GLBT Community | Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Tranny Blogspot
GLBT Community blogspot for gay, lesbian, bisexual and tranny fellas and dames to hold hands together with pride as the struggle towards equality and freedom continues.
Iowa governor-elect Terry Branstad said that he's "got enough on [his] plate" to worry about and won't opine on three state legislators' efforts to impeach the four remaining Iowa Supreme Court justices who ruled last year in favor of marriage equality.
The incoming Republican governor has called on the state legislature to begin the process of a ballot vote on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, but declined comment as to whether the four justices should be removed through impeachment, Radio Iowa reports. “The governor doesn’t have a role in that,” Branstad said.
Groups including the National Organization for Marriage, the Family Research Council, and the American Family Association launched a successful $1 million campaign against three of the state's justices who were up for retention votes in November. Justices Marsha Ternus, Michael J. Streit, and David L. Baker were all voted off the bench.
The Conservative Political Action Conference has veered too liberal in inviting the gay Republican group GoProud, according to two national antigay organizations that will not attend the February event in Washington, D.C.
Both Concerned Women for America and the Family Research Council will not participate at the 2011 CPAC Conference, according toWorldNetDaily.
"We've been very involved in CPAC for over a decade and have managed a couple of popular sessions," said Tom McClusky, senior vice president for FRCAction, the lobbying arm of Family Research Council. "However, we will no longer be involved with CPAC because of the organization's financial mismanagement and movement away from conservative principles."
Concerned Women for America president Penny Nance told WND her group would not participate in CPAC "in part" because of GoProud.
GoProud's participation in CPAC has irked social conservatives before: Last year groups led by Liberty University School of Law revoked their sponsorship when event organizers refused to disinvite the gay organization.
An antigay commissioner in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County called gay people “sexual predators” in an e-mail response to a letter from a fellow commissioner asking her colleagues to sign a thank-you note to the state’s officials who voted to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Mecklenburg County commissioner Jennifer Roberts circulated the letter earlier this month, prompting an angry response from Bill James.
“Homosexuals are sexual predators,” James wrote in response to the e-mail from Roberts. “Allowing homosexuals to serve in the U.S. military with the endorsement of the Mecklenburg County Commission ignores a host of serious problems related to maintaining U.S. military readiness and effectiveness not the least of which is the current Democrat plan to allow homosexuals (male and female) to share showers with those they are attracted to.”
In 2009, James made headlines for mumbling the word “homo” after a colleague spoke of her son dying of AIDS. A few years earlier, he was quoted as saying people of color "live in a moral sewer."
Change.org is urging people to sign a petition to the Mecklenburg County board urging members to censure James “for repeatedly using his work e-mail to bash LGBT folks.” James was just reelected to his seat.
Stick though the Dating Cycle Although it can be tempting to jump into a relationship with the first attractive man you meet, don’t. Finding other gay men can be challenge, but don’t let it be an excuse for sticking with someone who is wrong for you.
Break the Routine If you find yourself struggling through the same problems in every relationship, break your routine. Something in your dating behavior is not working, but you keep trying it over and over. Don’t expect a similar situation to possibly have a different outcome. If your dating style tends to attract jerks, then the style needs to change.
Men are Men With gay dating, there is no us and them. Gay men date other gay men. Venus and Mars have no place here. Put yourself in your date’s shoes – what would you want from a partner? Let your Fingers do the Talking With the explosion of Internet dating, the door is wide open to finding other gay partners. While in the past the struggle to meet others of a similar mindset was more of a challenge, now it almost seems like there are too many possibilities. If you haven’t yet explored online gay dating, now is the time to try.
Determine your Gay Dating Goal Straight relationships tend to be more simplistic, dating to get married and have kids. Gay dating goals are not as cut and dry. Not only is true gay marriage impossible in most places, not all gay men even want a long term relationship. Before embarking on your next date, ask yourself “what do I really want?” Then, make sure you find a partner who shares the same goals.
Pursuing the Pursuer In traditional times, men pursued women. Although this has changed in some ways, it still exists in our societal culture today. Gay men tend to have a difficult time knowing how and when to shift roles, from the aggressor to the receiver. The key factor is learning to watch your date’s external clues. His body language will give you hints as to how you should proceed. Leaning back with a coy smile and crossed legs is an invitation to let you take the lead. Reaching out to take your arm and speaking with a deeper voice is a sign to let him take over.
The Eyes Have It For seduction the eyes are the key. Practice in the mirror. Learn to look intently for approximately 5 seconds and then slowly look away. Then, take another peek. If you catch him still looking, give him another 5 seconds. The art of eye-catching flirting will help you spot an interested gay man, even from a distance.
Testosterone is Driven by Victory From puberty and even earlier, men are programmed to be competitive and desire victory. When men are dating other men, this competitive drive can clash. While dating, it is important to let mystery and suspense build. Play a little hard to get and encourage the relationship to move slowly.
Smaller Community Unless you live in New York City, the gay community in your town will tend to be a close knit group. Therefore, it is important to be careful where you go for gay dating advice. Gossip and rumors can spin out of control faster than you can bat an eyelash. First Dates and Gay Dating Advice Whether it is a set up or the first meeting of an online affair, first dates have their unique rules. It is important to meet somewhere public with a short time span planned. A walk in a park or a coffee break are perfect set ups to get to know one another casually.
Hold Back those Beans Early on in gay dating, don’t spill the beans too soon. One of the most common mistakes is to share too much of your past baggage with a partner early on. There will always be time to open up, but in the beginning stick to lighter topics to help you establish a relationship and trust first.
Be Realistic If a new relationship gets hot and heavy on the first date, prepare yourself a quick ending. Many gay men are looking for a one night stand only. If you get dumped after a night of wild sex, accept it wasn’t about you at all - just a night of physical need.
Be Safe With any dating these days but most certainly with gay dating, safe sex is important. The number one important thing to remember in gay dating advice is, wear a condom. It is also advisable to discuss your HIV status. A common question in gay circles so be prepared to have an answer. If you have never been tested, do it now.
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity. The movement has three main premises: that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity, that diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and gender identity are inherent and cannot be intentionally altered.The use of the abbreviated gay pride and pride have since become mainstream and shorthand expressions inclusive of all individuals in various LGBT communities.
The word pride is used in this case an antonym for shame, which has been used to control and oppress LGBT persons throughout history. Pride in this sense is an affirmation of ones self and the community as a whole. The modern "pride" movement began after the "Stonewall riots" in 1969. Instead of backing down to unconstitutional raids by New York Police, gay people in local bars fought back. While it was a violent situation it also gave the underground community the first sense of communal pride in a very well publicized incident. From the yearly parade that commemorated the anniversary of the Stonewall riots began a national grassroots movement. Today many countries around the world celebrate LGBT pride. The pride movement has furthered the cause of gay rights by lobbying politicians, registering voters and increasing visibility to educate on issues important to LGBT communities. LGBT pride advocates work for equal "rights and benefits" for LGBT people.
Symbols of LGBT pride include the LGBT rainbow flag, butterfly, the Greek lambda symbol, and the pink as well as black triangles reclaimed from their past use.
History
Advocates of gay pride have used history to point to oppression as well as differing levels of acceptance of homosexuality throughout history.The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier, as Western societies have done for the past century. Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants, but by the extent to which such desire or behavior conformed to social norms. These norms were based on gender, age and social status."Lesbian" derives from the name of the island of Lesbos, which was famous for the poet Sappho, who wrote love poetry to female lovers.Homosexuality in the ancient Roman Empire is considered to have been widespread but was tempered by the complex social systems of the society.
During Medieval times all forms of sexuality began to be repressed by the church as the message of heaven and hell gained popularity.As technology fell behind, simple luxuries such as clean running water and proper sewage became a thing of the past. This caused horrible conditions and disease. People began to believe that they were suffering from the wrath of God, blaming immorality.Any and all forms of homosexuality became not only shameful but punishable by death.In 390, the first law banning same-sex love was enacted in Rome, making it punishable by death.
19th century movement in Germany
At the turn of the century in Germany there was an early gay rights movement akin to today's Gay Pride movement. Lead by Magnus Hirschfeld, this movement sought to educate the public and to bring about the repeal of Paragraph 175, a provision of the German Criminal Code begun on the 15th May, 1871, which made homosexual acts between males a crime.
Notable figures in contemporary history
Part of the gay pride movement honors past LGBT figures who prospered despite persecution for their openness and coming out of various perceived closets. There have been notable figures that have fought for or involved themselves in gay rights, or their right to live their lives as they saw fit. Oscar Wilde is amongst the more famous for his writings as well for his imprisonment for the "love that dare not speak its name". Quentin Crisp also battled societal norms to live and love without the fear of arrest. Author of The Naked Civil Servant, he has become an icon and camp figure within LGBT communities and symbol of gay pride for many.
The Holocaust
During World War II as Nazi Germany began its domination of Europe many people found themselves being rounded up and sent to concentration camps. The Holocaust was undertaken with homosexuals as one of the groups targeted with gay men being marked with a pink triangle badge while lesbians were designated with a black triangle for "antisocial behavior".
Post-Stonewall (Modern gay rights movement)
Stonewall riots
In June 1969, a group of LGBT people rioted following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar at 43 Christopher Street, New York City. Further protests and rioting continued for several nights following the raid. The riots are frequently cited as the first instance in American history when gays and lesbians fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals, and they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.
1970s
Gay Liberation Front and Gay Activists Alliance in the early post-Stonewall era, coordinated the first anniversary rally and then the "Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day March" (Archival footage of March) on June 28, 1970 to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion.First anniversary marches organized by other groups were also held in San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1970. Brenda Howard also originated the idea for a week-long series of events around what is now known as Pride Day; this became the first of the extended annual LGBT Pride celebrations that are now held around the world. In New York and Atlanta the annual day of celebration to commemorate the Stonewall Riot came to be called Gay Liberation Day; in San Francisco and Los Angeles it was called Gay Freedom Day. Both names spread as more and more cities and towns started holding similar celebrations.
1980s to present
In the 1980s there was a major cultural shift in the Stonewall Riot commemorations. The previous loosely organized, grassroots marches and parades were taken over by more organized and less radical elements of the gay community. The marches began dropping "Liberation" and "Freedom" from their names under pressure from more conservative members of the community, replacing them with the philosophy of "Gay Pride"(in the more liberal San Francisco, the name of the gay parade and celebration was not changed from Gay Freedom Day Parade to Gay Pride Day Parade until 1994). The Greek lambda symbol and the pink triangle which had been revolutionary symbols of the Gay Liberation Movement, which is headed by were tidied up and incorporated into the Gay Pride, or Pride, movement, providing some symbolic continuity with its more radical beginnings. The pink triangle was also the inspiration for the homomonument in Amsterdam, commemorating all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their homosexuality.
In 2008 the Queen of Spain, Sofia de Grecia made public her opposition to Gay Pride and to the law on same sex marriage approved by Spanish Parliament.
In 2000, President William Jefferson Clinton proclaimed June to be Gay Pride month in the United States.
On June 1, 2009, President Barack Obama proclaimed June to be LGBT Pride month in the United States.
Polish President in anti-gay row
Gay couple Brendan Fay and Thomas Moulton consider the broadcast an insult to their commitment and love. Fay said that he would like sit down with the Polish president and discuss the issue of same sex rights and marriage Gay couple Brendan Fay and Thomas Moulton consider the broadcast an insult to their commitment and love. Fay said that he would like sit down with the Polish president and discuss the issue of same sex rights and marriage
Transgender actress Candis Cayne called the LGBT community "the last great minority", noting that "We can still be harassed openly" and be "called out on television." Before the sexual revolution of the 1960s, there was no common non‐derogatory vocabulary for non‐heterosexuality; the closest such term, “third gender”, traces back to the 1860s but never gained wide acceptance.
The first widely used term, homosexual, was thought to carry negative connotations and tended to be replaced by homophile in the 1950s and 1960s, and subsequently gay in the 1970s. As lesbians forged more public identities, the phrase “gay and lesbian” became more common. The Daughters of Bilitis folded in 1970 over which direction to focus on: feminism or gay rights issues. As equality was a priority for lesbian-feminists, disparity of roles between men and women or butch and femme were viewed as patriarchal. Lesbian-feminists eschewed gender role play that had been pervasive in bars, as well as the perceived chauvinism of gay men; many lesbian-feminists refused to work with gay men, or take up their causes. However, lesbians who held a more essentialist view that they had been born homosexual and used the descriptor "lesbian" to define sexual attraction, often considered the separatist, angry opinions of lesbian-feminists to be detrimental to the cause of gay rights. This was soon followed by bisexual and transgender persons also asking for recognition as legitimate categories within the larger community. However, after the initial euphoria of the Stonewall riots wore off, starting in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, there was a change in perception; some gays and lesbians became less accepting of bisexual or transgender people. It was thought that transsexual people were acting out stereotypes and bisexuals were simply gay men or lesbian women who were afraid to come out and be honest about their identity. The movement underwent identity conflicts with various entities including or excluding various LGBT communities; these conflicts continue to this day. LGBT was likely first used to address the entire community by LGBT student activists who have been documented as active in the late 1960s although it is unclear how often and widespread the term may have been employed.
Not until the 1990s did it become common to speak of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people with equal respect within the movement. Although the LGBT community has seen some controversy regarding universal acceptance of different member groups (transgender individuals, in particular, have sometimes been marginalized by the larger LGBT community), the term LGBT has been a positive symbol of inclusion. Despite the fact that LGBT does not nominally encompass all individuals in smaller communities (see Variants below), the term is generally accepted to include those not identified in the four‐letter acronym. Overall, the use of the term LGBT has, over time, largely aided in bringing otherwise marginalized individuals into the general community.
East Tennesseans Rally Against LGBT Bullying
East Tennesseans Rally Against LGBT Bullying Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:39:00 EST
GLBT Community | Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Tranny Blogspot
GLBT (or LGBT) is an acronym referring collectively to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. In use since the 1990s, the term “LGBT” is an adaptation of the initialism “LGB” which itself started replacing the phrase “gay community” which many within LGBT communities felt did not represent accurately all those to whom it referred.In modern usage, the term LGBT is intended to emphasize a diversity of "sexuality and gender identity‐based cultures" and is sometimes used to refer to anyone who is non‐heterosexual instead of exclusively to people who are homosexual, bisexual, or transgender.To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant adds the letter Q for queer and questioning (e.g., “LGBTQ”) for those not explicitly denoted by LGBT, such as pansexuality, intersex, etc.
The acronym has become mainstream as a self-designation and has been adopted by the majority of LGBT community centers and LGBT media in many English‐speaking countries.
The initialisms are not agreeable to everyone that they literally encompass.Some intersex people want to be included in LGBT groups and would prefer the term “LGBTI”.Some argue that transgender and transsexual causes are not the same as that of LGB people.A correlate to these ideas is evident in the belief of “lesbian & gay separatism,” which holds that lesbians and gay men should form a community distinct and separate from other groups normally included.Other people also do not care for the term as they feel the lettering comes across as being too politically correct, an attempt to categorize various groups of people into one grey area, and that it implies that the issues and priorities of the main groups represented are given equal consideration.
