In a blow for all members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, voters in Maine repealed the law that allowed marriage between same sex couples in that state. Last spring the Maine legislature voted to allow same sex couples to legally wed and the protests began. Conservatives rallied enough support with a petition drive to have the measure placed on the ballot. When the votes were tallied, the result was that the general public once again discriminated against gay people.

Maine is traditionally known as a state of independent minded individuals who subscribe to the “live and let live” philosophy for their fellow citizens. In a state that self-identifies as open minded, how can such a result be possible? Perhaps those who support the equality of LGBT citizens did not feel strongly enough about the issue to go and vote? Perhaps the anti-gay campaign fanned the flames of bigotry among those who otherwise would not have bothered to vote yet showed up at the polls for this referendum? Perhaps the above descriptor of the state of Maine does not accurately represent its citizens?

Regardless of the reason, these members of our homeland have regressed yet again into a past time where intolerance, bigotry and discrimination were the status quo as part and parcel of the majority opinion. Instead of leading the way toward equality with the five other states recognizing gay marriage (Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa), Maine has fallen into the rank and file of 30 other states that have constitutionally banned gay marriage via the ballot.

Apparently someone got their wires crossed and a heterosexual couple ended up on a cruise in Europe that was for gays! They claim they did not notice until the ship had set sail, and now they are suing for “lost satisfaction.” Hmmm. First of all, how could you not “notice,” and secondly so what? The couple’s attorney says they are not homophobic; they were just “embarrassed” by the shows and party themes. Again, hmmm.

What must it have been like for the one straight couple being among 1500 gay people? Well, let’s take a moment and think about that… They felt out of place, uncomfortable and self-conscious because they did not “fit in” or “look like” the other couples around them. The entertainment did not represent the people in their world, and the themes did not reflect their feelings and outlooks on life. They may have even been a bit afraid since they did not “belong” with the others on board.

For those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, raise your hands if you have ever experienced any or all of those uncomfortable feelings so many times that you could not possibly have kept count! And you did not even have to get “trapped” on a ship; the grocery store, sports event, movie theatre, schools and any other place where people gather can bring about those feelings. Maybe all homophobic heterosexuals should be required to experience what this couple did in hopes that it would broaden a mind and open a heart for tolerance and understanding.

Sixteen-year-old Jonathan Escobar, of North Cobb High School near Atlanta, Georgia, likes to express himself by wearing vintage clothing, skinny jeans, makeup and wigs. His third day in attendance at the high school after relocating from Miami was a day of dismay, disappointment and degradation. Unexpectedly though, the reactions and behaviors were not from other students but from the administration and the police department.

North Cobb HS’s motto is “Leadership begins here!” Well…the leadership at this particular high school told Escobar that he needed to dress more “manly.” The Cobb County schools spokesman supported this by saying, “You can’t wear clothing that causes a disruption” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). The police were even called on Escobar’s second day and pulled him out of class in their “concern for his safety.”

Ultimately the decision regarding “disruptive” is at the discretion of the teachers and administrators. They missed a golden opportunity to discuss the value of individuality with the other students and promote tolerance and respect of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and cross-dressing people. Instead, they, the leaders, displayed exactly the opposite behavior.

Escobar has left school for now saying, “If I can't express myself, I won't go to school. I want to get the message out there that because this is who I am, I can't get an education” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Several days after the incidences a “Support Jonathan” Facebook group [click here to view group] was formed and had an astounding 900 members, many of them students. As of this writing, there are now 3700 supportive members and counting. Perhaps all the leaders in communities, cities, states and the nation should take note!

Over 200 schools in the California Bay Area and around the state have taken a proactive stance on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life. They have ordered videos and posters to include in the curriculum for students. These materials are intended to present being LGBT in a positive light, and hopefully lead to tolerance and acceptance. As expected, this has raised the unfortunate red flag of bigotry among parents in the participating schools.

One parent interviewed on Fox News, Troy Silva, is quoted as saying, “I saw pro-homosexual posters on walls in various places throughout the school.” When asked by the news anchor for his opinion, Silva states that these materials “supplant our moral teachings.” Brad Dacus, an attorney for the Pacific Justice Institute, joined Silva on the show. Dacus states that the purpose for involvement of his organization is to “stop the film from being shown.” He continues that these schools systems cannot be allowed to “indoctrinate or promote lifestyles.”

What was noticeably (and predictably) missing from the Fox show was a spokesperson for the school systems that have decided to include these positive LGBT materials in the curriculum. Given the chance, perhaps this absent advocate would have stated that tolerance and acceptance are worthy educational goals that every school should include in the curriculum. These should not conflict with anyone’s morality. Additionally, censorship has no place in America. Perhaps they would also say that being gay is not a lifestyle but simply life for millions of people on the planet. Living at the beach is a lifestyle, not being gay!

In the city of Canton in the southern part of China, there is a public park called People’s Park. It is a gathering place for gay men in a city that is not very lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender friendly. The police regularly come through the park and send the men on their way for the simple reason that they are gay. Reportedly the police have told the men, “This is People’s Park, not Homosexual Park,” according to AIDS activist Xiao Mu (AP Website). This past week 50 of those men stood up to police and refused to leave. The interchange was confrontational but not violent with the police relenting.

In China, sodomy (aka, thinly veiled anti-gay statutes) was against the law until 1997. Being homosexual was treated as a mental illness until 2001. This makes it very difficult, as we know, to feel free to express oneself and live an authentic life. However, the tide is turning a bit, particularly this year.

This past June, Shanghai hosted the countries first gay pride parade. Following closely after, in the city of Bejing, was the five-day Queer Film Festival. The LGBT community around the world is celebrating the event in Canton with words of encouragement. By the end of the protest there were approximately 100 people gathered in solidarity, including some heterosexual passers-by who shared their support for LGBT rights. While this event was small in numbers, it is large in scope. It is a reminder to all that every effort to defend civil rights furthers the cause of equality for all!

(more info about LGBT Chinese citizens here)

Again, her history is that she was raised female by her family who states that she is female, and she gender identifies as female. The governing sports body that ordered the testing, the IAAF, is now reportedly considering banning her from future competitions and may strip her of her most recent gold medal. What is irreconcilable about these decisions is that the stated rules under which the IAAF operate say that if you are raised as a particular sex through puberty you can compete in that category of competition. These speculated actions are in direct violation of their own rules!

This situation is also not new in the world of sports. There have been several instances in world-class competition that parallel the plight of Semenya. The difference this time is the poor handling of a very private issue by playing it out on the world stage. Previously, athletes in this situation were treated with the respect and decorum due them as fellow human beings. This time they have shamed and degraded a talented athlete by creating a circus show out of her life.

We in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community support you, Caster!

Leave it to the sass and brass of Rachel Maddow to make the comment, “Awkwardly, gay marriage is a defense of marriage act” (“The Reality of Marriage Equality” YouTube.com, Rachel Maddow). A recent broadcast on her top rated MSNBC show among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and the public at large, simply quotes the fact that we are helping the commitment statistics and lowering the divorce rate, at least in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage five years ago. At the time, the divorce rate was 2.2 per thousand in the state. In 2008, after adding many same-sex married couples to the state roles, the divorce rate dropped to 2.0 per thousand. According to Maddow, this is the lowest percentage since 1940! Despite all the protests and condemnations of gay marriage, it seems that we are more sincere than the heterosexuals in our dedication to our partners. The opposite-sex marriage track record has now climbed over 50%, which begs the question – What exactly are they defending with DOMA and other discriminatory legislative actions, the legal right to fail over half the time?

As of September 1, 2009 same-sex couples can now enjoy the full benefits of marriage in Vermont. Added to the other states that have legalized gay marriage, LGBT couples are likely to improve the statistics on a nationwide basis. All the straight opponents might just have to rethink their “awkward” position when we are more successful at defending marriage than they are!

For more information, please visit www.rachelmaddow.com

 Tyli’a Mack, a 21-year old transgender woman, was brutally stabbed to death as she was walking with a friend, as yet unidentified, in Washington, DC. The friend, also presumed to be a transgender woman, was also viciously stabbed and remains in the hospital. The two women were reportedly on their way to the Transgender Health Empowerment facility, which is a non-profit organization that assists transgender people with housing, health issues, and other positive living programs.

The police are describing this heinous act as a “possible” hate crime. Possible? “This determination is preliminary” based on “some homophobic language [that] may have been used during the attack,” states Lt. Brett Parson of the DC police’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit. Just to be clear here, the police are saying that a perpetrator must state his reasons for murdering someone as he is committing the act in order for it to qualify as a hate crime? Why is it that officials are so unwilling to see what everyone in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community know all too well? Hatred breeds violence!

There are hundreds of instances of violence against transgender people across the country every year. These often go unreported or unrecognized for what they are – hate crimes. For the authorities to be hesitant or unwilling to correctly classify even the most brutal crimes such as the victimization of these two women, minimizes the worth of the individuals. This is turn sends a message that devalues the LGBT community, and fuels the violence of hate.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community lost one its toughest supporters this week with the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA). We mourn the loss of our friend and defender who leaves behind an unblemished legacy of civil rights work. Dating back to 1962 in his first term in the Senate, Sen. Kennedy fought tirelessly for the rights of those who otherwise be ignored or excluded from full participation in the rights and privileges of American citizenship. Following is a small sample of his support, and his record speaks for itself:

• He supported and co-sponsored 12 pieces of legislation for the protection of citizens with HIV/AIDS while publicly opposing those that were restrictive.
• He co-sponsored every single Senate bill on hate crimes legislation.
• He was the co-sponsor for ending immigration discrimination laws.
• He co-sponsored bills to include domestic partners in health care benefits.
• He fought against and supported repeal of the military discrimination policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
• He supported marriage equality and fought against various amendments and DOMA.
• He spent years fighting for employment equality and the prohibition of discrimination in the workplace.
• He opposed amendments prohibiting homosexuality from being positively discussed in educational setting.

Sen. Kennedy’s own words reflect the high quality of character that every LGBT person would wish for our national leaders – “America stands for justice for all. Congress must make clear that when we say ‘all’ we mean all. America will never be America until we do” (Statement on ENDA, 2007).

In a landmark decision The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted to allow gays and lesbians who are in committed relationships to serve and remain as clergy within the church. This vote reversed the previous policy requiring celibacy of all gay and lesbian Lutheran pastors. Despite the fact that this decision, formalized at the recent ELCA convention in Minneapolis, is a step forward in inclusiveness and respect for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, it is not without its opponents.

Along with the threatened and unfortunate internal negative responses from Lutherans, others outside the faith feel the need to weigh in on the decision. A preacher, John Piper of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, is evidently so consumed with what the Lutherans are doing he has posted comments online. Spurred on by bad weather that spawned a tornado in Minneapolis during the convention, Piper offers the following interpretation: “"the tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin" (http://wcco.com).

Piper and others who actually accept this “wrath of God” outlook are giving way too much credit to the LGBT community! Having been a “member” for several decades, I do not recall ever seeing a booth at a Pride Festival that was handing out secret gay weather tricks! Nor is there any validity to the position that God avenges for the dominant social class, in this case, heterosexuals. With that said, kudos to the Lutherans for weathering the storms and choosing tolerance.

Those Episcopalians have started a landslide that has now swept up the Lutherans! The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is set to address the issue of allowing gay members in the clergy at their upcoming convention in Minneapolis. This convention will have over 1,000 representatives for the 4.8 million strong church membership, and they will decide the “gay clergy matter.” Currently, gay Lutherans are allowed to serve if they agree to be celibate. But once “active” in a relationship, they can be dismissed from their leadership positions.

After the controversial removal of one popular pastor from the ministry following his admission of having a life partner, the church passed a resolution leaving the decision for dismissal at the bishop level. It is speculated the between one and two-dozen bishops have since “turned a blind eye” and allowed non-celibate ministers to retain their positions. This convention vote, if it passes, will totally remove any ban on the service of gay ministers in the Lutheran faith. (The conservatives are already planning to form their own “brand” of Lutheran church with the restrictive, nay bigoted, covenants still in place in their constitution, education and rules.)

This openness in the Lutheran faith is an encouragingly positive step forward in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Members of the LGBT community who wish to worship should be free to attend and participate where they choose. This can be a difficult and limiting decision when so many religions are either overtly or covertly discriminatory.

It is a day of celebration for diversity when the first Hispanic Justice has made her way to the Supreme Court of The United States! While being the third woman appointed, Judge (now Justice) Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latina person of either gender to ascend the ranks of the federal judiciary. Sotomayor was raised by her mother in a housing project in the Bronx, and credits her Mother’s inspiration and support as the foundation for her achievements. She also credits affirmative action as giving her the helping hand she needed to attend the institutions of higher learning for making her contribution to the world.

The vote tally was 68 to confirm her nomination and 31 against. The Senate Democrats voted in total support of Sotomayor’s appointment along with nine Republicans. The thirty-one Republicans who voted against her may just have some voting troubles of their own from the Hispanic community come the next election.

This appointment is being heralded across the nation among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender support groups such as the HRC. The president of this organization, the largest group working to achieve LGBT equality, is quoted as saying, “We commend the Senate for swiftly confirming Judge Sotomayor.  Judge Sotomayor has proven that she is eminently qualified to sit on the United States Supreme Court. We are confident that she has demonstrated her understanding of the need for equality for all Americans. She is clearly committed to ensuring our Constitution lives up to its promise of equal justice for all” (www.hrc.org). 

There’s a movement in Washington, DC to remove the discriminatory barrier for service in the United States Armed Forces applied to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. This barrier is the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that closets all LGBT if they are serving in the military. Enacted in 1993, DADT was justified by its proponents as necessary for preventing a detrimental effect on the “unit cohesion and morale” issues of military service. Although these bases were merely theoretical at the time, the law was passed nonetheless. Now this law is being viewed for what it really was – an exercise in discrimination that has no place in the military or in American society.

Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) is the lead sponsor for the act to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” His background includes service in Iraq and a professorship at West Point. The bill is titled the Military Readiness Enhancement Act and has a large amount of support on Capitol Hill. Across the country, 75% of Americans support the repeal of DADT with an even higher percentage among the eighteen to twenty-nine year olds.

To date, 13,000 troops have been discharged under the legalized discrimination of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This is equivalent to 3.5 combat battalions. These military personnel were discharged “because of their sexual orientation, not because of sexual misconduct,” states Congressman Murphy. He furthers states that Great Britain and Israel have open service for lesbians and gays with “no detrimental effects” to their respective military organizations. President Obama has promised to sign the repeal once it passes approval in Congress. Write your Congressional Representatives urging them to support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act so that our LGBT family can continue to serve with honor.

For more information, please visit http://www.hrc.org/sites/voicesofhonor/videos.asp

Lily McBeth, 75, transitioned from male to female in 2005. What began as a story of hope for tolerance and understanding for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community did not turn out as expected. Prior to having sex reassignment surgery, William McBeth was a well-respected and busy substitute teacher in two school districts in New Jersey. Upon returning as a woman in 2006, both districts were open to keeping McBeth in the role of substitute teacher. This decision was hailed across the country as a positive step forward for diversity tolerance and understanding. The actual results, however, have not been as promising.

Prior to transitioning, McBeth averaged from 30 to 50 substitute teaching assignments in both school districts combined. These assignments were at the elementary school and high school levels. When the districts announced they would keep her on the employment roles, Lily stated, “I thought, ‘they consider me a person of worth, and that I could still be a valuable asset.’ But it didn't happen.” After returning as Lily, she has since received only two assignments per year in both districts.

The National Center for Transgender Equality states that a phenomenal 91% of the 6,500 transgender Americans have faced bias at work due to their status. This mistreatment includes 7% who have been physically assaulted and 6% who have been sexually assaulted. Lily has decided to retire and pursue other interests although she will miss the interactions with students and feels that, “All they did was put me in a closet again.” Lily states, “I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my life.”

Landmark decisions for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans are underway in Washington with the progress of the Matthew Shepard Act. A critical motion passed the Senate this week that will allow the next step to occur for passage of this nationally acclaimed hate crimes legislation. Sixty-three senators voted in the affirmative while 23 voted against. The bill originally received bipartisan support when introduced at the end of April by five Senators – Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA).

The Matthew Shepard Act adds a federal level to the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes when they are based on the victim’s “actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.” When a perpetrator murders or causes serious bodily injury to a victim based on any of these criteria, the Justice Department will have the authority to fully participate if this legislation passes. Currently they do not have standing. This legislation also facilitates federal intervention on behalf of the victim in local or state jurisdictions that are unwilling or unable to pursue a case on their own.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s data indicates that over 100,000 hate crimes have been voluntarily reported since 1991. These statistics may in fact be skewed due to the reluctance of victims to report crime since this involves coming out, which in itself may be risky or even dangerous. Write your Congressional Representatives urging them to vote for this legislation that is critical for the health and safety of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

For more information, please visit www.FightHateNow.org.

On July 7, 2009 in Washington D. C. a new law came into effect in our nation’s capital. This law recognizes the legal status of marriage between same-sex couples that have been legally married in another jurisdiction. It only took a mere two days for the D.C. Council and Mayor Fenty to sign their approval at the start of the process in May 2009. This is a huge leap forward and another block chipped away from the federal discrimination law titled “The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).” DOMA, in short, prohibits everything relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights and recognizes nothing from any jurisdiction.

Currently couples are able to legally marry in three, soon to be six states – Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa, with Vermont and Maine to be effective in September 2009 and New Hampshire effective in January 2010. The D.C. law also recognizes same-sex marriages from other countries. The countries with legal marriage status for the LGBT family are Canada, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and South Africa.

There are also those 18,000 couples that were legally married in California during the six months it was legal there in 2008. The state of California still considers them “valid.” But since Proposition 8 passed, or Proposition “Hate” as it has been called, there will be no more marriages in the California LGBT community until that is changed. Now D.C. and the state of New York will welcome and recognize all legally married same-sex couples within their jurisdictions. The fight for our right continues. 

For more information, please visit www.hrc.org.

Many hot button issues face the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in the workplace regarding employer benefits to partners and discrimination in the work environment. A growing concern that is often overlooked is the promise of retirement and what issues present themselves upon exiting the work force. Unlike heterosexual couples who hold legal marriage standing, the LGBT community must take additional strides to insure that both partners are taken care of in the golden years of retirement.

Some seniors of the LGBT community have reported that housing discrimination is an issue that many face. The good news is that twenty states have laws in place that prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In addition, California has implemented a law permitting state funding for the development of gay senior centers and other states are working towards following this example.

In response to the growing concern that members of the LGBT community often experience discrimination in retirement homes and assisted living centers, a number of senior citizen communities are beginning to pop up across the country that cater to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender population. As in the workplace, these retirement communities provide training to staff on LGBT specific topics. Workers are given sensitivity training and are informed about the special needs of senior citizens of the LGBT community.

The community works extra hard to provide benefits and sustain equality in the workplace. This extra effort does not end once the working career is done, and it must carry forth into the golden rainbow years.

In 2007 the House of Representatives voted in favor of a version of ENDA that prohibited discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. The glaring omission at the time was the exclusion of gender identity. In 2008, there was an historic hearing on the hill regarding equality for transgender citizens. Now in 2009 ENDA has been reintroduced to Congress with every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender included. This legislation would “address discrimination in the workplace by making it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or refuse to promote an employee based on the person’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” according to the HRC.

At present there are still 30 states in the US that have laws on the books making it legal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation. There are also 38 states with legal protection for employers who want to fire a transgender employee. These laws include all manner of workplace discrimination including termination, refusal to hire and refusal to promote employees in the LGBT community.

The current legislation has a large support base including 60 companies who have publicly registered their support by joining the Business Coalition for Workplace Fairness. ENDA is also backed by an extensive and influential civic and religious coalition including, “NAACP, AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, AFSCME, National Education Association, National Employment Lawyers Association, Anti-Defamation League, Religious Action Center, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, American Civil Liberties Union, and many others,” as stated by the HRC. All LGBT people should take this opportunity to write their Congressional representatives urging them to support ENDA.

Those who are 50 years old and up in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community may be familiar with the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization AARP. Perhaps even the younger set may have heard of them, but not given much thought to a group that has been a voice for “older” people since 1958. Regardless of age, all LGBTs should now take notice of this organization. AARP has assembled an impressive and supportive collection of media in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. This, we all know, was a defining and pivotal moment in the LGBT struggle for equality!

AARP has dedicated a large portion of their website to this event and the impact it continues to have on the LGBT community. They are presenting a multimedia campaign in support of those who paved the way for equality. There are video reports of the site that is now a National Historic Landmark complete with interviews of prominent figures of today and yesterday. There are articles in three AARP print publications, photo timelines and interactive features. They have gathered quotes and Q&As from leaders in the LGBT community, including a radio interview with Frank Kameny, now 84 years young.

This is an amazing effort that deserves the support of the LGBT community in return! If you are 50 or over, join - if you are not 50, plan on joining! In either case, a quick email of appreciation seems in order. These types of public displays of support by large organizations strengthen the fight for equality.

For more information, please visit www.aarp.org. 

The big news of Chaz’s sex change operation lit up the media in recent days. The child of Sonny and Cher has begun the procedures for his transformation. Formerly Chastity, an out lesbian, announced the decision and it took very little time for the press to begin speculations on Mom Cher’s reaction. This need to question the mega-star on her child’s decision quickly became the news event, instead of what is actually news - Chaz’s difficult and life changing decision.

It seems as though the media and the drama-hungry public were secretly anticipating a “sensational” showdown of sorts? Perhaps they have confused real life with a reality show… Happily, that set of information consumers was disappointed, while the rest of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was followed shortly behind by a reaffirmation of hope, hope for the straight people!

Cher made the following statement: “Chaz is embarking on a difficult journey, but one that I will support. I respect the courage it takes to go through this transition in the glare of public scrutiny.” She followed this support with the powerful statement, “Although I may not understand, I will strive to be understanding.”

Have you ever wondered as an LGBT family member which companies in the United States to support and give your money to that in turn support you? You may be surprised to learn that there are over 260 companies that earned a rating score of 100 % by the HRC in the year 2009 - a record-breaking score! The Human Rights Campaign sends out thousands of rating information scorecards to companies of 500 employees or more all over the United States. Their rating score is calculated on a scale of 0 – 100. The companies send back the information sheet and are rated on how friendly and supportive they are of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. Here are just a few companies and their scores you might want to support and a few you might want to avoid.

GAS

Support            Avoid

BP 100            Exxon 0

Chevron 100            Marathon oil (no reply)

Shell 100            Sunoco (no reply)

SHOPPING

Support            Avoid

Barnes & Noble 100            Walmart 40

Best Buy 100            Radio Shack 40

Borders 100            Dollar General (no reply)

BANKING

Support            Avoid

Suntrust 100            Western Union (no reply)

Wells Fargo 100            Dun & Bradstreet 35

APPAREL

Support            Avoid

Gap 100            Foot Locker (no reply)

JC Penney 100            Jones Apparel 45

Sears 100            Berkshire Hathaway (no reply) 

DINING

Support            Avoid

Starbucks 100            Cracker Barrel 15

TGI Fridays 100            Dairy Queen (no reply)

These are just a few places who believe in us, and a very few that do not. Our supporters are growing by leaps and bounds, so let’s support them. Everyone has a voice; let it be heard! Speak-out for your Brothers and Sisters by supporting the companies who value us.

Merriam-Webster defines chastity with two simple words – “personal integrity.” The announcement that Chastity Bono, child of Cher and Sonny Bono, is in the process of gender reassignment surgery took many by surprise. Living under the glare of the spotlight of fame, there are not many bits of information that can do that anymore. This points out the very private and often anguishing struggle that transgender people experience.

Chastity came out as a lesbian at age 18. This puts the news in the year 1987 when there was no Ellen, Rosie or Melissa holding the door for her. She has spent the last twenty years as a political activist and writer for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. There was even a period of time where she was on shaky ground with her father, Sonny, because he had voted for a bill that was against same sex marriage.

Now in the year 2009, she he has “come out” again at a time when there are no “popular and well-loved” predecessors holding the transgender door! He is now 40 years old and “he has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity,” states publicist Howard Bragman. Now choosing the name Chaz, he “hopes that his choice to transition will open the hearts and the minds of the public regarding this issue,” continues Bragman.

Chaz, for the second time in his short life, has stepped through the door. In his commitment to personal integrity, he is ensuring that the beat goes on for the rest of the LGBT family.

The former Vice President of the Bush Administration, Dick Cheney, stated Monday that he is in full support of gay marriage; so, somewhere, pigs must be flying. At a National Press Club event, Cheney unequivocally stated that, “People ought to be able to enter into any kind of union they wish. Any kind of arrangement they wish.” This places him further along the path of equality than where the current administration stands.

Cheney minced no words as he stated, “I think freedom means freedom for everyone.” He reiterated what we all know, that one of his daughters is gay. Historically, he has made muted rainbow-colored statements in support of lesbian and gay rights, but nothing this pointedly candid. And lest we forget, this is the same man who, in January of this year stated, according to the New York Daily News, that waterboarding is a “well done” technique.

The former Vice President took the opportunity to state that these rights are for individual states to determine. Historically, these legal issues do belong within the purview of state autonomy. Cheney stated at the event, “The question of whether or not there ought to be a federal statute to protect this, I don't support.” Which begs the question of why the federal government thought it proper to pass DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). But we shall leave that for another discussion.

New Hampshire lawmakers in the House have voted against legislation that offered some legal protection to transgendered people. 

In a particularly immature stunt opponents took to calling this “The bathroom bill” because of the argument that it would mean that transgendered people could use either men’s or women’s toilets – going as far as to assert that it would put “women and children at risk” if men came into women’s toilets.

A prominent opponent of the bill, the Republican Peyton Hinkle, said it was practically inviting sexual predators into such places and also said they would go into bathrooms and if challenged they could simply say that they were, “just having a transgender experience.”

Due to these childish and quite deplorable tactics, the bill was defeated by an enormous margin of 251 to 79 – leaving transgender people open to discrimination from employers, landlords and any other body with a dislike for them.

Opponents have rightly said that they have tried to paint the bill as something it wasn't. Democrat Lucy Weber responded by saying: “A sexual predator in a dress is a sexual predator and subject to prosecution”.

Other attempts to explain that existing laws don't cover transgender people fell on deaf ears it seems and the bill is unlikely to be revived anytime soon after such a resounding defeat. It is truly sad that these tactics were used to derail an entirely valid bill without even attempting any meaningful amendment to quell the question regarding toilets. Now people are more free to discriminate against the transgendered whenever they feel like it.

The protection offered by hate crime laws may be extended to gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and disabled people in America. Legislation was introduced in the House on Thursday, April 2^nd.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, and Rep. Mark Kirk, a Republican from Illinois, had been approved before by both of the Chambers of Congress in 2007. However the bill was removed from the Defense Spending Bill that it was attached to because President George W. Bush said he might use his presidential veto powers. The current President Barrack Obama has stated that he supports the legislation and wants it signed into law.

In addition to tougher penalties for targeting members of the LGBT community because of their sexual orientation, it would also give local police forces greater resources to investigate and train for crimes of this nature as well as to seek prosecution.

There is at the moment no Federal law that requires any state to report hate crimes, and these crimes are therefore under-reported. So it is hard to draw an accurate account of how big the problem is. In a press release by the Human Rights Campaign, FBI hate crimes statistics – which are based solely on voluntary reporting at the moment – show that 100,000 bias-related crimes have happened since 1991. During 2007 – which is the most up to date reporting period – 7,624 were reported. Of these, 16.6% were motivated by sexual orientation, making a total of 1,265. No statistics are available for transgender attacks, as these are not currently reported in federal statistics.

Iowa's Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Friday, April 3^rd that lesbian and gay partners will now have the same rights to marry as male and female couples.

Judges in the court voted to overturn a statute that limited civil marriages to that of unions between a man and a woman. The justices have said in their decision summary that this violated an Iowa State Constitution equal protection clause and have voted that the statute be removed.

“The language in Iowa Code section 595.2 limiting civil marriage to a man and a woman must be stricken from the statute, and the remaining statutory language must be interpreted and applied in a manner allowing gay and lesbian people full access to the institution of civil marriage”, read the decision.

Six same sex couples that raised a suit against Polk County Recorder Timothy Brein after he declined to issue them marriage licenses originally brought the case forward. The couples then put forward a challenge to the law in Iowa that states marriages can only be between a male and a female. The Polk Country Judge stated that he sided with the couples but he suspended his own decision allowing for a ruling from a higher court.

This vote has made Iowa the only mid-western state to give marriage equality to gay and lesbian couples, and in doing so has become only the fourth state to do so – the other states being Massachusetts, Connecticut and California. California however is now in the middle of a legal battle to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision by way of Proposition 8, a voter initiative to overturn the ruling.

Six gay men have been murdered in Iraq during the past two weeks, and these killings are believed to have been carried out solely due to the victims’ sexual orientation. Two separate killings took place in Sadr City, in different locations. Sadr City is a slum district of Baghdad, dominated by a Shiite group.

The first of the killings took place when two people were killed on Thursday shortly after anti-gay comments were issued by a cleric prominent in the region; this was reported upon by the Associated Press. The report was that relatives are believed to have killed them because they were ashamed of their homosexuality.

In the second of the killings, four male bodies were found to have been buried on the 26^th of March – on their chests were written the words, “pervert” and “puppy”, a word used in the slum district commonly as a slur word for gay people.

Within Iraq homosexuality is a crime and can be punished with up to 7 years in prison.

Sadr City is the home of a well-known radical Shiite cleric called Mugtada al-Sadr who along with his armed militia was responsible for numerous attacks on American forces. One city official who did not want to reveal his identity has stated that the militia had nothing to do with the murders nor were they intent on killing gay people, but that the army is discouraging people from practicing homosexuality.

To the Associated Press he said: “Such people have brought shame on Sadr City people. The blame falls on the security forces who do little to combat this phenomenon.”

The uncle of Mercy James has spoken out against the court decision to reject the adoption of the three-year-old girl by Madonna. He has said he feels she'd be missing an incredible life as the adopted daughter of the international mega star.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph he said: “We don't understand the judge’s reasoning. We as a family discussed this and agreed that it is in the best interests of Mercy to have her adopted, so why should the judge stop this if the family is OK with it?”

Judge Esmie Chombo threw out the application by Madonna on Friday due to regulations in the country saying that potential adoptive parents must have been resident in Malawi for a minimum of 18 months so that officials can monitor them.  Madonna’s lawyer launched an appeal immediately when the decision was issued and it may be heard as early as this week.

Madonna was reportedly astonished by the decision and angry when her lawyer told her. While the decision was being made, Mercy, whose Malawian name is Chifundo, was allowed to stay with Madonna for the week in her hotel and had met her current children.

The public of Malawi appear to be on the side of the singer as she is well liked in the nation, mostly because of her charity work and help in setting up two orphanages. She has also said she will build a school for children to help the estimated one million orphans within the country.

The Governor of Vermont, Jim Douglas, is expected to make good on his promise to veto legislation to allow same-sex marriage if and when it ever reaches his desk. This would start an uncertain process of overturning the veto with another round of votes in the State House.

On Thursday the law legalizing same sex marriage passed in the House by a vote of 95 to 51, only a couple of votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority to override a veto. The bill has already passed the two-thirds majority when voted on by the Senate, as their previous vote for the bill in March was a staggering majority of 26 to 4.

Pro-campaigners and opponents of the bill have worked hard over the weekend attempting to convince members of the State House to vote either for or against the measure.

If the bill is passed Vermont would become the first state within the United States to allow same sex marriage by way of legislation, without the courts or judges having to intervene on interpretations of existing laws or state constitutions. Vermont was also the first state to allow civil unions back in 2000.

Several residents in the state have stated their disappointment in the Governor’s decision to veto: “If he vetoes it, yes, they definitely should override him, absolutely," said Sean Tymecki, a Vermont resident who supports the bill. "Vermont's always been the first – first to abolish slavery and first to have civil unions – and we should keep going with it."