NFL Prospect Michael Sam Comes Out

Someone had to be the first to do it and now Michael Sam (pictured above), an All-American defensive lineman from the University of Missouri, has revealed that he's gay.  In fact, he has stated that "I'm an openly, proud gay man."  Given his outstanding record as a college player, he should be a high draft choice and he has the possibility he could be the first openly gay player drafted by the National Football League.  Moreover, should he not fare well in the draft, the NFL will have a hard time proving that it is not the bastion of homophobia and anti-gay hatred that some allege.  Obviously, it will be interesting to see if the NFL steps and proves that it is supportive to all players, gay or straight.  Bleacher Report.com has details.  Here are excerpts:

One of the last barriers of bigotry in all of professional sports will soon fall: Former Missouri star defensive end Michael Sam, an All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, has come out as gay.

Sam is expected to be a high-round draft pick in May, which would set a series of historic firsts in motion. He would be the first openly gay player drafted. Since most high-round picks make NFL rosters, he'd also likely be the first openly gay player in NFL history.

"I came to tell the world that I'm an openly, proud gay man," he told Chris Connelly of ESPN's Outside The Lines Sunday night.

“Michael has shown great courage in taking this step and not only do we support him, we are incredibly grateful. His decision to welcome us all into his world as he embarks upon a professional NFL career is an honorable one. This moment will resonate in a unique and important way for countless people, particularly LGBT youth,” said former Baltimore Raven and human rights activist Brendon Ayanbadejo . . .

One general manager told Bleacher Report that Sam, 6'2" and 255 pounds, will be a true test of whether or not the NFL is actually open to all kinds of players. He believes that if Sam falls past the third round, then "something stinks. Because this guy is easily a high-rounder."

Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller agrees that Sam's talents should result in his getting picked in an early round.

"As a player, Michael Sam was one of the most impactful defenders in college football last season," Miller said. "Playing left defensive end, he was able to produce All-American numbers by using his quickness off the ball and high-level instincts.

Sam will have to withstand being the center of attention outside and inside the locker room. And many believe his teammates may have a hard time accepting him.

The NFL reiterated it has a workplace conduct policy that prohibits discrimination of any kind. A portion of the collective bargaining agreement also states: "There will be no discrimination in any form against any player by the NFL, the Management Council, any Club or by the NFLPA because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or activity or lack of activity on behalf of the NFLPA."

The historic nature of this cannot be overstated. An openly gay player in America's most popular sport has the potential to change a great deal all across the sports world. Gay NFL players—as well as players in other sports—have come out after they retired but never during their career, or, as Sam is doing, as their NFL career is beginning.

Sam's declaration has the potential to open other fronts on this issue as well. It can make current closeted NFL athletes less fearful. It could provide support to younger athletes, in high school or younger, that they don't have to deny their sexuality.

Kudos to Michael Sam.  Now let's see the NFL put its money where its mouth has been.

McAuliffe Pledges to Sign Executive Order Banning Discrimination Against LGBT State Employees

Elections do make a difference as evidenced by Terry McAuliffe's pledge to sign an Executive Order banning anti-gay discrimination against LGBT state employees as soon as he is sworn in as Governor of Virginia.  Hopefully, the uncounted provisional ballots will put Mark Herring over the top in the race for Attorney General so that there will not be efforts made by the AG's office to sabotage McAuliffe's order.  The Washington Blade has details.  Here are excerpts:

Virginia Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe on Wednesday said his first executive order will be to ban discrimination against LGBT state employees.

The former chair of the Democratic National Committee made the comments during a Richmond press conference at which he announced members of his transition team that state Del. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) will chair. McAuliffe in April expressed support for such an executive order during a speech he gave at Equality Virginia’s annual dinner in Richmond.

“I will make sure that every single individual in the commonwealth of Virginia is treated fair and equal,” McAuliffe said at the time.

McAuliffe also highlighted his support of marriage rights for same-sex couples during the Richmond press conference.

Equality Virginia Executive Director James Parrish earlier on Wednesday categorized McAuliffe and Northam’s election as “a real turning point” for the state.

“The commonwealth has never before had somebody in the governor’s seat who so openly supports equality for all Virginians,” Parrish said. “Equality Virginia is excited to work with these leaders toward a state that is more welcoming for all families.”

Parrish conceded, however, progress on LGBT-specific issues will remain a challenge because a number of anti-gay incumbents won re-election. These include state Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County) who co-sponsored the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that voters approved in 2006.

“Unfortunately, the newly elected House of Delegates will continue to be a major road block to achieving equality in Virginia,” Parrish said.

Personally, I am happy to have an opportunity to talk with McAuliffe earlier in the election season and believe he is sincere in his support of LGBT equality:

 

Feel the Love - Lesbain Attacked in Home Invasion

The Christianists continue to produce a constant stream of anti-LGBT propaganda that ranges from depicting all of us a diseased, alcoholic drug users just waiting to prey on children to a threat to marriage and western civilization itself.  It's not surprising, therefore, when some unbalanced or particularly hate filled individuals decide to take matters into their own hands and attack those depicted as such a menace to society.  Based on initial stories coming out of Lincoln, Nebraska, this is what occurred in the early morning hours of yesterday morning.  Fortunately, the victim survived, although the psychological damaging will likely last forever.  To me, it's yet another example of the foul fruits of conservative Christians' feigned religiosity which relies on hatred of others for self-definition.  First highlights from the Journal Star:

Hundreds of people gathered with rainbow flags and candles outside the Capitol for a nighttime vigil sparked by a woman's account of a violent, hate-fueled attack that spread rapidly over the Internet on Sunday.

The woman said she was attacked early that morning by three masked men who barged into her house, bound her wrists and ankles with zip ties, cut her all over her body and carved homophobic slurs into her skin before dumping gasoline on her floor and lighting it with a match, said a friend who spoke to the Journal Star.

The friend said the woman crawled from her house, naked and bleeding and screaming for help before reaching the doorstep of a neighbor's home.

Police Chief Jim Peschong declined to comment further on the status of the investigation or its findings. No arrests had been made as of late Sunday.

The woman's account of the attack drew outrage from a gay and straight-allied community already galvanized by this month's Star City Pride Festival as well as debate over the city's so-called fairness amendment, a proposal to ban discrimination in housing and employment based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Then there's these further details from the Omaha World Herald:

The woman called police around 4 a.m. Sunday, saying men wearing black ski masks had broken into her home, according to Lincoln police.  She told police the men assaulted her — binding her hands and carving words into her skin with a knife — and then set fire to the house.

Davidsaver said the victim’s description of the suspects was limited because of the masks.

When police arrived, the house was still on fire, the captain said. He said it caused about $200 in damage.

Davidsaver would not say what words the men carved into the woman’s skin. “We need to maintain the integrity of the case,” he said.  But Erin Thompson of Lincoln, who described herself as the victim’s best friend, said she got a call from her friend about 6:30 Sunday morning. The friend asked Thompson to pick her up from the hospital.  “They carved on me,” Thompson said her friend tearfully told her.  Thompson said three epithets, including the word “dyke,” were carved on the woman’s arms and stomach.

Thompson said the victim is openly lesbian.

She read a statement on behalf of the victim, who thanked those attending the vigil, her neighbor for summoning help, the police and fire department for their quick response, and the paramedics, nurses and doctors who helped her at BryanLGH Medical Center West in Lincoln, as well as an advocate from Voices of Hope who sat with her.

Thompson said she and her friend “always get harassed here and there.” She said they have only suspicions about the possible identities of the assailants.

Events like this remind ever LGBT individual that there are those out in the world who literally hate us.  Worse yet, they are encouraged and justified in their hate literally daily from pulpits across the nation and from the broadcasts and propaganda of the professional Christian set.  It's disingenuous that the Christianists claim that they are being persecuted, yet they are never the victims of violence.   Instead, it's always those they spew hatred against that end up as the victims.

Tennessee Governor Protects Vanderbilt University’s LGBT-Inclusive Nondiscrimination Policy

In a move that will no doubt have the knuckle dragging Bible beaters calling for his head, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (R) has committed to vetoing the bill that threatens to cut off state funding for Vanderbilt University (my maternal grandfather was a Vanderbilt medical school alumni) because of its policy requiring all on-campus organizations to abide by the university’s non-discrimination statement, which includes sexual orientation protections. Like most top tier universities Vanderbilt realizes that anti-gay bigotry is not good for recruiting students or faculty members.  That concept, of course, is lost on the GOP controlled legislature that wants to move the state backward in time to the Middle Ages.  Think Progress looks at Haslam's eleventh hour development of a spine.  Here are highlights:

For the past few months, Vanderbilt University has faced strong pushback from Christian student groups over its policy requiring all on-campus organizations to abide by the university’s non-discrimination statement, which includes sexual orientation protections. The groups claim that by being forced to allow gay students to participate and run for officer positions, they themselves are being discriminated against for their faith. The university has stood by its policy, arguing that because all students pay fees, all students should have equal access to campus resources.

This week, the issue escalated as the Tennessee legislature passed a bill threatening to cut state funding to any university that does not allow its religious student clubs to discriminate according to their beliefs. Though he does not agree with Vanderbilt’s policy, Gov. Bill Haslam (R) has committed to vetoing the bill — his first veto in office — because he considers it government overreach:

HASLAM: It is counter-intuitive to make campus organizations open their membership and leadership positions to anyone and everyone, even when potential members philosophically disagree with the core values and beliefs of the organization. Although I disagree with Vanderbilt’s policy, as someone who strongly believes in limited government, I think it is inappropriate for government to mandate the policies of a private institution.

Despite the veto, the debate will surely rage on. A nation-wide group known as the Christian Legal Society (which also has a Vanderbilt chapter) took a similar fight at a public college all the way to the Supreme Court a few years ago and lost. In Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, the Court found that “all-comers” policies were viewpoint neutral, and thus are no more unfair to Christian groups than any other student groups.

This is yet another case of Christianists demanding special rights - i.e., the right to discriminate - not granted to others.  It's always about the wants and bigotry of the Christianists who believe that they should be free on any limits on their displays of bigotry.  Just like the way they think they are exempt from the Commandment that forbids lying and bearing false witness against others.

GOP Senate Candidate Joins Pro-Bully Caucus

This blog has noted many times that far right Christians and their political whores in the Republican Party literally have blood on their hands for the needless anti-gay bullying related deaths they help cause. What's worse yet, is most aren't remotely apologetic and either try to blame the victims or brush off unrelenting cruelty as no big deal - little more than "teasing." Never mind that such "teasing" often includes horrible denigration or, in the case of 14-year-old Kenneth Weishuhn who took his own life last weekend, out right death threats. One would think that anyone with a shred of common decency, not to mention even a tiny bit of compassion for others would reject such vicious bullying and work to ban it entirely from society. But not Heather Wilson, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in New Mexico. Wilson opposes Senator Al Franken's SB 555 (the Student Non-Discrimination Act) which would grant LGBT students civil rights protections against bullying along the lines already in place based on students' race and gender. Wilson claims the Act would violate students’ free speech rights and criminalize “teasing.” I imagine that Wilson would sing a different tune if Christianist students were being "teased" form being knuckle dragging Neanderthals and bigots by other students exercising the "free speech rights." The far right always want special rights fro themselves even as they ride rough shod over the rights of everyone else. Think Progress looks at Wilson disingenuous lies and bigotry. Here are highlights:

State and federal lawmakers have responded to the wave of school anti-gay bullying and the suicides that they contribute to by introducing legislation prohibiting schools from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Conservative Republicans oppose such efforts and have characterized anti-bullying legislation as an infringement of religious freedoms and free speech.

Heather Wilson, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in New Mexico, joined the so-called pro-bullying chorus when she staked out her opposition to SB 555, the Student Non-Discrimination Act. . . . . Wilson argued that the bill would violate students’ free speech rights and criminalize “teasing”:

WILSON: I mean if somebody gets bullied for having, gosh a low voice — that’s never happened to me. … But I think one of the things why I don’t support the act is because I think it’s misplaced. They are things I’m willing to tolerate that I’m not willing to approve.

With respect to this particular agenda we have to recognize as parents that children tease each other because you’re short or you’re tall or you’re a redhead or because you’re ugly or because you’re smart or because you’re dumb or all kinds of differences and as parents we have to deal with that and strengthen our children to be comfortable with themselves and also to show empathy and acceptance towards others, but that particular act is so broad it would actually punish children and say that it’s prohibited to express an opinion with respect to homosexuality in the schools. I just think that’s wrong and it’s a violation of the First Amendment.

I'm sorry Ms. Wilson, but you are a lying, hateful douche bag - and that's being kind. Needless to say, I hope Ms. Wilson goes down to defeat. We do NOT need such bigots in the U.S. Senate.

HUD Introduces Sweeping LGBT Protections

In a move that will have Christianists and professional Christians shrieking and wailing, the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (pictured at left) has introduced sweeping new regulations that will afford LGBT citizens and families protections in housing related programs and insurance programs that receive federal funding. Among the areas impacted will be including Section 8 housing, emergency shelters, and other social services, as well as lending for FHA-insured mortgage financing. Such protections even if of limited application are welcomed inasmuch as currently in Virginia - and many other states - LGBT citizens have absolutely no non-discrimination protections. The move is long overdue. Now if only similar regulations would be implemented in the realm of employment non-discrimination. Here are highlights from Think Progress' coverage:

Speaking today [Saturday] at the National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change in Baltimore, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan introduced a broad and sweeping set of new nondiscrimination protections the department will be implementing. Under the new guidelines, any program that receives funding or insurance through HUD will be prohibited from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. . .

In addition, all such programs will now be required to recognize same-sex and otherwise LGBT families — regardless of their marital status or the adoption status of their children — to ensure they can stay together as a family unit when accessing HUD resources.

In his remarks, Donovan explained the significance of these changes:

DONOVAN: And so, first and foremost, this rule includes a new equal access provision that prohibits owners and operators of HUD-funded housing, or housing whose financing we insure, from inquiring about an applicant’s sexual orientation or gender identity or denying housing on that basis. If you are denying HUD housing to people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity—actual or perceived—you’re discriminating, you’re breaking the law – and you will be held accountable. That’s what equal access means – and that’s what this rule is going to do. . . . the rule also makes clear that sexual orientation and gender identity should not and cannot be part of any lending decision when it comes to getting a mortgage insured by the FHA – part of HUD.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has additional coverage. Here are highlights:

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a new HUD policy to fight discrimination against LGBT people in federally supported housing programs.

The new rules, to be published next week, will help LGBT people and their families across the country stay in their homes, get the loans they need to buy homes, and access life-saving federal assistance programs to help get low-income people and families back on their feet.

Donovan is the first sitting Cabinet secretary in history to speak at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, the country’s largest annual gathering of LGBT rights advocates. They have been meeting this week in Baltimore to strategize and mobilize in this critical election year.

“I’m here this afternoon because our president and his administration believe the LGBT community deserves a place at the table — and also a place to call home. Each of us here knows that rights most folks take for granted are routinely violated against LGBT people,” Donovan said.

While I'd prefer to see these non-discrimination protections afforded by statute, the regulations are hopefully a beginning. While likely motivated by Obama's re-election effort, the regulations are yet another blow against the special rights given to anti-Christians for far too long.

Are Moderate Republicans Now Drinking Kool-Aid?

As I've noted before, once upon a time I was an active Republican in the days before the Christianist take over of the party. Most of my former GOP "friends" dropped me like a hot potato when I came out and I heard frequent reports of how some had dragged my name through the mud because of my "lifestyle choice." Despite this back stabbing and general nastiness, I've remained in touch with some I knew from that time period - generally those who were moderates, some of whom were criticized by the far right elements for not being extreme enough to satisfy the Pat Robertson crowd.

Recently, I had an e-mail encounter with one such moderate (or at least former moderate) which was fairly discouraging because this individual sounded as if their sole source of information was Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. About the only point we agreed on was that the country is in a mess. Missing from my friend's statements was any willingness to accept GOP culpability for any part of the problems facing the country. You know, things like the 44%+ share of the deficit incurred under Chimperator Bush's 8 years of misrule. Also missing was any ability to see another perspective - especially from an LGBT perspective. Indeed, at times I was described as a single issue voter by this individual. Naturally, I disagreed and made a further comment that if the country continued its rightward lurch to insanity, the boyfriend and I might even consider leaving the USA.

This latter remark set off a defense of the USA as the best country in the world and how could I think such a thing. My response was as follows:

It's a sad reality, but the USA is no longer the a land of freedom of religion or equality under the law for all its citizens. No country is perfect, but for LGBT Americans more and more foreign countries offer a better life. I have more legal rights in all of these countries than I have in the USA/Virginia:

Marriage rights:
Argentina
Belgium
Canada
Iceland
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Civil unions or domestic partnerships:
Andorra
Austria
Brazil
Colombia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Finland
France
- New Caledonia
- Wallis and Futuna
Germany
Greenland
Hungary
Ireland
Isle of Man
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Slovenia
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Uruguay

I'm not saying any one of them is perfect, but in terms of recognizing me as a full citizen with a valid relationship (and non-discrimination protections in many cases) they offer more than the USA. Republicans and supposed conservatives have no idea - not that most of them even care - of the damage that they do to the lives of LGBT individuals. Gay teens continue to kill themselves in disproportionate numbers yet Bachmann and others in the GOP continue the message of hate. No, I'm not sorry that I posted the remark.

Not surprisingly, that ended the interchange and I've received no reply. Sometimes facing the truth is not easy, but until those in the GOP will take a good look at themselves in the mirror, things are not going to get better. I've never been a "America Right of Wrong" citizen. I believe that sometimes the greatest patriots are those who will speak the truth and criticize what's wrong.

Virginia Juvenile Justice Board Defies Cuccinelli and Retains LGBT Nondiscrimination Rules

Despite the objections of Virginia Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli - who seems to think Virginia and the Virginia General Assembly are somehow exempt from federal equal protection requirements - the Virginia Juvenile Justice Board vote to retain a ban on discriminating based on sexual orientation at its residential centers. Sadly, Cuccinelli can never rest unless LGBT Virginians are subject to open discrimination and abuse on every front. To say that the man is an utter assh*le is an understatement. Common decency should require that no one be mistreated and subjected to discrimination yet Uber-Christian Cuccinelli and his puppeteers at The Family Foundation don't grasp that fact. The Virginian Pilot has coverage with these highlights:
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Virginia's Board of Juvenile Justice retained a ban on discriminating based on sexual orientation at its residential centers, despite concerns that it doesn't specifically have that authority. . . . The board voted 4-1 — with Chairman Barbara J. Myers the lone dissenter — to reaffirm including specific protections based on sexual orientation in Department of Juvenile Justice regulations.
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The group went against advice from a staff lawyer from the attorney general's office who said the state constitution equally protects all people and that sexual orientation hasn't been designated for specific protection under the Virginia Human Rights Act.
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Lara K. Jacobs said that in adopting the anti-bias language, the board risks creating a right that hasn't been enumerated by the General Assembly. Board member Aida L. Pacheco responded: "We're not creating a right, we're trying to prevent discrimination."
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About 800 young offenders are in the Department of Juvenile Justice system on a daily basis.

Why LGBT Americans Need to Continue to be Vigilant and Maintain Pressure on the White House

Now that Barack Obama has formally announced his re-election bid, there will be those within the the White House administration, the DNC and other circles who will be advocating for LGBT citizens to be quiet, cease the demands for equality and simply do the bidding of those who "know better." We tend to see the phenomenon every election cycle, but given Obama's overall refusal to be a leader on any issue and repeated attempts to have Congressional Democrats perform the leadership role he abdicates I suspect we will be getting a double dose in the lead up to the 2012 elections. I for one don't buy the "we know better" story line and I remain convinced that the 2009 debacle in Virginia's statewide races was a direct result of the failure of Democrats up to that point to deliver any of the "change" that had been promised. Yes, the GOP will undoubtedly engage in extreme gay bashing, but the voter pool that eats up such bigotry is literally dying off. It will be important to demand that Democrats demonstrate that they have a backbone - not always their strongest suit. Kerry Eleveld has a piece at Equality Matters that looks at some of the upcoming dynamics and why LGBT voters need to be vigilant so that our issues are not thrown under the bus by our faux fierce advocate in the White House. Here are some highlights:
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President Barack Obama has just announced his 2012 bid for re-election and the inevitable push for LGBT support - donor, voter, and activist - has begun. To be sure, many LGBT Americans would much rather see Barack Obama still gracing the Oval Office come January of 2013 than a Republican. And so, many of us are faced with a familiar dilemma: should we sublimate our intrinsic desire to continue advocating for full equality to the urgency of reelecting a man who has presided over some of the greatest advances in the history of the LGBT movement? My answer: No.
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This is not an either-or proposition in my opinion, nor should we feel compelled to surrender our basic humanity to the whims of the election cycle. That type of thinking is a relic of days past when politicians held firmly to the notion that addressing LGBT concerns would undoubtedly be a drag on their electability. What we have witnessed over the past couple years is just the opposite. The repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" scored huge points with President Obama's target voters -- independent, moderate, and progressive alike - and his declaration that the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional reestablished his ability to show bold leadership. Here's our new reality: The right thing to do is also the popular thing to do.
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But there is much more work to be done and it would be an absolute mistake for LGBT advocates to sit back and relax after the momentum generated by the DADT win and the push toward DOMA's dissolution. The country is at a tipping point as evidenced by multiple polls indicating voters are evenly divided if not leaning toward support for same-sex marriage - a decent barometer for our overall acceptance since marriage equality has also been one of our most contentious issues.
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Rather than assembling a patchwork of progress agency by agency, President Obama should issue executive orders or amend existing ones that set a government-wide precedent for equality in the following ways:
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1) Directing the federal government to include LGBT Americans in all federal level data collection efforts.
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2) Mandating that all federal contractors must have policies providing nondiscrimination protections for their employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
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3) Prohibiting federal funds from being used to discriminate against LGBT Americans.
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4) Prohibiting discrimination against military service members on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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5) Adding gender identity protections to President Clinton's executive order 13087, which protected civilian federal workers from bias based on their sexual orientation.
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[P]rohibiting the government from using federal funds to discriminate against LGBT tax payers might seem unnecessary at first blush, but the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships -- created during the Bush administration and continued by President Obama -- has funding tentacles that stretch across America, sometimes touching rabidly homophobic organizations through grants that often go undetected.
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While some reporting has already uncovered discriminatory abuses of federal funding, this is an area still ripe for inquiry. But for starters, Andy Kopsa of the Washington Independent documented the Iowa Family Policy Center, which publicly opposes same-sex marriage in the Hawkeye state, receiving more than $3 million in federal funding for its Marriage Matters program from 2004 through 2009 - a portion of which will continue to be dispersed through 2011.
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With an executive order, President Obama could put a definitive end to this questionable conflation of church and state by following through on his campaign promise to end discriminatory practices in federal funding, especially where faith-based organizations are concerned.
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We did not achieve "don't ask, don't tell" repeal by being satisfied with White House Easter Egg roll invitations and passing mentions in a handful of speeches. Now is the time for the president to employ his considerable executive powers to effect a government-wide culture change that will trickle down to every corner of America. Let's not squander this opportunity to squeeze as much goodness out of this administration as possible, which in turn will help President Obama secure four more years in office.

More Crocodile Tears from Focus on the Family

Honestly, it is hard to decide which of the major "pro-family: professional Christian organizations is the most dishonest. Since deliberately lying and distorting the truth to fit their theocratic agenda seems to be the norm with all of them, it is a hard decision to make. Nonetheless, James'd Dobson's foul Focus on the Family - which has equally dishonest affiliates in many states like The Family Foundation here in Virginia - ranks right up there amongst the professional liar set. What I find particularly disgusting is the manner in which these horrible false Christians cast themselves as victims even as it is they and their Kool-Aid drinking followers who victimize and denigrate others virtually daily. Nowhere is the dishonesty greater than when these lying bastards - excuse the language, but its about the only thing conveys the level of dishonesty - claim that they are being victimized by anti-bullying policies in schools. These people literally want free reign to bully and victimize students to the point of driving LGBT youth to suicide. The Denver Post takes a look at the latest bullshit flowing from FOTF. Here are some highlights:
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As kids head back to school, conservative Christian media ministry Focus on the Family perceives a bully on the playground: national gay-advocacy groups. School officials allow these outside groups to introduce policies, curriculum and library books under the guise of diversity, safety or bullying-prevention initiatives, said Focus on the Family education expert Candi Cushman.
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"We feel more and more that activists are being deceptive in using anti-bullying rhetoric to introduce their viewpoints, while the viewpoint of Christian students and parents are increasingly belittled," Cushman said. Public schools increasingly convey that homosexuality is normal and should be accepted, Cushman said, while opposing viewpoints by conservative Christians are portrayed as bigotry.
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How prevalent is bullying? It's three times more common if you're gay, Byard said. GLSEN's 2007 National School Climate Survey found that almost nine out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students experienced harassment. Almost 61 percent felt unsafe in school. And 22 percent reported being physically assaulted in schools. "The word 'faggot' is not part of any religious creed," Byard said.
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An Alameda school board adopted a curriculum in 2009 that Focus says promotes homosexuality and gay marriage to elementary school kids. Parents who objected could not opt out of the lessons even if it conflicted with deeply held religious beliefs. The board said, and a judge agreed, that the curriculum was mandatory because of state and local policies regarding student safety and nondiscrimination.
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The theme: Schools are only allowed to provide one message about homosexuality — that it's normal and should be embraced," Focus literature states. "The publication ends with a warning: 'Schools should be careful to avoid discussions of transformational ministry in their curriculum.' "
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The truth is that FOTF wants LGBT individuals to be invisible and go back in the closet. Equally offensive is FOTF's desire to push the discredited reparative therapy myth. Bottom line: it's all about giving FOTF and its delusional followers special rights that trump the rights of other citizens to be safe and unharnessed in the nation's public schools. FOFT has been struggling in relative terms of late financially. One can only hope that the struggles turn into a down right crash and burn. FOTF has been peddling hate and intolerance for way too long.

Finding a Gay-Friendly Campus

The New York Times has a story that looks at a phenomenon that is becoming more common - a college fair for LGBT college applicants where colleges and universities market themselves as being open to diversity and where LGBT students can feel safe. The phenomenon is clearly lost on Virginia's Opus Dei style Catholic Attorney General, Ken Kookinelli, who a little over a month ago did all but tell LGBT students that they are not welcome at Virginia's public institutions and that. if the do come to Virginia, they have no non-discrimination protections. Kookinelli is truly an ass and a crazy one at that. But I digress. In today's competitive collegiate atmosphere, top schools cannot just take it for granted that LGBT students will flock to their campuses if the atmosphere is unfriendly and/or not safe for sexual minority students. Here are some highlights from The Times story:
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The scene was similar to one that plays out thousands of times a year in gyms and auditoriums around the country: a college fair. . . . The only thing that might have made this one appear out of the ordinary was the preponderance of handouts with rainbow designs, and the fact that the fair was being held at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in Greenwich Village. This college fair, and several like it around the country, was devoted to recruiting gay students.
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While Ivy League schools are often represented, the fairs also attract lesser-known institutions like Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Scott A. McIntyre, associate director of admissions there, says that his university attends some 500 fairs each year, and that including one for gay students made sense.
“The more I can help my institution be open to diversity of all different kinds,” he says, “it’s just going to make us a stronger university, and it’s going to make our student body be more robust.”
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Students are looking for colleges where they will feel comfortable and safe, Mr. Windmeyer says. Also, he says, “straight students who have gay family members want to find a campus that is welcoming,” so, for example, two moms can show up for parents weekend without a ripple. “They don’t want to pick a college that’s not going to be accepting of people they love.”
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Another reason for a student to be up front about sexual orientation: scholarships and other financial help have emerged from such groups as the Point Foundation, the League Foundation at AT&T, and Colage (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere).
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The University of Pennsylvania made waves this year when the online publication Inside Higher Ed reported on the university’s new outreach policy: applicants whose essay identifies them as gay are put in touch with gay students and organizations on campus. Eric J. Furda, the dean of admissions, told the publication that it was doing for gay applicants what it has long done for other groups.

E-Harmony Settles N.J. Lawsuit and Will Offer Gay Services

E-Harmony, founded by Christianist Neil Clark Warren, will begin providing dating services fro same sex couples in 2009 as part of a settlement with the State of New Jersey which had charged e-Harmony with violating New Jersey's non-discrimination laws. The relationship services will be offered through a Compatible Partners site which is not yet live. Personally, I'm not sure why one would want to utilize a service founded and run by anti-gay individuals (especially when there are other gay friendly services), but I am nonetheless glad that e-Harmony will be required to comply with the applicable non-discrimination laws. Here are highlights from PR Newswire:

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eHarmony, Inc. and the New Jersey Attorney General's Division on Civil Rights (DCR) have settled allegations that the company violated New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination (LAD) by failing to offer a same-sex matching service. As a result of the settlement agreement, eHarmony, Inc. will start a new service for same-sex matching called Compatible Partners by March 31, 2009. The settlement makes clear that eHarmony, Inc. has not been found in violation of the law.

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The case originated in 2005 when a New Jersey resident filed a formal complaint with the State alleging that eHarmony violated his rights under the LAD by not offering a same-sex matching service. For more than three years, eHarmony vigorously contested the allegations of the complaint. On July 23, 2007, however, the Director of the DCR issued a Finding of Probable Cause that eHarmony had violated the LAD. eHarmony filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the finding, which was pending at the time of the settlement.

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The Compatible Partners site and eHarmony.com will both benefit from the company's commitment to long-term relationships. The two sites will maintain their own matching pools, registration information, and subscriptions. The separate matching pools are based on whether the user chooses to seek an opposite- or same-sex relationship. As a result, users of the Compatible Partners site and eHarmony.com cannot be matched with each other.

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Under the settlement agreement, the company reserves the right to inform those using the new same-sex matching service that the Compatibility Matching System(TM) developed by eHarmony is solely based on research involving married heterosexual couples.

The Christianists Create a Martyr

As predicted by a number of bloggers, the Christianists are trying to turn former University of Toledo Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Crystal Dixon, into a martyr. Ms. Dixon wrote an anti-gay rant in the Toledo Free Press, which identified Ms. Dixon's position with the University, that among other things said the following:

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"As a Black woman ... I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are civil rights victims. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a Black woman. Daily thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few. Frequently, the individuals report that the impetus to their change of heart and lifestyle was a transformative experience with God; a realization that their choice of same-sex practices wreaked havoc in their psychological and physical lives."

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Economic data is irrefutable: The normative statistics for a homosexual in the USA include a Bachelor's degree: For gay men, the median household income is $83,000/yr. (Gay singles $62,000; gay couples living together $130,000), almost 80% above the median U.S. household income of $46,326, per census data. For lesbians, the median household income is $80,000/yr. (Lesbian singles $52,000; Lesbian couples living together $96,000); 36% of lesbians reported household incomes in excess of $100,000/yr. Compare that to the median income of the non-college educated Black male of $30,539. The data speaks for itself.

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My final and most important point. There is a divine order. God created human kind male and female (Genesis 1:27). God created humans with an inalienable right to choose. There are consequences for each of our choices, including those who violate God's divine order. It is base human nature to revolt and become indignant when the world or even God Himself, disagrees with our choice that violates His divine order.

Meanwhile, in her position as Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Ms. Dixon was supposed to be impartially and objectively enforcing the University's diversity policies and programs which differ sharply with Ms. Dixons editorial comments (which again clearly designated her position with the University). Here is what the University's diversity policy reads:

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The University of Toledo has declared a policy of providing equal opportunity in all policies and procedures affecting employment and education. In conjunction with the objectives of the policy and in accordance with the various local, state, and federal laws, rules and regulations, the university is committed to providing employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status, the presence of a disability, familial status, political affiliation and participation in protected activities.

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Obviously, by her own statements, Ms. Dixon made it clear that she does not support ANY anti-discrimination protecting LGBT individuals, much less the University's policy. She thinks gays are just a bunch of Godless sinners acting on their own hedonistic choices. Never mind that the medical experts take a completely opposing view to that of Ms. Dixon. Thus, it makes perfect sense that the University did not wish to keep her in a position where she obviously doesn't want to follow University policy. Now, she's a martyr for the Chistianists. Here's how professional anti-gay gas bag (and in my opinion, extreme closet case) Robert Knight describes Dixon's firing in Cybercast News:

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"She is being singled out for telling the truth," Knight said, "and that is happening all too often on America's campuses, where speech codes and censures and disciplinary actions are undertaken to enforce a singular point of view on any number of topics. But the homosexual issue seems to be the area where university officials brook the least amount of dissent."

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"The media have played a major role in the success of the gay rights movement by excluding responsible dissent and promoting whatever the gay rights movement wants," Knight told Cybercast News Service . "I don't think it is unfair to say that most media, right down to the community level, are fully owned subsidiaries of the gay rights movement."

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All too typically, Cybercast News also has quotes from an "ex-gay for pay" - the only ones that seem to exist are those being paid to say they are ex-gay - whining the same only "choice" myth and citing their marriage to a woman. I assue you, being married to a woman does not mean you are straight - just in deep denial. I tried that approach for 24 years and guess what? It doesn't work.

Sunday Ramblings

The much hyped snow storm predicted for Norfolk was basically a non-event. I had a few frozen flakes on my car this morning. Even out lying areas received less snow that predicted. The weather forecasters loved to get everyone worked up and then it usually doesn’t snow – just rain and cold. Thankfully, the rain has stopped and it is clear and cold today – the high temperature should be around the freezing mark.

Last night my friend Marty threw a surprise birthday party for his partner, Christopher. In attendance were the usual mix of gays, family, and straight friends with children. The food was great and there were plenty of “adult beverages” to liven up the party. I had a good conversation with one of the straight women – she’s actually a client referred to me by Marty and Christopher. She is Canadian and married to a guy in the Navy. Like most Canadians, being gay is pretty much a non-issue to her and she wants to make sure that her children do not pick up any of the negativity towards others who are different that tends to predominate in too large of a segment of the local populace. In discussing my whole coming out process and experience, she at one point said that maybe I was meant to go through the process to prepare me to speak out and/or help others. Who knows? If such is the case, it would certainly make the pain and torment have been for something worthwhile.

After the party, the roomies and I went to The Wave and danced for a while – I find it is always a good way to sweat off the alcohol and avoid feeling like crap the following day. It was interesting that at one point I was dancing with a straight couple who had been to a wedding and who had not wanted to stop partying after the reception ended. He was in a tux and she was in a long, elegant gown. Definitely not the typical attire one sees at The Wave. Yet, they seemed to have a great time and seemed utterly unfazed by the gay and lesbian couples dancing all around them, not to mention the cute gay boys with their fag hags. The place is truly a melting pot of all types of people, which makes it a fun venue. Would that all of our local society was as accepting of all types of people as one sees at The Wave on a Saturday night.

Tonight I am going to a meeting about the Network of Spiritual Progressives. Apparently, they are looking to found a Norfolk chapter. The organization has numerous chapters around the country, including in Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Lynchburg, the home of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University. Among the goals of the organization is challenging the misuse of religion, God and spiritual matters by the Religious Right. This area of Virginia is surely in need of such an organization what with Pat Robertson’s hate factory located in nearby Virginia Beach. I will bog on my experience and reactions to the meeting.

Corporate Equality Index 2008

The sixth annual Corporate Equality Index put out by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation shows an unprecedented 195 major U.S. businesses earned the top rating of 100 percent, up from 138 last year - a 41 percent increase. Apparently, the wingnut boycotts led by the likes of "Rev." Wildmon are not having the deterant effect the fundies claim. Given my profession, I check to see how law firs ranked. The following law firms rank a perfect 100 score:

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP 100
Alston & Bird LLP 100
Arnold & Porter LLP 100
Bingham McCutchen 100
Bryan Cave LLP 100
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP 100
Crowell & Moring LLP 100
Dewey Ballantine LLP 100
Dickstein Shapiro LLP 100
Dorsey & Whitney LLP 100
Faegre & Benson 100
Foley & Lardner LLP 100
Foley Hoag LLP 100
Heller Ehrman LLP 100
Holland & Knight LLP 100
Jenner & Block LLP 100
Kirkland & Ellis 100
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP 100
Latham & Watkins LLP 100
McDermott Will & Emery LLP 100
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo 100
Morrison & Foerster LLP 100
Nixon Peabody LLP 100
O'Melveny & Myers LLP 100
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe 100
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP 100
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 100
Powell Goldstein LLP 100
Sidley Austin LLP 100
Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal 100

Other worthy also mentioneds are as follows:

Baker & Daniels 95
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft 95
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP 95
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP 95
King & Spalding 95

Littler Mendelson PC 95
Seyfarth Shaw LLP 95
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP 95
Stoel Rives LLP 95
Weil, Gotshal & Manges 95
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP 93
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi 93
Debevoise & Plimpton 90
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP 90
Fenwick & West LLP 90
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP 90
McCarter & English 90
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP 90
Troutman Sanders LLP 90

Baker & Botts 85
Gordon & Rees 85
Howrey Simon Arnold & White LLP 85
Katten Muchin Zavis 85
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP 85
Perkins Coie 85
Proskauer Rose LLP 85
Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP 85
Steptoe & Johnson 85
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP 85
Thompson Coburn 85
Willkie Farr & Gallagher 85
Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati 85
Winston & Strawn 85
Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll 80
Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP 80
Covington & Burling 80
Duane Morris 80
Dykema Gossett 80
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP 80
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 80
Hogan & Hartson 80
Kaye Scholer LLP 80
LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae 80
Lord, Bissell & Brook 80
Quarles & Brady 80
Schulte, Roth & Zabel LLP 80

Stinson Morrison Hecker 80
Vinson & Elkins LLP 80
White & Case LLP 80
Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon 80

Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn 75
Fish & Richardson 75
Haynes and Boone 75
Hunton & Williams 75
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton 75
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz 75
Chadbourne & Parke 70
Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP 70
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP 70
Andrews & Kurth LLP 65
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice 65
Howard & Howard Attorneys PC 48
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner 40

Hunton & Williams, based in Richmond, Virginia, was the only Virginia based firm to make the list (Troutman Sanders has Virginia offices, but is based in Atlanta). Not surprisely, no Norfolk law firms made the list at all. What is instructive is that the firms on the Corporate Equality list are among the most illustrious firms in the USA. One would think that firms that aspire to such lofty levels would get the message: granting full equality to LGBT employees makes semse - EVEN in Norfolk.

Inasmuch as all the Virginia top law schools (naturally not Regent or Liberty) require interviewing law firms to commit to non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, perhaps schools like UVA need to do some better monitoring of compliance. I can name some local firms that should be barred from interviewing.

This week's ENDA hearing

This op-ed by Matt Foreman on 365gay.com (http://365gay.com/opinion/oped/oped.htm) states some important truths. Virginia is one of the states in the USA that affords ZERO non-discrimination protections to LGBT individuals unless they work for state agency and fall under the cover of a Executive Order of the Governor. Even that process is very slow and flawed, based on a case I have been handling. All LGBT individuals need to contact their members of Congress and urge them to vote yes. Our enemies among the Christianists are launching insidious campaigns full of untruths to dupe the uninformed into telling their elected officials to vote against ENDA. Here are some story highlights:

This week, a House subcommittee held a hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Given that the bill has been languishing for 17 years — in spite of overwhelming public support — a collective “whatever” would be understandable. But folks, this is big — I mean really big — for two reasons.

One is that for the first time ever, the version of ENDA now moving through Congress will cover all our people — lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The other is that for the first time ever, we have every right to expect — yes demand — that both houses of Congress pass ENDA and put it on the president’s desk.

Let me start by saying ENDA is not the be-all and end-all of pro-LGBT legislation, but it’s a start. By covering employment discrimination only — and not including discrimination in housing, public accommodations, credit and education — it is far less comprehensive than the first piece of pro-gay legislation introduced in Congress in 1974.

Nonetheless, ENDA would provide legal recourse to victims of job discrimination based on sexual orientation to people living in the 31 states that don’t have laws covering anti-gay discrimination and to people living in the 39 states that don’t cover anti-transgender job bias. I also have to note how profoundly ironic it is that at a time when marriage equality is at the forefront of national discourse, Congress is only able to take up employment nondiscrimination protections — which has had between 65 percent to 80 percent public support for years on end. But that’s just the way things are — public support leads, Congress follows (or not).

Gay Democrats Flex Some Muscle

Perhaps the LGBT citizens of Virginia are about to start flexing some muscle instead of blindly endorsing incumbents. I live in a different district, so I cannot directly support Henry Light. Excerpts of the story are set out below. The full story is found in the Washington Blade (http://www.washingtonblade.com/2007/5-18/news/localnews/10605.cfm.)

Va. gay group backs challenger in Assembly race Gay Incumbent Joannou has frequently sided with GOP, frustrating some.

By ELIZABETH PERRY Friday, May 18, 2007

For the first time in its 15-year history, the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club has come out against a Democratic incumbent in a General Assembly race and endorsed his rival in the primary, which is scheduled for June 5. Last week, the gay group announced its endorsements for 24 incumbent Virginia legislators for the fall races.

John Joannou (D-Portsmouth) has represented the 79th District, which includes parts of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk and Portsmouth, since 1998. His challenger is Henry Light, a retired attorney who has been active in various civic, charitable and professional organizations in the South Hampton Roads area.

Light has attracted the attention of former Gov. Mark Warner, who is expected to endorse him at a fund-raising breakfast in Portsmouth Saturday.

Both candidates were contacted by the Blade for interviews, but Joannou did not respond. He also did not respond to the Partisan’s candidate questionnaire on gay issues. Light filled out the questionnaire and talked to the Blade. In his questionnaire answers and in an interview with the Blade, Light said he believes in equality, tolerance and a “level playing field” for everyone.

“I have always sought to be totally inclusive in all of my personal and professional relationships,” he said. “I strongly believe that everyone is entitled to the pursuit of happiness and that no one has the right to deny that freedom to anyone. Laws aimed at punishing people for their sexual orientation are gross violations of the rights of those individuals.”

National Day of Silence

In the wake of the National Day of Silence, I have been thinking about today’s LGBT youth and how optimistic it makes me feel that so many individuals will have the courage to be who they truly are at such an earlier age than I did, and that they will have the opportunity to be open about who they love. As you will eventually figure out, I am a romantic at heart.

Along these lines, my boyfriend/partner went out of town yesterday evening and this morning I was truly missing him as I lay in bed alone (He’s in the picture at left with our crazed cat, Bella). One of my favorite things in the morning is to lie cuddled and spooned with him in the morning, just enjoying and savoring the feel of his skin and the warmth of his body against mine, as I feel like I want to utterly melt into him and become one with him. I could do this for hours and I think in some ways, this is most sensual and erotic thing a couple can do and experience together.

Sadly, it’s something I never felt with intensity when I was married, demonstrating, I guess, that no matter how very, very hard one tries to deny their true sexual orientation, emotionally a part of it can never be fully subdued or repressed. Hence, I can only speculate on the lack of full connectedness that the professional “ex-gays” must feel in their “forced” marriages, be it due to religious fervor, the desire to conform to family expectations, or, as I believe is the case with some, for a job and steady income paid by “Christian” Right organizations (i.e., ex-gay for pay).

I do believe a big part of what will change society’s view of LGBT people is for each of us to be open about ourselves and challenge the “Christian” Right lies that sexual orientation is a “choice” and/or just about sexual acts. The simple fact is that our brains are wired to have romantic love others of the same gender, plain and simple. I recently began attending a men’s group run by a psychologist friend that serves as a support group of sorts for men in mid-life who have undergone dramatic and emotional events in their lives – in my case coming out after 24 years of marriage and coming out professionally in the local legal community. The group has been interesting so far and, even though I am the only gay in the group, it’s been informative. Despite all our differences and varied pasts, we somehow connect and can identify with the past struggles and work at changing past behavior patterns that each of us is going through.

In fact, when I described my closeted teen age years, college experiences, and married past, and then my first sexual experience with another guy (brought on by alcohol and stress overload, and definitely not planned), one of the other guys made an amazing remark. He quickly spoke up and said how for the first time it all must have felt real to me because I was no longer playing a role. I admitted that it indeed had felt that way and left me to struggle for two years trying to decide what to do. Despite how much I cared for my wife when we were together, there was a connectedness and completeness that just wasn’t there (through no fault of my wife) compared to that one unplanned encounter during which I thought to myself “this is what I’ve always needed.” It was remarkable that a straight guy readily understood the emotion.

As the votes on the federal hate crimes legislation and EDNA approach, I hope all gays will be open to friends, family, and co-workers and urge them to contact their legislators in Congress (and the Whitehouse, since I fear “Dear Leader” to quote Pam Spaulding, may consider vetoing the bills if they pass Congress).