As part of the I’m From Driftwood Campaign, Dustin tells his coming out story.
Check out The Advocate.com for information on another project, Courage Campaign’s Testimony Project. Dustin will bring a video crew to record your story, if it’s one of the many that will be selected from submissions made to the site.
The Human Rights Campaign won its bid to take over Harvey Milk’s former camera shop and decided to share the space with the Trevor Project to help host their 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. Here’s a brief video of the opening which took place over the weekend on Harvey Milk Day, which is a holiday in California commemorating Harvey Milk’s Birthday, that was shot by activist Sean Chapin:
The Church of Scotland lands on the side of tolerance! After allowing Scott Rennie to be the first openly gay clergyman in a homosexual partnership to be appointed as a minister in 2009, The Church of Scotland imposed a moratorium on allowing gays and lesbians to be come ministers. Now that is over.
Today the church’s general assembly voted to lift the moratorium and officially allow gay ministers to take the parish, and allow those men and women who have kept their sexuality a secret to come out without fear of repercussion from the church.
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been on a run doing stories about gays in sports and how I think we’re approaching a turning point with acceptance.
Well I’m not the only one, according to Cyd Zeigler of OutSports.com twenty-five athletes have already come out this year.
“I think 2011 is going to be to gay athletes what 1947 is to black athletes,” Zeigler said. “We don’t have a Jackie Robinson, but it’s been clear for years that our equality is not going to be because one athlete came out of the closet.
“It’s going to be a chorus of athletes and sports figures who say together, ‘Enough is enough.’”
Rhode Island is currently caught up in what I call the “all or nothing” debate. This debate has been going on for years within the LGBT community. Should we only allow the backing of legislation for full marriage equality? If we know that full marriage equality is not going to pass, would it be acceptable to push for Civil Unions? Should we focus on Civil Unions first and then focus on full marriage equality?
These answers will be different for everyone. I have spent the last 7 years trying to figure out where I stand on this issue. Seven years ago, I would have said marriage equality was a pipe dream for our grandchildren, yet we have states (and countries) that have accomplished this. Does this mean that we should only accept all or nothing? Continue reading
Sgt. Ronald Crump filed a a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles last year for being harassed and receiving retaliation after filing complaints about being mistreated by a supervisor for being homosexual. Well Thursday he won that lawsuit and $1.1 million along with it.
Sgt. Crump’s direct supervisor at the LAPD Media Relations Section, Lt. John Romero, had repeatedly described Crump as “the new ruby minus the heels”, referring to a female officer whom he had replaced.
Lt. John Romero also told Sgt. Crump ”I was a religion major at Liberty University. Jerry Falwell would roll over in his grave if he knew I had hired you.”
With news that the Tennessee Senate just passed the ‘Don’t Say Gay” bill that prohibits teachers from discussing homosexuality in the classroom comes this amusing video from George Takei:
New Mexico Senator Tom Udall cut a video expressing his support for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. Watch:
If you don’t recognize the tune, ask someone over 40.
Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts came out as gay in a story in the New York Times.
It looks like the barrier is starting to crumble with gays in sports. The LGBT community is gaining support from some unlikely players. Hockey forward Sean Avery of the New York Rangers came out in support for equality in a with the Human Rights Campaign, and Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo made his own public service announcement saying ”America is supposed to be the land of the free, but in order for this to be true for all of us, then we must have the ability to marry whom we love, regardless of their gender.”
Phoenix Coyotes enforcer Paul Bissonnett tweeted his support saying “I agree with Sean Avery and his comments on the same-sex marriage issue & If two people are happy together, let them be happy,”.
