Josh Duggar Resigns From Antigay Family Research Council Amid Sexual Abuse Allegations
Duggar, oldest son of the large and famously antigay family, has admitted to having ‘acted inexcusably’ as a teen.
Trudy Ring
Daily Archives: May 21, 2015
SCOTUS Rally Shows Marriage Equality Is Everyone's Fight
SCOTUS Rally Shows Marriage Equality Is Everyone's Fight
This post was originally written on April 28th, 2015.
“Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.” ― Harvey Milk
stood outside the Supreme Court of the United States building as a straight ally in support of marriage equality, and the voices of the hundreds of advocates around me and around the country were definitely heard — loud and proud.
I was not able to enter the Court to view the proceedings, but two questions were being discussed today:
Does the Constitution require states to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples? Should states be required to recognize gay and lesbian marriages performed in other states in which it is legal?
The crowd outside was charged with positive energy as signs were raised, songs were sung, and love was celebrated. Sure, the usual opposition crowd was there as well, but more as a sad sideshow than anything really worth mentioning. However, I will say this, while hate was shouted out by certain groups, I did not hear a single curse word hurtled back at them from the advocates for equality.
A photo posted by Julian Gomez (@ittakesii) on Apr 28, 2015 at 11:38am PDT
It was exciting to see the intersection of activism for various causes joining in the common fight for marriage equality and full LGBTQIA+ equality at large. There were supporters from the immigration reform movement, pro-choice advocates, signs reading #BlackLivesMatter, economic justice warriors, and so much more. It is often forgotten that the oppression of one group is inextricable from the oppression of others. Sexuality, race, gender, reproductive rights, economic inequality, and even climate change are all interrelated and intersecting. In the midst of so much turmoil in this country, I was so proud to be surrounded by people who “get it,” who realize that the fight for their individual rights is linked to the fight for the rights of all people so that “all men are created equal” can finally be supported by our laws and our social systems some day.
at #SCOTUS #marriageequality @thehpalliance
A photo posted by Julian Gomez (@ittakesii) on Apr 28, 2015 at 6:41am PDT
One person at the rally, Rafael Petry, was holding a sign reading “Don’t mess with Dumbledore’s rights,” referring to the gay headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. As the nonprofit the Harry Potter Alliance would tell you, “the weapon we have is love,” and this was abundantly evident this bright Tuesday morning. Everywhere I looked, I could find gay and lesbian couples celebrating their love, many of whom have been together for decades.
That’s what today is about, what this case is about, and what any fight for equality is about — love. Love conquers hate, it conquers ignorance, and it inspires an eternal passion that leads to positive change. Time will tell when the Court will rule in favor of love, because nobody is asking for permission to love, they are asking for equal recognition of that love and all the rights that come with it.
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Powerful Moments As Conversion Therapy Survivors Watch Ban Signed in Oregon
Powerful Moments As Conversion Therapy Survivors Watch Ban Signed in Oregon
HRC Associate Regional Field Director was in Salem today to watch HB 2037, the bill that will ban the discredited practice of conversion therapy on you, signed into law.
HRC.org
Blake and Adam
Alabama Must Obey Federal Decisions on Marriage Equality
Alabama Must Obey Federal Decisions on Marriage Equality
‘The choice should be simple,’ a federal judge tells antigay Alabama officials claiming they don’t know whether to abide by state or federal court rulings.
Sunnivie Brydum
Federal Judge In Alabama Rules In Favor Of Gay Marriage
Federal Judge In Alabama Rules In Favor Of Gay Marriage
MONTGOMERY, Ala (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that gays and lesbians have the right to marry in all Alabama counties, but placed her decision on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling on same-sex marriage.
U.S District Judge Callie Granade said Thursday that Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and enjoined probate judges from enforcing it. However, she stayed enforcement of her order citing the expected decision this summer. Granade in January ruled that Alabama’s gay marriage ban was illegal. Gay couples married for three weeks until the state Supreme Court ordered probate judges to stop.
The latest ruling came in a class-action lawsuit by gay couples across the state.
David Dinielli, deputy legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, called the ruling a definitive victory for gay marriage.
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The Hidden Truth Behind Robert Gates’ Change Of Heart On Gay Scout Leaders
The Hidden Truth Behind Robert Gates’ Change Of Heart On Gay Scout Leaders
Today, former US defense secretary and current president of the Boy Scouts of America took a decidedly different approach to the Scouts’ ban on gay leaders.
He warned Scout executives that “we must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be,” and that “any other alternative will be the end of us as a national movement.”
Zach Wahls, the executive director of Scouts for Equality, a group that has campaigned for change, praised Gates for the speech.
“Dr. Gates has built his reputation on straight talk and tough decisions, and I’m glad he’s fully endorsing a re-evaluation of the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay adults,” Mr. Wahls said in a statement. “It seems like the Boy Scouts will continue an internal dialogue about the subject and that a change within the next year or two is imminent.”
But here’s the real takeaway: Gates, a lifelong Republican, made a pragmatic statement that reaches far beyond the rank and file of the Scouts. Namely, the antigay faction of the Republican party.
By framing a reality which includes gay scout leaders as a reflection of how the world “is” and not how he “wishes it to be,” Gates shows himself to be a bit of a douche. But imagine how much better off the right wing squawk boxes would be if they heeded his simple advice and “dealt with it.” It’s a rare thing for a Republican to engage in a reality check, but by Gates’ own prediction, “any other alternative will be the end of [them] as a national movement.”
On the issues of national same-sex marriage and LGBT discrimination protections among others, it’s time to go with the flow, guys. You either learn to accept us while biting your lips, or lose relevancy altogether. It’s a simple choice, really.
Gates’ change of heart is far from perfect. He still wants religious institutions, which sponsor some 70 percent of troops, to retain the freedom to discriminate in their Scout leadership.
“We must, at all costs, preserve the religious freedom of our church partners to do this,” he said.
Sounds like Gates might do well to fully consider the advice he’s doling out instead of taking a half-step towards the future.
Dan Tracer
Girl Scouts Will Now Welcome Transgender Girls
Girl Scouts Will Now Welcome Transgender Girls
The Girl Scouts of America announced a change to one of their policies that now allows transgender kids to become members. A guest post on GSUSA’s website, titled “The Meaning of ‘Serving All Girls,'” from Andrea Bastiani Archibald confirmed the bold new direction the organization is taking in fostering diversity:
“The foundation of diversity that Juliette Gordon Low established runs throughout Girl Scouting to this day. Our mission to build “girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” extends to all members, and through our program, girls develop the necessary leadership skills to advance diversity and promote tolerance.
“If a girl is recognized by her family, school and community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe. Inclusion of transgender girls is handled at a council level on a case by case basis, with the welfare and best interests of all members as a top priority.”
The Boy Scouts of America continue to lag behind their progressive sisters as bans against gay male troop leaders still exist. However, BSA President Robert Gates called for the organization to repeal the discriminatory ban today at a meeting with the organization’s leadership.
Anthony Costello
The 18 Worst Ways To Break Up With Someone
The 18 Worst Ways To Break Up With Someone
They say that breaking up is hard to do, but if the stories below are any indication, it’s clearly a lot harder for some people than others.
Below, 18 breakup stories that make an awkward hug goodbye and the ol’ “it’s not you, it’s me” spiel sound better than ever.
1. “A friend of mine was studying abroad in Spain and her parents paid for her boyfriend to go visit her for a week. He returned to the U.S. and dumped her on Skype three days later because he said he wanted to be ‘free’ his senior year.”
2. “I was once broken up with the day after having sex for the first time and the first time he said ‘I love you.'”
3. “Before a job interview. Super shitty.”
Gif via thegifofthemagi.tumblr.com
4. “The day before they fly you to New York to see them. Also super shitty.”
5. “Breaking up on the dance floor at your friend’s wedding reception.”
6. “Having an S.O. coordinate with their superintendent to stage a building-wide fire drill to prompt you to leave their apartment in a jiffy and having them block your calls and texts immediately thereafter.”
7. “Texting. Really, anything that isn’t in person when it’s possible to do it in person is bad.”
8. “On April Fools’ Day — and then having friends wonder if it was a joke so she has to ask. It wasn’t a joke.”
9. “The worst is being too much of a wimp to break up with someone and then acting horrible for several weeks until they are forced to break up with you.”
Gif via Giphy
10. “A friend who was in a long-distance relationship was broken up with on Skype the night before her birthday. The asshole didn’t even realize the next day was her birthday.”
11. “Taking advantage of vague relationship status — or suddenly claiming it was vague — only to completely disappear without the courtesy of a conversation an actual breakup would require. It’s ghosting, but shittier.”
12. “After you move somewhere to be with them.”
13. “Breaking up with you on the plane ride home from your long-planned Florida trip because, and I quote verbatim, they ‘couldn’t bring themselves to dump you on Disney property.'”
14. “A friend of Puerto Rican descent planned her first trip to Puerto Rico and during the trip her husband asked her for a divorce. Not close to the end of the trip, but close to the beginning of the trip. Their marriage was on the rocks but come on, totally not the right time.”
15. “As they’re dumping you (over Skype, no less), they say that they had been saving for your future engagement ring, as if this breakup (and no ring) is some form of punishment for bad behavior.”
16. “Just weeks after you signed a two-year lease on an apartment together.”
17. “Over email, so the godawful news is sandwiched between spam and weekly deals from Modcloth.”
Gif via Giphy
18. “Suggesting we ‘take a break’ on the day my family and I put our 14-year-old dog to sleep.”
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Oregon Becomes Fourth Jurisdiction to Protect LGBT Kids from Conversion Therapy
Oregon Becomes Fourth Jurisdiction to Protect LGBT Kids from Conversion Therapy
NCLR and HRC applaud Oregon Gov. Kate Brown for signing House Bill 2307 into law, making Oregon the fourth jurisdiction—behind California, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia—to protect LGBT youth from the dangers of conversion therapy.
HRC.org