Gay Men To That!!

Yes, I am sitting on my couch, sipping prosecco and watching Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin on CNN.  Hubby is already in bed.  I used to be bitter about my neighborhood being called "Boring Gays"...Now, I embrace it!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Nate Silver: Out Magazine's Person Of The Year A very good choice for the person of the year.  This openly gay man stood up to the far right with logic, statistics and facts.  These are the three things that our enemies cannot grasp when they contradict their beliefs.  Nate silver proved that, in the end, the truth will always win over lies. Via Out Magazine: For months in the run-up to the election, Silver, editor of  FiveThirtyEight , a blog hosted by The New York Times, had been analyzing the polling data and calmly explaining, to the contempt of pundits on Fox and the gratitude of viewers of MSNBC, why Obama had the election sewn up. His quiet confidence—he bet Joe Scarborough $2,000 that the president would win re-election— attracted fans and haters alike. On the eve of the big day, one in five people going to the Times site were going to his blog. But even as the flood broke over their heads, political veterans continued to resist his...

As we start the new year, let's reflect on the book our right wing Christian opponents use to justify denying us our rights.  Some of the verses are directly related to homosexuality and some are not.  All show that taking the bible literally is kind of silly because, hopefully, we have evolved beyond these words. This verse involves wizardry: A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:27 King James Version (KJV)

Here is a good synopsis of the top news stories from 2012.  Not complete but not bad. Via Huffington Post: 2013 is almost here, so you know what that means: A slew of end of the year stories recapping what shook down for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in 2012. In the last week Gay Voices has had its fair share of slideshows looking back on all that's transpired over the last 12 months. From  the biggest stories  to the  most compelling LGBT people  to the  worst anti-LGBT villans , we've pretty much covered the who's, what's, why's and how's of 2012. But just in case you're looking for a conciser review -- say a majority of the most discussed stories in under two minutes --  NowThisNews.com  has the perfect video for you. Have a look above and then let us know what your favorite moment -- political, personal or otherwise -- of 2012 was.

Don't stroke me, bro!!! Is "stroking horses" some kind of  euphemism ? Via Huffington Post: The idea that a gay person can be "cured" of his or her homosexuality is not a new one. For centuries doctors, therapists and religious figures have tried a wide variety of techniques -- from pray to surgery to exorcism -- to "convert" men and women "suffering" from same-sex attractions. But we have to admit that the "reparative" therapy used by Raymond Bell, pastor of the  Cowboy Church of Virginia , is one of the strangest we've come across. According to Gay Star News,  Bell claims that the use of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy , or sessions involving the stroking of horses, can aid in the "curing" of maladies and "addictions" like homosexuality. "EAP can help any person who is living the homosexual lifestyle or involved in it in anyway,"  he told Gay Star News . I couldn't resist addin...

Archbishop  Victor Tonye Bakot Is it just me or has the Catholic leadership worldwide gone over the edge lately with their anti-gay vitriol?  "Crime against humanity"?  Really? Via Pink News: One of the most senior Catholic leaders in Cameroon has labeled gay equality such as same-sex marriages as a “crime against humanity”. Earlier today at mass, Victor Tonye Bakot, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Yaounde said: “Marriage of persons of the same sex is a serious crime against humanity. “We need to stand up to combat it with all our energy. I am particularly thankful to our local media that has been spreading this message of it as a criminality against mankind.” Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon and the country has a history of tracking down and convicting men of homosexuality. A few days ago, a court in Cameroon has upheld a conviction against a man found guilty of “homosexual behaviour” for sending a text message to another man saying: “I’m very much in...

C.S. Pearce It's so nice when we bring someone over to the dark side!  Thanks C.S. for actually seeing the light and beckoning all the other future ex-homophobes to right side of history! Via The Advocate: If you hear homophobic remarks from a relative, especially a conservative Christian one, during a holiday gathering, there’s a new book you can recommend to that person: This We Believe: The Christian Case for Gay Civil Rights by C.S. Pearce. In the book Pearce discusses and deconstructs the Bible-based arguments that conservative Christians use against LGBT people, arguments that Pearce calls “myths.” She goes on to use the Bible to show that Christianity does not require followers to be antigay, and she examines the harm done to LGBT people in the name of religion. Several aspects of Pearce’s background put her in a good position to address the topic. She is director of media relations for the Claremont School of Theology, an ecumenical Christian seminary,...

The modern Republican party has never been a fan of the "Separation of church and state".  They use God and religion to force their beliefs on to everyone else.  We gays know this all too well.   Now, it seems that the Republican party has created a new concept.  The "Separation of brain and state" is a political ideology that is being practiced not just by Oklahoma Republicans, but the entire GOP.  They hate science. They hate statistics. They hate facts of any kind that disprove their beliefs.  Now, it seems they hate spelling.   Via The Examiner: Oklahoma  state Congressman  Mike Ritze  has been at the center of the controversial subject of placing a monument of the Ten Commandments in front of the state capitol at  Oklahoma City . Ritze has been the most public and  vocal champion  of the monument, but he first has to complete another task. It seems the monument contains obvious spelling errors, with which t...

Is the pope flaming? Did The Vatican just show their freudian slip? Does the Catholic Church think that a world with gay marriage would be utopia?  I'm sure, for many priests, it would be!! Via Queerty: After the Pope’s  incendiary comments  about gay marriage, the Holy See’s “semi-official” newspaper has blasted gay couples as being in a “different reality” than heterosexual couples and that pursuing marriage equality is simply chasing after an “unattainable utopia.” L’Osservatore Romano printed a front page editorial on Monday taking umbrage with the weekend’s  pro-marriage demonstrations  in France and particularly with French Catholic weekly Temoignage Chretien‘s endorsement of the country’s controversial gay marriage bill. The Hindu Business Line  reports: “It is upsetting because in taking this position, the most banal politically correct arguments were used,” the Osservatore Romano said, adding: “Being Catholi...

He loses his senate race for being a misogynist and a rape enabler.  He was in the clear lead until he showed his true colors.  Now, on his way out of congress, he is attacking gay veterans.  What a dick!! Via Huffington Post: Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) lost to Democrat Claire McCaskill in November and will soon leave the House of Representatives. Before he goes, however, Akin wants to push one last anti-gay bill to undermine the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. In May,  Akin first proposed the anti-gay bill,  essentially a "license to bully," for the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, according to Think Progress. Akin's "conscience clause"  would purportedly protect the religious liberties of military personnel who disagree with homosexuality.  Under the bill, the U.S. military must “accommodate the conscience and sincerely held moral principles and religious beliefs of the members of the Armed Forces concerning the  appropriate and...

I love everything about this!  Via Huffington Post: An active duty U.S. Marine Corps captain made history over the weekend by becoming the first gay man to pop the question to his partner at the White House. A photo of the romantic proposal, which was  shared on Facebook by the American Military Partner Association , shows Matthew Phelps dropping to his knee before partner Ben Schock. The snapshot nabbed over 2,000 likes on the social networking site, as well as over 250 shares. Phelps said he and Schock were "blown away by the amazing love and support we have received" after the photo went viral and was picked up by Towleroad,  Gawker and a number of other media sites. Marine Captain  Matthew Phelps (left) and fiancee  Ben Schock

Pope Benedict...(left) Between this and blessing a Ugandan politician,   who advocates death for gays, the former Nazi Youth Pope really is a dick! Isn't he? Via Think Progress: Pope Benedict XVI has presented his message for World Day of Peace 2013, which takes place January 1, and he apparently used the speech to  reiterate his condemnation of same-sex marriage . He claimed that attempts to pass marriage equality “harm and help to destabilize marriage” and present “serious harm to justice and peace”: There is also a need to acknowledge and promote the natural structure of marriage as the union of a man and a woman in the face of attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different types of union.  Such attempts actually harm and help to destabilize marriage, obscuring its specific nature and its indispensable role in society . These principles are not truths of faith, nor are they simply a corollary of the right to religious freedom...

I'm wondering how many clueless conservatives still think that Colbert is one of them? The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy I'm a worrier.  On election night I got home from work, took a Xanax and turned on PBS, hoping for the best.  I had checked Nate Silver's blog every hour or so the previous month and I knew the chances were in Obama's favor.  I was still worried until the returns started coming in.  It's no surprise that, even with optimistic reports like this, I'll worry until the rulings are reported.  Via Talking Points Memo: When the Supreme Court takes up two  major cases  on  marriage equality  next spring, all eyes will be on an ever-important swing vote whom gay rights advocates are optimistic about winning: Justice Anthony Kennedy. The Reagan-appointed justice has pained liberals on many occasions, most recently this summer when he voted to wipe out the Affordable Care Act. But when it comes to gay rights, Kennedy has written passionately in its favor, spearheading the court’s two key rulings for gay ...

The unholy alliance of  Pope Benedict (left) an d  Rebecca Kadaga (right) Pope Benedict is very generous with his blessings.  He is such a good Christian...and a great judge of character!! Via JoeMyGod: Ugandan Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who last month  promised the passage  of the Anti-Homosexuality Act as a "Christmas gift to Christians,"  yesterday appeared  in Vatican City to receive the motherfucking  blessing  of the Pope. From the website of the Uganda Parliament: Kadaga who led a delegation of Ugandan legislators to the Vatican expressed delight at meeting the Pope and visiting St Peter’s Basilicca. “I think this is a moment that cannot be repeated. We have been reading about him, hearing stories about St.Peter’s Basilica but now we are here physically. I think it is something that I will remember all my life. Its a very great moment and I thank God for this opportunity,” she said minutes after meeting the Pope. The ...

House Speaker Boehner: Financing Defense Of Hate Hey lob cabin republicans, aren't you glad your voted for these guys?  They're really looking out for you!!  Via Huffington Post: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)  denounced the increased expense  in a statement: It’s bad enough that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars to defend the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act – and losing in every case.  Now, they have reached a new low – signing a secret contract to spend more public money on their legal boondoggle without informing Democrats.  Their actions are simply unconscionable; their decisions are utterly irresponsible. Hiding this contract from voters in the midst of an election season was a cynical move at best, and a betrayal of the public trust at worst. With Americans focused on the creation of jobs and the growth of our economy, Republicans should not be spending $2 million to defend discriminati...

Courtesy: wikimedia.org George Takei is both a pop culture icon and a gay rights hero!  Follow him on facebook here.  You'll thank me! Via Raw Story: During an appearance on MSNBC, actor and LGBT activist George Takei called for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to recuse himself from upcoming cases involving the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8. Scalia recently told an audience at Princeton University that someone could be  morally opposed to homosexuality  in the same manner they were morally opposed to murder or bestiality. “Well, it seems to me that if Justice Elena Kagan can recuse herself from the Boston case, Justice Scalia needs to consider recusing himself,” Takei said. “He is obviously not unbiased. He is clearly biased in this situation. So how can he look at the issue and make a judgement fairly.” “I really do think, first of all that statement was a repugnant statement to equate homosexuality with murder,...

The dapper bears These guys clean up nice!! Once again, congratulations!! Via  Huffington Post: Larry Duncan and Randell Shepherd  never expected to become Internet celebrities , but when a photo of the two bearded men wearing matching plaid  was posted to Reddit last week , they became the latest, greatest image of what marriage equality can look like. Duncan, a retired psychiatric nurse, and Shepherd, a computer programmer, had been together for 11 years when they raised their hands in tandem  to obtain the 72nd marriage license handed out to gay couples  in the state of Washington, according to NBC News. Now, pictures of the couple's wedding ceremony have been released. Swapping out their camouflage caps and plaid shirts for snazzy suits (they kept the beards of course), the two were married at 2 p.m. Sunday at Seattle First Baptist Church in a group ceremony with 24 other couples, according to photographer Meryl Schenker.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Lady Gaga is happy and so am I.  Russia has been going in the wrong direction with gay rights in the past several years.   Via The Advocate: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced his opposition Friday to a pending national version of a “homosexual propaganda” law that has already been enacted in regions including St. Petersburg. The leader of United Russia said during a TV interview that he believed the bill was unnecessary because “not all relations between people can be regulated by law,” according to  Russia Today . He also said that his party, which holds the parliamentary majority, agreed with him. Medvedev’s comments won praise from LGBT human rights advocates including Lady Gaga. The pop star tweeted, “Thank You Prime Minister Medvedev for not standing by your party's anti gay propaganda law & instead supporting my show+fans all over Russia.”

Gay Star Trek geek here.  From TOS, TNG, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise...to all the movies, I love Star Trek.  Yes, I have even been to a convention.  I'm looking forward to seeing the new movie!  Plus, it has BBC's latest "Sherlock" Benedict Cumberbatch! 

photo via L.A. Times Blog This makes me nervous. Via Huffington Post: The United States Supreme Court will review the decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that struck down Proposition 8, a 2008 law which banned gay marriage in California. The appeals court's ruling was issued in February and found the law unconstitutional. The court will also hear a challenge to the  Defense of Marriage Act . According to  SCOTUS Blog, the court is expected to hear arguments in late March and make a decision in late June:

Hat Tip to JoeMyGod for finding this.  What a great photo! photo by Meryl Schenker From the photographer Meryl Schenker's website: One month after Washington State voters approved the state's marriage equality law in Ref. 74, same-sex couples get marriage licenses for the first time on December 6th, 2012. At around 1:30am, Larry Duncan, 56, left, and Randy Shepherd, 48, from North Bend, Wash. got their marriage license. The two plan to wed on December 9th, the first day it is possible for them to wed in Washington State. They have been together for 11 years.

Brenda Sue Fulton, left, and Penelope Gnesin  This is a wonderful story!  Congratulations to the happy couple!!  There is no turning back.  Via USA Today: The U.S. Military Academy's Cadet Chapel at West Point hosted its first same-sex marriage Saturday. Penelope Gnesin and Brenda Sue Fulton, a West Point graduate, exchanged vows in the regal church in a ceremony conducted by a senior Army chaplain. The ceremony comes a little more than a year after President Obama ended the military policy banning openly gay people from serving. The two have been together for 17 years. They had a civil commitment ceremony that didn't carry any legal force in 1999 but had longed to formally tie the knot. The couple live in New Jersey and would have preferred to have the wedding there, but the state doesn't allow gay marriage. "We just couldn't wait any longer," Fulton said.

South Lyon's Centennial Middle School teacher Susan Johnson should be applauded for teaching tolerance and diversity to her students.  Instead, she was suspended.   Via Huffington Post: A Michigan-based performing arts teacher has been suspended for playing a song about being gay to her students in class. Susan Johnson, who teaches at South Lyon's Centennial Middle School, said one of her eighth grade students asked if he could play a song in class. The tune in question was "Same Love,"  performed by Seattle-based hip-hop artist Macklemore  and produced in support of marriage equality. "I asked him a few questions about the song...if it was violent, if there was any profanity, and he said no,"  Johnson told WJBK . "I really love my kids and I never want to hurt them, but I also know that there's a lot of bullying and there's a lot of gay bashing and racial issues going on in our country and I want the kids to feel comfortable in my c...

What's going on here?! Oh, Rick.  Poor Rick!  A man who is filled with such hate claims to be a man of Love.  The saddest part is, I think he thinks he's right.  Poor Rick! Via AmericaBlog: Via Raw Story we learn that religious right mega-church leader, who sadly gave the invocation at President Obama’s swearing in , is back to his old hateful ways. Warren, who famously supported Prop 8 in California four years ago – a referendum that repealed the right to marry for gay couples in the state – is yet again saying hateful, bigoted things about gay people. It’s in his nature. Here’s Warren in an interview last night with CNN’s Piers Morgan : Megachurch pastor Rick Warren on Tuesday night said that same sex relationships would still be sinful even if they were natural. “It wouldn’t bother me if there was a ‘gay gene’ found,” he told CNN host Piers Morgan. “Here’s what we know about life,” Warren continued. “I have all kinds of natural feelings in my l...

Photo via Al And Chuck Travel Think of the children!!!  What would happen to their fragile young minds if they saw a man in a dress?  Uh...children don't care about who is in a dress or who is gay.  They are taught by their homophobic parents that it is wrong. Think of the parents!!!...and the money they spend!!! Via AmericaBlog: Multiple passengers , who say they have tickets for Carnival Cruises’ upcoming “Drag Stars at Sea” cruise, say Carnival sent them an email informing them that passengers will be banned form dressing in drag on the drag cruise, under penalty of being kicked of the cruise. Carnival’s reason? Suffer the children! Carnival attracts a number of families with children and for this reason; we strive to present a family friendly atmosphere. It is important to us that all guests are comfortable with every aspect of the cruise. Although we realize this group consists solely of adults, we nonetheless expect all guests to recognize that mino...

In praising Uganda passing new anti gay legislation, Brian Fischer of the AFA states that the same can be done again in the U.S.  He wants to go back to when gays were prosecuted for being gay.  This is what the enemy looks like. Thanks to JoeMyGod for the hat tip: He rightly points out that: Homosexuality is just as illegal in Uganda today as it ever was, but don't let pesky little facts interfere with the American Family Association's crusade to see every LGBT American thrown in prison.