Equality Virginia's 5th Annual Activist Conference

Equality Virginia is hosting its 5th Annual Activist Conference in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday, July 12, 2008 from 9:30 am to 5:00pm at the Virginia Commonwealth Unniversity Student Commons. 907 Floyd Ave Richmond, VA 23284. Registration is on a sliding scale of $5-$70. Suggested registration is $35 (includes lunch). Those who cannot afford $35 may pay less. EV asks that those who can afford to pay more do so in order to offset the cost of participation and ensure that financial cost will not be a barrier to anyone who would like to attend. More information can be found here. I will be speaking on the following topics:

*

Legal issues in Virginia facing non-traditional families. Learn what you can do to protect your family regarding child custody, same-sex partner inheritance, and more. A Q&A will follow the panel presentation.

*

There will be a number of other workshops that will be informative and worthwhile to attend. I hope readers in Virginia can attende the event.

Final Wednesday Male Beauty

Gay Republicans Beginning to Wake Up

Chris Johnson - who I have had the pleasure of talking to before - at the Washington Blade has a story that reveals that apparently some gay Republicans are finally waking up to the fact that trying to change the GOP from the inside is like trying to bail the rising water on the Titanic with a teaspoon. It just will not get one anywhere and other than providing an exercise in masochism it is an utter waste of time and effort. I remain convinced that the ONLY thing that will change the GOP is to have the wingnuts turn out in droves and the Party still go down in horrific electoral defeat (something I hope and pray will happen in November). Only then will the few remaining sane and moderate members of the GOP - and they are definitely few in number - have any chance of mounting a movement to seize the Party back from the Christianists. Again, it is nice to see some of these prominent gays finally figuring out what I figured out years ago after Bush was in the White House. Here are highlight's from Chris' story about his interviews with gay Republicans, past and present:

*

Former gay Bush supporters unhappy with GOP, some turning to Obama - Members of the “Austin 12,” the group of prominent gay Republicans who famously met with George W. Bush in 2000, are not exactly rallying around John McCain. Several members of the group told the Blade this week that they are considering voting for Barack Obama in November . . . The “Austin 12” gained notoriety after meeting with Bush in Austin in April 2000, when Bush was still governor of Texas and a candidate for president.

*

David Greer, who was appointed to Bush’s AIDS advisory board in 2003, left the Republican Party that same year and has been a registered Democrat since then. He said gay Republicans would never be a strong enough voice to influence the GOP and that the party is more interested in exploiting gay Republicans for political gain. “As long as there’s a far right in the party, gay Republicans are way too small in numbers … to have any effect on the party,” he said. “We actually end up doing greater and lasting harm to the whole GLBT community.”Greer resigned his position on Bush’s AIDS council after the president endorsed the marriage amendment. . . . .The former Bush adviser said supporting the Democratic Party is the best way to achieve gay equality,

*

Greer argued that McCain “doesn’t care a lot” about gay issues, and since the GOP candidate is having trouble mustering support from its conservative religious base, McCain will probably let the “far right” control his positions on those issues.David Catania, an at-large City Council member for the District of Columbia, was similarly skeptical that McCain would change GOP policy on gay issues. “I wouldn’t give supporting him a second thought,” he said. “The cards are on the table. I think gays are kind of kidding themselves if they think John McCain is going to be any better for the gay community than George Bush.”

*

Protectmarriage.com, the organization leading the campaign for the amendment, announced on June 25 that McCain sent an e-mail to the organization expressing support for the measure.By endorsing the initiative, McCain is “alienating himself from the gay and lesbian population that he had a fairly decent reputation with,” Bennett said.“I think he needlessly injected himself into this race to pander to the [James] Dobsons and others on the right,” Bennett said. “Is he going to take a position on the rest of our ballot initiatives? I don’t think so.”

*

Daniel Stewart, head of the New York State Commission of Corrections, said the entire Republican Party has turned him off in the last few years.Stewart was elected to the City Council in Plattsburgh, N.Y., as a Democrat, but former New York Gov. George Pataki convinced him to switch to the Republican Party to run against the city’s mayor in 2000. Stewart won the election.But now Stewart is planning on leaving the Republican Party because the party is not moving where he’d like on issues that affect him personally, such as same-sex marriage. He noted his resentment over having to travel to Canada in 2004 to marry his partner.

*

McCain has often been criticized for his lack of support for gay issues in Congress, including his “no” votes on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and a hate crimes measure.McCain also articulated continued support for the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy during GOP presidential primary debates.

Finding Self-Acceptance - Further Thoughts

"Listen to and accept the positive assessments of those people who you love and trust...."

*

That is what Justin, a blogger friend, told me is something that I - and I suspect others seeking to find self-acceptance as well - need to do, whether they are transitioning from being in the closet for many years like I was or trying to find self-acceptance in general. Actually, I think I have done that more than may seem apparent at times, although at other times, I am probably harsher in judging myself than anyone else.

*

How have I accepted such positive assessments? I think in a number of ways, some of which were perhaps not obvious in my last post on this topic. My therapist, my pastors, and the many friends I have made in my activism activities have given me much affirmation and numerous positive assessments. Even if not always consciously, I think those messages have come through to me and made a huge difference - as has the positive support/energy I receive from other bloggers and so many of my readers. The same holds true for the friendships I have forged since coming out with my friends Martin and Christopher holding a special place of honor in my heart (as do you, Justin).

*

I'm still a work in progress, but I am much happier as I am now in terms of self-acceptance than ever before - even if I think too much like a lawyer according to some. :)

More Wednesday Male Beauty

Anti-Gay Marilyn Musgrave Renews Call For Federal Anti-Gay Amendment

In what may be a sign of desperation, anti-gay extremist Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave has - after months of silence - suddenly renewed her calls for the passage of a federal anti-gay amendment to the United States Constitution. After barely scraping by in a close re-election contest in 2006, Musgrave is facing what may be an even stronger challenge this year from Democrat Betsy Markey. As we all know, when faced with close elections, the GOP always panders to hate and bigotry and using LGBT Americans as their favorite whipping boys. Inasmuch as it is a foregone conclusion that the Democrat controlled Congress will not advance the amendment proposals, Musgrave's move can constitute little else than an effort to secure the votes of died in the wool gay haters. Here are some highlights from 365gay.com:

*

(Denver, Colorado) The architect of two failed attempts to amend the US Constitution to bar same-sex marriage is throwing her support behind a new bid to advance the measure. After more than a year of silence on amending the Constitution, and now facing a tough battle for re-election to a third term, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) has signed on as a co-sponsor of the latest attempt to gain Congressional approval.

*

The spokesperson for Musgrave's Democratic opponent for re-election, Betsy Markey, was quick to attack Musgrave. "Nothing's changed," Markey spokesperson Anne Caprara told The Coloradoan. "She's made this big deal about being this new person, this new image, but we're still back on same old issues when people are paying $4 for gas and wondering how they're going to be paying for their grocery bill."

1 in 10 Virginians Foreign-Born

A new study by the University of Virginia will no doubt be causing great angst among the anti-immigrant Christianists within the Republican Party of Virginia who have a mindset like that of former U. S. Senator George "Maccacca" Allen. Increasingly, except for far right Catholics, the Virginia GOP seems to only welcome white Protestants. Here are details from the Virginian Pilot:

*

Demographers at the University of Virginia say that one in 10 Virginians is foreign-born. The latest study by U.Va.'s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service notes that new arrivals account for one-fourth of Virginia's population growth since 2000.

*
In 2006, the top five countries of birth for Virginia's foreign-born were El Salvador, Mexico, Korea, the Philippines and India. Almost three-fourths of the foreign born in Virginia are between the ages of 25 and 64. The center said that suggests that employment is the attraction.

*
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan region tops the state in terms of foreign born. One of every five residents in that area is foreign born.

Wednesday Male Beauty

Denver Archdiocese to Pay $5.5 Million in Abuse Suits

UPDATE- Here's what the Denver Post's story says about one of the predator priests:

*

An attorney for 14 of the victims, Jeff Anderson of St. Paul, Minn., said White abused 12 of his clients. White was a serial offender who could not control himself, Anderson said, and the archdiocese officials who could have stopped him by reporting allegations to the police lacked the courage to do so for decades. "They covered up and enabled him to be what he was," said Tom Koldeway, now 47, one of three Koldeway siblings abused by White in Minturn. "He had accusations against him before I was even born. They knew."

*

Once again a Catholic Church Diocese is paying out significant amounts to settle lawsuits arising from the Church's practice of looking the other way and shuffling sexual predators from parish to parish where they could prey on other unsuspecting minors. As long as nothing happened that negatively impacted the collection plate revenues, apparently it mattered nothing to the prissy, self-righteous members of the Church hierarchy that children were being molested. As long as the Church protected its public image, the shattered lives of children meant nothing. Also, if the Church was truly sorry for the abuse suffered by the victims, one would think that it would not have made the victims go through three years of protracted litigation. Actions speak louder than disingenuous words of apology. Here are some highlights from the New York Times:

*

DENVER — After nearly three years of litigation, the Archdiocese of Denver said Tuesday that it would pay $5.5 million to settle more than a dozen lawsuits over sexual abuse by priests. The 16 lawsuits and two additional claims against the archdiocese were filed by people who said that as children, they were abused by priests from 1954 to 1981 and that the archdiocese concealed the crimes.

*

The settlements bring to 42 the number of abuse claims the archdiocese has settled since 2005 against two priests, the Rev. Harold Robert White and the Rev. Leonard Abercrombie. A third priest, the Rev. Lawrence St. Peter, was accused in a 43rd case that was also settled. The amount of all the settlements totals more than $8.2 million. Two more abuse lawsuits against the archdiocese have yet to be resolved.

*

“It is my hope that these settlements help the victims and their families to heal,” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said. “I’ve expressed an apology on behalf of myself, our clergy and the whole Catholic community, and I apologize to them again today.”

*

The national director of the group Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, David Clohessy, cautioned that sexual abuse settlements did not represent “any fundamental challenge to the church’s longstanding patterns of recklessness and secrecy that got us into this mess to begin with.” Such settlements, he noted, enabled church officials to avoid testifying in open court. Still, Mr. Clohessy said, “any validation that horrific crimes happened, were concealed and could have been prevented can be very, very healing.”

Final Tuesday Male Beauty