Here’s the dish: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey said he’d veto any law guaranteeing marriage rights to all state residents.  Why?  Christie said that is an issue that should be left up to voters.  In Christie’s own words, [...]]]> Not only is Newark Mayor Cory Booker a hottie; he’s also an LGBT hero.

Here’s the dish: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey said he’d veto any law guaranteeing marriage rights to all state residents.  Why?  Christie said that is an issue that should be left up to voters.  In Christie’s own words, he said, “Let’s let the people of New Jersey decide what’s right for the state.  Let’s put the question of same-sex marriage on the ballot this fall, in the hands of the people. The time when the most people will be voting in a presidential election year.”

His royal gorgeousness Cory Booker the mayor of Newark told Governor Christie to take a hike—in so many words—insisting that civil rights don’t belong on a ballot.

While being interviewed on WNYC, Booker said he patently disagrees with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s call for a voter referendum this November on whether to legalize gay marriage in the state.

In booker’s words, “This is not about a choice. This is about a fundamental right.  I shudder to think what would happen if the civil rights gains of the 1960s were consistently subjected to the majority of the states.”

The irony is that Cory Booker is reported to be friends with the Governor—according to the New York Times—so this isn’t about a politically-motivated spat among enemies.

According to the same article in the New York Times, Mayor Cory Booker stated, “No minority should have their rights subject to the passions and the sentiments of the majority.  This is the fundamental bedrock of what our nation stands for.”

Hear, hear, Cory Booker, you handsome devil, you.

An interesting point: Cory Booker happens to be African American.  So the issue of civil rights—of human rights—has got to be an important motivator to this man.  Don’t get me wrong; the issue is of paramount importance to me as a gay man, and I believe it should be an equally essential issue for every person worldwide; I’m simply speculating that if Booker is connected to his roots then civil rights likely matter to him.

Apparently the Washington Post agrees.  They wrote, regarding the response to Governor Christie’s suggestion about putting rights to a vote, “Black leaders pounced. Newark Mayor Cory Booker said baseball great Jackie Robinson would not have had the opportunity to break the sport’s color barrier had the matter been put to a vote, and the mayor himself would not have had the opportunity, years later, to be elected to lead New Jersey’s largest city.”

One thing is certain: Cory Booker, we love you!

As usual the HRC are keeping us abreast of the latest [...]]]> We love the Human Rights Campaign; they are a human rights champion of the highest order.  If you don’t know the HRC, they’re the nation’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.   Can I get a “Woot woot”?

As usual the HRC are keeping us abreast of the latest LGBT news.  The latest whackfuckery comes from Oklahoma where a lawmaker is trying to ban gays and lesbians from serving in the state national guard.  Yeah…like people are knocking down the door to serve in the Oklahoma National Guard anyway!

Before I digress, I’ll stop and let the HRC tell you the story.

“The Human Rights Campaign is joining The Equality Network in condemning legislation Oklahoma Representative Mike Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City) is pushing that would implement a more extreme version of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law, which would be applicable to the state’s National Guard.  The bill would bar gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving in the Oklahoma National Guard. The bill goes beyond the discrimination contained in the now-repealed DADT statute, and allows government officials to directly question someone about their sexual orientation – essentially removing the “Don’t Ask” component contained in DADT.

“Since repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ last year, military leaders have testified that our nation’s military is stronger,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “It’s surprising that an Air Force veteran like Representative Reynolds would disagree with our nation’s military leaders and seek to weaken Oklahoma’s National Guard by introducing this legislation. This legislation serves no purpose but to prevent qualified individuals from serving their country and their state.”

“Mike Reynolds has a long-standing history of representing fringe views that rarely have the best interests of all Oklahomans at heart,” said Laura Belmonte, chair of The Equality Network. “This legislation is demoralizing to Oklahoma’s LGBT community and our supporters, and it sends a message that it is acceptable to discriminate against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. At a time of growing momentum for equality at the national level, this legislation will turn back the clock on advancements at the state-level.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen said the day after implementation of repeal: “…with implementation of the new law fully in place, we are a stronger joint force, a more tolerant joint force, a force of more character and more honor, more in keeping with our own values.” Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said: “Thanks to this change, I believe we move closer to achieving the goal at the foundation of the values that America is all about:  equality, equal opportunity and dignity for all Americans.”

If the bill were to become law, Oklahoma would join countries like China, Iran, Syria, North Korea and Pakistan in prohibiting gays and lesbians from serving their country.”

How can you help?   You can get a message to Message to Rep. Reynolds that says, “Your legislation is discriminatory and misguided.”  To do that, visit the HRC petition page here.  Sorry to bolt, Folks, but I’m going to add my name now.

Seems there was an African Union summit taking place, and “The Sheriff” told the attending African heads of state that they needed to step up, get on the right side of history, pull their heads [...]]]> There’s a new sheriff in town, Boys and Girls; that sheriff is none other than UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Seems there was an African Union summit taking place, and “The Sheriff” told the attending African heads of state that they needed to step up, get on the right side of history, pull their heads out of their collective asses and respect gay rights.  Those are my worlds not his.

According to the Associated Press, “Ban Ki-Moon says African nations should stop treating gays as “second-class citizens, or even criminals”.

Ban told African leaders that gathered in Ethiopia’s capital on Sunday for an African Union summit that discrimination based on sexual orientation “had been ignored or even sanctioned by many states for far too long”.

Ban said it would be challenging for Africa to “confront this discrimination”. There was no immediate response from African heads of states to Ban’s speech. Many African countries outlaw homosexuality and many African churches preach against it.”

According to AFP, “Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries,” and, “Previous external criticism of restrictions imposed on homosexuals has attracted angry responses from African leaders, who claim it is alien to their culture.”

Alien to their culture my foot.  Gay is gay is gay.  Gay is not cultural or limited by borders or countries or continents.  Gay just is and there ain’t nothing those African zealots are going to do about it.  They’re probably gay themselves but afraid to own it and mad at those of us who do.

The perfect example of the zealous anti-gay horror that is happening on the African continent is what is going on in Uganda.  If you haven’t been following their news, two years ago, Ugandan Member of Parliament, David Bahati, proposed an anti-homosexual bill which he hoped would exterminate homosexuality from his country. Just how does Bahati propose to exterminate homosexuality? By exterminating the homosexuals, naturally.

The supposed object of the bill, according to its barbaric author, is to, “protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda. Legal, religious, and traditional family values of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sexual promiscuity on the people of Uganda.”

If you don’t care to read the entire bill, I’ll shortcut it for you: “A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death.”  You got that right: death.  If that isn’t zealotry I don’t know what is.  Shape up, Africa, shape up!

President Obama released the following statement about [...]]]> One year ago we lost a champion for gay rights—and human rights—Mr. David Kato. In case you don’t know who David Kato was, he was a Ugandan gay activist who was murdered last January; he was bludgeoned to death while at his home in the capital city of Kampala.

President Obama released the following statement about Kato’s murder, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of David Kato. In Uganda, David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom. The United States mourns his murder, and we recommit ourselves to David’s work.

At home and around the world, LGBT persons continue to be subjected to unconscionable bullying, discrimination, and hate. In the weeks preceding David Kato’s murder in Uganda, five members of the LGBT community in Honduras were also murdered. It is essential that the Governments of Uganda and Honduras investigate these killings and hold the perpetrators accountable.

LGBT rights are not special rights; they are human rights. My Administration will continue to strongly support human rights and assistance work on behalf of LGBT persons abroad. We do this because we recognize the threat faced by leaders like David Kato, and we share their commitment to advancing freedom, fairness, and equality for all.”

If you haven’t been following Ugandan news, two years ago, Ugandan Member of Parliament, David Bahati, proposed an anti-homosexual bill which he hoped would exterminate homosexuality from his country. Just how does Bahati propose to exterminate homosexuality? By exterminating the homosexuals, naturally.

The supposed object of the bill, according to its barbaric author, is to, “protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda. Legal, religious, and traditional family values of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sexual promiscuity on the people of Uganda.”

If you don’t care to read the entire bill, I’ll shortcut it for you: “A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality shall be liable on conviction to suffer death.”  You got that right: death.

I include all of this so you’re clear of the current climate of hatred toward LGBT individuals in Uganda.  To make matters worse, Ugandan newspapers regularly “out” supposed gay and lesbian individuals by publishing their names, photos and addresses in the paper.  Back in October of last year, Uganda’s Rolling Stone newspaper—which is in no way affiliated with the U.S. magazine with the same name—featured 100 pictures of Uganda’s gays and lesbians with the words “hang them” written alongside.

Well, the good people of Uganda, took that as their charge; this week they killed one of the most outspoken LGBT leaders in the nation.

Today we celebrate your life, David Kato, not your death.  We thank you for the difference you made and for your unwavering stand for human rights.

In today’s post, we’re going to end on an up note.

The source of that up note?  A thorough, well-written article by the Dayton Daily News, which [...]]]> Over the past two days I’ve been addressing the topic of LGBT seniors and what has looked like a depressing trend of people going back into the closet.

In today’s post, we’re going to end on an up note.

The source of that up note?  A thorough, well-written article by the Dayton Daily News, which chronicles the special needs and challenges that LGBT seniors face.

Typically I tend to think that progressive laws and lawmakers are congregated at the coasts; this article from Dayton, Ohio, has proven me wrong.

According to the Dayton Daily news article, Ohio lawmakers have observed the trend of LGBT seniors facing bias, disapproval, social isolation, rejection and even hostility in many facilities, and those lawmakers have decided to do something about it.

The article states, “We know there are some needs that the LGBT community has as they age, and there can be stigma and discrimination,” he said. “But there are also some general social issues, like, for example, a higher percentage of the LGBT population does not have children or loved ones to take care of them like heterosexual people would.”

State Rep. Ross McGregor, R-Springfield, and Rep. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, have introduced legislation that could help LGBT people of all ages, including seniors.

The bill would ban discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. McGregor said the bill will help retain and attract creative people to the state and it promotes equality.

“I personally believe it is just the right thing to do strictly as a social issue, because discrimination in any shape or form is bad,” McGregor said.

LGBT advocates praised the legislation, saying it will remedy an injustice. But they said to really help LGBT seniors, home health aides and workers at nursing homes and assisted-living facilities should be mandated to undergo cultural sensitivity training to better serve diverse, aging populations.

Although sexual orientation and gender identity are not currently protected classes, state officials said that does not mean aging LGBT people are without rights.

Laubert, the ombudsman, said long-term care consumers are all afforded the right to fair treatment under Ohio’s resident bill of rights for nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

The bill says that all residents have the right “to be free” from physical, verbal, mental and emotional abuse and be treated at all times with courtesy, respect, recognition, dignity and individuality.”

This news is so encouraging.  The lawmakers proposing this bill are not reserved to any one party; they’re likely not even gay.  They’re just doing the right thing.  I thought it was the perfect note to end the week on.  Good can come from anywhere, any time, any person.

According to the Dayton Daily News, “Many LGBT elders are afraid to “come out of the closet” to [...]]]> As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, There’s no denying that people in the LGBT community have distinct needs and deal with unique challenges.  One of the most hard-hit groups—regarding those pressing needs and challenges—are the LGBT seniors.

According to the Dayton Daily News, “Many LGBT elders are afraid to “come out of the closet” to medical providers, nurses and other seniors who share their living facilities because they fear they will be judged or discriminated against, said Hilary Meyer, the director of the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, a project of SAGE. (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders)

Some employees in nursing homes and home health aides that serve LGBT elders have mistreated their clients because they disagree with their lifestyles, Meyer said.

LGBT adults are also twice as likely to live alone compared to heterosexual adults, and at least one study indicated they are five times less likely to access health and social services they need out of fear of discrimination, according to SAGE.

A survey of 24 federal area agencies on aging showed that about half of respondents found that LGBT seniors would not be welcome at their centers and very few of them offered services specifically tailored to members of that population, SAGE said.

Beverley Laubert, Ohio’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman, said ombudsman officials around the state have received only a few reports of elderly gay men not feeling comfortable telling their nursing homes they are gay because of fear of discrimination.”

You may recall I’ve mentioned a wonderful independent documentary on LGBT seniors before on the blog.  The documentary is a film called Gen Silent; it chronicles several LGBT seniors who go back in the closet to avoid discrimination in their end-of-life care.

Here’s a little more about the documentary according to Stu Maddux, the filmmaker.

“GEN SILENT asks six LGBT seniors if they will hide their lives to survive. They put a face on what experts in the film call an epidemic: gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender seniors so afraid of discrimination, or worse, in long-term/health care that many go back into the closet.

Gen Silent startlingly discovers how oppression in the years before Stonewall now leaves many elders afraid, isolated, and dying prematurely. Some have said they have caregivers to try to religiously convert them at their bedside.

As the film journeys through the challenges that these men and women face, we also see reasons for hope as each subject crosses paths with a small but growing group of impassioned professionals trying to wake up the long-term and healthcare industries to their plight.

What would you do if you were old, disabled or ill – and the person feeding you put down the spoon and said that you are going to hell unless you change your sexual preference?

Sound absurd?  Social workers around the world say it’s happening every day.”

In tomorrow’s post we’ll wrap up the topic of LGBT seniors and aging in gay America; and we’ll end on an up note.  Stay with us.

In a thorough, well-written article by the Dayton Daily News, the special needs and challenges that LGBT seniors face is chronicled.

The issue of LGBT seniors is dear to my heart—let’s face it; I ain’t getting any [...]]]> There’s no question about it; people in the LGBT community have distinct needs and deal with unique challenges.

In a thorough, well-written article by the Dayton Daily News, the special needs and challenges that LGBT seniors face is chronicled.

The issue of LGBT seniors is dear to my heart—let’s face it; I ain’t getting any younger—and if you recall, I’ve also mentioned a wonderful independent documentary on LGBT seniors before on the blog.  The documentary is a film called Gen Silent; it chronicles several LGBT seniors who go back in the closet to avoid discrimination in their end-of-life care.

Over the next few days I want to explore the issue given its importance.

In the Dayton Daily News article—and I must say it’s encouraging getting gay news from the heartland—the theme is the same as with Gen Silent; it’s about gay seniors fearing bias, disapproval, social isolation, rejection and even hostility in many facilities.

The article states that by the year 2030, the number of lesbian, gay and bisexual people older than 65 in the U.S. is expected to rise to about 3 million. from 1.5 million in 2010. Advocacy groups for the elderly say care providers need to be trained to ensure they can effectively serve this segment of the population.

According to the Dayton Daily News, “State and federal laws do not ban discrimination in housing or public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and some LGBT members face hostility and disapproval when they visit senior centers or need to move into low-income residences, assisted-living facilities, retirement communities and nursing homes, according to various advocacy organizations.”

The article went on to add, “Older LGBT members often face economic and social hardships as they grow older that are linked to a lack of laws that shield them from discrimination and grant their relationships legal recognition, said Carrie Davis, counsel with the ACLU of Ohio.

LGBT people are less likely to have biological children, and they are more likely not to have family support systems because they are estranged from relatives who disapprove of their sexual orientation, Davis said.

This has consequences because about 80 percent of all caregiving for the elderly is provided by unpaid family members, officials said. LGBT people often must rely on partners and friends to take care of them.”

Unfortunately, as you know if you’re a member of the community, partners are not always allowed to care for each other—particularly if there is no Advance Healthcare Directive in place.  Regardless of the fact that Obama issued a hospital visitation memorandum, it’s been reported that many hospitals are still denying same-sex partners visitation rights.  Do yourself a favor and ensure you’ve got proper documentation for yourself and your partner.

More tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Clooney is playing David Boies, alongside Martin Sheen who will no doubt be kicking ass as Theodore Olson.  Also starring in [...]]]> If you’re gay or a George Clooney fan you’ve likely heard the news; George Clooney is starring in a reading of Dustin Lance Black’s play “8″ at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on March 3.

Clooney is playing David Boies, alongside Martin Sheen who will no doubt be kicking ass as Theodore Olson.  Also starring in the reading are Matt Bomer, Campbell Brown,Jamie Lee Curtis, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cleve Jones, Christine Lahti, Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, Rory O’Malley, Rob Reiner, Yeardley Smith, and George Takei.  George Takei?  Holla!

Best of all?  The play is directed by Rob Reiner!

The play is based on research and transcripts from the Prop H8 trial and is a fundraiser for AFER, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, who are footing the bill for the PropH8 trial itself.

Given the reading is a fundraiser, the ticket prices are…uh…let’s just stay steep.  They start at $500 for general admission and go up to $250,000.  Ol’ David Boies and Theodore Olson ain’t cheap!

Good news is the play is now going national this year.  Sure, Clooney won’t be in the cast, but whomever is starring, it’s all for a good cause.  A great cause, actually.

The original equally star-studded, one-night-only Broadway debut of “8” starred Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin, Anthony Edwards, Bradley Whitford, John Lithgow, Christine Lahti and Rob Reiner.

AFER is doing the national run in a really brilliant way; they’re sponsoring dozens of productions of “8” all over the country in states where marriage battles loom, including Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina.  Can I get a woot woot for AFER?

More than 40 readings are on the books from now until November.  “8” will be produced by professional theater companies such as the American Repertory Theatre, the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and it will also be produced in Universities across the country from Stanford heading east.

Sounds amazing. If you’re headed to the LA gala event and can’t decide whom to invite, I happen to be free that night.