If you go back in time and realize the overall atmosphere and environment around the LGBTQ community in this nation, you will realize the Harvey Milk was a groundbreaking figure.
To this day, his effect is still felt.
More so in the 2018 midterm elections when a significant number of LGBTQ candidates achieved their goal of being elected to the post they were running for.
Gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk was assassinated on Nov. 27, 1978, just one year after becoming California’s first openly gay elected official
Nov. 27, 2018 / 9:10 AM EST By Tim Fitzsimons
“It’s not my victory, it’s yours and yours and yours”
Harvey Milk said after winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in late 1977.
“If a gay can win, it means there is hope that the system can work for all minorities if we fight. We’ve given them hope.”
A year after delivering that speech and making history as the first openly gay elected official in California – and one of the first in the country – Milk was gunned down at San Francisco City Hall on Nov. 27, 1978.
He was just 48.
But during his short time in office, Milk made his mark. He helped to pass the country’s first gay rights ordinance, which sparked the legal LGBTQ-rights revolution that has since resulted in a nationwide right to same-sex marriage and an increasing number of LGBTQ-rights protections in cities and states across the country.
Milk also undoubtedly inspired future generations of LGBTQ Americans to enter politics.
Earlier this month, 40 years after his death and decades after his history-making election, a record-breaking “rainbow wave” of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans followed in his footsteps by running for office and winning.
Gay Pride or LGBT Pride is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group, build community, and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance.
Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements throughout the world.
~Wikipedia~
~~GRAPHICS SOURCE~~
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In a world where some people still try to silence LGBTQ+ voices, the act of being yourself is an act of bravery for all to see. And in the context of a global climate that highlights the vulnerability of LGBTQ+ rights. It’s more important than ever that LGBTQ+ voices and stories are shared and heard.
An inclusive, vibrant, ever-expanding LGBTQ+ community has been a vital part of YouTube since we started. And we’re proud to stand with a group that believes every human being deserves the right to be who they are and love who they love.
So to all those brave voices who continue to make Youtube the colorful, diverse and supportive place it is, we’re #ProudToBe with you.
YouTube Creators for Change is proud to launch #ProudToBe, our fifth annual Pride campaign.
Creators for Change is YouTube’s global initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of role models who are tackling difficult social issues with their channels. From combating hate speech, to countering xenophobia and extremism, to simply making the case for greater tolerance and empathy toward others, these creators are helping generate positive social change with their global fan bases.
I wasn’t sure about my sexuality yet I knew I was different. I was living in Puerto Rico and cut away from these happenings in New York.
With time, I have come to learn about the importance of this uprising and I honor those who came before me and cleared the way that allowed me to accept and cherish my sexuality and live a fulfilling life, the way I am …
Forty-eight years ago today, New York City police began harassing LGBTQ patrons of the Stonewall Inn simply for congregating, those patrons decided they’d had enough.
~Human Rights Campaign~
The Stonewall Riots (also referred to as the Stonewall Uprising or the Stonewall Rebellion) were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay (LGBT) community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
They are widely considered to constitute the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States.
~Wikipedia~
~As Pride Month Concludes, the Legacy of Stonewall Endures~
~What is the goal of A Day Without a Woman?~
The goal is to highlight the economic power and significance that women have in the US and global economies, while calling attention to the economic injustices women and gender nonconforming people continue to face.
We play an indispensable role in the daily functions of life in all of society, through paid & unpaid, seen & unseen labor.
We must have the power to control our bodies and be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes.
We must free ourselves and our society from the constant awarding of power, agency and resources disproportionately to masculinity, to the exclusion of others.
We must end the hiring discrimination that women, particularly mothers, women of color, women with disabilities, Indigenous women, lesbian, queer and trans women still face each day in our nation.
We believe that creating workforce opportunities that reduce discrimination against women and mothers allow economies to thrive. Nations and industries that support and invest in care-giving and basic workplace protections – including benefits like paid family leave, access to affordable childcare, sick days, healthcare, fair pay, vacation time, and healthy work environments – have shown growth and increased capacity.
We believe in Gender Justice and the protection of the human rights of gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans, Two-Spirit and gender nonconforming people.
We believe in an economy powered by transparency, accountability, security and equity.
We believe that all workers must have the right to organize and fight for a living minimum wage, and that unions and other labor associations are critical to a healthy and thriving economy for all. Undocumented and migrant, farm workers and domestic workers must be included in our labor protections, and we stand in full solidarity with the sex workers’ rights movement. We recognize that exploitation for sex and labor in all forms is a violation of human rights.
“Empathy is the ability to step outside of your own bubble and into the bubbles of other people. Empathy is the ability that allows us to be useful creatures on this planet; without empathy, we are a waste of oxygen in this world.
Without empathy, we are lower than animals.
Empathy is the ability that allows us the perception of things around us, outside of ourselves; so a person without empathy is a limited human being, someone who will only live half of a life.”
I needed to recognize Bruce Springsteen’s actions and comments as they are very close to my heart.
I do not live in North Carolina. I live in Florida.
I am a member of the LGBTQ community and, as such, this law and others that may be coming down the pike, are very worrisome.
Huge steps were made this past year to assure equality of all LGBTQ citizens.
It all stems from the Obergefell v. Hodges SCOTUS decision.
Those pushing laws against a decision already made by the highest court of the land only show how small and petty their hearts are.
They claim “religious freedom”.
In my book, religion dictates kindness and love for all.
This law does the total opposite and shows the real “faces” of those behind such underhanded, scheming actions. Keep in mind that these are government officials elected to abide by the rule of law and the will of the people who got then there.
A Statement From Bruce Springsteen On North Carolina
APRIL 8, 2016
As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use.
Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden.
To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments.
Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th.
Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Sunday April 10th show is canceled.
Growing up gay
Growing up gay wasn’t easy.
Always knowing I was different to the rest.
I never felt right, never felt normal.
Because I’m not.
I’m different.
But sometimes difference is good, isn’t it?
I’ve accepted myself.
But some haven’t.
After three long years, The “Pride of Asia“, Charice Pempengco and the Grammy award-winning composer, David Foster finally reunited on stage for the grand finals of Asia’s Got Talent on Thursday night.
Moments before Charice showed up on stage, she was first introduced as the ‘Pride of Asia’ and they also showed the highlights of her career under David Foster’s mentorship.
Wearing a presentable suit together with her short hair was the opposite of how she looked like years ago when she performed with David Foster. But as everyone expected, only her physical appearance changed, because she still sings with her heart. She proudly presented herself as a lesbian to everyone present at the Marina Bay Sands.
Charice Pempengco and David Foster performed one of the hit songs of Sam Smith entitled “Lay Me Down”.
Charice had her big break when David Foster discovered her as she sings Whitney Houston and Celine Dion‘s songs, and with the help of Oprah Winfrey, Charice reached the success!
“She has always had a place in my heart; she will always have a place in my heart.” David Foster said shortly before their performance on Asia’s Got Talent started.
Pope Francis refused repeated requests to meet with LGBT Catholics but made time for a secret, closed-door meeting with the anti-gay Kentucky clerk who is not Catholic.
I have shared several posts related to Kim Davis and her actions in Kentucky.
She hasn’t been a favorite of mine at all.
I’m a proud member of the LGBT community and married my partner of almost 40 years on January 6, 2015, the day after it became legal in the state of Florida.
Both of us are very grateful that our county clerk did her job and was very nice and pleasant about it.
I know from personal experience how her actions have made the people of her county feel.
Ms. Davis has been seeking the spotlight on the back of her religious beliefs.
She has attained notoriety through the political hacks who have gravitated to her for their own political weak gains.
It seems to me that she’s being used and she’s allowed it because she will also benefit from this in the name of “god’s authority”.
I’ve mentioned before that I was raised in the Catholic Church. My parents were very active in our church.
I was baptized when I was 6 days old.
I went to confession and had my first communion.
I went to Catholic school and college from kindergarten through high school.
I completed my college degree at a Catholic university.
Why do I mention all of this?
Because I know the significance in the Pope’s existence and his authority. I’m well aware of his “infallibility’.
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church that states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error “When, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.”
Wikipedia
The fact that I felt this pope to be genuine, tolerant and all encompassing has been “destroyed”, in my humble opinion, because of this meeting and the support that he seems to have given to someone who has behaved in a criminal manner.
She’s refusing to do her job.
I’m not anyone fit to judge anyone but her past marriages and personal actions fall quite short from the behavior of a person of faith and religious beliefs.
I found an article in The Advocate which explains quite clearly why this secret meeting may “throw a wrench” in the major advances that have recently taken place in this country.
Again, I say, there’s no place for me in the Catholic church at all.
There’s no place for anyone on the LGBT community in the Catholic Church.
I’ve known it for a long time.
Now, it’s been confirmed, assured, accepted and internalized.
It’s OK.
This will be my last post on Ms. Kim Davis and Pope Francis.
Sorry, Mr. Pope, you did wrong here.
In a short action, you undid all the good that your visit generated …. in my book.
Activists who represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Catholics tell The Advocate they are concerned about now-confirmed reports of a meeting between Pope Francis and anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, fearing that such a meeting could set back what little support there is for the disenfranchised faithful.
“The news that Pope Francis met with Kim Davis while failing to respond to repeated requests for dialogue with LGBT Catholics and their families will be deeply disappointing to many Catholics, gay, trans, and straight alike,” says Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, in an email to The Advocate. “It put the weight of the Vatican behind the US Catholic bishops’ claims of victimization, and supports those who want to make it more difficult for same-sex couples to exercise their civil right to marriage.”
According to the Liberty Counsel‘s release, Francis met with Davis and her husband, Joe, Thursday at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C. The pope told Davis, “Thank you for your courage” and “stay strong,” and asked her to pray for him, and she in turn asked him to pray for her. He also presented the couple with rosary beads he had personally blessed.
The pope said little about marriage equality during his visit, but as New Ways Ministry‘s DeBernado mentioned, on the papal flight back to Rome Monday he said there is a “human right” to “conscientious objection,” even by government officials, when duties conflict with their religious beliefs.
~~GRAPHICS SOURCE~~
Google Images
“Though LGBT and ally Catholics have welcomed Pope Francis’ affirming remarks, many, including me, have also remarked that he sometimes talks out of both sides of his mouth,” DeBernardo wrote in his email. “Moreover, while he is LGBT-positive in general ways, his remarks on specific moral and political issues are often at odds with his welcoming stance. The time for vagueness, ambiguity, and secret meetings is over. Pope Francis needs to state clearly where he stands in regard to the inclusion of LGBT people in the church and society.”
“I fear that this meeting and claims that the Pope told Ms. Davis to ‘stand strong’ will embolden the many US bishops and others who continue to try to turn back support for LGBT people,” wrote Duddy-Burke of DignityUSA. “It will make even more of us feel like the Pope’s message of mercy and love was not meant for LGBT people and families. It points again to the deep divide between Catholics who affirm and support their LGBT family members and friends, and the hierarchy, which is tragically out of touch.”
During Pope Francis’s U.S. visit, he privately met with Rowan County clerk Kim Davis. During his visit to America, he took a strong stance against issues like arms sales, global warming and the death penalty, but avoided making a direct statement on same-sex marriage. Some see his “secret” meeting with Davis as a sign of his support for her cause.
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian,gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards also recognize achievements in other branches of the media and arts, including theater, music, journalism and advertising.
Honorees are selected by a process involving over 700 GLAAD Media Award voters and volunteers and are evaluated using four criteria: “Fair, Accurate and Inclusive Representations” of the LGBT community, “Boldness and Originality” of the project, significant “Cultural Impact” on mainstream culture, and “Overall Quality” of the project. Results are then certified by a “Review Panel” who determine the final list of recipients based on voting results and their own “expert opinions”.
The 1st GLAAD Media Awards ceremony honoring the 1989 season was held in 1990, and recognized 34 nominees in 7 competitive categories. The upcoming 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies honoring the 2014 season will be held in New York City on May 9, 2015 at the Waldorf Astoria.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives. http://www.glaad.org/
It Is What It Is 