Voices of Witness Africa New documentary tells stories of gay Anglicans
Voices of Witness Africa is a new 30-minute documentary intended to help Episcopalians listen to the views and experiences of Anglicans who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) and to emphasize that homosexuality is “not just a North American or European issue,” says the Rev. Cynthia Black.
Co-produced by Black, rector of Christ the King Church in Kalamazoo/Texas Corners, Michigan, and Katie Sherrod, a writer and commentator based in Fort Worth, Texas, the documentary features GLBT Africans who talk about their lives and their relationships with God and the church.
“The voices of LGBT folks from around the world need to be heard,” says Black.
Among those interviewed for the documentary is the Rt. Rev. Christopher Senyonjo, retired bishop of the Diocese of West Buganda in the Anglican Church of Uganda, who leads a study and prayer group for gay Anglicans. “I’m sorry about what the church is saying. God loves you, God loves you,” Senyonjo says in support of GLBT Christians. While he acknowledges that speaking out has been “very risky,” Senyonjo adds, “When you know the truth, it should make you free.”
Although homosexuality is illegal in most African countries, “several people in the film cite cause for hope,” said a news release from the Chicago Consultation, a sponsoring organization of the documentary.
“Many, many years ago, when the townships were in smoke and people were dying, we never thought that we would be where we are now,” Yvonne Daki, manager of iThemba Lam Center of Inclusive and Affirming Ministries in South Africa, says in the documentary. “We will have one day a situation where gay people can speak openly about their sexuality.”
For Black, one of the surprises when working on the documentary was “how willing participants were to have their name and image used publicly, even when they knew their bishop would be receiving a copy of the film, and even when there could potentially be horrific consequences for doing so … Their courage is incredible.”
Sherrod was most impressed how the interviewees’ faith “informs their actions every minute of every day. All of them spoke of God as a intimate part of their lives, a presence who gives them hope and strength in the face of terrible oppression and active persecution, not only by the state, but in most cases by the Anglican church leaders in their country. To witness the depth of their faith was inspiring and humbling.”
“Viewers who have followed the plight of GLBT people in Africa will hear familiar and tragic stories of fear, imprisonment and abuse,” the Chicago Consultation news release said. “However, they may also be surprised by the support and hope voiced by some of the film’s subjects, including African Anglican bishops and priests.”
Black said that much inspiration can be found in the stories of hope that were heard — “hope that one day the church will have moved beyond the issues of sexuality that divide it.”
All the instruments of communion have supported a process of listening to the experiences of homosexual people throughout the Anglican Communion. At the 1998 Lambeth Conference, resolution 1.10 committed all the provinces of the Anglican Communion to a listening process. It was not until 2005 that the Listening Process was officially launched with the appointment of a facilitator who would monitor the work being done, share the results and enable further listening.
The Anglican Consultative Council, the communion’s most representative policy-making body, met in Jamaica in May 2009 and supported the renewal of the Listening Process, which has received a 2.5-year grant from the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia to run five “pilot conversations” around the communion.
The “Voices of Witness Africa” documentary is being released just before the Episcopal Church’s General Convention, which will be held July 8-17 in Anaheim, California. “At the meeting, deputies and bishops will discuss both the church’s mission in the developing world and the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people,” the Chicago Consultation news release said. “The film is being mailed in advance to all deputies and bishops. It is also being mailed to all bishops of the Anglican Communion, including those who lead churches that are hostile to GLBT Christians.”
“With General Convention approaching, some people focus on what effect its actions might have on the part of the Anglican Communion that is more conservative than the Episcopal Church,” said Black. “I think the film helps us to remember that there are hundreds of thousands of LGBT folks in the communion who are watching what the Episcopal Church does.”
Further information on the film, including a study guide for use in Episcopal parishes, is available here.
Future public screenings of Voices of Witness Africa will be held on:
June 5: All Saints Church, Pasadena, California
June 6: Christ Episcopal Church, Dearborn
June 7: Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge
June 8: All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Chicago
June 10: Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring, Maryland
June 12: Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis, Missouri
June 14: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Houston, Texas
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/voices-of-wit…
GLAAD Announces Launch of Advertising Media Program
Levi’s Brand and Wells Fargo Honored at Launch Reception
New York, NY May 08, 2009 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today announced the launch of an Advertising Media Program as part of its national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation work. The program will officially launch during a reception for LGBT advertising professionals and allies where GLAAD will honor Levi’s Brand and Wells Fargo for their commitment to LGBT-inclusive advertising. The reception will be held Monday, May 18, 2009 at the Alvin Ailey Dance Studio (405 West 55th St, New York, NY).
“Words and images matter and can shatter stereotypes. Fair, accurate and inclusive media images prove that we are connected through common, human experiences,” said Neil G. Giuliano, GLAAD President. “These are images that we – and advertisers – have a responsibility to share.”
Leveraging GLAAD’s media advocacy and anti-LGBT defamation resources, GLAAD’s Advertising Media Program will monitor all forms of advertising and work to ensure fair and accurate representations of the LGBT community or demand action when defamation occurs. Most recently, GLAAD successfully advocated that a Virginia used car company pull offensive ads that referred to same-sex flirting as “not smart” from the airwaves and their Web site. The Advertising Media Program will also proactively advance inclusion of the LGBT community in mainstream advertising through advocacy work at advertising agencies and corporate advertising departments. GLAAD will maintain the online library formerly owned by Commercial Closet Association of over 4,000 LGBT-inclusive ads.
“Advertising plays a vital role in how people view the world and our community,” said Rashad Robinson, Senior Director of Media Programs at GLAAD. “We are thrilled to expand our media advocacy work on behalf of the LGBT community to call for fair, accurate and inclusive advertising and hold advertisers accountable for anti-gay defamation.”
To celebrate the launch of the program, GLAAD will honor Levi’s Brand and Wells Fargo with Special Recognition Awards. GLAAD is also planning an Advertising Media Awards for later this year.
Levi’s Brand won the 2008 Images in Advertising Award for Outstanding Commercial for a commercial which depicts a young male pulling on a pair of Levi’s jeans as the street below him comes crashing through his floor, leaving him face-to-face with an attractive stranger in a nearby telephone booth. The two men walk off while holding hands. Levi’s has had a long involvement with the LGBT community as exemplified by the “Support of Gay Marriage” campaign, the “Inside Out” campaign and the recent “Logo Unbuttoned” campaign. Levi’s ads perpetuate the company’s history of LGBT inclusive business practices and marketing outreach. In 1992, Levi Strauss & Co. became the first Fortune 500 company to extend full benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of employees.
Wells Fargo has consistently supported the LGBT community by being one of the first financial institutions to reach out to the community with targeted advertising and sponsorship of LGBT causes and organizations. Wells Fargo has a long standing commitment to speak to our community through advertising for not only financial related products but also in company recruiting and fostering an inclusive workplace. As a result of its long standing support to LGBT causes, anti-gay activists initiated a boycott of Wells Fargo in 2005. In spite of anti-gay activists, the company remains a strong ally to our community.
Tickets for the reception are $25 and will be credited to tickets for the Fall 2009 Advertising Awards. They can be purchased at www.glaad.org/events. Sponsors of the event include ABSOLUT® VODKA, DRAFTFCB, Levi’s Brand and Wells Fargo. Media partners include Gay City News, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, PinkBananaMedia.com and TheMenEvent.com.
About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.
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Being openly gay in Dartmouth athletics
In an article on gay pride week at Dartmouth College, the Ivy League school in New Hampshire, the school paper The Dartmouth interviewed two gay athletes and what they said is not a surprise to anyone who has followed the subject: they wish there were more out jocks.
“[Being gay at Dartmouth] has been a very positive experience, but one thing that definitely disappoints me is the very small population of out gay athletes,” Tyler Ford ‘11, a member of the men’s track and field team, said. “That leaves us without a support system.”
A former water polo player at the school who is about to graduate echoed this sentiment.
“Sports is one of the hardest places to come out in, to feel comfortable. Especially for guys, it’s such a macho area,” Taylor Holt said.
“Dartmouth has had a history of out gay athletes, and gay athletes at Dartmouth have the responsibility that they need to represent something more to closeted gay athletes throughout athletics, to the gay community in general,” Holt said.
In the past, Outsports has featured two out jocks from Dartmouth: Andrew Goldstein in lacrosse and Jamal Brown in track and field. Both athletes reported a positive response from coming out. Still, though, there is tremendous resistance among the majority of athletes to take that step. See Being openly gay in Dartmouth athletics
Outsports.com * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/being-openly-…
Procter & Gamble bars trans discrimination
CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest consumer products maker, has amended its anti-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression.
The policy was recently amended to read: “We at P&G recognize the power that comes from people of diverse backgrounds and experiences coming together around a common goal. Our policy forbids any discrimination, harassment or intimidation because of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or other non-job-related personal characteristic. Employees are encouraged to bring questions or concerns in this area to their management. Strict disciplinary action for violations of this policy will be taken, including termination of employment.” See Procter & Gamble bars trans discrimination
Amends anti-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Healthy Gay Relationships: Ken Howard Gives Tips for Relationship Success at Annual Gay Men’s Forum
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West Hollywood, CA — The Gay Men’s Forum is a free, day-long event will focus on the theme: “Where We’ve Been. Where We Are. Where We’re Heading” and will include contemporary experiences of gay men, panel discussions featuring a range of perspectives from the gay community, special performances and interactive workshops.
Ken Howard, LCSW will be participating in the discussion: “Love & Its Opposite: A Discussion on the Differences Between Healthy & Unhealthy Relations” with fellow colleagues including, Tyrone Carter, Ian Stulberg, LCSW and Andrew Susskind, LCSW; the Q&A will be moderated by Christian Antonio Calle of the LA Gay & Lesbian Center.
Howard has extensive experience in counseling the gay male community (and lesbian and straight couples) on how to achieve healthy and satisfying relationships. Throughout the years he has worked with a variety of couples who have sought his guidance on topics including “how to have an open relationship without hurt feelings”, “being serodiscordant (one HIV-positive, one HIV-negative), managing stress, and older-younger relationships. He teaches communication skills using the Imago Couples Dialogue, pioneered by Harville Hendrix. His long-list of testimonials from happy couples provides countless examples of those who have turned his philosophy and guidance into real-life skills and solutions, often preventing breakups.
The forum is being held in collaboration with the City of West Hollywood’s Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board, community organizations and the City’s Social Services Division.
The GAY MEN’S FORUM: Dialogue and Workshops will be held at Fiesta Hall at Plummer Park on Saturday, May 2, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood. The event is free.
To RSVP, please call (323) 848-6381. For more information, please contact Corey Roskin, Hernan Molina or Larissa Fooks at (323) 848-6460. For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.
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It’s still not OK for Aussie stars to be gay
WE may be living in a post-Will & Grace 21st century but Aussie celebrities are still being advised to stay in the closet.
Olympic gold medal-winner Mathew Mitcham has revealed he thought twice about coming out after being advised it would damage his chances of getting sponsorship – and many believe it did.
One celebrity talent manager, who did not wish to be named, told news.com.au he advised clients not to discuss their sexuality, even if everyone knew they were gay, because homophobia was still rampant amongst the gatekeepers of the Aussie media, particularly in television.
Another agent, showbiz veteran Harry M Miller, said he couldn’t see why stars should discuss their sexuality at all - because it’s nobody’s business.
News.com.au had a hard time getting anyone from Australia’s handful of openly gay celebrities to speak about their experiences publicly. Apart from sports star Mitcham, who was happy to talk, everyone else was said to be “too busy”. MORE
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Stigma drives HIV-positive gay men’s sexual risk-taking
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Roger Pebody, Friday, March 06, 2009 |
HIV-positive gay men’s experiences of stigma and rejection by sexual partners strongly influence their involvement in casual sex and discourage them from practicing many risk-reduction strategies, report Sigma Research in their Relative Safety II report published this week.
The men they interviewed wished to balance their desire for sexual pleasure with a need to maintain their sense of moral integrity, but were often unable to avoid sex which could result in HIV transmission.
To follow up a similar study published a decade ago, Adam Bourne and colleagues interviewed 42 gay men with diagnosed HIV about their sexual practices and management of risk. The in-depth, qualitative interviews focused on recent experiences of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), and to take part in the study, men had to have had unprotected sex in the past year. Therefore it’s important to note that the study does not reflect the experiences of the one-third of gay men with HIV who do not practice UAI in any given year.
The researchers attempted to include in the sample a mix of respondents from London and Manchester as well as lower prevalence areas, and also ensure diversity in terms of age and time since diagnosis.
All respondents were aware that they could transmit HIV through unprotected anal intercourse, and almost all said that they would never want to be responsible for doing so. Men more recently diagnosed tended to be particularly preoccupied by this concern, often avoiding sex altogether for a period after diagnosis.
In terms of the other harms which unprotected sex could give rise to, men tended to feel that sexually transmitted infections were rarely serious, although a few were more concerned about hepatitis C. Whilst some recently diagnosed men felt that HIV superinfection was an issue, men who had been diagnosed for longer usually believed that clinicians had deliberately exaggerated its importance.
Of more concern, however, were the emotional, psychological and social harms that unprotected sex could lead to. If men failed to live up to their own ethical guidelines, this could lead to inner turmoil. Moreover, some respondents described the perceived irresponsible behaviour of other HIV-positive men in order to highlight their own moral integrity. Having unprotected anal intercourse posed a threat both to a man’s positive sense of self and to the way in which other gay men saw him.
The researchers argue that men’s concerns about rejection and stigma shape they way they manage risk. Disclosure leaves men vulnerable to significant harm, including violent reactions and anxiety about ex-partners using police investigations as retribution, as well as rejection leading to emotional upset and problems finding sexual partners. In a community that often remains hostile to people with HIV, men’s instinct for self-preservation often leads them to choose behaviours where disclosure is felt to be unnecessary.
For example, many men used saunas, not just because sex was readily available, but also because the men assumed that almost all other sauna users were HIV-positive. Like online chat rooms or HIV support group meetings, saunas were thought to be ‘HIV positive spaces’ where men had implicitly announced their HIV status simply by being there. This allowed men to have unprotected sex there without an explicit discussion of HIV status, but leaving them with their sense of personal integrity intact.
In some settings, some men tried to avoid disclosure but maintain their sense of moral integrity by suggesting to sexual partners that it would be a good idea to use a condom. Nonetheless one man described how these suggestions prompted one sexual partner to ask directly whether he had HIV. When he said yes, the man became angry and left.
Another form of implicit disclosure that men tried was ticking ‘safer sex needs discussion’ on a Gaydar internet profile. Few men explicitly advertised their HIV status on their profile, but might mention it during private instant messaging. The respondents described ambiguities and misunderstandings in disclosure on the internet, but generally found that the internet enabled them to screen potential partners with less fear of disappointment or reprisal.
Nonetheless, the researchers found that men used risk reduction strategies to quite a limited extent. No respondents mentioned reducing the duration of anal intercourse or the impact that viral load or a sexually transmitted infection could have on the risk of transmission. Just a few men discussed the greater risk of infection for the receptive partner or the possible benefit of withdrawing before ejaculation.
Some men did practice some form of sero-sorting (seeking partners of the same HIV status) and respondents said that it allowed them to have uninhibited sex where HIV status did not remain the most salient concern throughout.
Nonetheless the researchers stress that no man exclusively practiced sero-sorting in a way that could guarantee that both partners had the same HIV status. Disclosure was often implicit (by being in a sauna, for example) or was not reciprocal. The respondent may have made an upfront disclosure of HIV status, and assumed that if his partner was ready to carry on without condoms, then he must be positive too.
However the majority of men actually rejected the idea of sero-sorting. It was associated in their minds with high-risk, esoteric practices, and in the words of one respondent, men who are “going spreading it round because they are shagging willy-nilly”. Many men were at pains to distance themselves from this behaviour. They were appalled by the idea that unprotected sex could ever be a regular or planned activity, and so rejected sero-sorting, strategic positioning, withdrawal before ejaculation and other risk reduction strategies.
Nonetheless these same men had all had some unprotected sex. It tended to be described as an exceptional event, explained by circumstances such as substance use or a partner’s insistence. The researchers make it clear that a number of men lacked the self-confidence or negotiation skills to manage such situations. Many men aspired to use a condom every time, but were not able to fall back on risk reduction strategies when, for whatever reason, condoms weren’t used.
In their conclusion the researchers note several consequences of HIV related stigma: a reluctance to disclose and an encouragement to have anonymous sex; some interviewees’ rejection of other HIV-positive men and their behaviour; a desire not to engage with the idea that HIV risk is an integral part of sex; and the reluctance to use risk-reduction strategies.
However they also note that, for many men, there are direct contradictions between their intentions and their behaviour. Many men construct systems of belief about risk that enable them to have the sex they desire, whilst feeling that they are ‘moral enough’. They believe they are behaving responsibly, but HIV transmission may well be taking place.
The researchers recommend tailored prevention interventions for diagnosed men which take account of the centrality of stigma, and discuss unprotected sex in credible and informative ways. Moreover health professionals need to improve their skills in engaging men with these issues.
See Stigma drives HIV-positive gay men’s sexual risk-taking
Aidsmap -
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Study: Gays of color face greater discrimination in schools
(New York City) LGBT students of color face greater victimization at school, according to a new study.
The research paper: Shared Differences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students of Color in Our Nation’s Schools, was rele ased by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and …
New Web Campaign, Tell-Three.org, Encourages People To Talk About What It Means To Be LGBT
NEW YORK – Join the Impact has partnered with other national LGBT groups to develop a web based public education campaign, www.tell-three.org, to encourage LGBT people and their supporters to have three conversations with friends and family to help build support for LGBT equality.
“The passage of Prop 8 in California has motivated LGBT people and their supporters like never before,” said Amy Balliett of Join the Impact, a grass roots organization with more than 15,000 members that has helped to organize massive demonstrations throughout the U.S. since the November elections. “Now that we’ve had some time to get over our anger and sadness, we’re ready to act. And the single most important thing we can do to guarantee we don’t find ourselves on the losing side of another political campaign is to have conversations with our friends and family about what it means to be LGBT.”
Other organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union; Equality California; the Equality Federation; Freedom to Marry; The National Lesbian and Gay Task Force; the National Center for Lesbian Rights; and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, will be rolling out their own versions of the campaign on their websites. The goal of the campaign is for all LGBT groups and individuals to seize upon the momentum that has been generated since the passage of Proposition 8 in November and work together to tell their stories to build support for all of the issues affecting LGBT people.
“Harvey Milk was right on the money to encourage everyone to come out to their friends and family, but we know now that coming out alone isn’t enough,” said Matt Coles, Director of the ACLU LGBT Project. “To persuade others to support LGBT equality we need to have personal conversations with people that explain what its like to be LGBT. We need to talk about our relationships, the struggles we face as LGBT people, the ways our lives are the same and the ways they are different.”
Visitors to www.tell-three.org can find additional information on who to talk with and how to start these important conversations. There are also resources for those who want to learn more about the issues affecting LGBT people. But, as the website notes, the most important thing is for people to have personal conversations. The website encourages LGBT people to talk about their relationships, about growing up, and about how being LGBT has made them feel different from others in some respects and the same in others. Straight allies are encouraged to talk about their relationships with LGBT people and to speak up when they hear others make homophobic or transphobic comments.
The groups are encouraging everyone – members of national and local LGBT groups, individuals and couples supportive moms and dads, and allied friends and colleagues – to join the campaign and get people talking. The site makes it easy to spread the word to others to send an e-mail to their friends. Eventually there will also be opportunities for people to share their experiences on the site.
The campaign is also calling on bloggers and videographers to help spread the word by sharing their experiences of having these important conversations. “After Prop 8 passed, we spoke through demonstrations and we made ourselves heard. We need to take our voices beyond the streets into every home in America, and to do that we need to use every avenue available to sparking conversations,” added Balliett.
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Gays of color at highest risk in schools
(New York City) A study of LGBT students in the nation’s schools has found that students of color are the most vulnerable.
The study – Shared Differences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students of Color in Our Nation’s Schools – was prepared by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and …
