See San Francisco Pride behind the scenes photos below This year I served on the board of directors for San Francisco Pride. I learned so much from the leadership, staff and contractors, as well as all the grand marshals and honorees and want to thank everyone who helped make the Pride weekend and run-up month… More San Francisco Pride is San Francisco Proud
One Year Later: 100+ Anti-LGBT Bills Defeated as FFAA Celebrates Anniversary New FFAA interactive map highlights status of LGBT-related bills across the nation as state legislative season winds down WASHINGTON – Freedom for All Americans (FFAA) launched one year ago with the goal of advancing comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people at the municipal, state… More Freedom for All Americans Celebrates Anniversary and Contributions to LGBT Equality
Equality California is urging action – please alert you California lawmakers to pass AB 1888. Read on: “Californians don’t like discrimination. Over the past 15 years, that’s been abundantly clear as our state has passed some of the world’s strongest laws protecting LGBT people. But did you know there are islands of discrimination within California… More Help Push California AB 1888 to stop funding for Bigotry against LGBT Students
Legislature to clarify controversial measure and simply reaffirm current law
Screen Shot 2016-03-02 at 8.35.45 AMTallahassee – Avoiding the disastrous route of their Georgia colleagues, the Florida House of Representatives today is expected to pass an amended version of the so-called Pastor Protection bill (HB 43) to limit its scope and send the message that controversial amendments allowing discrimination would not be entertained.
The bill had been widely criticized as a vaguely worded and unnecessary duplication of existing laws that served as a Trojan Horse for more nefarious measures to be added. That was the route Georgia lawmakers took by amending their pastor protection bill last month to allow any individual or faith-based business, for-profit entity, or taxpayer-funded organization to ignore nondiscrimination protections or any law that conflicts with their religious beliefs about marriage. The state is roiling from the public outrage and the economic backlash that has been strong enough to draw the threat of a veto from the Georgia governor.… More Florida House & Senate Avert Disaster of Expanded Pastor Protection Bill
Los Angeles — Equality California today announced the endorsements of 10 strong LGBT allies for office in Congress and the California Legislature. “These candidates represent the length and breadth of the state and come from a variety of backgrounds and experience,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “However, they share a commitment to… More Equality California Endorses 10 Pro-Equality Candidates for State and Federal Office
TAKE ACTION BELOW – Thanks To Campbell’s Soup for Including Everyone! By Melanie Nathan, November 12, 2015. The anti-gay organization, One Million Moms, is extremely busy, as of late. They have been asserting their fundamentalist extreme right wing prowess by pretending to be ‘morality’ police. When Campbell’s Soup used a a same-sex married couple with… More One Million Moms Anti Gay Tirade Against Campbell’s Soup And Foster Kids
By Melanie Nathan, October 20, 2015. BETWEEN THE SHADES is a feature film documentary exploring the shades of being gay; discussing what connects us all: Our desire to love. I had the great privilege of interviewing award-winning filmmaker, Jill Salvino. We discussed Between the Shades, her new project, and first feature length documentary. As an… More Documentary that Transcends Equality
Festivals, Events, and Exhibitions this Winter and Fall for LGBT Travellers Posted by Melanie Nathan, October, 01, 2015. PHILADELPHIA, October 1, 2015 – A welcoming and diverse destination that celebrates its LGBT pride every day, Philadelphia offers a range of cultural and social events perfect for gay and lesbian travelers this fall. Highlights: OutFest, the… More A Lot of Fun for LGBT Travelers to Philadelphia
By Melanie Nathan, July 16, 2015. Back in April 2013, the reporting of a very special wedding story went viral as a young South African same-sex couple from Zulu and Sotho traditions held a traditional wedding ceremony to celebrate their marriage. Now, 2 years later, it is with sadness that one of the couple is… More Historic Traditional Zulu Marriage Ending in Divorce
A shidduch – Rick marrying Rick is indeed acceptable but not in the way they use it! By Melanie Nathan, July 05, 2015. Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) was the keynote speaker at the 2nd Annual National Organization for Marriage (NOM) gala in Washington, DC. – not an unusual venue… More Rick Santorum Speech at NOM Gala is Last Stand for the Dying Political Ploy
Why the Irish Vote in favor of marriage equality is so important to Homophobic Countries and leaders perpetuating lies about LGBTI people By Melanie Nathan, May 24, 2014. Ireland has become the first country in the world to legalize marriage equality by popular vote in a national election. On Friday, May, 22, 2015, Irish voters… More The Importance of Ireland’s Popular YES Vote in the Global LGBT Arena
By Melanie Nathan, January 16, 2015. Out & Proud Diamond Group, an international LGBTI organization is urging political parties in the United Kingdom to include in their upcoming General Election Manifesto, a commitment to work toward LGBTI equality and human rights worldwide, especially in Africa. The following has been included in a written appeal appeal… More United Kingdom Political Parties Urged to Adopt LGBT Global Human Rights Platform
by Cathy Kristofferson, January 11, 2015 Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) received their first lump of coal from Santa for 2015. Deliverers of Santa’s naughty list and coal at Christmastime, 1angryoldlesbian.org, returned barely two weeks into the new year following Thursday’s Washington Post article in which HRC’s vice president Fred Sainz gushed over presidential hopeful Jeb Bush’s new… More HRC Now Accepts Religious Liberty Bigotry
By Melanie Nathan, August 12 2014, Israel has decided that the law of return includes non-Jewish same sex spouses. Directly form the Haaretz report: The Law of Return, which gives Diaspora Jews and non-Jewish family members the right to immigrate to Israel, also applies to legally married same-sex spouses, Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Tuesday.… More Israel Includes Same-Sex Spouses under Law of Return Immigration
Ground-Breaking Partnership between National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and USAID to Create Opportunities for LGBT Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries National Security Advisory Rice Announced Agreement at White House Forum on Global LGBT Human Rights By Melanie Nathan, June 24, 2014, In a historic announcement, U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice announced a $2.7… More Susan Rice on LGBT Human Rights and Economic Empowerment for Global LGBT Community
Maya Angelou, a renowned poet, novelist, civil rights leader and actress whose work defied description under a simple label, has died, her publicist, Helen Brann, said Thursday. She died at her home in Winston-Salem, N.C., Brann said. A professor, singer and dancer, among other things, Angelou’s work spans different professions. She spent her early years… More Poet Maya Angelou Passes Away Aged 86
…so we can stop talking about it!” By Cathy Kristofferson,May 5, 2014 Uncharacteristic disclaimer: Although the following blog post might appear we have distain and regret regarding this event, we really applaud the magazines for bringing this somewhat substantive crowd together during such a star-studded feel-good discourse-free correspondents dinner weekend. We encourage The Atlantic and… More Hilary Rosen: The president needs to sign this damn executive order already
We have conveyed to President Museveni, enacting this legislation will complicate our valued relationship with Uganda By Melanie Nathan, February 16, 2014. President Barack Obama informs the world that he has indicated to President Yoweri Museveni that this anti- homosexuality Bill will complicate US relations with Uganda. And damn right it will. Because as an… More White House Releases President Obama Statement on Uganda Anti-Gay Bill
By Cathy Kristofferson, December 17, 2013 President Obama has chosen the official U.S. delegation to head to the Sochi Olympic Games in Russia. No POTUS, FLOTUS, VPOTUS, or any other OTUS. However there will be one out athlete at the opening ceremony and another out athlete at the closing ceremony; Billie Jean King and Caitlin… More Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow Sochi Tokens
Yesterday in Johannesburg, President Obama joined leaders from the United States and around the world at a national memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela. In President Obama’s remarks, he reflected on what Mandela meant to him personally, as well as to the people of South Africa, and urged all of us to… More President Barack Obama pays tribute to Nelson Mandela
By Cathy Kristofferson, December 11, 2013 Today, India’s Supreme Court had the chance to overturn Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and decriminalize homosexuality for good. Instead, they set aside a 2009 High Court ruling that had temporarily decriminalized homosexuality for 1.2 billion people. India is one of the many countries in the world… More In crushing blow to India’s LGBT community Supreme Court re-criminalizes homosexuality
Boehner buries ENDA, where is the Executive Order Obama? By Cathy Kristofferson and Ellen Sturtz, November 20, 2013 After the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed the Senate with bi-partisan support, all eyes turned to the House. It seems when we looked there, the Bill had been buried in four different committees and House Speaker John Boehner… More APB put out on ENDA
By Melanie Nathan, November 16, 2013 Lest I forget this caveat, I am co-producing the film GAY U.S.A. the Movie, with Kristina Lapinski, the ‘lesbian filmmaker,’ famed amongst other antics, for tackling Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, at a Tea Party Debate. This, the latest video, poised to go viral, captures a series of extraordinary… More GAY U.S.A. the Movie Launches Magnificent Marriage Equality Video
What is the point of ENDA now? By Cathy Kristofferson, November 5, 2013 Republicans have introduced two amendments to the already highly contentious religious exemption of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 (ENDA), further watering down the bill’s protections. With all Democrats already committed to vote Yes and only 59 votes secured, supporting Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO)… More Republican amendments further water down ENDA protections
We Belong Together and allies are turning up the heat in Washington DC! By Cathy Kristofferson, September 12, 2013 As I write this more than 100 women are being arrested in front of the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. They are part of a mass civil disobedience action calling on Congress to pass immigration reform that… More 100 arrested in mass civil disobedience action for Immigration Reform
“A trap being laid for February’s Russian Olympics could give homosexuals a world-wide exclusive claim on the symbol of the rainbow. “ By Cathy Kristofferson, September 11, 2013 A blog post today from Scott Lively declares that “The Rainbow Belongs to God” something we gays apparently didn’t know when “it was appropriated by the homosexual movement.” … More Scott Lively says The Rainbow Belongs to God not you Gays!
“If anything this should be a wake-up call to our President and to Congress to act in like, to go even further. ….our goal of Full Federal Equality” By Jennifer McGuire, September 05, 2013. It was announced yesterday that spouses of Lesbian and Gay veterans will be eligible for benefits. In the recent stream of… More The Importance of the Military in the Struggle for Equality and Another “Duh” Moment
Our March Campaign Will Not Be Silenced By Cathy Kristofferson, August 30, 2013 At Wednesday’s 50th anniversary March on Washington celebration Dream Defender’s Philip Agnew and United We Dream’s Sofia Campos were denied their opportunity to speak at the last minute. The excuse given? Officials said they had “run out of time.” This follows the… More Cut from 50th Anniversary Dream Defenders want your 2 minutes
“…widespread, systematic persecution of individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity constitutes a crime against humanity.” By Cathy Kristofferson, August 15, 2013 On August 14 we reported here on OBLOGDEE that Springfield U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Posner, ruled against radical Christian Evangelical Scott Lively in his motion to dismiss the case… More Scott Lively’s accountability for Crimes Against Humanity should now extend beyond Uganda to the FSU
By Cathy Kristofferson, July 31, 2013 Today kicked off Embassy and Consulate protests in the U.S. against Russia’s LGBT human rights violations with actions in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. We have blogged on the protests as actions people can take to help raise awareness about the worsening conditions for the Russian… More Protests of Russian Violations of LGBT Human Rights at U.S. Embassy and Consulates