Sunday, February 25, 2007
Where are they now?
I remember the Matthew Shepard vigil at the US Capitol like it was yesterday. A friend made a killer banner which said "Homphobia=Death" in the style of the old ACT-UP poster, "Silence=Death."I was proud of my community how they stood with Matthew, his family, and friends.
I wonder if I will be as proud of their reactions to the death of Andrew Anthos. Why do I have the horrible feeling that a 72 year old black man won't get the same treatment as Matthew? Why did Tyrone Garner, one of two co-defendants in the most important gay legal victory in history, die penniless, his body sent to the morgue with little care for his memory? Where were the protests at the Capitol when Michael Sandy was brutally killed in New York?
Sometimes I'm ashamed to be white in America today.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
State of the movemement... At this very moment?
I went to the Human Rights Campaign last night for a panel on the State of the LGBT Movement. It was one of the rare opportunities to see a gathering of nation's top LGBT leaders talking about where we are headed.
The panel included Joe Solmonese, President of HRC and Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, as always, did a great job of representing not just blogs, but the millions of readers who have come to build strong online communities.
The two hour event could easily have filled an entire day. The discussion was informative and interesting.
Lots and lots was said about the places in the country outside of the gay meccas. "Please don't forget us outside of Washington," was a common theme.
If the panel was listening last night and this morning, they will know that in some places in our community, the state is one of fear and tears:
The panel included Joe Solmonese, President of HRC and Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, as always, did a great job of representing not just blogs, but the millions of readers who have come to build strong online communities.
The two hour event could easily have filled an entire day. The discussion was informative and interesting.
Lots and lots was said about the places in the country outside of the gay meccas. "Please don't forget us outside of Washington," was a common theme.
If the panel was listening last night and this morning, they will know that in some places in our community, the state is one of fear and tears:
72-Year-Old Detroit Man Paralyzed After Brutal Anti-Gay Attack: The victim, Andrew Anthos, was riding a city bus back to his residence at Detroit's Windsor Tower apartments on Feb. 13 when another male passenger asked him if he was gay, Anthos's niece, Athena Fedenis said. Anthos was followed by the man from the bus and beaten with a pipe in front of his apartment, Fedenis said.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Goodnight, Barbara...and thank you...
As I've shared with readers before, I've had the honor of my path crossing with a list of folks who have done extraordinary things for our community, both gay and straight. Many have served as examples for future generations and many have paved a path upon which we have all walked. Barbara Gittings was such a woman.
I first came into contact with Barbara when I was the fundraiser for the Harvey Milk School and Hetrick Martin Institute in New York City. Barbara Gittings worked with Emery Hetrick, Damien Martin, and their colleagues to create what was then known as the Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth. Barbara served as an early important team member of the agency that would come to bear its founders' names and because of her years of commitment she was honored by the organization at its annual awards gathering. When you're a fundraiser for twenty years you meet a lot of award winners, none were as grateful or humble as Barbara.
Gittings's activism started before most people knew what gay and lesbian activism was. In 1955, over fifty years ago, she founded the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, the nation's first lesbian organization. (The Daughters of Bilitis was first formed in SF by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, who continue to be involved in activism today, at ages 83 and 86.) She served as editor of the group's national magazine, The Ladder, from 1963 to 1966.
BARBARA GITTINGS
Here is Barbara picketing at the White House for gay and lesbian rights in 1965. There weren't tens or hundreds of thousands in DC for this demonstration as there was in 1979, 1987, 1993, or 2000. It was Barbara Gittings, Frank Kameny, and a handful of others. . Jobs were lost, lives destroyed, and yet they labored on. For you. For me. For every last one of us.
In 2005, Barbara and her partner Kay Lahausen attended the unveiling of the nation's first historic marker commemorating the lesbian and gay rights movement at Philadelphia's Independence Hall. There, forty years earlier, Barbara planned what was to become the nation's very first gay rights demonstration. That historic event being permanently remembered in the shadow of the cradle of liberty is an honor she richly deserved.
Barbara Gittings died Sunday evening with her partner of Kay Lahausen, her partner of 46 years, by her side.
Goodnight, Barbara and on behalf of every last one of us, thank you.
Newsday: Barbara Gittings, early NYC lesbian rights activist, dies at 75
I first came into contact with Barbara when I was the fundraiser for the Harvey Milk School and Hetrick Martin Institute in New York City. Barbara Gittings worked with Emery Hetrick, Damien Martin, and their colleagues to create what was then known as the Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth. Barbara served as an early important team member of the agency that would come to bear its founders' names and because of her years of commitment she was honored by the organization at its annual awards gathering. When you're a fundraiser for twenty years you meet a lot of award winners, none were as grateful or humble as Barbara.
Gittings's activism started before most people knew what gay and lesbian activism was. In 1955, over fifty years ago, she founded the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, the nation's first lesbian organization. (The Daughters of Bilitis was first formed in SF by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, who continue to be involved in activism today, at ages 83 and 86.) She served as editor of the group's national magazine, The Ladder, from 1963 to 1966.
BARBARA GITTINGS
(1932 - 2007)
Here is Barbara picketing at the White House for gay and lesbian rights in 1965. There weren't tens or hundreds of thousands in DC for this demonstration as there was in 1979, 1987, 1993, or 2000. It was Barbara Gittings, Frank Kameny, and a handful of others. . Jobs were lost, lives destroyed, and yet they labored on. For you. For me. For every last one of us.
In 2005, Barbara and her partner Kay Lahausen attended the unveiling of the nation's first historic marker commemorating the lesbian and gay rights movement at Philadelphia's Independence Hall. There, forty years earlier, Barbara planned what was to become the nation's very first gay rights demonstration. That historic event being permanently remembered in the shadow of the cradle of liberty is an honor she richly deserved.
Barbara Gittings and
her partner Kay Lahausen
her partner Kay Lahausen
Barbara Gittings died Sunday evening with her partner of Kay Lahausen, her partner of 46 years, by her side.
Goodnight, Barbara and on behalf of every last one of us, thank you.
Newsday: Barbara Gittings, early NYC lesbian rights activist, dies at 75
Monday, February 19, 2007
If you're going to send me pissy email...
To my dear, beloved readers: I beg of you to not write me pissy emails in the middle of the night, especially after a week like the one I've had...I may get them first thing after a night of little sleep.
From: [email]And, when I have the time...I try to reply personally:
TO: mrogers
Date" Feb 19, 2007 2:29 AM
subject It's been nice...
...but I can no longer "support" your site, blogactive.com, as it's just not "current" and "active" enough for me. All the best as you continue your work. But, word of advice?? If you're going to use the word ACTIVE???.... make it ACTIVE.
Thanks for your note and the advice.Keep those letters coming.
I'm writing back because I know from the comments, you've been an active reader.
Because the site's work takes so long for such little -- well, virtually no -- pay, I have to work on the jobs that pay my rent, medical care (heart condition, no medical insurance), and basic expenses. It's not as if the political establishment has supported this work.
If it's daily freshness you want, check my news service PageOneQ.com, it's updated multiple times per day; (Next month we are debuting PageOneQblogs.com, a new lgbt community gathering spot.....which, frankly one of a multitude of organizations should be developing.)
In my spare time (ha) I'm the volunteer director of GayPoliticsBlogads.com, where I am helping smaller gay/lesbian bloggers join with more established sites to bring some income to cover their expenses, and I'm the person who conceived of and is managing the nation's first meeting of lesbian and gay bloggers -- in DC in the fall. And, I spend up to 10 hours a a week making calls for my organization Proud Of Who We Are, reaching across the aisle to promote honesty from government officials who hide from the truth.
All of that work, hardly brings in anything, so I try to find the time for my full time job at another website, one which provides information for free to the public.
I don't know what I could possibly do to post at whatever unstated rate would satisfy you, or the handful of other "supporters" who have written similar sentiments.
I've reviewed your gift record and I while I appreciate your support of $10.00, I have decided to return it so you do not feel as though your investment was a bad one. If I've missed other support gifts, please let me know. I was fundraiser for twenty years before getting into this work, so I'd like to make sure I don't leave you feeling as f you've wasted money on something. (if you'd like to see some of the things I've worked on, you can see that here.)
If you'd like to keep up with the work behind the blog and my other work, you can see the media page at Proud Of Who We Are - Media Clips, Press.
Again, thanks for writing,
Mike Rogers.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
I can't believe I missed this video
Back in October, I spent a few hours with Dave Halliday, a reporter from Al Gore's Current TV. Somehow I missed the result of that filing when it went up. A friend told me about it today.
The video was was made after the Foley story broke and posted before the Election Day. As always, Barney is stellar. Patrick Sammon from the Log Cabin Republicans seems like a nice guy...although I do find it interesting that they refuse to debate the issue in any public venue.
Anyway... I'm really appreciative of Dave and Current TV... I hope you like it too.
The video was was made after the Foley story broke and posted before the Election Day. As always, Barney is stellar. Patrick Sammon from the Log Cabin Republicans seems like a nice guy...although I do find it interesting that they refuse to debate the issue in any public venue.
Anyway... I'm really appreciative of Dave and Current TV... I hope you like it too.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
That darn gay agenda
Yup, we're at it again. The gay agenda is working its evil puppet strings. A Barstow high school in California is trying to form a Gay Straight Alliance. Can you believe it? Those crazy teenagers are at it again trying to make the school an accepting and diverse environment.
But one member of the community won't let this abomination go unopposed. In an editorial to the Desert Dispatch, a local paper, Richard Reeb tears into the idea of a GSA, denouncing the organization part of the "gay agenda" that is trying to destroy America.
But, I mean, listen to this guy. He really hit it dead on.
Here's where I lose him again though. Hold onto your computer chair cause this one's a doozy.
All in all, yet another example of senseless bigotry trying to pose as educated thought. They are everywhere and they are loud and, while it is fun to laugh at their ignorance, they are dangerous. I only hope there is somebody in the Barstow community ready to fight back with words of truth.
But one member of the community won't let this abomination go unopposed. In an editorial to the Desert Dispatch, a local paper, Richard Reeb tears into the idea of a GSA, denouncing the organization part of the "gay agenda" that is trying to destroy America.
But, I mean, listen to this guy. He really hit it dead on.
We know that advocates or enablers of sexual perversion, which they euphemistically refer to as "diversity," mean for their fellow citizens not merely to "tolerate" it but to "celebrate" it. After all, from their point of view, they have nothing to apologize for. Indeed, critics of their "lifestyle" are the ones who have some explaining to do. Nothing but bigotry or religious fanaticism could possibly explain opposition to our public schools sanctioning "gayness."And he's right! We really will not stop until our value is more than tolerated - we won't stop until it's celebrated. He also hits it dead on with his comment on bigotry and religious fanatacism.
Here's where I lose him again though. Hold onto your computer chair cause this one's a doozy.That is the "ball game." Just as pro-slavery southerners insisted that the rest of the country must agree with them that slavery is right and freedom is wrong, so today's "uncloseted" homosexual advocates and practitioners will not rest until all of us agree that denying the distinctive sexual wellsprings of our nature is right and maintenance of traditional marriage and family is wrong.I mean come on! I find it amazing that somebody as supposedly educated as Reeb is (Doctorates in political science and journalism) could be so hopelessly ignorant as to compare the LGBT rights movement to the pro-slavery movement. I think perhaps there might be a bit of psychological redirection going on here.
All in all, yet another example of senseless bigotry trying to pose as educated thought. They are everywhere and they are loud and, while it is fun to laugh at their ignorance, they are dangerous. I only hope there is somebody in the Barstow community ready to fight back with words of truth.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Expert needed....
...I've had an idea in mind for a couple of years. To make it a reality, I need the assistance of someone who is expert at forming Political Action Committees. If you're such a person or know someone who is, please drop me a line at projectk(at)p1nm.com.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Monday, February 12, 2007
A new network.... Thanks HRC...
Some news to report. A couple of weeks back I worked with some other LGBT bloggers to launch a new BlogAd network: Gay Politics BlogAds. The network includes LGBT bloggers from across the political spectrum.
If you know of folks who want to promote their sites to politically aware LGBT blog readers and their supporters, check out the network here.
Friday, February 09, 2007
For Fear of the Game
Every once in a while we in the LGBT community get to take a step back and congratulate somebody for coming out of the closet. Well, maybe not every once in a while these days. It certainly seems like more and more celebrities and the like are coming out. Yet, on these occasions we get the chance to thank that person for coming out of the closet, facing their own demons and having the courage to stand up for what is right.
Three days ago John Amaechi became the first NBA player in history to come out of the closet. This was Amaechi’s first public acknowledgement that he was gay. Amaechi joined the NBA in 1995 playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and later Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz. He earned fame in the NBA by scoring the first few points of the new millennium in 2000. To all those homophobic basketball lovers: how do you like ‘dem apples?
So what makes John Amaechi’s acknowledgement so important? The complete lack of major sports figures who are openly gay. The environment that exists within sports is so oppressive and so homophobic that you would have to put your entire career on the line (and probably watch it go down the drain) in order to be honest about your sexuality or gender identity. Of course, I’m not exactly the best authority on sports. To be honest, I haven’t picked up a football to play since 6th grade. But even those deeply immersed in the world of sports admit that an openly gay player wouldn’t survive.
LeBron James, who also plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, said earlier this week that he didn’t think an openly gay player would survive in the NBA. Yet, he then goes on to say that a person hiding their sexuality was a huge breach in trust.
We spend so much time together, honestly, that we’re kind of like a family. We take showers with each other after practice. You’re on the bus talking about a lot of things. If you’re sitting there and you’re conversing with us but you’re not sincere about it … you’re kind of hiding it. As teammates, you have to be trustworthy, and if you’re gay and you’re not admitting it that you are, you’re not trustworthy.
It certainly seems like hypocrisy, as well as homophobia, is abundant in the NBA. And judging by the lack of openly gay athletes many major sports it is not just the NBA. Maybe it’s time for somebody to step forward from within and say “enough is enough”. Until then all we can do is thank those with the courage to step forward and be honest, for they are giving hope to the next generation of openly gay athletes.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Ed Schultz audio
As always, Ed Schultz was a great time. Here the audio.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
DNC wrap-up
As I was at the DNC meeting, BlogACTIVE was changed from one server to another, so there was a little less posting from the event than I had hoped. Here's a roundup of the rest of the meeting.
I debated whether or not to attend the DNC meeting at all. As readers here know, I've not always been a fan of the national party. In the end I decided to go and was pleasantly surprised with what I encountered. My first stop was the Resolutions Committee, which I wrote about below. I also attended a meeting of the LGBT caucus which left me feeling much better about the state of the party.
Party chairman Howard Dean stopped by the meeting and spoke of the new delegate selection process which will benefit our community. His statements were also trans inclusive, something many on the left shy away from. I felt that Dean's statements were heartfelt and that he really is personally committed to LGBT equality.
Of course, one of the benefits of attending events like this is that you get to meet face to face with folks you've often only chatted with on the phone. Now that I've been to the meeting and talked with some of the folks there, I will say it will be much harder to be so hard on them. They are a dedicated bunch and I'll be sure to cut them some more slack.
The Stonewall Democrats reception was a great opportunity for community folks to network. In addition to a cadre of party actvists, there were some great leaders there like Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality and John Klenert, a long time leader in the struggle for workplace equality.
I left the DNC Winder Meeting feeling that the party was more committed to LGBT equality than they let people know. I hope the party continues to expand its outreach to bloggers. Based on the past weekend, I'd say that the party has a huge opportunity to influence its perception among the grassroots.
I debated whether or not to attend the DNC meeting at all. As readers here know, I've not always been a fan of the national party. In the end I decided to go and was pleasantly surprised with what I encountered. My first stop was the Resolutions Committee, which I wrote about below. I also attended a meeting of the LGBT caucus which left me feeling much better about the state of the party.
Party chairman Howard Dean stopped by the meeting and spoke of the new delegate selection process which will benefit our community. His statements were also trans inclusive, something many on the left shy away from. I felt that Dean's statements were heartfelt and that he really is personally committed to LGBT equality.
Of course, one of the benefits of attending events like this is that you get to meet face to face with folks you've often only chatted with on the phone. Now that I've been to the meeting and talked with some of the folks there, I will say it will be much harder to be so hard on them. They are a dedicated bunch and I'll be sure to cut them some more slack.
The Stonewall Democrats reception was a great opportunity for community folks to network. In addition to a cadre of party actvists, there were some great leaders there like Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality and John Klenert, a long time leader in the struggle for workplace equality.
I left the DNC Winder Meeting feeling that the party was more committed to LGBT equality than they let people know. I hope the party continues to expand its outreach to bloggers. Based on the past weekend, I'd say that the party has a huge opportunity to influence its perception among the grassroots.
I'm going on Ed Schultz...
Another activist headed to the street...not by choice!
Ever since I was involved in ACT-UP in the late 1980's in New York, I've seen how the left often disregards the needs of individuals over the cause. When I hear that Lane Hudson is still without a job or that Maria Leavey died without the health care she so desperately needed -- health care the political elite of Washington failed to provide -- it breaks my heart.Tyrone Garner, a plaintiff in the historic Lawrence v. Texas case which overturned sodomy laws, died so poor his body went unclaimed until activists demanded action. And long time readers are familiar with my past (and less frequent, I am happy to say) pleas for help in financing the work of this blog.
And now, Kevin-Douglas Olive is fighting the battle of his life to honor the dying wishes of his late partner, Russell Groff. His fight, one he has taken on for us all, has cost him everything. Because Maryland is engaged in the fight for marriage equality in the state's highest court, this case is even more important. It's not about Kevin and Russell. It's about the rights of every fair minded American.
Here's the story as it's been shared with me by one of Maryland's leading LGBT activists:
Kevin-Douglas Olive and Russell Groff were in a committed, loving relationship for 6 years. The two were united in a Quaker wedding ceremony and pledged to spend the rest of their lives together. Sadly, Russell became sick as a result of HIV; Kevin-Douglas was by his partner’s side during every minute of this painful illness. These two men made some very important decisions before Russell’s death in 2004. Part of getting their affairs in order included preparing a will to ensure that Russell’s wishes would be followed at the time of his death. Kevin-Douglas and Russell purchased the gravesite near their childhood homes, and Russell’s body was buried there after his death. The two bought the gravesite with the intention that Kevin-Douglas would be buried next to Russell.I am hoping BlogACTIVE readers will drop by PayPal and toss a few bucks at Kevin. If you are having trouble with the auto link, you can send your PayPal donation to: ndividual1@hotmail.com (Note: There is no "i" before "ndividual1")
Russell’s parents, who never accepted their son as he was, decided to challenge Russell’s will in the Maryland court system. They want to have their son’s body moved to the family cemetery, a Baptist cemetery. A Baltimore City Orphan Court found the will valid, but the Groff’s have chosen to appeal. They won’t give up on overturning their son’s last wishes! This legal battle has cost Kevin-Douglas everything. It cost him the time he should have had to properly grieve the loss of his partner as well as thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees to enforce Russell’s will. He is now out of funds to continue this fight for justice, and barring our help, will begin selling his assets, includig his car, in less than two weeks. Russell needs our help to navigate his way out of this nightmare.
For more information on Kevin-Douglas Olive’s struggle please read the following articles in The Washington Blade:
Baltimore man wins gravesite battle
Man fights partner’s family over gravesite, Parents want gay son’s body moved to family plot
Monday, February 05, 2007
Server move almost done
We had a messy week.... More on the server change soon....
Images back soon.
Images back soon.
Friday, February 02, 2007
From the DNC...update
Just got back from the DNC meeting. Overall it was great. The mood in the LGBT caucus was really great and our community did very well in the rewriting of the delegate selection rules.
Every state party will be required to assess the participation of LGBT community members and then have policies to properly include delegates who are LGBT.
Every state party will be required to assess the participation of LGBT community members and then have policies to properly include delegates who are LGBT.
Morning sessions at the DNC
The morning DNC meeting had some great speeches. From my seat the best orator by far was Barak Obama. The most popular speaker was Hillary Clinton. And, I believe, Chris Dodd's speech had the best content. Dennis Kucinich had the best stand on the war... too bad he has no shot of winning the White House.
Quite a sea change here about bloggers who happen to out closeted anti-gay politicians. A few years ago folks didn't think so much about it. Now, knowing that Foley and all of the closeted senior staffers who protected him helped to win the election, everyone feels a little different.
Quite a sea change here about bloggers who happen to out closeted anti-gay politicians. A few years ago folks didn't think so much about it. Now, knowing that Foley and all of the closeted senior staffers who protected him helped to win the election, everyone feels a little different.
Live from the DNCwinter meeting
I am here at the Democratic National Committee meeting in Washington, DC. It's fun being "press.' (Note to my fellow bloggers at the meeting, don't settle for a blogger's pass. People who write blogs are press and the establishment needs to be taught that.)
I went to the Resolutions Committee meeting. Unbelievably, a resolution was introduced which supported fair and open elections. The resolution listed the many groups of disenfranchised communities...Well, except for one.... Care to guess? (I guess the authors of the resolution has not heard about the disenfranchisement of lesbians and gays in Alabama.)
Fortunately, one of the committee members moved to add "sexual orientation." Perhaps he caught wind of this.
I've heard Chris Dodd, John Edwards, and Wesley Clark all speak. Of course any one of these folks or any of those who have not yet spoken are better than the current bunch of homophobes at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
I went to the Resolutions Committee meeting. Unbelievably, a resolution was introduced which supported fair and open elections. The resolution listed the many groups of disenfranchised communities...Well, except for one.... Care to guess? (I guess the authors of the resolution has not heard about the disenfranchisement of lesbians and gays in Alabama.)
Fortunately, one of the committee members moved to add "sexual orientation." Perhaps he caught wind of this.
I've heard Chris Dodd, John Edwards, and Wesley Clark all speak. Of course any one of these folks or any of those who have not yet spoken are better than the current bunch of homophobes at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.