Good News Friday: Frank Ocean Comes Out

I've never heard of Frank Ocean; I wouldn't know him if he bumped into me on the street, but this morning I am quite proud of him.

See, Ocean is a hip-hop, R&B artist; not quite my style of music so I am unfamiliar with him. But this week Frank Ocean has come out as a gay man. As a Black gay man. As a gay hip-hop artist. All of which are huge, when you consider the stigma of being gay in the Black and hip-hop communities.

So, who outed Ocean? What spurned ex-lover threatened to sell a story to the National Enquirer forcing Frank Ocean to admit he's gay.

No one outed him; there was no story. Ocean simply wanted to tell his truth:

4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost.

And on the days we were together, time would glide. Most of the day I'd see him, and his smile. I'd hear his conversation and his silence ... until it was time to sleep. Sleep I would often share with him.

By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless...I sat there and told my friend how I felt. I wept as the words left my mouth. I grieved for them, knowing I could never take them back for myself.

He patted my back. He said kind things. He did his best, but he wouldn't admit the same. He had to go back inside soon. It was late and his girlfriend was waiting for him upstairs. He wouldn't tell me the truth about his feelings for me for another 3 years. I felt like I'd only imagined reciprocity for years.

Now imagine being thrown from a cliff. No, I wasn't on a cliff, I was still in my car telling myself it was gonna be fine and to take deep breaths. I took the breaths and carried on.

I kept up a peculiar friendship with him because I couldn't imagine keeping up my life without him. I struggled to master myself and my emotions. I wasn't always successful.

To my mother, you raised me strong. I know I'm only brave because you were first ... so thank you. All of you. For everything good. I feel like a free man.

Frank Ocean didn't have to come out; no one forced him.

But in this world, as a Black gay male, he felt the need to be himself, to explain his 'self'. T understand that he couldn't be one thing in private and another thing in public.

It's too hard; it's too much work.

Coming out is hard, of course, but that first step, that first utterance of the words 'I'm gay' release you.

Free you.

Welcome out, Frank.

Welcome out. And, naturally, a coming out is nothing without a copy of The Gay Agenda from Homo HQ, as well as the Coming Out Toaster Oven.

The Episcopal Church Takes A Half Step Toward Marriage Equality

The Episcopal Church was one of the first organized religions that allowed gay men and women to become priests; they did so some sixteen years ago. Now comes news that the Episcopal Church seems ready to introduce a rite that would specifically bless the unions of same-sex couples, and, if approved, which seems to be expected, Episcopalians will become the first major denomination to endorse such a ritual for gay couples.

Seems like big news, eh? And it does please me, not in any sense of religious belief, but in an equality frame of mind. And the blessing is very similar to that of opposite-sex marriage ceremonies; there is the “I do” and the “we have gathered together today” and there are rings exchanged. However, the words “husband,” “wife,” and “marriage” are absent.

There is no, "I now pronounce you husband and husband."

Supporters insist this new ceremony would acknowledge and bless same-sex unions, but would not sanctify them as marriage in most states. Churches in states where same-sex marriage is legal have the option of blessing a same-sex marriage, but do not currently use a formal rite.

So, it’s, um, not-marriage, I guess. And this is where I differ.

Not-marriage is not marriage. Gay men and women don’t need a church to acknowledge their marriages or bless their unions. Gay men and women need the same rites, and rights, as straight couples. If John and Mary get to have a “marriage” ceremony, then John and John should have one, too. As should Mary and Mary.

The committee that proposed the change, and penned a handbook on the subject, entitled "I Bless You, And You Will Be a Blessing,” says, “While the liturgy we have developed is not called ‘marriage,’ we recognize significant parallels. Two people publicly make a lifelong, monogamous commitment to one another with the exchange of solemn vows in a ritual that pronounces God’s blessing on their life together.”

The liturgy we have developed is not called ‘marriage,’ they say.

Then it’s not marriage, I say. And while I can appreciate this step forward by the Episcopal Church, I think it’s kind of a half-step, a safe step. And, so, not really much of a step at all.

source

I Didn't Say It....

Jean-Marc Ayrault, French Prime Minister, telling Parliament that same-sex couples will be able to marry and adopt children next year:

"In the first half of 2013, the right to marriage and adoption will be open to all couples, without discrimination. Our society is evolving, lifestyles and mentalities are changing. The government will respond to that."

Equality is moving forward all over the globe. Will America move with it, or stay a step behind?

Steve Litzow, Washington State Senator and a Republican, on joining Washington United For Marriage to fight a referendum that could reverse same-sex marriage in the state: 

"I was one of the first Republicans to sponsor marriage equality because I believe it's the right thing to do. I believe every adult should have the right to choose the person they love and who they marry."

It is unbelievably refreshing to see a Republican stand up for equality; to set aside personal beliefs and religious leanings, and see equality for what it is: the right thing to do.

Kathy Griffin, worried about Anderson Cooper's coming out, and how it might affect him around the world:
" I don’t pretend to understand the complexities of the worlds Anderson moves in. But I do know that I don’t want my friend to face that part of the world, where he might die a very different kind of death than someone who isn’t quite so honest. Here’s the thing: I love my friend Anderson and remain immensely proud of him. And I’m honored, truly, that he considers me a friend. But I just want him to be careful. Of course he wouldn’t be doing his job if he really were being careful. And he wouldn’t be who he is."

You know, for all her snark and gossip—and I love her snark and gossip—Griffin has been a longtime LGBT ally, and thoughtful human being.

Nick Clegg, Britain's deputy Prime Minister, who would like to see a law that includes religious institutions that support inclusion: 

"This is a personal view at the moment, but I think that in exactly the same way that we shouldn’t force any church to conduct gay marriage, we shouldn’t stop any church that wants to conduct gay marriage....I don’t see why two individuals who love each other and want to show commitment to each other should not be able to do so in a way that is socially recognized as being marriage."

If two adult people want to marry, then they should be allowed that right.

If a church wants to perform a same-sex union, they should be allowed that right.

If a church refuses to perform a same-sex union, they should be allowed that right.

It’s called equality for a reason.

Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina, on the rights of transgendered Argentineans to change their gender on official documents without proving they'd undergone surgery:

 "Today is a day of tremendous reparation. Today we do not shout for liberation but instead we shout for equality, which is just as important as freedom. I do not want to use a word that bothers me greatly: Tolerance. No. I do not believe in 'tolerance'. To tolerate is to say I'll allow you to be because I have no other choice. I want to talk about equality and I want to talk about all of you who will now have the same rights I have enjoyed from the moment I was born and the rights that so many millions of Argentineans have enjoyed from the moment they were born. This is the society we want."

In Argentina.

In France.

In England.

We need to keep up with the world, America.

Chris Collins, GOP congressional candidate and lying asshat, on why Obamacare is unnecessary:

“People now don't die from prostate cancer, breast cancer and some of the other things. The fact of the matter is, our healthcare today is so much better, we're living so much longer, because of innovations in drug development, surgical procedures, stents, implantable cardiac defibrillators, neural stimulators -- they didn't exist 10 years ago. The increase in cost is not because doctors are making a lot more money. It's what you can get for healthcare, extending your life and curing diseases."

Last year a combined 80,000 Americans died of prostate or breast cancer.

Tell your story to those families that lost a loved one, wingnut.

Random Musings

Only in Miami:
Tomas Lopez is a lifeguard on Hallandale Beach, and, while on duty one day, he was informed that a man down the beach was drowning. Tomas ran down the beach and saved the man's life.
And then he was fired for doing so.
See,  Jeff Ellis and Associates, the lifeguard company for whom Tomas Lopez worked, says Lopez broke a company rule by saving a man who was not in Lopez' specific section of beach, and his doing so could have put beach goers in his section in jeopardy.
Save a life, lose your job.
Only in Miami.
Now, before y'all start saying he left his post, and therefore left his own section of beach unprotected, what would you say, and what would Jeff Ellis and Associates says, if someone had come to Lopez and said a man was drowning and Lopez said, "Too bad. He's not on my beach."
Yeah.

Last week Carlos and I went up to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill because he was speaking to a group of Advanced Placement high school seniors from around the country about HIV and AIDS.
Wow, that was a mouthful.
At any rate. We'd been up to UNC before, but still Carlos had printed a map and was to be my co-pilot. Trouble is Carlos reading a map is like me reading a map.....in Spanish.
Turns were missed. U-turns made. Threats of bodily harm ensued. I apologized for said threats.
But my favorite part was when we were coming to the obligatory fork in the road and the sign pointing left said "UNC."
Carlos: Go right.
Bob: But the campus is to the left.
Carlos: Go right.
Bob: But the sign says UNC left.
Carlos: Go right.
So I veer right.
Carlos: This is wrong. 
Goddess love him.

TV.
"Web Therapy" with Lisa Kudrow is back.
It is totally funny.
And it's  totally improvised.
And, seriously, with guest stars like Rosie O'Donnell, Meryl Streep, and Alan Cumming in the first episode, what's not to love?
Last night, Meryl, as a gay conversion therapist was a hoot.
And Rosie, as a Bible thumping executive assistant was a holler.


Funny Tweet:

So, we've all heard about Karen Klein, the 68-year-old grandmother and bus monitor who was bullied by a pack of rabid  7th graders. And we've all had our opinions over what should be done to those little cretins.
The Rochester school district has meted out its punishment to Klein's abusers: One year suspension and 50 hours of community service: 
"Following individual meetings this week with school and district administrators, each family waived their right to a hearing and agreed to one-year suspensions from school and regular bus transportation.,"
The students will be transferred to the district Reengagement Center, and each one of them will be required to complete 50 hours of community service with senior citizens and must take part in a formal bullying prevention program.
Let's say that again: they have been suspended for ONE YEAR from school, and for ONE YEAR from bus transportation to and from school, which means the little bullies Mommies and Daddies will have to schlep their little monsters to school and back.
AND they'll work for fifty hours at a senior citizens center.
I like it. I hope they learn something.

Books:
I'm reading Joan Rivers' latest, I Hate Everyone....Starting with Me.
It's rude, offensive and highly politically incorrect.
It is also high-high-larious. For example:

I hate guests who don't tell you they have special dietary needs: I threw a fabulous dinner party once for a well-known actor who shall remain nameless: Matthew Modine. He arrived and said, "My wife is a vegan. She doesn't eat anything with eyes." I said, "You must have a shitty sex life."

Seriously. Laugh out loud funny.

Leave it to the New York Times to break this bombshell wide open:

Gay men are flocking to see "Magic Mike".

Male stripper say what?

Seriously, are they really surprised. Hot men dancing and grinding and stripping?

What's not to love. And, if you're real careful, and hold your hand just so, you can physically block out any image of women in the film, so it's all guys, all the time.

Seriously, NYT, is it that slow a news day?

By the way: Husband-In-My-Head, Matt Bomer, looks good!

Snap.

Oh Fiddle-Dee-Dee, Whatever Will They Do Now?

Well isn't this just awful.
:::snicker::::
The backers of Initiative 1192, a Washington state voter-initiative to ban equal marriage which sought to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples, say they have been unable to gather enough signatures to put their bigotry on the ballot in November.
They even used the term “woefully short” when describing the lackluster numbers of people who want hate to be voted upon in the Pacific Northwest. The group behind Initiative 1192, AKA Protect Marriage Washington, needed 240,000 signatures to get on the ballot and they were able to collect about 100,000.
That isn't "woefully short" it's hysterically short.
Stephen Pidgeon of Protect Marriage Washington says, “The truth is there was a competing measure....and the referendum, let’s just say they were very hot in their competition and even though we supported their effort they did not support ours.”
I love that news, even though it appears another initiative of discrimination, Referendum 74, has already won enough support to appear on the November ballot. This means that the majority of Washington voters will decide on the rights of the minority of Washington voters and that sounds fair, no?
No.
But it may all mean nothing come November, because, according to the Public Policy Polling, voters in Washington approve of marriage equality by a margin of 51% to 42%.
 are set to approve equal marriage. Naturally, among Democrats in the state, support for marriage equality stands at 82%.
And the numbers of people in this country who want equality for all Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation, is also on the rise.
Washington could just be the precursor of a giant shift in this country.
Let's hope so.

via Pink News

Chick-fil-A Gives Even More $$$ To Hate Groups

Chick-fil-A is coming to Smallville and some people are oh so excited. That is until I tell them about Chick-fil-A's funding of homophobia and bigotry in past years.

And Chick-fil-A is still at it.

In early 2011, Chick-fil-A came under fire for its donations and political ties to a number of anti-gay groups, and though they continue to deny, er, lie, about supporting an anti-LGBT agenda, between 2003 and 2009 the company gave nearly $3 million to groups like the hate-filled Family Research Council and Exodus International.

Disgusting, no?

Well, in 2010, in just that one year, Chick-fil-A has given over $1.9 million to anti-LGBT causes.

Chick-fil-A's charitable--now that's a bad choice of wording--arm is called WinShape. It was created by Chick-fil-A founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy back in 1984. And WinShape receives an awful lot of funding from Chick-fil-A: in 2010 alone, WinShape received $8 million from the company.

And what did WinShape do with that cash?

They gave nearly $2 million to anti-LGBT groups like:

• Marriage & Family Foundation: $1,188,380
• Fellowship Of Christian Athletes: $480,000
• National Christian Foundation: $247,500
• New Mexico Christian Foundation: $54,000 
• Exodus International: $1,000
• Family Research Council: $1,000
• Georgia Family Council: $2,500

Is a chicken sandwich really worth it? Are you that hungry? And, if a chicken sandwich is worth it, and if you are that hungry, ask yourself how much of what you pay for that sandwich do you want donated to anti-LGBT causes?

Just sayin'.

via EqualityMatters

Architecture Wednesday: A Little Bit Retro, A Little Bit Modern, Too

Okay, so I'm still captivated by the more woodsy locales, but I'll get back to some urban architecture soon, I think. But this house grabbed me because it's got some hints of Frank Lloyd Wright working in it, and I am nothing if I am not a Wright Whore.

This house, located about 25 miles north of Seattle, is, or maybe a better word id 'was,' a 1950’s Northwest Contemporary house, until it was completely renovated, though it still maintains some of the Mid-Century Modern details. 

The original floor plan has been re-organized, with the main living and dining spaces slightly enlarged, and a new, high windows added to bring natural light to the entire space. There is a very spacious, light-filled master bedroom and bathroom, each space surrounded by glass and trees. 

The kitchen is modern, with touches of iron and glass, and a full wall of windows to take advantage of the scenery. In about half the house, the original hemlock ceiling, with exposed fir beams, has been retained, and there were new fir ceilings added to the rest of the house. The existing terrazzo flooring was re-finished, with new areas of terrazzo added in a complementary color.

I love the woodwork, and the built-ins, throughout the house, all crafted, primarily, of Cherry panels; some of which are smooth while others have been milled with a router to make a texture evocative of “woven wood.” 

A 30-foot long accent wall adjacent to the dining and kitchen areas has been clad entirely in weathered steel panels and the suspended casework on the steel wall utilizes either resin panels with natural grasses or textured cherry wood, both materials set against the variegated umber colors of the steel.

The house, redesigned by Finne Architects, pursued the idea of “crafted modernism,” the enrichment of a modernist aesthetic with highly personal, crafted materials and objects. Custom fabrications included the cast-glass kitchen counter, steel wall panels, suspended steel mirror frames, laser-cut steel shade valences, custom steel lighting bars, hand-blown glass light fixtures, and a number of custom furniture pieces. 

The glass wall between the master bedroom and master bathroom has been transformed with the use of a hand-drawn pattern in etched glass, with the pattern being more dense at the bottom--for a sense of privacy--and increasingly transparent at the top.

Sustainable design practices were integral to the project from the start with radiant heating beneath the terrazzo flooring, high, clerestory windows to bring natural light all the way into the house and motorized operators that allow for venting during summer months. 

Green materials, like the resin panels, quartz counters, linoleum, low VOC paint, and sustainable wood products, were also used in the project, but most of all this renovation completely brings in new ideas about housing and energy while still maintaining that sense of the 1950s.

I mean, if you want to live among the trees, shouldn't you be kind to them?

via HomeDSGN

DS7EP6: The White Box Challenge ....AGAIN!!!

This is getting old. Yes, I know, The White Box Challenge is the most popular challenge EVER but, well, after they did it once, they did it again last week, only the White Box had to become a Hollywood Party Lounge.

This week's White Box Challenge was to turn a White Box into a Kitchen. Oh, they threw a curve ball by making you design the room around a pre-selected sink, but then they took points off if you designed the kitchen around the sink; or, as in Manley and Hilari's case, they took points off if you didn’t design the kitchen around the sink.

There's no winning on this show.

Plus, they let Danielle pick her Mystery Sink first, and then assign sinks to others and pair them off in teams of two. Why she picked Britany as her teammate is a Mystery Sink to me because last week Britany came in second, behind Danielle and all she did was whine about how she should have won. I would have paired that bitch up with Manley because you just know that's a disaster in the making.

But let's get into the kitchen and start cooking up....and I’m ‘a keep this short because it's a holiday, y'all.....

DANIELLE & BRITANY--The Stainless Sink

Their sink was a modern sink, with a cool nunchuck looking faucet, which I thought Danielle might use if Britany starts whining again. I mean, it's always good to have a weapon when working with some of these high-strung designers.

Meanwhile, back at the sink, they decided to go for a more eclectic look in the kitchen with pops of color. So they chose white cabinets and a gray countertop and painted the walls mint green.

I must have missed the memo that said mint green is a pop of color.

And evidently they did too, because once the color was up, they freaked. Luckily, Britany said she had some yellow paint to use on the "fake" door that would be just the punch the room needed. Um, Britany? Honey? Let. Me. Speak. Slowly. Butter. Yellow. Is. Not. a. Pop. Of Color.

So, they went to the flower store for pinks and yellows, in actual bright colors. And, well, since this is obviously Flower Design Star it was a good choice.

Not so good was Britany's idea of putting.....wait for it.....it's good......framed pieces of newspaper along the wall as a back splash. Yeah, cleaning the grease off picture frames will be a snap for the modern day home-maker; or in my case, homo-home-maker.

But I think Danielle's accessorizing saved them. The kitchen turned from modern sink to country-looking cabinets to a battered buffet and an industrial shelving unit and it all seemed to work; though for the life of me, what the eff was a yellow suitcase doing on the top shelf? Is that in case the meal is so horrendous the chef can make a quick escape?

Still, props to Danielle for finishing a job. Props to Danielle for not beating the crap out of Britany.

And, for Britany, well, I've made fun of her all seaon. I've called her a baby. I've called her Design Barbie. I've made fun of her 'talent'.

That's all.

MIKEL & RACHEL--The Country Sink

It was a cool double sink, with kind of a Tuscan design on it, with birds, and eggs or, well, some kind of kitchen-looking design, in blues and yellows. So Mikel and Rachel decided to go full bore--emphasis on bore--country.

But without those messy upper cabinets. Yeah, Rachel was set on having no uppers at all, and the Cabinets-To-Go™ guy was so freaked out, that he freaked out Mikel, and they gang cabineted Rachel into doing at least two walls of uppers. But the back wall would be her 'feature' wall with wallpaper.

Ominous drumming because wallpaper never works. And their choice followed suit. While it was yellow, with gray added to it, which kind of matched the sink a little, it seemed washed out against the gray walls. So, it was back to Wallpaper Store™ to find something new, perhaps in red, because there wasn't a hint of red anywhere in that room, unless you counted Mikel's rising blood pressure.

See, that new wallpaper, in red and white looked like blood splatter from a distance; it looked so much like blood splatter that I half-expected Dexter to come into the room....and then take Rachel away and make her pay for this senseless crime.

And the wallpaper made the crystal and wrought iron chandelier that Mikel bought, completely disappear in the space. Unfortunately, for Mikel, the mismatched chairs he picked for an eclectic country look around the table didn't work, because, well, the four chair were actually two sets so it didn't look 'collected' it looked arbitrary; it looked like the owners couldn’t decide which chairs they liked so they bought two of each.

Now, onto Rachel's island. It was a good idea. The kitchen needed an island. What it didn't need was an island that left about ten inches between the island and the sink. What was she thinking? That the judges wouldn't walk around the island? How about moving the island forward about a foot or so, and then taking that table, bumping it up against the island, and making it look like one large piece. Problem solved, eh?

I really should try out for this show, or at least be the snark host who wanders though all those White Boxes and makes fun of them. I wonder how much that would pay.....

Pay. Paper. Wallpaper. Oh, yeah, Rachel’s hideous wallpaper was also run behind the stove, because nothing repels grease stains like wallpaper.

STANLEY & HILARI--The Farmhouse Sink

I was worried about the farmhouse sink because that seemed more country than Mikel and Rachel’s sink. But this sink was black, and very cool. And, I thought, a good jumping off point, if the designers hadn’t been Stanley and Hilari.

See, all Stanley heard from the instructions was "pop of color" and so, along with this black sink, he chose a brilliant blue wall color. And then Hilari looked at the black sink and brilliant blue walls and picked a crimson countertop,

Black. Blue. Red. Throw in some yellow and you'd have a Dick Tracy cartoon. In fact, if Hilari had found other letters, besides the ones that spelled 'soup' she could have put BAM! and POW! on the walls.

And a Bat Pole down one side.

Now, as if that wasn’t bad enough, Stanley found some ceramic hands in all kinds of configurations and decided they just screamed door hardware. Yes, life-sixed hands on each and every cabinet door. Rock on! Peace! Hey there! F**k You!

All he needed was one waving Bye-Bye because as soon as those handles went up I knew he was going home.

Of course, couple the hands with his cheesy Camera Challenge and it was clear Stanley would be on the next Surf Board outta LA.

EVALUATION

The guest judges this week were the Kissing, er, Kitchen Cousins, hotties Anthony Carino and John Colaneri. Anthony never met a pair of jeans he couldn't fill out, and John knows how work a tight T. Kissing, er, Kitchen Cousins, Wednesday nights at 8:30, 7:30 Central on HGTV.

The Gorder was dressed in her finest 80s wear, with her finest 80s hair, and her finest I-Schtupped-My-Way-Into-This-Job sense of superiority.

And Vern was dressed like a Ventriloquist's dummy. Now, I don't say this because he's height challenged....well, not just because he's height challenged....but because that plaid sports coat made me wonder if Wayland Flowers was gonna step out and shove his hand up Vern's ass and......

Oh. Different show.

Back to evaluations. It was quick. Danielle and Britany get the first crit. Loved It. Good job. Why that stupid backsplash. And then they get the win.

That leaves us Stanley and Hilari, Rachel and Mikel.

I called Stanley and Rachel and I was right. Rachel wept, Stanley said, "Duh, I'm an artist and I'm gonna go home and paint my kitchen blue."

Good luck with that.

MY TAKE

I'm growing annoyed with the show--and I do so every year about this time. And the producers must agree because they keep doing double eliminations, probably hoping to get this mess off the air quickly.

First up, why the team challenges if you rate them individually. If Stanley gets bashed for those not-very-handy-hand pulls, then Hilari should get bashed for it, too. They were a team and she let him do it.

Like Danville getting dinged for Britany's stupid picture backsplash; and Mikel should have been smacked for not stopping that wallpaper mess.

See, if it's Design Star, then let them work separately and critique them, separately, sand see who really knows how to design.

And stop this kitchen "design" crap. I mean, the producers laid out the kitchen floors and told the designers how it should look, where to place the cabinets, the windows, the appliances. Give them an actual kitchen to redo, or give them a completely blank slate and let them run with it. And stop this whole "You have sixteen hours" crap. Not even the Kitchen Cousins do a job in sixteen hours and this is their thing; how do you expect the designers to do it that quick.

Seriously.

 Let them design if you're gonna call it Design Star.

Or else just call it We're Looking For Someone Who Can Look Okay On Camera And Pretend They Know What They're Doing Star.

What did YOU think?

The 11 Most Pro-Gay U.S. Representatives, And .... Big Surprise .... They're All Democrats

So, yesterday I posted about The 7 Most Anti-Gay Representatives, And .... Big Surprise .... They'reAll Republican, so today, I thought, why not flip it?

That horrid 7, who sponsored or co-sponsored five or more of the ten most anti-LGBT bills introduced in Congress--along with 137 of their colleagues--are slightly outdone by the 183 Representatives who have signed on as backers of at least one of 27 pro-LGBT proposals in that same time frame.

And eleven Representatives--all of them Democrats--have signed on to at least 20 pro-LGBT proposals, and they are:

• Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, who has sponsored or cosponsored 23 pro-LGBT bills, making her statistically the most pro-LGBT member of Congress.  As an eighth-term representative from the Bay Area, Lee authored the proposed Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2011--an LGBT-inclusive sex education bill--and the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2011, which improves tracking of health data for LGBT people and other minority groups. She is listed as a co-sponsor on 21 other proposals including measures to ban employment discrimination, to stop bullying in schools, and to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.  She is also a founding member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, of which she is currently a vice chair.
• Rep. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, is a seventh-term Congresswoman currently seeking the open U.S. Senate seat in her state. The first openly-lesbian woman to serve in Congress, Baldwin is a co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and author of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2011, a proposal to provide employment benefits to the domestic partners of federal employees.
• Rep. Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, is a third-term Congressman and a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. On the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights page on his House website, Ellison notes that he is “proud to be vice-chair of the Congressional Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Caucus.”
• Rep. Bob Filner, a Democrat from California, is a tenth-term Congressman who recently proposed that the U.S. Navy should name a ship for the late Harvey Milk.
• Rep. Raúl Grijalva, and Arizona Democrat, is a fifth-term Congressman and a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He is also vice chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and praised a federal court ruling that there is no rational basis for banning same-sex unions, saying “I’m glad to see the importance of equal civil rights for all Americans reaffirmed by this ruling.”
• Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and a thirteenth-term Congressman, chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. On the LGBT Rights page on his House website, he says “I fought too long and too hard to end discrimination based on race and color, to not stand up against discrimination against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.”
• Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, and a tenth-term Congresswoman, authored the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act, a proposal to provide same-sex couples with equal access to unpaid leave. The LGBT section on her Congressional website notes that back in 1986, she introduced the first domestic partnership legislation in New York State history, as a New York City Councilwoman.
• Rep. Gwen Moore, another Wisconsin Democrat, and fourth-term Congresswoman, authored the LGBT-inclusive Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. Her 2012 Pride Month statement highlighted her strong support for “equal rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
• Rep. Fortney “Pete” Stark, also a Democrat from California, and a twentieth-term Congressman, is the author of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, a proposal to ban discrimination against LGBT families in adoption and foster parenting. Upon received an award for outstanding service to the LGBT community, he said, “Significant strides have been made recently regarding LGBT rights, including the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Obama Administration’s refusal to defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. Yet there is much more work to be done at the federal, state and local levels.”
• Rep. Edolphus Towns, another New York Democrat, and a fifteenth-term Congressman who will retire at the end of 2012, posted his own 'It Gets Better' video on his House website. His Pride month proclamation notes: “The powerful movement for equal rights on behalf of the LGBT community has changed the course of our nation. LGBT Americans have done so much to advance the fundamental principles upon which our country was built – that all people are created equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
• Rep. Lynn Woolsey, a California Democrat, and a tenth-term Congresswoman, authored the Domestic Violence Leave Act and Balancing Act of 2011, two proposals which included provisions providing emergency leave for same-sex domestic partners. The Civil Rights page on her House website notes “As a founding member of the Congressional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Equality Caucus, I strongly support equal protection under the law for all people, regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation.”

Two others deserve note:

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., a Democrat from Illinois, currently on a leave of absence from Congress, also signed onto 20 pro-LGBT bills and resolutions.

Florida Republican Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has co-sponsored six pro-LGBT proposals, making her the most pro-equality Republican in the House. She is the only GOP backer of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. 

Only five other Republicans have backed at least one pro-LGBT bill.

via Think Progress LGBT

Mormons Declare Their Independence From The Church

A group of about 150 Mormons, from Utah, Arizona, Idaho and elsewhere, gathered together in a public park in Salt Lake City last weekend and signed a “Declaration of Independence from Mormonism.”
Yes, y'all, in what is seen as a rare act of collective revolt, these Mormons quit the  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after decades of disagreement for some over issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage.
After signing their declaration, the men and women hiked up Ensign Peak--scaled in 1847 by Brigham Young to survey the spot where his Latter-day Saints would build a city--and, at the top, they gave three loud shouts of “Freedom,” cheered, clapped and hugged.
Among the reasons cited by those resigning are the church’s political activism against same-sex marriage, doctrinal teachings that conflict with scientific findings or are perceived as racist or sexist, as well as the Mormons’ explanation of the practice of polygamy; the church renounced plural marriage when Utah sought statehood.
Asked about the resignations, Michael Purdy, a church spokesman said the church--which calls itself the one “true” Christian faith--loves and respects each member: "People make their own decisions about the direction they will follow in life. While there are very few who take this action, it is sad to see someone choose to leave. We wish them well.”
Odd, though, that Purdy doesn't mention what happens to those who leave the church. Mormon culture often stigmatizes those who fall away, leaving some without social or business connections. See, to quit the church, Mormons must submit a formal letter asking that their names be removed from church rolls. It's a very public resignation, and one that comes with consequences.
Basically, they're banished. Which, really, isn't wishing people 'well' is it?
Robin Hansen, who signed the declaration, did so over what she calls a “culture of abuse” which she believes is cultivated by church teachings promoting obedience. Her husband did not, could not, join her in leaving the faith because he works in a church-related business and could lose his job if he doesn’t maintain his membership.
Zilpha Larsen, organizer of the event--resignmormon.blogspot.com--says, “It’s been a hard journey and this is a symbolic end. I just hope that it boosts people up and helps them feel more comfortable in their decision.” Larsen collected the letters of resignation from each participant and sent them off to the church.
Kris Fielding, a sixth-generation Mormon, traveled from Phoenix for the resignation and said he represented those Mormons who did not yet have the courage to do so, like his wife, who worries that she might be ostracized from her family if she anticipated.
Fielding left the church because of his local church leader’s response to his questions about polyandry and polygamy in the early church. “I went to him looking for a faithful perspective. He called my wife and told her she needed to find a new husband.”
He chose to find a new church, and says he is relieved by his decision.
Life is so fluid. People change as we grow and learn, and religion and politics should do the same. Social mores adapt and change as people change, and if these "churches" and political groups don't follow suit, they are soon seen as as old and antiquated, and of no use or value in these times.
If the church doesn't change--and I mean any and all churches--then their congregations will look elsewhere.

source