New IKEA Ad Will Drive Christofascists to Hysteria

Big corporations have learned that diversity is good for business and the corporate line.  This reality continues to be lost on the Republican Party and, in particular, the Christofascists who want to impose a form of Christian Sharia Law on all Americans.  The result is that time after time the professional Christian crowd goes into spittle flecked rants every time a major corporation either runs an ad featuring a gay couple or, the horror, a interracial couple, or places ads in LGBT media outlets. Now, IKEA has launched an ad campaign that says that all homes are equal and then features an interracial gay couple.  Ad Week looks at the new campaign.  Here are highlights:

[T]he state of the American dream is a touchy issue. And while politicians running for the Oval Office obviously have to take on middle- and working-class angst, brands might prefer to steer clear of something so contentious and polarizing.

Ikea, however, is not among those brands. In its latest marketing effort, the home-furnishings giant goes right to the heart of a difficult topic, asking, "Where did the American dream go?"

As it turns out—according to related research Ikea conducted in partnership with the Economist Intelligence Unit—the dream hasn't gone far, though it has changed significantly.

"One of the things we've seen since [the recession of] 2008 is a change in people's perception of what it means to make it in today's society," said Christine Whitehawk, Ikea U.S.'s communications manager. "So you see a shift happening."

That shift, according to Ikea, means consumers are measuring the American dream less in terms of material accumulation—the suburban McMansion with a new SUV in the driveway—and more in terms of making the most of what they have, living life on their own terms, and focusing on creating memories instead of just accumulating more things.

Among the findings of the brand's report, titled "Discovering the New American Dream," is that 60 percent of people now believe that the American dream has "more to do with achieving satisfactory quality of life defined in ways other than obtaining material possessions." While 45 percent of people still believe the American dream means buying a home, for example, a much bigger number, 57 percent, believe the dream is lived "though everyday moments with friends and family."

Literal diversity also figures big. One of the print ads shows two gay men chilling out on a sofa in front of a flag that reads "All homes are created equal." This is hardly the first time Ikea has put a gay couple in its advertising—it cast one as far back as 1994—but this time the image reads less like the spotlighting of one segment of the population and more like an image of a diverse population overall. (The couple's not just gay but mixed race, too.)

"There are so many different ways that Americans live—multigenerational, gay parents, etc.—that define the real portrait of the America that's really out there," Stone said. "If we'd put across 20 different living situations, they'd all be equally powerful."

The new creative is the opening salvo in a year's worth of creative under the slogan "We Help You Make It," all of it intended to teach consumers that, whatever their definition of the American dream might be, Ikea can help with it.

"People are finding it harder to make it in today's society, but the optimism is still there," Whitehawk said. "We're trying to get the message out that we're here to partner with them to create that everyday better life that they want to have."

   

New IKEA Ad Will Drive Christofascists to Hysteria

Big corporations have learned that diversity is good for business and the corporate line.  This reality continues to be lost on the Republican Party and, in particular, the Christofascists who want to impose a form of Christian Sharia Law on all Americans.  The result is that time after time the professional Christian crowd goes into spittle flecked rants every time a major corporation either runs an ad featuring a gay couple or, the horror, a interracial couple, or places ads in LGBT media outlets. Now, IKEA has launched an ad campaign that says that all homes are equal and then features an interracial gay couple.  Ad Week looks at the new campaign.  Here are highlights:

[T]he state of the American dream is a touchy issue. And while politicians running for the Oval Office obviously have to take on middle- and working-class angst, brands might prefer to steer clear of something so contentious and polarizing.

Ikea, however, is not among those brands. In its latest marketing effort, the home-furnishings giant goes right to the heart of a difficult topic, asking, "Where did the American dream go?"

As it turns out—according to related research Ikea conducted in partnership with the Economist Intelligence Unit—the dream hasn't gone far, though it has changed significantly.

"One of the things we've seen since [the recession of] 2008 is a change in people's perception of what it means to make it in today's society," said Christine Whitehawk, Ikea U.S.'s communications manager. "So you see a shift happening."

That shift, according to Ikea, means consumers are measuring the American dream less in terms of material accumulation—the suburban McMansion with a new SUV in the driveway—and more in terms of making the most of what they have, living life on their own terms, and focusing on creating memories instead of just accumulating more things.

Among the findings of the brand's report, titled "Discovering the New American Dream," is that 60 percent of people now believe that the American dream has "more to do with achieving satisfactory quality of life defined in ways other than obtaining material possessions." While 45 percent of people still believe the American dream means buying a home, for example, a much bigger number, 57 percent, believe the dream is lived "though everyday moments with friends and family."

Literal diversity also figures big. One of the print ads shows two gay men chilling out on a sofa in front of a flag that reads "All homes are created equal." This is hardly the first time Ikea has put a gay couple in its advertising—it cast one as far back as 1994—but this time the image reads less like the spotlighting of one segment of the population and more like an image of a diverse population overall. (The couple's not just gay but mixed race, too.)

"There are so many different ways that Americans live—multigenerational, gay parents, etc.—that define the real portrait of the America that's really out there," Stone said. "If we'd put across 20 different living situations, they'd all be equally powerful."

The new creative is the opening salvo in a year's worth of creative under the slogan "We Help You Make It," all of it intended to teach consumers that, whatever their definition of the American dream might be, Ikea can help with it.

"People are finding it harder to make it in today's society, but the optimism is still there," Whitehawk said. "We're trying to get the message out that we're here to partner with them to create that everyday better life that they want to have."

   

Hamar House Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Blogger friend Bob Felton of Civil Commotion is vacationing in Michigan and came across this sign that he thought I would find of interest.  It turns out the project is at Michigan Technological University.  Here's how "Hamar House" describes its mission:

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Michigan Technological University is a resource for preparing and empowering socially conscious leaders who will create the future. The staff actively encourages the intellectual, social, and professional growth of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (GLBTQ) students; students of color; and women. Our programs focus on cultural awareness, community building, and student retention.

 I've been unable to find out how the  facility got its name, but if any readers know, please drop me a message.  I am not aware of any relatives in Michigan, but one never knows.  With many of the records destroyed during World War II at the German port that my father's ancestors from Austria sailed from as they headed to America, I could well have unknown relatives in Michigan (I have a likely distant cousin in South Carolina that I met on Facebook of all places.  Oh, and did I mention that he's gay too?)

HRBOR April 17th Third Thursday - Host: New York Life

This month's HRBOR Third Thursday event should be another impressive affair.  April's host is New York Life and the networking event will be at the beautiful Pagoda on the Norfolk waterfront which sits in a gorgeous Japanese garden.  Rumor has it that a surprise announcement will be made and also details will be available about HRBOR's all new website.  Here are event details:

Date: April 17, 2014

 

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

 

Location: Pagoda Garden Tea House, 265 W Tazewell St, Norfolk VA 23510

 

Free to Members, $15 Guest Fee for Guests and Prospective Members  

Hampton Roads Business OutReach  ("HRBOR") is Virginia’s only LGBT Chamber of Commerce - Our goal is empowering and supporting member businesses and professionals to provide our community an inclusive and welcoming environment to live, work and grow.

I urge local readers to attend and make friends, market your business and support diversity.  This event will be especially poignant for me since it will be my last Third Thursday as a member of the HRBOR board of directors, a position I have held for six years.  HRBOR is very dear to my heart.

Gay Acceptance and Diversity at UVA

Students in front of UVA's main library

From time to time my Alma mater does me proud.  It has changed greatly since I first started at the University of Virginia ("UVA") more than 40 years ago and by some estimations is among Virginia's most progressive universities despite its often preppy image.  Even back in my day there was an LGBT student group not that I ever had the courage to admit to myself that I was gay much less attend a meeting.  Now, a story in Out Sports underscores just how far things have come - it's a message that the Virginia GOP needs to wake up to.  Here are highlights and some photos:

What is diversity? Students at the University of Virginia wanted to show that it is more than a buzzword and to make the campus more inclusive. Along those lines, three students created an awesome Tumblr, "We Are All UVa," where students took photos holding placards talking about their experiences, good or bad.

Parker Camp, a varsity swimmer who told his coming out story on Outsports last month, saw the Tumblr and got inspired. He got four teammates to come up with this terrific photo:

 

 

The other gay swimmer is open and comfortable on the team but did not want publicity, so we are not identifying him. Nor are we going to tell you who is gay or straight, since not caring is the whole point of what the athletes did with the photo. Swimmer Brad Phillips said this to Outsports:

"Taking the photo with them was the least I could do to prove to them that our friendships are unaffected by their coming out.  But I'm pretty sure the only reason Parker asked to hold the sign was to hide how fat he's become since our season ended!"

"We Are All UVa," modeled after a similar project at Harvard, is really wonderful and worth your time. As one of the creators told the campus newspaper: "Diversity includes the differences we can't see. It's more than race and ethnicity. ... Diversity is meant to be [an] inclusive concept; the point of challenging it is that it can be a very polarizing conversation."

No doubt, if Victoria Cobb of The Family Foundation, Christofascist dominatrix to the Virginia GOP, has gotten wind of this effort she will be acting as if someone peed (or worse) in her Cheerios!  I also enjoyed these photos:

Click image to enlarge

Kudos to these students at UVA!!

Lockheed Martin Ends Gifts to Boy Scouts Over Anti-Gay Bigotry

Hate and bigotry do have a price as the Boy Scouts of America continues to learn as Lockheed Martin joins the list of major corporations that will no longer make financial gifts to the Scouts because the Scouts' homophobic policies.  We can expect more howling from the Christofascists who will claim their religious liberty is under attack even though it is not.  They can still engage in their bigotry and corporations like Lockheed Martin can exercise their right to not underwrite hate filled policies. As noted in a previous post, a former seminarian summed up the source of the Scouts' "deeply held religious beliefs" that condemn gays: the Old Testament, a work properly describes as follows: "the Hebrew scriptures were [are] altogether fictitious, plagiarized versions of other ancient mystery religions with a desperate agenda to galvanize and perpetuate an ethnic minority."  The Scouts agenda and that of Christofascist hasn't departed from the original Old Testament agenda of galvanizing and perpetuating a minority that has a desperate need to feel superior over others. The Virginian Pilot reports of Lockheed Martins rejection of this agenda:

Defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin is halting its donations to the Boy Scouts of America over the organization's ban on gays serving as adult leaders after a review of the company's philanthropy guidelines, the company said Thursday.

Lockheed Martin spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the company decided it will not support nonprofit organizations that do not align with its corporate policies or commitment to diversity. The company did not disclose how much it has contributed to the Boy Scouts.

Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed follows UPS Inc., Merck & Co. and computer-chip maker Intel in withdrawing support for the Boy Scouts over its no-gays policy in the past two years.

In a written statement, Johndroe said Lockheed seeks to support nonprofit groups that value diversity.

"We believe engaging with and funding an organization that openly discriminates is in conflict with our policies," he said. "While we applaud the mission of the Boy Scouts and the good things they do in our communities, their policies that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and religious affiliation conflict with Lockheed Martin policies."

The sooner the American public puts divisive and antiquated - and fiction based - religious beliefs behind it, the better the future  of this country will be.

Gay Friendly Attorney Elected President of the Virginia State Bar

While miracles will not happen over night, for the first time to my knowledge the Virginia State Bar - hardly a bastion of modernity - will soon be headed by a gay friendly attorney.   Virginia Beach attorney Kevin Martingayle was voted the next president-elect of the Virginia State Bar.  The election was the first contested election in 11 years and pitted Martingayle against northern Virginia attorney Raymond Benzinger who was feared to have an advantage given Northern Virginia's larger population base.  Yours truly wrote e-mails and contacted attorneys across the state and encouraged them to support Kevin.  Kevin is not only gay friendly but has a somewhat high profile sister-in-law: Doria Biddle of the Frank DeCaro show who DeCaro describes as the "Kevin Bacon of lesbian Los Angeles."  I am most pleased about Kevin's win.

But back to Kevin Martingayle.  The Virginian Pilot has an article that looks at his election.  Here are highlights:

Virginia Beach attorney Kevin Martingayle has been voted the next president-elect of the Virginia State Bar in the first contested election in 11 years.

Martingayle, who will become the first Bar president from Virginia Beach, defeated Northern Virginia attorney Raymond Benzinger in voting among Bar members. The Bar governs 29,000 licensed attorneys.

A Richmond native, Martingayle received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991. He is a founding partner in the Beach law firm Bischoff Martingayle. Martingayle will serve as president-elect for one year beginning at the Bar's annual meeting in June, and he will then become Bar president the following year

One thing that I hope to work with Kevin on achieving is an expansion of the Virginia State Bar's diversity program.  Currently, the Bar's idea of diversity is including more women, blacks and non-whites.  LGBT attorneys and the lack of legal  protections for LGBT Virginians are invisible at present.

How Did the GOP Get So Angry and White?

I've noted many times that in my opinion, the Republican Party has become something very ugly.  Like the Christianist base of the party, the GOP is now best defined by who they hate and the list includes virtually everyone but old, white, heterosexual men - and the repressed white women whom they dominate.  One of the striking things is the thinly veiled racism with permeates the GOP with blacks and other non-white minorities seemly the favor targets of hate and derision.  LGBT citizens are no less despised by the party base.  Anyone who looks different or believes in different This is NOT the Republican Party of its early years or the years following the Civil War when minorities were welcomed and held positions in the party,  A column in The Daily Beast looks at this transformation of the GOP and the likely long term suicide that will ensue if things do not change.  Here are highlights:

"Zero Percent of Blacks for Romney”—Oh, that headline hurts. And the WSJ/NBC poll can’t just be dismissed out of hand as the work of partisan hacks.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that no African-Americans will vote for the Romney-Ryan ticket, just that it will be within the margin of error and along the lines last time, when McCain-Palin somehow managed to score 4 percent of the black vote.

But ’twas not always thus for the GOP. Dust off your history books and you will see Republicans once had a virtual lock on the minority vote—and minority elected officials. The legacy of Lincoln was alive and well until not so long ago. Which makes the retreat of recent decades both unfortunate and ill-timed.

Consider that the first popularly elected African-American senator was a Republican, Ed Brooke from Massachusetts, in 1966. Likewise the first Asian-American senator, Hawaii’s Hiram Fong, who was first elected in the Eisenhower era. The first Native-American senator, Charles Curtis—who went on to be Herbert Hoover’s vice president. The first Hispanic senator, Octaviano Larrazolo, also was a Republican. Ditto the first woman popularly elected to the Senate, Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith.

“The Republican Party was the party that gave hope and inspiration to minorities—and there was a coalition at first,” says Ed Brooke, now 92 and living with his wife, Anne, in Miami. “My father was a Republican. My mother was a Republican. They wouldn't dare be a Democrat. The Democrats were a party opposed to civil rights. The South was all Democratic conservatives. And the African-American community considered them the enemy.”  

The decline of centrist Republicans was one important reason for the decline in the GOP’s diversity over recent decades, according to Brooke. The shift of the party’s political base to the states of the former Confederacy coincided with the rise of social conservatism and states’ rights in what had been the progressive party in the era of Lincoln.

Demographics are destiny, and looking like the party of old white men is not a recipe for Republican success in the future. That’s why this forgotten legacy of diversity should be respected and celebrated, even as the Party of Lincoln has turned into the Party of Reagan. Because these forgotten figures deserve to be remembered by Republicans and all Americans as the pioneers they were.

• Sen. Charles Curtis of Kansas served in the Capitol for most of the first three decades of the 20thCentury. Native-American on his mother’s side, Curtis spent much of his childhood growing up on the Kaw reservation with his grandparents, descendants of Chief White Plume. His presence on the 1928 ticket alongside Herbert Hoover made him the first non-white on a major-party presidential ticket and the first to serve as vice president.

As Republicans gather in Tampa—Florida is a must-win swing state with a sizable minority population—the opportunity and obligation for the party to reach out beyond their white base should be clear. 

Don't hold your breath waiting for today's GOP to reach out for anyone other than white heterosexual males. most of whom will  be over 50 years of age.  The party of Lincoln has become the de facto party of the KKK and other white supremacy groups.  And in my view, it's not a coincidence that this horrific transformation of the GOP has coincided with its take over by the Christianists,

Reflections on Out in the Park 2012

I haven't seen crowd estimates yet, but my sense is that we exceeded last year's attendance figure of 17,000 people.  Although the weather was threatening at times, the rain held off and today was a truly wonderful event.  One of the things that really struck me was the fact that we had young and old, gay and straight, black, white, Asian etc. in attendance.  Indeed, the crowd was more representative of Hampton Roads' population than many of the other events that take place in Town Point Park.    Out in the Park reflected the acceptance and recognition of our common humanity that ought to be a daily reality and yet is not most of the time.  Our MC Frank Decaro from XM Radio (pictured with me above) was a delight and so much fun.  As a HR Pride board member, I am proud of what we accomplished today. 

The image below shows one of the boats from the Gay Pride Boat Parade (we have the only pride boat parade in the USA).  The energy ands sense of camaraderie was truly amazing.   I was actually choked up a couple of times at the thought that I had played a role in having this wonderful event become a reality.  Especially for the LGBT youth in attendance.   I never, ever want today's youth to experience the misery, unhappiness and self-hate that dominated my life for so many years.   If I can make a difference, then all of my past heartache has had a purpose.

My sincere thanks go out to all who played a part in putting on today's event.  Hopefully, it will serve as a message to Hampton Roads and all of Virginia that it's time to move into the 21st century and throw religious based ignorance and bigotry on the trash heap of history.  I also give special thanks to Kristine W (who is pictured below and who has a gay brother as it turns out) for her amazing performance and embrace of our community.

Come to Out in the Park!

Out in the Park takes place today in Norfolk's Town Point Park.  It should be a great event and the lead up events this week have gone over amazingly well.  Last night's block party at Palace Station was very well attended and all seemed to have a great time.  I had an opportunity to talk with Kristine W who is very laid back and was a genuine delight.  Among the many highlights today will be the nations only gay pride boat parade along the Norfolk waterfront.  40 rainbow flags were raised yesterday at Town Point Park along the water and this morning flags will be raised the length of Waterside Drive.

Here's a scene along the waterfront:

 

Here are some of last night block party attendees:

I hope local readers - both gay and straight - will come to the party.  There will truly be something for everyone.   The schedule of events can be found here.

Backwardness Has a Price - Hampton Roads Won't Regain Lost Jobs Until 2015

I've argued many times that one of Hampton Roads's biggest problems is it's image - as described in a Brookings Institute report - as "old, slow and not too bright. Behind this image is an undercurrent of intolerance and backwardness which is found within many municipal governments and certainly the leadership of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce which all but laughed at the concept of HRBOR, the gay and gay friendly chamber of commerce I helped found. A new report described in the Virginian Pilot indicates that it will be 2015 or beyond before the region regains the jobs lost during the ongoing Great Recession. This continued closed mindedness and deliberately chosen backwardness - here in Hampton Roads and in state wide offices in Richmond - obviously will not help attract new progressive employers. Here are some story highlights:
*
After losing almost 48,000 jobs during the economic downturn, employment in Hampton Roads won't return to its pre-recession peak until 2015, a consulting and forecasting firm said.
*
"Most metropolitan areas will suffer persistently high unemployment beyond 2011, and, for many, into the middle and latter part of the decade," consulting firm IHS Global Insight said in a report compiled for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In Hampton Roads, the pace of job creation will be slower than in more than half of the nation's 363 metro areas, the report said.
*
The prospect of subdued job growth comes in the wake of anemic gains in Hampton Roads during the past decade. Employment in the region expanded by only 3,500 jobs, or one-half percent, since 2001, according to the report. Employment in the region peaked in the third quarter of 2007, the report found. Prolonged weakness in the job market is worrisome, IHS said, because large numbers of individuals entering the labor force aren't gaining the job skills and work experience needed for career advancement.
*
Much of the report called attention to the economic activity generated by the nation's metro areas. Last year, they accounted for almost 86 percent of U.S. jobs and almost 90 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, IHS said.

City of Hampton Diversity and Pride On June 11th

While many in the Hampton Roads LGBT community are still feeling the afterglow of Sunday's very successful Out in the Park event, it's important to remember that on Saturday, June 11, 2011, from Noon to 6:00 PM, the City of Hampton, Virginia will hold it's second annual Diversity and Pride event in Millpoint Park on the downtown Hampton waterfront. The event may not be as glitzy as Sunday's event in Norfolk, but I can assure folks that last year's Hampton event was a lot of fun and that this year's event should be even better.
*
I hope readers who were unable to make the event in Norfolk will make a point to attend this Saturday. I will be attending and will be working a booth for the law firm and the HRBOR booth as well. For more information on Saturday's event go to: www.diversityandpride.com.

Virginian Pilot: Out in the Park Has New Home in Norfolk

Leave it to the Virginian Pilot to come up with a half ass headline about "Out in the Park's" move this year ti Norfolk's Town Point Park next Sunday. I tend to not read the Pilot with any degree of seriousness because quality, objective reporting is typically an unknown concept for Norfolk's only newspaper which is run more as a framework for running ad print that for any serious reporting of the news. In any event, the Pilot has a piece on next Sunday's event which I, the boyfriend and many others have helped underwrite. We are all praying for good weather and a great turn out. So far the Pilot coverage has not attracted any foul, wingnut commentary. Here are story highlights:
*
The region's annual Out in the Park event is on the move this year - from Chesapeake to Norfolk. The 23rd annual celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender culture will move on Sunday to Norfolk's Town Point Park from Chesapeake City Park, where it's been held the past five years. It previously was held at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach and Lakewood Park in Norfolk.
*
Last year the event attracted 8,000 people, based on estimates by Chesapeake park rangers. This year, organizers anticipate 10,000, Hermansen-Parker said, because of
the centrality of Town Point Park and increased publicity from fundraisers and other events. Also, he said, Norfolk's park is known for festivals, and downtown's parking garages provide more options than the Chesapeake location.
*
Hampton Roads Pride has raised about $70,000 - a record for the annual event - in sponsorships and in-kind donations to pay for security, entertainment and other expenses, board member Patrick Mullins said. Local businesses - such as Decorum Furniture, which donated $5,000 - have been a backbone of the event's financial support, Mullins said.
*
The event's lineup includes local and national acts such as Kempsville High graduate DJ Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite and Suzanne Westenhoefer, one of the first openly gay comedians to appear on television. Instead of the usual Pride Parade, there will be a Pride Boat Parade on the Elizabeth River. So far, 20 vessels plan to dock along the park's marina edge. Businesses and vendors in the gay community also will be on display.
*
City spokesman Bob Batcher said Norfolk is a vibrant community, and the Hampton Roads Pride festival is a good example of that diversity.

Pride Cookout - A Busy Pre-Pride Weekend

This weekend has a number of events running up to Pride week (several already took place last night), including the first Ocean View Pier Party of 2011 which kicks off at 5:00 PM this afternoon (a $5 donation is being collected at the door). The Ocean View Pier is located at 4th View and I-64 on the beach. A full schedule of weekend events can be found here.

*
As noted a couple of days ago, the boyfriend and I are hosting (with help from friends) a fundraising event at our home at 1615 Chesapeake Avenue in Hampton tomorrow to help underwrite the costs of putting on both Hampton Road Pride's "Out in the Park" in Norfolk's Town Point Park on Sunday, June 5, 2011 and the City of Hampton's "Diversity and Pride" in Hampton's Millpoint Park which will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2011.

*

The event tomorrow is from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The menu will include BBQ numerous side dishes, desserts, beer, wine and other beverages - compliments of the boyfriend, myself and friends who will be recognized at the event. The cost is $15 pre-paid or $25 at the door.

*

Local readers who would like to attend and show their support for "Out in the Park" and Hampton's "Diversity and Pride" events need to come out! To purchase tickets, use this link here now.

HRBOR Flavor Hampton Roads Winter Wine Festival January 22, 2011

Winter Wine Festival
&
Silent Auction

Five Points Community Farm Market
2500 Church St., Norfolk, VA 23504
http://www.5ptsfarmmarket.org/
January 22, 2011 7p.m. - 11p.m.
Come and taste incredible wines, gourmet foods, desserts and coffees set in the organic Farm Market.

Participating Vendors:

Holly Grove Vineyards
Angry Adams Wine and Cheese Spot
Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
Get Fresh Cafe
Bardo Edibles & Elixirs
Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas
Lew-Lou's Sinsational Bakery
Rogue Elephant Coffee Roasting Company

Florals provided by New Leaf Florist
Linens & Tables provided by Distinctive Event Rentals

Tickets:
$40 per person !!!
$50 per person at the door, January 22, 2011

For Sponsorship Opportunities contact, Jodi Butler: 757-572-5971.

For tickets call: 757-339-1892 or Email: events@hrbor.org or flavorhamptonroads.com

This is going to be a great event and I hope that local readers will make a point to attend. The food and beverages will be wonderful.

HRBOR to Recieve NGLCC Chamber of the Year Award Tomorrow

When Christianna Flynn and I first began talking about forming some sort of LGBT business group back in August of 2006, little did we know that we were setting the ground work for what would become Hampton Roads Business OutReach ("HRBOR"), the only affiliate of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce ("NGLCC") in Virginia. Through HRBOR I have secured a number of clients, but more importantly, I have made a large number of wonderful friends and replaced the social circle I lost when I came out after years spent in the closet. Tomorrow morning, HRBOR will receive the NGLCC "Rising Star Award" at a gathering in Washington, D.C., at which the U.S. Secretary of Commerce will be in attendance. HRBOR's current president and I will be driving up to receive the award on HRBOR's behalf and to attend the national gathering's formal dinner tomorrow night. Through the graciousness of Dan Massey and Alison Gardner I will have a place to stay tonight so that my attendance is more affordable. I will be driving to Washington this evening, so posting will likely lapse until sometime tomorrow. I will always treasure my other founding board members pictured below. They are amazing individuals.

*

For those coming out later in life, I continue to urge you to get involved in LGBT organizations in your area and, if none exists, consider founding one. It's a lot of work, but the rewards are amazing. And, if we could create an organization like HRBOR in this anti-gay area, it can be done anywhere. Here's the text of the letter from the NGLCC on HRBOR's award:
*
The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) proudly announced Hampton Roads Business OutReach (HRBOR) of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia as the winner of its 2010 Rising Star Chamber of the Year Award. Each year the NLGCC recognizes one outstanding local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) chamber of commerce or business organization for its noticeable growth, enthusiasm, and vision on behalf of its members and community. Bestowed at the Chamber Awards Breakfast on Friday, November 18, the honor will be presented in front of LGBT business owners, corporate decision-makers, and fellow chamber leaders who have gathered for NGLCC’s 2010 National Business & Leadership Conference: Out for Business!, being held at the Capital Hilton November 18-20 in Washington, D.C.
*
HRBOR, or the Hampton Roads Business OutReach, is an alliance of LGBT owned and supportive businesses and professionals in the Hampton Roads area that includes Norfolk, VA. Founded with the guidance of the NGLCC in 2007, HRBOR is the only NGLCC Affiliate Chamber in the Commonwealth of Virginia. By promoting an environment in which diversity can flourish, HRBOR is committed to the economic growth and prosperity of its member businesses and the community. This commitment is evident through the robust programming of monthly networking events, educational seminars, and social occasions, and an active and dedicated board of directors, led by businesswoman Nicole Carry. HRBOR has grown and succeeded at a logarithmic pace in its brief history. Inception to launch, including such extensive projects as establishing a mission statement, by-laws, and membership structure, occurred in just under six months. In their first year alone, their membership surpassed 100 members.
*
“For a young chamber to experience this kind of growth in only a few years is nothing short of inspirational to the chamber movement,” remarks NGLCC’s Co-Founder & President Justin G. Nelson. “Today, with a new website and continual outreach into the broader community, HRBOR stands as a shining example of commitment to diversity, economic equality and opportunity for its members, and the growing voice of the LGBT community in this conservative region of the United States.”
*
To learn more about the NGLCC or the National Business & Leadership Conference, please visit www.nglcc.org. To learn more about HRBOR, please visit www.hrbor.org.

Reminder - HRBOR's Three Year Anniversary Event

HRBOR's Third Anniversary Event is set for Thursday, May 20, 2010 at the 21st Street location of Decorum Furniture. Heritage Bank is hosting the food refreshments. Here are the details for locals who I hope will attend because the event is FREE and because it is a wonderful way to make friends and network for those with businesses. The NGLCC will be represented and will have a special surprise.

DATE: MAy 20, 2010, Thursday
TIME: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
HOST: Decorum Furniture, Claus Ihlemann and Robert Roman
PLACE: Historic Ghent
301 West 21st Street
Norfolk, VA 23517
757.623.3100
http://www.decorumfurniture.com/
(Parking available in lot behind the store on W 20th Street)

FEATURED NON-PROFIT:
HRBOR, Hampton Roads Business OutReach -
It’s our Third Anniversary, so we are opening our doors to the Public in celebration of our Third Birthday as an organization. No guest fees! Come meet our members, network with other business professionals and see what HRBOR is all about. We have some great plans for the future!!!

COST: May’s Third Thursday is FREE, no Guest Fees this Month. Open to the Public in honor of HRBOR’s Third Anniversary! (Members Free each month)

Legends 2010 Steering Committee Seeking Honoree Nominations

As I have noted before, I am once again a member of the steering committee for the Equality Virginia Legends Gala fundraising event that will take place this coming November. Each year an honor is selected and honored for their/its commitment to promoting social justice issues such as diversity, equality and human rights. The Committee is seeking nominees for a potential honoree for Legends 2010. Here are the details on how to submit a nomination:

*

Look around Greater Hampton Roads -- there are many deserving candidates for Legend 2010 (individuals, corporate, and community groups). Please give thoughtful consideration to submitting a nomination. Think of those who are making a significant difference in the community…a positive impact on the lives of those around them? Equality Virginia ("EV") will recognize a community hero with the fifth annual Equality Virginia Legend Award.

*

EV seeks nominees who are generally under-appreciated for the selfless work they willingly do to help the community. Nominees should be residents of Greater Hampton Roads. Nominees will have demonstrated outstanding leadership, courage and commitment to promoting social justice issues such as diversity, equality and human rights - those who have made significant contributions to the LGBT community/community-at-large through their professional activities and volunteer efforts, and who exemplify the values and mission of Equality Virginia.

*

Nominations may be submitted at http://equalityvirginia.org/upcoming-events/major-events/legends-gala/2010-legends-nomination.html. Questions may be emailed to: buca226@cox.net. Nominations must be received NO LATER THAN April 30 2010.

Hampton Diversity and Pride - Update

A few brief bits of information on the event scheduled for June 19, 2010 in downtown Hampton, Virginia. For those desiring a table at the event, the charge is $50.00 and checks should be made payable to St. Mark's Episcopal Church with a notation of "diversity and pride" in the memo area. Local artist Narissa Bond - cousin of civil rights legend Julian Bond - will be the event's opening act. The following describes Narissa's work

*

Bond is a favorite on the Hampton Roads singer-songwriter scene. Now living in the Ghent section of Norfolk, she's made a third album that's intimate and contemplative.Highlights: "Soul Touches Sky," a gentle, seductive charmer; "The Grocery Story," a tune that champions the working poor through a whisper, not a scream; "Unexpected," a dreamlike exploration of erotic love; "Little Town," a song about getting lost and found in a strange, small place.

*

For more information on Diversity and Pride 2010, please e-mail: mcrhinova@yahoo.com

Paranoid White Men and "Birther" Madness - Part 2

My post yesterday that looked at Frank Rich's column in the New York Times and the increasing insanity of the far right and what's left of the Republican Party apparently hit some nerves in what, in my opinion, is la la land. While most of the e-mails exchanges that I received ended up on a moderate note - one writer agreed with me on Jefferson's views on freedom of religion - some of the "proof" sent to me illustrates exactly what Frank Rich was talking about. Some of these people cannot stand the fact that the nation is changing and moving on towards a day where there will be much more diversity and where whites will no longer be the all powerful majority. Obama's biggest offence - besides being black - is that he is different and that his values are not their values. In my Republican days when the Christianists were just beginning their drive to take over the party, I was exposed to enough of them to realize that for many of them NOTHING will ever convince them that their views and prejudices are wrong. Christ himself could appear and they still would not accept the message. Here are highlights from one article that feeds the "birther" madness:

*

And yet the Obama "birther" debate is important. What's important about it is the feeling a growing number of Americans have in their bones that Obama is foreign -- to our traditions, loyalties and shared understandings about the nature of America. In a way the legal debate matters less than that bone-deep sense that Obama is fundamentally "Other than American."

*

Obama is a socialist, which means that his deepest commitment is not to our nation but to the Internationalist Ruling Class. That is why the Left always has to argue that Americans' love of country will kill off the rest of the world -- by global warming, by overpopulation, any excuse will do. The fact that it's all lies proves the point: The Left must lie in order to convince millions of Americans that their normal feelings of patriotism are evil.

*

Obama is foreign to America in a way that has little to do with his birth certificate. He could be American-born and still think in this very anti-American way. A lot of people are. But whatever he is legally, there is not a shred of doubt that he is steeped in an Anti-American way of thinking.
*

This is what I suspect the birther movement is about. Yes, the legalities are suspect. No, it will never make any practical difference. But most important, the birthers are aware of a deep intuition about Barry Soetoro Barack Hussein Obama: That he is profoundly out of tune with the meaning of America since the Founding. He is out of harmony with this country and this culture, like the dissonant scream of a power-saw biting into steel or concrete. He just grates on the American sensibility.

*

Conservatives helped win the Cold War, but did not win the battle for the schools and universities. That is why Barry Soetoro Barack Hussein Obama is now President.

*

These people indeed live in a very paranoid world. What I find ironic is that many of these folks likely have had ancestors in this country for a much shorter period that I and many others they label as liberals, yet the accusation is made that liberals do not understand or value the traditions of the country. One of my grandfather's families has as best we can determine been in New England/New York since the 1700's. One of my grandmother's families was in New Orleans as far back as at least the 1850's. I'd say I understand all to well the traditions of the founding fathers who were influenced by the Enlightenment and would likely agree with little put forth today by the Christian Right and far right.