TBP reader Scott sent in this video for gay pop/rock singer Aiden James' video for "On the run." Scott says: "A good song, even after the election results." And the video's cute.

Thinking of gay marriage reminds me of Detroit. Here was a team that did everything wrong; up until the third game of this season they hadn't won a game since 2007. The stadium rarely filled up. The sportscasters used them as a joke. The players dealt with humiliation at every turn. The difference between them and us? The Lions tried new things until they found a way to win. They broke their losing streak at 19. We're 0 and 31.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into Maine. We out-fundraised the opposition three to one. We even forced the opposition to change their rhetoric halfway through the campaign, making them recognize our importance as human beings. They beat us by six percentage points to deliver our thirty-first loss on gay marriage. I'll say it again, because it's quite important: 31 losses. Thirty. One. Millions of dollars invested, and the religious right remains undefeated.

Meanwhile, a smartly-deployed, grassroots campaign in Kalamazoo, focused on basic civil rights for all LGBT people, passed by an overwhelming majority. Hundreds of thousands of dollars weren't spent on the campaign, and the media didn't swarm over the city. But Kalamazoo was a stunning success, and dollar-for-dollar one of the best investments of LGBT resources in this election cycle. Why do I say this? Here's a news flash: some people in the LGBT community - myself included - are not homosexuals.

That's right: I'm a straight transgender woman, and I want my rights too. Take a second to think that over before hitting the jump.

Continue reading "Take a tip from the Lions: or why I don't like the marriage fight" »

Today is Sesame Street's 40th birthday! Google has a special front page image for the show and I automatically thought back to my dad's favorite story about me as a kid.

We'd gone to visit my sister who lived in Chicago. I was about 6 years old, but she was quite a bit older than me and had children of her own. They youngest was just old enough to start talking gibberish with a good dose of the occasional real word thrown in.

The kid and I played together around the house as only kids can and my dad came in the room as we were "talking" together - except it was all nonsense. He asked me what we were talking about since the toddler didn't make sense. I apparently told him, "She's speaking Spanish. I learned it on Sesame Street so I can understand."

Happy birthday, Sesame Street. While Cookie Monster was/is my favorite character, my favorite sketch was with Ernie. (I put the video after the jump.) What's your favorite memory of the show? And who was your favorite character?

Continue reading "Happy Birthday Sesame Street!" »

If "Let the people vote!" is now the dominant, deeply-considered political philosophy, I don't see why we can't all dream about what we want to see on the ballot. There's no cow too sacred, so add in your ballot initiative ideas in the comments.

Here are a few federal policies I'd like to see on the ballot in 2012. There's no federal ballot initiative process (yet), but these are sure winners and there's no reason to think inside the box.

10. Cap bailed-out Wall Street execs' salaries to 150% the average American salary. The only thing the left, the right, and liberals and conservatives who aren't power brokers all agree on is that these folks aren't cool and don't deserve to make tens of millions of tax-payer money as a reward for destroying America's economy.

Continue reading "The Top 10 Best Ballot Questions Ever" »

It's funny, Tuesday afternoon, after watching the noon news, inside my head, I was willing to entertain the idea that we could lose. I mean actually lose! The local newscast had ended with a piece about ballot question 1856--the non-discrimination ordinance that has been raising such a dust-up here in Kalamazoo. The African-American minister being interviewed was saying that he had no problem with the ordinance: "People are entitled to live whatever lifestyle they choose." It was "the bathroom thing" he had a problem with.

There had been a steadily increasing diet of this biased media over the three or four previous days. On the other hand, letters to the editor were running roughly 2 to 1 in favor of the ordinance. OK, deep breath. I settled on: Win--53-54%. By ten o'clock, it was a done deal except for today's hangovers--Sixty-three percent. Yes, you heard me right, 63% Absolutely unbelievable.

Ok, so, now what do we do?

Continue reading "Ok... So, now what?" »

Editors' note: Antonia "Toni" D'orsay is an advocate and sociologist based out of Phoenix Arizona working for several organizations in an advisory capacity, where she works on issues of empowerment, education, and language within and without the LGBT community under the pen name of Dyssonance.

Chaz Bono, the child of Sonny of Cher, paraded before the nation in the frilliest dresses as a child, separated from parents after coming out as gay, losing a father in a tragic accident, and finally reconciling with his mother as he battled his way through addiction and denial before finally starting his transition at 40, is an interesting case.

Anyone who doubts that his presence and involvement in Hollywood was and is significant forgets that he has access to some of the most powerful people in the media, for Hollywood is absolutely part of the media, and these people, entertainers, inform the world in ways that people generally don't even want to know about, let alone think on.

His work with GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, has helped them to have a reach that might have been difficult otherwise, and his background involvement with projects is often rumored to be somewhat critical.

It doesn't hurt that his mother is somewhat more than revered by many gay and trans folk across the world, either.

In coming out as Trans, he gives us a outstanding case to look at how far the media, and those who get involved with the media, has come, and how far it has to go.

Continue reading "Chaz Bono & Media Representation of Trans People" »

The furious explosion of nutjobs over the passage of the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act continues...

Our old fundie friend, Pastor Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (yeah, that's clue number one about his point of view), is back at his gay hating ways. But this time he's taking it to a whole new level. Cass and crew are headed to DC on November 16th to protest the Hate Crimes Act in front of the Department of Justice. Their tactic?

They'll be calling for violence against LGBT people to try and get arrested so they can "prove" the Hate Crimes Act infringes on their God given right to beat up fags:

The "Rally for Religious Freedom" in front of the Department of Justice in Washington is intended to force Attorney General Eric Holder either to address the issues or be put in a position of ignoring those who say they are violating the provisions of the federal law, Cass said.  "We're basically going to defy the law, and challenge it," Cass told WND. "We're going to declare the whole counsel of God, including those parts that some may consider 'inciting a hate crime' to see if the attorney general is going to come down and arrest a group of peaceful clergy exercising their First Amendment rights.

Continue reading "WWJD? Incite Hate Crimes Against LGBT People, according to this "Pastor"" »

Interesting doings yesterday at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee's hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which you can view here. I congratulate the Committee and witnesses on doing a wonderful job of addressing business and religious objections to the bill. We had 375 people stop into our Liveblog of the hearing.

In the cold light of an upstate New York morning, here's how I read the numbers on the hearing:

ZERO
Trangender witnesses
Republican Senators in attendance

ONE
Gay witness
Big IF ("Sen. Harkin:IF the leadership - Senator Reid - sees an opening, we'll move it.")

FOUR
Additional Senators needed to stop a Republican filibuster

FIVE
Democratic Senators in attendance

Continue reading "Delaware's Senator Ted Kaufman: Legislator of the Day" »

The police came out with their internal investigation of their raid on a Ft. Worth gay bar, and I for one am grateful for the results: they didn't use excessive force in the raid.

The only thing police did wrong was not file paperwork quickly enough:

The long-awaited 1,000-page report is expected to fault officers for not writing a timely report on the June 28 raid of the Rainbow Lounge, but conclude officers did not use excessive force or violate other operational policies.

Officers are supposed to write reports by the end of every shift, but in this case the officer waited until the next day - after gay groups had launched protests, police said.

Chief Jeffrey Halstead was also set to announce Thursday if any of the officers will be disciplined.

Halstead has told city officials none of the officers will be fired but at least one may receive written reprimands or short suspensions, the officials said.

And, in this report, we find out that Chad Gibson, who was hospitalized for a week following the raid due to brain injury, wasn't bashed by police. He just fell down because he was drunk!

Continue reading "Thank GOD police didn't use excessive force at the Rainbow Lounge in Ft. Worth, Texas" »

As heartbreaking as it was for the people on the ground and as callous as this may sound, Maine 09 was just another move in the two steps forward, one step back dance that social change movements are. The overall strategy on marriage has been to win in enough states to create a tipping point before seeking a nationwide resolution. Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the big gamble of a case now in federal court in California, might change that strategy, but a loss in any one state won't. Instead, what comes out of Maine are little lessons that are new and big questions that are old.

The little lessons are tactical points: Heavy turn-out is not necessarily a good sign for a minority rights issue. Religiosity isn't everything (Maine is one of the four least religious states in the country). A huge fundraising advantage may be necessary but definitely is not sufficient. And we should trust only automated polling - when people respond to other people instead of to computers, a chunk of them say they will vote to legalize gay marriage, then actually cast their ballots against it.

More importantly, following the jump are three major issues reinforced by the Maine experience as ones that people need to wrap their minds around.

Continue reading "Marriage after Maine" »

I was actually gone on vacation for the earlier part of this week in Seville, since French vacations don't line up with American elections... but I've been catching up and most of what I wanted to say about the elections on Tuesday has either been covered by a contributor on Bilerico or will be soon (there's some great analysis of the elections lined up for the next few days here at TBP, and I'm sure more will be coming in as our brilliant and committed contributors digest the results).

I have three things to add, though, about fault and finger-pointing, so-called strategic incrementalism, and Gay Apartheid, which may just be my new favorite way to not quite violate Godwin's Law. All after the jump.

Continue reading "We can't deny the fact that you hate us right now, you hate us!" »

Editors' note: Sharon Stapel is the executive director of the NYC Anti Violence Project.

The New York City Anti-Violence Project is honoring four LGBT Blogs - Bilerico, Joe.My.God, Pam's House Blend, and Towleroad - at our 13th Annual Courage Awards on Monday November 9. AVP's Courage Awards honor those who have made a tremendous impact on the lives of lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual (LGBT) and HIV-affected people here in New York City and across the nation. This year we acknowledge and celebrate the significant contributions that LGBT blogs have made to raising awareness about anti-LGBT violence.

As has become clear over the past few years, blogs provide journalists and activists an opportunity to effectively report on issues that mainstream and print media do not cover. This online commentary not only raises awareness and visibility to issues important to our communities but also allows more nuanced and deeper reporting on these often complex and difficult issues.

And for marginalized people, who rarely see themselves represented in the media or who live in places without strong LGBT communities, these blogs create a community for us. Blogs function as a modern day town crier, bringing us together regardless of where we live or who we know, to share information and knowledge. Blogs provide a forum where we can report, debate, consider and call our communities to action.

Continue reading "Why We Honor the Bloggers" »