#LoveCantWait: 72% of Americans Live in Marriage Equality States

HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/lovecantwait-72-of-americans-live-in-marriage-equality-states?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

What To Watch This Week On TV: ‘True Detective’ Returns, Parsons on ‘Inside The Actors Studio’

Bobby Hankinson

www.towleroad.com/2015/06/what-to-watch-this-week-on-tv-true-detective-returns-parsons-inside-the-actors-studio.html

Pope Francis: Heterosexual Parents Best for Children

Men and women’s differences bind them in marriage and help their children mature, the pope asserts.

read more

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2015/06/16/pope-francis-heterosexual-parents-best-children

South Bend Mayor: Why Coming Out Matters
This post originally appeared on the South Bend Tribune

Any day now, the Supreme Court will issue a decision on same-sex marriage that will directly affect millions of Americans. It comes at a time of growing public acceptance and support for equal rights. But no matter what the Court does, issues of equality are hardly settled across the country. Today, it remains legal in most parts of Indiana (though not South Bend) to fire someone simply for being gay, and bullying still contributes to tragically high suicide rates among LGBT teens.

Still, our country is headed in a clear overall direction, and swiftly. Today, 57 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage; just 15 years ago, the reverse was true. Experiences with friends or family members coming out have helped millions of Americans to see past stereotypes and better understand what being gay is — and is not. Being gay isn’t something you choose, but you do face choices about whether and how to discuss it. For most of our history, most Americans had no idea how many people they knew and cared about were gay.

My high school in South Bend had nearly a thousand students. Statistically, that means that several dozen were gay or lesbian. Yet, when I graduated in 2000, I had yet to encounter a single openly LGBT student there. That’s far less likely to be the case now, as more students come to feel that their families and community will support and care for them no matter what. This is a tremendously positive development: young people who feel support and acceptance will be less likely to harm themselves, and more likely to step into adulthood with mature self-knowledge.

I was well into adulthood before I was prepared to acknowledge the simple fact that I am gay. It took years of struggle and growth for me to recognize that it’s just a fact of life, like having brown hair, and part of who I am.

Putting something this personal on the pages of a newspaper does not come easy. We Midwesterners are instinctively private to begin with, and I’m not used to viewing this as anyone else’s business.

But it’s clear to me that at a moment like this, being more open about it could do some good. For a local student struggling with her sexuality, it might be helpful for an openly gay mayor to send the message that her community will always have a place for her. And for a conservative resident from a different generation, whose unease with social change is partly rooted in the impression that he doesn’t know anyone gay, perhaps a familiar face can be a reminder that we’re all in this together as a community.

To continue reading, please visit the South Bend Tribune.

Also on HuffPost:

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/pete-buttigieg/south-bend-mayor-why-coming-out-matters_b_7597420.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Ten Great Ways To Celebrate The Arrival Of Marriage Equality

Anyone who lives a stone’s throw from most gay bars in the country knows June is pride month. But this June we hope to have a major extra reason to celebrate — the Supreme Court will hand down its decision on same-sex marriage some time during the month, possibly overturning bans on same-sex marriage in 13 states resisting the tide of history.

But showing pride and enjoying freedom is about a lot more than donning your skimpiest outfit and traipsing about town (though it’s definitely about that, too).

We came up with these suggestions on how to celebrate the freedom to marry this June:

1. Get married!

If you happen to be one of those sickeningly cute people in a stable, committed relationship, now might be the perfect time to celebrate your new freedom by, well, exercising it. Have your day — you can even ride in on a unicorn if it suits you.

2. Put your money where your mouth is

If the right to marry the person you love (even if you don’t know him or her yet) is something that makes you a proud gay, consider all of our brothers and sisters who are still in the trenches, fighting for equality. Assuming you’ve got a little something to spare, we’re sure Amnesty International’s marriage equality organization would love to hear from you — and your bank account.

3. Delete your dating apps

Have you had a nagging feeling lately that you’re just treading life’s waters by going from one dalliance to the next? Perhaps it’s time to get off the apps, and shoot for something lasting lasting longer than an ice cream cone on a summer day. You don’t need to go out and find your future husband immediately, but what about a book club? Volley ball team? You’ll never know until you try.

4. Download dating apps

You didn’t think we’d knock online dating altogether, did you? Maybe what you need to celebrate is some physical attention, but remember that app connections are truly what you make of them. Instead of meeting at his place, you could always opt for a cafe or bar (if only to get past the ‘total stranger’ phase). Next thing you know, you might be enjoying the great outdoors together! And you should have lots to talk about with the court’s decision dominating the news cycle.

5. Get sappy with gay love

Every great romance has a great beginning. Why not curl up onto the couch with your cat as your date and hold an all-night romantic gay film fest for one? We recommend Weekend, But I’m A Cheerleader, Fire and Shelter. Have the tissues handy.

6. Have the pride you’ve always dreamed of

Have you never marched down Market Street in San Francisco or partied at the iconic Dance on the Pier in New York? This could be your year.

7. Come out to your family

If you still haven’t shared your completely honest self with your family — and maybe for good reason — this could be an excellent opportunity to ride the wave of public support and open their eyes to seeing the truth around them. The times are quickly changing, so be open to the people around you changing also. You could even bake them a cake to sweeten the deal.

8. Cut out the drama 

Opponents to marriage equality will use every opportunity they can to point at us as examples of the downfalls of society. We couldn’t care less what they think, but use our hard-fought freedom to take a look at what’s important in your life. Not for them, but for you. Maybe it’s time to trim a little proverbial fat that isn’t serving you.

9. Call a friend and tell the you love them

Yes, this sounds sappy. But the freedom to marry is all about expressing our truest love, and love doesn’t always come in the form of romance and champagne. With the nation’s eyes focused on gay marriage, take all of 10 minutes to call a friend for the sole purpose of expressing your love for them. The gratitude will reverberate.

10. Keep on fighting

Assuming things go our way, this is a major hurdle for the LGBT movement. But we haven’t reached the finish line — not by a long shot. There are always local battles for LGBT protections, ex-gay therapy needs to be banned on minors, and the international community still struggles with acceptance, or worse. If these things matter to you, stay informed, inform others, and keep the conversation going.

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/fdmV4q1G570/ten-great-ways-to-celebrate-the-arrival-of-marriage-equality-20150616

Donald Trump Has $9 Billion to Spend on New Presidential Campaign

The entrepreneur, real estate mogul, reality TV host and perpetual almost-candidate declared he is running for the White House because U.S. leaders are ‘stupid.’

read more

Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/politics/election/2015/06/16/donald-trump-has-9-billion-spend-new-presidential-campaign

Southern Baptist Head Vows Never To Perform Same-Sex Unions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The president of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination is exhorting members to stand united against same-sex marriage and vows that he will never officiate a same-sex union.

Pastor Ronnie Floyd was speaking to delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio. But he says his message is also for the U.S. Supreme Court – which is expected to rule soon on whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry – and for all of America.

Floyd says he has compassion for people whom he described as struggling with same-sex attraction. But Floyd says God defined marriage in the Bible as a lifetime commitment between one man and one woman.

Floyd says delegates will vote on a marriage resolution later in the meeting.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/16/ronnie-floyd-same-sex-unions_n_7596270.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Companies Come Out in Full Colors to Celebrate Pride

As LGBT people and allies gather across the country to celebrate National LGBT Pride Month, a variety of companies have also joined in on the celebration.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/companies-come-out-in-full-colors-to-celebrate-pride?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Mayor Of South Bend, Indiana Comes Out — Hello, Mister Mayor!

Indiana has frequented the news lately, and not for their delicious Hoosier Pie recipes — Governor Mike Pence has made a name for his state as the national battle line for so-called “religious freedom” laws.

Now the mayor of South Bend, Indiana’s fourth-largest city, is making headlines for promoting a different sort of freedom — the freedom to live an authentic life.

Whereas Pence somehow managed to pen a pride month welcome letter without actually mentioning LGBT people, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend recently authored an op-ed in the South Bend Tribune titled Why Coming Out Matters.

Here’s a taste:

“I was well into adulthood before I was prepared to acknowledge the simple fact that I am gay. It took years of struggle and growth for me to recognize that it’s just a fact of life, like having brown hair, and part of who I am. Putting something this personal on the pages of a newspaper does not come easy. We Midwesterners are instinctively private to begin with, and I’m not used to viewing this as anyone else’s business. But it’s clear to me that at a moment like this, being more open about it could do some good. For a local student struggling with her sexuality, it might be helpful for an openly gay mayor to send the message that her community will always have a place for her. And for a conservative resident from a different generation, whose unease with social change is partly rooted in the impression that he doesn’t know anyone gay, perhaps a familiar face can be a reminder that we’re all in this together as a community.”

You can read the full piece here.

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/nSuVZwcNqPU/mayor-of-south-bend-indiana-comes-out-hello-mister-mayor-20150616