Washington Blade Editorial

So much for loving thy neighbor

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

So much for loving thy neighbor
Unintentional irony at the heart of D.C. 'Marriage Initiative'
By Mark Levine
Friday, November 06, 2009
THE FIVE-HOUR hearing last Monday before the D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics seemed interminable, and the arguments from proponents of the so-called Marriage Initiative ranged from the absurd to the offensive to the pathetic. The question before the board was whether a proposal by a Maryland pastor to deny gay people the right to civil marriage (and forcibly divorce those D.C. couples already married) violated District law, which prohibits any referendum that would have the effect of “authorizing discrimination” against D.C. residents on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender.

Seemingly oblivious to the legal standard — that the D.C. Code, unlike, s ...

Our first victory

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Our first victory
LGBT people are finally treated equally under federal hate crimes law
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, October 30, 2009
PRESIDENT OBAMA THIS week signed into law the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which becomes the nation's first federal LGBT rights law after decades of trying.

Wednesday's signing ceremony at the White House proved an emotional event for many who worked so hard since the brutal 1998 killings of Shepard and Byrd.

Hate crimes laws don't have universal support, even among gay rights advocates. Indeed, you can make a compelling libertarian argument against such laws. But it's unconscionable to exclude from an existing law a group so disproportionately impacted by hate crimes as LGBT people.

Current federal law covers attacks mot ...

A Catholic gone crazy

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

A Catholic gone crazy

By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, October 30, 2009
IN A LITTLE-noticed piece published on the Washington Post's web site last week, Catholic League president Bill Donohue took complete leave of rational thought and launched a diatribe against “cultural nihilists.”

He assailed “radical gay activists,” Democrats and basically anyone who believes in separation of church and state.

Here's just one gem: “The culture war is up for grabs. The good news is that religious conservatives continue to breed like rabbits, while secular saboteurs have shut down: they're too busy walking their dogs, going to bathhouses and aborting their kids. Time, it seems, is on the side of the angels.”

...

Uncovering secrets in Maine

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Uncovering secrets in Maine
Anti-gay group rolls out scare tactics as referendum nears
By Danielle Truszkovsky
Friday, October 23, 2009
ON OCT. 1, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics & Election Practices met to determine if a complaint filed by Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate against the National Organization for Marriage would be investigated. In his complaint, Karger claimed that NOM violated campaign reporting requirements and that the group was actively participating in money laundering. Despite the evidence he submitted, which included NOM e-mails pertaining to fundraising specifically for Maine while alluding to donor anonymity, the commission's staff recommended that no investigation be conducted due to lack of supporting evidence.

NOM had failed to disclose even its required IRS 990 fi ...

Happy 40th!

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Happy 40th!
Still sharp after four decades, the Blade reaches a milestone
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, October 16, 2009
By Kevin Naff

I GREW UP a closeted suburban kid in Columbia, Md., bullied in middle school like so many gay youth, reinvented as a straight-A student body leader in high school, too busy to date girls.

My parents raised their three children Catholic, but thankfully, not as strictly religious as my mother was raised — a time when accidentally ingesting a bit of hamburger on a Lenten Friday would trigger an ocean of tears.

Coming of age in the '80s, there were no GSAs in schools and certainly no out classmates. Same-sex marriage wasn't on anyone's radar. This was the heyday of Reagan, Falwell and Helms. The religious right ruled and depictions of LGBT l ...

Welcome to D.C.

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Welcome to D.C.
National Equality March is a time to be inspired and serves as a reminder of the work that remains
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, October 09, 2009
I SUPPOSE IT'S somehow fitting that my birthday falls on National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11. It wasn't always a happy coincidence; I endured more than a little ribbing about it before coming out.

This year, Oct. 11 brings an added significance as LGBT people and allies from across the country take to the streets for the National Equality March. News of the march brought some cynical criticism, mostly from inside-the-beltway types who ridiculed organizers for planning a march while Congress is out of session.

Don't listen to them. They are the same lot who have failed to deliver a single LGBT-related federal law after decades of trying.

There are ample argumen ...

Remember Maine!

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EST

Remember Maine!
Obama must speak out to help avert a repeat of California's Prop 8
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, October 02, 2009
President Obama has endured stinging criticism from LGBT supporters for his perceived lack of action on our issues since taking over the White House.

Now is his chance for redemption.

With attention focused on Congress and the plight of several gay-related bills, we must not forget about the battle raging in Maine to preserve marriage rights there.

Opponents have forced a ballot question next month that would undo marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Obama should lend his voice to the cause of preserving marriage equality in Maine. He should speak out in unequivocal opposition to the ballot measure. We cannot afford ambiguity from the president ...

We will be united

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST

We will be united
Join us Sept. 30 in support of Catania's marriage equality bill
By Monique Ellison
Friday, September 25, 2009
ON SEPT. 30, at the True Reformer Building, the LGBT community will come together en masse — for something other than Capital Pride — for the first time since the HIV/AIDS crisis began. A small group of us began organizing this convocation because we thought we needed to get everyone together, all of the LGBT organizations, to support the marriage equality legislation coming before the City Council this fall.

We aren't a particular organization, just people who live in D.C. and want to support the city we live in and the people who live here, too. And we do mean all of the people who live here.

Those who oppose same-sex marriage are coming to D.C. with mone ...

Follow the money

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST

Follow the money
Federal gov't must investigate NOM's financial practices
By Danielle Truszkovsky
Friday, September 18, 2009
BEFORE WRITING THIS column, I sat and stared at my computer screen for what seemed like ages trying to figure out a way to make the topic of IRS regulations seem a bit more interesting.

Let's face it, most people just don't want to read about a subject as dry as tax law. Unfortunately, one of the only ways to detect questionable practices by organizations like the National Organization for Marriage is to first acquire the group's tax return, research it in detail, and make public the findings. Not surprisingly, NOM's initial return generated more questions than answers.

Obtaining the return has been an ongoing process spanning many months. On March 25, 2009, the group C ...

Unfinished business

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST

Unfinished business
Combating anti-LGBT discrimination is the next step for the civil rights agenda
By Philip Pannel
Friday, September 11, 2009
OUR COUNTRY IS made ever greater by the continued efforts to guarantee equal opportunity and rights for all citizens. While the historical transformation of the United States into an equal opportunity and equal rights society has led to advancements for women, African Americans and other groups, there still remains a minority in our country who experience daily discrimination and bigotry and for whom equality remains an elusive goal. That group consists of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender neighbors, co-workers, friends and relatives.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, a consistent and courageous voice for human rights, has stated that equal protections and right ...

Join D.C.'s 'convocation'

Fri, 4 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EST

Join D.C.'s 'convocation'
City activists of all stripes must unite in face of marriage opposition
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, September 04, 2009
Maryland minister Harry Jackson is at it again, pushing for an initiative banning same-sex marriage in his newly adopted home of Washington, D.C., even though the Board of Elections previously rejected a similar effort because it violates the Human Rights Act.

As the D.C. City Council draws closer to debating a full same-sex marriage bill this fall, it's critical that all of the players in the marriage fight — black, white, young, old, gay, straight — prepare for the inevitable onslaught from Jackson and the National Organization for Marriage, which recently relocated to the city.

NOM's executive director, Brian Brown, told the Blade last month that the anti ...

Let them march

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST

Let them march
It's all about visibility, so either applaud marchers' passion or get out of their way
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, August 28, 2009
THERE'S MUCH consternation within the LGBT rights movement of late over the issue of the planned National Equality March set for Oct. 10-11 in D.C.

On one side: Left Coast advocates like Cleve Jones and Dustin Lance Black who are lending their celebrity to help promote the cause. On the other: East Coast lobbyists worried about diverting precious resources from state marriage fights so we can have a party on the National Mall this fall.

The inside-the-Beltway take on the march goes something like this: Those Hollywood gays don't know how D.C. works — duh, Congress isn't even in session. President Obama will be relaxing at Camp David that weekend. No one will be ...

'Don't Ask' is our fault?

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST

'Don't Ask' is our fault?
Angry Clinton points fingers, revises history in Netroots outburst
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, August 21, 2009
AFTER MORE THAN a decade of analysis, study and debate over how the nation got stuck with “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” former President Bill Clinton explained it all last week.

It's our fault.

Clinton, speaking at Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh, was interrupted by audience member Lane Hudson, an activist and D.C. resident justifiably angry about Clinton's role in the debacle of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.” Kudos to Hudson for making a scene and lobbing a question about the military's gay ban. His interruption of the former president was consistent with Netroots' stated mission of “amplifying progressive voices.” Speakers who expect decorum and ...

Our moment, our march

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST

Our moment, our march
On Oct. 11, we will gather in D.C. — but the hard work comes afterwards
By Bruce Bastian
Friday, August 14, 2009
I'LL START BY writing something you might disagree with: Our moment in history is now. Keep reading.

No, the elections of 2008 did not topple, like the Berlin Wall, every degrading law that damages every LGBT person in this country. No, the elections didn't ensure that bigots like Rick Warren never saw the light of day or that the Defense of Marriage Act would not be defended in court. And no, in the end, we didn't defeat Proposition 8. We are not more equal. Yet.

But now we have the best Congress we've ever had. Now we have a president who will sign “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” and DOMA repeal bills, hate crimes legislation and an Employment Non-Discrimination ...

Marriage in Maryland?

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST

Marriage in Maryland?
Couples anxiously await a legal opinion from attorney general Gansler
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, August 07, 2009
THE SUMMER DOLDRUMS are about to give way to a busy fall in Maryland, as Attorney General Doug Gansler considers whether same-sex marriages performed elsewhere should be recognized in the state.

Gansler's office tells the Blade to expect a legal opinion on marriage recognition by summer's end. He has said he supports same-sex marriage, so expectations are high.

Meanwhile, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) is laying the groundwork for an expected easy ride to re-election next year, soliciting campaign contributions in an effort to build an intimidating war chest to scare off potential rivals like Democrat Doug Duncan and former Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

O'Mall ...

Iraqis raise grave allegations

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EST

Iraqis raise grave allegations
Fundraiser takes shocking turn after 2 men claim U.S. military murdered gays
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, July 31, 2009
OUR LEAD STORY this week about two gay Iraqi refugees raised some important questions about journalistic responsibility and merits some comment here.

It began last Friday when a gay Iraqi using the alias Hussam delivered a presentation at HRC's headquarters to a public audience of at least 75 people. Numerous LGBT activists were in attendance, as was Blade reporter Chris Johnson.

Hussam showed graphic photographs during the presentation, which he said he took while in Iraq. They included disturbing images of beheaded corpses. But one image stood out: It purportedly showed a small group of gay Iraqi men naked, chained together and kneeling before a U.S. tank as America ...

Twisted arguments against equality

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EST

Twisted arguments against equality
Gay rights opponents have mastered the art of perverting America's founding principles
By Michael Guest
Friday, July 17, 2009
LAST WEEK,THE House Subcommittee on Federal Workplace, Postal Service & the District of Columbia heard some astounding testimony on the Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act.

On its face, this is a plain-vanilla bill, about nothing more than workplace fairness, full stop. It simply argues that gay and lesbian federal workers should be entitled to the same benefits as those given to their straight colleagues, from health and life insurance, to relocation assistance, to pension rights.

But Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the only Republican to show up for the hearing, would have none of that. Predictably, he defended the traditional definition of marriage ...

Inside the White House

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EST

Inside the White House
After decades of picketing outside, LGBT activists are finally welcomed past the gates
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, July 10, 2009
AFTER A HECTIC Pride season came to a close, I took last week off to spend at the beach in Rehoboth. As I logged off my computer to head home, I breathed a sigh of relief that vacation had finally arrived. I didn't even make it out of the door before the cell phone started ringing.

The White House was calling to invite me to the LGBT reception held last Monday. As part of the Blade team that covered the Bush administration, I am unaccustomed to calls from the White House, so the invitation came as a pleasant surprise. Bush's White House revoked the Blade's press credentials and our calls went mostly unreturned during his second term. It was the black hole of news as secrecy reign ...

Yes we can! But when?

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EST

Yes we can! But when?
Obama promised to be a 'fierce advocate' for LGBT equality but is moving too slowly
By Mary Frances Berry
Friday, July 03, 2009
PRESIDENT OBAMA, YOU are moving too slowly. Your recent actions concerning LGBT issues appear too hesitant, too tentative. You claimed to be a “fierce advocate” for the gay community while you were campaigning for the presidency, inspiring the masses with cries of “Yes we can,” yet you seem to be foot-dragging on progress.

In a 2007 interview with the Advocate, you made the bold assertion that you were helping to encourage understanding that would ultimately strengthen the cause of LGBT rights. You even stated that, “there has not been a stronger and more consistent advocate on LGBT issues than I have been.” You may talk the talk, but you certai ...

Alas, poor activism, we knew her well

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EST

Alas, poor activism, we knew her well
40 years after Stonewall, sipping cocktails has replaced marching as our preferred method of protest
By KEVIN NAFF
Friday, June 26, 2009
FORTY YEARS AFTER the rebellion at Stonewall, the business of activism is in a sorry state.

Four decades after a group of gay bar patrons humiliated the New York police department by repelling their regular raids with physical force (from kick lines to bottle throwing), a group of wealthy and connected LGBT donors was preparing to sip cocktails with Vice President Joe Biden at the posh Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington last night and enjoy the 10,000-square-foot spa at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser.

When the Obama administration's Justice Department defended the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act in a legal brief that would have made George W. Bush p ...