May

25

Servicemembers United Supports DADT Compromise

Filed Under DADT, Politics | 3 Comments

As expected, the gay blogosphere has been working frantically to encourage the LGBT community to be suspicious of the latest DADT news that “leaked” out of Washington yesterday:

According to one person familiar with the White House meeting, the proposal that is being considered would legislatively repeal the statute this year, but the current policy would remain in place and implementation of repeal would not occur until after the Pentagon’s working group study is finished in December. Further, completion of repeal would require certification from President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Joint Chiefs chair Adm. Mike Mullen that the new law will not have a negative impact on readiness, recruitment, retention, and other key factors affecting the military.

Pam Spaulding and others (people who consider themselves elite members of the gay press and have decided that they can manipulate and present the news anyway they see fit) have gone so far as to encourage people to believe the latest tactics out of Washington are designed to screw over the gay community. Since I’m not a member of the gay blogosphere’s herd of sheep, I decided to ask a trusted source their opinion on the matter.  Eric Kennedy, from Servicemembers United – the nation’s largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans and their allies – says this:

We support the amendments that are being introduced by our champions in the House and Senate this week. While they don’t give us everything up front and immediately, there are mechanisms built into the legislation and the process to ensure that everything falls into place within a reasonable window. We simply do not have the votes for 100% of what we want right now, and advocates have worked very hard to get us 80% now with a mechanism for securing the remaining 20% in the near future. This gets the legislative battle out of the way and avoids the risks of the mid-terms pushing repeal of for 2, 3, or 5 more years.

Facebook was buzzin’ yesterday with rant after rant about Obama screwin’ the gay community – again. As often as I could, I reminded people that they might want to get their news from more than one source, especially if that source is a gay blogger who wouldn’t know balanced reporting if it bitch slapped her across the face.

May

25

SistersTalk Radio Launches YouTube Channel

Filed Under Dating, Humor, Video Blog | Leave a Comment

May

25

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 14:15 I agree. Give ‘em hell! I already did. bit.ly/bCL4hY #DADT #
  • 15:22 I hate pimpin’ The Advocate (due to their SERIOUS lack of diversity), but this is VERY important: bit.ly/cYWrZQ #DADT #
  • 17:23 Has the gay blogosphere succeeded in pissing you off regarding today’s news on the DADT compromise? Good! Let me… bit.ly/9rOF7r #
  • 17:33 Finally! @Chrisgeidner has a more balanced report of today’s #DADT news: bit.ly/9Qr0O3 (I’m starting to like Chris) #
  • 18:08 @chrisgeidner I’m not as easy as those other lesbians. LOL! :-) #

– Follow me on Twitter

May

24

Daily Tweet Digest

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What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 10:25 At the airport in Tampa. I’m feelin’ a YouTube video comin’ when I get home. Lots to talk about! I had so much fun. bit.ly/ah2Jvf #
  • 18:20 StandUp Florida’s #HarveyMilkDay Celebration Wrap Up – bit.ly/c9sKir #
  • 18:50 @FemmeDrea – DM your email addy, please dahlin’. Nice to meet you this weekend! #

– Follow me on Twitter

May

23

Standup Florida’s Harvey Milk Day Celebration Wrap Up

Filed Under Audio Update, LGBT, Politics | 2 Comments

I was in Tampa, FL this weekend celebrating Harvey Milk Day with StandUp Florida, a new volunteer-based grassroots LGBT equality organization. StandUp organized a Harvey Milk Day remembrance dinner in Tampa, FL – my new favorite US-based gay mecca. SistersTalk Radio was on location, broadcasting live and enjoying the opportunity to meet fellow equality activists.

Other than two delayed flights (Tampa inbound delayed by 6 hours and Tampa outbound delayed by 5 hours), I had a great time. My hosts, Anthony Farver (Executive Director, StandUp Florida) and Bryan Arnette (State Director, StandUp Florida), were gracious hosts who waited for me to arrive Friday night before they would eat dinner. So sweet! Hampton Inn and Suites in Ybor has a great staff who took very good care of me during my brief stay in Tampa.

I have to pause here to thank my partner, Andrea Kleinheksel, for tolerating me during all my bitchy rants about delayed flights. She was also very accommodating and drove to Milwaukee to pick me up from the airport after my Chicago flight was delayed and I was bumped to a Milwaukee flight that arrived hours later than planned. Just say no to AirTran.

Anyway, the weekend’s events are worth writing home about – or at least posting a blog about. I met Romaine Patterson, creator of Angel Action and co-host and producer of the radio show Derek and Romaine. I had an opportunity to interview her; you can listen to that interview here. I also met Alex Nicholson, the founder and Executive Director of Servicemembers United. An interview with Alex is available here.

The Harvey Milk Remembrance Dinner was quite moving. Activists young and old gathered at Streetcar Charlie’s to honor the memory of Harvey Milk, of one of the LGBT community’s greatest heroes. Romaine Patterson reminded us that every single one of us can make a difference. Alex spoke about DADT’s affect on gay servicemembers even after they’ve been discharged from the military and Eddie Marti-Kring told a touching story about a German-American family who adopted him after his own mother kicked him out when she learned he was gay.

After dinner, those of us who were gathered to honor Harvey Milk did a candlelight vigil/walk, complete with Romaine Patterson, Alex Nicholson, Edward Mart-Kring and a few angels in tow. Along the route, we met up with religious anti-gay protesters who insisted gay people would get what’s coming to us. Instead of arguing with them, we paused long enough to sing Amazing Grace. When we finished the song, we continued our walk. A rather ambitious group of kids (about 16 – 18 years old) followed us and insisted on discussing the Bible with us, until Bryan Arnette informed them that we were gathered to honor the memory of someone who had died fighting for our rights. The confrontation ended without incident and we finished our walk – in honor of Harvey Milk.

After the walk, Drea (StandUp Florida’s new Creative Director) took yours truly to a Tampa dance club called Honey Pot. Hands down, it’s absolutely the best dance club I’ve ever stepped foot in. I’m not sure who voted in MTV/LOGO’s Best Gay Bar contest. Obviously, they’ve never seen the likes of Honey Pot! If they had, The Abbey (located in Los Angeles, CA) would NOT be considered the best gay bar in the country. Honey Pot’s diversity was amazing: lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, straight people, try-sexual people, homo-flexible people, liquor-lesbians, Black people, white people, Hispanic people, you name it. The music kept bumpin’ and the attendants knew every word to every song. The dance floor never emptied. The sweat kept pouring. The drinks kept comin’. If you’re ever in Tampa, FL, Honey Pot (and G Bar, their sister bar) should be on your must-experience list.

StandUp Florida plans a repeat of this year’s Harvey Milk Day celebration in 2011. It’s an event you don’t want to miss. Head on over to their web site and sign up for their newsletter. Tell ‘em Genia sent ya.

May

23

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 09:48 Good morning! Happy #HarveyMilkDay! #
  • 09:51 Are you in or near Tampa, FL? SistersTalk Radio is in town for @StandUpFlorida’s #HarveyMilkDay event. bit.ly/93Vl23 #
  • 09:58 Finished Gloria Naylor’s ‘Mama Day.’ Next book: ‘And Then There Were Three’ (Closeted bisexual Black men in the military). #
  • 10:03 Excited about meeting Romaine Patterson & Alex Nicholson today at @StandupFlorida’s #HarveyMilkDay event. Interviews coming soon. #
  • 10:07 @stellarlife Naylor’s ‘Mama Day’ was great. She’s extremely skilled at poetic prose. One of the best I’ve read. #
  • 10:10 @stellarlife The opening chapter for ‘And Then There Were Three’ was emotionally hard to get through – full of sexual violence. #
  • 10:22 @tellymcg I love Naylor’s ‘Bailey’s Cafe’ and ‘Linden Hills’ too. Most people only know ‘Women of Brewster’s Place.’ #
  • 12:49 Heading to airport with @StandUpFlorida to pick up Romaine Patterson and Alex Nicholson. #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 12:53 Awesomeness in Tampa, FL! #HarveyMilkDay twitpic.com/1q2ty7 #
  • 13:35 In the limo with @StandUpFlorida, Romaine Patterson & Alex Nicholson! #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 15:34 Interviews with Romaine Patterson and Alex Nicholson are done. I’ll add them to the live broadcast later. #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 16:30 Live in 30 minutes! Broadcasting @StandupFlorida’s #HarveyMilkDinner LIVE from Steetcar Charlie’s in Tampa, FL bit.ly/9RMopY #
  • 16:43 Come on down to Streetcar Charlie’s (1811 N 15th Street, Tampa). Meet & greet underway. Dinner’s at 7pm. #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 17:02 We’re live! Click here to listen: bit.ly/9RMopY (or come on down and join us at Steetcar Charlie’s!) #
  • 17:29 Live broadcasting is always fun. Challenging, but fun. Just met the folks behind Gaybor! Wifey called while I was on the air. Uh huh. #
  • 17:51 Reminder: We’re live. That means lots of mistakes and no editing! bit.ly/9RMopY #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 18:04 Wrapping up live SistersTalk Radio broadcast soon. I’ll be tweetin’ the remainder of the #HarveyMilkDay event. #
  • 19:28 Alex Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United, is currently speaking at @StandupFlorida’s #HarveyMilkDinner. #
  • 19:32 Alex Nicholson: #DADT is really "don’t ask, don’t tell and don’t ever get found out in any way." #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 19:33 Alex Nicholson: #DADT effectively silences people and forces them into the closet. #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 19:41 Currently speaking: Eddie Marti-Kring. #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 19:42 RT @FemmeDrea Please donate and help @standupflorida fight for workplace equality – tumblr.com/xnhab5ntz #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 20:14 Romaine Patterson: You, as one person, can make a difference. #HarveyMilkDay #
  • 21:03 #HarveyMilkDay candlelight vigil in Tampa, FL. Thanks @StandUpFlorida! twitpic.com/1q6zsy #
  • 23:08 Honey Pot in Tampa is HAWT! Dayum. #

– Follow me on Twitter

May

22

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 06:54 Working from the airport for a few hours this morning. (@ Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) ?) 4sq.com/2XbPS8 #
  • 07:34 Lesbian who sued over prom date transfers schools – bit.ly/bDCQBS #
  • 07:37 Expedia Opens #Gay Travel Store – nyti.ms/brQAsE (I still won’t use them, but maybe you will) #
  • 07:38 I really, really, really hope there’s no Courtney Love/Kate Moss sex tape. #
  • 07:42 Harvey Milk saw voting as key to gaining LGBT rights – bit.ly/9QWpnD #
  • 07:43 @67Kimber I won’t use them because they’re never the cheapest! :-) #
  • 07:53 I was interviewed in a UK student newspaper: SistersTalk Radio – Genia Stevens Part 1 – bit.ly/cGD8SY #
  • 08:12 I suddenly see more straight guys buying man-bags – mostly to carry their enormous iPad! They don’t fit in your pocket or wallet. #
  • 10:34 "When she puts her mind to it, no one can beat a southern woman at manipulating a man." – Gloria Naylor/Mama Day #
  • 11:33 Just learned my flight is delayed. Seems to be the norm every time I travel. #
  • 20:47 After a 6HR delay, I’m finally in Tampa, FL. Tired and hungry! (@ Tampa International Airport (TPA) w/ 7 others) 4sq.com/879Xqs #
  • 00:43 Doing a walking tour of the Gaybor District in Tampa, FL bit.ly/ccdpTM #

– Follow me on Twitter

May

21

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 13:25 Chicago Gay Rights Activists arrested after sit-in in Sen. Durbin’s office – bit.ly/9Ykflc #
  • 13:37 Iranian #lesbian actress Kiana Firouz fears film of her life ends in death – bit.ly/8YXaI2 #
  • 17:52 I’ll be tweetin’ and Facebookin’ (is that a word?) from Tampa, FL this weekend. I’m attending Standup Florida’s… bit.ly/bEF63o #
  • 03:00 Up early. Preparing for a late morning flight to Tampa, FL to celebrate #HarveyMilkDay this weekend with @StandupFlorida. #
  • 03:05 List of #HarveyMilkDay Events Nationwide on May 22, 2010 – bit.ly/9OYNVD #

– Follow me on Twitter

May

20

Gay Rights Activists arrested after sit-in in Sen. Durbin’s office

Filed Under ENDA, LGBT, Politics | Leave a Comment

Chicago, IL – May 20, 2010 -  As part of a broad strategy to gain a vote on ENDA this year, a group of thirteen Chicago activists have been arrested after a sit-in in Senator Richard J. Durbin’s office.   The sit-in was initiated due to the Senator’s lack of response regarding a pledge that a coalition of activist groups sent to the Senator for signature.  The pledge (in its entirety below) affirms his commitment to a transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and forceful advocacy of the bill before the Media and Senate.  The ‘form letter’ response received from the Senator via email did state his support for ENDA, but does not mention transgender protections as part of the bill he supports:

In each of the last several Congresses, I have joined Senator Ted Kennedy as an original cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This measure would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Specifically, it would make it unlawful for employers to discharge or refuse to hire any individual, or limit any individual’s employment opportunities, based on that person’s sexual orientation.

The activists arrived in Senator Durbin’s office at noon during a protest in support of ENDA that was taking place in front of the Federal Building.  With the pledge in hand they arrived and stated they would not leave until the Senator signed the pledge.  The Senator was not in the Chicago office and when the group asked to speak to the Senator via phone, they were told “that is not possible.”  They refused to leave until the pledge was signed.  The staffer then called the Federal authorities to have them removed from the office.

“I am here because we can no longer sit around and wait for our rights to be handed to us by politicians, we must demand our rights from them,” said Lindsey Dietzler of LGBT Change and one of those arrested.  “We have to be here to fight for those who are forced to remain invisible and deny who they are just to make a living.  I want Senator Durbin to know that until there is full federal equality for every queer citizen, no one in this country is free.”

The activists arrested are: Andrea Crain, Kevin Connaghan, Lindsey Dietzler, Roger Fraser, Judy Heithmar, Brent Holman-Gomez, Nik Maciejewski, Rachael McIntosh, Corrine Mina, Michael Oboza, Samantha Pajor, Sherry Wolf, Danelle Wylder.

“The LGBTQ community has stepped up to the plate and done our part. We gave votes, money, and countless hours of volunteer work to elect a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress and put a Democrat in the White House,” said Andrea Crain of Join the Impact Chicago. “We have lobbied our representatives and educated the public. We were told to wait until after the health care bill passed, and it has passed. We did our work, now Senator Durbin must do his!”

We call on the community to stand in solidarity with those who have been arrested by signing our petition asking Senator Richard Durbin, the second highest ranking Senator in the Senate, to become a forceful advocate for an ENDA vote this year: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/PASS-ENDA-NOW. Please also contact Senator Durbin at his office at (312) 353-4952 and tell him to help get ENDA passed this year!

Pledge:
I, Senator Richard Durbin, agree to stand before my colleagues in the U.S. Senate and the media to forcefully declare the urgent need for a transgender-inclusive ENDA in 2010. While all LGBTQ people in this country remain second-class citizens, it is a crisis that 97 percent of transgender people, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, have experienced mistreatment, harassment or discrimination on the job.

Federally-sanctioned discrimination of the millions of U.S. workers who are sexual minorities must finally pass into history. The time is now to stop the lies, the scapegoating and the bigotry against those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. I appeal to my colleagues in the Senate to end our sad history of anti-LGBTQ bigotry and pass a transgender-inclusive ENDA in 2010.

May

20

Daily Tweet Digest

Filed Under Twitter | Leave a Comment

What I Posted on Twitter Yesterday:

  • 18:17 Checking out the official Twitter app for the BB. So far, I like it more than UberTwitter. #
  • 18:28 @CrissLCox UberTwitter drains too much battery power. #
  • 19:05 Live right now: What’s the gay press doing right – and what are we doing wrong? bit.ly/bzRyCB #
  • 20:27 Podcast available: Columnist, Huffpo Blogger David Kaufman Critiques the #Gay Media – bit.ly/dBv0Wj #
  • 20:45 @TransGriot Were you able to get through? Sorry about that. And thanks for the compliment. #
  • 20:54 @topperwein The feature I like best is the battery saver feature! The official Twitter BB app doesn’t suck as much battery power. #
  • 21:48 Tonight’s discussion question: Are you okay with playing with Ms/Mr. RIGHT NOW while you wait for Ms/Mr. RIGHT? bit.ly/aaW1WA #

– Follow me on Twitter

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