I was proud to have marched alongside tens of thousands of like-minded GLBT people and allies to celebrate our lives and demand full equality. We are at a unique moment, where the Democrats rule Capitol Hill and occupy the White House. Those who marched want to seize this special moment and pass legislation while we are in the majority. The weekend was Democracy in action and it certainly energized the young people – who will be our advocates and champions of tomorrow.

The march was the perfect complement to the Human Rights Campaign dinner, featuring Barack Obama. The two events combined to capture the attention of the national media and offered a platform to make our case directly to the President, Congress and the American people.

In this effort, I appeared on FOX’s O’Reilly Factor and twice on MSNBC. Other GLBT advocates made the media rounds – and by doing so, there was no doubt that the President, or at least key aides heard our voices. We were also able to illustrate to fair-minded Americans why we are impatient to gain equality.

The march may not have been as large as those of yesteryear. But, it achieved its desired effect, because it put a spotlight on our issues at a key moment in history and let the Washington establishment know that NOW is the time to take action.

The festivities also served as a great contrast between our civilized, mature behavior and that of the extremist teabaggers, who behaved like tantrum throwing infants. Indeed, once could see the moral depravity of our opponents at the march with their infantile “Sodomy Truck” and hateful rhetoric – thinly disguised as “love”.

Our job, as activists, is to keep pushing Congress and the Obama Administration to take action and end our second-class citizenship. Please join us in our quest for full equality.

crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

I didn’t attend yesterday’s National Equality march because of personal feelings and family obligations. I did manage to catch it on the news channels and shows.

I also saw many of the pictures and read the stories from those participating.

And I noticed something that needs to be put on record.

Now I can say a lot of things about the marchers and what they did, but allow me to dwell on the things they didn’t do:

They didn’t lie about attendance numbers,

They didn’t post any phony photographs,

They didn’t carry offensive signs about the president’s place of birth or racial heritage,

They didn’t need to call themselves “patriots,”

They weren’t led by an astroturfing groups, venomous think tank lackeys, phony news networks, or millionaire demagogues.

They weren’t led by the nose with conspiracy theories involving Kenya, Acorn, or death panels,

And none of them were given to annoying weeping jags regarding about how “they wanted their country back.”

These people who came to Washington yesterday was the true cross section of the country. They were mothers, fathers, and children who, while some may say that they had every reason to be rude and ugly (being denied your basic rights tends to bring the monster out in some people), came with reverence and respect.

And most of all, they came with the belief that sooner or later, America will fulfill its promise of equality for all, even if the President has to be prodded to push the country in that direction.

Not to totally put down the teabaggers, but one cannot escape the contrast between them and the participants of yesterday’s National Equality March.

The teabaggers came to Washington demanding that the ill-conceived status quo be preserved. And they did it rather rudely.

Lgbts and their allies came to Washington in pursuit of what should have been theirs in the first place. And they did it with dignity.

When it’s all said and done, which group best represents the true spirit of America?

Tonight, Obama delivered a powerful and eloquent speech. Obama is a sitting president and pretty words are substance, by the virtue of his office. He is a Nobel prize winning, worldwide figure who gave his imprimatur to gay relationships. This should not be underestimated or easily dismissed.

I hope these moving and stirring words spur Congress to action – as soon as possible. We must continue pressuring the president and Congress until we are no longer second-class citizens. It is crucial that we push forward and voice our dissatisfaction with the status quo until all state sanctioned discrimination is abolished as expeditiously as possible. A few key points:

1) Obama went above and beyond rhetoric to an outright, ringing endorsement of our relationships. This will drive the right wing nuts to the point of distraction.

2) Obama provided Republicans with all the video footage they need to slam him on gay issues when he runs for reelection. So, he might a well just work to pass laws – to get the glory in exchange for the attacks to come.

3) He said he WILL abolish Don’t Ask. That was a direct promise as president – not a candidate.

4) As a former community organizer, Obama seems to recognize our role is to keep pushing forward. Without adequate pressure, nothing will get done.

Obama bought himself a half-hour in the hourglass, but until we are free and have the same rights as our neighbors, our community will not and cannot remain satisfied.

Truth Wins Out executive director Wayne Besen was supposed to appear on MSNBC today. Due to technical difficulties in the studio, it was postponed until Sunday.

The topic will be the high expectations that LGBT Americans have set for President Obama’s speech at the National Equality March this weekend, and whether Obama will recommit to equality NOW or disappoint Americans with delays and vague assurances.

We will keep you updated on the new interview time.

Michel Glatze, a former gay activist who became a so-called “ex-gay” after what appears to be a possible nervous breakdown, went on a racist rant against President Barack Obama this week, according to Ex-Gay Watch.

According to Ex-Gay Watch’s David Roberts, Glatze has started posting rambling and disjointed thoughts to his new blog. Some examples, including the attacks on the President:

“Have I mentioned lately how utterly ‘disgusting’ Obama is? And, yes, it’ because he’ black. God, help us all.”

“It’s a shame Obama is black. He could end up setting back race relations decades.”

“If Obama had a baby with Down’s Syndrome, he’d probably be frustrated that the child’ intelligence would never be enough to discern that his father is the Messiah. Knowing this, Obama would probably have his Down’ Syndrome baby killed, before it was ever born”

I think such posts are further evidence of what appears to be Glatze’s mental deterioration and decline. I hope he has sought professional help and guidance, as he slips further into incoherent and incendiary diatribes. He used to do good work, but now it is clear that he offers nothing but angry rambling and disjointed thoughts.

Sadly, the virulently anti-gay website World Net Daily is exploiting Glatze’s state of mind for crass political gain. And, Glatze, who just solicited me for an interview, (I turned him down) is a stage horse who is actively seeking publicity. While he claims to have found God, it is clear that his Savior is newsprint featuring his name.

I truly wish him well and hope he sees through this charade and rejoins the reality-based community in the future.

Op-ed excerpt from Faith In America’s Founder Mitchell Gold in the Washington Blade:

“As thousands converge on the nation’ capital this weekend for the National Equality March, our demand is simple: We want full equality.

Now. Although there has been great progress in the last 50 years, the equality movement for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans has not moved forward as quickly as we should and could have. In the final analysis, it is because we have not effectively addressed the biggest barrier between us and our equality: religion-based bigotry and prejudice.

For those who do not realize the significance of religion and the impact religion-based bigotry has on our struggle for equality, they will continue to wander about aimlessly, dragging the pink elephant in the room behind them, holding them back.”

Read More Here

Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen appeared on FOX news channel’s O’Reilly Factor to discuss Obama’s upcoming Big Gay Speech at the Human Rights Campaign dinner.

“Obama has a history of rising to the occasion in big moments,” said Besen. “I hope he realizes that such a moment is now and that expectations are very high for this speech. GLBT people are suffering discrimination throughout the land, and we hope he uses the power of his office to alleviate it.”

Also, check out Besen’s column on the topic at the The Huffington Post.

If I were advising President Barack Obama, I would tell him to pay as much attention to the ornery jeers from protesters outside the Human Rights Campaign’ Oct. 10th Washington dinner as the cheers coming from inside the ornate ballroom.

“The last thing we need is more flowery rhetoric in front of rich, self-effacing gays and lesbians dressed up like penguins,” said Andy Thayer of the Gay Liberation Network, who plans to picket the event.

The cross mood expressed by Thayer is indicative of the restlessness felt by the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender grass roots in the early stages of Obama’ presidency.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) deserves a heaping helping of praise for furnishing a primetime platform for Obama to impart his message. But, the President and HRC must realize that the stakes are even higher than the price of the steaks served in the ballroom of the black-tie affair. While no one will likely yell, “you lie” in the middle of his remarks, there will be a collective sigh if all we get is a pretty speech.

Let it be known that the GLBT community is no longer interested in being pals with the powerful or having the famous tell us we are fabulous – unless it leads to action. If the goal of this evening were simply to provide an interesting dinner guest, Meryl Streep or Michael Moore would have sufficed. What we want from Obama, however, is a fighter working to set us free. We need signed paper in the form of laws, not paper-thin promises and illusive signs of hope. Unless a concrete vision is offered at this event, Obama’ speech will sink like concrete in the Potomac River. (Read More)

I think the lesson to learn from this video is chilling, yet simple. Anne Frank had a life before she was forced into hiding. She was a little girl who was free. But, that was taken away from her.

We must remain vigilant and not take our freedom and basic rights for granted. There will always be totalitarian forces scheming to grab power at the expense of minorities, who they scapegoat. It is our duty to stop them.

This is particularly true of gay people. We have been foisted into the front lines to battle insidious forms of would-be religious dictatorship. While much of America sleeps, our very love and lives have depended on being acutely aware of danger posed by such demagoguery. Let us never forget that we can either steer history, or be the victims of its its cruel and unforgiving tides.

It is at once joyous and heartbreaking to see a carefree Anne Frank – just a small girl enjoying the fresh air on her balcony and excited over a neighbors wedding. In her memory and that of millions of others, we must move forward carrying the banner of justice and liberty for all people.

Advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality will join clergy, educators, mental health professionals and allies at the 2009 Anti-Heterosexism Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, Nov. 20-22. The conference offers a range of in-depth workshops and is open to everyone who seeks to challenge the harmful affects of heterosexism, reparative therapy, ex-gay ministries and other efforts to change people’ sexual orientation.

“First off, it’ important to be clear that the title of the conference is the Anti-Heterosexism Conference, not anti-heterosexual,” says Jeff Lutes, Executive Director of Soulforce and one of the organizers of the conference. “Heterosexism is the widespread assumption that heterosexual relationships are somehow superior to same-sex relationships, which leads to all kinds of abuse and discrimination against LGBT people. We want to highlight where heterosexism seeps into the social, cultural, religious and political fabric of society, and how we can begin to unravel its damaging consequences.”

Through a weekend-long series of workshops and keynote speakers, conference attendees will learn to challenge heterosexist attitudes and practices, speak out against the dangers of reparative therapy and other conversion efforts, and become strong advocates for LGBT equality.

Keynote speakers for the conference include Dr. Sylvia Rue, Interim Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition, Rev. Deborah L. Johnson of Inner Light Ministries, and Dr. Jack Drescher, Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Joining Soulforce as co-sponsors of the conference are Truth Wins Out, the National Black Justice Coalition, Beyond Ex-Gay, Box Turtle Bulletin and Equality Florida.

The Anti-Heterosexism Conference also serves as a counterweight to the anti-gay think tank, NARTH (National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality), which will be hosting its annual conference on the same weekend in West Palm Beach. For years NARTH has promoted reparative or “sexual orientation conversion” therapy, claiming that LGBT people can and should change their sexual orientation.

However, after a thorough review of the literature on conversion therapy, the American Psychological Association (APA) concluded that sexual orientation is unlikely to change through therapy and adopted a resolution in August 2009 calling on mental health professionals to avoid telling clients they can change from gay to straight through “therapeutic” efforts or other treatments. The resolution builds on an APA report from 1998, which warned that reparative therapy can lead patients to “depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior,” because “therapist alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient.”

In November, individuals and organizations from across the country will come together for the Anti-Heterosexism Conference to work through the process of moving beyond the dangers of heterosexism to a more just and equitable environment for LGBT people. “It’ time we named the problem,” says Lutes, “and begin walking together through the solution.”

Learn more or register