More good news from the election

It’s pretty awesome that there’s still good news coming from the recent US elections, and today I learned of another: Zach Wahls was elected as a State Senator for Iowa’s Senate District 37. He first stood out in 2011 when he stood up for his family. Now he can stand up for all the families of Iowa.

Zach rocketed to fame in 2011 when, as a 19-year-old engineering student at the University of Iowa, he testified to the Iowa State Senate when that body was considering an amendment to the Iowa Constitution to ban same-gender couples marrying. It was a speech that captured the attention of people all over the country:



It was an awesome speech, but tempered by the fact that it was even necessary. The amendment passed the Iowa House, which was controlled by Republicans, a few days later, but Democrats in the Iowa Senate vowed to block the amendment, which they did. Obergefell v. Hodges made the whole issue moot in 2015.

In April 2012, his book, My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family was published. In June, Zach, an Eagle Scout, founded Scouts for Equality to lobby the Boy Scouts of America to change its anti-gay policies.

That same year, Zach said:

To be clear, I don't consider myself an ally. I might be [a] straight cisgender man, but in my mind, I am a member of the LGBT community. I know the last thing that anyone wants is to add another letter to the acronym, but we need to make sure as a movement we're making a place for what we call "queer-spawn" to function and to be part of the community. Because even though I'm not gay, I do know what it's like to be hated for who I am. And I do know what it's like to be in the closet, and like every other member of the LGBT community, I did not have a choice in this. I was born into this movement.

In December 2017, Zach announced that he would run for the Iowa State Senate in a seat being vacated by a Republican state senator, who was not running for re-election. He won the Democratic Primary on June 5, the same day he received his Masters Degree in Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

In the General Election campaign, his issues included health care, education, workers’ rights, and natural resources, among others. He won the election to the four-year term on November 8, flipping the seat from Red to Blue.

Like most people, I was thoroughly impressed by Zach’s testimony in 2011, and it didn’t surprise me that he’d run for office, nor that he’d won the election. My surprise was just because I hadn’t heard anything about it until today. It’s a very nice surprise.

In the years ahead, we’ll be seeing more from Zach, who is now 27. I have no idea how far he could go, or even what he wants to do, but we need far more politicians like him. I’m very happy that he’s one of them.

The photo above is from the media kit which was made available through Zach’s campaign website.

Weekend Diversion: Imagine Dragons

I can’t believe I haven’t talked about Imagine Dragons before, because they’ve produced some of my favourite songs of the past year or so. What reminded me to share them, however, was I saw a video about a side project by lead singer Dan Reynolds, and now I like them quite a bit more. I like when pop music and my values combine, especially when it helps LGBT+ youth along the way.

First things first, though, because it was about the music before I ever heard about Reynolds’ work. I like Imagine Dragons because of the usual things—melody, arrangement, performance of the band and Reynolds’ vocals, and also for the often very complex lyrics. I like empty pop songs as much as anyone else who, um, loves that sort of thing, but I especially love pop music that offers me more than a good beat and a catchy hook, and Imagine Dragons has always given me that.

The first song that made me finally learn the band’s name was “Thunder” (video above). It was released April 27, 2017, the second single from their third studio album, Evolve. The song reached Number 3 in New Zealand, Number 2 in Australia, Number 4 in Canada, Number 4 in the Billboard Hot 100, and Number 20 in the UK. The video is visually striking, so much so that it practically forced me stop and watch it, and because of that, I paid attention to the band. From my narrow perspective, that video was worth every cent they spent on it.

The first single from Evolve was “Believer”, which has gone on to become a sports anthem and lent its name to a documentary (more about that later). I saw this video well after I noticed “Thunder”, or maybe I had and noticed it because of "Thunder". Either way, I liked that song, too:



The thing I didn’t realise at first was that I’d heard “Believer” on the radio, though I didn’t realise it until I paid attention to them on our music video channel. In any case, the song hit Number 21 in New Zealand, Number 33 in Australia, Number 7 in Canada, Number 4 in the Billboard Hot 100, and Number 42 in the UK.

While I later heard them in other songs, it was those two songs that I was most familiar with. Today I was catching up on my YouTube subscriptions, and saw a video suggested to me, including one from ABC News titled “Imagine Dragons lead singer on his Mormon faith and supporting LGBTQ community” and posted August 8:



I didn’t know about any of this until today, and I instantly liked Dan Reynolds as a human being, not just as a singer/songwriter/performer. Naturally, I wanted to see a bit more:



I think both those videos were well done, talking about different things, but the same general topic. There’s an excerpt of his documentary “Believer”, the documentary he talked about on The Daily Show, available online (the HBO trailer can’t be viewed in New Zealand, so I won’t include that):



So this was a band I liked as soon as I saw their video for “Thunder” on our free-to-air video channel. Now that I know more about lead singer Dan Reynolds, I like them a bit more. But it really is all about the music.

In the ABC video, their song “It’s Time” was mentioned in passing. It’s a good song (from 2012):



The song was the band’s first Top 40 commercial hit, reaching Number 37 in New Zealand, Number 27 in Australia, Number 30 in Canada, Number 15 in the Billboard Hot 100, and Number 23 in the UK. Part of the success was because, as the ABC report said, the song was covered on Glee [WATCH/LISTEN], and it was used in commercials.

From their first single, on to their newest single, “Natural”:



There: I think I’ve made up for not talking about Imagine Dragons before. And I’m glad I found new reasons for liking them.

Biden’s LGBTQ acceptance initiative

Today former Vice President Joe Biden announced a new initiative from his Biden Foundation, As You Are, which they call, “A Family and Community Acceptance Campaign”. The initiative wants to gather stories of real people because:

Stories have power. In the past decade, we’ve seen storytelling drive nationwide progress for LGBTQ equality. But far too many LGBTQ people—especially those under 25—still face rejection from the people closest to them. So we’re inviting you to help us change that. Share your story with us. Let’s work together to make the world better for LGBTQ young people. No matter your background, you deserve to be safe and affirmed #AsYouAre.

They’re right about the power of stories. The fight for marriage equality was won once people got see LGBTQ people as people, not just a category, a name often flung as an epithet. As I always say, it’s only easy to hate people in the third person—in this case, those gays. Hatred wilts when people are seen and thought of in the second person: you, my relative the lesbian; you, my neighbour, the gay man; you, that nice shop owner who’s trans. In the second person, hatred beings to melt away and common humanity begins.

Despite that, young people still face condemnation for being LGBTQ, often from those who are supposed to love them unconditionally: Their family and close friends. That is what this initiative is aiming to help, by using the same technique—people telling their own stories—to get people to stop seeing young LGBTQ people as anything other than people.

Young LGBTQ people have dramatically higher suicide rates than do other youth. That’s why Biden said of the project, “it is simple – this is about saving lives.” Because it is.

This work is part of what the Biden Foundation does, specifically, “Ensuring LGBTQ Equality”, In May, the Foundation announced a joint project with the YMCA of the USA “to foster LGBTQ inclusion and equity at YMCA locations nationwide.”

I think this it’s awesome that the Biden Foundation is taking on this work. LGBTQ people are threatened in ways not seen in a decade and a half. A hostile presidential regime and a Supreme Court that will soon be stacked with hardline anti-LGBTQ justices means all our legal progress over the past few decades is at risk. As part of the new onslaught against us, many of the battles to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination will move to the states, and to win those 50 separate battles will require a cultural change. This initiative will help with that important work.

However, the stark reality is that LGBTQ people cannot fight, and certainly won’t win, the upcoming battles without the support and help of heterosexual people, our “Straight Allies”, as we call them. We need straight people to talk to other straight people, so in the future, we’ll also need initiatives specifically designed to help them talk in support of LGBTQ people. That can build from initiatives like this one, because personal stories really do have a lot of power.

In my time in grassroots politics, I had one simple focus: Keep your eyes on the prize. We wanted social and legal equality for LGBTQ people, and we lobbied hard for it. But to win, we needed the support of heterosexual elected officials and other grassroots groups with other priorities. So, we built alliances, sometimes only on specific issues, in order to advance our larger agenda. That’s even more important now than it was in the Reagan era, and throughout the 1980s, when I did most of my work.

So I gladly welcome the help from the Biden Foundation. It’s allies like them that will help us prevail—together, all of the "us-es", as Harvey Milk used to say.

Joe Biden’s Twitter announcement:

LGBTQ young people should never have to face rejection from those who love them. Share your story with @bidenfoundation about the importance of family acceptance, because we all deserve to be safe, loved, and affirmed. #AsYouAre https://t.co/FKAz3mirQO pic.twitter.com/fMWz2SUoiL

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 7, 2018

Tip o' the Hat to Roger Green for the heads up; I've been so busy I would have missed the announcement otherwise.

Proud Dads

Last Sunday was Dublin’s annual Pride parade, reportedly "the second biggest festival in the Republic of Ireland after St Patrick's Day." This year it also generated a viral video (above), from Dublin Bus. As they put it in the YouTube description:

This year at Pride, we had the proudest bus in the parade, not because it had the most glitter or flags, because it had the proudest people, Proud Dads. Gwan ahead and warm the cockles of your heart.

And warmed they were. Well done Dublin Bus—very well done.

About Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner died this week at 91. While most of us have probably heard of him, these days plenty of us would have no opinion about him—his heyday was a long time ago, after all. But the people who do have opinions often had and have strong ones, the strongest of which quite probably keep others silent. And yet, there are truths that must be told.

Hefner was not a saint, but neither was he evil incarnate. He was first and foremost a businessman who had been very successful, then less so as the years went on. He also challenged social norms in ways that had never been seen before, and he actually made the world a better place, despite what some of his critics want us to believe.

On the surface, the Playboy brand was about men objectifying women, and it was also about hedonism. Beneath that veneer that some found sleazy (or worse), however, Hefner also pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in sexuality. While it may have begun with openly talking about sexuality and sexual desire, along the way it made obvious that sexuality came in many varieties.

Hefner supported gay rights and abortion rights at a time when not even liberal politicians did. Many eventually caught up (or were replaced by socially progressive younger politicians), but Hefner was there before them all. To his critics, this is a “so what?” fact, but to people oppressed because of their sexuality, like gay people, it was a very big deal, and he made it concrete by setting up the Playboy Foundation to help fund progressive social change, particularly as it affected women, gay people, and other oppressed people.

In the early 1980s to early 1990s, I was part of a grassroots political group called the Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force. For most of that time, we were the only LGBT political group in the state. We lobbied the state legislature, Congress, Chicago’s City Hall, other local governments, and more agencies than I can even remember. We ran training sessions on LGBT issues at the Chicago Police Department and at Cook County Jail so they would be better equipped to deal with LGBT people. But we also worked with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) at a time when few LGBT groups dared to do so.

One of our major projects was to make sure that accurate and useful information and resources on LGBT issues were provided to the counselling departments in all public high schools. Our co-chair at the time, Al Wardell, himself a high school teacher in the CPS system, recognised the need to combat anti-gay bullying, and new project was born.

A graphic designer designed posters and other materials to support the project, the most notable of which were the posters: The central feature was a stark black and white photo of a row of school lockers with “Die Queer” painted on one. The text provided the phone number of a group called Gay and Lesbian Horizons, a social service agency now rolled into Chicago’s LGBT community centre. They had the resources, training, and expertise to deal with any phone calls that may have come in, which made them the logical choice. The IGLTF name was also on the posters, in smaller type.

Al approached (from memory) at least 15 different funding organisations to help fund the project, and every single one turned us down—all of them. In the early 1990s, most people didn’t even want to admit that gay teenagers even existed, and many of them even still believed we tried to “recruit” teens, because that lie and myth was still commonly believed. Funding organisations were no different, really, and reflected the conservative social attitudes that were still prevalent.

However, ONE organisation said yes: The Playboy Foundation. They provided an in-kind contribution, paying to print the posters and some other materials. This was a major victory for our organisation, sure, but more so for the young people we might be able to help.

Until, that is, politics—LGBT politics—nearly destroyed it all.

After the posters were printed and the project was ready to be rolled out, IGLTF had its annual meeting at which a new board was elected, and they included some fairly staunch feminists who objected to the fact we’d received this support from the Playboy Foundation. At a fiery board meeting, we were bullied and hectored until a vote was held to destroy all the posters. I abstained from that vote because I felt pressured and bullied and wanted time to think it all through, but the motion passed anyway, and one board member tore up one of the smaller posters with a dramatic flourish. I then resigned from the board, ending around a decade of my service.

The rump of the board tried to spin the decision, but got intensely negative feedback from the wider community, with some individual donors demanding their donations back, others demanding a boycott of future donations, and things even more unpleasant. The rump of the board then revisited the decision, backed down and decided not to destroy the posters after all, but, as I recall, and may remember incorrectly, they wanted IGLTF’s name blacked out.

IGLTF never recovered. Within a year or two it was dead, and is barely remembered today. Nearly 20 years of damn hard work destroyed over—what, exactly? Nowadays we’d call it “political correctness run amok”, but I hate that phrase. Instead, I’d say they’d let the perfect become the enemy of the good. Forbid the group from ever seeking Playboy Foundation funding in the future? Stupid, but okay. Voting to destroy already printed posters? Criminally stupid, and a betrayal of everything we’d been fighting to achieve, and the people we’d been fighting for, over two decades.

The facts here are simple: Absolutely NO funding organisation would fund the project, and some were hostile to it. ONLY the Playboy Foundation would fund it, and it wasn’t the first time it had worked to support the LGBT communities, nor was it the first time their support had caused political controversy within the LGBT communities of Chicago.

For more than two decades I’ve remained silent about all this, mainly because it’s just history, or maybe an historical footnote is more accurate. But even though I was sickened by the whole thing back then, and the atmosphere at that meeting which was like a bookburning more than anything else, I nevertheless felt intimidated into silence. What dredged this all up was seeing so many people choosing to heap scorn onto Hefner as if nothing he’d ever done had any value.

Of course Playboy Magazine objectified woman—as did most heterosexual men at the time, from what I could tell. But for some reason, Playboy’s objectification was deemed to be worse than that of ordinary men. Was it because they made a profit? Or because they reinforced male objectification of women? Both? Something else? It all seems so long ago, but similar issues rise up from time to time.

The reality is that Playboy Magazine also published some of the most important writers from its part of the 20th Century, and featured many important interviews, too. It provided a platform for the voiceless, and was an advocate for the oppressed—including gay people.

All of that funded the Playboy Foundation that, in turn, provided the cash for so much social change, including funding groups and projects that could never get funding anywhere else. Accepting funding from the Playboy Foundation never—ever—bothered me. As one of my colleagues put it at the time of the IGLTF disaster, the Roman Catholic church has always accepted money from the mafia, and by using it for good, they said they purified and even sanctified the money. I wouldn’t put it in quite those terms, but we did essentially the same thing: We took money that came from a business some people objected to, and used it to advance the social and legal equality—and the very safety—of LGBT people. It was money we often simply couldn’t get anywhere else. So I have no regrets for accepting the money: In the context of the times, it was absolutely the right thing to do.

Obviously Hefner was no saint, and he was perhaps cruder and more sleazy than most men would like to think they were/are, but a great many heterosexual men of the time were just like him in thought, if not in deed. Articles and advocacy aside, the magazine traded in sexual objectification, something many men did, too, though perhaps quietly. Does that excuse it? That’s not my call to make (not the least because I’m not heterosexual). But to this day many men of all sorts simply don’t get the anger directed at Playboy, especially when there were magazines that were far worse (like the widely circulated Hustler, for example).

I’m not an expert in social morés or sexual politics, and I would never tell women what they can and can’t see as objectification or as objectionable. But neither can they tell men—gay men in particular—what we must find objectionable. To me, all that is irrelevant. The 1970, 1980s, and 1990s were hostile times for LGBT Americans, and we fought hard against the prevailing repressive attitudes. The Playboy Foundation, through Hugh Hefner and his magazine, made a lot of progress possible when no one else would. And I damn sure won’t apologise for putting their money to good use, nor will I in any way feel bad about it.

Because of the great good that Hugh Hefner made possible, I won’t say a bad word about him. What others do is their business, but they have no right to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do, say, think, or feel about Hefner. And, that sort of personal independence was one of the core messages Hefner himself sold, appropriately enough.

President Obama designates Stonewall National Monument

The video above is President Obama’s most recent Weekly Addresses, released this past weekend. I was busy with visitors all last week, and missed this video, though I knew about the designation.

I think the president does a great job of explaining why Stonewall is important by placing it within the context of other places important in the struggle for justice and freedom. It as important to the struggle for LGBT freedom as any of the other places the president mentioned, and it’s important that generations to come can learn about it and its place in American history.

This is a very good thing.

A few Orlando responses

There have been a lot of responses to the Orlando shootings, some awesome, some, well, they’re the sort I wouldn’t comment on. But these are a few of the many that caught my eye over the past few days.

Up first, the video up top, which is President Obama’s latest Weekly Address. I think he struck the right tone, but I especially thought his remarks on how important parents are in fostering equality and tolerance, and giving unconditional love. I thought it was good.


Next up, “Dear World, We're Not Afraid”, a video put together by YouTuber Arielle Scarcella, in which she and other YouTubers deliver a simple response together (I subscribe to several of their Channels). These sorts of things can be too serious sometimes—dreary, even—but this one avoids all that, in part by keeping it short. I think it works and is nicely done.


Next, one of the explaining videos from Vox, “The Orlando mass shooting is a reminder of why Pride is so important”. These videos try and explains sometimes complicated current events and issues, and to put them into context. I think this video does all that, and reminds us of how much work is left to do.


Finally, something very different: “The Orlando massacre terrorist will fail. Here's why” by British journalist Owen Jones. He made headlines when he walked off a SkyNews panel discussion [VIDEO] when the pompous host refused to accept that the attacks were against LGBT people, and not some generic, unspecified, amorphous group called “people”. Were I Owen, I’d probably have done the exact same thing.

In the video I’m sharing, he says: “The terrorists who carried out America's worst ever shooting in Orlando will fail just as a neo-Nazi terrorist did 17 years ago in London when he detonated a nail bomb outside the Admiral Duncan pub. The LGBT community will mourn, will cry and will rage but ultimately we will win and the love of LGBT people all over this planet will burn even brighter because of what he did.” Ultimately, he’s right, even if it may not seem like it at the moment. Sadly, the comments on YouTube are filled with endless, vile, spittle-flecked anti-Muslim rage. Sadly, that’s not a surprise.

• • •

These are a representative sample of what I’ve looked at this week. There were a few more, but I didn’t keep the links, as in those early days after the shooting, I was… distracted.

It’s now been one week since the Orlando shootings.

President Obama’s Statement on Orlando

Full text of the President’s Statement:

Today, as Americans, we grieve the brutal murder -- a horrific massacre -- of dozens of innocent people. We pray for their families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts. We stand with the people of Orlando, who have endured a terrible attack on their city. Although it’s still early in the investigation, we know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate. And as Americans, we are united in grief, in outrage, and in resolve to defend our people.

I just finished a meeting with FBI Director Comey and my homeland security and national security advisors. The FBI is on the scene and leading the investigation, in partnership with local law enforcement. I’ve directed that the full resources of the federal government be made available for this investigation.

We are still learning all the facts. This is an open investigation. We’ve reached no definitive judgment on the precise motivations of the killer. The FBI is appropriately investigating this as an act of terrorism. And I’ve directed that we must spare no effort to determine what -- if any -- inspiration or association this killer may have had with terrorist groups. What is clear is that he was a person filled with hatred. Over the coming days, we’ll uncover why and how this happened, and we will go wherever the facts lead us.

This morning I spoke with my good friend, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and I conveyed the condolences of the entire American people. This could have been any one of our communities. So I told Mayor Dyer that whatever help he and the people of Orlando need -- they are going to get it. As a country, we will be there for the people of Orlando today, tomorrow and for all the days to come.

We also express our profound gratitude to all the police and first responders who rushed into harm’s way. Their courage and professionalism saved lives, and kept the carnage from being even worse. It’s the kind of sacrifice that our law enforcement professionals make every single day for all of us, and we can never thank them enough.

This is an especially heartbreaking day for all our friends -- our fellow Americans -- who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The shooter targeted a nightclub where people came together to be with friends, to dance and to sing, and to live. The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub -- it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their civil rights.

So this is a sobering reminder that attacks on any American -- regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation -- is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country. And no act of hate or terror will ever change who we are or the values that make us Americans.

Today marks the most deadly shooting in American history. The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.

In the coming hours and days, we’ll learn about the victims of this tragedy. Their names. Their faces. Who they were. The joy that they brought to families and to friends, and the difference that they made in this world. Say a prayer for them and say a prayer for their families -- that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable. And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change. We need to demonstrate that we are defined more -- as a country -- by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who took them from us.

As we go together, we will draw inspiration from heroic and selfless acts -- friends who helped friends, took care of each other and saved lives. In the face of hate and violence, we will love one another. We will not give in to fear or turn against each other. Instead, we will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people, and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us.

May God bless the Americans we lost this morning. May He comfort their families. May God continue to watch over this country that we love. Thank you.

President Obama has ordered US flags to be flown at half-staff to honour the victims of the attack in Orlando.

President Obama’s final LGBT Pride Month proclamation

President Obama today proclaimed “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2016”, something he’s done every year since becoming president. Sure, it’s symbolic, but it also matters.

While proclamations like this are symbolic, it’s foolish to think that symbolism doesn’t matter. I still remember the early 1980s, and the excitement of seeing a politician, major corporation, or famous person openly supporting the LGBT communities at a time when very few did. Over time, the example of these early supporters helped others be open in their support, and also ordinary people, too, so that, over time, we arrived at where we are today.

President Obama has been the best president on LGBT issues in US history, and he’ll be a tough act to follow. Despite a slow start, his administration has been outstanding both in the USA and overseas. Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, declared that “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights,” something I certainly never expected to hear a US Government official say.

President Obama has issued a proclamation like this every year since 2009, and he’s only the second president to do so: President Bill Clinton was the first, in 1999, as part of the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. So, it’s fitting, I think, to share the full text of President Obama’s final proclamation:

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2016

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Since our founding, America has advanced on an unending path toward becoming a more perfect Union. This journey, led by forward-thinking individuals who have set their sights on reaching for a brighter tomorrow, has never been easy or smooth. The fight for dignity and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people is reflected in the tireless dedication of advocates and allies who strive to forge a more inclusive society. They have spurred sweeping progress by changing hearts and minds and by demanding equal treatment -- under our laws, from our courts, and in our politics. This month, we recognize all they have done to bring us to this point, and we recommit to bending the arc of our Nation toward justice.

Last year's landmark Supreme Court decision guaranteeing marriage equality in all 50 States was a historic victory for LGBT Americans, ensuring dignity for same-sex couples and greater equality across State lines. For every partnership that was not previously recognized under the law and for every American who was denied their basic civil rights, this monumental ruling instilled newfound hope, affirming the belief that we are all more free when we are treated as equals.

LGBT individuals deserve to know their country stands beside them. That is why my Administration is striving to better understand the needs of LGBT adults and to provide affordable, welcoming, and supportive housing to aging LGBT Americans. It is also why we oppose subjecting minors to the harmful practice of conversion therapy, and why we are continuing to promote equality and foster safe and supportive learning environments for all students. We remain committed to addressing health disparities in the LGBT community -- gay and bisexual men and transgender women of color are at a particularly high risk for HIV, and we have worked to strengthen our National HIV/AIDS Strategy to reduce new infections, increase access to care, and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV.

Despite the extraordinary progress of the past few years, LGBT Americans still face discrimination simply for being who they are. I signed an Executive Order in 2014 that prohibits discrimination against Federal employees and contractors on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. I urge the Congress to enact legislation that builds upon the progress we have made, because no one should live in fear of losing their job simply because of who they are or who they love. And our commitment to combatting discrimination against the LGBT community does not stop at our borders: Advancing the fair treatment of all people has long been a cornerstone of American diplomacy, and we have made defending and promoting the human rights of LGBT individuals a priority in our engagement across the globe. In line with America's commitment to the notion that all people should be treated fairly and with respect, champions of this cause at home and abroad are upholding the simple truth that LGBT rights are human rights.

There remains much work to do to extend the promise of our country to every American, but because of the acts of courage of the millions who came out and spoke out to demand justice and of those who quietly toiled and pushed for progress, our Nation has made great strides in recognizing what these brave individuals long knew to be true in their hearts -- that love is love and that no person should be judged by anything but the content of their character. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, as Americans wave their flags of pride high and march boldly forward in parades and demonstrations, let us celebrate how far we have come and reaffirm our steadfast belief in the equal dignity of all Americans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2016 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.

BARACK OBAMA

The text can also be seen on the The White House website.

Update: So, President Obama issued a proclamation for LGBT Pride Month, something he's done for EIGHT years, and—right on cue!—extremist conservatives freak out. We expect that. We expect them to lie and distort, too, and we expect them to use offensive language, because it’s what they always do. But to be so utterly clueless that he's done this for EIGHT years is pretty appalling, and means that the haters have to be told to hate because otherwise they’d be utterly clueless. Just like they always are.

To play, or not to play

Last weekend, Bruce Springsteen announced that he was cancelling his show in Greensboro, North Carolina, because of the state’s recently-enacted law promoting discrimination against LGBT people. He posted his statement on Facebook. It was a pretty strong statement from an ally, well worth sharing.

Or, so I thought.

I shared Bruce’s statement on my personal Facebook and some of the reactions frankly surprised me. Far worse, though, were reactions I saw elsewhere, including rank homophobic bigotry posted on Bruce’s own page—and probably from people who would never have gone to the show, anyway.

The main thrust of the more reasoned criticism was that it was selfish of Bruce to do this, that he was hurting his fans, and it would have been better for him to do the concert and condemn the new law from the stage. I completely disagree with all of that.

First—and this should be obvious—all artists have the right to act in accordance with their consciences, even if that disadvantages some fans. The fans’ money will be refunded, so they’re not being personally disadvantaged in any tangible way.

Second, making speeches from a stage to a captive audience is a terrible idea. I cannot see how making people sit and listen to speechifying when they paid for a music concert is in any way better than cancelling the concert and giving them their money back. Forcing people to listen to things they disagree with—and let’s be honest, not all of Bruce’s fans are on the same page as he is—will lead to tension and could easily lead to harassment or even violence.

But let’s assume that wasn’t the case, and it was all sweetness and light as Bruce delivered his speech—what could possibly be gained? How would condemning the speech from the stage be any more significant than the exhortations we here to eat less and exercise more? We know those are virtuous things to do, we agree with the sentiment, yet most of us ignore it completely. I’m certain that Bruce making a statement from the stage would have been exactly like that.

As a member of the LGBT communities, when I hear supportive words from our straight allies, I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t respect words as much as concrete action. Don’t tell me you support my human rights—show me.

Then, there’s this: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are a large, well-known act, and that means lots of attention. When Bruce cancels a show, it gets attention for a cause, and it can encourage others to do the same, thereby bringing even more attention. Ringo Starr cancelled his show in North Carolina. Also, in a similar move, Bryan Adams cancelled his Mississippi concert in protest of that state’s anti-LGBT law (which is even worse than North Carolina’s).

At the same time, not everyone can or should cancel their shows. ThinkProgress highlighted two acts that will play in North Carolina: One, Against Me!, is a punk-rock band founded by lead singer Laura Jane Grace, who is trans. The other is Brandi Carlile, a lesbian country artist. As smaller acts, they can’t afford to cancel, and even if they did, being smaller they wouldn’t get the media attention, which is the point of the big cancellations as much as punishing the state economically.

Carlile also pointed out, “I’m a small artist, and I’m gay, many of my fans are gay as well. To cancel my shows in NC would further oppress my fans who are hurt by this legislation, who worked hard to suppress it, and who need a place where they can come together.” None of that is relevant for Bruce, Ringo, or Bryan. Similarly, Grace plans to turn their show into a “form of protest,” and will “definitely be speaking about trans rights on stage.” Both will be playing from a position of strength as people affected directly by the anti-LGBT laws. Also, it’s important to note that they support Springsteen’s cancellation.

By cancelling their shows, Bruce Springstreen and Ringo Starr will incur costs, something smaller acts cannot absorb. But larger draws also have a flow on effect because fans buy travel, accommodation, and other goods and services. So, there will be an economic hit to the state.

The biggest economic hit, of course, is coming from the corporate world. For example, PayPal cancelled plans to open a new global operations centre in Charlotte, and Deutsche Bank put is pausing its plans for expansion of its software application development centre in Cary. These two alone mean North Carolina has lost the better part of 700 new jobs. The Center for American Progress (source of the graphic up top) has estimated that North Carolina’s discriminatory law “Threatens More Than Half Billion Dollars in Economic Activity”. Promoting discrimination and bigotry has consequences.

A prominent organisation in the radical right professional anti-gay industry is behind these anti-LGBT bills—and anti-trans bills specifically—as revealed day before yesterday in a report by CBS News. The head of the anti-LGBT group thinks corporations talking about economic boycotts or pulling out of states like North Carolina are making empty threats. "They're not gonna follow through," he declared. Asked by reporter Dean Reynolds, “So it's a bluff?” The professional antigay activist answered, "It's a bluff. They're not leaving."

That professional antigay activist is clearly worried. We know that economic pressure works: It forced Indiana to soften their anti-LGBT law, and it encouraged Georgia’s governor to veto that state’s law (while pointing out that discrimination against LGBT people is already perfectly legal in the state). Economic pressure is the one thing that Republican legislators will respond to, since they’re pretty much untouchable politically (the radical right’s efforts are ongoing in many states, but all of the truly horrible laws are being passed in solidly Republican states).

In the face of organised oppression, an artist can do business as usual, or they can take a stand against oppression. Big acts can boycott, smaller acts can engage, and together they play their parts in restoring liberty and justice for all—no matter how much some radicals may resist, and regardless of whether some people think it’s silly or pointless.

So, I applaud Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, and Bryan Adams. And, I support Against Me! and Brandi Carlile. They’re all responding in the way most appropriate for each of them, and so are the corporations exerting economic pressure. Collectively, they’re all helping.

I think that deserves a standing ovation.

Remembering Kit Duffy

Kit Duffy in April.

This morning, I was working on a new post and decided to go to the original source, which was on Facebook. I arrived just minutes after the official announcement that a dear friend and former colleague from my activist days, Kit Duffy, had died. I was frozen for quite a few minutes.

This post is a revised and extended version of what I posted on my personal Facebook.

Kit had recently had heart surgery and had several complications. One of her friends visited her in hospital and posted updates to Kit’s timeline, which meant all her friends could be kept up to date. Things didn’t seem to be going well, and I feared that she might not make it. She apparently died peacefully, which is what we all hope for when our time comes.

I met Kit when Chicago's Mayor Harold Washington appointed her as his liaison to the city's LGBT communities, and through her work she practically copyrighted the term "straight ally". Since I was a grassroots LGBT activist at the time, our paths crossed MANY times. We had a lot of wonderful chats during those years, and I learned so much from her: She wasn't just a friend, she was an important mentor, as she was for so many activists in that era.

More recently, we reconnected on Facebook, as I have with so many old friends, and we shared a lot of fun and laughs along the way. I am so very grateful for that, and so sad that we never had the chance to meet up again in real life.

She was a very important part of the struggle for the civil and human rights of LGBT Chicagoans, and throughout the state. "Kit's fingerprints are on almost everything we have in the gay community in Illinois today," another former activist colleague, Rick Garcia, said for Kit’s obituary in Windy City Times. "I really think that she is the midwife of the successes we have in Illinois,” he added. I agree.

She was a friend to so many, and she was respected even by people who disagreed with her politics, which is a testament to her, I think, and so very rare these days. She was one of a kind, and I honestly don't think we'll see someone like her again.

I'll miss Kit terribly, but I'm happy that she didn't suffer.

Farewell, my friend—and thank you for everything.

The photo of Kit above is a cropped version of a photo she posted on Facebook last April, as she took part of Chicago’s mayoral election. She remained true to her progressive politics and values to the very end.

See also: “Kit Duffy, liaison for change”, part of Windy City Times’ AIDS@30 series.

UN Fighting to make LGBT people Free & Equal

Free & Equal is a United Nations Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality, and an initiative of the UN Human Rights Office. The UN recognises how destructive discrimination against LGBT people is, and they’re working to end it.

Here are some recent videos from that campaign.

The video above, “The Price of Exclusion” is the latest from the Free & Equal campaign, and exposes just how much exclusion of LGBT people really costs. It’s a lot more than most people could guess.

Narrated by actor Zachary Quinto, who is openly gay, the video uses a simple animated technique for data visualisation. I think it works very well. The video is summed up in its YouTube description:

Rates of poverty, homelessness, depression and suicide have been found to be far higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people than in the general population. But it’s not just LGBT people who pay the price. We all do. Every LGBT child thrown out of home and forced to miss out on education is a loss for society. Every LGBT worker denied their rights is a lost opportunity to build a fairer and more productive economy.

These losses are entirely self-inflicted. With different laws and policies in place and a different mind-set, we could and would achieve a more free and equal world—that is more prosperous too!

The next video, “Voices from the Front Lines”, was posted a couple months ago. It depicts testimonies from survivors of homophobic and transphobic discrimination and violence that were shown to world leaders during the UN General Assembly. It was at an event on the importance of not leaving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people behind when the Sustainable Development Goals are being implemented.



Also from September is “The UN and the Fight against Homophobia & Transphobia”, which explains why the United Nations has this campaign, and some of the recent highlights.



The next video, “Faces”, is from May, and was mentioned in the video above. The YouTube description again sums it up well:

"Lesbian", "gay", "bisexual", "transgender", "intersex", "queer": can you see past the labels?

This video from the United Nations Free & Equal campaign celebrates the contributions that millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people make to families and local communities around the world. The cast features "real people" (not actors), filmed in their workplaces and homes—among them, a firefighter, a police officer, a teacher, an electrician, a doctor and a volunteer, as well as prominent straight ally and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The point is to encourage people to look beyond labels, and to be an ally. But it also shows the sort of ordinary people who they’re talking about in the video up top.



Finally, something a little lighter, from September 2014: “Selfies for Equality.” Free & Equal operated a photo booth as world leaders, activists and others arrived at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City for the opening of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly. And, yes, I’m aware that these aren’t actually selfies, but I don’t think that matters.



I know that many people are cynical nowadays, and some can’t see what the point of all this is. For one thing, we live in an era of images, short video images in particular, and videos like these can help reach people in ways that nothing else can.

But, what if they don’t help much at all? Well, so what?! It’s important to fight to end discrimination against LGBTI people, and the United Nations definitely has a role to play.

The battle has a long way to go, of course, but it’s important work, and I’m glad the UN is engaged.

Shout for those who couldn’t

The video above is from NYC Pride, the organisation in charge of the New York City Pride Parade. It’s not exactly a promo, but I think it’s something more important: It’s a reason why Pride Parades are still relevant 46 years after Stonewall.

The wordless video shows the love story of two young women, apparently set a long, long time ago, and ends with a simple slogan: “Shout for those who couldn’t.” To me, that’s precisely the reason why Pride Parades are still important: We remember our past and our heritage, we honour those who never knew the freedoms we have today, and we stand defiantly in the face of hatred and bigotry to serve as symbols of hope for those who do not yet know freedom, for whatever reason.

Shout. The very word sounds antique. In most of the West, LGBT people have a lot of freedom, though it still varies widely from place to place, even within the USA. But, as things move forward, seemingly inevitably, toward full equality, it’s easy to lose sight of how vulnerable all that progress still is, and how, like a newborn infant, it may not survive without nurturing and defence, and even before we achieve full equality.

Shout. It can mean the literal vocal demand for full equality, or it can be more symbolic, like LGBT people living their everyday lives openly, honestly, proudly. It can be an example shown simply through the dignity of living quiet lives with integrity.

Shout. It means standing up for LGBT people who are being harassed, intimidated, bullied, persecuted, or discriminated against, regardless of whether we’re LGBT or an ally, because bigotry demands silence to succeed. Speaking up is the decent thing to do, the human thing—it’s what a friend would do.

Shout. It also means speaking the names, even if only symbolically, of all those who’ve gone before us, the veterans of the struggle, and those who were consumed by the despair that freedom seemed forever impossible, and also those who were lost to violence or disease. When we remember our people, we’re shouting the truth that our lives matter, they always have, and they always will.

We must never settle for “good enough” when it comes to our freedom, liberty, and equality. We must never accept any LGBT person being told they’re less than, worse than, or irrelevant, simply because they are LGBT. We must speak up in the face of bigotry and hatred, and we must challenge it in all its forms. We must show all the strength we can muster to protect out still vulnerable achievements as each June we recharge our energy to finish the struggle.

Sometimes, we must literally shout. Sometimes, we can shout symbolically. But whichever it is, we must never lose our voice, or our heart, and we must always be ready to defend all that we’ve achieved even as we continue to fight for the equality still denied to us.

Shout for those who couldn’t, and for those who still can’t. Shout. It’s what pride—and Pride—is really all about.

Pop messages

I love pop music—I’ve said that plenty of times. But sometimes I end up loving a pop song just a little bit more later on. “Uma Thurman” by Fall Out Boy (video above) is a perfect example of that. In this case, it’s because of that video.

I loved “Uma Thurman” from the moment I first heard it, but only accidentally. Back in mid February, we were in a store that sells computer bits and pieces, mostly for gaming, but also lots of Apple stuff (so it’s a bit cooler than "just" a computer store). As I wandered around browsing aimlessly, I heard the unmistakeable sounds of the theme [Listen] to the 1960s TV show, The Munsters, one of my favourites when I was a kid. I couldn’t hear the song itself, but I could hear the sample.

After I got home, I Googled it—probably something like, “song with Munsters theme in it” or whatever—and I found the song. One of the hits was the audio version on YouTube, which was posted back in January.

The actual video, above, was posted last month. It really has nothing to do with the lyrics, though it’s often visually interesting. And then, near the end of the video (around 3:45), there was this:

I had no idea what "Article 1 Section 36.03" was about, so I Googled that, too. It turns out that it’s the section of the Alabama state constitution that outlaws same-gender marriage, the same thing that the religious extremist crackpot “judge” Roy Moore used to defy federal courts that found Alabama’s ban unconstitutional, all of which was in the news awhile back.

In the video, a tank rolls over and destroys a white pick-up truck symbolising Alabama’s anti-gay laws. I very much like that: A tank crushes a symbol of bigotry—that’s awesome.

What surprises me is that no one in the LGBT media seems to have noticed. Okay, so they probably don’t pay that much attention to the details of everything created by straight artists, nor the symbolism contained within their work. After all, I only noticed because I liked the song and watched the newer video and wondered what the writing on the pickup truck referred to. But I know I’m not the only one to notice this, so I wonder why no one, as far as I can tell, in gay media has mentioned it.

Never mind, I noticed. And the fact that I did, or, more accurately, the fact that Fall Out Boy placed such a subtle pro-gay message in their music video, makes me like this song just a little bit more.

And three cheers for tanks named Uma.

Related trivia: In a video of a radio interview posted on YouTube, Fall Out Boy talk about sampling The Munsters theme. The band was originally formed in Wilmette, Illinois, not all that far from where I grew up. That area is also known as “the North Shore”.

The way the world should be

The video above from Teen Vogue is about the story of straight high school student Jacob Lescenski who asked his best friend, Anthony Martinez, who is gay, to be his date at their prom. The story was picked up by several outlets, and the two friends even appeared on Ellen (below), where they got a surprise.

This shouldn’t be a remarkable story, and for many young people these days, it isn’t. But for older folks, it’s still surprising, and that’s okay. It’s good for heterosexuals to get to know to know real LGBT people, it’s also good for them to see straight people who love and embrace their LGBT friends. And when it’s a young person doing it? Even better. Gives us oldies something to live up to.

In the Teen Vogue video, Anthony’s aunt wanted a cake that said, “You're gay, he's straight, you're going to prom, you couldn't have had a better date.” However, the store clerk—which she didn’t identify on camera—wouldn't put the word gay on the cake.

KVVU in Las Vegas reported it was the aunt’s local Wal-Mart, who said the associate in the store acted improperly—they have no policy against the word gay—and they’d contact the aunt directly to apologise and make it right. So, even that one little blot on the story has a bright side.

One day, no one will even notice when a boy goes to a dance with another boy, or a girl with another girl, and whether they’re a couple or a couple of friends won’t matter, either (and someday America will even get over its obsession with what’s written on cakes…). That day may be a way off yet, but stories like this show the future is more promising than we may sometimes think.

This story is about the way the world should be. It’s also about how sometimes young people have worked that out for themselves—in spite of us.

Ireland: Bring your family with you

I love this video. It's the latest from the BeLonGTo Yes coalition in the Republic of Ireland, which is campaigning for a YES vote on marriage equality next month. The focus of this ad is bringing along one’s family to vote yes, but it also is about the importance of family.

I posted another ad from BeLonG To last November, that one urging young people to register to vote so that they could “make Ireland a more equal place for our LGBT friends”. BeLonG To is a youth services organisation, so that message made sense because of that alone, but also, as I noted last year, because throughout the West, young people are FAR more LGBT-supportive than their elders. They also support marriage equality by overwhelming majorities.

Which is why it’s so important to mobilise young voters. Polls in Ireland show that marriage equality is consistently ahead, but some pundits say it’s “soft” support, that many of the people who say they support marriage equality won’t actually show up to vote.

The ad above reinforces how important it is that LGBT people and their friends organise their families to go and vote yes. Our adversaries are organising their supporters to vote and, if the USA’s experience is anything to go by, they can be depended on to turn out to vote against freedom and liberty. The good people have to turn out in massive numbers to make sure marriage equality arrives in Ireland.

But the video above also helps make supporters feel connected to something large and positive, something bigger than themselves, a groundswell for moving Ireland forward. That’s another reason it’s so good. I hope they produce more ads at this level, because it’ll be vital to keep the momentum building.

However, I must repeat what I said last November: “As I’ve made abundantly clear plenty of times, I am utterly, completely and totally opposed to EVER allowing the majority to vote on whether minorities will be allowed the same rights under the law that the majority takes for granted.” That hasn’t changed. But hopefully, voters in Ireland will soon change their country and move it forward.

And I really do hope that supporters of marriage equality bring their families with them.

Footnote: BeLonG To Youth Services has produced a lot of absolutely brilliant videos, so their producing effective ads for the Yes vote isn’t at all surprising. I posted one of their anti-bullying ads back in 2011, and I still get teary every time I watch it. Check out their YouTube Channel for all their videos.

The Warwick Rowers Holiday Sing-A-Long

The above video features five members of the Warwick Rowers, who’ve become famous for their naked calendar. They do a small sing-a-long in this video, as well as talk about what their project is all about.

The naked calendar began as a way to raise money for their rowing club, a tactic used by many other groups. And, a calendar of naked fit lads isn’t a bad thing in itself. But theirs was something beyond all that.

It was clear early on that—not surprisingly—the gay community were strong supporters of the Rowers. They decided to offer something in return and started Sport Allies, which is dedicated to ending homophobia in sport. When the Rowers joined the fight, I had a feeling that we might have started seeing a cultural shift in sport, and since then we’ve seen many high-profile athletes come out, so the tide has definitely started to turn.

The Rowers exhibit a common trait among young men these days: They’re secure in themselves and their sexuality and their bodies, and don't mind using their sex appeal. They have gay friends and can’t understand why anyone would be against gay people. They also clearly don’t care if anyone thinks they might be gay because of all that.

But many young men these days also recognise the fluidity of human sexuality, how it’s not the linear either/or of gay/straight as was once believed, and they reject such labels (something I wrote about back in October). It’s a very different world than the one I came of age in.

At any rate, the lads seem like very nice guys. I’ve seen some of their interviews and “making of” videos, and follow some of them on Twitter. They always remain positive and friendly, traits I admire, probably because it’s harder for me to do that.

And, it’s all for a good cause. Not that one needs a reason to appreciate photos of fit naked young men, but it's nice that it's the case.

A hero called Elizabeth

I was saddened to hear of the death of Elizabeth Taylor—not surprised, since she’d been so unwell in recent years, but still saddened. I enjoyed her film performances, but it was her fierce advocacy on HIV/AIDS for which I’m most grateful. In fact, I’d call her a hero.

She raised millions of dollars to fight the disease, but even more importantly, she also spoke out on behalf of people living with HIV/AIDS—and she did so at a time when it could easily have ended her career.

It’s hard now, in these more enlightened times, to remember how terrible those early days of the epidemic were. The man acting in the role of US President, Ronald Reagan, refused to talk about the disease until 1985. In that first mention, Reagan talked only about mythological casual infection—even though the CDC had already stated that casual contact infection was not possible.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Taylor was raising millions to fight HIV/AIDS and battling prejudice.

As late as 1987, Reagan didn’t want to spend money on education and instead wanted to spend money on pre-marital testing and mandatory testing of “high risk groups”. At the time, we activists pointed out there was no such thing as a “high risk group,” only high risk behaviours. Reagan said while campaigning in 1980 that gay people were “asking for recognition and acceptance of an alternative lifestyle which I do not believe society can condone, nor can I,” so we weren’t surprised by his boneheaded and homophobic stance, just that it wasn’t even worse (although, he didn’t need to be with Jesse Helms and other Republicans in Congress, together with TV preachers, attacking GLBT people at every opportunity—actually, some things don't change…).

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Taylor was raising millions to fight HIV/AIDS and battling prejudice.

The cold, hard fact is that Elizabeth Taylor was a friend and ally of the GLBT communities, particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS, at a time when we had very few prominent allies. In those days, Hollywood, and the entertainment industry generally, shunned us out of fear of damaging their careers (or, perhaps, being found out). It was a McCarthy-like time for GLBT America, and Elizabeth Taylor was there when so few were.

Plenty of people are remembering her acting career, or her marriages, but it’s her activism that still touches my heart the most. She was a rare person, the last of the great movie stars, and also a real, caring human being. She will be sorely missed.