Tag: LGBT rights

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Madonna: Gay Rights Are More Advanced Than Women’s Rights

Photo by Mert and Marcus

Speaking to Out Magazine, LGBT ally Madonna declares that the gay rights movement has surpassed the women’s rights movement:

“Gay rights are way more advanced than women’s rights. People are a lot more open-minded to the gay community than they are to women, period.

“It’s moved along for the gay community, for the African-American community, but women are still just trading on their ass. To me, the last great frontier is women.

“Women are still the most marginalized group. They’re still the group that people won’t let change.

“You’re still categorized – you’re still either a virgin or a whore. If you’re a certain age, you’re not allowed to express your sexuality, be single, or date younger men.”

Madge’s new album, Rebel Heart, drops today. Click here to check it out on iTunes.

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Handy Dandy Field Guide For Spotting Homophobic Laws

Our intrepid Matt Baume brings us this handy-dandy Field Guide for spotting and stopping the sneaky new homophobic laws cloaking themselves from coast to coast.

They’re stealthily stealing civil rights from everyone — gay and straight. Don’t wake up to discover all of your civil rights have been gobbled up in the night!

Part 2 continues with ways to stand up to the menacing monsters.

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U.S. State Department Names Randy Berry Special Envoy For Global LGBT Rights

Having served as the consul general for the U.S. Consulates in Auckland and Amsterdam, openly gay Randy Berry has been named as a special Envoy for Global LGBT Rights.

Secretary of State John Kerry made the announcement today.

From the Washington Blade:

“Randy’s a leader,” said Secretary of State John Kerry in a statement to the Washington Blade. “He’s a motivator. But most importantly for this effort, he’s got vision. Wherever he’s served — from Nepal to New Zealand, from Uganda to Bangladesh, from Egypt to South Africa, and most recently as consul general in Amsterdam — Randy has excelled. He’s a voice of clarity and conviction on human rights. And I’m confident that Randy’s leadership as our new special envoy will significantly advance efforts underway to move towards a world free from violence and discrimination against LGBT persons.”

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, issued this statement of support:

“At a moment when many LGBT people around the world are facing persecution and daily violence, this unprecedented appointment shows a historic commitment to the principle that LGBT rights are human rights,” he said. “President Obama and Secretary Kerry have shown tremendous leadership in championing the rights of LGBT people abroad. Now, working closely with this new envoy, we’ve got to work harder than ever to create new allies, push back on human rights violators, and support the brave leaders and organizations that fight for LGBT rights around the world.”

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Human Rights Campaign In Mississippi – “All God’s Children”

The Human Rights Campaign shares this 2nd installment in their campaign – All God’s Children – a public education and engagement campaign that aims to strengthen the foundation of public support for LGBT Mississippians.

The goal is to aid in the passage of pro-equality legislation, and bolster efforts to win marriage equality for Mississippi’s LGBT couples.

In addition, the HRC also has a program called “Project One America” targeting Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi with a comprehensive, multi-year campaign to dramatically expand LGBT equality in the South.

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Colin Farrell Pens Public Appeal for LGBT Rights

Colin Farrell has written a public appeal for LGBT rights for Sunday World wherein he talks on growing up with his openly gay brother, Eamon.

Farrell shares that, having never seen a gay couple while he was growing up, he had no reference to what “gay” meant, just that his brother was. He also shares  the abuse his brother endured while in school.

I think I found out my brother wasn’t grovelling in heterosexual mud like most boys our age when I was around 12. I remember feeling surprised. Intrigued. Curious. Not bi-curious before you start getting ideas.

I was curious because it was different from anything I’d known or heard of and yet it didn’t seem unnatural to me. I had no reference for the existence of homosexuality. I had seen, by that age, no gay couples together. I just knew my brother liked men and, I repeat, it didn’t seem unnatural to me.

My brother Eamon didn’t choose to be gay. Yes, he chose to wear eyeliner to school and that probably wasn’t the most pragmatic response to the daily torture he experienced at the hands of school bullies.

But he was always proud of who he was. Proud and defiant and, of course, provocative. Even when others were casting him out with fists and ridicule and the laughter of pure loathsome derision, he maintained an integrity and dignity that flew in the face of the cruelty that befell him.

I don’t know where those bullies are now, the ones who beat him regularly. Maybe some of them have found peace and would rather forget their own part of a painful past. Maybe they’re sitting on bar stools and talking about “birds and faggots” and why one’s the cure and the other the disease.

But I do know where my brother is. He’s at home in Dublin living in peace and love with his husband of some years, Steven. They are about the healthiest and happiest couple I know. They had to travel a little farther than down the aisle to make their vows, though, to Canada, where their marriage was celebrated.

That’s why this is personal to me. The fact that my brother had to leave Ireland to have his dream of being married become real is insane. INSANE.

It’s time to right the scales of justice here. To sign up and register to vote next year so that each individual’s voice can be heard

How often do we get to make history in our lives? Not just personal history. Familial. Social. Communal. Global. The world will be watching. We will lead by example. Let’s lead toward light.

Class act, Colin. And thank you.

Ireland will be voting on marriage equality soon; but to be eligible to vote folks must register by November 25th.

A recent poll shows 67% of Irish voters support civil marriage for gays and lesbians.

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Alabama: Apple CEO Tim Cook Calls Out His Home State On LGBT Rights

Speaking at the Alabama Academy of Honor induction, in front of Governor Robert Bentley, Apple CEO Tim Cook (who has never publicly come out) addressed LGBT rights in his home state:

“I could never understand why some within our state and nation resisted basic principles of human dignity that were so opposite to the values I had learned growing up in Robertsdale, Alabama in a family that was rich in love and respect.”

“We were too slow on equality on African-Americans. We were too slow on interracial marriage. And we are still too slow on equality for the LBGT community.”

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American Bar Association: LGBT people entitled to basic human rights & protections

The American Bar Association has adopted a resolution that declares LGBT people have a right to be free of discrimination:

RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association recognizes that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have a human right to be free from discrimination, threats and violence based on their LGBT status and condemns all laws, regulations and rules or practices that discriminate on the basis that an individual is a LGBT person;

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges the governments of countries where such discriminatory laws, regulations, and practices exist to repeal them with all deliberate speed and ensure the safety and equal protection under the law of all LGBT people;

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges other bar associations and attorneys in jurisdictions where there are such discriminatory laws or incidents of targeting of LGBT people to work to defend victims of anti-LGBT discrimination or conduct, and to recognize and support their colleagues who take these cases as human rights advocates; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges the United States Government, through bilateral and multilateral channels, to work to end discrimination against LGBT people and to ensure that the rights of LGBT people receive equal protection under the law.

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Nashville Metro Council passes domestic partnership benefits

Last night, Nashville’s Metro Council approved domestic partner benefits for all city employees by a vote of 27-7.

The result was expected, but some council members spoke out strongly against the policy before the vote.

Councilman Bill Pridemore said his and his constituents’ values would be “compromised” by the idea, and Councilman Phil Claiborne moved to defer the final vote indefinitely, citing budgetary concerns. But Councilman Lonnell Matthews moved to table Claiborne’s motion, and the council agreed.

Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling said the financial impact of the policy would be small — $450,000 or so — within the $1.89 billion operating budget the council had passed moments earlier.

After the vote, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean called it a “big day” for the city: “If we believe that each person has value and we treat each other with respect, then I think this city will be in fine shape. I’m proud of the effort, I’m proud of our city and I’m proud of you all.”

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Oregon: Supporters of “Religious Freedom” ballot initiative suspend campaign

The anti-gay Oregon Family Council along with Friends of Religious Freedom have announced they will not be moving forward with IP 52 – the proposed ballot measure that would allow businesses in the state to turn away LGBT people as an “exercise of religion.”

The AP reports:

The campaign sought to portray the issue as one that frees business owners from having to violate their religious beliefs by abiding by Oregon law.

“But the certified ballot title does not acceptably state this,” Friends of Religious Freedom said in the release issued late Friday afternoon. “Indeed, it states it as intolerant instead of protecting equal rights of conscience.”

The ballot language approved said a “Yes” vote “creates ‘religious belief’ exceptions to anti-discrimination laws,” language the measure’s supporters said unfairly prejudiced voters against them.

The anti-gay proponents original text read as follows:

“This 2014 Initiative shall be known as the Protect Religious Freedom Initiative and is intended to exempt a person from supporting same-sex ceremonies in violation of deeply held religious beliefs.”

(source)