LGBT activist jailed for child molestation

Transgender activist runs for mayor of Idaho town

(Nampa, Idaho) About a block from a street concert in downtown Nampa, Melissa Sue Robinson strolls with purpose into a trendy coffee shop - the unofficial liberal embassy of this sprawling Republican stronghold in southwest Idaho.

Dressed in a cream-colored pantsuit, a political flier clutched in one hand, a soft brown …

Vanasco: Mike Rogers outs conservative lt. gov.

Super-activist Mike Rogers reports that South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer has sex with men - despite his conservative, pro-Christian stance.

Why does a lt. governor matter? Because he will replace Gov. Mark Sanford if the governor resigns or is impeached (very possible, since the governor is currently dealing with a …

Obama names Medal of Freedom recipients, including Harvey Milk …

President Obama, attempting to spotlight those who have acted as “agents of change,” today announced that he will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, on a cast of living and deceased figures widely known in politics, the arts and sciences, sports and social movements.

The 16 honorees named by the White House today include Harvey Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor who led an early movement for gay rights in public life and was assassinated. They include the late Republican Congressman Jack Kemp, a football legend as well, and the ailing Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.

The president’s choices, who will be honored at a White House ceremony Aug. 12, include American civil-rights activist the Rev. Joseph Lowery and South African freedom fighter Desmond Tutu. They include a pioneer in sports for women, tennis star Billie Jean King, and the first woman on the Supreme Court, retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

They include actor Sidney Poitier and singer Chita Rivera.
See

Obama names Medal of Freedom recipients, including Harvey Milk …

Los Angeles Times

Published by 

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/obama-names-m…

Tags: Act, Acti, Activist, Ads, Africa, African Freedom, Ali, American Civil Rights, American Civil Rights Activist, Amp, Anc, Ased, Attempt, Ba, Bil, Billie Jean King, Blog, Blog Blogspot, Blogger, Blogs, Bod, Border, Chita Rivera, Cho, Choices, Civ, Civi, Civil Rights Activist, Colo, Congress, Congressman, Conn, Coord, Cou, Cr, D South, Demo, Democrat, Desmond Tutu, Dn, Dom, Era, Eric, Erica, Fir, First Woman, Fo, Football Legend, Fr, Freedom, Freedom Fighter, Fun, gay, gay rights, Gin, google, harvey milk, Hes, Honorees, Images, Irs, Jack Kemp, Ld, Lea, Lead, Leads, Led, Los Angeles Times, Lowe, Lt, Map, Massachusetts, Medal Of Freedom, Medal Of Freedom Recipients, Milk, Mp, Names, Nbsp, Obam, Obama, Original Source, Ouse, Pac, Pi, Pioneer, politics, Pos, Pot, president, Presidential Medal Of Freedom, Rea, Reed, Republican, Republican Congressman, Rev Joseph Lowery, Rig, Rights Activist, San F, San Francisco, San Francisco City, Sandra, Sandra Day O Connor, Science, Shap, Sidney Poitier, Sig, Sin, Social Movements, Sourc, South Africa, Span, Sports, Spotlight, Ssa, Supervisor, Supreme Court, Target, Ted, Tenn, Tennis, Tennis Star, Tent, Tia, Today Announced That, Url, Verd, Vet, Wh, White Hous, White House, Woman, Wor

Maine campaign heats up

With the prospect of a November referendum on same-sex marriage in Maine all but certain, pro-equality advocates are gearing up for a bruising battle to preserve the state’s marriage equality bill, signed by Gov. John Baldacci in May. Since January, Maine Freedom to Marry has been ramping up a vast field campaign to identify pro-equality voters. Without a presidential or gubernatorial race to bring voters out, Maine Freedom to Marry campaign manager Jesse Connolly said grassroots fieldwork is essential to finding voters who support marriage equality and to turning them out at the polls on Election Day.

“This campaign is really about having one-on-one conversations with Maine voters. … We’re raising money, we’re building a campaign, but we’re really excited about this great work the field effort has been doing,” said Connolly.

Yet campaign finance reports suggest that pro-equality advocates may face an uphill battle. Thus far, anti-gay activists have outpaced pro-equality advocates in fundraising. Much of that money has come from the national religious right organizations that backed the successful campaign to pass California’s Proposition 8 last year. See Maine campaign heats up

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by 

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/maine-campaig…

Tags: Ace, Act, Acti, Activist, Activists, Ads, Advocate, Advocates, Aig, Ald, Ali, Ally, Amp, Anc, Ba, Baldacci, Batt, Bia, Bil, Bisexual, Blog, Blog Blogspot, Blogger, Blogs, Bod, Border, Cal, Cali, Californ, Campaign Finance Reports, Campaign Manager, Conn, Conversations, Coord, Dom, elect, Election Day, Equality, Equality Bill, Face, Field Campaign, Field Effort, Fieldwork, Finan, Fo, Fr, Freedom, Fun, gay, Gay Activist, Gay Activists, gay men, Gay New, Gay News, Gin, Glbt, google, Grassroots, Gubernatorial Race, Images, John Baldacci, Ld, Lea, Lead, Leads, Lesb, Lesbi, lesbian, Lesbian News, Lt, Maine, Maine Campaign, Maine Voters, Map, Marr, Marria, marriage, Marriage Equality, Money, Mp, Mpa, Mu, N News, Nan, Nbsp, Organization, Original Source, Pac, Pi, Poll, Polls, Pos, Pot, president, Raising Money, Rea, Reed, Referendum, Religious Right, Rig, Rr, same sex marriage, Sat, sex, Sex Marriage, Shap, Sig, Sin, Sit, Sourc, Span, Spe, Success, Tag, Target, Ted, Tent, Tia, Transgender, Uphill Battle, Url, Verd, Vet, Vote, Wh, Wit, Wor

Homosexuals dispel myth of “progressive”

Each year in Germany, from the end of June through August, gay and lesbian rights’ activists celebrate the “Stonewall” uprising - named after a gay bar on Christopher Street in New York, where homosexuals fought back against police brutality in 1969.

Participants in the German parades known as “Christopher Street Day” join other activists around the world who take to the streets to demonstrate gay pride and demand greater freedoms.

Some of those freedoms would include expanded civil rights. In Germany, civil unions, for instance, have been permitted among same-sex couples since 2001, but full marriages are not. Homosexual couples therefore do not enjoy the same rights as married heterosexual couples when it comes to taxes, retirement, civil servant benefits, or adoption law.

For more on gay and lesbian rights and the community in Germany, click on the links below, or listen to this week’s “Living in Germany” program to hear a more personal account of a homosexual civil union.

DW-WORLD.DE

Audios and videos on the topic

Audio: Listen to this personal story on DW’s “Living in Germany” from July 13, 2009.

See Homosexuals dispel myth of “progressive” Germany Deutsche Welle

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by 

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/homosexuals-d…

Tags: Act, Acti, Activist, Activists, Adop, Adoption, Adoption Law, Ads, Aim, Ali, Amon, Amp, Anc, Axe, Axes, Ba, Benefit, Bia, Bisexual, Blog, Blogger, Blogs, Border, Broadcast, Brutality, Caste, Celeb, Civ, Civi, Civil Rights, Civil Servant, Civil Union, Civil Unions, Constitution, Constitutional Amendment, Coord, Cou, Coupl, Couples, Cr, Demo, Demon, Demons, Deutsche Welle, Dom, Equal Rights, Era, Euro, Europe, Europe Gay, Fir, Fo, Focus, Forty Years, Fr, Freedom, Freedoms, gay, Gay And Lesbian, Gay Bar, gay men, Gay New, Gay News, Gay People, Gay Prid, Gay Pride, gay rights, Gay Rights Activist, Gay Rights Activists, Gay Tv, Gays, Gays And Lesbians, German Politicians, Germany, Germany Program, Gin, google, Grou, Gus, Heterosexual, Heterosexual Couple, Heterosexual Couples, Homo, Homosexual, Homosexual Couples, Homosexuals, Images, Ins, Irs, July 1, Landmark, Ld, Lea, Lead, Leads, Lesb, Lesbi, lesbian, Lesbian News, Lesbian Rights, Lesbians, Living In Germany, love, Lt, Map, Marr, Marria, marriage, Mong, Mp, Mtv, Mu, N News, Nbsp, Norm, Organize, Organizer, Organizers, Original Source, Pac, Parades, Participant, Participants, Peop, People, Pi, Pl, Police Brutality, Politician, Politicians, Pop, Pos, Pot, pride, Rea, Reed, Rh, Rig, Rights Activist, Rose, Roun, Rr, Same Sex Couples, sex, Sex Couple, Sex Couples, Sexuals, Shap, Sig, Sin, Sourc, Span, Spe, Stab, Stonewall, Stonewall Uprising, Tag, Target, Ted, Tele, Television, Television Channel, Tent, Transgender, Tv Channel, Uni, Unions, Uprising, Ups, Url, Verd, Vet, Wh, Wor, Wou

International gathering of gay activists kicks off in Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN — Music and aerial acrobats are kicking off the second edition of the World Outgames - nine days of sports, cultural and human rights events for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Some of the 5,500 participants from about 100 countries are marching in a parade of nations on Copenhagen’s City Hall Square. Artists, suspended in wires above them, are performing spectacular acrobatics to deafening music and a frenzied light show.

See International gathering of gay activists kicks off in Copenhagen

The Canadian Press

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by 

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/international…

Tags: Acrobatics, Acrobats, Act, Acti, Activist, Activists, Ads, Ali, Amp, Artists, Ba, Bia, Bisexual, Blog, Blog Blogspot, Blogger, Blogs, Border, City Hall, City Hall Square, Coord, Cop, Copenhagen, Cou, Countries, Cr, Cw, Dea, Dn, Eve, events, Fo, Fr, Game, Games, gay, Gay Activist, Gay Activists, Gay Copenhagen, Gay Lesbian, gay men, Gay New, Gay News, Gin, google, Hagen, Hs, Human Rights, Human Rights Events, Images, Ld, Lea, Lead, Leads, Lesb, lesbian, Lesbian Gay, Lesbian News, Lt, Map, Men Gay, Mp, Mu, Mus, music, N News, Nbsp, Nine Days, Npr, Original Source, Pac, Participant, Participants, Peop, People, Pl, Pos, Pot, Rea, Rig, Rr, Sec, sex, Shap, Sic, Sig, Sourc, Span, Spe, Sports, Tag, Target, Ted, Tent, Tg, Tis, Transgender, Url, Verd, Vet, Wor, World Outgames, Zi

Gay activists and union leaders commit to year two of Hyatt Boycott

At a press conference last Friday, GLBT activists and union leaders marked the one-year anniversary of the Manchester Hyatt Boycott, launched last year in response to hotel owner Doug Manchester’s $125,000 contribution to qualify Proposition 8 for the ballot.

“For over a year we have urged San Diegans, Californians and Americans to boycott the Manchester Hyatt because of Manchester’s contribution to Proposition 8 and onerous workloads for the hotel’s housekeepers,” said Cleve Jones, a national gay leader and former aid to slain San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk. “The hotel’s own people have admitted to losing over $7 million in business due to the boycott. This boycott has truly shown the power of our reenergized community and the alliance between the gay community and labor.”

Proposition 8 eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. Boycott organizers also committed to continue the boycott and expand its scope.

“One of our goals for the next year will be to take the boycott to the next level – global,” said Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate. “We will ask travel planners and tour operators throughout the world not to book meetings and room nights at the Manchester properties. We will put up a virtual bright yellow caution tape around Manchester’s hotels, and ask people not to cross it.”

The boycott has drawn increasing media attention and picked up steam since it began. Early on, several groups announced that they would move or cancel events at the hotel. Recently, the American Association of Justice, a trial lawyers group moved its entire convention out of the Manchester Hyatt to San Francisco to honor the boycott. At a recent gay and lesbian travel exposition, a hotel spokesperson confirmed that the boycott has cost the hotel more than $7 million.

At the July 17 press conference, organizers unveiled more than just a new approach. They came with a new logo and visual aid – bright yellow caution tape reading “Do not cross. Do not support bigotry and discrimination.” Organizers say the caution tape is intended as a reminder for individuals throughout the country not to patronize the hotel.

“We want to send a very simple message to all those planning to travel to San Diego that the Manchester Hyatt Boycott is on and stronger than ever,” said Human Relations Commissioner, Nicole Murray-Ramirez. “The unions, hotel workers and gay community started this fight together and we intend to finish it together.”

See Gay activists and union leaders commit to year two of Hyatt Boycott

Gay and Lesbian Times

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by 

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/gay-activists…

Tags: Act, Acti, Activist, Activists, Adm, Ads, Ali, Amp, Anc, Ba, Bia, Bigot, Bigotry, Bisexual, Blog, Blogger, Blogs, Bod, Book Meetings, Border, Boycott, Brig, Cal, Cali, Californ, Californians, Cleve Jones, Conference Organizers, Confi, Coord, Cop, Cou, Coupl, Couples, Cr, Discrimination, Dp, Ego, Era, Eric, Erica, Eve, events, Expos, Fir, Fo, Fr, Fred Karger, gay, Gay Activist, Gay Activists, Gay And Lesbian, Gay Community, Gay Leader, gay men, Gay New, Gay News, Gin, Glbt, Goals, google, Grou, Groups, harvey milk, Hes, Hot, Hotel Owner, Hotels, Housekeepers, Human Relations, Human Relations Commission, Images, Ins, July 1, July 17, Kar, Last Friday, Launch, Lawyer, Lawyers, Ld, Lea, Lead, Leads, Led, lesbian, Lesbian News, Lesbian Travel, Lot, Lt, Map, Marr, Media Attention, Milk, Mis, Mp, Mu, N News, Nbsp, New Approach, Organize, Organizer, Organizers, Original Source, Ouse, Pac, Patron, Peop, People, Pi, Picke, Pl, Pos, Pot, Rea, Rig, Roun, Rr, Sage, Same Sex Couples, San Diego, San F, San Francisco, San Francisco Supervisor, sex, Sex Couple, Sex Couples, Shap, Sig, Simple Message, Sin, Sit, Sourc, Span, Spe, Spokesperson, Ssa, Steam, Supervisor, Supervisor Harvey Milk, Tag, Target, Ted, Tent, Ties, Tou, Transgender, Travel Planners, Trial Lawyer, Trial Lawyers, Uni, Union Leader, Union Leaders, Unions, Ups, Urge, Url, Verd, Vet, Wit, Wor, Workloads, Wou, Yellow Caution Tape

SCLC SPLIT OVER GAY MARRIAGE: Los Angeles office at odds with national officials.

*Civil Rights Movement icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a group of Black activists who founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1959.

Even after King’s assassination in 1968, the SCLC remained one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations. But now the group’s cohesion is under threat. The issue which could potentially split the organization is same-sex marriage.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based leadership of the group has threatened to suspend or remove Rev. Eric P. Lee as head of the Los Angeles SCLC chapter because of his outspoken support for homosexual marriage.

But Lee and supporters in the L.A. chapter are fighting back essentially arguing that the national board does not have the authority to remove him. Lee is also thought to be seeking support from other SCLC chapters around the country.

Officially the national board says it is neutral on the gay marriage issue but in reality, the group dominated by Black Southern ministers is strongly opposed to same-sex marriage. Their view appears to be backed by a large majority of African Americans. An Edison/Mitofsky exit poll found that 70 percent of Black voters supported California’s Proposition 8 last fall. The proposition banned gay-marriage in the state.

A similar national online survey conducted recently by Taylor Media Services found 72 percent of Blacks opposing same-sex marriage which was supported by a slim majority of whites. Hispanics were evenly split on the issue.

SeeS CLC SPLIT OVER GAY MARRIAGE: Los Angeles office at odds with …

Eurweb.com -

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

Published by 

Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/sclc-split-ov…

Tags: 4m, Act, Acti, Activist, Activists, Ads, Africa, African Americans, Ali, Ally, Amp, Ased, Ba, Bia, Bisexual, Black Activists, Blog, Blog Blogspot, Blogger, Blogs, Border, Cal, Cali, Californ, Chap, Christian Leaders, Christian Leadership Conference, Civ, Civi, Civil Rights, Civil Rights Movement, Civil Rights Organization, Civil Rights Organizations, Cohesion, Coord, Cou, Dom, Dr Martin Luther, Dr Martin Luther King, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Dys, Edison Mitofsky, Eric, Erica, Eve, Exit, Exit Poll, Fal, Fo, Fr, gay, gay marriage, gay men, Gay New, Gay News, Gin, google, Grou, Hes, Hispanics, Homo, Homosexual, Homosexual Marriage, Icon, Images, Larg, Ld, Lea, Lead, Leadership, Leadership Conference, Leads, Led, lesbian, Lesbian News, Lt, Maine, Map, Marr, Marria, marriage, Marriage Issue, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King Jr, Mp, N News, Nbsp, Odds, Offi, Officia, Online Survey, Opposing Same Sex Marriage, Organization, Original Source, Outspoken Support, Pac, Pl, Poll, Pos, Pot, Rea, Rema, Remov, Rig, Rights Organization, Roun, Rr, same sex marriage, sex, Sex Marriage, Shap, Sig, Sin, Sit, Slim Majority, Sourc, Southern Christian Leadership, Southern Ministers, Span, Spe, Ssa, Survey, Tag, Target, Ted, Tent, Tia, Transgender, Url, Verd, Vet, Vote, Wh, Wit

Law Extends Parental Rights for Gays

Lesbians in the District no longer will need the written consent of their partners to adopt children born to their partners through artificial insemination, under a new law that took effect Saturday.

The name of a consenting spouse or unmarried partner will appear on the child’s birth certificate as the legal parent, a status that previously had to be obtained by same-sex parents through a complicated adoption process.

The Domestic Partnership Judicial Determination Parentage Act of 2009 puts the city out front when it comes to children born of same-sex parents, according to the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington (GLAA) and American University law professor Nancy Polikoff.