Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Lower Hudson Valley pages of NYS LGBT Family Photo Album on display

The New York State LGBT Family Photo Album on display in April 2007
At LGBT Equality & Justice Day in Albany


Last Wednesday a portion of the New York State LGBT Family Photo Album began a nine-day exhibition at an art gallery in Larchmont. The album is a collection pages made by families and individuals--gay and straight--who declare their support for marriage equality simply through photos of their everyday life.

Last year the photo album was the center of controversy when it was unveiled in another part of the Lower Hudson Valley. In February 2007, part of the album was was to be displayed for a month at a Cosi restaurant in New Rochelle. The display, however, was ordered taken down after less than one day of being on display because Cosi corporate headquarters received "complaints" from people who claimed to be offended by the sight of same-sex couples at family celebrations, smiling with their children or enjoying a vacation, etc. The Pride Agenda and local community (including many straight allies), however, immediately responded and organized, demanding that the display go back up. After thousands of emails and phone calls flooded Cosi's corporate headquarters within a period of less than 24 hours, the display was put back up and remained up for the entire duration of the planned exhibition.

Last week's reception in Larchmont was much less dramatic, but more than 70 people packed into the art gallery to see the album once again on display. Same-sex couples, parents, friends, neighbors and coworkers gathered to enjoy the exhibit and support the call for marriage equality in New York State.

You can watch News 12 Westchester's coverage of the event.

The exhibition runs through January 25 at Larchmont's Palmer Art Gallery.

Morning Sweep

Barack Obama, in a speech yesterday commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, talked about the need in black religious communities to change attitudes towards gays and lesbians.

Queerty notes that Hillary Clinton still has the backing of many of NYC's gay politicos: four of the city's LGBT Democratic clubs have endorsed her.

Time Out New York talks with gay author Kai Wright about his new book on life in various parts of New York City for LGBT youth of color.

Researches who released data on the spread of MRSA within communities of gay men in Boston and San Francisco are are upset that their findings are being spun negatively by anti-gay groups across the nation.

NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, AmFAR's Chief Executive Kevin Robert Frost and NYCLU's Executive Director Donna Lieberman all contribute letters to the New York Times in response to the paper's recent editorial on the rise of HIV/AIDS among young gay men and gay men of color.

Gay City News reports on the anti-gay attitudes that still permeate in new European Union member states in Central and Eastern Europe.

GLAAD has announced nominees for its Media Awards, which includes the ABC TV show Brothers & Sisters and the incredibly well done Off-Broadway play "Speech & Debate."

Buffalo's Gay Men's Chorus is gearing up for two big performances this weekend.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Morning Sweep

A lecturer at the University of Texas is on a hunger strike to protest the university's refusal to extend spousal benefits to the same-sex partners of their employees.

Andrea Adams, a trans woman from Glens Falls in the North Country, shares her story about how she can't get married because of restrictions on changing her gender on her New York State driver's licence.

An anti-gay marriage rally in Des Moines targeted justices on the state's Supreme Court, who are faced with making a decision on the constitutionality of the state's current ban on same-sex marriages.

Cambridge, MA has elected the nation's first-ever black lesbian mayor.

A recent poll in Maryland shows that the majority of voters support legal recognition of same-sex couples.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Morning Sweep

Choire Sicha, former Gawker editor, writes in the New York Observer about the problems that NYC officials face as they try to control the spread of HIV/AIDS among the city's young gay male population.

If you weren't convinced yet, this quote, delivered after last night's Republican primary in Michigan, is another reason why Mike Huckabee is a scary candidate for president: ''And that's what we need to do, is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards, rather than try to change God's standards.''

Only two weeks have passed since Hew Hampshire's civil unions law went into effect and already more than 100 couples have taken advantage.

As Connecticut and California anticipate rulings on same-sex marriage, a columnist for the Hartford Courant argues that the courts should recognize that civil unions and other "new legal regimes" do not provide full equality.

Pam Spaulding interviews North Carolina's openly gay candidate for the U.S. Senate Jim Neal. (Neal is challenging Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Morning Sweep

Andrew Belonsky talks about Democrats' desire for gay dollars in the 2008 elections, while 365Gay.com talks about the importance of gay voters--which make up approx. 4% of the voting population--during the primaries.

Florida's anti-gay marriage groups got some surprising news today: they're still 21,000 signatures short of getting their constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on the ballot--and the deadline is in two weeks.

Good As You has been researching the anti-gay past of Republican presidential contender Ron Paul.

One of the bloggers on Pam's House Blend posts on the important difference between Hillary's support for a partial repeal of DOMA and Obama and Edward's support for a full repeal.

The New York Times reports that a strain of flesh eating bacteria has been disproportionately affecting gay men in San Francisco and Boston.

A Republican lawmaker in Iowa started pushing for a ban on same-sex marriage on the first day of the state's legislative session.

AfterElton invites you to vote for the Gay People's Choice Awards for movies, TV and music in 2007.

Some new research insinuates that gay relationships may be happier and healthier than straight ones.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Morning Sweep

Episcopal churches in Buffalo have written an open letter to the LGBT community inviting them to joining their congregations and apologizing for centuries of exclusion and bigotry.

The New York Times calls upon LGBT community leaders to step up their efforts in educating a new generation on how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The Detroit Free Press gives a very brief overview of where the Presidential candidates stand on LGBT issues. The Michigan Republican presidential primary is tomorrow.

Social issues--chiefly same-sex marriage--are shaking up politics in Spain.

As Vermont decides whether or not to turn their civil union law into one that provides full marriage equality for same-sex couples, groups on both sides of the debate notice a calmer, more respectful tone in the current debates than in those that took place in 2000 surrounding the passage of civil unions.

A committee in the Maryland state legislature has passed a resolution defining domestic partnership so that insurance companies would have a more concrete idea of to whom they should/shouldn't be offering benefits. The definition is inclusive of same-sex couples, but does not mention sexuality anywhere.

Lambda Literary has announced its nominations for best books with LGBT content. Winners will be chosen in May from a record 463 nominees.

Immigration Equality's blog talks about where some of the presidential candidates stand on the Unite American Families Act (UAFA), which seeks to make it legal for gays and lesbians to sponsor their non-American partners for citizenship.

For all of you who have resolved to find a new job in the new wear, HRC has released its "Best Places to Work 2008" guide for LGBT people.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Morning Sweep

As New York City tries to deal with increasing HIV/AIDS infections among young people, a former city employee claims that the NYC Health Department will likely pursue a policy that will shut down bathhouses and other similar venues.

Page Six talks about (openly gay candidate for U.S. Senator in North Carolina) Jim Neal's upcoming NYC fundraiser.

Gay City News notes that our Equality & Justice Day, where more than 1000 LGBT people and straight allies come to Albany to lobby elected officials, has been set for Tuesday, April 29.

New Jersey lawmakers are facing increased pressure to pass a marriage bill soon, but the 2008 elections are likely to guarantee that the bill won't see a vote until next year.

Utah's highly progressive mayor will introduce a domestic partnership ordinance, which will likely pass in the City Council making Salt Lake City the first municipality in the traditionally conservative state to legally recognize same-sex couples.

The trans community has not forgotten--or forgiven--HRC's push for an ENDA that did not include gender identity protections.

A new documentary made by a Chinese filmmaker will look at the double lives that many gay Chinese men lead because of a society that expects men to marry and produce an heir.