Pam's House Blend - Front Page

Four...three...two...one...

Autumn Sandeen — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:51:55 GMT

The countdown to the move to Firedoglake is coming down to the final count...

the countdown starts
watching in a trance
the crew is certain
nothing left to chance
all is working
trying to relax
up in the capsule
"send me up a drink"
jokes Major Tom
the count goes on
4...3...2...1...
Earth below us
drifting falling
floating weightless
calling calling home...

Four...three...two...one...

All systems go...if the countdown continues to plan, we're rocketing very, very soon to our new home.

Video of the day: Bloomberg Spanish

Pam Spaulding — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 03:35:02 GMT

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg held a presser a few minutes ago, and it was broadcast on major media. It was unremarkable at the outset, noting it's too late to evacuate at this point, to take precautions using candles, etc.

But then he decided to offer up a summary in Spanish. I want to give him props for trying, but it was so heinous that I burst out laughing. And I don't even speak Spanish. I can't imagine what that sounded like to native Spanish speakers.

This is one for the ages; it's at least nice to laugh during what's a pretty tough time to laugh with Irene barreling up the Northeast corridor.

Thanks @robrcb.

HRC's official press release on Joe Solmonese's departure

Pam Spaulding — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:29:46 GMT

Just in, presented without comment:

HRC President Joe Solmonese to Depart Early 2012
Board Announces Search Process, Salutes Leadership
WASHINGTON - The co-chairs of the Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors and the HRC Foundation Board today announced that HRC President Joe Solmonese has informed the boards that he will not renew his contract which expires March 31, 2012. Solmonese will remain at the helm of the organization until the completion of his contract to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
At the same time, the co-chairs announced the formation of a search committee to be co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of Hillsborough, N.C., and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles.
"Joe Solmonese is an outstanding leader," said Anne Fay who co-chairs the Foundation Board of Directors with Andy Linsky. "While we will miss his extraordinary leadership, we enter this next phase, thanks to Joe, in the best place the organization has ever been. Not only has our community secured historic victories, but our membership is larger and more active than at any time in our history, and our financial health is secure even in these difficult economic times."
"From the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', to the recent passage of marriage equality in New York, Joe has made sure that HRC is an effective and strategic force for positive change," said Tim Downing, who co-chairs the HRC Board of Directors with Rebecca Tillet. "Over the course of his tenure, he's set the tone for delivering real reform that matters in peoples' everyday lives."
"Leading HRC has been an inspiring experience and a complete privilege," said Solmonese. "I could not be more proud of our staff, our volunteer leadership and of the extraordinary progress we've made together as a community."
Solmonese's leadership has taken the organization from 750,000 members and supporters to more than 1,000,000. Additionally, he oversaw significant expansion of HRC's public education and outreach programs including the launch of the Healthcare Equality index, a more robust Religion and Faith Program and wider reach and success of the Corporate Equality Index. The HRC Foundation also launched the Welcoming Schools program to address family diversity, gender stereotyping, bullying and name calling in schools, as well as the All Children All Families initiative that helps open up adoption agencies to prospective LGBT parents. The grassroots field operation also expanded - most recently mounting the largest state-level campaign in LGBT movement history resulting in the passage of marriage equality in New York.
When Solmonese began at HRC in 2005, the organization was fighting the Federal Marriage Amendment and now marriage equality is a reality in six states and the District of Columbia with more within sight. Under Solmonese's leadership we saw the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and numerous administrative changes from gender identity non-discrimination policies for federal workers to reversing the HIV travel ban to ensuring that equal visitation in federally funded hospitals. Read more on the community's record of success during Solmonese's tenure.
"HRC has never been stronger and after nearly seven years, this is the right moment for me to move on," said Solmonese. "As I explore new professional possibilities, I plan on continuing to pour my heart and soul into improving the lives of members of our community - from battling proposed marriage amendments to creating more equitable workplaces to ensuring the President Obama is reelected for a second term."
The four volunteer board co-chairs will work with the search committee co-chairs in selecting the full committee as well as securing an executive search firm to assist the organization.
"From the beginning, we asked Joe to give us six months of transition when he decided to leave and he's done that," said Tillet. "We have every confidence that we will find and engage a new leader within that timeframe."
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Washington Blade fails to acknowledge PHB's scoop of Solmonese resignation; updates w/correction

Pam Spaulding — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:47:27 GMT

UPDATE (Sat., 2:41 PM ET): The Blade has updated its piece to reflect proper credit to PHB for breaking the story:

Joe Solmonese, who has served for more than six years as president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group, will step down from his job when his current contract ends on March 30, 2012. The news of Solmonese's departure was first reported by Pam's House Blend.

Thank you, Kevin Naff, for promptly addressing this matter. I encourage a clear and open discussion about how blogs and traditional media can have a two-way street of professional respect.

We've discussed the relative tension between the traditional LGBT press and blogs before. I tend to view our relationship as symbiotic and always link up to their publications when they have important stories worth covering in order to 1) spread the word on the blog to direct readers to the appropriate source, and 2) help boost traffic by using my large social media reach as well.

You'd think there would be professional reciprocation, but sometimes you get such an egregious example of shoddy journalism by traditional media outlets that I have to say something. What kind of reporting is this?

Joe Solmonese, who has served for more than six years as president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group, will step down from his job when his current contract ends on March 30, 2012, according to a source familiar with HRC.
The source, who spoke on condition of not being identified, said HRC was expected to release a statement on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 27, announcing Solmonese's decision to leave the organization and plans by the HRC board to begin a search process for his successor.
According to the source, reports by a number of bloggers that Solmonese's resignation was part of a sweeping staff shakeup initiated by the HRC board and that his departure came about under less than amicable circumstances are inaccurate.

Pam's House Blend broke the story last night, August 26, about Joe Solmonese's departure from HRC. It was the only blog or news outlet to bring you this news first.

The Washington Blade either 1) doesn't know how to count; or 2) doesn't know how to fact check; or 3) doesn't think a blog deserves credit for committing the sin of "journalism." And I'm not just referring to PHB; it also applies to my colleagues in the LGBT blogosphere who step beyond commentary and do first-hand reporting.

This sounds like a topic for discussion at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists' Association conference that is currently going on (hashtag #NLGJA2011). Barista Scott Wooledge is there live tweeting.

Maybe the Blade doesn't want PHB promoting its work any longer - we can take the hint.

The MetroWeekly & LGBT Weekly Follow-Ups To The HRC Story

Autumn Sandeen — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 13:45:00 GMT

Clarification/Correction: Chris Geidner wrote "Although the sources say that no permanent replacement has been selected, none of the four sources were willing to say what, if any, role Woolard would play in the transition efforts at HRC."

Beyond connecting a name to the unidentified paid consultant from the initial PHB piece, Chris Geidner indicated no conclusions as to what her role in the transition would be, assuming that Woolard would even have a role.

After the story broke at Pam's House Blend on Friday, August 26, 2011 -- as well as roughly simultaneously on the front page of Pam's House Blend's future host website Firedoglake -- MetroWeekly has released a follow-up piece.

Chris Geidner of MetroWeekly independently confirmed that the HRC's executive director, Joe Solmonese, is indeed leaving his position. What MetroWeekly is also reporting is that the consultant that we at PHB reported that the HRC is going to tap as the new executive director is going to instead be an interim director. And, MetroWeekly names the names of that would likely be that interim director:

From the MetroWeekly article HRC's Solmonese to Step Down, Sources Say No Replacement Has Been Selected:

...[Joe Solmonese's] most recent contract expires in March 2012, and an informed source tells Metro Weekly that "a full candidate selection process will take place" to find his successor.
A second source familiar with the situation said that a board conference call that originally was scheduled for Aug. 29 was rescheduled on the evening of Aug. 26 to take place later today, Aug. 27. The change was made after Spaulding published her report, which stated that an announcement about his departure was to be made public on Aug. 30.
...Although Spaulding reported that "a replacement executive director has been identified," four sources familiar with the situation describe that portion of the report as inaccurate -- with one saying the process is just beginning and will not be rapid.
Spaulding refers to the person she reported was identified as Solmonese's replacement as "a paid consultant" who has worked with the organization. Metro Weekly has identified that consultant as Cathy Woolard, who most recently served on the senior leadership team at CARE, which describes itself as "a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty" and is based in Atlanta...

The publication I write the Trans Progressive column for, the LGBT Weekly, also has a story up this morning as well by LGBT Weekly publisher Stampp Corbin, entitled HRC President to Step Down:

...Solmonese's tenure has had significant high points, most recently the passage of hates crime legislation and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. However, he has also had to deal with significant criticism for his handling of the Employment Non-discrimination Act. While Solmonese had promised he would support the inclusion of gender identity to protect the transgender community, at the last minute Congressman Barney Frank and Solmonese tried to pass legislation that did not include transgender protections. It created a firestorm within the LGBT community.
Sources also suggest that the press release date was moved up to accommodate the questions that will be asked of Solmonese when he addresses the HRC Cleveland Dinner this evening. Many current and former members of the HRC Board of Directors were caught off guard by the leak to Pam's House Blend, which suggests that Solmonese's decision to step down is a surprise.
Given Solmonese's salary level, it is unlikely that he will be joining the Obama administration as many have suggested on blogs, as well as Facebook.

I'm not sure if Stampp Corbin is interested in the job, but given his experience in HRC leadership in the past I would hope the HRC would consider him for the executive directorship.

So there you have the latest, as reported by Metro Weekly and the LGBT Weekly. As for the significant staff shake-up that PHB also reported as being in the works at the HRC, neither Metro Weekly and the LGBT Weekly mentioned anything about that aspect of the original PHB story.

Frankly, the staff aspect of the HRC story that PHB broke on Friday, August 26th is what I'm most interested in having independently verified or debunked -- what the staff looks like after the change in leadership is going to say a lot about how the HRC plans to move forward after this change of leadership.

Hurricane Irene's impact in central North Carolina

Pam Spaulding — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 11:03:24 GMT

8/27, 10:45AM ET: At the time of this taping, central NC is in the outer bands of Irene with Durham and Wake counties under a wind warning (40-50 mph gusts), and the gusts in this video are creating whistling winds, the house definitely getting pelted with branches and even heaves a bit with some of the gusts. The storm is so large that its reach into the central part of the state is unusual. We should experience winds like you see here for a few more hours.

Our power lines are underground so we have power, but much of Durham and counties affected have plenty of traditional power poles that fall. There are already reports of many outages east of here, and the Outer Banks/Atlantic Beach is getting pummeled. The concern in the eastern inland parts of NC is flooding. Just learned that there are at least 60,000 without power.

Since we're a very dense tree state, I expect some roads will be blocked here after Irene passes. From the Weather Channel:

Hurricane Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, just before 8 a.m. EDT as an 85-mph, category 1 hurricane.
The center of Irene is located about 5 miles north-northeast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, or about 60 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and is moving to the north-northeast near 14 miles per hour. The center of Irene is forecast to cross through the North Carolina Sounds, through the Outer Banks, and back into the Atlantic today, then riding up the coast with an eventual landfall anticipated on Sunday along Long Island then on the other side of Long Island Sound in Southern New England as a minimal hurricane.

***

8/26, 7PM ET: Hurricane Irene is about to make landfall here in NC as I write this, around Morehead City. We are experiencing a downpour in Durham right now. Wind not too bad yet. Power is still on (for now).

I live in Durham, and that's about dead center on the map to the west of Raleigh. Because the storm is so large in size, we are receiving the outer bands of Irene, and it's not a small deal.

Wind Advisory for Durham, NC
until 12 am EDT, Sun., Aug. 28, 2011
* WINDS... NORTH 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.
* TIMING... NOW THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.
* IMPACTS... WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT... ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. SOME DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS OVER OVER 40 MPH WILL BE LIKELY. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN BRING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND WEAK TREES... TOSS AROUND LOSE OBJECTS... AND MAKE DRIVING VEHICLES DIFFICULT.

I don't expect that this will be as damaging in the area as Fran (1996), but what's of major concern is that most of our power lines in town are above ground, so they are vulnerable to trees falling. Where we live is relatively new (houses built in the 80s-90s), so the lines are underground. The down side of the age of the neighborhood is that construction was long enough ago that we have a lot of mature trees in the area, close to the houses, so if any of them decide to fall, damage to homes is likely

If you're in Wake County (just to the east, where Raleigh is, there's also a flood watch. As you can imagine, if the forecast is this bad this far inland, the coast is going to have devastation. Highway 12 in the Outer Banks is a fragile two-lane road that goes up the peninsula of the OBX. It's going to get washed out for sure, and anyone who stayed to ride this out is nuts. They will be trapped out there.

I'll have updates on Twitter and other social media; there is a Irene Twitterfeed in the left column. See you on the other side of the hurricane; those in the path stay safe.

BREAKING: Joe Solmonese to leave HRC in December; official announcement on Tuesday

Pam Spaulding — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:26:39 GMT

This is a Pam's House Blend exclusive.

Yes, it's the end of an era. The Blend has learned, from a trusted source in a position to know the details, that Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization in the country, will announce his departure next Tuesday. Solmonese will reportedly step down from the organization in December of this year.

His departure also signals, according to our source, the beginning of a larger staff shake-up in the HRC. The Blend can also report that a replacement executive director has been identified -- it will be someone who is not currently on the HRC's staff, but is currently a paid consultant that has worked with the civil rights group for some time.

During his tenure, the Human Rights Campaign has become a bedrock institution that has played a role in successes -- a hate crimes law passed, the legislative repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- the extent of its leadership and success also depends on your point of view and knowledge of the back stories related to the hard work to make these gains happen.

We can review and critique the effectiveness of Solmonese's tenure in the growth of the organization and political savvy in working with the Hill all day long, but it's time to think about the job his successor has in front of him/her.

With the perception of the HRC leadership as the province of wealthy white gay men living in gay-friendly environs, there are several questions HRC -- including its board -- will face:

What will this mean for bisexual and trans community members? The L and G in LGBT have had much more visibility not only in its leadership composition, but in prioritization of political priorities. Some of this is a result of political expediency, but no doubt influenced by the composition of its leadership, board and donor base. This leads to...
Will more bisexual and trans staff be added with the staff shake-up? Unknown. Until Joe's successor announces for lack of a better word, "battle plan" we won't know if this means putting people who know bi and trans issues best in positions of influence.
With DADT at bay, and DOMA on the ropes in court, will HRC put additional to attend to matters of equity in the trans community and speak openly about them? The new executive director will have to address this head on, particularly since Joe Solmonese was seen by many in the trans community as a political obstacle at the minimum, or an outright man not to be trusted. Representing HRC, Solmonese last spoke in public on transgender issues to a trans-specific public audience at the 2007 Southern Comfort conference. He was adamently 100% in support of a trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, but later changed his position on the 2007/2008 version of the legislation -- effectively leaving trans rights behind.
Will this shift signal a change to include more people of color in positions of influence? Like bi and trans issues, a stronger HRC will come from actually honoring the influence that a socio-economically diverse leadership team brings to the table. Will a change at the top move the organization in this direction?
What kind of relationship will the HRC build with the LGBT media (including bloggers) and grassroots activists (like GetEqual) under new leadership? To be kind, there has been a tense and guarded relationship with activists and new media that work outside of the comfort zone of the HRC. The fact that these entities cannot be "controlled" or managed like a press release is old news - it's how the game of politics works now; any person who succeeds Joe Solmonese has to grasp this reality and find out how to work nimbly with not only the Hill and the White House, but to engage with these entities.
They are not going away, in fact their existence moved the civil rights ball forward on DADT when traditional means of Beltway negotiation and hand shakes in closed door meetings dissolved into political inertia. That this influence is publicly ignored, but privately fretted about (yes Virginia, we have eyes and ears everywhere), should be a signal that precious wasted energy worrying about allies that use different tactics should be spent on how a powerful institution with access like HRC can leverage those differences without appearing to "sell out" or be in battle when the end goals are actually in alignment.

So now the commentary is left to readers - how does this prospective news affect your view of the potential of the Human Rights Campaign to rework its reputation within the elements of the LGBT community that have questioned its strategy and decisions regarding legislative focus and its image to the larger public? Is there any positive/negative fallout from this organizational shift?

Discuss. More to come as additional details emerge.

***

UPDATE: Chris Geidner at MetroWeekly has filled in a few more details that conflict with our source's account, and identified the consultant.

Although Spaulding reported that "a replacement executive director has been identified," four sources familiar with the situation describe that portion of the report as inaccurate -- with one saying the process is just beginning and will not be rapid.
...Spaulding refers to the person she reported was identified as Solmonese's replacement as "a paid consultant" who has worked with the organization. Metro Weekly has identified that consultant as Cathy Woolard, who most recently served on the senior leadership team at CARE, which describes itself as "a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty" and is based in Atlanta.
Although the sources say that no permanent replacement has been selected, none of the four sources were willing to say what, if any, role Woolard would play in the transition efforts at HRC.

Gender Rights Maryland: Transgender Community Stands with ALL Women

Laurel Ramseyer — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:50:38 GMT

Gender Rights Maryland posted an opinion piece in Baltimore OUTloud today in response to fears expressed by radical feminists and the radical religious-right "that gender identity civil rights laws (like the ones in Baltimore City and Montgomery County) will harm or jeopardize women's sex-segregated spaces and lead to assaults on non-trans (cisgender) women in these spaces."

Beginning with a reminder that two core concepts in feminism are self-definition and inclusion, GRMD identifies the key weakness in the opposition's fear-based argument:

To date, fifteen other states and over a hundred other major jurisdictions in the U.S., covering 43% of the country's population, are covered under comprehensive laws that protect transgender individuals. Almost all of these jurisdictions utilize the language previously presented in the Maryland Gender Identity bill that we hope to pass in this next session of the legislature. These protections do not put non-trans women at risk.
The gender identity laws, of which I've spoken above, have been in effect since 1975. There has not been a single incident of a trans woman assaulting a non-trans woman in a sex-segregated space. Nor has there been a single incident of a man assaulting a woman in such a space claiming in court he had the right to do so because he's transgender. This has not happened in those jurisdictions covered by gender identity laws, nor has it happened in localities without such laws.

The opposition refuses to address facts like those presented above by GRMD because the facts clearly show the opposition's reasoning to be unsound. This leaves the opposition with only one bargaining tool: irrational fear. "Irrational fears," states GRMD, "cannot and should not define our conversation about gender identity civil rights legislation. The transgender community is not a threat to non-trans women. Quite the contrary, the transgender community stands arm-in-arm with the women's community to make inclusivity and self-definition more acceptable."

I would suggest that the willingness of the opposition to ignore the facts and fall back on irrational fears in order to hinder passage of gender identity civil rights legislation only demonstrates the dire need for that legislation. Transgender women need to be legally protected from the irrational fears of others.

There's more to the piece than I can do justice to here. Click on over and read the whole thing here.

Related:
* No Matter Who Expresses The Sentiments, Antitrans Sentiments Are Antitrans Sentiments
* Cathy Brennan & Elizabeth Hungerford take their anti-trans activism to the UN
* Taking the conversation where critics aren't allowed to follow

Rick Perry's homophobia problem is more serious than originally thought

Alvin McEwen — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:31:05 GMT

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

In 2006, Governor Perry stood on a stage with a pastor who said that only one percent of all gays and lesbians will live to see old age and that homosexuality is a "breeding ground for disease."

During the 2008 election, continuous scrutiny of the relationship between then candidate Obama and his pastor, the controversial Jeremiah Wright, opened a new door in how deeply the press scrutinizes not only a candidate's faith but his or her relationship with controversial religious leaders.

Almost four years later into this quandry steps Texas Governor Rick Perry. Even before his star was on the horizon as the front runner for the Republican nomination (at least for now), there were serious questions about the religious leaders he aligned himself with.

And his recent prayer event didn't quell any matters because it featured many questionable individuals including the American Family Association (which had been declared as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) and various leaders who believed a multitude of strange things, including the idea that demons rule the Democratic Party (Alice Patterson) or that the Statue of Liberty is a demonic idol (John Benefiel).

It's safe to say that if Obama had a singular Jeremiah Wright problem, then Perry has a multi-Jeremy Wright problem.

But it is in the area of gay equality in which these problems stand out. At the prayer rally, Perry aligned himself with many figures who have viciously opposed gay equality (amongst them were Tony Perkins from another hate group - the Family Research Council and Cindy Jacobs, who once claimed that the repeal of DADT was killing birds.)

But this isn't the first time Perry has teamed with pastors to not only stand against gay equality but verbally bash the gay community. According to the Austin Chronicle in 2005, Perry attended a private two-day event designed to garner him support for the office of governor and rally around a vote against gay marriage in the state.
An attendee of the event - who remained anonymous - taped it and presented it to the Chronicle. According to the Chronicle:

Though the audiotape is of poor quality, there is no mistaking the fever-pitched gay-bashing theme of most of the speeches. The group is fashioned after a similar evangelical organization in Ohio that worked to pass that state's marriage amendment in November and helped produce a narrow victory there for President Bush. Critics accuse the Ohio group of operating in tandem with the Bush presidential campaign, managed by Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, now running for Ohio governor in 2006. Blackwell was one of the featured speakers in Austin. Other guests who spoke in Austin included two key players in the Republican Party of Texas – Vice Chair David Barton, a self-described Christian nationalist, and former executive director Susan Weddington, who now heads Perry's faith-based initiatives program. Weddington called Perry "a spiritual giant."

Additionally, Ohio evangelical Pastor Rod Parsley lambasted the "homosexual agenda" and railed against Islam; Arlington minister Dwight McKissic – other than Blackwell, apparently the only African-American speaker at the event – delivered a hellfire condemnation of gays and lesbians, climaxing his address with the biblical story of the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and declaring, "God has another match!" The crowd roared. "He said the most horrible things," the attendee said. "He was the most difficult to listen to."

The article also said that while Perry didn't make any "directly incendiary comments," he made it clear that he supported the anti-gay marriage amendment.

The bill passed, and according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, when Perry signed the bill the next year, one pastor had some very interesting comments in defense of not only the bill, but also Gov. Perry - a defense which involved some seriously venomous and untrue comments about the gay community:

Nearly 600 evangelical Christians packed into the gymnasium of the Calvary Christian Academy in Forth Worth, Texas, to witness a ceremony on a Sunday in June. With a flourish of his pen, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed the first bill while the televangelist at his side praised Jesus.

Gov. Perry shared the stage with celebrity Pentecostal faith healer Rob Parsley, whose television program is carried by 1,400 stations nationwide. In the audience were the leaders of two prominent family values action groups: Donald Wildmon, chairman of the American Family Association, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.

The first document Perry signed that day was a parental notification law requiring girls under 18 to obtain parental permission before having an abortion. The second proposed that the state constitution be amended to specifically prohibit gays and lesbians from marrying. (Texas voters overwhelmingly approved the amendment this Nov. 8.)

Parsley heaped praise on Gov. Perry for "protecting the children of Texas from the gay agenda." Then he rattled off a series of shocking statistics: "Gay sex is a veritable breeding ground for disease," he said. "Only 1% of the homosexual population in America will die of old age. The average life expectancy for a homosexual in the United States of America is 43 years of age. A lesbian can only expect to live to be 45 years of age. Homosexuals represent 2% of the population, yet today they're carrying 60% of the known cases of syphilis."

The televangelist did not reveal where he got those numbers.

The article does on to say what many in the gay community probably already know about those phony numbers. They are the results of the discredited studies of Paul Cameron - a man who once claimed that gay men stuff gerbils up their rectums.

The point is this - while it is fun to laugh at Michele Bachmann's dodging of her questionable past of anti-gay activism (because let's face it - girlfriend doesn't have a chance in hell of winning any presidential election), more attention needs to be paid to Perry.

While the gay community is distracted by the antics of Bachmann and her husband, the real danger to our equality is trying to sneak into the Oval Office.

This Is How Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber Describes Liberals And Progressives

Autumn Sandeen — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:00:00 GMT

[W]hich America do you live in? The one with public displays of patriotism -- or the one with public displays of perversion? The one with lots of flag-waving -- or the one with lots of, well, whatever waving?
~Matt Barber, vice president of Liberty Counsel Action

According to Matt Barber, the flag of the progressive movement perhaps should be the rainbow flag. From OneNewsNow's 'Pride' vs. Patriotism (emphasis added):

...In the ongoing war for our culture, if Old Glory is the banner behind which conservatives do battle, what pennon do you suppose guides the proud left into combat?
Rainbow flag, anyone? I think these Harvard poindexters may be on to something.
Indeed, the "gay pride" parade, perhaps more than any other, best encapsulates the values embraced by today's secular-progressive left. Think about it. It's got it all:
Obscenely expensive, taxpayer-funded actions-without-consequences gaiety

Celebration of a caution-to-the-wind, enjoy-now-pay-later lifestyle

Men who act like women and women who look like men

Flamboyant narcissism, moral relativism and plenty of gyrating nude bodies

Colorful public sex displays to forever confuse, desensitize and sexualize the kiddos (Mustn't forget: "Childhood events permanently impact beliefs and behavior")

Lots of anti-Americanism

And a total absence of God

Well, never mind how many priests and ministers came out in favor of marriage equality in Washington DC (131) and New York (727) -- godlessness is not a prerequisite to being a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, or supportive of LGBT community. The claim of total LGBT community godlessness is just plain wrong.

And never mind too that LGBT community fought for American lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers to serve openly. That doesn't appear that those LGB American citizens are anti-American, but it does appear that many LGB American citizens love their country enough that they're prepared to lay down their lives for America, and the American ideals of freedom, justice, and equality for all.

It's as if Matt Barber built a straw man to argue with instead of arguing what's knowable in the brick-and-mortar world.

But changing gears, note Barber's negative comment about the entirety of the LGBT community found in this line:

Men who act like women and women who look like men

In that phrase, Barber lumped lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexual, transgender, and those who identify as both transsexual and transgender all into one group -- One "anti-American" group based on gender expression that doesn't conform to Barber's take on sex and gender norms.

In Matt Barber's world, people in the LGBT community, as well as people with liberal political views, don't just disagree with him about issues relevant to America, but are people who are intrinsically evil to the center of their beings.

So, it appears that Matt Barber believes that any compromising by conservatives like him with liberals and progressives is by definition surrendering to evil.

It appears he's not alone in that kind of thinking; that's certainly something to ponder, isn't it?

A Moment of Silence for Trans Service Members on September 20, 2011

Laurel Ramseyer — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:56:29 GMT

Note from Laurel: On 9/20 I invite you to join us for a moment of silence to honor our transgender brothers and sisters who, despite the repeal of DADT, are still forced to serve in silence. Let's let them know that they are not forgotten and that we LGB people are as committed to their open service as they were to ours, and as we are to our own.

As Autumn said to me, "It would be very appropriate for celebrants of the day that lesbian, gay and bisexual servicemembers are finally able to serve openly remember for a moment that transgender servicemembers still won't be able to serve openly. It would be very appropriate if organizations such as the SLDN, Servicemembers United, and the HRC publicly supported the idea of a moment of silence for the our transgender servicemembers who will still be required to serve in silence."

The following is a guest post by the executive director of the Transgender American Veterans Association.

By Monica F. Helms

September 20, 2011 will go down as one of the most pivotal days in LGB history. On that day, gay, lesbian and bisexual service members will no longer have to hide their sexual orientation from the US military. LGB people will be allowed to enlist (or reenlist) in the military, and those already serving will be able to openly say who they love . . . if they wish to.

However, for the trans community, September 20 will be a bittersweet day. The "sweet" will be because we will all be thrilled to see another wall of discrimination crumble into history. We will celebrate along with our LGB brothers and sisters, and thank all of those who have served our country proudly. Our thanks will also go out to those who will step forward to join their ranks. Tears of joy will flow that day from all of us.

The "bitter" part comes when the celebration is over and trans people will still face discrimination from the US military. Trans service members will be ejected because the military says we have a "psychosexual condition," which they put in the same category as "exhibitionism, transvestism, voyeurism, and other paraphilias." No trans-identified person will be allowed to enlist for the same reason.

The Transgender American Veterans Association want to first congratulate all the people who worked tirelessly on getting Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed and helped the Administration and the Department of Defense to smoothly integrate LGB people into the services. Our members worked alongside LGB people to put this terrible law to rest and we are proud to see our work not go in vain.

On this day of celebration, TAVA has one request for all of those who will be cheering and partying. We ask that everyone take a moment of silence to acknowledge that the fight is not over. A moment of silence for all of those trans people who will still face discharge when being outed. Take a moment to remember the trans people who gave their lives in silence to protect this country. TAVA stands in solidarity with our brothers and sister in celebrating this historical day. All we ask is for them to stand in solidarity with the trans community in our struggle to end ALL discrimination in the US military. The fight is not over.

To say that you or your organization will observe a moment of silence at a celebration on September 20 for trans service members, go to the Facebook Event page and click on "Attending."

Cross-posted at Bilerico.

Guest Post: Trans In The Media - A Call To Elevate The Conversation

Autumn Sandeen — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:30:00 GMT

Janet Mock, a People.com associate editor, has critiqued media coverage of trans people in her Fish Food For Thought essay Trans In The Media: A Call To Elevate The Conversation. This is her essay, and it's crossposted here with permission.

By Janet Mock

When I told my transition story in Marie Claire, I led with my adolescent journey of having genital reassignment surgery, a quest that took me from my hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, across the Pacific Ocean to Bangkok, Thailand, at 18 years old.

Going public with my story, I was acutely aware that I unconsciously gave people permission to ask about what lied or did not lie in between my legs. I gave the world an opportunity to ask after the most personal things in my life. I think this is what any person revealing themselves publicly as trans inherently does whether they like it or not: they sacrifice their anonymity and privacy to hopefully increase visibility and awareness.

Recently, I read a Tweet from Laverne Cox, reality television producer and actress, that she'd be on The Joy Behar Show with Chaz Bono of the Emmy-nominated documentary Becoming Chaz, Harmony Santana, star of Gun Hill Road, and America's Next Top Model Isis King. I was elated, as this appeared to be a groundbreaking panel not only with Trans folks, but moderated by CNN host Don Lemon, a newly out gay man of color.

On Monday night, I set my DVR, told my boyfriend Aaron to keep quiet, and stayed up past my bedtime to only be dumbfounded by the interview, where Lemon asked Bono some pretty inane questions. The CNN anchor, who was leading the conversation in Behar's absence, seemed to have unknowingly communicated his own insensitivity to trans folks' struggle when he asked Bono the most insensitive of his slew of questions:

I have to ask you this: I look at you, I see you on television, you're a dude now, you have facial hair and everything to go along with it. I mean do you like that? Is it cool?

Asking Bono, who has bravely transitioned under the media's glare, therefore helping bring the trans conversation to the masses, about his facial hair (a prideful marker of his masculinity and manhood), is as offensive as a reporter being astonished by Lemon's own masculinity as a newly out gay man. Or even as offensive as a non-Black reporter being astonished by Lemon's articulateness during an interview.

"Is that something that you have to get used to though?" Lemon pressed. "Do you have to get used to shaving cause you didn't have to shave before - and all of a sudden you're a grown man and you have to shave?"

Then it just got worse...

"Even I do, as a gay man, I have trouble, sometimes when I talk about you...I get the hes and the shes mixed up. Is that a big deal for people who are in transition?"

I caught myself yelling "WTF?" at the screen more than thrice in a matter of minutes. I had regretted subjecting myself to this. I then took my frustration to Twitter: "These questions @donlemoncnn are [asking] @Chazbono are symbolic of how #trans people are often seen as oddities - even by LGB people."

[More below the fold.]
Lemon's questions, which could have been attributed to the show's producers, reminded me of something Jennifer Aniston eloquently said in Vanity Fair in 2005 about Brad Pitt when he began globetrotting with Angelina Jolie and her son Maddox just weeks after announcing the end of their marriage: "There is a sensitivity chip that's missing."

And that's what I felt when I watched Lemon, who may have been in over his head with four compelling subjects and not enough time to actually target questions beyond Bono's facial hair, new shaving regimen, his relationship with Cher and other "Trans 101" issues as Bono so eloquently pointed out.

"I thought we were here to talk about trans people in Hollywood," Bono said after Lemon introduced Cox, King and Santana to the panel. "We've got three unbelievably talented women up there and we're talking about transgender 101 here."

"Not everyone is as informed as the people on this panel," Lemon said in response. But that wasn't the issue in my opinion. It's not about the American people; it's about preparation, sensitivity and a proper, fuller, vibrant portrait of what it means to be trans. You can't have four dynamic trans figures on your panel and not fully tell their varying stories and journeys.

And by putting Lemon at the helm, producers may have made a glaring assumption: Just because Don Lemon is an African-American gay man does not mean he has the tools, sensitivity and objectivity to wholly report on the trans community without his own inherent transphobia and male/socioeconomic privilege getting in the way.

I don't know Lemon or the producers of the show, but I do know as a journalist you must check your own privileges, bias and perspective at the door. And when you don't do your homework, you end up with a lackluster story, and that was what Monday night's segment on being "Transgender in America" (that was The Joy Behar Show's producers tagline) was in my opinion. I applaud HLN and Lemon for this groundbreaking trans panel, but we as journalists have to do better.

And I wasn't the only trans person upset about Lemon's line of questioning. Jenn Burleton, executive director of TransActive Education and Advocacy, a Portland-based non-profit which supports trans youth, Tweeted of the interview: "Don L. interview w/ Chaz B. What a bunch of stupid, exploitative, leering, stereotyping questions. He may be gay, but he doesn't get it."

And that's the bigger issue here: Lemon symbolizes many of our gay brothers and lesbian sisters, who just don't get us trans people. We inherently shake their own notions of what it means to be a man and a woman in our society to their core. Until we are able to actually be open to the gender-variancy that is in nature, naturally, we'll never be able to move forward and not only demand gay and lesbian rights, but transgender rights; civil human rights.

As a journalist, I'll identify the gaping holes in the producers' and Lemon's line of questioning. There were many issues that I, as a journalist, would have had Lemon ask this "inspiring transgender panel":

To Laverne Cox, who is a busy actress and produces television shows which she hopes "changes the hearts and minds of the general public around transgender issues": How have you gone about seeking and creating roles for yourself in Hollywood? How have you funded projects about transgender people?

To America's Next Top Model Isis King, who's returning to the 17th cycle of ANTM in September: How does it feel to return to the show that helped bring a transgender woman into African-American homes? I hear you were once homeless, how have you been able to persevere past your circumstance?

To Chaz Bono, who has three Emmy nominations for his documentary: Instead of "When were you defined as a man?" Lemon could've asked, How does it feel, after years of searching and struggling, to finally be who you are fully? And how does it feel to have three Emmy nominations? How are you using your celebrity to continue this conversation?

To Harmony Santana, who revealed that she's living in the Green Chimneys homeless shelter while being a star of a lauded film: What do you want to say to inspire LGBT kids who have dreams but no homes?

Instead when Santana revealed her plight of not having a home, Lemon said, "Interesting." He should have said, I find it interesting that you have this inspirational story of starring in a film but no home of your own and that you represent the 40 percent of homeless youth who identify as LGBT.

That's how we teach and pull at the heart strings of America, by using someone's story to shed light on the plight of what it means to be different, to be oppressed, to live in a world that doesn't quite understand you. Our jobs as journalists and writers and editors and news reporters and anchors is to shed light on how we are failing young people like Santana.

When it seemed the door in the conversation had opened to shed light on trans people's struggles, Lemon would say, "We're going to have an in-depth conversation..." about this or that and segue to another topic about Bono's transition, which seemed to irritate me and the famous interview subject.

"I was a little frustrated on the Joy Behar show last night," Bono Tweeted of the interview, where it appeared that he was the bad guy for calling out Lemon's inane line of questions. "I was told we'd talk about trans people in entertainment industry. But such is life."

We can't continue having the same conversations about trans people with a revolving door of new trans figures. We are not entertainment and our stories aren't just for mere consumption. We must ask the hard questions beyond surgery and facial hair and ask how are they really doing now that they are in the bodies of their destinies? How are they navigating in the world?

We need to see trans men and women as just that - men and women who want and desire and love and seek and thrive and yes, fall. And when they fall we must ask ourselves if we care. Do you care? And how are we failing them?

"When they see us on television and see us in films, it makes a difference," Cox said during the interview. But seeing and hearing us is essential to actually making a difference. America needs to hear our stories and feel our plight.

Why wasn't the fact that two trans women of color on the panel (King and Santana) have been homeless explored in this conversation? As a woman of color, I was shocked that Lemon, an African-American man, didn't use the show as a teaching moment, to shed light on the fact that 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT.

The trans portrait Lemon and the producers of The Joy Behar Show presented wasn't even a sketch. It was a mere doodle as to what it means to be an oppressed group that apparently has no place in - or out - of the LGB community.

So where is our place? There's a question that's better than "do you have to get used to shaving" your stubble.

Janet Mock is a writer and a journalist, a daughter and a girlfriend, a believer in happily ever after and a vintage shopping enthusiast. She's also a woman of transsexual experience.
Janet works as an Associate Editor for PEOPLE.com. Outside the cubicle, Janet weaves her daily A-ha! moments into stories on her blog Fish Food For Thought -- named after her forthcoming book Fish Food: A Memoir, about her adolescent journey through genders in high school. Living in New York City, Janet has a BS from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and an MA from New York University.

Get in touch with Janet Mock at her website janetmock.com.

Video: Rick Perry Said Bush Defended Us From Freedom

Pam Spaulding — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:12:36 GMT

More of the wit and wisdumb from the leader of the 2012 GOP Clown Car race...

Yes, this is the best that the GOP can offer the country. What a sad state of affairs.

GLSEN forces Family Research Council to change fraudulent video

Alvin McEwen — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:38:12 GMT

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Last week, GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) issued a cease-and-desist letter via its attorneys to the Family Research Council "demanding that FRC cease distribution and publication of a video clip containing false and defamatory statements about GLSEN, as well as any other similar false and defamatory statements that may be contained in a longer video associated with that video clip."

The cease-and-desist letter has to do a video in which Tony Perkins, head of FRC, and Brian Camenker, head of the Massachusetts anti-gay group Mass Resistance claimed that GLSEN and the Massachusetts Public Schools distributed an explicit safe-sex guide called The Little Black Book to fifth to ninth graders at a conference in 2005.

This story had been debunked by several groups, including Media Matters .

If one were to look at the video now, he/she would see the following:

The new video (seen below) does not say that GLSEN had anything to do with distributing The Little Black Book. However it continues to refer to Brian Camenker regarding GLSEN and repeats the nonsense regarding "Fistgate," a controversy which Camenker played a huge role in.

To get the true story on "Fistgate," click on the link. Needless to say the controversy, like the original claim about The Little Black Book which FRC was forced to take back, is a lie.

I should also mention that Camenker's group, Mass Resistance, is also Southern Poverty Law Center declared hate group, just like FRC.

The bottom line is this - why should anyone believe any claim about GLSEN coming from FRC? The organization's reponse to GLSEN's cease-and-desist letter clearly showed that it erred (intentionally?) in its claims about GLSEN and The Little Black Book.

And FRC didn't even have the good Christian grace to apologize. Instead the organization takes the tone of "we may have been wrong about that charge, but these new charges prove our point."

Not true, FRC. Your repeated attacks on GLSEN only prove yourself to be a homophobic, lying group hiding behind the mask of Christian integrity.

A killer wearing the facial skin of his victim would look better than you right now.

NOM Rabbi Yehuda Levin says God unleashed the 5.9 quake because of TEH GAY

Pam Spaulding — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:53:33 GMT

Guess who was first out of the box to blame gays/same-sex marriage on the earthquake? Not Pat Robertson; he was my first pick. No, this one actually is a better, bigger batsh*t piece of work.

NOM BFF NYC Rabbi Yehuda Levin erupted with this gem...

"One of the reasons that God brings earthquakes to the world is because of the transgression of homosexuality. The Talmud states, 'You have shaken your male member in a place where it doesn't belong. I too, will shake the earth.'"

Pam's House Blend - Front Page

Four...three...two...one...

Video of the day: Bloomberg Spanish

HRC's official press release on Joe Solmonese's departure

Washington Blade fails to acknowledge PHB's scoop of Solmonese resignation; updates w/correction

The MetroWeekly & LGBT Weekly Follow-Ups To The HRC Story

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Gender Rights Maryland: Transgender Community Stands with ALL Women

Rick Perry's homophobia problem is more serious than originally thought

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A Moment of Silence for Trans Service Members on September 20, 2011

Guest Post: Trans In The Media - A Call To Elevate The Conversation

Video: Rick Perry Said Bush Defended Us From Freedom

GLSEN forces Family Research Council to change fraudulent video

The Family Research Council will continue to lie even after GLSEN embarrassment

NOM Rabbi Yehuda Levin says God unleashed the 5.9 quake because of TEH GAY