A young gay man who was detained in San Diego by immigration authorities — whose story was documented by San Diego Gay & Lesbian News and OBLOGDEE — has been reunited with his fiancé in New York City. Here is the follow up article after his release by our friends at SDGLN:- A happy ending? … More Gay immigration detainee reunited with fiancé after detention ordeal
Predicting doom and gloom – or a publicity stunt for ratings – or a desire to jump the gun for SEO optimization- or an embarrassing mistake? By Melanie Nathan., June 11, 2013. In an over zealous attempt to be ahead, popular LGBT blog site QUEERTY, through writer Lisa Keen, jumped the gun by mistakenly hitting … More Queerty Publishes Advance Article of a “Disappointing DOMA Ruling”
Marching for LGBT Asylum | “It is illegal to be gay in 80 countries…“ By Cathy Kristofferson, June 09, 2013 I’m pretty sure last year I whined that I was never marching in Boston’s Gay Pride parade again because of the appalling corporatization. And then last week I heard that the amazing LGBT Asylum Support Task … More Boston Pride Speaks LGBT Asylum
AND A Letter from a Get Equal Lead, C.D. Kirven to the First Lady Explaining the Actions of Ellen Sturtz. The lesbian community was drawn into a controversy this week as Ellen Sturtz, a leader from the group Get Equal, attended a D.C. fundraiser and interrupted the First Lady’s speech calling attention to the fact … More Lesbian Fund Raisers and The Ellen Sturtz Fallout
Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 07, 2013. People for the American Way are asking that you sign their petition. Here is the story: The New York Times reports that Judge Edith Jones, a right-wing firebrand who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and many saw as a potential Supreme Court … More Remove Right Wing Judge Edith Jones
By Melanie Nathan, June 06, 2013. Members of GALZ, an LGBT human rights organization in Harare, Zimbabwe, were attacked by five hammer wielding men during a board meeting at their offices. No injuries reported, however the group is extremely shaken. The attack occurred at GALZ offices around 11 am on Thursday when five unknown men … More Breaking Gay Board Members attacked with hammers at meeting in Harare
Porterville’s LGBT Community encounters City gay haters in venomous outburst By Melanie Nathan, June 04, 2013. It has been a long dirty battle between the LGBTQ community and some choice government officials and residents of the town of Porterville, California, culminating in tonight’s City Hall showdown, where Mayor Virginia Gurolla issued a proclamation recognizing the … More California Mayor Issues LGBT Proclamation despite Hateful City and Council Outburst
Despite all odds, the fearless continue …. and the least we can do as an international community is support this imperative statement… By Melanie Nathan, June 04, 2013. Last year, despite the climate of fervent anti-gay hostility, Ugandan volunteer LGBT activists accomplished what seemed impossible – they launched the first every Gay Pride celebration in … More Uganda Prepares for Its Second Gay Pride
Compared to being Gay in privacy of home By Melanie Nathan, May 2013. In the context of Stephen Fry, asking Ugandan Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Fr. Simon Lokodo, in a recorded interview, why Ugandans were more concerned with what gays did in the privacy of their homes rather than with the high incidence of … More Ugandan Minister of Ethics and Integrity says Men Raping Girls is Natural
“Isn’t there a place in Turkey for LGBT’s?” By Cathy Kristofferson, June 1, 2013 Just before Turkey exploded onto the international news scene with the current uprising in Taskim Square now labeled #OccupyGezi , we received a request to publicize the police suppression of this year’s Istanbul Gay Pride March which we did here. While … More Turkey’s ruling party says LGBTs ‘immoral’
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 29, 2013 The Istanbul Pride March of 2013 is under threat of suppression by the Turkish Government security forces. Istanbul Pride,which has been occurring annually since 2003,is a week of events capped off by the Pride March. From the 30 who marched the first year it has grown to tens of … More Istanbul Pride March 2013 under threat of government suppression
We as a community cannot reject the most vulnerable amongst us | Binational same-sex couples have already paid the heaviest price By Melanie Nathan, May 28, 2013. I started my advocacy work and writing the stories about the horrendous plight of same-sex binational couples back in 2009, when faced with the possible deportation of my … More DEAD WRONG LGBT Publisher Refuses to Tell Binational Story
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 25, 2013 Update May 26 – Video add down below We reported earlier here on OBLOGDEE about Ukraine’s 1st ever Gay Pride March happily occurring despite multiple political attempts to derail it. The folks in Moscow were not so lucky. Today in the Russian capital of Moscow, activists and opponents clashed in an unsanctioned … More Moscow Gay Rights Rally ends in violence and arrests
LGBT community of Ukraine still trying for their 1st Gay Pride Parade… By Cathy Kristofferson, May 24, 2013 Ukraine, like most ex-Soviet countries, is not kind to their LGBT community despite homosexuality having been decriminalized in the early 1990s. Last Friday Ukraine was one of three countries, along with Jamaica and South Africa, called out … More Ukraine Forced to Change Gay Pride March to Private Event
Today, we find these same people, abused by the press, actually outraged by the closure and protesting in defense of the press and the importance of its freedoms. By Melanie Nathan, May 23, 2013. Today several human rights defenders were arrested outside of the Daily Monitor as they rallied in solidarity against the Ugandan authorities … More Ugandan LGBT community arrests while protesting media closures
No youth may be denied membership, but what about the adults… By Cathy Kristofferson, May 22, 2013 Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have sought to “train youth in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership … More Boy Scouts resolution for vote tomorrow only perpetuates homophobia
By Melanie Nathan, May 22, 2013. We reported earlier this week about the impending case before the Cape Town High Court of Lesbian minister Ecclesia de Lange, who was fired by the Methodist Church because she married a woman, before the church had taken a decision on same-sex marriage. The case was heard through the … More SA Lesbian minister has her day in court
Homo-Fascism vs. the First Amendment… By the Editors, May 21, 2013 Scott Lively has long taken full advantage of his First Amendment rights and while no one would ever deny him that right, it certainly becomes pitiful when he whines about us not loving his hate when he exercises it. He is welcome to scurry … More Poor Scott Lively bullied and intimidated by homo-fascists
By Melanie Nathan, May 20, 2013. What are human rights? Can you answer that question? See what people from around the world answered when asked and then learn the basics in this 10 minute video. Your comments are most valued whether in public or private. No one has ever tackled the USA for breaching the … More A lesson in Human Rights for us all
Revamping the dream for an all inclusive politicized Pride By Melanie Nathan. May 20, 2013. This Press Release passed our desk, in what seems to be a follow up to the very controversial events surrounding Johannesburg Pride over this past year and its subsequent cancellation: New Committee to Organise People’s Pride Johannesburg on 5 Oct. … More Can there be a new politicized Johannesburg Pride
A series of media closures is underway in Uganda By Melanie Nathan, May 20, 2013. The Ugandan authorities are searching a variety of media outlets looking for an original press release, purportedly evidence in a crime, which seems to relate to the recent military controversy involving a Ugandan general. A Police statement on Monday indicated … More Ugandan government raids close down Red Pepper and Daily Monitor
On 19 May, the first Pride March was held in Chisinau, Moldova. By Cathy Kristofferson, May 19, 2013 I just saw this on twitter and cheered out loud: First Pride March held in Moldova http://t.co/NGwq6Bepbr%5B@Eastbook_en%5D EurAlmanac16:15 I cheered not only because I was thrilled for the Moldovan LGBT community, but also for the bitter defeat … More First Pride ever in Moldova | Huge Scott Lively Fail
A modern day David and Goliath | Rev. Ecclesia de Lange, a South African open lesbian will face her once employer and now adversary in the Cape High Court. By Melanie Nathan, May 19, 2013. In 2010 when Rev de Lange announced to her congregation that she was going to marry her same-sex partner, her … More Cape High Court to hear case by Lesbian Reverend against Methodist Church
By Melanie Nathan, May 19, 2013. It seems as if Issak Wolfe has as much of a right as anyone else to expect inclusion in his School’s mission: “The mission of the Red Lion Area School District, in partnership with our communities, is to prepare all students to reach their greatest potential, thus becoming responsible … More School principal humiliates transgender student
By Melanie Nathan, May 17, 2013. Morality clauses are hardly enforceable in divorce agreements to start with, and so imagine when a Judge knowingly orders such a clause in a divorce judgment that in essence forces partners apart because the law fails to allow them to marry. Well, while the couple in this story is … More Shocking persecution of lesbian couple and mother by Republican Judge
Where the purveyors of hate take funding from State Dept USAID… By Cathy Kristofferson, May 16, 2013 Secretary of State, John Kerry is headed to Ethiopia this weekend for the 21st African Union (AU) summit May 19-27. While at the summit he will attend the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African … More John Kerry headed to the lion’s den of homophobia
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 15, 2013 Ah, but were every city’s Mayor so enlightened. The Mayor of Somerville, MA, Joseph Curtatone, has publicly chastised the use of homophobic language against a recently appointed official, Alderman Courtney O’Keefe. He is using the opportunity to remind everyone demanding the respect of all. Mayor Curtatone’s open letter starts … More Somerville Mayor publicly condemns homophobic language directed at appointed official
By Cathy Kristofferson, May 14, 2013 The dust has now settled a bit in Belize after last week’s whirlwind 4 day trial of the Caleb Orozco v. The Attorney General. The case challenged the constitutionality of Section 53, a law inherited from the colonial legal system, that criminalizes same gender sexual conduct in Belize. The case brought … More Belize: Final thoughts from the Caleb Orozco v. The Attorney General Case
AND HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE | PETITION: It is time to invigorate the sleeping SA Task Task team – we must fight the violence with transparency and a plan By Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2013 Activists in South Africa are calling for immediate invigoration, transparency and action by the Task Team that was established to combat so … More Call to SA Government Task Team for action on rape of lesbians
Cross posted by Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2013. The most hateful tweeters in the United States tend to live in the eastern half of the country, according to a new map that pinpoints hate speech from Twitter across country. The map, created by geography students at Humboldt State University in California, looks at more than … More The Most Tweeted hate from eastern part of U.S.
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