Illinois House Passes Civil Unions Bill 61-52!

The Illinois House of Representatives passed a civil unions bill by a vote of 61-52 on Tuesday afternoon, with swift passage expected in the more liberal Illinois State Senate by the end of the day and SB 1617 ending up on Governor Pat Quinn's desk shortly thereafter.

Chicago Pride covered the story thusly:

Openly gay Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), who co-sponsored SB 1716, started his opening statement at 5:17 p.m on Tuesday. "Once in every generation," he said, "legislatures across the country have a chance to advance the cause of liberty and justice for all."

The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (SB 1716) which passed to cheers in the chamber with a 61-52 majority vote, received support from the Democratic leadership in Springfield, including Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who was present.


[...]


Conservative groups, including the Catholic Conference of Illinois and Washington D.C.-based National Organization for Marriage (NOM), lobbied hard against the bill.

The bill does not recognize same-sex marriages, but will provide the same spousal rights to same-sex partners when it comes to surrogate decision-making for medical treatment, survivorship, adoptions, and accident and health insurance.

California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington have passed laws allowing same sex civil unions. Same-sex couples can marry in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington D.C. and Iowa.

Congratulations to Illinois! I think it is quite amusing that heterosexual supremacists are now left making the counterfactual claim that "civil unions are identical to marriage" and are thus opposing measures that many in the LGBT community reject as "separate but unequal."

Artist's View of Gay Cities Around The World

The above picture was created by lesbian artist Wendy MacNaughton for GayCities.com. Apparently, there is a contest going on at http://www.gaycities.com/best-of-gaycities/ where people can vote in different categories and the prize is a trip to Berlin, Germany (a city I have never been to but would love to visit).

It's sort of fun. Click on the picture to go to the website to vote!

Jury in Lawrence King Killing To Be Drawn From Santa Barbara County

Today comes news that the judge in the Brandon McInerney trial has decided not to move the venue of the trial but he will have jury selection drawn from Santa Barbara County.

McInerney had just turned 14 when he allegedly shot King execution-style in a computer class in February 2008. Student witnesses said the effeminate King had expressed a romantic interest in McInerney, who was humiliated by the attention. The boys had verbally sparred in the days before the shooting.

The case has garnered international attention from gay and lesbian groups, who see King as a victim of homophobia. McInerney’s defenders say that school officials and the boys’ parents should have done more to quell tensions between them.

McInerney is being tried as an adult on a first-degree murder charge with a hate crime enhancement and could face 53 years to life if convicted.

MadProfessah has been following the case very closely since February 2008 when the incident first happened. I agree with the decision to try McInerney as an adult but I do not support the death penalty (for any crime).

08/08/08 2 Years Later: We're STILL Married

August 8, 2010 12noon: celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary with a brunch at an East Hollywood restaurant called Square One Dining.

Iranian Gay Immigration Activist Risks Deportation And Execution

Meet Mohammed Abdollahi, a 24-year-old gay man of Iranian descent who is also an undocumented immigrant who has been advocating for quick passage of the DREAM act (which would legalize the status of undocumented young people who either enlist in the military or attend college), and now faces deportation to Iran, where openly gay men are often executed.

Now, that is what I call putting your life on the line for a cause.

Palm Springs Responds To Out Cry Over Anti-Gay Actions

Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez (pictured above) has begun to respond to the growing outcry over the anti-gay actions of police officers during a "public gay sex" sting operation. He has announced that Palm Springs police will no longer use decoys to entice gay men to violate the public nudity and lewd conduct laws. These are just some of the changes the Palm Springs Police Department will engage in, which also include:

Putting more officers in marked police vehicles.

Working with business owners and hotel operators to warn visitors about the consequences of illegal public conduct.

Ensuring the Warm Sands neighborhood is well lit and possibly installing lighting triggered by motion sensors.

The Palm Springs City Council, which includes the Mayor Steve Pougnet,, who is running for the 45th District congressional seat currently held by Mary Bono Mack, issued the following new policy on police coduct:

CITY COUNCIL ENDORSES NEW POLICY ON CONDUCT

The Palm Springs City Council has unanimously endorsed the Police Department's new proactive enforcement policy to control lewd conduct.

This policy restricts the use of decoy undercover operations.

“Palm Springs has always embraced diversity and tolerance and wants the LGBT community and all visitors to continue to feel safe and welcome in our City at all times,” the council stated.

“In addition to the new enforcement policy, our police department has instituted comprehensive LGBT sensitivity training. The police department continues to meet with residents and hoteliers to receive neighborhood input and to refine the implementation of the new policy,” the council added.

These steps serve as a reminder to citizens and all visitors that Palm Springs is a safe and welcoming city and unique vacation destination for everyone.

It will be interesting to see whether these actions will be enough to satisfy the many people disgusted by the police actions in this instance. If you are interested in contacting Chief Dominguz, he can be reached at David.Dominguez@palmsprings-ca.gov

CA-45: Pougnet Shows Strength Against Incumbent Bono

Openly gay Palm Spring Mayor Steve Pougnet is the Democratic candidate in the 45th Congressional District running to dismiss U.S. Representative Mary Bono Mack. In a tough year for Democrats Pougnet is showing his strength in the race by matching the incumbent in fundraising dollar for dollar in the 2nd quarter:

Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet today announced that his campaign for Congress raised over $400,000 for the second quarter reporting period. Pougnet has raised over $1.2 million since entering the race, more than any challenger to Congresswoman Bono Mack has ever faced.

“I am incredibly humbled by the support we have received. In these very difficult times, our Congresswoman has been absent and it’s clear people are hungry for change,” Mayor Pougnet said.

“I am committed to fighting every day to create jobs here at home, fix the mess in Washington and end wasteful spending so we can balance the budget. Our region face major challenges but Congresswoman Bono Mack has failed to lead. I pledge that I will work tirelessly to address the needs of people here in the unique and special communities that make up the 45th district.”

Pougnet’s 2nd quarter fundraising puts him in the top tier of Congressional candidates across the county. His fundraising success is coupled with an aggressive grass-roots effort throughout the 45th district. Pougnet is actively engaging in grassroots campaign activity all throughout the district. The campaign has been going door to door talking to residents from Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Hemet, Blythe, Mecca, Coachella and throughout the district.

The 45th Congressional District is a bit of a purple district, but it is a good sign that Pougnet is doing so well in the money race.

Illinois Senate Candidate Mark Kirk (R) Outed!

Mike Rogers, the man who outed Senator Larry Craig in 2006, more than a year before the Senator was arrested in a Minneapolis airport for his "wide stance" has today outed another Republican member of Congress, Mark Kirk, who also happens to be the GOP nominee to take over Barack Obama's old Senate seat representing Illinois!

Kirk is considered a moderate Republican, but he did not vote to repeal DADT in the House recently (only 5 Republicans voted against DADT repeal: Charles Djou of Hawaii), Joseph Cao of Louisiana, Judy Biggert of Illinois), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, and Ron Paul of Texas) leading Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT group, to finally endorse Alexi Giannoulias, Kirk's Democratic opponent for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat.

Now, Kirk joins other Republican congressional hypocrites like David Dreier (R-CA) who have been outed by Mike Rogers but vote against LGBT equality. Rogers is never wrong, and this is what he says about Kirk:

In an effort to move the base in the Illinois Senate race, Kirk decided to tack right and that means throwing the gays (like him) under the bus. And once he voted that way, the phone began to ring. Not one or two, or three but 5 separate individuals contacted me about the now divorced Mr. Kirk. (Mr. and Mrs. Kirk were married from 2001 to 2009, the marriage produced no children.)

Within hours of the DADT repeal vote I was contacted by two people who knew Kirk from his college days.

"In law school in DC everyone knew Mark was gay," the first source told me. I explained that the information was intriguing, it would not be enough to go on. He continued, "But I had sex with him a number of times." Well, now we're onto something I thought. "Could someone verify for me that you knew Kirk and went to school with him?" I asked. "Yes" was the swift reply. "Could you recall personal details about Kirk that others may not know?" "Yes," he said.

And he did.

The next source claimed to have gone to undergraduate school with Kirk. I asked for proof that he and Kirk were in school together and once that was shared with me, I met with the source. The source introduced me to a man who had also been friends with Kirk in college. They both shared with me their interactions with Kirk, including one sexual in nature. The source who claimed to have sex with Kirk described personal details about the House, um, er, "member." The description was the same as the first source.

[...]

Then Kirk became a hypocrite. Kirk voted against repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, despite his being a closeted gay man in the military. As a Commander in the Navy Reserves Kirk has voted to keep a policy that if he were investigated under he would be tossed.

Recently we learned that it's not just his being a closeted gay man that Kirk lies about; he has a habit of making up awards supposedly given to him by the Navy.

Boo yah!

Malawi Gay Couple Pardoned By President

Good news from Malawi! The President of the country has pardoned the same-sex couple who had been convicted and sentenced to fourteen years hard labor for committing "gross indecency and unnatural acts."

The story from The Guardian

Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were tried and found guilty of sodomy and indecency earlier this month in a move that sparked international condemnation.

But after talking with Ban today, Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, announced the pair would be freed.

"These boys committed a crime against our culture, our religion and our laws," he said after the meeting, at the southern African country's State House. "However, as the head of state, I hereby pardon them and therefore ask for their immediate release with no conditions.

"I have done this on humanitarian grounds, but this does not mean that I support this."

He added: "We don't condone marriages of this nature. It's unheard of in Malawi and it's illegal."

Ban praised the decision, but said: "It is unfortunate that laws criminalise people based on sexuality. Laws that criminalise sexuality should be repealed."

The White House Press Secrtary released a statement on the action:

"The White House is pleased to learn of President Bingu wa Mutharika's pardon of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza. These individuals were not criminals and their struggle is not unique. We must all recommit ourselves to ending the persecution and criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity. We hope that President Mutharika's pardon marks the beginning of a new dialogue which reflects the country's history of tolerance and a new day for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Malawi and around the globe."

Hat/tip to Rod 2.0.

Long Beach Pride This Weekend

Summer Pride season kicks off in Southern California this weekend with Long Beach Pride. Hope to see you there!

Ricky Martin Comes Out

Confirming one of the most widely known "secrets" in Hollywood, Ricky Martin revealed on his website (and via Twitter) that he is indeed, gay. Martin, 38, has long-rumored to gay and recently was in the news when he became the father of two kids through surrogacy.

These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed.

What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter. I can only focus on what's happening to me in this moment. The word "happiness" takes on a new meaning for me as of today. It has been a very intense process. Every word that I write in this letter is born out of love, acceptance, detachment and real contentment. Writing this is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.

I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.

Congrats, Ricky!

FDA To Review Ban on Gay Blood Donors

There is news about the irrational ban on men who have had sex with another man since 1997 from donating blood.

Federal health officials announced Friday that they would reexamine a 27-year-old set of restrictions on blood donations by gay men. 

The restrictions, enacted in the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, impose a lifetime ban on men donating blood if they've had sex with another man at any time since 1977.

In recent years, the American Red Cross, the American Assn. of Blood Banks and America's Blood Centers, which collectively represent almost all blood banks in the country, have recommended loosening the restrictions to allow men who have abstained from gay sex for one year to donate blood.

The American Medical Assn. also has proposed revising the policy but recommended a five-year instead of a one-year waiting period.

Gay rights groups also have pushed for a change in the donor policy, arguing that it stigmatizes gay men and does not adequately address threats to blood safety posed by high-risk heterosexual behaviors.

Recently, a letter was written by 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry (and signed by 18 United States Senators) to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg which cogently deconstructed the purported rationales for the gay blood ban policy.

See for yourself:

Dear Commissioner Hamburg:

We write today to express our concerns regarding outdated, medically and scientifically unsound deferral criteria for prospective blood donors.  With hospitals and emergency rooms across the country in constant and urgent need of blood products, we believe certain blood donor deferral policies should be reviewed and appropriately modified and modernized while ensuring the blood supply meets the highest possible standards that we all expect in America.

The American Red Cross, America’s Blood Centers, and AABB reported before an FDA-sponsored workshop on March 9, 2006 that the ban on men who have had sex with other men (MSM), even once, since 1977 from ever donating blood “is medically and scientifically unwarranted.”  Then in 2008, the Council on Science and Public Health at the American Medical Association also advocated modifying the lifetime deferral requirement for MSM.   We all recognize the practical and well-intentioned origins of this ban, first established in 1983 at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis when modern screening procedures and advanced testing methods for HIV were yet to be developed.  Standards and selectivity is of course necessary to protect the blood supply.

We live in a very different country than we did in 1983.  Today, the high-risk behaviors associated with HIV contraction are more fully understood and dramatic technological improvements have been made in HIV detection.  Collecting facilities now screen all donors for history of certain high-risk behaviors, and FDA regulations determine that all donated blood be analyzed by two highly accurate screening tests; one for antibodies to HIV-1/2 and HIV-1 Group O variants, and the other for the actual sequences of the virus using molecular technologies.  As a result, the blood banking community believes that the lifetime deferral is no longer necessary to protect the integrity of the blood banks.

It is our understanding that there is a window period of up to three weeks following a person’s initial exposure to HIV during which infection may be missed by the blood tests.  It is this window period that rightfully serves as the scientific basis for a deferral period for prospective donors deemed to be of high-risk for HIV.  Similar approaches and deferral periods are used to prevent window-period transmission of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C by blood transfusion.  However, there is a clear and unscientific double standard embedded in the current deferral rules for potential exposure to HIV.

Reflecting the dangers associated with the window period, prospective donors who have engaged in heterosexual sexual activity with a person known to have HIV are deferred for one year.  At the same time, male donors who engaged in protected homosexual sexual activity with a monogamous partner 26 years ago are deferred for life.  The FDA-imposed lifetime ban for men who have sex with men does not fall in line with the one-year deferral required for high-risk heterosexual behavior, nor does it correspond in any way to the window period.  The ban also does not distinguish between safe and unprotected sexual activity.  As a result, healthy blood donors are turned away every day due to an antiquated policy and our blood supply is not necessarily any safer for it.

With the safety of the blood supply as our top concern, our examination of the deferral process has brought to our attention a second issue that we believe requires your consideration.  It is our understanding that there are rapidly rising rates of new HIV infections among certain segments of the heterosexual population.  While the screening and testing procedures are rigorous for certain high-risk behaviors, there is no expressed concern with unprotected heterosexual sex during the window period in which the administered HIV tests are unreliable.  Unprotected sexual activity, whether homosexual or heterosexual, is recognized as a significantly higher risk behavior for HIV transmission than protected sexual activity.  We urge you to take this important distinction into consideration when reexamining possible changes to deferral policies.

The safety, availability, and integrity of our nation’s blood supply are vital.  For these reasons, we agree with the American Red Cross, America’s Blood Centers, AABB, and others that the time has come for the FDA to modify the lifetime deferral for MSM to be consistent with sensible health and safety policy and with FDA deferral guidelines for high-risk heterosexual behavior.  We request that you initiate a review of the lifetime deferral requirement for men who have sex with men wishing to donate blood and that you reexamine the deferral criteria for all blood donors to ensure all high-risk behaviors are appropriately addressed.

Thank you for your leadership in promoting public health and safety.  We look forward to working with you on this issue.

Sincerely,

           

John Kerry                             
United States Senator

Kirstin Gillibrand                   
United States Senator

Dick Durbin

United States Senator              

Daniel Akaka
United States Senator                         

Sheldon Whitehouse              
United States Senator

Sherrod Brown

United States Senator
 
Frank Lautenberg                   
United States Senator

Bob Casey                              
United States Senator

Bernie Sanders

United States Senator
 

Russ Feingold                        
United States Senator

Mark Udall                             
United States Senator

Al Franken

United States Senator

Maria Cantwell                      
United States Senator

Carl Levin                              
United States Senator

Tom Harkin 

United States Senator
 

Mark Begich                          
United States Senator

Rolland Burris                        
United States Senator

Michael Bennet

United States Senator

It should be interesting how  big a story this becomes in June when the commission meets to review the policy. Last time I blogged about this story in May 2007 there was not much outcry when the Bush administration's FDA refused to modify the policy.

LAT Editorial on "gay anti-gay legislator" Roy Ashburn

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-ashburn10-2010mar10,0,4070153.storyThe Los Angeles Times has an incisive editorial on the curious case of GOP State Senator Roy Ashburn, the anti-gay legislator who was caught driving under the influence leaving a Sacramento gay bar with another man and his weak explanation for his consistently anti-gay record in his long legislative career that "[his] votes reflect the wishes of people in [his] district."

That's not an entirely unreasonable defense. After all, if every politician who ever voted contrary to his or her personal beliefs in order to please constituents were branded a hypocrite, you'd be hard-pressed to find one without a scarlet "H." Yet Ashburn's seeming concern for the will of the people is highly selective. In February 2009, he was one of six Republicans in the Legislature who approved a budget deal that raised taxes and fees, inspiring widespread wrath in his district and a recall campaign against him. Moreover, voters trust representatives to use their best judgment and vote on laws according to their own consciences, not to consult the polls before every controversial decision.

The best way to fight bigotry is by setting an example. By coming forward, acknowledging his sexual orientation and pointing out that gay people can be successful business owners and politicians and even Christian conservatives, Ashburn could soothe his community's fears and help others like him end their deception. And there are others; aside from famous examples such as former Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho or former Rep. Mark Foley of Florida, the documentary "Outrage" last year pointed out many other closeted right-wing politicians so full of self-loathing that they consistently vote to deny equal rights to themselves. There's a better path, and we hope Ashburn finds it -- but first he has to admit the real reasons for his self-destructive votes.

Zing!

Anti-Gay GOP CA St. Sen. Ashburn Comes Out

Anti-gay California State Senator Roy Ashburn who was arrested last week on a DUI minutes after leaving a Sacramento gay bar with an unidentified Latino man has now come out as gay on a radio talk show:

“I am gay. Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long. It is something that is personal, and I don’t believe I felt with my heart that being gay would affect how I do my job,” Ashburn said.
Asked about his anti-gay voting record, Ashburn said, “I felt my duty, and I still feel this way, is to represent my constituents.”
Radio talk show host Inga Barks wanted assurances that Ashburn would continue to vote in a conservative manner on LGBT rights issues. Ashburn responded, “I believe firmly that my responsibility is to my constituents. I will take a careful look at each measure and apply that standard. How would they vote on this? How would they want me to vote on this,” adding that most people understood what that means.
“I don’t know how else to ask this, but are you going to live this lifestyle now in the district?” Barks asked. Ashburn, who announced he is not running for public office again, said, “I pray to God I can find peace. I want to go back to the senate and work hard for the people of my district…Now you know everything about me.”

Really? Do you always vote the way your conservative district wanted, Senator? How about when you voted for the budget?

Hat/tip GayPolitics.com

UPDATE 03/08/2010 6:20PM

Equality California has issued a statement on Ray Ashburn's acknowledgment of homosexuality today:

Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) who told listeners this morning on KERN Radio AM 1180 that he is gay.

“We can empathize with Senator Ashburn’s long and difficult journey to admit that he is gay. Equality California looks forward to working with the Senator to use his experience to educate the people in his district on why he deserves the same rights and privileges as a gay man as any other Californian.
“Senator Ashburn said he has voted against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-rights measures because of the preferences of voters in his district, but to date, no legislator has lost his or her seat for supporting Equality California-sponsored legislation. This includes legislators in a number of conservative districts, including in Bakersfield, Fresno and the Salinas Valley.
“Although we question the Senator’s claim that an overwhelming majority of voters in his district support employment and housing discrimination against LGBT individuals – bills he voted against, we are working hard to build support across the state among voters in all districts.”

Senator Ashburn has consistently received a zero percent on Equality California’s Legislative Scorecards since 2004, with the exception of 2007, when he scored 10 percent.

 

Anti-Gay Sen. Ashburn (R) Busted For DUI Leaving Gay Bar

Republican State Senator Roy Ashburn was arrested 2 a.m. Wednesday morning for driving under the influence (DUI) less than a block from the well-known gay bar Faces in Sacramento. There was another man (so far, unidentified) in the car at the time of the arrest.

From Joe.My.God:

Ashburn has been a loud opponent of LGBT rights and has organized and hosted anti-gay marriage rallies for the Traditional Values Coalition. He also has a 100% rating from the anti-gay Capitol Resource Family Impact group for voting against every LGBT rights bill during his tenure.

[...]

Ashburn is being term-limited out of office in 2010. In January he surprised supporters by announcing that he would not be running for the U.S. House or the powerful California State Tax Board, two jobs he'd publicly had his eye on for the last year. Ashburn divorced his wife in 2003.

ANTI-GAY VOTING RECORD: In March 2009, Sen. Ashburn voted against a Senate resolution declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional. Ashburn voted three times to oppose the creation of Harvey Milk Day. In September he voted against California recognizing out of state same-sex marriages. In 2008 he voted to oppose an expansion of the state's insurance laws to include sexual orientation as a protected class.

Here is a video of a local television station's coverage of the scandal:

I don't usually cover closeted anti-gay politician's scandals but this one is just so egregious, it's unavoidable. I'd love to hear what openly gay Speaker of the Assembly John Perez or openly gay State Senator Mark Leno have to say about this "affair."

Big shout out to Joe.My.God for alerting me to the "gay" angle of this story. The report of the state senator driving a state-issued vehicle being arrested for a DUI has been news down here in Southern California, but curiously they didn't mention the fact he was leaving a gay bar with another man at the time.

Rhode Island Elects Openly Gay (and Black) House Speaker

Now there are two! Two openly gay, people of color who are the elected heads of state legislative bodies, that is. Earlier this year, MadProfessah's friend John Pérez was elected by the California Assembly Democratic caucus to become the first openly gay, Latino head of a state legislative body (and second openly gay person in history, following Minnesota's Allan Spears).

Now, Gordon Fox, has been elected Speaker of the House in Rhode Island. From the Providence Journal's blog:

Gordon D. Fox was elected as the state's first black and openly gay House Speaker, moments after West Warwick Democrat Willliam J. Murphy relinquished the helm on Thursday.

Fox was elected House Speaker with 51 votes; another 14 went to Rep. Gregory Schadone, D-North Providence, and five to House Minority Leader Robert Watson, R-East Greenwich.

He was sworn in by William R. Guglietta, chief magistrate of the state's Traffic Tribunal.

In his first speech from the rostrum, Fox told colleagues "change is absolutely necessary. We cannot continue [to conduct] business as usual. We must think anew and act anew.''

Fox is the 222nd Speaker in the history of Rhode Island. Rod 2.0 points out that Fox is in a long-term relationship but not married, since Rhode Island and Maine are the only two states in New England where marriage equality is not the law of the land (yet!):

Fox said in an interview with The Providence Journal that he is "in a long-term relationship, but not officially married. ... When I get married, I would like to do it in my home state." Rhode Island and Maine are the only New England states that have not approved marriage equality. Fox says he is "reluctant" to make a commitment to bring the issue to the House floor for a vote after Murphy leaves. Rhode Island's anti-gay Republican governor Donald Carcieri has tried to block even basic rights for LGBT couples.

Fox is biracial—his father is Irish, his mother Cape Verdean—and considers himself black. He does so, the Providence Journal writes, because he hopes to be a role model for black youngsters and black gay youth.

An example of another multiracial politician who is succeeding in America, but who identifies with the marginalized parts of his identity. I also find it fascinating that the two openly gay Speakers of the House currently serving are both people of color.

Polls Average 58% Support for DADT Repeal

Openly gay Lt. Dan Choi, on duty in the National Guard, this week

As the debate over how and when to get rid of America's anachronistic policy of excluding openly gay men and lesbian from serving in the Armed Forces, lots of polling is being conducted to see how much public opinion has changed from 1993. The answer is, quite a lot.

Nate Silver has analyzed the data and summarizes the results as:

Four organizations -- FOX, Gallup, Quinnipiac, and CNN -- have released polls on Don't Ask Don't Tell since Obama's inauguration. They show an average of 58 percent saying that Don't Ask Don't Tell should be repealed and that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military, and 35 percent opposed.

The latest poll is from Quinnipiac University and was a nationalsurvey conducted February 2-8, 2010 of 2,617 registered voters for ashockingly low margin of error of +/- 1.9 percentage points.

Some highlights:

Homosexuals should be able to openly serve in the U.S. military, American voters say 57 - 36 percent. Voters also say 66 - 31 percent the current policy of not allowing openly gay men and women to serve is discrimination, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

But by a 54 - 38 percent margin, American voters say gays in the military should face restrictions on exhibiting their sexual orientation on the job, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN- uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Voters from military households with an active or reserve member or a veteran in their family split 48 - 47 percent on ending "don't ask; don't tell." Support for repeal is 72 - 23 percent among Democrats and 56 - 37 percent among independent voters. Republicans oppose repeal 53 - 40 percent. Men support repeal 51 - 44 percent; women support it 62 - 29 percent.

On other related questions, American voters say:

82 - 10 percent that the military should stop pursuing disciplinary action against gays who are outed against their will; 65 - 30 percent, including 57 - 38 percent among voters in military families, that ending "don't ask; don't tell" will not be divisive or hurt the ability to fight effectively; 50 - 43 percent that the Pentagon should not provide for domestic partners of gay personnel; Split 45 - 46 percent on whether heterosexual personnel should be required to share quarters with gay personnel.

Interesting, eh? Hat/tips to TalkingPointsMemo and TowleRoad.

SF CHRONICLE Outs Prop 8 Federal Judge

The San Francisco Chronicle has published a story revealing to the general public an open secret that many of us have already known: Vaughn Walker, the federal judge conducting the federal trial into the unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 known as Perry v. Schwarznegger, is gay:

The biggest open secret in the landmark trial over same-sex marriage being heard in San Francisco is that the federal judge who will decide the case, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, is himself gay.

Many gay politicians in San Francisco and lawyers who have had dealings with Walker say the 65-year-old jurist, appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, has never taken pains to disguise - or advertise - his orientation.

They also don't believe it will influence how he rules on the case he's now hearing - whether Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure approved by state voters to ban same-sex marriage, unconstitutionally discriminates against gays and lesbians.

[...]

Many San Francisco gays still hold Walker in contempt for a case he took when he was a private attorney, when he represented the U.S. Olympic Committee in a successful bid to keep San Francisco's Gay Olympics from infringing on its name.

"Life is full of irony," the judge replied when we reminded him about that episode.

And did he have any concerns about being characterized as gay?

"No comment."

Shortly after our conversation, we heard from a federal judge who counts himself as a friend and confidant of Walker's. He said he had spoken with Walker and was concerned that "people will come to the conclusion that (Walker) wants to conceal his sexuality."

"He has a private life and he doesn't conceal it, but doesn't think it is relevant to his decisions in any case, and he doesn't bring it to bear in any decisions," said the judge, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the Prop. 8 trial.

"Is it newsworthy?" he said of Walker's orientation, and laughed. "Yes."

He said it was hard to ignore the irony that "in the beginning, when (Walker) sought to be a judge, a major obstacle he had to overcome was the perception that he was anti-gay."

In short, the friend said, Walker's background is relevant in the same way people would want to know that a judge hearing a discrimination case involving Latinos was Latino or a Jewish judge was ruling in a case involving the Anti-Defamation League.

Walker, by the way, didn't seek out the Prop. 8 case - it was assigned to him at random.

I am actually glad that this story is being published. It is newsworthy that the judge is gay, and if reporters can come up with enough sources to be confident of printing that fact, they should write a story about it. Being gay is not something to be ashamed about.

Now, being appointed to the federal bench by a Republican President, that is not something I would want very many people to know about!

19 Years Ago Today I Fell In Love: January 12, 1991

On Saturday January 12, 1991 I met my future husband for the third time--it was our first date. We walked along Venice Beach and talked and talked as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean and then went back to his place, which was (conveniently!) just a few blocks away. This was during my first trip to Los Angeles when I was visiting my sister and I was leaving the next day to go back to graduate school in upstate New York. The smooth talker convinced me that since he lived so much closer to the airport, I should spend my last night at his place, and not my sister's. We drove over to USC and got my luggage and returned to his place to "play boggle." (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

19 years later we are registered as domestic partners with Occidental College (May 12, 1995), the City of West Hollywood (March 22, 1996), the state of California (January 14, 2000). We are also civilly united in the state of Vermont (August 8, 2000) and legally married in the state of California (August 8, 2008).

As people consider the legal arguments over whether gay people have the right to marry in a courtroom in San Francisco, I wanted to put the somewhat esoteric discussion down to what it means, in practical terms, for real life gay people who are (and have been) living their lives right now.

I listed all the documents that we have entered into to demonstrate that these are the legal hoops that gay people have to go through to maintain our relationships against an unrelentingly hostile and unsupportive world.

It all started 19 years ago, today.

I love you, Dean Elzinga!

Celebrity Friday: Evan Low (26-year-old Gay, Asian Mayor)

More history for LGBT people of color was made on Tuesday night in the Bay Area when openly gay, Chinese-American Evan Low, 26, a member of the Campbell, California City Council was elected the nation's youngest, openly gay Mayor by his fellow colleagues.

Low grew up in San Jose but eight years ago moved to Campbell, where his father, Dr. Arthur Low, is an optometrist and sits on the Chamber of Commerce. Low said he became interested in politics because he felt young people's interests, such as affordable housing and the future of Social Security, were not being addressed.

He first ran for City Council in 2004 and lost, but won when he tried again in 2006. His term ends in 2010.

Campbell seems to be an unlikely city for a young, gay, Asian American politician to gain a foothold in public service. The San Jose suburb is 70 percent white and 11 percent Asian, with a small, quiet gay community.

Low said he received hate mail when he announced his opposition to Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban, as well as threats of a recall.

But he never considered moving to San Francisco or San Jose, which have larger gay communities, he said.

"For me, it's about making a difference in the community I live in," he said. "Campbell is my home."

Go ahead, boyee!