More Coverage of MLK Kingdom May Parade

More coverage of the Black gay contingent at yesterday's MLK Day Parade from NoMoreDownLow.TV



Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

Black LGBT Contingent in 26th Annual Kingdom Day Parade

MadProfessah and Wonder Man were part of a contingent of nearly 100 Black LGBT Angelenos participating in the 26th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Kingdom Day Parade in South Los Angeles for the 3rd consecutive year, primarily organized and sponsored by the Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition, in collaboration with Here To Stay Coalition, Los Angeles Black Pride and Black Lesbians United.

The contingent has grown every year, and this time we received media attention from the local public radio station, KPCC 89.3 FM.

Thousands of people lined Martin Luther King Boulevard in South Los Angeles to pay tribute to the fallen civil rights leader.

It's the 26th annual Kingdom Day Parade – and the first parade for Long Beach resident Chante Craig. Craig walked as part of a group declaring themselves "black, gay and here to stay."

She says Dr. King's words are inspiring to gay blacks seeking tolerance and love.

"Unfortunately, though we live in California, it's a very liberal state but we still have some very conservative views – especially in the black community with churches being such a stronghold in the community. It tends to allow homophobia to spread across the community – and so this is one of our ways to come out and bring some positive exposure to the community and show them what other things we're doing as well."

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, county and state leaders and marching bands from South L.A. high schools took part in the event. A party continues at the parade route's end in Leimert Park.

Anti-Homophobia Imagery Raise Hackles In Upstate NY

The above are examples of images challenging homophobia which are appearing on billboards in the Tri-Cities Capital district area (Schenectady-Troy-Albany) sponsored by the advocacy group In Our Own Voices.

The Times Union covers the resulting controversy:

City Councilman Joseph Allen said Friday that he came in for both scorn and support after publicly expressing his displeasure this week that the billboards send the wrong message to impressionable youngsters, particularly those being raised by single mothers who may not have positive male role models.


"This kind of billboard is putting the stamp of approval on a gay lifestyle," said Allen, who is black and insists he is not homophobic.


He said he has talked with the city lawyer about taking down the billboards in Schenectady but was told the advertisements are protected under First Amendment rights.


Tandra R. LaGrone, executive director of Albany-based In our Own Voices, said the group is sponsoring the awareness campaign because it is consistent with the mission of promoting the health and welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people of color.


"I thought it would be useful and pertinent to have the campaign in the Capital Region because of the numbers for HIV and AIDS among gay black males have has risen significantly," she said. "You have to start from a place of respect in order to address the stigma and homophobia of being a black gay man."


There are a total of 18 billboards in Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer and Montgomery counties along with ads on buses and bus shelters, said Peter Constantakes, spokesman with the state Department of Health which gave $50,300 to the campaign.


[...].


LeGrone called Allen's remarks especially "frightening" considering he is an elected official and black. "He is looking at his constituency as strictly being heterosexual individuals," she said, adding that the message is that gay black men make up every segment of society and are here to stay.

He's a City Councilman and doesn't know that the first amendment applies to speech he doesn't agree with? Homophobic idiot. I find it fascinating he denies he is homophobic and then is quoted in the newspaper using the words "gay lifestyle" which is a clear indication of homophobia and ignorance. Too bad the reporter didn't ask Councilman Allen what the "gay lifestyle" is and whether he think there is a "jewish lifestyle" or "Black lifestyle."

Congrats to IOV for the successful campaign. This is very important work.

Greater Than AIDS Campaign Featured on CNN's AC360 1/14/11

The above well-produced PSA in the "We > AIDS" campaign by the Black AIDS Institute has been popping up on television in the last few weeks.

BAI's Founder and Executive Director Phill Wilson will be on a special 1-hour segment of Anderson Cooper's AC360 on CNN Friday January14th at 9pm EST/PST called "Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS."

2011 Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival March 3-4

One of the highlights of being an openly gay person of color living in Los Angeles is having access to the Fusion LGBT People of Color film festival. I missed most of last year's edition, but attended and reviewed the 2009 and 2007 editions.

I'm not sure I'll be in town this year, currently I'm planning a trip to South Africa for March 2011 but my dates are relatively flexible.

Openly Gay Intern Credited With Saving Rep. Giffords' Life

Palm Springs Police Chief Resigns Over "Bag A F*g" Incident

Well, that was fast! Just last week, Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez apologized for profane language he used to describe gay men who had been caught up in a homophobic police sting in the Warm Sands area of the city where several gay nude vacation resorts are located. Today comes word that Chief Dominguez has decided to retire early in wake of the ongoing scandal.

"After careful consideration of the recent debates surrounding the Warm Sands Law Enforcement Operation, I believe this decision is in the best interest of my family, my health, the Department and the City," Dominguez said in a statement. "It has been a privilege to be the Chief of Police and work with the professional men, women and volunteers in the Police Department who are extremely dedicated to the community."

Steve Pougnet, the openly gay mayor of Palm Springs, made his first statement on the controversy, saying:

"I support the decision by the police chief to retire and agree that it is in the best interest of the city and the department – to begin the healing process for the community. Yet, there remains much work to be done."

The question of what the final impact will be on the 19 gay men who were arrested during the sting operation should be resolved at a hearing on January 20th.

Palm Springs Police Chief Apologizes For Using Epithet

There is an update on the story about the Palm Springs public sex sting that MadProfessah has been following rather closely since this summer. Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez who had previously angrily denied the reports tat anti-gay epithets had been hurled during the public sex sting, has apologized for calling the gay men arrested "a bunch of filthy motherf***ers."

Palm Springs City Manager David Ready released a report which admits wrongdoing by the police department.

As a result of the accusations against the police department, the city opened its own investigation into the sting.  The city's report admits that "portions of the operation were not conducted according to professional standards."

The mistakes highlighted in the report include:

• Not notifying hotels, businesses and residents of the Warm Sands neighborhood of the complaints
• Using undercover decoys instead of just surveillance cameras
• "Disturbingly offensive remarks" were made during the operation

The report says disciplinary action has already been taken, and there will be more actions taken in the future.  However, under California law, names of officers and the punishment handed out cannot be released.
As a result of the city's investigation, no decoy operations will ever take place unless there is "careful pre-operation training."  All officers have received Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual sensitivity training.  The city will also create a "LGBT Employee Resource Group" in which city employees can provide a forum to discuss LGBT issues in Palm Springs.

Apparently there will be a hearing on January 20, 2011 to determine the status of the men who were arrested and whom the Riverside County District Attorney was insisting plead guilty to crimes which would lead them to be forced to register for life as sex offenders with the state of California. Their attorney, Roger Tansey, is seeking a dismissal of all charges due to the "discriminatory intent" the Palm Spring Police Department exhibited towards the gay men.

MadProfessah will continue to follow the story until it is completely resolved.

WATCH: Behind the Scenes of DADT Repeal Bill Signing

The White House has released this behind-the-scenes video of the President signing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal Bill of 2010 into law on Wednesday December 22nd. Watch for yourself:

WATCH: Obama Signs DADT Repeal Into Law

U.S. House To Vote on DADT Repeal Bill Wed 12/15

Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted today that the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a stand-alone House bill (identical to the Senate bill S. 4023 introduced on Friday which now has 40 co-sponsors) as a "privileged bill" to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on Wednesday December 15th.

International LGBT Radio Program In Dire Financial Need

This Way Out is an international LGBT radio newsmagazine which has been in continuous production since 1988(!). In fact, while in college yours truly co-founded an LGBT radio show called "Homo Radio" on WRPI 91.5FM in 1992 which used the weekly 30-minute This Way Out program as the core around which an entire community-based radio program was based.

I also serve on the Overnight Productions board of directors, the 501(c)(3) entity which produces This Way Out.

Recently, This Way Out producer (and founder) Greg Gordon put out this dire fundraising appeal:

We're often asked, "How many listeners do you have?" For several reasons, typical radio ratings services just don’t help us answer that question. 

We do know that at least 200 local broadcast outlets across the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe and New Zealand now air our program every week, in addition to global short wave station RFPI. We’re also heard through satellite distribution to cable outlets and homes across the Asia-Pacific and Africa-Middle East regions, and hundreds download our podcasts each week.

•     “Just wanted to pass on my deepest thanks and gratitude for your show. I love the international coverage, the humor, the music -- I love it all!”
-H.C.
New York City

•    "Thank God I found you! Thanks very much for your wonderful programmes."
-Sampson
Owerri, Nigeria

Messages like these tell us something about the depth of our impact. One of the ways we can measure the breadth of our reach is by the support we receive during our holiday season/year-end fund-raising campaign. It's the generosity of our listener-sponsors at this time of year in particular that has literally meant the difference between life and death several times during our more than 22 years on the air. We need your help now to keep this one-of-kind internationally distributed nonprofit weekly public/community radio show going.

•     “I'm not gay, but have gay friends; I'll tell them about this program. Keep up the good work.”
-K.L.
State College, Pennsylvania

•    “I was amazed to listen today to This Way Out and liked it very much."
-E.A.
Holguin, Cuba

"This Way Out" doesn't operate out of a state-of-the-art studio. We don’t have an office or a large paid staff. Our overhead is low, but we still need to raise $5,000 for our production and distribution costs through April 2011, when we hope to receive an annual grant from a longtime supportive foundation.

Each and every contribution, no matter how large or small, will make a difference! One of the easiest ways you can support "This Way Out" is to sign up for automatic monthly donations, at whatever level you can afford, from $10 to $100.

We could stay healthy until that grant arrives with:

  > 34 "Angels" donating $25 per month for the next six months.
  > 17 "Major Angels" donating $50 per month for the next six months, or ...
  > 9 "Supreme Angels" donating $100 per month for the next six months, or ...

You can easily choose your preferred DONOR LEVEL in the "Is Anybody Out There?" text at:

http://www.thiswayout.org

Of course your automatic contributions at any level or your one-time donation before year's end will certainly make you a special kind of Holiday Angel in our eyes as well!  Find the one-time "DONATE" button in the text at:

http://www.thiswayout.org

You can also postal-mail a check to us at P.O. Box 38327, Los Angeles, CA 90038. And if you’re in the U.S., your contribution (online or postal-mailed) is tax-deductible as a charitable donation to the extent allowed by law. We acknowledge every donation with a "thank you" email or letter.

(In case you're wondering why we don't ask for listener donations to our program during the program, it's because U.S. federal regulations governing public/community radio forbid it.)

•    "I hear your program on headphones behind my closed bedroom door so that no one will know I'm listening."
- Email from an anonymous teen

Several heart-breaking suicides of teens who were gay, or who were perceived to be gay, have been in the headlines lately. Much of our programming reminds LGBTQ young people that life really does get better! (By the way, the links to several youth support groups are posted on our website.)

We know from the mail we get that we do what can sometimes be genuinely life-saving work. "This Way Out" is often the only supportive voice LGBTQ young people hear. Please help us continue to share that voice with those teens, and with others around the world struggling to break out of their closets in a safe and supported way.

•     “I'm a 44 y.o. married male just confronting my homosexuality. I can't tell you what a morale boost your program is for me. I look forward to it every week. It's better than church.”
-Neal
Los Angeles, California

A core group of volunteer journalists and feature producers make our informative, entertaining and educational weekly programs possible. Will you volunteer now to help bring "This Way Out" to all the listeners who need us? Please don’t assume that enough other people will support our efforts -- we can’t go on without you, too!

Thank you! We wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons, and a healthy, productive, and pleasure-filled New Year.

P.S. - Read our informative blog at http://www.twopodcast.blogspot.com/

Become our Facebook fan at http://www.facebook.com/ThisWayOutRadio 

And follow Associate Producer Lucia Chappelle's
timely tweets at http://twitter.com/TWOradio

Please give generously to support this worthy LGBT program.

Gallup Poll Shows Overwhelming Support For DADT Repeal

Black, Gay and Polish!

Kristian Legierski is the first openly
gay and Black elected official in Poland

This is a great story. Poland has recently elected its first openly gay official, when Krystian Legierski (pictured above) won a Warsaw City Council seat on November 21st. Legierski, a 32-year-old lawyer is biracial (his father is from Mauritania and his mom is Polish) and the first Black elected official in the Eastern European country as well.

Rod 2.0 reports:

Legierski discussed the intersections of race and sexuality in his election: "In Poland there are so few blacks that nobody has ever done research on how many there are. It would not pay to do it. But without a black-emancipation movement, and without a strong organization of sexual minorities, after just 20 years of democracy, we have achieved what elsewhere sometimes took generations. Poland showed its tolerant and nondiscriminatory face."

Poland becomes the most recent Eastern European nation to elect a Black to public office. On October 25, a Ghanaian-born doctor won local elections in Slovenia's coastal town of Piran, becoming Slovenia's first black mayor. Russia elected its first Black elected official in July, a city councilman north of Moscow.

Executive Director of EQCA Announces 3/31/2011 Departure

Geoff Kors, Equality California's

 Executive Director from 2002-2011

Geoff Kors, the longtime head of the nation's largest state's largest LGBT political advocacy organization, Equality California, has announced that he will leave EQCA on March 31, 2011.

Here's the message that went out to EQCA supporters:

It is with a very real sense of gratitude for all you are doing to advance equality that I am writing to you this morning. Today I informed our Board of Directors that I will be stepping down from my position as Executive Director of Equality California at the end of my ninth year. I will formally step aside on March 31, 2011. However, I will never forget our milestones together nor put aside our unfinished mission.

It has been a true honor and a privilege to lead Equality California and serve the state’s LGBT community. When you think back to how far we have come in less than a decade, it is breathtaking.

Nine years ago, California's same-sex couples had access to fewer than 15 of the more than 400 state rights and benefits we now enjoy. Transgender individuals could legally be fired from their jobs, discriminated against in housing, refused public accommodation and denied the most routine health care. Domestic partners were charged thousands of dollars more than married couples for the same insurance. LGBT youth were not allowed to see a therapist without their parents’ consent. State contractors could deny equal benefits to their employees in same-sex relationships. And more than 60 percent of Californians opposed marriage equality. Today, all that has changed, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and dedication. You truly made all of this possible.

What we have accomplished together has been phenomenal.

::Legislative Record
Working in partnership with the LGBT Legislative Caucus, allied legislators and our coalition partners, a national record of 71 pieces of Equality California-sponsored legislation have been passed by the State Legislature, including bills providing same-sex couples with all the rights heterosexual married couples receive under state law, protecting LGBT youth and seniors, requiring equality in insurance and ensuring the strongest protections for transgender individuals in the nation. We also helped make history in 2005 and 2007 when the state legislature twice passed bills that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. This is a stunning achievement, resulting in groundbreaking rights for LGBT Californians, including many sweeping protections that don’t exist anywhere else in the nation. This success would not have been possible without your support. Your phone calls, emails and lobbying visits have a profound impact on delivering equal rights under law.

::Electoral Record
We could never have achieved our legislative and policy successes without steady partners and heroic leaders in elective offices. Nine years ago, it was nearly impossible for our community to hold elected officials accountable and to demand that they support LGBT equality. But thanks to your vital support, and our policy of only supporting candidates who are 100 percent in support of equality for 100 percent of the LGBT community, we’ve demonstrated that when politicians who support true equality stand up, they are rewarded at the ballot box. Together, we played a critical role in helping make history by electing a governor, attorney general and other statewide officials who support full equality for every LGBT Californian -- this means supporting marriage equality, equal access to health care for transgender individuals and protections for LGBT youth and seniors. For the first time in our history, every statewide elected official will be on record as supporting true equality for LGBT Californians.

California will also now have the most pro-LGBT legislature in history. And a record of seven openly LGBT individuals will be sworn into the Legislature on Monday, making California the first state with more than 5 percent of its legislature being openly LGBT. This year Equality California also worked hard to help elect the nation’s first transgender judge.

::Marriage Equality
I am particularly proud of the role that Equality California played as the organizational plaintiff in the California Supreme Court’s decision to end the state's discriminatory ban on marriage for same-sex couples, and I'm proud of the Court's crucial finding that LGBT people are a “suspect class” for discrimination. And I am particularly saddened by the slim majority that has temporarily banned marriage for all. Although California came closer than any state to defeating a ban on marriage equality -- closing the gap from 23 percent in 2000 when Prop 22 was passed to 4 percent in 2008 with the passage of Prop 8 -- we still fell short. However, your generosity resulted in Equality California serving as the leading donor to the No on 8 campaign. Since November 2008 we have added more than 350,000 supporters of marriage equality to our membership, and together we are moving public opinion. This year, for the first time in history, more than 50 percent of California voters now support marriage equality.

::Health and Human Services
I am proud of our efforts to create and lead the California LGBT Health and Human Services Network, a coalition of more than 50 organizations working to improve the wellbeing of LGBT Californians. This year the Network successfully obtained state funding to assess the mental health needs of the community, and I’m confident that this collaboration will result in improved services for all LGBT Californians.

::Our Future
While we have achieved historic results many of us thought impossible during our lifetimes, we still remain unequal under the law. But thanks to your support and the results of the November election, we have not only made incredible progress, but we have unprecedented opportunities to achieve true equality, to grow greater acceptance and to improve the lives of LGBT Californians.

And with your continued support in the years ahead, Equality California and all of us will do just that.

This weekend, I will be working with the Board of Directors at our annual end-of-year meeting on our 2011 goals, including an aggressive package of legislative and administrative reforms designed to make schools safer, ensure transgender individuals have access and coverage for all needed health care, and obtain funding for LGBT health and human services. We also will work to prepare for special elections in 2011 and for our statewide redistricting process, which could dramatically change the make-up of the legislature after the 2012 elections. We are also working on plans to make sure more LGBT individuals are appointed and elected to the judicial bench.

Within our organization, we now will discuss the process to ensure a smooth transition to our next Executive Director. I am committed to working closely with the board, staff, key stakeholders and the community to help make this transition as seamless as possible.

Equality California today is an unmatched team of people -- a dedicated and hardworking board of directors, the most talented staff an Executive Director could ever hope to work with, and donors, members and volunteers who have made achieving equality a priority and who have done so much to bring us this far. I have been truly fortunate to work with so many wonderful people.

As Executive Director I know firsthand the impact our members have had on advancing equality and improving the lives of LGBT people. Your generous financial support has allowed Equality California to continue its critical work and to enjoy unprecedented success. Your activism has helped move legislators, the governor and the public to be more supportive of our rights.

While I will miss coming to work at Equality California each day, I look forward to joining you as a dedicated supporter, knowing that it is Equality California’s members who truly fuel our work and make the difference.

Together we will create a world where equality and justice prevail.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Geoff KorsExecutive Director
Equality California

:: :: ::

"I want to personally extend my gratitude to Equality California and to Geoff Kors who has done so much to advance equality and justice in our state and who was instrumental in mobilizing LGBT Californians to support my candidacy for governor. When I take office, I look forward to continuing my partnership with Equality California as I work to meet the many challenges our state faces."

-Governor-Elect
Jerry Brown

:: :: ::

"I thank Equality California for its ardent support and Geoff Kors, who is an outstanding leader and will be greatly missed. As our state’s next attorney general, I am looking forward to working with Equality California to ensure that every Californian is treated with dignity and equality under the law."

-Attorney
General-Elect
Kamala Harris

:: :: ::

“I have truly enjoyed working with Geoff both in San Francisco and in Sacramento to advance LGBT equality. His razor-sharp strategy skills and sheer commitment to civil rights have often helped propel legislation forward in some of the toughest debates and battles we have waged together. He will be missed.”

-Senator Mark Leno
(D-San Francisco)

DADT Report Released; Shows Strong Support For Repeal

The Department of Defense "Comprehensive Working Group Report" on the Pentagon's so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy on excluding openly LGB servicemembers from the military has been released and the results give strong support for those calling for an end to the policy.

The Defense Department's own news service characterizes the DADT report thusly:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2010 – A change in the law that bans gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military can be implemented without irreparable harm, the co-chair of a Pentagon working group that studied the matter said yesterday.

“It’s my belief, having now looked this matter extensively over nine months, that the leaders of our services -- all services, all components -- are so good today, so experienced today, that they can effectively implement this change, maintain unit cohesion, and a strong focus on mission accomplishment,” Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, said.

Ham and Jeh C. Johnson, the Defense Department’s general counsel and the working group’s other co-chair, discussed their findings in an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates appointed Ham and Johnson early this year to lead the group to determine the effects on the military if the law is changed to allow gays to serve openly. Ham and Johnson made their findings public today, as well as their report, which assesses the matter and gives recommendations for moving forward.

A majority -- about 55 percent -- of respondents to a survey sent to 400,000 servicemembers in the active and reserve components said allowing gays to serve openly would have either no effect or a balance of positive and negative effects on the military, and between 15 and 20 percent said such a change would have only positive effects.

About 30 percent of respondents said overturning the law would have a mostly negative impact, and those respondents mostly were part of the warfighting specialties, Ham said.

Results showed slight trends in differences among members of each service, Ham said, adding that he was surprised the feedback showed few trends among age groups.

The Center for American Progress highlighted the following aspects of the report in their press release:

The study demonstrates definitively that our women and men in uniform are ready, willing, and able to adapt to the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Pentagon officials today summarized the results of the survey, which was sent to 400,000 service members:

• Seventy percent of service members said they would be able to “work together to get the job done” with a gay service member in their immediate units.

• Sixty-nine percent said they worked in a unit with a co-worker that they believed to be gay or lesbian.

• Ninety-two percent stated that their unit’s “ability to work together” with a gay person was either “very good,” “good,” or “neither good nor poor.” This includes 89 percent of those in Army combat arms units and 84 percent of those in Marine combat arms units.

The study found that a minority of service members maintain some concern about the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” But it also determined that strong leadership and guidance from the top of the chain of command will mitigate these issues.

Advocates for repeal of the policy urge phone calls to the following list of Senators to hear from constituents about their thoughts about DADT repeal:

--Susan Collins (R-ME);

--Olympia Snowe (R-ME);

--Mark Pryor (D-AR.);

--Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

--Richard Lugar (R-IN);

--Judd Gregg (R-NH);

--Scott Brown (R-MA)

--George Voinovich (R-OH);

--Kit Bond (R-MO);

--Joe Manchin (D-WV)

--Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

--Mark Kirk (R-IL)

--James Webb (D-VA)

Watch CA Speaker John Pérez Say "It Absolutely Gets Better "

Speaker of the California Assembly John Pérez, one of the highest ranked openly gay officials in the country, has released a "It Gets Better" video for the holiday season, which he recognizes can be a difficult one for LGBT teens.

DADT Update: DOD Report Out In 7 Days; Discharges Ceased; TV Ad Out

There have been multiple developments in the fight to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" recently.

The Defense Department has (barely) bowed to political pressure by agreeing to release its now-famous study of the impacts of open military service by LGBT soldiers on "unit cohesion, military readiness and effectiveness, recruiting and retention and family readiness" one day early, next Tuesday, November 30.

The Pentagon also announced that ever since Secretary of Defense Robert Gates issued new procedures that require a DADT discharge to be approved by one of a handful of top military officers on October 21, no LGBT people have been "separated" from the military in the last month.

Recent polls have begun to show declines from the massive support for repealing the military's discriminatory DADT policy. In the last few days, a Gallup poll has been released indicating only 56% of Americans think passing DADT repeal in the Senate's lame-duck session is important or very important (compared to 60% who feel that way about passing the DREAM Act).

Today, the Palm Center had the above television ad touting the lack of consequences to open military service experienced by our NATO allies currently fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan rejected by Fox News.

I believe that the Obama Administration will deliver on its promise to have DADT repeal accomplished by the end of 2010.

CA and MD Openly LGBT Caucuses Reach Seven Each

Congressman-elect David Cicilline (RI-01)

Last night was a big night for openly LGBT candidates, with the most ever being elected nationwide, including a fourth openly gay member of Congress in David Cicilline, the openly gay mayor of Providence, Rhode Island who was elected to represent the 1st Congressional District.

There are now five African Amererican LGBT state representatives around the country: Simone Bell (GA), Mary Washington (MD), Marcus Brandon (NC), Jason Bartlett (CT) and Gordon Fox (RI). Two states have the largest LGBT legislative contingents ever: seven in both Maryland and California.

Maryland: Senator Rich Madaleno (D-18) and Delegates Maggie McIntosh (D-43), Heather Mizeur (D-20), and Anne Kaiser (D-14), Bonnie Cullison (D-19), Mary Washington (D-43), and Luke Clippinger (D-46)

California: Senators Mark Leno (SD-3) and Christine Kehoe (SD-39), Assemblymembers John Perez (AD-46), Ricardo Lara (AD-50), Tom Ammiano (AD-13), Toni Atkins (AD-76) and Rich Gordon (AD-21)

So, it's not all bad news out there.

Hat/tip to Denis Dison of the Victory Fund.

Obama Beats Clinton's Record Of Openly Gay Presidential Appointees

Amanda Simpson, first openly transgender
Presidential appointee in history

Less than two years into his first Presidential term, Barack Obama has broken Bill Clinton's record of the number of appointees to the federal government with over 150 openly LGBT people in his administration so far.

Back in the 1990s when Clinton was president he made history by appointing the first openly gay person to a position requiring United States Senate approval, Roberta Achtenberg, to be assistant to the secretary for Housing and Urban Development. Noted homphobic Senator, Jesse Helms (R-NC), opposed the nomination and called Achtenberg a "damned lesbian" and "militant extremist" while he tried to stall and kill the appointment.

Now Obama has reached a historic level of  more than 150 openly LGBT appointees in less than 2 years when it took Clinton 8 years to reach 140 openly gay and lesbian appointees.

From the Los Angeles Times report:

Gay activists, among Obama's strongest supporters, had hoped he would be the first to appoint an openly gay Cabinet secretary. While that hasn't happened — yet — Obama did appoint the highest-ranking gay official ever when he named John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the nation's 1.9 million federal workers.

Other prominent names include Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Fred Hochberg, chairman of the Export-Import Bank. Obama also named Amanda Simpson, the first openly transgender appointee, as a senior technical adviser in the Commerce Department. And David Huebner, ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, is the third openly gay ambassador in U.S. history.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye confirmed the record number, saying Obama has hired more gay officials than the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations combined. He said Obama "is proud that his appointments reflect the diversity of the American public."

"He is committed to appointing highly qualified individuals for each post," Inouye said. "We have made a record number of openly LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) appointments and we are confident that this number will only continue to grow."

Progress takes time, and occurs in different areas (administrative instead of legislative) at different rates.