influencing minds

It Gets Better — a music video by Rebecca Drysdale

2011-01-15T20:45:00.003Z

World AIDS Day

2010-12-01T17:12:00.000Z

Humanists Launch Advertising Campaign

2010-11-09T19:02:00.000Z

A national multimedia ad campaign — the largest, most extensive ever by a godless organization — launches today and will include a spot on NBC Dateline on Friday, November 12, as well as other television ads, that directly challenge biblical morality and fundamentalist Christianity. The campaign, sponsored by the American Humanist Association, also features ads in major national and regional newspapers and magazines demonstrating that secular humanist values are consistent with mainstream America and that fundamentalist religion has no right to claim the moral high ground.

The ads juxtapose notable humanist quotes with passages from religious texts, including the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Quran. The ads then ask the audience to "Consider Humanism." One example is the following pairing: The Bible: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” I Timothy 2 (New International Version) Humanism: “The rights of men and women should be equal and sacred—marriage should be a perfect partnership.” Robert G. Ingersoll, in a letter dated April 13, 1878. Another pairing is: The Bible: “The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open.” God, Hosea 13:16 (New International Version) Humanism: “I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own — a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty.” Albert Einstein, column for The New York Times, Nov. 9, 1930.

To see images and videos of the ads and find more information about the campaign please visit: http://www.considerhumanism.org

"Humanist values are mainstream American values, and this campaign will help many people realize that they are already humanists and just did not know the term," said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. "Humanists believe in and value love, equality, peace, freedom and reason — values that are comparable to those of moderate and liberal religious people."

"We want to reach people in every corner of the US, from all walks of life, to raise the flag for humanists and show others that they have more in common with us than with biblical literalists," said Speckhardt.

"It's important that people recognize that a literal reading of religious texts is completely out of touch with mainstream America," Speckhardt added. "Although religious texts can teach good lessons, they also advocate fear, intolerance, hate and ignorance. It's time for all moderate people to stand up against conservative religion's claim on a moral monopoly."

All quotes from religious texts were checked by scripture scholars to ensure accuracy, context and proper translation.

Legal challenge expected over same-sex marriage

2010-10-27T10:45:00.003+01:00

Campaigners have said they are ready and willing to launch a court case over the ban on legal recognition of same-sex marriage in the UK. The Equal Love campaign insists that marriage and civil partnership should be options available to both same-sex and mixed-sex couples.

In the first stage of the campaign, four same-sex couples will attempt to register for a civil marriage, while four mixed-sex couples apply for a civil partnership.

All eight couples will almost certainly be refused. They will then more on to a joint legal challenge.

The process will begin on 2 November when Rev Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, attends Greenwich Registry Office with her partner Franka Strietzel. They will attempt to register for a marriage. A week later, Katherine Doyle and Tom Freeman will apply for a civil partnership.

“Everything is moving both nationally and internationally in favour of same-sex marriage,” insisted the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, “The trend is in our favour”.

Same-sex marriage is now recognised in five European Union countries — Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden — as well as Argentina, Canada, Iceland, Norway and South Africa.

But Tatchell insisted that, “This is not a gay rights campaign. It is a campaign for equal love rights for everyone.”

Robert Wintemute, Professor of Human Rights Law at King's College London, said that human rights law in both the EU and UK prohibits discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. This provision is expected to form the basis of the legal challenge.

The campaigners accept that there is very little difference between the legal rights currently accorded to a marriage and those granted in a civil partnership. But they emphasise the importance of the word used to describe a relationship.

“Separate is not equal and words do matter,” insisted Wintemute. As an example, he compared the situation with a university using the job title “professor” only for male staff while labelling women who did the same work as “senior teachers”.

Ferguson urged Christians to back the campaign. “Because of my Christian faith, it's marriage that I want,” she explained, “As Christians, we believe in the sanctity of marriage and this is the institution that we want”.

Ferguson explained that she had welcomed the introduction of civil partnerships, prior to which her marriage counselling to same-sex couples had often been dominated by discussion of legal issues. She also welcomed legislation passed earlier this year to allow religious elements in civil partnerships, which the government is now in the process of implementing.

But she insisted that same-sex couples are “still a long way from being [able] to totally celebrate that commitment, both legally and religiously”.

While Ferguson and Strietzel want a Christian marriage, Ferguson said that there is “no way we're ever going to get same-sex religious marriage [legally recognised] until we get same-sex civil marriage”.

Wintemute explained that the campaign is calling for “equal access to legal marriage”, whether civil or religious.

Such a change would mean that same-sex marriage would be legally recognised in any context in which mixed-sex marriage are currently allowed. However, no church or other faith group would be obliged to accept same-sex marriages if they did not wish to do so.

Doyle and Freeman will be the first of four mixed-sex couples to apply for a civil partnership as part of the campaign. They explained that they had begun to discuss marriage last year, but were put off by the inequality of the law.

Freeman said, “We don't want to become part of a system that perpetuates segregation”. Doyle added, “Could we in all conscience get married when there are other people who can't?”. She said they also decided that the language and imagery of marriage were “not right for us”.

She said that she and her partner are not natural activists. “Tom and I are not people who campaign,” she said. After deciding that they wanted a civil partnership, they had assumed there would be an existing campaign for mixed-sex civil partnerships to be allowed.

But after discovering that there was not even a Facebook group on the issue, Doyle said they realised that “we can sit here, we can twiddle our thumbs and say we would have a civil partnership if we could” or else “stand up and get something done”.

Legal recognition for same-sex marriage is now supported by the leaders of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties, along with the Conservative Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

The Christian thinktank Ekklesia has called for a thorough overhaul of marriage law that allows both mixed-sex and same-sex couples to enter into a personal, communal and — if important to them — religious commitment, with legal registration being a separate process.

Me: Ricky Martin

2010-10-23T18:23:00.010+01:00

International superstar Ricky Martin, who has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, opens up for the first time about memories of his early childhood, experiences in the famed boy band Menudo, struggles with his identity during the Livin’ la Vida Loca phenomenon, reflections on coming to terms with his sexuality, relationships that allowed him to embrace love, and life-changing decisions like devoting himself to helping children around the world and becoming a father.

Me is an intimate memoir about the very liberating and spiritual journey of one of the most iconic pop-stars of our time.

Link: Me: Ricky Martin at Amazon.com
Link: Me: Ricky Martin at Amazon.co.uk

No Homo

2010-10-11T17:51:00.000+01:00

A Question Of Manhood

2010-09-29T14:12:00.004+01:00

November 1972. The Vietnam War is rumored to be drawing to a close, and for sixteen-year-old Paul Landon, the end can’t come soon enough. The end will mean his older brother Chris, the family’s golden child, returning home from the Army for good. But while home on leave, Chris entrusts Paul with a secret: He’s gay. And when Chris is killed in action, Paul is beset by grief and guilt, haunted by knowledge he can’t share.

That summer, Paul is forced to work at his family’s pet supply store. Worse, he must train a new employee, JJ O’Neil, a gay college freshman. But though Paul initially dislikes JJ for being everything he’s not — self-confident, capable, ambitious — he finds himself learning from him. Not just about how to handle the anxious, aggressive dogs JJ so effortlessly calms and trains, but how to stand up for himself — even when it means standing against his father, his friends, and his own fears. Through JJ, Paul finally begins to glimpse who his brother really was — and a way toward becoming the man he wants to be…

Link: A Question Of Manhood at Amazon.com
Link: A Question Of Manhood at Amazon.co.uk

It Gets Better

2010-09-25T08:29:00.008+01:00

To any LGBT teenager who thinks life sucks right now because your friends make fun of your sexuality, because your parents have made homelife a living hell, because you think you’re alone… Dan Savage and a whole legion of people who have been exactly where you are right now have a message for you:

It gets better.

"Another gay teenager in another small town has killed himself — hope you're pleased with yourselves, Tony Perkins and all the other "Christians" out there who oppose anti-bullying programs (and give actual Christians a bad name).

Billy Lucas was just 15 when he hanged himself in a barn on his grandmother's property. He reportedly endured intense bullying at the hands of his classmates — classmates who called him a fag and told him to kill himself. His mother found his body.

Nine out of 10 gay teenagers experience bullying and harassment at school, and gay teens are four times likelier to attempt suicide. Many LGBT kids who do kill themselves live in rural areas, exurbs, and suburban areas, places with no gay organizations or services for queer kids.

"My heart breaks for the pain and torment you went through, Billy Lucas," a reader wrote after I posted about Billy Lucas to my blog. "I wish I could have told you that things get better."

I had the same reaction: I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that it gets better. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, it gets better.

But gay adults aren't allowed to talk to these kids. Schools and churches don't bring us in to talk to teenagers who are being bullied. Many of these kids have homophobic parents who believe that they can prevent their gay children from growing up to be gay — or from ever coming out — by depriving them of information, resources, and positive role models.

Why are we waiting for permission to talk to these kids? We have the ability to talk directly to them right now. We don't have to wait for permission to let them know that it gets better. We can reach these kids.

So here's what you can do: Make a video. Tell them it gets better.

I've launched a channel on YouTube — youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject — to host these videos. My normally camera-shy husband and I already posted one. We both went to Christian schools and we were both bullied — he had it a lot worse than I did — and we are living proof that it gets better. We don't dwell too much on the past. Instead, we talk mostly about all the meaningful things in our lives now — our families, our friends (gay and straight), the places we've gone and things we've experienced — that we would've missed out on if we'd killed ourselves then.

"You gotta give 'em hope," Harvey Milk said.

Today we have the power to give these kids hope. We have the tools to reach out to them and tell our stories and let them know that it does get better. Online support groups are great, GLSEN does amazing work, the Trevor Project is invaluable. But many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them.

The video my husband and I made is up now — all by itself. I'd like to add submissions from other gay and lesbian adults — singles and couples, with kids or without, established in careers or just starting out, urban and rural, of all races and religious backgrounds. (Go to youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject to find instructions for submitting your video.) If you're gay or lesbian or bi or trans and you've ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, "I wish I could've told him that it gets better," this is your chance. We can't help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there — other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don't think they have a future — and we can help them.

They need to know that it gets better. Submit a video. Give them hope."

Dan Savage

The Right to Be Out: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in America's Public Schools

2010-09-20T09:24:00.007+01:00

Despite significant advances for gay and transgender persons in the United States, the public school environment remains daunting, even frightening, as evidenced by numerous high-profile incidents of discrimination, bullying, violence, and suicide. Yet efforts to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students and educators, or to enhance curricula to better reflect the experience of differing sexual orientations and gender identities, are bitterly opposed in the courtroom, at the ballot box, and especially in the schools themselves.

The Right to Be Out begins with a cogent history and analysis of the dramatic legal developments concerning the rights of LGBT persons since 1968. Stuart Biegel then turns to what K-12 schools should do-and in many cases have already done-to implement right-to-be-out policies. He examines recent legal and public policy changes that affect LGBT students and educators in the K-12 public school system.

Underlying all of these issues, he shows, is an implicit tension about the right to be out, a right that is seen as fundamental within LGBT communities today and, legally, draws on both the First Amendment right to express an identity and the Fourteenth Amendment right to be treated equally. Biegel addresses the implications of asserting and protecting this right within the hotly contested terrain of America's public schools.

This book is a valuable resource for K-12 school administrators, parents, teacher organizations, mental health professionals and school counselors, LGBT advocacy groups, and the legal community. A safe and supportive educational environment for all students is possible, Biegel concludes, if built on shared values and a belief in the strength of our pluralistic society.

Link: The Right to Be Out at Amazon.com
Link: The Right to Be Out at Amazon.co.uk

Let's Get This Straight: The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents

2010-09-20T09:16:00.002+01:00

Let’s Get This Straight reaches out to young people with one or more gay, lesbian, bi, or trans parents to provide them with the tools to combat homophobia, take pride in their alternative family structures, and speak out against injustice. This short but thorough book profiles forty-five diverse youth and young adults, all of whom voice their opinions and provide advice for other youth living in LGBTQ households. Let’s Get This Straight also includes probing questions, fun activities, engaging quizzes, and reflective journal sections for youth to share their feelings and experiences about having a gay parent.

Regardless of the new cry for multiculturalism and tolerance, a large percentage of society still participates in the isolation and rejection of gays and their families. As the media brings ever-increasing exposure to gay-headed households, this book is more important than ever. Let’s Get This Straight is the perfect blend of wit, sharing of experiences, and “expert” advice that children with LGBTQ parents need to become more self-aware and affirming, and to maintain healthy relationships with their parents.

Link: Let’s Get This Straight at Amazon.com
Link: Let’s Get This Straight at Amazon.co.uk

Modern family

2010-09-15T07:03:00.000+01:00

A majority of Americans now say their definition of family includes same-sex couples with children, as well as married gay and lesbian couples.

At the same time, most Americans do not consider unmarried cohabiting couples, either heterosexual or same-sex, to be a family — unless they have children.

The findings — part of a survey conducted this year as well as in 2003 and 2006 by Brian Powell, a sociology professor at Indiana University, Bloomington — are reported in a new book, “Counted Out: Same-Sex Relations and Americans’ Definitions of Family”.

Since the surveys began, the proportion of people who reported having a gay friend or relative rose 10 percentage points, said Professor Powell, the book’s lead author.

“This is not because more people are gay now than in 2003,” he said. “This indicates a more open social environment in which individuals now feel more comfortable discussing and acknowledging sexuality. Ironically with all the antigay initiatives, all of a sudden people were saying the word ‘gay’ out loud. Just the discussion about it made people more comfortable.”

Counted Out broadens the scope of previous studies by moving beyond efforts to understand how Americans view their own families to examine the way Americans characterize the concept of family in general. The book reports on and analyzes the results of the authors’ Constructing the Family Surveys (2003 and 2006), which asked more than 1500 people to explain their stances on a broad range of issues, including gay marriage and adoption, single parenthood, the influence of biological and social factors in child development, religious ideology, and the legal rights of unmarried partners.

Not surprisingly, the authors find that the standard bearer for public conceptions of family continues to be a married, heterosexual couple with children. More than half of Americans also consider same-sex couples with children as family, and from 2003 to 2006 the percentages of those who believe so increased significantly — up 6 percent for lesbian couples and 5 percent for gay couples. The presence of children in any living arrangement meets with a notable degree of public approval. Less than 30 percent of Americans view heterosexual cohabitating couples without children as family, while similar couples with children count as family for nearly 80 percent. Many Americans, however, are still torn over whether certain living arrangements count as family, particularly same-sex couples without children. And nearly all reject the idea that housemates, for example, are family. Counted Out shows that for most Americans, however, the boundaries around what they define as family are becoming more malleable with time.

Although such issues as same-sex marriage and gay adoption remain at the center of a cultural divide, Counted Out demonstrates that American definitions of family are becoming more expansive. Who counts as family has far-reaching implications for policy, including health insurance coverage, end-of-life decisions, estate rights, and child custody. Public opinion matters. As lawmakers consider the future of family policy, they will want to consider the evolution in American opinion represented in this groundbreaking book.

Link: Counted Out at Amazon.com
Link: Counted Out at Amazon.co.uk

Chilly reception for Icelandic Prime Minister

2010-09-12T15:57:00.000+01:00

Relations between Iceland and the Faroe Islands are under pressure after several Faroese MPs launched a homophobic attack on Iceland’s head of government, reports The Irish Times.

Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, the world’s first openly gay prime minister, was on an official courtesy visit to the Faroe Islands to try to boost political and cultural ties between the neighbouring territories.

But the visit was marred by a snub by Jenis av Rana, an MP and leader of Midflokkurin, a fundamentalist Christian party, who refused an invitation to a state dinner in Tórshavn, the Faroese capital, because Ms Sigurdadóttir was accompanied by her wife.

Mr av Rana said the presence of Jónina Leósdóttir at the state dinner was “a provocation”. Long-time partners Ms Sigurdardóttir and Ms Leósdóttir were married in their native Reykjavik in June this year on the same day a new law making Iceland the 10th country in the world allowing full same-sex marriages took effect.

Mr av Rana, who is also a general practitioner and a preacher, pointed out that his political party is formally opposed to homosexuality.

“Were I to participate in the official dinner, it would be the same as saying that I support a union that is contrary to nature and condemned by the Bible. And that’s something I will not risk under any circumstances,” he said.

Mr av Rana’s traditionalist views were echoed by parliamentarians in other parties. Gerhard Lognberg, a social democrat, said that while he was not invited to the dinner he was unsure if he would have attended had the offer been made.

Accepting the dinner invitation, he said, was tantamount to accepting gay marriages.

Alfred Olsen, of Sambandsflokkurin, a liberal party, said he objected to the presence of a same-sex spouse.

“It is against nature for a man or a woman to live with a person of the same sex,” he said.

Though not themselves in cabinet, Mr Lognberg and Mr Olsen are MPs for parties which are part of the three-party coalition government.

Kaj Leo Johannesen, the Faroese prime minister, condemned the anti-gay outbursts, saying Mr av Rana should be “ashamed of himself”.

Opposition leader Høgni Hoydal, a former deputy prime minister, told The Irish Times in an interview that he too was “ashamed of the MPs’ behaviour”.

Ms Sigurdardóttir and her wife “were representing the whole Icelandic nation” and snubbing them was utterly unacceptable, he said.

Although Mr Hoydal claimed that only a small minority of the 48,000 Faroese inhabitants are homophobic, he also feared that the incident would damage the islands’ international image.

“It was an insult to the Icelanders and to every homosexual person in the world,” he said.

The Faroe Islands are a semi-autonomous territory under the Danish crown but they are markedly more socially conservative than other Nordic countries. The islands are situated approximately halfway between Great Britain and Iceland.

In 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to permit registered partnerships for gay and lesbian couples and today, Norway, Sweden and Iceland all allow same-sex marriage.

Gay and lesbian unions are not recognised in the Faroes and gay couples are banned from adopting children.

Sexual orientation was written into the islands’ anti-discrimination law as recently as 2006, and even then only by a narrow margin after a bitter political debate.

There are no statistics on the number of gay people living in the Faroe Islands.

However, anecdotal evidence suggests that a large proportion of the gay community chooses emigration to Denmark over a hostile home environment.

GLAAD mounts campaign against 50 Cent

2010-09-12T11:49:00.006+01:00

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is calling on 50 Cent to let his fans know that anti-gay violence isn’t something to joke about after the rapper tweeted threatening comments to blogger Perez Hilton last week, including a violent photo of two men in suits running from a mob.

"Perez Hilton calld me douchebag so I had my homie shoot up a gay wedding. wasnt his but still made me feel better," read the tweet.

50 Cent also tweeted Hilton: "stop being so sensitive its a joke. Your acting like a big baby" and, "my next song will make your sweet ass dance lol chill out."

"It's wrong to make jokes and promote violence against the gay community," said GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro.

"Taking down the post is not enough. We wanted him to tell his Twitter followers that what he did was wrong."

A rep for 50 Cent had no comment. But it wasn't the first time "Fitty's" run afoul of the gay community.

He told Playboy in a 2004 interview, "I don't like gay people around me, because I'm not comfortable with what their thoughts are... I'd rather hang out with a straight dude. But women who like women, that's cool."

GLAAD is calling on supporters to post this tweet on their twitter pages:

RT @glaad: Tell @50cent to let his fans know that anti-gay violence isn’t something to joke about. http://bit.ly/ab6rXV #LGBT #gay Pls RT!

Focus on the Family Goes After LGBT Students

2010-09-04T20:00:00.000+01:00

Maureen Costello, director of Teaching Tolerance (tolerance.org), responds to Focus on the Family's attempts to damage anti-bullying programs.

For the last few days, an “educational analyst” for Focus on the Family has been getting a lot of press. She’s been suggesting that anti-bullying efforts that draw attention to the harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students are part of a “gay agenda” to “sneak homosexuality lessons into classrooms.”

One can argue, as some have, that Focus on the Family is a fringe group that doesn’t represent the majority of Christians in the United States. That’s true. But it’s also true that Focus on the Family has an outsized impact on conservative thought in this country. And by using deception and spin, the group has managed this week to grab the media spotlight. The goal is apparently to make schools less safe for LGBT students and more safe for their harassers. That cannot be ignored.

It’s also impossible to ignore Focus on the Family’s smarmy tactics. Taking a page out of George Orwell, the group has developed a website for parents designed to “challenge the monopoly.” They’ve named it TrueTolerance.org. Sound familiar?

Teaching Tolerance has been fighting for children and teachers for 20 years. We can say with certainty that the Focus on the Family campaign has nothing to do with tolerance. And it has nothing to do with keeping children safe. The harassment of LGBT students is rampant and destructive, as has been detailed in the new Teaching Tolerance documentary, Bullied: A School, a Student and a Case that Made History. This film tells the story of Jamie Nabozny, a gay student who was tormented and beaten by bullies while school officials steadfastly looked the other way.

Be assured of one thing: Today, thousands of other LGBT students face this same hell just by going to class. Focus on the Family admits that 30 percent of American children report being involved in bullying at school. But all the evidence shows that LGBT students are disproportionately represented in that 30 percent.

According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 86 percent of LGBT students report being bullied — a rate almost three times higher than students in general. The federal government reports that openly gay and lesbian students are at an even higher risk of bias-related violence and physical assaults. Lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents are more than twice as likely as their straight peers to be depressed and contemplate suicide. More than 60 percent report feeling unsafe at school.

But we don’t need statistics to tell us this. Anyone who has spent any time in a school, especially a middle school, knows that the words “gay” and “faggot” are hurled casually — and they are not intended to be kind. Students who are gay, lesbian or questioning live in fear of exposure. Others dread the ridicule that comes with being seen as different, and may side with the bullies, or decline to stand up for the harassed, out of self-preservation. The people at Focus on the Family know this as well and they want to keep it that way. The group has its own agenda that could be roughly boiled down to three points:

1. LGBT students should be invisible. The group argues, with absolutely no evidence, that generic anti-bullying policies that don’t name LGBT bullying are “most effective.” GLSEN, on the other hand, offers plenty of data to show just the opposite. Schools become safer for everyone when they adopt anti-bullying policies that spell out the categories of students most frequently targeted by bullies — including race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

2. LGBT allies should be silent. Focus on the Family says essentially, “Don’t focus on the victim, focus on the bad behavior of the bully.” But handling each bullying event in isolation ignores the environment in which bullying breeds. Bullying usually begins with name-calling and then escalates. It escalates because too often neither the school staff nor the other students realize that they have a role in stopping it. Bullying thrives amid passive bystanders.

3. School administrators and teachers should be very, very afraid. After terrifying parents that their kindergarteners are soon to be the target of homosexual indoctrination, TrueTolerance.org offers up a menu of deception designed to rally the forces of fear. Parents — armed with misinformation about their taxpayer rights, screwy science about childhood sexuality and bad legal advice — are urged to apply pressure. The group knows that fearful administrators will want to avoid trouble, so teachers will find it harder to stop LGBT harassment.

Focus on the Family’s biggest fear is that schools will reflect a diverse US society — one that includes LGBT students. They do not want to be challenged in their belief that homosexuality is immoral, abnormal and changeable.

We don’t expect to change those personal beliefs. Simply put, our goal is to ask those who would ignore the pain and suffering of these children to understand that acknowledging the problem of anti-LGBT bullying — and wanting to make schools safe from harassment for all students — doesn’t require that you approve. At the risk of sounding pedantic, we would remind them that living in a democratic and diverse society means living alongside people with whom you disagree

The alternative is to stay silent and stand by while terrible things happen to other people’s children. Terrible things that no parent would ever want to happen to his or her own child.

We are glad to stand up for LGBT students and we will not rest until educators across the country do so as well. We are glad to work with groups like GLSEN, PFLAG and Welcoming Schools (a project of the Human Rights Campaign), three of the “gay activist” organizations Focus on the Family is gunning for. And we are proud that they have endorsed the movie “Bullied” as a tool for fighting against anti-gay bigotry.

Coming Out About Smoking

2010-09-04T08:08:00.001+01:00

A new report, “Coming Out about Smoking: Tobacco Use in the LGBTQ Young Adult Community” released by the National Youth Advocacy Coalition explores the reasons why sexual minority youth smoke and suggests strategies for prevention.

The report finds that sexual minority youth are likely to smoke due to unique stressors such as discrimination and lack of family acceptance; that many sexual minority youth see smoking as an important social activity; that most sexual minority youth prefer to date nonsmokers; and that sexual minority youth smokers tend not to smoke heavily, with many wanting to quit. In order to reduce smoking rates, the report recommends intervention programs designed by youth and for youth, early outreach to youth smokers, and emphasis on the health risks of smoking.

“Current data suggest that sexual minority youth are more likely to smoke than the general youth population, but this report examines why. There is plenty of opportunity for intervention; we need to encourage tobacco prevention programs designed and driven by and for youth, which both emphasize the health risks of smoking and relate to the major stressors sexual minority youth face each day,” said Gregory Varnum, Executive Director of NYAC.

The full report is available online here.

Tobacco facts:

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people have been targeted by the tobacco industry.

Interventions to counter tobacco use are not always culturally tailored for the LGBT communities.

The LGBT communities smoke at rates 40%-almost 200% higher than the general population.

The National Tobacco Control Network is working to support the many local tobacco control advocates in helping to eliminate tobacco health disparities for all LGBTs.

Ex-Gay No Way

2010-09-02T19:12:00.017+01:00

“To those left with the question, Why did he do it?” Thus begins another suicide letter by a gay man who believed with all his heart that Christianity and homosexuality cannot co-exist in the same person.

He was told this lie by people who often call themselves, “Ex-Gays” and they are part of a cult-like, 30 year-old movement whose latest title of faux respectability is “Reparative Therapy.” No matter what psychological dressings they hang on their outward identity, this fundamentalist extremity of Christianity always has the same agenda: Because God has told them that homosexuality is a sickness and a sin — on this alone — the movement has assumed that flipping from gay to straight is changeable and change-worthy, despite decades of psycho/sexual research to the contrary.

Jallen Rix, a young Southern Baptist, joined an ex-gay ministry when he discovered his same-sex attractions. Although the ministry did not make him heterosexual, it did manage to damage and destroy any sense of stability and self-esteem. This book is Dr Rix’s journey, not only through the ex-gay world and recovery from it, but also his discoveries of how many of the elements used in these oppressive environments are many of the same damaging tactics used widespread in power-abusive religious organizations today.

Link: Ex-Gay No Way by Jallen Rix at Amazon.com
Link: Ex-Gay No Way by Jallen Rix at Amazon.co.uk

Love Drugged

2010-09-01T14:04:00.006+01:00

If you could change who you are, would you? Should you?

"This coming-of-age gay novel includes the basics of learning to accept who you are and adds a touch of intrigue. This is a great choice for anyone questioning their sexuality or for teens who like a little twist in their mystery." — VOYA

Fifteen-year-old Jamie Bates has a simple strategy for surviving high school: fit in, keep a low profile, and above all, protect his biggest secret-he's gay. But when a classmate discovers the truth, a terrified Jamie does all he can to change who he is. At first, it's easy. Everyone notices when he starts hanging out with Celia Gamez, the richest and most beautiful girl in school. And when he steals an experimental new drug that's supposed to "cure" his attraction to guys, Jamie thinks he's finally going to have a "normal" life.

But as the drug's side effects worsen and his relationship with Celia heats up, Jamie begins to realize that lying and using could shatter the fragile world of deception that he's created-and hurt the people closest to him.

Told with equal doses of humor and suspense, Love Drugged explores the consequences of a life constructed almost entirely of lies... especially the lies we tell ourselves.

Link: Love Drugged at Amazon.com
Link: Love Drugged at Amazon.co.uk

OutServe creates base and regional chapters around the globe

2010-08-31T16:39:00.001+01:00

OutServe, an underground network of gay and lesbian US military personnel, today announced the creation of several base and regional chapters around the globe.

At least ten will be organized by OutServe this week on military bases and regions where the organization has significant presence, including Afghanistan and Iraq. For safety reasons the exact location of the chapters will not be known, except for inside the exclusive network, but 5 chapters will be located overseas and 5 chapters will be located stateside.

Although the demand to establish additional chapters is high, OutServe will start with ten this week and expand in the near future. For information on the group go to www.outserve.org

The goal of each base and regional chapter will be to provide information, resources and social support to actively serving military personnel. “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” places an immense burden upon individuals who think they are alone at their base and these networks will seek to fix that. Each chapter will be charged with growing and expanding their networks and offering support in their specific areas. OutServe Headquarters will be tasked with supporting those networks and serving as the voice of the national organization.

“We need to start to empower local military networks to expand and unite them under one banner,” said JD Smith, OutServe’s co-director and active duty officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. He continued, “Informal networks of gay and lesbian military members have existed well before World War I and it’s time to take those networks and start connecting them and giving them more resources.”

Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” it can be difficult for LGBT military personnel to network with one another. “Our goal is to create an OutServe-based information superhighway where we can help LGBT military personnel connect with one another both locally and globally more efficiently,” stated Ty Walrod, OutServe’s co-director. “We want military personnel to know commands that are friendly, commanders which should be addressed with caution, and where to turn for both friendship and support.”

“Our Commander-in-Chief directed us that this law is changing soon and we need to prepare ourselves to offer one other support in this time of transition,” stated JD Smith. “Regardless when DADT is repealed, our goal is to continue to lay the foundation for a strong network of support.” As the policy changes to allow open service in the future, these chapters will serve as hubs of social and professional support for OutServe’s members in the future.

Top signs your husband is gay… and what they tell us about ultra-conservatives!

2010-08-31T13:49:00.001+01:00

Apparentlyat least 4,000,000 women in the USA have been sexually involved with men that have had sex with other men, and 20 percent of all gay men in America are in heterosexual marriages.

So… what are the tell-tale that signs your husband is gay? We've enlisted the help of ismyspousegay.com (I kid you not) to find the signs.

Sign number two is "Possession of homosexual pornography". No surprises there then!

However, it gets more interesting when we get to sign number seven.

"A consistent overreaction to anything concerning gay men — extreme homophobic behavior. If your husband turns almost militantly angry when confronted by someone who is gay, it may indicate that your husband is gay. This doesn't make sense at first, but take a minute and think about it… People often lash out at those who embody traits they do not like about themselves. They are in fact empathizing with that person, but it doesn't come across that way."

So all those ultra-conservative religious leaders are actually gay? Thought as much…

Focus on the Family back this up with their top tips:

Behavior that does not add up; inconsistencies in details;
Outbursts of anger;
Preoccupation with physical appearance;
Claims of working long hours;
Unexplained payments on bank statements.

Oh the irony! I can see a pattern emerging here.

So there we have it. What we knew all along. The leaders of the anti-gay agenda may have a little something to hide…

Children raised by gay couples show good progress through school

2010-08-31T06:52:00.000+01:00

Stanford sociologist Michael J Rosenfeld used US census data to perform the first large-sample, nationally representative tests of outcomes for children raised by same-sex couples. In a study published this month in the journal Demography, Rosenfeld concludes that children being raised by same-sex couples have nearly the same educational achievement as children raised by married heterosexual couples, with much of the difference being down to socio economic factors.

The results show that children of same-sex couples are as likely to make normal progress through school as the children of most other family structures. Heterosexual married couples are the family type whose children have the lowest rates of grade retention, but the advantage of heterosexual married couples is mostly due to their higher socio economic status. Children of all family types (including children of same-sex couples) are far more likely to make normal progress through school than are children living in group quarters (such as orphanages and shelters).

Children of gay and married couples had lower grade-repetition rates than their peers raised by opposite-sex unmarried couples and single parents, according to the study.

The real bullies at Focus on the Family

2010-08-30T21:53:00.003+01:00

The Associated Press and Denver Post this weekend reported that officials from the ultra-conservative Christian group Focus on the Family are on the offensive against public school anti-bullying programs that insist gay students not be bullied.

The Aurora Sentinel has published a robust response to this hateful group that is at the forefront of the anti-equality agenda.

Focus on the Family’s stance against efforts to prevent public school students from bullying their gay and lesbian peers is deeply disturbing and warrants communitywide rebuke.

Candi Cushman, the group’s education expert, told The Denver Post that the anti-bullying issue is being “highjacked by (gay) activists.”

While this group almost routinely espouses worrisome messages and activist programs on its own, this one is particularly dangerous.

Officials there say they support anti-bullying programs, but not ones that focus on telling students not to bully gays. They say they disagree with the programs because they tell students that homosexuality is not a deviant lifestyle.

It’s not.

Focus on the Family officials say that gay-rights activists are making Christian groups out to be bigots because they believe differently than most of the rest of the world.

Christianity is a big tent, and the Focus on the Family aficionados claim only a small part of it. There are a growing number of devout Christian-based religions that adopted a much more progressive and enlightened attitude toward homosexuality. This group does all Americans a disservice for presuming to speak for all Christians.

More disturbing is how truly bigoted this message truly is, and how dangerous that is for an important effort to protect all school children, including those who are homosexuals, black, quiet or even short.

When teaching children not to bully others because they look different or act different, one of the most important components of the lesson is to be tolerant of those who are different, and that our differences should be accepted. It includes children who have a disability, who are excruciatingly shy or who are gay or lesbian.

By trying to halt or change these important programs, Focus on the Family shows how they continue to be intolerant bullies themselves.

School officials need to stand firm here and protect the rights and safety of all children continuing with these successful programs that have made schools safer for everyone and harmed absolutely no one.

We couldn't have put it better!

I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip.

2010-08-30T13:28:00.018+01:00

“The contribution this book makes [gives] reason why it should be available wherever young people read.” — New York Times

The 40th anniversary edition of a groundbreaking teen classic.

Best known as the first teen novel to address homosexuality, I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip. is also renowned for its brilliant, timeless storytelling. This anniversary edition features thoughtful essays from Brent Hartinger (Geography Club), Martin Wilson (What They Always Tell Us), and others who reflect on the novel and its distinctive place in history. Also included is a foreword by Stacey Donovan, the late author's niece.

When the grandmother who raised him dies, Davy Ross, a lonely thirteen-year-old boy, must move to Manhattan to live with his estranged mother. Between alcohol-infused lectures about her self-sacrifice and awkward visits with his distant father, Davy’s only comfort is his beloved dachshund Fred. Things start to look up when he and a boy from school become friends. But when their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Davy struggles to understand what happened and what it might mean.

Link: I'll Get There at Amazon.com
Link: I'll Get There at Amazon.co.uk

No H8 In The Heights

2010-08-29T15:55:00.002+01:00

NOH8 Campaign supporter Rick Caroto, who has been working with the national tour of hit Broadway musical In The Heights, reached out to NOH8 photographer Adam Bouska after the tour arrived at the historic Pantages Theater in Los Angeles to see if they might be able to work together.

As evidenced by the photos — they were!

"In The Heights" is the hit Broadway musical celebrating culture and community, exploring the common ties that unite us as human beings. Set in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights, In The Heights features a diverse cast and a unique soundtrack that won the show two 2008 Tony Awards (for Best Musical and Best Original Score).

Many of the themes explored throughout the course of the story reflect lessons the NOH8 Campaign can truly stand behind, from the unexpected discrimination and subsequent struggle a budding interracial couple finds themselves up against to the diverse neighborhood coming together as a whole and fighting to be heard.

You can see more of the photos and read about Rick Caroto's NOH8 experience first-hand by checking out the NOH8 Campaign website.

8: The Mormon Proposition

2010-08-29T09:00:00.000+01:00

8: The Mormon Proposition is an indictment of the Mormon Church’s historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California’s Proposition 8 and the Mormon religion’s secretive, decades-long campaign against gay rights. The film takes place in California and Utah as Mormons, following their prophet’s call to action, wage spiritual warfare fought with money and lies against US citizens and their fight for marriage equality and the rights that come with marriage.

“Outstanding and urgent.” — The Los Angeles Times

“Highly emotional… a wrenching exploration.” — The New York Times

“**** out of 5” — The New York Daily News

Link: 8: The Mormon Proposition at Amazon.com
Link: 8: The Mormon Proposition at Amazon.co.uk

Equality U

2010-08-29T08:07:00.006+01:00

Equality U is a feature-length documentary following a group of 33 young activists on the Soulforce Equality Ride, a first of its kind, two-month, cross-country tour to confront anti-gay discrimination policies at 19 conservative religious and military colleges. It is a story of a group of young people struggling to stand up for what they believe is right.

Against the backdrop of the Equality Ride, the film focuses on seven of the 'Equality Riders' and two courageous students they encounter along their journey. And while most of the young Riders identify as Christian, not all of them do so in the same way, if at all. At each stop, the Riders exercise 'relentless non-violent resistance' and often face arrest for trespassing. They must confront the controversial question: "Do schools ultimately have the right to decide who does and doesn't belong?" But even in the most seemingly unwelcoming campuses, the Riders find straight students who are interested in a dialogue.

Can this small group of activists sow the seeds of dialogue as their bus rolls down the highway? How will the road change them? For the Riders that identify as both Queer and Christian, how will the journey challenge or transform their faith? And what happens to the outed gay students they encounter and then leave behind?

Incorporating verité footage, interviews, and personal video journals recorded by the six central Riders themselves, Equality U focuses on the personal stories of our lead characters and the journeys they take during this foray into activism. The story comes through their eyes. They’ll make mistakes and they’ll have conflict with the outside world and amongst themselves. Equality U looks closely at their personal struggles over the course of the entire tour, allowing us an intimate portrait of a group of young people on the forefront of social change.

Link: Equality U at Amazon.com
Link: Equality U at Amazon.co.uk

Coming Out: Voices of Gay and Lesbian Teens and their Families

2010-08-28T21:54:00.001+01:00

For gay and lesbian teens, coming out can be a complicated and difficult process. They may be isolated, alienated from their family and peers, and feel the dangerous threat of homophobia in their community. In this DVD you can see real interviews with gay and lesbian teenagers and their parents as they share their experiences of coming out. You can also hear expert commentary by Dr Wendy Rosen on the special issues these teenagers face at home and at school, as well as the different stages and processes they and their families go through in order to fully embrace their sexuality. In a call for acceptance and community, this DVD helps pave the way.

Thought provoking and accessible, this DVD is invaluable for all parents, teachers, and professionals working with teenagers.

Link: Coming Out at Amazon.com

Queer Questions, Clear Answers: The Contemporary Debates on Sexual Orientation

2010-08-28T21:25:00.002+01:00

It never ceases to surprise me that at a time when our world faces massive problems such as war, disease, hunger and starvation some people should be spending so much time and energy on sexual orientation, determined to discriminate against others because of their sexual orientation. I believe that the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community has the same rights and freedom as anyone else in our world. We are not free until we are all free.

In Queer Questions, Clear Answers, Tom Serwatka looks at the issues that keep dividing us on this topic. Throughout the pages of his book heÊ offers us the tools we need to carry on an open and honest dialogue — a dialogue aimed at building understanding and respect for each other.

Queer Questions, Clear Answers: The Contemporary Debates on Sexual Orientation offers an eye-opening conversation about questions, facts — and fears — relative to sexual orientation. The book is framed around a series of nine sets of "queer questions," including, Who is queer and who is not? How do we interpret and use sacred scriptures to control behavior and set public policy? What lessons can we learn from history and psychology? and What is the homosexual agenda?

The author, himself a gay man and prominent academic, combines cross-disciplinary research and personal anecdotes in his intriguing search for answers to questions that are central to ongoing cultural and political debates. In discussing each set of questions, he examines perspectives and arguments from across the political spectrum. The clear, articulate, and wholly candid answers he offers will help readers get beyond the headlines — and the sound bites — to better understand many important arguments about homosexuality and human rights.

Link: Queer Questions, Clear Answers at Amazon.com
Link: Queer Questions, Clear Answers at Amazon.co.uk

Holy Terror: Lies the Christian Right Tells Us to Deny Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Equality

2010-08-28T21:14:00.001+01:00

The best-selling author of Stranger at the Gate and former fundamentalist who ghost-wrote books for Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Billy Graham, the Reverend Mel White provides an insider’s exposé of the Christian Right’s agenda — and a clarion call to resist it.

A deeply religious man who sees fundamentalism as “evangelical Christian orthodoxy gone cultic,” Mel White believes that it is not a stretch to say that the true goals of today’s fundamentalists are to break down the wall that separates church and state, superimpose their “moral values” on the US Constitution, replace democracy with theocratic rule, and ultimately create a new “Christian America” in their image. As he writes, “These are not just Neocons dressed in religious drag. These men see themselves as gurus called by God to rescue America from unrighteousness. They believe this is a Christian nation that must be returned forcibly to its Christian roots.”

White is also a gay man who made news when he came out more than fourteen years ago. He has gained a unique understanding of the fundamentalist agenda because, since the fall of “godless Communism,” homosexuality and abortion have become the primary targets through which fundamentalists have created fear, raised money, and mobilized recruits. Originally published in hardcover three years ago under the title Religion Gone Bad, Holy Terror documents the thirty-year war that fundamentalist Christians have waged against gays and lesbians and off ers dramatic, heartbreaking evidence that fundamentalist leaders are waging nothing less than a “holy war” against sexual minorities.

Mel White is the president and co-founder of Soulforce, an organization committed to ending religious-based bigotry against gay men and lesbians in America. The recipient of the ACLU’s National Civil Liberties Award, he lives in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Link: Holy Terror at Amazon.com
Link: Holy Terror at Amazon.co.uk

Between a Man and a Woman?: Why Conservatives Oppose Same-Sex Marriage

2010-08-28T21:02:00.002+01:00

Through a probing investigation of conservative Christianity and its response to an issue that, according to the statistics of conservative Christian groups, affects only a small number of Americans, Ludger Viefhues-Bailey alights on a profound theological conundrum: in today's conservative Christian movement, both sexes are called upon to be at once assertive and submissive, masculine and feminine, not only within the home but also within the church, society, and the state. Therefore the arguments of conservative Christians against same-sex marriage involve more than literal readings of the Bible or nostalgia for simple gender roles.

Focusing primarily on texts produced by Focus on the Family, a leading media and ministry organization informing conservative Christian culture, Viefhues-Bailey identifies two distinct ideas of male homosexuality: gender-disturbed and passive; and oversexed, strongly masculine, and aggressive. These homosexualities enable a complex ideal of Christian masculinity in which men are encouraged to be assertive toward the world while also being submissive toward God and family. This web of sexual contradiction influences the flow of power between the sexes and within the state. It joins notions of sexual equality to claims of "natural" difference, establishing a fraught basis for respectable romantic marriage. Heterosexual union is then treated as emblematic of, if not essential to, the success of American political life—yet far from creating gender stability, these tensions produce an endless striving for balance. Viefhues-Bailey's final, brilliant move is to connect the desire for stability to the conservative Christian movement's strategies of political power.

Link: Between a Man and a Woman? at Amazon.com
Link: Between a Man and a Woman? at Amazon.co.uk