Joan Rivers: Our Queen

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Queen of the gays. Joan was ordained and even officiated a gay marriage in NYC. ❤

We lost an amazing person this week. What can be said about Joan Rivers that hasn’t already been said? She was talented, smart, witty, ahead of her time and plain brilliant. We need more people like Joan Rivers…the world would simply be a better place. She clawed her through a male-dominated business and paved the road for many female comedians while making history. She was outspoken in her support and love for the gays.  

Check out a great read from the Huffington Post on 6 of their favorite queer moments with Joan here.

Joan, you will be missed.

“I’d like to burn all gay people in ovens”: Former Russian Priest

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Ivan Okhlobystin, former priest turned actor

File this under CRAZY.  Ivan Okhlobystin is a former priest from Russia who is now an actor.  He acts in the Russian version of the show “scrubs”.  “It’s Sodom and Gomorrah, as a religious person I can’t be indifferent to it, it’s a living threat to my children,” the idiot said.  Okhlobystin is a father of six kids and was kicked out of the Church in 2010 when he became an actor.  He also had a short-lived political career in 2011 when he TRIED to run for President.  Here are some other great quotes from this AMAZING man…“I don’t want my children to think that being a [faggot] is okay,”.  “It’s queer fascism! If a person can’t choose someone similar from the opposite sex for reproduction, it’s a clear sign of a psychic anomaly, it means they need to be deprived of the vote,”.  OK CRAZY.  Calm the f down.  Sounds to me like someone has issues with their own sexuality.

Russian LGBT people are facing HORRIBLE discrimination and harassment that is being promoted by the GOVERNMENT.  Last year, the Russian parliament began discussing a bill that bans “promoting non-traditional relations to minors” and clearly states that gays don’t have the same rights as their straight counterparts.  President Vladimir Putin signed this bill into law in June and has been defending it NONSTOP.

This is absolutely disgusting and a clear violation of human rights.  Russia has a FAR WAY TO GO before it could ever be taken seriously after all the horrific crimes against humanity here.

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP! Join HRC’s #loveconquershate campaign here!

Sign this petition!

Who knows if it’ll do anything but can’t hurt.  Right?! This is for the anti-gay law that recently passed in India.  Let’s make it clear that we all stand for equal rights.

Sign here.

GOOD FOR HER!!

A great lesson for us all. This newscaster received a horrible email from a bully and you have got to see her flawless response. Simply amazing.

Great cause. Be sure to check it out.

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Great cause. Be sure to check it out.

As you know, life is VERY difficult in Uganda for the LGBT community.  People are KILLED everyday for being gay.  Check out this excellent charity that is helping save lives by providing safe shelter to those who are in danger.

Click here!

Touching coming out video

Take a look. Quite lovely!

Being gay is illegal in India…again

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5th Delhi Queer Pride parade in New Delhi in 2012.

India’s Supreme Court just threw out a 2009 ruling by a lower court that had decriminalized gay sex, a HUGE setback for gay rights in the world’s largest democracy.   This is almost hard to believe! The Supreme Court said that the lower court didn’t have the right to overturn the ruling 4 years ago.  Sounds like a lame-ass excuse to us.  It should be noted that several groups (mostly religious) fought very hard to overturn the 2009 ruling which decriminalized gay sex.  Groups included Hindus, Christians and Muslims.  A lawyer that worked on the case said, “They had said that this unnatural sex is not permissible in all the religions of the world.”.  

 

Great UN video on LGBT rights

What an inspiring video. Did you know that being gay is ILLEGAL in 76 countries still? Take a look at this touching video and get inspired!

“Gay people want healthcare because they are dying of AIDS”

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David Agema

David Agema is the current Republican National Committeeman from Michigan, and the chairman of the “Top Gun Republican” political action committee has had some interesting things to say recently…according to our buddy Dave, gays want healthcare because they need it for their AIDS.  Here is what the genius had to say, “Folks, they (gay people) want free medical because they’re dying (when they’re) between 30 and 44 years old,”.  “To me, it’s a moral issue. It’s a Biblical issue. Traditional marriage is where it should be and it’s in our platform. Those in our party who oppose traditional marriage are wrong.”

Wow.  Seriously!? This guy needs to go back to 1950.  Ok- so why don’t we all send him a note? Here is his contact information.  You can easily send him an email:  agemaforRNC@gmail.com

Mailing Address:
Dave Agema
3299 Tomahawk
Grandville, MI  49448
Website: Daveagema.com
E-mail: agemaforRNC@gmail.com
Phone: (616) 534-5141

Update to bigot baker story

Jack Phillips, bigot and Masterpiece Cakeshop Owner is still talking.  This guy needs to GO AWAY.  So the moron went on Fox News (shocking) to rant about how he is doing God’s work.  This story does a great job at getting to the root of where homophobia comes from…people truly believe that it is morally wrong to be gay because of religion.  

Here is what he had to tell Fox News’ Elisabeth Hasselbeck, “I do what I do because I love doing what I do and I believe it’s what God’s designed for me to do,”.  “I don’t plan on giving up my religious beliefs … I don’t feel that I should participate in their wedding, and when I do a cake, I feel like I’m participating in the ceremony or the event or the celebration that the cake is for.”.

Like many before him, this man is using religion as his excuse.  So sad.  If you truly believe in God, you should have enough brains to know the difference between right and wrong.  Hatred is wrong and any religion that preaches hatred is wrong (at least about the hatred piece).  Time for people to wake up!

Support equality this holiday season

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HRC just released their 2014 Corporate Equality Index.  This is a great resource to understand which companies support equality and the LGBT community.  This report rates companies based on their policies.  Be sure to support the top scoring companies this holiday season and all year long.
A few highlights this year.
-This year marks the first time in history that over 60 percent of the Fortune 500 include both sexual  orientation and  gender identity protections
-This year, a record 3O4 businesses achieved a top rating of 1OO percent
-91 percent of the Fortune 500 include “sexual orientation” in their nondiscrimination policies and 61 percent include “gender identity.” The majority of the total Fortune 500 — 67 percent — offer equivalent medical benefits between spouses and partners and 28 percent offer transgender-inclusive health care benefits, including surgical procedures.
-Top scoring retailers & internet services include eBay, Groupon, Google and Yahoo.  All have a score of 100.  Amazon and AOL have a score of 90.
-Exxon Mobil Corp. is the #1 Fortune 1000 company and has a score of -25 (NEGATIVE).  GET YOUR GAS ELSEWHERE.
-The top Fortune 1000 companies include Chevron Corp., General Motors Co., General Electric Co., Ford Motor Co., Hewlett-Packard Co., AT&T Inc., Bank of America Corp., McKesson Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Apple Inc., International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Citigroup Inc.

You can download the full report here: HRC 2014 Corporate Equality Index.  Also, be sure to check out the ‘what you can do to help’ page here.

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More proof that bigots are all stupid

More proof that bigots are all stupid

I really love publishing proof that bigots are idiots. More proof folks. The Ruth Institute, a group devoted to “fighting marriage equality”, showed the world just how STUPID they are when they posted a graphic with spelling and punctuation errors. Guys…really. Learn basic spelling and grammar before making bold political statements.

Idiots.

Homophobic baker found guilty for refusing to bake a wedding cake for gay couple

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Charlie Craig, left, with his husband Greg Mullins; Masterpiece Cakeshop owner and asshole, Jack Phillips (right)

Charlie Craig and Greg Mullins were denied a wedding cake because they were gay.  Jack Phillips, owner of a bakery in Colorado refused the business of the couple last summer.  Luckily for us all, a civil court just found this idiot guilty of discrimination because he violated Colorado’s anti-discrimination law when he refused to bake the cake.

Here is what Greg Mullins had to say to KDVR Friday.  “Being denied service by Masterpiece Cakeshop was offensive and dehumanizing especially in the midst of arranging what should be a joyful family celebration.  We are grateful to have the support of our community and our state, and we hope that today’s decision will help ensure that no one else will experience this kind of discrimination again in Colorado.”.

The bigot (Phillips) told Denver’s KDVR that his religious belief prevented him from serving the couple.  He used the “religious liberty” argument in court and his attorney tried to use First Amendment as well.  Last July, Phillips said “I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  So you could say it’s a religious belief. I believe the Bible teaches [same-sex marriage is] not an OK thing.”.  REALLY? What else does the bible teach you?! Anything about being a decent person maybe? Go get an education! You KNOW that anyone using this excuse is either gay themselves or they are hiding some SERIOUS skeletons in their closet.

So the best part of this story is what the judge said when ruling that this was indeed discrimination.  Judge Robert Spencer of the Colorado Office of Administrative Courts announced the decision Friday.  He said because the Jack Phillips, who owns Masterpiece Cakeshop, previously made cakes for the wedding of two dogs, his claims that a wedding between two men contradicted his religious beliefs didn’t hold up.   LOVES IT!!

Just another example of idiots using religion to fuel their bigotry.  So transparent and obvious.

Gay teacher fired for getting married

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Michael Griffin, former teacher at Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensalem, Pa.

Michael Griffin taught Spanish and French at Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensalem, Pa., for 12 years.  On Friday, he was informed by the school’s headmaster that his impending marriage to his partner of over 10 years “contradicts the terms of his teaching contract.”.  SERIOUSLY.  It violates his contract to get married.  What kind of backwards, bull-shit contract is this?! 

Here is the message Griffin posted on his Facebook page.  “Today I applied for a marriage license since NJ now has marriage equality.”.  “After 12 years together I was excited to finally be able to marry my partner.  Because of that, I was fired from Holy Ghost Preparatory School today. I am an alumnus of the school and have taught there for 12 years. I feel hurt, saddened, betrayed and except for this post, am at a loss for words.”.  This is wrong no matter how you come at the situation.  

The school’s headmaster, Father James McCloskey, openly admitted that he let Griffin go because he was gay.  Here is what he had to say.  “At a meeting in my office yesterday, teacher Michael Griffin made clear that he obtained a license to marry his same sex partner.  Unfortunately, this decision contradicts the terms of his teaching contract at our school, which requires all faculty and staff to follow the teachings of the Church as a condition of their employment. In discussion with Mr. Griffin, he acknowledged that he was aware of this provision, yet he said that he intended to go ahead with the ceremony. Regretfully, we informed Mr. Griffin that we have no choice but to terminate his contract effective immediately.”.

Griffin told NBC that he believes he violated the following section from his contract:  “all teachers are expected to uphold lifestyles compatible with the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.”.   Time for the Roman Catholic Church to re-examine their definitions of “morals”.

Because the school is a private organization, it is within their right to fire someone for any reason they choose.  It should also be noted that sexual orientation is not a protected class in Pennsylvania.

More hate from anti-gay group

More hate from anti-gay group

The Illinois Family Institute, an anti-LGBT Christian organization, released this STUPID fake nutrition label comparing same-sex marriage to junk food. Seriously?!?!

Get a clue folks.

Great piece of art

Take a look at this really cool piece of art that challenges what it means to be attractive.  Take a look here.

 

Another update on the alleged anti-gay receipt note

no tip because your gay

So this is just getting stranger and stranger as the story continues.  As you know, Dayna Morales claimed to have received a VERY ugly note instead of a tip from an anti-gay mom.  There is an ongoing investigation now into Dayna’s story.  Now people are coming forward and saying that she has a history of telling lies.  Per the last update, the family who allegedly left the hate-filled note came forward saying they did leave a tip and that the note on the receipt was fake.
Dayna is currently suspended from her waitressing job until the investigation is complete.

Really hoping that this whole thing wasn’t a lie.  That would be worse than it actually happening.

MUST WATCH documentary

Have you heard of Facing Fear? If not, you will. This truly touching documentary/short-film brings together victims of hate crimes and their attackers. The film takes a look at how a victim has forgiven their attacker AND provides insight into the mindset of someone committing the hate crime.

Here is the official synopsis of the film.
SYNOPSIS

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Matthew Boger (left) and Tim Zaal

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Tim and Matthew giving a presentation to students
in Los Angeles.

As a 13 year-old, Matthew Boger was thrown out of his home for being gay. While living on the streets of Hollywood, he was savagely beaten in a back alley by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads. Boger managed to survive the attack and escape life on the streets. Twenty-five years later, Boger found himself in a chance meeting with a former neo-Nazi skinhead, Tim Zaal. The two men soon realized that they had met before…Zaal was one of the attackers who beat Boger and left him for dead.

With their worlds turned upside down, the two embarked on a journey of forgiveness and reconciliation that challenged both to grapple with their own beliefs and fears. Neither could imagine that it would to lead to an improbable collaboration…and friendship.

FACING FEAR retraces the haunting accounts of the attack and the startling revelation that brought these men together again. Delving deep into their backgrounds, the roots of the ideologies that shape how they handle the reconciliation process are exposed. Self-doubt, anger and fear are just a few of the emotions they struggle through as they come to terms with their unimaginable situation.

Shot on location in Los Angeles, the film is the theatrical directorial debut for Jason Cohen. Edited by the award-winning Tom Christopher with cinematography by Svetlana Cvetko (Academy Award-winning INSIDE JOB), the film takes an introspective trip through the world of early 80’s Hollywood while delicately addressing past events that shaped the men involved, from early childhood to their present relationship.

Madonna’s open letter to Russia

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There has been a lot of news recently surrounding Russia’s public and shameful anti-gay stance.  Several celebrities have spoken out publicly on the topic.   Ricky Martin, Lady GaGa, Wentworth Miller, Cher and Greg Louganis are just a few of the people who have said WTF?!?!

Madonna just released the following open letter asking her supporters to “fight against the Russian government’s campaign of hate”.  Madonna has recently joined HRC’s ‘Love Conquers Hate’ campaign.  You can support the FABULOUS HRC campaign HERE by ordering a t-shirt (DO IT!!).

Here is what lady M had to say.

Right now in Russia, LGBT people… are being targeted by hateful new laws that outlaw support for LGBT equality. Even with the 2014 Sochi Olympics just a few months away, fair-minded Russians are facing fines, harassment, and violence at the hands of thugs. 

“At this dangerous moment in Russian history, we as advocates have a responsibility to speak up and take our hopeful message global. That’s why I’m joining HRC’s Love Conquers Hate campaign, in hopes that more and more fair-minded people around the world will stand up and fight against the Russian government’s campaign of hate… 

“The goal of these hateful laws (in Russia) is to leave LGBT Russians feeling isolated. Worthless. Completely alone. Together, we can send a message to LGBT Russians that the world is on their side, and that those who seek to support them aren’t alone in this fundamental fight for fairness. It’s time for love to conquer hate everywhere, for everyone. I hope you’ll stand with me in this fight.”

Really funny (and true): Things not to say to someone when they come out

BuzzFeed did a great job here with things NOT to say to someone after they come out.  Kind of funny but at the same time, they hit on some really great points.  LOVE THIS! If you haven’t already, check out our tips on supporting someone as they come out.  Read here!

19 Things NOT To Say To Someone When They Come Out To You

1. “I knew it!”

2. “Maybe you’re just confused.”

 

3. “Are you sure?”

 

4. “Wait, this doesn’t mean you’re into me…does it?”

 

5. “But like…how did you decide?”

6. “Maybe this is just a onetime thing?”

 

7. “You’re just doing this because it’s cool to be trans now.”

 

8. “No, you’re not.”

 

9. “Why would you want to make things harder on yourself?”

 

10. “I just think you’re too young to make this kind of decision.”

 

11. “Are you just giving up?”

 

12. “Is this just because you’ve had trouble finding a girlfriend?”

 

13. “You’re just doing this to spite me.”

 

14. “I just don’t want you to go to hell.”

 

15. “I guess it’s fine as long as you’re not some drag queen or transsexual.”

 

16. “Not if you plan on living under my roof.”

 

17. “Maybe you should see a therapist first… You know, just so you can be sure.”

 

18. “OK, but please don’t tell your grandparents. It would kill them.”

 

19. “Well, no one’s perfect.”

 

See the original post here.

 


What an amazing video form Europe on same-sex parents.   Take a look.

Shopping tips!

This holiday season, be sure you support companies that are pro-LGBT.  Make a statement with your wallet!
Companies on the “nice” list include: Apple, Starbucks, Amazon, Microsoft, Target, Ford and many many others.

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Check out the HRC Equality Index here for a complete list of companies that support the community.

Catholic Church is a complete victim :(

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The Catholic Church has been “outmarketed” by the liberal media regarding gay rights.

According to the Associated Press, Cardinal Timothy Dolan says the Roman Catholic Church has been “outmarketed” on the issue of gay marriage and has been “caricatured as being anti-gay.”.  The delusional Cardinal went on to say that the Church would not give up on the topic.  When asked why the church is essentially a joke because of their stance on gay marriage, Dolan says it’s a tough battle when forces like Hollywood, politicians and “some opinion-molders” are on the other side.  I’ll spare the horrific bible quotes here but click here if you’d like to read some of the ways the Church is being “caricatured as being anti-gay.”

So let me get this straight…people really HAVE JUST come out in support of LGBT rights in the past few years.  And it isn’t even EVERYONE.  The Church has maintained it’s anti-gay propaganda and brainwashed thousands of societies for as long as we know.   The choice of words here is nothing short of comical.  With all due respect Cardinal, we think you should seriously get a grip of reality.  If you are going to be on the wrong side of history, you may as well just own it.  The LGBT community is one of MANY scapegoats developed to divert attention from the MANY wrong doings of all major religions (not just the Church).

You can watch the interview tonight (Sunday 12/1) on NBC’s “Meet The Press”.

Scam?

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Update on the story of Former Marine Dayna Morales. The couple who allegedly left the homophobic note has come forward claiming the note was a hoax and that they actually did leave a tip (20%). They have shown their credit card statement as proof that they did actually leave a tip…

According to NBC, the owner of the restaurant and manager are insisting they have the original receipt of $93.55 without a tip but they have yet to provide this. Morales has denied the claim saying, “That’s not my handwriting,”.

We will continue to monitor the story. Let’s just hope this isn’t a scam because that would be RUDE!

MUST WATCH THIS!

Such an amazing video on gender roles. Featured on our brainwashing page. Be sure to check out this video and our the page 🙂

New section! BRAINWASHING

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Very VERY excited about the new section that we just added! Check out the ‘brainwashing’ section.  We cover gender roles, media and religion! Gasp.  So many things to cover.  There are a few pages and some GREAT information. 
Check it out!!

Start here!

 

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No caption required.

Choose your words

Check out the ‘choose your words’ section that was just added under ‘how you can help’.  Added some color commentary on a GAY and the F word.  We thought this was too good to just have as a post which would eventually be buried as new posts came in.

https://thatssogay.co/how-you-can-help/choose-your-words/

Here is what we have so far.  Please feel free so send me comments and thoughts on these or any other words that you think we should discuss. 

Choose your words

GAY
So…”that’s so gay”. Ever here someone say that? Hopefully you kicked them right in the neck.

Gay should NEVER be used as an adjective to define something negative.  Period end of story.  There are PLENTY of other words that we can all use.  Substituting “gay” for a negative word ignorant, hateful and WRONG.   For a great ‘101’ on gay, check this out.

The Other F Word

There has been a lot of news recently on the “other F word”.  The word faggot is one of those words that stings bad.  It is top 3 most hateful words we know.  It plagues rap songs and hateful conversations everywhere.

Jay-Z, one of the most talented (and smartest) rappers around said, “It’s no different than discriminating against blacks. It’s discrimination, plain and simple.”.  We agree! Very simple and direct message there.

Take the knowledge and pass it on!

Invest in gay rights! Ground breaking fund alert.

CREDIT SUISSE LOGO

Ticker: CSLGBT Index

We can go ahead and file this under SMART.  Did you know that companies that support the LGBT community provide better returns for investors that companies who are not LGBT friendly? Call it good karma, call it common sense.  Clearly, the companies that support the LGBT community have smarter people working in them! 

Credit Suisse recently launched the LGBT Equality Index(TM).  The FIRST index to track the equity performance of companies with LGBT friendly policies.  They used the HRC Corporate Equality Index to identify the companies which include: Wells Fargo (WFCFortune 500),JP Morgan Chase (JPMFortune 500), Apple (AAPLFortune 500), Microsoft(MSFTFortune 500), Google (GOOGFortune 500) and Johnson & Johnson(JNJFortune 500).

HBO’s new gay show ‘Looking’

Looks promising! There haven’t been too many details released on the show but it is about a group of gay friends that live in San Francisco. There have been some complaints that the show doesn’t have many ethnic characters. We all know that the LGBT community is full of color and accepting of ALL so hopefully the show will follow accordingly.

JFK had a gay BFF

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JFK and his best friend Lem

Today we honor John F Kennedy, former US President who was assassinated  November 22, 1963.  Most of us don’t need a history lesson here.  We are writing today to honor JFK on the 50-year anniversary of his assassination and also to shed some light on fairly unknown fact.  Did you know that JFK had a gay best friend?!

We had no idea.  Is that bad!? Kirk LeMoyne “Lem” Billings was a childhood friend who President Kennedy met when he was 15.  They met at Choate, a prep-school in Connecticut.  The two traveled Europe together as teens and remained life-long friends. 

What a lovely relationship and even more evidence that President Kennedy was truly a forward thinking man who was well ahead of his time.

Related articles

Catholic Bishop performs exorcism on gay marriage

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Picture from Facebook

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Same-sex marriage according to our Bishop friend.

So let’s file this under CRAZY! Bishop Thomas John Paprocki from Springfield, Illinois decided to have an exorcism in response to Illinois same-sex marriage law.  For real.  This is not a joke.

“I exorcise you, every unclean sprit, every power of darkness, every incursion of the infernal enemy, every diabolical legion, cohort and faction, in the name and power of our Lord Jesus Christ,” said the evil idiot.  Seriously shit for brains? Are you THIS stupid? Why don’t you focus on doing an exorcism on yourself? You are CLEARLY filled with hate and evil.  This just makes us SICK.  Hopefully the Catholic church will condemn his actions although we doubt that will happen given their history of ethics…

Here are some more words of wisdom…“Our prayers at this time are prompted by the fact that the governor of Illinois today is signing into Illinois law the redefinition of civil marriage, introducing not only an unprecedented novelty into our state law, but also institutionalizing an objectively sinful reality,”.  Just so we are all clear.  It is a sin for gays to get married but it is not a sin to openly discriminate and hate an entire group of people.  This is no different than the anti-Jewish rhetoric spewed in Nazi Germany.

He then went on to say this his comments “are not meant to demonize anyone, but are intended to call attention to the diabolical influences of the devil that have penetrated our culture, both in the state and in the church.”.  So the DEVIL is causing gay marriage? Hmmm…you may want to take a look in the mirror if that’s what you believe.

We think this was a sad publicity stunt by the Bishop to get some PR for the Church.  Not sure he is getting the right PR though…

Does this make you sick? Feel like giving him a piece of your mind? Please keep it classy folks. Just say what is on your mind.  We left him a message asking for a call-back 🙂

Here are some ways to contact him.  We should ALL let him know just how disgusting he is.
-Link to email him
-His website with additional information including his mailing address for a lovely post-card.
-HIs phone number: (217) 698-8500 Be sure to ask for the office of Bishop Thomas John Paprocki.  You can leave him a voice mail.
-facebook page 

Amazing advice!

Check out the amazing advice to a homophobic mom from an advice column! LOVES IT!!

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Transgender Day of Remembrance

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Today is the national Transgender Day of Remembrance which occurs each year on November 20’th.  We honor all our trans brother and sisters who have been killed due to transphobia.  There is a tremendous amount of hatred and fear out there regarding people that are transgendered.  

According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, transexuals are the most harassed group out of all the LGBT community.  It is truly sad how scared people are of things they don’t understand.  Unlike gay or lesbians, transgendered individuals are born the wrong gender.  Their minds actually develop similar to the opposite gender.  That is something that is really hard for “mainstream” society to understand.  

We know things can and will get better and are looking forward to it.

 

 

LOVES IT!

LOVES IT!

“Us” being defined as all the people that are on the right side of history. This includes the GLBT community and all our straight allies.

Parenting

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Parenting is probably the most important topic that we can write about here.  That is where the cycles typically begin for bigotry.  Remember, children are not born to hate.  We teach them.  We will continue to post about kids/family issues as they come our way.  

We have added a kids/toddlers section where there are some GREAT resources on how to address the topic of same sex relationships with kids.

Check it out!

 

 

 

Pink or blue?

Ever stop and wonder why girls have pink toys and boys have blue toys? Is there something behind it? From what we have learned from classes and from real life experience in marketing, it is basically marketers creating consumer segments to market to.  We did some additional digging and found a great source of information called “The Pink & Blue Project”.  The Pink & Blue Project takes a look at the commercialization of gender colors.

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Image from jeongmeeyoon.com

JeongMee Yoon started the Pink & Blue Project because of her daughters fascination with pink.  She asked the very smart question, “where does this fascination with pink come from?”.  As you read what we write here, you will notice that we will always ask the question why.  It’s a great question! Do girls naturally like pink and boys naturally like blue? Of course not.  As Yoon points out, pink used to be a color that was considered masculine.  Here is my favorite piece from her article.

In 1914, The Sunday Sentinel, an American newspaper, advised mothers to “use pink for the boy and blue for the girl, if you are a follower of convention.” The change to pink for girls and blue for boys happened in America and elsewhere only after World War II. As modern society entered twentieth century political correctness, the concept of gender equality emerged and, as a result, reversed the perspective on the colors associated with each gender as well as the superficial connections that attached to them . Today, with the effects of advertising on consumer preferences, these color customs are a worldwide standard.

LOVE when people think outside the box! You should too.  You can read more about the author and artist JeongMee Yoon here.

Think about it

Think about it

Discrimination is discrimination. Period end of story. Stop hiding behind religion.

Barbies for boys

J Crew ad with Creative Director Jenna Lyons who painted her son’s toenails pink in this ad. The ad caused some controversy because it challenged traditional gender roles.

As a kid I always wanted barbies and dolls. I never wanted to play with “boy” toys. I enjoyed Legos and some action figures but not nearly as much as a doll or Barbie.

My parents were very much against me playing with any “girl” toys so as a middle ground I was able to play with My Little Pony. But my grandmother (who lived in Israel), saw no issue with me playing with dolls. I’ll never forget the day she sent me a doll as long as I live. It was such a simple gesture and it brought me more joy than I can even express. I automatically tear up whenever I think of that amazing and brave act of kindness.

My point of sharing that story is that there is that toys shouldn’t follow gender guidelines. If a boy wants to play with a doll, it’s ok. He shouldn’t be made to feel like he is less than or weird for that. Why is pink a girls color and why is blue a boys color? Because some marketers decided that years ago. Something to think about…

AMAZING must watch video

Hands down one of the best videos this year. Well worth the 5 minutes it’ll take to watch. What an amazing speaker and such great points. WE LOVE IT! Please watch and spread the word.

Lesbian gets hate instead of a tip. Our POV on this.

So this story has been all over the web the past few days and we weren’t sure if we wanted to cover it but we had to share our thoughts on this as well.

Image from Facebook. Dayna Morales.

Image from Facebook.
Dayna Morales received a lovely “tip” from a “family in NJ.

Facebook: moralesday12
Dayna Morales was a US Marine.

 

Her tip because she was a lesbian.  $0 on a nearly $100 bill and this lovely message from a “family”, “I’m sorry but I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle & the way you live your life.”.  Oh, and the lovely “mom” said this to Dayna, “Oh I thought you were gonna say your name is Dan. You sure surprised us,”.

Obviously the concern is for the kids.  They are being raised by a delusional, bigoted bully and are being hard-wired to hate.  THAT is the obvious take-away.  My concern is this.  What if one of those kids is gay? The chance is slim here but my point is to think about how many gay kids are brought up with a similar situation.  Not only are the kids learning hate but they are learning to hate themselves.   There are hundreds of studies that will tell you that GLBT teens have a higher incidence of suicide and drug related issues.  Think about what that would do to that child’s sense of self.   Now take a step back and ask why and where.  Why do people feel this way and where does it come from? That’s what I want to discuss more and what will be the main topic of my upcoming book! Stay tuned…

Mariah shows the gays some love

My sister from another mister. The one and only Mariah Carey at the Out 100 awards.

Mariah and her friend Lee Daniels

Mariah surprised the crowd last night at the Out 100 awards to accept an award on behalf of her fabulous friend Lee Daniels.  Ms. Mariah said, “I’m a straight girl, so I don’t really know why they asked me to be here — but my boobs have been out for years,”  as she accepted the “Artist of the Year” award on behalf her boo Lee Daniels.  Lee Daniels is known for directing “Precious” and “The Butler” and is openly gay.  Mariah loves her boo! She said, “He’s an innovator, he’s a dear, true great person…I live for him.”
Mariah, we live for you honey! 

Check out the Out 100

Check it out: 2013 Out 100 List 

Love this list.  There were a few people on here that I didn’t even know were gay.  My personal favorites on the list are Mr.Wentworth Miller and Bryan Petroff & Doug Quint, the owners of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop.  

Wentworth Miller has an amazing coming out story.

Wentworth Miller recently came out and he has quite the story.  He struggled a lot with coming out.  Wentworth! We love you and are here for you.  Honey child, you just give us a call.  Did you know that Wentworth attempted suicide before coming out? That is just heartbreaking.  During his interview with the Out 100 he said, “I remember carrying around deep feelings of shame after I tried to kill myself, feeling like I’d stumbled or failed life’s exam,”.  He went on to say, “That I was now ‘damaged goods.’ What I would say to that younger self — what I’d say to anyone who’s walked a similar road — is to focus less on the fact that you nearly ended your life and more on the fact that you survived, that you lived to tell the tale. And then tell it.”.  GOOD FOR YOU! What a moving story.  Read more here.

Bryan Petroff & Doug Quint founded my favorite ice cream shop in NYC.  If you are in the city you should check them out.  Some of the best ice cream around and it’s always GREAT to support GLBT businesses.  Check out Big Gay Ice Cream

Marriage equality for Hawaii!

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Marriages can begin on 12/2/13!

This is just fabulous!! Finally! Hawaii beats Illinois to become the 15’th state in the United States for marriage equality.   Go Aloha state! 
We think marriage equality should be available in all states as it is a civil right but this is most certainly a step in the right direction.  Hopefully we will have federal support soon to provide marriage equality for all 🙂

The United States has some catching up to do with other countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden and Uruguay.

Check out this great resource on international marriage equality. http://www.freedomtomarry.org/landscape/entry/c/international

Man attacks sister with crowbar because she’s a lesbian

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A crowbar was used by a deranged idiot to attack his sister. Mind you, SHE brought shame to the family…

Bigot and accomplice

Bigot and accomplice

So file this under disgusting.  According to the Associated Press, Ahmed Mohammed Tuma allegedly attacked his sister with a crowbar because she was a lesbian and “a disgrace to her family”.  He is facing multiple charges including suspicion of attempted assault, criminal mischief and making terroristic threat.  On top of all that, he is facing a hate-crime “enhancement” of the charges according to the AP.

The incident occurred in Nebraska on 11/8.  Tuma is a 20-year old muslim man.  Additionally, he had an alleged accomplice.  Nathan Marks, 20.  Both idiots are facing charges.  The accomplice faces charges of aiding and abetting terroristic threats and aiding and abetting use of a weapon to commit a felony.

The victim is a 22-year old and is engaged.  Her brother came after her and girlfriend.  They were able to get into their car safely where her brother apparently tried to push the car into oncoming traffic with his pick-up truck.

So let me get this right…your sister being a lesbian brings shame to the family but you attacking her with a crowbar is ok.    According to the Lincoln Police Department, Tuma also threatened to kill his sister.  Again, all about how you are brought up.  Clearly, this man could use an education and some help undoing some of the brainwashing that clearly was a factor in this horrible hate crime.

Hopefully this man can take a step back and look at big picture here.  Hopefully he can distance themselves from the hate-filled brainwashing and step towards being better people.

Couldn’t agree more.

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So moving!

Check this out. Rep. Kaniela (D – South Maui) Ing provides a very moving speech on gay marriage for Hawaii while sharing a very personal story.

We love him! Well worth the 9 minutes it’ll take you to watch.

Yay! Senate passes ENDA. Great step but not enough.

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ENDA stands for The Employment Nondiscrimination Act.

So this is a nice step forward.  The Senate passed ENDA 64 to 32.  So the Democratic led Senate passed this.  Great right?! Well… it is but it’s not quite good enough to become a law.  Why you ask? Because the Republican led House of Representatives will most likely strike this down.  It is MIND BOGGLING to think that anyone (forget about an educated American) would think it is ok to fire someone because of their sexual orientation.  I mean seriously.  I can’t with these people.

So here is what some people are saying:

“The workplace is simply no place for discrimination,” Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine <– good for her!
“Today is an historic day,” said Harkin. “In 1964, we passed the Civil Rights Act–none of us were here then of course. And then in 1990, we passed the Americans with Disabilities Act–some of us were here at that time. And now we sort of finished the trilogy.”, Democratic Senator Tom Harkin

Here is an interesting little fact for you.  Heather Cronk, co-director of the organization GetEQUAL said “it’s hugely helpful as far as public education goes, since 90% of Americans think this is already law.”.  Ok.  So I don’t think civilians should vote on civil rights…isn’t that what the government is for?? But that’s another post I guess.  If 90% of Americans think this is the law and it isn’t then why don’t those 90% of the Americans say something!?!? I really can’t.

Here are what the opponents have to say. (It took every ounce of restraint I have to not type idiots instead of opponents there)

Opponents say ENDA will have “a chilling effect on free speech as well as religious liberty” by requiring secular businesses who have a moral objection to LGBT people to not discriminate against them. (CNN.com)

The Traditional Values Coalition says passage of ENDA would “hurt kids.”

“Young students in some states are already being confused by transgender teachers,” a fact sheet by the Traditional Values Coalition read. “If ENDA passes, students and children in daycare centers all across the nation will be subjected to individuals experimenting with their gender identities.” (CNN.com)

So this is what it comes down to.  Opponents of equality truly believe that the GLBT community is less than their heterosexual counterparts.  Newsflash, people don’t “experiment” with their gender.  If I were to go and have a freaking surgery and ask for a vagina, trust me…it would be a lot more than experimenting you idiot.  Ok, I am going to reel it in.  The opponents think that by exposing children to a member of the GLBT community it will somehow confuse them.  Ok.  Another newsflash.  Kids don’t give a $hit if someone is straight, gay, bi, trans or purple for that matter.  It is the adults that instill the bigotry and confusion.

So what can you do? Glad you asked.

Contact the House of Representatives.  Tell them to pull it together!

http://www.house.gov/  <– go there to find your representative.
AND/OR call and mail them like a crazy.  Good crazy that is…think rainbows, butterflies and puppies! 

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 224-3121
TTY: (202)-225-1904

Lastly, please this very important survey.  I am using the results in my upcoming book and I think the results may surprise you.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/thatssogaysurvey

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Hi ya’ll.  If you’re viewing on your mobile phone you will need to click on the menu bar on the top of the page to see all the pages.  I am trying to keep things organized 🙂