"If you're gay, lesbian, or bisexual, would you sacrifice for your trans neighbors and siblings? If you're trans, would you sacrifice for your gay, lesbian, or bisexual neighbors and siblings? It's something worth knowing about yourself and those around you." --Autumn Sandeen, 4/19/2010, the night before GetEQUAL's DADT repeal protest at the White House
Public Calendar
Press/media, organizations, and individuals send your time-based event info to: calendar@phblend.net
The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
The Obama DOJ gets its wish. MetroWeekly's Chris Geidner's on the case:
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has issued a temporary stay of U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips's Oct. 12 order in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States halting all enforcement of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
After DADT had been halted from enforcement for nearly 200 hours, the Ninth Circuit order legally makes DADT enforceable again for the time being.
In a brief order, Judges O'Scannlain, Trott and W. Fletcher wrote:
This court has received appellant's emergency motion to stay the district court's October 12, 2010 order pending appeal. The order is stayed temporarily in order to provide this court with an opportunity to consider fully the issues presented.
Appellee may file an opposition to the motion for a stay pending appeal by October 25, 2010. To expedite consideration of the motion, no reply shall be filed.
What this does NOT stop is the current guidance stated by the DOD to abide by the terms of the injunction until told to not to. Wait and see...
The idea behind Spirit Day, first created by teenager Brittany McMillan earlier this month, is a simple one, not dissimilar to the idea of "Spirit Week" held in many high schools, and can be summed up in three words: Everyone Rally Together.
Spirit Day honors the teenagers who had taken their own lives in recent weeks. But just as importantly, it's also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youth who face the same pressures and bullying, that there is a vast community of people who support them.
Purple symbolizes 'spirit' on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT Pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978.
As one of the event's Facebook pages says: "This event is not a seminar nor is it a rally. There is NO meeting place. All you have to do is wear purple."
Wearing purple on October 20 is a simple way to show the world that you stand by these courageous young people and a simple way to stand UP to the bullies. Remember those lives we've tragically lost, and show your solidarity with those who are still fighting. 'Go Purple' today!
Today, TransYouth Family Allies (TYFA) launches the Amethyst Ribbon Campaign, an awareness project to battle suicide among transgender youth.
The Amethyst Ribbon Campaign was established as part of the Ian Benson Project. Ian was a 16-year old affirmed male who took his own life in October 2007. Ian's mother, TYFA's secretary/treasurer, hopes to help other children and families avoid the pain and struggles that can lead to suicide among trans youth.
"Transgender" (or the abbreviation "trans") describes people whose gender identity or expression differs from expectations for their physical sex characteristics or sex assigned at birth. Recent estimates conclude approximately 1 in 500 people seek surgical reassignment during their lives, with many more expressing their gender in other ways. Studies suggest that among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans youth, 50% end up ideating or attempting suicide before adulthood.
TYFA President Shannon Garcia described the symbolism of the Amethyst Ribbon Campaign. "The brilliant violet color of amethyst is also a blend of the pink and blue traditionally used to designate the male/female binary. Amethyst is a precious gem, chosen to represent how precious trans children are to their families and friends."
TYFA Executive Director Kim Pearson said, "Ian was our friend, he was the friend of our children, he was part of our hearts and the hearts of his family. To keep Ian's memory alive, we will help other families and children by telling the stories of our children and families, to reach out to the other Ian's of the world. We can help them and their families find the answers. In honor of Ian and all transgender people, we ask that you share this message and vision."
TransYouth Family Advocates is a coalition of parents, friends and caring adults dedicated to educating and raising public awareness about the medical and cultural challenges faced by children with gender variant and gender questioning identities and the families who love them.
To learn more about the Amethyst Ribbon Campaign, please visit the TYFA website at www.imatyfa.org or call 1-888-IMA-TYFA. The site includes information and resources for trans youth and their families.
All of our community's children deserve our love and concern. So, I won't just be thinking about how wearing purple sends a message today on bullying and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) youth suicide prevention, but I'll also be thinking about amethyst ribbons today, and the specific message of those ribbons regarding transyouth suicide prevention.
Last night Anderson Cooper spoke with friends of the Blend Lt. Dan Choi & Alexander Nicholson of Servicemembers United about the developments on the DADT front, including Dan's re-enlistment. They did a fantastic job. Jeffrey Toobin, CNN's legal analyst, is also on hand.
Obama requests emergency stay of 'don't ask, don't tell' order
Finding itself in a strange legal position, the Obama administration filed an emergency request Wednesday with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the military from allowing openly gay troops from serving.
In effect, the administration wants to continue barring gays from the military even though it ultimately favors repealing the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell."
"They are in a very bizarre position, frankly of their own making," said CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
In court documents filed in San Francisco, California, the administration argued that don't ask, don't tell should remain intact for now.
The administration argued that changing it abruptly "risks causing significant immediate harm to the military and its efforts to be prepared to implement an orderly repeal of the statute."
...The Log Cabin Republicans, plaintiffs in the case that Phillips ruled on, said Wednesday that the group remained fully committed to defending this worldwide injunction because it is what is best for all service members.
"It respects their fundamental constitutional rights," said Christian Berle, deputy executive director of the group. "We'll continue to defend this ruling all the way to the United States Supreme Court if necessary."
Who can forget New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino's recent homophobic screed delivered to an Orthodox Jewish congregation:
"I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don't want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option -- it isn't."
Paladino was not only invited to speak by the congregation's leader, Rabbi Yehuda Levin, but the rabbi also claims to have written Paladino's lovely speech. Then after Paladino's weak "apology", Rabbi Levin withdrew support for Paladino, who he accused of 'pandering to "left-wing militant gay agenda"'.
Behind the scenes some of my Jewish colleagues were saying the same thing I hear from so many gay-friendly Christian clergy: "He doesn't represent us! Why are the anti-gay clergy getting all the press?!". The answer seems pretty obvious to me: those who seek to make public statements get the press. Too frequently gay-friendly clergy seem to hang back and let their anti-gay counterparts step forward and do all the public speaking. (There are some highly notable exceptions.) So it was with great pleasure that I read this moving Op-Ed "There's no place for bullying in God's world" written by the Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Steven Burg.
Over the past few weeks we have seen a great amount of interest and support for the youth who recently have lost their lives to bullying and harassment, from celebrities to politicians to organizations and campuses nationwide creating vigils, events, and videos opening the door to discussion on LGBTQA bullying and harassment in our schools and universities. These conversations are important but they are only the start.
Today, thousands of people around the country and the world will be wearing "purple" in honor of "Spirit Day" meant to be a day of remembrance of the 6 LGBTQ youth (plus all since then) who took their own lives from bullying and harassment at the start of this school year. The day, started by a Canadian youth Brittany McMillian over Facebook, has received an international response and has grown to be endorsed by organizations, celebrities, businesses, politicians and newspapers all supporting and encouraging others to wear "purple" today.
But has the message reached beyond the color "purple" as to what we need to do to support anti-bullying/harassment and fight hate in our schools?
Yesterday, I spoke with a government official about "Spirit Day" and asked what they were doing in support. The response was "wearing purple for purple day at work". When I asked why they were wearing "purple for purple day at work" the reply I received was, "because...... it is purple day".
The official start to back to school this year was on September 7th, the day after Labor Day. Students everywhere packed up new notebooks, crayons and pencils and headed off to school all over the country. Some would start school for the first time and some would come back to another year to familiar faces and surroundings.
Every school year starts out the same with students eagerly anticipating what the school year will bring. No student says this year will be the year that I will be bullied, harassed, assaulted or lose my life.
This school year 76 million students will attend public school according to the U.S. Department of Education. In an average school size of 1,200 students, 240 students a day experience bullying and or harassment. Suicide is the second largest cause of death for people aged (15- 24) and on average, 5,000 teenagers a year take their own life according to the CDC.
In the first 30 days of the 2010-2011 school year, thirteen young people lost their lives due to bullying and harassment. But the number is actually much higher. In the first 30 days of this school year we have only heard about a limited number of students that were LGBT or gender non-conforming and they were only some of the students that have lost their lives to bullying and harassment. In Ohio, a student who was autistic took his life after suffering for years from bullying and harassment at school. A student in Colorado took her life after being bullied for her religion and family background. These are only some of the students, families and communities that have suffered due to not having inclusive safe schools.
This is not a new problem as this epidemic has always been here. That is why the Safe Schools Action Networkwas created and the National Safe Schools Day of Action that was on October 5th to bring awareness. Creating inclusive safe schools should be a priority for all of us. An inclusive safe school is one where all students, educators and families feel safe at school and on the job from verbal, physical and cyber harassment regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, nationality or minority status, religion, mental health status, disability, immigration status, income status or other.
How do we do this?
By working as a community to not just spread hope through new projects like GSA Network’s Make it Better or Dan Savage’s It Get’s Better, but also creating access to resources for all youth and holding our leaders accountable to demand inclusive safe schools legislation such as the Safe Schools Improvement Act. By speaking to your local school board and school administration about inclusive safe schools, reaching out being a mentor/volunteer for youth in your local community GSA, school or college and most of all stand up as a fierce advocate for those that do not have a voice. After all how are we providing true high quality education if our students and educators are not safe in the classroom?
We can make inclusive safe schools a reality for all students, educators and families.We need both hope and action. It will take all of us. Our future is depending on it.
I'm glad to see this local story receive national play. Joy Behar had on Southerners on New Ground (SONG) director Caitlin Breedlove, who, along with her partner, was kicked out of Cameron Village Shopping Center by a security guard because their innocent kiss and general affection were deemed "inappropriate."
The head of York Properties met with Breedlove and apologized. A York spokesperson said that the officer involved was immediately suspended. The supervising officer and all security officers will receive additional sensitivity training.
Breedlove appeared along with Raleigh native Clay Aiken:
Today Dan Choi went into the Armed Forces recruiting station in Times Square to re-enlist in the Army (the Marines turned him away due to age requirements). The important thing to take away from this is that, despite having a re-entry code on his DD-214 (discharge papers) that would normally bar him from re-enlistment, the recruiters eventually determined that yes, Dan was able to come back. How long he'll be allowed to serve is anyone's guess. I sincerely hope it's for as long as he wants to.
Watching this video, I have no words. I'll just let Dan do his own talking.
Today Judge Phillips ruled against the Department of Justice by denying its request for a stay of injunction in Log Cabin Republicans vs United States of America. Below please find statements from the Log Cabin Republicans and White & Case on the ruling. The order denying the stay as well as the transcript from yesterday's hearing are both attached.
Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans "Judge Phillips is right to stand with servicemembers by rejecting President Obama's request to continue this discriminatory policy," said R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans. "It is vital that as a nation we uphold the fundamental constitutional rights of all soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen. As this past week has shown, our military is well-equipped to adapt to open service, and eager to get on with the work of defending our freedom. As Commander in Chief, the president should drop his defense of a policy which he knows undermines military readiness and threatens national security. The president has said that 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' will end on his watch, but is currently standing in the way of its demise. Log Cabin Republicans will continue to fight this policy no matter how many obstacles he puts in the way."
Dan Woods, White & Case "We applaud Judge Phillips's ruling denying the government's request for a stay of injunction, as it brings us one step closer toward ending once and for all this unconstitutional policy that President Obama and Congress seem incapable or unwilling to end themselves," said Dan Woods, White & Case partner who is representing Log Cabin Republicans in Log Cabin Republicans vs United States of America. "Meanwhile, homosexual servicemembers are fighting and dying today in two wars for their fellow Americans' constitutional rights, while their own constitutional rights are being held hostage to an uncertain bureaucratic process that seems more interested in beancounting the trouble they would be put to from modifying their training materials than in protecting these servicemembers' civil rights."
SLDN:
Statement by Army veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis:
"By the judge keeping the injunction in place, lesbian and gay service members are protected another day, but the uncertainty has not gone away. The Department of Justice will immediately ask the 9th Circuit to stay the injunction. We're talking about the careers of patriots, people who are on the frontlines serving our country - some of whom are highly decorated - and the court needs to keep the injunction in place. As the DOJ fights to keep this unconstitutional and oppressive law, we are monitoring active-duty clients' cases and fielding calls every day to our hotline. During this interim period of uncertainty, service members must not come out. Our service members need finality. Given the uncertainty in the courts, we urge the Senate to act swiftly next month on repeal when they return to Washington."
Servicemembers United:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans, issued the following statement today in response to District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips' ruling denying the government's request to stay her injunction:
"Given that seven days have passed since enforcement of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy was halted, those seeking to reinstate the policy have been proven flat wrong in their predictions of 'enormous consequences.' Judge Phillips recognized this contradiction in the Justice Department's arguments and once again refused to abdicate her duty to reach an objective conclusion based on the evidence before her," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and the sole named veteran plaintiff in the case along with the Log Cabin Republicans. "Once again, we call on President Obama to stop defending the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in court and we reiterate that it is the President, not the Attorney General, who has the final word on this decision."
HRC:
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese issued the following statement:
"Judge Phillips once again did the right thing for our national security. We call on the administration not to appeal her decision. DADT is an unconscionable law that forces brave lesbian and gay Americans to serve in silence and has forced 14,000 patriotic Americans out of the military. The law is detrimental, not only to our national security, but also to the core American value of fairness."
HRC urges all fair-minded Americans to sign an open letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, calling on him not to defend DADT at:https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=940
Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:
"Judge Phillips again rejected the government's bunk that it's necessary this discriminatory policy remain in effect any longer. She and the overwhelming majority of Americans have rightly concluded it's time to make 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' a policy of the past. Our elected officials have diddled around and played the delay game as the careers of thousands of courageous, patriotic service members have been destroyed. Phillips said enough is enough, and we couldn't agree more."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers a message to the LGBT community that "Tomorrow Will Be Better," at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., October 19, 2010.
That means that right now, I should be able to go to a recruiter and enlist. In fact, Dan Choi is reenlisting in Times Square as I write this post. (Apparently he's too old for the Marines, according to his Twitter.)
I thought about doing it today just for political purposes. Then, I decided that was a pretty stupid reason, one that is disrespectful of people who enlist because they actually want to serve. I'm a pacifist who doesn't respond well to blind authority (except in the bedroom), and I can't think of anything I'm less interested in going through than basic training.
Still, I wouldn't make a bad recruit. I'm in good health and I have two college degrees with currently nothing better to do.
So what's the point of my post? Well, while the purported "enormous consequences" of DADT are absurd, the reality is that education on LGBT identities will be necessary. For all troops. For all officers. The need for that training is not a good reason to delay lifting the ban (as I wrote last week), but an important need to address with haste.
Honestly, someone's going to have to deliver that training. Someone's going to have to talk to troops, and officers, and chaplains, and even the Joint Chiefs of Staff to say, "Hey, here's what's up with gays and lesbians." Probably a lot of someones. And that's exactly the kind of education I want to be doing. It's exactly the kind of education I'm prepared to do.
So, if the military wanted me to work for them, I will. I honestly would prefer to remain a civilian, but if they wanted someone on the inside with that responsibility, I would enlist. I would commit to the military to make it a better place for the gays and lesbians serving in it.
We've been giving Obama, Gates, and the military leaders a very hard time over DADT, and they've deserved it every step of the way. Eventually, though, we have to help. Let me be the first in line committed to making sure none of the paranoid homophobic fears people have come to pass.
I may be a pacifist, but I know the military does a lot of good work beyond fighting pointless wars; I'd be ready to be all I can be if it means making a difference for the brave gays and lesbians ready to fight for our country.
This Thursday, Fred Phelps and members of his Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church are bringing their message of hate to three high schools, a seminary, a synagogue and four colleges and universities in Spokane & Cheney, Washington and Coeur a'Alene, Idaho. The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) and the Inland Northwest LGBT Center are planning a peaceful reception for Westboro called Caravan of Love.
At this time of heightened awareness of the issue of bullying, it is more important than ever that we stand up to those who preach a message of hate. Through these peaceful respectful gatherings we will show that love and support of diversity are the values of our communities.
In support of the Caravan of Love campaign, Equal Rights Washington launched"A little surprise for Fred Phelps & Westboro Baptist Church to "welcome" them to Washington!", a joint fundraising campaign with PJALS, the LGBT Center in Spokane and the Safe Schools Coalition. Less than 24 hours since the launch and ERW tells me that over 75 people have already taken action and donated. Ya think it's safe to say that the people of the Inland Northwest don't want Kansas cults bringing their bullying into the area but are quite prepared to use such events to benefit the LGBT community? Thank you Fred - we couldn't have done it without you! Check out the Thank You card after the flip.
UPDATE: 7:15 PM ET: Dan Choi's re-enlistment into the Army is accepted (pending some med paperwork). http://goo.gl/eyMo
5:45 PM ET: The Village Voice's Steven Thrasher just sent me this crazy photo of Dan Choi getting mobbed outside the Times Square military Recruiting Center as he tries to enlist (the Marines rejected him -- too old!), and he was at this time, trying to sign up with the Army. Chaos ensued.
Louise posted the video in my earlier entry, but you have to read this to believe it. Just landed in my inbox:
Q A federal judge in California has made it clear she's not going to -- probably -- uphold the stay of the injunction of "don't ask, don't tell," and the President said recently that "don't ask, don't tell" will end on his watch. Is he, or will he, put pressure on Harry Reid -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to push for a vote during a lame duck session, one. And two, depending on what happens after the midterms, how does the President see ending "don't ask, don't tell" if he has diminished majorities or no Democratic control?
MR. GIBBS: Well, first and foremost, in terms of -- the process obviously with the judge will render on her own ruling. That then likely goes to a three-judge panel to consider. And we're certainly monitoring developments, as is the Department of Justice.
The President believes that the policy will end under his watch precisely because in the defense authorization bill pending in the Senate is a provision that would repeal what the President believes is unjust, what the President believes is discriminatory. It's passed the House. The President will push for defense authorization to be passed containing that provision when the Senate comes back for the lame duck.
We have obviously a lot of important business in that legislation. The repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" is certainly one of those aspects. My sense is if you can get through a filibuster -- and again, everything takes 60 votes these days -- that there are a majority of U.S. senators that believe, as the President does, that this policy isn't right and that it harms our national security.
So the President will work during the lame duck to ensure that that bill is passed and that what's passed the House and what's passed in the Senate can end up on his desk for his signature. But again, I think if we can get passed the procedural hurdles, that a majority of the U.S. Senate believes as the President does that it is time for this policy to change.
The courts have -- the courts in a number of different instances out West have determined that the lifespan of this policy is coming to its natural end. I think that that was recognized in the House. I think it will be recognized in the Senate and the bill -- the law will be repealed.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dealt with a rather aggressive set of questions over the Obama Administration's handling of the political hot potato. Gibbs did reaffirm his statement from the weekend in which he proclaimed that the controversial policy would end under Obama.
Woohoo (for the moment)! This is actual repeal on one front - now it is up to Obama's DOJ to formally roll it all back with its appeal for the federal ruling. (AP):
A Pentagon spokeswoman says recruiters have been told that they must accept gay applicants, following a federal court decision striking down the ban on gays serving openly in the military.
Spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said Tuesday that top-level guidance has been issued to recruiting commands informing them that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule has been suspended for now. Recruiters also have been told to inform potential recruits that the moratorium could be reversed at any point.
I'm glad to see this local story receive national play. Joy Behar had on 
This Thursday, 
Check out the Thank You card after the flip.
Q A federal judge in California has made it clear she's not going to -- probably -- uphold the stay of the injunction of "don't ask, don't tell," and the President said recently that "don't ask, don't tell" will end on his watch. Is he, or will he, put pressure on Harry Reid -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to push for a vote during a lame duck session, one. And two, depending on what happens after the midterms, how does the President see ending "don't ask, don't tell" if he has diminished majorities or no Democratic control?
