Outside, it was a seasonally sunny day in D.C., with spring giving way to summer. Inside, in a meeting room of the Open Society Institute, on Pennsylvania Avenue a stone's throw from the White House, there were tears and turbulence, as well as bright spots.
The June 17 occasion was ''Pathways to Protection: The unseen struggles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex refugees and asylum seekers,'' a panel discussion presented by the San Francisco-based Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM), marking World Refugee Day, June 20.
''There's so much to say,'' ORAM founder Neil Grungras began when it was his turn to speak. ''The question I get asked most often is, 'Why do we need ORAM?' I have a lot of answers to that. Let me tell you the real answer that I haven't shared before.''
Grungras then explained some of his work as a gay man assisting refugees, some from the LGBT community, some who were too scared to share that status as the reason they'd fled their home countries.
''I knew why they were afraid,'' he said. ''And I knew why they weren't telling anybody else: because they were terrified. People paid their lives for that.''
Grungras continued, explaining how a fear of coming out could lead to a fabricated story, one that could raise suspicion and deny an LGBT person entry into the U.S. People in that situation, he said, ended up in the streets, ''ultimately face down.''
Grungras, choking up, also told how he was given permission by superiors at one point in his career to assist a gay man – as long as that particular part of the client's identity was kept under wraps.
''You're going to tell me that I can't even help my own brother openly?'' Grungras recalled to the audience of about 50 people. ''We as a community cannot leave the safety of our siblings to anybody else.''
One of those figurative siblings is Victor Mukasa, a transgender man who began his career as a lesbian-identified, human-rights defender in Uganda, now based in Baltimore. Mukasa offered the perspective of a man forced to flee, a story similar to those offered Monday afternoon in a preview of a new ORAM documentary, There's No Place for Me: Protecting Sexual and Gender Minority Refugees. With passion, Mukasa detailed the plight of those forced into refugee status as a matter of survival, who even if successful in seeking asylum are often left with nothing.
''As soon as you get on that plane and come here, you're useless. You're here like a fool,'' said Mukasa, who in Uganda had stood up for the LGBT community for years, including being a co-founder Sexual Minorities Uganda (SM UG), the foremost LGBT-advocacy organization in a country where in recent years legislation has been considered that would sentence ''repeat offenders'' of homosexuality to death.
''Somebody in New York gives you a bus card and they think they've given you you're life back,'' Mukasa said loudly, his tone seeming to move between anger and desperation, listing multiple indignities, such as someone granted asylum waiting months for permission to work, and indirectly pointing to immigration restrictions faced by same-sex families. ''We cease to be members of our families when we come here, because the laws are not going to permit us to do that. What happens to my 3-year-old daughter that I dreamt about raising and playing with? What happens to that. … We are useless to everybody here.''
While some grassroots efforts in the local LGBT community have aimed to assist asylum seekers and other refugees – such as the Center Global program at The DC Center, the city's LGBT community center; and services offered at Latinos en Acion's Casa Ruby, headed by Ruby Corado, a transgender activist and immigrant from El Salvador – Mukasa emphasized that systems in place, such as they are, far fall short of the need.
''Everybody has to change something. We have all messed up,'' he concluded. ''Who knows when an American will need to flee to Africa or Asia. In my life, I was so sure I would not leave.''
Mukasa followed that with, ''I cannot speak anymore,'' then left the panelists' table to a roomful of applause.
While the other speakers – Larry Yungk with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ariel Herrera of Freedom House's ''Dignity for All'' LGBTI Assistance Program, Human Rights Campaign vice president and chief foundation officer Jeff Krehely, and moderator Denise Brennan of Georgetown University – brought much more to the discussion, Mukasa's message carried the most urgency.
Krehely, speaking immediately after Mukasa, noted, ''As Victor pointed out, we're really far from perfect in a lot of ways. We saw some of that in the current immigration debate that is going on in this country, where lawmakers and advocates are saying really horrible things about anyone who is perceived to be 'other' or coming from outside our borders, no matter why they're coming here. Understanding and appreciating that social context, that the United States is not this perfect place, is really important for us as U.S.-based advocates to do this work well.''
...moreThe top 3 from RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 performed at Town Danceboutique Saturday, June 8. Afterward, they took some time backstage to talk with Metro Weekly and a star of Washington's reigning royalty, Ba'Naka.
Taking advantage of marriage equality in Maryland, the mayor of Baltimore officiated a mass wedding â€" billed as the first of its kind in the city â€" on Sunday during Pride.
A Dallas City Council member has raised concerns that an HIV testing billboard may be promoting tolerance of gay African-American men.
Some Arizona residents are waiting to hear what the Supreme Court will say, in an effort to establish legal marriage equality in their state.
Families are Forever which premieres at Frameline 37: the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival on Saturday, June 22, 2013 chronicles the journey of a devout Mormon family living in a conservative community who attended Church every Sunday, actively served in their ward, went door-to-door to stop same-sex marriage in support of California’s Prop 8 and whose lives were turned upside down when their 13-year-old son admitted he was gay.
On the cusp of becoming an Eagle Scout, 13-year-old Jordan hid his sexual orientation for fear of rejection by his family and Church like many adolescents from socially and religiously conservative families who are told they’re “confused†or that “It’s just a phase.†Like other LGBT Mormon children and adolescents he daily walked past yellow Prop 8 yard signs and internalized painful messages that reinforced feelings of isolation and despair as he began to realize that his family was rejecting people like him.
Called “riveting†by the Salt Lake Tribune, Families are Forever is a powerhouse addition to the Family Acceptance Project’s inspiring family education video series that is helping prevent suicide, HIV, homelessness and other serious health risks by increasing family support for LGBT youth â€" in the context of family, culture and faith backgrounds. This new video adds to critical research-based educational materials the Family Acceptance Project is producing for families with LGBT children, including the first “Best Practice†resources for suicide prevention for LGBT youth and young adults and the first for LGBT Mormons in the Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention.
As with other family education materials and videos from the Family Acceptance Project â€" an acclaimed research, education and family intervention initiative at SF State University that helps diverse families to support their LGBT children â€" Families are Forever is part of a planned series of short documentaries that show the journey of ethnically and religiously diverse families from struggle to support of their LGBT children to give LGBT youth and families hope and to show how diverse families learn to support their LGBT children. A collaboration between Peabody award-winning documentary filmmaker, Vivian Kleiman, and award-winning clinical social worker, Caitlin Ryan, these documentaries are changing lives and building healthy futures for LGBT children and adolescents.
“Many LGBT youth and families have never seen acceptance and support expressed by parents and caregivers for their LGBT children.†said Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of the Family Acceptance Project. “Our videos show individual stories of family acceptance that speak to families from a wide range of backgrounds and help them understand that how they respond to their LGBT children has a powerful impact on their health, mental health and survival.â€
Mitch Mayne, an openly gay Mormon religious leader in the San Francisco Bay Ward of the Mormon Church knows this firsthand: “Religiously conservative families have little access to accurate information and many believe they have to choose between their child and their faith. A cornerstone of the Family Acceptance Project’s work is to integrate research, culture and faith to inspire and educate diverse and very conservative families on how to love their LGBT children. This video will literally save lives.â€
Families are Forever screens at the Victoria Theatre in a documentary shorts program at 3:30 pm. More information about the film at Frameline is available at:
http://ticketing.frameline.
Families are Forever which premieres at Frameline 37: the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival on Saturday, June 22, 2013 chronicles the journey of a devout Mormon family living in a conservative community who attended Church every Sunday, actively served in their ward, went door-to-door to stop same-sex marriage in support of California’s Prop 8 and whose lives were turned upside down when their 13-year-old son admitted he was gay.
On the cusp of becoming an Eagle Scout, 13-year-old Jordan hid his sexual orientation for fear of rejection by his family and Church like many adolescents from socially and religiously conservative families who are told they’re “confused†or that “It’s just a phase.†Like other LGBT Mormon children and adolescents he daily walked past yellow Prop 8 yard signs and internalized painful messages that reinforced feelings of isolation and despair as he began to realize that his family was rejecting people like him.
Called “riveting†by the Salt Lake Tribune, Families are Forever is a powerhouse addition to the Family Acceptance Project’s inspiring family education video series that is helping prevent suicide, HIV, homelessness and other serious health risks by increasing family support for LGBT youth â€" in the context of family, culture and faith backgrounds. This new video adds to critical research-based educational materials the Family Acceptance Project is producing for families with LGBT children, including the first “Best Practice†resources for suicide prevention for LGBT youth and young adults and the first for LGBT Mormons in the Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention.
As with other family education materials and videos from the Family Acceptance Project â€" an acclaimed research, education and family intervention initiative at SF State University that helps diverse families to support their LGBT children â€" Families are Forever is part of a planned series of short documentaries that show the journey of ethnically and religiously diverse families from struggle to support of their LGBT children to give LGBT youth and families hope and to show how diverse families learn to support their LGBT children. A collaboration between Peabody award-winning documentary filmmaker, Vivian Kleiman, and award-winning clinical social worker, Caitlin Ryan, these documentaries are changing lives and building healthy futures for LGBT children and adolescents.
“Many LGBT youth and families have never seen acceptance and support expressed by parents and caregivers for their LGBT children.†said Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of the Family Acceptance Project. “Our videos show individual stories of family acceptance that speak to families from a wide range of backgrounds and help them understand that how they respond to their LGBT children has a powerful impact on their health, mental health and survival.â€
Mitch Mayne, an openly gay Mormon religious leader in the San Francisco Bay Ward of the Mormon Church knows this firsthand: “Religiously conservative families have little access to accurate information and many believe they have to choose between their child and their faith. A cornerstone of the Family Acceptance Project’s work is to integrate research, culture and faith to inspire and educate diverse and very conservative families on how to love their LGBT children. This video will literally save lives.â€
Families are Forever screens at the Victoria Theatre in a documentary shorts program at 3:30 pm. More information about the film at Frameline is available at:
http://ticketing.frameline.
Last week’s issue of People Magazine had the most disgusting ad on the inside front cover that we have ever seen Kraft produce. A full 2-page ad features a n*ked man lying on a picnic blanket with only a small portion of the blanket barely covering his g*nitals. It is easy to see what the ad is really selling. A person has to look closely to see the item the company is marketing because the salad dressing bottle is so small next to the male model, picnic basket and other food items. There is also a small Kraft logo in the upper corners with the words “Silverware Optional â€" Let’s Get Zesty.†The website getmezesty.com is listed in the bottom corner.
Kraft has gone too far and will push away loyal, conservative customers with this new ad campaign. Christians will not be able to buy Kraft dressings or any of their products until they clean up their advertising. The consumers they are attempting to attract â€" women and mothers â€" are the very ones they are driving away. Who will want Kraft products in their fridge or pantry if this vulgarity is what they represent?
One Million Moms cannot get over the gall of this company. It is unnecessary for Kraft to use s*x to sell salad dressing! (An asterisk is used to ensure our emails get through to those who have signed up to receive our alerts. Otherwise, referencing specific words would cause our emails to be blocked by some Internet filters.)
Just in time for Pride!
The Fortune Teller is a film by gay artist/activist Leo Herrera, chronicling milestones and icons of the modern gay man. The story is told through the trance of The Fortune Teller (played by Stanley Frank) and created using archival and modern footage. The film is a documentary and time capsule, paying homage to psychedelic films of the 1960′s and the modern art of the YouTube Montage film. From Mapplethorpe to Lohanthony, Uganda to Burning Man, Vogue to Sissy Bounce, AIDS to The Berlin Patient, meticulously edited clips create a kaleidoscopic five-minute journey through more than 50 years of gay history. See the “The Fortune Teller†decoded for a visual legend to the clips.
“The Fortune Teller†is comprised of 50 years of imagery and footage. The 5-minute clip took six months to film and assemble, and is made up of 100 carefully selected clips. The style is a take on Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games†video, or The Scissor Sister’s “Let’s Have a KiKiâ€. It also pays homage to some of our modern day gay “preachers,†such as Chris Crocker or Lohanthony, or Kid Fury, who, as we always have, developed ways to use technology to reach one another.
Find out more at HomoChic
After nearly a year of passion, dedication, and development coupled with the unwavering support of our family, friends, and some of our favorite celebs ...
Friend Movement proudly presents:
"THE NEW F WORD -
GIVING BULLYING THE BIRD"
An edgy anti-bully campaign and brainchild of producers Ronnie Kroell & Elliot London, photographer Ryan Forbes, and branding guru Bianca Kosoy. The New F Word aims to keep the conversation about bullying alive, but more importantly it was designed to empower individuals and inspire all of us to take ACTION.
Our goal is to shoot ...
10,000 Photos in 90 Days, across 40 Cities
Fresno, Sacramento, Reno, Eugene, Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Billings, Fargo, Minneapolis, Madison, Rockford, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Rochester, Boston, Provincetown, Philadelphia, DC, Raleigh, NYC, Savannah, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Mobile, Montgomery, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville Birmingham, Jackson, Little Rock, Kansas City, Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas.
When someone is being bullied, we want them to have an inner monologue of "F-U I'm amazing ... I don't need your approval." By doing so, they can reclaim their power and rise above the fear that can prevent them from being the diverse, confident, and beautiful individuals they were meant to be.
While we may not be able to fully eradicate bullying, we can commit to being better friends to one another - to ourselves. So, get those middle fingers ready because THE NEW F WORD is FRIEND.
Thank you for your time and support!!
Ronnie & Elliot
Gay 'cures'? There shouldn't be an app for that. But, there's a new one called "Setting Captives Free," available in both the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, meant to teach you how to stop being gay.
It's a 60-day course that tells gay people they are not "born this way" and offers to help them find "freedom from the bondage of homosexuality."
These so-called treatments can cause terrible harm to lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people, or anyone forced to try to change who they are or who they love.
Apple and Google have policies against these kinds of apps but so far this one has escaped their notice. Sign now to tell them to drop this and all other gay 'cure' apps!
At a time when many nations throughout the world are experiencing challenging and troubling times, we feel that people need to laugh, to feel inspired, and to realize that only through acceptance and tolerance can we move forward in creating a better world in which to live.
They often say that in a movie “the title says it all,†but that is not exactly true â€" this movie is about love, tolerance and acceptance in the family. Where old traditions meets modern romance. It doesn’t matter whom your son is dating: a girl with different color skin or mentality, a boy with a different ethnicity or religion, maybe someone with Cancer or HIV; we are all human beings and we are all equal! Behind the million of jokes in our movie and through the midst of the stereotypes that are still among us today, the true premise of love and acceptance is revealed in Oy Vey! My Son is Gay!
Most of the movies on INDIEGOGO are just beginning their development. "Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!!" is a completed movie, ready to be launched in movie theaters to reach a wider audience! ( www.oyveymovie.com )
So take a break from your stressful life, and help us to spread the word and bring more fun and joy into people’s hearts! Fill them with unconditional love for each other, and at the same time enjoy this hilarious family movie! Together we can change our society without any fighting, pushing and yelling; simply through the great message hidden behind the laugher of our amazing cast!
Your support is extremely appreciated. Every dollar can make a difference! One of a kind rewards are waiting for you! Thank you in advance for your contribution! www.oyveymovie.com
Published on May 14, 2013
When I was 20 I filmed an interpretive dance to Dixie Chicks' "Landslide" in my college bedroom - and in my underwear. I turn 30 in a week and couldn't think of a better homage to my twenties than a sensible mashup.
#I'mGettingOlder2 WATCH NOW
I want to know if he will do one at 40 as well??
Justin alluded to his past in a few entries, but hadn’t really gone into full detail since he felt his blog wasn’t the appropriate place for those stories. During a vacation in London in July of 2011, Justin wrote the first chapter of what would become his memoir, Inside the Vortex. It is an emotional, and at times dark story, but the end result makes it a journey that was worth the trip. Originally released on June 15, 2012, the memoir was reissued and received a wider distribution as an expanded second edition on March 4, 2013. Justin currently resides in Westchester County.
The National Council of Justice, which oversees the Brazilian judicial system and is headed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, said government offices that issue marriage licenses had no standing to reject gay couples.
The Supreme Court "affirmed that the expression of homosexuality and homosexual affection cannot serve as a basis for discriminatory treatment, which has no support in the Constitution," said Chief Justice Joaquim Barbosa on the council's website, referring to a 2011 ruling by the top court.
Barbosa also said there was no reason for the government's marriage licensing offices to wait for the Brazilian Congress to pass a law authorising same-sex marriage.
The council that oversees the country's judiciary said it was wrong for some offices just to issue civil union documents when the couple wanted full marriage certificates.
Correspondents say the decision in effect authorises gay marriage.
We bolster the strength of local LGBT activism in rural enclaves, small towns and cities nationwide. We build grassroots political muscle at every level by training activists, strengthening the infrastructure of local and state allies and organizing broad-based campaigns creating public support for full equality of LGBT people. Learn more about our Organizing & Training and Movement Building efforts.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is conducting a nationwide survey on issues that are important to the LGBT community. With more and more consistent wins for marriage equality, the Task Force is already thinking about what’s next including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to end discrimination against LGBT people in the workplace, immigration and protecting our youth and aging communities.
Please help them by taking this short survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/
Do you have what it takes to be…
GREGG HOMME’S NEXT TOP MODEL?
Enter to win an ALL-EXPENSE paid trip to Montreal, QC JULY 2013 to shoot our new F/W Collection and video!
*Please submit photos and measurements to marketing@gregghomme.com
*Open to all countries
*Must have a valid Passport
*All Entries must be received by June 16, 2013
Chef Josette LeBlond is founder and President of Normandie Pate Inc. In 1985, Normandie started out as the first manufacturer of fine French pates and sausages in Los Angeles.
Today, the Normandie label can be seen not only on pates but on bakery goods for airlines, grocery chains and restaurants in California and Nevada.
Josette’s perseverance and hard-working ethic have brought her key accounts such as Disneyland Hotels, The Biltmore, Macy’s, and grocery chains like Whole Foods, Bristol Farms and Pavillions. Hotel restaurants in the Marriott, Hyatt and Ritz Carlton also enjoy her fine pates and baked goods. Award-winning restaurants, like Joan’s on Third in Los Angeles, utilize Normandie’s baguettes as the star component of their sandwiches.
In 2011, Chef Josette expanded the Normandie brand to Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax. Normandie Farmers Market serves breads, croissants, pastries, cakes and pies. In 2012 Chef Josette opened a restaurant in her Normandie Bakery calling it Josette’s Bistro, and serving authentic French bistro cuisine at affordable prices.
if you are interested.
No phone calls, please.
This is an exciting opportunity to work for this amazing company!
Late Tuesday afternoon, in a 12-9 bipartisan vote, the Delaware Senate gave final approval to HB 75, a bill granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry in that state effective July 1 of this year. The Delaware House of Representatives passed the measure last month by a vote of 23-18.
Democratic Governor Jack Markell signed HB 75 into law just minutes later, reportedly telling the crowd, "I do not intend to make any of you wait one minute longer."
With the addition of Delaware to the equality column, eleven U.S. states plus Washington, D.C. allow same-sex couples the freedom to marry. Fifty-one million people -- sixteen percent of the American population -- now live in marriage equality states.
That number may soon swell yet again, as Minnesota appears poised to move forward on equal marriage legislation. That state's Democratic House speaker scheduled a vote on a same-sex marriage bill for Thursday, a move he had vowed not to do unless the votes required for passage were secured. If the bill clears the House, the Senate could vote on it as early as Saturday; leaders in that chamber are similarly confident that the votes are there for passage. Pro-equality Governor Mark Dayton has pledged to sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
Illinois is on the final vote - but there are some Republicans SCARED to vote YES.
Illinois Republicans have just forced state party chair Pat Brady to resign because of his support for gay marriage.
What is this, Alabama?
Brady, rather famously, came out in support of gay marriage in January of this year, and even made phone calls to lawmakers urging them to support gay marriage legislation before the Illinois legislature.
And now he’s politically-dead, killed by a Republican party so permeated with hate and intolerance that even in a moderate-Republican state like Illinois, the GOP just couldn’t stomach having a gay friendly man as party chair.
.Recently it was announced on his Facebook page, that international DJ Peter Rauhofer was battling a brain tumor. Sadly, he has passed, according to a new message posted on his Facebook page by his manager, Angelo Russo:
Today the music industry has lost one of it's true heroes.
With a heavy heart I must now report that Peter Rauhofer has lost his battle with brain cancer.
He passed quietly today and is survived by his mother, Helga, who resides in Austria.
She will transport Peter back home to his final resting place there, but to all that knew Peter, his heart will always be in New York City.
It makes me sad, not only that I have lost a friend, but that the world has lost an amazing talent and that future generations will never get to understand the magic that Peter created night after night all over the world.
He is gone too soon but we will always have the vast body of music that Peter left for us.
Through his music, Peter will live forever. The brightest stars always burn out too soon. Peter, you were loved and you will be terribly missed. Goodbye my friend. Please rest in peace knowing that you have brought so much joy to so many of us. I ask that his true fans keep his legacy alive by sharing his music with anyone who may not have had the opportunity to experience it for themselves.
Rauhofer was 48.
Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.
And now you can show your pride every time you take out your wallet with the CARD.com LGBT Pride Debit Visa card. The LGBT Pride Debit Visa card gives you all the perks of both a credit card and a checking account - but without the fees - regardless of your credit standing.
Use it wherever Visa is accepted, withdraw funds at thousands of ATMs, conveniently load money with Western Union, PayPal, bank transfers, MoneyPak, direct deposit of wages or federal benefits payments. 24/7/365, it’s always available whenever you need it. Your card gives you everything you need, with no minimum balance or bank history requirements, and your LGBT Pride Prepaid Debit Visa card is FDIC insured for the full balance on the card with zero liability protection - just like other credit products. Carry the card that affirms your pride. The LGBT Pride Prepaid Visa Debit card from CARD.com.
Gays, lesbians, their friends and families erupted into cheers Thursday following a final 56-15 vote in the Rhode Island House, and then again an hour later when Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law on the Statehouse steps.
"Democracy feels good, doesn't it?" said House Speaker Gordon Fox, D-Providence, who is gay. Fox struggled to keep his composure as he addressed the crowd at the Statehouse, looking over at his longtime partner, Marcus LaFond. "This tells me our relationship does matter. It means that we mean something."
The first marriages will take place Aug. 1, when the new law takes effect.
ABC News reports that sales on #98 jerseys soared this week!:
Team spokesman Scott Hall told ABC News that 100 percent of custom jerseys ordered from the team’s online store bore Collins’ name and number, 98, on the back, after Collins revealed his homosexuality in an article published on Sports Illustrated’s website on Monday...While Hall could not reveal how many custom Collins jerseys were sold, he said that the team’s general merchandise sales and online traffic spiked following Collins’ announcement.
I never knew that the "98" was a tribute to Matthew Shepard. Even Judy Shepard was not aware of the tribute to her gay son.
The mother of a gay University of Wyoming student who was robbed and beaten to death in 1998 says she finds it touching that NBA veteran Jason Collins honored her son by wearing jersey No. 98.
Matthew Shepard’s mother, Judy, said that she hadn’t known about the tribute by Collins, who this week became the first player still active in one of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to announce that he is gay.
"We’re very touched that he regards Matthew as somebody special," Judy Shepard said in a telephone interview. "We’re especially happy that now he feels free to be himself. We’re happy for him, relieved that his news is being received so well across the board."
While Collins hid his sexual orientation up until now, he said he quietly made a statement for gay rights by wearing No. 98 with the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards. The number refers to 1998, the year Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence and beaten outside Laramie.
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