Mar

31

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 13:06 When LGBT households answer the Census, it makes some people mad – bit.ly/9UGQjg #
  • 13:11 I’m not in MN, but anyone running against Michele Bachmann gets my support. Follow and support @tarrylclark! #
  • 17:43 Gregory and Jonathan need your help. Voting closes in 24 hours: bit.ly/cKyewn #gaymarriage #
  • 19:40 Jamie Foxx for CDC’s ‘i know’ HIV Social Media Effort – bit.ly/dBG1To #
  • 19:52 HIV in Black Women: It’s Not About Men on the Down Low – bit.ly/9gdJTj #
  • 19:55 Erykah Badu Defends Nude Video at JFK Assassination Site – bit.ly/a1AC1k #
  • 20:08 @Bouska – @Facebook disabled my account once too. Good luck gettin’ it back. Luckily I was able to start over. #
  • 20:50 Sticks, Stones and Ticked off Trannies with Knives. – bit.ly/c27np6 #

– Follow me on Twitter

Mar

30

When LGBT households answer the Census, it makes some people mad

Filed Under LGBT | 4 Comments

This guest post is written by Bob Witeck

A couple of weeks ago, our Census form arrived. As promised.

I wasn’t really surprised since the Census sent us a postcard telling us to expect it.

My husband and I planned to respond, but then figured we should probably take down our Christmas decorations first. Not to mention cleaning up after our New Year’s Party (I’m just kidding, we didn’t have a New Year’s Party and everyone knows that habitual procrastinators don’t need real excuses anyway.)

It did occur to me, however, that before we actually fill out the Census form, I should come up with the top 10 reasons why I ought to do it today. And that will buy me a just a little more time to think about it.

10. Congress requires us to respond to the Census just once every 10 years.

Well, it actually begins with our Constitution, which tells Congress to conduct a complete and accurate count of the American people every decade. After all, when you write and pass laws, it probably helps to know how many lives you touch, and how to improve them.

I have to admit following the rules isn’t as hard for me since I sat in first grade with Sister Mary Saint Mark. If you crossed a storm trooper with a nun, well, you get the idea. She was the law.

9. The Census is one of the best ways to make sure federal funding is shared and spent in fair proportions.

This is simple. My family included 2 parents, 4 sisters and 2 brothers when I was growing up, and every dinner, and especially every dessert was divided 9 ways. If we failed to count portions accurately, then I risked losing my equal 1/9th share of the prize.

Okay, we’re adults now, but the idea is actually pretty much the same. Federal dollars support highways and schools, medical facilities and environmental protections, many smart ways that fix or improve the services and facilities we have in our communities. Who doesn’t want a fair return for the taxes we pay?

8. Everyone’s doing it. Answering the Census, that is.

The 2010 Census forms have been sent to every address in America, and everywhere they can find people. It’s not easy, but they have made an amazing effort this year in countless languages and to many of the most distant and unusual places to invite us to fill out our forms.

What makes me most proud is that they’ve made an historic commitment this year to include all LGBT households as never before. They have dedicated many field specialists and contacts to work within our community groups to educate and recruit help, and we have even worked with our Census folks to establish a unique public education campaign, “Our Families Count” (www.ourfamiliescount.org) that couldn’t make it any easier to find out everything we all need to know.

7. Same-sex couples really do count.

Some of us are annoyed that not one of the questions in this year’s Census asks about sexual orientation, or about gender identity and expression. While there are questions about gender and about race and ethnicity, they won’t yet ask us if we also call ourselves lesbian, gay, or bisexual, for example.

I hope one day they will, but in the meantime, this year for the first time ever the Census form will enable many of us living in same-sex committed relationships to answer honestly and accurately how we define our intimate relationship with one another. I have been with my own husband for 15 years, and I regret we cannot yet lawfully marry nor register even as partners in our state – but that doesn’t stop us from telling the Census that not only are we adult partners of the same sex, but we also consider ourselves husbands. (And for my coupled lesbian friends, they can call themselves wives on the Census form.)

Some same-sex couples may not think of themselves as husbands (or as wives), and instead wish to answer that question by calling themselves “unmarried partners,” as they choose. That’s a perfectly fine choice too.

And in doing so, we will be able to be counted as we live, and described more accurately in the way we see each other. That is a major step forward, and why the 2010 Census probably matters most to me and my husband.

6. For transgender Americans, why not be yourselves too?

I cherish my friends who are transgender. They also tell me they have faced many more struggles than I have to be themselves and to be seen and accepted as the gender they are. And not necessarily the gender that was recorded on their birth certificate or often on their driver’s license.

But the Census doesn’t define you, you define yourself. If you live as a man, regardless of the driver’s license you may have or another piece of identification, be confident to tell the Census that you are a male. If you live as a woman, and regardless what your license or another identification card may say about you, then tell the Census you are a female.

I can’t say for sure but I think that is very liberating too, and one more way under the law, that we can truthfully be ourselves.

5. Our answers are private. Really.

I’ve checked the federal laws, and spoken with the folks at the Census. The brief information we share on the form is not shared with others. By law, our response is protected and used only for its intended purpose and that is to achieve an accurate count. It will not be shared with law enforcement authorities, immigration authorities or tax officers. No one else.

Some of us have reason to be anxious when we know other promises made are not always promises kept, laws or no laws. I’ve thought it over, and one way to ease our minds would be to keep supporting and sending contributions to some of the top legal rights and privacy watchdogs like the ACLU and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund – because I am confident they will also look out for us.

4. It’s easy. I mean so easy.

Let’s face it. For some of us sudoku is hard (my hand is up). So is completing the New York Times crossword puzzle and the 1040 IRS form. It’s easy to put off those challenges, since they tax the brain and really take time with no guarantee of success.

But the 2010 Census really is only ten questions in less than ten minutes. When my husband and I glanced at the form, and both of us prepared to answer it – the hardest thing for us was to decide who is Person 1 and who is Person 2 on the form!

I wish the U.S. Census would spend the next nine years rewriting our tax forms now.

3. By filling out the form and mailing it back, we can save millions of dollars.

Really? Yep, I checked. For each of us who takes the ten minutes to fill out our form and send it back, that just means the fewer doors to knock on, the fewer sidewalks and neighborhoods to navigate and the need to recruit and pay fewer workers to ask us to fill out forms in person.

That makes perfect sense, and if we save some dollars for the federal government, I hope that means we can save tax dollars and even benefit other programs that we really do care about.

2. When LGBT households answer the Census, it makes some people mad.

Huh? Well, imagine our adversaries and those leaders and organizations that are most adamant that we be denied our full, equal rights. Or tell us just to stay in the closet and never be seen, nor heard, nor counted. Some even have complained to the U.S. Census that we should not be counted as same-sex couples or as married couples under law in those jurisdictions where marriage equality is a fact.

For generations, many Americans have been spoon-fed lies and distortions about who we are, where and how we live. They often don’t want to believe that some of us are raising children or living next door to them, and they believe wrongly that we all are rich and privileged and mostly undeserving of equal respect and rights.

The Census is perhaps the one best way to put an end to some of the myths and distortions and to educate everyone about our families. I say it’s payback.

And finally, the Number One and best reason, having our community count fully and truthfully in the Census community is rewarding.

How can it not be? When we count ourselves, we count to others.

For years, we have fought injustice and inequality by standing up for ourselves and by being visible. Coming out is a first step in terms of acceptance and inclusion, and the best way that unfair barriers in workplace discrimination or the ban on serving openly in our military will be repealed.

The Census is not yet a perfect way to count all of us, but it is a real start. It is now and it will long be the gold standard in helping define truthfully who we are as American people. Lesbians and gay men, bisexuals and transgender Americans deserve to be counted,

It’s time to mail our form back today.

Bob Witeck is CEO and co-founder of Witeck-Combs Communications. He and his partner, Bob Connelly, live in Arlington, Virginia, where Bob Witeck is known as Person 1, and Bob Connelly is known as Person 2 (but not without a few coin tosses.) Bob Witeck is also a proud partner and media coordinator for Our Families Count (www.ourfamiliescount.org)

Mar

30

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 13:05 Jamila discusses her 12K mile journey for HIV/AIDS: bit.ly/9hP72L #
  • 16:20 Florida church launches "No Homo Mayor" campaign – bit.ly/dhf0ii (still waiting for their no pedophile priests campaign) #
  • 16:22 @londonbridgez Very glad you’re receiving positive feedback re: your interview on SistersTalk Radio. #
  • 16:24 Ricky Martin has officially come out – and no one is surprised. When Tom Cruise comes out, that won’t surprise us either. #
  • 17:46 @BrotherJesse Agreed. And personally, I think that’s very purposeful. #
  • 18:43 @BrotherJesse It would take a lot more than 140 characters to explain it. It’s related to social class structure. #

– Follow me on Twitter

Mar

29

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 15:32 @d17th Thank you. We tackle religious issues a lot on SistersTalk Radio. #
  • 15:33 Preview a short URL before you actually visit the site: prevurl.com #
  • 15:57 Still waiting for the religious #tcot bigots to speak up about the Milwaukee priest who molested 200 deaf boys. #
  • 16:02 The Vatican and the Pope are playing the victim card: bit.ly/aL0ad3 #
  • 16:41 Jamila Gaskins is biking 12K miles to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. Support her, please. Become a fan: bit.ly/bd0Eoe #
  • 17:34 More female faces of #DADT. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Hits Home – bit.ly/bMN0FM #

– Follow me on Twitter

Mar

28

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 19:05 Either @KatyPerry has a thing for teenage boys, or that account isn’t really hers. bit.ly/cNe52D #
  • 19:08 @phreddd I saw that story earlier. It seems hypocrisy runs rampant in the Catholic Church. #
  • 19:44 200 year old sex toys suggest women (and maybe even men!) have been size queens for a long time: bit.ly/ddm7B2 #
  • 19:49 @tragic_pizza I know, right!? Huge sex toys dating back to the 18th century! Who collects antique sex toys? #
  • 19:55 Based on the fact that iCarly is a trending subject, I’m guessing there are a lot of teenagers (EARLY teens!) on Twitter now. #
  • 19:57 @booklover28212 Aaaah. That explains it. But ‘Teen Choce Awards’ isn’t trending right now. Hmmm . . . #
  • 19:57 @bendonahue1 My weekend is going really well. Thanks! How about yours? #
  • 19:59 @Kimberly21570 My youngest son loves iCarly – or at least he used to last year. And it was on repeat constantly. #
  • 20:20 Ok. Justin Bieber can SAAAAANG. #
  • 20:52 Closing up the office for the night. Andrea and I are going to see Alice in Wonderland – finally! #fb #

– Follow me on Twitter

Mar

27

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 08:40 I’ll be tweeting a media briefing conference call about #DADT and the new Pentagon regulations in about 20 minutes. #
  • 08:45 The #DADT media briefing conference call is being held by the Palm Center: bit.ly/de5HV8 #
  • 09:00 On today’s #DADT conference call: Dr. Nathaniel Frank, Rear Admiral Alan Steinman, M.P.H., M.D and Diane Mazur, J.D. #
  • 09:07 Dr. Frank says repeal of #DADT will need to be an act of Congress (not the President). #
  • 09:10 New changes suggest 3rd parties must now accuse people of homosexual conduct under oath – that makes it credible? #DADT #
  • 09:11 Rear Admiral Alan Steinman thinks changes will significantly reduces discharges under #DADT. #
  • 09:12 Only a flag officer can initiate a #DADT investigation now, and only a flag officer can initiate a discharge under #DADT. #
  • 09:14 What’s next for #DADT? Pentagon is evaluating HOW (not when) to implement a repeal of #DADT. #
  • 09:15 Pentagon’s study on HOW to repeal #DADT is due December 1. Some criticize the length of the study as unnecessary. #
  • 09:19 The kind of 3rd party outings we see with the SD police outing a lesbian military person will be barred. #DADT #
  • 09:21 Changes to #DADT won’t mean 0 discharges, but it will mean we’ll see a lot less of them. #
  • 09:22 The reality: there are lots of known gays serving and it’s not a problem. #DADT #
  • 09:23 Knowledge of openly gay colleagues is not a problem. It’s known that #DADT is enforced out of personal motivation. #
  • 09:26 What exactly is credible evidence? Former partners who vindictively out a former lover is not credible. #DADT #
  • 09:29 Letters home to a same-sex partner (when you’re away at war, for example) won’t be used as evidence anymore. #DADT #
  • 09:32 What about public displays of affection? A uniform code of behavior for everyone addresses this concern. #DADT #
  • 09:34 A repeal of #DADT means: All rules & regulations that apply to straight service members will apply to gays and lesbians. #
  • 09:36 The #DADT conference call has ended. #
  • 09:38 All the tweets about today’s #DADT conference call can be found here: bit.ly/dbIPcm #
  • 09:40 @moneymakermj I don’t think they recorded the call, but I’m sure they’ll release a summary of the call shortly. #
  • 10:10 @randomtwitts You’re welcome. I’m glad I didn’t miss the email announcing the call. I would’ve been so disappointed. #
  • 10:41 @dccc Your scare tactic style emails are annoying and won’t ever convince me to send you money. Stop that. #fail #
  • 11:24 @GALA_Magazine Thanks for the #FF shoutout. That’s an impressive group you’ve added me to! Love @PerryBrass! #
  • 11:27 Do you think the Pope believes in Hell? I mean, really. The man helped cover up a child sex abuse scandal. #
  • 11:28 @SecondCityStyle That assumes that only men like sports. #fail #
  • 13:09 Barney Frank: ‘Progress has been good’ for LGBT equality – bit.ly/ctiPYC #
  • 15:45 @renwl Sorry to hear about your blog’s final day. What are your plans moving forward? #
  • 20:40 Oh.my.gawd. Great show with @londonbridgez tonight. *fanning myself!* bit.ly/cNWHcK #

– Follow me on Twitter

Mar

26

Questions About Changes to DADT Answered

Filed Under DADT, Twitter | Leave a Comment

New Changes to Gay Ban Bring Up Questions:

What is a “credible source”?
What do the changes mean?
What’s next?

In a media briefing conference call, the Palm Center – with the help of experts and former military who know what it’s like to be gay and serve the country – will help answer questions about the recent DADT policy changes.

On the call:

Dr. Nathaniel Frank, Senior Research Fellow at the Palm Center and author of Unfriendly Fire” has recently published the study “Gays in Foreign Militaries 2010: A Global Primer” and discusses key points of available research, including a recent study in the American Psychological Association’s journal, “Military Psychology”, which points out that coming out does not affect unit cohesion.

Rear Admiral Alan Steinman, M.P.H., M.D., former Director of Health and Safety for the Coast Guard and Presidential appointee to the Special Oversight Board for Department of Defense Investigations of Gulf-War Chemical and Biological Incidents is one of the highest ranking people to come out as gay, when he publicly disclosed his sexual orientation to the New York Times in 2003. A graduate of MIT, he also holds a Master of Public Health, and is a medical doctor. RADM Steinman addressed military-related issues.

Diane Mazur, J.D., Legal Co-Director of the Palm Center and Professor of Law at the University of Florida College of Law teaches courses in evidence, constitutional law, professional responsibility, and civil-military relations, and her research focuses on the constitutional, legal, and cultural relationship of the military to civilian society. She is also an Advisor to the National Institute of Military Justice and a Senior Editor for the Journal of National Security Law and Policy. Professor Mazur is a former aircraft and munitions maintenance officer in the United States Air Force, and before entering law teaching she practiced law with the Modrall Law Firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mar

26

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 13:37 Bill Clinton needs to go away . I received a mass email from that rat bastard congratulating us on the healthcare win. #
  • 15:08 Gates approves Pentagon rules for discharging gays – bit.ly/9VJVV8 #
  • 16:43 Boy-Meets-Boy app Grindr now available for Blackberry users: bit.ly/c4uUjv #
  • 17:04 I love, love, love the smackdown EQCA & a couple of LGBT bloggers get in this article: bit.ly/c0jXlx #
  • 17:42 Just heard on HuffPo: Beyonce’s pregnant. Thank gawd! She’ll be gone for a little while. #
  • 17:43 @DDavis2 I said the same thing. Where’s the girl-meets-girl app? Not that I need it. I’m just sayin. #
  • 17:49 @DecadenceDesign I know, right!? Let that baby get all of Beyonce’s best features. #
  • 17:54 @saintpaul007 Damn! I didn’t make the list. Lost track of how many times I’m accused of being a racist. And a transphobe. And a sexist. #
  • 17:58 Check out sexy spoken word artist @londonbridgez on SistersTalk Radio tomorrow 8pm CST/9pmEST. bit.ly/cNWHcK #
  • 18:07 RT @TariAkpodiete tax records show Hannity & Oliver North’s Freedom Charity is a SCAM bit.ly/dvO6lU #
  • 18:08 @rennysanz Yeah, I saw that. Keepin’ my fingers crossed that it’s true. #
  • 18:29 @jaysays I like your nipple. It’s called me more in 3 months than your fingers have. #

– Follow me on Twitter

Mar

25

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 12:04 Great paid summer internship with LGBTQ organization COLAGE: bit.ly/aYrLxE #
  • 15:04 RT @ymib ESSENCE Magazine Seeks Fashion Director bit.ly/dz9ngi #
  • 15:23 The AFA is pissed the religious right lost an anti-#gay battle in Mississippi (of all places!) bit.ly/9qR1if #
  • 15:32 Health Care and #DADT Battles Mirror Agenda That Weakened Clinton Presidency: bit.ly/bzW5Ko #
  • 19:32 You Don’t Have to Go to Jail to Make a Difference: bit.ly/dlMEnZ #

– Follow me on Twitter

Mar

24

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 10:05 I think @AnyoneButMe deserves a Streamy. I just voted: bit.ly/5Vdup #
  • 10:05 BTW, good mornin’! #
  • 10:31 Damn. LOVE this song: bit.ly/brC2Mt (Nothin’ on You – by B.o.B) #
  • 10:45 IF JAIL ISN’T AN OPTION for you, here’s what you CAN do for LGBT equality: bit.ly/5U3ELx #
  • 11:48 Listening to @JaySays’s interview with Tanner Efinger (@Postcards2Prez ). You might like it: bit.ly/bFLDx5 #
  • 12:50 10 Things Every American Should Know About #HCR – bit.ly/c882hT #
  • 12:54 RT @kjlintner #tcot: You didn’t get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq. #
  • 13:21 What’s the Best Strategy for Moving LGBT Issues to the Front Burner? bit.ly/9I6Q88 #
  • 13:28 Immigration rally includes LGBT voices – bit.ly/aE7oKr #
  • 14:00 RT @cafecitobogota The Postleft Leftist su.pr/3vFY9L #gay #lgbt #
  • 14:30 Via @Project1Movie: Preparing Yourself to Tell Others You’re HIV+ bit.ly/bO4PTq #
  • 14:33 Do I really want an iPad, or do I want one just so I can say I have one? #
  • 14:37 Everytime I tweet #tcot, I get added to a new list. When they learn I’m a leanin-sorta- left lezzie, they boot my ass! #
  • 14:40 @chickgonebad It *IS* funny! #
  • 14:42 @LesCandy My big ol’ lezzie wedding will be very simple, extremely affordable and a whole lot of fun! #
  • 14:43 @butchjax TCOT = top conservatives on Twitter. Although (apparently) anyone who tweets #tcot can be a "top" conservative. #
  • 14:49 @nikkidreams I learned (via Verizon’s BB Storm) the valuable lesson of waiting for generation 2 of the latest tech toy. #
  • 15:24 @LesCandy YEP! That’s the plan. Outdoors. Shoes optional. Lots of wild floral arrangements. #geniaswedding #
  • 15:30 A conservative tweeter just said Jesus advocated private (not govt run) charity. Where is that in the Bible? #
  • 15:39 ROFLMAO! Agreed. RT: @chickgonebad I believe that’s called "making shit up." #
  • 15:44 Don’t blame it on gay marriage: Kim Kardashian, Reggie Bush split up already. bit.ly/9DplIy (via @mireika) #
  • 15:51 @shrewteaz The same way a man became the poster child for DADT when women of color are the most affected by the policy: the media. #
  • 15:52 @kellyleeevans Nope! It doesn’t matter at all. :-) #
  • 15:54 @shrewteaz That’s a good question. The people who claim to police mainstream media have jumped into bed with them. #
  • 15:56 College Republicans should turn off their auto-follow feature. I ain’t no college kid or a Republican. #

– Follow me on Twitter

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