Tag: LGBT

Nancy Pelosi on Obama call for Conversion Therapy Ban

April 9, 2015

Posted By Melanie Nathan, April 09, 2015. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement today following President Obama’s call to end the harmful psychiatric therapies aimed at “converting” LGBT people, especially children and youth: “LGBT lives matter.  Yet, we have lost too many loved ones who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender as the result … More Nancy Pelosi on Obama call for Conversion Therapy Ban

New Poll Shows Millennials Support Comprehensive LGBT Protections

April 7, 2015

New Polling Shows Millennials Overwhelmingly Support Comprehensive LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections Posted by Melanie Nathan, April 7, 2015. Despite historic progress on marriage equality over the past decade, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, individuals still lack basic, enumerated protections from discrimination in several areas of life, from the workplace to the public marketplace. However, … More New Poll Shows Millennials Support Comprehensive LGBT Protections

Wedding for Asylum Seeking African Lesbian Couple at San Francisco City Hall

March 31, 2015

By Melanie Nathan, March 30, 2015 After years on the run a young lesbian couple from an African country, surviving terrifying persecution, miraculously made their way to San Francisco where they are seeking asylum.  They will no longer be waiting in the wings as their dream to marry will soon be realized. Back in 2012, … More Wedding for Asylum Seeking African Lesbian Couple at San Francisco City Hall

Technology Giants and Entertainers Condemn Indiana Religious Law

March 26, 2015

By Melanie Nathan, March 26, 2015. Members of the entertainment industry and technology giants are reacting to the new Indiana law which condemns LGBT people to certain discrimination. Religious Freedom Restoration Act  was passed by a strong majority in the legislature, and  signed today by Indiana Governor Mike Pence, despite pleas from the business industry … More Technology Giants and Entertainers Condemn Indiana Religious Law

CA Attorney General Goes to Court to stop Murderous Anti-Gay Ballot Initiative

March 25, 2015

Seeking declaratory Relief before Title and Summary is Issued By Melanie Nathan, March 25, 2015 An intense backlash has developed against Huntington Beach lawyer Matt McLaughlin, who wants to qualify a Ballot initiative calling for the murder of gays for the statewide ballot in November 2016. California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued the … More CA Attorney General Goes to Court to stop Murderous Anti-Gay Ballot Initiative

Breaking Indiana Passes Nation’s Most Anti-LGBT Law

March 23, 2015

  We urge all Indianans to contact Governor Pence at 317-232-4567 to ask him to veto this unprecedented attack on religious liberty. Posted by Melanie Nathan, March 23, 2015. Governor Mike Pence (R-Indiana) is being urged to veto SB 101, a piece of legislation that would be one of the most anti-LGBT laws in the … More Breaking Indiana Passes Nation’s Most Anti-LGBT Law

Outrage at UK Visit by Ugandan Anti-Gay Pentecostal Reverend

March 18, 2015

Please sign the Petition below By Melanie Nathan, March 18, 2015 A Pentecostal reverend, a major anti-gay protagonist, who called homosexuals evil, is set to speak at St James Church, Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire, in the United Kingdom and activists are outraged. The controversial preacher, Rev. Simon Peter Emiau,  General Superintendent of the Pentecostal Assemblies … More Outrage at UK Visit by Ugandan Anti-Gay Pentecostal Reverend

First Open Lesbian Rabbi President of Reform Judaism CCAR

March 16, 2015

First openly gay president of Reform Judaism rabbi group to be installed By Melanie Nathan December 16, 2015. On Monday, Rabbi Denise Eger, 55, became the third woman and first openly lesbian (LGBT) president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), the rabbinical arm of the Reform Judaism movement, which is holding is 126th … More First Open Lesbian Rabbi President of Reform Judaism CCAR

LGBT Women Are Among Most at Risk of Poverty in America

March 13, 2015

Groundbreaking report from broad coalition examines poverty and economic vulnerability of LGBT women. Posted by Melanie Nathan, March 13, 2015 Washington, D.C. — According to a new report released by a broad coalition of research and advocacy organizations, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, women are among the most at risk of poverty in America. … More LGBT Women Are Among Most at Risk of Poverty in America

Condemnation of Minnesota Legislation as Harmful to Transgender Students

March 12, 2015

Posted by Melanie Nathan, March 11, 2015. The Transgender Legal defense and Education Fund (TLDEF) denounces yet another attempt to target transgender students for discrimination, this time in Minnesota. Republican state lawmakers introduced identical bills in the Minnesota State House and Senate. HF 1456 and SF 1543 would deny transgender students the ability to play on sports teams … More Condemnation of Minnesota Legislation as Harmful to Transgender Students

MEUSA Files Real People Amicus Brief with SCOTUS

March 9, 2015

MEUSA Amicus Brief: Real Voices, Real People, Real Impact  Posted by Melanie Nathan, March 09, 2015. San Francisco/Washington DC – Today, Marriage Equality USA announces that it has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the freedom to marry nationwide and full equality under the Constitution for LGBTQ people. The brief, … More MEUSA Files Real People Amicus Brief with SCOTUS

UNHCR Puts Hold on Registrations of Large Groups of Ugandans

February 20, 2015

Of Large Groups of Ugandans who claim to have an LGBT Profile By Melanie Nathan, February 20, 2015. I reported at African HRC that unscrupulous people may be conducting scams and taking advantage of LGBTI people who seek to escape their countries of origin. Of the several problems that seem to be happening at this … More UNHCR Puts Hold on Registrations of Large Groups of Ugandans

OPEN LETTER AS AIDS ACTIVISTS PRESS HRC ON HIV AIDS FIGHT

February 11, 2015

 Open Letter to HRC Calls to Partner on AIDS/HIV Issues By Melanie Nathan, February 11, 2015. February 11, 2015 – New York, NY – The AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP) released the text of an open letter to Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as a follow up to its protest of HRC´s gala held on … More OPEN LETTER AS AIDS ACTIVISTS PRESS HRC ON HIV AIDS FIGHT

Obama High Horse Reflection Forgot Current Christian Persecution of Global Gays

February 10, 2015

By Melanie Nathan, February 10, 2015. President Obama raised a brow or two when reflecting on extremist violence perpetrated in the name of Islam as not being the only religion used in such egregious a fashion. When the President raised Christianity’s history of tyranny, he failed to reflect on how it is still being used … More Obama High Horse Reflection Forgot Current Christian Persecution of Global Gays

1AngryOldLesbian.org seeks assistance from the Dalai Lama

February 4, 2015

“It is not enough to be compassionate, we must act.” – His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama By Cathy Kristofferson, February 4, 2015 Once again, 1AngryOldLesbian.org will demonstrate outside the National Prayer Breakfast (NPB) early Thursday morning. But this year, we heard news that His Holiness the Dalai Lama had agreed to attend! We wondered if His … More 1AngryOldLesbian.org seeks assistance from the Dalai Lama

Report Shows Difficulties Faced by Transgender Homeless Youth

February 2, 2015

Posted by Melanie Nathan, Feb 02, 2015. Washington, D.C. — Youth homelessness in America is nearing epidemic levels, and the problem among the transgender community is disproportionately acute. At least one in five transgender young people have experienced homelessness, and many of them have encountered discrimination, harassment, and abuse in shelters and other services meant … More Report Shows Difficulties Faced by Transgender Homeless Youth

African Gays Still Suffer as Oscar Nominated Film Sparks Call for Mass UK Pardon

February 2, 2015

While Mass Pardons Sought in UK, Africans are Still being Arrested Under old Penal Codes Posted by Melanie Nathan, February 2, 2015 While the United Kingdom seeks to right the wrong against homosexuals, its influence in the form of Colonial era Penal Codes, still haunt Africa. The Penal Codes serving to underpin much of the … More African Gays Still Suffer as Oscar Nominated Film Sparks Call for Mass UK Pardon

NQAPIA Announces New Executive Director

February 2, 2015

By Melanie Nathan, February 02, 2015. The Board of Directors of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) is excited to announce that Glenn D. Magpantay is NQAPIA’s new Executive Director. Glenn has been with NQAPIA since the beginning, as one of the organization’s founders. Since 2009, he has served as NQAPIA’s Co-Director of … More NQAPIA Announces New Executive Director

HRC Calls in San Francisco Police for LGBT Castro Protest

January 31, 2015

Peaceful Protest attracts curious tourists, reporters and Castro community By Melanie Nathan, January 31, 2015. About 2 dozen LGBT activists from San Francisco and community members held a vigil outside the San Francisco Human Rights Campaign (HRC) souvenir store in the Castro today. The gathering, which took the form of a sidewalk noon brunch, outside … More HRC Calls in San Francisco Police for LGBT Castro Protest

Activists to Protest 1% HRC Elitism and AIDS Neglect

January 29, 2015

New York and San Francisco By Melanie Nathan, January 29, 2015. The AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP) and other HIV activist organizations will converge to protest the neglect of the AIDS crisis by mainstream LGBT organizations at the annual self-congratulatory gala held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City by Human Rights Campaign … More Activists to Protest 1% HRC Elitism and AIDS Neglect

President Obama’s Speech and Impact on Global LGBT Persecution

January 21, 2015

By African HRC, January 21, 2015. The American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community is thanking President Barack Obama this morning for his historic inclusion of all LGBT people in last night’s State of the Union address before the US Congress, the American people, and the world. This is the first time that Transgender people … More President Obama’s Speech and Impact on Global LGBT Persecution

Should we be Reporting Gay Men Executions by ISIS

January 17, 2015

Are we playing ball spreading the terror on behalf of ISIS? By Melanie Nathan, January 17, 2014. Today when I awoke here in California my feed was abuzz with disturbing pictures and articles of (purportedly) gay men being thrown from a rooftop by ISIS, which appears to have taken place in Mosul. The internet is … More Should we be Reporting Gay Men Executions by ISIS

HRC Now Accepts Religious Liberty Bigotry

January 11, 2015

by Cathy Kristofferson, January 11, 2015 Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) received their first lump of coal from Santa for 2015. Deliverers of Santa’s naughty list and coal at Christmastime, 1angryoldlesbian.org, returned barely two weeks into the new year following Thursday’s Washington Post article in which HRC’s vice president Fred Sainz gushed over presidential hopeful Jeb Bush’s new … More HRC Now Accepts Religious Liberty Bigotry

One Step Closer for MA Homeless Queer Youth

December 31, 2014

As the Commonwealth enacts law to improve housing and services for homeless youth… By Cathy Kristofferson, December 31, 2014. Two years ago, on January 1st 2013, I posted here on OBLOGDEE about the ongoing plight of homeless queer youth. Every now and then that post gets renewed interest when someone quotes and/or links to it. That happened again … More One Step Closer for MA Homeless Queer Youth

On Santa’s Naughty List HRC Gets Coal Delivery

December 24, 2014

…and the letter from Santa tells Chad why! 12/24/2014 By Cathy Kristofferson. Santa Claus asked the members of 1AngryOldLesbian.org (1AOL) if they wouldn’t mind delivering a letter to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and they merrily agreed. Though the weather outside was frightful, their spirits were high as they donned their rainbow Santa hats while listening to the … More On Santa’s Naughty List HRC Gets Coal Delivery

New York State Acts to Remove Medicaid Ban on Transgender Health Care

December 16, 2014

Department of Health Proposes Regulation to Ensure Transgender New Yorkers Have Access to Certain Medically Necessary Care Posted by Melanie Nathan, Dec 16, 2014. New York, NY – The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) commends Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health for proposing a new regulation to end … More New York State Acts to Remove Medicaid Ban on Transgender Health Care

Merkley’s Process for Federal LGBT Equality Must Include All Stakeholders

December 12, 2014

By Melanie Nathan, December 11, 2014 United States Senator Jeff Merkley formally announced at the Center for American Progress that he plans to introduce a comprehensive LGBT civil rights bill in the next Congress. This is excellent news. The LGBT community in the United States America must include a full compliment of stakeholders working together … More Merkley’s Process for Federal LGBT Equality Must Include All Stakeholders

Special Refugee Programs for Gays Should Include Africans

December 2, 2014

Special refugee programs for gays should include all LGBTI people worldwide seeking to escape criminalization, harsh penalties and rampant persecution By Melanie Nathan, December 01, 2014. While Spectrum Human Rights continues to lobby the US Congress, the US State Department and the White House to establish a special refugee program for Russian LGBT people, we … More Special Refugee Programs for Gays Should Include Africans

African LGBTI Group a first to Protest at The Hague

November 24, 2014

By Melanie Nathan, November 24, 2014. For the first time, an African LGBTI group will stage a demonstration at The Hague in the Netherlands, to draw attention to complaints arising out of how the Netherlands Immigration authorities treat the claims of  LGBTI Africans seeking asylum in that country. Out and Proud Diamond Group, an LGBT … More African LGBTI Group a first to Protest at The Hague

Homophobic South African Ex Ambassador to Uganda Back in Court

November 14, 2014

Why is Qwelane no longer Ambassador to Uganda – why the secrecy? By Melanie Nathan, November 14, 2014. While the Johannesburg High Court must decide whether the Jon Qwelane’s hate speech case and a constitutional challenge to the Equality Act are closely linked enough so that the Court can hear both cases as one, it … More Homophobic South African Ex Ambassador to Uganda Back in Court