Monday, May 18, 2009

POW/MIA Flag Creator Dies


Newt Heisley, the man who designed the black and white POW/MIA flag flown everywhere from federal buildings to Harley-Davidson fenders died Thursday at his home.
Newt Heisley was 88.
The flag flew over the White House when President Ronald Reagan marked the first POW/MIA Recognition Day. Biker groups adopted the flag, tattooing the image on their bodies, patching it on jackets and flying it from their bumpers.
(CSG)

Governor Gregoire Is For "Everything but Marriage"


Today Washington governor Christine Gregoire signed “The Everything but Marriage” domestic partnership bill that grants new rights related to unemployment, disability, insurance, adoption and child custody. Governor Gregoire said:
“Today we are strengthening Washington by strengthening families. From the first bill I signed in 2007 to today’s bills, we have proudly made immeasurable strides on behalf of LGBT individuals and families. This represents the culmination of incredible work to treat all Washingtonians equally.”
“Many brave families have come forward to share their lives, their struggles and their moments of joy hard-working men and women who are in committed relationships, raising children, attending their places of worship, and volunteering in their communities. After meeting these families, people have come to know that lesbian and gay families are no different than their own. And what has naturally followed is the unsettling notion that despite the sameness of straight couples and gay and lesbian couples, there are, in fact, legal barriers that prevent the same treatment.”
(The Atlantic)

Mike Huckabee Writes Poem To Nancy Pelosi


Mike Huckabee, an ordained son of a bitch Southern Baptist minister whose pro-life, anti gay stance is widely believed to have brought him victory (and to the attention of Fox news)in the first primary contest in last year's presidential election, wrote on his website:

Fancy Nancy
By Mike Huckabee

Here's a story about a lady named Nancy
A ruthless politician, but dressed very fancy
Very ambitious, she got herself elected Speaker
But as for keeping secrets, she proved quite a "leaker."

She flies on government planes coast to coast
And doesn't mind that our economy is toast
She makes the Air Force squire her in their military jets
There's room for her family, her staff, and even her pets.

Until now, she annoyed us, but her gaffes were mostly funny;
Even though it was painful to watch her waste our tax money.
But now her wacky comments are no laughing matter;
She's either unwilling to tell the truth, or she's mad as a hatter!

She sat in briefings and knew about enhanced interrogation;
But claims she wasn't there, and can't give an explanation.
She disparages the CIA and says they are a bunch of liars;
Even the press aren't buying it and they're stoking their fires.

I think Speaker Pelosi has done too much speaking;
And instead of her trashing our intelligence officials, it's her nose that needs tweaking.

If forced to believe whether the CIA and her colleagues in Congress are lying;
Or it's Speaker Pelosi whose credibility and career is dying.

I believe in the integrity of the men and women who sacrifice to keep us safe;
Not the woman who has been caught flat-footed, lying to our face.

I say it here and I say it rather clear-
It's time for Nancy Pelosi to resign and get out of here.
(He can write??? that is more than Palin can do. By the way has anyone heard who is writing her book for her yet?)

Afternoon Delight

Openly Gay Judge Runs For Election In Philadelphia


"Overshadowed by previous elections, Tuesday’s primary remains pivotal. The headliners on the ballot are candidates for city comptroller and district attorney, but openly gay Judge Dan Anders’ campaign to seek a 10 year term on the bench could send a powerful message far beyond Philadelphia.

Anders currently serves in the Family Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia. Governor Ed Rendell appointed him to the bench in 2007 to fill a vacancy after Judge James J. Fitzgerald, III, was appointed to the state Supreme Court. Anders first sought office in 2007, but his appointment made him the city’s first openly gay judge."
(Edge)

DC Vigil Planned For Durval Martins


For those in the DC area, DC’s GLBT Anti-Violence Task Force GLOV will hold a candlelight vigil and march through Logan Circle on the evening of May 19, 2009 to honor the life of Durval Martins and raise awareness of biased crimes against members of our GLBT community.

On Tuesday, December 16, 2008, Durval Martins was shot and killed while walking home at the intersection of 11th and Q streets, NW in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood. Local community leaders will be in attendance to raise awareness, enlist community support in finding those responsible and condemn hate-biased violence. Please join us.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 19, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (estimated)

WHERE: Introductory remarks at Reeve Center Courtyard (Corner of 14th and U streets, NW). Procession will head South on 14th street, East on Q street, end at 11th and Q streets, NW and end with a moment of silence at corner of 11th and Q streets, NW (the site of Durval Martins’ murder).

WHAT TO WEAR: Attendees are encouraged to show solidarity by wearing white.

(HRC)

Rodger McFarlane Leader In The HIV/AIDS Community Dies


"The boards and staff of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute extend our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Rodger McFarlane, a longtime leader in the HIV/AIDS and LGBT communities who died Friday. Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, issued the following statement:
“Rodger’s energy, enthusiasm and fearlessness drove him to achieve extraordinary things, and he will be remembered as one of the great heroes of both the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the fight for equality for LGBT people.

Like most leaders, Rodger was impatient with roadblocks, but he was never content just to find a way around them. He worked to remove them altogether so that those who came after him wouldn’t have to find their own way around. He was a game-changer—someone who asked the tough, impolite questions that moved a project forward.

Because of Rodger, LGBT movement organizations are working together in ways they hadn’t before he took the reins at the Gill Foundation. The successes we see today are partly a result of his insistence that stubborn turf battles end, and that each organization’s work should complement the others’ and add to an overarching vision of our path to full equality."
Post courtesy of Gay Politics.com
(GP)

And A Child Will Lead Them, At Least In Denver


A Denver third-grader was front and center at the Colorado State Capitol Saturday pushing for same sex marriage in the state.
Ethan McNamee arranged the rally as an independent class project.
He was concerned about the issue after hearing about anti-gay remarks on the playground and then learning about a same sex couple in his neighborhood that couldn't get married.
"Everybody is different in a good way," he said.
Ethan believes that if two people love each other that is the only issue to be considered.
Ethan took it upon himself to arrange the rally and line up the guest speakers. He admitted it was more work then he thought it would be, but adds it was fun.
(ABC)

Singapore Calls For Tolerance On Gay Issues

Gay groups and pro-family groups may not see eye-to-eye on sexuality, but many in both camps agree with Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng's call for tolerance and accommodation on the subject.
The AWARE saga brought many divisive issues to the forefront, and sociologists doubt these will be resolved despite their airing.
Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, a sociologist, said: "In a conflict, where values are involved, there is never a win-win situation. If you push on one side, the other side would have to retreat. So then you force the polarity, I don't think that is very healthy.
"When you have these kinds of heated exchanges, especially when it goes into cyberspace under the cover of anonymity, strong words are heard, and there is always the danger that you push somebody who is normally apathetic to take a stand. And at the end of the day, it does polarise."
This is one reason why analysts said the government decided to give a response.
DPM Wong said that while Singapore is a conservative society, gays are entitled to their private lives. He stressed the importance for different groups to live and let live - a view welcomed by many, including gays in Singapore.
(CA)

Nationwide Rally Planned For Gay Rights


On June 28th 2009 there will be nationwide rallies and marches to commemorate and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. This will be an opportunity to honor our past while pushing for our future rights. You can go to the homepage for the March for Equality to find the group in your area MyLGBTRights .

Dallas Methodist Pastor Stands Up For Gay's Against Baptist Mega Church


The pastor of little Grace United Methodist Church took a swipe at big First Baptist Church of Dallas on Sunday with a sermon titled "Why Gay Is OK."
The message was delivered as a counterpunch to "Why Gay Is Not OK," a November sermon by First Baptist pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress.
"I knew I had to preach about this," the Rev. Diana Holbert said Sunday.
She told her diverse East Dallas congregation that homosexuality is not a big issue in the Bible and that Christians should be more focused on subjects such as health care, greed in the corporate world, and the welfare of children.
About a third of the church's membership is gay or lesbian, she said.
During her sermon, Holbert said, "God doesn't discard or discriminate."
"The Bible has often been used to attack gay and lesbian persons," she said. "Let's put a stop to that."
Jeffress issued a rebuttal to Holbert's sermon even before her service began.
"I wonder if her follow-up message will be 'Why Adultery is OK' or 'Why Incest is OK,' " he wrote last week in an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News.
"The Bible says sex is reserved for a man and a woman in a marriage relationship," he continued. "Once you reject God's Word as our absolute authority in all matters, then any perversion is permissible."
Holbert, whose husband is a professor at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology, chose her words slowly in responding after her sermon. She said she had never met Jeffress.
"I want to be careful," she said in an interview. "I don't want to call him anti-scholastic. I don't want to get in a fight with him."
Then she added, "I kind of feel sorry for him."
(DMN)

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday today to: Tina (Palin) Fey turns 39 today. Singer-songwriter Jack Johnson is turning 34. Country music singer George Strait is 57. Hong Kong movie star Chow Yun-Fat is turning 54. And child actor Spencer Breslin, the older brother of Abigail Breslin, is turning 17 today.

Music For Monday and Beyond: "Till You Believe" By Mark Rosenbauer

Singer Mark Rosenbauer is from Toronto, Canada. We met him on twitter and asked if he would be kind enough to let us include one of his songs on our site. Mark graciously agreed to allow us to bring you "Till You Believe". If you do nothing else today, listen to this song. (We can't stop listening to it here in the office.) The song is the perfect music interlude for Monday. To purchase this or other songs by Mark you can click here
To hear the song click the play button below then sit back and enjoy!

Graham Norton Jokes As Cops Beat Gays


Very openly gay Irish Comedian and TV presenter Graham Norton hosted Eurovision in Moscow this weekend.
Outside the venue gay marchers were beaten and hauled off to jail. When asked about the attack on the gays outside, Norton said, after the event: "I feel really bad, but I don't know very much about this."
What? We must ask does he not know much about, being gay, beaten, arrested, or cowering.
But, because he might have missed (if he lived in a hole)what was going on outside while he joked around on stage inside we thought we would share this picture with him. Our emails to his BBC office to get his side of the story have not been returned.
We thought it was interesting that a fiddle player won Eurovision, at least this time it was just being watched by Nero, not played by him.
Graham here is what you missed: