The Bilerico Project

No HIV/AIDS Vigil for the October March?

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:00:00 -0500

Seth Hemmelgarn at the Bay Area Reporter is reporting that organizers of the National March for Equality have dropped a vigil for people living with HIV/AIDS:

It appears that a vigil for people living with HIV/AIDS will not be part of October's National March for Equality, as one of the lead organizers told the Bay Area Reporter that no agency could be found to spearhead the event.

When he first called for a march on Washington, D.C. this spring, longtime gay and AIDS activist Cleve Jones told the B.A.R. that march organizers were trying to get use of the Lincoln Memorial site for an HIV/AIDS action on Saturday, October 10, the day before the march. Jones, who is HIV-positive and founded the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, has long been outspoken on HIV/AIDS issues.

But those plans have apparently fallen through.

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Did you know we live in a "post-AIDS" world?

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:00:00 -0500

Apparently the Beverly Hills: 90210 revival is going well. What else can explain its sister revival of Melrose Place?

The CW is bringing Melrose Place, 90210's sleezy, later-night sibling, back to television on Tuesday, September 8th. Gay fans of the original series will be glad to know that, among other things, the (then pioneering) gay slot filled by actor Doug Savant is being re-filled by the significantly beefier Victor Webster, albeit in a much different role.

Webster, a former Playgirl model, will play Caleb Brewer, the "non-stereotypical gay character" who, according to executive producer Todd Slavkin, is a "very masculine guy, smokes cigars, likes the Los Angeles Lakers, collects sports memorabilia, drinks Scotch, likes guys and is not afraid to admit it."

Well thank God for that! Thank God, also, that, according to Slavkin, Melrose Place 2.0 is taking place in a "post-AIDS" world.

Continue reading "Did you know we live in a "post-AIDS" world? "...

Here Come the Eye-Rollers: Milk, King Honored by Obama

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:30:00 -0500

I'm probably not the first to say that the LGBT community sounds (and acts) like a broken record sometimes. Ever since the President didn't wave a magic wand on Inauguration Day, we've largely been reacting to anything the Administration does positively for LGBTs with eye rolls and aggression.

I'm all for holding people accountable, but updating your Facebook status to say something like, "President honors Milk and King -- gee, did he pass Hate Crimes yet? Did I miss that?" isn't indicative of an organized, politically savvy community poised to get its way.

Did he ~~pass~~ sign Hate Crimes protections into law? If it mattered so much to you, wouldn't you know? Wouldn't you know that an atrocious death penalty extension amendment was added in the Senate recently? Shouldn't your status update link to some kind of call-to-action?

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MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty Vetoes Safe Schools Bill

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:00:00 -0500

Nearly one week ago, Minnesota Governor (and rising GOP star/presidential hopeful) Tim Pawlenty vetoed the "Safe Schools for All" bill, a long overdue update to the state's anti-bullying and harassment laws governing schools. Anyone familiar with Pawlenty's politics might shrug and say, "So? What'd you expect?"

A lot, actually, especially after every major education organization in the state joined the bill's +40 member coalition (the MN Safe Schools for All Coalition), bipartisan majorities in both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature voted for it, and the Governor's Office had already requested (and received) compromises to the bill!

The Coalition is now calling on Minnesotans to sign a petition making clear their support of comprehensive safe schools policies, and also to contact the Governor directly expressing their outrage. Click here to learn more and see how you can get involved to support our youth! Join the Facebook group to help spread the word.

Wearing Rainbows: Simple Acts to Show Your Faith Inclusion

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:30:00 -0500

Last week the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Institute for Welcoming Resources, Family Equality Council and COLAGE launched a multimedia, LGBT family-inclusive faith curriculum called All in God's Family: Creating Allies for Our LGBT Families. (Click here to read our joint press release.)

Since then, we've been asking LGBT parents and allies to share stories with us about their faith communities. Are they already welcoming and inclusive? What do they do to make your family feel embraced? What could they do better?

I got an email from Sharon of Naperville, IL this morning. She wanted to tell us about her welcoming and affirming church:

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LGBT-inclusive White House Egg Roll liveblog

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Editors' note: All day today Dustin Kight from the Family Equality Council will be bringing us updates from LGBT families who were invited to the White House Easter Egg Roll. Tune in for more throughout the day!

Good morning, all, and happy "LGBT-inclusive White House Easter Egg Roll Day" -- unofficially proclaimed :) I'm very excited to post updates, photos, and reflections from LGBT parents and their family members attending this year's event. The freshest content will live up here, above the fold. To read about our few weeks' journey to this day, click to read more below.

*Photos are now streaming in. I'm going to add them to the bottom of the post so folks can browse them gallery-style. Enjoy!

Update #7, 5:49pm, That's it for today!

Did someone hear an egg timer? (Woh, woh...) Thanks for sticking with me today -- I'll post some follow-up photos and links to news articles as they become available, but for now the liveblogging is done.

If you attended this year's Egg Roll and want your photos and stories included, email me at dustin.kight@familyequality.org.

Update #6, 5:08pm, Kids will be kids (especially on video...)

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This Goes Out to All the Art School Queers

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0500

In 2002 I graduated from the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities with a South Carolina public high school degree and a certificate of completion in Creative Writing. Virginia Uldrick, founding president of the Governor's School, forgot to give me my certificate for coming out.

It was an honest mistake. The relatively progressive attitude toward queer students at the South Carolina school amounted to letting them be. We had no GSA -- I didn't know what they were at the time -- nor did we observe the National Day of Silence, National Coming Out Day or what have you. But we could breathe and if we were dating a fellow student or just sleeping with someone, we could reasonably assume that if we ran into another (straight) student downtown they would not deride or attack us. Most of us couldn't say that about the high schools we'd come from.

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I'll Vote for the Local Candidate -- And That's the Gay Candidate, Too!

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0500

Tuesday, September 16 is primary day here in Massachusetts -- for state offices, at least. In a heavily Democratic state like MA, primary day is basically election day. The same was true when I lived in Washington, DC. Once Fenty secured the Democratic nomination for mayor, he more or less sailed into office.

This is the first election cycle I'll vote in up here with any real knowledge of the community and the political cast of characters at hand. Last year I voted in MA as a very, very new resident. This time around I feel much savvier as a Somerville voter, and there's one race in particular I've been following closely -- that of Carl Sciortino versus Bob Trane for my state rep.

Carl is the only openly gay male legislator in the State House. Bob is a longtime alderman in my town. Carl had some trouble getting back on the ballot and is now running a write-in campaign. Bob is running is sideshow version of the "change" campaign.

Continue reading "I'll Vote for the Local Candidate -- And That's the Gay Candidate, Too!"...

Sen. Obama Responds to Jennifer Chrisler's Questions on Family Policy

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Just three weeks ago, presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain said in a NYTimes interview that he does not "believe in gay adoption." The Family Equality Council immediately responded, issuing a statement questioning McCain's grasp on the reality of American families.

A great deal of press ensued, including this AP article that generated interest in the issue nationwide. Even though our efforts to raise the visibility of McCain's divisive statement resulted in increased attention to LGBT family issues, we didn't think that a press statement went far enough.

On Wednesday, July 23 Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of Family Equality Council, issued identical letters to Sens. McCain and Obama, outlining the vast array of family types in this country and asking both candidates to explain how their administrations would work to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all loving families in the US. One week later, Sen. Obama issued the following statement in response to Jennifer:

Continue reading "Sen. Obama Responds to Jennifer Chrisler's Questions on Family Policy"...

Catholic Charities: Let's Not Forget

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Many cases of carpal tunnel will be diagnosed before the blogging about Obama's faith-based programs announcement is over and done with. Let me contribute my two (wrist-destructive) cents:

As someone who has seen the best and the worst that organized religion has to offer, my reaction to the announcement was cautious but open to begin with. Those who have commented on the difficulties of putting nondiscrimination into practice are right on the money, as are those who remind us that many faith-based groups do great and necessary work, especially as anti-government forces have greatly diminished purely civic and secular programs over the last 30+ years. (See Alex's recent post for such diverse commentary.)

But one thing in the commentary thus far that needs to be addressed, for history's sake at least, is the example of Catholic Charities, lest we forget their adoption decision in 2006.

Continue reading "Catholic Charities: Let's Not Forget"...

Corporate Accountability: An Uptick? Some Reasons?

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:30:00 -0500

Yesterday afternoon Family Equality Council released a statement from Executive Director Jennifer Chrisler on the state of our talks with TiVo, Inc. For the past three weeks, we have encouraged our supporters, their families and friends to contact TiVo and register their outrage at what appeared to be TiVo's direct endorsement of a "Super Dad" contest with hate group Focus on the Family.

Meanwhile, various Projectors have alerted us to Bolthouse Farms' financial support of the anti-marriage campaign in California.

And just a few days ago, GLAAD released a statement calling out 20th Century Fox and FX for allowing an episode of 30 Days on gay dads raising adopted children to feature Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council unchecked.

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Sometimes the Law Works in Mysterious Ways

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0500

Just when you thought DOMA made it impossible for same-sex couples to enjoy any of the rights, privileges and responsibilities of marriage, the Department of Justice releases a legal opinion stating that nothing in the infamous 1996 federal law bars the Social Security Administration for granting benefits to the children of disabled LGBT parents, where the parent-child relationship has been established by civil union, etc.

Sound complicated? It kind of is. The 5-page opinion, written by Steven A. Engel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, is chock full of legal nuance and careful approximation. I'm no legal scholar, but I think I've got the gist of it (after the jump, that is...).

Continue reading "Sometimes the Law Works in Mysterious Ways"...

The Dads Focus on the Family Doesn't Want You to Know About

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0500

As of 6:57pm Wednesday afternoon, 751 people have signed our petition telling TiVo to apologize to LGBTQ families and their supporters and to sever their ties with hate group Focus on the Family. And to think we only found out about TiVo's unsavory partnership with Focus on the Family a week ago tomorrow. Turns out nobody wants their DVR to do business with a hate group.

Meanwhile, Family Equality Council and others have also encouraged people with LGBTQ dads in their lives to nominate them in Focus on the Family's "Super Dad" (scratch that -- "Super Discriminatory") contest anyway! Big shocker, Focus on the Family doesn't want LGBTQ dads in the running -- they've been screening all of our nominations out.

As we continue to pressure TiVo to step up and do the right thing, we want to also feature the folks who take the time and the emotional leap to submit their nominations on the Focus on the Family site, despite now knowing that Focus will leave them out.

A link to our new Super Dads site after the jump.

Continue reading "The Dads Focus on the Family Doesn't Want You to Know About"...

Something Ain't Right With My TiVo!

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0500

Shame on you, TiVo. First you partner with James Dobson and Focus on the Family -- a partnership that has created a "SuperDad Essay Contest" we all know isn't looking for any GBTQ dads -- then you deny that the partnership really exists. Or exists that much. Or just more than a little bit.

Parent celebration days -- Mother's Day, Father's Day -- can be quite difficult for LGBTQ-headed families. Teachers often don't allow children with two moms or two dads to make gifts for both. The greeting card aisle doesn't feature a "From One Dad to the Other" line. People don't understand when children try to talk about the makeup of their families.

What seem like minor inconveniences to many are actually powerful challenges in family life. Celebration is tempered with hesitation. Good feelings find it hard to just be good.

Continue reading "Something Ain't Right With My TiVo!"...

BREAKING NEWS: NY to Recognize Out-of-State Marriages

dustin@bilerico.com (Dustin Kight) — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:30:00 -0500

NY Governor David Paterson has ordered state agencies to begin recognizing same-sex marriages legally officiated in other states and countries. Gov. Paterson issued his memo to state agencies one day before the California State Supreme Court overturned the ban on same-sex marriage in California.

Gov. Paterson's order complies with a February New York State Appeals Court ruling which said that out-of-state same-sex marriages are entitled to equal recognition in the State of New York in accordance with New York law. The Governor's memo is part of the execution of that ruling.

This is a great day for relationship recognition, as the California ruling allows same-sex couples from other states to marry in California and now couples from New York who wish to marry in California will have their unions recognized back home!

To find about more about the Governor's order, check out these articles on CNN.com and The New York Times.