Former 'Ex-Gay' Leader Comes Out

In a new blog post, Randy Thomas, formerly of Exodus International, describes himself as ‘gay with a bisexual propensity.’

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Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/ex-gay-therapy/2015/01/12/former-ex-gay-leader-comes-out

In the Words of the Beatles, 'Help!'
I worry about my generation. Outside of all the chaos and destruction in the world, I worry about my generation’s sense of entitlement and lack of desire to learn from, or about, its history. I was driving in my car yesterday, having recently downloaded Kanye West’s new song featuring Sir Paul McCartney; I immediately remember seeing stories online about the amount of young people who either had no idea who McCartney was, or even better, thought that Kanye was giving some music hopeful a chance to “make it big.”

Growing up, I would have gotten a smack to the back of my head if I dared to be unaware of Paul McCartney or his involvement in the most famous band of all time! I was lucky though; my father stressed the importance of where music styles came from, who influenced the music world, and what was genuinely good music, or not. My father introduced me to Led Zeppelin (Classic Rock), Marvin Gaye (Motown), and Frank Sinatra (the Crooners), while I introduced myself to *NSYNC, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys (God bless the late ’90s pop era).

Music is just a small part of the problem, though; nobody is paying attention to the history of our country either. I’m a high school teacher; therefore I have an accurate pulse of “what’s coming” in the next generation. The other day, one of my students mentioned having to go see the new movie, Selma, with his mother this coming weekend. He didn’t seem happy or excited; whether that was due to the content or the fact that his mother was going with him remains to be seen. Regardless, my students had no clear understanding of the actual event; they only knew that it was about the Civil Rights era.

Though I’m a math teacher, I’m a complete history buff; I love learning about the past, no matter the country or time period. I find myself wondering what it would be like to have been a part of history, but I also know that we must learn from it. Unfortunately, I do not see this desire amongst my generation and the generation below me; I hesitate to generalize, but my excitement seems to always fall on deaf ears when I talk about historical events with the majority of my peers.

I identify as a gay man; therefore my thirst for historical knowledge has also been quenched from learning about events like the Stonewall riots; people like Harvey Milk and Edith Windsor; and current events, such as the overturning of the Defense of Marriage Act. I am also a member of Dignity/Washington, a chapter of a national organization, DignityUSA, which provides Catholic mass for the LGBTQ community, their family and friends. I mention my membership because the large majority of our community is over 40. I have been able to learn from those who struggled with their sexuality before me; I have heard their stories and what the world was like when they were coming out of the closet. It has given me a new respect for the more mature LGBTQ community and the ease with which I was able to come out a few years ago.

I fear that my generation has grown to feel too entitled; because historical events did not involve us, we do not see the importance of learning about them and from them. Though we have our own struggles with finding work and paying off massive student loans, we do not take the time to stop and think of those who were not ever able to go to school because of their gender or their race. We idolize musicians who are simply sampling and borrowing from exponentially more influential people from the past. In terms of the LGBTQ community, we see the strides made in the last couple of years and forget the people who came before us, who could not walk down the street holding hands with their lover, let alone marry them!

I have faith in my generation’s ability to lead and prosper. Though our struggles today are much more different, and technologically advanced, than the ones that came before us, we are still overcoming our own obstacles. My only fear is that we have become ignorant to the past; therefore I worry that we will not be prepared for the future.

www.huffingtonpost.com/vin-testa/in-the-words-of-the-beatl_b_6451322.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Peter Tatchell and other top activists to debate if we are failing on global rights at Gay Star Travel Expo

One-of-a-kind travel show returns to London’s Heaven nightclub on the 17 Jan

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jamiet

www.gaystarnews.com/article/peter-tatchell-and-other-top-activists-debate-if-we-are-failing-global-rights-gay-star-trave

BREAKING: Federal Court Victory for Marriage Equality in South Dakota

Today, a federal district judge in South Dakota issued a swift ruling declaring the state’s ban on marriage equality unconstitutional.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/breaking-federal-court-victory-for-marriage-equality-in-south-dakota?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Federal Judge Strikes Down South Dakota's Gay Marriage Ban

Kyler Geoffroy

www.towleroad.com/2015/01/federal-judge-strikes-down-south-dakotas-gay-marriage-ban.html

The 8 Greatest Quotes from Friday's Marriage Equality Oral Argument

We’ve rounded up our favorite quotes, retorts, and one-liners from the three-judge panel.

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Matt Baume

www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2015/01/12/8-greatest-quotes-fridays-marriage-equality-oral-argument

Homophobic Protestors Succeed In Thwarting Gay Wedding For The Fourth Time

A same-sex wedding scheduled to take place at City Hall in Baja California was thwarted for the fourth time on Saturday.

Victor Manuel Aguirre and Fernando Urias (pictured) have been trying to tie the knot in Mexicali since June 2013, but every time they show up for their scheduled appointment at City Hall, they are turned away.

When the couple showed up for their latest appointment on Saturday, they were greeted by dozens of protestors, many of whom were wearing blue surgical masks that read “only a man and a woman.” A top city official told press that the wedding ceremony had been canceled at the last minute after a complaint was filed alleging the two would-be grooms “suffer from madness.”

The complaint was submitted by a woman named Angelica Guadalupe Gonzalez Sanchez. Sanchez serves as the president of the Coalition of Baja California Families, where she and her husband offer mandatory pre-marital counseling to couples preparing for civil wedding ceremonies at Mexicali City Hall.

In her complaint, Sanchez alleged that the men acted “aggressive and impertinent” towards her after she and her husband refused to offer them the mandatory pre-marital counseling talk, claiming the sessions were designed for heterosexual couples only.

Municipal official Jose Felix Arango Perez told reporters that “the submission of the complaint by this individual obligates us to suspend the legal ceremony,” adding that it is now up to the state’s family court system to resolve the matter.

Augierre and Urias tried getting married two months earlier, but officials said they could not perform the wedding ceremony due to “unresolved paperwork issues.” But the men insist this latest move by same-sex marriage opponents will not stop them from eventually being wed.

“Of course, we are going to continue to try,” Aguirre told reporters from the steps of City Hall.

“One day, their tricks will end, and we will never get tired of trying,” added Urias.

Related stories:

Harassment, Abuse, And Extortion: The Everyday Struggles Of Gay Mexicans Revealed

Mexico’s First Openly Gay Mayor Sung His Way To Victory, “Not In Favor” Of Gay Marriage

Mexico Supreme Court: Mexico City’s Gay Marriage Law Can Stay

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/sLCfZHPwCZI/homophobic-protestors-succeed-in-thwarting-gay-wedding-for-the-fourth-time-20150112