Gay Sex Blog

October 28, 2007

   Ad showing 'homosexual' newborn causes stir in Italy

ROME (AFP) - An ad campaign to counter discrimination against gays has stirred up passions in Italy, using a poster that shows a newborn with the word "homosexual" written on his wristband.

"Sexual orientation is not a choice," reads the slogan on the poster that was going up all across the central-northern Tuscany region and was published in national newspapers Wednesday.

"Using newborns to make people believe that homosexual impulses are an innate characteristic is dishonest and a disgrace," said Christian Democratic lawmaker Luca Volonte.

Gay philosopher Gianni Vattimo said the ad was in "bad taste" and that the slogan was "only partly true."

Italy's main gay rights association ArciGay, for its part, praised the initiative, saying homosexuality is an "unchangeable fact that should be respected."

Posted by ronnie at 06:29 PM | Comments (0)

October 21, 2007

   'Memorial toilet' proposed in London for gay playwright

LONDON (AFP) - A trader proposing a new set of public toilets in a popular north London entertainment district has come up with a novel way to sell the idea -- name them after gay playwright Joe Orton.

But Mike Weedon's suggestion has its critics.

One told the local newspaper it would be an "insult" to Orton's memory while the council said it didn't think it was appropriate.

Orton, celebrated in the 1987 film "Prick Up Your Ears", wrote a series of popular but controversial plays, including "Loot", "What the Butler Saw" and "Entertaining Mr Sloane".

In the era of "Swinging London", he was also know for his clandestine gay trysts in public toilets in and around his home in Islington at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in Britain.

"I think having a toilet with a blue plaque dedicated to him would suit his personality," said Weedon, who belongs to a local traders group.

"He did what he did because it was the only place he could do it in those days and I think it would show how attitudes have changed," he told the weekly Islington Gazette.

"We wouldn't be celebrating cottaging (gay sex in public toilets) -- we would be celebrating how much more liberal we are these days," he added.

Islington Council's deputy leader Terry Stacy admitted more public conveniences were needed as the area was popular with pub- and club-goers, but said naming them after Orton was a step too far.

"I would only support a blue plaque on a toilet if something worth commemorating happened there, and I doubt there is a toilet in the country that can lay claim to that," he said.

Posted by ronnie at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2007

   Vatican bars cleric who spoke of gay sex

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican said Saturday it has suspended a monsignor from a senior post at the Holy See after an Italian TV program using a hidden camera recorded him making advances to a young man and asserting that gay sex was not sinful.

The Vatican did not identify the monsignor by name. But Monsignor Tommaso Stenico confirmed in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that he had been suspended from his post at the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy, an office which aims to ensure proper conduct by priests.

"Don't condemn me," Stenico said, adding that the program "was done fraudulently" because it used a hidden camera.

In the program on private Italian network La7, a man identified as a priest is heard saying that he "didn't feel he was sinning" by having sex with gay men.

Rome daily La Repubblica reported Saturday that Vatican officials recognized the monsignor's office in the background of the program, which aired Oct. 1.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said the Italian monsignor was suspended while the case was under investigation.

"Higher-ups are evaluating the situation with the necessary reserve and with the obligatory respect for the person involved, even if this person has erred," Lombardi said.

Vatican officials "had to intervene decisively and with the severity required by conduct not compatible with priestly service and with the mission of the Holy See," he added.

While the Vatican rarely comments on individual sex scandals, this case directly touched the Holy See, apparently prompting the confirmation of the report.

Vatican teaching holds that homosexual activity is a sin.

Stenico said to call back later in the day when he would have more to say, but later attempts to reach him were not successful.

The Italian news agency ANSA quoted him as saying he had sent his superiors "a dutiful memo" about the case.

Milan daily Corriere della Sera had previously reported that a young man had contacted La7 and said he had been in contact with several priests on chat lines popular with gay men. Corriere said La7 then filmed encounters between the man and priests with a hidden camera.

A woman identifying herself as a producer for La7's "Exit" program declined to comment about the case, saying only that the program could be viewed on the network's Web site.

In the program, the faces of those speaking with the young man are obscured and their voices altered so they would not be recognized.

The man La Repubblica identified as the Vatican official can be heard saying that "he didn't feel he was sinning" by having sex with gay men and asking his visitor if he liked him.

Posted by ronnie at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 01, 2007

   Gay pub wins right to ban straights

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - An Australian hotel catering for homosexuals has won the right to ban heterosexuals from its bars so as to provide a safe and comfortable venue for gay men.

In what is believed to be a first for Australia, the Victorian state civil and administrative tribunal ruled last week that the Peel Hotel in the southern city of Melbourne could exclude patrons based on their sexuality.

Australia's equal opportunity laws prevent people being discriminated against based on race, religion or sexuality.

But Peel Hotel owner Tom McFeely said the ruling was necessary to provide gay men with a non-threatening atmosphere to freely express their sexuality.

"If I can limit the number of heterosexuals entering the Peel, then that helps me keep the safe balance," Peel told Australian radio on Monday.

McFeely said that, while the hotel welcomed everyone, its gay clientele had expressed discomfort over the number of heterosexuals and lesbians coming to the venue in the past year.

He said there were more than 2,000 venues in Melbourne that catered to heterosexuals, but his hotel was the only one marketing itself predominantly to gay men.

Victoria's state human rights commission backed the ruling, saying it was in line with equal opportunity guidelines defending the rights of groups subject to discrimination.

Commission chief Helen Szoke said the hotel's gay clientele had experienced harassment and violence. "(They) also have felt as though they've been like a zoo exhibit with big groups of women on hens' parties coming to the club," Szoke told reporters.

McFeely told the radio that the hotel had received homophobic telephone calls since news of the ruling was made public.

Posted by ronnie at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)

May 28, 2007

   Poland to probe if Teletubbies are gay

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's conservative government took its drive to curb what it sees as homosexual propaganda to the small screen on Monday, taking aim at Tinky Winky and the other Teletubbies.

Ewa Sowinska, government-appointed children rights watchdog, told a local magazine published on Monday she was concerned the popular BBC children's show promoted homosexuality.

She said she would ask psychologists to advise if this was the case.

In comments reminiscent of criticism by the late U.S. evangelist Jerry Falwell, she was quoted as saying: "I noticed (Tinky Winky) has a lady's purse, but I didn't realize he's a boy."

"At first I thought the purse would be a burden for this Teletubby ... Later I learned that this may have a homosexual undertone."

Poland's rightist government has upset human rights groups and drawn criticism within the European Union by apparent discrimination against homosexuals.

Polish Education Minister Roman Giertych has proposed laws sacking teachers who promote "homosexual lifestyle" and banning "homo-agitation" in schools.

But in a sign that the government wants to distance itself from Sowinska's comments, Parliamentary Speaker Ludwig Dorn said he had warned her against making public comments "that may turn her department into a laughing stock."

The 10-year-old Teletubbies, which features four rotund, brightly coloured characters loved by children around the world, became a target of religious conservatives after Falwell suggested Tinky Winky could be homosexual.

Posted by ronnie at 12:50 AM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

   Gay flamingos pick up chick

LONDON (AFP) - A pair of gay flamingos have adopted an abandoned chick, becoming parents after being together for six years, a British conservation organisation said Monday.

Carlos and Fernando had been desperate to start a family, even chasing other flamingos from their nests to take over their eggs at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Slimbridge near Bristol.

But their egg-sitting prowess made them the top choice for taking an unhatched egg under their wings when one of the Greater Flamingo nests was abandoned.

The couple, together for six years, can feed chicks by producing milk in their throats.

"Fernando and Carlos are a same sex couple who have been known to steal other flamingos' eggs by chasing them off their nest because they wanted to rear them themselves," said WWT spokeswoman Jane Waghorn.

"They were rather good at sitting on eggs and hatching them so last week, when a nest was abandoned, it seemed like a good idea to make them surrogate parents."

Gay flamingos are not uncommon, she added.

"If there aren't enough females or they don't hit it off with them, they will pair off with other males," she said.

Posted by ronnie at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2007

   Gay rights ads spark Lithuania bus driver anger

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Trolley-bus drivers in a Lithuanian town refused to drive their vehicles while they were carrying advertisements promoting tolerance toward gay men and women, a company official said Monday.

Algirdas Krivickas, director of the trolley bus company in Kaunas, said employees had reacted strongly to the adverts which read: "A gay can serve in the police" and "A lesbian can work at school."

Drivers had refused to take out trolley buses bearing the adverts. These had now been taken down.

"Some said they feared the trolley bus could be vandalized, some said they do not want friends to laugh at them," Krivickas said.

Conservative attitudes are common in the former eastern bloc. A gay rights parade held in the Latvian capital Riga sparks controversy every year.

Vladimir Simonko, president of the Lithuanian Gay League, which ordered the adverts, said the aim was to encourage discussion.

"It is a sad situation. Such attitudes force homosexual people to emigrate from Lithuania," he said.

Two-thirds of the funds to promote tolerance toward homosexuals came from the
European Union and the rest from the Lithuanian government.

Lithuania will later this year become home to the European Institute for Gender Equality.

In Brussels, a
European Commission spokeswoman said the EU executive "regrets very much that this project cannot be followed through..."

"Diversity is a key value in the European Union, but in order to make it reality the change has to start in our minds," said Katharina von Schnurbein.

Posted by ronnie at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)

May 08, 2007

   Gay former US governor wants to become a priest

NEW YORK (AFP) - The former US governor of New Jersey, who resigned in 2004 after admitting to an adulterous relationship with another man, now wants to become a priest, the seminary he is entering said Thursday.

Jim McGreevey, a lapsed Catholic who is currently locked in divorce proceedings with his wife, plans to enter the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City later this year.

The seminary's director of communications, Bruce Parker, told AFP that McGreevey would be starting a three-year master of divinity program in September. "We look forward to welcoming him," he added.

An unnamed friend of McGreevey's was quoted by the New York Post as saying the former governor had been considering the move for some time.

"He's been thinking about this heavily for the past two years. It's not something that he takes lightly. Despite what some people think, he's a very spiritual person," the newspaper reported.

The details of McGreevey's failed marriage have proved frequent fodder for the US tabloid press. Last year the former governor wrote that he only married his wife to advance his political career and has said that she knew he was gay.

But just recently, his wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, countered that she would never have married him if she knew he was homosexual, and that she still didn't believe that he was gay but bisexual.

McGreevey, who after coming out while still in office became the United States' first openly gay governor, has been attending services at an Episcopal church in Manhattan for the last two years with his Australian boyfriend, Mark O'Donnell.

Posted by ronnie at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2007

   Texas is the unlikely home of biggest gay church

DALLAS (Reuters) - They say everything is bigger in Texas.

But the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas makes one Texas-sized claim that few would expect in the conservative Bible Belt state, it says it is the world's biggest gay church.

"I think this shows that God has a tremendously great sense of humour," said senior pastor and rector Jo Hudson.

On a more serious note, she says the church, affiliated with the United Church of Christ, is a spiritual refuge for gay people of faith in a region associated with more conservative brands of Christianity.

"Because we are in the Bible Belt we have a lot of people of tremendous faith," she said in an interview.

"But a lot of them have been alienated and rejected by their faith community, which is fundamentalist, so they hanker for a place where they can encounter God," she said.

Gays and the church are no small matter in America. Many of the country's 60 million evangelicals view homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle choice, a stance that angers gay activists who say their sexual orientation is not a choice.

The Episcopalian church, the American wing of the Anglican Communion, is sharply split on the matter of gay clergy, while the Republican Party has used state ballot initiatives banning gay marriage to get its supporters out to the polls.

Hudson estimates that over 90 percent of the Cathedral's 3,500 members are gay, lesbian or transgender.

Founded in 1970 by a dozen gays and lesbians who gathered in a home and decided they wanted a safe and tolerant place to worship, it has grown into a large and affluent institution centred on a cavernous church that can seat up to 900.

Last year it became part of the United Church of Christ, which claims 1.3 million members in 5,725 U.S. congregations and traditions of diversity and pioneering action on social justice.

On a recent Sunday during Lent, a period of prayer and penance in the run-up to Easter, mostly gay couples, men and women, streamed in for morning services.

The big pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles gave the parking lot a Texan flavour and most were on the expensive side, highlighting the fact that being openly gay remains a mostly white-collar phenomenon in America.

The church offered liturgical worship with an Episcopalian flavour, complete with communion. It also provides contemporary and Spanish-language services.

But there was no discussion of homosexuality from the pulpit. One pastor spoke of South African Archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu and the importance of forgiveness.

Hudson's sermon focussed on humanity's propensity to wander.

FOCUS ON THE POOR

Members of the congregation said that while the church was a place of spiritual comfort for gays, its focus was on ministering to the wider community, especially the poor.

"We don't talk much about gay stuff here," said Coy James, who has been attending the church for almost 30 years.

"We give over $1 million (509,799 pounds) each year in aid and services to the poorest of the poor and we have adopted elementary schools in low-income areas and helped them with tutoring and other things," he said after the service.

Others are drawn by its liberal theology in a range of areas that go beyond sexual orientation.

"I'm from a Catholic background and have an issue with its stance on women in the priesthood," said Chris Kuntz, who said he joined the Cathedral in 1994.

All of this places the church firmly on the left of America's political and cultural divide, another anomaly in the red-blooded, Republican-dominated state of Texas.

The church's store prominently displays books such as "The Real AntiChrist: How America Sold its Soul," with a cover photo of President George W. Bush with his hands clasped in prayer.

But its liberal views on sexual orientation are also clearly a big part of its attraction for many members who might not feel comfortable or welcome in other churches.

"Homosexuality & Christianity: no matter who you are, God loves you," declares the church's Web site, which features a discussion on the matter, stressing among other things Jesus' silence on the subject.

Southern Baptists and other socially conservative denominations point to mostly Old Testament passages that they say shows God's dim view of homosexuality.

"The Bible could not be more clear, all forms of homosexual behaviour are expressly condemned as sin," said R. Albert Mohler Jr., the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in a recent statement on the issue.

Hudson says such attitudes both underscore the importance of her church for gay Texans and explain its size.

"Sometimes where there is great oppression, great justice emerges," she said.

Posted by ronnie at 02:09 AM | Comments (0)

December 02, 2006

   Gay Quebec politician's 'Brokeback' TV skit sparks uproar

MONTREAL (AFP) - The openly gay head of Quebec's independence party has tongues wagging with his performance in a parody of the homoerotic film "Brokeback Mountain" pairing George W. Bush and Stephen Harper.

Andre Boisclair, leader of Parti Quebecois, refuses to get under the same tent with the US president and Canadian prime minister in the comedy sketch taped for broadcast next month.

Canadian television networks have been endlessly replaying excerpts of the "Brokeback" sketch, which is to be shown in full in a comedy review special on December 22.

In the takeoff of the celluloid romance between two rugged cowboys, Boisclair sticks his head inside a tent where apparently the US president and Canadian premier are fooling around.

"I won't go in there," says the leader of Parti Quebecois, the political party that seeks independence for the French language-dominated Canadian province.

The sketch, featuring Boisclair and two actors with superimposed faces of Bush and Harper, has raised a ruckus in political circles and forced a climbdown by the independence champion.

"I did it in good faith and I think people will judge it themselves. But when I see the way the controversy has erupted, it's clear I wouldn't do it again," he said.

The "Brokeback Mountain" sketch was the brainchild of Justiciers Masques, a comedy duo who at the beginning of the year fooled French
President Jacques Chirac by impersonating Harper in a phone call.

The 2005 US film won three Oscars.

Posted by ronnie at 07:31 PM | Comments (0)

October 19, 2006

   Gay police group's "anti-Christian" ad rapped

LONDON (Reuters) - The Gay Police Association (GPA) has been reprimanded for an ad which implied Christians were responsible for a huge rise in violent attacks on homosexuals.

The advert, placed in The Independent newspaper under the banner "in the name of the father" showed a Bible and a pool of blood.

It was a one-off, used to back up the GPA's claim that the association had recorded a 74 percent increase in homophobic incidents, where the sole or primary motivating factor was the religious belief of the perpetrator.

The association said the accompanying text made clear Christians were not the only group accused, in fact a quarter of the alleged incidents were provoked by Muslims, it said.

But Christian groups claimed the use of the cross and a quote from the Bible implied they were.

Wednesday, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) agreed with the complainants, who included Christian Watch, the Trinitarian Bible Society and The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, saying it could cause offence.

The GPA's advert was also found to have been untruthful in its claim that calls about homophobic incidents had increased by 74 percent, and it was criticized for not being able to back up its statement with evidence.

The calls to its helpline included general inquiries, requests for help and allegations of discrimination in the workplace.

The ASA said in its ruling that "by featuring spilled blood prominently, the ad suggested that all the reported incidents involved physical injury."

"On this point, the advert breached the truthfulness code," it added.

It told the GPA to "ensure future campaigns were not presented in a way that could cause undue offence and also reminded them that they should ensure the use of imagery did not send misleading messages to consumers."

It also asked the GPA to "ensure any statistics could be substantiated and reminded them to show supporting data to the ASA upon request" after it had failed to do so.

But the ASA rejected the Christian groups' claim that the advert implied Christian teaching was responsible for, or condoned, homophobic incidents.

It also failed to support their suggestion that the advert incited violence or fueled prejudice against religious people.

More than 550 complaints had been registered against the advert, which had run to coincide with 2006 Euro-Pride march.

The GPA said it was designed to be thought-provoking and challenging, but that it was never intended to castigate or describe all religious followers as homophobic.

Posted by ronnie at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

June 09, 2006

   Faster than bullets, yes. But Superman, gay? No way

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After weeks of Internet buzzing that the new Superman movie portrays the Man of Steel as gay, the director of the film issued a strong denial on Friday and said it was the most heterosexual character he has filmed.

Superman "is probably the most heterosexual character in any movie I've ever made," said Bryan Singer, director of "Superman Returns," a new movie about the crime-fighting superhero that opens June 28. "I don't think he's ever been gay."

In recent months, the movie's ability to lure its target audience has been questioned by Internet buzz probing the superhero's sexuality.

Young men are the movie's target audience and the film needs to attract millions of them to earn a profit and relaunch the "Superman" film franchise.

A major gay magazine, The Advocate, ran a cover story with the headline: "How Gay is Superman," and the Los Angeles Times weighed in with its own story on whether being gay might hinder or help the movie's box office receipts.

After all, gay romance "Brokeback Mountain" won awards and raked in $178 million (97 million pounds) worldwide.

So he wears a leotard and flies around in a red cape. Big deal, Singer said, noting Spider-Man wears tights. The X-Men do too, and they aren't gay. Singer ought to know, he directed 2000's "X-Men" movie and 2003's "X2: X-Men United."

Singer said his version of the Man of Steel, who is played by Brandon Routh, is a "very romantic icon" -- handsome, virtuous and vulnerable.

In the movie, Superman comes back to Earth after a five- year absence. Early on, audiences learn the love of his life, hard-charging reporter Lois Lane, has moved on from her infatuation with him. She has a new boyfriend and a child.

Yet when he re-enters her life, Lois still has that sexy gleam in her eye, and he can't wait to fly her to the moon.

"We were all scratching our heads," said Paul Levitz, president and publisher of Superman owner DC Comics. "He's not a gay character."

Posted by ronnie at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2006

   Sex Sells, unless it's of men?

SEX SELLS, RIGHT? NOT IF YOUR ART IS MALE NUDES
AGNIESZKA MATEJKO / agnieszka@vueweekly.com

Maybe it’s because we live in a country where the most we see of each other’s bodies are bare arms (and that for about two months of the year), or maybe we’re just repressed, but whatever it is, we Edmontonians have the strangest attitude to nudity.

It just doesn’t make any sense. Why is it that every corner grocery store carries whole shelves of tacky soft-core porn mags prominently displayed, but if you show tasteful drawings of nudes in public places, the morality police appear out of the woodwork to complain about the effect on children?

That bizarre contradiction is one that artist and photographer Ross Bradley has had to deal with more than most. And his own struggles with finding a venue for his nudes have only made him more determined to see the great tradition of nude figures in western art accepted in his hometown.

That’s why Bradley has been spending hours after busy days at work as the volunteer coordinator of model sessions at Harcourt House and has put together the fourth figurative art show—this year entitled AD Parnassum.

He has invited six figurative artists—George Botchett, Sidsel Naess Bradley, Vern Busby, Edmund Haakonson, Maureen Harvey and Curtis Peterson—to join him in this unabashed and unencumbered celebration of the human body.

Bradley has good reasons to feel more passionately than most about the human figure. While female nudes, abstractly depicted, without a hint of sexuality, are already very difficult to exhibit (dealers are afraid of offending patrons, and the nude figure is simply not a big seller), Bradley discovered that his male nudes are positively out of bounds.

“People want them off the wall because children might see them,” explains Bradley and adds with bewilderment, “and God forbid they may ask mom or dad a question.”

In one image we see a close-up view of a male back dissolving into a dark, dreamlike interior; another man’s face emerges from the depths. The camera captures the two men in a gesture of intense recognition. In this moment, there is as much of an intense connection between two people, perhaps even love, as there is sexuality.

While Bradley’s nudes convey overtones of sexuality, the rest of the artwork in this show is almost entirely sex-free.

They primarily depict the traditional female nude in free, painterly strokes, but the technical accuracy required to draw such gestural figures is immense.

As Bradley succinctly put it: “If a tree is out of place probably nobody is going to notice; if an arm is out of place, someone will point it out.”

That’s why nudes often become technical illustrations: after all, once you have looked at a model for a few hours, he or she becomes just another bowl of fruit.

In the end, though, this show of the nude figure is not for everyone. There are and always will be a few people in Edmonton who are so used to seeing people in parkas that a nude body will be too much, whatever the context.

For the vast majority of us, however, this is a show that celebrates the nude in an entirely non-offensive and child-friendly manner. V

Posted by ronnie at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)

April 03, 2006

   Same-Sex Familes and Bush

Stonewall Statement on President's Affirmation of Discrimination
03/22/2006 (09:31 AM)

National Stonewall Democrats www.stonewalldemocrats.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:John Marble (202) 625-1382 johnmarble@stonewalldemocrats.org

Stonewall Statement on President's Affirmation of Discrimination Bush Still Fails to Offer Vision for Inclusion of Same-Sex Families

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats released the following statement on President Bush's affirmation of marriage discrimination:

"After five years in office, President Bush still offers a dangerously incompetent response to those who seek the most basic legal protections for their families. The Democratic Party supports extending equal rights and responsibilities to same-sex families.

At the minimum, Democratic leaders across the country have called for granting equal legal status to these families through civil unions and federal benefits. And every day, more Democrats call for full marriage equality, as do the platforms of state Democratic parties like California, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and Washington State who are joined in their support of full marriage equality by the College Democrats and Young Democrats of America. This year, we will see Democratic gubernatorial nominees champion full marriage equality in California, Massachusetts, New York and Oregon, demonstrating a stark contrast to the failed, anti-gay policies of Republicans and the Bush Administration."

- Eric Stern, Executive Director

President Bush affirmed his opposition to equal benefits for same-sex families at a press conference held Tuesday afternoon at the White House. The following is a transcript of his remarks.

QUESTION: Mr. President, two years ago, Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, heard your State of the Union address, went back to California and began authorizing the marriage of gay men and lesbians. Thousands of people got married.

The California courts later ruled he had overstepped his bounds. But we were left with these pictures of thousands of families getting married. And they had these children. Thousands of children.

Now, that might have changed the debate, but it didn?t.

But in light of that, my question is: Are you still confident that society?s interest and the interests of those children in gay families are being met by government saying their parents can?t marry?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I believe society?s interests are met by defining marriage as between a man and a woman. That?s what I believe.

------

National Stonewall Democrats is the only national organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats, with more than 90 local chapters across the nation. NSD is committed to working through the Democratic Party to advance the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

# # #

Find out more at www.stonewalldemocrats.org.

© 2006 National Stonewall Democrats. Contributions to National Stonewall Democrats are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

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Posted by ronnie at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)

April 01, 2006

   Gay News Update

Advertisers Have Right to Serve Gay Consumers, Industry Groups Declare
03/22/2006 (03:14 PM)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kipp Cheng For AAAA 212-850-0720 kipp@aaaa.org Lesley Weiner For ANA 212-455-8079 lweiner@cooperkatz.com

Patrick Kowalczyk For Commercial Closet 212-627-8098 patrick@mkpr.com michael@mkpr.com

AAAA AND ANA JOIN IN SUPPORT FOR CCA'S PRINCIPLE OF FREE MARKET ADVERTISING EXPRESSION

Principle Calls for Advertising to All Consumers Respectfully and Inclusively

New York, NY, March 22, 2006- The AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of ADVERTISING AGENCIES and the Association of National Advertisers, Inc., today expressed support for Commercial Closet Association's "Principle of Free Market Advertising Expression." The Principle, released today and available online in its entirety at www.CommercialCloset.org, declares that advertisers must remain free to market their products and services to prospective consumers-with the time-honored objective to expand business and pursue profits-regardless of a consumer's race, ethnicity, gender/gender expression, religious affiliation, physical disability or sexual orientation.

The support of CCA's Principle was announced during the ANA's 2006 TV Forum: Life Beyond the :30, held today at the Grand Hyatt, New York City.

"Together, as industry leaders, we are standing up for a basic principle-the right of every advertiser to reach all consumers. Intolerance hurts the market as much as it does society, and this Principle ought to speak to everyone," said Mike Wilke, executive director, Commercial Closet Association.

The Commercial Closet Association's "Principle of Free Market Advertising Expression" states:

In America, all companies have the basic right to determine their own market expression-by advertising and selling to all customers respectfully and inclusively. We oppose all forms of attacks intended to disrupt free commerce based on intolerance or hostility toward any consumer, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

"The ANA and our members recognize the vitality and dramatic growth of America's ethnic and niche markets, and we continue to work to educate and inform our constituents on key diversity issues to help them maximize their multicultural marketing efforts," said Marco DiDomizio, director, ANA member relations, and staff representative to the ANA Multicultural Marketing Committee.

2006 AAAA/ANA Support Principles of Free Market Advertising Expression

"The AAAA applauds the CCA and supports the fundamental, free-market principle that companies can and should determine their own advertising strategies and target consumers as they see fit," said Don Richards, senior vice president, AAAA Agency Diversity Programs, and staff representative to the AAAA Diversity Committee.

The ANA and the AAAA have a long history of supporting multicultural and diversity initiatives in marketing and agency businesses. Both Associations support and recognize the importance of nondiscrimination and inclusiveness in American society and the consumer marketplace.

Each year, the ANA Multicultural Excellence Awards recognize the efforts of companies that have resulted in outstanding multicultural advertising campaigns in the African-American; Asian-American; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT); Hispanic; and General Market segments.

In addition to the AAAA's long-running Multicultural Advertising Intern Program, and Operation Jumpstart, which awards scholarships to students at eight portfolio schools, the AAAA launched Operation Success in 2004 to help member agencies increase ethnic and racial diversity and inclusiveness in three critical areas: 1) employee recruitment, especially at the mid- and senior-levels; 2) retention and training; and 3) minority vendor and supplier relationships.

About the AAAA The AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of ADVERTISING AGENCIES is the national trade association of the advertising agency business. The 1,196 member agency offices it serves in the U.S. employ 65,000 people, offer a wide range of marketing communications services, and place 80 percent of all national advertising. The management-oriented association helps its members build their businesses, and acts as the industry's spokesman with government, media, and the public sector. For more information visit our Web site at www.aaaa.org.

About the ANA The Association of National Advertisers, Inc., leads the marketing community by providing its members insights, collaboration and advocacy. ANA's membership includes 355 companies with 8,000 brands that collectively spend over $100 billion in marketing communications and advertising. The ANA strives to communicate marketing best practices, lead industry initiatives, influence industry practices, manage industry affairs and advance, promote and protect all advertisers and marketers. For more information, visit www.ana.net.

About CCA Commercial Closet Association (CCA) educates and influences the world of advertising to understand, respect and include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) references in advertising to achieve a more accepting society while achieving successful business results. CCA brings together Best Practices, advertising sensitivity training, journalistic reporting, an LGBT-themed ad archive with 3,000-plus ads from 33 countries spanning 85 years, ad critiques, visitor reviews, and other resources for advertisers and ad agencies. Those resources are found at www.CommercialCloset.org, serving 100,000 unique visitors monthly.

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Principle of Free Market Advertising Expression Presented by Commercial Closet Association

Preamble America's bedrock commitment to entrepreneurialism and to free markets is older than our nation itself. Free markets recognize the worth of every single consumer without discrimination. In our extremely competitive economy, no company today can afford to neglect or shun any of its customers. Corporate leaders today have advanced principles of inclusion and equal respect for all in their hiring and employment practices, as well as their advertising and selling strategies. Behind us are the times when some companies turned their backs on people because of the color of their skin, their ethnic origin, their physical disability or religious faith. Today, inclusion truly means everyone, including gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people. Why? It is simply smart business for companies to market their products and services to every American. With $641 billion in buying power, GLBT households, along with millions of their family members and friends, play a critical role in the success of America's dynamic economy. They believe as we do that advertising their products respectfully to all customers helps their bottom line. Although one-third of Fortune 500 companies and many others already have created inclusive marketing and advertising strategies, a handful of small groups have chosen to object to advertising that respects or targets gay and lesbian consumers. These groups apply rigid agendas to boycott and target companies for merely doing what any business has the absolute right to do-reach out to all potential customers. America's free enterprise system deserves much better. Together, we can and must speak up and be heard today-or choose to be silenced by a few. Thus we introduce two simple sentences as a fundamental Principle of Free Market Advertising Expression. We ask fair-minded business leaders, as well as professional and civil rights associations, to join us in public endorsement of our Principle:

CCA Principle of Free Market Advertising Expression

In America, all companies have the basic right to determine their own market expression-by advertising and selling to all customers respectfully and inclusively. We oppose all forms of attacks intended to disrupt free commerce based on intolerance or hostility toward any consumers, including GLBT people.

Posted by ronnie at 04:37 PM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2005

   Gay News updates

Gay News updates for your reading pleasure.

Gay Marriage debates still in an uproar

CONCOR, NH — The state's commission on same-sex unions dealt several blows to proponents of gay marriage yesterday. In a series of votes, the panel said it would urge state lawmakers not to allow gays to marry, not to recognize out-of-state same-sex unions and not to set up a domestic-partner registry for couples who cannot legally marry. "My hope is before I die I will be able to approach a justice of the peace in the state of New Hampshire and be legally married," said Ed Butler, an openly gay commission member, who had submitted the recommendation for marriage. Soon afterward, the panel defeated his recommendation by a 10-2 vote. More of Panel rejects gay marriage amid table-pounding arguments @ Salem News - MA

Out of Shape Gay man learns what it's like to play on Atlanta Rugby Team

There were so many other activities I could have engaged in on a Wednesday evening — preparing to watch “Lost,” vacuuming, clear coating my nails or just laying around being fabulous.

Instead, I was on my way to a place where out-of-shape gay boys go to die: Atlanta Bucks Rugby practice.

Players and potential team members bring proof of insurance and a waiver of liability, essentially handing the team permission to injure them. I like my legs, damn it, and they are not to be used for sport.

My papers went to Bullett Manale, an aptly named player who’s known for his strong kicks. Born with a competitive spirit and always involved in various sports, he now admits rugby is his favorite, even with the constant injuries and grueling practices immediately following difficult weekend competitions.

“Rugby is a series of continuous plays for 80 minutes,” Manale says. “Unless you’re out on the field for 80 minutes, I’m not sure you understand how long that is.”

But it’s clear how long it is: too long.

MORE INFO
Atlanta Bucks Rugby
404-441-7657
www.atlantabucksrugby.org
sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Atlanta
BucksRugby/www.atlantabucks.com
More of Bitch on the pitch @ Southern Voice

Posted by ronnie at 06:04 PM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2005

   Papal ban on gays as priests is expected

Pope Benedict XVI is said to have approved a document saying that homosexual men should not be ordained as Roman Catholic priests, a conservative Catholic Web site has reported.

The long-anticipated document, prepared at the request of the late Pope John Paul II, reportedly calls on bishops to bar even chaste homosexuals from seminaries because their orientation is rooted in a personality disorder that may undermine their capacity to minister, according to Catholic World News.

The report, posted Monday on cwnews.com, an independent news service with links to the pope's American publisher, could not be independently corroborated, but several Vatican sources confirmed that such a document has been on his desk awaiting his decision.

"If this is true, it's a disaster," said a gay priest who asked not to be named. "I know many celibate gay priests who feel they could not live with any integrity in a church that treats gay men like this. And I know many gay seminarians who have been living celibate lives with ease, who would simply leave."

Since the recent priest sex abuse scandal, the issue of gay priests has gone from taboo to one of the most hotly debated aspects of the crisis. Noting that the overwhelming majority of victims were teenage boys, powerful members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy have framed the problem as homosexual priests unable to live chastely. Liberals tend to see the roots of the scandal in a culture of clerical secrecy and the church's mandatory celibacy requirement.

While the document does not represent any change in church teaching, it is expected to have a significant impact on American seminaries because it flies in the face of the de facto policy of "don't ask, don't tell" in most of them.

Posted by ronnie at 09:28 PM

September 19, 2005

   Gay groups turn up heat on governor to sign marriage bill

Gay rights groups in California are increasing the pressure on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign the same-sex marriage bill passed this month by the Legislature, which he has vowed to veto.

On Tuesday, Equality California -- the group backing the bill sponsored by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco -- organized events across the state where children of same-sex partners delivered 40,000 signed postcards to the governor's various offices in red wagons. The postcards asked Schwarzenegger to sign the bill.

The group plans to start running a 30-second television spot Thursday in Los Angeles and Sacramento urging Schwarzenegger to sign the bill, said Geoffrey Kors, executive director of Equality California.

The ad, which Kors said cost $100,000 to produce and air, features images of civil rights figures such as John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Cesar Chavez, stating that what the governor does with the bill will define his legacy. Against an image of former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, the narrator says Schwarzenegger's alternative is to "stand with the forces of discrimination."

The governor has said legal considerations prevent him from signing the bill, which may conflict with Proposition 22, an anti-gay-marriage bill passed by voters in 2000. His spokeswoman said Schwarzenegger believed approval of same-sex marriage should be left to the courts or another vote of the people.

The governor's top aides plan to meet with Kors and other leaders of the gay and lesbian community for 90 minutes today in Sacramento.

The governor will receive the same-sex marriage bill from the Legislature on Friday and could veto it any time afterward.

Posted by ronnie at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)