Daughtry – Gale Harold – Brian Kinney – Sienna Miller – Caitlin Thomas – the edge of love crashed

I found Daughtry’s Cd at the library and loaded it onto my computer, I love his rock music!

He was on American Idol and I missed it that year! I would have been mad about him not winning too.

Here’s a cool fan made video from youtube zapetxo18

… Cuando nada es tan extraño como la gente:

QUEER AS FOLK

El elenco principal

 De un gran impacto cultural y social, Queer as Folk tiene varios aspectos a destacar y no sólo el ser una serie gay. Podemos encontrar variedad de personajes en los 6 personajes gay, las 2 lesbianas y una madre heterosexual… ¿cómo? pues aparte de su sexualidad, son personas como todos. Buscan ganarse la vida, se preocupan por los demás, tienden a estresarse y algunos son más listos que otros. Mejor dejémonos de esto y empezaré a describir a los personajes.

 Brian Kinney: Un indiscutible protagonista. Brian es astuto, muy inteligente, egocéntrico, heterofóbico, gran publicista y el gay más caliente de todo Pittsburgh. Es uno de los mejores publicistas en su trabajo, tiene mucho dinero y folla en una noche lo que una prostituta lo hace en tres. Le gustan las manzanas verdes, su trabajo y el culo de Justin (Aunque no le guste admitirlo). Odiado por sus familiares, Brian disfruta de las bondades de la vida gay al lado de sus amigos, cada noche en el club Babylon. En definitiva, Brian Kinney le da otro significado más a la palabra ‘promiscuo’.

Justin Taylor: Este chico es el que tenía que mostrarnos como un gay sale del closet para no volver. Desde el primer encuentro con Brian, Justin cae perdido a sus pies y enamorado de él, sólo esperando volver a verlo. Aunque al principio era como un dolor de cabeza, Justin va formandose una personalidad y agrada al grupo de amigos de Brian (y al mismo), al punto de volverse uno de ellos e interactuar más activamente en la comunidad LGTB. A lo largo de la primer temporada tiene problemas con su familia al aceptar lo que es, siendo su madre la única que lo apoya y recibiendo un mal trago de parte de su padre. Sin embargo, Justin sigue siendo oro. Es todo un artista, especialmente en el dibujo.

Michael Novotny: Al principio de la serie podemos percibir a Michael como el amigo celoso y mala-onda, que tiene miedo de que se haga pública su sexualidad (Al menos en su trabajo). Al transcurso de la serie vemos como es todo lo contrario, es el mejor amigo y el más leal de Brian, además de estar pérdidamente enamorado de él y sufrir mucho por esto. Michael es fanático de los comics desde niño y su favorito es el Capitán Astro, su madre es todo un personaje y a veces lo avergüenza, vive con ella y su tío Vic, que también es homosexual y es VIH positivo; su padre fue un supuesto soldado que murió en Vietnam. Con el tiempo, acepta la relación de Justin y Brian, haciéndose amigo del primero, por su habilidad con el dibujo.

Emmett Honeycutt: El alma de las fiestas, los ligues y la pluma gay. Emmett es todo diversión, glamour y espontaneidad, con un don de poder organizar una fiesta por todo lo alto y lo ancho en menos de dos días. Su mejor amigo es Ted y vive en un departamento con Michael. Al principio trabaja en una tienda de ropa Torso. Es simpático, abierto y siempre habla con la verdad. Aunque al principio pueda parecer algo como un gay cómico, con el transcurso de los capítulos podemos ver a un personaje más rico en detalles (Como su vida en Hazlehurst) y todo un amor de hombre, que vive el amor intensamente y como este se presente.

Ted Schmidt: El mayor de todos los amigos y el ‘condenado’ por así decirlo, pues es el único que ha llegado a los 30’s. Trabaja como contable y muchas veces esta viendo porno gay en el trabajo. Tiene el autoestima baja y constantemente es víctima de las burlas de Brian, a quien secretamente admira. Irónicamente, también ama en secreto a Michael, pero no es tan celoso como él. Es el mejor amigo de Emmett, siempre se les ve apoyandose mutuamente (diría algunos casos pero sería spoilear).

Lindsay Peterson: Lesbiana e hija de un matrimonio adinerado y conservador. Es pareja de Melanie y al principio de la serie tiene a su hijo, Gus, quien fue engendrado con el esperma de Brian, el que es su mejor amigo, aún si a Melanie no le agrada. Es marchante de arte, sin embargo, se retira un año para cuidar a su hijo. Es muy sensible y tierna, pero tambien cela a Melanie. Podría decirse que ella es el papel ‘pasivo’ de la relación, puesto que es más dócil que Melanie, pero no por eso deja de ser muy madura. Al conocer a Justin, lo protege de Brian y hasta le ayuda en su carrera como artista.

Melanie Marcus: Pareja de Melanie, judía y abogada. Es de caracter fuerte y dominante, no cree que Brian Kinney vaya a ser una buena persona jamás y protege mucho a Lindsay. Hay veces que no puede entender del todo a su pareja por la diferencia económica en la que fueron criadas ambas y a veces explota contra ella y las decisiones que toma. Sin embargo, es una buena mujer, trabajadora y con hambre de éxito. A pesar de no haber concebido a Gus, tiene tanto instinto maternal como Lindsay y lo hace ver en muchas ocasiones en que piensa en él antes que ella.

Hay más personajes de los que vale la pena hablar (¡Viva Debbie Novotny! es mi idola, joder) pero estoy tosiendo mucho y desde aquí puedo oler la comida que hizo mi neurótica madre. Solo aconsejo que, quien tenga hambre de una buena historia gay o sea lo suficientemente homofóbico para querer cambiar, se vea esta genial serie. Gale Harold (Brian Kinney) esta muy guapo por no decir sexy para perderselo.

Adios.

I sat back galsring at my room ceiling, just wondering where life is going?

It’s going no where!

The same old ways… whatever I do…demons from the past always pay a visit… thwarting all my plans of personal transformation…

Whaz wrong in being a Brian Kinney? Though it may sound exciting , one has to do lot many trade offs

away from home… away from parents…just leading a mediocre ad manager…

Would I be ever able to do that? I think not in life time!

I lack guts to do that….though I look the otherwise from outside….

So looking for a better mix to gratify myself to some extent, so that at the brim of 40 I shouldn’t repent that I missed out something in life…. Lemme see.. How life is going to unfold on its own!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GALE!!!!!

He looked a bit pale on Sunday’s episode. I loe having him back it’s just that I hope he didn’t return too soon.

On another note: I look forward to seeing him have more scenes with MJ, Richard Burgi and Teri at the same time (great comedy there) and James Denton (he and Gale are like brothers).

GO GALE!!!!

You just know that the other shoe is about to drop with Dave and I have a feeling it’s gonna fall right on that fluffy blond hair of his.

Gale won’t allow anything to happen to Susan or MJ and neither will Mike (those two MUST  have scenes together). Of course the season finale will leave us hanging/ guessing about what happened but y’all know Gale will prevail.

Por Luna

“He visto a dios, su nombre es Brian Kinney” Justin, primer capitulo, primera temporada QAF.

Muy poco nombrada fue la serie Queer As Folk por estos lados y es, en cierto modo, deducible, pues su trama giraba en un grupo de amigos gay, pero lo gracioso de esto es, que según estadísticas, el publico seguidor más destacable era de mujeres, gracioso para los que no la han visto, pero aquellas que gozamos de cinco temporadas de ver a Brian Kinney no, no nos parece gracioso, es más, nos parece alucinante y es que con sólo ver aparecer en pantalla a Brian Kinney uno deseaba ser hombre, gay, para poder cruzarse en su camino. Es que explicar el grado de deseo que provocaba Gale en su papel de Brian es imposible, hay que verlo para entenderlo.

Sin duda por muy hetero que sea él, no podemos negar que su caracterización de Brian y todo lo que implicaba no hiciera pensar en que, de alguna forma, el alter ego de este actor es homosexual. Para interpretar un papel gay, con escenas de sexo incluida (mucho sexo, la verdad) hay que tener coraje y bastante seguridad del nivel profesional de uno, pues con este mundo “liberal” pero a la vez altamente represivo es difícil no medir las consecuencias que acarrea este tipo de papeles, pero sin duda Gale supo hacerlo y es más, creo que ningún otro papel en que lo he visto he podido sentir el filling (¿se escribe así?), que se siente cuando uno lo ve personificando a Brian Kinney.

Brian ha hecho que se desarrollen en mi cabeza las escenas más pervertidas que una mujer hetero puede tener con un gay, y es que es imposible que no se caigan los calzones cuando lo vemos andar en cueros por su piso o dándole a algún afortunado sobre el sofá. Ufff, creo que iré a verme algunos capitulos de QAF.

I personally think that Gale and Stana Katic would make a great couple but I digress…

SO HAPPY HE IS FEELING BETTER OUR DEAR GALE!!!

I hope they turn him into a bad boy. That would be really great for him and his character and for desperate housewives. Just because he is coming back doesn’t necessarily mean he will be with Suzy-q.. Food for thought…

Hope he and Carl and Mike have more scenes together. They are hysterical!

Brian Kinney & Justin Taylor

I find it odd just how attached I can find myself to characters in a TV show versus people in real life. Dawson and I have been watching Queer as Folk like maniacs, going through two or three episodes a day. We both find ourselves falling more and more in love with the characters and feeling like their fictional lives somehow affect our real ones. It’s a silly feeling, that’s something that I certainly cannot lie about; but I’m sure that a few would be hardpressed to say that they did not have some kind of television show or movie or book that made them feel the exact same way. Why I feel so connected it’s hard to say. The truth is I don’t really know the answer. All I know is that these characters, these people that someone somewhere just made up and Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, Peter Paige and countless others just imitate, just “pretend” to be… these characters are probably more real to me than many of the people in my life.

Perhaps that’s just because, on TV, you’re the one that gets to see everyone’s secrets without having anyone know. It makes you feel so much safer than venturing out into the real world with the knowledge that the person behind the glass can see you just as clearly as you can see him.

Anybody toss the idea around that Jackson might e brought back to shake things up during May sweeps??? That IS when they have sweeps right?

Haven’t even looked at the ABC boards. Gale, it seems will be back on the show next week though. I think they were just creating an arc to deal with his accident. ( I’m just flying by the seat of my pants here…)

Damn I’m tired.

Sorry if I’m writing a lot of dross lately, but my mind is freaking tired and all I can seem to do is make lists. So, without further ado (and after that FABULOUS intoduction), a whole bunch of people who totally belong together!

1. The top spot is a three-way-tie between:
   a. Lyra Silvertongue-Belacqua and Will …Whatshisname of His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman.) Okay children, this is one for the books. Even though it only eventuates right at the end and even though they’re like, twelve, and even though they are split up at the end of the book… let’s face it, they have the whole fucking universe hanging on them.
   b. Bella Swan and Edward Cullen of Twilight (Stephenie Meyer.) Now, you may not have heard of this pair – they’re not that well known. But they’d better be meant to be because they are going to have to put up with be with each other for the rest of eternity. Here’s to marital bliss! *Cheers*
   c. Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor (Gale Harold and Randy Harrison respectively) of Queer As Folk. Yes folks, (see the pun? I’m being humourous!) it took ‘em five long years… and they’re STILL not together! But you know, whether they see each other next weekend, next month, never again, it doesn’t matter. It’s only time. *Sobs hysterically*
2. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasely of Harry Potter (uh… JK Rowling.) I could never get as into Harry/Ginny as I could in Hermione/Ron. And they’re better in the movies as well. But really, we could all see them pairing off from the start, no?
3. Sam and Joanna Anderson of Love Actually (Thomas Sangster and Olivia Olson respectively. But I’d hope you could match the name with the gender anyway.) Run Sam, run!
4. Kim Boggs and Edward Scissorhands of Edward Scissorhands (Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp, as above.) “Hold me,” “…I can’t.” Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
5. Romeo and Juliet of Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare.) *Sighs* I suppose they have to go SOMEWHERE on this list, those star-crossed… people. But secretly, I just don’t see it.
6. Ross Geller and Rachel Green of Friends(David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston, as above.) Fifteen years, a nose job and a kid later, we’re happy families!
7. Howard Roark and Dominique Francon of The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand.) A few exchanged looks lead to what could easily be construed as rape which leads to a few semi-violent encounters which lead public verbal bashings which lead to some semblance of a functional relationship. Not. However, these freaks entirely belong with each other.
8. Will and Elizabeth of Pirates of the Caribbean (Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly.) One of the reasons I sat through the films.
9. Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton of The Notebook (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.) It took me a couple of tries to get into this movie. And I still didn’t like it. But my friend here is about to shoot me in the head if I don’t include them.
10. Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton of High School Musical (Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Zac Efron.) Okay, don’t even pretend you don’t love it. High School Musical – who said we had to let it go? Despite the ending of the third film being all twerpy.

Well, this is all that springs to mind at the moment. I know it sounds like I’m just a romantic sap, but really… I guess I am. Among other things.

Character: Brian Kinney.

Show: Queer As Folk [US].

Played By: Gale Harold.

“So are you coming or going? Or coming and then going? Or coming and staying?”

Destined to be forever young and beautiful, Brian Kinney simply embodies hedonism. No excuses, no apologies, no regrets. These are the rules he lives by, will-fully rejecting societal conventions and expectations, utterly unwilling to compromise for anyone. He takes promiscuity to new heights, entrancing countless men with his elusive charm. As Justin enthuses to “have just seen the face of God…his name is Brian Kinney” one cannot help but feel that there is undeniably something to his hyperbole. Well, it’s no secret that I simply adore Ted (yes, I’m that one person) but Kinney is every man and woman’s fantasy.

Hotness Factor:
Lets face it, nobody wears a sleeveless vest like Gale Harold. But Brian Kinney isn’t just another undeniably pretty face – Kinney is an attitude, a way of life. This is what makes eventually naming his business ‘Kinnetic‘, so inspired. He has it all: a successful ad executive job; the swanky loft apartment; money; good looks; a perfect body and even his own comic book character (yeah, I’m still not convinced Rage is a great name either but it’s impressive regardless). Shame he’s such a complete bastard. I say it with love, honestly. It’s the reason he makes such compulsive viewing. Nice guys do finish last after all.

Wit:
Brian Kinney never minces his words, his comments are always acerbic, biting and right on the money. I deeply admire his refreshing acceptance of his homosexuality and how frank he is about the subject. When Emmett queries as to what sort of homosexual he is, he simply replies ‘The kind that fucks men.’ Incredible. But he has some hilarious putdowns:

“You just tried to get ahead, by giving head…which by the way you’re not very good at.”

And just because I think Ben is a sucky, bland non-character, have some more:

“Ben needs more muscles like I need another cock.”
& “Does this mean I can’t call you Zen Ben anymore?”

Actions:
As enjoyable as the uncaring, insensitive Brian is, he shows heart sometimes. He secretly visits Justin in the hospital every day after he gets bashed (for Brian, that is heart), he buys Justin computer equipment so he can still fulfil his dream of being an artist, he plans Melanie & Lindsay’s wedding without taking credit, he sabotages an anti-gay political candidate’s campaign and sacrifices his parental rights to Gus. But enough of that soppy caring stuff. He also drives a car through a window just to teach the homo-phobic dealer a lesson, shamelessly drives around in it after it’s vandalised and ‘outs’ Michael to his co-worker in the most hideous way but hey, that one was cruel to be kind stuff. So that should really be filed under heart. Supposedly. I’m not convinced.

Vices:
Places to find Brian include the back room of Babylon, the baths and in his apartment. After all “those that can, do. And those that can’t, watch porn”. And Brian Kinney can and does just about every guy in Pittsburgh. Except Michael. He does drugs yeah, but he doesn’t get hooked like Ted which let’s admit it, is when it gets interesting. He drops it into conversation but do we see him take much else besides poppers? Crystal meth is so much more exciting. Okay, I’ll stop before this becomes a Ted love fest. Watch this space.

Love Interests:
Yes, yes Justin Taylor, who goes from “what’s-his-name” to “the guy I fuck more than once” to “you smiled, that’s when I realised why Debbie calls you Sunshine” through sheer determination and perseverance. Justin does win me over as the series progresses from being an irritating, whiny brat to quite a self-assured young man who has incredible conviction. Initially I loved Justin’s relationship with Ethan, the romantic violinist. He brought everything Justin craved to the relationship, but by promising him the world and not keeping to his word, the betrayal was simply unforgivable. Brian was up-front. Justin was all too willing to accept Brian for who he is, the good aspects and bad. After all, isn’t that what love is? So yes, in my eyes Justin is worthy of Brian. What stings is the constant tease of Brian & Michael in the earlier seasons. How Michael, who has been in love with him, infatuated since he was fourteen years old never got to fully realise his desire, just makes me feel sad. Yeah, we’re supposed to be happy that he finds Ben but you know what, you really dropped the ball, writers. Shame on you.

Scene to look out for:
A bit of a cheat but a great scene is when Brian grants Ted his ultimate wish. It is a treat and a half. Also just briefly, watching Brian & Justin make out doesn’t exactly hurt my eyes. And it happens a hell of a lot. Thank God.

Conclusion:
I seem to be fond of the whole supposedly Irish, irresistibly charismatic, highly sexed corporate types lately. Perhaps it should be a trilogy. Or perhaps not. Brian Kinney is just an enigma, so many hidden depths and layers, heck we didn’t even cover the childhood abuse or his cancer. He is the first character from Queer as Folk I have selected, not because he’s my favourite (*cough* if you didn’t realise it by now, Ted) but because he is simply the most important. He came #1 in the AfterElton poll of the top 25 Gay TV characters, conveying just how deeply people regard him. He is undoubtedly an icon, not just in the gay community.

And remember kids, no sex in the bathrooms. That’s what the couches are for.

Bateman Scale: 95%

Just read about it. I hope it’s OUR Gale. I’ll have to go check it out.

FROM THE SOUTHERN VOICE:

Georgia seen as potential target for similar legislation

By MATT SCHAFER
DEC. 5, 2008

Jerry Cox doesn’t need flashy campaigns or a lot of money to “blunt the homosexual agenda” in Arkansas. He’s done it twice, and all he needs is a ballot box and a church bulletin insert.

Cox is president of the Arkansas Family Council, a relatively small religious organization that is dedicated to, among other things, thwarting civil rights for gay people. The Arkansas Family Council won an unexpected success for social conservatives on Nov. 4 when 57 percent of the state’s voters approved the “Arkansas Adoption and Foster Care Act,” a measure that banned unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children. The measure applies regardless of sexual orientation, but was designed to target gay couples.

Polls leading up to the event showed a much closer race, and the work behind the upset win might empower conservative groups in Georgia, Cox said.

Cox and the Arkansas Family Council essentially circumvented the state legislature in Little Rock and appealed directly to the state’s rural, religious base. He believes that same strategy could work in Georgia.

“It’s probably the case that when you get out of Atlanta you find that the rest of the state isn’t that liberal, and that’s the same in Arkansas,” Cox said.

The Arkansas Family Council was outspent by its opposition. They were unable to mount much of a media campaign in response to television ads and endorsements by gay-friendly politicians, so Cox had to find another way to reach his voters.

Where gays have found success turning to social networking sites, the Arkansas Family Council turned to an older form of social networking — the church door. The Arkansas Family Council distributed bulletin inserts to more than 1,000 churches.

“That as much as anything turned it around,” Cox said.

NOTICE: This posting is meant as a courtesy to the LGBT community at large to direct individuals to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender items of interest. We do not post full articles, so if you wish to read an entire story you should follow the link to its original author/publisher. We in no way, stated or unstated, claim to be the authors of any content posted here unless we say so explicitly. All content should be considered intellectual property of the original publisher, and should not be redistributed without full back-links and proper citations.

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Via Facebook – California State Senator Mark Leno’s Page:

Leno Resolution Declares Legislature’s Opposition to Proposition 8’s Unlawful Revision to the California Constitution

Sacramento, CA— Senator Mark Leno (D-Marin/San Francisco/Sonoma) introduced Senate Resolution 7 today to declare the Legislature’s opposition to Proposition 8 because it failed to meet the distinct procedures mandated by law for revisions to California’s Constitution.

The resolution is co-authored by the entire LGBT Legislative Caucus and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. It is sponsored by Equality California and supported by many other civil rights groups opposed to the November initiative. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has introduced an identical resolution, HR 5, in the Assembly.

“Proposition 8’s revision to the California Constitution violates key structural checks and balances built into our legal system,” said Senator Mark Leno. “Overnight, the constitutional protections of thousands of tax paying, law abiding California citizens were stripped from them by a simple majority vote, without a prior two-thirds vote by both houses of the legislature, thereby trampling on their fundamental right to equal protection,” he said.

Specifically, SR 7 memorializes the Legislature’s opposition to Proposition 8 because it is an improper revision of the California Constitution and was not enacted according to the procedures required by Article XVIII to the State Constitution. This Article mandates that a proposed revision of the California Constitution must originate in the California Legislature and be approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature before being submitted to the voters.

The California Supreme Court has held in Livermore v. Waite and other subsequent decisions, that a revision is a substantial change to the “underlying principles” of the California Constitution or to the structure of our “basic governmental plan.” Proposition 8 changes the constitution to eliminate the fundamental right to marry for a particular minority group, and thereby violates the principle of equal protection and the separation of powers clause.

“Prop 8 eliminates the fundamental right to marry from same-sex couples and allows a slim majority to take away the equal protections of a single minority group, which violates one of the fundamental and founding principles of our Constitution,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “That type of unprecedented change to the Constitution puts the rights of all Californians at risk, and it’s critical in our system of checks and balances that the Legislature weigh in on such fundamental revisions to the Constitution.”

“The framers of our state’s constitution outlined distinct procedures to follow when enacting a revision to our state’s highest legal document,” said Leno. “These procedures are the rule of law, and must be followed when we’re talking about human beings’ fundamental rights.”

SR 7 and HR 5 will be heard in Committee and on their respective floors when the Legislature reconvenes in early 2009.

~~~

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From the Media Center at GLAAD:

December 05, 2008

Senator-elect Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, told The New York Times that he opposes amending the Constitution to ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Begich also said he supports allowing same-sex couples to receive “benefits through their partners.” He is the first Alaska Democrat to win in seat in the Senate for more than three decades.

Related Media Coverage:
The New York Times—December 5, 2008
“Alaska’s New Senator Sees Change at Work”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/politics/05begich.html?scp=4&sq=same-sex&st=nyt

Media Contact:
Richard Ferraro, Director of Public Relations
Phone: (646) 871-8011
Email: ferraro@glaad.org

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Via the Human Rights Campaign Newsroom:

The following is a transcript of HRC’s morning news webcast “Equally Speaking.” To view the current videos visit the main Equally Speaking page.

12/3/2008

Good morning, and thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking, your morning dose of LGBT news from the Human Rights Campaign for Wednesday, December 3rd. I’m Brad Mayer.

And I’m Frank November. First up, news from HRC.

Earlier this week, HRC announced that it was joining forces with federal employee groups to urge the Office of Personnel Management to support domestic partner benefits for federal civilian employees. The announcement is timed with the federal government’s “open season,” when federal employees and retirees are allowed to make changes to their health benefit plans. Domestic partners of federal civil servants are not extended health, dental, vision and flexible spending benefits.

Now to news from England, where a lesbian soldier has been awarded over three hundred and eighty thousand dollars in a sexual harassment lawsuit. Lance Bombardier Kerry Fletcher was the subject of long-term harassment from a sergeant who wanted her to have sex with him. The payout was the largest ever imposed by a workers’ rights board in Britain, though the amount was half of what Fletcher sought.

Binghamton, New York town council members are considering comprehensive anti-discrimination laws that would include provisions for sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity. Members of the transgender community and their allies spoke out at a town council meeting earlier this week, encouraging town officials to pass the law, which would apply to employment, housing and public accommodations. It would also protect against discrimination based on height and weight, age, race, religion, and national origin.

And on Monday in Kalamazoo, Michigan, members of the city commission made it illegal to discriminate in housing, public accommodations and employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The measure was similar to one that has already been adopted by fifteen other Michigan cities. The unanimous vote was lauded by LGBT advocates, who said the time has come for more cities to pass similar laws.

In other news, a former police officer in Missouri was convicted on Monday of first-degree murder in the death of a gay college student with whom he was having an affair. Twenty eight year old Steven Rios, a married father, was convicted of killing Jesse Valencia last June. Rios was reportedly concerned that their affair would be made public. He now faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Finally this morning, Cyndi Lauper’s world tour, which was set to end in Caracas, Venezuela, has been cut short. Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has reportedly canceled the concert because of Lauper’s support of LGBT rights. In a statement, Chavez said that he feared political protests due to Lauper’s appearance. Lauper, a participant in last spring’s True Colors tour and a friend of HRC, was touring on behalf of her latest album, Bring Ya to The Brink.

That’s the news from us today. Thanks for tuning in to Equally Speaking.

Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow morning.

NOTICE: This posting is meant as a courtesy to the LGBT community at large to direct individuals to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender items of interest. We do not post full articles, so if you wish to read an entire story you should follow the link to its original author/publisher. We in no way, stated or unstated, claim to be the authors of any content posted here unless we say so explicitly. All content should be considered intellectual property of the original publisher, and should not be redistributed without full back-links and proper citations.

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FROM THE VITAL VOICE:

By Joan Lipkin

It’s a big deal when a new artistic director comes to town. When the artistic director is Dr. Jeffrey Richard Carter and joins the Gateway Men’s Chorus, now in its 22nd season, it’s a very big deal. Carter’s considerable credentials include a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Central Missouri.

A native of Kansas City, he is a versatile conductor and teacher whose performance experience and training ranges through nearly 1,000 years of western musical tradition. He has had significant success with university ensembles, amateur choral groups, show choirs, volunteer church choirs, and festival choruses alike. His performing and educational endeavors have taken him to the continents of Asia, South America, and Europe, in addition to the continental United States.

Gateway Men’s Chorus aficionados and prospective audience members will have an opportunity to see Jeffrey Carter at work at his debut holiday concert “Peace on Earth” on December 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. at Union Avenue Christian Church (773 Union Blvd in the Central West End.) Tickets are available through www.gatewaymenschorus.org, Botanical Design Studio, Mokabe’s, Left Bank Books and at the door.

I sat down with Carter at the GALA Festival that we were both attending in Miami last summer. Clad in a blue tropical shirt in recognition of the tropics, Carter was warm, genial and focused.

What follows is an edited transcript of our conversation.

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NOTICE: This posting is meant as a courtesy to the LGBT community at large to direct individuals to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender items of interest. We do not post full articles, so if you wish to read an entire story you should follow the link to its original author/publisher. We in no way, stated or unstated, claim to be the authors of any content posted here unless we say so explicitly. All content should be considered intellectual property of the original publisher, and should not be redistributed without full back-links and proper citations.

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Via Media Release from GLAAD:

Pulse of Equality Survey, Conducted by Harris Interactive, Reports that 75% Favor Either Marriage or Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships for Gay and Lesbian Couples

New York, December 3, 2008 – A new survey conducted by Harris Interactive in the wake of the passage of and protests against California’s Proposition 8 reveals that majorities of Americans favor a broad range of policies and legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

The Pulse of Equality survey, commissioned by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), shows that majorities of Americans favor either marriage or civil unions/domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian couples, as well as gay- and transgender-inclusive hate-crimes laws and non-discrimination laws, and allowing openly gay service members to serve in the armed forces, while a majority opposes laws that would ban adoption by qualified gay and lesbian couples.

According to the Pulse of Equality telephone survey among 2,008 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, conducted from Nov. 13-17, 2008, Americans support key policy proposals that affect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Among them:

• Three-quarters of U.S. adults (75%) favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. Only about two in 10 (22%) say gay and lesbian couples should have no legal recognition. (Gay and lesbian couples are able to marry in two states, and comprehensive civil union or domestic partnership laws exist in only five others and the District of Columbia.)
• U.S. adults are now about evenly divided on whether they support allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally marry (47% favor to 49% oppose).
• Almost two-thirds (64%) of U.S. adults favor allowing openly gay military personnel to serve in the armed forces. (The current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law bans military service by openly gay personnel.)
• About six in 10 (63%) U.S. adults favor expanding hate crime laws to cover gay and transgender people. (Hate crimes laws cover gay and transgender people in 11 states and the District of Columbia, and an additional – 20 states’ laws cover sexual orientation but not gender identity.)
• A slight majority of U.S. adults (51%) favor protecting gay and transgender people under existing laws that prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. (Existing non-discrimination laws cover gay and transgender people in only 12 states and the District of Columbia, and eight other states’ laws cover sexual orientation but not gender identity.)
• Nearly seven out of 10 U.S. adults (69%) oppose laws that would ban qualified gay and lesbian couples from adopting children. (In several states, gay and lesbian couples are banned from adopting.)

“In the Pulse of Equality survey, we observed a positive relationship between knowing a gay or transgender person and one’s attitudes toward them and the policy issues that affect their lives,” said Laura Light, Vice President of Public Relations Research for Harris Interactive. “Based on other surveys we have conducted on attitudes toward LGBT people and issues, the results of this survey suggest that public sentiment in the U.S. is trending toward greater acceptance of gay- and transgender-related policy issues.”

Across the LGBT-related policy proposals, there were statistically significant differences in support with respect to age, gender, race/ethnicity and religion. People under 65, and especially those 18-34, were more supportive than people over 65. Women were generally more supportive than men, with women age 18-34 often being more supportive than other segments. Hispanics were more supportive than Whites and African-Americans in showing strong support for allowing openly gay military personnel to serve in the armed forces. African Americans were more strongly supportive than Whites and Hispanics of expanding existing hate crimes laws to cover gay and transgender people. Mainline Christians (a category that includes, among other denominations, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians) and Catholics were more supportive than Evangelical Christians, and Mainline Christians were often among the more supportive segments on a variety of issues.

The survey also revealed that there has been greater acceptance of gay and lesbian Americans over the last five years. Approximately two in 10 Americans (19%) reported that their feelings toward gay and lesbian people have become more favorable over the past five years, with contributing factors including: knowing someone who is gay or lesbian (79%), the fact that laws have been passed that protect gay and lesbian people (50%), opinions of family or friends (45%) and religious leaders (21%), news coverage of gay and lesbian issues (41%), and seeing gay or lesbian characters on television (34%) and in movies (29%). Nearly three out of four Americans (73%) personally know or work with a gay or transgender person, and half of those who know or work with someone who is gay or transgender know five or more gay or transgender people.

“The visibility of the past several years, and the intense conversations of the past few weeks, seem to have galvanized a majority of Americans’ support of equality for gay and transgender Americans,” said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. “While this expression of support is encouraging, particularly after the setbacks we experienced on Election Day, it’s not something we can rest on. There is a lot of work to be done. We must all do what we can to sustain and expand this emerging wave of grassroots activism so that it leads to laws and policies that extend full equality under the law to all Americans – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight.”

Giuliano suggested that one of the crucial issues facing LGBT people is that many Americans aren’t aware of the injustices that they face.

“Majorities of Americans clearly favor equality for gay and transgender people,” Giuliano added, “but we’ve seen that too many still mistakenly believe that the intolerance and injustices we face are things of the past. So it’s more vital than ever that we tell our stories, illustrate the injustices we face, and remind people of the common ground we share.”

~~~

About the Survey
GLAAD commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a nationally representative survey among U.S. adults over the age of 18. The objective of the study was to understand public opinion on LGBT people and LGBT-related policy issues. The total sample includes 2,008 U.S. adults ages 18+, surveyed from November 13 to November 17, 2008. Interviewing was conducted by telephone using random digit dialing (RDD). Results were weighted as needed using age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, number in household, and household income to be representative of the U.S. population of adults age 18 and over. The margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points.

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.

About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

Media Contacts:

Vaishalee Raja
Director of Media Field Strategy
(323) 634-2045
raja@glaad.org

Richard Ferraro
Director of Public Relations
(646)871-8011
ferraro@glaad.org

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Via Media Release from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds today’s ruling by a Florida judge that allows a gay father to adopt two foster children he has cared for since December 2004. Florida law prohibits gay and lesbian people from adopting children, but Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman ruled the law violates the equal protection rights of the father and the children’s right to permanency provided under federal and state law. Lederman declared there was no legal or scientific reason for sexual orientation alone to prohibit anyone from adopting.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

“For far too long, senseless discrimination has prevented children in Florida from receiving the stability and permanence they so desperately need. This ruling is a glimmer of sanity in a time when some think it is okay to deny others the fundamental right to adopt and serve as a loving parent.

“We applaud Judge Lederman for her sound and just ruling, which strengthens families and communities. This is a profound personal victory for this family, and a critical step toward equality.”

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Inga Sarda-Sorensen
Director of Communications
(Office) 646.358.1463
(Cell) 202.641.5592
isorensen@theTaskForce.org

From the Dallas Voice:

By Steve Warren Contributing Film Critic
Nov 26, 2008 – 2:19:48 PM

Essentially a black gay male West Coast version of “Sex and the City,” “Noah’s Arc” ran for two successful seasons on Logo. Now, like “Sex and the City,” “Noah’s Arc” spawns a feature film follow-up.

“Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom” picks up several months after the cliffhanger that ended Season Two and neatly wraps things up — but not so neatly that things can’t fall apart again for a third season.

Series fans will be glad to hear that the film takes place on the weekend Noah (Darryl Stephens) is finally marrying Wade (Jensen Atwood). For a change of scene, the gang heads to Martha’s Vineyard, where Wade’s family owns a house that’s big enough for all of them.

“Life is not a soap opera,” Ricky (Christian Vincent) says. But “Noah’s Arc” is, and five minutes never pass without some individual or couple going through a crisis that’s resolved as quickly as it began. You have to consider an overview of the series to find any depth, because each episode — and this feature is paced like any episode but four times as long — is made up of one shallow moment after another.

Ricky, the ultimate non-monogamist, brings a trick along for the weekend: Brandon (Gary LeRoi Gray), a 19-year-old student of Chance’s (Douglas Spearman), who makes the thirtysomething friends suddenly seem a lot older than they did.

NOTICE: This posting is meant as a courtesy to the LGBT community at large to direct individuals to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender items of interest. We do not post full articles, so if you wish to read an entire story you should follow the link to its original author/publisher. We in no way, stated or unstated, claim to be the authors of any content posted here unless we say so explicitly. All content should be considered intellectual property of the original publisher, and should not be redistributed without full back-links and proper citations.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER NEWS LINK SITES:
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From the Dallas Voice:

By Steve Warren Contributing Film Critic
Nov 26, 2008 – 2:19:48 PM

Essentially a black gay male West Coast version of “Sex and the City,” “Noah’s Arc” ran for two successful seasons on Logo. Now, like “Sex and the City,” “Noah’s Arc” spawns a feature film follow-up.

“Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom” picks up several months after the cliffhanger that ended Season Two and neatly wraps things up — but not so neatly that things can’t fall apart again for a third season.

Series fans will be glad to hear that the film takes place on the weekend Noah (Darryl Stephens) is finally marrying Wade (Jensen Atwood). For a change of scene, the gang heads to Martha’s Vineyard, where Wade’s family owns a house that’s big enough for all of them.

“Life is not a soap opera,” Ricky (Christian Vincent) says. But “Noah’s Arc” is, and five minutes never pass without some individual or couple going through a crisis that’s resolved as quickly as it began. You have to consider an overview of the series to find any depth, because each episode — and this feature is paced like any episode but four times as long — is made up of one shallow moment after another.

Ricky, the ultimate non-monogamist, brings a trick along for the weekend: Brandon (Gary LeRoi Gray), a 19-year-old student of Chance’s (Douglas Spearman), who makes the thirtysomething friends suddenly seem a lot older than they did.

NOTICE: This posting is meant as a courtesy to the LGBT community at large to direct individuals to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender items of interest. We do not post full articles, so if you wish to read an entire story you should follow the link to its original author/publisher. We in no way, stated or unstated, claim to be the authors of any content posted here unless we say so explicitly. All content should be considered intellectual property of the original publisher, and should not be redistributed without full back-links and proper citations.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER NEWS LINK SITES:
On WordPress: 1 ||| 2 ||| 3 ||| 4 ||| 5 ||| 6 ||| 7 ||| 8 ||| 9 |||
On Blogger: 1 ||| 2 ||| 3 ||| 4 ||| 5 ||| 6 ||| 7 ||| 8 ||| 9

From the Dallas Voice:

By Steve Warren Contributing Film Critic
Nov 26, 2008 – 2:19:48 PM

Essentially a black gay male West Coast version of “Sex and the City,” “Noah’s Arc” ran for two successful seasons on Logo. Now, like “Sex and the City,” “Noah’s Arc” spawns a feature film follow-up.

“Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom” picks up several months after the cliffhanger that ended Season Two and neatly wraps things up — but not so neatly that things can’t fall apart again for a third season.

Series fans will be glad to hear that the film takes place on the weekend Noah (Darryl Stephens) is finally marrying Wade (Jensen Atwood). For a change of scene, the gang heads to Martha’s Vineyard, where Wade’s family owns a house that’s big enough for all of them.

“Life is not a soap opera,” Ricky (Christian Vincent) says. But “Noah’s Arc” is, and five minutes never pass without some individual or couple going through a crisis that’s resolved as quickly as it began. You have to consider an overview of the series to find any depth, because each episode — and this feature is paced like any episode but four times as long — is made up of one shallow moment after another.

Ricky, the ultimate non-monogamist, brings a trick along for the weekend: Brandon (Gary LeRoi Gray), a 19-year-old student of Chance’s (Douglas Spearman), who makes the thirtysomething friends suddenly seem a lot older than they did.

NOTICE: This posting is meant as a courtesy to the LGBT community at large to direct individuals to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender items of interest. We do not post full articles, so if you wish to read an entire story you should follow the link to its original author/publisher. We in no way, stated or unstated, claim to be the authors of any content posted here unless we say so explicitly. All content should be considered intellectual property of the original publisher, and should not be redistributed without full back-links and proper citations.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER NEWS LINK SITES:
On WordPress: 1 ||| 2 ||| 3 ||| 4 ||| 5 ||| 6 ||| 7 ||| 8 ||| 9 |||
On Blogger: 1 ||| 2 ||| 3 ||| 4 ||| 5 ||| 6 ||| 7 ||| 8 ||| 9