past demonstrated that in their view only far right Christians have religious freedom while the rest of us are supposed to live under their imposed religious beliefs. Jefferson must indeed be rolling over in his grave across the valley from where I sit as I write this post. Like it or not, McDonnell is going to be forced to show his bigotry or take action that will inflame the gay-haters of the GOP base, many of whom in my view are also racists. Here are some highlights from the Washington Post:

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RICHMOND -- Newly inaugurated Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) has not yet issued an executive order barring discrimination in the state workforce, breaking a 36-year tradition by governors of both parties of making a formal statement on the issue one of their first acts in office.
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McDonnell was clear during his campaign for governor that he believed his two Democratic predecessors had overstepped the bounds of their executive authority when they included discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in their orders on the issue and that he would not renew their acts.
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Virginia governors back to Mills E. Godwin Jr., who left office in 1978, have issued a statement prohibiting discrimination on those grounds as either their first or second executive order -- it was order No. 2 for both of the state's last two Republican governors, George F. Allen and James S. Gilmore III.
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Federal law prohibits discrimination on those grounds [race, religion and sex] and McDonnell's office said this week that he will not tolerate bias in his administration. However, a spokeswoman said he is still reviewing whether to formally issue what would be a symbolic executive order on the issue.
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The discrimination order poses a difficult choice for McDonnell, a social conservative who tried to play down controversial cultural politics during his campaign in favor of economic issues. Issuing an order without the language on sexual orientation would highlight its absence. Del. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria), the legislature's only openly gay member, said recently he'd prefer to see no order than one he would perceive as divisive that failed to mention sexual orientation. But issuing no order at all would be a clear departure from past practice in a state with a complicated and emotional history with racial discrimination.
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McDonnell's actions are being followed closely by members of the General Assembly, where Democrats have proposed legislation to ban discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation. Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Richmond), sponsor of the measure, said he hopes to receive McDonnell's support, given that the new governor has said repeatedly that he believed extending legal protections to sexual orientation, which is not covered by federal statute, is a policy issue that must be addressed by the legislature. The bill has narrowly cleared its first legislative hurdle, surviving a Democratically controlled committee on an 8 to 7 vote.
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McDonnell's office this week sidestepped questions about his position on the bill. Among its opponents is the conservative Family Foundation, which has been a major supporter of McDonnell's and twice awarded him its legislator of the year award while he was serving in the House of Delegates. Chris Freund, a spokesman for the group, said there is no evidence that gay state employees currently face workplace discrimination.
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McEachin said he believes state employees do still face discrimination. "I don't believe discrimination is a thing of the past," he said. "And if it is, what harm would a law do?" The full Senate will take up the measure next week but it will almost certainly die in the GOP-led House of Delegates, which has voted against similar measures.

Snowy Charlottesville Saturday

My posting frequency was down yesterday since we drove up to Charlottesville last evening and were pretty much exhausted after busy days and an uneventful drive. Thankfully, my mother seems pretty good and also seems to be accepting the fact that she will not be driving henceforth and likes the aid that comes in to take her to appointments and on errands, etc. Needless to say I am hugely relieved after hearing disparate reports from my sisters, each of whom work in the medical field.

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We woke up this morning to a blanket of about three inches of snow on the ground with the snow continuing to wall steadily. Reportedly, Virginia Beach - which typically gets the least snow of anywhere in the state - already has four inches of snow. I'm sure people will be freaking out and the biggest hazard will be drivers that know nothing about driving in snow. Having learned to drive in the snow country of central New York, I had plenty of practice driving in many feet of snow.

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Today will be a day for staying inside and reading a good book - my mother is an avid reader - watching old movies and , of course, blogging. Naturally, the boyfriend has taken over the kitchen as is the norm when we visit. Looking out the living room window through the falling snow, I cannot even see the summit upon which Jefferson's Monticello - i.e., "Little Mountain" - sits a mile away off to the east northeast. The snow is beautiful and a change from what us Tidewater folks are used to seeing.

Friday Male Beauty

Friday Morning This and That

The greater Norfolk region is in freak out mode. Why? There is a forecast that the area could receive up to a foot of snow starting after midnight tonight. Meanwhile, the boyfriend and I are supposed to be headed to Charlottesville to spend the weekend with my mother who is recovering from her recent stroke. Luckily, the forecast for that area is only light snow. I want to see my Mom, keep her company, and most importantly get a handle on what is going on with her medically on in person. Obviously, with the current weather forecast, we will take the boyfriend's Ford Expedition that typically is used to hall supplies for the Salon or in instances where we have too many people to fit comfortably in the other vehicles. It's a tank and four wheel drive, so hopefully the trip will be uneventful.
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I am seeking my therapist this morning. With the new calendar year, I have a new deductible to overcome, so it's likely that Ill be dropping out of therapy and going off the meds once the current prescriptions run out since I am still trying to pay off the one from last year. Welcome to America where - unlike other advanced nations - the health of citizens means nothing, particularly those on the far right, many of whom claim to be Christian. It is a truly f*cked up value system where the never ending quest lower taxes trump health care even for children. WWJD?
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Having my daughter working for me continues to be a joy even as I continue to hear nothing from my other two children. She is smart, a very fast typist, and seems to be catching on quickly as my office manager teachers her some of the bookkeeping chores and other administrative tasks. She has struck up a fast friendship with a young gay friend who helps us out from time to time covering the phones and doing document preparation, as well as working for another attorney subletting office space from me. Of my children, she is the only one who has a window into my world, sees my LGBT friends and clients and sees the burdens of running a small law firm in the current economy. She remains a true treasure.

One Evangelical Sees the Light

I suspect that many gay haters of the far right will go to their graves desiring to see LGBT Americans denigrated and kept as second class citizens - just as many old time segregation for ever supporters in decades past. I likewise suspect that history will view them less than kindly. Newsweek has a story on one former high level evangelical leader, Richard Cizik (pictured at left), who seems to want to chart a different course that includes the concept of recognition of same sex relationship even if he'd not yet willing to use the word "marriage." For his willingness to rethink issues, Cizik has been and continues to be condemned by the Neanderthal elements* of the Christian Right. Here are some story highlights:

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Richard Cizik remembers it this way: he had just come home from a week in Australia and was about to jet off to Paris when he sat down on Dec. 2, 2008 for his post-election interview with NPR’s Terry Gross. She opened by asking him who he voted for, and though he demurred, he offered a big hint. "In the Virginia primary, I voted for Barack Obama," he said.
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A few minutes later, she asked the question that would cost Cizik his job: "Have you changed on gay marriage?" "I'm shifting," Cizik answered, truthfully, "I have to admit. In other words, I would willingly say I believe in civil unions."
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Even as polls continued to show a younger generation of Christians who were more accepting than their parents of homosexuality and gay marriage, the men who were running the old-school religious right remained completely and unequivocally opposed—and the NAE [National Association of Evangelicals], an association of tens of thousands of churches, had always been positioned squarely within that flank. But for some time Cizik had been distancing himself from the old-timers, promoting global warming and environmentalism as Christian causes and supporting government-funded contraception as a way to reduce teen pregnancy. Religious-right stalwarts had long been calling out Cizik as insufficiently orthodox, but until now the NAE had his back.
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After a year of keeping a low profile, Cizik is "making a comeback," as he puts it. This week he announces the formation of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, a group devoted to developing Christian responses to global and political issues such as environmentalism, nuclear disarmament, human rights, and dialogue with the Muslim world. Cizik's partners in this effort are David Gushee, a professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University who has written extensively on torture, and Steven D. Martin, a pastor and filmmaker. For years, Cizik has been saying that the evangelical right needs to reframe its politics, to walk away from divisive name calling and find common ground with opponents, even on hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage.
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The partnership gives Cizik a platform from which to speak openly. In his old job, "I wasn't allowed to say what I was thinking if it didn't support every jot and tittle of NAE policy," he says. Now, "I don't have to worry about the kinds of accountability that I had before." . . . Younger evangelicals are concerned with a broader range of issues than their parents, especially environmentalism and the developing world, but they are more conservative on abortion.) In any case, Cizik shrugs these criticisms off. "I am, at heart, a centrist evangelical. I am more pro-life than [Sojourners founder] Jim Wallis is, actually. I am what we should be—that is, post-ideological. We are to be about healing, not division. We are not to be subservient to ideology, but above it."

More Thursday Male Beauty

A Gay Dating Ad for the Super Bowl?

I wrote recently about the hypocrisy of CBS in refusing to broadcast an ad submitted by the United Church of Christ which carried the simple message that the denomination was welcoming to all people, gays included, because it was "controversial, yet CBS will run an ad by the foul haters at Focus on the Family. Now, rumors are running that CBS is pondering running a gay dating ad during the Superbowl. It's likely just a ploy to try to diffuse criticism over the planned broadcast of the FOTF ad (which in my view is akin to running an ad by a Neo-Nazi organization) and I'm not expecting the ad to actually run.. Nonetheless, I applaud the advertiser's efforts to hold CBS' feet to the fire. In the unlikely event the ad actual gets broadcast, watching the likely hysteria generated amongst the Christo-fascist set will probably be more entertaining than the Superbowl itself. Here are some highlights from The Advocate:

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An ad for gay dating site ManCrunch.com may still be under consideration for airing by CBS during the Super Bowl on February 7. According to Fox News, “The 30-second spot shows two men excitedly watching the game, before their hands brush as they both reach into a bowl of chips. Suddenly, the two begin making out, much to the shock of a guy sitting close by.”
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The merits of that message aside, ManCrunch.com said it believes the network will pass on the ad in the end, but it does not want to “officially ‘reject’ the spot out of fear there may be a backlash from gay advocacy groups,” according to Fox News. CBS denies that claim, however. The network says the ad, like many others, is still under review.
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The potential airing of a gay dating site ad arrives as CBS is under fire for its plan to air a pro-life advocacy ad starring University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother during the big game. Under an earlier network policy that has since changed, CBS rejected an ad from the United Church of Christ that focused on tolerance toward LGBT people.

Bollywood Finally Goes There

As I have mentioned a number of times previously, I have a significant number of Hindu clients of either Indian descent or who were themselves born in India. As clients go, they are wonderful: loyal, responsive and pretty prompt payers. While I do not flaunt my sexual orientation, neither do I hide it in my professional life. As such my clients may or may not know I'm gay, but the critical element to these clients is respect, responsiveness and competence in delivering legal services. Some I suspect have gay family members, although it's an issue we have never discussed since professionalism and propriety are always important and I cannot help but wonder what some of them will think of Bollywood's venture into a gay theme movie. As AfterElton notes, the upcoming May release of Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun, is already being called Bollywood's answer to Brokeback Mountain. Obviously, gays exist in all cultures and perhaps this new movie will help push the culture in the direction of tolerance and acceptance. Here are some highlights:

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Bollywood puts out more films than any other movie location in the world, but they've never put out an explicitly gay film. In 2008 they released Dostana, in which the lead pretends to be gay to get the girl, but that's about it for major releases. But that's about to change in May with the release of Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun, already being called their answer to Brokeback Mountain.

India is still waiting for a final ruling decriminalizing gay sex nationwide, but art is moving the ball forward with a film starring a relative newcomer Kapil Sharma, but directed by powerhouse director Amil Sharma, best known for macho action films.
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The first posters were released this week, and they're steamy to say the least. We'll be watching developments as the May release approaches.

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I hope the movie does well and that it perhaps prompts people to rethink some of their religious and cultural based prejudices.

Thursday Male Beauty

Joint Chiefs Show Their Homophobia - And Their Disrespect for Obama

Some readers who did not see the entire SOTU speech last night have asked whether or not the Joint Chiefs of the nation's military applauded anything last night as Obama delivered his message. The photo immediately below shows their reaction when President Obama mentioned that he would be working in the coming year to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Obviously, it's not what one might call an enthusiastic reaction. The majority of Republicans acted similarly.

As to whether they applauded at any point last night, the answer to that yes indeed they did - when it involved potentially more military conflict, more spending of funds in losing wars, and wasting the lives of more young Americans. In fact, they gave a standing ovation as shown below. Remember, out Joint Chiefs are most happen when the military is engaged in killing people and breaking things in other nations.
The U.S. military is supposed to support and defend the nation and the U.S. Constitution. DADT makes a mockery of the Constitution's advertised guarantee of freedom and equality for all. That is, unless one is an LGBT American, in which case we are second class citizens. DADT is akin to a Jim Crow law for gays and Obama needs to have a serious conversation with the Joint Chiefs which ought to include giving them a swift kick in the ass.
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Meanwhile, what do U.S. civilians think? The Washington Post has these statements:
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Obama called for the repeal amid a growing chorus of support from across the political spectrum. A June Gallup survey found a majority of liberals and Democrats support a repeal, as do 58 percent of conservatives and 60 percent of weekly churchgoers. Despite growing support, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday, “When it comes to ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ frankly, I think it’s worked very well and we just ought to leave it alone.”
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Retired Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also weighed in on Wednesday by reiterating support for a repeal. “As a nation built on the principal of equality, we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger more cohesive military,” Shalikashvili said. “It is time to repeal ’don’t ask, don’t tell’ and allow our military leaders to create policy that holds our service members to a single standard of conduct and discipline.”
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Living in an area with a large military presence, one gets to see senior military up close from time to time. Unfortunately, many senior military commanders are used to making subordinates kiss their asses and seem to think that they defaecate chocolate - much like the senior Catholic Church hierarchy. The pompousness and bigotry in both groups is disgusting.

Housing Recovery Could Take a Decade

Even as President Obama tried to give an upbeat attitude last night in his SOTU message, one economist has made a prediction that does not bode well whatsoever for economic recovery: the housing market mat not recover for a decade. If this is true, many homeowners will continue to have negative equity and will be inclined to walk away and allow homes to go to foreclosure, All of which will pressure further drops in housing values. And the downward spiral will continue. What's driving it all? Banks are not lending and people cannot get financing even as banks continue to give their top officers obscene salaries and bonuses. The situation is seriously f*cked up and unless Obama/Congress do something to force renewed lending - both in the residential realm and in commercial lending, business simply will not pick up. With a law firm that does a great deal of real estate work, I see daily the impact of the drying up of lending as home buyers are left not being able to secure financing. In the commercial realm, other than my Indian clients and others of foreign descent who have family overseas that can as aid them with money infusions, it is a very bleak picture. Here are highlights from a Washington Post story:

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Even as the housing market shows signs of improvement, including in new data released Tuesday, economists warn that it could take up to a decade for many homeowners to regain equity in their homes, while some people in the hardest-hit regions of the country may not see a recovery during their lifetime.
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Home prices have fallen 30 percent since reaching their peak in 2006, and many economists think they will take another tumble this year as more foreclosures pile on the market. The pace of recovery will vary throughout the country, with homes in the most battered markets taking the longest to regain value. Meanwhile, millions of homeowners who are "underwater" -- owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth -- face years of negative equity that puts them at a higher risk of foreclosure.

"What are we going to do down the road when people who should have been saving for retirement, or college funds, are spending that money instead staying current on their underwater home?" said Brent T. White, a University of Arizona law school professor who has studied underwater borrowers.
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Economists worry that the housing market could stumble later this year when government measures to boost sales, including ultra-low interest rates and a tax credit for home buyers, expire. "We're just not convinced that the housing market can stand on its own two feet without the fiscal support of the tax credit," said Paul Dales, an economist for Capital Economics, a research firm.
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Even after the housing market stabilizes, it will take years for some owners to see the value of their homes appreciate. About 25 percent of homeowners owe more than their home is worth, according to data from First American CoreLogic, a research firm.
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"If the question is how long will it take for prices to recover to the peak, it will be longer than before simply because prices fell by more," Lawler said. And in some parts of the country, the answer may be never, he said.
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As goes housing, so goes the economy. Meanwhile, Wall Street hands out billions in bonuses rather than making loans to homeowners and struggling small business. Again, things are seriously f*cked up.

8th Grader Gets it Right: Same-Sex Marriage Should be Legalized in All States of America

It amazes me sometimes how insightful children can be. In a letter that will no doubt case Christianists wetting themselves and convulsing on the floor, an eighth grader in Juneau, Alaska, in an opinion piece letter makes the case for gay marriage nationwide. Obviously, it is this attitude of today's youth that terrifies the Christianists and anti-religious freedom set who are Hell bent to enact as many anti-gay policies as possible. Here are some highlights from Emily Adams' piece in the Juneau Capital City Weekly:

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"Homosexuality is not a disorder and thus there is no need for a cure." This is a quote from the American Psychological Association. Why should people who are homosexual not have the same rights as people who are heterosexual? Therefore same-sex marriage should be legalized in all states of America.
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Mos*t people aren't bothered by same-sex marriage. In a poll using one hundred people, eighty-six of them said that they aren't bothered by same-sex marriage. Currently four states (Vermont, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) have same-sex marriage legalized. Nine countries also have legalized same-sex marriage (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Canada).
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[P]eople disagree with homosexuality because they believe God hates homosexuals, but in the Bible it does not say that God hates homosexuals. In fact there are six things the Lord hates: "The Lord hates haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16-19). . . . And so God does not hate homosexuals. Furthermore, although the Bible says God hates hands that shed innocent blood, there are numerous hate crimes against homosexuals.
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There are horrible hate crimes against homosexuals and same-sex couples that physically and mentally harm them. Research indicates that 31 percent of gay youth were threatened or injured at school. Kids, no matter what their sexual preference, should feel safe at school. How can they feel safe if they are worrying about if they are going to go home healthy or even alive? On February 19, 1999, in Sylacauga, Alabama, computer programmer Billy Jack Gaither, 39, was brutally beaten with an ax handle. His throat was cut, and his body was set on fire. One of his convicted killers, Steven Mullins, testified he killed Gaither because he was "queer." Should homosexuals constantly be worried about these sick killers and hateful people? Homosexuals are people too, and they deserve to feel safe and as important as the rest of us.
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We have already gone through this type of hatred. But when African Americans stood up for their rights there was a huge change. All of this happened because they got sick of being hated and feeling less important, and they did something about it. I don't think our amazing country needs to go through another depressing time. That is why we should legalize same-sex marriage in every state in America.
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Would that more sanctimonious, self-congratulatory false Christians - often motivated by a lust for money or power - had the wisdom of this eight grade student.

As I Expected, Obama Punts on DADT Repeal

It's ironic that this morning I wrote a post about whether or not President Obama would say/do anything substantive in tonight's address in respect to pushing for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Indeed, I noted that some ad hoc online polls on LGBT websites indicated that 60% or more of respondents expected Obama to say perhaps a few pretty words but otherwise do nothing. Pam's House Blend has posted a copy of Obama's full SOTU speech as prepared for delivery and, guess what, the cynical poll respondents were correct. Here's the snippet of the speech that looks at DADT:
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We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; that if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else.
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We must continually renew this promise. My Administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate. This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.
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In short, it's the same lame ephemeral promise we have heard numerous times before all of which have been followed by no action. Obama then hypocritically goes on to state "No wonder there's so much cynicism out there. No wonder there's so much disappointment." Hello, Barack! You are one of the forces driving the cynicism and disappointment. You are a lying, mealy mouthed politician and your pretty words mean absolutely noting. Until Obama acts on repealing Don't Ask, Don't tell. I will continue to support the "Don't Ask, Don't Give" campaign along with Pam Spaulding, the folks at Fire Dog Lake and Bilerico and many other activists.

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P.S. As Obama said his few words on DADT, if you noted, not a one of the heads of the Joint Chiefs applauded.

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Military Spent $500 Million Implementing DADT

As I type this post, I am listening to President Obama deliver his State of the Union Message, a portion of which is addressing the need to generate jobs and use government spending wisely to spur the still fragile economy. As yet, Obama has not mentioned DADT - assuming he mentions it at all (I'm not holding my breath). Meanwhile, On Top Magazine is reporting that the U.S. Military has spent upwards of one half billion dollars expelling LGBT service members who have served their country honorably and committed no offense other than being who God made them to be. Not only is DADT an affront to every LGBT America, but it is financially stupid. No one benefits other than homophobic Christianists who have orgasms bashing LGBT citizens and subverting the promise of freedom of religion of ALL citizens. Here are some highlights:
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The US military has spent between $290 million and more than a half a billion dollars implementing its ban on open gay service, a new study released Tuesday found.
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The research brief released by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, a public policy institute that focuses on sexual orientation law, also estimates that 66,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual people are currently serving in the Armed Forces, approximately 2.2% of all military personnel.
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“Despite official policy requiring that lesbians, gay men and bisexuals remain silent about their sexual orientation, data from the US Census Bureau suggest that an estimated 66,000 LGB men and women are serving in the US military,” Dr. Gary J. Gates, who authored the study, said in a press release.
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“Ending 'don't ask, don't tell' will save a substantial amount of taxpayer dollars since estimates suggest that the policy has cost more than half a billion dollars,” Gates concluded.
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The study also found that lifting the restrictions “could attract an estimated 36,700 men and women to active duty service and 12,000 more individuals to the guard and reserve.”
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The full Williams Institute report can be found here. So, the question of the hour is whether or not Obama will have the back bone and courage to do the right thing and demand that DADT be repealed NOW.

The Hypocrisy of CBS

I have previously posted about CBS's agreement to air a commercial by Focus on the Family ("FOTF"), one of the most ant-gay "family values" organizations in the USA and a constant backer of the "change myth" which is used to keep LGBT Americans second class citizens. FOTF's founder, James Dobson (pictured at left) has literally raised millions of dollars over the years by demonizing gays and seeking to depict LGBT Americans as less than fully human and as some type of "other." As many will recall, CBS - and all of the major networks - refused to run ads by the United Church of Christ that demonstrated that the domination did not exclude anyone, including same sex couples. Why, because the ads which were well done and hardly in your face pro-gay ads were deemed "too controversial." In my view, CBS's selectivity of whose ads it will run is hypocritical and, excuse my French, utter bull shit. My fellow blogger, Lyndon Evans at Focus on the Rainbow, who is himself a former CBS employee, has a great post that takes CBS to task for its double standards. Here are some highlights:
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On January 16 this writer was one of the first in the media to voice opposition to CBS Television’s decision to sell ad time during this year’s Super Bowl to the anti-gay hate group Focus On The Family.

Yesterday CBS stood behind it’s decision to sell ad time and that it will not drop Focus On The Family as a Super Bowl advertiser. In an article at Broadcasting and Cable (B&C) reporter John Eggerton wrote in part, The network said it does not reject advocacy ads out of hand, and added that it would consider “responsibly produced ads from all groups” for the “few” remaining spots in the broadcast. . . . “It is not inflammatory or divisive,” a CBS exec told Atkinson last week.
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The ad in question may not be inflammatory or divisive but Focus On The Family certainly is. The following is an open letter directed to Les Moonves, President and CEO of the CBS Corporation.
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As a former and once proud employee of CBS Broadcasting I find your decision as head of CBS Broadcasting to allow Focus On The Family to buy ad time during this year’s Super Bowl broadcast, putting corporate profit above the fight against discrimination and to allow a group such as Focus On The Family which dictates what it deems should be the moral conscience and decency of Americans and to publicize themselves to a national and international TV viewing audience, to be unconscionable.
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When I was the commercial continuity manager at the CBS Radio Group in Hartford, CT and managed barter ads for program distributors such as Westwood One, I was not allowed to schedule certain radio spots.
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I was not allowed to schedule ads from XM Satellite Radio as it was deemed a competitor. I was not allowed to schedule ads for Trojan prophylactics as the ad subject matter was deemed inappropriate for our four stations in the radio group.
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Part of my job was to bring to the attention of the Director of Operations and the General Manager of the Radio Group ads which may have “underlying political messages”, inappropriate content matter for the radio stations and ads which may be of a competitive nature to the radio broadcast industry (with the exception of TV or Cable Networks).
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Should I be remiss in my duties and neglect to become “suspicious” of ad content, as I did once with Radio Shack co-oping with XM, my ass was handed to me on a platter, to put it in blunt terms.
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Not only is your descision to accept advertising dollars from Focus On The Family an affront to LGBTs, women and those who believe in reproductive choice, it is a major disappointment I am sure for a great many loyal employees of the CBS Corporation and it’s divisions, this a Corporation which in its employee policy does not tolerate intolerance among the CBS Corporation and its various division’s employees.
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Today and until such time as you make the decision not to air the Focus On The Family ad, I am ashamed to have been part of the CBS family.

Sincerely,

Lyndon Evans

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It would be interesting to see whether CBS would broadcast a patriotic sounding ad sponsored by a neo-Nazi organization. Somehow, I suspect not. Yet, CBS is running an ad by an organization equally hateful in its actions and objectives.

Wednesday Male Beauty

Will Obama Make Announcement on Don'tAsk, Don't Tell?

The White House and others Democrats are leaking that President Obama will address the issue of Don't Ask, Don't Tell ("DADT") during tonight's State of the Union Address. The question is, of course, whether or not Obama will actually do something to end DADT or merely make more gay supportive statements and then do nothing - what has been the norm for his administration on LGBT issues. Several unscientific polls on LGBT blogs have indicated that a significant majority of LGBT readers are expecting Obama to mention DADT and then do nothing to end it other than perhaps throwing it in the lap of Congress. While Obama claims to be a "fierce advocate" for LGBT Americans, yet if Harry Truman had shown the same timidity, the U.S. Military would likely have remained segregated for more than a decade longer than was the case. Obama needs to finally demonstrate that he's not all talk and no action. Here are some highlights from the Army Times:
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The announcement of congressional hearings on the ban on open military service by homosexuals has been delayed at the request of the Obama administration until after Wednesday night’s State of the Union Address because the president may announce that military leaders will support changing the law, according to a key lawmaker.
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The Senate Armed Services Committee expects to have a series of hearings, one focusing on the views of military leaders, another on the views of outside witnesses and possibly panels of junior officers and noncommissioned officers, said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the committee chairman.
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Levin said Monday that an announcement of the hearings has been delayed at the request of senior Defense Department officials until after President Obama’s speech. Levin said he does not know what Obama might say, but he expects it will be an announcement of the administration’s intentions. Hearings were supposed to start with military leaders, Levin said, but he might change the order to get hearings underway if senior military officials need more time to prepare. “I am willing to switch things up,” he said. “I am committed to starting the hearings in February.”
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Having junior officers and noncommissioned officers and petty officers testify could be an important step in getting the policy changed, Levin said, especially because he believes there are “generational differences” in views about the presence of gays and lesbians in the ranks. Younger people are more likely to be accepting of a policy change than older people, Levin said.
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Although Levin supports repealing the ban and the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that derives from it, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., the House Armed Services Committee chairman, said he wants current restrictions to remain in force and will oppose efforts by the Obama administration to change the law that has existed since 1993.

Prop 8 Witnesses: Marriage Threatened by Gays Marrying

The anti-gay Christianists are again claiming that if I were to marry the boyfriend that we'd be somehow threatening straight marriages up and down our street. Do they have any legitimate data to support their claims? Of course not. They never do because it all ultimately boils done to anti-gay discrimination based on religious belief and their desire to keep LGBT Americans inferior so as to help justify their demonizing of of hard working, constructive citizens. If they REALLY want to protect marriage, they'd be pushing for limits on divorce, government policies that support families - decent health care coverage for instance - and would oppose the big business economic mentality that views employees as disposable ciphers rather than living, breathing individuals with families to support. Here in Virginia, our new Governor Taliban Bob McDonnell is blathering about creating new jobs, yet Virginia continues to be an employment "at state" where employees have greatly reduced protections. And, of course, if one is an LGBT Virginian, you rate lower than household pets in terms of legal protections. Here are some highlights on the bullshit being peddled by Prop 8 supporters from the Washington Post:
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The head of a family values group testified Tuesday that marriage developed to provide children with clear ties to their biological parents but is in such a weakened state in the United States that extending the institution to same-sex couples could be its death blow.
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David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, a private think tank in New York, took the stand as the second and final expert witness for the defense in the federal trial challenging California's ban on same-sex marriage. Lawyers for Proposition 8's sponsors are trying to prove the voter-approved measure serves a legitimate public purpose.
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"If we move toward a widespread adoption of same-sex marriage, I believe the effect will be to significantly further and in some respects culminate the process of the deinstitutionalization of marriage," Blankenhorn said.
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Blankenhorn acknowledged that heterosexuals were responsible for rising divorce and out-of-wedlock birth rates, but said allowing gays to marry could accelerate the process and possibly lead to the legalization of polygamy.
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David Boies, one of the lead lawyers for the two same-sex couples who sued to overturn Proposition 8, tried to discredit Blankenhorn by getting him to acknowledge that he has conducted no independent research on same-sex marriage and his only advanced degree is in comparative labor history.

"I have not engaged in a scientific study were I find data and write up an article that would be published of that nature," Blankenhorn said. "I have read articles and had conversations with people and tried to be an informed person about it, and that really has been the extent of it."
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Under cross-examination, Blankenhorn said he unaware of any studies showing that children raised by gay or lesbian couples since birth fared worse than children brought up by their biological mother and father. "Do you believe that legalizing same-sex marriage would improve the well-being of children raised by those households?" Boies asked. "Adopting same-sex marriage would be likely to improve the well-being of gay and lesbian households and their children," Blankenhorn said.
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Earlier in the day, while also facing an exhaustive cross-examination by Boies, a political scientist testifying for the defense said voters' religious views and anti-gay stereotypes played a role in the ballot measure's passage in 2008.

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The other issue not addresses, of course, is that for "family values" Christianist groups, "protecting marriage" has been a huge cash cow and has helped bolster their revenues as anti-abortion campaigns have continued to bring in less money for them. Religious bigotry and the pursuit of money = a poisonous combination.

More Tuesday Male Beauty

Full Equality Now DC to Protest Ugandan Delegation at The Family's National Prayer Breakfast

Despite the efforts of the far right religious organization known as The Family and other Christianist organizations to disavow their role in fueling the proposed "kill the gays" legislation now pending in Uganda, their finger prints seem to be all over the matter. To help highlight the role that such organizations have played in exporting hatred to the African continent, two organizations, Full Equality Now DC and the American Prayer Hour are planning events in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere to protest The Family's National Prayer Breakfast and homophobia fueled by religious based bigotry. A press conference is planned at the National Press Club on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. Related events will include a protest and rally at The Family's C Street SE property, Wednesday, February 3, 2010, and its co-sponsorship of DC's American Prayer Hour, February 4, 2010, at 10 a.m., at Calvary Baptist Church on 8th Street NW. The following is a press release detailing the planned activities:
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PRESS CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Media Contact: Wayne Besen, www.truthwinsout.org, wbesen@gmail.com, 917-691-5118
Background: Uganda is considering the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009, put forth by parliamentarian David Bahati while being backed by President Yoweri Museveni. If passed, the new law would unleash a vicious campaign of persecution against LGBTQ citizens. Bahati and President Museveni are members of The Family and are among their “key men” in Africa. The Family hosts the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. The American Prayer Hour will show that such cruelty and extremism does not represent most people of faith.
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 10:30 a.m.
Location: National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC
Speakers: Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church;
Frank Schaeffer, author, “Crazy For God: How I Grew Up
As One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right and Lived to Take
All of it Back;”
Harry Knox, The Human Rights Campaign, Director of Religion and Faith;
Moses, a gay Ugandan man seeking asylum in the United States;
Rev. Elder Darlene Garner, Metropolitan Community Church, Vice-Moderator/Board of Elders; and Bishop Carlton Pearson, Senior Minister at Chicago’s Christ Universal Temple.
More Information: www.americanprayerhour.org/press-conference/
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C STREET RALLY & PROTEST ON FEBRUARY 3, 2010
Media Contact: Alison Gardner, abgm@comcast.net, 202-462-0048
Background: Full Equality Now DC rises in solidarity with LGBTQ Ugandans targeted by homophobic legislation being drafted by members of the “The Family,” a U.S.-led right wing group with more than 10,000 cells worldwide. Protest The Family’s homophobic and right-wing agenda!
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 5:30 p.m.
Location: 133 C Street SE, Washington, DC
Sponsor: Full Equality Now DC
Co-Sponsor: Foreign Policy in Focus
More information: www.fullequalitynowdc.org
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AMERICAN PRAYER HOUR/DC ON FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Media Contact(s): Wayne Besen, www.truthwinsout.org, wbesen@gmail.com, 917-691-5118 and/or Alison Gardner, abgm@comcast.net, 202-462-0048
Background: Key religious leaders formulated The American Prayer Hour all over the U.S. with key events in Washington, DC, Dallas, Chicago and Berkeley. The American Prayer Hour events will affirm inclusive values and call on all nations, including Uganda, to decriminalize the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The American Prayer Hour provides an alternative to the National Prayer Breakfast, which is sponsored by The Family (aka The Fellowship), a group with disturbing ties to those spearheading Uganda’s oppressive Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Date and Time: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 10 a.m.
Location: Calvary Baptist Church, 755 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Special Guests: Gospel Star Ray Boltz and Hitplay
Co-Sponsors: Co-Sponsors: Religion and Faith Program,
Human Rights Campaign Foundation; National Black Justice Coalition; Religion, Faith and Values Program;
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD); National Religious Leadership Roundtable;
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; PFLAG National; Metropolitan Community Churches; Full Equality Now DC; and Truth Wins Out
More information: www.americanprayerhour.org
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It goes without saying that I would encourage readers in the greater Washington, D.C. area to participate in one or more of these events if possible. We cannot let the gay-haters claim the field as the representatives of Christianity.