The Human Rights Campaign has stepped into the hornet’s nest of  identity with a new report called “At the Intersection: Race, Sexuality and Gender.” The organization is even having an online conversation about the report today.

The study’s findings are not that earth shattering, especially if you have been paying attention to the “community” chatter since the defeat of Proposition 8. Gays and lesbians  of color experience their lives primarily through the lens of race and gender. LGBT people of color are simultaneously accepted and rejected by their communities. Brown and black gays and lesbians see no difference in racism and sexism exhibited by gays or straights.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task, the first national gay political organization to push for a federal law to prohibit job discrimination against gays, in 1974, said it hopes the stated support of President Obama will “play a role in assisting with [the bill's] swift passage in both the House and the Senate.”  For more, see ENDA introduced into Senate on 365Gay.com.

Named the GLBTQ Online High School, it is based in Maplewood and believed to be the first of its kind. (GLBTQ represents gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning.)

Other online schools exist, as do bricks-and-mortar schools that serve gay students. But the Minnesota program is the first to combine the two features, according to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning.

It is the brainchild of David Glick, the first online learning coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Education.

He has received applications from students across the country and from faculty around the world.

"We may not bring people closer physically — but we will in every other way," Glick said. "We want to make them feel more confident about who they are."

The online nature of the school allows it to reach young people wherever they have Internet access — especially in rural areas, whose smaller populations makes a physical version of his school impossible, Glick said.

It also removes gay students from potentially hostile school environments and places them in what he touts as a "safe and welcoming educational community." Instead of facing bullies every day, students would be learning with other students who understand their concerns.For the full story in the TwinCities.com, see Gay-friendly online high school believed to be first of its kind

Delegates at the United Methodist Church's General Conference last year approved the sexual orientation amendment, as well as several others that would have changed how the international church is governed. But the amendments failed to gain support from two-thirds of the denomination's annual conferences, as required by church law. The conferences voted in May and June.

The amendment followed a controversial case in 2005 in which a Virginia clergyman denied membership to a gay man who would not agree to change his sexuality. The UMC's high court later backed the pastor's decision.

The complicated amendments to church polity in the UMC, which counts 8 million members in the U.S. and about 3.5 million more in Asia, Africa and Europe, was seen by some as a way to make it easier for Americans to pass pro-gay resolutions. For more, see story in USA Today.

 

The Princeton Review survey of students has determined that Auburn and Samford Universities are not gay friendly. Samford is number 12 and Auburn is number 19 in their “not gay friendly” list.

Auburn University

Since 1994 Auburn the Auburn Gay/ Lesbian/Bisexual Caucus has promoted equality and advocacy for faculty, staff, and students of Auburn University who are Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual.

Samford University’s current policy regarding sexuality is as follows:

Sexual misconduct is defined in this handbook as including, but not limited to, heterosexual/homosexual intercourse, unwanted fondling, adultery and rape.

As recently as 2007, however, their handbook defined sexual misconduct as “Including, but not limited to, the following: sexual intercourse, adultery, unwanted fondling, rape and homosexual acts” and carried a fine of $75.

Their Equal Opportunity statement does not include sexual orientation.
 

For more, see Auburn and Samford listed as not gay friendly from the Examiner.

The Democratic congressman from New York says the legislation he'll introduce in August or September will only strike down DOMA's rules that prohibit the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. It will not, however, create new recognition for same-sex civil unions or domestic partnerships at the federal level. Instead, Nadler claims, it will force all states that don't recognize same-sex marriages to consider them valid from states where it is legal.

Interestingly, the comments came during an interview at the Human Rights Campaign's annual San Francisco fundraiser on Saturday. This mean HRC head Joe Solmonese was on hand to offer his muted pearls of wisdom, agreeing with Nadler's position: "We ought to start it with what we would ultimately achieve, a wholesale overturning of DOMA." For more, see Queerty's thoughts at SHOCK: Does Rep. Nadler's DOMA Repeal Still Let States Ban Gay ...

Clinton opposed same-sex marriage during his presidency, and in 1996, he signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which limited federal recognition of marriage to one man and one woman. In May of this year, Clinton told a crowd at Toronto's Convention Centre that his position on same-sex marriage was "evolving."

Asked if he personally supported same-sex marriage, Clinton replied, "Yeah." "I personally support people doing what they want to do," Clinton said. "I think it's wrong for someone to stop someone else from doing that [same-sex marriage]."

New York, NY, July 10, 2009 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today issued the following statement from incoming President Jarrett Barrios in response to the film "Brüno," which opens in movie theatres nationwide today.

"In many parts of the United States, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people live life in harm's way. We are among the most frequently targeted for hate crimes-including physical attacks, verbal assaults and destruction of our property. In particular, LGBT youth experience bullying and violence in school and social settings--harassment that contributes to lower self-respect, depression and increased incidence of suicide.

Into this context steps the movie "Brüno," an 80-some-minute series of sketches apparently intended to skewer these homophobic attitudes-and get some laughs along the way. Clearly, the filmmakers wanted to use satire to highlight and challenge homophobia. But their film also reinforces troubling attitudes about gay people in ways that run counter to the intentions of the filmmakers.

The movie repeatedly builds entire scenes around stock stereotypes and situations that make gay people and families the butt of crude jokes. I can't help but think of all the teenage kids already getting bullied, beat up and ridiculed for being--or for being thought to be--gay.. For these kids, this movie will give their tormentors one more word in the anti-gay lexicon of slurs: Bruno.

Instead of challenging stereotypes, it reinforces them for many of the those who voted to take away the freedom to marry from loving, committed gay and lesbian couples in California. Many states have gone even further-Arkansans went to the polls and effectively eliminated the ability of gay people to adopt or foster children in that state. In a cruel twist, "Brüno," some of which was actually shot in Arkansas, includes a scene where the title character shows a talk-show audience photos of sexual activity occurring in the presence of an infant child. Can this help the gay families across the country who continue to be reduced to political punching bags at the ballot box?

It's unfortunate that "Brüno" ultimately misses the mark, particularly when there are still far too few positive images of gay people in major studio films. Some members of our community will not be offended by this film. Others, like those of us at GLAAD, find it frustrating and discouraging to be confronted with a movie that wants to increase America's discomfort with homophobia, but which for much of America, seems likely to decrease its comfort with gay people."

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) has published a manual to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elders and their families and caregivers navigate legal issues.

The Center estimates that there are between 3.5 and 4 million LGBT persons age 65 and older in the U.S. Many of these individuals confront institutions and public policies that do not recognize their needs or acknowledge their families, or that discriminate against them based on their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. For full details, see New Guide Helps Gay and Lesbian Elders Safeguard Rights.

Todd said she understood the concerns within the community, but urged patience. “[Obama] is working with the Department of Defense to overturn [Don’t ask, don’t tell] but wants to make sure that it is done in a manner that does not upset the military operations. We must remember that we are fighting two major wars at this time. While I understand the anger from our community, I guess I am more patient than most.“

Todd said as an elected official herself, she realizes that the President must have the right timing and be willing to compromise. “If I had charged into the Legislature demanding marriage equality and non-discrimination, I would have become totally ineffective,” Todd said. “Instead, I have spent my first 3 years in office building relationships and a foundation for moving our issues forward.”

Todd urged the LGBT community to trust the President. “Believe me I want total equality NOW, but I do trust President Obama to do the right thing.” Todd said. “There is no doubt in my mind (and heart) that Obama understands the injustice we have suffered and he will work to overturn the discriminatory policies of the past. I am willing to give him another 6 months before I would criticize him.”  For more, AL. Rep. Patricia Todd Urges Patience With Obama.

The co-founder of the National Education Association (NEA) Conservative Educators Caucus says the NEA will consider adoption of a resolution supporting homosexual "marriage." 

Before there were domestic-partnership registries and commitment ceremonies, before same-sex marriages and civil unions — before the gay-rights movement, even — John McCluskey and Rudy Henry met, fell in love and harbored the notion that they could spend their lives making one another happy.

And for 50 years, the Tacoma men went about doing just that, all the while longing for social acceptance.

Even in gay-friendly San Francisco where they first lived together, they found it necessary to hide their relationship from prospective landlords, and on job applications they would sometimes lie about their marital status to avoid raising suspicion.

Decades later in 2006, at a coffee-shop concert on Seattle's Capitol Hill, Amy Balliett and Jessica Trejo met and they, too, eventually fell in love.

In their 20s, the two had come out as lesbians at a time when young people could find support in groups on high school and college campuses, when they had gay role models in politics and on television, and when their parents probably knew people who were openly gay. By the time the two married in California last October, legal bonds between gays and lesbians were possible in several states.

Balliett and Trejo, Henry and McCluskey are like generational bookends to this modern gay-rights movement, launched 40 years ago this week after a group of activists at a small Manhattan bar called the Stonewall Inn stood up in violent protest to ongoing police harassment.

While older gays and younger ones share much the same agenda of equality, their needs within the movement are also divergent. For the full article, see Gay rights mean different things to different generations of community‎.

JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
 Partners John McCluskey, 72, left, and Rudy Henry, 74, met in 1958. Henry
had a stroke a few years ago, so things such as survivor
benefits and long-term care have surpassed their concerns about same-sex marriage.

After all the outrage, protests and promises to put same sex marriage back on the ballot in 2010 following the California Supreme Court's May 26 ruling upholding Prop 8, the struggle over marriage equality is now back in the courts - and this time the stakes are even higher.

Ironically, an odd political pair is leading the legal fight this time around - a straight same-sex couple: Ted Olson and David Boies. Their involvement is so unexpected and potentially significant that the case is now referred to as the Olson/Boies case, as opposed to the "Perry" case - named for the last name of the first plaintiff, as is customary.

On Thursday, July 2 the Olson/Boies federal case - brought by the newly established American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) on behalf of two California couples, Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo - will go before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker in the Northern District of California. (This case is distinct from two other unrelated federal cases that are specifically targeting the Defense of Marriage Act, the law that keeps married gay couples from receiving federal benefits.)

The judge will hear a preliminary motion seeking a temporary and permanent injunction against enforcement of Prop 8 on the grounds that the state constitutional amendment violates the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution.

The defendants are Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Jerry Brown, and the counties of Alameda and Los Angeles where the two couples live.

That's the straightforward part. Almost everything else is as unpredictable as a ride on a rickety Magic Mountain roller coaster.For more, see Federal Prop 8 Test Happens Thursday.