This week, Heritage of Pride, the group that produces New York City’s annual Pride Parade and this year’s World Pride NYC Stonewall 50th Anniversary, announced its Grand Marshals.
Missing, though, are any of the surviving participants, known as the Stonewall Veterans, those who were there at the Stonewall Inn and stood up for our rights and rioted on that fateful night in June of 1969.
The Grand Marshals for this year’s historic Pride parade include the cast of Pose, as well as Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder of UK Black Pride, and Monica Helms, creator of the transgender pride flag. The Trevor Project and the Gay Liberation Front, billed by NYC Pride as the first post-Stonewall LGBTQ+ activist organization, will also lead as grand marshals.
“We’re really thrilled with the group of grand marshals we have this year,” said James Fallarino, a spokesperson for HOP, which has produced New York City’s Pride events since 1984. “The goal is for them to reflect what World Pride 2019 and Stonewall 50 are all about.”
Obviously, it seems that to HOP, Stonewall 50 means not including or honoring any of the last few surviving participants who actually took part in the riot at the Stonewall Inn, or those who participated in the days and nights of rioting that followed. Also missing, except for the very general inclusion of the Gay Liberation Front–many of whom will not be participating this year because of HOP’s corporate ties–are any lesbian and gay Pride Marshals.
I ask you: how much more disrespectful and insensitive could Heritage of Pride be to our history and to the memory of those who fought for us not only in the riots but also over the past 50 years?
This is just one more reason on an ever-growing list why I do not support and will not attend Pride celebrations in NYC this year.
If Heritage Of Pride believes that the cast members of Pose are more worthy to be PRIDE Marshals than the people who actually fought for our liberation on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, then our cause is all but lost.
The alt-rights pro-Donald Trump demonstration in Washington D.C. on Saturday “The Mother of All Rallies” reportedly saw laughably pathetic turnout numbering about 150 people including the rally’s leaders.
The purpose of Saturday’s event was to show united support behind Donald Trump and “American culture,” and while the event’s website claimed, “We condemn racists of all colors and supremacy of all colors,” one attendee was seen wearing a shirt reading, “Guilty of being white.”
Last month, the National Park Service in Washington said it believed Saturday would turn out to one of its busiest days of the year as some 30 events were set to compete for space and attention on federal park land throughout the city. Initially organizers behind the “Mother of All Rallies” had estimated that thousands of people would descend on the nation’s capital for their event. In fact, the rally, which promoters billed as the “Woodstock of American Rallies,” was expected to be one of the day’s biggest and most noteworthy events with some 2,000 people marking themselves as “going” on the event’s Facebook page. Another 6,000 people were marked as “interested” in attending.
There were larger crowds at the National Organization for Marriages’s Summer for Marriage.
Democrats in Congress plan to reintroduce legislation this month that would ban LGBT discrimination nationwide, despite facing a conservative majority that’s been generally hostile toward the issue. While the bill has little shot of passage, progressives hope inaction by Republicans can illustrate a chasm between the major political parties as they approach the 2018 mid-term election.
“It’s important for Americans to know whether members of Congress support full equality for our community or whether they support continued discrimination against LGBT Americans,” Rhode Island’s David Cicilline, a Democrat who will sponsor the bill in the House, told BuzzFeed News. A companion bill will be re-introduced in the Senate by Oregon’s Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, who said colleagues opposed to the bill “should have to stand up and explain why.”
Ooooh, a gesture. Goody!
Funny how they never introduce ENDA or any LGBT Equality Acts when they are in actually in control of anything.
Brian Brown the former leader of the anti-LGBT hate group the National Organization for Marriage, and current leader of the the anti-gay hate group the World Congress of Familes (you need a scorecard kids) called for his evil minions followers to gather in front of the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Friday afternoon to denounce the continuing momentum towards marriage equality across Mexico, including a presidential proposal for federal marriage equality.
Only 5 homophobes showed up.
Speaking at the sparsely attended protest outside the Mexican Embassy, Diego von Stauffenberg of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) called for the “defense of natural marriage between one man and one woman.” He added that the “fabric of civic order would be weakened” by marriage equality. Stauffenberg additionally called for the “content and ideology” of LGBT-acceptance to be excluded from public education in Mexico.
NOM and the World Congress of Families (WCF), both of which are categorized as anti-LGBTQ hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, organized the protest. An anti-equality rally dubbed the “National March for the Family” is expected to take place in Mexico City tomorrow. WCF’s new director Brian Brownshirt is expected to attend the march.
Can you really call it a protest when you draw fewer people than a Duggar family picnic?
TLC’s Josh Duggar with his boss FRC President, hate group leader, and white supremacist Tony Perkins
“Last night we learned from online reports about allegations concerning Josh Duggar and then read his confession today. We are grieved by Josh’s conduct and the devastating impact of his pornography addiction and marital unfaithfulness. Visit pornaddiction.com for more information about pornography addiction. Our hearts hurt for his family, and all those affected by Josh’s actions. His deceitful behavior harms his family, his friends, his former coworkers, and the cause he has publicly espoused. Those of us who advocate for family values in the public square are held to a higher standard, and Josh’s failures serve as a painful reminder of the destructive effects of not living with integrity. We are praying for the family.” – Family Research Council hate group leader Tony Perkins, in a statement released to the very unchristian Christian Post.
On Monday, the Williams Institute filed a report with the United Nations showing how the lack of protections against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity constitute human rights violations in the United States. Based on social science research and legal analysis, the report suggests the United States is not complying with its international human rights commitments, particularly in the areas of employment, health, youth and violence against LGBT people.
“LGBT people continue to be subject to human rights violations in the areas of
employment, poverty, hate crimes, and health. Continued unequal treatment
and barriers to access to justice indicates that the U.S. is not fulfilling its
obligations under the 2010 UPR. Therefore, the U.S. should expand and
improve its efforts to collect quality data on the LGBT population and
prohibit any form of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or
gender identity.”
The United Nations has recently begun a review of the human rights record of the United States. In its last review, the United States accepted recommendations to address discrimination against LGBT people in order to comply with international human rights standards. However, there is no federal law that protects LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace. The report is a follow up to earlier testimony by Williams Institute scholars presented to the U.S. State Department in July as part of the Universal Periodic Review process.
Tennis legend Billie Jean King, who will be part of the official US delegation to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics is now saying that athletes should not protest for LGBT rights at the games citing Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which bans political demonstrations by participants.
“I don’t want any athlete getting in trouble.” King said. “Before I knew about Rule 50, I thought it would be sweet to wave some flags or something. But they can get in big trouble and have their medal taken away and also be sent home.”
King said she’ll walk in the opening ceremony, attend ice hockey and figure skating events and meet US athletes during her three-day visit to the Games.
“I’m all excited about meeting different athletes and watching them do what they do,” King said in an AP interview “The Olympics is foremost about the athletes coming together, and they have worked so hard for this moment to be representing their country and competing.
“That’s the essence of what it’s about.”
“Maybe we’ll help the LGBT community in Russia, I hope there will be a connection for them and help them not feel alone and disenfranchised,” King continued: “Personally, I hope it helps the movement take another step forward so people will realise we’re just like everybody else. It should be a non-issue. It’s just like people of colour in our country and other places, it has to be a non-issue. I just think it’s important that we’re seen and we’re out and we’re free,” King said. “I hope that I’ll meet people, maybe in Russia, who are concerned and have discussions. There’s nothing like meeting people in person and just listening to them and exchanging information and building relationships. The Russian people have always been so wonderful to me, personally.”
Yes Billie Jean the medals are so much more important than the violence, persecution, and human rights abuses against members of your own community in Russia.
What was being touted by crazy right wing loons as “The Second American Revolution” was supposed to take place today at a rally in Washington D.C. set up by Freedom Watch andCraaaaaaazyLarry Klayman who predicted that his rally calling for the overthrow of President Obama would draw “millions to occupy Washington D.C.” and that those millions would “occupy parks, sidewalks, public areas” until the president leaves office. In the end not enough people to occupy a Starbucks.
This past Sunday the editorial board of the The Washington Post which is regarded as one of the leading daily American newspapers and the most widely circulated newspaper published in Washington, D.C. slammed President Barack Obama for his refusal to sign an executive order protecting LGBT people employed by federal contractors as “increasingly indefensible and inexplicable.”
“The rejection of ENDA, a version of which was proposed as far back as the mid-1970s, has become something of a ritual: The act has been introduced in every Congress since 1994, save one.
President Obama could sign an executive order that would immediately protect gay and transgender employees of federal contractors from workplace discrimination.
Those contractors, which employ approximately 20 percent of the nation’s workforce, are currently prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or sex, but aren’t subject to comparable provisions regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.
The order would not be unduly burdensome. After decades of urging by civil rights groups, more than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies have adopted similar provisions of their own. Many contractors already abide without difficulty by these corporate codes protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. Besides, there’s considerable precedent for the White House mandating that those who do business with the federal government do it fairly and don’t discriminate against their employees in the process. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an order requiring that federal contractors adhere to principles of fair competition; in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson prohibited racial discrimination in contractors’ hiring processes.”
Recently White House Press Secretary Jay Carney that“the president is pursuing a path that he thinks has the best chance of success, which is trying to get Congress to pass ENDA, the legislative action that he supports.” And here children is your laugh of the day.
While many consider President Obama to be the best pro-LGBT Presidents there has been, but remember that the bar isn’t set too high on that to begin with. He himself has never taken a stand and CHALLENGED directly the LGBT communities status as second class citizens. All his “fixes” to date have been workarounds of current laws that never directly challenged them . And his words of support are just that. WORDS. We all need to realize and remember that we, the LGBT community have been responsible for the Matthew Shepard hate Crimes Bill passing, for DADT being repealed and for the Supreme Court’s DOMA decision that which will now result in bi-national couples having immigration rights and same sex federal marriage benefits. NOT President Obama. (Remember the Democrats and Obama himself readily threw us under the bus to get some movement from the GOP on the immigration issue which now looks like it has a very slim chance to passing and as far as benefits all Obama really did is throw some minor crumbs with the DOMA workarounds)
The bottom line is that President Obama can sign an Executive Order today that will protect 20% of the LGBT workforce while the all encompassing ENDA attempts, once again to work its way through Congress and tries to get passed. EO’s like this have been signed before and there is Presidential precedent. But President Obama refuses. And that my friends is not only “increasingly indefensible and inexplicable.” it is also cowardly, indefensible and unacceptable.
“The ultimate goal of homosexual-rights activists is not to legalize same-sex marriage. Rather, it is to silence those who disagree with them and, if necessary, to throw them in jail. In a world in which the biblical viewpoint of marriage is demonized, it does not take a constitutional scholar to predict that soon those who hold that view will find themselves in court. How did we get to the point where homosexual-rights activists would be clamoring to redefine society’s oldest and most reliable institution and people of faith would be worried about being fined or jailed for teaching their faith?”
Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy – Still serving that HATE sandwich Cathy tweeted and then deleted the above message. The company’s spokesman has refused to discuss the tweet
“I don’t think it was appropriate. I think it was wrong. [snip] I’ve made it very clear since 2009 that I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman. I’ve said that, I ran on that, I’ve said it consistently. That doesn’t mean, in any way shape or form, that I have anything against folks who are homosexual. In fact, I’ve said I believe people are born that way. I don’t believe it’s a choice … you were born with your sexual preference. But I believe that the institution of marriage for 2,000 years has been between a man and a woman.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, headed by Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Archbishop and drunk driver Salvatore Cordileone –
“Today is a tragic day for marriage and our nation. The Supreme Court has dealt a profound injustice to the American people by striking down in part the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The Court got it wrong. The federal government ought to respect the truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, even where states fail to do so. The preservation of liberty and justice requires that all laws, federal and state, respect the truth, including the truth about marriage. It is also unfortunate that the Court did not take the opportunity to uphold California’s Proposition 8 but instead decided not to rule on the matter. The common good of all, especially our children, depends upon a society that strives to uphold the truth of marriage. Now is the time to redouble our efforts in witness to this truth. These decisions are part of a public debate of great consequence. The future of marriage and the well-being of our society hang in the balance.”
Yes On 8 President Andy Pugno –
“California’s Constitution says that only an appellate court, not a single trial court judge, can stop a proposition’s enforcement statewide. As of today, there is no such ruling. Nevertheless, the Governor and Attorney General today rushed forward with plans to make same-sex ‘marriage’ licenses available throughout California in the next three or four weeks. And that is where it sits this evening. Our Legal Team is closely examining today’s court rulings, and assessing what, if any, options are available to us to keep Proposition 8 in force. This is a time for careful consideration and discernment, and we thank you in advance for your patience and continued support.”
Family Research Council hate group leader Tony Perkins –
“By a single vote, five unelected justices determined that they know better than God and struck at the heart of marriage in America. It was a powerful rebuke of a law FRC helped develop, the Defense of Marriage Act, but not the final blow. Fortunately, conservative leaders across our country aren’t about to let that happen. In interview after interview, tweet after tweet, the message echoed from Governor’s mansions to congressional floors: we are not giving up. It started with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and flooded the wires since then. Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) vowed to lead the fight for a Federal Marriage Amendment. Governor Mike Pence (R-IN) said he would use today’s rulings as motivation to work even harder for a state marriage amendment. Are these rulings demoralizing? Definitely. But we will not let a court’s definition of marriage define us.”
National Organization for Marriage Million Dollar Hate group leader Brian Brown, (typing through an unending flood of bitter, bitter tears.) –
“I am furious about what the Court has done. We at NOM and tens of millions of other Americans will never accept it. It’s wrong, plain and simple. There’s a stench to these decisions that has stained the Supreme Court. Will you show your outrage at the Court and make a special contribution to allow NOM to coalesce Americans behind a national movement to preserve marriage? Please make an urgent, emergency financial contribution to our Win More States fund — today. The work that NOM does has never been more urgently needed than it is right now, and we are totally dependent on you, our faithful supporters, to help us continue the fight. Will you join us in expressing your outrage? Please make an emergency contribution right now so that we can immediately launch a nationwide grassroots effort to protest the decisions, and preserve marriage in the 38 states that have laws in place defending marriage.”
“For thousands of years of recorded human history, no society has defended the legal standard of marriage as anything other than between man and woman. Only since 2000 have we seen a redefinition of this foundational unit of society in various nations. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to join the trend, despite the clear will of the people’s representatives through DOMA. What the Court has done will undermine the best interest of children and the best interests of the United States.”
Save California head Randy Thomasson (whose hate gravy train has just derailed) –
“Sexual behavior does not constitute a civil right, but the Supreme Court has done vast damage to man-woman marriage, the foundation of the natural family. The high court’s refusal to correct the unconstitutional rulings of lower-court judges and the dereliction of duty by constitution-bound state officials demonstrates that not only is natural, man-woman marriage no longer respected but neither is our republic and system of written laws. Because the high court didn’t care about protecting natural marriage or even the initiative process, they have allowed unnatural, homosexual ‘marriages’ to resume in California as role models for children. Today, marriage, children, and the rule of law all suffer.”
“The Supreme Court has just abandoned 7 million voters, giving us no justice and no access to the courts.. The California Supreme Court made it clear that the proponents of Prop 8 are delegated the right to defend the law if state official refuse to do so. But after accepting standing in DOMA because. . .well because it wanted to, the majority of the Supreme Court justices simply punted unable to recognize a clear injustice in kicking out of court people who have devoted thousands of hours to the democratic process –and $3 million to the defense of the law–that the Court today treats as beggars with no interest in the outcome.”
