To Form a More Perfect Union: Marriage Equality News

MD: TV Same-Sex Wedding Stirs Debate

Link: ABC2News.com, Channel 2 WMAR-TV

Excerpt:

On Sunday night’s season finale of the ABC show, “Brothers and Sisters,” the characters “Kevin" and "Scotty" got married -- in what was billed as the first gay marriage on a network television drama.

In Maryland, a push to legalize gay marriage has stalled in Annapolis -- and in Maryland courtrooms.  Right now, no form of same-sex marriage is recognized by state law.  Some people want to overturn the law; others want to make it even stronger by placing into the state's constitution.

State Delegate Don Dwyer Jr. has no doubt what the producers of "Brothers and Sisters" were trying to do with the marriage of "Kevin and Scotty."  “It's clearly to normalize and build social acceptance for the issue on a national basis,” Del. Dwyer said.

The Anne Arundel County Republican is a leading opponent of the effort to legalize gay marriage in Maryland.  He believes the citizens are on his side -- and supporters of gay marriage know it.  “What the other side is concerned with is that they realize that the voting public in Maryland is not ready to accept gay marriage and if they were the bill would have passed this year,” he said.

Andrew Foster Connors is the Pastor at Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in Baltimore’s Bolton Hill neighborhood.  He says over the years, his congregation has changed dramatically.  “As the city has changed, we've begun to change along with it,” he said.  “We do have a number of families, same-sex couple families with children, whose children are at risk frankly because they don't have the same protections that i have in my marriage.”

Foster Connors believes same-sex marriage should be legal.  “The more I saw the welcoming and words of grace from Jesus -- obviously a Christian congregation -- and that led me ultimately to this kind of a decision.”

He hopes the "Brothers and Sisters” wedding helps same-sex couples realize they're still welcome in the Christian community.  “I think that as we discuss gay and lesbian people and relationships more in society I think that will ultimately be helpful.”

[...]

[jw]

A gay ceremony on ABC's 'Brothers & Sisters'

Link: USA Today

Excerpt:

After much anticipation on the set of ABC's Brothers & Sisters, a wedding cake has arrived. The four-tier creation — adorned with flowers and blackberries — is locked in a freezer, out of sight from the curious cast members, who are wondering what the cake topper looks like.

Spotting a prop woman with the topper in her hands, Matthew Rhys — whose character, Kevin, weds Sunday (10 p.m. ET/PT) in the show's Season 2 finale — calls her over. "Is it a man and a woman?" he asks. Getting a closer look, Rhys smiles and says, "Oh, it's two men. Fantastic. There were jokes made that they wouldn't be able to find two men, so they'd have to doctor the woman by adding a moustache."

This is no typical TV wedding. It's a gay commitment ceremony — the first same-sex union on American network TV between series regulars.

"It's all very progressive, evolved and about time," says Rhys.

"It's a milestone, and I was really quite pleased that I got to be a part of it," echoes Calista Flockhart, who plays Kevin's big sis Kitty.

[...]

Flockhart's character will officiate at the ceremony while her husband (Rob Lowe) ends up playing a key role — significant because he's a Republican senator opposed to gay marriage.

During a break, Lowe waltzes off set. "It's pretty romantic in there," he notes, greeting his visiting kid brother, actor Chad Lowe, who explains, "I'm here to witness history."

When Rhys and Macfarlane finally arrive on set in their crisp suits and ties, the cast and crew let out a collective awwww.

There is much affection for the characters, who met at the start of the series. It is a sentiment shared by at least one show fan. Rhys tells of a letter he received from the mother of a gay son. She "took great strength in seeing Kevin interact with his mother, and how little of a problem it is for them," he says. "It was a lovely letter."

The note was a pleasant distraction from the good-natured ribbing he has been taking from his co-stars. "Luke and I were rehearsing who was to stand where, which would put one of us in the woman's position, and a few comments were made," says Rhys. "And neither of us was going to wear a white suit while the other wore black."

[...]

Conspicuously absent from the gathering is Sarah's (Rachel Griffiths) love interest (Steven Weber), who will not return for Season 3. But her character's two young kids are there, and Griffiths wonders if some viewers will "have a problem with that."

She hopes not, but the liberal-leaning show does attempt to recognize those who oppose gay marriage by introducing Scotty's disapproving parents, who skip the ceremony. That volatile relationship is expected to be explored in Season 3. Another possibility: children.

"It would be interesting to go down the adoption route and see from a legal aspect how Kevin would campaign for that," says Rhys, whose character is an attorney.

Adds Macfarlane: "Kitty makes a speech about Scotty and Kevin building a family, which hopefully is foreshadowing."

Executive producer Monica Breen assures, "They will be a family. Kevin deserves a stable relationship in the same way that Kitty, Sarah and all the others deserve it. He will be facing many questions in his life — but now he has someone to share that with."

[jw]

TV: Brothers and Sisters Star Luke McFarlane Comes Out

Link: www.actressarchives.com

Excerpt:

Luke McFarlane plays a gay man in a serious relationship on ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters.” The 28 year-old Canadian actor has become comfortable with his character, so much so, that’s he’s felt confident to come out about his sexuality. His character on the show, Scotty Wandell, is headed to the altar with his mate, Kevin Walker, for the season finale, which airs May 11.

The show is one of the few to confront gay marriage and McFarlane is looking forward to it, because in real life, he hopes to get married one day. And the series has made him so proud that he has come out about his sexual orientation.

[...]

[km]

Media: CG Animation 'Buddy G' Joins COLAGE Group

Link: www.animationinsider.net

Excerpt:

Buddy G has been named the first animated member of an education-focused gay rights group. The lead character of the recently released Buddy G: My Two Moms and Me, the boy joins a coalition of children and young adults of the gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender parentage who dedicate their time and efforts to advocacy and education. COLAGE, a national organization whose benchmarks include establishing a prideful connection within the gay rights community, has announced that Buddy G serves as a more than perfect proponent of the organization's goals.

Debuting on home video in late last year with its first episode, "The Lost Rings," Buddy G: My Two Moms and Me is a computer animated television series, initially marketed as the first wide-release of its medium to feature a child with same-sex parents. With a focus on Buddy G, his knack for learning and the many backyard adventures he subsequently pursues, Buddy G: My Two Moms and Me well mirrors the creative and sincere ambitions of COLAGE [related A.I. news: "Buddy G Has Two Mommies…"].

According to COLAGE, "youth empowerment, leadership development, advocacy and education" are of primary emphasis to both the organization and to Buddy G. "Buddy G is a perfect fit for COLAGE," Beth Teper, Executive Director of COLAGE, commented. "The cartoon promotes acceptance, justice, equality and love by celebrating Buddy and his family; we are delighted to accept Buddy G's membership." She continued, "While all COLAGE members are dynamic and spirited, Buddy G is our first truly animated member."

[...]

[km]

Ireland: Huge Majority Comes Out For Legal Recognition

Link: GCN

Excerpt:

A TV3 poll has found that 72% of viewers back the Irish government's proposal to introduce legal recognition for gay and lesbian couples.

Mark McCarron and Paul Kenny (pictured right), campaigners for the gay rights pressure group LGBT Noise appeared on popular breakfast show ‘Ireland AM’ as part of a segment on gay civil unions

Legislation for civil unions is expected to be unveiled at the end of March, but McCarron and Kenny are advocating full and equal gay marriage.

The couple appeared on the TV3 show holding hands, which provoked some complaints from viewers, despite the high numbers pro-gay marriage voters.

“Although we did receive a number of complaints the overall consensus was in favour of bringing in civil marriage legislation for gay couples," said a TV3 representative.

[...]

In December, Minister of Justice Brian Lenihan rejected the possibility of a referendum to allow gay marriage.

Lenihan said civil partnership was easier to achieve, because gay marriage would require a constitutional change that would split the country.

"This government, as our agreed programme reflects, is committed to full equality of opportunity for all in our society," he said.

[km]

Equality California targets marriage ad

Link: The Bay Area Reporter

Excerpt:

Let California Ring, a coalition of advocacy groups working to increase public support for same-sex marriage, will begin airing a pro-gay marriage ad in a targeted market in Southern California next week, less than three weeks before the California Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the consolidated marriage case.

Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors made the announcement at the organization's gala benefit Saturday, February 9. The affair, held in San Francisco City Hall, was attended by hundreds of people.

During his remarks, Kors said that after 2004, when same-sex marriage burst onto the national stage, advocates realized that the message of gay and lesbian couples not receiving more than 1,000 federal rights because they cannot marry "wasn't working."

"We decided to take a step back," Kors told the audience. The reason that message wasn't resonating, he said, was because people don't get married to get the rights and benefits.

"The reason people get married is because they fall in love with a person," he said. "So we took all this research and this testing and created an ad to move the movable middle."

The ad was first aired in selected areas last fall in honor of National Coming Out Day. The spot does not feature any gay people, but instead focuses on a bride who is prevented – through a series of mishaps – from getting to the altar. It ends with the tagline: "What if you couldn't marry the one you love?"

Kors said the ad would air for six weeks. He declined to name the market where it would run.

EQCA also honored two longtime community leaders. Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, received the group's Marriage Equality Award. Wolfson, who is also helping out with Let California Ring, encouraged those in attendance to do more in the fight for marriage equality, particularly donating their time or money.

"The truth is, we don't have the luxury of time," he said, referring to the upcoming oral arguments and the recent news that an anti-gay group is collecting signatures to place a proposed state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the November ballot. "Everything we've done ... hangs in the balance."

[…]

 

 

 

 

[jw]

Studies Show Latino Gay/Lesbian Couples Adopt At Highest Rate Among Gay Couples

Link: Hispanic Trending

Excerpt:

While Spanish-speaking telenovelas (TV Soap Operas) may be a bit over the top when it comes to love, passion, conflicts and families, they also reflect real life and society – including recent story lines about gay parenting. With recent studies showing that Latino gay and lesbian couples have higher adoption rates than other same-sex couples, it’s no coincidence that gay adoption has appeared in two recent novelas, "Barreras de Amor" (The Barriers of Love), and “Amar Sin Limites” (To Love Without Limits).

“The trend in telenovelas of portraying gay and lesbian couples with adopted children is a cultural phenomenon and an extension of how gays and lesbians are carrying ‘La Familia’ - the utmost Latino cultural value - into their lifestyles,” said Dr. Eduardo Morales, Ph.D., Professor of the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), Alliant International University, San Francisco Campus.

[…]

While some states are grappling with legislative issues related to gay parenting, the reality is that a growing number of lesbians and gay men are becoming parents and living as families every day. Beyond the fray of soundbites and blogs, research has revealed that family stability, nurturing and love are far more important to the health of adoptive children than gender roles or family stereotypes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (2000) recommends that social workers ask one key question in making placement decisions that will be in the child’s best interest: "Is this couple (or person) caring, nurturing, and sensitive to others?”

[…]

[jw]

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane may not be gay, but Stewie "almost certainly" is

Link: AfterElton.com
by Brian Juergens

Excerpt:

The "Big Gay Following" feature over at The Advocate can be a hit-or-miss affair. Sometimes the subjects (straight entertainers with considerable gay fanbases) seem uncomfortable with the line of questioning, sometimes they aren't very entertaining subjects, and sometimes I'm left wondering who on earth the gay fans of this person are in the first place, and how I can contact them to stop. (Yes, Nick Carter fans, that means you.)

But the latest BGF victim is a doozy: Family Guy and American Dad creator, showtune enthusiast and equal-opportunity offense artist Seth MacFarlane.

I'm a big fan of The Family Guy, which regularly tosses gay jokes into its caustic and hilarious mix without ever seeming mean-spirited. And MacFarlane's brilliant interview makes it clear that he's a big supporter of gay marriage rights (as evidenced by ant episode in which Brian's gay cousin visits with his boyfriend) and reveals that deranged, matricidal, football-headed rugrat Stewie is probably gay.

A few choice excerpts:

• On gay marriage: "A couple of years prior I had teamed up to write a pilot with two writers, both of whom were gay. One of them said that when he travels through the Midwest with his partner they have to go through this fucking dog and pony act when they stop at a hotel and the guy behind the counter says, “You want one room or two?” They have this charade where they’ll say to each other, “Is one room OK with you?” “Yeah, I’m cool with that if you are.” “Yeah, no big deal, we’ll just take one.” That was one of many conversations I had with them where I thought to myself, Why is it that Johnny Spaghetti Stain in fucking Georgia can knock a woman up, legally be married to her, and then beat the shit out of her, but these two intelligent, sophisticated writers who have been together for 20 years can’t get married? It’s infuriating and idiotic."

[…]

[jw]

Scotland/U.S.: Gay star John Barrowman talks about wanting be a dad

Link: Scotland on Sunday
by Catherine Deveney

Excerpt:

You'd be forgiven for thinking John Barrowman has had a charmed life. But the boy growing up in America's Midwest with a Scottish accent and the knowledge that he was gay has had his fair share of struggles.

Minutes into the interview with actor and musical star John Barrowman, just as a few question marks about him are forming in my mind, something very charming happens. A man hovers at Barrowman's back. Sorry to interrupt. Could his wee boy say hello? Certainly. The little boy, an angelic blond, is about three. He stares at Barrowman with the kind of look children often reserve for shop Santas: a mixture of rapt wonder and awe, tinged with a soupçon of fear and disbelief. Speech has deserted him. This is Captain Jack from Doctor Who and Torchwood!

[...]

It's not often in our society that gay men are allowed to be fantasy heroes to small boys. Captain Jack is a bisexual time traveller fighting to save the planet, and in real life Barrowman is gay too. He's in a 14-year relationship with Scott Gill, an architect. It's always a bit poignant watching gay men with kids, particularly when, like Barrowman, they have made no secret of the fact they would like to be a father. What appeals to him about fatherhood? "I don't know. I just think I would be a good dad. Scott and I have an incredible amount to offer a child. Gay men have two individual incomes and don't spend their money on anything but themselves, so we have money we could offer for a good education to help a child who didn't have anything, who grew up in an orphanage."

Would he be more interested, then, in helping an orphan than having a blood child? "I think it probably would interest me more but the side of me that is selfish would also like to have a blood child. If we were doing that we'd have one and adopt one. We also said we'd mix the sperm so we didn't know who was the father." He and Scott might prefer that – but would a child? Legislation now emphasises children's rights to know their origins. "Well, if they needed to, but I really think a child growing up in a loving home wouldn't care."

The home might be loving. The rest of the world isn't always. But Barrowman says the prospect of a child with two fathers being ostracised or bullied isn't a major concern. "You pack up and you move to a place where they don't," he says stoutly. Does such a place actually exist? But you'll always be picked on for something as a child, he argues. And he would give short shrift to the idea that, since a child is not the natural consequence of a same-sex relationship, homosexuals have no particular right to be parents. "These children are wanted. Think how much planning it actually takes. More planning than some people who just go out and get knocked up and have a baby."

[...]

So what does love mean to him? "Companionship. Security – as in another person, I don't mean financial. Someone who will listen to you, respect you, do anything for you." But that doesn't come automatically. "You have to make an effort. My mum used to joke, 'You've got to do things to keep the spark alive.' And I said, 'Mother, I'm so glad to hear that! And I hope you and Dad keep the spark alive for a long, long time.'" He grins. "I've seen their wardrobe. I know what she's talking about. Let's just say dressing up occurs every so often. And you know what? That's what makes it work. That's why they've been together 53 years. That's what a relationship is about and it doesn't matter if you're two men, two women, or a man and a woman. It's actually very similar."

[...]

[km]

TV: Cybill Shepherd works with her daughter on The L Word, speaks about marriage

Link: ProudParenting.com

Excerpt:

Liberal icon and celebrated actress Cybill Shepherd is working closely on the set of The L Word with her daughter Clementine Ford. Cybill plays Clementine's mom on the show.

[...]

Shepherd has been a friend of the lesbian and gay community for decades. Always a proponent of civil rights such as pro-choice, Cybill spoke up about same-sex unions in a Spring 2000 interview with Larry King, "I think to infringe on anybody's civil rights is a crime, and I absolutely believe they (lesbians and gays) should have the right to marry. I think it's none of the government's business, frankly."

[km]

TV: Daytime soap depicts a young gay couple

Link: AfterElton.com

Excerpt:

Well, well, well! Yesterday's As the World Turns certainly got folks worked up!

[...]

As everyone knows, last week we had Noah invited to spend Christmas with Luke on the farm and in this episode we're treated to a scene of Luke's parents, Lily and Holden, reminiscing about how quickly their son has grown up and how he's now out on the porch with his boyfriend. And they're completely fine with it.

Later, when Luke has his Christmas "miracle" and fetches the butter, Noah looks at him with tears in his eyes. To celebrate, the family offers up a toast to Luke and to Noah. Later Noah, not much for mushy words and sentiments, gives Luke a card reading:

"Luke, I wish I had your way with words but I don't. Thank you for never giving up on me even when I pushed you away. Being with you has made me happier than I have ever been. Merry Christmas. LOVE, Noah."

That's right, one teenage boy just told another teenage boy that he loves him on daytime television. And several times during the episode, Noah squeezed Luke's arm or they touched and were always in close proximity like lovebirds tend to be. Finally, we had them under the mistletoe and the infamous kiss that wasn't.

[...]

My point? Just that I don't think it's fair to call ATWT homophobic or to berate them relentlessly. There has been no other storyline on daytime television that comes close to what ATWT has done. We've no idea how hard the producers and writers of the show may have had to fight to even get Nuke on the air.

Look, I've no problem with folks being passionate about Nuke and even calling up CBS to complain about cutting away from the kiss or petitioning them to do more with the characters. I think those are great ideas. But how many folks also wrote and called CBS to say how much they love Nuke and appreciate the show is doing what no one else will?

And if our goal is to get better gay visibility on the air, I'm not sure that calling the folks doing the one show on daytime TV (and one of the few on air, period) where the gay characters have kissed and said they love each other, where the homophobic character is the insane killer, and where pretty much everyone else is gay supportive, homophobic is the way to do it.

Frankly, if I were a writer on another soap opera or television show and I saw ATWT getting so much grief, I might simply decide that the crap I might get from the advertisers, not to mention homophobic viewers, plus the gay folks angry I'm not doing enough for them, simply wasn't worth the grief and not do a gay character at all.

Again, I am not cool with how some aspects of this are being handled and if I get to interview the powers that be, I'll specifically ask those questions. But I do think a little perspective is order.

Okay, you may now light those torches!

[km]

Video: I Now Pronounce You Trent and Greg

Link: Current TV

A young California couple, Trent and Greg, talk about the meaning of the freedom to marry for them. Visit the site to view the video.

TV: A model couple

Link: Washington Blade

Excerpt:

[photo caption: Shaun McCarron (left) and Paul Anderson are using their stint in ‘The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency’ to get attention for their ripped bodies and marriage equality. (Photo by Andrew Briskin)]

THESE DAYS ON REALITY television you have to compete hard to get anywhere. [...] In this rough-and-tumble reality environment, it’s good that gay couple Paul Anderson and Shaun McCarron, both 25, found fame the old-fashioned way: they were discovered.

When the co-habitating pair was visiting Los Angeles from Orlando, Fla. — where Anderson works as a massage therapist and runs a spa and McCarron is wrapping up his MBA with a focus in hospitality management — they were just chilling at a friend’s barbecue, and who shows up but Janice Dickinson, the self-appointed world’s first supermodel and reality TV maven.

“We were like, ‘What the fuck?’” says Anderson. “We just had a good time, and at the end of the night, she asked if I had modeled before and I said I had, and I left my name and number on her cell phone. She directed me to a producer of the show, and I got a phone call a few weeks later, asking what they could offer us to be on season three.”

That’s the third season of Dickinson’s Oxygen reality show “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency,” which started Dec. 4 and airs new episodes each Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.

[...]

What they both say they want to do in front of millions of people is draw some attention to the fight for gay marriage equality, pointing people in the direction of programs by HRC and other groups working to secure equal marriage rights.

“I think [being a gay couple on the show] helps open some eyes and [put] the focus back on the issues again,” Anderson says. “You can’t just let things happen as they happen, you need to take action. Society needs that slap in the face, saying to people, ‘Wake up, we’re not done yet.’”

Of course, they have selfish reasons for getting gays the right to marry. When asked if he and Anderson would like to tie the knot, McCarron says, “I’d love to have that chance, but now you really have to fight for it.”

Luckily, now that the filming is finished, they’re so busy fighting for the right to walk down the aisle together that they won’t be challenging others to win some silly reality television crown.

[km]

Canada: Adopting a broader view of family

Link: Globe and Mail

Excerpt:

Catherine Bainbridge had been sure it would all go well.

When her friends Linda and Mona, who are a lesbian couple, decided that they wanted to have a child, Ms. Bainbridge, a documentary filmmaker, wanted to tell their story. "I thought it would be interesting to follow them on their journey," she says. "I thought it would go swimmingly, but right from the get-go, it was hard."

The documentary, Mommy, Mommy, is about the lesbian couple's struggle to become parents. The special airs on CBC Newsworld tomorrow night.

For Ms. Bainbridge, 45, the experience of following the story, which covers the women's hopes, efforts, disappointments and eventually, after four years, happy ending, shook her assumption that Canadian society is as tolerant about the issue of same-sex parenthood as most people believe it is.

[…]

When intolerance of same-sex parents occurs, she believes, it is often a reflection of our own fear about being perfect families in a time when home life is under siege, as a result of high divorce rates, the need for dual incomes and modern time pressures.

"Maybe we worry about the wrong things sometimes," Ms. Bainbridge says. Rather than concern ourselves with the traditional father-mother model, we should recognize there are more fundamental principles to being a good parent, she says: "Do your kids feel loved? Do you spend time with them?"

[jw]

TV: Five Reasons We Love Desperate Housewives Again

Link: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Excerpt:

[...]

2) Same-sex Appeal New neighbors Bob and Lee caused chaos on Wisteria Lane — not because they’re lovers, but because they put a loud, tacky, blindingly metallic fountain on their front lawn. Oddly, this gay-friendly show tends to keep its gays boorish (Bree’s sulky son Andrew) or benign (Gaby’s swishy pal Vern). But Bob and Lee are uppity, snoopy and lethal. On this street, that’s called survival.

[...]

[km]

Mombian: Theme Song from BuddyG--My Two Moms and Me

Link: Mombian
by Dana

[Reposted in full by permission.]

Here’s the adorable theme song and opening sequence from BuddyG: My Two Moms and Me, the new animated show I reviewed last week. If it doesn’t put a smile on your face, you’re probably reading the wrong blog:

YouTube - Buddy G My Two Moms and Me www.BuddyG.tv

The song was composed and sung by Curt Bright of The String Beans. (How can you not love a band that records songs like “Gophers in Loafers”?)

[jw]

Cartoon Series Features Boy With Two Moms

Link: 365Gay.com

Excerpt:

A small Nebraska-based film company has released what it calls the first animated series featuring a family made up of two moms.

"Buddy G - My Two Moms and Me" a five year old boy named Buddy who loves science and solves daily problems with the help of his sidekick "Socrates," an armband computer with Internet capabilities.

[…]

"While today's children have ready access to literature depicting families headed by parents of the same gender, this is the first time that children with two moms or two dads will able to see the star of a show with a family just like their families," she said.

Future episodes will include a variety of families including those with 2 dads.

Even though the series was designed for children with gay and lesbian parents, the Towne-Colleys say the show is great entertainment for all families.

The premiere DVD can be ordered from the cartoon's website: http://buddyg.tv and retails for $10.00.

[jw]

Vermont Public Television to air hearing on marriage equality

Link: Burlington Free Press.com

Excerpt:

Vermont Public Television's "Public Square" will present highlights of a public hearing on the issue of same-sex marriage at 8 p.m. [EST] on Nov. 29.

The hearing was originally held in Lyndonville on Nov. 19 by the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection.

A live web chat at www.vpt.org will accompany the broadcast. The entire hearing will be available as video on demand on the Web site beginning the day after the broadcast.

[…]

[jw]

TV, Ireland: Exciting new series invites you to 'pop the question' on TV

Link: Nenaghguardian.ie

Excerpt:

RTÉ and Midas Productions are looking for spontaneous, fun loving and genuine individuals of all ages and from all walks of life to take part in their exciting new series Marry Me.

Whether it's a simple picnic in your local park or an exotic helicopter ride over Niagara Falls, we will help you make your proposal as romantic and as memorable as can be giving your unsuspecting partner the surprise of a lifetime.

*Perhaps your man is too slow to pop the question and you want to turn the tables on him!

*Maybe this will be your second time around and you're wondering should you make a fuss.

* Do you feel young at heart but think the age on your birth cert means a romantic or exciting proposal is not for you?

*Are you in a same sex relationship and want your feelings to be taken seriously and have fun and romance at the same time?

* Or maybe you're just out of ideas?

Whatever your age, nationality or sexual preference - we want to hear from you if you know that your partner is 'the one' and you want to ask him or her to be with you forever.

[...]

[km]

Brian Williams: "Marriage is under attack"

Link: Salon
by Glenn Greenwald

Excerpt:
On NBC News last night, Brian Williams declared that we're "in an era when marriage is under attack" (h/t Good As You):

YouTube - Marriage is under attack, Brian?!

That's a bizarre claim to make in a news broadcast like that. What does Williams mean? In what way is "marriage under attack," and who is doing the attacking?

[…]

UPDATE II: Brian Williams responds and explains himself. Whatever one's view of his response, it is a positive development that a network news anchor, within less than 24 hours, feels compelled to explain something he said on his news broadcast.

Williams' response:

I was the recipient today of several emails from well-intentioned people, telling me I was being attacked in parts of the blogosphere for something I wrote and said on the air in last night's broadcast. It was a closing piece about Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip celebrating their 60th anniversary. I noted this accomplishment, especially in this era when, as I put it, marriage seems "under attack" as an institution. My meaning? Our national divorce rate, which is currently somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. Others took it upon themselves to decide that I was somehow attacking gay marriage. The simple fact is that nothing could have been further from my mind, as many others easily understood. In fact, one comment shared with me today came from a respected member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, who said, "It seemed to me he was talking about the sky-high heterosexual divorce rates. Marriage IS under attack -- by straight people. It had nothing to do with the gay marriage movement."

On Good As You, Jeremy noted, "And even if the gays are not the specific destructive force to which Williams or his writer are referring in this intro, the hyperbolic idea that this institution is being "attacked" is one that is most often associated with anti-gay marriage campaigns. So at best, this was bad news writing; at worst, it's a prominent journalist and news outlet taking some irresponsible rhetorical bait. Either way, we're less than thrilled.

UPDATE: After seeing Williams' response, Michelangelo Signorile on The Gist adds:

I believe he'd not really thought about it all, just went with what sounded good -- which is the ultimate kind of media manipulation by the right, when they just hit on a theme so much it becomes the accepted position. And his response is rather smug, offers no apology and then claims some unnamed gay person as agreeing with him. It's the typical arrogance we see among the traditional media. Why not just say yes, that makes sense, bad wording, sorry about that, thanks for pointing it out? By the way, in his clarification he says that he noted that marriage "seems under attack" but in fact he'd said marriage "is" under attack.

[jw]

NJ: TWO TELEVISION COMMERCIALS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY PREMIERE TONIGHT, ELECTION NIGHT, ON NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY

Link: Garden State Equality

 

Tuesday, November 6, 2007 – Two television commercials advocating marriage equality will hit the air in New Jersey beginning tonight, Election Night, on News 12 New Jersey.  They are sponsored by Garden State Equality and Blue Jersey, the state’s leading progressive blog.  The two commercials, each 30 seconds, are scheduled to run for at least two weeks.

Garden State Equality’s commercial “Busy Family,” which you can view now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ4hg3FqmCY, is a cinema verite-style portrait of a real-life same-sex couple at home with their two kids.  As the couple feeds their kids in a busy scene typical of any family, President Bush is seen on a television in their living room, delivering a speech to Congress about his belief that committed same-sex couples should be banned from marriage.

YouTube - Busy Family

As the scene unfolds, so, too, does text on the screen:

“Mike and Jeff missed the president’s speech on protecting the American family.  They were too busy being one.  Support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.”

“Mike” and “Jeff” are actually the producer of the commercial, Whitney Pillsbury, and his civil-union partner, John Clarke, with their own kids.  The spot takes place at the family’s home in South Orange, New Jersey. 

Pillsbury is creative director at the New York ad agency The Kaplan Thaler Group, www.KaplanThaler.com.  He is well known in the industry for his edgy, award winning advertising campaigns.

"I wanted to show just how normal – and American – a same-sex family is."  Pillsbury, his partner and their three children were featured in a New York Times article earlier this year on how civil unions are failing to provide equality for same-sex couples in New Jersey.

The writer of “Busy Family” is Steve Salinaro, associate creative director at The Kaplan Thaler Group.  His short films have been shown in festivals worldwide, including The New York Film Festival. 

Steve remembers, “I approached Whitney to help make some posters for a marriage equality rally.  The posters then became the idea for the television commercial.  Hopefully it will lead to some weddings, too, maybe even mine.”

Blue Jersey’s commercial “Think Equal,” which you can view now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ise-NLtw1jI, is produced by Jack Bohrer and Juan Melli for Blue Jersey, www.BlueJersey.com, the state’s leading progressive blog. 

YouTube - Think Equal

“Think Equal” features two women friends, one of them married and the other one in a civil union, talking about what seems, at first, to be the similar rights they’re each accorded under New Jersey law. 

As the conversation continues, the civil-unioned woman points out that in the real world, her civil union isn’t at all recognized as the equivalent of marriage.  The two friends then discover they don’t have the same rights at all, symbolizing what hundreds of civil-unioned couples across New Jersey have experienced since the law took effect in February 2007.

In fact, dozens of newspapers across the state, many conducting independent investigations, have now run stories on the failure of New Jersey’s civil unions law. 

Garden State Equality has received 376 complaints from couples denied benefits or rights because their civil unions are not recognized as the equivalent of marriage.  And in the three hearings this fall of the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission, nearly 100 couples and other witnesses testified over seven hours about the failure of New Jersey’s civil union law. 

Here is the text of Blue Jersey’s commercial:

Married woman:  Hello, I’m married.
Civil-unioned woman:  And I’m civil union…nuh.. nized.
Married woman:  I have all the legal protections and rights of a marriage provided by the state constitution.
Civil-unioned woman:  I have those, too.
Married woman:  I have insurance and pension benefits.
Civil-unioned woman:  Me too.
Married woman:  Hospital visitation rights.  Just last week, my husband was in an accident.  I felt so much better when I got to see for myself that he was okay.
Civil-unioned woman:  The same thing happened to me.  I told the nurse that my civil union allows me visitation.  She wouldn’t let me in, or tell me what happened.
Married woman:  Really?
Civil-unioned woman:  Really.
Married woman:  You should upgrade to a marriage.
Civil-unioned woman:  I think so.
Text on screen:  Think Equal. 

The commercial features Monica Hunken as the married woman, and Laura Newman as the civil-unioned woman.

"Everyone at Blue Jersey pitched in to make this commercial possible,” said Jack Bohrer, the commercial’s coproducer, “whether it was helping to raise the money, finding props or generating support by blogging about marriage equality."

Juan Melli, the founder of Blue Jersey and the commercial’s other coproducer, said:  “’Think Equal’ highlights the undeniable truth that words do matter. Until all committed couples are given the right of marriage, the confusing semantics of civil unions will serve to deny the LGBT community basic civil rights.  The progressive community has never accepted 'separate, but equal,' and we're not about to start now.”

Though “Think Equal” has not aired on television before, Blue Jersey produced it for the web in the fall 2006, right after the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered the legislature to pass either a civil union law or a real marriage equality law.

Interestingly, the failure of the civil union law this year – since the production of this commercial last year – would today require a script even more pessimistic about the law’s ability to provide the rights and benefits of marriage.   

As hundreds of civil-unioned couples in New Jersey have lived through in 2007, the civil-unioned woman in this commercial would not be able to say “me too” as to receiving insurance and pension benefits.

Regarding the commercial’s reference to hospital visitation, the recent New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission hearings included testimony from civil-unioned couples who have faced obstacles hospital visitation because they were civil-unioned rather than married.

[jw]

AL: Hidden Cameras Test Gay, Lesbian Affections in Birmingham

Link: MyFox Birmingham

Excerpt:

[...]

ABC News was in Birmingham Friday doing a social experiment that included having same-sex couples show affection for each other in public, according to Birmingham police department sources. FOX6 News first learned about the story from a Southside merchant who pointed out an RV parked at the corner of 20th Street and 11th Avenue South. The merchant said ABC News was working on a week-long project to see how people would react to things like public displays of affection by gay and lesbian couples. A FOX6 news reporter approached the RV and talked with an "actor" who said, "Yes, we are working for ABC News."  A South Precinct officer who spoke anonymously said he had received at least three or four reports from people who said they were disgusted over two men kissing in public.

That officer says the ABC News project is not a violation of the law and that ABC News has a permit to park the RV. An attempt to reach ABC News for comment has been unsuccessful.

[...]

[km]

TV: What to Watch on BET

Link: earthtimes.org

Excerpt:

[...]

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 1:00 p.m.*

MEET THE FAITH: "BLACK HOMOPHOBIA" -- Panel members Keith Boykin, Bishop E. Bernard Jordan, and Sheryl Lee Ralph tackle the questions, Are black people more homophobic than others? Are some black churches at the forefront of prejudice? Is homosexuality a sinful practice as some interpret the scripture to read or as natural as a hetero lifestyle? Some critics say that our religion makes our people homophobic. Do some preach for civil rights but neglect civil liberties like the gay marriage debate?

[...]

[km]

Evan Wolfson: Let California Ring--Talking About Change Makes It

Link: The Huffington Post
by Evan Wolfson

Reposted in full by permission.

One woman has people talking across California.

They've seen her on TV, looking lovely in her wedding dress. She tries, over and over, to walk down the aisle to her groom, but again and again is blocked by obstacles in her way. She's the nameless centerpiece of a new ad rolled out by Let California Ring, a campaign that is not political or linked to an election-cycle, but rather aims at moving hearts and minds.

The wedding ad, which can be seen on www.letcaliforniaring.org, puts viewers in the shoes of the many same-sex couples who are prevented from marrying the person that they love. It's striking how many non-gay people have never really been invited to put themselves in another's place. Left on their own, they too often treat their view or vote on ending marriage discrimination as kind of a "freebie" that has no real-life consequences to couples, kids, and even the gay people they say they want to be fair to. Those of us who care owe it to the fair-minded people we know to ask them to get engaged.

Let California Ring aims to encourage a million conversations throughout the state (and I'd like to see millions more throughout the country) -- at house-parties, around office water-coolers (do many offices still have those?), and across dinner tables. To make these conversations happen, we have to break the chicken-and-egg of gay people not talking to the people in their lives directly about why we need them to care about ending exclusion from marriage, while non-gay people wait for their non-gay friends and family-members to bring it up, or think everything is fine. It's not enough to be tolerant and caring, because the gay people we care about are being treated as second-class citizens and the same-sex couples we know are denied important tangible and intangible protections and respect. The denial of the freedom to marry harms people -- and when we break our silence about this, and answer people's questions, hearts and minds do move.

Will it work? Another powerful video a few weeks ago proved that conversations do move people. After having repeatedly said he would veto a City Council measure adding San Diego to the other major California cities urging the state Supreme Court to end marriage discrimination, Mayor Jerry Sanders stepped before cameras announcing his intention to sign a resolution supporting the freedom to marry. Mayor Sanders, a Republican former police chief, said his change of heart and mind was due to soul-searching and personal conversations with gay people he knows, including his staff and his lesbian daughter, showing how powerful it is to make the conversation about real people, not just legalisms or hypotheticals. He also described how he had come to understand that his prior support for civil union, rather than marriage, was inadequate and wrong.

There is tremendous momentum in California for ending the exclusion from marriage that harms families and helps no one. In the next few months, the state Supreme Court will hear a challenge to discrimination brought by several couples who, like the woman in the ad, want to see the personal commitment they've made in life honored and respected by the law, in the legal commitment called marriage. The Court is likely to rule sometime in 2008, the 60th anniversary of Perez v. Sharp, the historic case in which the same court became the first in the country to strike down race-discrimination in marriage. Mindful of the lessons of past battles over marriage discrimination, hundreds of civil rights, child welfare, health professional, legal, and civic organizations joined the couples before the Supreme Court, speaking out in support of the same-sex couples, making the case for fairness.

Now you can add your voice.

By supporting Let California Ring, or even just by using its tools and spreading the word, those of us committed to the freedom to marry can engage the open-minded but conflicted people around us in conversations about why marriage matters and how fixing the law so as not to exclude will benefit non-gay and gay people alike.

And while the freedom to marry is about a lot more than weddings and presents, it's great to see people taking part in a cause in which doing the right thing brings bling.

[jw]

Equality California "Let California Ring" ad

"Let California Ring" video

CA: “A shallow, emotional appeal”

Link: California Catholic Daily

Excerpt:

The somewhat dark and foreboding TV ad depicts a lovely bride walking down a garden path toward her wedding ceremony. As her handsome groom awaits her, the bride is tripped by an onlooker and stumbles to the ground. On the verge of tears, she looks up to the viewer and these words appear on the screen: "What if you couldn't marry the person you loved?"

The ad, found at the Equality California web site, represents yet another prong of the campaign to use the force of law to back up a radical redefinition of marriage -- a redefinition already rejected by California voters in 2000 when they overwhelmingly approved Proposition 22. Stymied in their push to dethrone natural marriage through legislation or litigation, Equality California is coordinating a pricey advertising campaign to "open hearts and minds" by broadcasting the 60-second spot in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs, and Sacramento.

“Focusing on a wedding ceremony in a television ad is a shallow, emotional appeal that ha s nothing to do with the meaning and purpose of marriage,” said Bill May, chairman of Catholics for the Common Good, a San Francisco-based social justice advocacy group. “By appealing to emotions, they are distracting people from what the debate should center on: the public interest in protecting and promoting marriage.”

Responding to an e-mail query from California Catholic Daily, May explained, “The public interest in marriage stems from the fact that it provides the foundation for the family with a mother and a father -- universally recognized as extremely important for the development of children. The public interest is therefore about the interest of children, not the fulfillment of desires and benefits for adults.”

Equality California executive director Geoff Kors told the Sacramento Bee that a cadre of activists has been organized to go door-to-door with same-sex marriage promotional literature and hold get-togethers in their homes to promote a “positive message.”

Catholic social justice advocates, however, would argue that this is the wrong message. "They seem to be targeting young people who have a romantic view focused on a 'feeling' and a 'wonderful wedding day,'" said May.

[...]

[km]

LGBT Family on Oprah Friday

Link: Mombian » Blog Archive.

Set your VCR’s and Tivo’s. From an e-mail to supporters by Steven Goldstein, Chair, Garden State Equality:

On Friday, October 12th, Garden State Equality Board member Denise Brunner, her wife Fran and their kids Jessica, Scott and Alyssa—all very active members in Garden State Equality—will be the guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show, seen at 4:00 pm throughout New Jersey.

The topic of the show: Families who stay together, and remain happy, once a member of the couple starts to live true to her gender identity or expression. Denise was Fran’s husband for many years before becoming Fran’s wife.

The show is absolutely worth your recording so you can watch it when you get home from work.

On a personal note, Denise, Fran, Jessica, Scott and Alyssa Brunner are among my partner Daniel’s and my closest friends. The Brunners among the most loving people in the world. To spend time with them is always to be deeply enriched.

As the U.S. Congress debates whether to cut the transgender community out of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), watch this show and ask yourself: Do families like the Brunners deserve to suffer because of the prejudice that people have against our transgender sisters and brothers?

[jk]

Lynne Cheney on Jon Stewart

In case you missed it on Wednesday, October 10, Lynne Cheney was on the Jon Stewart show and, among other things, talked about her daughter Mary, her grandchildren, her opposition to the Anti-Marriage Amendment, and other interesting topics.

You can see the pertinent portions by clicking here and here.

You have to sit through a Doritos commercial first.

Same-Sex Marriage TV Ad Begins Rotation In Sacramento

Link: KQCA Sacramento.

A controversial television ad supporting same-sex marriage will start airing Thursday in Sacramento. A new commercial shows a bride running into obstacles on her way to her wedding, then says, "What if you couldn't marry the one you love?" The makers of the ad said an appeal based on emotion, rather than law, is a real change for the movement. The 60-second ads will run in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs. It's part of a months-long campaign to spark open discussion about same-sex marriage among families. Legislation that would permit same-sex marriage is sitting on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. Two years ago he vetoed a similar bill and is vowing to do the same this time around.***

[jk]

CA: TV ad campaign attempts to sway the undecided on same-sex marriage

Link: San Francisco Chronicle

Excerpt:

A lovely brunette bride breaks a heel on her way to the altar. A tree branch snags off her veil. Then a grandma type sticks her cane out and trips the distressed bride as the groom watches in dismay.

"What if you couldn't marry the person you love?" reads the tagline to a 60-second TV spot that begins airing in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and other major California markets on Thursday. "Every day, gay and lesbian couples are prevented from marrying. Support the freedom to marry."

That's the message of a new multimillion-dollar educational campaign called Let California Ring, created by the gay rights advocacy organization Equality California Institute in association with dozens of other gay and civil rights groups. Cooked up by the Seattle office of the advertising giant DDB Worldwide, the ad is a key element in the effort to convince undecided Californians that couples of all sexual orientations should have the right to affirm their love and commitment in a legally sanctioned marriage.

[…]

They're after people on the fence. And they're enlisting supporters to help persuade friends and colleagues with mixed feelings to come over to their side of the debate. That's the purpose of the house parties, like the one held Sunday after services in the sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Redwood City.

[…]

Frank Montoro stuck around after church to watch - twice - a preview of the TV wedding ad projected onto a screen. "It took me a couple of times to figure it out. I'm an old man," laughed Montoro, an 84-year-old retired school principal of the heterosexual persuasion.

"I think it's very effective," he said, sporting a trim gray mustache and wearing a gray cardigan sweater. "It's about equal rights. People ought to be able to do what they want. If two people of the same gender want to get married, be my guest."

Emily's father, John Anning, a marketing expert who runs a retail-store trade association, gave the ad a thumbs-up.

"It catches you off-guard," said Anning, whose gay brother, Peter, was in the crowd. "If they showed two brides or two grooms, some people would go 'ggghhhh' and tune it out. But this is a pretty bride and her dad. And you say, 'What is this? Holy cow, it's about gay marriage!' People have to be drawn in. It's 58 seconds of seduction and two seconds of bam! - startling conclusion. I think it will be effective for the target audience."

Said his brother: "That's one people will be talking about at the water cooler."

[jw]

Opinion: Is Jerry Lewis' use of the other 'f-word' really that terrible?

Link: The Modesto Bee
By MEGHAN DAUM, LOS ANGELES TIMES

Excerpt:

I never thought I would find myself defending Jerry Lewis. Like a lot of people of my generation (and, unless you live in France, the one before that and quite possibly the one before that), my brain just isn't wired to appreciate the charms of his act, which always has struck me as about as close to dental drilling as comedy can get.

But now that we've spent some time chastising the 81-year-old for saying, in the 18th hour of his Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy telethon, all or most of the verboten word "faggot," part of me is feeling just a wee bit French.

In case you weren't glued to the 21-hour telethon and missed the crucial moment, the gaffe occurred amid a bit of improvisation about imaginary family members, including "Bart, your older son" and what sounded like "Jesse, the illiterate faa ..." Realizing his mistake, Lewis aborted the end of the word and quickly said "no."

[...]

And although you probably won't find Lewis shopping for ottomans with the guys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," the wording of his apology suggests that he might, in his own way, consider himself part of the club. "Everyone who knows me understands that I hold no prejudices in this regard," he said. "In the family atmosphere of the telethon, I forget that not everyone knows me that well."

Does "knowing" Lewis mean understanding that he's so down with the gay community that he can toss otherwise nasty words around with relative impunity? Moreover, can any straight person ever really pull that off, or is it merely some kind of post-politically correct fantasy? I asked McCarthy if GLAAD had given any thought to the concept of "taking back" words like the f-word. I mentioned, for instance, that I recently had seen a T-shirt that said, "Marriage is for Fags." I told him I found this to be a brilliant subversion not only of right-wing, anti-gay dogma but of certain reactionary liberal positions that equate marriage with patriarchal oppression. In other words, it cut through the hyperbole of both sides of the issue and landed squarely (if ever so subtly) in the pro-gay marriage camp.

McCarthy did not share my enthusiasm.

"That's upsetting," he said. "You're sending a confusing message to the straight community. By having a word that we're trying not to advocate next to a word like marriage ... it's just wrong on so many different levels."

McCarthy was careful to mention that he isn't gay but is a "straight ally" of the LGBT community, which, he said, simply means that you're supportive of the community and an advocate for tolerance.

I also would put myself in this camp, but does that mean I'm not allowed to like that T-shirt? And what about the fact that some of the most celebrated straight allies in the world are unblinkingly referred to as "fag hags?"

McCarthy said he had never thought about that question but would take a straw poll and get back to me. The verdict (and these were the feelings of a few individuals he spoke to, not the position of GLAAD): putting "hag" after the f-word doesn't really make the term any less offensive, especially because "hag" isn't a nice word either.

I'll say. "Marriage is for hags" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Though it does sound a little like a Jerry Lewis joke.

[km]

TV:: Daytime's New Decider: An Interview with Gay Judge David Young

Link: Towleroad

Excerpt:

In mid-August I posted a clip of Judge David Young, whose new daytime court show premieres next week, on Monday, September 10. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Judge Young, about being out on the bench and his new show.

Young was born and raised in Miami (and lives there currently with his partner), served as assistant state attorney in Miami-Dade County under Janet Reno, and was re-elected twice as a Circuit Court judge there before leaving to hit the national airwaves. Among his more well-known cases is one in which he sent two America West pilots to jail in 2005 for attempting to operate a commercial airliner while intoxicated.

[...]

What made you decide that you wanted to leave the conventional courtroom and become a TV judge?

It happened out of the blue. I got an email from Sony Entertainment asking me if I'd be interested. And I've got to admit that every time I would see these judge shows, I would think to myself, "God, I'm better than this one," or "I'm better than that one," or "God, was there an opportunity that was missed." And this gave me an opportunity to blend two of my passions, entertainment and law.

[...]

And you've been a judge for how long?

14 and a half years.

Wow. So this must be a big change.

It's a wonderful change, actually.

What challenges have you experienced in the TV courtroom that are unique to that, as opposed to a conventional one?

I suspect that, as a judge, in real court, you don't have to tell a story. The story is told upon you or told to the jury, and you then make a decision or the jury makes a decision. Here, I have to tell the story. I've got to make the case interesting to the viewers. And then you rule. It's also a different animal in TV court, where I can say whatever I want to say without any restrictions. In regular court, I'm governed by a certain judicial code of ethics, and I've got to behave myself or else I'm going to get brought up for charges. And here I can just be free, let it all hang out, which is very liberating.

[...]

So, if it sort of has the same legal weight, why is it that you don't have to obey this code of ethics in the TV courtroom?

I'm not governed by any code of ethics. The only thing I'm governed by is the FCC. I mean, I'm not allowed to use some of the George Carlin words. But a real judge would never call someone stupid...Would not belittle them, would not put themselves as being the advocate. In TV court, you are the advocate. You are the person who does the questioning. You're the prosecutor. You're the defense lawyer. In real court, judges are the umpire: you call balls and strikes.

[...]

How do you feel that being gay helps you on the bench?

I think it keeps me more... I'm more sensitive to the issue of discrimination. And we had a case involving a bi-racial lesbian couple, and it was clear to me from the get-go that the landlord was constructively evicting them because he didn't [approve] of a) their sexual orientation and b) that they were a bi-racial couple.

[...]

Have you always been out professionally?

No, I haven't. I came out a year after I was elected.

A year after you were elected to...

The county court. I came out in 1994.

And was that a difficult transition for you to make in the court system?

Not at all. It was incredibly easy. And it was funny, because many of my colleagues, all the women on my floor, when I told them they said, "We've known for years. It's about time you came out." And all of them wanted to perform the wedding. And I said, "Well, you have to get it legalized first to do a wedding. But otherwise, we can talk about it then."

[...]

Do you feel like you get a different response to your court room manner from straight people than you do from gay people?

I think there's a sense of pride when a gay person knows I'm on television. Because they see that anything is possible. They see through hard work and the fact that can-do, can-do, can-do. So that I would feel good about, that I can be a role model. As far as any tangible difference between a straight person? No, none. None at all.

[...]

How do you feel about President Bush and accusations by some Republicans that activist judges in the country are pushing forward a pro-gay agenda?

That's a lot of horse crap.

[...]

Do you believe there is such a thing as an activist judge?

Sure. I mean, every judge is an activist judge. Every time you make a decision it's a sense of activism. I mean, the Supreme Court was activist when they gave him the White House.

In order to make a decision, you have to be an activist. And if you're a pacifist you don't belong on the bench because you're not making decisions. But it's the activism that suits them. And if you're with them then you're not an activist. If you're against them then you are an activist.

[...]

How do you feel about decisions regarding issues like gay marriage being made in the courts rather than the legislature? Because I know that there's a lot of debate that goes on about that as well.

Well, if it wasn't for the courts, we'd never have civil rights. The courts acted way before Congress acted. And we have three branches of government. If one branch of government is falling down on the job and not protecting the rights of its citizens, then another branch has the right to move in as long as it doesn't exceed the Constitutional requirements and the Constitutional limitations. And if it happens in the court, so be it. If Congress gets around to it later, that's their problem. If it was up to Congress, blacks wouldn't have the right to vote, women wouldn't have the right to vote. It was the courts that made all those things possible.

It mentioned in your biography that you're partner is also a judge.

That's correct.

How does that affect your home life? You've been together for how many, 12 years?

12 1/2. It's going to be 13 in January.

That's excellent. How does that affect your home life, that you're both judges? And how does he affect what your style is and the decisions that you make?

Scott and I have a true partnership. It's a 50-50 partnership. Actually, it's kind of like 90-10: I do whatever he wants. I'm kidding. The best two words to keep a relationship, whether gay or straight, is "Yes, dear." Knowing what we have to go through makes it so much easier. You hear about spouses in the judiciary breaking up all the time, divorces. And I expect that's because the spouse doesn't understand the restraints that come with the job and the limitations that come with the job.

And when Scott ran for judge back in 1998, I couldn't even have a bumper sticker on my car, or we couldn't put a sign up at the house, because I lived at that house. It's like I'm endorsing him, you know? We can share a bed together, but I can't endorse him. So it's kind of silly. But that's part of the rules and regulation that we agreed to abide by. It's a 50-50 relationship. We accept everything together. I constantly go to him for advice, he constantly comes to me for advice. There's no jealousy whatsoever. Our styles are so different. Scott is very, very bright. He's such an intellect. And I'm much more fun at a party. So it works, it really does.

I was the first openly gay man on the bench in Miami. In South Florida. Probably in the state of Florida. And Scott was the first openly gay man to run for office in the state of Florida and get elected.

How does he feel about your new TV role?

He could not be more supportive. He loves me. That's never been a goal of his, television or entertainment. Being the intellectual that he is, he's much more into the books and the research and the theories and all the other things that go to being a thoughtful, thoughtful judge and a thoughtful person.

And it's so great when I have a question about a case, I can go to Scott and get a legalese and non-legalese professional wonderful answer from him, because he's so bright and he's so well-read. So it really is a really good combination we have. And yet I still take out the garbage, because he doesn't. And I still take care of the dog, because the dog likes me better.

[...]

Aside from fulfilling your entertainment fantasies, what do you hope to accomplish with your new show?

One of the things that I really, really want to stress is that I want to be a spokesperson. I want to be a role model for those young men and women who are going through this identity crisis in terms of. : "I can't be gay, because if I am gay, that means that I can't be president of the United States. I can't be head of an international corporation. I just can't do it." And go to be every night praying and praying to be straight.

I want to be a voice of hope. I want to be a person of hope. I want to be someone who they can look at and say, "Hey, look at David Young. David Young did it. I can do it." Anybody can do it with hard work and determination. We don't let our sexual orientation act as an impediment to achieving whatever goal we have set for our lives.

Conversely, I want to be a conduit to the parents of those young men and women who are just coming out. To say, "You need to love your children unconditionally. Gay, straight, bi, transgendered, whatever they are, they are part of you. And as a family member, you must love them. And you can't reject them. You should never want to reject your child."

And I don't think most people want to reject their child. But I think through ignorance and bigotry and being unsure, they do. Because they see these gay stereotypes and they think, "I don't want my child to be some freak that we see in the gay pride parade that's broadcast all over the..."

That's all they see.

That's all they see. And not that there's anything wrong with that. Believe me, without those individuals in our community, we wouldn't be where we are today. Because they were the foundation. The drag queens were the foundation of the gay rights movement back in Stonewall.

So, I hope to be that voice and that role model, and speak to organizations. Gay, straight, I don't care. I'll speak to anyone who'll give me an audience to talk about compassion and talk about passion in everything, in all of our passions. I mean, let's go for it.

[km]

Politics/TV: Degeneres/Clinton08?

Link: New York Times Blog
by Sarah Wheaton 

Excerpt:

[photo caption: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton left the live studio audience of “The Ellen Degeneres Show” to get coffee and chat up voters at the Flame Diner in New York City for a segment on the show’s season premiere, which will be broadcast on Tuesday. (Photo: Bryan Cary/Warner Brothers via Associated)]

Hillary Rodham Clinton: former first lady, United States senator, presidential candidate, prop comic.

At today’s taping of “The Ellen Degeneres Show” season premiere, Mrs. Clinton presented the host, who quipped on Thursday that she is planning her own run for the White House, a campaign survival kit.

The kit included:
- “Running for President for Dummies”

[...]

- An ear of corn from Iowa (That joke wasn’t exactly an audience favorite, but we here at The Caucus appreciated it, and we’re sure Mrs. Clinton would have brought a pork chop on a stick if it weren’t perishable.)

[...]

Ms. Degeneres, who is gay, pressed Mrs. Clinton about why she supports civil unions, but not gay marriage. Though her long-term partner, the actress Portia de Rossi, is often present at tapings, Ms. Degeneres’s lifestyle and politics are not a frequent part of the show.

“I think it was good to see gay marriage raised,” said Kristen Slavy, who came from Baltimore to New York City for today’s taping (the show is usually filmed in Los Angeles). “I think this interview for the normal ‘Ellen’ viewer might be a little different.”

That Mrs. Clinton’s response focused mainly on the first half of the question — discussing the need for equality in federal benefits — rather than the gay marriage part was not lost on some in the audience. Mrs. Clinton also said she thinks defining marriage should be a state matter, pointing to states like Massachusetts, Vermont and, most recently, a county judge in Iowa, that have allowed gay marriages or civil unions, though she neglected to mention the many states that have laws defining marriage as one man and one woman.

“She didn’t really answer the question totally,” said Colleen Milnes, who came with her daughter, Kelly, from West Milford, N.J. Nonetheless, Mrs. Clinton “scored points” with Ms. Milnes, who was “not a big Hillary fan.”

[...]

The fifth season premiere of “The Ellen Degeneres Show” will be broadcast on Tuesday.

[km]

Primetime Show (Wife Swap) Seeks a Spiritual Family!

[Ed. Note: Just when you thought you had seen it all... This came across our desk today via the LGBTV Buddhist list. The group description makes clear it is a LGBTV list. The request speaks for itself. If someone is interested and applies, please forward correspondence to the list is you are so inclined. Similarly comments on the request to the list are welcomed. Things appear curriouser and curiouser, as the Red Queen would say.

The mind boggles...]

Subject: Hit Primetime Show Seeks a Spiritual Family!
Date: August 27, 2007 4:12:22 PM PDT
From: juanita.hong@rdfnewyork.com
To: LGBTVipassana-owner@yahoogroups.com

Good Afternoon!

My name is Juanita Hong and I am a casting producer for ABC Television's hit reality show, Wife Swap. I am currently trying to cast a spiritual family for an episode of our show and thought perhaps one of the people in your Yahoo! Group might be interested in this great opportunity. Your group has caught my attention and I thought it couldn't hurt to send you an email to see if you might be able to help me with this.

In case you are unfamiliar