For those of you who follow LGBT politics, you'll know there's a lot of what some call "infighting". Infighting over tactics, messaging, how much Obama should be supported vs. criticized, and the like. It can get distracting and sometimes very personal.

A few weeks ago, myself, along with Joe Sudbay over at AMERICABlog and Rick Jacobs at the Courage Campaign, were chatting about all this. We agreed that (a) while debate over tactics etc. can be healthy, the division can threaten to undermine votes for LGBT equality coming up on Election Day and (b) Despite the headlines, this community is more united than divided. There are a lot of voices in the pro-equality chorus, and like brothers and sisters in a family, we all sing in our own unique way. But when push comes to shove, we are always singing the same song.

So we decided to ask some of the bigger names in all these headlines if they would set their differences aside and come together on a common cause: that cause being re-electing Rep. Patrick Murphy, who led the fight to pass repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the House.

Continue reading "More united than divided: Coming together for Patrick Murphy" »

I posted about Andy Moreno earlier, before she was officially disqualified from running for prom queen because she's trans. And now MTV did a report on her:

On September 21, 2010, I attended a candidate's forum hosted by the Pompano Beach Civic Association to listen to a friend running for the Florida State House. I showed up in dressed in jeans and a polo shirt and upon entering the auditorium; I quickly realized that there was going to be more to the evening's line up. Having then just learned that Allen West was going to be speaking, well it explained a lot, include the need to mentally prepare myself to brave the insanity and to sit through an evening in an auditorium with hate-filled fear-mongering homophobes and tea baggers.

While I can't wait for this election season to end, until it's over, I'm mustering up the energy to help Pro-Equality Congressman Ron Klein get re-elected to Florida's 22nd Congressional District. His right-wing extremist challenger, who actually lives in Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's district and cannot vote for himself, decided to try and carpetbag his way into the district. It's been reported that West has been showered with Tea Party campaign funds from all over the country. The fight for this congressional district has the potential to serve as a barometer as to whether LGBTQI-Americans have any hopes to advance legislative efforts for equality in the next session of the United States Congress.

While Congressman Klein was in Washington, DC performing the job he was elected for, his opponent, disgraced Colonel Allen West, spoke to the civic association about his campaign for the US House of Representatives. In the video below the jump, I questioned West on the military's discriminatory policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In my question, I included Eric Alva when I spoke about LGBT-men and women risking their lives, why should they not have the same right to serve? West's response, as expected, just infuriated me and all I could think was "run fat boy, run."

Continue reading "Allen West on Gays in the Military: "Unfortunately, they are serving "" »

Meg Whitman's campaign learned the importance of making sure a tweet doesn't go over 140 characters yesterday and they learned it the hard way.

After senior campaign consultant Mike Murphy tweeted that the Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County had endorsed Whitman, her press secretary, Sarah Pompei, retweeted Murphy's message. She accidentally cut off the last letter of the URL Murphy had tweeted though.

Instead of an endorsement by police officers, Pompei sent followers to a video of a middle aged born male-bodied person dressed in a pink princess costume and lip synching to a Japanese pop song while pretending to play a giant guitar. Whoops!

The video is after the jump. (Via Mediate thanks to Projector Meghan.)

Continue reading "Whitman campaign tweets transgender cosplay video" »

Chuck Schumer recommended an openly gay lawyer, Daniel Alter, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, who'd be the first openly gay judge to serve on a federal court. Obama rejected that nominee, and unnamed sources cited two quotations to the Washington Blade:

In a 2005 article published by Cybercast News Service, Alter is quoted as saying that a general holiday greeting is more appropriate and inclusive for retailers as opposed to saying "Merry Christmas."

"It seems both from a business ... and a community perspective, that if merchandisers were going to do that ... they would try to wish those in the community who may not share in celebrating Christmas a happy holiday as well," Alter is quoted as saying.

"Our diversity has made us great and will continue to make us great and ['Merry Christmas'] undermines both the holiday spirit as well as the message I think Americans should be sending to each other," Alter reportedly continued.

And on the pledge:

Continue reading "War on Christmas gets judge rejected?" »

Author's Note: I serve on the Equality Virginia Legends Committee. The following is an op-ed piece that we hope to have published in the Virginian Pilot and the Daily Press.

Among other things, Equality Virginia believes in a truly inclusive Commonwealth where all are equally welcomed and valued, and where all Virginians will be evaluated only on the basis of their skills and hard work, do not face workplace discrimination, and where all people can safely be honest and open about who they are.

Each year for the last four years, Equality Virginia has recognized Virginians in the Hampton Roads area who share this vision and engaged in community activism to further this worthy goal. The individuals are the "Legends" who have been recognized at a gala event each November. Past honorees include Ann Dearsley Vernon, who is active in the region's arts community and was engaged in the civil rights movement in the early 1960's; State Senator Yvonne Miller, the first African American women elected to the Virginia General Assembly; Claus Ihlemann, a civic benefactor and well known business owner; and Cynthia Cutler, a long time area mortgage loan officer and activist in numerous charitable organizations.

Continue reading "Legends for equality" »

We're proud to be hosting a live chat with Representative Patrick Murphy today in conjunction with Open Left, AmericaBlog, Good As You, and Pam's House Blend. Congressman Murphy, the lead sponsor for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell in the House of Representatives, is currently facing a stiff challenger in his race for re-election.

The Hill poll out yesterday has him up 46-43 over former Republican Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, a remarkable swing from a poll that had him down double-digits just a few weeks ago. The Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Murphy yesterday.

Join the live chat with Congressman Murphy after the jump starting at 1:30 Eastern. He'll be taking your questions and since he just had a debate with Fitzpatrick this morning, I'm sure he'll have plenty of news to report too.

Please consider donating to Rep Murphy's campaign. He's in a very competitive race and he's already gone to the mat for us when others wouldn't. We can't afford to lose an actual "fierce advocate."

Continue reading "Live chat with Rep Patrick Murphy" »

Former Lt. Dan Choi spoke to a capacity crowd last night at Ramapo College.

The students were very excited to see him speak, and while he and I sat down for a cup of tea in the college cafeteria, students came up to him and shook his hand and thanked him for his service and his work. After the speech, they queued up for the public Q&A;, and then dozens mobbed him afterwards to ask questions. There was a great mix of straight and queer, young and old in the audience.

CBS and ABC television crews were there, as well as a reporter from The Bergen Record, the local paper. They interviewed Lt. Choi after his speech, asking his opinion of the 9th Circuit opinion handed down while he spoke, allowing the military discharges to continue.

And Lt. Choi did not fail to deliver. His speech was timely and stirring, humorous at points, and occasionally deeply sad. As James Conant has said, "Education is what's left over after you forget everything you learned." The students may or may not remember the specific of the issues raised by Lt. Choi years from now, but they learned something about courage and about standing up for being yourself.

Vids after the jump.

Continue reading "Choi Triumphs at Ramapo College, While 9th Circuit Stumbles" »

As always with vintage/antique photos, impossible to know whether people are what they seem to a contemporary eye. They could be a trans/lesbian couple; or they could be sisters or friends who performed manual labor. Either way, I think they are beautiful in their strength and simplicity.

They're after the jump.

Continue reading "Hard-Working Women: Depression-era photo" »

If I learned nothing else on a recent night in Harlem where my husband and I attended the screening and announcement of the winning Generation V videos sponsored by the New York City HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, I did get that message loud and clear. I am writing about this here on Bilerico because HIV vaccine trials are taking place not just in New York City but in cities across the country. I hope my interview with one of the doctors managing those trials may inspire some folks to participate in this important venture.

At the screening, we met some very talented and beautiful people, including SeanMichael Rodgers, CEO of EMBRACE TV, and his partner, the performer/songwriter Dy'Ari. Their video won the Valor Award for best video targeted to gay men. My interview with them, their winning video and my interview with Dr. Beryl Koblin, after the break.

Continue reading "You Cannot Catch HIV Through A Trial Vaccine" »

Editors' Note: Representative Tim Bishop (D-NY) is today's guest blogger. Congressman Bishop was picked by National Stonewall Democrats as an Elect Equality candidate for his record of supporting LGBT issues. You can donate to his campaign if you'd like to support the Congressman.

When it comes to civil rights, I have a firm position that I will proudly share with anybody who asks. Equality is one issue where there is only one right answer. I will never back down on LGBT rights, and this issue is very personal to me.

I have a 31-year-old daughter whom I couldn't love anymore than I do. I don't think she could love me any more than she does, and I couldn't ask for a better daughter. My daughter happens to be gay. I want her to have the same rights, freedoms and protections that any father would want for his child.

In June of last year, she married a wonderful woman. Because it isn't legal for two women to marry in New York State, our family and had to take the ferry across the Long Island Sound to Connecticut for the ceremony. I want to live in a country and a state where all of God's children are treated equally, where we all have the same equal protections under the law.

Continue reading "Rep Tim Bishop: I'll continue the fight" »

This shot of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Situation Room yesterday with President Obama and other civilian and military leaders is simply striking. Clinton is wearing purple in solidarity for Spirit Day to honor the recent LGBT youth suicides. Picture is via the White House.

The other woman sitting in back who is also wearing purple is Under Secretary of Defense Michèle A. Flournoy