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For Halloween, The Scariest Antigay Candidates in Next Week's Election

These are the scariest homophobes we could come up with for a pre-Halloween election preview.

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Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/politics/election/2014/10/29/halloween-scariest-antigay-candidates-next-weeks-election

The Marriage Equality Express 2004
On the morning of February 12, 2004, then San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom threw open the doors of San Francisco City Hall for all loving, committed couples to marry — regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. Mayor Newsom declared that his oath to uphold the United States and California Constitutions required him to ensure that San Francisco no longer discriminate against LGBTQ people in marriage.

We were on the steps of City Hall that morning to attend our very first marriage equality event — a rally that the California chapter of Marriage Equality USA had organized. We dashed inside City Hall, got married, and soon thereafter met many amazing MEUSA leaders. The atmosphere was electric. The joy was contagious. Over the next month, over 8,000 LGBTQ people from 46 states and 8 countries came to San Francisco to marry. Mabel Teng, then SF County Recorder, described San Francisco as the “happiest place on earth.”

Although the California Supreme Court stopped the marriages and later invalidated them, the taste of equality, dignity and joy that we and many others had experienced instilled in us an unshakeable dedication to attaining nationwide equality, a passion that knew no bounds.

Davina Kotulski, Molly McKay and other MEUSA leaders conceived of channeling some of this energy into an educational bus tour from coast to coast — the national Marriage Equality Express — nicknamed “the caravan.” The caravan’s purpose was to give people across our nation the opportunity to meet LGBTQ couples, and their friends and family, to see our common humanity and our shared hopes and dreams, and to hear our real life stories of how marriage discrimination harms LGBTQ people. We also wanted to support and inspire local activists across the country and to be visible as LGBTQ Americans in places where many local LGBTQ people did not feel safe to do so.

The 44 caravan riders included bi-national couples, whose relationships and families were torn apart or threatened because the federal government would not then recognize their relationships due to DOMA; military veterans who had served under the burden of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (then still in effect) and sought to overturn that discriminatory law and to be free to marry; parents of LGBTQ people; children of LGBTQ couples; and, ministers of faith communities. The group was racially diverse, with African-Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and mixed race Americans all playing active and visible roles. We were thrilled to join the caravan.

After months of preparations, including meetings and countless organizing calls, we finally embarked on our journey. On the first day, we stopped in Reno, Nevada for a rally, followed by a trip to the Silver Bells Wedding Chapel. At the Chapel, same-sex couples, fully dressed in wedding attire, asked to get married. After the stunned and perplexed receptionist declined to allow the couples to marry, we switched partners so that we were different sex couples, and asked again if the chapel could marry us. This time, she responded they could. We explained that although we were friends with our new “partners,” we had years-long, loving, committed relationships with our real partners. How could it be that the chapel could marry complete strangers if they were of different sex, but not LGBTQ couples who had lived as married for decades but without the legal protections and respect that marriage affords? The event illuminated the arbitrariness and absurdity of these exclusionary laws, and underscored the caravan’s motto: “Inspire Justice.”

A couple days later the caravan arrived in Laramie, Wyoming for events at the University of Wyoming, followed by a commemoration of the six year anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death. Several caravan riders shared stories of anti-LGBTQ violence they themselves had survived. As we held hands in a circle the skies opened up in a dramatic display of thunder and lightning.

Later that night, the caravan stopped for dinner at a restaurant in Rawlins, Wyoming, where the restaurant’s patrons looked at us as if they’d never seen — or ever thought they’d see — a busload of LGBTQ couples and their friends. As our meal progressed, a waitress approached Stuart and whispered, “My son moved to San Francisco….” He surmised that she was telling him that her son was gay, something she likely didn’t feel comfortable telling her co-workers. He reflected how the caravan was probably extending her a lifeline by providing her temporary relief from her isolation. And, she was providing a lifeline to us as well. An attendee of our kickoff rally in California had noted the risk caravan riders would be taking, commenting, “[t]hey’re going to places where they’re not wanted at all.” The waitress had reassured us of what we knew intellectually — that there were LGBTQ people, their families and friends in places like Rawlins, Wyoming.

Something that disappointed some riders was the relatively small turnout at many of the caravan events. However, the personal interactions with locals along the way in and of themselves made the caravan worthwhile. The riders also developed tight bonds with each other and honed communication and advocacy skills that would prove invaluable in the long struggle for marriage equality that lay ahead. Further, we learned and made full use of the power of the media on the trip. The publicity the caravan garnered was tremendous.

The San Francisco Chronicle was so intrigued that what they described as a “motley” crew of LGBTQ couples and activists had chartered a bus to spread the marriage equality message across the country that they dispatched a reporter and photographer to the bus, not knowing what to expect. They loved the stories they got and covered the caravan on the front page of the paper every single day. Nearly everywhere we went the caravan was the lead story on the local television news. Even when there were small crowds, the local news stations and newspapers came out. At the national rally in Washington, DC, attended by many members of Marriage Equality USA’s New York chapter, a photograph of many of us on stage with the Capitol Dome in the background ran repeatedly in newspapers across the country. Regardless of the turnout at any particular rally, if the caravan was on the news that night, or if a photograph of us was used the next day, we were furthering our goal of putting a human face on the issue.

While the caravan encountered little opposition from marriage equality opponents en route or at the national rally, local LGBTQ advocates weren’t always welcoming. This was especially true in states that were facing anti-marriage equality referenda that year. Ian James, political director of Ohioans Protecting the Constitution, a group opposing the anti-marriage equality referendum on the ballot that year, said of the caravan, “It’s not about marriage. If you fight that fight, you’ll lose, and you’ll lose soundly. You can be morally right and lose, but that doesn’t get you anything.” Some local activists feared that a busload of visible LGBTQ couples and supporters, especially from California, could alienate approachable voters rather than endear them to the marriage equality cause. Many national LGBTQ organizations withheld their support for the caravan or the national rally in Washington, DC. However, DC Congressional delegate and civil rights legend Eleanor Holmes Norton embraced the caravan and spoke at the DC rally along with California State Senator Mark Leno, sponsor of the first state marriage equality bill in the nation. Although rally attendance measured only in the hundreds, C-SPAN 2 broadcast the entire rally nationwide.

Looking back, a staggering amount of change has taken place over the last decade since the national Marriage Equality Express set out from Oakland, California on October 4, 2004. That year, then President George Bush had attacked LGBTQ couples in his State of the Union Address and proposed a Constitutional Amendment to exclude LGBTQ Americans from marriage. LGBTQ people lacked the freedom to marry in every single state along our route, DOMA prevented federal recognition of marriages of same-sex couples, and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell prohibited LGBTQ Americans from serving openly in the military.

Ten years later in October 2014, nearly all the states on the caravan’s itinerary — California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, DC — have marriage equality. President Barack Obama has endorsed the freedom to marry nationwide, the Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of DOMA, and Congress has repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. More work lies ahead, but the caravan definitely contributed in its own unique way to the success the movement enjoys today. The 2004 Marriage Equality Express demonstrates that every step LGBTQ people, their friends and family take — and every mile we log — along this journey brings us closer to our common goal of full nationwide equality.

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for nearly three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. They are leaders in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA.

www.huffingtonpost.com/stuart-gaffney/the-marriage-equality-exp_b_6050178.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

70,000 Attend Taiwan Pride 2014 – VIDEO

Jim Redmond

www.towleroad.com/2014/10/70000-attend-taiwan-pride-2014-video.html

Russell Brand Comes Out As Straight, Relives The Magic Of His Gay Public Bathroom Quickie

All evidence indicates that actor/comedian/speed talker Russell Brand is straight, but in a recent interview, he made it clear to Absolute Radio’s Geoff Lloyd he wished that things could be different.

“I wish I was bisexual. That’s one of the things about me where I’ve got a very traditional moral code. I’m tedious with my heterosexuality.”

And that’s not for lack of trying.

Russell gave a bizarre interview a while back in which he recounted and even more bizarre experience of jacking off a guy in a pub bathroom on camera.

“I trawled around Soho… going [to] various gay bars, gay gyms trying to pick people up with a film crew. I went in this pub and I goes: ‘Anyone want me to wank them off?’

“And this bloke goes, ‘Yep’. Like as if I was saying: ?Does anyone want a packet of crisps from the bar…?’

“So we goes to the lavvy – me, him, the director – and… he gets his willy out. And it was not nice. The phallus is… I like mine and you see some others in paintings that look all right but his looked like a rag.’

“I took it betwixt my fingers thusly. It were like massaging a naked mole rat and it wouldn’t go hard!”

Wonder how that went over with Katy Perry?

H/t HuffPo

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/XxG0FZ1EmZk/russell-brand-comes-out-as-straight-relives-the-magic-of-his-gay-public-bathroom-quickie-20141029

It's On Us: GW LGBT Community
GW’s LGBT Community members participated in the "It’s On Us" campaign because no matter your sexual identity, helping to create a safe environment is your responsibility. Download the GW toolkit…

Why I Am Voting for Women: I'm Not a Special Interest Group

I come to this stage of the political campaign in Massachusetts having worked my tail off to build a grassroots effort of supporters for Maura Healey for Attorney General. She was virtually unknown a year ago and then went on to win all but five cities and towns in the primary. My networks pulled hard for her in Western MA, in coordination with my connections throughout the entire state, including the Boston metro area.

Healey has helped me to understand Coakley. Admittedly, I was a Don Berwick supporter, however, I knew that I needed to move forward before the general election. It didn’t take me long, considering the trust that Healey has built with me over this last year.

When it comes to managerial experience, who could speak to Coakley’s strengths better than Healey? They have been a duo for seven years. The two oversaw hundreds of employees who serve the Commonwealth.

Coakley’s and Healey’s management commanded clear results. The AG’s office led the charge on overturning DOMA. Today 32 states protect same-sex marriage, thanks to Healey, who will be the first openly gay AG in the nation. More than 30,000 homes were saved from foreclosure when they stood up to financial institutions that were selling bad mortgages.

Both women are also running on the policy platforms of universal access to early education, earned sick time for all, workers rights and an increase in the minimum wage.

Coakley’s leadership has always been anchored by a core set of values and she does not sway with at the chance to make easy choices. She stands for fairness, equality and opportunity.

If we all consider these standpoints closely, specifically the proposed minimum wage increase, we would recognize that the old adage of adding more jobs doesn’t develop a vibrant economy. People need good paying work. “Women make up nearly half of the Massachusetts workforce and nationally they are the sole or primary source of income in 40 percent of households with children under the age of 18,” said Governor Patrick. “If the Massachusetts economy is going to continue to thrive, employers must design a workplace that maximizes their talent and potential by eliminating the wage gap and focusing on family-oriented practices and benefits.”

Reflecting on national politics, Congress has an abysmal approval rating. The parties have locked stalemates so many times that the Pew Research Center reports the current delegation to be the “least productive in recent history. ” Women make up less than 20% of these elected offices–not the 30% tipping point that would represent enough of a voice for our communities. Fact: we need more women holding elected offices.

“Women leaders are more assertive and persuasive, have a stronger need to get things done and are more willing to take risks than male leaders, according to a new study conducted by Caliper, a Princeton-based management consulting firm, which has assessed the potential of more than two million applicants and employees for over 25,000 companies around the world, and Aurora, a London-based organization which advances women and comprises a 20,000 member businesswomen’s network. Women leaders also were found to be more empathetic and flexible, as well as stronger in interpersonal skills than their male counterparts. “These qualities combine to create a leadership style that is inclusive, open, consensus building, collaborative and collegial,” according to Herb Greenberg, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Caliper. “We should emphasize that the male leaders in this study were also exceptional in these areas. But the women leaders set a new standard,” adds Dr. Greenberg.

The point: we need more Coakleys and Healeys. Both women are the best people for the job and now is our chance to elect them. Healey wants to be AG because she wants to make a difference. Coakley wants to be Governor because she cares about people. These are the reasons why I am voting for women in the general election.

For those who cannot help but reminisce, we all remember the loss to Scott Brown in 2010. If you are that peeved about Brown winning, then you should go work even harder in New Hampshire and be sure that he doesn’t upend a perfectly good leader in Senator Shaheen. I would like to remind you that Charlie Baker was also a loser in 2010, yet he is not held to the same scrutiny or standards. Instead, he is the smiling poster child for this election cycle.

If we remain mired in the past, Massachusetts risks being swept into the sea of red that looms ahead for many states in this mid-term election. Therefore, it is critical that we vote with conviction and steady hand, as the way to lead ourselves to a much brighter future.

www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-elechko/why-i-am-voting-for-women_b_6066936.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Counting Down to Election Day, HRC Makes Push to GOTV

Election Day is one week away and now, more than ever, HRC is making a push to Get Out The Vote (GOTV).
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/counting-down-to-election-day-hrc-makes-push-to-gotv?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Houston Mayor Annise Parker Meets With Clergymen Over Subpoena Of Church Records: VIDEO

Sean Mandell

www.towleroad.com/2014/10/houston-mayor-annise-parker-meets-with-clergymen-over-subpoena-of-church-records-video.html