 NJ.com | New Jersey Activists Call For Gay Marriage Vote On Top Magazine Backers of gay marriage in New Jersey are calling on lawmakers to approve a gay marriage bill before Governor Jon Corzine leaves office ... Equality's Ragged March Rod Dreher: On gay marriage, empathy is a two-way street ROBIN L. QUILLON | It's your choice to be gay, but it's not a civil right |
 Seattle Post Intelligencer | Gay-Marriage Fight Heads to New Jersey Wall Street Journal The battle over gay rights will move to New Jersey and the federal government, advocates said, after Tuesday's narrow rejection of ... Californians say no more gay marriage votes: Times poll Schools emerge as new tactic in gay marriage votes Maine vote on gay marriage informs Oregon strategy |
 New York Times | Labels and Gay Benefits in Health Bill New York Times WASHINGTON â€" Lower taxes for gay couples who receive health benefits from employers. Nutrition labeling requirements for snack food sold in ... |
Health Care Bill Passes House, Includes vital protections for LGBT families Seattle Post Intelligencer Thanks to lobbying efforts by the Human Rights Campaign and leadership from Representative Jim mcdermott, several LGBT provisions were included in the ... |
 CBS News | Referendum 71 Approved by Washington Voters, making history for LGBT families Seattle Post Intelligencer An LGBT referendum has never been approved by voters anywhere in the United States, that is until November 3 when fair minded voters from throughout the ... Washington voters approve Ref. 71 Washington State Voters Approve Statewide Domestic Partnership Law Two out of three ain't bad |
Reeling 2009: Fish Out of Water ChicagoPride.com Our mission is to recognize the important artistic and socially relevant contributions LGBT filmmakers have made to our culture and to counteract ... Reeling 2009: Reel Skin program |
Seattle Post Intelligencer | Who's to Blame for Maine? EDGE Boston In the aftermath of Maine voters having narrowly rescinded marriage equality rights for gay and lesbian families, GLBT equality advocates ... Gay marriage, GLBT rights fall victim to the voters Withers: Why no race blame game after the Maine loss? GLBT award nominees sought |
GLBT group getting new community center in Denver Denver Post ... said Thursday that it will soon move to the former Video One building at 1301 E. Colfax Ave., and transform it into an epicenter for the GLBT community. ... Ride with pride with CycleStoke Communication Workers Union (CWU) - LTB 978/09 - CWU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual ... |
 Examiner.com | Marriage Equality Rally redux Examiner.com Is the GLBT community getting too used to being defeated by a popular vote? Or perhaps discouraged by a lack of progress? People sometimes fail to fight for ... |
According to this New York Times article, same-sex couples who identify as married are similar to straight spouses in terms of age and income, and nearly one-third of them are raising children, according to Census data released Monday that provides a demographic snapshot of gay families in America.
The study released by a think tank based at UCLA also found that Utah and Wyoming were among the states with the highest percentages of gay spouses in 2008, despite being heavily conservative states with no laws providing legal recognition of gay relationships.
The data from the annual American Community Survey showed that nearly 150,000 same-sex couples in the U.S., or more than one in four, referred to one another as ''husband'' or ''wife,'' although UCLA researchers estimate that no more than 32,000 of the couples were legally married.
The couples had an average age of 52 and household incomes of $91,558, while 31 percent were raising children. That compares with an average age of 50, household income of $95,075 and 43 percent raising children for married heterosexual couples.
''It's intrinsically interesting that same-sex couples who use the term spouses look like opposite-sex married couples even with a characteristic like children,'' said Gary Gates, the UCLA demographer who conducted the analysis. ''Most proponents of traditional marriage will say that when you allow these couples to marry, you are going to change the fundamental nature of marriage by decoupling it from procreation. Clearly, in the minds of same-sex couples who are marrying or think of themselves as married, you are not decoupling child-rearing from marriage.''
Gates said the report is the first to reliably compare same-sex couples who identify as married with gays who say they're in unmarried partnerships and with married opposite-sex couples.
To continue reading this article, click here.
The study released by a think tank based at UCLA also found that Utah and Wyoming were among the states with the highest percentages of gay spouses in 2008, despite being heavily conservative states with no laws providing legal recognition of gay relationships.
The data from the annual American Community Survey showed that nearly 150,000 same-sex couples in the U.S., or more than one in four, referred to one another as ''husband'' or ''wife,'' although UCLA researchers estimate that no more than 32,000 of the couples were legally married.
The couples had an average age of 52 and household incomes of $91,558, while 31 percent were raising children. That compares with an average age of 50, household income of $95,075 and 43 percent raising children for married heterosexual couples.
''It's intrinsically interesting that same-sex couples who use the term spouses look like opposite-sex married couples even with a characteristic like children,'' said Gary Gates, the UCLA demographer who conducted the analysis. ''Most proponents of traditional marriage will say that when you allow these couples to marry, you are going to change the fundamental nature of marriage by decoupling it from procreation. Clearly, in the minds of same-sex couples who are marrying or think of themselves as married, you are not decoupling child-rearing from marriage.''
Gates said the report is the first to reliably compare same-sex couples who identify as married with gays who say they're in unmarried partnerships and with married opposite-sex couples.
To continue reading this article, click here.
Yesterday, President Obama said that he fully supports an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)!
According to this article, the Obama Administration Thursday endorsed full-scale protections for gay and transgender workers from job discrimination, giving a major boost to legislation written by Sen. Jeff Merkley that is based on similar protections offered in Oregon.
"No American should be denied a job or the opportunity to earn promotions, pay raises and other benefits of employment because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identify, which have no bearing on work performance,'' Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights told a Senate panel.
"No one should be fired because he or she is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Period,'' Perez told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. He added: ``This is a top legislative priority for the Obama administration.''
The bill offered by Merkley is the latest iteration of a legislation originally offered in 1994 by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Merkley's bill is largely patterned after one he helped pass in Oregon in 2007 that provides protections against job discrimination.
It would prohibit employers, employment agencies and labor organizations from firing, refusing to hire, or discriminating against those employed or seeking employment, on the basis of their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. Such protections are already in place prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability.
In an op-ed yesterday, Jaime Grant, Policy Institute Director at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said,
"So as unemployment rates continue to climb, workplace fairness has a special resonance among Americans struggling to keep their homes and their dignity. While this sense of vulnerability is new to many, it is not for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, many of whom have absolutely no protection from discrimination and can be fired from their jobs arbitrarily, on the basis of sheer bias rather than work performance. Jobs and workplace fairness are critical to our country’s future, and people should not be denied their livelihoods because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. As the nation’s political leaders consider how to get America back on solid economic footing and its people back to work, the passage and enactment of ENDA must be part of that solution.
According to this article, the Obama Administration Thursday endorsed full-scale protections for gay and transgender workers from job discrimination, giving a major boost to legislation written by Sen. Jeff Merkley that is based on similar protections offered in Oregon.
"No American should be denied a job or the opportunity to earn promotions, pay raises and other benefits of employment because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identify, which have no bearing on work performance,'' Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights told a Senate panel.
"No one should be fired because he or she is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Period,'' Perez told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. He added: ``This is a top legislative priority for the Obama administration.''
The bill offered by Merkley is the latest iteration of a legislation originally offered in 1994 by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Merkley's bill is largely patterned after one he helped pass in Oregon in 2007 that provides protections against job discrimination.
It would prohibit employers, employment agencies and labor organizations from firing, refusing to hire, or discriminating against those employed or seeking employment, on the basis of their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. Such protections are already in place prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability.
In an op-ed yesterday, Jaime Grant, Policy Institute Director at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said,
"So as unemployment rates continue to climb, workplace fairness has a special resonance among Americans struggling to keep their homes and their dignity. While this sense of vulnerability is new to many, it is not for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, many of whom have absolutely no protection from discrimination and can be fired from their jobs arbitrarily, on the basis of sheer bias rather than work performance. Jobs and workplace fairness are critical to our country’s future, and people should not be denied their livelihoods because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. As the nation’s political leaders consider how to get America back on solid economic footing and its people back to work, the passage and enactment of ENDA must be part of that solution.
Rose Marie Walston stood at the podium at the Nash Arts Center Monday night and said she was "coming out."
But it wasn't the typical revelation to others that she is gay.
It was a mother. A mother who did not know her son was gay until he overdosed on drugs six years ago.
"It's hard for me to stand up here," she said. "It has taken me six and a half years to get to this place. I live with the pain every day of my son. It's got to stop and this is where I'm starting."
Walston, originally from Wilson, lost her son in 2003. He was 36.
Mitchell Gold, author of "Crisis: 40 stories revealing the personal, social and religious pain and trauma of growing up gay in America," asked Walston to share her story during his visit to Nashville. The Rocky Mount branch of PFLAG invited Gold to speak. Close to 130 people attended the event.
The New Jersey native, who moved to Hickory 22 years ago, learned many teens struggled in small-town America with their sexual identity. As a young man, he was gripped with fear thinking that his parents and brother would reject him. He was also afraid at school, wasn't sure if he would ever have a successful career and didn't know if society would accept him.
"I don't remember a happy day when I was in school or in my college days," Gold said. "I remember so many nights going to bed thinking about killing myself because I didn't want to live this kind of life that has no future in this society."
Gold finally told his father and was relieved his father only wanted him happy. Through therapy he learned how to accept his identity and love himself.
He discussed his interaction with many politicians who oppose gay marriage or other human rights for people who are not heterosexual.
"I've had an understanding of how religious beliefs can be used to hurt or harm other people but I also have an understanding of how religious beliefs can be used to welcome and love and care about people," he said.
Gold is the founder of Faith in America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending religion-based prejudice. He is best known as a leader and trendsetter in the furniture industry.
For the full article in The Wilson Times, click here.
But it wasn't the typical revelation to others that she is gay.
It was a mother. A mother who did not know her son was gay until he overdosed on drugs six years ago.
"It's hard for me to stand up here," she said. "It has taken me six and a half years to get to this place. I live with the pain every day of my son. It's got to stop and this is where I'm starting."
Walston, originally from Wilson, lost her son in 2003. He was 36.
Mitchell Gold, author of "Crisis: 40 stories revealing the personal, social and religious pain and trauma of growing up gay in America," asked Walston to share her story during his visit to Nashville. The Rocky Mount branch of PFLAG invited Gold to speak. Close to 130 people attended the event.
The New Jersey native, who moved to Hickory 22 years ago, learned many teens struggled in small-town America with their sexual identity. As a young man, he was gripped with fear thinking that his parents and brother would reject him. He was also afraid at school, wasn't sure if he would ever have a successful career and didn't know if society would accept him.
"I don't remember a happy day when I was in school or in my college days," Gold said. "I remember so many nights going to bed thinking about killing myself because I didn't want to live this kind of life that has no future in this society."
Gold finally told his father and was relieved his father only wanted him happy. Through therapy he learned how to accept his identity and love himself.
He discussed his interaction with many politicians who oppose gay marriage or other human rights for people who are not heterosexual.
"I've had an understanding of how religious beliefs can be used to hurt or harm other people but I also have an understanding of how religious beliefs can be used to welcome and love and care about people," he said.
Gold is the founder of Faith in America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending religion-based prejudice. He is best known as a leader and trendsetter in the furniture industry.
For the full article in The Wilson Times, click here.
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