President Obama to Bestow Presidential Medal of Freedom on Harvey Milk

California Urges Governor to Sign Day Bill into Law

– Today announced that he will honor assassinated leader with the Presidential Medal of , the nation’s highest civilian honor recognizing significant contributions to the nation and the world. The will also honor Senator and legend , an open and longtime for the rights of the , , , and () community, with the Medal of on August 12.
understands that ’s reaches far beyond , and that his story is an to everyone who believes in and ,” said Geoff Kors, California () . “ risked everything to change the course of history and to secure many of the and protections we enjoy today. In light of receiving this incredible honor, we to sign the bill into law as a to ’s to end against the , , and community.”

Last year, sponsored the first bill in the country to officially honor , the nation’s first openly man elected to major political office, but the Governor vetoed it. Senator (D-) introduced the Day bill, sponsored by , again this year. The would require the governor to annually proclaim May 22 as Day, designating it as a “day of special significance,” to recognize ’s work to secure equal protections.

California () is the largest statewide , , , -rights in California. In the past , has strategically moved California from a state with extremely for individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil-rights protections in the nation. has passed over of and continues to advance through legislative , public and . www.eqca.org

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Human Rights Campaign Calls on the LGBT Community and Allies to Participate in National, Grassroots Push to Lobby Congress Face-to-Face

The Campaign, the nation’s largest , , and () , today launched a national, campaign called “No Excuses” to demand action from on key issues of . Designed to take advantage of the congressional , when are in their local offices and meeting with , “No Excuses” will mobilize ’s 750,000 and their to meet directly with and push for federal . and supporters can get involved by visiting: http://noexcuses.hrc.org.

“While we salute and acknowledge the heroic of who have worked tirelessly on our behalf, far too many have dragged their feet on basic matters of and that have lingered too long and hurt too many and their families,” said Campaign . “Yes, there are many facing this and this . But often additional hardship protecting their families, their loved ones and their , and too few in are willing to these issues of basic . Now, more than ever, of the community need to make their heard -to- and in the districts where they live.”

Using innovative , one-on-one trainings and staff and follow-through, will press to end in the military, treat all legally married equally, pass reform that recognizes and honors families, workplace for employees, and treat all ’ compensation equally.

The interactive “No Excuses” website allows supporters to download a meeting toolkit, schedule a meeting and report back on how it went. To take action, visit: http://noexcuses.hrc.org.

The in-district meetings will on the following key legislative in the 111th :

–Repeal the Defense of (), which denies legally married and more than 1,000 ;

–Prohibit workplace for the community by passing an inclusive Non- (ENDA);

–Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to ensure that service who contribute to our nation’s security are no longer summarily discharged for who they are;

–Pass reform that recognizes permanent same- and ends the painful separation of families;

–And provide benefits equally to the nearly 3 million employees, including same- .

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100 Nations Meet in Copenhagen to Celebrate and Fight for Homosexual Rights

COPENHAGEN, — This week, thousands of from across the will arrive in the to take part in the most important international event for , bi-sexual and - 2009. On the is one of the largest and most important conferences on rights the world has ever seen.

Nearly 100 nations will be represented, and up to 200,000 , and Copenhageners are expected to take part in 2009 from July 25 - August 2. Apart from focusing on for , a large number of theme and an extensive cultural and program will make Copenhagen the place to be.

“By hosting , will send a signal to the rest of the world that it should maintain on the right to whomsoever one wishes, irrespective of gender and . From Northern to South America, in Eastern and the Far East, there are battles to be fought - particularly for . We hope that and the thousands of from around 100 different countries will be able to spread the ,” says Uffe Elbaek, director of 2009.

The of is a major international conference being held in close with and IBM focusing on the necessity that all , irrespective of gender and should have .

“It is important for Copenhagen that issues concerning rights and can be discussed without . enables us to pay to the and that is such an innate part of the city. We are greatly looking forward to welcoming and ,” says , of .

A great variety of cultural activities will take place in Copenhagen during the event. Cities such as Melbourne, Tel Aviv, City, de Janeiro and Antwerp will contribute with , , dance and much more. Sporting throughout the city will include some 30 disciplines - such as ice hockey, beach volleyball and triathlon in Copenhagen’s harbor area. Apart from the cultural program and the sport , the city will be awash with a large number of free activities.

Also, a cruise with 2,600 passengers will be docking at Copenhagen during , and a mass blessing has been arranged at Copenhagen Cathedral offering special recognition by the Church to commemorate the of legally recognized same- civil in .

Facts and additional information about rights in :
http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/factsheetWOG
Read more about : http://www.copenhagen2009.org/
Official program: http://www.copenhagen2009.org/program
Download : http://www.copenhagen2009.org/photo

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Walter Cronkite: Defender of Gay Marriage

In all of the for , who died on July 17, 2009, one aspect of his personality has been omitted: He was an for the . And in this capacity, he came out squarely against the Defense of and tacitly for the right of Americans to marry.

In a he wrote for in 2003, when he was 86, Cronkite wrote, “, particularly those of the Christian right, are determined that and all must be banned by federal law, even perhaps by to our .”

had just become the first state to legalize . “,” he wrote, “particularly those of the Christian right, are determined that and all must be banned by federal law, even perhaps by to our .”
See Walter Cronkite: Defender of Gay Marriage

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Eating Disorders in Straight and Gay Men

Dr. Kathryn , professor of psychiatry at Oregon and University and a on , recently took readers’ questions on anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other problems. Here, she responds to one reader’s question about in men.

Q

In recent years, an increasing number of men have been diagnosed with , and not just , but also disorders like that have traditionally been associated with women. (Full : I am one such man.)

Does this represent men wanting to take on feminine roles, or feeling that they cannot relate at all to traditional, ultra-macho of , and want to take on a more “feminine” persona? Does it differ for and men? To what do you attribute the recent rise in these disorders among men?

See Eating Disorders in Straight and Gay Men

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Obama urges lesbian, gay patience overturning ‘unjust laws’

Remarks by at the Month Reception, June 29, 2009

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Hello, hello, hello. (.) Hey! Good to see you. (.) I’m waiting for FLOTUS here. FLOTUS always more than .

MRS. : No, you move too slow. (.)

THE : It is great to see everybody here today and they’re just — I’ve got a of in the room, but there are some I want to especially acknowledge. First of all, somebody who helped ensure that we are in the , Steve Hildebrand. Please give Steve a big round of . (.) Where’s Steve? He’s around here somewhere. (.)

The new chair of the Export-Import Bank, . (.) Where’s Fred? There’s Fred. Good to see you, Fred. Our Director of the Institute of Sciences at DOE, . Where’s John? (.) A couple of special — Bishop Gene Robinson. Where’s Gene? (.) Hey, Gene. Michael Guest is here. (.) Jim is here. (.) Oregon is here. (.) All of you are here. ( and .) Welcome to your . (.) So.

MEMBER: (Inaudible.) (.)

THE : Somebody asked from the Bedroom here. (.) You knew I was from Chicago too. (.)

It’s good to see so many and familiar , and I deeply appreciate the support I’ve received from so many of you. Michelle appreciates it and I want you to know that you have our support as well. (.) And you have my thanks for the work you do every day in pursuit of

on behalf of the millions of in this country who work hard and care about their communities — and who are , , , or . (.)

Now this , I don’t need to tell you, is incredibly difficult, although I think it’s important to consider the extraordinary progress that we have made. There are to overturn and unfair practices to stop. And though we’ve made progress, there are still , perhaps or even family and loved ones, who still hold fast to worn arguments and old ; who fail to see your families like their families; and who would deny you the rights that most Americans take for granted. And I know this is painful and I know it can be heartbreaking.

And yet all of you continue, leading by the force of the arguments you make but also by the power of the example that you set in your own lives — as and , as PTA and leaders in the community. And that’s important, and I’m glad that so many families could join us today. (.) For we know that progress depends not only on changing laws but also changing hearts. And that real, transformative change never begins in Washington (cellphone “quacks”). Whose duck is back there? (.)

MRS. : It’s a duck.

THE : There’s a duck quacking in there somewhere. (.) Where do you guys get these ring tones, by the way? (.) I’m just curious. (.)

Indeed, that’s the story of the movement for and — not just for those who are , but for all those in our history who’ve been denied the of ; who’ve been told that the full and opportunities of this country were closed to them. It’s the story of progress sought by those who started off with little influence or power; by who brought about change through quiet, personal acts of compassion and and sometimes defiance wherever and whenever they could.

That’s the story of a who’s here today, , who was fired — (.) Frank was fired from his as an astronomer for the simply because he was . And in 1965, he a outside the , which was at the time both an of but also an of extraordinary . And so we are proud of you, Frank, and we are grateful to you for your . (.)

It’s the story of the , which took place 40 years ago this week, when a group of — with few and fewer supporters — decided they’d had enough and refused to accept a policy of wanton . And who were at those are here today. Imagine the journey that they’ve traveled.

It’s the story of an that decimated a community — and the who came to support one another and save one another; and who continue to fight this ; and who demonstrated before the world that different kinds of families can show the same compassion and support in a time of need — that we all share the capacity to .

So this story, this , continues today — for even as we extraordinary as a nation, we cannot — and will not — put aside issues of basic . (.) We seek an America in which no one feels the pain of based on who you are or who you .

And I know that many in this room don’t believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that. It’s not for me to tell you to be patient, any more than it was for others to counsel patience to who were petitioning for a half-century ago.

But I say this: We have made progress and we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by I’ve made, but by the that my administration keeps. And by the time you receive — (.) We’ve been in office now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good about the administration. (.)

Now while there is much more work to do, we can point to important changes we’ve already put in place since coming into office. I’ve signed a memorandum requiring all agencies to extend as many federal benefits as possible to families as law allows.

And these are benefits that will make a real difference for and , who are so often treated as if their families don’t exist. And I’d like to note that one of the key in helping us develop this policy is , our director of the , who is here today. And I want to thank . (.)

I’ve called on to repeal the so-called Defense of to help end — () — to help end against same- in this country. Now I want to add we have a duty to uphold existing law, but I believe we must do so in a way that does not exacerbate old divides. And fulfilling this duty in upholding the law in no way lessens my commitment to reversing this law. I’ve made that clear.

I’m also urging to pass the Benefits and Obligations , which will the full range of benefits, including healthcare, to and their children. (.) My administration is also working hard to pass an employee bill and hate-crimes bill, and we’re making progress on both fronts. (.) Judy and Dennis Shepard, as well as their son Logan, are here today. I with Judy in the in May — () — and I assured her and I assured all of you that we are going to pass an inclusive hate-crimes bill into law, a bill named for their son Matthew. (.)

In addition, my administration is committed to rescinding the discriminatory ban on entry to the based on status. (.) The just concluded a review of a to repeal this entry ban, which is a first and very big step toward ending this policy.

And we all know that / continues to be a public threat in many communities, including right here in the District of . And that’s why this past Saturday, on National Testing Day, I was proud once again to encourage all Americans to know their status and get tested the way Michelle and I know our status and got tested. (.)

And finally, I want to say a word about “don’t ask, don’t tell.” As I said before — I’ll say it again — I believe “don’t ask, don’t tell” doesn’t contribute to our . (.) In fact, I believe preventing patriotic Americans from serving their country weakens our . (.)

Now, my administration is already working with the and of the House and the on how we’ll go about ending this policy, which will require an of .

Someday, I’m confident, we’ll look back at this and ask why it generated such angst, but as , in a time of war, I do have a responsibility to see that this change is administered in a practical way and a way that takes over the long term. That’s why I’ve asked the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint to develop a plan for how to thoroughly implement a repeal.

I know that every day that passes without a resolution is a deep to those who continue to be discharged under this policy — patriots who often possess critical and years of training and who’ve served this country well. But what I hope is that these cases underscore the urgency of reversing this policy not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is essential for our .

Now even as we take these steps, we must recognize that real progress depends not only on the laws we change but, as I said before, on the hearts we open. For if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that there are good and decent in this country who don’t yet fully embrace their — not yet.

That’s why I’ve spoken about these issues not just in front of you, but in front of unlikely audiences — in front of African American church , in front of other audiences that have traditionally resisted these changes. And that’s what I’ll continue to do so. That’s how we’ll shift . That’s how we’ll honor the of leaders like Frank and many others who have refused to accept anything less than full and equal .

Now 40 years ago, in the of at a place called the Inn, a group of , including a few who are here today, as I said, defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement.

It was the middle of the night. The police stormed the bar, which was known for being one of the few spots where it was safe to be in New York. Now raids like this were entirely ordinary. Because it was considered obscene and illegal to be , no establishments for and could get licenses to operate. The of these businesses, combined with the vulnerability of the community itself, meant places like , and the inside, were often the victims of and .

Now ordinarily, the would come and the customers would disperse. But on this night, something was different. There are many accounts of what happened, and much has been to history, but what we do know is this: didn’t leave. They stood their ground. And over the course of several nights they declared that they had seen enough in their time.

This was an against not just what they experienced that night, but what they had experienced their whole lives. And as with so many movements, it was also something more: It was at this defining moment that these folks who had been marginalized up to challenge not just how the world saw them, but also how they saw themselves.

As we’ve seen so many times in history, once that takes hold there is little that can stand in its way. (.) And the riots at gave way to , and gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a that continues to this day. It continues when a fights for her right to at the hospital bedside of a she loves. It continues when a is called a name for being different and says, “So what if I am?” It continues in your work and in your , in your fight to freely live your lives to the fullest.

In one year after the , a few hundred and and their supporters gathered at the Inn to a historic march for . But when they reached Central Park, the few hundred that began the march had swelled to 5,000. Something had changed, and it would never change back.

The is when these folks protested at 40 years ago no one could have imagined that you — or, for that matter, I () — would be standing here today. (.) So we are all witnesses to monumental changes in this country.

That should give us hope, but we cannot rest. We must continue to do our part to make progress — step by step, law by law, mind by changing mind. And I want you to know that in this task I will not only be your friend, I will continue to be an and a and a who fights with you and for you.

Thanks very much, everybody. bless you. (.) Thank you. It’s a little stuffed in here. We’re going to open — we opened up that door. We’re going to walk this way, and then we’re going to come around and we’ll see some of you over there, all right? (.) But out there. (.)

But thank you very much, all, for being here. Enjoy the . Thank you. (.) ###

See Obama urges lesbian, gay patience overturning ‘unjust laws’ (text)

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Obama speaks at LGBT reception

delivered comments about at a to .

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Chicago statue honoring gay activist stolen

(Chicago) A statue containing the ashes of a Chicago activist was stolen from an Uptown this past weekend, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The statue was created as a to activist and attorney Mary York. The statue was a replica of the that …

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Study: Gays not ‘godless Christian bashers’

This breaking news in from The — a of and habits, particularly of the : folks’ about spirituality aren’t much different from . These and other “surprising insights” were in Barna’s spiritual profile of gays released Monday. In it was a bit of a political heeding for -:

who portray as godless, hedonistic, Christian are not working with the facts,” wrote Monday. “A of cite their as a central facet of their life, consider themselves to be Christian, and claim to have some type of meaningful to Christ active in their .”

“It is interesting to see that most , who have some history within the Christian Church, have rejected orthodox biblical teachings and principles — but, in many cases, to nearly the same degree that the Christian has rejected those same teachings and principles,” Barna said. “Although there are clearly some in the and practices of the straight and , there may be less of a spiritual between straights and than many Americans would assume.”

Now there will be some quibbling with a couple of Barna’s assumptions. Like how Barna pegs the at about 3 percent of the . No, he doesn’t believe in the 1-in-10 stat, but then again, says it’s more like 5 percent, depending how you count.

That aside, the Barnanians found that “out of the 20 -oriented attributes examined in the Barna study, there were just a few in which there were no significant differences between the and .”

Hmm. “No significant differences between the and ”(s)? Does Donald Wildmon know about this?

One big diff, according to the study: “While seven out of every ten (71 percent) have an orthodox, biblical of , just 43 percent of do. In fact, an equal percentage possesses a pantheistic view about deity — i.e., that ‘’ refers to any of a variety of , such as personally achieving a state of higher consciousness or maximized personal potential, or that there are multiple gods that exist, or even that everyone is .”

Another diff: “ were twice as likely as to strongly agree that the is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches.”

And in the timeliness is next to godliness (OK, and cleanliness) dept: On Monday a crew of organizations supporting same are launching their Get Engaged Tour of California — a pump-priming tour of the state in advance of an expected 2010 campaign expected later this year. We told you about it a while back. leaders will be prominently featured on this tour, as opposed to last year’s anti-Proposition 8 campaign, when they were largely invisible.

“Our -based values require us to our as ourselves,” said Pastor Samuel Chu, of California for . “ and are our and they should be able to enjoy the , and commitment that come with .”

Posted By: Joe Garofoli (Email) | June 22 2009 at 12:25 PM

See Study: Gays not ‘godless Christian bashers’ 5:12 PM

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Here Networks LLC and Its Publishing Affiliate Complete Merger Deal With PlanetOut Inc.

Here Networks LLC announced today the completion of the of Here Networks LLC and its publishing affiliate, which includes the publications The and Out, with Inc. (formerly-traded under the , ). The new public company resulting from this will be named Here Media Inc. with Stephen P. Jarchow serving as Chairman and Paul Colichman serving as .

On Wednesday, June 10, 2009 , the holders of a majority of the of Inc. voted to approve the proposed .

“The close of this deal represents an exciting moment for across the ,” said Stephen P. Jarchow and Paul Colichman . “We look forward to bringing that will enhance the and keep our customers engaged.”

Here Media now becomes the premier for providing news and to the community. The company is also uniquely positioned to provide advertisers opportunities to reach its niche across platforms including , online, , and filmed . Here Media’s unmatched reach positions the company as a leader in creating an interactive with across all its iconic brands.

Jarchow and Colichman, along with Inc. Chairman Phil Kleweno , will serve as the initial of Here Media.

About Here Media

Here Media, Inc. produces and distributes across all platforms worldwide. Here Media’s iconic brands distribute media and programming with universal, humanistic appeal. Its include theaters, , VOD, broadband, online, print and mobile. It earns subscription, and licensing revenue from its award-winning content.

Here Media owns and operates a variety of media including:

Paul Colichman is Officer of Here Media and Stephen P. Jarchow is Chairman. Together, they have produced and/or distributed over 200 motion pictures including (R) winners “Gods and ” and “Departures”.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to the historical information contained herein, this contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Here Media’s plans to new technologies and user ., .These statements include those containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” and similar words. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the operating history and variability of operating results of Here Media and its subsidiaries; ability to achieve its operating plan; competition; timing and of product launches; of efforts; and dependence on technology infrastructure, cable and satellite operators and the Internet. Additional information concerning factors that could affect Here Media’s future business and financial results is included in Here Media’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at the ’s website at www.sec.gov.

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