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linkMay 21, 2013 8:12 pm
This Is What It Looks Like When A Gay Athlete Gives Out Her Contact Info To Any Gay Kid In Need
She’s 6’8” tall and the most awesome person ever.
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photoMay 21, 2013 4:02 pm
I did a comic about marriage equality…
(Original: http://www.roostertailscomic.com/?p=1588)
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linkMay 16, 2013 1:02 pm
Pentagon formally recognizes transgender veteran
Earlier this month, the Pentagon quietly made history when it acknowledged a transgender veteran’s changed gender marker and updated records appropriately.
This is thought to be the first time the Department of Defense has recognized a gender transition for anyone affiliated with the armed forces, and it’s especially a big deal because trans people still cannot serve openly, even after the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
In a short letter dated May 2, a Navy official told Autumn Sandeen, a veteran and transgender activist: “Per your request the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) has been updated to show your gender as female effective April 12, 2013.”
Sandeen’s military identification card now reflects the change, a move called “quite significant” by the head of OutServe-SLDN, a national organization for LGBT service members and veterans and their families.
“The fact that a process exists [to change the gender listed] indicates that there are people in the Department of Defense who are aware of the needs of transgender retirees and who are working to see those needs met. And, in that sense, the significance of this symbolic act for our broader work and for our goal of open service becomes I think a little bit more apparent,” OutServe-SLDN executive director Allyson Robinson told BuzzFeed.
Holy cow, this is a huge deal. Major congratulations to Ms. Sandeen for starting what will hopefully become a major change in how the Department of Defense treats its transgender veterans and service members. There’s no excuse for the kind of discrimination that has been perpetuated for so long.
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linkMay 14, 2013 3:22 pm
Read this now: "'Gay Marriage' and 'Marriage Equality' -- Both Terms Matter"
When we talk about the recent victories in Delaware and Rhode Island or the hopefully impending repeal of DOMA and Prop 8, are we talking about “gay marriage” or “marriage equality”? Or both?
LGBT activists have taken lately to using the latter term over the former, myself included. The standard argument is that all marriages should be treated equally, so there’s no sense in distinguishing “gay” ones from straight ones. But HuffPo columnist Murray Lipp doesn’t agree, arguing that there is value in specifying which marriages are between couples of the same sex.
His primary argument in defense of the phrase “gay marriage” is that it brings visibility to same-sex unions, upending the assumption that marriages are inherently heterosexual. Plus, the term is well-known and easily recognizable. Here’s why he wants us to use both “gay marriage” and “marriage equality”:
“Gay marriage” refers to the actual phenomenon of same-sex marriage, the legal union between two people of the same sex. It’s something which is legal or not in any given part of the world. “Marriage equality,” on the other hand, refers to the equal allocation of rights and benefits to all married couples, regardless of whether those couples are opposite-sex or same-sex. It does not describe a type of marriage. It describes an outcome, an achievement or goal, that being the attainment of equality.
When a same sex couple marries, yes it’s a “marriage,” but it can also be described as a “gay marriage” — the adjective “gay” adds further descriptive value which may have significant communicative utility depending on the context. Using the word “gay” helps specify difference but it does not imply “better than” or “less than.” Furthermore, when a same-sex couple marries that marriage is not called “marriage equality” — the term does not describe a type of marriage.
The attainment of “marriage equality” is impossible without “gay marriage” first being legalized. When a given state or country legalizes same-sex marriage and additionally provides equal rights and benefits to all married couples irrespective of whether a couple is same-sex or opposite-sex, then it can be said that “marriage equality” has been achieved in that region. While “gay marriage” is now legal in various states of the USA, “marriage equality” has not yet been achieved in the USA nationally as the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages.
I’m not certain I totally agree with this, mostly due to the portion I bolded above. I am hesitant to focus too explicitly on the difference between a “gay marriage” and a “straight marriage,” particularly because the premise of the fight for marriage equality is that all marriages are the same, gay or straight. Or is pointing out the existence of these “different” marriages key in eventually having them treated equally?
Clearly I need to better organize my thoughts, but only because there’s a lot to say about this. What’s your take on this topic?
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linkMay 12, 2013 12:49 pm
Transgender Visibility Timeline
GLAAD created an infographic that captures the past 60 years of transgender issues in honor of Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance.Transgender Visibility Timeline….it hasn’t been that far into history that the transgender experience has been acknowledge/addressed. Something to think about.
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photosetMay 11, 2013 10:16 am
I think it’s the responsibility of films and television to accurately represent people, and the diverse group of people out there. And I think as more people see different types of lifestyles represented on TV, they’ll understand that this is just a realistic part of our world and our community. So, I was very proud to represent bisexual characters. -Olivia Wilde [x]
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linkApr 30, 2013 4:02 pm
A Girl Gets Attacked At School For Being STRAIGHT?!
This fictional short film flips everything you know on its head. It’s a hard watch, but it’s an amazing one.
TRIGGER WARNING: The ending is somewhat disturbing, and involves an action commonly associated with the results of violence and bullying.
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photoApr 29, 2013 4:38 pm
“Courage” and “inspiration” are words that get thrown around a lot in sports, but Jason Collins has given both ideas a brand new context.
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linkApr 12, 2013 2:06 pm
Sign it!
Petition to get rid of the law in Alabama that states that in all public schools it has to be taught that being gay is illegal.
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quoteApr 08, 2013 7:11 pm
"I’m writing this because no gay player is currently out, and the first gay player who eventually does come out needs to know that — despite all the indoctrination from the league about not being a distraction — if he’s the one to take the first step, he will have allies. He will have support. He will have those of us who realize that people’s sexuality doesn’t define who they are, just as their jobs don’t define who they are, and that guys who bring our wives and children to games and team events are no different than those who would bring their husbands and children."
“An Openly Gay Player in the NFL is Not a Distraction,” by Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe for CNN. Brilliantly said. (via gaywrites)
