There are two extremely different impressions of the mayor within Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ community: some feel he is a homophobe and has only made gestures for the community- just enough to get the support of wealthy Pittsburgh gays. Others believe he is genuinely interested in the LGBTQ community and has acted in ways that are good for the community. Which view is correct? I don’t know.
So if Baltimore County does strip public restrooms and locker rooms as they are considering, they are essentially saying that discrimination is acceptable because Fear trumps facts. They may do this to try and compromise, but this is no compromise. It is a loss for equality; a loss for LGBTQ rights; and a win, only for the antigay haters.
Do you seek to provide services or are you a force of social change? Both are needed,and yet if we do not accept and commit to the social change we will be forever simply trying to keep up with the need.
The situation is changeable, yet you can not push the river. Photo: Some rights reserved by neonarcade
This is a really great post by Alyssa Rosenberg, worth reading by anyone interested in issues surrounding gender, sex, sexual orientation race- just about any way that divides people into groups. I haven’t written much concerning this topic, except to say repeatedly, that the folks pushing for these types of controls on women are the same folks who push an anti-gay agenda. Of the 146 guests who have come on cable news shows to discuss[Read More…]
Personally, I think this says less about “gay headline policy priorities” and more about the fact that black LGBTQ’s have not been a visible part of the LGBTQ movement all along, from a political perspective.Therefore, what is seen as “major progress” by some is still seen as very little progress by others. I also disagree with the sentence:
I remain convinced that the Occupy Movement is the single most important social justice efforts to be seen in the United States in since the 1960’s. It is a beginning, and the status quo, which the movement battles against is a formidible foe. If there is to be a long term victory, the movement must continue every day in every way.
Alabama State Sen. McGill does not shy away from referencing his personal religion in public statements regarding political decisions, which would normally be problematic, but is especially so when these statements turn out to be extremely hypocritical. Most recently, he publicly stated that keeping teachers’ pay low is “a Biblical principle.” “If you double a teacher’s pay scale, you’ll attract people who aren’t called to teach,” he said. Alabama’s teachers are among the least paid[Read More…]
On one level, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s position on Marriage Equality is not surprising given the general position on the issue held by most GOP politicians. What is however, quite striking is the blatant snake-oil salesman-like approach he is taking. I can accept that he is vowing to veto the measure if it makes it to his desk. I don’t like that, but it is him standing up for the position he has said[Read More…]
Regrettably, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has decided not to unseal the video record of the historic twelve-day public trial of Prop. 8. Ninth Circuit Rules on Prop. 8 Trial Tapes | American Foundation for Equal Rights.