Blogger Pam Spauding Ends 'Pam's House Blend'

 

The blogging world is shocked and sadden by the decision of Pam Spauding to end the wonderful run of Pam's House Blend. Spauding has been one of the most influential and important voices in grassroots America and especially the LGBT community. Pam, who is a close friend, is expected to continue being an important voice for change but thousands will miss her daily blog which kept so many honest!

Here is her note to her readers:

All good things must come to an end, even after numerous awards and accolades, it’s time to acknowledge that I cannot continue to run on fumes alone. The Blend could continue limping along, but my health and well-being come first; over the last few years burning the candle at both ends with a full-time offline job and PHB. It has taken a severe toll — most readers have learned that I am dealing with chronic pain conditions — fibromylagia, and in the last couple of years, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis.

My decision to close the blog is just as reality-based as its content has been. If I cannot produce material at the frequency or with the same level of quality, enthusiasm and effectiveness, it’s really time to close the doors to this coffeehouse — and work to ensure it continues to have a life as an archive, a snapshot in our digital political history. Pamshouseblend.com will redirect to archives.

Looking back, I churned out pieces at an incredible pace — up to ten posts a day– many long-form pieces, commentary, curating news articles I thought my audience should check out, and occasionally (and increasingly) doing citizen journalism at news events and conferences. All of this while holding down a full-time day job with no connection to politics or activism. And most of of those posts were done in the wee hours, so I didn’t get much sleep over the lifespan of this blog.

Political blogging changed mainstream journalism in many ways. Save for a few who were able to monetize their blogs or who were cherry picked to help traditional outlets get their feet wet in new media, the vast majority of citizen journalists and opinion-makers toiled with little hope of quitting that day job. The LGBT movement was energized by the speed and reach of new media, and at times appeared quite threatened by it — mostly because it was a venue where Beltway orgs, and even the White House, didn’t see any possible way to co-opt or control what was being produced by this first generation of online political rabble rousers and activists. I’ve made a lot of great friends and met a lot of people along the way, and hopefully opened a few eyes, particularly with my posts about the intersection of LGBT and race.

President Obama Names Two Gay Men As Ambassadors

 

 

 

James Costos

Today, President Obama named two gay men as new ambassadors. Rufus Gifford was appointed as Ambassador to Denmark and James Costos was named Ambassador to Spain.

Here are their backgrounds:

James Costos, Nominee for Ambassador to Spain, Department of State

James Costos is Vice President of Global Licensing and Retail for Home Box Office (HBO). Before joining HBO in 2006, he was President and CEO of Eight Cylinders, Inc., an entertainment marketing and licensing agency. Previously, from 2002 to 2004, he was head of Promotions and Consumer Products at Revolution Studios in California. He began his career in New York as a fashion and retail executive. From 2001 to 2002, he was Vice President of Retail for Hermes in New York, and from 1991 to 2001, he was Vice President of Retail Operations for Tod’s in New York. Mr. Costos currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States. He received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

Rufus Gifford

Rufus Gifford, Nominee for Ambassador to Denmark, Department of State

Rufus Gifford most recently served as Finance Chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. He served as Finance Director for Obama for America from 2011 to 2012, and as Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011. From 2008 to 2009, he was the California Finance Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, after working as a political consultant in California from 2004 to 2008. From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Gifford was Creative Executive for Davis Entertainment, an independent film company based in Los Angeles. He is currently a Federal Club Member of the Human Rights Campaign and a Partner in Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund. He received a B.A. from Brown University.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio Can't Seem To Be Anti-LGBT Enough

 

 

 

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who is supposed to be the new face of the Republican Party, can't seem to get his anti-LGBT credentials on the table fast enough. First he makes clear if there is any mention of LGBT immigrants in the 'immigration reform' legislation he will take a walk.

As if that isn't enough, he then proclaims for the cameras that he is against ENDA and job protections for LGBT Americans.

Now political observers know that Rubio is a spiritual man (after all he has been a Mormon, Catholic and Baptist) but really Senator, you believe it is American for its citizens to be fired simply because of their sexual orientation? Really?

If there is any doubt that he is running for President that should not be laid to rest. If there is any doubt that the man will run pandering to the extreme religious right of his party, that should be laid to rest. If there is any doubt that the man has no firm principles or values when it comes to protecting the rights of all Americans, that should be put to rest.

Rubio has become a hard-liner when it comes to LGBT rights. He is against us. It is that simple.

Now, where did I put my ballot for Hillary?

The Importance Of Electing Our Own And Christine Quinn

 

 

In the New York's Mayor's race, there are people who quickly dismiss the importance of electing our own to higher office. In fact, some have gone out of their way to proclaim loudly that they are 'above gender/orientation' politics and have attempted to do as much damage as possible to Speaker Christine Quinn.

The dissenters to Quinn's election appears to have one platform and one issue and that is to slam Quinn day in and day out to the point where it borders on hysteria. Really gang? She is the greatest evil ever? Really?

Below you will see a video of an openly gay Commissioner in Hillsborough County who led the effort to over turn an ugly anti-LGBT amendment. Commissioner Kevin Becker is openly gay and was passionate about the defeating this ugliness. One has to wonder how passionate the others would have been without him there.

The attitude that it is no longer important to elect our own and that it is just 'gender/orientation' politics could not be more wrong. Our work is not done and we need powerful and unyielding openly LGBT candidates in office from school board to eventually President.

That includes electing Speaker Christine Quinn.

The Speaker has been there for the LGBT community time and time again. She has used her powers and connections to pass marriage equality. Time and time again she showed up in Albany and at rallies to make sure it passed the legislature. Often she was the ONLY elected official who bothered to make an appearance.

When the hate crime epidemic hit the city she was out front on the issue before anyone else and used the resources of her office to organize a massive protest march demanding justice. She was visible, angry and show up to be counted. Her passion was from in her guts and not a position on an issue paper.

There is a reason that national organizations like Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Emily's List, are supporting Quinn. They know first hand the importance of electing our own. They know that electing an open lesbian to Mayor will make history and change the world. They know it is more than symbolic and about real power - a place at the international table. 

The other candidates are good people. I have long admired Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. He has been a good friend.

However, the constant attacks and angry and bitter inaccurate accusations against Quinn by his supporters do him a great disservice. He would be wise to meet with them and reign them in since I know he does not share their beliefs about a very talented and capable Quinn who has been his long time friend.

Yes, Quinn would be the first woman and lesbian ever elected Mayor of the Big Apple. That is real power and more than symbolic. It is legitimate to take that into consideration when deciding how to vote. Her record on marriage equality and hate crimes has proven the value of having Quinn in office.

For those of you supporting others, I respect that but not the shrill, angry and offensive rhetoric that has surfaced against Quinn. It is unbecoming, inaccurate and not only harms the LGBT community but the entire city.

Has The LGBT Community Been Placed On "Hold, Please"?

 

 

 

Increasingly our straight allies and maybe some of the LGBT communities own activists have put our organizing on "hold, please" until the Supreme Court decision is made by the end of this month. All across the country battles and the issue of full equality have been suspended so politically elected officials don't have to make tough decisions on LGBT issues.

In the battle for immigration rights, the 'Gang of Eight' took out all references which would bring equality to LGBT bi-national couples. Clearly the belief is that the Supreme Court will take care of it when they rule on DOMA. What happens if the Court rules the wrong way and the LGBT community is left behind yet one more time? What happens is we have to go back and once again beg to be included in the legislation and most likely to be told it is 'too late'.

Illinois was just embarrassing.

There was more energy coming out of Delaware and Rhode Island for marriage equality then there was from Illinois. That state's Speaker of the House has the power to pass marriage equality in the Land of Lincoln but with community permission pulled back from the vote. Why? Some people needed more time to 'reach out to their constituents'. Really? This issue has only been front and center in American politics for the last ten years and they needed to delay justice because they suddenly need more time?

My guess is that they were hoping the Supreme Court would take them off the hook or at least add California to the list of marriage equality states. God forbid anyone in Illinois in the House would have to show courage and vote to grant us our God given rights. My suspicions were confirmed when suddenly there might be a vote in July or August after the Court decides on the Proposition 8 case. What if the Court rules against us? Expect some of our allies to tell us in Illinois 'now is not the time'.

If there is ever a state where marriage equality should be an issue it is in New Jersey where overwhelmingly the voters support full equality. Governor Christie, who has done a great job on Sandy recovery, didn't allow his courage to stretch to equality for the LGBT folks in the Garden State. He vetoed marriage equality after it was passed by the legislature. Do any of you get a feeling that there is a 'fight back' effort similar to the one that took place in New York? Are ournational organizations in the state fighting to defeat those who are against us and getting enough votes to over ride a future veto? There is absolutely no major presence in New Jersey in this year's Governor's race about the issue and we appear to be missing in action.

Has waiting for the Supreme court enabled once again for LGBT issue be put on the back burner? Are we giving far too much permission for our allies to stray so they don't have to make the tough decisions?Are we being 'too nice' that it is costing us momentum in our struggle for equality? Illinois should have been adding to our momentum in the Supreme Court not waiting for it to make a decision for them.

If the Supreme Court should rule against us on both of the issues before it, then that lost momentum will be very costly indeed. Instead the LGBT community will hear from our allies how tough to move forward in the near future given the negative court decision.

This is a time that proves that electing our own is critical to keeping our allies honest, working hard and not putting us on 'hold, please' so they don't have to make tough decisions.

Campaign for Southern Equality To Target Mississippi In July

 

 

 

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Training for July Actions

The inspiring and amazing Campaign for Southern Equality team has targeted Mississippi for a July marriage equality campaign. Already they have instituted training sessions for the participants in those future actions. The training's have taken place in Jackson, Hattiesburg and Tupelo.

In choosing Mississippi, the group explained:

Why Mississippi?

There are lots of reasons. LGBT people live in every town across the state. Recent data shows that Mississippi has the highest relative percentage of same-sex couples raising kids of any state. These families urgently need the kind of legal protections that are available in states like Massachusetts or New York.

Since 2011, over 75 couples across the South have applied for marriage licenses and some have been taken to jail. Without question, this is one of the more inspiring grassroots campaigns in the nation. Support them by clicking here.

Editorial Cartoons of the Week: Four Cartoons On Gays In Scouting

 

 

 

Will Maryland Elect The First LGBT Governor In America?

 

 

The LGBT community is breaking political barriers down all over the place. Mayor Annise Parker in Houston, Senator Tammy Baldwin and hopefully Speaker Christine Quinn (New York), Councilman Gary Schiff (Minneapolis) and Senator Ed Murray (Seattle) will all be elected this year to be Mayor's of their respective cities!

Now it is time for a Governor before an LGBT American moves on to be Vice President and President!

The wish for an openly LGBT Governor has a good shot of coming true in 2014.

Maryland Delegate Heather Mizeur is running for the Democratic nomination for the Governor of Maryland. While initially thought to be a long shot among the other candidates in the race, she has surprised political observers and is being taken as a serious contender. If she wins, not only will she be the first LGBT Governor in America but also the first woman governor of Maryland.

You can make history happen by donating now to her campaign.  (click on her name on the left).

Bethesda Magazine in their latest issue ran an article about this charismatic and fantastic candidate. It is well worth the read and well worth you getting out your check books to help her.

The odometer on Heather Mizeur’s Chevy Volt has racked up 15,000 miles since she purchased it last October.

“Every evening, I’m in some different corner of the state, and Saturdays and Sundays are usually filled with three to five events in any one day,” the two-term Takoma Park delegate related in an interview this week.

While Montgomery County’s higher profile gubernatorial contender, Attorney General Douglas Gansler, continues to play coy -- he isn’t expected to declare until fall, and was even quoted recently as saying he hadn’t ruled out running again for his current job -- Mizeur is talking and acting very much like an announced candidate in next year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The alternative of seeking re-election to her state delegate seat in District 20 – where several potential successors already are positioning themselves – seems to be off the table. “That’s not where my head is right now,” said Mizeur, who served a term on the Takoma Park City Council before being moving to the General Assembly. “The strong enthusiastic response I’m seeing as I’m meeting with voters from Cumberland to Ocean City is making me think we’re on the right track here.”

While saying a “formal decision” won’t come until this summer, Mizeur is holding house parties across the state to introduce herself to voters, while working actively to raise funds for a gubernatorial run. (As of this past January, she had $380,000 in the bank – compared to $5.2 million for Gansler; $1.6 million for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who formally announced last week; and $2.1 million for Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, who is widely expected to become Brown’s running mate.)

Mizeur touted the precedent-setting aspects of her candidacy as she expressed confidence in her ability to narrow this gap.

“The energy that is behind a candidacy like mine and the interest in breaking a few historic barriers – I would be Maryland’s first woman governor and the nation’s first openly gay one – opens up an energized donor network that is interested in helping to move this campaign forward,” she said.

Owing perhaps to at least one of those historic barriers, Mizeur’s candidacy was widely regarded as something just short of quixotic until late last month, when she unexpectedly finished second in a straw poll at a gathering of western Maryland Democratic in Hagerstown. Mizeur -- along with Brown, Gansler and Ulman – addressed the gathering. While Brown topped the straw poll with 62 votes, Mizeur garnered 37, trailed by Gansler with 25 and Ulman with 17. Mizeur supporters believe they might have done even better had some of the ballots not been cast prior to the speechmaking.

Deborah and Heather On Their Farm

Notwithstanding the limited size of the straw poll sample, “it gives you some sense of where the hearts of the real party activists are,” said Todd Eberly, associate professor of political science at St. Mary’s College. “The western Maryland poll shocked a lot of people. She kind of came out of nowhere – particularly given what the press had been saying prior to that – and Gansler fared horribly.”

Gansler’s life could be further complicated if Mizeur ends up as the only credible contender in the contest besides himself and Brown. While she remains a longshot candidate, even a strong showing by Mizeur could split the vote in Montgomery County and other areas of the state on which Gansler must rely to counter Brown’s base among African-American voters.

If Brown’s campaign has avoided highlighting the prospect of his becoming the state’s first black governor, Mizeur downplayed her potential status as the first woman governor -- even if she may emphasize it for purposes of fundraising.

“I’m running to make a difference, not to make history. But I do hear from a lot of women – and even many men in this state – that they’re looking for a different kind of leadership,” she said. “Not just different because I’m a woman – but different because I’m someone who has always been very clear in articulating what I believe in, and how I bring people together.”

Of course, the difference that may provide the greatest test of her candidacy – to say nothing of Maryland’s reputation as an increasingly progressive bastion – is sexual orientation.

“I hate to say it but I think two things would prevent her from winning the nomination,” said Eberly. “1) prejudice and 2) a concern among primary voters that prejudice would make her a weaker general election candidate.” Eberly likened it to former Rep. Kweisi Mfume’s narrow loss in the 2006 U.S. Senate Democratic primary: Some voters, while wanting to see election of the state’s first black senator, feared Mfume’s race and aspects of his earlier life would make him unpalatable as a general election candidate – so voted instead for the eventual winner, now-Sen. Ben Cardin.

But Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams, who two decades ago became the state’s first openly gay elected official, downplayed the political impact of sexual orientation -- even prior to last year’s referendum upholding the same-sex marriage legislation.

“I can honestly say I don’t think it’s an obstacle. I’ve never perceived it as an obstacle in all that I’ve experienced in 20 years in elected office,” said Williams, while noting: “I’ve spent a fair amount of time in some fairly conservative areas of Maryland…And even though there was no obstacle, I think that things have gotten a whole lot more open, just in the last year or two.”

“Who I am married to is inconsequential,” declared Mizeur, who exchanged vows with her spouse, Deborah, in 2005. Mizeur paused, and then boasted: “But I will say that she’ll be a fabulous first lady.” It was, perhaps, an unwitting affirmation that she’s in the race to stay.

MAKE SURE YOU MAKE A DONATION AND HELP MAKE HISTORY HERE>>>>>>(click on her name on the left)

Hell's Kitchen Journal: Blood In The Streets of Manhattan

 

 

On Friday, the fifth violent and, in this case, deadly hate crime took place in Manhattan in just 14 days. What many in the LGBT community has feared is taking place. The more successful we become in our struggle for freedom the more anger, violence and abuse the community will face. The hateful, abusive and violent rehectoric from the religious right is starting to seep down and give people permission to beat and kill LGBT Americans.

This is an extremely disturbing trend and must be dealt with immediately by all citizens.

The crimes in Manhattan have been brutal and deadly. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and State Senator Brad Holyman have been leading the response against these savage attacks. Both have insisted on immediate action by law enforcement to protect LGBT New Yorkers.

State Senator Holyman outlined the crimes on his Facebook page:

May 5:

Four men allegedly shouted anti-gay slurs as they attacked Nick Porto and Kevin Atkins near Madison Square Garden.

May 7:

A man was assaulted in Union Square by another man who allegedly used anti-gay slurs.

May 8:

Two men reportedly shouted anti-gay slurs as they attacked a man who was leaving Pieces bar on Christopher Street

May 9:

Two gay men were attacked by a group of other men allegedly shouting anti-gay slurs near the 33rd Street PATH Station. Port Authority police officers quickly arrested two of the suspected perpetrators.

May 17:

A gay man, Marc Carson, was shot to death by another man who allegedly assailed the victim and another gay man with homophobic slurs and chased them out of a pizzeria on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village before the shooting.

Marco McMillian Of Mississippi Killed

In Mississippi last February, an African-American gay man running for Mayor of his town was brutally murdered.  Marco McMillian (above)died a horrible death in a gay hate crime.

Growing up in the closet, we used to be extremely careful about holding hands, any public displays of affection and watching for gangs of youths with baseball bats. Never will I forget one Judge who actually praised a group of youth who had killed a gay man in Arizona. Looking over one's shoulder was a way of life. Living in fear of a beating that the police nor government would even investigate was common among LGBT citizens in the 1950's and 1960's. Hell, often the police themselves would beat you.

Overseas there has been an unheard of escalation of violence.

In the nation of Georgia, thousands of anti-gay protesters led by priests attacked vans filled with LGBT citizens sending many to the hospital. In Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church has incitement violent actions against Russian LGBT Citizens. A twenty-three year old young Russian gay, Vladislav Tornovay, was tortured, raped and killed when he came out to his friends.  In France, citizens beat up gays, burned cars, blocked streets and broke windows in an attempt to stop marriage equality. In Africa, encouraged by some Western religious leaders violence against LGBT citizens is a daily occurrence. Many nations are considering joining those that already prescribe the death penalty for being an LGBT person.

Vladislav Tornovoy killed in Russia

What is clear is that the closer we come to achieve full equality the more violence we will face from those who preach and practice hate. What is equally clear is that such violence must be universally condemned, a priority for law enforcement and totally unacceptable to good people everywhere.

As Council Speaker Christine Quinn stated: 

“There was a time in New York City when hate crimes were a common occurrence. There was a time in New York City when two people of the same gender could not walk down the street arm-in-arm without fear of violence and harassment. We refuse to go back to that time.”

To live in fear in face of such violence can only empower the haters. All of us must be visible and proud. To remain silent in the face of such violence is in itself a crime. For those LGBT citizens who believe they are 'more than just gay', this is a wake up call. The victims were from all backgrounds and the only common factor was that they were simply gay.

(Video is of anti-gay violence in Country of Georgia this weekend)

Wall Street Journal: Powerful Profile On Houston's Out Mayor Annise Parker

 

 

 

Mayor Annise Parker by Terry Shaffner

In an article by journalist Matthew Kaminski, the Wall Street Journal wrote a love letter to open lesbian Houston Mayor Annise Parker. The long article focuses on her extraordinary leadership in leading Houston to being an "American Boomtown".

Here is an excerpt:

'Redneck white city down in Texas."

That's how Houston Mayor Annise Parker sums up the caricature of her town, and she wants everyone to know it's bunkum. Houston is "a really cool city," she says. "Open and entrepreneurial and welcoming." It's also booming.

The mayor herself is a walking testament to the cosmopolitan contrarian reality of modern Houston. Annise Parker is a Democrat in a deep-red state, the first openly gay mayor of a major American city. She's a social liberal who's also a former oil-industry executive with a pro-business attitude running what may be the nation's least-regulated metropolis.

Houston's recent track record is startling. For the calendar year ending in February, it saw the fastest pace of job growth (4.5%) among the country's 20 largest metropolitan areas. (With a population of 2.1 million, it's the fourth-largest U.S. city.) In 2011, the last year such data are available, Houston had the fastest-growing large metropolitan economy, at 3.7%.

Add to that a cost of living that is 7.8% below the U.S. average—New York is 53.4% above the average—and you can see the attraction for waves of new arrivals. Housing costs run a third less than the average in the 29 largest metro areas. Adjusting for these lower costs, Houston has the highest per-capita income of any city in the nation.

The mayor, who is 56, and I are discussing the city's makeover at one of its hottest new restaurants. Underbelly, Ms. Parker's choice for lunch, is in the Montrose neighborhood where she lives. "This was a huge lesbian bar," she says, before the neighborhood turned "trendy" and places like Underbelly moved in. As diners fill the capacious restaurant, Ms. Parker notes that Houstonians eat out more often than anyone else in America.

Like Texas as a whole, Houston sells itself as "business friendly," and Ms. Parker ticks off the attractions—ease of permitting, unobtrusive regulations and low taxes. She also supports Houston's limited restrictions on land use, which some here call its real secret sauce. Without zoning, Houston can adjust to shifting market demands—whether for townhouse complexes or retail outfits—faster than most any other city. It looks unwieldy to anyone of the urban-planning persuasion, but it also keeps prices down.

Tory Gattis, who writes the Houston Strategies blog, says: "I'd argue we may be the most libertarian city in America. Live and let live; strong property rights; not much corruption; small business culture."

The economic dynamism has demographic consequences. A couple of years ago, Ms. Parker says, she argued with New York filmmaker Spike Lee over whose hometown was "the most international city in the U.S." The debate isn't as lopsided as it might seem to a non-Houstonian.

The city has surpassed New York as the country's most racially and ethnically diverse, according to a study last year by Rice University. One in five residents was born outside the U.S. The city attracted the second-highest number of new, foreign-born residents in the first decade of this century, after the more populous New York. A Manhattan Institute report last year named Houston and Dallas the country's least segregated cities.

Hispanics are hardly the only newcomers. The Korean, South Asian and Chinese communities are a backbone of the small-business community. European expatriates work in energy and at the Texas Medical Center—which, this being Texas, touts itself as the world's largest.

No ethnic group makes up a majority, and Hispanics, whites, Asians and African-Americans are evenly represented. Houston's "melting pot" makes it "impossible for any one group to dominate another," says Fred Hofheinz, who was mayor in the 1970s. Leave the politics of ethnic and racial division to other places.

Stephen Klineberg, who led the Rice study, argues that in some 30 years all of America will look like Houston today. Conservatives and liberals can both find something to like in Houston's post-racial, post-ethnic present.

The Mayor also speaks about marriage equality:

Situated on a bayou and close to Louisiana, Houston mixes the South's hospitality and the West's independent streak and tolerance of differences. Ms. Parker cites these qualities to explain her political career. "The vast majority of Houstonians are pragmatic and they judge me for what I do, not what I am."

She is a former president of the Houston GBLT Caucus and militated for gay rights in the 1990s. In her various stints as an elected city official, she emphasized financial matters and played down social issues. At least her mayoral victory, she says, got Houston a bit of attention for defying typecasting by outsiders.

"I'm not a spokesperson for the gay community," she adds. Gay marriage is personal. "I've been with my life partner for 22 years." They have three children. "I want to marry her."

Ms. Parker is holding out for Texas to legalize gay marriage. "I may be old and creaky, but it's gonna happen," she says. "This is a war we've already won. There are still battles left to fight. . . . mopping up operations."

Anything, they keep telling you, is possible here.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE>>>>>>