Nine years ago, Kathleen Wynne was a social activist-turned school trustee who handily knocked off a sitting cabinet minister to earn a seat in the Ontario legislature. On Saturday evening, she made history on two fronts: as the first woman chosen to lead Ontario’s government and the first openly gay premier in the nation’s history.
(via NBCNews.com video: New Jersey teen comes out at school ceremony)
A nice enough interview with Jacob Rudolph but why would MSNBC use a “300 schoolmates witnessed teen’s confession” banner at the 1:24 mark? To me, confession suggests an admission of guilt and there is no guilt in being LGBT no matter how much some religioius conservatives would like you to think there is.
Q.
Trans Cabal Right to Reply (by TransBareAll)
TW for talk of transphobia
“This video has been compiled by TransBareAll as a response to recent transphobic articles in the press. We don’t aim to debate the merits of freedom of speech, or the rights and wrongs of different sides of an argument. Instead we want to show the real impact of the way language is used, how it can affect the people it targets.
In the media (and society in general) there are some words which we never use, such as the ‘N’ word. We don’t choose to avoid them because we are oppressed, but because we understand that due to their historical and social context they aren’t merely offensive, they are directly harmful. We understand that for some terms it is up to the group they have been used against to re-appropriate them. Some of the terms published lately are examples of these — terms so deeply rooted in discrimination, exclusion, hatred and violence, that it is just not ok to say them. Ever. Because of the damage that they do.
This short film includes trans masculine people and allies talking about the impact of this language. Although recent publications seem to refer specifically to trans women, the language used does not separate us — it includes all trans people, and everyone who loves and respects us. It refers to us. It refers to many of the people in this film. Using this language harms all trans people and our wider communities of families, friends, partners and lovers. This is not about offense, it is about hurt. It goes so much deeper.
The voices you hear in this film are not the most vulnerable amongst us, because they won’t have felt safe enough to take part. As these are the feelings of people who are confident enough to share these emotions, we can only imagine what the others are going through.
Over coming days and weeks we will add the complete videos that clips in this film were taken from to our youtube channel, along with new videos which have been submitted. If you want to take part then please email us a short film — guidelines are available on our website.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all those brave enough to speak out in this project, to Rob of www.softley.co.uk for helping with the final edit, and to all involved in TransBareAll for the feedback and support which made this happen. Our support and friendship goes to all those affected by the recent transphobia they’ve been forced to endure.
Jay McNeil & Lee Gale
transbareall@gmail.com
www.transbareall.co.uk
Press Complaints Commission launches inquiry into Burchill’s anti-trans column
The Observer, who were the first to post the article, reveal the results of their own inquiry
The Press Complaints Commission is to launch an inquiry into the publication of Julie Burchill’s anti-trans column in The Observer.
The commission decided to act after receiving 800 complaints about the article, which was removed from the newspaper’s sister website The Guardian.co.uk soon after it was published on 13 January.
She posted the article as a response to the negative reaction her friend Suzanne Moore had when she wrote about women idealizing for a body like a ‘Brazilian transsexual’.
The PCC does not generally take up what are called ‘third party complaints’, but does so when it feels there is sufficient public interest.
(via Melissa Harris-Perry — MSNBC)
This isn’t one of MHP’s best clips on LGBT issues, maybe it was the guests, or maybe it was the graphic with ‘transgendered’ on it but it seemed to me to focus too much on marriage equality and not enough on issues that affect LGBT youth and QPOC. But, hat tip to Melissa for continuing to raise LGBTQ issues on her show.
TW rape, child pornography, sexual abuse.
Lisa Biron, 43, was accused of videotaping the girl having sex with two men. Biron faced eight federal indictments on charges of child sexual exploitation, transporting a child across state lines to produce child pornography and possession of child pornography, and was convicted on all of them after the jury deliberated for less than an hour.
Marriage Equality Takes Effect In Maryland
Congrats to all the newlyweds and happy new year!
Q.
Maryland is now the ninth state where marriage equality is official, and it’s the first below the Mason-Dixon line. James Scales and William Tasker were the first couple married at City Hall in Baltimore today, and the ceremony was presided over by none other than Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
“There is no human institution more sacred than that of the one that you are about to form,” the mayor said. “True marriage, true marriage, is the dearest of all earthly relationships.”
Prior to the ceremony, Scales, a 68-year old employee at the mayor’s office, marveled at finally achieving his dream, telling the AP, “It’s just so hard to believe it’s happening.” And there’s no turning back!
Darcia Anthony and Danielle William, left and right below, also married at city hall in Maryland. Congratulations to all freshly married couples! (Oh, and a happy new year to everyone - married, single or otherwise! Thanks for reading!)
All You Need is Love—Marriage Equality in Portland, Maine (by HooplaHaChannel)
Looks like a party!
Q.
(h/t towelroad.com)
Crowd reacts to Maine’s first same-sex wedding with outpouring of love and affection!
First same-sex couples wed in Maine (by wmtwtv)
Congrats to the happy couple, and all others who are now able to marry in Maine.
Q.
(h/t towelroad.com)
Stephen Bridges and Michael Snell became the state’s first same-sex married couple shortly after 12:30 Saturday morning.
Jamaica paper publish anti-gay hate cartoon for Christmas
Click on read more to view the cartoon. TW homophobia.
Q.
One of the Jamaica’s most widely read papers has published an anti-gay cartoon designed to inflame hate, say LGBT rights advocates
Scott Nunn
The Jamaica Observer, one of the country’s main daily papers, published an anti-gay editorial cartoon on Christmas Day (25 December), designed, according to local gay activists, to inflame hate.
The cartoon is meant, according to Jamaican activists, to foment hate by ridiculing gays and depicting them as a threat to young boys.
The cartoon depicts a young boy undisturbed by men dressed in scary Jonkanoo parade costumes, a Jamaican Christmas custom, yet terrified of a gay stereotyped in an offensive effeminate manner.
Ireland to legalise abortion
Ireland is to legalise abortions when the mother’s life is at risk, including when she is suicidal, in an historic move expected to spark a major battle with the Roman Catholic church.
Savita Halappanavar Photo: THE IRISH TIMES
6:54PM GMT 18 Dec 2012
Ireland’s cabinet took the decision on Tuesday following a huge public outcry over the death of Savita Halappanavar, a pregnant woman in October who died after her repeated requests for an abortion were refused while she was suffering a miscarriage.
The Irish government has decided to repeal legislation that makes abortion a criminal act and to introduce regulations setting out when doctors can perform an abortion when a woman’s life is regarded as being at risk, including by suicide.
Dr James Reilly, the Irish health minister, said that the government was aware of the controversy surrounding abortion.
“I know that most people have personal views on this matter. However, the government is committed to ensuring that the safety of pregnant women in Ireland is maintained and strengthened. We must fulfil our duty of care towards them,” he said.
“For that purpose, we will clarify in legislation and regulation what is available by way of treatment to a woman when a pregnancy gives rise to a threat to a woman’s life. We will also clarify what is legal for the professionals who must provide that care while at all times taking full account of the equal right to life of the unborn child.”
First gay marriage ceremony held in Dutch Caribbean
Finally, some happy queer news from the Caribbean. Congrats to the newly weds!
Q.
A young gay couple have tied the knot in the island nation of Saba after the Netherlands passed a marriage equality law
A gay couple has reportedly become the first to have a same-sex marriage in the Dutch Caribbean this week.
Cedeno Xiomar Gonzalez, 26, and Israel Ernesto Ruiz Pinto, 27, tied the knot on the tiny volcanic island of Saba – an overseas nation of the Netherlands.
Officiator Julietta Woods presided over the wedding, and noted there will need to be some protocol adjustments in the script, the Daily Herald reports.
She had to read from the official ‘husband and wife’ text, leading to some confusion with the large crowd who had gathered for the landmark event.
Gonzales, who comes from a neighboring island of Aruba, told COC Netherlands the reason they chose Saba is because it is the first Dutch Caribbean territory to adopt the legislation allowing same-sex weddings.
He said the ceremony as ‘personal and highly emotional’, and said he never felt he would be able to describe the love of his life as his husband.
As Gonzales is a gay rights advocate and youth worker in Aruba, he happened to meet the openly gay island councilor Carl Buncamper, and it was him who urged Gonzales to work with officials to have his wedding in Saba.
Tourism Director Glenn Holm was ‘excited’ about the first same-sex civil union, saying he hoped it would boost holiday interest in the small island – most famous for its greenery and diving. He added pictures from the wedding would be included in tourism materials.
‘We are seeing interest in same-sex marriages in Saba. The next one is scheduled for 17 December,’ he said.
Same-sex unions officially became legal in Saba in October 2012 after it was passed by the Dutch House of Representatives.
Passing same-sex marriage was controversial in the typically conservative island nation, with some opposing the perceived ‘neo-colonialism’ of the liberal Netherlands imposing the law.
Supreme Court On Gay Marriage: Prop 8, DOMA To Receive Hearings
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 issued was issued in February and found the law unconstitutional.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates…
David Cameron gives his views on gay marriage (by Channel4News)
British Prime Minister David Cameron on his support for marriage equality and his assurance that churches who do not support same-sex marriage will not be forced to perform them.
Q.
Mexican Supreme Court strikes down gay marriage ban
Congrats Mexico!
Q.
The Supreme Court of Mexico issued a unanimous ruling Wednesday afternoon that paves the way to universal marriage rights in the country.
The actual ruling won’t be published for a little while, but the gay rights advocates who brought the case are proclaiming that today’s ruling “opens the door to equal marriage in the whole country.”
The court ruled on behalf of three same-sex couple seeking to marry in the southern state of Oaxaca. The court had already ruled in 2010 that gay marriages performed under a Mexico City ordinance had to be recognized nationwide. With this precedent, the remaining bans on gay marriage in most Mexican states could quickly fall.
This ruling does not immediately eliminate marriage statutes limiting unions to a man and a woman—the Mexican Supreme Court doesn’t have the power to strike down state laws like that en mass as the United States Supreme Court does. But the lawyer who brought the case, Alex Alí Méndez Díaz, said before the ruling that victory would mean the beginning of the end for bans on same-sex marriage.
And the fun begins…
Q.
Posted: 12/07/2012 3:15 pm EST