Nelson Mandela turned 93 on Monday surrounded by family, as South Africans and many across the World honored his legacy by performing at least 67 minutes of public service. Sixty-seven is the number of years the former South African president devoted to public service. Mandela spent the day in Qunu, in the Eastern Cape province … More Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela
Posted on July 19, 2011, The mother of the bride is 92 – and proud. “I am so happy,” said Mary Brown, who is thrilled she’ll finally get to watch her daughter Mimi Brown marry longtime love Carol Anastasio. “It’s so unexpected.” Brown, 57, and Anastasio, 49, were the first gay couple to show up … More New York 92 year Old Mom to witness First NY Lesbian Couple to Marry
July 17, 2011, Melanie Nathan, Mandela Day takes place every year on July 18th, Madiba’s birthday. This day is a call to action for people everywhere to take responsibility for making the world a better place, one small step at a time, just as Madiba did. Madiba spent more than 67 years serving his community, … More Devoting 67 Minutes to “Changing the World” on Nelson Mandela Day
A thinktank of gay and lesbian issues is set to launch a certificate course on world Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender history, with a focus on India A four month-old thinktank for gay and lesbian people has thought up a novel way to spread awareness about the Queer community in the country. MINGLE or Mission for … More Focus on India in Global LGBTI History Course
07/15/2011, Article by Paul Canning, United Kingdom, The fanatical evangelical Christian First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni, has been named in a Ugandan court as a participant in a homophobic smear campaign. Mrs Museveni was referred to in evidence as a backer of smear tactics using sodomy accusations against Robert Kayanja, a ‘prosperity evangelist’ Christian … More Ugandan First Lady Accused of ‘backing homophobic smear campaign’ against Rivals
July 07, 2011, Melanie Nathan The FAIR Education Act ensures that the historical contributions of LGBT people and the disability community are accurately and fairly portrayed in instructional materials. SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown today signed the FAIR (Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful) Education Act, authored by Senator Mark Leno. The bill ensures that the … More Gov. Jerry Brown signs LGBT Inclusive Landmark Education Bill into Law
July 14, 2011, Melanie Nathan When I was a young girl I loved Jamaica – although I had never been there. I loved it all because of a song that my Dad would sing to me – by Harry Belafonte and although I may have the words wrong, this is how I remember it:- “On … More Jamaica Homophobia – Where the Nights are GAY
July 13, 2011, Posted by Melanie Nathan, SAN FRANCISCO, CA – This morning in San Francisco, Doug Gentry and Alex Benshimol — a married binational same-sex couple — appeared before Immigration Judge Marilyn Teeter for a deportation hearing and were permitted to remain in the country despite the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law … More Binational Spouse Obtains Deportation Reprieve from San Francisco Immigration Judge
July 13, 2011, Melanie Nathan Yesterday, Equality California Federal Political Action Committee (PAC) endorsed candidate Janice Hahn was elected to represent California’s 36th Congressional District. (Los Angeles). Democrat Janice Hahn defeated Republican Craig Huey to win Tuesday’s special election to fill an open U.S. House seat from California. Hahn, a Los Angeles City councilwoman, won … More Congratulations Equality Ally Janice Hahn Elected to Congress
Eugene Brockman Designer of Flag The team behind the Gay Flag of South Africa (Designer Eugene Press release from Gay Flag S.A. – Permission to cross post granted to all and use of Photo. Brockman and his partner Henry Bantjez) are glad to report that Mika Stefano will be joining the team of the Gay … More Esteemed Blogger, Mika Stefano in Bed with Gay Flag of South Africa
July 12, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, Today, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced a hearing on the Respect for Marriage Act, the bill that would overturn DOMA, scheduled for Wednesday July 20th. The hearing will be the first time Congress has heard testimony on legislation that would end federal marriage … More Senator Patrick Leahy Announces DOMA Repeal Hearing
July 12, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, The Supreme Court of Ohio today upheld lower court rulings that a biological mother who acknowledged her same-sex partner as a “co-parent” of her daughter while the two women were in a relationship did not permanently give up her sole custody of the child to create legal shared custody … More Ohio Supreme Court Rules Against Lesbian Partner of Biological Mother
July 11, 2011, Melanie Nathan Fort Worth, TX – Not all mainline Christian churches in Texas are happy with Rick Perry’s plan to co-sponsor a prayer assembly in Houston on Saturday, August 6. Fort Worth First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, voted unanimously in a congregational meeting on Sunday, July 10, to endorse congregants’ … More Local Christians to Protest Hate Group’s Cosponsorship of Gov. Perry’s Prayer Assembly
July 11, 2011, Posted by Melanie Nathan, Article by Paul Canning: The removal of Ugandan gay asylum seeker Robert Segwanyi was tonight “deferred” at the last minute. He had been moved today to a Heathrow ‘removal centre’ for an early morning 11 July flight to Kampala. The deferment comes after the last minute intervention of … More Deportation of Uganda Gay Robert Segwanyi deferred as about to Board Plane
Melanie Nathan, July 11, 2011, The international gay rights pressure group AllOut.org has called for FIFA to publicly condemn homophobia in league play, starting with a full investigation of head Nigerian Football Coach, Eucharia Uche, for her homophobic coaching policies documented last week in the New York Times and earlier this year in the Nigerian … More Groups Call on FIFA to Condemn Homophobia on “Day Against Discrimination”
July 10, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, Los Angles, 1988 the gay scene buzzed with “Perfect”, aerobics in West Hollywood, cocaine was cool, the Gay pride Parade a phenomenon and lipstick lesbians reinventing woman-queer on one side of the Palms while dykes intrigued from the other end! At the time I was dabbling in media, playing … More Watch Video Banned by MTV – first Gay and Lesbian Youth Talkline PSA
Whining about “lost” rights – the anti-gay group NOM simply cannot stand that Equality is an American value! So they have decided to protest same-sex marriages which will start in New York State on July 24th. Imagine the thinking my equality is Maggie Gallaghers’s lost right! Via Joe My God: “NOM has announced that it … More NOM Rally for Hate in New York against Same-Sex Marriage
July 09, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, When New York state’s new equal marriage law takes effect on July 27th same-sex couples from other countries will be able to marry there if they provide a Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage (CNI) to show they are not already married in their home country. But the Australian Government refuses … More Gillard Government blocks Marriages of Gay Australians in New York.
July 08, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, On June 20, 2010, Robert Segwanyi fled Uganda, seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, weeks after having been tortured for ‘homosexuality.’ Indicative of arbitrary verdicts, broken systems, and the inadequacies of refugee status/ asylum laws in the United Kingdom and across the world, the UK Border Agency has made … More UK to Deport Uganda Gay Man, Robert Segwanyi, despite Torture and Risk to his Life
July 06, 2011, Posted by Melanie NathanBREAKING- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Servicemembers United, the nation’s largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans, today enthusiastically applauded the order issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifting its own stay of a lower court’s injunction barring enforcement of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. This … More BREAKING:- Log Cabin Republicans v. U.S.A. Stay Order Lifted – DADT
July 06, 2011, by Melanie Nathan (USA) and Henry Bantjez (SA), One million or more took part in the annual Pride Parade through London today, through streets lined with curious onlookers. This year, unlike in the past, the march took place around the old BBC building in Portland Place, going down from there to Oxford … More London Pride: Politicians MIA, the SA Gay Flag and More
July 06, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, Inkanyiso brings together three new bodies of photographic work: new portraits in the ongoing series Faces and Phases (2010-11); Beulahs (2007-10) and Transfigures (2010-11), and the documentary Difficult Love (2010). As always, Muholi is upfront about her agenda as an activist, seeking to educate the viewer on ‘the complexities … More South African Lesbian Photographer Activist: Zanele Muholi’s Exhibits New Portraits
July 06, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, In support of NCLR, National Center for Lesbian Rights, I am highlighting their program for their summer tour. NCLR will advocate, legislate and educate, as the case may be – to ensure the rights of the entire LGBTI community. I am proud to recommend the following events, overseen by … More NCLR Summer Tour – Events Across the Continent
07/05/20011, by Melanie Nathan As of today the New York Times reports that the marriage license application form, in the City of New York, still asks for the “groom info” and “bride info.” However that is not likely to stop a whopping $140 million dollar surge (estimated) for the City as it braces for the … More Same-Sex Marriage License Applications Available for NYC Couples
July 05, 2011, Melanie Nathan SACRAMENTO – The FAIR (Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful) Education Act, authored by Senator Mark Leno, passed the Assembly today with a 49-25 vote. The bill ensures that the historical contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are accurately and fairly portrayed in instructional materials by adding LGBT … More LGBT Inclusive Education Bill Passes California Assembly
July 03, 2011, by Melanie Nathan, Early in 2010, I started covering the stories of women in the South African Townships, who were raped by men seeking to “correct” the fact that they were lesbians, touting that rape would change the sexuality of the victim. I never believed that these brutal crimes ever truly earned the … More South Africa Corrective Rape Task Force Helms Hate Crimes Reform
June 24, 2011, by Melanie Nathan In thirty days same-sex couples will be able to marry in New York State. The Marriage equality Bill was signed into law today mere hours after it was passed by the New York State Senate, in a 33 to 29 vote, exceeding the swing by more than the expected … More New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Signs Marriage Equality Act into Law – Asking Obama to go Cuomo on DOMA!
June 24, 2011, Melanie Nathan Today, the color changed on the Empire State Building – it became a rainbow! The New York State Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act, a bill that extends the right to marry to same-sex couples, in 33-29 vote. The bill was previously approved by the New York State Assembly and … More Reactions to Passage of Marriage Equality Act in New York
June 24, 2011, by Melanie Nathan Amidst concern that it would never come to a vote the great State of New York just passed a roll call signalling that the Governor Cuomo led Marriage Equality Bill. The New York Assembly passed the state’s marriage equality bill on June 15th by a vote of 80-63, paving … More New York State Senate Passes Cuomo Same-Sex Marriage Bill
June 24, 2011, Melanie Nathan, The venue and current battle ground for marriage equality is New York State and as it happens, President Barack Obama is in New York fundraising for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The Mammoth in the room is marriage equality, in New York, specifically, because the President is present and has … More Calling on President Obama to Stand up for Full Marriage Equality Now
