The 27-year-old son of the Rev. Rick Warren, one of America’s most influential religious anti-gay leaders, committed suicide, Mr. Warren said in an e-mail released on Saturday to staff members and congregants at his 20,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church. NBC News reported that Warren was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound around 10 a.m. … More Anti-Gay Pastor Rick Warren’s son committs suicide
Award Ceremony for the 2013 New Economy Forum Prize for Social Cohesion and Economic Development, presented to United Nations in Spain. In a profound and moving acceptance speech, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that we need to be Global citizens, while he received the award in the name of democracy and human rights, for … More Watch UN recieve Award for Social Cohesion and Economic Development
ASKING FOR HELP TO BRING MAX HOME TO DONALD The worst outcome of the unconstitutional DOMA is when it separates spouses and partners | If Max and Donald were a straight couple, this would not be happening By Melanie Nathan and Ken Williams, April 05, 2013. A 26-year-old gay man is being held in immigration … More Gay Man in San Diego immigration detention ailing and desperate to reunite with Fiancé
By Melanie Nathan, April 05, 2013. We have been watching the progress of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill on this site.Previous updates can be seen at http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2013/02/19/ugandas-anti-homosexuality-bill-moves-up-to-1-on-parliaments-notice-of-business/ Since the end of March, Uganda’s Parliament had a short recess and returned to business on April 03. However something unusual seems to have occurred. The Parliament’s website has suddenly … More Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill April 2013 Updates
SF Pride is looking for medical volunteers By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013 In an announcement naming Rock Medicine a partner in services to San Francisco Pride this year, organizers noted that this June, San Francisco Pride will need as many medical volunteers as possible because they will be expecting an increase in Pride attendees … More San Francisco Pride expects bigger crowd due to SCOTUS Prop 8 and DOMA decisions
By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013. There was no keeping me away from Washington D.C., on Tuesday 26th, the day that The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) would be hearing the Prop 8. arguments. I was there ‘wearing many hats; activist, blogger, co-producer of Gay U.S.A. the Movie, and the most important of … More A story from the steps of SCOTUS | Hoping the Justices consider the children hurt by Prop 8
Believing that Dr. Martin Luther King would have stood for marriage equality. By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013. When Dr. Marin Luther King, Jnr. was assassinated on April 04, 1968, I was a small child in South Africa, living apartheid. I came to the United States in 1985, before apartheid ended, expecting a country that … More Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. as a leader in equality for all
Still no employment protections in 29 states for gay, and 34 states for trans, employees… By Cathy Kristofferson, April 3, 2013 The title of this post – Marriage is nothing without job protections – is something a fellow activist said on a conference call last night. It made me think back to being in D.C. … More Marriage is nothing without job protections
By Melanie Nathan, April 04, 2013. The board of Johannesburg Gay Pride Festival Company (JGPFC) has voted to wind up the Section 21 (not-for-profit) company that has produced ‘Joburg Pride’ over the past seven years. The voluntary winding up of JGPFC was decided by an unanimous resolution at a board meeting held on Wednesday, 13 … More Johannesburg Gay Pride Cancelled as Board Dissolves
By Melanie Nathan, April 02, 2013. (Washington, D.C., March 29, 2013)—Last week, several national LGBT groups and a cooperating attorney filed an administrative challenge to Medicare’s ban on medically necessary healthcare for transgender patients. Medicare, which provides healthcare to Americans ages 65 and older and younger people with certain qualifying disabilities, currently prohibits all forms … More LGBT Groups Challenge Medicare’s Refusal to Provide Healthcare to Transgender Patients
Will HRC put its money where its mouth is? By Melanie Nathan, April 1, 2013 Thousands of LGBT community members and allies showed up at the steps of SCOTUS this past week to support marriage equality, and many were there because of the extraordinary organizing efforts of a coalition of LGBT organizations under the title, … More After the Apology demands that HRC be all inclusive on all issues
“Say No To Homosexuality” Campaign officially launched By Melanie Nathan, March 31, 2013. Ugandan Pastors Solomon Male & Rev. Musoke are conducting an anti gay rally next door to David Kato ‘s burial grounds in Mukono Uganda to not only further persecute LGBTI Ugandans, calling for hate in the name of Christianity, but also to … More Ugandan anti-gay pastors hold hate rally next to gay hero David Kato’s grave
as the Human Rights Campaign exhibits their typical lack of inclusivity… By Cathy Kristofferson, March 29, 2013. During the SCOTUS trials the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) convinced many in the Facebook world to change their avatars to red. Following the hearings many activists are seeing a different red now that two incidents – insulting both the … More Activists ‘seeing red’ over HRC antics at SCOTUS hearings
by Melanie Nathan, March 28, 2013 I joined a group U.S. service members, GetEQUAL activists, as well as well known U.K. activist Peter Tatchel at the White House today, for a rally in support of Lt. Dan Choi ,who is being tried by the U.S. Government, after he was arrested in November 2010, together with … More Dan Choi ‘s trial day starts with DADT activists re-living arrests at White House
Article by Melanie Nathan – Cross postings – March 27, 2013. PHOTOS by Melanie Nathan and Cathy Kristofferson, Oblogdee© A majority of the Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the constitutionality of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and whether it created unequal classes of married couples by denying federal benefits to legally wed same-sex couples. … More DOMA Day at SCOTUS
Photo impressions from the first day’s activities.. I sure hope NOM comes back tomorrow, they were fun! By Cathy Kristofferson, March 26, 2013 This blog piece should really be titled ‘O-Blog-Dee goes to Washington, too busy to blog…’! Both Melanie and I are here in Washington D.C. trying to keep up with all that’s going … More Photo-blog of the Prop8 the day of the SCOTUS hearings
MARRIAGE EQUALITY USA HOPEFUL FOR RULING IN FAVOR OF THE | FREEDOM TO MARRY AFTER UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT ARGUMENTS After oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court today, Marriage Equality USA is hopeful that the Court will rule in favor of the freedom to marry later this year. MEUSA was heartened by many … More Marriage Equality USA reports from SCOTUS on Prop 8 arguments
172 events start in all 50 states, with all eyes on Washington, D.C., as people start record breaking queue outside SCOTUS By Melanie Nathan & Cathy Kristofferson, March 24, 2013. 3/25 UPDATE: over 2500 people have gathered at events ranging from Casper, Wyoming, to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Cleveland, Ohio already. And tonight is the big “night … More Historic Marriage Equality events underway across the United States
Civil rights, religious, Republican, military leaders and families to speak at historic event By Cathy Kristofferson, March 23, 2013 Supporters of marriage equality will gather at 8:30am Tuesday morning on the steps of the Supreme Court before the first of two marriage equality hearings. The speakers will include an impressive collection of civil rights activists, … More Headline Speakers Announced for Tuesday, March 26 Marriage Equality Gathering at Supreme Court
Is this our chance at our Constitution’s promise of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? By Cathy Kristofferson, March 22, 2013. Next week on Tuesday March 25th and then Wednesday the 26th the Supreme Court will hear the ‘two marriage cases’ deciding if the gay community will be allowed to enjoy the same rights, … More The many possible outcomes of the SCOTUS DOMA and Prop8 hearings
Museveni ‘under pressure to ban’ Red Pepper In an article by Grace Natabaalo it is revealed that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has revealed that he is under pressure to ban local tabloids such as Red Pepper for exposing nudity. “We could have closed it but because of the pressure by western powers about the free … More Ugandan President agrees that anti-gay Red Pepper Tabloid is bad news
“I realized that it was good old fashioned c\Catholic prejudice towards homosexuality, or those who seem to be homosexual.” By Melanie Nathan, March 20, 2013. After Ugandan Catholic cleric Fr. Anthony Musaala authored an open letter To Bishops, Priests and Laity, entitled “The failure of Celibate Chastity among Diocesan Priests” accusing his Catholic Church colleagues in … More Exclusive: Father Anthony Musaala speaks about his suspension by Ugandan Catholic Archbishop
PLEASE VOTE \ at http://www.sfpride.org/vote/ By Melanie Nathan, March 21, 2013 UPDATED 3/21/2013. : After informing the San Francisco Pride Board that Ugandan activists were horrified by this nomination and concerned about the harmful backlash that could follow, the Pride organizers agreed to remove Kadaga from the site as a nominee. They were apologetic for … More Uganda Speaker Kadaga nominated for San Francisco Pride most harmful to gays Pink Brick award
How long will we have to wait to get our Constitution’s promise of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? By Cathy Kristofferson, March 20, 2013. The United in Marriage: Light the Way to Justice coalition has reached 160+ events in all 50 states and Washington D.C. before and during the Supreme Court oral arguments … More Equality is waiting, History is watching….
In a bombshell “Open Letter To Bishops, Priests and Laity: The failure of Celibate Chastity among Diocesan Priests” By Melanie Nathan, March 20, 2o13. The Archbishop of Kampala Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga has suspended cleric Fr. Anthony Musaala, who authored a document criticizing Catholic Church colleagues in Uganda, accusing them of sexual immorality and crimes. … More Ugandan Catholic Priest suspended for speaking out against sexual immorality and crimes
An injustice to one… By Cathy Kristofferson, March 18, 2013 Sunday I marched in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Peace Parade, the alternate to what is now called ‘traditional’ St. Patrick’s Day parade. Now that I have had a day to thaw and ruminate on why it is I marched for the 3rd year … More Why march in an alternate St. Patrick’s Day parade?
The Ugandan Parliamentarians should note that the President of Uganda makes the case that Anti–gay legislation is unnecessary By Melanie Nathan, March 19, 2013. According to Ugandan press, a delegation of USA human rights activists, led by Kerry Kennedy, the president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, met with Ugandan … More Ugandan President Museveni seems to make case against Anti-Homosexuality Bill in visit with Kerry Kennedy
VISIT SMITHSONIAN EXHIBIT AND ASK PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR A MEDAL OF FREEDOM FOR BAYARD RUSTIN Posted by Melanie Nathan, March 18, 2013. On Bayard’s 101st birthday (March 17), we are well into the 50th anniversary year of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Many consider the March the highpoint of the African-American civil … More Changing America and Bayard Rustin as we head to D.C. to rally for marriage equality
‘That more perfect union promised to us all” Hillary Clinton By Melanie Nathan and Cathy Kristofferson, March 18, 2013. Former Secretary of State speaks out about marriage equality and respect for LGBT Americans, through her international experience and as a mother. “Full and Equal rights and deserve full citizenship -“ Marriage is a fundamental building … More Video Hillary Clinton talks about the importance of marriage equality
University & student union fail to publicly condemn preachers London – 18 March 2013 – The University of East London (UEL) blocked an Islamist meeting that was due to be held on the Stratford campus last Friday, 15 March. The meeting was billed as featuring hate preachers Khalid Yasin and Jalal Ibn Saeed. The meeting … More Islamists preaching hate against gays blocked at East London University
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