How Tim Kaine Changed His Mind on Gay Marriage
- At July 28, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In News, Politics
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Democratic vice presidential hopeful Tim Kaine wasn’t always a proponent of same-sex marriage. In 2005, he even ran an ad during his bid for Virginia governor which said, “I’m conservative on personal responsibility, character, family and the sanctity of life,” said Mr. Kaine, who won the race. “I’m against same-sex marriage.” Yet according to the Wall Street Journal, Kaine has changed his mind and has evolved into a powerful LGBT ally. Per WSJ:
Mr. Kaine has said his turning point came in 2006, when as governor of Virginia he opposed a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in the state. The Virginia amendment passed in November 2006, but was nullified when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2015 that same-sex couples nationwide have a constitutional right to marry.
“My thinking has evolved on it because of people I know, so many gay and lesbian folks, some in longtime relationships who are great parents,” Mr. Kaine said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Mr. Kaine also said he was concerned by the motivations of those supporting the state constitutional ban. “Some folks said to me candidly that this is really about trying to make the state inhospitable to gay people,” he said, according to the Times-Dispatch.
His first executive order as governor, signed the day he was inaugurated, banned discrimination against state employees, including on the basis of sexual orientation.
In the Senate, Mr. Kaine voted for legislation in November 2013 that would ban workplace discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender workers.
Last night, Kaine accepted the nomination in Philadelphia. He stressed unity in his speech saying,”We are all neighbors. And we must love neighbors as ourselves.”
DNC Welcomes Most Pro-LGBT Platform Ever
- At July 26, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In News, Politics
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The 2016 Democratic National Convention kicked off earlier this week by approving the most pro-LGBT rights platform ever. Per the Washington Blade:
As convention chair Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) presided, delegates at the Democratic National Convention approved the platform by voice vote. Although loud “nays” were heard, the overwhelming “yays” in favor of the platform carried the day.
Jessica Frisco, a Manhattan-based delegate pledged to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), said having LGBT inclusion in the Democratic Party “has always been really important to me.”
“Not that it’s become less of a priority, but I think the Democrats have always been pretty progressive on the issue, at least in recent years, and you know, it’s been Democrats that have been supporting that type of legislation in contrast to Republicans,” she said. “I guess I wasn’t really surprised to see that that was a big part of the platform and I wouldn’t be surprised to know that everyone in the Democratic Party supports that.”
The 55-page document has a specific LGBT plank titled “Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights” and includes LGBT references in planks throughout the document.
The LGBT plank endorses LGBT comprehensive non-discrimination legislation (although it doesn’t explicitly address the Equality Act by name), condemns violence against transgender people, endorses the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage and repudiates state laws seeking to undermine LGBT rights.
“Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people — like other Americans — have the right to marry the person they love,” the platform says. “But there is still much work to be done. LGBT kids continue to be bullied at school, restaurants can refuse to serve transgender people, and same-sex couples are at risk of being evicted from their homes. That is unacceptable and must change.”
In contrast, the platform adopted last week at the Republican National Convention seeks to reverse the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, indicates supports for widely discredited “ex-gay” conversion therapy and supports state anti-trans bathroom laws.
Matt Hughes, a 25-year-old delegate from Chapel Hill, N.C., pledged to Hillary Clinton, said the LGBT inclusion is important to him both as a Democrat and a gay man.
“For me as a Democrat, it’s important, but also as a gay man that we have these ideals in our party’s platform about non-discrimination in terms of employment and transgender rights and really everything,” Hughes said, “especially when you compare and contrast it to the Republican Party platform that was passed last week, which is definitely the most anti-LGBT platform that the Republican Party has ever put forward.”
Hughes said he helped draft a North Carolina platform that included similar language, which he said is important because of the recently enacted House Bill 2 in the state. That law bars pro-LGBT city ordinances and prohibits transgender people from using the restroom consistent with their gender identity.
“That language says to me that for the second time in four years, that on LGBT issues, North Carolina is on the wrong side of not just fairness and equality, but also just the wrong side of history,” Hughes said. “And I think that the Democrats have always stood up for the marginalized and oppressed in our communities, and so having language that is so strongly in favor of rights for our transgender brothers, I think, is very important.”
In what’s being called “the gayest DNC ever”, the event also has a record-breaking number of LGBT delegates in attendance this year, appearances by many LGBT speakers and a landmark celebration being thrown by The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Monday Meme: Enthusiasm
- At July 25, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In Monday Meme
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Born today in 1844, painter, sculptor and educator Thomas Eakins is unquestionably one of America’s master artists. We honor him on his birthday with a Monday Meme featuring his art and words. Known for his landscapes, figurative paintings and the incredibly famous and controversial, The Gross Clinic, Thomas Eakins’ legacy is not one without mystery or debate. The ongoing presence of the male figure in his work has led to decades of “Was he or wasn’t he” type of discussions. Clearly homoerotic in tone, many of his figure studies have caused scholars to look deeper in Eakins’ personal life. Eakins, although married, was well-known to have close intimate relationships with male students and colleagues including sculptor Samuel Murray. Murray was a constant companion to Eakins in the latter years of his life. The relationship with Murray is said have been more important to Eakins than his marriage to fellow painter Susan Hannah Macdowell. Alas, the art world will never know the sexuality of Thomas Eakins. Instead, what we’re left with is the breathtaking work of master artist able to capture America and the men who lived there in an era long gone.
Sweet Starbucks Proposal for Actor Daniel Franzese
- At July 19, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In Fun, Pop Culture
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You just never know what will happen at your local Starbucks. Actor Daniel Franzese popped the question to his longtime boyfriend this week at the North Hollywood branch of the mega-coffee chain where the pair met. Franzese, known best for his role as Damian in the 2004’s Mean Girls and more recently on HBO’s Looking, recently proposed to his partner Joseph Bradley Phillips. Here’s People with the full scoop on the adorable proposal.
The actor, 38, popped the question at a Starbucks in North Hollywood where the couple – who have been together for more than a year – met for the first time.When they arrived at the coffee chain, Franzese slipped the ring to one of the baristas, whom he had spoken to the day before about the proposal plan.And as the barista called out the pair’s coffee orders, she referred to them as “Mr. & Mr. Franzese” – and handed Phillips a different order, saying it was a new drink he should try.Once Phillips opened the cup with the ring inside, Franzese got down on one knee and said to him: “Since I first saw you here, you have opened your heart to me, and I vow to God that for the rest of my life to honor and protect that heart if you will be my husband. Will you marry me?” the Looking star told his future husband. Phillips, who’s in fashion marketing, will take Franzese’s last name, his rep confirms.”Joseph has given me the best of his heart and I’m so happy he said yes,” Franzese tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Finding my soulmate has made all the years I struggled with myself worth it.” He added, “We can’t wait to be Mr. & Mr. Franzese.”
Congrats to the happy couple!
Monday Meme: Bacon
Love– part of a balanced breakfast! Today’s Monday meme features gay icon Rock Hudson and a quote from underrated but important LGBT author Patricia Nell Warren. Talk about delicious. Warren wrote The Front Runner, the first gay novel to make the New York Times bestseller list way back in 1974. The book chronicled the story of a gay track coach’s struggle to get an openly gay runner on the US Olympic team. Controversial, funny and ahead of its time, The Front Runner is now considered a classic in gay fiction. Warren later became an advocate for LGBT youth and even ran for City Council in West Hollywood in 2006.
LGBT Wedding Spending Nearly Doubled Since Equality Ruling
- At July 15, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In Cards
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A new study on LGBTQ weddings, released earlier this month from The Knot, finds that spending on weddings has almost doubled since last year’s historic Supreme Court ruling. Popular wedding website The Knot shared the its fourth annual LGBTQ wedding study and it’s filled with all kinds of fascinating facts on how our community gets married in 2016. For starters, The Knot found, “Men spend an average of $33,822 on their weddings, compared with $25,334 for women. Prior to legalization, the average cost was $18,242 for male couples and $16,218 for females in 2015.” Also, when it comes to traditional weddings LGBTQ are surprisingly in favor of keeping it old school. “One-third of LGBTQ couples report deciding which wedding traditions to uphold was ‘challenging'”, The Knot says. “But 65 percent of men and 70 percent of women say their wedding will fall under the ‘traditional’ category.” Lastly, the study found that couples preferred to get married in the fall over the spring or summer. “September and October are the most popular months to get married for men, while a combined 32 percent of women prefer August or October,” according to the Knot. The study also found nearly half LGBTQ couples consider their wedding a destination affair.
WATCH: New Ad Hopes to Change Minds About Transgender Equality
- At July 12, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In News, Orlando, Politics
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Set to air during next week’s Republican National Convention, a television commercial illustrates the bigotry and unfairness that transgender people face when wanting to use the restroom. Mara Keisling, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, wrote about the ad for Advocate.com:
The National Center for Transgender Equality is part of Fairness USA, a partnership that includes the Freedom for All Americans Education Fund, the Movement Advancement Project, the Equality Federation, the Equality Ohio Education Fund, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Today we are launching a major public education campaign — the first of its kind — to raise awareness of the need for protections for transgender people across the United States.
The centerpiece of the campaign is an ad that will be aired during the Republican National Convention. The ad depicts mistreatment and harassment that many transgender people across the country have faced and continue to face when they need to use the restroom.
Newly released survey data from NCTE shows that 59 percent of transgender people have avoided bathrooms in the last year because they were afraid of problems like being confronted by others. A shocking one in 10 (12 percent of) transgender people report they have been harassed, attacked, or sexually assaulted in a bathroom in the last year, and one-third of transgender people have avoided drinking or eating so that they did not need to use the restroom. In the majority of states, restaurant and store managers can legally stop transgender people from using bathrooms that match the gender they live as every day — or kick them out of their restaurant or store just for being transgender.
This is appalling, but we are no longer fighting this battle alone. Much like the state-by-state marriage equality battles, we have seen that when people get to know their LGBT colleagues, neighbors, and friends for who they are, their opposition weakens and their support grows. Today, as more transgender men and women step forward to tell their stories, and parents advocate for their transgender or questioning children, negative attitudes are challenged and hearts and minds open up. In truth, we’re a mishmash community like everyone else — some of us are raising children, most of us are regular working folks, and some of us are serving in the military.
Those who support us see us for who we are – people. And in the same way that they’ve opened their hearts and minds, so too have voters across the country. Just last month, Quinnipiac University released findings from three swing states in the presidential race — Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — showing that support for transgender people is on the rise.
The poll found that 48 percent of Floridians, 43 percent of Ohioans, and 49 percent of Pennsylvania voters support the rights of transgender people to use the public bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. And one could argue that the rise from just a month earlier, when CNN and Gallup found national support hovering at or below 40 percent, comes at a time when the so-called bathroom debate has gotten ugly.
Transgender people are deserving of the same rights and protections that every other American citizen enjoys and, frankly, thinks little about. At a time when the world can seem both dangerous and uncertain, and after the tragedy that took place during Latin Night at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where LGBT patrons were heartlessly gunned down, it’s time to focus more on our shared values and less on our perceived differences.
So many people, LGBT or not, have experienced some level of discrimination at some point or another, and no one goes back looking for more. We dismantle the hate with unity and compassion, but we also need protections under the law whether that’s in employment, accommodations or, yes, being able to use the bathroom that matches who we are.
Puerto Rico Unveils Monument to LGBT and Orlando Victims
- At July 10, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In News, Orlando
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A touching and timely tribute came out of Puerto Rico last week. Here’s the story from Pink News:
Last week, Puerto Rico unveiled its first LGBT monument, which proclaims “Love is love, is love, is love…” and also serves as a memorial to the lives lost in the shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.
The monument is located in San Juan’s Third Millennium Park, at the entrance to the Escobar the Sixth Stadium, and is made up of seven rectangular columns in the colours of the rainbow.
This vibrant memorial is particularly resonating for the US territory because out of the 49 victims killed in Orlando, 23 were Puerto Rican.A plaque at the base of the monument highlights the names of Puerto Rican victims, with the other 26 victims also listed below.
Alongside the names, there is a phrase in Spanish that references Puerto Rican playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda’s moving speech from the 2016 Tony Awards – given just hours after the shooting.
The text reads: “This tribute to life strengthens our commitment to fight hate — the product of homophobia — with love and respect. Our slogan resounds in all our hearts: Love is love, is love, is love…”
The monument was unveiled during San Juan’s Pride celebration, where Mayor Carmen Yulín said: “Today, we celebrate life. We must work together to eradicate discrimination and homophobia.
“We must raise our voice for justice, and the equality of each of us who are human. We must aspire to have a country where everyone is equal, and no one is judged for who they love.”
The monument’s dedication took place almost exactly one year after Puerto Rico adopted marriage equality.
However, despite the island making some progress regarding LGBT rights, homophobia is an ongoing problem in the US territory.
Following the attack in Florida last month, Orlando Latino reported that the father of one of the Puerto Rican victims did not want to claim his child’s remains because he was ashamed of his son’s homosexuality.
The publication says this highlights an ongoing problem within the Latino community, where hatred towards the LGBT community is still prevalent – especially in Puerto Rico.
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Teen Comes Out at Disneyland and Her Story Goes Viral
- At July 08, 2016
- By danmclellan
- In Coming Out, Fun, News
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Sometimes a family trip to the amusement park can be really special and in the case of 16-year-old Gina sometimes that trip can become a global sensation. Gina visited Disneyland in California earlier this summer. Before their trip, Gina created a rainbow-colored sign which read, “I’m Gay!” and smuggled it into the theme park. She held the sign until the perfect moment and that moment came when the duo was riding Splash Mountain. As the log ride plunged to its watery finale, Gina held up her sign to be captured by cameras. Mom got the message as they perused the souvenir shop monitors. Posting the photo on Twitter, she wrote: “this is how I came out yesterday lolol”. The post now has nearly 10,000 likes.
In an interview with Huffington Post, Gina said, “I couldn’t have ever asked for a better response from my family. I’m truly so lucky to have such amazing support from all of my friends and family. It made this process go much smoother than I could’ve ever imagined!” She told others in the closet: “It’s an overwhelming process, so just make sure you’re comfortable with who you are and make sure you’re prepared for questions or reactions people may have. I also know it’s sometimes hard to tell if you’re ready or not, so just be sure to give yourself time to really think about if you’re prepared.” Gina told Buzzfeed the reaction to her photo has been “amazing but overwhelming.” “I never expected it to blow up like this,” she said. “This Twitter account was just my spam account where I posted random fangirl stuff but I decided it couldn’t hurt to post it and the result was absolutely amazing.”
She said she has been very touched at all the nice comments she has received. “People have responded saying I’ve inspired them to do the same thing, which I think is the coolest part of it all,” she said.
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