>More Hope

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Malcolm, a seven-year-old Los Angeles boy, has donated $140 to LA’s Gay and Lesbian Center and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation because he doesn’t think it’s right for gay people not to be treated equally.

Seven. He’s seven.

Malcolm was given the $140 by his parents, who told him he could donate to any cause he chose, and he split it between the HRC and the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, and he sent his check, along with a handwritten note, that read: “I am sending you this money because I don’t think it’s fair that Gay people are not treated equally.”

Malcolm’s mother also sent a note: “To teach the importance of improving the world around him, Malcolm was given $140 to give away to the charity of his choice. After hearing a story on the radio about the mistreatment of gays and lesbians, Malcolm became both upset and curious about the issue…to help, he chose to split his money between the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.”

Atta boy, Malcolm!

source

>The Boycott Is Back, Too

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So, first Target gets nailed for donating money to a PAC that donated money to a rabidly anti-gay politician, Tom Emmer, who gave some of his money to a “Christian” rock band who believes the moral thing to do is Kill The Gays.

Then the LGBT community gave a big Steven Slater to Target. We grabbed a Bud Lite and slid out of their stores in droves. And their stock dropped as the boycott hit.

Well, what does a Target do? They apologize, though not specifically to the LGBT community but to their own employees and they talk about how they were just doing what was best for Target.

Okay, so, boycott off? Not so much.

After agreeing to work with the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] to make amends for being money-grubbing-asshats, Target has suddenly decided to abandon the idea. HRC has been working with Target for almost two weeks to try and come to some sort of resolution that keeps Target’s reputation on relative solid footing within the LGBT community.

But Target said that they’re no longer interested in working with the group, and don’t really feel it’s in the company’s best interest to make things right with the LGBT community.
So, I would ask the LGBT community to reciprocate in kind, and stop working with Target. Perhaps do like this guy:

And if you work for Target, perhaps a job search is in order, and once you’ve found said employment elsewhere, why not head back into your Target store, find the nearest PA system, and give a big F-U to the company that gave a big F-U to the LGBT community.
Sounds only fair.

>Equality Reacts

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James Esseks, Director of the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project:

“Today’s decision is a huge victory for the LGBT people of America. For the first time, a federal court has conducted a trial and found that there is absolutely no reason to deny same-sex couples the fairness and dignity of marriage. At the same time, we know that this is not the end. In order to give this case the best possible chance of success as it moves through the appeals courts, we need to show that America is ready for same-sex couples to marry by continuing to seek marriage and other relationship protections in states across the country. It’s simply not fair, and not legal, to continue to exclude committed same-sex couples from marriage.”

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

“This ruling marks a victory for loving, committed couples who want nothing more than the same rights and security as other families. From the start, this has been about basic fairness. Today we celebrate the affirmation of this fundamental principle; tomorrow, we are back out there sharing our personal stories and having conversations with Californians and people all across the country about why this matters and who we are. The tide is turning nationwide in favor of marriage equality, but our work is far from over. Today’s ruling is just a beginning step in what will likely be a long process, yet we are confident that fairness will prevail. Our conversations are breaking down barriers and helping to transform our country.”

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese:

“After hearing extensive evidence in support of marriage equality, and essentially no defense of the discrimination wrought by Prop 8, Judge Walker reached the same conclusion we have always known to be true – the Constitution’s protections are for all Americans, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. We thank the courageous plaintiff couples, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies for their tremendous efforts leading to today’s decision and their ongoing commitment as the case moves forward on appeal. The battle for marriage equality continues, and we must all continue our work – in courthouses and statehouses, in church pews and living rooms – until equality is reality for LGBT people and our families everywhere.”

Cyndi Lauper:

“Gay and lesbian couples have long struggled for acceptance and the ability to marry the person they love and want to build a family with. Today’s landmark ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional is a testament to the fundamentals on which this great country was built and validates that the discrimination gay couples face must come to an end. We as a society should be embracing these couples and helping them make the lifelong commitment to each other that many of us straight people take for granted each and every day. This decision is a major step in the right direction towards equality. On behalf of the True Colors Fund and the Give a Damn Campaign, I want to commend and thank Chad Griffin and the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the legal team headed by Ted Olson and David Boies, and the plaintiffs in the case, Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, for their leadership and courage in standing up for equality and fairness.”

>Enough Chances

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Former American Idol alum and former recording star Gay Aiken, I mean Clay Gayken, dammit, Clay Aiken, who grudgingly came out in 2008 after years of speculation and denials, will finally use his :::somewhat limited::: celebrity to speak for gay rights in his home state of North Carolina this weekend.

Aiken will deliver a speech at the Human Rights Campaign gala in Raleigh, though some aspects of the appearance proved too controversial for him. Apparently, according to Clay, he rewrote his speech after he decided that the remarks provided to him were too controversial, too political, including a slam aimed at former President George W. Bush.

But Clay, these days, when we are seeing our rights trampled on, when we see people voting on whether or not we should be allowed the same benefits this country has to offer every other, straight, citizen, being gay, and talking about it is a political issue.

And don’t forget, honey, you are speaking at a Human Rights Campaign rally.

Rights.

They are political.

Too be fair, I was one of those people, those many, many, many, people who knew you were a big old queen the moment you strolled onto the Idol stage in your size, what are they, fourteen shoes. But, as I believe, gay people, while they do need to come out, must be able to do so at their own pace. You cannot force a stuck closet door open. So, I said, “Give him a chance.”

Then the Internet sex stories started and I said, “Give him a chance.”

Then came news that you were having a baby with a woman through artificial insemination, and that, primarily, you would be raising the child alone, and I said, “Give him a chance.”

And you came out. And we all breathed a huge sigh of relief. Well, actually, we all giggled some and thought, “What took you so long.”

But now, you have the chance to speak about human rights and you don’t want to get too political? Enough chances. You are behind the times, my friend; you can’t go through life as Uncle Arthur or the center square on Hollywood Squares and hope people don’t think of you that way.

You’re here. You’re queer, dear. We’re used to it.

Now, if you’re gonna speak, then speak the fuck up.

>A True Leader

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Anthony Woods, openly gay Iraq war veteran, has received the endorsements of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign in his race to represent California’s 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A special will be held to fill the seat left vacant when Ellen Tauscher, accepted a presidential appointment as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

A victim of the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Woods was awarded the Bronze Star for his two tours in Iraq before being discharged from the Army because of his sexual orientation. He is also a graduate of West Point and Harvard University.

Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund: “Anthony Woods is an exciting candidate with a tremendous record of accomplishment. He’s also running an impressive campaign. Anthony has assembled a solid campaign team that understands what it will take to win this extremely competitive race. We need more leaders like Anthony Woods in the U.S. Congress, so we are proud to endorse him. His will be an authentic voice not only for the people of California’s 10th Congressional District, but for the millions of Americans who are denied equal treatment because of their sexual orientation.”

His is a voice that may just be heard above the din of those who choose to deny the LGBT community equal rights and protections under the law.

>Know Thy Neighbor

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Know Thy Neighbor is a website that was created in 2005, in response to an initiative petition to ban same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. It was the brainchild of Tom Lang, a gay married man, and Aaron Toleos, a straight married man. These two men saw the petition for what it was: discrimination.

Lang and Toleos created the site to draw attention to the petition, and to provide a platform for the gay equality movement at a grassroots level.

In December of 2005, KnowThyNeighbor.org published the names of all 148,000+ petition signers and altered the dynamic of the petition process in several important ways:

Anti-gay marriage activists and supporters lost their veil of anonymity. KnowThyNeighbor.org believes that citizens who sponsor an amendment to take away people’s rights, or to deny people their constitutional rights, should never be allowed to do so under the cover of darkness.

Putting the names online led to the discovery of fraud in the signature collection process. Both civil and criminal investigators have been assigned by the Attorney General.

The GLBT leadership often lets fundraising and legislative lobbying efforts take precedence over grassroots, neighbor-to-neighbor advocacy. But a face-to-face conversation with someone you know can sometimes be the most powerful agent of change. KnowThyNeighbor.org exists to make sure those conversations happen!

A KnowThyNeighbor site cropped up in Arkansas recently when that state decided to ban gay couple, or single gay men and women, from adopting. That site printed all the names of people in and out of Arkansas who signed the petition to deny gay people their rights.

And they discovered one important name:

Mike Duke, CEO of WalMart, Inc.

Now, Mike Duke can support whatever causes he chooses, even the hateful ones, but as CEO of WalMart, a company that claims to have an environment of “diversity” within its stores, he should think twice before putting pen to paper.

The Human Rights Campaign, however, disputes WalMart’s claim, and ranked it at 40% in its Corporate Equality Index in 2008.

In addition to Mike Duke, they have also discovered the name of one Susan Duke, his wife. She also signed the petition to ban gays and lesbians from adopting children, and Susan Duke sits on the board of the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter.

Shocking.

So, maybe take a moment to think about shopping at WalMart, not just for the atrocious way it treats its employees but for it’s out-and-out discrimination of the LGBT community. Take a moment and tell WalMart that you don’t support discrimination of any kind.

>She’s A Pistol

>My girl Wanda Sykes at the HRC dinner in Washington, DC:
On being an in-demand activist:

“I’m busy! Gay, gay, gay all the time. I didn’t know it was gonna be thus much work! Geez! Every day, ‘This is something gay, can you do this?” I’ll be there! …And I keep saying gay. I haven’t got all the correct terminology down. So many women come up to me, hard-core lesbians: “Wanda! You gotta stop saying gay! You’re a lesbian!…you’re not gay! Men are gay! You’re a lesbian, you’re a woman!” I’m like calm down dyke I just started this!”

On gay marriage opponents:

“It’s just amazing to me how people get involved in something that doesn’t concern them. You know, if they would just mind their own damned business…The economy’s all messed up, it’s all about the economy right now. And think of all that money they’re losing (from) gay weddings. Wouldn’t you love to have some of that gay wedding money?”

On gay marriage:

“It’s just a relationship. It’s just two people who love each other, just trying to deal with each other and get through life together, that’s all. Just trying to build something together. Relationships are all the same. You’ve got one person who likes to talk a lot and the other person who pretends to listen.”

On Republicans:

“Talk about evil people, they’re just nasty! (Rush Limbaugh) saying, ‘I want the president to fail!’ What kind of bullshit is that? He thinks screw everybody else. Screw everybody, I just want to win! That’s treason, right? I’m like, ‘Let’s not close Guantanamo (Bay), send Rush Limbaugh’s big ass over there! He’s a terrorist!’”

On aging:

“It ain’t fun getting old. It’s not. I don’t consider myself old it’s just little things that happen that people don’t tell you about. The bladder ain’t what it used to be. I used to carry an extra pair of panties in my purse back in the day in case I got lucky. Now it’s in case I sneeze!”

And Wanda on karma: