The Bilerico Project Is Ending

For over five years - actually almost six years - I have had the privilege of being a contributor to The Bilerico Project, an LGBT blog that the Washington Post once described as an LGBT version of the Huffington Post.   Now, as Bilerico founder and my friend Bil Browning explains, The Bilerico Project is shutting down.  In many ways this makes me very, very sad.  At the same time, I completely understand the burn out that comes from writing and or overseeing a blog.   My friend Pam Spaulding- whose writing skills I continually seek to emulate - closed down Pam's House Blend a few years ago.  Similarly, Andrew Sullivan closed down the Daily Dish more recently.   Seemingly, nothing has sprung up to replace these amazing blogs.  Truthfully, I wonder at times how much longer this blog (which dates back to April, 2007) will continue given the hours everyday that are consumed to keep it going.  Labors of love can be exhausting.  Meanwhile, the upside of gays being increasingly "mainstream" is that our own unique news outlets and cultural icons are steadily fading away.  Here in Hampton Roads gay clubs increasingly struggle as the younger generations go to all inclusive venues.   But I digress.  Here is Bil's final post:

Almost 11 years ago, I turned my personal homepage into a blog covering Indiana politics and LGBT issues. A few years later as more and more folks signed up to join me here, we turned our focus national and Bilerico Project was born.

We wanted to cover what was lacking on the big blogs at the time - real political and cultural analysis provided by LGBT movement leaders and everyday activists. We wanted diversity not only in our writers, but also their views. "What's the worst that could happen?" we thought. "No one likes the new format so we go back to our roots?" Thankfully, readers loved the expanded coverage and we were off to a roaring start.

Together we've covered a multitude of important stories. From George W Bush's election to the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality, we've brought the best news and analysis we could. We've made a change in the Salvation Army's anti-LGBT policies and ensured an innocent HIV+ immigrant was released from prison to die surrounded by loved ones. Together, our writers and readers have made a difference.

Projects are meant to be temporary and so was Bilerico Project. After more than a decade, it's time to wrap up our experiment. The media landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade and so have our lives and the LGBT movement itself. It's time to turn the page and start something fresh in this new environment.

My first post in 2004 was a quote from Margaret Meade. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." I think we've done our part to make the world a better place.

This will be my last post on Bilerico Project. The site will be archived at bilericoproject.com so that all 31,000+ posts will still be available for readers. It's been a long strange journey and I've loved every single moment of it, but the time has come to end the project and call it a success. 

Personally, I'm going to take two weeks off to relax, look for a job, and work on my upcoming book. I will use bilerico.com as my personal blog again when I come back and I have a few ideas for starting something new and different. The spirit of Bilerico Project will live on and I plan on tapping into it as I move forward. I want to go back to my roots.

You'll be able to find essays and longform writing here and, of course, you can find my biweekly column in several LGBT newspapers, a daily news piece at advocate.com, and freelance writing all over the web. You can also like my Facebook fan page for updates on what I'm up to, what I'm writing, and how my ideas for bilerico.com are progressing.

It's been a long and amazing journey to get to this place, but I wouldn't change a thing about the past decade. It's been an honor to share it with all of you. I hope you feel the same.

I want to thank Bil for the honor and privilege he afforded me to be a Bilerico contributor.  I like to think that collectively, we helped to make a difference. Bilerico certainly assembled an amazing group of LGBT bloggers, many of whom I continue to count as friends (many of uds met in person at the LGBGT blogger summit in December, 2008, sponsored by Microsoft and Progressive Insurance). I hope as time goes by we can remain connected via Facebook and other means.  These people hold a special place in my heart.  Bil, thank you so much!

One Million Page Views - Thank You

While this blog remains small compared to the blogs of some of my LGBT blogger friends (e.g., Joe Jervis and Andy Towle, Bil Browning who invited me to contribute to The Bilerico Project), a few minutes ago the blog nonetheless reached what to me is a significant benchmark: 1,000,000 page views.  Little did I ever believe when I began this blog that I would continue to blog for as along as I have - it becomes addicting - or that I'd ever experience the type of readership that I have enjoyed from literally all around the world.   

When I first began this blog, I was admittedly in a dark place.  Early readers and LGBT bloggers who I came to know became a cyberspace family and lifeline for me.  I truly question whether or not I would have survived my coming out journey without you.  You know who you are.  I will always be grateful to each of you.

So, again, I want to thank all who have visited this blog, especially repeat readers and my early supporters.  I will continue to try to share my thoughts and information in a way that I hope will be usefully and informative.

The Pentagon Says LGBT Sites Are Blocked For "Operational Security Reasons"

As readers may recall, it recently was shown that the Pentagon has been blocking LGBT sites on government and military computers even thought far right wing political sites are freely accessible as are other less than main stream sites.  Now, the Pentagon is trying to claim that LGBT sites and blogs have been banned for "operational security reasons."  Apparently, Tea Party and quasi-Nazi and near white supremacist sites are fine.  Obviously, the storyline doesn't add up.  Think Progress looks at the Pentagon's ludicrous explanation.  Here are excerpts:

AMERICAblog has been raising awareness over the past week about a problematic Internet filtering problem at the Pentagon, and rightfully so. Apparently, a preponderance of LGBT news sites have been blocked by the DOD, including AMERICAblog, Towleroad, Good As You, The Bilerico Project, Pam’s House Blend, The Advocate, and the Human Rights Campaign’s blog.

 Though the filtering itself is a problem, the Pentagon’s response has been that much more troubling.
On Friday, the DOD released a statement on its Facebook page completely obfuscating the situation:

We’ve received some questions/comment recently about DOD’s web access policies, and wanted to provide this statement:

The Department of Defense does not block LGBT websites. The pages referenced in several recent articles were denied access based on web filters blocking the “Blog/Personal Pages” category, not the specific sites themselves. While individuals on a DoD system may visit portions of the main websites (i.e., www.towleroad.com, www.AMERICAblog.com), certain additional links/pages – to include personal blogs – are blocked. Personal pages and blogs are blocked in accordance with DoD policy allowing military commanders the option to restrict access to personal pages for operational security reasons.

As AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis points out, this statement does not withstand scrutiny on multiple counts. First of all, the filtration software specifically identifies the sites as “LGBT” as a reason for being blocked. Secondly, this doesn’t explain why plenty of anti-gay conservative blogs and personal pages are not blocked, including RedState, Breitbart, the Family Research Council’s blog, the National Organization for Marriage’s blog, and Ann Coulter’s and Glenn Beck’s personal sites. There is also no explanation how LGBT content could threaten national security, .  .  .  .

It also seems that there is little consistency throughout the system, with different divisions being controlled differently. Aravosis has identified that the DOD uses a filtration software known as Blue Coat, the same software used by a number of oppressive regimes and LGBT-unfriendly countries, including Syria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. Blue Coat has also problematically blocked LGBT sites in many school districts, including anti-bullying and anti-suicide resources like The Trevor Project.

It remains unclear then why the software includes a filter for LGBT content at all, except for use by those who are anti-LGBT.

Over the weekend, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little issued another statement that improves a bit over the first, promising to investigate the claims of censorship:

Recent reports have suggested that the Pentagon is blocking access to LGBT related websites. The Department of Defense does not block websites based on LGBT content. [...]   No filter is perfect and some sites may have unnecessarily been blocked. The Department Chief Information Officer will work with relevant components to address these situations.

Still, neither statement addresses the way progressive LGBT content is uniquely blocked when conservative anti-gay content is not, nor explains the validity — past or present — for such filtering. If the only answers ever offered are suggestions that LGBT content threatens national security, then the only conclusion left will be that the Pentagon is itself anti-LGBT. 

 

Lets be candid.  Many in the senior ranks of the Pentagon ARE anti-gay.  There is no other legitimate reason for the targeting of LGBT blogs and sites is occurring.  Especially given the fact that incendiary far right blogs and sites are not filtered.

Boy Scouts Reaffirm Anti-Gay Bigotry; Bilerico Project Seeks to Out Secret Committee

Some had hoped that in light of the changing levels of acceptance in American society and especially among the younger generations that the Boy Scouts of America would discard its anti-gay policy which has been used to expel both LGBT scouts and LGBT scout leaders.  Sadly, such hopes have been dashed and the Boy Scouts have reaffirmed the organizations naked anti-gay animus.  Yes, as a private organization the Boy Scouts are free to be bigots.  But I suspect that over the longer term, the policy of animus and discrimination will further marginalize scouting.  Here are highlights from ABC News:

After a confidential two-year review, the Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday emphatically reaffirmed its policy of excluding gays, angering critics who hoped that relentless protest campaigns might lead to change.
The Scouts cited support from parents as a key reason for keeping the policy and expressed hope that the prolonged debate over it might now subside. Bitter reactions from gay-rights activists suggested that result was unlikely.

The Scouts' national spokesman, Deron Smith, told The Associated Press that an 11-member special committee, formed discreetly by top Scout leaders in 2010, came to the conclusion that the exclusion policy "is absolutely the best policy" for the 102-year-old organization.

Smith said the committee, comprised of professional scout executives and adult volunteers, was unanimous in its conclusion — preserving a long-standing policy that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 and has remained controversial ever since.

As a result of the committee's decision, the Scouts' national executive board will take no further action on a resolution submitted at its recent national conference asking for reconsideration of the membership policy.

Not surprisingly, the Boy Scouts organization has failed to disclose the membership of this secret committee that made the decision to continue a policy that is little more than anti-gay animus.  And my blogger friend and editor of The Bilerico Project, Bil Browning, wants to know the names of these 11 individuals or a confession that the committee is just a ruse to cover bigoted asses.  In a post on The Bilerico Project, Bil raises some disturbing questions about the secret committee.  He also calls for corporate big shots on the Boy Scout national board to resign.  Here are some excerpts:

The Boy Scouts of America announced today that they'd formed a secret committee back in 2010 to study whether or not to change their ban on gay scouts and leaders. The committee suggested the group keep their current discriminatory policy. 

I'm calling bullshit. I don't believe them. Their story has too many holes in it to be remotely believable. This is a spin put in place to cover their ass at the recent blowback they've been getting as opinions change on gays and lesbians. There's more holes in their statements than a block of Swiss cheese.

First of all, anything decided by a secret committee isn't worth believing. If they truly think this is the best policy, why not release the names of the people who think so? Is it because the people involved don't want others to know they support discrimination? What's the reason for the secrecy?

Second, they say this secret committee was "comprised of professional scout executives and adult volunteers" and included "a diversity of perspectives and opinions." They also say the vote was unanimous. Do you know any supporter of LGBT rights who would decide that banning an entire group of people from an organization is a good idea? The majority of Americans support LGBT rights now. If that group included "diversity," I'm doubtful that vote would be unanimous. It just doesn't ring true.

Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association is touting that his organization - designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center - was consulted. I'd imagine an anti-gay group would be in favor of discrimination. But did the Scouts contact GLAAD? HRC? Courage Campaign? Any LGBT organization? If you're only contacting groups known to hate gays and lesbians, that's hardly a "diversity of perspectives." That's a circle jerk.

And lastly, they insist that the majority of the families involved in scouting supports the current policy. How do they know that? Did they do a survey for their secret committee?

And when they were consulting with these unknown entities outside of scouting, did they contact any health professionals that could have unequivocally told them that there is no danger to children from being around LGBT people? All the major medical groups support full LGBT equality and regularly smack down the bogus claims made by Fischer and his ilk.

So I'm calling bullshit. I don't believe they made a worthwhile effort to actually decide what's best for all children and everyone involved in scouting. They may have formed this "secret committee," but I'd posit they knew the outcome before they held their first meeting. 

Two high profile board members have already announced their opposition to the policy. Both of them are corporate bigwigs and their companies donate a ton of cash to the group. These men should resign immediately - and take their corporate cash and fundraising abilities with them.

I for one will not make any contribution to the Boy Scouts or any organization that supports them.  Yes, they are free to be bigots and I am likewise free to boycott them and to strive to convince others to do likewise.

Abraham Lincoln: A Life in the Closet?

Somewhat over a year ago I wrote several posts on this blog and on the Bilerico Project that looked at evidence that increasingly suggests that Abraham Lincoln may have been the nation's first gay president, albeit a largely closeted one. Now, Mark Segal, founder and publisher of Philadelphia Gay News, has written a lengthy piece on Linclon as part of the 2011 National Gay History Project. The piece can be found here on The Bilerico Project and deserves a full read. Despite what seems to be rather convincing evidence, I'm sure many historians - and particularly anti-gay Christianists - will continue to deny the facts and bad mouth those like Segal who believe that history needs to reflect the truth not merely cherry picked facts that support certain prejudices and don't run afoul of discriminatory sensibilities. Here are a few highlights (again, you need to read the full piece):

Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) may likely be the most studied and researched of the United States presidents. The first reference to him possibly being "homosexual" came from notable Lincoln expert Carl Sandburg in his 1926 biography, Abraham Lincoln: The War Years.

In describing the early relationship between Lincoln and his close friend, Joshua Fry Speed, Sandburg wrote "a streak of lavender, and spots soft as May violets." This line got historians talking about an issue from which many had previously shied away. Still, the biography was written in the early 20th century, a time when such topics were only discussed in whispers. But by including the line, Sandburg felt the relationship deserved acknowledgement. It wasn't until 2005 when the first book was published on Lincoln's relationships with men, C.A. Tripp's The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln.

Detractors of Lincoln's possible homosexuality, such as historian David Herbert Donald, often say there is no new evidence on Lincoln. Yet historians continue to draw fresh conclusions from Lincoln's letters.

Yet history, like everything else, is open to interpretation and influenced by new findings. Bias also motivated the retelling of historical events. The best example of bias in American history is the story of Thomas Jefferson and his slave/concubine Sally Hemings, which was not accepted as a truthful account until 1998 -- and only after DNA proof.

BILLT GREENE

In 1830, when Lincoln's family moved to Coles County, Ill., he headed out on his own. At age 22, he settled in New Salem, Ill., where he met Billy Greene -- and, as Greene told Herndon, the two "shared a narrow bed. When one turned over the other had to do likewise." Greene was so close to Lincoln at that time that he could describe Lincoln's physique. However, Lincoln was poor at the time and it was not unusual for men in poverty to share a bed.


JOSHUA FRY SPEED

In 1837, Lincoln moved to Springfield, Ill., to practice law and enter politics. That's where he met the two men who would be his greatest friends throughout his life. One, Joshua Fry Speed, became his bed partner for a while; the other was law partner Herndon. Beyond the revelation that Lincoln and Speed had an intimate friendship, little has been written about how diligently Speed worked for Lincoln's legal and political career. Speed's name popped up in many of Lincoln's legal filings and on the Illinois Whig Party's central committee. The two were almost inseparable. Most Lincoln historians agree this relationship was the strongest and most intimate of the president's life. What they don't agree on is why they slept in the same bed together for four years when they had the space and means to sleep separately, as was expected of men their age.

Lincoln's most emotional and intimate writings were contained in his letters to Speed. From the time they lived together until shortly after Speed married and moved to Kentucky, Lincoln always signed his letters "forever yours" or "yours forever."

ELMER ELLSWORTH

After Speed and Lincoln's marriages, there were no traces of other men in Lincoln's life until Elmer Ellsworth in 1860. . . . . Lincoln met Ellsworth through these displays and the two became friends. Lincoln invited Ellsworth, who had been a law clerk in Chicago, to move to Springfield to study law. Ellsworth became devoted to Lincoln and adored by the entire Lincoln family. One author wrote that it seemed Lincoln had a "schoolboy crush" on the much-younger Ellsworth. He first worked in Lincoln's law practice, then moved on to his political career and eventual campaign for president. Once elected, Lincoln asked Ellsworth to accompany his family to Washington.

Ellsworth would be the first Union soldier killed in the war. After hearing of the tragedy, Lincoln wept openly and went with Mrs. Lincoln to view the soldier's body. Lincoln arranged for Ellsworth to lay in state in the White House, followed by a funeral. The president was inconsolable for days.

DAVID DERICKSON

In 1862, Lincoln met Capt. David Derickson, who served as his bodyguard, providing protection for the president when he commuted from the White House to his cottage at the Soldier's Home. Lincoln spent about a quarter of his presidency at the cottage, which allowed him some escape from D.C.'s summers and from public interruptions at the White House.

Lincoln and his bodyguard became close, and historians Tripp and David Herbert Donald noted two recorded mentions that Lincoln and Derickson slept in the same bed: Derickson's superior, Lt. Col. Thomas Chamberlain, and Tish Fox, the wife of Assistant Navy Secretary Gustavus Fox, both wrote about it. Tish wrote in her diary that Derickson was devoted to Lincoln and "when Mrs. Lincoln was away, they slept together."

But there were more than just two eyewitnesses to this relationship. After the war, Chamberlain published an account of the regiment called "History of the 150th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Second Regiment, Bucktail Brigade." Before it was published, many members of the company reviewed the manuscript . . .

The Bucktails witnessed the relationship between the president and his bodyguard, which was public enough that they knew Derickson kept him company when Mrs. Lincoln traveled, and wore his nightshirt. Historical interpretations aside, why would the president, then in his 50s, sleep with his bodyguard?

CONCLUSIONS

Taken individually, accounts of Lincoln with other men may not offer enough proof that he was gay. But the pattern reveals a man who, in his sexual prime, slept exclusively with another man for four years -- two of those years (according to Donald) without romancing someone of the opposite sex; who wrote a poem about a boy marrying a boy; and who, as president, slept with his bodyguard.

From historical records, one can conclude that Lincoln enjoyed sleeping with men. He did so when it was acceptable in youth and poverty, and also when he was older and successful. While it is documented that Lincoln slept with several men, there is only one confirmed woman who shared his bed -- Todd.

Speed was apparently the love of his life. Lincoln resisted marriage as long as he could, only marrying after Speed was well-entrenched in his own marriage -- a phase that coincided with Lincoln's "mental distress."

Bil Browning Exposes Indiana GOP Hypocrite

Setting oneself up as the judge of others' morality can be a risky business - especially if one has a lot of dirt and misconduct in one's past. A case in point: Anti-gay Indiana Republican state representative Judson (Jud) McMillin (pictured at right). It turns out that McMillin has a pretty nasty - and until now largely secret - past. It includes theft allegations, vehicular homicide, and resigning from a job as a after a sex scandal. Not exactly "godly Christian" conduct. Yet McMillian has had the gall and hypocrisy to vilify gay and lesbian relationships and voted to bar any and all recognition of same sex relationships in Indiana. As the saying goes, pay backs can be hell and Bil Browning at The Bilerico Project has just paid McMillin back and exposed McMillian's nasty secrets to the bright light of day. McMillin is a perfect example of why "family values" Republican hypocrites - and Democrat ones as well - need to be exposed. Such exposures will (1) hopefully lead to the hypocrite's electoral defeat, and (2) attach a high risk to embracing the hate peddled by the Christianists and professional Christian set. Pam Spaulding is looking for similar hypocrites in North Carolina and I am looking for them in Virginia. I urge anyone with information to contact us so that we can bring the light of day on hypocrisy. Here are highlights on McMillin from Bil's post:
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After he graduated high school in 1995, McMillin left to attend Ball State University. You won't find Ball State listed in his official biography though, because McMillin left the school in the spring of 1996 after members of the baseball team accused him of stealing from the parking lot fees. No charges were filed and McMillin was quietly allowed to leave the university.
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His legislative bio conveniently leaves out his Ball State attendance in favor of his degree in Economics from the University of Cincinnati - a school much closer to home and where his father's influence was stronger. After graduation, McMillin got his law degree at the University of Mississippi and returned to the area to find a job.
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He eventually became a deputy prosecutor in Dayton, Ohio - a mid-sized city not far from the Indiana border. Luckily for him, his family wasn't too far away; he'd need their help again when he resigned after a sex scandal rocked the burg.
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According to two sources close to the case, the photos were incredibly graphic. One photo reportedly shows McMillin masturbating and using a dildo on himself while others were simply of McMillin's genitalia. In one exchange, McMillin is alleged to have texted Stapleton that he was heartsick being separated from her and sent photos of himself masturbating with a string tied tightly from his testicles to the wheels of a rolling office chair to illustrate his pain.
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Since the photos and texts were filed under seal and McMillin refuses to release them, there is no way to confirm or deny the photos' contents beyond what's blatantly spelled out in court filings.
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After word leaked back to McMillin's boss about the incident in the state park and he confessed to starting a relationship with a victim he was supposed to be protecting, law enforcement sources in Montgomery County say McMillin resigned to prevent being fired. He left his job on September 16, 2005 - days after starting his illicit affair with another man's girlfriend.
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These days, Jud McMillin is a rising Republican star. He sits on the Courts and Criminal Code committee, the Roads and Transportation committee, and is vice chair of the Judiciary committee that oversaw passage of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partner benefits. McMillin voted in favor of the marriage discrimination amendment twice - once in committee and again on the floor of the House.
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On his campaign website, he listed marriage discrimination as one of his top issues. "I will protect the integrity of the institution of marriage. I believe that a marriage is a union of a man and a woman before their peers, government, and most importantly, God.
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If Hoosiers want to learn something from McMillin's example, they should discover that when you want to dictate morality, you'd better have some outstanding morals of your own. McMillin doesn't.

Bilerico Project Nominated for GLAAD Media Award

As I suspect many readers know, besides writing this blog I also contribute to The Bilerico Project as one of its team of writers. I've enjoyed the experience immensely and was thrilled to hear that The Bilerico Project has been nominated for a 2011 GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Blog category. The other blogs up for the prize are Blabbeando, Rod2.0, Pam's House Blend, and Joe.My.God. As Bilerico editor-in-chief, Bil Browning notes, they're all excellent sites that should be on one's daily reading list (they are all on mine). All of us at Bilerico are honored to be included with such worthy contenders. A full list of nominees for all categories can be found here. This is what GLAAD said about the blog nominees:

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By recognizing and honoring media for outstanding images of the LGBT community, the GLAAD Media Awards serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD's work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans. . . .
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"This year's nominees represent some of the images and stories at the root of the growing acceptance of our community and support for our equality," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "They also have created a benchmark for inclusion of our community that other media outlets should look to. As GLAAD celebrates twenty-five years of working with the media, we are proud to recognize this year's nominees and we challenge the industry to share more stories that reflect the diversity of our community and the challenges that gay and transgender people face."
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This year GLAAD introduced a new category to recognize independent blogs, in recognition of the growing role of online media in shaping today's culture. The first nominees in this category are The Bilerico Project, Blabbeando, Joe. My. God., Pam's House Blend, and Rod 2.0.
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Whatever the outcome, I want to thank all of the members of the Bilerico team for allowing me to share in the blogs journalist efforts.

Flying Into Key West

Fellow Bilerico Project contributor, Father Tony, a/k/a Tony Adams, is vacationing in Key West - a wonderful place that the boyfriend introduced me to back in January, 2009. In fact, we will be visiting Key West again next month (it will be my 4th visit and the boyfriend's 29th). For those who have never visited Key West and felt the excitement of arriving in this sun kissed, gay accepting, and live and let live minded city, the video below (via Joe By God)filmed by Tony's partner offers a glimpse of the city's natural beauty.

Why People Should Not Give to the Salvation Army

As we move into the holidays, it is appropriate to again remember that one should walk past the Salvation Army's collection kettles without tossing in any form of contribution. The organization is decidedly discriminatory against LGBT citizens and vigorously endorse the deprivation of equal civil rights to LGBT Americans. I have made a point now for years to toss any mailings I receive from the Salvation Army directly into the trash and I most certainly do not throw coins or bills into the collection kettles all to frequently found in front of various shopping outlets. Bil Browning has a piece at The Bilerico Project that underscores why the Salvation Army should be shunned by LGBT individuals and their straight allies. Bigotry needs to carry a financial price. There are plenty of non-discriminatory charities that are far more deserving of your money and other contributions. Here are highlights from Bil's piece:
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In case you've forgotten, the holiday season is fast upon us. That means the Salvation Army bell ringers will be out in full force dunning shoppers for donations meant to help the needy and destitute. Unfortunately, the Salvation Army won't assist everyone - only those they deem sufficiently worthy.
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While many think of the group as just another charity, in truth the group is a religious sect that is notoriously anti-gay; you shouldn't give to the Salvation Army this holiday season if you support gay rights.
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Check out the video . . . for a laundry list of anti-gay policies and positions the Salvation Army has taken. You'll probably be shocked - and you definitely won't put any more coins in those big red buckets.

Today's White House Briefing on LGBT Issues: The President Is "Very Supportive" - Not

Today my fellow Bilerico Project bloggers Jillian Weiss and Pam Spaulding attended a briefing for LGBT media with Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes. As is the norm, statements were made that President Obama is "very supportive" of LGBT rights. The problem is, unfortunately, that such statements never seem to translate into actions that help and protect average rank and file LGBT Americans and couples. Jillian's write up on the event can be found here on The Bilerico Project. Personally, I am over tiny, incremental improvements that have yet to do a damn thing for LGBT Virginians who can be fired at will, face discrimination in securing health insurance, and whose relationships receive zero legal recognitions. Talk is cheap and my standard response to calls from Democrat fundraisers is as follows:
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I intend to withhold ALL contributions to the Democratic Party and its candidates until the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is passed, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) is fully repealed, and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is repealed -– all of which President Obama repeatedly promised to do if elected. Until such time as these promises are kept, please do NOT ask me for money!!
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But I digress. Here are some highlights from Jillian's thoughts on the meeting that included eight pro-LGBT outlets — The Advocate, AmericaBlog.com, Bilerico.com, Gay City News, Keen News Service, Metro Weekly, Pam’s House Blend, and Philadelphia Gay News:
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Let me tell you what I asked and what she answered. When my turn came, I thanked her for all the executive branch activity in support of LGBT rights, as well as their support of the hate crimes bill. But I handed her the NCTE fact sheet on ENDA and noted that the trans community has 35% unemployment, with 60% of us under $15,000 in income, 26% of us having been fired because of our gender identity, 97% having been harassed on the job, and worse in communities of color. I noted that Congressional leadership seems reluctant to drive ENDA including Rep. Speier's "within 5 years" comment. I pointed up that, as she said, the President has not shied away from the bully pulpit, and pushed the Congressional leadership on DADT in the State of the Union Address, but hasn't mentioned ENDA. I asked how he will push ENDA in the future, or will he leave it up to the reluctant leadership?
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I wanted to ask if this was the "fierce advocacy" he had mentioned, but my turn was up. I had a chance at a second question later. I asked if she could make the case for why LGBT people concerned about workplace discrimination should actively focus on the midterm elections to elect Democrats when the Democrats' support of LGBT rights is so passive -- spoken about but not acted upon. She declined to answer. Her area, she said, isn't politics. It's policy. I would have thought the two go together, . . .
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I don't feel like I walked out with any more information than I walked in with. I already knew that the President was letting the legislative branch get away with ignoring LGBT rights. I'd like to be able to say I was satisfied with these answers. I'm sure you'd like to say nice things too. But it seems we have a fundamental disagreement with the President as to what his job is. Is it to lead -- or to follow?
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Pam Spaulding's review of the briefing are not any more positive than Jillian's. Indeed, part of her blog post headline id "No News, Lots of Spin." Apparently, Obama thinks we all of us activist LGBT bloggers are a brunch of freeking idiots who will be all atwitter over a White House invite like the folks at HRC. That both Jillian and Pam have the same negative reaction ought to send off alarm bells among those who believe the Obama administration give a rat's ass about LGBT Americans. Here are highlights from Pam's analysis:
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[I]t would have saved the WH a lot of grief if it spoke with parties other than Gay, Inc over the last year and a half. Now it can choose whether it's worthwhile to build a broader communication bridge.
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Who attended: Seventeen people were invited and nine were able to make it: Lou Chibbaro, The Washington Blade; Jen Colletta, Philadelphia Gay News; Kerry Eleveld, The Advocate; Chris Geidner, Metro Weekly; Paul Schindler, Gay City News; Jillian Weiss, The Bilerico Project; Joe Sudbay; Americablog; Lisa Keen from Keen News Service and your blogmistress.
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Summary of the meeting: Short version: Nothing new was learned, despite numerous attempts to get substantive answers about administration policy; move along to the next PHB post.
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We were told by Barnes that the ball is in Congress's court to get these done and that the White House doesn't determine when matters are considered on the Hill or go to the floor for a vote. [Familiar passing the buck, lack of ability to multitask, impotence of the President. - ed.]
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She went on to describe the President's support of DADT repeal, and an inclusive ENDA, and that members of the administration had testified on the Hill on the bill's behalf. As a follow up, Chibbaro asked whether the President would use his own influence and speak out strongly and publicly about moving ENDA.
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Barnes's answer here was curious -- she said he has continued to speak out about his support on ENDA to all sorts of audiences. I don't recall him mentioning ENDA in many speeches this year, and certainly not in front of non-LGBT audiences. I've got to go use TEH GOOGLE and check that out.
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It's unclear if there will be future meetings of this kind, or whether this was a dog and pony show to check off a box that LGBT media and the netroots have been engaged. As every move in a White House is political, not altruistic, we have to assume that both could be true.
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My final analysis: it's more of the same old tired and worthless bullshit from Obama. He talks, fails to lead and then passes the buck to Congress. Is this the change so many of us voted for? I think not.

Does The Gay Media Have A Sex Addiction?

I did not comment on it at the time, but a few weeks ago a major debate erupted on The Bilerico Project as a result of a post that editor-in-chief Bil Browning put up that discussed a website featuring Mormon guys masturbating. That post in turn caused Bilerico contributor David Badash to announce that he was bailing from Bilerico. Since I am a contributor to Bilerico myself, I tried to stay neutral. Now, Mediaite has a piece bearing the caption of this post that looks at the Bilerico snafu as well as the larger issue of sexual context on LGBT blogs and I left a comment with my perspective on the issue which is relevant to this blog as well as many others. I would like to hear readers' thoughts on the topic. Here are some highlights from the Mediaite column:
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For David Badash, a Bilerico Project post about a website featuring Mormon guys masturbating was the final straw. The New York blogger at the The New Civil Rights Movement announced quite publicly recently that he was no longer going to write for the brainy, activist blog that is the Huffington Post of the LGBT blog world.The back and forth between Bilerico’s founder Bil Browning and Badash has unearthed one of the dirty secrets about the LGBT (old and new) media world: sex sells and sex is interesting.
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Sexuality isn’t a dirty word for many LGBT media consumers and glorifying–even objectifying–sexuality isn’t problematic. In responding to Badash’s concerns, Browning conceded “[s]exy pictures always bring in viewers. I’m not ashamed of using that mentality to continue to bring new readers to one of the smartest, sharpest and controversial LGBT websites where you can talk openly about anything remotely queer.”
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Browning called the correlation between sexy posts, increased page views, and advertising impressions that lead to more income a “win-win” and that the content of the site was not lessened by a few posts that have a sexual content that appeal to gay men. Browning’s site is not all “boys in underwear” and porn links; far from it. With a large number of lesbian and transgender columnists, it reads more like a queer studies lecture than a porn-script.
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Andy Towle, the founder of the very successful Towleroad site, says that he includes sexy pictures because they are among the interesting things he finds online but that he isn’t intentionally posting boys in underwear just to get hits. “I’ve never used sexy pictures and posts as a device to drive traffic,” Towle told Mediaite.
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“I’ve had to abide by stricter rules as my site has become more successful because top advertisers have different expectations,” Towle said. Mainstream advertisers are wary of adult content and links to adult websites, Towle explained, meaning that he has to be conscious of what he puts on his site to avoid offending ad networks even if similar content on a non-gay website wouldn’t raise eyebrows.
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So what are my thoughts on the issue? Obviously, I continue to post the "male beauty" photos. At the same time, I endeavor to keep the photos non-X-rated for the very reason cited by Andy Towle: I do not want the blog to be marked as an adult site with warning disclaimers before one can enter. Here is the comment I left on the Mediaite story:
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I can understand each side of the argument, but in the final analysis believe that as a blogger, one is trying to attract multiple audiences. Thus, I am not offended by some beefcake if it is tasteful and PG-rated. In fact, on my own blog, Michael-in-Norfolk, I intermix some tasteful, artistic male beauty (many are fashion model shots) with a daily series of posts on topics that can cover advocacy, politics, religion, gay rights, world and local events and other topics. Most readers focus on the serious posts, yet also enjoy the “eye candy.”

Having now achieved some reputation for the serious pieces, I still have not eliminated the male beauty on my blog. Why? Because both my gay male readers and my straight women readers like them (I actually have a number of them). Indeed, I once put up a poll on whether or not to delete the male beauty and 70% of respondents said to keep the male beauty. I don’t fault Bil Browning for “mixing it up” with the Mormon boy post . If nothing else, by doing so he’s secured publicity for The Bilerico Project on websites like this one. Oh, I almost forgot – I really like the “Huffington Post of the LGBT blog world” comment!

I am Now a Bilerico Project Contibutor

For some months now, I have been contributing articles to Bilerico-DC, a Virginia/DC/Maryland affiliate of the national blog The Bilerico Project. After today, I will be contributing stories to the main national blog. Needless to say it is both exciting and an honor to be working on a blog with so many amazing writers and which has been described by the Washington Post as one of the "must read" LGBT blogs:
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Pam's House Blend is an influential voice in the gay political blogosphere, must-reads that include the Bilerico Project, Towleroad and AMERICAblog, each attracting a few hundred to a few thousand hits a day. Just as the liberal Net-roots and the conservative "rightroots" movements have affected traditional party structures, the still relatively small gay political presence online is rebooting the gay rights movement in a decentralized, spontaneous, bottom-up way. It's spreading news via blogs, Facebook and Twitter. Online, a story about two 16-year-old girls in a Lutheran private school in California being expelled for "conducting themselves in a manner consistent with being lesbians" -- as the school's lawyer describes it -- goes viral. And hits nerves.
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I will sincerely do my best to live up to this lofty standard.

Kalamazoo, Michigan Beats Back Effort to Repeal Non-Discrimination Ordinance

In what is largely a bleak night for moderates and liberals, at this point we know of one bright light: the effort in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to repeal a Human Rights ordinance that would strip GLBT citizens of non-discrimination protections has been defeated. Not only is the result the right result under civil equality, but it also makes business sense in a state that is reeling economically. Localities cannot afford to offend anyone or appear to be unwelcoming to talent be the talent gay or straight. Sadly, voters in Virginia are too stupid and/or controlled by their often closeted clergy to figure out that bigotry and a strong economy do NOT go hand in hand. Here are some highlights from my friend and fellow activist (we met first at the LGBT Blogger Summit last December in Washington, D.C.) Waymon Hudson's post at the Bileric Project. Here are highlights:
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Kalamazoo residents approve nondiscrimination ordinance. "Our campaign started with a very basic idea, and today voters confirmed that we are One Kalamazoo," said Campaign Manager, Jon Hoadley. With only absentee ballots outstanding, 65 percent of Kalamazoo voters have approved Ordinance 1856 by a vote of 6,463 to 3,527, adding protections for gay and transgender people to the city's nondiscrimination ordinance. This margin is larger than the number of outstanding absentee ballots that are currently being counted.
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The Yes on 1856/ One Kalamazoo campaign in support of the nondiscrimination ordinance involved hundreds of local volunteers and contributors, and had the endorsement of over 30 local religious, social, business, and political organization. The campaign would like to thank the Kalamazoo community for asserting their belief in the inherent equality of all Kalamazoo residents, and the countless volunteers for their hard work and dedication in recent months - and in some case, years - to ensure the passage of the ordinance.

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I sincerely believe that over times areas that embrace anti-gay bigotry - think Alabama and Mississippi - will become increasingly stagnant backwaters economically and areas that embrace diversity will flourish. The result will ultimately be that bigots will be forced to chose between their bigotry anf prejudices and economic progress.

Bilerico is Going Dark Temporarily

UPDATED: Here is some additional information from Bilerico Editor in Chief, Bill Browning, concerning the hacker attack on Bilerico Project and its affilaited blogs:
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I wanted to give folks a quick heads up on what's happened to the Bilerico Project and our affiliated sites. All of our sites are currently dark - they've been taken offline by a massive hacker attack.

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We've been fighting off these Eastern European hackers for over a year now; they're the same crowd that took down popular feminist political blog Shakespeare's Sister a year and a half ago. They're professionals and they're nasty.

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Earlier this week, they managed to take us down for about 9 hours overnight but we were able to regain control. They severely compromised the server though, so we had to get a new server up and running quickly. Yesterday, we got the new server racked up and were planning on making all of the switch overs (we also host quite a few Indiana LGBT organizations' websites), but the hackers managed to crack through our defenses again yesterday afternoon.

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This time they firebombed the place; our old server is toast. Unfortunately, none of the data was transferred before they regained control. We have backups and are trying to get the site back up ASAP, but we're still suffering from the lag required to set up a new server from scratch, retrieve as much data as possible from the old server, install all of our attendant software like Movable Type, and then port over the Bilerico database and double check to make sure it all works again since our site was so customized.

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I have no idea when the site will be back up and running. We're hopeful that we can have it all finished by Friday night, but there's no guarantee. The hackers caused massive damage, but co-owner and tech guru Jerame Davis is working feverishly to fix everything.

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Not too long ago Pam's House Blend and other liberal blogs using the same platform went dark as a result of hackers. Now, The Bilerico Project and its affiliated blogs have been attacked and the result is that a new server is being set up as quickly as possible. Bill Browning sent all contributors this note today:

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We will be moving to a new server tomorrow afternoon. As you saw on TBP's front page this week, we were hit by hackers again. We regularly fight off these Denial of Service attacks (we're an LGBT liberal blog; it comes with the territory), but this time our server is toast. They killed it.

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Thanks for your patience as we migrate to the new server. The good news out of all of this is that we'll plenty of room now for even more visitors; we'd almost outgrown our old server capacity! Let's keep up the hard work and continue to grow the Bilerico sites. We may have bumps in the road like this one, but we just keep improving thanks to all of you!

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It's a sad commentary that the wingnuts feel they have to knock down sites since they cannot counter sound arguments with anything but religious fanaticism and untruths. Bilerico should be back up unscathed within a day or so at most.