The Movement: October 2009
Soulful Voices for Marriage Equality: DC Clergy United
Filed by Michael Crawford | October 31, 2009 1:00 PM |The big untold story in the movement towards marriage in DC is the strong clergy support for equality. The traditional media is stick in a mythical narrative that people of faith are categorically opposed to full LGBT equality. In DC,...Read More
Why we need a saner approach to dealing with cruising
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 31, 2009 12:00 PM |Reason #3920: Lee Creamer, 26, admitted extorting hundreds of pounds out of three men who were fearful their families would find out about their activities, the Portsmouth News reports. He would go to areas such as Portsdown Hill and the...Read More
When the Government does Right
Filed by Rebecca Juro | October 30, 2009 3:00 PM |Finally, we're in. The body of federal law of the United States of America now formally recognizes and protects its citizens from violence driven by hate based on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time in American history....Read More
Obama Signs Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act and Announces End of HIV Travel Ban
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 30, 2009 2:00 PM |President Obama announced an end to the HIV Travel and Immigration Ban during the signing ceremony for the vital Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act this afternoon. The travel ban, a legacy of Jesse Helms, has been in place since...Read More
The unspoken violence in our relationships
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 30, 2009 11:30 AM |Editors' note: Greg Varnum is the acting Executive Director of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition. With all the talk of hate crimes happening in our community, and with October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I wanted to take an opportunity...Read More
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness- For All
Filed by Sara Whitman | October 29, 2009 4:30 PM |Wake up America! A huge battle for rights is about to be voted on in Maine. This will effect everyone from sea to shining sea. Just like in California in 2008, rights that have already been granted will be voted...Read More
Being Gay IS A Choice
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 29, 2009 12:30 PM |Editors' note: Greg Smith is a gay, HIV+ native Montanan, a Rome-educated former priest who is now a mental health therapist, health educator, activist, spiritual adventurer and overall wiseguy who loves to write. He blogs at From Eternity to Here....Read More
GLBT History Month Icons: Urvashi Vaid
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 29, 2009 10:00 AM |The 31 GLBT History Month Icons, living or dead, are selected for their achievements in their field of endeavor, their status as a national hero, or their significant contribution to GLBT civil rights. Today's Icon is Urvashi Vaid. Urvashi Vaid...Read More
Queering Twilight
Filed by Paige Schilt | October 28, 2009 6:00 PM |In preparation for the release of the latest Twilight movie, I've been thinking a lot about the series' leading man, Edward Cullen. Edward is mysterious and masterful, chivalrous and cool. He decides when his lover can touch him and where....Read More
Obama Signs Matthew Shepard/James Byrd Hate Crimes Bill into Law
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 28, 2009 3:30 PM |President Obama has just signed the first ever piece of pro-LGBT federal legislation into law. The Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act was attached to the Defense Authorization Bill and added gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and...Read More
If it's all about procreation, then why did I just marry an octogenarian?
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 27, 2009 5:30 PM |While there are still major issues with the Perry vs. Schwarzeneggar case to overturn Prop 8 at the federal level, at least the case it turning out gems like this: A federal judge said sponsors of California's ban on same-sex...Read More
Stephen Colbert Wants You to Approve Referendum 71
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 27, 2009 4:30 PM |The Colbert Report took aim at Washington State's Referendum 71 on last night's episode. Colbert used his popular "The Word" segment to decimate the opposition to LGBT partnerships. The word was "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and looked at how the...Read More
On A New System (Sort Of), Or, Referendum 71 And Mail-In Voting
Filed by Don Davis | October 27, 2009 9:30 AM |We are now about two weeks away from the November election in Washington State, and one item on the ballot that has national attention is Referendum 71, the so-called "everything but marriage" proposal that would give same-sex couples more rights...Read More
War is anti-LGBTQ
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 26, 2009 6:30 PM |I wanted to point to two articles about the intersection of pacifism and LGBTQ activism. First, via Transracial, the UN has a new report about gender discrimination in counter-terrorism measures, which included a few sections on the unique burdens and...Read More
Halloween is a busy time of year for gender
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 26, 2009 4:30 PM |Editors' Note: Guest blogger Cassandra Keenan is a professional journalist living in Las Vegas who works as a copy editor for print media. She also writes about gender, trans issues, queer sexuality and other LGBTQ topics on her blog. I...Read More
William & Mary Students Pick Transgender Homecoming Queen
Filed by Michael Hamar | October 26, 2009 3:00 PM |OMG - Pat Robertson and Victoria Cobb of Daddy Dobson's Family Foundation must be having fits and wetting themselves at the news that the College of William and Mary - the second oldest university in the United States - has...Read More
Count me! Count me! Here comes the census.
Filed by Gloria Nieto | October 26, 2009 2:30 PM |Thursday, October 22, the US Census hosted a meeting in San Francisco at the SF LGBT Center to encourage LGBT participation in the 2010 census. The census is upon us. Every decade the US sets about collecting data about the...Read More
Scholastic Bans Book with Lesbian Moms from Book Fairs
Filed by Dana Rudolph | October 26, 2009 9:30 AM |Most of us with young children in public school know about Scholastic Book Fairs. Many of us remember them from our own childhoods. They are a pretty big deal at many schools. Scholastic sets up in the school cafeteria or...Read More
The Gay Hate Crimes Crisis Isn't Over Yet
Filed by David Badash | October 25, 2009 1:00 PM |Thursday's historic passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is cause for celebration. The first federal legislation to provide inclusive protections for the GLBTQ community, this hate crimes bill will extend significant protections to...Read More
Hate crimes passes Senate: Goes to President's desk
Filed by Bil Browning | October 22, 2009 5:30 PM |As expected, the Senate passed the defense authorization bill this afternoon on a bipartisan vote of 68-29. Hate crimes legislation has already passed both houses of Congress, but the entire bill had to be voted on again after differences in...Read More
Hate crimes passes next hurdle
Filed by Bil Browning | October 22, 2009 12:30 PM |Hate crimes legislation passed a cloture vote moments ago in the Senate. The Senate now has up to 30 hours to vote on the final defense authorization bill. The measure passed 64-35. A cloture vote effectively moves the legislation forward...Read More
Obama adminstration moves forward on LGBT rights via HUD & HHS
Filed by Bil Browning | October 21, 2009 7:30 PM |The Obama administration released three major LGBT rights advances this afternoon. None are as sexy as repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell or the Defense of Marriage Act, but - make no mistake - they are part of the foundation for...Read More
Maine's "No On 1" Jesse Connolly on the Rachel Maddow Show
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 21, 2009 4:00 PM |No On 1 Maine campaign manager Jesse Connolly appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show last night to talk about the fight to keep the fundies from doing a "Prop 8: Part Duex." Polls show the fight in Maine is extremely...Read More
High School Hand Holding as Punishment... with a Dash of Internalized Homophobia
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 20, 2009 7:30 PM |The Advocate has a brief story up on a Colorado high school football coach who made two players hold hands and run together as punishment during a recent practice: Officials from the Aurora Public Schools say they are investigating the...Read More
Martinis With Fred Phelps
Filed by Peter Monn and Alex Paredes | October 20, 2009 11:00 AM |Tonight, I was reading back over some of the Bilerico articles when I came across Bil's article about the kids at North Central putting on "The Laramie Project" and the intentions of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church to...Read More
It is time for an Agenda to really exist
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 19, 2009 9:30 AM |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...Read More
Congresman Andre Carson at the 2009 Indiana Stonewall Democrats Leadership Awards
Filed by Jerame Davis | October 18, 2009 3:59 PM |Last Sunday October 11, the same day as the National Equality March, the Indiana Stonewall Democrats held their 2009 Leadership Awards ceremony. Honored were Congressman Andre Carson and activist Joe Miller. Since neither Bil nor I could be there, our...Read More
My Cleaning Trolley, just in case real cleaning wasn't fun enough
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 18, 2009 2:30 PM |Miriam at Feministing highlighted this toy earlier (and its "Girls only" sticker) this week, and since we discussed the Swedish school that filed a complaint against Toys R Us, I thought I'd look up Toys R Us's ad for it....Read More
Churches Ignore Jack Price Anti-hate Crime Rally in Queens. Vicious is Holier than Gay?
Filed by Father Tony | October 18, 2009 10:00 AM |We joined three hundred people in College Point, Queens (one of the five boroughs of New York City and one of the most ethnic and racially diverse places in the world) for a rally and march to protest the homophobic...Read More
Why We Were Marching
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 17, 2009 2:00 PM |Editors' Note: Guest blogger Tommy News is an internet peace and equal rights activist in New York. We are guaranteed equal protection by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Free and equal people do not bargain for or prioritize...Read More
National Equality March: A star-studded affair
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 17, 2009 12:00 PM |Editors' note: Steve Publicover is a former DC resident who lives in southwestern Virginia. The National Equality March in Washington, DC yesterday was all about re-energizing the LGBT rights movement by tapping into the passion of our next generation. That...Read More
National Equality March - Pride of a Different Sort
Filed by Michelle Marzullo | October 16, 2009 2:00 PM |I arrived in DC on a glorious evening. Standing at Union Station at midnight on Wednesday, October 7th, I noticed that most of the people quietly slipping into the cabs sweeping into the night were somehow queer. My hope for...Read More
A Movement Moving Forward
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 15, 2009 8:00 PM |Editors' Note: Guest blogger Rea Carey is the Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The National Equality March held in Washington, D.C., last weekend resonated and refreshed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and our...Read More
New tools to push for LGBT equality now
Filed by Juan and Ken Ahonen-Jover | October 15, 2009 1:00 PM |We are pleased to announce a new set of tools that we believe will greatly help to accelerate reaching LGBT legal equality. These tools are web-based, integrated with each other, are super easy to use, and are available to both...Read More
LGBT Strategy: "My Way or the Highway"?
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 14, 2009 7:00 PM |LGBT Rights. The Gay Movement. Queer Liberation. Full Equality. The Homosexual Agenda. All are names that get thrown around in the fight for equal right for LGBTQ people. And all have different connotations and baggage that go along with them....Read More
Personal Reflections from the National Equality March
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 13, 2009 5:30 PM |Only time will tell exactly what effect the National Equality March in DC will have. Will the crowds move from the streets of the Capitol back to their home states and districts? I hope so. Will it further the divide...Read More
The Chaos, Hubbub, and Order Scale
Filed by Paige Schilt | October 13, 2009 12:00 PM |6:30 comes early when you go to bed at 2. Last night, my wife's heavy metal band played to a packed house of head-banging lezzies. Of course we had to go out for triumphant post-show pancakes. Now it's my turn...Read More
HRC's Rhode Island Avenue office vandalized: What does it mean?
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 13, 2009 10:00 AM |A few hours after Obama spoke to the gay lobby, a group of queers going by the name "Queers Against Assimilation" (to the point) tagged HRC's building with the sentence "Quit leaving queers behind." Their statement is after the jump....Read More
GLBT History Month Icons: Kate Kendell
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 13, 2009 10:00 AM |The 31 GLBT History Month Icons, living or dead, are selected for their achievements in their field of endeavor, their status as a national hero, or their significant contribution to GLBT civil rights. Today's Icon is Kate Kendell. Kate Kendell...Read More
The Fundie's Handbook
Filed by Mercedes Allen | October 12, 2009 2:00 PM |If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's the way I see it, and with the steamroller momentum of birtherism, teabagging, speechies, marriage protection and the like, one can't help but just want to take the easier road of rolling...Read More
National Equality March: The measure of success
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 12, 2009 12:30 PM |Editor's Note: Guest blogger Bob Summersgill is a long-time GLBT rights activist in the District of Columbia who has successfully led numerous human rights efforts. Open Left blogger Adam Bink raises the question of how do you judge the success...Read More
The National Equality March: Confessions and Snapshots
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 12, 2009 11:30 AM |Editor's Note: Leah McElrath Renna is a Managing Partner with the communications-consulting firm Renna Communications and a professional psychotherapist with a Master of Social Work degree from the Smith College School for Social Work. She has authored and contributed to...Read More
Videos of National Equality March Speakers: Lady Gaga, Julian Bond, and more
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 12, 2009 10:00 AM |Video of the speakers at yesterday's rally have been YouTubed, and they're all after the jump. The speakers were: Kip Williams and Robin McGeeheeDavid MixnerCynthia NixonDan ChoiJudy ShepardLady GagaTanner Efinger and Cleve JonesJulian BondKate ClintonStaceyann ChinUrvashi Vaid...Read More
The March is Over; Now We Must Take Action
Filed by Ben Finzel | October 12, 2009 9:30 AM |Marches are commonplace in DC. Everyone wants to come to DC to protest, raise their voice and let the folks in power know they care about this or that issue. To be honest, I generally don't pay a lot of...Read More
How I Never Came Out
Filed by David Badash | October 11, 2009 5:30 PM |I believe human sexuality can be a very fluid element of our being. If you believe in the Kinsey Scale, however, I'm definitely a six. But I remember well a conversation I had with my first real boyfriend, Tom. I...Read More
Interview: Dan Choi after Obama's HRC dinner speech
Filed by Bil Browning | October 11, 2009 2:30 PM |I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Lt. Dan Choi immediately after President Obama's speech at the HRC Dinner last night. As you can see, he wasn't impressed with the President's flowing words and was hoping for more specifics...Read More
Live from Washington: Coverage of the National Equality March
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 11, 2009 11:30 AM |Throughout the day, I'll be posting video, pics, and messages from Bilerico contributors at the National Equality March. Follow them on Twitter: Bil (@bilerico), Michael Crawford (@dmcrawford), Phil Reese (@Ameriqueer), Waymon Hudson (@homopolitico), Dr. Jillian Weiss (@drjilliantweiss), and Travis Ballie...Read More
Early morning in Washington
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 11, 2009 8:30 AM |Reader Colin Hammer sent in the view from his hotel in DC this morning....Read More
Live from Washington: Coverage of the National Equality March
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 10, 2009 12:00 PM |I'm updating this post all day today and tomorrow with video, pics, and messages from Bilerico contributors who are in Washington. If you want to contribute to this, email edteam (at) bilerico.com. Bil sent in a few photos. Here's the...Read More
Marching Not the Only Event at National Equality March
Filed by David Castillo | October 10, 2009 11:30 AM |A friend of mine visited Chicago recently and we were talking about his trip when he got back to DC. We chatted about various parts of the trip but the comment that struck me the most was when he said...Read More
Bilerico Radio: Maine marriage roundtable
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 09, 2009 3:00 PM |We recorded this a few days ago, and due to some administrative difficulties, it won't be made into a full show. But it was a great roundtable session and it's worth a listen. We talked about the ballot initiative to...Read More
GLBT History Month Icons: Magnus Hirschfeld
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 09, 2009 10:00 AM |The 31 GLBT History Month Icons, living or dead, are selected for their achievements in their field of endeavor, their status as a national hero, or their significant contribution to GLBT civil rights. Today's Icon is Magnus Hirschfeld. For more...Read More
After The Rallies
Filed by Betty Greene Salwak | October 08, 2009 1:30 PM |October is LGBT History month, and this weekend will make history with the National Equality March in Washington DC. Like a lot of Projectors, I can't go to Washington to show my support, but I will be downtown with my...Read More
Hearing set for DC marriage bill
Filed by Michael Crawford | October 08, 2009 10:45 AM |A hearing on DC's marriage equality bill will be held on Monday, October 26 in the 5th floor Council Chambers of the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW.) This is a crucial opportunity for us to make the case for...Read More
GLBT History Month Icons: Harry Hay
Filed by Waymon Hudson | October 08, 2009 10:00 AM |The 31 GLBT History Month Icons, living or dead, are selected for their achievements in their field of endeavor, their status as a national hero, or their significant contribution to GLBT civil rights. Today's Icon is Harry Hay. For more...Read More
Guess who's going to the National Equality March
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 08, 2009 9:30 AM |Bil and Jerame are traveling to DC today to attend the National Equality March, while I can't even walk to the metro station to go to work because I busted my ankle pretty bad. Are you going to DC? The...Read More
Marching alongside the pink elephant
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 07, 2009 4:00 PM |Editors' Note: Guest blogger Mitchell Gold is the co-founder of the successful and innovative furniture design and manufacturing company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The Advocate magazine recognized Mitchell as a Person of the Year in 2006, calling him a...Read More
Montana Supreme Court protects children with two same-sex parents
Filed by Nancy Polikoff | October 07, 2009 1:00 PM |The Montana Supreme Court has affirmed a trial court decision granting a "parental interest" to a lesbian mother who co-parented two children legally adopted only by her partner. The case, Kulstad v. Maniaci, is a strong and unequivocal victory for...Read More
DC marriage bill introduced today and what's next
Filed by Michael Crawford | October 06, 2009 7:30 PM |Today D.C. Council Member David Catania introduced a bill that would legalize marriages between same-sex couples. The bill, known as the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, sets the stage for DC to become the next...Read More
March for the Cure
Filed by Cathy Renna | October 06, 2009 3:00 PM |As we all wait for this weekend's events to unfold in Washington, from the National Equality March to the President speaking at the HRC dinner, there are many mixed feelings. Will people show up? What will the President say? How...Read More
Obama will speak at HRC National Dinner on eve of March
Filed by Bil Browning | October 05, 2009 7:30 PM |The Human Rights Campaign announced today that President Obama will address their annual national dinner on Saturday evening. No matter what your thoughts are about HRC or President Obama, it is worth noting that this is only the second time...Read More
Marriage, money, discrimination, and the New York Times
Filed by Alex Blaze | October 05, 2009 6:30 PM |The New York Times has an interesting article up about how much more it costs to be a same-sex couple than a heterosexual couple over a lifetime, considering additional expenses when it comes to retirement, health care, and income tax....Read More
NYT: The High Price of Being a Gay Couple
Filed by Michael Crawford | October 05, 2009 12:45 PM |For many of us, the emotional and human costs of being denied the freedom to marry are clear. The moments that matter most are fraught with additional worries including difficulties in visiting one another on the hospital, the worry about...Read More
Why Maddow Matters
Filed by Rebecca Juro | October 05, 2009 12:00 PM |The first time I ever listened to Rachel Maddow on the radio for any length of time was when she guest-hosted for Michelangelo Signorile on his Sirius OutQ afternoon drivetime show a few years ago. It wasn't that I didn't...Read More
20 reasons you should go to the National Equality March
Filed by Michelle Marzullo | October 05, 2009 9:30 AM |The National Equality March on Washington will happen on October 10 and 11, 2009. Here are twenty reasons you should go: Go because you are worthy. Go because we need each other. Go because you will never forget this. Go...Read More
Marching Not the Only Event at National Equality March
Filed by David Castillo | October 03, 2009 10:00 AM |A friend of mine visited Chicago recently and we were talking about his trip when he got back to DC. We chatted about various parts of the trip but the comment that struck me the most was when he said...Read More
Congresswoman Norton Issues Statement on DC's Marriage Equality Bill
Filed by Michael Crawford | October 02, 2009 3:00 PM |Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton released the following statement in the DC marriage equality bill that will be introduced on Tuesday: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today issued the following statement on the same-sex marriage bill expected to...Read More
Why I Am Marching
Filed by Guest Blogger | October 02, 2009 2:00 PM |Editor's Note: Today's Guest Contributor is the Reverend Donna Tara Lee, a Gainesville, Florida out and proud M2F transgender activist. I will be at the NEM (National Equality March) on October 11, proudly marching for GLBT civil rights. The purpose...Read More
Black queers are tying the knot
Filed by Rev Irene Monroe | October 01, 2009 6:30 PM |More and more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people of African descent are marrying. An idea that was once thought of as an anathema to black queer identity, marriage, in our LGBTQ communities, is being celebrated and on the...Read More
Equality March meets $250k fundraising goal: Sets march route
Filed by Bil Browning | October 01, 2009 1:30 PM |After an event in New York City last week raised over $14,000 for the National Equality March, Equality Across America announced it has met it's fundraising goal of $250,000. The gala at NYC hotspot Elmo was hosted by actor Allan...Read More
DC marriage bill to be introduced on Tuesday
Filed by Michael Crawford | October 01, 2009 8:30 AM |At a meeting last night to mobilize the LGBT community and allies Council Member David Catania announced that on October 6 he would introduce a bill to legalize marriage between same-sex couples in the District. "We are going to do...Read More
