Progressive PRIDE

Forget the new Friday the 13th movie, make some popcorn, snuggle down, and smoke some herb or take a Xanax; This is thrilling,

turtlesuds — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:57:33 -0600

but not pleasant:

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Topics of interest, War, Religion, Terrorism, 9/11, Religious Intolerance, Jihad, Holy War, the Holy Bible, The One True Faith

Progressive PRIDE

AP Gov. Project you could help me with

lennon12 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:48:01 -0600

For my AP Government class we are supposed to choose a PAC or Interest group with a goal we feel passionately about and advertise it at school. I have chosen GLBT rights, but it's difficult to find such an organization that has some influence in out government. I was wondering if any of you knew about some. I really appreciate the help!

Progressive PRIDE

Proposition 8

lennon12 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:55:46 -0600

As I'm sure many of you know, Prop. 8 passed in CA. Prop. 8 was designed to change the CA Constitution to redefine marriage as being between a man and a woman. This news saddens me greatly, I have to wonder how the citizens of CA can allow this injustice to occur.

Progressive PRIDE

Connecticut Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

blackout — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:02:26 -0500

Quote:

Connecticut Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
By swarn
10.10.2008 12:31pm EDT

Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay couples have the right to marry, making the state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions through the courts.

Check it out! Three down (or four, if you count New York)...Forty-seven to go!

WOOT!
Blackout

Progressive PRIDE

Possible End To Hate Crimes?

Msangeleyez24 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:01:03 -0500

I think its about time that the Hate Crimes Prevention Act has finally come into play.. Its been long overdue...

This bipartisan bill focuses on providing new resources to help state and local law enforcement agencies prevent and prosecute hate crimes. It also closes gaps in current federal hate crimes law.

Hate crimes have no place in America and all Americans have a right to feel safe in their community. Though there has been a federal hate crimes law since 1968, hate crimes continue to be widespread and persistent - more than 113,000 hate crimes have been documented by the FBI since 1991. In 2005 alone, there were 7,163 reported hate crimes.

H.R. 1592 is focused on enhancing the resources of state and local law enforcement to prevent and prosecute hate crimes. All too often, state and local law enforcement alone are unable to meet the challenge of hate crime prevention and prosecution. Underfunded and understaffed, state and local law enforcement desperately require federal assistance to address this challenge. That is why this bill authorizes the Department of Justice to provide state and local law enforcement agencies technical, forensic, prosecutorial and other forms of assistance in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. It also authorizes the Department of Justice to provide grants to state and local law enforcement agencies that are investigating hate crimes.

The bill closes gaps in federal law to help combat hate crimes committed against persons because of their race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The bill only applies to bias-motivated crimes of violence and does not impinge freedom of speech or religious expression in any way.

I mean after all.......We cannot fight terror abroad and accept terror at home.

Progressive PRIDE

Mate Selection Survey

fallon — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:21:48 -0500

We received this request at one of the ProgressiveU email addresses and I wanted to pass it along to those of you who may be interested in participating. Please note, ProgressiveU is in no way, shape, nor form associated with the request; I'm simply passing it along for interests sake. :) (Excuse the crappy formatting, I don't have time to fix it right now!)

Hi! My name is Kristi Young, and I am a graduate student at New
Mexico State University working to complete a degree in Marriage and
Family Therapy. I am currently working on my thesis in which I am
exploring mate selection and how individuals choose partners.
Because most of the scientific research in the field of mate
selection has been carried out through studying responses of
heterosexual individuals, I am interested in how gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender individuals decide (1) which individuals
they would like to date in the short-term, and (2) what qualities are
of interest regarding long-term, committed partners. To explore
these issues, I have posted a survey online, with the hopes of
gathering information from heterosexual and homosexual college
students. I will then perform data analyses on this data to check
for similarities and differences across the two groups.

Why is this research important, you may ask? Well, because I believe
that regardless of the findings, this work will help us to gain
respect, strength, and knowledge as homosexual individuals and as a
group. If results indicate significant differences in desired
partner traits for homosexuals versus heterosexuals, it implies that
different psychological constructs are more or less important to one
population or the other, and we will be able to better identify which
constructs best measure which groups. If factor importance is found
to be significantly similar across groups, it suggests that
homosexual and heterosexual individuals view these factors in the
same way. This is important due to raising the issue of similarity
regardless of sexual orientation and could hold future implications
regarding the right to same-sex marriage, co-parent adoption, spousal
benefits for homosexual partners, etc. ...Either way, I think that
this contribution to the field of research will help us to move
forward.

Anyone who is over the age of 18 and is enrolled in college classes
may complete the survey, (i.e. part-time or full-time, during the
summer or only during the regular school year). If you know of any
students who may be interested in contributing, please pass this
email along! The survey has received IRB approval through NMSU, and
to participate, all you have to do is copy and paste the link below
into your address bar and start answering questions! It takes about
15 minutes to complete and responses are completely anonymous. Your
completion of the survey would be greatly appreciated! If you have
any specific questions, please feel free to contact me, Kristi Young
/ the lead investigator of this study at (khargisy@nmsu.edu) or via
the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences at 575-646-3936. Thank you
so much!

Survey Link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=g_2fx2C17ePtwwC7iX_2fsm0Lw_3d_3d

Progressive PRIDE

How Do You Deal with All the Gay Hate?

ediblewoman — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 07:48:55 -0600

I'm getting frustrated with ProU--not with ProU itself, but with the number of posts that espouse the banning of civil rights for GLBT people. I see these posts and I think, "I've got to stand up for my people!" But the people posting them are usually dogmatic, religious, and are only able to see the situation as it looks through bible-colored lenses.

It is frustrating to make rational, logical points over and over, only to have those points dismissed as "immoral."

I think my plan of attack has to be passivity, which makes me sad. This is a great forum for sparking new neural connections, but I am not seeing the rewards where this debate is concerned. I don't see that my arguments have made on bit of difference in the minds of those who spread the hate, and it has done nothing but make me feel bad to read their self-righteous indictments of who I am. So I 'm not going to read them or reply to them anymore.

The most baffling part of the situation, though, is that gay marriage is at the forefront of their minds in the first place. It's not like the recent post list is all full of GAY GAY GAY! In fact, the times I've posted about anything gay have been sparked by an insensitive, anti-gay post written by a conservative Christian. It really seems like they think about gay sex way more than gay people do. Why are they at war with us?

Okay. Maybe I will continue to respond. If I don't change their minds on the issue, I may be able to help some young person who is struggling by being a voice of reason in an irrational blogosphere.

Progressive PRIDE

The Hypocrisy of some Straight Humans to Homosexual Sex

son_of_disaster — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:21:34 -0600

A big topic on everybody's lips these days is homosexuality. Should they be allowed unions, etc, etc. But what I find most appaling about this whole debate is the hypocrisy of straight men and women. Take this discussion I've heard before from teenage guys:

"Dude, chicks making out is hot."

"Yeah they are."

"But guys making out is disgusting and not right."

My response is, yeah, yeah right. It is ok girls to be in a relationship, but guys is a big no. The opposite is true for women, they find gay guys hot and gay girls not. It is so hypocritical and stupid. If it is ok for one sex to be gay, then it should be ok for the other to be gay.

As a good friend of mine put it. "We're all basically bisexual. If you watch a guy and a girl fucking, you're getting pleasure from both of them even though you claim only to be watching because of the girl." That is a blog for a different time. And next time you hear two people talking about how hot lesbian or gay sex is and how the opposite is gross, remind them not to be pricks.

Progressive PRIDE

Buck Hollywood on Homosexuality

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:12:59 -0600

http://www.buckhollywood.com/buckblog/2008/02/08/homophobia/

Something not a lot of people watch, but Fallon and I are addicted to Buck's celebrity rants. Today, however, he discussed his expierences on the blog-o-sphere and how unoffensive he finds anti-gay comments. He says the best measure is to just not take them personally. Thought you all would want to see something like this.

Progressive PRIDE

NYAC Launches Online "Youth Voice" Initiative

fallon — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:07:43 -0600

LGBTQ youth encouraged to register at www.nyacyouth.org.

WASHINGTON – The National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC) is launching a grassroots initiative to reach lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth through the Internet, the agency announced today.

The "Youth Voice" initiative is being unveiled this week at Creating Change, the national conference on LGBT equality, which is being held in Detroit, Michigan.

The purpose of "Youth Voice" is to create a national email database of LGBTQ youth and allies ages 13-24. The group will be polled frequently to determine how they feel about the issues confronting them and what they think are the most important issues facing their state and the nation. "Youth Voice" will become a clearinghouse for youth opinion on LGBTQ issues; and NYAC will utilize these opinions to formulate its advocacy for LGBTQ youth during this election year.

"NYAC wants to hear directly from young gay people and their allies," said Lara Crutsinger-Perry, interim director for NYAC." We already see that young people are voting in historically-high numbers this year. Our role will be to hear their collective concerns and issues and then make sure that the youth voice is heard by other national LGBTQ organizations and state groups."

NYAC is asking all LGBTQ groups on the state and community level to help spread the word about "Youth Voice." Online registration is open to anyone 13-24 at www.nyacyouth.org.

The National Youth Advocacy Coalition is a social justice organization that advocates for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) in an effort to end discrimination against these youth and to ensure their physical and emotional well being.

Contact NYAC
1638 R Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
tel 202.319.7596
e-mail nyac@nyacyouth.org www.nyacyouth.org

Progressive PRIDE

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE: Know Your Rights! A Quick Guide for LGBT High School Students

blackout — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:22:04 -0600

Know Your Rights! A Quick Guide for LGBT High School Students

The ACLU has published a guide to help young lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students face up to the illegal discrimination that often faces them at school. This short guide deals with the issues of harassment, privacy, freedom of speech, gay-straight alliances, prom and more.

As a gay student, YOU HAVE RIGHTS!!! The Supreme Court of the United States has clearly stated that students don't "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate." If another student, or even a teacher or other school official discriminates against you, it isn't right and you don't have to put up with it. You should be smart about it, however. Don't loose your cool, and don't give anyone an excuse to harm you further. If your family and friends are supportive turn to them, first. If not, there are groups out there that will help you. The ACLU is just one of them.

Good luck, and stay strong!

percivale

Progressive PRIDE

School Suggests Students Who Support Gay Rights Are an "Illegal Organization"

blackout — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:57 -0600

ACLU Sues Florida High School for Suppressing Free Speech (1/31/2008)

PONCE DE LEON, FL - A Florida high school has been trampling the First Amendment rights of students who support equal rights for gay people, according to a federal lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union. In its lawsuit, the ACLU described an atmosphere of fear and censorship at Ponce de Leon High School, where the school board's attorney says even expressions like a rainbow sticker may mean students are members of an "illegal organization."

"All any of us wants to do is be able to talk about gay rights issues without having to be scared," said Heather Gillman, a 16-year-old junior at the school. "Nobody should have to worry about being kicked out of school just for having a rainbow sticker on your notebook."

The letter was sent after Gillman and other students approached the ACLU about an atmosphere in which students say they were routinely intimidated by school officials for things like writing "gay pride" on their arms and notebooks or wearing rainbow-themed clothing. According to students, problems began in September when a lesbian student tried to report to school officials that she was being harassed by other students because she is a lesbian. Instead of addressing the harassment, students say the school responded with intimidation and censorship.

"Writing something like ‘I support gay rights' on your notebook doesn't mean you're part of some secret conspiracy or shadowy organization," said Christine Sun, a staff attorney with the ACLU's national Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project. "Schools shouldn't be in the business of trying to frighten students into silence."

Stuff like this really pisses me off. As a former gay student from the rural South, I know first hand what it feels like to be in a school environment that actively suppresses and punishes gay students who dare to stand up for their rights. Schools have an obligation to treat all of their students equally. Public school administration is a function of local government, and all too often the local officials are either uniformed about what the law requires of them, or just too bigoted to care. Young gay people have enough challeges in thier lives as it is, and to see them subjected to this kind of systematic discrimination is deeply disturbing. Fortunately, this kind of thing IS illegal. Some school administrators with an anti-gay gay agenda count on the fact that kids don't know their rights, or that they won't tell anyone out of fear of being outed to their families. If you are a young gay student, or a friend of a young gay student, KNOW THAT THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE.

Let's hope the ACLU can put a stop to this school's hateful policies.

percivale

Progressive PRIDE

Memoir

tauruschild8927 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:17:04 -0600

**Missing some parts but the gist**

She looks in the mirror and wonders if what she feels and thinks is true. Could this be happening to her? She ponders on this. Could she could go against all her teachings? Her morals? Her beliefs? Can she turn her back on her family and her religion? This girl contemplated going against society.
Daria had been living on God’s green earth for 14 years before she met the girl that would change her life forever. It was a nice September day, the first day of high school for Daria when she walked into her Algebra class as the outcast and the new girl on the block. In that class, she met her rock and her bringer of happiness. She met Jasmine. The two hit it off right at the beginning. Daria found when she was with Jasmine she could laugh, amongst the stress and pressures of high school. They mostly kept their friendship in school, yet they were close. Jasmine even kept Daria from getting upset when rumors started circulating about their nonexistent love affair. Even with the rumors, their friendship stayed intact until Jasmine moved. Jasmine did not leave without a parting gift. A letter from Jasmine asking Daria to be her girlfriend was the gift. Daria refused Jasmine’s request with some apprehension.
After this somewhat unusual proposal, Daria began to feel lost and confused. She closed up to the world and became a shell of herself. She lost her side of perkiness and replaced it with a slab of sarcasm. She did not want the world to see the change that her best friend had brought in her. Daria shrunk from her individuality and tried to conform to society. This African American girl was raised in a Christian household, and though homosexuals were accepted, members of her family would look her at differently. The shifty looks and nasty comments are not what she wanted for herself. She wanted to be just like everyone else, but she could not stop thinking about the letter and Jasmine. In response, Daria began questioning herself and her beliefs.
Daria got through her sophomore year of high school like everyone else except for the fact that she always kept something back when interacting with others. Daria even resorted to forming closer relationships with boys just to disprove her suspicions. That did not work out so well for Daria. She succeeded in confusing herself even more. She got more involved in her school’s activities and became as busy as humanly possible all to stop thinking about what was going on within her. Daria and Jasmine lost touch with one another, but one phone call rekindled their closeness. They wrote letters and talked on the phone to keep in touch. Daria felt she could be more like herself with Jasmine than with her own family. Their bond grew to immense proportions. Jasmine asked Daria to be her girlfriend again. This time Daria replied, “I will have to think about it.” After much deliberation and balancing the pros and cons of the situation, Daria remained apprehensive and told Jasmine that she wanted their relationship to stay the same. She did not want to change. This girl was not ready to be different than society.
Now Daria was becoming more involved in her church and finding out that she did not believe or agree with half of what the church was preaching to her. Church became a chore and made the experience more time consuming and less enjoyable. She voiced some of her thoughts to her mother and was not surprised by the almost Nazi attack her mother ensued. Tension between mother and daughter escalated an inch or two. Her mother took Daria’s freedom away as if she was in a concentration camp in Poland. Daria tried not to let her house relationships affect her school relationships. To start her junior year off right, Daria, taking the cue and advice from Jasmine, became a little more open and interacted more with her peers. She began to enjoy others company and go out more but with happiness comes depression in Daria’s story. Relationships at home got worse, more problems arose, life started to become a living hell.
Daria’s relationships with her friends stood strong, but again, Daria began to close off to the world. Arguments, fights, and threats arose among friends and family. Daria is a slow trusting person, but once you have her trust you had better not break it. A friend betrayed Daria, and it hurt worse than breaking a finger. Daria puts honesty and trust above everything. Where there is no trust, there is no friendship is one of Daria’s mottos. Towards January of Daria’s junior year, life started to worsen. Harder course work, more responsibilities, family problems, and all out carnage in school became an everyday thing. There was one beacon of light in Daria’s life. Jasmine moved back into town. Daria thought things would get better. They did not. Lies, drama, and deception ensued. Jasmine’s family developed a dislike almost hatred for Daria and their bad vibes put a strain on Jasmine’s and Daria’s friendship. Jasmine’s parents made it extra difficult for Jasmine and Daria to see each other outside of school. Daria could not understand what she had done or what she could do to change what was going on. Daria debated whether she should remain courteous or match attitude with attitude. She chose the wrong decision that time. Life only got harder before she sought out means to get happy again. She began to try to fix things and make everyone else happy. Daria lost sight of who she was and forgot to be an individual. She was walked on until she snapped. By the beginning of the summer before her senior year, Daria was forced to change in order to survive.
Daria not only changed she learned how not to care about certain people. She became more cutthroat and lethal than ever. She was hurt by the whims of adults enough to lose her respect for them. She thought she would never outright lie and deceive her parentage, but she learned how and felt no remorse. Daria clung to Jasmine for support. Their relationship became even tighter. Daria considered Jasmine closer than her sister did. Daria’s mother began to get antsy, skeptic, and noisy. Daria incorporated herself more into Jasmine’s life and vice versa. With more interactions came more questions. Questions like what to do and where is this going flashed in Daria’s mind. She looked in the mirror and wondered if her feelings were true. She pondered how she going to go against the teachings that had been instilled in her. Could Daria turn her back on her family, her morals, and her religion? This 17 about to be 18-year-old girl went against society.
Daria adopted a quote from John F. Kennedy, one of the presidents of the United States, “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” She took that quote to heart. She threw all caution to the wind accepted who she was and what she had to do. On a cold February night in New Jersey, Daria finally admitted to herself that she loved her Jazzy. She loved her more than a best friend; she loved her more than a sister; she loved her as a life partner. Daria made out with her boo in the front seat of her Dodge Neon. She accepted that she was bisexual. This small admission not only made her feel complete; the admission shook away all the dark clouds for a day. The next day they returned for Daria had to find the courage to tell her mother. Though difficult, Daria had her girlfriend right behind her, helping her every way possible and encouraging her to face her demons. Daria was there for her Jasmine in the same way. They shared each other’s burdens.
Trust, they needed each other to get through the next couples of months. Daria considers honesty key in any relationship so she had to tell her mother. The question was getting over the fear of rejection. Well…that did not do go so well for Daria. Jasmine got too excited and left a hicky on Daria’s neck and Daria’s mother spotted it. Her mom flipped out and immediately things in Daria’s house became tenser and near intolerable. Daria’s mother stopped talking to her and started to distrust Daria as if she did not know her. Daria and her mom never had a great relationship, but this small admission made things even worse. It would seem to Daria that her mom would go out of her way to make sure Daria could not spend time with her Jasmine. Daria could not go over Jasmine’s house; Jasmine could not come over to Daria’s house. Frustration and hurt built up inside Daria and she became depressed again. Doubting the decisions she had made and regretting some of the things she had done. Daria would sit in front of the window for hours just thinking and staring off into space. Hoping and praying things would get better.
Times only grew harder. Jasmine moved again. Though closer than before, Jasmine moved far enough for it to become even more of a problem to visit her. Daria’s mom instituted more rules to govern over Daria such as no phone after 11pm, you cannot drive to go see Jasmine, only the bus and train, and Jasmine could not sleep over. Daria’s situation became more strained. Tears flowed and depression intensified. Daria cherished every moment with Jasmine. Daria tried to escape the depression that crashed down on her. Her only outlet was her girlfriend. Daria got into more trouble for her antics, yet it was all worth it when she received small forbidden surprises from Jasmine. Daria then finally decided she was not going to let her plight stop her from living her life to the fullest. She got what she could out of life and did not worry about the consequences. She did not conform and give up her love, but she did not hold the frustration in. Daria just ignored the looks and remarks made by her family and classmates.
However, feeling slightly rejected and disappointed Daria realizes she cannot make everyone happy; she can only make you feel happy. Daria decided to enjoy being herself and her life to the fullest. Daria realized that she might not be the good Christian girl that her mother might have wanted but she can be herself and her mother should be proud of that. Daria became more cheerful and found peace within herself. Instilling some of the principles from her favorite musical Rent, Daria believed that there is no day but today. Instead of fighting with society and her family, Daria merely tried to foster or create new relationships that did not hid who she was. Though Daria and her mother have not resolved their issue, Daria hopes that one day it will get better. Until then, Daria will be herself and not change or conform for anyone. Since Daria is starting college, she hopes that the distance will give her mother time to think, she will meet new people and start fresh, and that she wont miss her girl too much. Overall, her experiences have taught her to be open and honest with herself and the future should always be bright.

Progressive PRIDE

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE: Gay Rights in the Supreme Court of the United States

blackout — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:07:24 -0600

Hello Progressive PRIDE!

Despite what you will often hear from the anti-gay pundits that frequent the internet, Gay and Lesbian citizens really do have rights, and the Supreme Court of the United States is has a surprisingly good track record when it comes to defending those rights. Not every case has gone our way, of course, but it is surprising to look back and see how well we have fared, and how far we have come from the total systematic oppression of gay people that existed in this coutry just sixty years ago.

Below is an abbreviated list of the Supreme Court decisions that I feel are the most significant to the rights of Gay and Lesbian people. This is by no means a comprehensive guide. There are a LOT of gay-relevant decision in the Courts, and the decisions in the Lower Courts are quite literally all over the map. But, the general trend in the High Court has in my humble opinion been quite positive.

ONE, INC. V. OLESEN, 355 U.S. 371 (1958)

This case is most significant in a historical context because it represents the first time that the SCOTUS ruled explicitly on the subject of homosexuality. In one of the shortest decisions on record, the Supreme Court struck down a policy that permitted the Postmaster of Los Angeles refuse to allow a gay positive publication to be sent through the mail on the grounds that a "homosexual publication" was automatically considered "obscene." The decision was quick and decisive, and the Court refused to even entertain oral arguments in the case.

BOWERS V. HARDWICK, 478 U.S. 186 (1986)

This is probably the most well known case (with the possible exception of the Lawrence decision...see below) relating to Gay Rights. In this infamous decsion, The Court ruled that citizens did not have "a fundamental right to engage in homosexual sodomy," and upholding laws that treated consensual intimate acts between two adults in private as a criminal offense. Fortunately, this case was struck down in the landmark decision of Lawrence v. Texas (2003). It is interesting to note that the "swing vote" in Bowers, Justice Lewis Powell, publically regretted his decision to side with the majority after he retired from the Court, suggesting that the decsion had been wrongly rendered.

ROMER V. EVANS, 517 U.S. 620 (1996)

In my personal opinion, this opinion is the most significant case of the bunch. In Romer, the SCOTUS rules that a State could not make a law (or ammend its Constitution) to target homosexual citizens for discriminatory treatment on the basis of their sexual orientation. Basically, the State of Colorado amended its Constitution to prevent and legislative, executive or judical actions that would protect homosexual citizens from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation. The decision was something of a surprise. The general feeling in the community at the time was that the amendment would probably be allowed to stand, and the 6-3 decision in our favor was certainly more than was expected.

To me, consistency with Romer appears to speak directly to the various Defense of Marriage Acts and Amendments that are currently popping up around the country. For the most part, the DOMA's have carefully avoided the frankly discriminatory language that was found in Colorado's Amendment 2, but the real "judicial intent" (a term that is quite common in Civil Rights Law) of these acts is clearly to do exactly what the decision in Romer prohibited. These laws and amendments are intended to single out gay citizens and to proactively exclude them from a basic civil right, the freedom the marry.

ONCALE V. SUNDOWNER OFFSHORE SERVICES, 523 U.S. 75 (1998)

This quietly decided case extended Title VII's protection from sex discrimination in the workplace (more commonly referred to as "sexual harassment") to situations where the discrimination occurred between members of the same sex. Some conservatives seem to feel that this was an anti-gay victory, but I disagree. The Lower Courts have been somewhat inconsistent in their decisions, but there seems to be a growing acceptance that harassment of a gay employee because of his sexual orientation is an implicit component in the ruling.

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA et al. v. DALE, 530 U.S. 640 (2000)

In this case, the SCOTUS ruled that private organizations like the Boy Scouts have a right to exclude homosexual members and employees from their association. Many gay people viewed this case as a "defeat" for LGBT rights, but that is not an opinion that I share. Freedom of Association is a bedrock principle of our Constitution, and people do have a right to associate (or not) with whomever they please and for whatever reasons they want. In response to this ruling, a number of jurisdictions and organizations (for example, the States of California, Connecticut and Illinois, the Cities of San Diego, Tempe, Chicago, Berkley, Santa Barbara and Philadelphia, the United Way, the Unitarian Universalist Association, Chase Manhattan Bank, Levi Strauss, Fleet Bank, CVS/pharmacy, and the Pew Charitable Trusts) have responded by noting that "Freedom of Association" works both ways, and have eliminated their public and private support for the organization.

LAWRENCE V. TEXAS, 539 U.S. 558 (2003)

Probably the second most important ruling in this list, the Lawrence ruling overturned Bowers and established the precedent that intimate consensual sexual contact was indeed a fundamental form liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. This was another example of a solid 6-3 ruling in favor of our equality. The most significant impact of this case is the fact that a LOT of anti-gay legislation is premised on the idea that sodomy is a criminal act, and now that this premise has been dismantled, those acts now stand on very shaky legal ground.

GOODRIDGE V. DEPT. OF PUBLIC HEALTH, 798 N.E.2d 941 (Mass. 2003)

Now, this isn't actually a Supreme Court decision. Goodridge was the decision of the Supreme Court of the State of Massachusetts that paved the way for full marriage equality for same-sex couples in that State. It is however an extremely important case that was refused without comment on appeal to the SCOTUS. The High Court made a very savvy political move in the way that they handled this case. Because they refused to comment on their rejection of the appeal, we really don't know why they upheld the case. Same-sex advocates often use the refusal to defend the arguments in given in the decision that cite the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a justification, while same-sex opponents usually argue that the SCOTUS only intended to uphold the right of the States to make their own decision regarding marriage in their own jurisdiction. The truth is that we really don't know for sure, and the Court dodged a bullet by permitting the pro-gay ruling to stand, but refusing to actually cement that ruling in precedent by clearly stating their reasons for denying the appeal.

There are two other cases that are of particular interest in my opinion, even though they do not directly address the issue of homosexuality.

WISCONSIN V. MITCHELLl, 508 U.S. 476 (1993)

This case is important because it addresses an issue that is prevalent in our community...Hate Crimes. The SCOTUS ruled that the First Amendment could not be used as a valid argument against statutes that apply enhanced sentencing guidelines to crimes that are motivated by group bias. Now, to be honest, I'm not a fan of hate crime legislation. The whole idea of prosecuting someone for what they were thinking when they commited a crime seems just a little too "1984" for my tastes. But, it is a standing precedent.

LOVING V. VIRGINIA, 388 U. S. 1 (1967)

The Loving decision was the case that struck down all of our country's remaining anti-miscegenation laws, and established enequivocably that the "freedom to marry" is a "vital personal right" of citizens. The case is particularly poignant, due to the remarkable similarity of the background of the case to the current fight for same-sex marriage. Many conservatives would like to deny the relevance of this case, and some Lower Courts have done so (such as in Anderson v. King County) but the Supreme Court itself has made at least an indirect reference to the similarity (in the Lawrence decision), and the Massachussets Supreme Court (in Goodridge) relied heavily on the precedent in rendering its decision, which in my opinion directly challenges such assertions.

On a closing note, we should remember that just because several cases have gone our way doesn't mean that we have heard the last on these issues. Like all branches of the Government, the Supreme Court of the United States is first and foremost a political body (even though they shouldn't be). Lawrence v. Texas is a perfect example of the way that a standing Supreme Court precedent can be struck down, as the make up of the Court changes. The recent Bush appointments to the Court were chosen at least in part due to their conservative beliefs regarding Gay and Lesbian Issues. What does that mean for us? We won't really know until a major case makes its way before the Roberts / Alito Court. Chief Justice John Roberts is certainly a social conservative, but his opinons are not nearly extreme as those of his predecessor, Former Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Samuel Alito, however, is an extreme social conservative, and represents a problematic figure replacing Sandra Day O'Conner as a potential swing vote in 5-4 decisions.

But, I remain hopeful. I really and truly believe that the full recognition of the fundamental rights of Gay and Lesbian citizens is inevitable. If American History has taught us anything, it is that free people living in a free society will not for long tolerate discrimination in their governments. There will always be those who oppose the idea that Gay and Lesbian citizens are first and foremost citizens who deserve access to the same rights and privileges as everyone else. But, if the current trends in public opinion continue, it is just a matter of time before homophobia is reduced to the same level of social unacceptability as racism, sexism, anti-semitism, etc.

TTFN,
percivale

"We must make it clear that a platform of 'I hate gay men and women' is not a way to become president of the United States." ~ Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in The Los Angeles Times.

Progressive PRIDE

Blogging for Tolerance

blackout — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:06:02 -0600

Hello there, Progressive PRIDE!

In the interest of promoting tolerance towards Gay and Lesbian people, I would like to see us actively blogging about our issues. While I would love to be able to do this all myself, I am currently working on a series of Educational Resources for Progressive PRIDE members, and need some volunteers to jump in and take up some of these subjects.

Here are some examples of blogs that I would love to see.

The History of Gay Liberation ("Gay Lib" was the term used by the movement in the nineteen sixties and seventies).
The Stonewall Riots (the pivotal moment that launched the modern gay rights movment).
The evolution of PRIDE (all about PRIDE parades and marches).
From Harvey Milk to Barney Frank (openly gay politicians).
Gay Marriage and Civil Unions (some would call this a dead horse, but IMO it is the most important issue currently facing our community)
Gay Parenting and Adoptions
Discrimination in Housing and Employment
Hate Crime Laws
Should we OUT closeted gay public figures?
Gay and Libertarian (The surprising stance of the conservative Libertarian Party regarding Gay Rights...this is one I plan to write myself).
Current events in Gay Politics (there is always something interesting in the news that is relevant LGBT people).
"In the Life" (a discussion on what it means to be a gay person living in our society today).

These are just a few of the possible blogs that I think we could write, if we set our minds to the task. If you are intersted in writing one of these, or if you have a subject that you would like to see in a blog, but don't feel comfortable writing yourself, HERE is the place to bring it up.

Education is the key to tolerance!

TTFN,
percivale

Progressive PRIDE

In The (Gay) News...

blackout — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:09:30 -0600

Hi everyone. I thought I would share a few gay-relevant news stories that caught my attention as I was browsing the internet today...

Gay Straight Alliance meets every week, unnoticed by its opponents

ROCKTON - Citizens fiercely opposed Hononegah High School forming a Gay-Straight Alliance last summer, but since the Board of Education approved it in September the club has fallen under the community's radar as members meet weekly, sometimes just to play games or organize school-wide movie nights.

more...

Let's give a big Right On! to the Hononegah High School Gay-Straight Alliance. When I was in High School, we never would have dreamed of having a group like this. Things like this give me hope.

Gay couples as committed as straight couples

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gay and lesbian couples are just as committed in their relationships as heterosexuals and the legal status of their union doesn't impact their happiness, according to new research.

In two new studies that compared same-sex and heterosexual couples using different factors and methods to assess their happiness, scientists found few differences.

more...

This is just the kind of data that we need to combat the ignorant myths perpetuated by the social conservatives in our country (and around the world). The best way to beat a lie is to confront it with the truth...and preferably a peer reviewed truth taken from a major publication like Developmental Psychology.

Gay Jesus play angers Australian church leaders

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A controversial play that depicts Jesus being seduced by Judas and conducting a gay marriage for two apostles has been condemned by church leaders ahead of its opening in Sydney.

The Anglican Bishop of South Sydney, Robert Forsyth, expressed his outrage at the plot of "Corpus Christi" on Sunday, calling the play "historical nonsense".

more...

Now, this one was just fun. Enjoy!

Large majority of Swedes want to allow gay marriage: poll

STOCKHOLM (AFP) — Nearly three quarters of Swedes are in favour of allowing homosexuals to wed, according to a poll published by the Svenska Dagbladet daily on Monday.

Seventy-one percent of the 1,000 people questioned in the Sifo Institute poll last week said gay people should be permitted to marry.

more...

Stuff like this is also very encouraging. It just goes to show that people really do just fear the unknown. Once you force your way past the barrier of ignorance, people do eventually come around to the fact that gay families are just like other families (just with more glitter).

But the big winner for the happy warm feeling award was this blog...

My two dads - officially!

On Friday, January 18th, my husband's second parent adoption of our son Joshua became official, at least here in Colorado. We were the first couple here in ultra-conservative Colorado Springs in El Paso county (home of Focus on the Family, James Dobson, New Life Church, and former pastor Ted Haggard) to utilize the second parent adoption law, according to the judge.

As for AJ, Joshua, and me, even though we've been a family all along, it's really nice to have those papers making it all legal. There are too many "what-ifs" in life to put your family at risk. AJ and I know that a family is created by love, not legal paperwork. But the reality is that without that paperwork, there would always have been that possibility of "what-if" hanging over our shoulders. The fact that we don't have to worry about that anymore is a relief.

more...

Maybe there really is hope for this world.

percivale

Progressive PRIDE

The 2008 Presidential Candidates' Positions on LGBT Issues...

blackout — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:51:40 -0600

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has compiled a list of The 2008 Presidential Candidates' Positions on LGBT Issues.

The NGLTF identified eight major issues that effect the LGBT community. On the Democratic side, the only consistently positive candidate in the field is (unfortunately) Dennis Kucinich. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are for all practical purposes identical (generally supportive on all issues including civil unions but excepting same-sex marriage, which they oppose). Its all down hill from there. In the Republican field, there are pretty slim pickings. Rudy Guiliani is the most supportive of our issues, theoretically supporting civil unions and opposing the federal anti-gay marriage amendment (though not consistently...he backed off from both positions in a recent Republican debate). John McCain and Ron Paul oppose the federal anti-gay marriage amendment, but not on the grounds of supporting gay people (they're really just against constitutional amendments in general). All of the other Republican candidates oppose EVERY pro-gay position without exception.

When it comes to Party's, I tend to lean conservative. No, don't gasp...I'm a Libertarian, not a Republican. But, I find myself in the position of having to take a serious look at the social issues that face our community, and as much as I don't like a LOT of the things that Democrats stand for (especially when it comes to their economic policies), I am having to give some serious thought to supporting their party in the upcoming election. The Libertarians are actually very supportive of our issues (from a pro-freedom, get the government the heck out of people's private lives point-of-view), but let's face it...our candidate (whoever it ends up being) won't stand a snowball's chance of winning, and if I really want to make my vote count in terms of seeing the issues that face our community addressed, then the Democrats are looking like the only real option.

So, let's talk about this. Do you intend to vote in the Presidential election. If so, what is your opinion on the candidates? Who do you intend to support (and why)?

TTFN,
percivale

Progressive PRIDE

Introduce yourself!

blackout — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:12:06 -0600

Hi again! This is just a thread for us to introduce yourselves to the group. I'll start.

My real name is Trey. I am an "old" activist, and have been OUT and active in the LGBT community since the late eighties (my early twenties). I am in a long time, committed relationship with my partner of seven years. As most of you know, I'm VERY political and outspoken (sometimes too much for my own good, lol).

Your turn!
percivale

LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Progressive PRIDE

What should Progressive PRIDE be all about?

blackout — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:07:10 -0600

Hi everyone,

I just want us to talk about the new group. Whay kind of content would you like to see associated with Progressive Pride?

percivale

Progressive PRIDE