Undeniably one of the most recognized and inspiring leaders in the crusade for LGBT equality, Dustin Lance Black was at the forefront of the drive toward the National Equality March.
At the historic gathering in Washington, D.C. ,over October 10-11, Black addressed the crowd to reinforce the grave importance of demanding that "the promise of our Constitution and Declaration of Independence be honored" to the fullest immediately for LGBT people throughout the United States of America.
He also had a response to silence those detractors who argue that we must wait for our rights.
Watch the historic and inspirational address from screenwriter and LGBT rights leader Dustin Lance Black below:
As if you needed another reason to be sorry you ever heard of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, The Advocate reports that the coauthor of Palin's forthcoming memoir, Going Rogue, is a known "fanatical homophobe," according to political bloggers. Adding injury to a thoroughly insulting circumstance, the man behind publisher HarperCollins’s marketing is an out gay man. Not a pretty picture to proponents of equality.
A potential big disappointment for gay rights activists in California has been avoided for now. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed crucial bills, including one to sanction a Harvey Milk Day observance and one to recognize gay marriages performed in states where they are already legal. Harvey Milk Day will be observed annually on May 22, the birthday of the slain gay rights leader and San Francisco politician. Public schools and all other educational institutions are encouraged to plan events. Schwarzenegger clarified that the measure to recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other states would "provide the same legal protections that would otherwise be available to couples that enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships out-of-state.
One of the most recognizable activists in the LGBT rights movement, Judy Shepard, addressed a gigantic crowd in our nation's capital and encouraged listeners to continue the fight every day in their own homes and communities.
Is President Barack Obama a "consistent and fierce advocate of the gay community," as he once proclaimed?
CNN outlines the many promises the president made while on the campaign trail that remain as yet unfulfilled. As critics continue to recommend that the LGBT community wait for their rights and not pressure the president, equality activist and LGBT leader Cleve Jones explains to Anderson Cooper why we can't wait.
Shattering any lingering preconceptions about masculinity, machismo, or sports stigmas, New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita takes an eloquent stance as an advocate for immediate LGBT equality in America.
He's tolerant of everything except intolerance. What a man!
The Saints linebacker received his bachelor’s in political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and now makes his home, with his wife and children, in post-Katrina New Orleans. In an interview with Dave Zirin, sports correspondent for The Nation, on HuffingtonPost.com, Fujita shares his opinions (which he doesn't consider courageous) and why he endorses the October 10-11 National Equality March.
The devoted gay ally Lady Gaga encouraged all her fans to participate in this weekend's National Equality March in our nation's capital. Fresh off her Saturday Night Live performances, Gaga stopped by a late-night fund-raising rally in New York City to address the attendees and emphasize how high the stakes are.
Though she got the event's title slightly wrong, her heart seems to be in the right place, and her cry for mobilization is right-on. All of you: Get to D.C. or get out in your local community to support the National Equality March. Find out what you can do here.
“Next week is the gay pride march, and I know that I’m going to be there marching with all of you,” the “Paparazzi” singer told the crowd.
"I really believe in this cause, and as a woman in pop music I think that this is really an important weekend, and it's not a f*ckng joke,” she continued. “So get your asses to D.C. and wear something fabulous, and I'll see you guys there."
Permits for the National Equality March are being issued, as the city has approved its route. According to Equality Across America, the organizing group, the march was approved last week, but the application needed a final signature from an official who was out of town.
Is it the jewelry, the designer labels, and the diva behavior that
attracts legions of gay men to Bravo's endless parade of Real Housewives, with each cast more delusional and dramatic than the last? Maybe it's just the bawdy, ballsy nature of the Housewives that gay men recognize as a cultural soul mate. The Housewives
say what they think and the good, the bad, and the ugly are all aired
over and over for us to see. These women love and indulge themselves
while living their lives loudly and proudly, squeezing extra drops
of joy, drama, flair, and sparkle out of their every waking moment.
Sounds pretty familiar to our gay ears.
Though he avoided definitive comments in the past, telling the London Evening Standard in 2007, "I never talk about anything to do with my sexuality, I don't think I need to,” pop singer Mika has clarified his sexual orientation. The Advocate reports that Mika told a Netherlands gay publication, "I've never ever labeled myself. But having said that, I've never limited my life. I've never limited who I sleep with. ... Call me whatever you want. Call me bisexual, if you need a term for me."
The creative music maker also shared his interesting views on being a role model for closeted LGBT youths. Mika said, "There are ways of being a role model without having to always having to establish yourself with a label. Let's say if you're a 16-year-old guy, and you're not sure about your sexuality, you should be as free as you want."
"Having a role model who makes you feel like it's alright to do whatever you want, without the pressure of a label, I think that's a good thing as well," the singer said of hits like "Grace Kelly" and his latest, "We Are Golden." "I think there's a million different ways to do it, there isn't only one. And I hope I'm right."
Tell us: Do you agree with Mika that there are "a million different ways to do it," or is it valuable to identify with labels such as gay and bisexual?
