Gay Rights Media Feed

Black GOP political consultant Raynard Jackson's latest guest post doesn't pull any punches about the soon-to-be former governor of Alaska. -- PamDuring last year's presidential election, Alaska governor Sarah Palin infamously accused Barack Obama of "pallin' around with terrorists." Of course this was an outright lie. So, after last Friday's press announcement that she was resigning her position as governor, one might rightly conclude that she has been "pallin' around with incompetence." But, in her case, this much is true. When John McCain named her as his running-mate, the presidential campaign was effectively over. This will go down as the worst vice presidential pick in history! She brought absolutely nothing to the ticket. If you are still trying to solidify your base of support in August before a November election, you are in big trouble. A young (45 years old), somewhat decent looking female who could read a teleprompter fairly well, was supposed to help win an election? What...

In El Paso, a gay couple was kicked out of a restaurant for kissing. If that wasn't bad enough, the police who showed up apparently didn't know the law: The officer informed the group it was illegal for two men or two women to kiss in public, de Leon said. The five were told they could be cited for homosexual conduct - a charge the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 2003 in Lawrence v. Texas. That same year, the city of El Paso passed an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation by employees of the city and by businesses open to the public. And you're going to love this quotation from the detective on the case: Continue reading "Didn't you hear? Kissing has been banned!"...

Laura Valenziano, as an 18-year employee with United Health Group, is advocating to make her workplace a safe place for GLBT employees. Valenziano has been advocating within the company as a member of the team seeking to establish a GLBT affinity group within United Health Group. And, last month, Valenziano became an ...

Attorney General Martha Coakley, the top lawyer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, sued the federal government on July 8 seeking to overturn a section of the obnoxious and hurtful Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). read more

Two men who kissed at one of five Chico's Tacos restaurants in El Paso, Tex., were kicked out by guards—and local law enforcement supported the ejection, citing non-existent laws regarding homosexual conduct in public. The men and three friends were...

HOW YOU VANT IT TO BE: "...Baby One More Time" re-invented. THE SWIM OF THINGS: More on that racist episode at a Philly club. ITALIAN SAUSAGE: Michael Buble's racy joke on Chelsea Lately. "BEHIND" THE SCENES: Armani's shoot with Posh...

(Washington)  A group of AIDS activists was arrested Thursday for unlawfully demonstrating in the Capitol rotunda, a Capitol Police spokeswoman said. Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said 11 men and 15 women each face a charge of unlawful assembly, disorderly conduct and loud and boisterous behavior. Their names and ages were not immediately ...

Over the 12 years of living my life as Monica, I have been privileged to learn many things about the TBLG community, but mostly about the trans community. The biggest lesson in my short life as a woman has been the diversity of our people. Trans individuals have covered every ...

*Audio source: Focus on the Family Daily : Issues of Concern: July 2009 (07/09/09) [FOF] - (:14 & :22) It's probably not the best idea to use the word "kill" when talking about the LGBT community's attempts to deal with...

I am on the ground in Syracuse preparing for next week’s court trial involving the murder of Lateisha Green. I will be in Syracuse with a couple of our sister organizations throughout the entire trial working with both the family and media outlets covering this profoundly sad story. On November 14, 2008, “Teish,” a young African [...]

Today is election day in our campaign to elect Batwoman the first crime-fighting lesbian Jewish mayor of DC! Vote Batwoman for DC Mayor Voting is today until 6pm EST. You can vote from anywhere in the world. Batwoman on why she is running for mayor: 'I have spent the majority of my life focused on building stronger communities, fighting violent crime and corruption and advocating equality for all residents,' says Batwoman. 'My father instilled in me the values of hard work and commitment to service. I have taken those lessons I learned as a girl and have applied them to my adult life as a crime-fighting super hero.' Continue reading "Vote Batwoman: because we need a crime-fighting lesbian Jewish mayor"...

The stalemate in the New York State Senate is over in the same way it began. (NY Times) The bitter standoff that has paralyzed the New York Senate for nearly five weeks ended on Thursday, when a senator from the Bronx who had defected to the Republicans returned to the Democratic fold, giving the party the [...]

4:30ET on Signorile... Bilerico and anti-Rockstar leader duke it out

Friday Fun: Will mayoral candidate be city's first Jewish lesbian Mayor? In mock election, Batwoman takes the lead in fighting parking tickets

Today I saw in one of my Diversity Inc. updates that the energy drink brand has donated $100,000 to gay and lesbian organizations. I think it’s worth acknowledging that the brand is making such a contribution during the still-in-effect-recession. I...

Yesterday, I expressed concerns about whether or not the dysfunctional New York State Senate would ever get around to voting on the marriage equality bill that had already passed the Assembly. With the governor ready to sign, the rights for the LGBT New Yorkers to marry seemed within reach.Not anymore. With the asinine antics this passed month brought on by the June 8 coup, the self-centered

Editors' Note: Guest blogger Sue Hyde is a Massachusetts resident and Director of the the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. Attorney General Martha Coakley, the top lawyer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, sued the federal government on July 8 seeking to overturn a section of the obnoxious and hurtful Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Lawsuits on behalf of same-sex couples seeking full marriage equality are not new. In fact, Minnesotans Jack Baker and James Michael McConnell filed the first lawsuit in 1970 that challenged discrimination they faced when they attempted to apply for a marriage license and were refused. Since that time, lawyers go boldly where legislative advocates rightfully may fear to tread. Ms. Coakley's lawsuit, however, stands literally in a class by itself... all by itself. The DOMA challenge brought by the Commonwealth marks the first time that a state has challenged the constitutionality of a federal law...

Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster Like “Beaver” [Indie Wire]

Rockstar Energy Drink CEO Russell Weiner announced that his company will be donating $100,000 to several prominent LGBT organizations and expanding the company's LGBT corporate policies. The beverage company showed its support for the LGBT community in order to distance itself from Weiner's father, the far-right radio talk show host Michael ...

If you all haven't been following, there's been a completely fucked up story developing in Lansing over the city's use of undercover cops to crack down on cruising and the abuse of power going on there. I don't believe for one second that the tactics they're using in Lansing have been isolated in that city. The police know that people arrested in those stings won't fight back so, without any real check on their power, they go wild. Todd Heywood's been doing a great job investigating the May stings in Lansing and uncovering some of the corruption involved. And the only way that these sorts of stings will stop is through outside exposure, since the men who get arrested typically aren't willing to apply that pressure themselves. As we saw with Larry Craig, even a sitting US Senator will avoid talking to his lawyer about these charges. The specific sting he's been investigating happened last May, and, per usual, the police said that they were responding to citizen complaints. I always...

In honor of Bruno's opening today, check out this love him/hate him piece from the New York Daily News. "Show me someone who's really offended by [the character] Bruno and I'll show you a highly self-righteous person," says psychiatrist Mark...

Transphobia & Cisgender Privilege http://tr.im/rLUL

The bottom line is that while service members like Dan Choi receive discharge papers, the U.S. military has been recruiting from a putrid pool of candidates -- neo-Nazis, skinheads and gangbangers. The Southern Poverty Law Center has been documenting evidence of extremist groups infiltrating the military with members maintaining social network profiles linking them to fringe, violent movements. Your tax dollars are being spent to train future domestic terrorists. In a letter to committee chairmen with oversight over homeland security and the armed services, the SPLC said it recently found dozens of personal profiles on a neo-Nazi website where individuals listed "military" as their occupation - the latest evidence of extremist infiltration gathered by the SPLC. It also cites FBI and Department of Homeland Security reports supporting the SPLC's concerns. "Evidence continues to mount that current Pentagon policies are inadequate to prevent racial extremists from joining and serving in...

Of all the cashing-in efforts we've seen from our far-right opposition, this one takes the nothing-for-something cake. An organization that calls itself "Defend Marriage" is selling so-called "Marriage War Bonds." For increments of ten or one hundred dollars, folks can...

Chris Geidner has gotten some reactions from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, and the ACLU concerning the letter from the America Foundation for Equal Rights (the group behind the Olson and Boies lawsuit challenging Prop 8) sent to those groups demanding that they not seek to intervene in the suit: Looking at [AFER [...]

Being gay can be a constant struggle between just trying to live a normal life and not butting heads with all the idiots of the world who try and stop you from doing so. Though many of us are lucky enough to never have been the victims of homophobic violence, everyone has probably been insulted by another's words. With that in mind, this week's staff survey question is as follows: What is the most offensive thing that any one has ever said to you about your being gay?

Editors' Note: Sara's story started with "Manfriend, Mania and the Dead Puppy" and continued with "A Surprise and Getaway Plan." You'll want to read them too to catch up before this episode begins. This is the hard part. On Tuesday morning, Mama was up first, coffee made, and ready to read a passage from the bible for inspiration. Mama was staying with us to keep us safe, keep Manfriend away, and I have to say was a generally pleasant person to be around. My standards were pretty low by that time but I mean it. She was a kind woman. We drove the puppy to the pound, after I spent an hour wondering if I could keep it. The animal shelters in Georgia are not "no kill" facilities. I thought the puppy had been through enough but I also knew I was driving home with my sister, enough animals, and to add them to the regular ol' chaos of three boys, summer vacation... well, even I knew it would be too much. The pound was a miserable place and I really don't want to say anymore than that about...

What a great week to be in Salt Lake City!  Here’s a fine, if not too long, list of events for 7/9 – 7/16.

While state Sen. Tom Duane might sound resigned, the Empire State Pride Agenda is more optimistic about marriage equality's NY-based future: Pride Agenda statement on the end of the State Senate stalemate Statement by Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director...