Its Pride Month!

Happy Pride Month!!!

June is generally considered 'Pride month' because the Stonewall riots occurred in June and June is the most popular month for city and state Pride celebrations. However our Pride celebration takes place in Sept here in DE, after the tourist season ends.

I just realized I haven't really 'celebrated' Pride here on my blog in a few years.  Not sure why; maybe its because the Pride Festival which used to be local to us is now held about 90 minutes away so we haven't been to it since it moved.  We used to go to Pride every year when we lived in the DC area.

My friend and fellow blogger Kelly at Rambling Along in Life is doing his annual Pride month photo challenge: 

Kelly's original photo

Post the photo above on your blog and let Kelly know. He will link to you on his month-long Pride post. Each year he hopes to exceed the previous year's number of participants in this photo challenge, so why not play along? Its fun!  

Whether you celebrate Pride in June or some other month, I hope you'll look back on the enormous progress made towards equal rights with appreciation to those who paved the way.

Remembering Stonewall

Today is the 44th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, considered by many to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for gay and lesbian rights in the United States.

That chain of events should be remembered by GLBT people, for I believe the recent overturning of DOMA and Prop 8 wouldn't have happened, or wouldn't have happened for many more years without the Stonewall riots.

Today we remember and honor those who got things started.

In The Life

This August, IN THE LIFE concludes its Summer of Stonewall series celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with “Coming Together,” a look at how LGBT art and culture has shaped and inspired the movement.

Caffe Cino
Credited as the first Off-Off-Broadway theatre, Caffe Cino began in 1958 as a Greenwich Village coffee house with a tiny makeshift stage. This Bohemian refuge was home to burgeoning gay playwrights and performers, who, inspired by its owner, Joe Cino, were liberated to create their most experimental and daring works of self-expression.

In A Conversation With… writers Edmund White and Doric Wilson share first hand accounts of the Stonewall Riots, and discuss how bearing witness to the uprising impacted their work and shaped their politics.

Capping off the Summer of Stonewall series, this episode’s REAL TO REEL highlights Crayton Robey’s 2009 documentary “Making the Boys,” a tribute to Mart Crowley’s 1968 play and William Friedkin’s subsequent film adaptation of the classic story that swept gay and straight audiences alike, The Boys in the Band.

“Coming Together” will begin airing Aug 1st and be available for free video streaming and downloadable podcasts from IN THE LIFE Aug 2nd. To find out when it will air in your local area, and/or to stream or download it, go to IN THE LIFE.

To watch a preview of “Coming Together,” click here.

Crush du Jour: Jai Courtney

Pride 2009

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

June is generally considered 'Pride month' because the Stonewall riots occurred in June and June is the most popular month for city and state Pride celebrations. (Here in DE our Pride celebration takes place in Sept, after the tourist season ends.)

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which sparked the birth of the gay rights movement, so this year's Pride is extra important!

My fellow blogger Kelly at Rambling Along in Life is doing his annual Pride month photo challenge: post the photo above on your blog and let Kelly know. He will link to you on his month-long Pride post. He is hoping to exceed last year's number of participants in this photo challenge, so why not play along? Its fun!

Check out Kelly's blog! You never quite know what you'll find.

Crush du Jour: Reynaldo Gianecchini

Proclamations of GLBT support

Last week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama both acknowledged the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and delivered proclamations of support of the GLBT community. (Click on their names to read their statements.)

Now, don't get me wrong; I like Clinton and Obama a lot and feel that they are our best hope for civil rights equality... but not for marriage equality.

Remember that when both were campaigning last year and were asked directly whether they supported same-sex marriage, both said no. VERY disappointing. Yet in June of this year, the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, both of them suddenly gush with appreciation over the accomplishments and struggles of the GLBT community, and pledge their support.

Their support of what? Civil rights that do not include marriage, which allow us to remain second-class citizens?

Although I want to, I'm just not sure I'm buying it.

"I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security." - Barack Obama

"As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected." - Barack Obama

"I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its courage and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead." - Hillary Clinton

"We are grateful for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. Their contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide." - Hillary Clinton

"Though the road to full equality for LGBT Americans is long, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the United States gives hope to men and women around the world" - Hillary Clinton

In the quotation above, notice that it is NOT the example set by the United States, but rather, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the US that gives hope. In other words, the gays are doing the work while government officials stand by and applaud their fight.

I'm not cynical by nature, but it almost seems like Clinton and Obama simply decided to capitalize on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall for a "feel good moment" by paying lip service to the gays without really committing to do anything.

I realize Obama has only been in office 5 months and his plate has been full with our country's economic crisis, so I'm cutting him some slack for now. But last years' campaign speeches and this week's Stonewall speech have created some large and necessary expectations of him.

Imagine how devasting it was for Lt. Dan Choi and Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach. Choi was recently discharged from the military and Fehrenbach most likely will be too, due to Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT). Both had long, distinguished careers of medaled service to our country that were ripped away from them due to nothing more than the fact that they are gay. Obama could have stopped this, but didn't.

If you were Secretary of State or President and you did nothing to stop these DADT dismissals, wouldn't you be just a tad bit embarrassed to use the 40th anniversary of Stonewall as an opportunity to pledge your support of the GLBT struggle for equal rights?

Its time for action, people.

Crush du Jour: Reece Karena