LGBT

People like Pat Robertson or Fred Phelps will never succeed in silencing the voices of queers. They're too recognizably vile, and create an instant, impassioned response against them, to ever act as anything other than very good rallying points for people who believe in social justice and sexual equality. The worst enemies of sexual minorities come from within the LGBT communities themselves. They're the people whose vision of LGBT activism involves making the homos just like the heteros, and want that so badly that they strive not to broaden our culture's vision of sexuality, but instead work to narrow the community's vision of itself. Look, for example, at this quote from Joseph Sabrow's editorial in Metroline, a New England gay and lesbian publication, that Autumn Sandeen spotted:

I was waiting for a clearer, sharper intellect than my own to come along and make clear the reasons for the holocaust that's consuming Southern California. First, the hard-hitting journalists told me that it was all a plot by Al Qaeda. Fair enough; that seemed plausible at first, but I couldn't help noticing the lack of smug declarations of responsibility from Osama Bin-Laden. But then, I got it. Who's really responsible for all the bad stuff that happens to this country?

FAGGOTS!

Or, as former-homo-current-closet-case-fundamentalist James Hartline puts it:

They shook their fists at God and said, “We don't care what God says, we will issue our legal brief to support gay marriage in San Diego!” Then Mayor Jerry Sanders mocked the Christian vote and signed off on this rebellious legal document to support same-sex marriage.

From the HRC "National Coming Out Day" page :

This year will also mark an important hallmark as National Coming Out Day, falls on the 20th anniversary of the 1987 Gay and Lesbian March on Washington, and the unfurling of the AIDS Quilt on the National Mall. The very first National Coming Out Day was celebrated a year to the day later as a way of continuing the spirit of openness, honesty and visibility that the March and the AIDS Quilt presentation inspired. 

If you know of events in your area, please add them to the calendar! 

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We all too often keep important political issues separated in our mind but recognizing the ways they intersect is often the only way to produce smart policy. This event highlights the intersection of two sets of issues that many people keep separate in their minds, but that really have significant areas of overlap especially around questions discrimination, civil rights, and family status.

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From the NYU Gender Studies discussion list (posted by Joe E. Jeffreys):

Discover and relive the history of the 82 Club in the very room it took place.

An East Village night spot, starting the 1950s the 82 Club offered lavish drag shows three times nightly for 20 plus years before becoming a rock and roll club (where Wayne County, the New York Dolls and the Mumps played among others) and today serves as a gay male cruising ground.

Incorporating hundreds of photos spanning the history of the space as well as rare audio and video clips Joe E. Jeffreys’ multi-media talk stirs up tales and ghosts of the fabled club.

This special event is part of HOT! Dixon Place’s 16th Annual NYC Celebration of Queer Culture.

From the Dixon Place calendar page:

So it seems that "new media" users and activists are spurring challenges to the way we think about presidential campaigns. We've had the YouTube/CNN debate, and now we're gearing up for the HRC/Logo debate. While neither HRC nor Logo are "new media" entities, they want to use the democratizing force of the Internet by inviting you to submit questions that will be asked by HRC president Joe Solmonese, singer Melissa Etheridge, and journalist Jonathan Capeheart.

Issues that uniquely affect the lives of LGBT citizens are often neglected in presidential politics. Do you have a question you'd like the candidates to address? Is there an issue you think has been left out of the traditional debate scheme too often?

Human Rigths Campaign and MTV Logo host the first ever presidential debate devoted entirely to LGBT issues. From their release:

This historic two-hour forum, moderated by Margaret Carlson, will be broadcast live on the Logo network and online at the Logo website on Thursday, Aug. 9, starting at 9 p.m. EST.

Confirmed candidates now include:

• Hillary Clinton,
• Christopher Dodd,
• John Edwards,
• Mike Gravel,
• Dennis Kucinich,
• Barack Obama, and
• Bill Richardson.

The panelists asking the questions will be Joe Solmonese (HRC president), singer Melissa Etheridge and journalist Jonathan Capeheart.

For more information or to submit a question for the candidates, click here.