02.26.06
Posted in E's Thoughts at 7:59 pm by pikapp44
Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press
NEW YORK — Jim Gilbert gets goosebumps just thinking about Oscar night.
“It’ll be such an important night,” says the 61-year-old amateur cowboy and rodeo competitor, who feels that “Brokeback Mountain” tells the story of his own gay life and struggles in a strikingly personal way.
Gay activist groups are anticipating the March 5 Academy Awards, where “Brokeback Mountain” is favored to win as many as eight Oscars, as a rallying point and a crucial moment for their cause.
One group likens it to the April 1997 moment when Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on her sitcom. Susanne Salkind of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national gay rights group, said Oscar night will be an opportunity to raise gay issues “to another level in American culture.”
On Friday, the group sent e-mails to 120,000 members, encouraging them to hold house parties on Oscar night — just as it did the night DeGeneres came out. It’s also sending out “Oscar party kits” to help in recruiting, and is offering prizes of T-shirts, bags and watches, depending on how many new Human Rights Campaign members get signed up.
“We want to transform this social occasion into something much more important,” Salkind said.
When Ang Lee’s soulful film about two cowboys in love premiered in December, the gay community was delighted — but, in some corners, skeptical that it would play beyond New York and California.
Now, though, the film is a clear hit. It has performed strongly across America, appealing to audiences both gay and straight, male and female. Because of its subject matter, it’s one of the most talked-about films in recent memory — and a constant reference for late-night comics and Internet spoofs.
“I wish I knew how to quit you,” spoken by the character Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), is becoming a virtual catch phrase. And the word “brokeback,” used as an adjective to describe something with gay overtones, is creeping into the lexicon, too.
It isn’t only “Brokeback Mountain” that’s making gay rights groups anticipate Oscar night. Two other highly feted movies have gay or transsexual themes: “Transamerica,” with best-actress nominee Felicity Huffman as a man preparing for a sex change, and “Capote,” with best-actor favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman as the gay author of “In Cold Blood.”
“This has been a landmark year,” says Neil G. Giuliano, president of GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. “By telling our stories, this year’s Oscar nominees have helped raise the visibility of our issues and have given millions of Americans a greater understanding of who we are.”
Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, agrees, but sounds a cautionary note. Just because “Brokeback” is being embraced by Hollywood and popular culture, he says, doesn’t mean the real world is catching up.
” ‘Brokeback Mountain’ is incredibly important for our day-day work because it clearly touches people at a visceral level,” Foreman said. “But the tragedy is, that breakthrough is not being replicated at the legislative and political level” — on issues such as gay marriage and hate crimes legislation.
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Posted in Gay Rights at 7:49 pm by pikapp44
Conservative activists are pushing for adoption by gays and lesbians to be prohibited, having been buoyed by recent success in securing bans on same-sex marriages and restrictions on abortion rights.
They now plan to introduce bills or initiatives banning gay adoption in up to 16 states, several of which have voted to outlaw same-sex marriages.
However, polls suggest that they will have a harder time winning support for measures that in effect would deprive some foster children of the chance of adoption. Child welfare groups said homes had been found for only 50,000 of the 120,000 children available for adoption in recent years.
In Ohio, conservative legislators introduced a bill that, if passed, would impose the nation’s most restrictive law on gay adoptions. It would make it illegal for “homosexual, bisexual or transgender” residents to adopt children or serve as foster parents.
The conservative campaign suffered an unexpected blow when Jon Husted, the Republican Speaker in Ohio’s House of Representatives, spoke of his own experience as an adopted child and described the bill as discriminatory and divisive.
Groups on the religious right believe a ban on gay adoption could be passed in other conservative-minded states.
Critics of the proposed measures accuse some Republicans of exploiting a social “wedge issue” before mid-term elections in November.
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Posted in Gay Rights at 7:43 pm by pikapp44
After a six-year battle to strengthen Utah’s hate-crimes law, Rep. David Litvack got what he’s been after: the overwhelming support of the house. House Bill 90, which underwent an overnight overhaul, passed the house on a 64–5 vote Thursday in Salt Lake City. It now moves to the senate, where little opposition is expected.
But the overhaul stripped the bill of any mention of sexual orientation, something opponents of the measure had been lobbying for. Historically, the house objections centered on a list of characteristics for which hate-crime victims are typically targeted. Included in those was sexual orientation; the Republican-led house argued that its mention would create “special rights” for gay people. Others argued that the bill might violate the First Amendment, supposedly “punishing a person for their thoughts.”
The new version of the bill removes the list of traits and adds language that states the intent of the bill is not to curb free speech. “That’s all we’ve ever asked for,” said Gayle Ruzicka, president of the conservative group Utah Eagle Forum, which has fought the bill for at least six years. “It’s the right bill, it took out the groups and has the aggravating factors,” she said. “But it protects the individual. Under this bill, I would be protected just as much as if I were a member of a group.”
This is only the second time hate-crimes legislation has passed the house. In 2003 a different version of the bill passed on a 38–35 vote after a lengthy, late-night debate. But it was recalled the next morning and then pulled from consideration by Litvack and a cosponsor after an attempt to gut it. No reconsideration is expected this time, said Litvack, a Democrat from Salt Lake City: “I think we’re safe.” (AP)
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02.22.06
Posted in E's Thoughts at 4:42 pm by pikapp44
Gay Rites.net has a everything you need for a gay wedding or gay wedding related business. It’s known as the “Network for same sex rituals”. Gay Rites is one of the best Gay Marriage Sources we’ve found.
Some of the gay wedding related businesses that you can search are: bakeries, DJ’s, flowers, favors, invitations, limos, tuxedos and those are only a few.
has a library that allow gays to search for party planning, love poetry, laws that affect your rights and you can add your photo to their couples’ gallery, travel search and much more.
Gay Rites - Same Sex Marriage Resource has a really great gay community forum where gays can discuss how they can build their relationship, planning for the big day, religion, finances, Pride events and a lot more.
GayRites.NET: the .NETwork for same-sex rituals, is devoted to all the rituals of LGBT life, from coming out through marriage to building a life together.
Check it out. It’s a wonderful resource for that big gay day: http://www.gayrites.net/
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02.20.06
Posted in D's Thoughts, Gay Rights at 2:36 pm by pikapp44
“I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice,” she said.
“But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’” “I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people,”
-Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King has also been a major force in the fight for equality faced by gay and lesbian Americans. Admist some criticism from the generally socially conservative black community, she has stood strong for what she believed and what her husband believed; that justice is indivisable.
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Posted in Gay Rights at 11:08 am by pikapp44
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) by The Associated Press
State treasurer Bob Casey, Sen. Rick Santorum’s leading Democratic challenger, told an audience at an event sponsored by a gay rights organization that if elected he would fight discrimination “wherever I find it.”
Casey, who supports laws banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, said he provides a contrast to the conservative Santorum, the No. 3 Senate Republican who has frequently earned the ire of gay rights groups for his opposition to gay marriage.
“I think it’s time we had a senator who wasn’t pushing a narrow, intolerant ideology that says `I’m right, you’re wrong … and you don’t know better,’” Casey said.
Casey received a standing ovation when he was introduced and drew applause throughout his 16-minute speech to an audience of about 600 people at a black-tie gala put on by the Human Rights Campaign, one of the largest national gay rights groups.
Before Casey spoke, a short film was shown on two large video screens asking for help in beating Santorum and featuring his picture beside quotes from an April 2003 interview with The Associated Press in which he compared homosexuality to bigamy, polygamy, incest and adultery. The crowd let out a groan when a clip showed the Rev. Jerry Falwell describing Santorum as a “bright young star” and saying that he would vote for Santorum for president.
Mark Mitchell, a co-chair of the event, described it as a pep rally. “It was to build excitement and momentum,” he said. “It was to get a good start.”
Casey, who has been leading Santorum by double-digits in recent polls, described Santorum as President Bush’s “No. 1 ally and No. 1 cheerleader” and accused him of practicing politics that “divide and conquer.” He said he would practice “more tolerance and less discrimination.”
The Santorum campaign shrugged off the endorsement.
“The Human Rights Campaign is one of the most liberal organizations in the country, and their endorsement of Bob Casey just goes to show how far outside the mainstream Bob Casey has become,” said Virginia Davis, spokeswoman for the Santorum campaign.
Casey also opposes gay marriage but favors allowing same-sex couples to join in civil unions that could provide many of the same benefits as marriage. He also favors allowing non-married couples to receive benefits such as power of attorney and health benefits.
“The values I live by call on me to fight discrimination wherever I find it,” Casey said.
Santorum has advocated that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and that special rights should not be granted based on sexual orientation.
Like Santorum, however, Casey is opposed to abortion and supported the nominations of Judge John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, which upset some feminists.
Michael Palmer, a volunteer for the Human Rights Campaign who helped organize the event, said Casey has long been a supporter of gay couples “having equal protection under the law, like every other couple is entitled to” and earned the organization’s endorsement. He said the group has about 10,000 members in the Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley region
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02.17.06
Posted in D's Thoughts at 2:10 pm by pikapp44
Fla. Woman ‘prescribed’ anti-gay literature
Doctor’s office hands out pamphlets on ‘sin’ of homosexuality
By Phil Lapadula Express Gay News
A Kissimmee, Fla., lesbian has filed a complaint with the state health department after a physician’s assistant in a doctor’s office allegedly gave her anti-gay literature following a routine medical exam. The complaint alleges that the actions were a violation of the Florida Patient’s Bill of Rights.
The doctor involved in the case has declined to comment, and the physician’s assistant could not be reached for comment.
In March 2005, Jamie Beiler went to Dr. John R. Hartman’s office in Kissimmee for a follow-up exam for a case of bronchitis. As she was leaving, physician’s assistant Dawn Pope-Wright gave her a packet of literature in a sealed envelope with the doctor’s name and address on it, the complaint says.
The literature, titled “Homosexual/ Lesbian” describes homosexual activity as “sinful and sexually impure” and includes several Bible passages and a prescription to change.
‘Punishment of eternal fire’ “While homosexual activity is sin and impure, it is possible with God’s help to change,” reads a subtitle in the packet. The literature packet includes the Bible verse Jude 1:7, which describes the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah suffering “the punishment of eternal fire” for their “sexual immorality and perversion.”
“When I opened the sealed packet, I was shocked and outraged,” said Beiler in a press statement distributed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which is representing her in the case. “I was extremely offended and I felt like I had been violated. To this day, I dread the thought of ever having to go to a doctor’s office again.”
Beiler first made a formal complaint with Dr. Hartman’s office manager, who informed her that their office routinely disseminates the anti-gay materials to patients.
Beiler is declining further media interviews in the case, said her attorney Karen Doering.
Doering said Pope-Wright’s actions violated her client’s privacy rights under the Florida Patient’s Bill of Rights.
“She [the physician's assistant] took private medical information from [Beiler's] file - the fact that she is a lesbian - and used it to promote for her own political and religious agenda,” Doering said. “That is absolutely inappropriate.”
The complaint was filed against both Pope-Wright and Dr. Hartman. It was filed with the state health department’s Division of Medical Quality Assurance and CIGNA Healthcare of Florida.
Dr. Hartman is declining media request for comment about the case, said an office administrator, Susan, who declined to give her last name. The administrator did say that Pope-Wright no longer works for Dr. Hartman. She did not have a contact number for her.
A call to a Dawn A. Wright in Kissimmee was not returned.
Doering said the information packet promoted so-called “reparative therapy,” which, she said, “has been discredited by every mainstream medical and psychological organization.”
“The packet didn’t mention any of the possible risks of reparative therapy or that it could actually cause emotional harm,” Doering added.
Doering said it was appropriate for the fact that Beiler is a lesbian to be included in her medical file.
“There are a lot of medical conditions, such as breast cancer, that lesbians are more likely to get,” she said. But she said it was totally inappropriate for Pope-Wright to take that confidential medical information and use it to promote a political or religious agenda.
Doering said such incidents could make lesbians fearful of seeking medical treatment, which could result in poorer healthcare.
“Lesbians are already reluctant to get medical treatment,” Doering said. “Something like this just makes matters worse.”
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Posted in D's Thoughts at 2:00 pm by pikapp44
N.Y. appeals court rejects gays’ right to wed
Christopher Curtis, PlanetOut Network
Justices rule unanimously that the Legislature is the place to end the marriage ban, while activists gear up for a higher-court fight.
A midlevel state appeals court ruled unanimously Thursday against same-sex couples seeking to be married in New York.
The Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court upheld the state’s marriage law as constitutional.
“In our opinion, the Legislature is where the changes to marriage” should be addressed, Justice John Lahtinen wrote in the 5-0 decision.
“We are disappointed, but not surprised, that the appellate court in the Third Department has ruled that New York State can continue to deny our families the protections of marriage,” said Alan Van Capelle, executive director for Empire State Pride Agenda.
Joe Tarver, spokesman for the gay rights group, said the state’s highest court is already considering the legality of same-sex marriage based on the Hernandez v. Robles case.
In that case, the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division in New York City reversed a lower court decision that would have permitted same-sex couples to wed in New York City.
“This issue is already before the state’s highest court, and briefings are already under way,” Tarver said. “Whether the high court takes these cases and rolls them into one is up to them, but the fact of the matter, the issue, is already there. We are preparing for a decision from the high court as early as this summer.”
Members of Pride in the Pulpit, a program of the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation that unites people of faith with the LGBT community, denounced the ruling.
“I will continue to pray for an end to this injustice and will reach out with care and compassion to everyone who is being denied fair treatment under the law based on fear and bias,” said the Rev. Steve Clunn, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Schenectady.
Added Rabbi Don Cashman of B’nai Sholom Reform Congregation in Albany: “I’m disappointed that the time has not yet come that New York, the great beacon of freedom, will extend the legal right of marriage to our brothers, sisters and friends who are in same-sex relationships.”
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02.16.06
Posted in E's Thoughts at 8:57 pm by pikapp44
Sirius Satellite Radio outQ
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These are only a few of the shows: Frank DeCaro swaps martinis for mimosas and brings his three-hour funfest to a new time! Hang out with Frank, Doria Biddle, and friends from stage and screen for three hours of hilarity.
Signorile puts sizzle in the afternoons with his provocative brand of hot talk that sends homophobes and right wing zealots running for cover! Newsmakers, community leaders and icons from pop culture to politics talk with Michelangelo about the issues of the day, and you’re invited to join them live on the air.
Wake up and start your day with a good strong dose of fun times and enlightening conversation. It’s sure to put a smile on your face. Laugh and yak along with Larry Flick, Cheryl Barcenas, and an eclectic mix of guests.
OutQ in The Morning’s Larry Flick brings his passion for music – and 20 years of music industry experience – to a showcase for cutting-edge and classic recordings by gay and gay-interest artists from all over the world. Listen for a potpourri of special features including Future Music Heroes (Saturday), Trippin’ the Disco Fantastic (Saturday), A Year in the Life (Sunday), and the Feel the Spin Top-5 (Sunday).
Join host Pat Marino for a night of love songs and dedications. Call in during the show… or dial 877-33-SIRIUS anytime with your love stories and dedications.
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Posted in D's Thoughts at 10:10 am by pikapp44
Willie Nelson’s Gay Cowboy Homage
February 16, 2006 -
Willie Nelson … the singer has released a homage to gay cowboys called Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other).
Country music singer Willie Nelson sang Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys and My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys more than 25 years ago.
But now he has released a different sort of cowboy anthem.
Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other) may be the first gay cowboy song by a major recording artist.
Available exclusively through iTunes, the song features choppy Tex-Mex style guitar runs and Nelson’s deadpan delivery of lines such as “What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?” and “Inside every cowboy there’s a lady who’d love to slip out.”
The song, which debuted today on Howard Stern’s Sirius Satellite Radio show, was written by Texas-born singer-songwriter Ned Sublette in 1981 - long before this year’s Oscar-nominated Brokeback Mountain made gay cowboys a contemporary topic.
Sublette said he wrote the song during the Urban Cowboy craze and always imagined Nelson singing it.
Someone passed a copy of the song to Nelson back in the late 1980s and, according to Nelson’s record label, Lost Highway, Nelson recorded it last year at his Pedernales studio in Texas.
Nelson has appeared in several Western movies and sings He Was a Friend of Mine on the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack.
AP
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