England Poised To Become A Marriage Equality Country; Huge Support From Labour Party

 

 

 

The English House of Commons has began the process that will lead to a vote today on creating marriage equality in the United Kingdom. This will add the British Isles to an increasing long list of nations that have recognized the rights of LGBT couples by giving them full equality and not a 'separate but equal' system of laws.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron has put the full force of Number 10 Downing Street behind marriage equality. However a massive bloc of Conservative MP's are rebelling and refusing to vote for full equality for their LGBT citizens. Over 150 Conservative MP's made an appeal to the Prime Minister to stop the vote.

The vote in all parties will be an 'act of conscience' vote and not a strict party vote. Once it is reported out of the House of Commons it goes to the House of Lords. 

The Labour Party has made clear where it stands on the issue by releasing their vote count this morning. Labour will vote overwhelmingly for marriage equality. The count among its members showed:

For Marriage Equality: 218
Abstaining: 3
Against Marriage Equality: 14

Perhaps that is why the latest YouGov Poll has Labour dramatically leading the Conservative Party.

Labour: 45%
Conservative: 30%
Liberal Democrats: 11%
UKIP (Right Wing): 9%

In a general election, that would give the Labour Party a margin of 126 seats.

The Top Ten Biggest LGBT Stories Of 2012

 

 

1. Winning All Four Ballot Measures

2. President Obama and Democratic Party Embraces Marriage Equality.

3. The Supreme Court Of United States Agrees To Hear DOMA And Proposition 8 Cases.

4. The Election Of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin To the United States Senate

5. The Horror Facing LGBT Africans

6. The Election of Four New Openly LGBT Members Of Congress

7. The Emergence Of LGBT Allies In Pro Sports

8. The Flawless Integration of open LGBT Troops Into The Military

9. The Increasing Number of Republican Conservatives Supporting LGBT Equality.

10. Transgender Community Makes Historical Break Throughs

Chris Geidner: State Department Warns Uganda On "Kill The Gays" Legislation

 

 

Assistant Secretary of State For African Affairs Johnnie Carson

Top notch journalist Chris Geidner of BuzzFeed.com has a breaking story about the emergence of the United States Department of State into frenzy surrounding the horrific proposed "Kill The Gays" legislation in Uganda. Powerful Assistant Secretary of State Of African Affairs Johnnie Carson (photograph above) was personally in Uganda this past weekend.

From a briefing conducted by Department spokeswomen Victoria Nuland, BuzzFeed.com published the following questions and answers. Geidner writes:

QUESTION: Yeah, I have a question on Uganda, actually. There’s an anti-homosexuality bill that’s making its way through the legislature right there. What is the State Department’s current assessment of where that bill is and if that’s going to be headed toward a vote anytime soon?

MS. NULAND: Again, Assistant Secretary Carson was also in Uganda over the weekend. He had a chance to raise again our concerns about this issue, which we’ve been very vocal about. Our understanding is that a version of the bill has now passed a committee in Uganda. As we have regularly said, we call on the parliament in Uganda to look very carefully at this, because Uganda’s own human rights council has made clear that if this were to pass, it would put the country out of compliance with its own international human rights obligations. And so Assistant Secretary Carson had a chance to make that point again and our strong opposition to this, to the president, to the parliament, and to key decision makers in Uganda.

QUESTION: And there was – and once the bill had a provision that would institute the death penalty for homosexual acts. As far as the State Department knows, has that provision been removed or is it still in the bill?

MS. NULAND: Again, I don’t know that we have actually seen the version that passed committee. They’ve been a little bit close hold about this, partly because there’s been so much controversy in the international community. So our concern is about any criminalization of homosexuality, obviously.

QUESTION: And one last question. Some countries, Britain and Sweden, have threatened to cut foreign aid to Uganda if this bill becomes law. Is there any consideration in the U.S. Administration to cut foreign aid to Uganda if that bill becomes law?

MS. NULAND: Again, I’m not going to get into any hypothetical situations. Our focus now is on raising awareness of the concerns within Uganda about this bill so that we don’t get to that stage.

* * *

QUESTION: On this, Toria. Did Secretary Carson meet with the speaker of the parliament?

MS. NULAND: My understanding is he did see the speaker of the parliament, whether it was in a larger group or whether it was a distinct meeting that he did, yes.

QUESTION: But he – so he made that point directly to her?

MS. NULAND: Yes, he did.

Nigeria's Horrific Proposed Anti-LGBT Law! Ten Years In Prison!

 

 

The situation for LGBT Africans grows more grave each day. Uganda is once again taking up its "Kill the Gays" legislation and hopes to pass it before Christmas as a gift to Christians! Now Nigeria which is torn with internal strife has decided to distract its citizens from their serious woes is on the verge of passing a new horrific anti-LGBT law.

Here is what the law does:

-Ten years in prison for public displays of affection between same sex couples.

-Ten years in prison for living in sin with someone of the same sex.

-Ten years in prison for organizing a gathering of LGBT Nigerians.

-Ten years in prison for supporting any LGBT Nigerian Pride Parade.

President Goodluck Jonathan can veto this legislation if it is passed in the Nigerian Parliament this coming week. AllOut.org is launching a massive petition drive to appeal to the President for him to use common sense and decency and veto this legislation.

Click here to sign the petition and once you have signed it, pass it on!

LGBT Community In Iraq Face Total Hell

 

 

BBC News has run on its site an article by Ali Hilli, an Iraqi LGBT activist. Hilli is founder of London based group "Iraqi LGBT". The article is so crucial to our understanding of the plight of other brothers and sisters in Iraq that it is important to print the entire article. So hard to believe that over 5,000 American citizens died to create an open and free society in Iraq.

Here is the article by Ali Hilli. Hopefully the Department of State can find ways to come to the defense of this besieged community.

Iraq

Iraq society has always been a melting pot of ethnic, religious and other groups, a place where difference was often not only tolerated but celebrated.

Even through the worst years of Saddam Hussein, sexual minorities in Iraq enjoyed a fair degree of freedom.

The US-led invasion of 2003 brought to power the Islamic Dawa party, which was established in Iran in the 1980s and backed Iran in its war with Iraq.

The fact that Dawa's core beliefs were inspired by Iranian Shia clerics did not stop the US and UK from supporting the party after Saddam Hussein's fall.

Government Involvement

In the years after the invasion, the security situation deteriorated for everyone in the country. But for sexual minorities, Iraq became hell on earth.

By 2007, political and religious groups backed by militiamen launched what we believe was an organised, co-ordinated campaign to hunt, arrest, torture and kill everyone they perceived as gay.

These radical groups deny sexual minorities the right to life. They target everyone who does not conform to their religious description of family.

That is why killings of gays are similar to so-called honour killings of women said to bring shame on to the family by having extra-marital sex, even in cases when women are raped.

In the same way, gay men and women who do not adhere to traditional sexual practices within an accepted marriage framework are seen as dangerous to society.

Instead of protecting sexual minorities, the Iraqi government facilitates their murder by arresting the victims and handing them over to militias who kill them.

Iraqi LGBT sources working inside Iraq have found the militias are also getting intelligence about the identities of sexual minorities from the Ministry of the Interior.

'Aim Is Elimination'

Members of our organization and the gay men and women we interviewed have said consistently that, under arrest, they have been forced to give names and addresses of other homosexuals or suspected homosexuals.

Taken together, this is why we believe the Ministry of the Interior tracks sexual minorities with the aim of eliminating them.

Iraq LGBT is based in London, and it has become increasingly dangerous for us to operate inside Iraq. But we have been trying.

Since its founding in London in September 2005, Iraqi LGBT has operated in total secrecy, providing gays inside the country with contacts, psychological counseling, financial aid, shelter and accommodation, and assistance escaping Iraq.

We have watched as the situation in the country has deteriorated, as lists of targets began to appear in the streets first in Baghdad, then in Najaf, Basra, Kufa and other towns across Iraq.

Among the names on these lists were many of our activists and members, and many of them are no longer alive.

In the face of the increasing danger we carried on working in Iraq, but recently our funds ran out.

Constant danger

Our safe houses inside Iraq have been raided and shut down and we can no longer afford to open new ones.

Our activists continue to be targeted and killed. On top of all that, many Iraqi gays whom we helped to find refuge in neighbouring Syria have now been forced to flee the violence there and return to Iraq. There, they are likely again to be targeted by both the militias and the government.

Given the open hostility of the Iraqi government to homosexuals, for now we must remain underground if we are to survive.

If this is ever to change, Iraq's gay men and women also need international attention and support.

Hundreds of gay men and women in Iraq are living under enormous stress and are in constant danger simply because of the way they were born.

This unprecedented brutal violence against our community must stop, criminals must be brought to justice, and gays and lesbians, just like any other community in Iraq, must be protected by law enforcement agencies and the constitution.

Unless the international community steps in to help and to put pressure on the Iraqi government, many more men and women will die.

Impressions .....by David Mixner

 

 

-In a great interview with The Advocate, Zac Efron (above) chats how pleased he is to have LGBT fans and when he first realized he had them.

-Don't forget this Thursday night is the time for New Yorkers to show their support for the marriage equality ballot measure in Maryland. Governor Martin O'Malley and a host of stars will be at the event to be held at the James Hotel. Get your tickets here.

-Speaking of Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland, he is on a fast track seeking to be a serious contender for President in the year 2016.

-Michelangelo Signorile writes for Gay Voices about the transformation of the Democratic National Convention by President Obama.

-Departures has listed the most memorable hotel suites in the world. Make me a reservation for the Corinthia Hotel in London!

-The summer homes are mostly shuttered and the stars are returning to The Glass House Tavern. Seen at the West 47th eatery and bar within the last week were Richard Thomas, Jackie Mason, John Laroquette, Ed Asner, Judith Light (above), Robert Desiderio, photographer Josh Lehrer and a small party to say farewell to the cast of "The Best Man".

-In case you are wondering, this is the third warmest summer in our history. For Colorado and Wyoming, it was the warmest in their history. Check out where your state placed in the summer heat contest.  And if you think this hot wait until next summer!

-According to David Catanese at Politico.com, Republicans are becoming increasingly pessimistic about taking control of the United States Senate. They are hoping at least for a tie. If there is a tie, watch the power grow for West Virginia's Democrat Senator Joe Manchin who is as a Blue Dog Democrat as they come!

-Massive storms hit the East Coast this weekend as the video above captures the impact of them in Washington, D.C.  While New York City even had two tornados which is becoming an almost annual event!

-Freedom to Marry is holding "House Parties" all around the country on October 13th to raise money for the marriage equality battle. LGBT Americans will be asked to invite family and friends into their homes to share about the epic struggle for marriage equality. Find out the details on their site.

-For the first time in five months, President Obama out raised Mitt Romney in total contributions. Obama raised $114 million last month that came from a record number of donors. Look at the figures from CNN:

-Of the 1,170,000 people who donated in August, 317,954 of them were new donors who had yet to contribute to this election cycle, the Obama campaign said.

-Since April 2011, 3,142,457 people have offered their dollars to the president’s re-election efforts.

-The campaign also said 98% of contributions last month were $250 or less, with the average donation totaling $58.

-The Venice Film Festival has wrapped up and presented its prestigious Gold Lion Award to the South Korean movie Pieta. The Best Actor Award was shared by Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman (above) for The Master.

-According to Edge on the Net, the Rev. Jessie Jackson would welcome the opportunity to marry same sex couples!

-The Boston Globe has an excellent article on how the poor are hardly mentioned on the campaign trail. In America, one in six people live in total poverty.

-According to Forbes.com, Quarterback Drew Brees is the highest paid player (above) in the National Football League. The handsome jock make $49.5 both on the field and off the field. Eli Manning with the Broncos could overtake him this year. Check out the rest of the highest paid stars.

-Count conservative columnist George Will as one of the big skeptics about the Romney/Ryan economic plan. He hit the nail right on the head:

"There is uncertainty surrounding the Romney-Ryan tax cut plan, because they have not specified the deductions that will be closed," Will said. "And we know where the big money is: mortgage interest deductions, charitable deductions, taxing that's compensation, which it is, employee-provided health insurance, and state and local taxes. All of those, you either hit only the rich, in which case you don't get much money, or you hit the middle class."

-Oh thank God!!! Romney promises to leave the word 'God' on all of our money! I was worried to death about that one!

-Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin was attacked by her opponent's political director for not having 'heartland values' and linking to a video of Baldwin attending a Gay Pride event. The fun and games begin with the Republicans forgetting the issues and making personal attacks. You can contribute to Baldwin by clicking here.

-Nate Silver, columnist for the New York Times, says the numbers are there for Obama but he has to get them out to vote. If he gets an excellent turnout from his base, Obama can be a big winner. However we have to get out that vote!

-Washington United for Marriage raised $1.8 million in August alone bringing total raised so far to $7.3 million from 13,800 donors! Add you name to the donors ( I have!).

-California oldest Democratic delegate, Stephen Sherman(above), is 91 years old. He forgot his credentials and wallet when he left home to attend the Democratic National Convention. See how he made it to Charlotte.

-When you can't succeed on the issues or run a convention then resort to smears.   Former California Republican Governor Pete Wilson (who vetoed a LGBT rights bill) brought up Clinton's sex scandals at a rally for Paul Ryan. Wasn't it just a couple of days ago they were all signing Clinton's praises?

-A very moving story of a straight person who was 'defriended' on Facebook because he was happy about his gay brother's wedding.

-This video from the Minnesota marriage equality battle from two folks who are grandparents. Yvonne and Fred from Duluth, Minnesota talk about why they changed their minds.

-Joseph Vallone has written for The Huffington Post a remarkable story of "Growing Up Gay In Senegal". The plight of the LGBT community in Africa is horrifying

-Are you aware that Kenyan troops have advanced well into Somalia? Sometimes there is war and we don't even know it.

-Bloomberg Business Week reporter Sheelah Kolhatkar has a good article on how Karl Rove's PAC works.

Finally, today is September 11 and we should not ever forget 9/11/01.

Russia's Tragic War On The Arts And Individuality

 

 

President Vladimir Putin should realize that his citizens knows he is a strong powerful leader and the ultimate manly man. The President can put back on his shirt and should relax with his power instead of returning Russia to its darkest days of fearing creative thought. No one doubts that he is firmly in control of orchestrating the oppression that is now beginning to sweep the nation.

Last week was not a good week for the Russian people.

In an unholy alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church, he has systematically proceeded to shut down any kind of individuality in his new kingdom. First a court in Moscow has banned any gay pride parades for one hundred years! Since the process of glasnost began in the late 1980's, Moscow has become a cosmopolitan city with great diversity. The city of over eleven million people surely can survive a LGBT gay parade and see how it will even enrich its cityscape. However bending toward the right wing religious fanatics of the church Putin is clamping down and putting LGBT dissenters in jail.

Currently three young artists known as Pussy Riot being are being sent to prison for two years for daring to do impromptu art in a cathedral in Moscow. My guess is that most people would not be inspire by their art as much as their courage. And make no doubt, in both actions and behavior this was a courageous act of defiance againest the new crackdown on creativity and individuality in Russia. There is no greater form of art that attempts to give voice to powerless citizens no matter how clumsy the action.

Someone should send President Putin one of President Kennedy's last speech. Speaking at Amherst College, Kennedy gave one of the greatest speeches ever about the role of art in a free society. The world can only hope that the internal oppression of Russia's artists by Putin does not inspire other dictators around the world. Here is an excerpt from President Kennedy's magnificent speech.

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. And as Mr. MacLeish once remarked of poets, there is nothing worse for our trade than to be in style. In free society art is not a weapon and it does not belong to the spheres of polemic and ideology. Artists are not engineers of the soul. It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society--in it, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may. In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation. And the nation which disdains the mission of art invites the fate of Robert Frost's hired man, the fate of having "nothing to look backward to with pride, and nothing to look forward to with hope."

LGBT: Madonna Is Right; We All Should Wear Pink Wrist Bands

 

 

In a direct defiance of the Russian government, Madonna urged her fans to wear pink wrist bands at her concert in St. Petersburg. She wanted to show solidarity with the Russian LGBT Freedom Movement. Amazingly thousands of her fans attended with pink wrist bands and held them up proudly when she urged them to do so from the stage. Given the crack down in Russia on the LGBT community it was indeed an inspiring action.

Have no idea where to obtain one but we all should be wearing a pink wrist bands to remind ourselves, our families and our friends of the persecution of LGBT citizens around the world. They have been beaten and arrested by the police in Russia, stoned to death in Pakistan, hanged in Iran and imprisoned and torture in a number of African nations. These are just a few of the crimes committed by governments against our community around the world.

None of us are free until all of us are free. Hopefully the wrist bands will soon be available for LGBT citizens anywhere in the world. By wearing them we are announcing to the world that we are proudly a member of the international LGBT community. That an attack on one of us in an attack on all of us.

Thank you Madonna for your bravery in the belly of the beast.

Secretary of State Clinton Praises LGBT Activists While In Uganda; Puts Pressure on Ugandan President

 

 

Proving that Secretary Clinton intends to follow-up her historic Geneva speech with hardcore action, the Secretary of State hailed LGBT activists on her visit to Kampala, Uganda. In fact she presented, to a coalition of human rights groups dedicated to stopping the death penalty for Ugandan LGBT citizens, the State Department's "Human Rights Defender Award". In a meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni she urged that the rights of LGBT Ugandans be protected by the government.

Reuters reports from the Uganda's capitol.

"Clinton presented a coalition of Ugandan rights groups with the State Department's 2011 Human Rights Defender Award, a signal to African and Islamic nations that Washington will not backtrack in its fight against the legal and political persecution of homosexuals.

"It is critical for all Ugandans - the government and citizens alike - to speak out against discrimination, harassment, and intimidation of anyone. That's true no matter where they come from, what they believe, or whom they love," Clinton said.

Clinton said she raised the issue in talks on Friday with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, whose government has been accused of allowing political and religious leaders to drum up anti-gay feeling in the deeply conservative East African nation.

"You are a model for others and an inspiration for the world," Clinton said to representatives of the group, formed in 2009 to combat draft legislation which proposed the death penalty for anyone convicted of "aggravated homosexuality".

The bill, which spurred a global outcry, stalled in parliament but has been reintroduced in a watered down form by a member of Museveni's party.

The new version dropped the death sentence, but would still outlaw the "promotion" of gay rights and punish anyone who "funds, sponsors or abets homosexuality".

Clinton's strong expression of support for Uganda's beleaguered gay community came as she continued a seven-nation trip across Africa."

AllOut.org Becomes World's Largest LGBT Voice

 

 

This week the powerful social media network, AllOut.org, became the world's largest LGBT organization with over one million people participating in their work to end homophobia on this planet. It is impossible to overestimate the power of having the email addresses and commitment of one million folks around the world ready to fight for full equality.

Personally, I am a huge fan of what they successfully accomplished not only in hitting one million but working for freedom for LGBT citizens everywhere. My congratulations to the entire AllOut.org team and their partners.

Lets not forget that in ten countries being a LGBT person is reasons for life imprisonment or execution.

Sign their "Chick-Fil-A" petition now by clicking here.

Many folks have not heard of the extraordinary work about AllOut.org ,This video powerfully and movingly outlines the purpose of the organization.