Transgender In the House

How great is this! Anna Grodzka become the first Transgender to take seat in Poland house of parliament. At the age of 57, Ms. Grodzka is part of a newly formed liberal party called Palikot’s Support Movement, that stunned Poland’s staid political establishment by winning 10 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election. She is a women with a mission to bring awareness to the Poland country about people such as herself. 

Here are some quotes from her, courtesy of  The Gazzett: 

“My mission is to familiarize people with transgenderism,” Grodzka told Polsat News television.

“While making this decision I knew what to expect,” she added, referring to “various unpleasantnesses” she endured before and during the campaign.

 "I decided to be a candidate for Palikot’s Movement because I want the voice of people who are excluded and discriminated against in the Polish political system to be heard,” she wrote in her blog. “I believe that little by little does the trick.”

Say No to Hudak, Say No to the PC

Can you believe that PC party lead by Hudak distributed a homophobic flyer in his challenge to question Dalton, leader of the Liberal party, education platform! It's misrepresents what the Liberal party is trying to get across and demeaning to our community.

A vote for Hudak is a vote to move back in the dark ages of Civil rights for our community.

Make him apologize; sign petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/get-hudak-ontario-pcs-to-apologize-for-homophobic-flyer/

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy Gone

Finally the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy has been repeal and gays and lesbians on the US military can finally be out and proud. But does that mean its a perfect marriage now.

Courtesy of : USA Today news.

President Barack Obama signed the law last December and in July certified that lifting the ban will not diminish the military's ability to fight. Some in Congress remain opposed to repeal, arguing that it may undermine order and discipline.
Existing standards of personal conduct, such as those pertaining to public displays of affection, will continue regardless of sexual orientation.There will be no immediate changes to eligibility for military benefits. All service members are already entitled to certain benefits, such as designating a partner as a life insurance beneficiary or as a caregiver in the Wounded Warrior program

But if their partner happens to be a civilian they won't receive military health insurance or access to a support group. The training of Chaplains on ships to conduct same-sex civil unions in states where they are legal has been shelved after more than five dozen lawmakers objected.
So not a perfect marriage yet.

Good on You Mayor Nenshi

Courtesy of the Globe and Mail:

Nenshi was the first Calgary Mayor to lead Gay Pride parade. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi posed for countless photos and shook hands with admirers before climbing onto the back of a red convertible to take his place as the city’s first mayor to lead the annual Gay Pride parade.

“I’m a little surprised at all the attention this has garnered,” Mr. Nenshi, who was elected almost a year ago for a first term as mayor, said Sunday.

click here for a bio on Mayor Nenshi

Rest In Peace

Whether you voted for the NDP or not, it's hard to deny that Jack Layton was truly a Politician that care about the marginalize people of Canada. Jack and Olivia were the first high profile Politicians to participate in the Toronto Pride parade before it became political acceptable to do so. He believes in equal treatment for our community. He supported the fight for equality with respect to marriage and benefits for our partners in the workplace. He was a voice for many that felt like no one else would listen. His passion, sincerity and drive will be sorely missed by all.

A life so impactful, a life too short! Rest in Peace

New York, New York we have a problem

Why can't people just leave us alone? New York, a popular destination for a lot of homosexuals, finally got marriage legalized. It’s one of 6 states that now allow gays and lesbians to get married. But of course you will have some jerk out there doing his best to have the decision reverse.

NY Senator Ruben Diaz a.k.a Asshole is threatening to commence a law suit base on the fact that when you register to be married, you need to wait 24 hours before you can get married.

Below courtesy of Christian Post

Speaking at the "Let the People Vote" rally Sunday, Diaz said he will file a lawsuit in the New York court system next week to challenge the judicial waiver that allowed same-sex couples to marry on the same day of the marriage license application.

The Bronx senator, who was the only Democrat to vote against the gay marriage bill, argued that the hundreds of gay marriages that took place on Sunday were illegal because the same-sex couples did not wait the mandated 24 hours before marrying.

"When a couple registers for a marriage license they are supposed wait 24 hours before actually getting married," Diaz told The Christian Post. "This is illegal and criminal."

New York's gay marriage law took effect Sunday, 30 days after it was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

To celebrate the first day that gay marriages were allowed in New York, city officials had provided a special judicial waiver to same-sex couples so they would be able to marry without waiting 24 hours after filing for a marriage license.

Diaz said the waiver was not legal because there are no emergencies that constitute such a waiver. He explained there are only three reasons a waiver should go forth, according to domestic law.

"The three reasons are if the state has an emergency, if one partner is facing immediate death or if there is a severe financial emergency that the couple is facing," Diaz explained to the crowd of over 5,000 at the gay marriage protest Sunday.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is a Fuck Up!

The only disease is the Minister. Can someone develop a vaccine for to his retarded mine.

The Associated Press

Date: Tuesday Jul. 5, 2011 6:39 AM ET

NEW DELHI — India's health minister has derided homosexuality as an unnatural "disease" from the West, drawing outrage Tuesday from activists who said the comments set back the country's campaign for gay rights and its fight against HIV.

The comments Monday by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at a conference on HIV/AIDS in the Indian capital echoed a common refrain in the conservative South Asian nation that homosexuality is a Western import.

"Unfortunately this disease has come to our country too ... where a man has sex with another man, which is completely unnatural and should not happen, but does," Azad said.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi and a slew of government ministers were also present at the conference. There was no immediate comment from the health ministry, and the prime minister's office refused to discuss the Azad's remarks.

Anjali Gopalan, who heads the NAZ Foundation, a rights group that works with HIV positive people and promotes equal rights for homosexuals, said Azad's comments were deeply troubling coming from the health minister of a country fighting a tough battle against HIV infections.

"These comments help no cause. It's definitely not going to help in our fight against HIV," she told The Associated Press.

Roughly 2.5 million Indians have HIV, making it the country with the largest number of people living with the virus in Asia.

Experts say the marginalization of gay people keeps them isolated and makes it harder for HIV/AIDS awareness messages to reach them.

"If you're not going to invest in community building then gay people will continue to be marginalized," Gopalan said.

In 2009, the Delhi High Court struck down a colonial era law — Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code — that made sex between people of the same gender punishable by up to 10 years in prison. While actual criminal prosecutions were rare, the law was frequently used to harass people.

The court ruling was noteworthy in a country where even heterosexual sex is rarely discussed openly.

Over the last decade homosexuals have slowly gained a degree of acceptance in a few parts of India, especially its big cities. Many bars have gay nights, and some high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues. The last two years have also seen large gay pride parades in New Delhi and other big cities such as Mumbai and Kolkata.

Still, being gay remains deeply taboo in most of the country, and many homosexuals hide their sexual orientation from friends and families.

"How can the health minister say something so unscientific and irrational?" Nitin Karani, a gay rights activist told a television new channel. "He needs to apologize immediately or he needs to go."

This is not the first time Azad's words have embarrassed the government.

A few years ago, he suggested Indians watch more late night television instead of having sex as a means to stem population growth in the nation of 1.2 billion people.

Should Mayor Rob Ford participate in the Pride Parade ?

Well I'm sure it comes to no one’s surprise that Mayor Rob Ford may be the first Mayor in years not to march in the annual pride parade. He hasn't been a strong advocate of the community and certainly didn't look for the people in the community to elect him. So why should he participate in the pride parade?

Should he participate in the parade because it’s a major event in the city the draws in people from all over North America and brings in millions of dollars to the city?

Should he participate because the parade represent the open mindedness and the diversity the city is well known for, ethnic pride, gay pride, religious pride, that any Mayor would be proud to be a part of?

Should he participate because its good public relations? Regardless of the fact that most people in the community may have not voted for him. This is a great opportunity to show as Mayor of a multi facet diverse city, that he represents everyone. As people expect from any Mayor of any city.

Should he participate because he would probably just have a good time, of course!


To the question 'Should Mayor Rob Ford participate in the Pride Parade'? The answer should be NO.

The participants in the parade represent individuals who are proud of who they are and along with friends and family want to be there. Why would you want anyone who doesn't want to be there, participating?

He has made it clear in his actions that he doesn't want to be personally involved in any of the activities during pride week. It's not a priority of his; he's not a strong supporter of the community. Participating wouldn't represent much, except pressure from the people to be there.

World AIDS Day- Still More to Do

Gay Argentine couple's wedding plans divide an entire continent

The Beruti register office in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires will never have witnessed a marriage like it. On Tuesday, Alex Freyre and José María Di Bello, who met three years ago at a conference on HIV, will make history and divide a continent as they become Latin America's first gay married couple.

The ceremony will be a tribute to their determination as well as their love for each other, after a bitter three-year campaign which has divided a city, outraged Argentina's powerful Roman Catholic church and overturned the constitution.

Freyre and Di Bello's forthcoming nuptials have been debated on television, in churches and on the street. Hostile posters can be found on billboards across the city. But, in Di Bello's words, nothing can now prevent him and his partner becoming "husband and husband".

Not surprisingly, the marriage is already being hailed by equality activists as a significant triumph against the odds in a traditionally macho society. Argentina – and Latin America in general – is not known for a tolerance of sexual diversity, and violence against gays is an everyday occurrence.

"This marriage is bigger than José María and I," Freyre told the Observer. "It is a victory for all who face prejudice and discrimination across Latin America and the Caribbean. It is proof that at last the grip of the Catholic church is slipping across Latin America, the system that has kept gay communities silent and fearful is crumbling. What is happening on Tuesday is a strike against those attitudes that have repressed sexual rights across this continent for too long."

To read more please click here: The Guardian

It's Time To End the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy.

MOMENTUM IS building for a repeal of the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military. A proposal from the Palm Center of the University of California at Santa Barbara in May ignited calls for President Obama to issue a "stop-loss" declaration to halt enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell." Last week, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) proposed suspending the 16-year-old policy for 18 months. But both approaches pale in comparison with the full repeal being pursued by Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D-Pa.).
The rationale for quick, stop-gap solutions is understandable. Ready, willing and able troops (nearly 13,000 men and women since 1993) are being drummed out of the military because of their sexual orientation. "Don't ask, don't tell" was a wrongheaded compromise when it was instituted.

Read the rest of the article on the Washington Post

India Historic Ruling on Gay's Rights

How amazing is this to see progression in a country that has such strong religious governance. This is truly progress!!

With one sweeping judgment Thursday, the Indian High Court decriminalized homosexuality, shook off a stubborn piece of colonial baggage and may have added momentum to a broader regional movement for gay rights. "This is a huge step forward," says Anjali Gopalan, director of the Naz Foundation India Trust, an advocacy group based in New Delhi that successfully brought a public interest petition to overturn India's anti-sodomy law, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. "We can now take the next step forward for the community in securing our rights."

To Read more click here : Times

Pride Run

I will be running the Annual 5k Pride Day Remembrance Run on Saturday June 27th. This year's pledges raised will go to Casey House and Black-Cap. Two not-for-profit organizations that support AIDs/HIV research and healthcare for does living with AIDs/HIV.

Help support me in raising funds for a worthy cause. Every cent counts. Please donate. The link to donate is below.

https://eventsonline.ca/cgi-bin/events/pride_run/pledge.pl?id=JME1414717

CNN Reports:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Six gay men were shot dead by members of their tribe in two separate incidents in the past 10 days, an official with Iraq's Interior ministry said.

In the most recent attack, two men were killed Thursday in Sadr City area of Baghdad after they were disowned by relatives, the official said.

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The shootings came after a tribal meeting was held and the members decided to go after the victims.

On March 26, four additional men were fatally shot in the same city, the official said, adding that the victims had also been disowned by their relatives.

The official declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Witnesses told CNN that a Sadr City cafe, which was a popular gathering spot for gays, was also set on fire.

Outright Vermont

Courtesy of AnelliDifumo:

James Neiley, 17 yrs old and a member of the GLBT association "Outright Vermont", provided a deposition before the Vermont Senate on March 19th, 2009, to testify on Marriage Equality regarding same sex marriage and the right to adopt.

It's good to see the next generation standing up for their rights at such a young age. Hopefully in the near future you will see across the US equal rights for the GLBT community with respect to marriage and adoption.

Take a listen below to his deposition.

Can You Imagine?- Italian Politics & Religion Unbelievable.

After so many years can you imagine a family having to battle with the Catholic church over such a matter. At this point I believe the church has no right to intervene. They only cause more emotional pain for the family and if they believe that each one of us will answer to our deeds on earth with our maker, then they should let the family take Eluana off life support and the nature course will happen.
Details about the story below. courtesy of BBC News


Eluana Englaro, the Italian woman at the centre of a right-to-die debate, has died, the health minister has said.

Maurizio Sacconi made the announcement during a debate in Italy's Senate over an emergency government decree to stop doctors withdrawing her life support.

Ms Englaro, 38, had been in a vegetative state since being injured in a car crash in 1992.

Doctors at a private clinic in the northern city of Udine had been withholding her food since Friday.

They had earlier said Ms Englaro might live for another two weeks.

Ms Englaro's father, Beppino, had been battling with the courts in Italy to let his daughter die since 1999, insisting it was her wish.

Italy's centre-right Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi drafted a decree last week to prevent doctors from letting her die, but President Giorgio Napolitano refused to sign it.

The government's move sparked fury among centre-left opposition politicians, who accused it of trying to exploit the case.

Ms Englaro was previously cared for at a church-run hospital in Lecco, but was transferred to La Quiete clinic in Udine last week, after it said it would receive her and allow her to die.

The Vatican described the transfer as "abominable" and tantamount to murder.

Italy does not allow euthanasia. Patients have a right to refuse treatment, but they are not allowed to give advance directions on the treatment they wish to receive if they become unconscious.

Is It A Dawn of a New Era or Just to Much to Expect?

There are many hopes and expectations with the swearing in of this President of the United States. President Barack Obama will carry a heavy weight on his shoulders like no other previous President in the past. Marked with historical parallels of Lincoln and King, Obama carries the hope of a nation for a better and improved country. In many eyes he is their savoir, he is the one who revitalized their economy, open up doors for those who felt they were secretly close regardless of regulations, etc due to their ethnic,sex or sexual background. He is the one who will re-establish the USA repretation in the World. He is the one who will bring a brand new day.
Well the role of the President of the United State is already a heavy job to take on and there are always high expectations for the new incoming President to be better then the one previously. I believe that Obama, regardless of how inspiring he is, will at least, if any set the foundations/point the country into a new era of greatness. Perhaps redine greatness that isn't necessarily about military strength, but one that enhances the domestic front. The new era may not be about world domination via firearms, but a country that has become more prosperous and unified. Like any new candidate that takes on a new role, with the conviction of enhancing and improving on what was there before, will always fast many unforseen challenges. Some of which will delay or perhaps stop many of the goals that were idealistically set out prior to actually taking on the job. Time will only tell what can be accomplish in 4 yrs and perhaps many second term making it 8yrs in total.

Good Luck.

Dion Out!

Courtesy of National Post
OTTAWA - Stephane Dion quit as Liberal leader Monday as his party's MPs ramped up the debate about how to pick a permanent chief without waiting for a leadership convention next spring.

Dion resigned hours before New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc quit the race to succeed him, leaving only Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae in what most Liberals now want to be a much-shortened leadership contest.

But the party is divided about the best way to find a permanent leader before Parliament resumes Jan. 26.

The new leader will have to make several key decisions very quickly, particularly whether to continue with the Liberal-NDP coalition deal that Dion brokered.

Rae has been a vocal supporter of the coalition; Ignatieff is said to be less enthusiastic.

With Dion resigning and LeBlanc quitting the race, there could now be increasing pressure on Rae to fold his tent. But while Rae concedes that it would be best to have a permanent replacement for Dion in place when Parliament returns, he was fighting any moves to short-circuit some sort of vote or consultation with the party's grassroots.

Milk

Thirty years after the assassination of Harvey Milk, the first openly-gay elected official, Focus Pictures has released Milk, an effective, if long overdue biopic of the slain official. The new film stars Sean Penn in the title role, and the Oscar buzz started long before its release.

For those who aren’t familiar with the story, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, and led the gay rights movement in that city. He was a business owner, running a small camera store in the Castro district, which is still a major American gay mecca. He served in his post for eleven months before being gunned down by a fellow former Supervisor who had just killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone moments earlier.

The film succeeds on many levels, most notably with Penn’s performance. He is so absorbed by the character, that it’s easy to forget that we’re watching an actor, not the real man. What’s more, the supporting actors were all at their best, each one taking on a special role in the film.

To read more of this article click here: Milk

Does Anyone Understand the Word Change?

After a historical election it's so sad to see that people still don't get it. After years of demanding equality for themselves b/c of being discriminated for their skin colour, being considered a minority in their own country, a great majority still feels its okay to discriminate against others. Even though the vote was driven by the message of 'change', some truly can't.
I'm black and gay. It was nice to see after so long that the US was able to elect a black man to the white house (which I think the name should change). It truly gave hope to many. But I'm angry that my fellow Black and Latino brothers and sisters can't seem to grasp the understanding that discrimination is discrimination. You take one step forward and then another step back. Terrible!!

Facts Below:

A lot of Obama/Yes-on-8 voters? The Associated Press exit polls show that African Americans and Latinos backed Proposition 8 in good numbers. Details here from AP:

California's black and Latino voters, who turned out in droves for Barack Obama, also provided key support in favor of the state's same-sex marriage ban. Seven in 10 black voters backed a successful ballot measure to overturn the California Supreme Court's May decision allowing same-sex marriage, according to exit polls for The Associated Press.

More than half of Latino voters supported Proposition 8, while whites were split. Religious groups led the tightly organized campaign for the measure, and religious voters were decisive in getting it passed. Of the seven in 10 voters who described themselves as Christian, two-thirds backed the initiative. Married voters and voters with children strongly supported Proposition 8. Unmarried voters were heavily opposed