Recently in LGBT News and Views Category

I've made a big decision.  It is time for me to move beyond blogging and into direct activism.  I made this leap about two months ago, and it is only fair that I share that decision with my readers.

Thank you all for reading my blog, viewing my videos and lending your support.

Please join me in the struggle for LGBT civil rights.  Learn more at One Struggle, One Fight and read about my story, here, and here.

Yours,

Ryan

Hi,

I cannot tell you how important this email is to me as well as the cause that lies behind it.  These are my words and they are coming from my heart.  I ask you to take a few minutes of your day today to read them.

As a gay man, I've dreamed of finding the right man to spend my life with.  I'm a traditional guy in some ways, and I've always hoped and prayed that I could one day marry that man, settle down, and live the American Dream that we've all grown up hearing about throughout our lives.

In today's volatile economic times, the one thing that has brought me continual joy is the knowledge that I am finally treated equally under the law.  I have the right to marry.  This right is not only priceless but runs to the core of my very being.

I've come such a long way.  At the age of 16, I vividly remember telling my father that I'd rather be single and lonely for the rest of my life than to be gay, because to me, being gay was an abomination.  I know far better now and realize that it is abhorrent for anyone to hate themselves or others because they are gay or lesbian.

Unfortunately, a group of people -- some ignorant, some scared and some homophobic -- are trying to take away the right away from me and so many people that are close to me.  They've introduced a ballot measure in California, known as Proposition 8, that will eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.

This fight isn't about a group of nameless people who want to wreck traditional marriage.  Rather, this is about the people that are near and dear to us, share in our laughter, hold us when we cry and help to make our world such a beautiful place.  Please consider that when you read my request.

I ask you... I implore you... please help us to keep our right to marry!

This cause extends beyond California, transcends our personal preferences and drives to the core of a founding American principle - a fundamental right to equality for all.  This right was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence... that all men are created equal... and rings true today.  Please don't let a misguided group of people alter that course of history and write discrimination into the California Constitution.

Don't let other people treat us like an abomination.

Please join me in donating your money, time or effort to the No on Proposition 8 campaign. 

For more information, or to donate, please visit http://www.NoOnProp8.com.

Thank you,

Ryan

In yet more good news for open minded people, the SF Chronicle reports that the latest Public Policy Institute of California poll indicates 55% against, 41% for and 4% undecided:

"That 55 percent looks pretty strong," Baldassare [the President of the Public Policy Institute] said. "Now the supporters not only have to convince the undecided voters, but they also have to convince people who already have decided to vote no."

Simply, I want to reiterate... this evil and thinly veiled attempt at instituting bigotry at the constitutional level is not passing.

Two things happened today that I think are worth noting:

First, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the latest Field Poll shows that support for Proposition 8 is declining.  It has been steadily doing so since the Field Poll began polling on the issue a few months ago.  At this point, 38% of those polled support Proposition 8, which is down from 42% as of the last poll in July.  55% are now against Proposition 8, up from 51% in July.

Let's keep working hard, but I reassert my position that Proposition 8 isn't going to pass.  My conviction on this is only strengthening as time goes on.  It bears mentioning that Prop. 8 supporters have raised over $6 million more than anti-Prop. 8 organizations.  For a detailed look, check out this LA Times page.  Still, the tide is on our side, and that says a great deal.

Second, this isn't necessarily major news, but thanks to Brad Pitt for coming out on the right side of things and donating $100,000 toward fighting Proposition 8.  I generally don't pay much mind to celebrities, but I think he deserves some gratitude for this.

I encourage everyone to keep giving their time, money and efforts to fight Proposition 8 as they can.

In an all time first for me, I've become a published writer!  Huffington Post picked up an article I wrote today, and published it in their "Featured Posts" section!

Please take a minute to check out my take on gay rights at the Democratic and Republican National conventions, here.

A recent poll indicates that 54% of California voters oppose Proposition 8 with only 40% in favor.

A majority of likely voters, 54 percent, oppose ending gay marriage, compared with 40 percent who support it, the poll said. The result is similar to the findings of a Field Poll in July, which found that 51 percent of likely California voters opposed ending gay marriage, while 42 percent said they supported it.

...

The new poll indicates that those opposed to gay marriage will have to mobilize voters if they are to be successful in November, Baldassare said.

"The burden is always on the yes side to convince people there is good reason to vote for the measure," he said.

On another note, it is worthwhile to say that I've been heartened to hear speakers at the Democratic National Convention, including Hillary Clinton, openly and ardently mention the LGBT community in their calls for equality.  Special kudos to those speakers who use the term sexual orientation and not sexual preference.  Michelle Obama even made a surprise appearance and gave an impromptu speech at gay and lesbian delegate lunch.  I'm glad to see these folks back in our corner.

On Friday, the Los Angeles Times endorsed voting against Proposition 8:

We fervently hope that voters, whatever their personal or religious convictions, will shudder at such a step and vote no on Proposition 8.

...

To be sure, the court overturned Proposition 22, a vote of the people. That is the court's duty when a law is unconstitutional, even if it is exceedingly popular. Civil rights are commonly hard-won, and not the result of widespread consensus. Whites in the South vehemently rejected the 1954 Supreme Court decision to desegregate schools. For that matter, Californians have accused the state Supreme Court of obstructing the people's will on marriage before -- in 1948, when it struck down a ban on interracial marriages.

Fundamental rights are exactly that. They should neither wait for popular acceptance, nor be revoked because it is lacking.

Additionally, a Superior Court judge in Sacramento ruled on Friday that State officials do not need to reword Proposition 8, after changing the language to a proposition to "eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry."  The judge had this to say: "[t]he court is not willing to fashion a rule that would require the Attorney General to engage in useless nominalization."

I'm taking both of these events as signs of the decreasing likelihood that Proposition 8 will pass.  Let the conservatives keep spending their money, fighting off sleepless nights, and living in a time of many decades ago.  Change isn't easy, but it has arrived.  It's time for equality in marriage, and there's no denying it.

I'm usually quite the skeptic when it comes to the government and politics.  At least, that's been the case for roughly the last eight years.  Go figure.

Yet, I'm breaking radio silence here to say something optimistic: Proposition 8 isn't going to pass.  I'm sorry to ruffle the feathers of all you superstitious folks out there, but what has been a growing feeling for me has now crystallized into a firm belief.  I'm putting it out there.  Why? Take a look at this:

First, our Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (who, you will note, supports marriage only between a man and a woman) opposes Prop. 8 and has labeled it as "a waste of time."

Second, when it comes to money, we're winning:

Supporters of the effort to ban same-sex marriage already have taken in more than $1.2 million from out-of-state contributors for the fall campaign. And even before Bastian, a co-founder of the WordPerfect software company, opened his checkbook, gay and lesbian rights groups and their supporters from around the country had put more than $1.3 million into the fight against the ballot initiative.

Now add to that the $1,000,000 check that Word Perfect founder Bruce Bastian just contributed, and we're up to $2.3 million from out-of-state contributors alone.

Third, California's Secretary of State changed the title of the proposition to  "a constitutional change to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry."  Historically, voters are much more reluctant to take away rights that have already been given than to prevent new rights from being given.  Of course, the backers of the proposition are suing to get the name changed back, but who cares.  This will just make bigger news and remind people that they are taking something away.  Damage done.

Fourth, the largest public utility company in Northern California, PG&E, just announced that it opposes Prop. 8, is giving $250,000 to the anti proposition campaign, and get this:

will spearhead the formation of a business advisory council that will seek to get other businesses around California to to defeat the ballot initiative that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman.

I've never heard of such a thing from a public utility.  It's great.

Lastly, the Republicans... well, the Republicans largely just suck at everything they are doing this year.  California proposition initiatives have proven no exception to that rule.  The LA Times credits the Republican's ability to get 11 anti-marriage initiatives on the ballot last year toward launching the party to its many victories.  This year, somebody must have screwed up:

Republicans have been tripped up by mishaps and errors that have kept measures off the ballot.
[ ]
Partly for that reason, even hot-button measures to ban gay marriage -- on the ballot in California, Arizona and Florida -- might not do much for the conservative cause in November. California is considered a sure-win for Obama, regardless of any state measure on the ballot . . . .

So, there it is folks.  I'm taking my stand.  Sure, we need to keep working hard, but Prop 8. isn't passing this time around.  It's just not gonna happen.

I read a few weeks ago that the Boy Scouts are suing the city of Philadelphia over the city's decision to stop giving them the use of of a public building for $1 a year.  Philadelphia is now going to charge $200,000 a year in rent for the space, which has served as the Boy Scouts' headquarters for over 80 years.  The city made the decision because of the Boy Scouts' policy of discriminating against gays.  Apparently, the group thinks they have a right to get free space from the city and discriminate.  I don't remember seeing that in the Constitution.

A former gay Vietnam Veteran, Leonard Matlovich, who was discharged from the military for being gay, will be honored (in memoriam) with a plaque to be placed on his former home in the Castro, Towleroad reports.

A lot of us are familiar with this image, which pretty much sums up the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy: