All Articles Tagged "gay issues"
Police Ignore Attacks on LGBT Women
(The Root) — On July 30, at 3:00 a.m., five young, African-American lesbians were attacked outside the Columbia Heights Metro station in Washington, D.C. According to apolice report filed by the victims, two men threatened them after one of the women declined their romantic advances by explaining that she was with her girlfriend. That girlfriend, Yazzmen Morse, one of the victims, approached the men after they began hurling sexist and homophobic epithets at the group. The report goes on to allege that in response, the men proceeded to attack and beat Morse and her friends, prompting a bystander to call the police. This attack is sadly the latest in a string of violence in D.C. targeting women in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and directed disproportionately at young women of color. On July 20, Lashai Mclean, a 23-year-old African-American transgender woman, was shot to death in D.C. in what is being investigated as a possible anti-transgender hate crime.
Coming Out in Corporate America
(Black Enterprise) — Sabin D. Blake, 34, has navigated the professional obstacles of being African American and gay throughout his career. Blake, a dealer organizational manager, Northeast region, for General Motors Corp., is no longer in the closet. That hasn’t always been the case though; for years, he lived a double life using non-gender specific pronouns such as “they” to describe individuals he has dated during casual conversations with colleagues. “Being a double minority you choose what you present. I could hide being gay, I definitely couldn’t hide being black,” says Blake who kept his sexual orientation hidden for several reasons including fear for his personal safety. “I had these relationships with people where I would be going to dinner with their families. I was involved in their lives but I wasn’t being who I really was.” Once keeping the secret became too disheartening, Blake made the decision to gradually reveal his sexual orientation to fellow GM employees and business associates. “It was hurtful not being authentic. And my energy was being sucked away,” he says. But each time he told someone he was gay it became easier for him. “It freed me. It allowed me to be more productive, more creative, and more innovative at work,” he says.
California Bill Adds Gay History to Curriculum
(Slate) — A bill that would require textbooks for California public schools to include the historical contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people passed the state Assembly on Tuesday by a margin of 49-25. The proposal passed almost entirely along party lines, with one Republican joining the Democrats to approve the legislation, which is aimed, in part, at combating the bullying of homosexual students.
D.C. Advocates, Police Agree More Reporting Needed on Bias-Related Incidents
(Washington Post) — Quincy Jones already knew he was gay, so when a group of street preachers hurled epithets at him one night last month outside the Columbia Heights Metro, he says, he shrugged it off. Then, Jones says, it got uglier: “I’ll kill you where you stand,” one of the preachers shouted into a microphone. Shaken, Jones called 911 from a nearby sandwich shop. But the officer who responded was unimpressed when asked to take an incident report, according to Jones, 32. “He was like, ‘For what? For calling you a name?’ ” Long-standing D.C. police policy requires officers to file reports on bias-related incidents, which can include name-calling and the posting of offensive fliers. But the number of reports they have taken has come under scrutiny. Through the first six months of this year, for example, only six incident reports have been filed.
Is Gay Marriage for White People?
(AlterNet) — “Do you, ? take ? to be your lawful wedded spouse?” “I do” times two, is the standard question and answer at wedding ceremonies where two people verbally commit to each other. It is a refrain likely to be repeated by thousands of same-sex couples across the state anytime after Jul 24 when the new same-sex marriage law takes effect following its passage and signature into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York became the sixth state, along with Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Iowa, and the District of Columbia. In a New York One television interview following Sunday’s Heritage of Pride parade, the governor, said, “I think you would see this message resonate across the country now.” As a trend setter for the nation, it is expected that other states, dithering about minor issues, mostly religious in nature, would capitulate, thereby legalizing same-sex marriage and rendering any talk of a Constitutional Amendment to protect the institution of marriage moot.
Say It Loud, I'm Gay and I'm Proud
(Black Enterprise) — This past Friday, June 24, same-sex marriages were made legal in New York, continuing conversations in the media and within many homes about the subject. While some are celebrating and making wedding plans others are protesting, as the hot political debate continues. The notion of being Black and openly gay—especially in the entertainment industry—remain controversial and traditionally hush-hush, with many artists choosing to remain in the closet. In light of Black Enterprise’s upcoming Black & Gay in Corporate America cover story [on stands July 19] and BlackEnterprise.com’s continued Black Music Month coverage, we’ve highlighted a few celebrity entertainers who are out and proud.
Making Amends, Tracy Morgan Visits LGBT Teens in Brooklyn
(Wall Street Journal) — When Tracy Morgan joked last week that he would stab his son if he ever came out as gay, the blowback was immediate and severe. Morgan, famous for outbursts and absurd humor on “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live,” suddenly found himself on the receiving end of angry tweets and demands for an apology from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad). The comedian did immediately publicly apologize for the joke, made during a stand-up routine at a Nashville comedy club, and now appears to be embarking upon a cross-country campaign to rehabilitate his image—first stop, Brooklyn. On Friday, the comedian visited an apartment in Brooklyn occupied by previously homeless gay and transgender youth and young adults, placed there by the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit that works to get these kids off the streets. There, in a small group setting, Morgan sat for an hour to hear the stories of young people whose families pushed them out because of their sexual orientation.
Atlanta’s Darian Aaron Goes from Blog to Book
(Project Q) — When Atlanta blogger Darian Aaron decided a year ago to take a respite from his popular blog,Living Out Loud, he wanted to focus his writing on a decidedly different format: a coffee table book. The book explores black LGBT issues by profiling 18 same-sex couples of color. With “When Love Takes Over: A Celebration of SGL Couples of Color” now out, Aaron is back to crafting new content for Living Out Loud. But he won’t promise his audience daily updates – there is a fulltime job and partner to attend to, after all. We recently caught up with Aaron, just a day after putting his hands on “When Love Takes Over” for the first time, and chatted about the blog, the book and what his day-to-day life is like now.
Gay and Transgender Teens Find Refuge at Home Created for Them
(Washington Post) — In Room 8, the carpet is stained and the walls are bare, except for strips of tape that once held someone else’s photos. But to the 21-year-old getting dressed this morning, the room offers a measure of freedom she has never had: a place where, without judgment, she can slip on a flower-print blouse and shave her face. A place where no one knows Guy Jones, only Sarah Feliciano. “How does this look?” Sarah asks, sweeping a cobalt blue powder over her eyes. Foundation the color of “soft copper” covers the rest of her face, hiding any hints of a shadow that monthly laser therapy and a daily shave might have missed. In the three-story brick house in Northeast Washington, there are eight bedrooms, each filled with a young person who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. And like Sarah — a transgender woman who until February was sleeping at Reagan National Airport, washing her hair with shampoo fished from the trash — each ended up homeless or close to it.
Meeks Meets with Gay Leaders
(Chicago Tribune) — State Sen. James T. Meeks met with several members ofChicago‘s gay community for more than two hours this week in an attempt to reach out to a voting bloc that has been clear it doesn’t support his potential mayoral candidacy.
Meeks faces two challenges in winning over the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community: his legislative record and his words from the pulpit of his South Side mega-church.
