Zach Wahls Talks With Piers Morgan About The Sanctity of Marriage

Catholics Should Unite with Jews and Muslims to Form United Front Against Gays

The Pope's Nuncio in Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, suggested that Catholics unite with their anti-gay counterparts in the Jewish and Muslim faiths to oppose gays who want marriage, the Telegraph reports:

Addressing English and Welsh bishops at their plenary meeting in Leeds, Archbishop Mennini, warned them they faced a “lengthy and probably difficult campaign”.

“I wonder if we shouldn’t ask for and look for more support among other Christian confessions and indeed, persons of other faiths,” he said.

“It seems to me that, concerning the institution of marriage, and indeed the sanctity of human life, we have much in common with the position of the Jewish community, the Chief Rabbi and many of the more significant representatives of Islam.”

Speaking in London yesterday the second most senior active Catholic cleric in England and Wales, Archbishop Peter Smith, of Southwark, said there had been no “formal” contact with Jewish groups to form a united front on the subject of marriage. But he said: “We will work with anyone who agrees with us that to redefine marriage is not a good thing for society and will lead to more confusion.”

Jack Reese, Gay Utah Teen, Commits Suicide After Allegedly Being Subjected To Bullying In School

On Monday, April 23, 18-year-old Alex Smith spoke on a community panel at a screening of a film on bullying, telling the packed room about the bullying his boyfriend, Jack, experienced at school.

What no one in the room yet knew, including Alex, was that Jack had already taken his own life.

The death of Jack Reese, 17, of Mountain Green, on Sunday is the latest known suicide of a gay teen in Northern Utah.

According to one official, off the record: “It happens here about once a week,” but then quickly adds, “but officially, you know, it doesn’t happen here.”

Now, OUTreach, an Ogden-based LGBT resource center, is hosting a community panel and discussion, “A Community Stands up – Northern Utah Addresses LGBT Bullying and Suicide” on May 1 at the Ogden Amphitheater in Ogden.

The purpose of the event, according to Marian Edmonds, OUTreach Executive Director, “is for the community to stand in solidarity with queer youth, to speak out and express grief and outrage at yet another loss of life in Northern Utah, and to witness for the need for immediate change in schools, churches and society.”

“Until all youth are loved and accepted in their homes, able to attend school without fear of bullying, and know that their lives are worth living, this community will continue to demand change,” Edmonds said in a statement.

Gays Should Choose Jesus Instead Of Their Spouses

Two Christian state senators debating Colorado’s civil union bill – Senate Bill 2 – yesterday decided to quote Bible passages and proselytize from the Senate floor, including telling gay people to choose Jesus over their same-sex partner.

“I truly believe Jesus is a better answer than Senate Bill 2,” Senator Scott Renfroe told his colleagues – and every Colorado citizen. Choose Jesus over the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, Renfroe says. Because, apparently, Senator Renfroe is under the mistaken idea that Colorado citizens elected him to minister to their lives, to be a theocrat, to make his interpretation of the Bible the law of the land in Colorado.

“This bill tears at the very fabric of our morality and our society,” Renfroe added.

The Gay Debate: The Bible and Homosexuality

Senate Passes LGBT-Inclusive Violence Against Women Act

The U.S. Senate just moments ago passed the Democrat’s version of the bill reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) after a contentious few weeks in which Republicans were angered by upgrades that extended protections to LGBT people, immigrants, and Native Americans. The bill passed by a vote of 68-31.

“The GOP-led House is set to pass a scaled back version, in which case the two chambers would have to sort out their differences in conference committee,” Talking Points Memo reports.

The Power List

How to measure a person’s power? In a world in which we have inexpensive tools to reach billions, it may seem that the globe truly is flat, and we’re all on an even playing field. But a few exemplary individuals manage to influence the way others live -- either through their public personas, politics, or wealth -- and affect cultural and social attitudes.

1. Tim Cook
CEO, Apple, 51

2. Ellen Degeneres
Spokesperson/Talk-Show Host/Producer, 54

3. Peter Thiel
Venture Capitalist/Hedge Fund Manager, 44

4. Ryan Murphy
Writer/Director/Producer, 46

5. Rachel Maddow
TV Host/Political Commentator, 39

6. Anderson Cooper
Journalist/News Anchor/Talk-Show Host, 44

7. Rich Ross
Former Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios, 49

8. Barry Diller
Chairman, IAC, 70

9. Shepard Smith
News Anchor, 48

10. Andy Cohen
TV Personality/Impresario, 44

11. Neil Patrick Harris
Actor, 38

12. Tammy Baldwin
U.S. Representative, Wisconsin, 50

David Cicilline
U.S. Representative, Rhode Island, 50

Jared Polis
U.S. Representative, Colorado, 36

13. Scott Rudin
Film and Theater Producer, 53

14. Marc Jacobs
Fashion Designer, 49

15. Harvey Levin
TV Producer/TMZ Founder, 61

16. Matt Drudge
Blogger, 45

17. Chris Hughes
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, The New Republic, 28

18. Anthony Romero
Executive Director, ACLU, 46

19. David Geffen
Media Mogul, 69

20. Chad Griffin
Incoming President, HRC, 38

21. Barney Frank
U.S. Representative, Masschusetts, 72

22. Jann Wenner
Publishing Magnate, 66

23. Tim Gill
Software Pioneer/Philanthropist, 58

24. Christine Quinn
New York City Council Speaker, 45

25. Suze Orman
Financial adviser/Talk-show host, 60

26. Tom Ford
Fashion Designer/Film Director, 50

27. Ken Melhman
Businessman, 45

28. Andrew Sullivan
Journalist/Blogger, 48

29. Annise Parker
Mayor of Houston

30. Bryan Lourd & Kevin Huvane
Managing Partners, CAA, 52 & 53

31. Martha Nelson
Editorial Director, Time Inc., 59

32. Chuck Wolfe
CEO, The Victory Fund, 50

33. Mary Kay Henry
International President, SEIU, 53

34. Joe Solmonese
Political Consultant, 47

35. Jeremy Bernard
White House Social Secretary, 50

36. Nick Denton
CEO, Gawker Media, 45

37. Alan Ball
Screenwriter/Producer/Director, 54

38. Richard Berke
Assistant Managing Editor, The New York Times, 53

39. Perez Hilton
Blogger/TV personality, 34

40. Jess Cagle
Managing Editor, Entertainment Weekly, 46

Ariel Foxman
Managing Editor, InStyle, 38

Adam Moss
Editor-in-chief, New York, 54

41. Jenna Lyons
President and Executive Creative Director, J. Crew, 44

42. Adam Rose
CoPresident, Rose Associates, Inc., 52

43. Greg Berlanti
TV Producer/Writer, 39

44. Bryan Singer
Director/Producer, 46

45. Megan Smith
Google Executive

46. Simon Halls & Stephen Huvane
Founders, Slate PR, 48, 51

47. Jane Lynch
Actress

48. Dan Savage
Editor/Activist/TV Personality, 47

49. Robert Hanson
CEO, American Eagle Outfitters, 49

50. Evan Wolfson
Founder and President, Freedom to Marry, 55

51. Andre Banks
Cofounder, Executive Director, AllOut.org

52. Bryce Bennett
Montana State Representative

53. Widney Brown
Senior Director, Amnesty International

54. Chai Feldblum
Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner

55. Bruce Harris
New Jersey Supreme Court Nominee

56. Victoria Kolakowski
California Superior Court Judge

57. Steven Kolb
Executive director, CFDA

58. Don Lemon
CNN News Anchor

59. Mark Leno
California State Senator

60. Jonathan Murray
Cofounder/Chairman, Bunim/Murray Productions

61. Beth Robinson
Vermont State Supreme Court Justice

62. Hilary Rosen
CNN Contributor, Democratic Strategist

63. Brad Sears
Executive Director, The Williams Institute

64. Andy Thayer
Cofounder, Gay Liberation Network

65. Michael Weinstein
President, AIDS Healthcare Foundation

By Out.com Editors

Boy Scouts Should Include Gay People

Romney in the clip, “I believe that the Boy Scouts of America does a wonderful service for this country. I support the right of the Boy Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue. I feel that all people should be able to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation.”

First openly gay Pennsylvania house member

Former college football captain Brian Sims took a huge step towards becoming the first openly gay member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by apparently unseating longtime Rep. Babette Josephs in the Democratic primary for the Center City and South Philadelphia 182d district.

Thrice-Married Adulterer Newt Gingrich Urges Voters to Ban Gay Marriage in North Carolina

NOM Coalition Releases North Carolina Ad Urging Protection of Biblical 'God-Created' Marriage

Vote for NC Marriage, the group consisting of the Christian Action League, NC Values Coalition, a coalition of African American pastors, NC Baptists, and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), has released its first ad urging voters to approve Amendment One in North Carolina.

“Homecoming”

Christians Bullying LGBT Kids In School Is Wrong

California Senate committee advances bill to limit reparative therapy

Legislation designed to protect LGBT minors from what critics charge is harmful and ineffective ex-gay therapy, advanced through a California state Senate Committee on Monday.

The measure, California Senate Bill 1172, does not outright ban all ex-gay therapy, but would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from undergoing sexual orientation change efforts, regardless of a parent’s willingness or desire to authorize such “treatments.”

The bill — authored by State Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Redondo Beach) and sponsored by the LGBT advocacy group, Equality California — would also require prospective patients to sign a consent form that includes the following disclaimer:

“Having a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation is not a mental disorder. There is no scientific evidence that any types of therapies are effective in changing a person’s sexual orientation. Sexual orientation change efforts can be harmful.”

“For decades, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people—particularly youth—have suffered psychological abuse by those who are entrusted to care for their emotional and psychological well-being,” said Clarissa Filgioun, Equality California Board President.

“It’s long past time to do everything in our power to put an end to the use of therapy tactics that have no sound scientific basis and that cause lifelong damage,” she said.

A legislative aide to California Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, told LGBTQ Nation that if approved by the state legislature, Brown will almost certainly sign the bill into law.

To My 7th Grade Self

The Simpsons Disses FOX News

Never one to miss a detail, The Simpsons re-aired its first episode on Sunday night, and in doing so congratulated its network FOX, with one exception: "This doesn't include FOX News".

Why Her Gay Son Doesn't Live in North Carolina

James Beard Foundation President Susan Ungaro Returns Award to Boy Scouts Over its Anti-Gay Policies

Earlier this week, Susan Ungaro, the President of the James Beard Foundation, accepted the "Distinguished Citizen award" from the Boy Scouts of America for her work with the Foundation and its work with students who want to pursue a culinary education.

In a piece at the Huffington Post, Michelangelo Signorile made note of the Boy Scouts history of discrimination, the recent incident in which den mother Jennifer Tyrrell was dismissed for being gay, and the fact that the late James Beard, a legendary chef and cookbook writer, was gay and discriminated against:

Often called the father of American cuisine, Beard was a chef and cookbook author who mentored generations of food enthusiasts through much of the 20th century, right up until the time of his in 1985. He was also openly gay in a time when it was almost impossible to be so, writing in his memoir, "by the age of seven I knew I was gay." And Beard experienced the discrimination that Jennifer Tyrrell did at the hands of the Boy Scouts, booted out of Reeds College in his hometown of Portland in 1922 because of his homosexuality.

Signorile asked Ungaro how she could accept an award from the Boy Scouts given this background.
It took just a few hours for Ungaro to do the right thing. She wrote:

While I support all the poverty and hunger-fighting programs of the Boy Scouts of America, including sending at-risk youth to camp, your report brought to my attention that accepting the Distinguished Citizen Award implied I support their anti-gay policy, which I absolutely do not. When I accepted the honor, I was focused on supporting the New Jersey chefs and restaurant community.

I have informed the Boy Scouts of America that I am rescinding my acceptance of the award.

Gay-Hating Preachers Silenced by Gaga Flash Mob at Phoenix Pride

At Phoenix Pride 2012, a group of bigoted preachers who attend LGBT pride celebrations in many states, heckled folks leaving the pride parade. One hurled particularly vile, un-Christian insults at the crowd, causing emotions to run high. Then a flash mob, led by Queen B, demonstrated what true Christian love was about by performing "Born This Way" to the cheers of the crowd - and silencing the hate speech of the preachers.

Dear 40-Year-Old Me

Jon Stewart Takes Down Pundits For Pivoting On Mitt Romney

LGBT Teens Record Messages To Their 40-Year-Old Selves

Day of Silence is TOMORROW!

The Day of Silence is tomorrow, April 20th, be prepared!

Being a student and an organizer can be a lot! Frequently we hear from organizers who have been planning for the Day of Silence for weeks only to find themselves unprepared on the morning of their event.
So, take the time this afternoon/evening to double check your to-do list with your advisor and/or fellow organizers. Make sure you haven’t put anything off until the last minute because once you get to school you will want to be able to hit the ground running in order to make the biggest impact.
Here are some things to remember as you finalize your arrangements for your Day of Silence event:

1. LIST: Make a to-do list of final tasks and think of people who could take on some of those tasks for you. Get started with the items on this list!
2. REGISTER: If you haven’t already, be sure to CLICK HERE to register your participation in the Day of Silence and be counted among the hundreds of thousands of other students nationwide participating in the Day of Silence.
3. CONNECT: The night before your event call, email or text all of the people helping you organize to make sure everyone is on the same page. Also make sure to stay connected on social media, like facebook and Twitter!
4. PRINT: Be sure you have all the materials you need, and extras to hand out, such as:Speaking Cards, Lambda Legal: Freedom to Speak (Or Not) 2012, ACLU: Letter to Principal or Educator, Stickers, and cut, fold, or label these materials as needed.
5. GATHER: Get all Day of Silence items and materials in one place to ensure that they are clean and organized (shirts, buttons, stickers, pamphlets, speaking cards, posters, etc.)
6. CHARGE: You want to take pictures, right? Text? Tweet? Make sure your camera, phone and computer batteries are all charged up and ready to go in the morning!
7. DOUBLE CHECK your to-do list: It never hurts to be extra careful!
8. REST: You’re gonna need it for your exciting day of taking action!

Anglican Archbishop Of Wales backs same-sex marriage in UK

Dr. Barry Morgan, the Archbishop of Wales, on Tuesday lent his support to same-sex marriage during a meeting of the Church in Wales’ governing body, and gave an impassioned plea for Anglicans to be more tolerant towards homosexuals. “All life-long committed relationships deserved the welcome, pastoral care and support of the Church,” said Morgan. “(Christians) need to show how the Gospel of Jesus is good news for gay people.” Mogan had to ask itself whether it would “protect and support pastorally, faithful, stable, lifelong relationships of whatever kind in order to encourage human values such as love and fidelity and recognize the need in Christian people for some public religious support for these”. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which follows theological doctrine dictated by the Vatican, the Church of England is filled with Bishops who hold a variety of views on controversial topics such as homosexuality and the consecration of women bishops. The majority of the archbishop’s address dealt with the ongoing debate over the competing theological arguments surrounding same-sex marriage, even though the current government proposals only effect civil marriages and will not force religious organizations to conduct weddings for same sex couples. However, Morgan has called on his church to support the government’s desire to allow gay men and women to marry in a civil environment. “If the legislation to allow civil marriage is passed, I cannot see how we as a church, will be able to ignore the legality of the status of such partnerships and we ought not to want to do so,” he said. Morgan also said he was concerned about the welfare of gay people whom he feared could feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in churches over the coming months as prime minister David Cameron’s backed proposals for same-sex marriage are debated nationally.”

GSA's Massive Spending

Vatican Attacks US Nuns For Fighting Poverty Instead Of Gay Marriage

The Vatican this week attacked America’s nuns for spending too much time working to help the poor and fight poverty, and not spending enough time attacking same-sex marriage. The criticism, considered formal disciplinary action against the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), which represents over 55,000 nuns in the United States, also labeled as “grave and a matter of serious concern,” that the nuns are not sufficiently denouncing abortion, Obamacare, and women’s ordination. “The directive, which follows a two-year investigation by Rome, also comes as the Vatican appeared ready to welcome a controversial right-wing splinter group of Catholic traditionalists back into the fold, possibly by giving the group a special status so that they can continue to espouse their old-line rites and beliefs,” The Washington Post reports: “The current doctrinal and pastoral situation of the LCWR is grave and a matter of serious concern, also given the influence the LCWR exercises on religious congregations in other parts of the world,” said the eight-page statement issued by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Benedict led for a quarter century before his election. The CDF, now led by American Cardinal William Levada, appointed Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain to lead the process of overhauling LCWR’s governance and reviewing its plans and programs and its relationship with certain groups that the Vatican finds suspect. One of the groups singled out in the criticism is Network, a social justice lobby created by Catholic sisters 40 years ago that continues to play a leading role in pushing progressive causes on Capitol Hill. The Vatican announcement said that “while there has been a great deal of work on the part of LCWR promoting issues of social justice in harmony with the church’s social doctrine, it is silent on the right to life from conception to natural death.” It added that “crucial” issues like “the church’s biblical view of family life and human sexuality, are not part of the LCWR agenda in a way that promotes church teaching. Moreover, occasional public statements by the LCWR that disagree with or challenge positions taken by the bishops, who are the church’s authentic teachers of faith and morals, are not compatible with its purpose.” … While LCWR did not respond to repeated requests for comment, Sister Simone Campbell, Network’s executive director, said she was “stunned” that the Vatican document would single out her group, probably over its support for health care reform. “It concerns me that political differences in a democratic country would result in such a a censure and investigation,” Campbell said. The Post also notes that the “number of nuns in America has dropped from 179,954 in 1965 to just 55,000 today,” and adds: Throughout church history, and in particular in the United States, women in religious communities who take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience have directed their work toward charitable and educational ministries — running schools, hospitals, orphanages and a range of social services that have become as much a hallmark of Catholicism as the moral doctrine that the bishops oversee. Increasingly, however, the hierarchy in Rome and the U.S. is focusing on promoting doctrinal orthodoxy and curbing dissent.

The Political Science of President Obama's LGBT Employment Non-Discrimination Failure

BY ARI EZRA WALDMAN

President Obama missed an opportunity to simultaneously protect LGBT Americans and paint Mitt Romney into a corner when the President refused to sign an executive order banning LGBT workplace discrimination. Most Americans are baffled when you tell them that people can be fired simply for being gay; they think a ban on such discrimination already exists. More than 70 percent of Americans support the anti-discrimination law, including the version of Mr. Romney that ran for the Senate in 1994.

And, signing the executive order would fulfill yet another 2008 Obama campaign promise.
The White House offered a few tepid and unbelievable explanations for the President's refusal to sign the nondiscrimination executive order. At one point, the Administration said it was concerned about a possible lawsuit from a conservative federal contractor who might feel that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is his religious right.

That argument should strike even the most green civil rights attorney as baffling: where civil rights executive orders have been challenged in the past, the challenger "loses 100 percent of the time," as Freedom to Work Founder Tico Almeida told Current TV. Later, Administration spokespersons implied that an executive order is not a priority because "the time is right for a comprehensive legislative approach" by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) through Congress. But, that position is even less tenable: Republicans control the House of Representatives and have shown less than zero interest in LGBT equality, let alone an inclusive ENDA.

We are disappointed. But, politics has to be more than tallying up your interest group's victories and losses and calling someone childish names. The political science of civil rights movements shows us that progress in war can emerge from loss in battle, and last week's fracas both proves how much progress we have made and can foster more progress by proving that pro-gay social positions are no longer the electrified third rail of American politics, but rather great boons to political success.


Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz1sQO7W5wL

Of Course: DADT Repeal Led to Prostitution Scandal

The head of the Family Research Council has yet another comment that contributes to the list of reasons GLAAD and others want him kept off cable news shows.

President Obama shouldn't be surprised that the Secret Service solicited prostitutes during a trip to Columbia, Tony Perkins says, because that's what happens when you repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

"You cannot maintain moral order if you are willing to allow a few things to slide," said Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, on his radio show.

The comments, caught by Right Wing Watch, came during a discussion about why Republicans should do more on "the homosexuality issue," as fellow commentator Janet Mefferd put it.

Perkins said the Secret Service scandal is merely a symptom of the "total breakdown" in morality of the larger Obama administration.

"We intuitively know it’s wrong, there’s a moral law against that," Perkins said of prostitution. "The same is true for what the president has done to the military enforcing open homosexuality in our military. You can change the law but you can’t change the moral law that’s behind it."

Perkins went even further in his comparison of homosexuality to prostitution in a newsletter sent today to its followers. He said DADT repeal "introduced a new chapter of promiscuity into the U.S. military."

"On one hand, the administration has tried to force our military to embrace homosexuality by making unnatural and immoral sex legal — and on the other, it's outraged that its military is engaging in another form of legal but immoral sex," Perkins wrote. "Both behaviors are inappropriate, unhealthy, and destructive. Yet only one seems to incense government officials."

John Boehner Claims 'Ample Laws' Protect Gay Workers

If you hope John Boehner is going to help President Obama pass a comprehensive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, don't hold your breath.

The Republican House Speaker was asked about the matter yesterday and told Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson yesterday that he's not even thinking about it:

Although the administration insists it will work with Congress to pass legislation in lieu of an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT workers, Boehner seemed unaware of ENDA in response to a question from the Washington Blade, saying, “I haven’t seen the bill. I haven’t thought much about it.”
Asked whether passage of ENDA might alleviate the 8.2 percent unemployment rate if employers were barred from firing LGBT workers, Boehner said “ample laws” are in place and deferred further comment to the House Committee on Education & the Workforce. The committee didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“No one should face discrimination in the workforce,” Boehner said. “There are ample laws already in place to deal with this. Having been the chairman of the Education & Workforce Committee, I’m quite familiar with employment law. But if there are further changes that are necessary, I’m sure the committee will look at it.”

The Facts About North Carolina's Amendment One

If you don't already understand the importance of defeating Amendment One in North Carolina, here's a helpful video about the horrible effects it will have should it pass.

Jon Stewart Mocks Geraldo Rivera's Exclusive Taliban Interview

Results of BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

It Gets Better nation tour

Kenneth is one of the reasons GMCLA it developing the It Gets Better nation tour! Please support this project by making a pledge and asking your friends to join in. Please visit and share the link below via email and on your social media accounts:

“Mom, you don’t know how it feels to be hated.”

http://www.ktiv.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=6966925&at1=News&h1=Family: Bullies pushed NW Iowa teen to take own life&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

14-year old Kenneth Weishuhn, Jr. died by suicide this weekend after coming out as gay two months ago and being mercilessly bullied by classmates, was receiving death threats on his cell phone and was the subject of a Facebook hate group. “Mom, you don’t know how it feels to be hated,” Kenneth told his mother.

Weishuhn was just a freshman at South O’Brien High School, which serves three small towns in northwest Iowa, including Primghar, Kenneth’s hometown of 909 people. School officials apparently were aware of the bullying but did not notify Kenneth’s family.

“A lot of people, they either joined in or they were too scared to say anything,” said Kenneth’s sister. “To make someone feel so horrible about themselves, so miserable. To make them hate themselves they way my brother must have.”

White House says ‘no’ to ENDA executive order

The White House has categorically denied requests from LGBT advocates to issue an executive order protecting LGBT people against workplace discrimination at this time, according to individuals who took part in a White House meeting on Wednesday. The denial was corroborated by a senior administrative official.

In a statement to the Washington Blade, Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign and among the attendees, said advocates were told the administration won’t take action to bar federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT workers.

Stem cells transformed into HIV killers?

In this current study, the researchers similarly engineered human blood stem cells and found that they can form mature T cells that can attack HIV in tissues where the virus resides and replicates. They did so by using a surrogate model, the humanized mouse, in which HIV infection closely resembles the disease and its progression in humans.

In a series of tests on the mice's peripheral blood, plasma and organs conducted two weeks and six weeks after introducing the engineered cells, the researchers found that the number of CD4 "helper" T cells — which become depleted as a result of HIV infection — increased, while levels of HIV in the blood decreased. CD4 cells are white blood cells that are an important component of the immune system, helping to fight off infections. These results indicated that the engineered cells were capable of developing and migrating to the organs to fight infection there.

‘Pregnancy Begins 2 Weeks Before Conception’ Now The Law In Arizona

In Arizona, women are now legally pregnant two weeks before conception, according to a new law, the Orwellianly-named, “Women’s Health and Safety Act,” signed yesterday by Republican Governor Jan Brewer. The scientifically, medically, ethically, and intellectually dishonest legislation is designed to reduce the amount of time a woman is allowed to have a legal abortion, and is one of the most draconian bills to become law in America.

The bill was sponsored by extremist Arizona State Rep. Kimberly Yee, who last month penned an op-ed titled, “No drug test, no welfare.” Yee wrote:

States have an obligation to hold those on public assistance accountable for their actions. Receiving a public benefit is a privilege, not a right. The debate on drug testing welfare recipients is simply about the responsible use of tax dollars.

It’s unclear where in the U.S. constitution it states that the states “have an obligation to hold those on public assistance accountable for their actions.”

Psychiatrist behind controversial ‘ex-gay’ study retracts original claims

In a move that serves as a significant blow to “ex-gay” programs and anti-gay organizations, Dr. Robert Spitzer has repudiated his much-criticized 2001 study that claimed some “highly motivated” homosexuals could go from gay to straight.

Spitzer’s retraction occurred in an American Prospect magazine article that hit newsstands on Wednesday.

Spitzer’s rejection of his own research, which was originally published in the prestigious Archives of Sexual Behavior, is a devastating blow to “ex-gay” organizations because it decisively eliminates their most potent claim that homosexuality can be reversed through therapy and prayer, according to Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that fights anti-LGBT extremism and the “ex-gay” myth.

Philanthropist and Straight Ally Todd Stiefel Will Match $100,000 in Donations to Defeat North Carolina's Amendment One

North Carolina philanthropist and straight ally Todd Stiefel pledged to match every dollar up to $100,000 donated to Protect All NC Families' campaign to defeat Amendment One, which is on the ballot May 8 there, and would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships.

Writes Stiefel:

My name is Todd Stiefel. My wife, Diana, and I have a passionate belief that our country would be better off if we put people above politics. Families in North Carolina matter far more than a divisive constitutional amendment such as Amendment One, and that is why we are now offering a $1 for $1 match up to $100,000 to the campaign.

The campaign to defeat the amendment only has three more weeks to get out the word about the harms that North Carolina would face if Amendment One passes on May 8. That is why we are stepping up now to give to the campaign. We hope that you can join us.

The momentum against Amendment One has grown substantially in recent weeks. Former GOP Gubernatorial nominee Richard Vinroot, Justice Bob Orr, John Hood and other conservatives have advocated against it in recent weeks. Governor Bev Perdue came out passionately against it last week in a powerful video, and the next morning Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers condemned the amendment as well.

Whether I'm Married or Not is Irrelevant

Yesterday Republican presidential candidate and NOM investigator Fred Karger sent out an email speculating that 'marriage defender' Maggie Gallagher may not actually be married because she never wears a wedding ring in public or appears with her husband Roman Srivastav.

Gallagher spoke to Buzzfeed about Karger's accusations:

Gallagher laughed when asked about Karger's speculation, and said "I think I would know better than Fred."

Gallagher, who was a single mother for years after college, says she married her husband Raman Srivastav in Arizona in 1993: "We are still married and living together. He's a very private person."

"They just make up all kind of stuff about me," she said. "It doesn't really matter. I could be divorced and I still could not be for gay marriage. I don't really see that it's relevant. It is a fact — I am in fact married. I've only been married once. I am not about to get a divorce."

Said Karger, who has been pursuing NOM's corrupt election finances and tactics for years: "I'm taking the gloves off. I've been a little reticent to go after [Gallagher] personally, but no more."

Child Celebrities Opposing Kirk Cameron

Leading NC Anti-Gay Bigots Push Discriminatory Amendment

Dr. Mark Harris, NC Values Coalition's Tami Fitzgerald, Christian Action League's Mark ('sodomites') Creech, and extremist wingnut Rev. Patrick ('gay men lodge cell phones in their anuses') Wooden take turns dressing up their bigotry and hatred for gays in this new video urging voters to pass Amendment One in North Carolina.

Rick Warren Won't Adjust His Position on Same-Sex Marriage Until God Does

Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman Question Quickie Vegas Weddings While LGBTs Can't Marry Legally

NOM to Endorse Mitt Romney

The National Organization for Marriage is expected to announce its endorsement of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday, Politico reports.

NOM President Brian Brown's statement also will ask conservative voters to rally around Romney, especially after former Sen. Rick Santorum dropped out of the GOP primary on Tuesday.

"Gov. Romney was an early signer of NOM's presidential pledge, which represents his commitment to the nation to take specific actions as president to preserve and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman," Brown's message says according to Politico.

National LGBT Groups Ask Cardinal Dolan To Defund NOM

Two of the top LGBT organizations have sent a letter to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, head of the Roman Catholic Church in America, asking Dolan and his bishops to “stop collaborating with” and to defund NOM, the National Organization For Marriage.

Noting that it “is believed the Catholic Church hierarchy has poured millions of dollars into NOM,” and the “Knights of Columbus alone have funneled over one million dollars to NOM,” Both HRC president Joe Solmonese and Freedom To Marry founder and president Evan Wolfson released a statement:


“We are asking the Catholic Bishops to spread the message that all people are loved,” said Joe Solmonese. “Cardinal Dolan has the opportunity to denounce race-baiting and attempts at ethnic division, and in doing so would be representing the views of fair-minded lay Catholics across the country, who overwhelmingly support LGBT equality.”

“The Catholic Church hierarchy is way out of step with the majority of Catholics, who, like the majority of Americans, support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry. “We call on the Bishops to stop funneling funds through NOM and to repent and renounce the toxic tactics they have supported in anti-gay campaigns that pit Americans against Americans, minorities against minorities, and family members against family members.”

Civil rights leaders, including the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the National Council of La Raza, have publicly condemned NOM in the recent weeks. NOM’s divisive and anti-LGBT strategies come at a time when public support for civil marriage for LGBT people is on the rise, particularly among Catholics. The Public Religion Research Institute recently confirmed that 71 percent of American Catholics support civil marriage for same-sex couples.

The Moment I Knew We Could Do More To Honor and Serve Our Military Families

Former Charlotte Mayors Harvey Gantt and Richard Vinroot Speak Out Against Anti-Gay NC 'Amendment One'

Justin Bieber Lends Song to Bully TV Ads

Justin Bieber has allowed his song "Born to be Somebody" to be used in ads for the documentary Bully, saying he hopes his fans will see the film and help end bullying.

“My fans are always up for supporting a great cause. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of as an entertainer,” said Bieber. “I hope they see Bully with their friends and help start the conversation so we can end bullying.” The singer, who has previously been the victim of bullies himself, is just one of numerous celebrities including Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp, who have shown their support for the Lee Hirsch-directed documentary.

Stephen Colbert Wants Anti-Gay Rep. Steve King For Romney’s VP

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Kathy Griffin and Cher order pizza

White House: Pride Month Champions of Change Video Challenge

Across the country, ordinary people are doing extraordinary things to improve the lives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. They are parents and students, neighborhood and business leaders, artists and advocates, all united in the fight for equality.

We know that the American people are the source of some of the best ideas and most innovative solutions. That’s why the White House Champions of Change series spotlights everyday heroes who are demonstrating commitment to improving their own communities, their country, or the lives of their fellow citizens. And in that spirit, we are launching the LGBT Pride Month Champions of Change Video Challenge to explore the stories of unsung heroes and local leaders who are leading our march towards a more perfect union.

If that sounds like you or someone you know, then we want to hear from you – and we want to see you in action!

Here's how it works. You have until Friday, May 4 to submit video entries online. A panel will review submissions and select a group of semi-finalists. Then, in early June, the public will have a chance to weigh in and help identify finalists that will be featured as Champions of Change at an event at the White House.

Each video should fit one or more of the following categories, some of which may be used to organize semi-finalists and finalists:

•Storytelling (stories of coming out or overcoming adversity)
•Culture & Identity (interesting intersections with race, national origin, religion, and disability)
•Unsung Heroes (individuals and organizations that haven’t been recognized for their contributions)
•The Arts (music, art, photography, poetry, and prose that inspire courage and acceptance)
•Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation (individuals and organizations that are testing new approaches and demonstrating results)
•Community Solutions (local initiatives that are solving local challenges)
•Friends & Allies (family members, teachers, faith leaders, and other allies in the fight for equality)
Videos will be accepted in any form (including music video, PSA, short film, video blog, and interview) but must be no longer than 3 minutes. Essays no longer than 750 words will also be accepted if video production is not possible. Submissions should be creative, innovative, and inspiring and must be submitted by Friday, May 4, 2012.

For more information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/pride-month-champions-change-video-challenge

Mrs. Betty Bowers Says 'Repent and Reload'

Buffett Rule - The Prequel

Anti-LGBT bullying contributes to suicide by Maryland teen

Kenny Wolf, a 15-year-old freshman at Old Mill High School in Millersville, Md., committed suicide on Thursday, LGBTQ Nation has learned.

Kenny identified as bisexual, according to sources, and was constantly bullied because of his sexual orientation.

A spokesperson at the Anne Arundel County police department on Saturday confirmed the teen’s “death,” but declined to indicate cause — official cause of death would be determined by the state medical examiner’s office.

What if Jesus Christ Was a Bullied High School Teen?

CSU Assault Victims Identify Attackers

Three Colorado State University football players were suspended from the team after assaulting four first-year students last week. The four were assaulted in Fort Collins, Colo., as they were walking home from a party. The players yelled gay slurs as they beat the four students. John Haley and Danny Gocha were transported to Poudre Valley Hospital with black eyes, bruises and cuts. Gocha's eyes are swollen shut, and a visible shoe print has been imprinted into his back.

FOX Labels Neo Nazi Group A “Civil Rights Group”

Fox affiliate in Orlando, Florida Saturday ran a story online and on air about Neo-Nazis but titled the piece, “Civil rights group patrolling Sanford.” The story, which reporter Jennifer Bisram introduced a segment on the group by saying, “There’s another civil rights group in town,” was focused on the National Socialist Movement, a Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) certified hate group. But Bisram and FOX, about 20 hours later then labeled the Neo-Nazis a “white rights group.” It took FOX only 36 hours or so to pull the entire story and post another with the title, “Neo-Nazi group patrolling Sanford.” Of course, the question is, how many people saw the first story — whichFOX and Bisram never ran a correction about — and now think the National Socialist Movement is a civil rights group?

Pam Spaulding Friday evening was one of the first to report of the Neo-Nazi’s descent into the small Florida town, where she even included the SPLC’s profile of the hate group, in her piece, “Armed Neo-Nazis descend into Sanford, FL to show ‘solidarity with the white community’ there.” An excerpt:

NSM ideology mirrors that of the original American Nazi Party. The group openly idolizes Adolf Hitler, described in NSM propaganda as, “Our Fuhrer, the beloved Holy Father of our age … a visionary in every respect.” NSM says only heterosexual “pure-blood whites” should be allowed U.S. citizenship and that all nonwhites should be deported, regardless of legal status. As Schoep put it: “The Constitution was written by white men alone. Therefore, it was intended for whites alone.”

Spaulding on Sunday afternoon then reported, “Fox News 35 Orlando calls armed neo-Nazi org in Sanford, FL a ‘civil rights group’,” and Michael Hussey at Pushing Rope ran a similar story, including the original FOX video.

Hussey asks, “Does anyone down there at FOX35 know how to use ‘the Google?’ The National Socialist Movement is designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center,” and adds:

There is a problem in media when the media doesn’t challenge people that call President Obama a socialist. Yet, calls neo nazis a civil rights group. It truly is sickening.

DOMA Takes A Beating And OH Looks Good. But Do NC Voters Understand Whats At Stake?

North Carolina's Proposed Ban, Amendment One, Could Create 'Legal Chaos'

Next month, North Carolinians will vote on a constitutional amendment that its supporters say will simply define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Same-sex marriage is currently illegal in North Carolina. But the measure's proponents are hoping North Carolina will join the 12 other Southern states with a constitutional amendment formally defining marriage as being between a man and a woman.

"The amendment will allow the people of North Carolina to decide what marriage is defined as," said state Senator Daniel Soucek, a Republican sponsor of the bill. The law also bans civil unions as well as same-sex marriages.

"It's not just the term 'marriage,'" he told The Huffington Post. "It's all of the societal communal building blocks that make up traditional marriage. We think that's the healthiest way to raise children."

But a broad-ranging and bipartisan group of opponents are concerned that Amendment 1's potential consequences could reach far beyond the chime of wedding bells.

EFFECTS ON COUPLES

For same sex couples in the South, North Carolina has stood out as a bright light of possibility, where domestic partner benefits have been recognized in some cities and by some private companies.

Libby and Melissa Hodge moved to North Carolina from Georgia in 2008 -- where a similar marriage amendment was passed in 2004 -- in hopes of a more secure life for their daughter, 4.

The women married in Vancouver in 2006, but have yet to live in a state that recognizes their marriage.

After Georgia's amendment passed, they began looking for jobs in what they thought would be a friendlier state. Eventually, Libby Hodge found a job with the city of Durham, one of several local governments in North Carolina offering benefits to domestic partners; she now receives health coverage that covers Melissa Hodge's biological daughter. (The Hodges requested that the child be referred to only by her middle name Elaine.) The Hodges planned for a second parent adoption, so that Libby could be also be legally recognized as Elaine's parent, providing more financial security for the child.

But in 2010, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled against a second parent adoption in families headed by a same-sex couple, making an adoption far more difficult. And if Amendment 1 passes in May, Elaine will lose her health benefits through Libby's plan. For Elaine to be covered by Melissa's plan could cost an additional $500 a month.

The Hodges are feeling additional financial uncertainty because the amendment would raise questions about how the courts would deal with not only child custody issues but also about visitation rights and end-of-life arrangements.

"It's hard to know where the ripple will stop if something goes wrong," Libby Hodge said. "We still don't know exactly what the effects of the amendment will be, and we don't know how to plan for that. You just pray that nothing ever goes wrong."

Unmarried straight couples living together would also lose any domestic partner benefits they might have if the measure is passed. But they have a potential solution: getting married. The Hodges now say that because of the uncertainty with their finances, they might have to move again, although both would prefer to stay in the South, near their extended families in Georgia.

The possibility that other workers could move out of state is a concern for Cathy Bessant, a global technology and operations executive at Bank of America, which is headquartered in Charlotte. In a video that Bessant recorded for the Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families (an opponent of the amendment), she said the measure would have "a disastrous effect" on the ability of businesses in the state to compete for jobs and economic growth.

"What Amendment 1 does is make it look like we're a state that ignores both the needs and the preferences of the next generation of America and the world's workforce," Bessant said.

'LEGAL CHAOS'

Opponents of Amendment 1 are also worried about possible side effects that they say could affect all unmarried North Carolinians -- gay or straight -- if it is approved. For example, unwed victims of domestic violence could find themselves with fewer legal recourses for protection. The extent of this is unknown since it would depend on how courts would interpret the language of the amendment.

Amendment 1 prohibits state validation or recognition of “domestic legal unions,” a phrase never used before in North Carolina statutes, according to a publication issued by the state to explain the amendment.

"The problem is, we don't know what this language means or how courts would interpret this," said Maxine Eichner, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law. "If courts were going to interpret the constitutional amendment as invalidating any rights or protections for unmarried couples, it would invalidate domestic violence protections." According to Eichner's report on the potential consequences of the amendment, Ohio's history shows a possible downside for victims of domestic violence.

From 2005 to 2007 after Ohio passed a similar marriage amendment, defense attorneys won dismissals of domestic violence charges for some unmarried defendants: The lawyers argued that the state's domestic violence law could no longer apply to unmarried couples. While some courts ruled that the domestic violence law applied to any couple, other judges told unmarried individuals seeking protection that there was no point to pressing domestic violence charges. Although these victims could still file for assault charges (with lesser penalties), they were unable to file for protection orders or other measures. In the summer of 2007 Ohio's Supreme Court ruled to limit the marriage amendment's reach to ensure that unmarried couples would be covered by the state's domestic violence statute.

"Chaos reined in the courts," said Mike Smalz, the family law attorney at the Ohio Poverty Law Center. "Our amendment certainly had a harmful impact on the ability to protect victims of domestic violence and to prosecute [perpetrators] of domestic violence. To those in North Carolina, I would say be very wary of the unintended consequences of enacting this type of amendment."

Student Kicked From High School Pageant For Gay Marriage Support

A secret gay heartbreak haunts “The Hunger Games” star JOSH HUTCHERSON.

 The 19-year-old actor – who plays the movie’s love struck warrior Peeta Mellark – has lost two uncles to AIDS, and their deaths led him to take a leading role in a gay rights campaign.

“When Josh was very young, the lives of two of his uncles were cut short by AIDS,” a source told The ENQUIRER.

“At the time, he was too young to be aware of their tragic deaths.
“But as he got older he felt that he had to embrace his family history, and was desperate to help in some way.”

So last year Josh became the spokesperson for “Straight But Not Narrow,” a campaign designed to encourage young, straight men to publicly show support of gay men.

He also recorded a series of videos for the group. In one he asks, tongue in cheek: “Does it matter if your guy friends like guys over girls? I mean, doesn’t that leave more girls for you

Happy Easter

Silver Lake Steps Dedicated to Pioneering Gay Rights Group 'Mattachine Society' on Harry Hay's 100th Birthday

The Cove Avenue steps have been renamed 'The Mattachine Steps' in honor of the pioneering gay rights group founded by Harry Hay and will be dedicated tomorrow on what would have been Hay's 100th birthday, Patch reports:

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti will officially rededicate what we have long known as the Cove Avenue Steps. State senator Mike Gatto will also be join neighbors at the base of the stairs for the event. He'll present a proclamation honoring Hay, who many call "the father of the gay rights movement."

Karen Ocamb at LGBT POV has more:

A ceremony at the foot of the Cove Avenue Steps on Silver Lake Blvd. recognizing the site as a historic place by the City of Los Angeles. The dedication of “The Mattachine Steps” (which lead up to the house where pioneer gay activist Harry Hay founded the Mattachine Society in 1950) will be followed by a Radical Faerie-hosted picnic in an adjoining park overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir (east side). Then, at 2:30, a book signing and reading of Stuart Timmon’s newly updated biography “The Trouble with Harry Hay” at nearby Stories bookstore, 1716 Sunset Blvd. (in Echo Park).

Mitt Romney's 'Latino Problem'

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Catholic Bishops Defunding Non-Profits Who Voice Support For Gay Marriage

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) — the official group that represents the Roman Catholic Church in America, headed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan – is defunding small, local, and critical non-profit organizations that help minorities and the poor, if they demonstrate support for gay marriage, or any other issue the Catholic Church deems offensive. Through its Catholic Campaign for Human Development fund, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are contacting charities and threatening to pull funding — which can be half a group’s entire annual budget — if they continue to voice support for same-sex marriage equality or women’s health rights, or even if they associate with other groups who do.

Advocate 45 - Hall of Fame

Any celebration of the The Advocate’s founding in 1967 must honor the heroes for LGBT rights that we’ve covered for 45 years. With one honoree named per year, the list will be announced in parts and culminate in an event in Los Angeles this month.


Jerry Joachim was among the founders of The Advocate. The now internationally known magazine is celebrating its 45th anniversary of covering LGBT lives. But it began as a newsletter for a group called PRIDE, an acronym for Personal Rights in Defense and Education, and Joachim was its president. The newsletter evolved in September 1967 into a local LGBT newspaper called The Los Angeles Advocate. Joachim hosted a meeting between LGBT groups and local police in his own home and the forum was announced in the first issue, promising that “a complete account of what went on” would come in the next issue. And so began The Advocate’s reporting on the LGBT movement.
-Lucas Grindley


While many of us associate the 1960s and 1970s with sexual liberation, mainstream films were still fairly buttoned up. But Pat Rocco made gay films when no one else dared take the risk.

His homocentric, erotic love stories and were the first films of their kind to be shown in public movie theaters.

Yet while the prolific gay beefcake photographer was defining modern male erotic film, Rocco in his spare time was documenting the fledgling gay rights movement. Rocco was behind the scenes, often working with his friends at The Los Angeles Advocate as a photographer capturing early pride festivals, rallies, and other historically important events from which images are rare. Rocco wasn’t always behind the camera, though. He became the first official president of Christopher Street West Association, the organization behind Los Angeles’s pride festival, and he helped launch the first festival in 1974.
—Michelle Garcia


California Assemblyman Willie Brown successfully combined his “outrage” with his skill for political maneuvering and finally passed a bill that decriminalized gay sex with its signing in 1976. He had introduced the legislation every year since 1969.

“Passing the bill required one of the most daring — and fun — political capers I ever was involved in,” the former San Francisco mayor wrote in his memoir. “It wasn’t all political opportunism. The legislation also emerged from a sense of outrage. My outrage. The penalties didn’t affect just gays; they affected everyone.”

His commitment was all the more evident when reapportionment moved the Castro out of Brown’s district in 1971 and yet he kept fighting. The bill passed the Assembly 46-2 in 1975. But it was only approved in the Senate after conspiring with another future San Francisco mayor, George Moscone, a state senator at the time. The vote came down to 20-20 on last-minute commitments, so the lieutenant governor had to be flown back from an out-of-state trip to break the tie. Meanwhile, opposition senators were locked in the chamber so they couldn’t escape and lose quorum.

The decriminalization of homosexuality inspired backlash from a group called the Coalition of Christian Citizens that vowed to put a repeal of the law up to a statewide referendum. But it was also seen as an inspiration the LGBT rights movement across the country.
—Lucas Grindley


When Frank Kameny was dismissed from the Army Map Service in 1957 because he was gay, it started a long argument.

In 1961 a lawsuit that Kameny filed arrived at the U.S. Supreme Court, decades before it even declared sodomy laws unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas. It was also the year he cofounded the Mattachine Society of Washington, which lobbied aggressively for gay rights. Kameny picketed the White House in 1965, the first time a demonstration was ever held there by LGBT rights supporters. And in 1969 he testified before the Department of Defense, delivering a speech titled “We Throw Down the Gauntlet” that propelled his charge against “the de facto denial of security clearances to homosexuals as a class or group.”

The next year, 1970, when Kameny was still speaking out, it was clear he would never stop. People praised Kameny when in 1973 the American Psychological Association stopped classifying homosexuality as a mental disorder, which had been used as an excuse by the military to deny gays and lesbians the right to serve. It seemed people might start agreeing with Kameny, that “Gay Is Good.”

But it wasn’t until 2009 when the Civil Service that had once kicked him out finally issued a formal apology. When President Obama signed a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in 2010, Kameny was among the honored guests. So many contributed to that moment, but Kameny set it in motion.

Kameny died just weeks after the repeal went into effect and gays and lesbians began serving openly in the military.

“Never forget that we are American citizens, with all that is implied by those two words, as well as homosexuals, whatever you may think is implied by that word,” he said during that 1969 hearing. “We stand our ground. We throw down the gauntlet.”
—Lucas Grindley


In 1970, Jack Baker (left) and his partner Michael McConnell became the first-ever same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license, despite being turned away. Baker sued the state of Minnesota in the landmark case Baker v. Nelson. His case was eventually thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court, and he lost his job as a librarian at the University of Minnesota, but still Baker persevered.

He adopted his partner, earning them access to the types of benefits afforded dependents. In 1971, Baker and four others launched Gay House, a single-family home on Ridgewood Avenue that was meant to be a sort of LGBT youth center near the university. The house continued to grow with a hotline, and by providing counseling services to the people who needed it. He also sought to grow a library of periodicals, books, and other resources for LGBT people to better understand their history and rights.
—Michelle Garcia


Madeline Davis founded the Western New York Mattachine Society in 1970, positioning her to become an important figure for LGBT rights in the region. In 1972 she taught the United States’ first course on lesbianism and became the first openly lesbian delegate ever elected to a major political convention when she was chosen for the Democratic National Convention in Miami. At that convention, she gave the first noted stump speech encouraging the Democrats to include gay rights in the party’s platform, reminding delegates and leaders that an estimated 20 million gay people would be voting that November. Davis went on to coauthor Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community with Elizabeth Kennedy.
—Michelle Garcia


A diva of the genre before the term “reality television” had been invented, the vivacious and lovably over-the-top Lance Loud made history when he came out as gay on the groundbreaking PBS documentary series An American Family in 1973. An instant gay icon, Loud went on to front the new wave band the Mumps, which became a staple of Max’s Kansas City and CBGBs during the clubs’ heyday. With an irrepressible personality and a tendency toward performance, Loud became a contemporary of Warhol superstars Jackie Curtis and Holly Woodlawn and went on to become a celebrated columnist for the The Advocate as well as Details, Interview, and Creem.

Loud died in 2001, but his legacy as a pioneer and true advocate lives on. HBO’s Emmy-nominated film Cinema Verite, a behind-the-scenes look at An American Family, premiered in 2011 and starred Diane Lane, James Gandolfini, Tim Robbins, and Thomas Dekker as Lance, whose coming-out figured prominently in the film.
—Tracy E. Gilchrist


Before there was Harvey Milk, there was Elaine Noble, the first known openly gay person to ever be elected to a state legislature. Noble was the target of harassment from colleagues when she first entered the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1974, but she eventually endeared herself to her fellow representatives, and constituents alike. Her 1976 reelection campaign was a sweep, with Noble winning nearly 90% of the vote in her heavily Irish-Catholic, Boston-area district.

Noble was part of the first delegation of LGBT people to be invited to the White House for a conversation with President Jimmy Carter on gay rights in 1977. Though she did put out a staunch effort to boost gay rights in Massachusetts, Noble saw that one of the most important fights of her time in office would be to help desegregate Boston’s schools. Noble broke from other white legislators and some gay rights activists who thought she was abandoning her own people. She recruited volunteers and members of her campaign staff to ride buses with Boston’s black children to predominantly white schools to ensure their safety. Noble left the office after two terms, but her efforts did not go in vain. A decade later, Massachusetts was an early adopter to a statewide gay rights bill, and in 2003, it became the first state to legalize marriage equality.
—Michelle Garcia


On September 22, 1975, a 33-year-old former Vietnam veteran named Oliver Sipple saw Sara Jane Moore pointing a gun at President Gerald Ford outside a San Francisco hotel. Sipple lunged at Moore and the bullet missed its target, instead hitting and slightly injuring a taxi driver. For saving the leader of the free world, Sipple was branded a hero, but the story got complicated when the media discovered he was gay. The press picked up the angle and the news caused major friction between Sipple and his family — he would later unsuccessfully sue several newspapers for invasion of privacy.

In a 2001 interview, Ford denied giving a fig about Sipple’s sexual orientation, but after the assassination attempt the president simply sent a thank-you letter to Sipple — no ceremony, no award, no phone call.
—Neal Broverman


Dave Kopay tried to fit the profile of a squeaky-clean, all-American football player, and for the most part, he did. Kopay was a star at Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles and was recruited to play at the University of Washington. As co-captain of the Huskies, Kopay led his team to the Pac-10 conference title, and he was named an All-American running back. Kopay was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1964, and led the team in rushing yards in his rookie year. He dated girls and even married a woman, but Kopay knew he was gay.

Kopay was later recruited by the Washington Redskins under legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi, whose brother was gay. The team’s assistant general manager and the sport’s information director were also gay. Kopay had dated tight end Jerry Smith, a 13-year veteran of the Redskins who later died due to AIDS in the 1980s.

Kopay retired in 1973. Two years later, a frustrated Kopay read an anonymously sourced article about gay athletes and decided it was time. He became the first NFL player to come out and gave an interview to The Advocate in 1976. He later wrote The David Kopay Story, a best-seller in 1977. Though he did apply for coaching jobs in the NFL and college football, Kopay said he largely believes he was turned away because of his sexual orientation.

Since then, Kopay has been working in his family’s business while remaining a voice for gay athletes. Only a handful of professional athletes have come out since Kopay, but his story endures as more young athletes look to his example and guidance in their own coming out.
-Michelle Garcia


Harvey Milk won election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in November 1977, becoming the first openly gay official elected to anything of any significance in the United States, and a hope to gay people who read the news all over the country.

Milk made three unsuccessful campaigns for office before finally winning. While in office, he introduced a successful ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. But he was perhaps best known for his words, and the way he said them — with passion. He delivered his famous “Hope Speech” at the Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978 to a giant crowd, calling on them to come out of the closet and declaring, “I’m tired of the conspiracy of silence.”

Before being assassinated at age 48 by former supervisor Dan White in city hall in 1978, Milk reiterated his call for gays and lesbians to come out. “If a bullet should enter my brain,” he said, “let that bullet also destroy every closet door in the country.”
—Lucas Grindley


When Harvey Milk was assassinated, it was Dianne Feinstein who found his body. She announced to the public that he and San Francisco mayor George Moscone had been killed by former city supervisor Dan White.

“There was a bullet hole through Harvey,” Feinstein told The Advocate in 1998, describing the horrific scene she discovered. “I put my finger on his wrist to try to get a pulse. I knew he was dead. It was a terrible, terrible moment.”

Feinstein, who took over for Moscone as San Francisco mayor in 1978, memorably eulogized both of the fallen leaders. Then she set about calming and uniting the city after White was given a light sentence and riots broke out.

The tragedy changed the course of her life, and Feinstein went on to become one of the LGBT community’s strongest allies. She is now California’s senior U.S. senator and was among the few, for example, to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act when it was proposed in 1996. Feinstein has introduced the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA if passed by Congress.
— Lucas Grindley


Robin Tyler, Lucia Valeska, Phyllis Frye, and Troy Perry (pictured below, clockwise from top left) organized the first gay rights march on Washington, held in October 1979. The watermark event in LGBT history was put together by Frye, an attorney, advocate, and Texas’s first openly transgender judge, along with Valeska of the National Gay Task Force. The women were joined by Tyler, a pioneer as an openly gay comedian and longtime LGBT activist, and Perry, the founder of the gay-affirming Metropolitan Community Church in Los Angeles. The gathering drew more than 79,000 demonstrators — some organizers say it was more like 100,000 — and placed the call for gay equality on the evening news and the morning’s newspapers. Speaking at the Mall, Tyler roused the crowd: “If freedom shall ring in this country it must ring for all Americans or in time it will not ring at all for anyone.”
—Neal Broverman


California governor Jerry Brown, in his second run for president, appealed explicitly to LGBT voters. He called himself a “comrade in arms” in their movement. And Brown had certainly used his political career to further extend rights in California, in 1976 signing a repeal of a law that had criminalized homosexuality and in 1979 appointing the first openly gay judge in the United States. Brown had also spoken out in 1978 against the Briggs Initiative, which would have made it legal to fire any school official or teacher who openly favored gay rights. During his newest term as California governor, he signed a law in 2011 requiring the history of the LGBT rights movement to be included in school curricula. “History should be honest,” he said in a statement after signing the law.
—Lucas Grindley


Billie Jean King first exploded onto the tennis scene in the 1960s, winning her first Wimbledon title during her first doubles tournament, and then 20 more Wimbledon titles by the end of the 1970s. In 1971, she was the first female athlete to win more than $100,000 for winning a match, but King knew it was wrong that she and other female players were generally paid less than male players.

She fought Bobby Riggs, one of the top-ranked U.S. players of the 1930s and 1940s to take a stand against sexism and unequal pay in one of the most famed and storied tennis matches of her life, the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes.” Though Riggs was past his prime at that point, he claimed that the women’s game was inferior, striking a nerve with King. She trounced him, in a tennis match watched by 50 million people around the world. Three years later, King became the first president of the Women’s Tennis Association.

King was well accomplished by the arrival of the 1980s, when a palimony lawsuit from a former lover suddenly put her personal life in the spotlight. King, who was married, was having an affair with her assistant. King beat the lawsuit, but it still cost millions in endorsements and lead to a divorce. Despite all she had lost and left to lose, the tennis star decided to host a press conference in 1981 against her lawyer’s wishes to admit to the affair. Now she is one of the most vocal proponents of LGBT people and women in sports from the school level, up to the pros.
-Michelle Garcia


California congressman Henry Waxman called a first-of-its-kind hearing in April 1982 to investigate a disease that was killing primarily gay men. The hearing of the House of Representatives subcommittee on Health and the Environment, over which he was chairman, focused on Kaposi’s sarcoma, a skin disease whose purple lesions were a telltale sign of HIV/AIDS before drugs existed to treat the epidemic.

“There is no doubt in my mind,” Waxman said at the time, “that if the same disease had appeared among Americans of Norwegian descent, or among tennis players, rather than among gay males, the reponses of the government and the medical community would have been different.”

He didn’t stop his advocacy in 1982 and hasn’t stopped since. “What we don’t need is another study. What we need is leadership,” Waxman said in 1988 of President Reagan’s inaction on AIDS. “Once again, the president is hiding.”
—Lucas Grindley


Just as AIDS began to ravage New York City in 1981, Sheryl Lee Ralph starred in the original production of the Broadway smash Dreamgirls. That time in her life would be formative, as she watched many of her gay friends succumb to AIDS. Ralph soon became one of the earliest celebrity HIV activists, with her work chronicled in a 1983 edition of The Advocate. The actress — who would move on to roles in Moesha and Barbershop — has raised millions for HIV charities through her DIVA Foundation and her Divas Simply Singing events. While many have turned their back on AIDS-related work, Ralph continues to shout from the rooftops.

“A young man called me up yesterday to say, ‘Miss Ralph, you told me to take the test … and I’m positive,’” Ralph told us recently. “That call has never changed over 30 years — the same fear, the same apprehension.”
—Neal Broverman


Biomedical researcher Robert Gallo led the team that discovered HIV, the infectious agent responsible for AIDS, back in 1984 when the disease was felling thousands of gay men. A medical researcher with the National Institute of Health, Gallo would go on to develop the first HIV blood test, which enabled doctors and nurses to screen blood for the deadly disease. His HIV breakthroughs continued through the ’90s — he discovered a natural compound known as chemokines that can block HIV and halt the progression of AIDS. “His research also helped physicians develop HIV therapies to prolong the lives of those infected with the virus,” according to the Institute of Human Virology, the health organization that Gallo founded and now directs.
—Neal Broverman


David Goodstein, the influential former publisher of The Advocate, died in 1985 after transforming the local Los Angeles newspaper he had bought into a national newsmagazine covering the LGBT rights movement.

Goodstein’s career seemed set after he founded a computerized investment company and then joined Wells Fargo Bank, which Goodstein said fired him when executives realized he was gay. Goodstein used outrage and his financial success on Wall Street to help fund a long list of causes for the expansion of LGBT rights. He bought The Advocate; founded the Whitman-Radclyffe Foundation, a gay rights organization devoted to educating the public; and he cofounded the group Concerned Voters of California to defeat a proposed law that would have banned supporters of gay rights from teaching or working in schools.

Goodstein is the creator of the Advocate Experience, a weeklong empowerment conference for gays and lesbians, a central mission of his life.
-Lucas Grindley


Director Donna Deitch’s Desert Hearts got the attention of Sundance in 1986, but it still has the affection of lesbians who were moved by its love scenes. The independent film portrayed intimacy between two women with such reality that it changed the filmmaking that followed. When The L Word on Showtime was taped, it was required viewing for each actress. The movie tells the story of an uptight university professor who is romanced by a younger casino worker. Deitch won the Outfest Achievement Award in 2008 for that and her continued excellence in portraying LGBT themes, including during Emmy-nominated miniseries The Women of Brewster Place.
-Lucas Grindley


Few figures loom as large in LGBT history as Larry Kramer. Kramer was a screenwriter — he wrote the 1970 film adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s Women in Love — before he turned the publishing world on its head in the late ’70s with his novel Faggots, which criticized his fellow gay men for sexual promiscuity and lack of emotional commitment.

But it was the AIDS crisis that transformed Kramer the Writer into Kramer the Activist. After his New York friends began falling victim to HIV, he co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (still very active today) and started the influential organization ACT UP, which took leaders like New York Mayor Ed Koch and President Ronald Reagan to task for their inaction on the disease. His semi-autobiographical chronicle of the AIDS fight, A Normal Heart, premiered off-Broadway in 1985, while a Broadway revival swept the 2011 Tonys.

Kramer’s writing — from Just Say No to The Tragedy of Today’s Gays — is nothing if not ambitious. His latest project: a narrative of a nation, entitled The American People: A History.
—Neal Broverman


Sir Ian McKellen came out as gay at age 49, in 1988, while debating on a radio show. McKellen and other, were fighting to stop legislation called Section 28 from becoming law in the United Kingdom. It prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” through gay-themed books, films, and artwork in libraries and schools. It passed in Parliament but was repealed in 2003.
McKellen went on to help found the British LGBT rights group Stonewall UK. He regularly visits schools when asked to advise on how to handle antigay bullying. And he sometimes talks to students during the visits and reflects on his years as an actor and activist. If he tells the story of coming out, McKellen might describe it as he did once in a newspaper op-ed about Section 28. “A bit late in the day, but it remains the best thing I ever did,” he wrote.
—Josh Hinkle


Edward Albee, one of the most revered playwrights of the 20th Century talked to The Advocate about being gay, and writing gay characters in 1989. “Some of the characters in my plays are gay… and that’s fine because that’s the way life is, but gay is not a subject. Societal pressure on gay people is a subject.”

Albee, who has won a multitude of honors, including Pulitzer prizes and Tony awards, as well as the National Medal of the Arts, was the scribe behind the powerhouse play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? After a tumultuous childhood, Albee dropped out of Trinity College to live in Greenwich Village in New York City in the 1950s. After a succession of odd jobs, he completed his first dramatic work, the one-act play, The Zoo Story, which premiered in 1959. In 1962, he followed up with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which won a Tony award, but was the subject of debate from the Pulitzer committee. That year, the committee decided that no one would win the award. The Pulitzer committee later honored Albee with A Delicate Balance in 1967. After several years of success, Albee began teaching young, up-and-coming playwrights at the University of Houston in 1989, and is still writing into his eighties.
—Michelle Garcia


Bill T. Jones’s choreography has been performed all over the world, often by the dance company he founded in 1982 with his late partner Arnie Zane, who died of AIDS in 1988. Jones himself has been HIV-positive since 1985, never hiding the diagnosis. After Zane’s death, Jones choreographed a tribute to his partner. And in 1990, Jones was on the cover of The Advocate urging gay men to never stop loving.

Jones’s provocative piece Still/Here drew attention in 1994 to the casualties of the AIDS pandemic. In it, dancers wearing blood-red costumes moved against a backdrop of projected images of the people Jones had met while leading “Survival Workshops” across the country.

Jones is writer and director of Fela! and the recipient of many major awards, including two Tonys and a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, also known as the “genius” grant. With all that audiences have seen of him, Jones still told The Advocate in 2009, “I am mystery to myself and I am certainly not an open book to you.”
—Lucas Grindley


When Patricia Ireland became president of the National Organization for Women in 1991, The Advocate praised her as “America’s Most Powerful Woman.” That was the headline on the cover story in which Ireland came out as bisexual in an interview that same year.

For her part, Ireland avoided labels of her influence or her relationships, saying, “The words I use are the words I use.”

Ireland was already well known as a guiding voice for lesbian rights through her work with NOW in Florida. During her 10 years running NOW and those that would follow, Ireland has fought antigay ballot initiatives, been arrested in front of the White House for protesting the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and she helped organize the 1993 March on Washington for Gay, Lesbian and Bi Civil Rights. “I am not the exception to the rule,” Ireland wrote in her memoir of the realization that propelled her into activism on behalf of women. “I fall into an oppressed category, and I damn well don’t like it.”
-Lucas Grindley


k.d. lang has always played by her own rules. She’s a Canadian singer who made it big in Nashville, a rising star who went mainstream and was later embraced by indie circles, and maybe most importantly, an openly gay celebrity before it was such a thing.

At the absolute height of her fame in the early ‘90s, lang came out on the cover of The Advocate. She always seems fearless — maybe that’s part of the reason the public embraced her after the announcement and turned the album Ingenue into a mega-hit.

She’s no longer perceived as simply a “gay artist,” just a critically acclaimed one. Her velvet voice is heard on soundtracks, albums, and talk shows, and her rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Olympics was unforgettable. She’s done so much since that 1992 interview — and always seemed so comfortable in her own skin — that it’s easy to forget how brave she was for speaking the truth two decades ago. Here’s to long memories.
— Neal Broverman


For any liberal person following politics in the early 1990s, Republican U.S. senator Jesse Helms was center stage as the villain, fighting against many liberal causes including the National Endowment for the Arts. Despite the North Carolinian’s looming presence, and over his protest, the U.S. Senate confirmed Roberta Achtenberg as the highest-ranking openly gay person to serve in any presidential administration up to that time.

President Bill Clinton nominated her in 1993 as the assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Helms launched an intense campaign against Helms, even calling her a “damn lesbian” who had a vendetta against the Boy Scouts, because she was part of a group that condemned the organization for not admitting gay and bisexual members. Prior to her confirmation, the Christian Action Network distributed videos to each senator, showing Achtenberg and her partner, Mary Morgan, embracing at a gay pride parade. Eventually, however, Achtenberg was approved with a 58-31 vote. She later moved up to senior adviseor to HUD secretary Henry Cisneros.

Achtenberg’s roots are in California, where she now serves on the board of trustees of the California State University system and as a director of the Bank of San Francisco and the San Francisco-based software company Andrew J. Wong Inc. Previously, Achtenberg was a senior policy adviser for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the San Francisco Center for Economic Development, and was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She also practiced law with Equal Rights Advocates and was a founder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. In 2011, Achtenberg was appointed by another president — Barack Obama — to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
—Michelle Garcia

Pedro Zamora made his debut as an HIV-positive cast member in the third season of MTV’s reality show, The Real World: San Francisco. During his time on the show, which was hugely popular for the network, Zamora used the platform to educate his fellow cast mates about HIV and, vicariously through them, the rest of the world who were watching.

He went so far as to bring a scrapbook to the house with him to help show his house mates the kind of activism he did prior to the show. Zamora died shortly after the airing of the show.
In 2009, MTV and Bunim Murray, creators of The Real World, produced Pedro, a biopic written by Dustin Lance Black showing Zamora’s life from the time he left his family in Cuba up until his death.
–Josh Hinkle

Roseanne Barr’s real-life gay brother and lesbian sister were what inspired her to fight with producers and network executives to include realistic portrayals on her hit television sitcom. And so Leon marries his partner, Scott; Sandra Bernhard plays Roseanne’s bisexual best friend, and Roseanne threatened to switch networks when some called for the episode “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to be skipped because it included her kissing another woman. Roseanne was named The Advocate’s Person of the Year in 1994.
—Lucas Grindley

It’s maybe hard now to remember a time on television and in movies where straight women didn’t have gay best friends, HIV-positive sons, or transgender daughters. But actress Judith Light had no problem doing it early on. Throughout her lengthy career on stage and screen, Light’s choices for roles have reflected the actress’s passions in real life, making her a true ally for LGBT people, and the right cover subject for a 1996 feature in The Advocate on straight females as allies.

Light played Jeanne White in the 1989 TV movie The Ryan White Story, which chronicled the life of a young boy who became a face of HIV/AIDS at a time when stigma and discrimination against people with HIV was rampant. In the soapy dramedy Ugly Betty, Light played media matriarch Claire Meade, mother of Rebecca Romijn’s transgender character, Alexis. She’s even credited with helping former Who’s the Boss? co-star Danny Pintauro to come out.

Off screen, Light has tirelessly raised funds and awareness for LGBT rights, as well as HIV. She has been aligned with several philanthropic and activist organizations like Broadway Cares; Equity Fights AIDS, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Hetrick Martin School, and dozens of others.
-Michelle Garcia

With the iconic headline, “Yep, I’m Gay,” and her smiling face on the cover of Time magazine on April 14, 1997, comedian and actress Ellen DeGeneres forever changed television — and solidified herself as a target for the “haters,” as she’s called them.

Even this year, the religious right tried and failed to get DeGeneres fired from a job as spokeswoman for JCPenney just because she’s a lesbian. But those forces were much stronger during the ‘90s. The star once told The Advocate it seemed she had “lost everything” after her ABC show was canceled, her relationship failed, and her follow-up sitcom never picked up steam.

When DeGeneres rose from all of that with her role in Finding Nemo, her hugely successful daytime talk show, her marriage to actress Portia de Rossi, and as host of a big event in American culture, the Academy Awards, it was more than a comeback. Important through all of it was how much it mattered that no one seemed to care anymore what the headline on Time magazine said in 1997.
—Lucas Grindley

1998 is the year that the name Matthew Shepard became synonymous with the consequences of unchecked hatred. The cover of The Advocate declared, “His murder leaves blood on the hands of the the Far Right.”

Shepard, beaten and left for dead the night of October 6 because he was gay, was found the next day in a remote spot outside Laramie, Wyo., and he died October 12. Aaron McKinney and accomplice Russell Henderson were convicted of the crime and are serving prison sentences. During the trial, McKinney used a “gay panic” defense, claiming Shepard came on to him and that triggered the violence, putting his antigay bias unashamedly on public display.

It wasn’t until 2009 that Congress finally passed and President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act that made what McKinney and Henderson did a federal crime.

The president gave Shepard’s mother a kiss on the cheek after signing the bill, saying, “I promised Judy Shepard when she saw me in the Oval Office that this day would come.” She and her husband, Dennis, had fought a long fight to pass inclusive hate-crimes legislation in honor of their son and to protect those like him.
—Lucas Grindley

When Tammy Baldwin won election to the U.S. House of Representatives and joined Congress in 1999, the odds were against her. Baldwin was the first woman to ever be sent to Congress from Wisconsin. And she was the first non-incumbent to run a campaign for federal office while openly gay.

“I’ve always believed that having a seat at the table matters,” Baldwin told The Advocate after announcing her newest run for office; this time, for U.S. Senate. “It matters that our legislative bodies are representative of the whole diversity of our country and of my state. Nobody checks their life experience at the door.”

Baldwin came out while serving on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. She went on to win a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly. At every level that Baldwin has served, she argues for LGBT rights. She cofounded the LGBT Equality Caucus, fought “don’t ask, don’t tell,” advocates for marriage equality and is a cosponsor of a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Now the seven-term congresswoman, if elected, would become the first openly LGBT senator in history.
—Lucas Grindley

Figure skater Rudy Galindo revealed in 1996, just before winning a national title, that he is gay, becoming a rare role model for being out in sports. Then the champion revealed in 2000 that he is HIV-positive, and ever since he’s used his story to raise awareness about prevention and life after being diagnosed. He’s received numerous honors off the ice, including the 2001 Ryan White Award. “If my story can help people — anybody at all — it is positive,” he told The Advocate in 2000. “I’ve always tried to help people, whether it be as a gay man or a Mexican-American or now, as someone who is HIV-positive.”
—Lucas Grindley

The tragedy on September 11 brought Americans shocking sadness, but the victims gave us long-lasting inspiration.

New York City fire department chaplain Mychal Judge, who his coworkers learned was gay after his death, symbolizes those who risked their lives to help others. The Franciscan friar died while helping victims at the World Trade Center. Helping others is what he had always done, working with the homeless or AIDS patients, plus victims of the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800.

Mark Bingham made it clear that the hijackers picked the wrong flight with United 93, and the bravery of he and fellow passengers has changed every flight since. In addition to a judo instructor, a weightlifter, a one-time paratrooper, and a former college quarterback, the 6-foot-4 gay rugby player Bingham was on board. The 31-year-old San Francisco public relations entrepreneur was one of the those who stormed the cabin, preventing the al-Qaeda terrorists from slamming United 93 into either the U.S. Capitol or the White House. Bingham and the other rebels on that flight saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.
-Neal Broverman, Lucas Grindley

In an interview with Diane Sawyer on Primetime Thursday, Rosie O’Donnell came out and used her fame as the “Queen of Nice” to draw attention to laws banning adoption for same-sex couples.

O’Donnell and her former partner had tried to adopt a child in Florida and came up against a ban there. So she decided to fight in the way she knew best — via television and other media. O’Donnell had earned six consecutive Daytime Emmys as an enormously likable talk show host. And so she easily commanded the media spotlight.

She used her star power again when San Francisco began defiantly marrying same-sex couples in 2004, attracting throngs of cameras as O’Donnell and her partner joined in. Meanwhile in Washington lawmakers were considering President Bush’s “Federal Marriage Amendment” to ban same-sex marriage. Even now, O’Donnell’s new show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, The Rosie Show, calls out injustices against LGBT people and highlights positive stories.

When Florida’s governor finally said in 2010 that the ban would stop being enforced, O’Donnell was to the point: “After 33 years, it’s about time.”
—Lucas Grindley

When V. Gene Robinson became the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church in 2003, he hoped to bring people on the margins back into the church. He could not have known that his example of what it means to be both Christian and gay would inspire a wave of LGBT people of faith to live openly and with pride.

After he became bishop, the church threatened to split apart over the election. Robinson held forums at Episcopal churches all over the country so people who were uncomfortable or angry could ask questions. But Robinson’s ascension to bishop set off a conversation about the role of LGBT people in all churches, not just his own. All the while, through heated debate and repeated death threats, Robinson insisted he was doing God’s work.

“As long as I’ve got the attention of the world’s media,” Robinson told The Advocate in 2003, “I’m going to use it for the church and I’m going to use it for God.”
—Lucas Grindley

Actress Cynthia Nixon came out as a lesbian in 2004 after playing Miranda on HBO’s hugely popular Sex and the City. In the time since, Nixon has often spoken out on LGBT issues. She was a vocal opponent of Proposition 8 in California and made a video for Fight Back New York after the state’s marriage equality bill was shot down. In it, Nixon discussed her personal involvement in the fight against antigay state lawmakers.
When Nixon later explained in 2011 that she is bisexual, after a furor broke out because she told the New York Times that it shouldn’t matter whether being gay is a choice, Nixon told The Advocate that she will continue to be herself and to use her voice. “I believe we all have different ways we came to the gay community and we can’t and shouldn’t be pigeon-holed into one cultural narrative which can be uninclusive and disempowering,” she said. “While I don’t often use the word, the technically precise term for my orientation is bisexual. I believe bisexuality is not a choice, it is a fact. What I have ‘chosen’ is to be in a gay relationship.”
-Josh Hinkle


When Melissa Etheridge was named The Advocate’s Person of the Year in 1995, she admitting knowing why: “I’m sort of a gay success story.” Etheridge came out during President Clinton’s inaugural ball and went on to sell hit records.”What happened to me is exactly the opposite of what closeted people fear: They think they’ll lose everything if they come out. This did not happen to me at all. In fact, everything came back tenfold.” Then when Etheridge publicly fought breast cancer in 2005 and won, her story once again became a tale of hope. “Let my life have been an inspiration to anyone — gay, straight, breast cancer, woman, mother — any human being,” she said after her star was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. “Believe in your dreams, my friends, believe because they do come true.”
-Lucas Grindley


The gay romance told in Brokeback Mountain was so intimate it almost never got made. Agents pushed their actors away from the script. Common wisdom in Hollywood was homophobic and had always assumed roles like these could derail promising careers. That’s why two up-and-coming young actors willing to play the roles of cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, who were locked in a secret affair in the Wyoming mountains, were repeatedly called “brave.”

The late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were both nominated for Academy Awards for their performances. The movie was a Best Picture nominee. All of them lost while Ang Lee won for Best Director and the screenplay and music took home Oscars.

It’s a testament to what they accomplished, though, that the next time a gay romance comes along with two buzzed about young actors in the lead roles, it’s unlikely the actors will be commended for their courage.
-Lucas Grindley


Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president was a sign of the character she would later prove again as secretary of State, becoming an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights worldwide. “Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights,” she said during a landmark speech in 2011 to United Nations members.

While cutting a path through the U.S. Senate that would lead to a run for president, Clinton didn’t shy from promoting LGBT rights. She helped defeat the “Federal Marriage Amendment” proposed by President Bush, pushed for better funding of HIV/AIDS services, and her LGBT supporters noted during the campaign that she was an original cosponsor of the hate crimes bill that would later pass during President Obama’s first year. She also sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that still lingers before Congress.

“You just have to keep pushing that door open,” she told The Advocate in an interview following a debate devoted to LGBT issues. Afterward, she headed to a fundraiser at a West Hollywood bar where LGBT people had watched the debate on television and cheered her on.

“The gay rights movement has been unbelievably successful over a relatively short period of time,” she said in 2007. “I know that if you’re in the midst of it, you see the failures to move forward, not how much forward motion has occurred. The lesson is to keep going, don’t give up. Know that you’re laying the groundwork for people being more understanding and accepting. But just keep going.”
—Lucas Grindley


Dustin Lance Black writes about people who have changed the world and manages to change it all over again.

Black won an Academy Award in 2008 for Best Original Screenplay after his biopic Milk reminded the world of Harvey Milk’s perseverance on behalf of LGBT people and his assassination for trying. Black also wrote a screenplay about Pedro Zamora, who changed opinions of the MTV generation by sharing his experiences as an HIV-positive gay man in a reality show.

Now Black is a founding board member for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is challenging California’s Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. Black wrote a play, called 8, about what happened as LGBT activists fought the law in court. A cadre of Hollywood’s brightest stars joined in readings in New York and Los Angeles, and now the show is headed to states where same-sex marriage bans are on the ballot. As before, Black’s work has taken something too few people had noticed and given it a bigger stage.
—Lucas Grindley


Television has helped define American culture, and television was dominated by singing contest American Idol in 2009 when Adam Lambert broke the preconceived notion of who this country could embrace.

Lambert, the glam-rocker who finished the show’s eight season as first runner-up, was the subject of an Entertainment Weekly cover story questioning whether he was gay even before the show ended. When it finally did, Lambert began learning what it is to identify as a gay man in mainstream pop music.

In his first post-Idol TV performance at the American Music Awards, Lambert stole headlines by kissing his male keyboard player. He’s become an advocate for The Trevor Project and Equality California. But his example as a reliable voice for being yourself is perhaps most important.

“I think visibility is a great tool,” he told The Advocate in a 2011 cover story. “If I’d had people in the public eye who were really up-front about it, it probably would have helped me.”
—Lucas Grindley


The public has followed Chaz Bono since birth, really. He was born Chastity Son Bono in 1969 to very famous parents, Sonny and Cher. And on the day in 2010 that he legally changed his name and gender the TV cameras were there once again. A documentary about his transition called Becoming Chaz aired on Oprah Winfrey’s network, and a memoir titled Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man told his story so others couldn’t do it for him.

Bono sensed, or hoped, the public was finally ready for a story like his. But he has since become a lightning rod for attacks on transgender people, heightened by his casting on the family-friendly, prime-time reality show, Dancing With The Stars. “All I can do is share my experience, and you’re either going to relate to it or not,” Bono told The Advocate in a 2011 cover story before the show. “It wasn’t my job to make other people feel OK about this. It was time to take care of myself. When that clicked it was full steam ahead.”
-Lucas Grindley


When “don’t ask, don’t tell” was finally repealed in 2011 and troops began serving openly, many thought of Army National Guard Lt. Dan Choi. For one thing, he’d already caused a ruckus when trying to reenlist.

Numerous soldiers had spoken out, groups had formed to fight for DADT repeal, but Choi knew how to make an impression, whether speaking at rallies or being arrested for handcuffing himself to the gates of the White House in protest. It began when he went on The Rachel Maddow Show in 2009 and came out.

“Only an unflinching commitment to improve the lives of others can determine the nature of one’s service,” Choi said after the military announced it would honorably discharge him 17 months later.
-Lucas Grindley


Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts is the first openly gay member of Congress to come out voluntarily, and ever since he has been a lightning rod for antigay rhetoric. Never one to just take a punch without punching back, Frank’s blunt take on politics didn’t make him any less of a target. But that same style combined with know-how got things done for LGBT rights.

To name a few, Frank helped pass a hate crimes bill, he is a founder of the Stonewall Democrats, and he hired a senior legislative assistant who become the first openly transgender Hill staffer in 2009. His critics claim he pushes the “gay agenda,” an accusation which Frank proudly replied to after repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” was signed by the president in 2010, saying the agenda is “to be protected against violent crimes driven by bigotry, it’s to be able to get married, it’s to be able to get a job, and it’s to be able to fight for our country. For those who are worried about the radical homosexual agenda, let me put them on notice. Two down, two to go.”

Frank, the highest-ranking openly gay member of Congress, came out after the late Gerry Studds of Massachusetts. Studds was forced to come out while Frank was the first member of Congress to come out voluntarily. He talks now about starting work in 1971 at age 31, a year before being elected to the Massachusetts state House, worried that someone would learn his secret.

“I spent nights and weekends alone and terrified that someone would find out that I was gay,” said Frank in an It Gets Better video. “I didn’t have the courage to be honest about my sexuality until I was 47 years old, I’d been a member of Congress for six years.” But Frank understands the value of coming out at any age, even while downplaying the weight of his own decision. “I have enormous admiration for people who do that now when they’re in their teens and are not in some ways insulated from the prejudice,” Frank said. “So for those who do that, I thank you, because you’ve helped make this world better or all of us.”

Frank is retiring from Congress in 2012 after 16 terms.
-Lucas Grindley