what is gay?

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation - the nation's primary lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy and anti-defamation organization - applauded Lynch's decision.

"Gov. Lynch's signing of the marriage equality bill grants legal protections for same-sex couples in New Hampshire to take care of and be responsible for each other," said the organization's president, Neil Giuliano.

"As people get to know the loving and committed couples at the heart of marriage equality, our culture is moving to equality."

Both chambers had previously voted to approve same-sex marriage but Lynch said he would sign the bill into law only if the legislature added new language to protect religious institutions that did not want to perform such marriages.

"We can and must treat both same-sex couples and people of certain religious traditions with respect and dignity," Lynch had said. "I believe this proposed language will accomplish both of these goals."

The Democratic governor said that in recent months he had spoken to lawmakers, religious leaders and constituents as he formed his opinion on the bill.

New Hampshire becomes the sixth state in the nation - alongside Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa and Vermont - currently providing or soon to provide marriage benefits to gays and lesbians.

Vermont's law takes effect September 1 and Maine's September 14, unless its citizens collect enough signatures to put the measure on the fall ballot in the state. New Hampshire's new law takes effect on January 1, 2010.

New Hampshire and Maine are the only states in the nation where representatives elected by voters approved same-sex marriage legislation. The others were decided by high court decisions, although legislatures in Vermont and Connecticut subsequently passed measures codifying the court rulings.

Marry Mo Baxley, executive director of New Hampshire Freedom to Marry told CNN, "We're so very proud of our elected officials. We've taken our grievances to our elected officials, and they've responded."

Still, married gay couples do not share federal benefits such as Social Security, tax breaks and immigration benefits that are granted to straight married couples. Baxley is counting on President Barack Obama to make those changes.

"He said he would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and we fully expect him to keep that promise," she said.

Even amongst the excitement, GLAAD president Giuliano remained cautious, referring to the topic of gay marriage benefits as one "that will be a future debate and a future conversation that we'll be having in this country for quite a while."More detail from site http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/03/nh-governor-signs-same-sex-marriage-into-law/

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Gay History Project: Walt Whitman and Peter Doyle

Walt Whitman, best known as the father of modern poetry and American poetry, was also the longtime lover of Peter Doyle, son of a blacksmith, a former Rebel soldier who worked as a streetcar conductor. They were often affectionate in public; both their families, and all Whitman’s friends,.. knew about their relationship. Doyle was a conspicuous influence on many of Whitman’s works. The couple first met on a Washington, DC streetcar in 1865, on a stormy winter night toward the close of the Civil War. Whitman was 45; Doyle, 21. Doyle thought his bearded only passenger, a blanket over his shoulders, looked “like an old sea captain.” “I thought I would go and talk to him,” Doyle said in an interview. “Something in me made me do it. He used to say there was something in me had the same effect on him…We were familiar at once. I put my hand on his knee …from that time on we were the biggest sort of friends.” Whitman was a burly six feet tall; Doyle, a slender five foot eight. Their differences extended beyond the physical. Whitman was a government clerk, journalist, and a published poet; Doyle, a workingman supporting his widowed mother and younger siblings. Whitman prided himself on patriotism; his brother George was a Union soldier, and he’d spent the last two years nursing the wounded in Washington’s army hospitals. Doyle had been a Confederate artilleryman, who’d obtained release from federal prison by claiming to be a British subject (born in Limerick, Ireland, he and his family emigrated here when he was a child). Pete and Walt were living proof that opposites attract. They were a familiar sight on Washington streetcars and at the bar in Georgetown’s Union Hotel. A favorite pastime was to hike along the Potomac River in Maryland, take the ferry to Virginia, and then hike back along the river on the Virginia side. They were unable to live together due to Pete’s obligations to his dependent family, though Walt wanted to settle down with Pete and brought it up repeatedly. But each man was warmly embraced by the other’s family. Pete would fondly recall dinners at the Whitmans’: “After we had our dinner she (Walt’s mother) would always say, ‘Now take a long walk to aid digestion.’ Mrs. Whitman was a lovely woman.” After Whitman’s first stroke in 1873, his mother wrote to Walt to express her confidence in Pete: “I knew if it was in his power he would cheerfully do everything he could for you.” Pete lived up to her expectations, nursing Walt for months. The Doyles also counted on Walt for whatever help he could offer, including recommending Pete’s brother Edward for a job with the Treasury Department, and lobbying newspapers to protect Pete’s older brother, policeman Francis, from sensationalized accounts of brutality. Walt considered Pete’s mother Catherine, brothers James, Francis — and younger brother Edward, and sister Margaret, who lived with Pete — dear friends. Doyle would have a lasting impact on Whitman’s work. For one thing, Doyle – who was present at Lincoln’s assassination – would shape Whitman’s writings about that tragic event. Doyle had gone to the performance of “My American Cousin” in Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865, because he’d heard the Lincolns would be there. He heard the shot and saw John Wilkes Booth leap from Lincoln’s box to the stage, but didn’t know Lincoln was dead until he heard Mary Todd Lincoln cry out, “the President has been shot!” He was so stunned that he was one of the last to leave the theater, ordered out by a policeman. Lincoln had been one of Walt’s heroes, though they had never met. Walt, a friend of the President’s former secretary John Hay, had seen Lincoln in person numerous times. He’d written, “I never see the man without feeling that he is one to become personally attached to.” Walt would use Pete’s account in Specimen Days, Memoranda During The War, and lectures. Pete also affected Whitman’s most popular Lincoln poem “O Captain! My Captain!” Doyle came to America with his mother and three brothers on the William Patten in 1852; the ship nearly wrecked in a storm on Good Friday, also the day of Lincoln’s assassination. Whitman knew this. The poem memorializes Lincoln as a ship’s captain, who died while guiding his vessel safely to port through a storm. The poem, unlike most of Whitman’s, is metered and rhymed. During their walks, Doyle would often quote Limericks to Whitman; the poem’s extant first draft is in free verse, so he likely revised it to impress Doyle. Another poem written around the same time, “Come Up From The Fields Father,” is the only time Whitman ever identified a protagonist with a personal name — Pete. Pete could not have inspired “Calamus,” the notorious series of homoerotic poems published in 1860. (The controversial poems had gotten Whitman fired from his Department of the Interior job, but well-connected Walt quickly got a similar job in the Attorney General’s office.) Doyle did, however, affect Whitman’s decision to excise three of these poems from the 1867 edition of “Leaves Of Grass”. The three expressed despair over Whitman’s earlier failed relationship with another Irishman, Fred Vaughan, who married after splitting from him. Pete also figured prominently in Walt’s private notebooks, particularly passages cited by some scholars as the most convincing proof of Whitman’s gay sexuality. In the summer of 1870 Whitman began to suspect that Pete did not return his love. He wrote feverishly, vowing “TO GIVE UP ABSOLUTELY …this …USELESS UNDIGNIFIED PURSUIT OF 16.4.” 16 and four are the numeric locations of the initials P.D. in the alphabet. Walt also obviously later erased the “im” in “him” and replaced it with “er” in these entries. But before Walt left to visit his family later that summer, Pete confessed his love, ending Walt’s ambivalence. In a July 30 letter, Walt enthused, “I never dreamed that you made so much of having me with you, nor that you should feel so downcast at losing me.” Soon afterward, when Pete griped about his job, Walt wrote promising “a good smacking kiss, many of them – taking in return many, many from my dear son – good loving ones too.” Their relationship remained intense during Walt’s years in Washington. But Walt suffered a stroke in 1873, which impaired his left arm and leg. He went to live with his brother George in Camden, N.J., considering the arrangement temporary. Walt’s beloved mother died that same year, taking an emotional toll on him as well. Pete was by now working a dangerous, stressful job—brakeman– for the Pennsylvania Railroad, but would still visit Walt daily before his evening shift, nursing him while there. Walt took the precaution of making out a will, in which Pete was the only non- family member included. In 1874, Walt forfeited his Washington job, and broke the news to Pete that his move to Camden would be permanent. In 1875 another stroke affected Walt’s right side. For the next two decades, Pete and Walt continued to correspond, and Pete continued to visit regularly, but they began to see less of each other. In 1876, Walt met another working class youth, Harry Stafford, a Camden New Republic office clerk in his twenties. Harry became Walt’s new “darling boy.” Stafford’s parents considered Walt a “good influence.” Whitman began to spend time at the family’s farm near Timber Creek, about ten miles from Camden. Walt’s letters told Pete about the farm, but not about Harry. Like Fred Vaughan before him, Harry would marry in 1884, but he and Walt would remain friends. After Pete’s mother Catherine passed away in 1885, Pete relocated to Philadelphia. Though Pete and Walt remained in touch till 1889, no correspondence exists from between 1881 and 1886, as they saw each other frequently. In 1888, Walt suffered another stroke and became severely ill. He would live four more years, during which he would publish “November Boughs,” “Goodbye My Fancy,” and the so-called “Deathbed Edition” of Leaves of Grass. Pete would be mysteriously absent for most of this time. Whitman speculated to friend Horace Traubel that Pete “must have got another lay.” On New Year’s Day, 1892, Walt revised his will to exclude Pete, who he presumed was dead. But before Walt passed, Pete did visit him again, and explained the reasons for his absence. In an interview, Pete recalled “In the old days I had always open doors to Walt – going, coming, staying as I chose. Now, I had to run the gauntlet of Mrs. Davis (Walt’s housekeeper at his own new Mickle Street home) and a nurse and whatnot….Then I had a mad impulse to go over and nurse him. I was his proper nurse – he understood me — I understood him. We loved each other deeply….I should have gone to see him, at least, in spite of everything, I know it now…but it’s all right. Walt realized I never swerved from him – he knows it now. That is enough.” Walt, 73, died of tuberculosis on March 26, 1892. Pete viewed the body, and attended the funeral. He remained part of Walt’s surviving circle of friends until his own passing at 63 in 1907 from uremia (kidney disease.) The most substantial documentation of their relationship is a collection of letters Walt sent to Pete from 1868-1880, published in 1897 by their mutual friend, psychiatrist/author Richard Maurice Bucke, as “The Calamus Letters.” “Calamus” poems are interspersed between letters in the book. The book included Bucke’s revealing interview with Doyle, which Henry James would call “the most charming passage in the volume“ in his 1898 review. From Doyle’s interview with Bucke, conducted after Whitman’s death: “I have Walt’s raglan here. Now and then I put it on, lay down… Then he is with me again… I do not ever for a minute lose the old man. He is always nearby…in a crisis, I ask myself, ‘What would Walt do?’ –and whatever I decide Walt would do, that I do."

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Gay News/ Gay blog|

Marriage Equality on Agenda as Paterson Calls for 'Extraordinary Session' on November 10
"Paterson wants what is technically called an extraordinary session on Nov. 10 that would address the deficit and take on unfinished business... The regular session ended in June. The special session is expected to include a possible vote by the Senate to give final legislative approval to a same-sex marriage bill. Paterson has predicted the bill will be passed and signed into law in coming weeks. Paterson also is asking legislative leaders to call a rare joint session of the Legislature on Nov. 9, where he plans to address the Senate and Assembly on the need to act on the deficit and reduce spending. The governor also has scheduled a public meeting with legislative leaders Thursday in New York City."http://www.towleroad.com/2009/10/marriage-equality-on-agenda-as-paterson-calls-for-extraordinary-session-on-november-10.html

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Sentenced for insulting gay Pole

In Poland a 44-year old woman was sentenced to pay a fine of 3.645 euro for offending her homosexual neighbor. Ryszard Giersza (25) was pummeled with bricks and tomatoes after the woman had called him a faggot in public.

In his ruling the judge said that ‘everybody has the right to a protected private life’, which is seen as an important breakthrough by Polish gay organizations. It’s the first time a gay person has fought back after being insulted like that.

Ryszard Giersza was first faced with harassment in February 2009 after his boyfriend had moved in with him in the little town of Wolina in the North West of Poland. “The faggot has brought another faggot with him,” his neighbor had said in the village shop. The insults were a nasty surprise because before no one knew of his homosexuality. After this, he and his friend were abused, threatened, and beaten up. Giersza also lost his job. Judge Urszula Chmielewska explained the high fine saying the neighbor “should really feel the punishment.”
Next to paying the fine the neighbor should also really change her behavior, the judge said. The neighbor also has to pay for the trial costs of about a thousand euros. The unemployed neighbor stated that all witnesses lied during the court case, she doesn’t feel guilty and announced she was going to appeal.
“I’m very happy,” said Giersza yesterday after the ruling was made public, with tears in his eyes. “I’m a normal person and I just want to live quietly with my partner. The last six months have ruined us. I’m very happy we started this trial, it was worth it. I hope it will be an example for others.”

The Polish gay activist Robert Biedron was relieved that the judge didn’t treat Giersza as a ‘second rate citizen’. “If a judge doesn’t do that, perhaps society will stop doing that too.”
more infor from: http://www.gay-news.com/article04.php?sid=2647

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Obama Nominates Openly Gay Ambassador

An official from President Obama’s administration has announced the President plans to nominate David Huebner, an openly gay lawyer as the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and American Samoa.

If confirmed by the Senate, Huebner will become the administration’s first openly gay ambassador. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both had openly gay ambassadors during their terms as well.

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Gay History Project: H.D.

The bisexual poet H.D., whose full name was Hilda Doolittle, was born on Sept. 10, 1886, in Bethlehem, Pa., to a wealthy upper- middleclass family. A contemporary of the American poet Ezra Pound, with whom she was involved at one point, she became a great Imagist poet, who at the end of her writing career broke with strict Imagism. She received literary awards including the Gold Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and, later in life, the Brandeis and Longview Awards.

Hilda attended the Ivy League women’s college Bryn Mawr, but dropped out and moved to England in 1911. Her romance with Ezra Pound had ended, but he introduced her to London's avant garde literary circles. She married the novelist Richard Aldington in 1913.

The Imagist poets believed in direct treatment of the subject, allowing no inessential words and following the musical phrase rather than strict, traditional regularity in their rhythms. H.D.'s first published poems appeared in the journal Poetry in January 1913.

H.D. was fascinated by ancient Greek culture, and now she began to travel throughout Europe and saw Greece for the first time. Her poetry appeared in the English Review, the Transatlantic Review, and the Egoist. She also began an intense but non-sexual relationship with novelist D.H. Lawrence, and her marriage became troubled. (Her novel "Bid Me to Live" is largely about this time.)

She lived downstairs from her husband's mistress, and was introduced to a friend of the Lawrences, Cecil Gray, who became the father of her daughter, Frances Perdita, named for H.D.'s first great love and lifelong friend, Frances Gregg, and for the lost daughter of Hermione in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. The birth left H.D. very ill, but a woman named Bryher came to her rescue.

Bryher, born Annie Winifred Ellerman, met H.D. on July 17, 1918 in Cornwall. She took the name Bryher from one of the fabled Scilly Isles, located to the west of Cornwall and site of many ancient legends and megalithic stone monuments. A wealthy heiress who was also a writer, her friendship with H.D. blossomed into love. They were lifelong companions, although often maintaining separate residences and their independence. They travelled together and kept their relationship throughout their other affairs, and throughout Bryher's marriages to Robert McAlmon and Kenneth Macpherson.

The two women moved to Paris, mingling with the expatriate literary community. After Bryher's marriage to McAlmon ended, and the one to Macpherson began, they were drawn into the world of film. Bryher and Macpherson began POOL Productions and the film magazine Close-Up. H.D. appeared in the POOL films productions Foothills (1927) and Borderline (1930), which received their most enthusiastic reception in Germany.

H.D. and Bryher lived at this time in Kenwin, the Bauhaus home Bryher had built near Riant Chateau in Switzerland. H.D. sought out analysis, and Bryher, an early supporter of psychoanalysis, arranged for Dr. Hanns Sachs and Havelock Ellis to recommend H.D. to Sigmund Freud. H.D. referred to herself as Freud's pupil, and he referred to her as his analysand, during 1933 and 1934. H.D. later wrote "Tribute to Freud" as a fictionalized memoir of this period.

Her interests at this time also included mysticism, Hellenic studies, Egyptology, and astrology. Her long poem “Helen in Egypt” reflected those interests. She and Bryher were able to get to London when World War II broke out; Bryher barely escaped Switzerland before helping over a hundred refugees to homes in other countries.

The years during World War II were very productive for H.D. She and Bryher lived together during this time. H.D. became very interested in spiritualism, and her poetry began to strain at the boundaries of Imagism. "The Walls Do Not Fall," the first part of "Trilogy," was her break with Imagism.

After the war, H.D. suffered a mental breakdown, and returned to Switzerland. She lived at Kusnacht, a clinic, and various hotels. She was now 60, yet was experiencing the most prolific writing years of her life. Her book “Hermetic Definition” (1972, New Directions) contains the angel-haunted poems of her old age. Other books include “Selected Poems of H.D.” (1957, Grove Press) and “Trilogy” (1973, New Directions).

In July 1961 she suffered a stroke and died on Sept. 21, 1961. She was buried on Nisky Hill, in Bethlehem, Pa., among her family. She was survived by Bryher, her daughter and son-in-law, her grandchildren and many other family members and friends.

H. Hernandez writes, “Her gravestone lies flat in Nisky Hill Cemetery… and usually has sea shells on it, left in tribute. It bears lines from her poem ‘Epitaph’:
…So you may say,
Greek flower;
Greek ecstasy
reclaims forever
one who died
following intricate song's
lost measure.
H.D.”

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TV case tests Russian gay rights

A former reality show celebrity has become the first person in Russia to go to court over claims that he is gay.

Vasily Pechen has embarked on a test case for Russia

Vasily Pechen, who appeared on Russian reality shows Big Brother and Dom 2, made Russian legal history by bringing the case to a Moscow court this week.

He says that publications in a tabloid newspaper and gay news website, which also claimed he regularly frequented gay clubs and even received money in return for sex, caused irreparable damage to his TV career.

Mr Pechen also said the publications, which were accompanied by revealing pictures of the Z-list celebrity, even contributed to his mother's death due to the stress caused by the claims.

In total, he is seeking up to four million roubles (£76,000) by way of compensation: the sum he claims his career would be worth if not for false claims about his sexual orientation.

Second attempt at fame?

However, legal expert and Moscow gay pride organiser Nikolai Alexeyev said that the case would be baseless if the claims only concerned Mr Pechen's orientation.

Perhaps he just wants to remind the world of his existence
Russian TV company TNT

"Being gay in Russia is no longer a criminal offence and no longer considered a mental illness," Mr Alexeyev told the BBC Russian Service.

"If he tries to take someone to court because they said he was gay, he probably will not get very far.

"The second part of the claim concerning the publication of indecent photos of the claimant and accusations that he worked as a prostitute have a better chance of success."

However, when approached for further information about the reality show participant, Russian TV company TNT said they could barely remember who he was.

"Perhaps he just wants to remind the world of his existence," said the company's press office.

Changing attitudes?

Attitudes towards gay people in Russia remain generally negative, which might explain Mr Pechen's desire to refute the claims over his sexuality so robustly and so publicly.
Nikolai Alexeyev
Mr Alexeyev said the lawsuit would fail if based on sexual orientation

However, human rights activist Edward Murzin - who tried to apply for a same-sex partnership in Russia in 2005, although not gay himself - says reality shows like Big Brother and Dom 2 have gone a long way to break down taboos in Russian society, especially among youngsters.

The website GayRussia.ru, which is also run by Mr Alexeyev, carried out a survey in 2005 with the Levada Center into public attitudes towards sexual minorities in Russia.

The poll showed that the majority of Russians still oppose gay marriage and the idea of a gay president, but support a ban on sexual orientation discrimination.

Although larger Russian cities do have active gay communities and gay scenes, and attitudes towards gay people are slowly changing, few people in Russia are openly gay and discrimination remains widespread and virtually unchallenged.

All applications for organising a gay pride march in Moscow have been blocked by the Russian authorities, and any attempts to hold the event without permission have ended in violence, with demonstrators being arrested and beaten by the security forces.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia in 1993 and was removed from the official list of mental illnesses in 1999.

However, there is equally no legislation protecting people from discrimination or harassment on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

There is also no formal recognition of same-sex relationships.source from:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8197735.stm

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Internal education on gay liberation

Lavender & red, part 80

By Leslie Feinberg
Published Dec 3, 2006 8:02 PM

Workers World Party’s youth group, Youth Against War & Fascism (YAWF), formed an internal Gay Caucus in 1971—which soon after became the Lesbian and Gay Caucus. Bob McCubbin, who played a key role in its political and organizational formation and development, recalls what led up to and followed the establishment of the caucus.

McCubbin writes that he had been doing gay liberation work and Workers World Party (WWP) organizing on the West Coast. He had told leading members of the Buffalo branch he was gay when he moved to San Francisco, where there was no branch, six months after the Stonewall Rebellion.

And he remembered that one of the founders of the party, Vince Copeland, “had actually used the presence in New York of a large gay community as one of his incentives to get me to move to New York City” to work in the party center.

However, not until 1971 did McCubbin ever take the floor at a party meeting to speak from the political perspective of a gay man. “In the late summer of 1971, I left San Francisco for New York City and a few weeks later, at a party meeting, I took the floor to defend the party during a minor factional struggle. One of the charges being leveled was that the party had no position on the gay liberation movement.”

McCubbin stood up and said, “Well, I’m gay, and I’ve always understood that the party supports the struggles of all oppressed people.” There were a few seconds of absolute silence and then strong applause, recalls McCubbin.

McCubbin explains, “What followed the branch meeting where I came out were several months of preliminary discussions with leading comrades in New York, in particular with Vince and Dottie [Dorothy Ballan, a founder of WWP], and with a few lesbian and gay comrades in party branches.

“At the end of 1971 or the beginning of 1972, the party held a winter conference, and I asked Deirdre [Griswold] if an announcement could be read at the Saturday plenum to the effect that a meeting of lesbian and gay comrades and friends would be held in the evening. Deirdre assured me that would be no problem.

“Well, about 50 people showed up!” Not all of them were LGBT, McCubbin recalls. “It was a wonderful expression of solidarity on the part of many heterosexually oriented comrades, but the 12 or 15 of us who were lesbian and gay had to schedule a further meeting the following morning to get some work done after the evening meeting full of praise for us and solidarity statements.

“This conference,” McCubbin concludes, “marked the beginning of a party-wide effort to educate ourselves and our class on this issue.”

Sam Marcy vs. gay oppression

Workers World Party founder Sam Marcy made a tremendous contribution to the development of the party as a revolutionary communist organization, and to the historic struggle for sexual liberation, when he oriented the party about the gay struggle politically, theoretically and historically in a significant part of a 1972 internal document he wrote as orientation for the party conference.

Marcy said of the oppression of nationalities, women, youth and gay people: “The degeneration of monopoly capitalism into state monopoly capitalism carries to an extreme all the forms of oppression which the capitalist system, in the previous epoch, had engendered and developed. As the crisis of the social system becomes more and more apparent, the need of the ruling class to unload its burden on the most oppressed sections of society becomes more evident. Only by dividing, only by fragmenting and continually pitting different elements of the oppressed masses against each other, can the capitalist establishment maintain its sway over all society, and hope to survive.”

This same sharpening of the persecution and oppression, however, creates the impetus for a genuinely progressive militancy and resurgence of Black and Latin@ peoples, women, youth and gay people.

Marcy characterized the lack of widespread support for the gay struggle in the progressive movement at that time as a legacy of the deep-seated prejudice that emanated from the religious bigotry of the Middle Ages and its reinforcement throughout the entire course of capitalist development.

“It is particularly significant,” he wrote, “that the public change in attitude—such as it is—comes on the heels of a very formidable wave of struggle by gay people, a veritable ‘coming out’ in a most demonstrative way. Gay Pride took a cue from Black Pride. ...

“Without the struggle launched by gay people,” Marcy stressed, “the prejudices which have been ground into the consciousness of the masses by indoctrination would not even have been challenged, let alone shaken to their foundations.

“All this shows how intimate is the connection between the ideas of a particular time—even progressive ideas—and the conditions of the time, in this case, the state of the struggle.”

‘Influence of October Revolution’

Marcy continued, “An important influence in the progressive movement insofar as the gay struggle is concerned, dates back to the victory of the October Revolution in Russia. In early 1917, the Soviet government annulled all laws which restricted the rights of homosexuals. It also, of course, annulled all the reactionary laws pertaining to divorce as well as the feudal-bourgeois family relations.

“What is important about this,” he emphasized, “is that for the first time in history, a workers’ government established equality in law—and to a measurable degree also in fact—between men and women, for heterosexuals and homosexuals.”

Marcy noted that, “Unfortunately this period of very progressive development was short-lived, and was succeeded by a period of reaction with the rise of Stalin to power.” The 1934 move by the bureaucratic grouping at the helm of the workers’ state to reinstate laws against homosexuality, Marcy explained, had a profoundly negative ideological impact on communist parties around the world that looked to the Soviet Union for political leadership.

“Our party,” Marcy stated, “which bases itself on Marxism-Leninism, looks to the early model of the Soviet Union as the embodiment of what our own political position should be in relation to the struggle of gay people.

“Our first, most elementary and fundamental duty as well as objective on this question is to completely eliminate and abolish all forms of persecution and oppression of gay people. It must also fight against all ideological, political and social manifestations of gay oppression which may be reflected in our own ranks.”

Marcy wrote that the demand to end all sexual oppression and persecution “is really an elementary democratic demand which a bourgeois democracy should be able to grant along with all other democratic demands. But imperialist democracy tends to restrict the elementary rights of all people—not only gay, women, youth, Brown and Black. It is only the struggle that can wrest concessions. In the long run, only the abolition of the capitalist system can produce a lasting, free and equal treatment of all peoples.”

Marcy concluded that although regression in the Soviet Union had bequeathed a backward ideological legacy on the question of homosexuality, “The socialist revolution is a permanent revolution, one of continuous change. Along with many other changes that need to be made in the socialist countries, the gay question is surely one of them.

“In the meantime, we ought to concentrate on preparing our own revolution, of which the struggle for the liberation of all oppressed people, including gay people, is an indispensable condition for victory of the revolution.”

Next: Historic WWP contribution: Publication of “The Gay Question” by Bob McCubbin
source from : http://www.workers.org/2006/us/lavender-red-80/

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Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is a national organization comprising lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied individuals who wish to put an end to discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in K-12 schools in the United States. There are nearly 40 chapters of the organization around the United States.

The organization supports Gay-Straight Alliances along with sponsoring the annual National Day of Silence and No Name-Calling Week and providing resources for teachers on how to support LGBT students. It also sponsors and participates in a host of other "Days of Action," including TransAction!, Ally Week and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Organizing Weekend.
Mission

The organization's mission statement reads,
“ The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. We believe that such an atmosphere engenders a positive sense of self, which is the basis of educational achievement and personal growth. Since homophobia and heterosexism undermine a healthy school climate, we work to educate teachers, students and the public at large about the damaging effects these forces have on youth and adults alike. We recognize that forces such as racism and sexism have similarly adverse impacts on communities and we support schools in seeking to redress all such inequities. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community. We welcome as members any and all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or occupation, who are committed to seeing this philosophy realized in K-12 schools.
History
Founded as the Gay and Lesbian Independent School Teachers Network (GLSTN) in 1990, the organization began as a local volunteer group of 70 gay and lesbian educators. At that time, there were two Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in the nation, only one state with policy in place to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, and a general lack of awareness of the needs of LGBT students. LGBT youth did not have a voice in the education community or in the LGBT movement. There were few, if any, resources available for teachers to discuss LGBT issues.

However, groups of concerned individuals began to establish chapters across the country, advocating locally and regionally for safe schools for students who were, or were perceived to be, LGBT.

In 1995 GLSTN became a national organization and hired its first full time staff person, GLSEN’s founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings, (who is now Assistant Deputy heading the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at the U.S. Department of Education). In 1997, GLSTN staged its first national conference in Salt Lake City, UT, in order to respond to the legislature’s move to ban all student groups in an effort to prevent the formation of GSAs in the state. It is also this year that GLSTN changed its name to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, in order to attract new members to the struggle for safe schools for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Currently, more than 3,600 GSAs have registered with GLSEN, which has approximately 40 full time staff, a governing board of 20 members and two advisory committees at the national level. In addition, nearly 40 Chapters are affiliated with GLSEN on local levels. At this point, GLSEN has successfully hosted more than 8 national conferences to bring together student leaders, educators, chapter leaders and activists. GLSEN also sponsors the National Day of Silence, in which hundreds of thousands of students participate each year. Students from more than 5,000 middle and high schools registered with GLSEN as 2007 Day of Silence participants.
more source from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay,_Lesbian_and_Straight_Education_Network

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Sex education before safe sex education for gay men.

Maguire B; International Conference on AIDS.


ISSUE: Sex plays a major role for gay men who are just becoming sexually aware or active, in gaining peer approval and developing a place in the gay community. It is not enough to know about safe sex in order to avoid HIV or AIDS--skills are needed. Most gay men are too embarrassed to actively seek out gay sex information. Strategies in HIV prevention encouraging safer non-penetrative alternatives mistakenly assume that gay men automatically have the skills and techniques to perform these activities comfortably. De-stigmatisation of gay love-making and increased community discourse about gay sex can serve to counter a lack of access to gay sex information. PROJECT: Nitty Gritties is a free five session course offered to gay men of all ages. The course covers anatomy; physiology; self examination and sexual maintenance; sexual negotiation; safe sex; HIV, STD and opportunistic infection avoidance; unsafe sex and risk assessment, sexual techniques and other issues participants may wish to discuss. RESULTS: Men who have the sexual confidence to successfully negotiate sex itself find less difficulty in negotiating safe sex. Sexual risk assessment often involves sophisticated cognitive processes, which may be ill-informed, HIV-phobic or inconsistent. Gay male knowledge of anatomy, physiology and sex technique is very poor. CONCLUSION: Participants report increased skills and comfort in all stated course objectives.
Publication Types:

* Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

* Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
* HIV Infections
* HIV Seropositivity
* Homosexuality
* Homosexuality, Male
* Humans
* Interpersonal Relations
* Male
* Patient Education as Topic
* Peer Group
* Safe Sex
* Sex Education
* Social Behavior

Other ID:

* 98399212

UI: 102230393

From Meeting Abstracts
more detail from : http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102230393.html

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Gay Teens Experiences with School Life

School is a big part of teens' lives. Some GLBT youth have really positive experiences, but sadly, others do not. In fact, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network did a school climate survey which found that almost 9 out of 10 GLBT students experienced harassment at school in the past year.

Here gay teens share some personal reflections on school that cover everything from coming out, to being involved with a GSA and getting bullied.soucre from : http://gayteens.about.com/od/school/ss/school_exps.htm

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What Gay Youth Need to Know About Teens Teaching Teens

Peer Education

When I was in college, I volunteered as a peer sexual health educator. This meant that after completing a semester long training program, I ran workshops for other students on things like safer sex, sexual orientation and HIV /AIDS. And while I wasn’t as polished as a professional, the experience was a really positive one, both for me, and I hope, for my classmates.
So why the need for peer education? The organization Advocates for Youth explains that,

“Research suggests that people are more likely to hear and personalize messages, and thus to change their attitudes and behaviors, if they believe the messenger is similar to them and faces the same concerns and pressures. Numerous studies have demonstrated that their peers influence youth's health behaviors—not only in regard to sexuality but also in regard to violence and substance use. Peer education draws on the credibility that young people have with their peers, leverages the power of role modeling, and provides flexibility in meeting the diverse needs of today's youth. Peer education can support young people in developing positive group norms and in making healthy decisions about sex."

So for example, if an adult stands up and begins to lecture a groups of teens on the importance of using a condom, they are more likely to tune out than if another kid tells them the same thing. Similarly, if a 45-year-old gay man comes to talk with teens about his experiences with sexual orientation, the kids are less likely to relate than if they were addressed by someone their own age.

A lot of different organizations run peer education training programs. Two good ones are, Planned Parenthood and Advocates for Youth.from site http://gayteens.about.com/od/school/a/peer_education.htm

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Gay, Bisexual Teens at Risk for Eating Disorders

Gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers may be at higher risk of binge-eating and purging than their heterosexual peers, starting as early as age 12, a new study finds. Past research has found connections between sexual orientation and the risk of eating disorders in adults — showing, for instance, that gay men have higher rates of symptoms than their heterosexual counterparts. Less has been known about how sexual orientation affects teenagers’ risks of various eating disorders. For the new study, researchers at Harvard University and Children’s Hospital Boston used data from a U.S. survey of nearly 14,000 12- to 23-year-olds to look at the relationship between sexual orientation and binge-eating and purging. They found heightened rates of binge-eating among both males and females who identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or “mostly heterosexual.” Purging, by vomiting or abusing laxatives, was also more common among these teens, the researchers report in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Read the full story from ABCNews.
source from: http://biggaynews.com/gay-bisexual-teens-at-risk-for-eating-disorders/3346

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Why girls flaunt their gay friends?

Not every woman will admit it, but every girl loves having a gay friend. The ones who have’em, love to

Girls and their gay friends (Getty Images)

flaunt them!
Who can forget about the popular TV soap ‘Will and Grace,’ which outlined the life of a girl staying with her gay friend- always happy and gay. They were inseparable and could give any romantic couple a run for their money (sans all the action in the bed), such was their chemistry. Look around you and you will realise that guy friends and girl friends are losing their sheen, rather making way for gay friends. But what could possibly be the reason - after all the biggest flattery for any woman is to see a guy drool over her? We found out five reasons:

Feels attractive : A girl with a gay friend wants to drive home the point that she is so attractive and sexy that even gays are attracted to her. Irrespective of his sexual preference, she basks in the feeling that he prefers to stay by her side. “I feel every girl needs a gay friend. My gay friends are sexier than my other guy friends and I love to have them around me. It's therapeutic and makes me feel in control!” says writer Aindrita Dutta.

Feels cool and progressive : No matter how liberated our society is, when it comes to gay men, eyebrows are raised even today. So when people see a girl coolly walk in with her gay friend, they take notice. "I have noticed my girl pals do this all the time. They love the world to know that they are with their gay friend. It makes them feel one up on the others. He is like a ‘trophy’ friend," says MBA student Kirti Kapoor.

Gives emotional support : Since gay men are in touch with their emotional side, a girl always finds him great company in times of stress. Gay guys would not want to talk about girly bodily functions or want to wear make-up, but they give you a comforting shoulder. Call centre executive Ronita Bose feels, "Unlike other men, my gay pal will hear me out patiently; genuinely advise me if I have boyfriend issues without any malicious intentions. He won't try to take advantage of the situation."

Great partner for shopping : While a woman might get competitive shopping alongside a female friend, she can be rest assured when shopping with her gay friend. Most gay men can be completely honest with you and even be blatant if you are not looking sexy. If the dress is a misfit, he will not mince words. Laughs Shilpi Sinha, "When I go out with my gay friend, I always end up spending more. He encourages me to buy extravagantly, unlike my boyfriend and also compliments me when I need it the most."

Admire guys together : It is kind of necessary for gay men to talk about guys they feel attracted to, but then girls know that they would safely not be competing for the same man. It’s a lot of drama that both parties seem to love! "I enjoy going out to pubs or mall hopping with my gay friend. We admire men together and it's so much fun. It's an open world out there," quips air hostess Deepika Gosain. source from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/LIFE-STYLE/Relationships/Man-Woman/Why-girls-flaunt-their-gay-friends/articleshow/4720053.cms

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Top 10 Reasons Gay Marriage Should Be Illegal

Top Ten Reasons to Make Gay Marriage Illegal

01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all like many of the principles on which this great country was founded; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of marriages like Britney Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.

07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.

09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.
from site http://www.stopgeek.com/top-10-reasons-gay-marriage-should-be-illegal.html

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Alberta Delays Gay Lesson Opt-Out

Alberta’s strange new law requiring teachers to notify parents before tackling any lessons dealing with sexual orientation has been delayed until next year so that the school boards can prepare formal procedures.

The Alberta Teacher Association as well as several large municipal school boards was against this bill from the start, but the provincial Conservative government has so far been adamant that the law is necessary for parents to be able to pull their children out of classes, preventing them from learning anything about gay issues.

The law was part of a revision to the Human Rights Act, which means that any teachers who violate the new law will see themselves before the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

The whole thing is a bad idea, so sparing an extra year’s worth of children from all this is welcome news. Too bad it’s not delayed indefinitely.

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Gay College Crush My Gay College Crush Is Driving Me Crazy

Hi Mona,

I've had strong feelings for a guy for about a year now. The thing is, he doesn't know it. There are clues that tell me he was into me, but can I be wrong?

We are both in college, and last year we lived down the hall from each other. We shared the same bathroom and study lounge, etc. Although we saw each other a lot, we never talked. He is probably the first guy I was into, and whenever I was around him I shut down and closed up. He made me very nervous, but on the inside I was so happy to be around him. I constantly failed to make eye contact with him, which is something I regret now.

There were times when he would try to find an excuse to be around me. For example, he would come in the bathroom and use the sink (but it was obvious he had no need to). Also, while studying in the lounge, he would come in and sit next to me when there was plenty of other seats around. Sometimes when I got out of the shower and walked to my room, he would hurry down the hall to get a drink at the fountain or something. I just got the feeling that he wanted to be around me, but I was so nervous around him.

I am confused because he had pictures of women up in his room, and he would talk about "doing girls" his friends. Although I have never seen him kiss a girl or hold hands or anything, it makes me wonder whether or not I am wasting my time being attracted to this guy. Did he just want friendship or something more?

Confused College Guy

Dear Confused,

First, let's get the pictures of women and the spanking girl talk out of the way. This could have been a complete front, especially if he wasn't out. College is a hot bed for sexual exploration and discovery. His need to be near you could be seen as an innuendo, but the only way you could've been sure was to get to know him.

Given the past tense of your question, I'm assuming your neighbor has moved to another part of campus. It is, however, a very small world and an even smaller campus. You may have missed your room to room possibility this time, but if the opportunity strikes again step beyond the wall of anxiety and return his subtle hints. Don't come on too strong, this may only scare him away. Make him a friend or look for an excuse to talk to him. Play the game. As my best friend always tells me, "You gotta be in it to win it!"

Get the strength and return the glances. If he sits next to you, ask him to study together. I met my first boyfriend the same way. I avoided his glances and innuendos at first, and then started a conversation which later turned into me coyly giving him a kiss on the forehead one night. I clearly recall running home terrified after I did it. To my surprise, instead of making fun of my forwardness, he later called me and told me his crush was mutual. Take a chance and see if your crush can turn into first love.

Yours in love,
Mona
source from http://gaylife.about.com/od/gaysexquestionsanswers/qt/gaycollege.htm

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Gay Student College Fair

When prospective gay students look for a college or university, location, ranking and programs aren’t the only factors they consider. Often times, the climate towards GLBTQ students on campus and its reputation for safety influence their decision. After all, being accepted into a college or university is like being granted entrance into a scholastic community for four or more years.
This makes it all the more necessary for institutions to provide a safe and welcoming community for its gay students, who themselves seek a comfortable environment at a gay-friendly university.

In response to this growing need, the Youth Pride College Fair was organized to bring together prospective gay students and representatives from a wide selection of institutions from small rural colleges to major state universities.

"Many students experience anti-gay discrimination and harassment in high school," said Nathan DeCarolis, President of Youth Pride Alliance, the organization sponsoring the college fair. "We hope this event helps gay and straight students find colleges that welcome all students."

The college fair is organized by the Maret School, Office of College Counseling; the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education; Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays; Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League; and the Youth Pride Alliance and scheduled to coincide with the Youth Pride Day celebration.

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How To Find a Gay and Lesbian Friendly College

Looking for a gay-friendly college environment? The climate on a college campus is an important factor when making a choice about a higher learning institution. Whether you are already out or plan on coming out in college, a gay-affirmative campus can foster memorable experiences. Here's how you can find a gay and lesbian friendly college:

Do your research.
Have you decided what you want to study or have a general area of interest? First, research schools based on their academic programs and your interest in their areas of study. Start with directories like Princeton Review's The Best 368 Best Colleges and U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2009. They publish annual rankings of colleges and universities based on region, academic programs and other criteria.

Check their discrimination policies.
Once you've narrowed your search, check each university's discrimination policies. Each school should publish their policies online or have them available in their administrative offices. Be weary if the school does not have a published discrimination policy or ones that don't mention sexual orientation or gender expression.

Check for gender neutral housing.
A growing number of colleges and universities are offer gender neutral housing to meet the needs of their diverse student population. A campus with gender neutral housing has demonstrated that they are not only abreast of, but are concerned about their gay lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.

Search for LGBT clubs and organizations.
Search on the university web site for LGBT-based organizations. The more clubs and groups that they have, the better potential for a more gay-affirmative experience on campus. Not only do some of these groups lobby the university concerning gay issues, but many are social and support clubs that can assist you on campus. The Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals publishes a directory of college and university offices that are run by at least one paid professional staff or graduate assistant directing LGBT resources.

Scan the course bulletin.
Have you spotted any lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer study themed courses in the college bulletin? Not only are these courses a good indicator of a campus' openness and diversification, but they may fit perfectly in your academic areas of interest.

Visit the campus and surrounding cities
The best indication of a college's environment is a campus visit. Schedule an appointment with the admissions office or attend an open house. Don't be shy about asking if the university has any of the above things mentioned. Also, cruise through surrounding cities, looking for gay activity in the area. Your college experience may expand outside of campus. Is there a gay center nearby? What about gay bars, clubs or cafes? The gay vibrancy of the surrounding area can often spill over into a more gay-friendly campus and vice versa.

Finding a gay and lesbian-friendly campus takes research, but the pay off comes in a more affirmative experience for you as a gay student on campus.
source : http://gaylife.about.com/od/gayteens/a/friendlycollege.htm

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Gay Dating

Gay Dating: How to find True Love?

You might find that it is difficult being gay and finding love. Here are a few pointers to help you succeed in the gay dating scene. First of all, it is most important to market yourself; you have to consider the image you project. This is a rule not just in gay dating but in all dating, you will attract the type of person who is attracted to the signs you are sending out. If you feel you are stuck in a rut in the gay dating scene and meeting the same type of guys or all the wrong guys perhaps you change your attitude. If you don’t usually smile at people, try giving them a quick grin of if you find yourself too uptight and stuffy, loosen up a bit. If you find yourself failing in the gay dating scene and frustrated because you are unable to find Mr. Right perhaps it is because you are unsure as to what you want. Make a list of qualities that you want in a man, and not just tall, dark, and handsome; think about the personality traits you are looking for in your ideal partner. This will definitely make gay dating a great deal easier if you know what you want; you don’t have to waste time with other men figuring out if they are right for you. Now that you have figured out what you want from a man, you have to go to the right places to find him. An important part aspect to success in gay dating is go where they go. If you are looking for a certain type of guy, you need to go to them. If you want a guy who is intellectual and loves to read, join a local book club or reading group. You are much more likely to find success in the gay dating scene if you know what you want and are able to go get it.

Looking for Love Online

Now, you may have busy lifestyle and the gay dating scene just may not be your friend. There are a plethora of online gay dating sites that will help you find the man of your dreams. Perhaps you don’t really have time to join a book club or aren’t really the bar/club type online gay dating sites could definitely help you get your love life back on track. However, online gay dating sites may not always be legitimate and you need to know for certain that you are on a safe website talking to real people and it’s not just a scam. Don’t be discouraged there are as many legitimate online gay dating sites as there are shady ones. Many online gay dating sites offer free registration, photo, and profile posting. When it comes to responding or writing to somebody you are interested in, many online gay dating sites do charge a fee but they are usually nominal and will not break the bank. If you live in a city, where people are constantly on the go it may be difficult to meet people therefore online gay dating sites could truly benefit you. There is some stigma surround online gay dating sites, about the nature of the people on it and the type of relationships they are looking for. However, that is no longer the case now and the old thought that those who used online gay dating sites were desperate is also no longer the case. It is just an alternative to meeting somebody at the bar or else where. I mentioned it above, safety is definitely a huge issue in online gay dating sites however it is an issue everywhere. Safety is a concern when you are at a bar or walking back home, gay online dating sites at least allow you to screen who you meet so if you find somebody to be shady you don’t have to talk to them or meet them.

If you are having trouble in the gay dating scene follow some of the pointers above, be open, and you are sure to have some success. source http://www.gaylife.org/

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