Some who are pushing for gay athletes to compete at the Russian Olympics in Sochi, justify their efforts by pointing out that at least Russian gay activist, Nikolai Alekseev wants to see the Olympics there so that it can be used to draw attention to the plight of queer people in Russia. But now questions are arising as to if Alekseev is all right or if something has happened to him. (bolding is mine) Something strange[Read More…]
I have often had folks question if gays and lesbians are really discriminated against enough that a state law protecting them in employment, housing and public accommodations is necessary. They say, “But I’ve never heard of someone being discriminated against.” This story comes from Florida, but the same could happen here in Pennsylvania: A Florida condominium association says it won’t allow gay or unmarried heterosexual couples to purchase a home in its development, stating that[Read More…]
I want to address first, the fallacy that Johnny Weir and Blake Skjellerup have any business thinking their idea means much just because they are Olympic athletes. If Blake would choose to remain in the closet out of financial considerations, why would he think that having one’s life placed in danger is not a reason to put a halt to the Olympics being held in Russia? They would do better to pressure the IOC to move the Games to a safer place.
But ongoing bashing, especially when based on falsehoods and misinformation is the type of crap you expect to find on Fox News rather than from LGBTQ advocates and enlightened activists. Bashing, simply for bashing sake helps no one and doesn’t further progress. Progress towards full fairness and equality should always be the goal. One reason, in my opinion, the move for full LGBTQ Equality gets slowed is because some would rather get caught up in bickering, bashing and the spread of misinformation rather than staying focused on the real goal of full equality.
But PA isn’t CA, and that wasn’t the reason the anti-gay folks lost in CA anyway. The suit filed against PA lists a number of state and county officers, so there should be no problem with standing nor finding someone to defend the PA DOMA law.
Our work is to elect individuals who will work for everyone in Pennsylvania without bias for favoring one minority position. Our work is to make our voices heard to our currently elected officials. They need to hear from us- personal letters, phone calls, and meetings. Our work is to be engaged, because it will take all of us to create a better Pennsylvania.
Yes, we won big yesterday. Both of these decisions are huge and have major ramifications, but if we aren’t clear about what really happened, we add to the muddy understanding by the general public and that benefits no one.
thomascwaters.com is pleased to say, “Congrats” to Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents longevity, and “Happy Anniversary”! Sue has helped not only the local LGBTQ community grow and thrive. By clicking the button, you can make a donation to the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh as a way to celebrate the Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents Anniversary!
You could say, that now we await the decisions, but I’d like to suggest that we do more than simply wait. Use this time to relish the importance of this milestone and this moment! And use this time to prepare for how we move forward, demanding full equality for all LGBTQ persons. Some feel that the inordinate focus on Marriage has eclipsed the needs for other rights for gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and queer people. It is up to us to make sure that no one is left behind and that freedom for all, includes ALL.
The US Supreme Court will hand down their decisions in the two same-sex marriage cases before them: a case to repeal section 3 of DOMA, and a case to repeal Prop 8 in California. Here are some resources to help you stay on top of this news