Tag: LGBT

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NC: Dr. William J. Barber rebukes the media for asking the wrong questions about Amendment One

In a press conference held in Greensboro, North Carolina, clergy from around the state gathered together to pray for the wisdom of it’s citizens regarding the May 8th vote on Amendment One.

In that conference, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber took the time to rebuke the media for asking the wrong questions regarding the amendment.

Voting happens today in North Carolina. Polls show the anti-gay Amendment One passing. But polls also show that when the law is explained to people they oppose it.

If you live in North Carolina or know folks there, please vote AGAINST Amendment One or tell people you know there to make sure they know exactly what the law will do.

Thank you Dr. Barber for your words and clarity here.

Thank you Dr. Barber for being the kind of leader this country needs.

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Olympic hopeful Josh Dixon comes out

The United States has never had a publicly out male gymnast participate in the Olympics. Josh Dixon hopes to be the first.

The Stanford grad took a big step toward that goal at the U.S. Men’s Qualifier on Saturday in Colorado Springs, finishing second overall out of the 72 competitors. He also tied for wins in two events: floor exercise and high bar. It was a game-changing come-back performance for Dixon, who tore his Achilles tendon last spring.

Now Dixon is talking about his personal life and sexual orientation publicly for the first time. Like charging at the vault, he’s coming at it at full speed.

Even as he gets closer to his Olympic dreams, and his focus narrows more than ever on his training and competition, Dixon is ready to talk about his sexual orientation.

In his sophomore year at Stanford, one of his best friends on the gymnastics team at the University of Illinois came out to him. Dixon reciprocated the revelation; Instantly, they had a mutual support structure with another gay collegiate athlete.

When he started exploring his sexuality in his junior year, he quickly learned he wasn’t the only gay male athlete at Stanford, as he was soon dating another varsity athlete. When some members of the gymnastics team noticed Dixon was spending a lot of time with one particular friend, Dixon said they were quite comfortable bringing it up.

“Who’s this guy you’ve been hanging out with?” One of them asked.

Josh told them he was dating the other male student.

“Oh that’s cool,” was the response.

In fact, Dixon said he has not had a single negative response “in any way, shape or form.” If anything, the only homophobia he has encountered has been from within himself. He acknowledges he once felt internal pressure about being a gay man in what some label the “gay sport” of gymnastics. He didn’t want to fall into a stereotype. But he’s come to embrace it, and he says his sexual orientation now makes him stand out more at the elite level. While he stands out, he isn’t the only one. Dixon knows of at least three more still competing in college, and he says he is not the only elite-level American gymnast who is gay.
(via outsports.com)

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Mitt Romney on gay rights – 1994

A letter was published today on the internet that came from then-senate candidate Mitt Romney that was written to the Log Cabin Republicans in 1994.

While we’ve all heard about Romney’s flip-flopping, the letter is kind of stunning in it’s clarity of how “then” Mitt Romney supported rights for gays and lesbians – specifically on the issues of gays in the military and ENDA (Employment Non-discrimination Act).

In the letter he promises – if elected – to co-sponsor ENDA and actually broaden the bill to include housing and credit, and the bill to create a federal panel to find ways to reduce gay and lesbian youth suicide.

He goes on to say that, regarding DADT, “it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation’s military.  That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share.”

Where is this Mitt Romney today?  And what – other than political considerations – would change his mind on these subjects?

 Here’s a link to a PDF of the letter.

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NC: Final ad opposing anti-gay Amendment One

Rise Up Against Amendment One

From the YouTube page: A chorus of voices have arisen over the past few months to warn North Carolinians of the harms of Amendment One.

Watch this video, share it, and vote AGAINST Amendment One on Tuesday, May 8th.

Polls aren’t looking good. When people understand exactly what the amendment does more oppose it than support it, but not enough folks seem to know all the facts. Ugh.

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Gap leans forward

Today, Towleroad pointed out that Gap has jumped on the “attractive male duo” bandwagon with a billboard starring two handsome young men (caught via Twitter by Chris Votaw, or @votaw).

Earlier this week, the New York Times profiled Gap, Inc., noting that after a handful of tumultous, lethargic years, the brand is looking to recapture the sense of understated-cool that they originally heralded in the 90s.

In the 90s Gap was my store of choice.  For several seasons, Gap’s “collections” of comfortable clothes perfectly suited my personality at the time.  I’d love to see them return to the cost-conscious but quality fashion focus they have shown in the past.

I, personally, appreciate the effort by Gap to make such a public endorsement of support to the LGBTQ community.

I’ve actually been meaning to drop by Gap for a little shop-shop anyway.  Now I have even more reason to go.

Next up, expect the advocacy group One Million Moms to start their boycott in 3…2…1…

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Civil unions bill keeps moving forward in Colorado

The civil unions bill in Colorado, having already passed in the Senate, is moving it’s way through the state House. 

From the Huffington Post: Later Thursday night, the civil unions bill to provide legal protections to gay couples similar to marriage passed in the Republican-led committee that rejected the same legislation last year. A Republican who previously voted against the bill said she switched her vote.

The measure faces two more committee votes, but sponsors are optimistic they have enough support to get the legislation within a week to Gov. John Hickenlooper, who is firmly behind the plan.

With passage, Colorado could join the more than a dozen states to offer gays and lesbians legal protections.

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Mitt Romney’s openly gay foreign policy spokesman resigns

Richard Grenell, Mitt Romney’s recently appointed Foreign Policy and National Security spokeman, has resigned after being on the receiving end of a wave of uproar from anti-gay conservatives.

Grenell’s official statement:

“I have decided to resign from the Romney campaign as the Foreign Policy and National Security Spokesman. While I welcomed the challenge to confront President Obama’s foreign policy failures and weak leadership on the world stage, my ability to speak clearly and forcefully on the issues has been greatly diminished by the hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues that sometimes comes from a presidential campaign. I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief in me and my abilities and his clear message to me that being openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team.”

Grenell’s homosexuality and support for marriage equality opposed Romney’s position on the issue.

Figures like American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer called into question how his placement reflected Mitt Romney’s actual views on homosexuals and Grenell’s own inability to separate himself from the “homosexual agenda.” Fischer stated that “you cannot separate religious liberty from the issue of the homosexual agenda. In fact, the homosexual agenda represents the single greatest threat to religious liberty and association in America today.”

Michelangelo Signorile wrote for the Huffington Post:

Actually, I believe this is a big win for progressives and for gay journalists and commentators, as well. We drew out the conservative leaders in addition to Fischer, like Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, Gary Bauer, and other commentators on NationalReview.com and The Daily Caller, by bringing forth and continually highlighting the true facts about Grenell, which, to most Americans, are completely acceptable, but which, in the eyes of the evangelical right, make him a radical homosexual. As I wrote in a post last week, Grenell isn’t just gay, like some other gay Republicans who stay quiet about their homosexuality. He’s a gay man who very publicly expressed that he wants to get married to another man and who believes President Obama isn’t adequate on LGBT rights.

Why is it this a win? Because Grenell was being used for cover by a candidate with abhorrently anti-gay positions, a man who has promised to “propose and promote” a federal marriage amendment if elected president. I don’t buy the argument made by some that it was a measure of progress that Romney hired a gay man as his foreign policy spokesperson when he’s using that gay man to make himself appear moderate to independents while promising the GOP base that he’ll make gay people into second-class citizens. Actual progress in the GOP will come when their presidential candidates stop bowing to bigots and refuse to sign their extremist pledges. Otherwise, it’s all window dressing.

The Romney camp expressed their disappointment in Grenell’s resignation, stating:

“We are disappointed that Ric decided to resign from the campaign for his own personal reasons. We wanted him to stay because he had superior qualifications for the position he was hired to fill.”