A Crying Damn Shame

On the eve of the anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion:

Patrons Allege Abuse In Ft. Worth Gay Bar Raid
By On Top Magazine Staff
Published: June 28, 2009

Reports that a Fort Worth, Texas gay bar was raided on Saturday have left gay activists angry as police remain quiet on specifics.

Gay weekly the Dallas Voice was first to report on the raid that occurred Saturday night at the Rainbow Lounge, located at 615 S. Jennings Street.

The Fort Worth police have not commented on the specifics of the raid, but a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission spokeswoman, Carolyn Beck, confirmed to a Dallas Observer reporter, Robert Wilonsky, that TABC agents were on the scene.

“There were TABC agents there, but other than that I don't know anything,” she said.

According to emails published by the Dallas Voice, the police appeared unannounced with paddy wagons in tow. Several people at the bar told the paper that the officers abused patrons. Another report indicates that one man has been hospitalized after suffering critical injuries during the raid.

“They [police officers] asked this guy if he had been drinking, and he said 'some', and they snidely replied, 'Well, we'll see how much!' and plastic handcuffed him as they read him his rights,” Kayla Lane, an eye witness wrote in one of the emails. “It was utterly repugnant."

“This looked like random harassment, plain and simple,” wrote Todd Camp in another email. “It's sad that in this day and age, on the anniversary of one of the most important days in gay rights history that the Fort Worth and State police would choose to attack gays in such an aggressive and unjustified manner.”

The raid comes on the day most people recognize as the birth of the modern gay rights movement, June 28. In 1969, the patrons of Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn revolted against an aggressive New York City police department. For five days, thousands joined in protesting against police who often raided gay bars. Stonewall has become synonymous with gay rights.

“After more than a generation of progress, this action shows that there is still much work to be done to ensure that all Americans enjoy equal protection under the law,” said Rev. Michael Piazza, Dean of the Cathedral of Hope, known as the world's largest GLBT church, in a statement. “It is tragic that lesbian and gay taxpayers are still abused by the very people who are paid by our taxes.”

Dallas Million Gay March

I just got home, well after hitting a few bars and having a beer in each one....oh, yeah, and some Mexican food....Anyway, it was attended by about 2 1/2 times the people I though would show up. The Rally in Lee park was great, mostly local speakers, a few nationally know people, those videos will be forthcoming.

Today is the day!

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Dallas's first Million Gay march is scheduled to start at 2pm CST today. The more I read and more I watch video online, the more I understand how important it is for us to stand up for our own civil rights. Straight people are not going to ever treat us as equals unless we demand it. 40 years after the first gay civil rights event, we are still treated like second class citizens. If it weren't for a bunch of drag queens, gay men and lesbians who got pissed off in a bar and fought back, I wouldn't be able to write this today. OurSceneTV has a great video to watch. I will be back later with pics from the rally. I invite all of you to come and join the march today and the rally afterward in Lee Park.

WELL THEY ARE RUNNING IT UP THE FLAGPOLE, LET'S SEE IF IT FLIES...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Revised ENDA to be unveiled
More than 100 members of Congress back measure
Staff reports
Jun 23 2009, 4:46 PM | |

A revised version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that includes protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is expected to be unveiled Wednesday.


U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and other members of Congress were slated to gather Wednesday for a press conference at the Rayburn House Office Building to discuss the federal measure.


Frank is slated to formally introduce the bill this week. According to his office, more than 100 members of Congress have signed on to co-sponsor the measure. Among the sponsors are gay House members Frank, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.). The lead Republican sponsor is Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).


In a recent interview with the Blade, Frank said he believes prospects for passing a trans-inclusive ENDA have improved significantly since 2007, when he and other House Democratic leaders said the measure would be defeated if a gender identity clause were kept in the bill.


Over the strong objections of transgender activists and many gay advocacy groups, House Democratic leaders dropped the transgender provision from the bill in September 2007. The House went on to pass it the following month, but the measure died when the Senate took no action on it.


"Things have gotten better," Frank said earlier this month. "The transgender community is lobbying hard."


He said a House hearing last year on anti-trans discrimination helped build support for a non-discrimination bill with a gender identity provision.


Yet Frank said opposition still exists to non-discrimination legislation covering transgender persons. He pointed to concerns raised by activists in Massachusetts, New York and Maryland that they continue to encounter problems in pushing through state bills banning discrimination against transgender people.


"I just need to remind people that when we have trouble doing something in New York, Maryland and Massachusetts, it doesn't get easier when you have South Carolina, Utah and Nebraska," he said.


Frank was referring to the conservative-leaning states whose members of Congress will be voting on the soon-to-be introduced trans-inclusive ENDA.


"But I am encouraged," he said. "I think the transgender community and others have been doing this in a very good way. This time they have been doing the lobbying."

HOLY CRAP! ANOTHER CHEATING REPUBLICAN!

And Gays are trying to destroy the sanctity of marriage?

Understanding Same-Sex Marriage Is Now Easier Than Paint By Numbers

Some funny stuff from Queerty.comSorry not more origional stuff but it is late and I am tired.

Your daily Rachel

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

FINANCIAL DISOBEDIANCE

Image by TW Collins via Flickr

Earlier this week, activist and radio personality Dan Savage said that we should send a same sex couple to the White House in an acts of civil disobedience every day, ask to see the president in order to discuss equal marriage and then not leave until arrested. Great idea. I think that this will make it extremely hard for President Obama to continue to ignore this disparity of equal rights.
It is my personal opinion that we should also perform acts of financial disobedience. No more donations to the DNC, and no more giving our hard earned money to companies who actively contribute to anti-gay legislation. Queerty lists a few here. Of course the HRC has ranked companies according to their Equality index. Please read these lists and be very careful who you support. If gay people are, in fact, 10% of the total population, this is an enormous amount of money. I will continue to look for companies who oppose equal rights legislation and post them here. If you know of or find any please add them in the comments sections.

Some Specifics on the Dallas MGM

Image by bobster855 via Flickr

Latisha McDaniel, one of the Co-Chairs of the Texas MGM provided me with the following details about Sunday's march: We will begin the march at 2 pm @ Cedar Springs and Knight St. This is the Kroger parking lot. The march will last approximately 30 to 45 min. We march down Cedar Springs to Lee Park. The rally will begin @ 3 to 5 pm. We have several speakers scheduled plus music provided by Gary Floyd. We are still in the process of lining up more entertainment. Also, several LGBTA organizations will have information booths on how to get more involved in the community.

Million Gay March

Image by j l t via Flickr

Well, there probably won't be that many of us. I plan on marching in honor of those brave (or pissed off) forerunners who helped us gain the privileges we enjoy now. You can read about it here.Hope to see you there. Come on, you can do it, it's before Happy Hour!

OUTRAGE

I just came home from watching the movie "Outrage" based on the blog of Mike Rogers. Yes, it is a documentary. No, there are no semi-naked men in it. I went into the Magnolia Theater expecting to be outraged myself after watching the trailer, and in truth, those feelings were justified.

I had always heard that a large number of staffers in Washington, DC were gay and sources in the movie confirmed this. What I didn't know was how many high ranking Republicans are rumored to be gay and I had no idea how loathsome their voting records were. That so many (allegedly) gay men can and have voted against all legislation, especially AIDS funding every year, is unconscionable to me.

Only a few of us have never been in a closet. We all know how hard it is to lead a double life. We all know how it feels to finally have that weight lifted from our shoulders. In most cases I believe that coming out is an intensely personal ordeal. This movie shines a light on those who are not only not able to come out but who bolt their closet doors in order to remain in power. These men cause grave harm to us all and deserve to be outed.

Please go see this movie and twist your non-political friends' arms to go. Hell, if you want to go, I will pay for it.

Bravo, Senator Chris Dodd!

Image via Wikipedia

Today, in his own blog, US Senator Chris Dodd (D)of Connecticut officially announced that he is now in favor of gay marriage. I encourage all of you to do as I have done and email Senator Dodd and thank him for his support and to applaud his bravery in changing his position. You can read his complete thoughts here.

One More Reason I Love Her

You just can't beat a good lesbian with a cocktail shaker!

Senate: Oh, my bad!

Image via Wikipedia

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for the wrongs of slavery.

The nonbinding resolution sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is similar to a House resolution adopted last year that acknowledged the wrongs of slavery but offered no reparations. The House will have to vote on the issue again because the composition of that chamber changed after last November's elections.

The resolution was approved on a voice vote.

Because it is nonbinding, it does not have to be forwarded to the president for his signature.

Several states have passed similar resolutions, but the House resolution was the first time a branch of the federal government did so.

Harkin's resolution "acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery, and Jim Crow laws," and "apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws."

Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted mostly in U.S. Southern and border states between the 1870s and 1965 that denied African-Americans the right to vote and other civil liberties, as well as legally segregated them from whites.

Some members of the African-American community have called on lawmakers to give cash payments or other financial benefits to descendants of slaves as compensation for the suffering caused by slavery.

Why can Republicans not cheat without getting caught?

Once more, Rachel Maddow brings a bit of wit to an ugly situation.

Oh, nevermind...

After watching Joe Solomonese last night on Keith Olbermann's show I am now convinced he will never be the kind of in your face leader the HRC needs.

I may have to stop disliking Joe Solomonese, maybe...

Image via Wikipedia

Is HRC president Joe Solomonese growing a spine? While the HRC has never been one of my favorites, I applaud Mr. Solomonese's letter to President Obama. At least he is talking tough. We helped elect this man, he should be standing up for our rights. You can read the letter here: http://www.queerty.com/does-joe-solmonese-finally-mean-business-with-obama-20090615/ , I am way too lazy to type all that.

Give a dog a bone

Image by adomadom via Flickr

Yesterday President Obama issued a memorandum giving limited relationship benefits federal employees. Am I the only on who thinks he thought, "Maybe this will shut them up for a while?" A memorandum is only in effect as long as Mr. Obama remains in office. An executive order would become law. I realize that as long as DOMA remains in effect that no real laws can be passed extending full partner benefits but this still feels like too little, too late to me.

After the DOD brief filed earlier this week (That Mr Obama never addressed), the Democratic Party is going to have to do a lot more ass kissing to ever get another dime or vote out of me. That the Commander in Chief allowed his people to equate us with pedophiles and people who commit incest without a single word from him has destroyed my faith that he will ever do anything for the GLBT community, even in his second term.

I never really believed him to be a "fierce advocate" for our rights and now I am certain of it.

I think I am in love...with a lesbian!

Image via Wikipedia

Yes, it's true. I have a girl crush on Rachel Maddow. I love watching her make fun of the morons in Washington with that cute little smirk on her face. Rachel is the best I have ever seen at pointing out that NONE of the emperors have clothes. Seriously, I would consider buying her cocktails just so she would be my friend. You can catch her on MSNBC@8:00 pm CST right after Countdown with Keith Olberman (another fave)

Seriously DNC?

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The DNC is planning a fundraiser next week in the form of the LGBT Leadership Council Member dinner. According to Queerty.com, major activists are shunning this event. I think this is GREAT! For years the DNC has treated the LGBT community as bastard stepchildren, taking our money, telling us they are our allies and then not only ignoring us once they are in office but actively participating in legislation that relegates us to second class citizens.

I encourage everyone to contact LGBT leaders and support them in their decision to stay away from this event. The only way our voices will be heard is to hit the DNC where it hurts: in their pocket books. We have all heard the phrase "Money talks, bullshit walks" and frankly haven't we all heard enough bullshit from our elected officials?

Here are some listings for you to contact some of the A Gays that might be considering attendance to this dinner: the Human Rights Campaign http://www.hrc.org/12022.htm, GLAAD interim president J. Michael Durnil can be emailed at durnil@glaad.org, activist David Mixner can be emailed at dmixner@gmail.com. These are only three people, there are hundreds more. Please feel free to post any additional links in the response area. Please let them know that you support them in their decision to stay away from this event

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