Guide urges gay-friendliness

Immigrants to Canada are now required to know that gays and lesbians have marriage rights.

Guide urges gay-friendliness

Immigrants to Canada are now required to know that gays and lesbians have marriage rights.

ACLU files suit in Montana

On behalf of seven gay couples, the ACLU is suing for marriage rights in Montana.

ACLU files suit in Montana

On behalf of seven gay couples, the ACLU is suing for marriage rights in Montana.

ACLU files suit in Montana

On behalf of seven gay couples, the ACLU is suing for marriage rights in Montana.

Monday Watercoooler: DADT surveys and DOMA briefs

SLDN advises gay and lesbian soldiers not to participate in DADT survey: Last week the Pentagon sent out 400,000 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell surveys to enlisted men and women. While the Defense Department maintains it plans to keep all responses confidential, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Networkwarns gay troops to tread lightly when filling out the form (they are due on August 15). “As a legal services group, our focus is on ensuring adequate legal protections for those gay and lesbian service members that participate in the surveys,” said Aubrey Sarvis, SLDN’s executive director. “We continue to have discussions with DOD and are working to make sure gay and lesbian service members are protected. At this time, our warning stands that gay and lesbian service members should not take the survey unless adequate legal protections are put in place.” When it comes DADT matters, SLDN is on target. Pay attention to them soldiers. Oh, and by the way? The survey questions are ridiculous!

Spain wins the World Cup. Congrats to Spain for its victory (unfortunately it was marred by terror attacks in Uganda). With the tournament over, American conservatives can stop whining and now enjoy their manly, non-socialistic, sports in peace.

White House to introduce national AIDS strategy. On Tuesday the Obama administration will present its national AIDS/HIV strategy. Considering how AIDS advocates are taking the White House to task, this new policy will do one of two things: a) quiet his critics, b) show that when the topic is gay this White House is utterly tone deaf.

Manhattan Borough President will get married in the Nutmeg State. Scott Stinger, a “New Yorka” through and through, plans to marry fiancée Elyse Buxbaum in Connecticut later this year. Why? As a protest for the lack of marriage rights in the Empire State. “If enough people who have somewhat of a profile — not just politicians, but artists and business leaders — start going into Massachusetts or Connecticut and show New York how embarrassing it is that you can’t get a marriage license for same-sex couples, then we will change things.”

Whose that girl? Rachel Maddow had an old school look back in the day. Bet she broke many young hearts!

Suspect arrested in year old murder. Paulina Ibarra, a transgendered woman, was murdered in her Hollywood home in August 2009. Last week the police arrested Jesus Catalan as a suspect. The case is being investigated as a hate crime.

What will Obama do with DOMA? TheAtlantic’s Marc Ambinder says the Justice Department is going to take its sweet time trying to decide how to handle last week’s DOMA decision. Makes sense. No matter what path he takes, Obama will be slammed. He can only win with gay marriage advocates by opposing DOMA. That is never going to happen. As for the other side, it’s convinced he is a same-sex marriage advocate. You know it’s bad when Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, charged the Justice Department with “deliberately sabotag[ing] this case.” Drama queen.

Heat wave. Last week the East Coast was hit with crazy heat. The best way to survive high temps is to ogle at shirtless men.

Withers: Outing is a gimmick best left in the last century

Blogger Mike Rogers has gone nuclear against Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk. The politician earned Rogers’ ire because of his pro DADT vote last week—only five House Republicans voted for repeal.
“In an effort to move the base in the Illinois Senate race , Kirk decided to tack right and that means throwing the gays (like him) under the bus.”

Rogers talks about anonymous sources who insist Kirk is gay (2 of them allege they had sex with the guy). The blogger recounts his own Kirk past (no sex involved). The two met at a 2004 Washington, DC party, and the Republican outed himself in a casual conversation. Kirk apparently was into the male friend who brought Rogers to the soiree. Between 2001 and last year, the Republican was married to Kimberly Vertolli.

Rogers airs all of this because he thinks Kirk’s DADT vote stinks with hypocrisy. Fair point, but the reporter never explains why supporting DADT is problematic. He kicks open Kirk’s alleged glass closet because of pique over a vote. When the Republican was OK on gay issues, at least according to the Human Rights Campaign, there was no need to share any of this. In the world according to Rogers, vote right and you can stay on the closet. Cross him and your laundry will be made public.

I’m in the minority about this, but outing is an ineffective political strategy. It gins up our moral outrage, but where are the tangible political gains? Are we closer to the repeal of DADT? Marriage rights? An ENDA vote?

Outside of seeing someone squirm under the media glare, the freedom movement, such as it is, is not advanced by sifting through supposed closed door habits.