http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/anderson-cooper-the-fact-is-im-gay.html
Reposted at http://www.keystothecloset.blogspot.com
I am opposed to the practice of "outing" anyone. The choice to make certain aspects of your personal life, not only your sexuality, but health status, relationship status, or any other aspect which you choose to remain private is a very complicated issue is not to be decided by anyone else for you. You make the decision when, and with whom you share information.
At the same time, I feel strongly that if you are able to feel safe and strong enough to share aspects of your private life which will give hope and support to others in the community, you should be encouraged to do so. If you are a member of a vulnerable population, if you have lived experience which has informed your knowledge, and strengthened your character, you have an opportunity to help others. Stepping forward and being able to say to others, "I have been where you are. Don't be afraid. You are not alone," can change lives.
Do you remember the first person who told you they were LGBT? The first person you told? Are you old enough to remember when famous people were not out? Before a diagnosis of AIDS detirmined when you came out. Who was the first out LGBT person you can remember?
The link above is a well-written example of a public man who has chosen a private life. He also recognizes the need for people to stand together against hatred and mistrust.
Here is to Anderson Cooper, and to giving up a little of yourself in order to change the world.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The Second Puerto Rican Pro LGBTT Health Summit: Stigma and its Impact on the Health of LGBTT Communities
Posted on by
San Juan, Puerto Rico - The Second Puerto Rican Pro LGBTT Health Summit: Stigma and its Impact on the Health of LGBTT Communities, is a platform for initiating meaningful dialogue, expanding knowledge, and proposing proactive actions to understand and address diverse LGBTT realities. In honor of LGBTT Pride Month in Puerto Rico, this year’s Summit will focus on the impact of stigma on the quality of life of LGBTT communities. Stigma is a major underlying cause of health disparities in LGBTT communities, influencing the attitude and services of healthcare providers toward LGBTT patients and perpetuating discriminatory practices that lead to reduced LGBTT access to healthcare.
The Citizens Alliance for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, and Allies Health
(ACPS-LGBTTA) invites the public to attend the Second Puerto Rican LGBTT Health Summit to be held on Saturday, June 30th, 2012 from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm at the Amphitheater of the School of Nursing, Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) in Río Piedras.
In preparation for the summit, on Friday morning, June 29th, two four-hour training sessions will be held on the following topics: 1) Cultural sensitivity for health professionals; and 2) Protecting individual health and well-being using social media, a particularly relevant topic for LGBTT youth. Both trainings will be held at the Puerto Rico Cancer Center at the Medical Sciences Campus of UPR.
“The Summit seeks to bring together diverse sectors of society to raise awareness about health disparities and the social, cultural and environmental factors that impact our health. In particular, we seek to engage community leaders, students, health professionals, and government officials in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the mainland U.S. about strategies for improving health outcomes in LGBTT communities,” said Juan Carlos Vega, Coordinator of the Second Summit.
The Summit is supported by several organizations, including: the National Latino Tobacco Control Network, the National Network for LGBT Health Equity, The Schools of Nursing and Dental Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, the Legacy Foundation, the Latino Commission on AIDS, PR CoNCRA, Lambda Legal, the Medina Press and the Institute of Samadhi Yoga Institute. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at SaludLGBTT@gmail.com. More information on the logistics and contents of the Summit can be found at our website: http://saludlgbttpr.webs.com or our Facebook page: Facebook.com/SaludLGBTT.
The Citizens Alliance for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, and Allies Health
(ACPS-LGBTTA) invites the public to attend the Second Puerto Rican LGBTT Health Summit to be held on Saturday, June 30th, 2012 from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm at the Amphitheater of the School of Nursing, Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) in Río Piedras.
In preparation for the summit, on Friday morning, June 29th, two four-hour training sessions will be held on the following topics: 1) Cultural sensitivity for health professionals; and 2) Protecting individual health and well-being using social media, a particularly relevant topic for LGBTT youth. Both trainings will be held at the Puerto Rico Cancer Center at the Medical Sciences Campus of UPR.
“The Summit seeks to bring together diverse sectors of society to raise awareness about health disparities and the social, cultural and environmental factors that impact our health. In particular, we seek to engage community leaders, students, health professionals, and government officials in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the mainland U.S. about strategies for improving health outcomes in LGBTT communities,” said Juan Carlos Vega, Coordinator of the Second Summit.
The Summit is supported by several organizations, including: the National Latino Tobacco Control Network, the National Network for LGBT Health Equity, The Schools of Nursing and Dental Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, the Legacy Foundation, the Latino Commission on AIDS, PR CoNCRA, Lambda Legal, the Medina Press and the Institute of Samadhi Yoga Institute. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at SaludLGBTT@gmail.com. More information on the logistics and contents of the Summit can be found at our website: http://saludlgbttpr.webs.com or our Facebook page: Facebook.com/SaludLGBTT.
The Shame of Pride
Posted on by Reposted at http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com, and https://lgbthealthequity.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/the-shame-of-pride/
Written by Ricky Hill, Doctoral student, instructor, dandy
Cross-posted from OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice
It’s the most beautiful time of the year, y’all.
This is the time of year where queers all over this lovely country of ours put on their shortest of shorts, their most glittery of glitter, their most bronze of bronzer, and work on making their hair as high as humanly possible. We primp, we preen, we curate the most fabulous ensembles in hope of catching the eye of that gender fucking Femme who works at the only bookstore in town that carries Curve (that’s still a thing, right? Okay, Original Plumbing, then).This is the time of year that we all wait so patiently for: The time of year where we are allowed to be bold and brash.
The time of year where we put on our rainbows, grab fistfuls of money, and dance in the streets.
That’s right, queermos. You know it, you love it: PRIDE!
It’s Pride Month! The one time of year when we’re allowed to walk down the streets in gold lamé without fear! The one time of year we get to be seen in the daytime! The one time of year when you can assume everyone wants to fuck you without looking like a narcissist! And y’all, you know Pride is good, because it’s one of the seven deadly sins.
But with Pride comes one of my least favorite things in the world: Pride Festivals.
You think I’d love them, because they’re chock full of free shit, gaymo performances, daytime drinking, and sweaty dancing. But you know what? You’re wrong. To me, Pride Festivals have become one of the most hypocritical events to happen to queer communities in recent years.
I know, I know. That’s maybe a controversial opinion to have, but hear me out.
Pride is something positive that originated out of something super shitty. It’s a self-affirming visibility project built up as a response to physical and psychic attacks on queerness. That part I can get behind.
The issue I take with Pride Festivals across the country is the rampant sponsorship put up by addictive and dangerous products. Don’t act like you don’t know.
Let’s look at Oklahoma City Pride as an example.
(This is the part where I make a disclaimer about using Oklahoma City as an example. This is not about blasting OKC’s Pride. I think that the organization has an amazing mission, and the amount of passion and drive it takes to pull something like Pride off is commendable. This is about larger issues related to equity and justice when we’re talking about LGBTQ communities, and is applicable to pretty much ALL Pride celebrations nationwide. Okay? Okay.)
Who pays for Pride? Not like you don’t already know from the mega floats that appear in the parade, or the banners hanging up at every bar. But really, who? Based on what I can tell, it’s almost all booze companies who foot the bill.
Page 29 of Oklahoma City’s Pride Guide lists the festival sponsors who are responsible for making Pride fiscally possible. Who are listed in the top five? Coors Light, Boulevard Brewing Company, Miller Lite, Tecate, and Bud Light.
Yup. Those are all big alcohol companies.
Interesting, especially given the fact that LGBTQ folks have higher addiction rates than the general population. And we’re not talking like, a little bit higher. The Pride Institute estimates that about 45% of our community participates in problem drinking behaviors.
45%!!?? That’s almost half!
(Fun Fact: We smoke like we drink, too.)
So, with epidemic-like numbers like those, don’t you think that we’d be trying to decrease risky behavior rather than encourage it?
I think so. And I don’t think it’s unreasonable to demand that our community’s health and well-being be taken into consideration when putting together this festival. Where are the members of the Oklahoma City Pride Board when these sponsorship decisions are being made? For an organization whose mission statement is “to provide leadership to meet the needs of the LGBT community through awareness, health, and educational services,” I think they need to really be held accountable to that. We’re not doing anyone any good if we’re only paying lip service to mission statements.
So, queers, it’s time. Let’s start pushing back. Let’s celebrate what Pride is really about: Be a movement, not a market!
Ricky would like to wish all of you a very lovely Pride month, and looks forward to dancing with you soon. Follow Ricky on Twitter: @prettyrickyroo
Thank you, Ricky for this important message. Kristen
This is the time of year where queers all over this lovely country of ours put on their shortest of shorts, their most glittery of glitter, their most bronze of bronzer, and work on making their hair as high as humanly possible. We primp, we preen, we curate the most fabulous ensembles in hope of catching the eye of that gender fucking Femme who works at the only bookstore in town that carries Curve (that’s still a thing, right? Okay, Original Plumbing, then).This is the time of year that we all wait so patiently for: The time of year where we are allowed to be bold and brash.
The time of year where we put on our rainbows, grab fistfuls of money, and dance in the streets.
That’s right, queermos. You know it, you love it: PRIDE!
It’s Pride Month! The one time of year when we’re allowed to walk down the streets in gold lamé without fear! The one time of year we get to be seen in the daytime! The one time of year when you can assume everyone wants to fuck you without looking like a narcissist! And y’all, you know Pride is good, because it’s one of the seven deadly sins.
But with Pride comes one of my least favorite things in the world: Pride Festivals.
You think I’d love them, because they’re chock full of free shit, gaymo performances, daytime drinking, and sweaty dancing. But you know what? You’re wrong. To me, Pride Festivals have become one of the most hypocritical events to happen to queer communities in recent years.
I know, I know. That’s maybe a controversial opinion to have, but hear me out.
Pride is something positive that originated out of something super shitty. It’s a self-affirming visibility project built up as a response to physical and psychic attacks on queerness. That part I can get behind.
The issue I take with Pride Festivals across the country is the rampant sponsorship put up by addictive and dangerous products. Don’t act like you don’t know.
Let’s look at Oklahoma City Pride as an example.
(This is the part where I make a disclaimer about using Oklahoma City as an example. This is not about blasting OKC’s Pride. I think that the organization has an amazing mission, and the amount of passion and drive it takes to pull something like Pride off is commendable. This is about larger issues related to equity and justice when we’re talking about LGBTQ communities, and is applicable to pretty much ALL Pride celebrations nationwide. Okay? Okay.)
Who pays for Pride? Not like you don’t already know from the mega floats that appear in the parade, or the banners hanging up at every bar. But really, who? Based on what I can tell, it’s almost all booze companies who foot the bill.
Page 29 of Oklahoma City’s Pride Guide lists the festival sponsors who are responsible for making Pride fiscally possible. Who are listed in the top five? Coors Light, Boulevard Brewing Company, Miller Lite, Tecate, and Bud Light.
Yup. Those are all big alcohol companies.
Interesting, especially given the fact that LGBTQ folks have higher addiction rates than the general population. And we’re not talking like, a little bit higher. The Pride Institute estimates that about 45% of our community participates in problem drinking behaviors.
45%!!?? That’s almost half!
(Fun Fact: We smoke like we drink, too.)
So, with epidemic-like numbers like those, don’t you think that we’d be trying to decrease risky behavior rather than encourage it?
I think so. And I don’t think it’s unreasonable to demand that our community’s health and well-being be taken into consideration when putting together this festival. Where are the members of the Oklahoma City Pride Board when these sponsorship decisions are being made? For an organization whose mission statement is “to provide leadership to meet the needs of the LGBT community through awareness, health, and educational services,” I think they need to really be held accountable to that. We’re not doing anyone any good if we’re only paying lip service to mission statements.
So, queers, it’s time. Let’s start pushing back. Let’s celebrate what Pride is really about: Be a movement, not a market!
Ricky would like to wish all of you a very lovely Pride month, and looks forward to dancing with you soon. Follow Ricky on Twitter: @prettyrickyroo
Thank you, Ricky for this important message. Kristen
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Last Known Gay Holocaust Survivor Has Passed Away
Gad Beck, left.
BERLIN – Gad Beck, an anti-Nazi Zionist resistance fighter and the
last known gay Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, died
on Sunday in Berlin. He passed away in a senior citizens’ home six
days before his 89th birthday, which would have been on June 30.
Beck was a pioneering gay activist and educator in
a severely anti-homosexual, repressive post-World War II German society. He was
famous for his witty, lively style of speaking.
On a German talk show, he said,
“The Americans in New York called me a great hero. I said no… I’m
really a little hero.”
Perhaps the single most important
experience that shaped his life was the wartime effort to rescue his boyfriend.
Beck donned a Hitler Youth uniform and entered a deportation center
to free his Jewish lover Manfred Lewin, who had declined to separate himself
from his family.
The Nazis would later deport the
entire Lewin family to Auschwitz, where they were murdered.
Damn. It sounds like homeboy lived. That kind of puts
whatever squabbles you may be going through today into perspective, doesn’t it?
Honor Mr. Beck today by reading the
rest of his heartbreaking, inspiring story, and then putting some positive
energy out into the world for his partner of 35 years, Julius Laufer.
Posted by Unicorn booty. Reposted at http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com,
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
SAGE and NCTE Release Comprehensive New Resource on Transgender Older Adults
SAGE and NCTE Release Comprehensive New Resource on Transgender Older Adults
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 1, 2012
Contact: Judy Evans, SAGE, 212-741-2247 x237 / jevans@sageusa.org
Vincent Paolo Villano, NCTE, (o) 202-903-0112 (c) 202-631-9640 / vvillano@transequality.org
Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders (SAGE) is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, and provides training for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging. With offices in New York City, Washington, DC and Chicago, SAGE coordinates a growing network of 24 local SAGE affiliates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at sageusa.org or lgbtagingcenter.org.
The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. By empowering transgender people and our allies to educate and influence policymakers and others, NCTE facilitates a strong and clear voice for transgender equality in our nation's capital and around the country. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 1, 2012
Contact: Judy Evans, SAGE, 212-741-2247 x237 / jevans@sageusa.org
Vincent Paolo Villano, NCTE, (o) 202-903-0112 (c) 202-631-9640 / vvillano@transequality.org
Download Improving the Lives of Transgender Older Adults: Recommendations for Policy and Practice
[NEW YORK, NY] Today SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) released Improving the Lives of Transgender Older Adults: Recommendations for Policy and Practice, a new resource on the current state of transgender aging. Transgender older adults face unique challenges including overwhelming disparities in health and health care access, employment, housing and more. The report recognizes the importance of examining these factors as they directly affect the financial security, health and overall well-being of older transgender individuals.
"Transgender individuals face many challenges associated with aging, including declining health, diminished income and the loss of friends and family. Yet they also face additional challenges such as discrimination and hostility when accessing the services meant to support older adults," said Michael Adams, Executive Director of SAGE. "Now, with this report, policymakers and aging service providers will gain a clear picture of the current state of transgender aging, and a roadmap of what they can do to improve policies and practices to ensure that transgender older adults age successfully."
The report includes a detailed literature review, profiles of personal experiences of transgender elders around the country, and more than 60 concrete recommendations for policy makers and practitioners. The Advisory Committee of the Transgender Aging Advisory Initiative identified four priority areas for policy advocacy to improve the lives of transgender older adults based on their expected impact if accomplished, as well as the expected feasibility of accomplishing them within the next 1-2 years:
- Achieve inclusion and nondiscrimination in aging services by classifying LGBT older adults as a group with "greatest social need" and reauthorizing protections of older Americans to include LGBT people.
- Promote best practices in long-term care by developing LGBT competency trainings and providing tools for long-term care facilities while including respect for the gender identity and expression of residents in specific guidelines.
- Protect privacy in Social Security programs by updating the Social Security Administration (SSA) policies to permit individuals to change their gender designation without intrusive medical information while eliminating gender as a data field in SSA's automated verification programs.
- Build a foundation of knowledge by including questions about gender identity and sexual orientation in federally-funded population-based surveys.
Harper Jean Tobin, NCTE Policy Counsel, said, "Transgender older adults want to live healthy and independent lives and maintain dignity as they age. But this population faces unique challenges that the aging field as well as the LGBT community need to pay attention to."
SAGE and NCTE will continue to advocate for these policy changes to ensure that older transgender adults have access to the necessary services and are treated with respect.
For more information or to speak to Harper Jean Tobin or Michael Adams, please contact Vincent Paolo Villano at 202-903-0112 / vvillano@transequality.org.
To download Improving the Lives of Transgender Older Adults, or to learn more about the issues covered in the report, visit sageusa.org or transequality.org.
Reposted at http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com,
Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders (SAGE) is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, and provides training for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging. With offices in New York City, Washington, DC and Chicago, SAGE coordinates a growing network of 24 local SAGE affiliates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at sageusa.org or lgbtagingcenter.org.
The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. By empowering transgender people and our allies to educate and influence policymakers and others, NCTE facilitates a strong and clear voice for transgender equality in our nation's capital and around the country. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization.
Today,
CenterLink and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a comprehensive
report which details the critical services offered by LGBT community centers,
as well as a national overview of centers across the country. The 2012
LGBT Community Center Survey Report: Assessing the Capacity and Programs of
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers surveyed 79
LGBT community centers nationwide.
Despite
the slow economic recovery, LGBT Centers manage to provide vital resources to
1.7 million people annually. The report details the many ways in which
community centers are a lifeline in the LGBT community, offering a variety of
much-needed resources including Physical and Mental Health Programs,
Information and Education Programs, Legal Services and Programs, Social and
Recreational Programs, Community Outreach and Civic Engagement, Computer
Centers, and more.
I hope you take the time to read the full report, which is
available online at www.lgbtcenters.org
or www.lgbtmap.org.
Sincerely,
Terry
Stone
Executive
Director
CenterLink:
The Community of LGBT Centers
LGBT Rights and Racial Justice Report
The Opportunity Agenda conducted research on the intersection of LGBT rights and racial justice. The report also looks at the roles ethnic and new media are playing today in both perpetuating and challenging negative stereotypes. The report includes four studies:
- What
Americans Think about LGBT People, Rights, and Issues: A Meta-Analysis of
Recent Public Opinion;
- Coverage of LGBT Issues in African-American and Latino
Print and Online News Media: An Analysis of Media Content;
- An Analysis of Online Discourse about LGBT Issues
in African-American and Latino Communities.
Each study has its own Findings section, but there are themes common to all. These commonalities found throughout the study suggest that although each type of media merits its own specific, culturally sensitive strategy, coordinated strategies may also be appropriate and effective. We therefore present some highlights:
- Pro-LGBT
spokespeople predominate in both the African-American and Latino print
media by a wide margin.
- The storylines in all three types of media tend to
focus on LGBT-specific issues like marriage equality, homophobia, and the
“down low lifestyle.” Few articles place LGBT people and issues within a
broader societal context.
- There is some narrative overlap. The clash of values
between equality, human rights, and dignity on the one hand, and morality,
“natural law,” and God’s will on the other is present in both the
African-American and Latino coverage. Both communities are wrestling with
this apparent contradiction.
Funded by the Arcus Foundation, the research on the intersection of LGBT rights and racial justice also rely on the authorship of Loren Siegel, Elena Shore, and Fission Strategy. To read our recommendations drawn from the report, click here.
Reposted at http://www.keystothecloset.blogspot.com
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