Category Archives: Lesbian
URVASHI VAID, ACTIVIST, AUTHOR, ATTORNEY has Passed Away
Legendary attorney, LGBTQ activist, and author Urvashi Vaid, known for her extensive career an advocate for LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, anti-war efforts, immigration justice and many other social causes, died today at age 63 in her home in New York City. She was the Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force from 1989- 1992 and served prior to that as Media Director.
“We are devastated at the loss of one of the most influential progressive activists of our time,” said Kierra Johnson, current Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force. “Urvashi Vaid was a leader, a warrior and a force to be reckoned with,” continued Johnson, “She was also a beloved colleague, friend, partner and someone we all looked up to – a brilliant, outspoken and deeply committed activist who wanted full justice and equality for all people.”
“Her leadership, vision and writing helped shape not only the Task Force’s values and work but our entire queer movement and the larger progressive movement. We will strive every day to live up to her ideals and model the courage she demonstrated every day as an activist and a person. She will be deeply I missed. I miss her already.” concluded Johnson.
At George H.W. Bush’s 1990 address on AIDS, Vaid, then the Executive Director of The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, made a statement with her sign: “Talk Is Cheap, AIDS Funding is Not”. Her critique made waves, disrupting the press conference, and shedding light on the failures of the Bush administration.
“Equality is a fine aspiration. It’s simply not enough”, she wrote in a 2014 piece on liberation. And it is a politics of liberation that shaped her career and informed her vision for the world. Vaid’s vision and passion for defending and promoting civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community led to a lifetime of changemaking.
Her time at The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in which she held multiple positions for over ten years, notably Media Director, then Executive Director, saw her bring all aspects of queer life and struggle into the public eye. While at the Task Force, she co-founded the annual Creating Change conference, now in its 33rd year.
In 1995, after resigning from her position at the Task Force three years prior, she published her first book, Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberation, in which she criticized the idea of “mainstreaming” what was and is, in fact, a civil rights movement. Rather than tolerance, she argued, the objective for the movement should be fundamental, actionable change. It was not an immediately popular notion, as media representation for queer people was just beginning to take shape, though it was, for her, of great moral importance. In 1996 Virtual Equality won the Stonewall Book Award.
In her position as President of the Vaid Group, Vaid advised, mentored, and supported the LGBTQ+ movement.
In 2012, Urvashi Vaid launched LPAC, the first lesbian Super PAC, and it has since invested millions of dollars in candidates who are committed to social justice through legislation.
Prior to that, Vaid held positions on the boards at the Ford Foundation, The Arcus Foundation (where she served as Executive Director from 2005 to 2010), and the Gill Foundation.
She was a leader in the development of the currently on-going National LGBTQ women’s community survey.
Vaid was the aunt of activist and performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon. She is survived by Alok Vaid-Menon as well as her longtime partner, political humorist Kate Clinton.
The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights.
Lesbian Couple Conquering Social Media
We recently discovered these lesbian vloggers, who have been creating YouTube content for some time now! They recently relocated to Chicago. They create new vlogs as frequently as possible, plus unscripted comedy, challenges, travel and entrepreneurship videos, and LGBT advice content. Vegetarians and devoted moms to their kitten, Mumford.
Well it looks like you moved here from Iowa? How long have you been here in Chicago?
Yeah! We moved to the city in July and have loved every minute of it so far!
What brought you here?
Besides the appeal of a vibrant city with so much energy and activity, we were attracted to the opportunities to advance our career goals. There’s such a great LGBTQ+ community here that we love and we do a lot of traveling, so it’s a great centrally located hub with a big airport! There are, of course, it’s other perks: deep dish pizza, the amazing Chicago sports teams, and tons of vegan restaurants for us to try out!
How long have you been together?
We have been together for 5 and a half years! It’s been such a crazy ride, but we’ve loved exploring the world and starting a business together. It’s so special that we get to share our relationship online to help so many other people and document the things we do together.
How long have you been doing videos?
We started making videos in March of 2015. At that time we wanted to start a channel as a way to have a creative outlet and a place to practice our cinematography and editing skills, because of our interest in film. As we started to pick up a following, we realized that we really had an opportunity to share some of the difficult experiences we’ve been through with coming out, self acceptance, etc with our audience. We began to share our stories online and have since been able to help literally thousands of people who send us messages and use our channel as a resource for similar struggles. Our videos have led us across the world to countries in Europe and the Caribbean to create travels films, vlogs and attend conventions for YouTube creators. We would love to see one of these conventions come to Chicago someday!
Besides vlogging, do you both do other work in Chicago?
We both have small part time jobs within the city, but what we spend the most of our time doing and what we love the most is our work on YouTube and other social platforms. Being in Chicago has already afforded us some opportunities to attend events and get involved locally using our videos. We’re looking forward to continuing to grow that more and more!
Check them out here!
Also check their podcast “Between The Sheets” that comes out every Wednesday on iTunes and soundcloud!
Andrea Gibson on Gender Identity
Andrea Gibson is not gentle with their truths. It is this raw fearlessness that has led them to the forefront of the spoken word movement– the first winner of the Women’s World Poetry Slam –Gibson has headlined prestigious performance venues coast to coast with powerful readings on war, class, gender, bullying, white privilege, sexuality, love, and spirituality. After 7 full length albums and 2 publications Andrea is working on their 3rd published book and 8th studio album.
Their work has been featured on the BBC, Air America, C-SPAN, Free Speech TV and in 2010 was read by a state representative in lieu of morning prayer at the Utah State Legislature.
“Your Life” from Andrea’s upcoming album HEY GALAXY (out January 12th 2018)
Pre-Order the new record at www.andreagibson.com
LIVE PROUD 2017 AT&T and GLAAD
Happy Pride! As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and Pride season, we at AT&T have launched our fifth-annual Live Proud campaign that celebrates self-expression and being bold (announcement release).
This year, from June 1 to July 31, friends, allies and members of the LGBT community are invited to participate in exciting sweepstakes and share affirming messages of freedom, confidence and unity to declare definitively that We Are Bold.
Participants can join the campaign in the following ways:
- Fans can post what We Are Bold means to them on their social channels, using either #ATTLiveProud or #WeAreBold on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, and AT&T will make a $1 donation to GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, for each post up to $50,000, the fundraising goal.
- When consumers click on a “Support GLAAD and Shop AT&T” offer at att.com/liveproud, AT&T will donate $5 to GLAAD toward the fundraising goal.
- Fans can also take part in the AT&T Live Proud Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to New York City for themselves and a guest to attend a live taping of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens L!ve with Andy Cohen.” To enter the sweepstakes, visit att.com/liveproud.
- Select national Pride festivals will also feature Live Proud activation experiences where guests can participate in the campaign by having their #WeAreBold portrait captured and learn about AT&T’s long-standing commitment to the community. Visit att.com/liveproud to learn which Pride events you can find AT&T at this summer.
There’s also a “We Are Bold” video that features these employees (check it out here). Fans can follow the images throughout the campaign with the hashtags #ATTLiveProud and #WeAreBold.
Gay Day of the Dead Art
Gay Day of the Dead: the art of José Antonio Madrazo
By Sebastián Sáenz
@sebastiaenz
History, traditions and folk culture have inspired artists for centuries in order to show the world their unique perspective. Human beings have developed a special need to express feelings, thoughts and facts though all kinds of materials such as clay, marble, wood, oil, installations, words and even their own body, but José Antonio Madrazo is a particular case. His original proposal shows one of the most popular Mexican celebrations with an unexpected twist: an LGBT version of The Day of the Dead.
Most of us are tired of bringing back home after any trip the same souvenirs: the cheap post card, the t-shirt that will lose all colors after the second wash, and the tacky fridge magnet. That is why José Antonio, located in the breathtakingly beautiful and LGBT friendly San Miguel de Allende (one of the most popular little towns of Mexico), got inspired by this important date in order to celebrate diverse love with his art crafts. The career of this artist started in the early 90s, he has worked with different forms of design, and his current proposal projects his identity, sensitivity, creative voice, humor and Mexican Culture, such as the Day of the Dead.
Mexico’s Day of the Dead is a very ancient tradition that mixes Pre-Colonial, Colonial and folk elements of the Mexican culture. The day of the Dead is an annual celebration to remember the life of the loved ones that are no longer with us. Mexicans build altars with flowers, candles, photographs and objects attached to the person that passed away. They also have hot chocolate, candy skulls and Bread of Dead, a sweet pastry with bone-shaped bread sticks on top. Some people dress as Catrinas, the quintessential character of this party: the grim reaper represented as a feminine skelleton, dressed in a colorful gown with flowers and even a huge hat with bright feathers. Some Mexicans even actually go to graveyards and spend the night of November 1st and 2nd in a huge celebration with music, food and laughter; their on way to make fun of Death, and to enjoy life.
No wonder why José Antonio, along with his team of artisans, have been so inspired. All of his pieces are one of a kind, manicured and can be custom made in order to satisfy every customer’s wishes. He mixes clay figurines with traditional crafting techniques, metal, vintage photographs, images of papers, magazines and board games, and even historic heroes and religious icons. Some of his contemporary, funny, pretty and affordable pieces can even portray same sex figures and jokes.
The world usually relates Mexico to lucha libre, Taco Bell, telenovelas and, in worst cases, Dora the Explorer. Of course these are stereotypes, and even though some of them are based on actual facts, it is well known that a whole country cannot be associated with just a few generalizations. Mexico is a country that offers so much more than what the world sees on news or in a five star resort in Cancun. It is rich in gastronomy, history, infrastructure, technology, science, academia, natural resources, art and cultural and social progress. Maybe its biggest artist is Frida Kahlo, however, there are obviously new artists such as José Antonio, with innovative, interesting, intricate and beautiful work that the world has to know and appreciate.
Michael Snell and Derrick Sorles, partners for 16 years, started collecting Day of Dead art in 2013. They found one of Jose Antiono’s gay themed nichos in 2014 and contacted him about making even more gay themed nichos exclusively for them and began importing them to the US. Gay Day of the Dead Art. Now with the passage of marriage equality growing at leaps and bounds, they hope to serve a whole new market of LGBT collectors.
Translation –
La mayor parte de nosotros estamos hartos de regresar a casa de cualquier viaje con los mismos souvenirs: la tarjeta postal barata, la playera que perderá sus colores después de lavarla dos veces y el imán de mal gusto para el refrigerador. Es por eso que José Antonio, ubicado en el maravillosamente bello y LGBT amigable San Miguel de Allende (uno de los pueblitos más populares de México), se inspiró en esta importante fecha para celebrar el amor diverso en sus artesanías. La carrera de este artista comenzó a principios de los 90s, ha trabajado con diferentes formas de diseño, y su propuesta actual refleja su identidad, sensibilidad, voz creativa, humor y cultura mexicana; como en el caso del Día de Muertos.
Esta fiesta anual es una antigua tradición que mezcla elementos prehispánicos, coloniales y folclóricos de la cultura mexicana. El día de muertos ayuda a recordar a la gente amada que ya no se encuentra presente. Los mexicanos crean altares con flores, velas, fotografías y objetos que los difuntos apreciaban. También toman chocolate caliente, calaveras de dulce y Pan de Muerto, pan dulce cubierto con palos de pan que semejan huesos. Algunas personas se visten como Catrinas, el personaje de esta celebración por excelencia: representa a la muerte como un esqueleto femenino, ataviado con un colorido vestido con flores e incluso un gran sombrero con brillantes plumas. Algunos mexicanos incluso visitan cementerios y pasan las noches del 1 y 2 de noviembre en una gran verbena con música, comida y risas; su manera única de burlarse de la muerte y de disfrutar la vida.
Es evidente por qué José Antonio, junto con su equipo de artesanos, se han inspirado tanto. Todas sus piezas son únicas, delicadamente construidas, y pueden personalizarse para satisfacer cada deseo de sus clientes. Combina figuras de arcilla y metal con técnicas artesanales típicas, viejas fotografías, imágenes de periódicos, revistas y juegos de mesa, y hasta personajes históricos e íconos religiosos. Y claro, algunas de sus piezas contemporáneas, divertidas, bonitas y accesibles pueden mostrar figuras del mismo sexo y chistes.
Lesbians in Alabama Need Help
It is sad that we have to PAY to defend ourselves and what is right. There should be a reimbursement system in place. ALABAMA should be eating these court costs!
“The two women in Mobile are the bravest two women I’ve ever known,” [Alabama Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham] said. “They’ve been through a lot, and they will continue to go through a lot, and we can never forget them.”
Todd said Searcy and McKeand have “incurred a great debt over legal fees” in their eight-year fight to have their California marriage recognized. She urged attendees to donate to the couple at their website, IAmAParent.com.
[Living in Limbo Executive Director Lara] Embry said Searcy and McKeand are $40,000 in legal debt “because they fought this fight for a long time in Alabama while we were not considered low-hanging fruit to national organizations who would then pitch in and help with that fight.”
“If you want to send someone a wedding gift, maybe make it honor of Cari and Kim, and make a donation to help them, to help pay for marriage equality in Alabama,” Embry said. “Because they got the bill.”
Visit I AM A PARENT
or the GO FUND ME PAGE
Icon BETTE DAVIS Lost Interview
BETTE DAVIS!
All About Eve, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, A Catered Affair, Little Foxes, The Letter, Jezebel, Now Voyager….the list goes on and on!
Often referred to as “The First Lady of the American Screen,” Bette Davis created a new kind of screen heroine. She was a liberated woman in an industry dominated by men. She was known as an actress that could play a variety of difficult and powerful roles, and because of this she set a new standard for women on the big screen. Independent off-screen as well, her battles with studio bigwigs were legendary. With a career spanning six decades, few in the history of film rival her longevity and appeal.
Long before Sheryl Sandberg told us to Lean In, screen legend Bette Davis was charging men with changing how the sexes relate to each other.
“I think men have got to change an awful lot. I think somehow they still prefer the little woman. They’re just staying way, way behind and so as a rule I think millions of women are very happy to be by themselves, they’re so bored with the whole business of trying to be the little woman, when no such thing really exists anymore. It just simply doesn’t,” said the celebrated actor and early Hollywood feminist in a previously lost interview, brought to life by PBS Digital Studios’ BLANK ON BLANK.
As an early advocate of gender awareness, Davis added, “This world’s gone way beyond it. The real female should be partly male and the real male should be partly female anyway. So if you ever run into that in either sex you’ve run into something very, very fine, I think.”
In this week’s installment of PBS Digital Studios’ “Blank on Blank” from an interview recorded in 1963 by legendary Hollywood reporter Shirley Eder, Bette Davis gives her perspective on the battle of the sexes. She also reveals her experiences dealing with Hollywood executives while trying to balance her career with a “traditional” household in a male-dominated industry, and explains why being an intelligent female can be a “hindrance” in business.
The full video is here
Bette Davis.com
OWN IT by Tabatha Coffey
Fans know Tabatha Coffey as the celebrity hairstylist who’s tough, talented, and always ready to take over.
But while promoting her new book, “Own It: Be the Boss of Your Life — at Home and in the Workplace,” the 44-year-old star of Bravo’s “Tabatha Takes Over” shed some light on how her unconventional childhood drove her to become the strong, successful businesswoman she is today.
Raised mostly by her single mother, Coffey spent much of her free time at her family’s strip club where she quickly learned the power of hair and beauty. “I was at the club all the time,” she told Yahoo. “I would sit back and take a good look at how [the models] got their makeup, costumes, and wigs on and they put me to work. Even as a little kid, I just saw the transformation it did to them.”
READ MORE HERE
I personally loved her swag and attitude event before she came out (publically)! Now I have even more respect for this out and proud lesbian woman who is strong and empowering. She gives a GREAT INTERVIEW HERE with Lesbian Life.
IN HER NEW BOOK, Own It!: Be the Boss of Your Life–at Home and in the WorkplaceTabatha is back to share her secrets of business success . . .
With her characteristic savvy expertise and no-nonsense advice, the perfectly coiffed celebrity hairstylist, Tabatha Coffey, returns with her second book, teaching readers that the secret of success is taking charge—of your priorities, your future, and your life. Fans of her hit show, Tabatha Takes Over, value Tabatha’s sound approach to overhauling failing businesses, and now, in Own It!, she takes to the page to reach out to anyone with a dream: whether you’re just beginning, revamping your career, or starting your own enterprise.
Sharing her blunt but rock-solid wisdom, Tabatha provides tips for every aspect of business—from entrepreneurship, to customer service, to management—as well as on the home front, to help women seeking to balance their family lives with their careers. Filled with stories about real people who have faced challenging transitions, in addition to anecdotes from Tabatha’s own experiences, this book reveals, through her unflinching honesty, Tabatha’s commitment to the dreams and goals of her readers, and her never-say-never attitude when it comes to bringing them to life.
Success is the result when you Own It! in all aspects of your life, and Tabatha breaks it down step-by-step as your straight-shooting personal coach to show you how it’s done.
BUY THE BOOK!
Own It!: Be the Boss of Your Life–at Home and in the Workplace
Homophobic People meet and hug a Gay Person
From the Gay Women Channel…
We took it in a different direction and asked 15 homophobic people to hug a gay stranger.
Some people question whether this experiment was real? or staged? what do you think?
Watch
Marie Osmond talks Sons Suicide and Marriage Equality for Gays
The tide is changing on public opinion for gay marriage. TIME magazine did a huge article and cover this week about the public opinion shift on gay marriage.
Marie Osmond tells Diane Sawyer she believes in marriage equality:
“The God that I believe in is a god of love, not fear. I don’t tell
my children if you’re not good you’re going to Hell. I tell my children
that God will be there for them when they struggle. That’s the God I
believe in...I believe in [my lesbian daughter’s] civil rights, as a
mother. I think my daughter deserves everything that she desires in
life. She’s a good girl. She’s a wonderful child. I don’t think God made
one color flower. I think he made many...”
Wanna Go To the Osmond Family Anti Gay Marriage Party?
Thousands around the US will rally and prepare for the Supreme Court’s consideration of marriage cases demanding equality for gay and lesbian Americans, next week – and what do the Osmonds do?? The Osmond family is holding a “pro-family” rally at the Utah Capitol
“benefitting the protection of marriage” from gay and lesbian Americans.
I wonder if Marie Osmond and her lesbian daughter are attending.
Should LGBT be Changed to GSD?
First there was GLBT.
Pink Therapy director Dominic Davies and fellow therapist Pamela
Gawler-Wright suggested GSD, or “Gender and Sexual Diversities,” as a
more inclusive community term in a new video posted on the group’s Facebook page.
In the clip, Davies noted that the term LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender) still excluded “a whole batch of people who didn’t feel
able to go to mainstream counseling organizations and also wouldn’t
necessarily be welcome at LGBT counseling organizations,” including
asexual people and those in otherwise non-traditional relationships,
such as swingers.
Added Gawler-Wright: “Now we’re allowing more of a spectrum…people
need wider language, people need better language to have that
conversation … We exist at this time in a different way of thinking
collectively and inclusively.”
Officials on the group’s Facebook page echoed those sentiments. “The
point we’re trying to make is not that our community shouldn’t be called
LGBT, it’ that actually our community is SO much BIGGER than simply
LGBT,” they noted.
YEP, SHE’S GAY! Jodie Foster Comes Out at Golden Globes
I have to wonder, what makes a celebrity come out all of sudden? When most of the world already knew?
Jodie Foster’s winding, emotional acceptance speech upon receiving the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes was one of the show’s standout moments. The six-and-a-half-minute oration, in which Foster addressed her sexuality, her privacy, her career and her family, seemed to draw a unanimous reaction at first: one of sheer surprise.
After the initial shock subsided, two big questions hung in the air.
Had Foster come out as gay? And had she announced her retirement?
She was not of the era when gay or lesbian stars held press conferences to discuss their private lives, she said.
I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago, back in the
stone age. In those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would
open up to trusted friends, and family, coworkers and then gradually,
proudly, to everyone who knew her. To everyone she actually met. But
now, apparently I’m told, that every celebrity is expected to honor the
details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance and a
primetime reality show. You guys might be surprised, but I’m not Honey
Boo Boo child.
She went on, “If you had been a public figure since the time you were a toddler, if
you had to fight for a life that felt real and honest and normal against
all odds, then maybe you too would value privacy above all else.”
Lesbian Couple Shot in Head in Texas. One Dead.
This is so shocking and sad. I sobbed when I read this. It brought back the memory of the Matthew Shepard nightmare….
MSNBC:
Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and Mary
Christine Chapa, 18, were found in knee-deep grass in a nature area in
Portland, Texas by a couple Saturday, said Portland Police Chief Randy Wright,
who confirmed to msnbc.com details first reported by the Corpus Christi
Caller Times.
The girls had been dating about 5 months.
Olgin, originally from Ingleside but recently living in
Corpus Christi, died; Chapa, of Sinton, was rushed to a hospital where
she had surgery and was in serious but stable condition on Sunday, local
NBC affiliate kristv.com reported. Wright said Chapa was still in the
hospital on Monday…
…When asked if police had been able to
determine if the girls’ sexuality played any role in the shootings,
Wright told msnbc.com: “That’s always something that we’re looking for,
but as of this point, we have not been able to establish that that had
anything to do with the attack.”
He said they had been in communication
with Chapa. He noted all indications were that “third parties” were
involved in the assault. “If we had a name, you know, we’d be having a
different conversation right now. But we have not been able to gather
enough information to identify a suspect yet,” he said. “It appears as
if … this was not just a random attack but that’s something that we
really have to develop over time.”
Really? How could this be random??
Wright told local station KZTV that the shooting had “the earmarks” of a targeted slaying.
.
Happy Mothers Day Jennifer Tyrrell
Happy Mother’s Day –
Unless You’re Gay
Mother’s Day has always been a special day for me — a time to
celebrate my mother, grandmothers, but most importantly, my children.
But this Mother’s Day, I won’t be celebrating as usual.
You probably heard that last month, the Boy Scouts of America told me
that I was no longer welcome to serve as scout leader of my 7-year-old
son’s Boy Scouts troop because I’m gay.
Like any mother, my heart was left broken.
So far, over 275,000 people have joined me at Change.org/scouts to tell the BSA that it’s time to end their long history of discrimination against gay scouts and LGBT leaders.
Will
you join me, as well as celebrities including Julianne Moore and Josh
Hutcherson, this Mother’s Day to help tell the Scouts that they should
accept all moms by sharing my story on Facebook and Twitter?
Or, if you haven’t already, sign my petition at Change.org/scouts and join over 275,000 Americans demanding equality from one of our nation’s largest cultural institutions.
Though I won’t be spending Mother’s Day with my troop this year, with your help I can send a message to the Scouts in support of all loving moms.
Wishing you and your family a very happy Mother’s Day.
Jennifer Tyrrell
Bridgeport, OH
Former Scout Leader, Cub Scouts, Pack 109
JC Penny Keeps Pushing the Gay Lesbian Envelope
At this point, I just think One Million Moms need to get lives.
The group who calls
themselves One Million Moms, despite comprising only 40,000 members, is after JCPenney once again, this time because of their recent May mailer, which includes a photo of a lesbian couple with their two daughters.
OMM feel as if this means JCPenney is somehow taking sides, and they
want them to take a “neutral stand.”
What would those sides be, exactly?
Anti-gay vs. pro-gay? Right-wing vs. left-wing? Christian vs.
otherwise? What these women are missing is that JCPenney is taking a “neutral” stand.
Jenny block discussed the issue on Huff Post.
This is about ignorance. It’s about ignorance about the LGBTQ community.
It’s about ignorance about God’s love for everyone. It’s even about
ignorance of simple commerce.
“If they want our business, then we will
not be ignored!” says OMM.
Seriously ladies? JCPenney wants everyone’s business!
Priest Refuses Communion to Lesbian at Funeral
OH MY GOD!
Here we go again.
Who do these priests think they are? God?
A lesbian is demanding that the priest who refused to serve her Communion at her mother’s funeral be removed from his ministry.
Seattle Times reports,
Deep in grief, Barbara Johnson stood first in line for Communion at her
mother’s funeral Saturday morning. But the priest in front of her
immediately made it clear she would not receive the sacramental bread
and wine.
“He put his hand over the body of Christ and looked at me and said, ‘I
can’t give you Communion because you live with a woman, and in the eyes
of the church, that is a sin,’ ” she recalled Tuesday.
Family members said the priest left the altar while Johnson was
delivering a eulogy for her mother and he did not attend the burial or find another priest
to be there. – He said he was SICK. And did not feel well.
Since Saturday, other Catholics have told him that the experience has
shaken their faith. “You have serious questions about how American
Catholics in particular practice their faith. How many divorced people
live in a technical state of sin? How many people practice some form of
artificial birth control in a state of sin?” he said. “If the church
will now have these ‘state of grace’ police, you know, how can that be?
That’s the most personal thing in the world — between a person and God.”
Read the full article!
IN 2008 – A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that
they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for
Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion.
Cambodia Lesbian Wrongly Jailed
Phlong Srey Rann, 20, could be spending the next four and a half years behind bars
for having sex with her girlfriend.
What a mess this is.
A great example of Guilty, until proven innocent…
“On August 10, 2011, [her girlfriend’s] brother filed a complaint that I
was illegally detaining her. The police then arrested me and accused me
of illegal detention and human trafficking,” Phlong Srey Rann
explained.
In November, a judge convicted her of having sexual intercourse with a minor and sentenced her to five years in prison.
The
“minor” involved was a co-worker she had met at a shoe factory in
Kandal province. They had been together for more than a year.
“I told police that I was not [involved in] human trafficking and that
we loved each other. I don’t understand why her brother filed a lawsuit
against me,” Phlong Srey Rann said.
Letters between the two
support these claims. One from her girlfriend identifies an older
brother as the source of the problem. “My brother is forcing me to stop
having a relationship with you, but I have to overcome it . . . you are
the person whom I love so much,” the hand-written letter reads.
Phlong
Srey Rann said it was news to her that her girlfriend was under age.
Her girlfriend’s family had provided falsified documents to the court
identifying their daughter as only 14 years old, she said.
“My girlfriend’s family lied to the court when they said she was only 14 years old,” Phlong Srey Rann said.
Cambodian
labour law stipulates that factory workers must be 18 or older, which
would mean that her girlfriend had been working in the factory since she
was 13.
Phlong Srey Rann’s girlfriend had been taken back to her village in
Kampot by her family, people familiar with the case said. She was
confined to her parents’ home and her mobile phone has been taken from
her, they said.
Still, a letter slipped through. “I love only
you. I will never love other. If my family does not love you, I will
still love you forever.”
READ MORE
Lesbian Kristy McNichol Comes out in People
Better late than never!
SURPRISE! Kristy McNichol, best known for her roles on the TV shows
“Family” and “Empty Nest,” joined the ranks of celebrities who have come
out of the closet.
People reports that McNichol,
who was beloved for playing Buddy Lawrence in the ’70s show “Family,”
for which she won an Emmy, and later Barbara Weston on the “Golden
Girls” spin-off “Empty Nest,” revealed she is a lesbian because she is
“approaching 50” and wants to “be open about who I am.”
The former actress, who has lived with partner Martie Allen for almost
two decades, says she is also choosing now to come out because she “is
very sad about kids being bullied… and she hopes that coming out can
help kids who need support,” her publicist Jeff Ballard told People, adding, “She would like to help others who feel different.”
Huffington Post ran a slideshow of 25 other actors who surprised the world by coming out!
Lesbian Netflix style Video on Demand
The one of a kind service will allow users to view a variety of popular lesbian titles as well as independent feature films and shorts for a small fee ranging anywhere from $.99 to $3.99 for a 48-hour viewing period.
In addition to hours and hours of films, TV shows, and web series OML will be adding more written content in its “In Words” section and eventually hopes to connect lesbian and bisexual women with music, books, and all things lesbian.
is the ultimate way for movie lovers to benefit from the very best in
the world of LGBT entertainment, from the comfort and convenience of
their living room all at the click of a button. Able to
select from a rich catalog of the latest LGBT cinema, viewers will have
instant access to quality LGBT content that would usually only screen at
film festivals and/or go straight to DVD – films they love and/or have
heard of but may not have access to otherwise.
produced content. Her team, based all over the world, aids OML in
searching the globe for the best lesbian content.
Hillary Clinton Names Ellen Degeneres HIV AIDS Special Envoy
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has named talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres as the U.S. government’s Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness. The announcement came Tuesday (Nov. 8) at the National Institute of Health during Clinton’s address about AIDS and the HIV virus.
Clinton says of DeGeneres, “[Ellen] is going to bring not only her sharp wit and her big heart, but her impressive TV audience and more than 8 million followers on Twitter, to raise awareness and support for this effort. I know we can look forward to many contributions from Ellen and her loyal fans across the globe.”
“I’m honored to have been chosen by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton as Special Envoy for Global AIDS awareness. The fight against
AIDS is something that has always been close to my heart. And I’m happy
that I can use my platform to educate people and spread hope. Now, if
you’ll excuse me, I have to go look up what “envoy” means,” said talk
show host Ellen DeGeneres.
*Envoy – a diplomatic agent of the second rank, next in dignity after an ambassador, commonly called minister.
aka – an accredited messenger or representative.
.
Julie Goldman and Brandy Howard from Nicest Thing, Go To Michigan Womyns Festival
Julie also worked With AMANDA BEARSE (Married With Children) and BRANDY HOWARD (Automatic) on their new Lesbian Romantic Comedy, “NICEST THING “, which is in limbo securing partners to help finance and distribute the film.
While they are waiting to cause a sensation with their romantic-comedy, and since no one wants to make their movie or cast them in anything, they feel it is their duty to harshly judge everyone else’s work based on a sliding scale of rage, bitterness, lesbianisim, and lack of any real significant training!
So meanwhile, Julie and Brandy are all over the Internet and can be seen on AUTOSTRADDLE .
Founded in March 2009 and still run by a dedicated team of indentured masochists, Autostraddle is an intelligent, hilarious & provocative voice and a progressive online community for a new generation of kickass lesbian, bisexual & otherwise inclined ladies.
Funny, Funny, Funny! You have to watch these crazy girls! Julie and Brandy do this IN YOUR BOX OFFICE series, a hilarious reality webseries. I just watched Julie and Brandy take on Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival . If you’ve ever wondered what a feminist camping trip in the middle of nowhere is like- stop wondering! This video has all the answers.
In Your Box Office
Julie Goldman blog
Best Gay News Magazine
