The Bain Campaign Responds to My Pride Post

Libertarian congressional candidate, Stuart Bain

Well, boys and girls, the Rev. has managed to piss off the Libertarians. I can hear you all saying "Who?"

The Libertarians are one of the many third political parties that have been trying for decades to get mainstream America to overlook their wackiness and give them a chance to lead our country. They're kind of like the Mormons of politics. You may think of Ron Paul as a Libertarian, but he's actually a Republican with Libertarian leanings.

I mentioned in my Sunday night post, "Pride in the Park Celebrates 21 Years", that I had a very spirited debate with the Libertarian candidate for congress, Stuart Bain, about his stand on Marriage Equality. I got some very interesting comments from his campaign manager about my confrontational style. You can click the link above to read his remarks. I wanted to take a few minutes here to explain why I reacted the way I did to the convoluted logic of Mr. Bain's non-position on marriage equality.

In the interest of full disclosure, a couple of months ago, my friend Len Rogers, of The Stonewall Society, suggested that I contact the Bain campaign to arrange an interview. He's running against Bob Goodlatte for congress and Len thought it would be good for people to know there was another guy running.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the Libertarians. Although I agree with a lot of their principals, like smaller government and a more equitable tax system, some of their positions just aren't realistic. For example, the Libertarian free market position dictates that when corporations get "too big to fail" and they do fail, they should be allowed to, without government interference. Looks good on paper, but if they were in power during the economic meltdown that greeted President Obama last year, we'd all be standing in line at the soup kitchen.

I checked out the Bain website to do some preliminary research and found nothing that specifically addressed the concerns of the LGBT community, so I went to the Libertarian Party's website. They believe that government should not interfere in the personal relationships of consenting adults, which sounds good on the surface. To be honest, as hard as I tried, I couldn't find anything on the party's website that specifically says that gay couples should have the right to marry. They do have a lot to say about striking down laws that discriminate against the LGBT community, like DADT and DOMA and they are against constitutional amendments defining marriage, but nowhere on the site does it say "we support the right of same-sex couples to marry."

So I dug deeper and found a few other sites that attempt to explain their position. What I found is that the Libertarians believe that the state should not be involved in marriage in any way, shape or form. It was at this point that I decided that I wasn't really interested in doing an interview with Bain, but I was still interested in finding out more.

I found a piece written by freelance columnist Garry Reed, himself a Libertarian, called "Libertarianism 101: What's the Libertarian Position on Gay Marriage?"  Reed writes, in part, "wanna get married? So get married already. Get any kind of married you want. Same sex, different sex, indeterminate sex. Marry early and marry often. Get married in a church, in a chapel, in a private ceremony of your own devising. Government has no legitimate place in the marriage of free and sovereign individuals."

I also found a column by Stephan Kinsella on LRC Blog that does a fairly thorough job of trying to define the Libertarian position on same-sex marriage, which is not easy to do. Kinsella writes, "In any event, the libertarian can say that 'the' libertarian view is that the state should get out of the way and out of the business of decreeing marital status, but [is] that all he can say?"

This all brings me to the conversation I had with Mr. Bain when I stopped by his booth at Pride last Sunday. I didn't even know he was going to be there. I introduced myself as a gay blogger and activist and asked him for his position on same-sex marriage (after all, there's not a single word about it on his site). He proceeded to explain the Libertarian's Fair Tax plan, which is structured so that each of us would be taxed more fairly and on an individual basis, regardless of marital status. This plan would somehow magically make us all equal.

I asked him about repealing DOMA, DADT and passing ENDA. He said that if any of these things got to his desk, he would sign them. I asked him what measures he would initiate. "We have this tax plan", he said. I have to admit that this is the point where my bullshit detector went into overdrive. It's bad enough watching politicians sidestep a direct question on TV, but this was the first time one was doing it to me and I was not about to let him get away with it.

I pressed him further, asking how this tax plan would grant same-sex couples the right to marry. Bain and his campaign manager, John Reed Braden, stated the party position that the state should get out of the marriage business altogether and that the church should take over in that department. As I wrote in my earlier post, I reminded them both that marriage has always been a civil contract intended to ensure the legitimacy of children, to convey property and inheritance rights and that there are over 1,100 legal rights and reponsibilities that come with marriage that the church does not have the authority to grant to anyone. I also brought up the constitutional separation of church and state.

Mr. Braden, who is gay, explained that under the Bain plan, everyone, straight or gay, would be able to have a civil union, but marriages would be done only by the church. I found myself once again having to remind these two how things work on planet Earth, when I responded that it's the churches that don't want us getting married. Braden suggested that I could join MCC. Mr Bain added that he and his wife were married in a church and it worked out fine for them.

"So, if I want to get married, I have to join a church?", I asked.

"Yes", Braden said.

"What if I'm an atheist?", I asked.

"Uhh...," was his snappy retort.

I told Mr. Bain that his platform was based on restructuring the entire U.S. government, which was never going to happen. He said, "I quit smoking this year. If I'd had your attitude..."

I cut him off, saying, "Yeah, I quit smoking this year too."

At this point I felt like my head was going to explode from all the twisted logic, so I decided it was time to stop. I thanked him for the chance to discuss his positions and went off to enjoy the rest of the Pride festival.Did I get a little too worked up? Yes, of course I did. In the words of Judge Judy, "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining."

When someone calls you out on your bullshit, you can't worm your way out of it by shoveling more bullshit. We get enough of that from the Democrats and the Republicans. If the Libertarians ever hope to be major players in this country, they need to understand and work within the political system as it exists in the here and now, not in some Utopian fantasy world of their own creation.

In order for the Libertarians' plan to work, they would have to convince the 90% heterosexual majority in this country to give up their right to civil marriage in favor of civil unions, just to accommodate the 10% of us that want our relationships to have legal recognition. Good luck with that one.

The primary message of the marriage equality movement is that same-sex marriage is no threat to traditional marriage. In my opinion, the Libertarian plan is a threat to marriage and to the fight for full equality in this country. Nobody is suggesting that we stay home in November or that we should support the homophobic Bob Goodlatte, but Stuart Bain is not the answer either.

Roanoke Pride XXI Tops 4,000

Just to let you know, I spoke with Roanoke Pride Committee member Nerio Gonzalez yesterday. He told me that the official crowd estimate for Sunday's big gay event was 4,000 making it the largest Pride in the Park Festival in it's 21-year history. Well Done Roanoke!

Pride in the Park Celebrates 21 Years

Sean presents the Lambda Service Award to Deanna from the Backstreet Cafe.

(L to R) Leland Albright, Dolly, Sean Avidano, Steven Matzie.

 Heading out of Elmwood Park in a march for LGBT Equality

This year's Roanoke Pride Festival may well have set a record for the largest turnout in it's 21-year history. There hasn't been an official tally yet, but based on last year's estimate of 3,000 The weather was perfect, but a little hot as temps soared into the mid-90's.

I saw lots of old friends and some new ones too, along with some impressive talent on stage. Entertainers included the MCC Choir, Josh Dickerson, Carol Plunk, Joe Kraft, Kelly King, Mike Rickard and many more. Hosting duties were shared by Pride Committee members Sean Avidano and Ashly Adams (in her boy clothes).

Maybe it's just me, but it looked like there were more booths this year too. Vendors included The Virginia Mountain Bears (Woof!), The Rogues Levi and Leather Club, (ouch!), authors Beth Wilde and JM Snyder, Len Rogers of the Stonewall Society and so many more. As always, the Deb's Frozen Lemonade van was there to help beat the heat.

For the second year in a row the festival included a march. Not a big fancy parade with floats, but an honest to goodness protest march. This year it was led by Frank House of Roanoke Equality and I have to honestly say that I was so proud of the local community for the shear numbers of people that participated. There must have been about 200 people in the march.
The route was just a short trip around the block, but it was visible, it was political and it was in downtown Roanoke! So many young people and some veteran activists and community leaders as well.

One of the new groups that made it's first appearance at Pride was Southwest Virginia Transgender Support. I had the chance to chat with some of the organization's members at there booth. They are, naturally, very shy about publicity, although two of their members, Leland Albright and Dolly, did get up and speak to the crowd about their activities. I invited them do an interview or to submit stories for posting. I hope they can do either one. The trans community has been so overlooked in our community. As Leland told the crowd today, "The 'T' is not silent."

(L to R) Jordan, Michelle, Ben, Shayna and Josh gave away free hugs.

Roanoke Mayor David Bowers was also in attendance at the festivities. I had the chance to catch up with him and talk politics for a few minutes. We were both dismayed by the lack of a Democratic challenger to Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte in this year's election. Goodlatte is notoriously anti-gay.

This brings me to one of the high points of the afternoon. I stopped by the booth of Goodlatte's Libertarian challenger, Stuart Bain. It was refreshing to see a political candidate reaching out to the Roanoke LGBT community and I applaud Mr. Bain for attending our annual celebration.

I asked him where he stands on marriage equality. His response was straight from the Libertarian platform. He told me that he is in favor of a flat tax that would be equitable for all citizens regardless of marital status and that government should not be involved in sanctioning marriages which he and his party believe should be left to the churches.

I reminded Mr. Bain that there are over 1,100 rights and responsibilities that are granted by a marriage certificate and that the church has no legal authority to bestow those rights on anyone. He countered that he and his wife were married in a church and that it was perfectly legal. (WTF?)

Authors JM Snyder and Beth Wyld

I responded that marriage has always been a civil contract intended to ensure the legitimacy of offspring, property and inheritance rights and that the church only became involved in the marriage ceremony during the middle ages. I told him that his position was just a way of washing his hands of the issue by offer a "solution" that does nothing to ensure equality for taxpaying LGBT Americans. I also told him that he was abdicating his responsibility as a potential political leader. Man, that was fun.

The bottom line is don't vote for Stuart Bain, or any Libertarian, just because you don't like Bob Goodlatte. He is no friend of the LGBT community and had no business even being at Pride.

It was another great success for the Roanoke LGBT Community and congratulations to the Pride Committee for what seems to be the best Pride Festival ever. I'll try to figure out how to post a slide show of more pics using Picasa.

Roanoke's 21st Annual Pride in The Park this Sunday

Break out your pride wear and your rainbow banners boys and girls, it's time to get your queer freak on! The Star City's 21st Annual Pride in the Park takes place this weekend at Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke. From the looks of the schedule, it should be a great day to enjoy meeting up with friends you haven't seen all year and enjoying some great entertainment. 

The weather is supposed to be sunny, clear and hot, so wear something skimpy and protesty. That's right, there is a chance that there will be press coverage, so bring your protest posters and wear your political t-shirts. Let's bring back the spirit of activism to our annual Pride celebrations. It's about so much more than partying. Our rights are being violated on a daily basis. This is your chance to make yourself heard.

I've been corresponding via FaceBook with Newschannel 10's Jay Warren and challenging the local newsman to do more to cover the local LGBT community. We've got a lot going on throughout the year, as more and more of us are getting involved in the fight for full equality. 

As I pointed out to Jay, by ignoring us our local news media are missing out on some compelling local stories and local insights on national issues. We deserve more than just a 20-second blurb about Pride once a year. Let's see if they have the guts do the right thing this time around.

I'll be there taking pics, talking to people and gettin' my gay groove on. I hope you will be too! Visit the Roanoke Pride website for more information.

It's Coming!

Sen. Mark Warner's Office to Hold Meeting on GLBT Issues in Roanoke

Roanoke Equality has received an invitation from the office of Senator Mark Warner inviting members to attend a meeting in the senator's Roanoke office on Salem Ave. to address our concerns. The invitation reads as follows:

Lou Kadiri
Constituent Services Director for Senator Mark Warner

Beatriz Ibarra, legislative counsel to Senator Warner, will be in Roanoke Friday, Sept. 3. We are hosting a meeting with Beatriz at the Senate office from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. that Friday and invite the local GLBT community to discuss any legislative concerns/issues they might have (including DADT).

We look forward to seeing you there.

Best,

Lou Arnatt Kadiri
Office of Senator Mark R. Warner
129B Salem Ave SW, Roanoke VA 24011
(PH: 540-857-2676 FX: 540-857-2800
http://warner.senate.gov/public/

Please do what you can to attend this meeting. This is a rare opportunity for Roanoke's LGBT community to air our concerns to someone who can do something about it. Visit the Roanoke Equality FaceBook event page to RSVP to this event. Tell Senator Warner that you want him to move forward on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell and urge him to push for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

September is Pride Month in Roanoke. Parties and festivals are great, but this is a chance for you to step up and make your voice heard. Support Roanoke Equality's efforts. Support your community. Show your true pride and attend this very important meeting.

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Scenes from Roanoke Equality's 2nd Annual Rally for GLBT Equality

What a Big Gay Weekend we had in the Star City! The 2nd Annual Rally for GLBT Equality took place at Elmwood Park took place in downtown Roanoke on Saturday. I had the honor of playing host to some incredible entertainers and A-List local dignitaries. (I was also the photographer, which is why I don't appear in any of the pics.)

Roanoke Mayor David Bowers (above) gave an amazing speech about the contributions of Roanoke GLBT Community and talked about the City's gay-inclusive non-discrimination hiring policy. Also on hand was Roanoke's Goodwill Ambassador, Mrs. Pearl Fu, (seated above) Executive Director and founder of Local Colors, Roanoke's annual festival celebrating the city's multicultural heritage with food and music.

A small crowd braved the 90 degree heat to kick back and enjoy some top notch entertainment provided by transgender singer/songwriter Georgie Jessup, who totally blew away the crowd, even drawing in some of the folks from the Motor City Madness car show which was also taking place downtown.

Also taking place over the weekend was the hugely successful Pride in the Arts International GLBT Film Festival, organized and hosted by Len Rogers, founder of the Stonewall Society, an organization dedicated to promoting GLBT artists and entertainers. Len (pictured top, left) has been hugely supportive of Roanoke Equality and arranged for Georgie's appearance. Thanks, Len! We couldn't have done it without you!

 

Mara Robbins, of the Floyd County chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) talked about the need for more outreach and support of GBLT kids in our schools. She was accompanied by her incredibly talented daughter, Kyla Ross, who treated the crowd to a moving rendition of Rainbow Connection.

Kyla Ross (right) and Mara Robbins (left)

Rev. Joe Cobb, of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge, pictured above with Molly McClintock, of the Roanoke Pride Committee and Equality Virginia (above, center) and her partner, shared his moving personal story of coming to Roanoke, expecting hostility and homophobia. Instead, Rev. Joe found a warm, welcoming community and ultimately met his partner. The couple now have two children.

Local singer, Sidney Vaught is shown here taking a break after his amazing performance. Sidney has also been incredibly supportive of Roanoke Equality and secured the voter registration forms for us. We actually did register a few new voters. We also gathered several signatures for our petition to Sen. Mark Warner to push forward with Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal. By the way, the mayor loved your t-shirt, Sid, joking that he didn't have a very good track record with marriage and perhaps somebody should have voted on it for him.

Finally, my good friend and Roanoke Equality co-founder, Frank House spoke very eloquently about about the accomplishments of the GBLT community and how much work there is still left to be done. 

We did manage to get some air time in the evening news Saturday, on  Roanoke's WDBJ-7, that's me in the back. Unfortunately, they didn't post the video on their site. It's just as well, just as I was preparing for my interview, the camera's batteries died. So much for my big close up. I understand that Len Rogers took some video. I'll try to secure a copy for posting here. 

I want to thank everybody who took part in our event, especially all of those who helped out behind the scenes to pull this off, including, Len Rogers, Frank House, Richard Sifton, Sidney Vaught, Mara Robbins, Kyla Ross, Mayor David Bowers, Mrs. Pearl Fu, Rev. Joe Cobb, and our special musical guest, who traveled all the way from Baltimore, Md. to perform at our rally free of charge, Ms. Georgie Jessup.

I want to express a very special thanks to my partner of ten years, Paul, for being so wonderful and supportive as I go tilting at windmills. I love you, baby! 

GLBT Film Festival Starts Tonight in Roanoke

Just a reminder, the Pride in the Arts International GLBT Film Festival kicks off tonight at the Shadowbox Cinema, 22 Kirk Ave., in downtown Roanoke. First up in this three day event is the documentary, "Woman in a Man's Suit", about the life and music of critically acclaimed transgender singer/songwriter Georgie Jessup, "what would you risk to be yourself?"

Georgie will be on hand performing her music after the film. There will be an opening night party with a cash bar until 12 midnight.

Roanoke's first ever GLBT film festival continues through the weekend with matinee and evening shows featuring other independent GBLT films. See the Pride in the Arts website for more details. Tickets are just $7.

Georgie Jessup will also be performing at Saturday's 2nd Annual Rally for GLBT Equality as our opening and closing act. The rallt takes place at Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke from 10:45 am to 12:15 pm. I'll be taking on the hosting duties. Can't wait to see you all there

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Join Us for the 2nd Annual Rally for GLBT Equality!

The park has been rented, the speakers are confirmed and all that's left is to write my speech. Mark your calendars and join us at the 2nd Annual Rally for GLBT Equality!

The very first "Pride parades" were actually protest marches. GLBT Americans took to the streets for the first time 40 years ago on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots to demand equal rights. Join us as we honor those who came before us.

Please either print and distribute the flier below or pass it along via e-mail. Click on the image to view it, then right click and save it. Can't wait to see you all on Saturday!

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Discussion Group, "Uncovering the Gender Transformation Experience", tonight in Roanoke

There will be a discussion group entitled "Uncovering the Gender Transformation Experience" tonight at Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge, planned and led by Brandi Parker of the MCC Congregation, with assistance from members of the MCC-Blue Ridge Social Justice & Outreach Ministry. Ms. Parker will be sharing her amazing journey through the MTF transition process.

With so much debate in the LGBT community about the inclusion of the transgender and transsexual people in our fight for equality, we owe it to ourselves to become better informed about our trans brothers and sisters. I challenge you to take part in this discussion group tonight. Ask your questions, listen with your heart. Admission and refreshments are free. Donations will be gratefully accepted.

Join us tonight, Friday, June 18, 2010
7:00pm - 8:30pm
MCC of the Blue Ridge
806 Jamison Ave. SE
Roanoke, VA

Trans Singer/Songwriter Georgie Jessup to Appear at Roanoke's Rally for Equality

I am thrilled to announce that Native American/Trans Activist/Singer-Songwriter Georgie Jessup has agreed to perform at Roanoke Equality's 2nd Annual Rally for GLBT Equality on Saturday, June 26th at Elmwood Park. The rally will take place from 10:45 a.m. - 12:15p.m. near the Franklin Rd. entrance.

Ms. Jessup will be in Roanoke appearing at the Pride in the Arts International GLBT Film Festival and has agreed to be the opening and closing act for our rally as well.

The film festival will be taking place over three days at the Shadowbox Cinema. Jessup is featured in the documentary, "Woman in a Man's Suit". The film is just one of five independent queer films being screened over the weekend of June 25 - 27. Tickets are on sale now at the Pride in the Arts website at just $6 each for advance purchase and $7 each at the door. Additional discounts apply if you purchase tickets for all five films.

This is the first ever event of it's kind in Roanoke and I am so thrilled that Stonewall Society founder, Len Rogers has brought us this gift.

One of the things that has long been missing in Roanoke is some sort of recognition of the Stonewall Riots, which took place 41 years ago this month. The very first "Pride Parades" were, in reality, Gay Liberation protest marches held in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on the first anniversary of Stonewall, 40 years ago. The film festival and rally are two great ways to celebrate our history of activism, our acheivements and the artistic contributions of queer artists to American culture.

Mark you calendars, buy your tickets and come out and express your queer spirit!

Eve Ziebert of The Washington Post described Georgie Jessup's sound as "... cold soul, thrill-seeking, Motown social-conscience funk." Check out Georgie's music for yourself at her website.

If you are unfamiliar with Len Rogers and his 40-year history of activism and promotion of GLBT artists, there is an excellent article at the blog, Jed Central that appeared Wednesday, chronicling his career and highlighting the Pride in the Arts International Film Festival. Check it out.

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Roanoke Equality Monthly Meeting Tonight at Mill Mountain Coffee

The monthly meeting of Roanoke Equality will be held tonight at Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea on Campbell Ave. in downtown Roanoke. We'll get started at about 7:30pm and will probably last about an hour and a half to two hours. We have a lot to go over to plan our upcoming Rally For GLBT Equality on Saturday, June 26th at 11:00am.

Please join us. We need your input and your energy to help us shake southwestern Virginia's GLBT community out of its complacency. We're really starting to make a difference. We're getting some attention locally and nationally as you can see at the link below.

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UPDATE: Couple Suspected in Death of Elderly Gay Roanoke Man Arrested in SC

Roanoke's WDBJ-7 reported yesterday that the married couple suspected in the beating death of 80-year-old Harold Markham were apprehended in South Carolina on Friday. Justin and Meghan Musser who were tenants in Markham's home are facing one count each on the charge of murder when they are returned to Roanoke for arraignment.

Markham was a retired barber who made extra money giving haircuts in his Dale Ave. home. He was also an employee of Video World, an adult video store on Williamson Road. What none of the local news services has mentioned, however, is that Harold Markham was gay. Initial reports do not suggest that his brutal murder was a hate crime. My sources tell me that the Mussers are known crystal meth users and that this crime was most likely drug related.

The Roanoke Times story on Friday did mention where Mr. Markham worked, perhaps because of the hint of salaciousness it brought to the story. But leaving out the fact that Harold Markham was gay is demeaning to the memory of a man who was part of Roanoke's LGBT community for 80 years. I'll give the Roanoke Times the benefit of the doubt and say that perhaps they just didn't dig deep enough to find out more about Markham's life. I prefer to believe that the reporter wasn't a homophobe, just lazy.

Harold Markham was one of the last remnants of the pre-Stonewall generation. He was someone who grew up at a time when there were no Pride Parades, no LGBT Marches on Washington and no way for LGBT people to live their lives openly. All of this has been completely ignored by all of our local media.

The plight of gay seniors in a culture that prizes youth and beauty has also been ignored, not just by the media, but by us. Markham was an uncomfortable reminder to the LGBT community that, God willing, we will all grow old and we will do so without the Social Security survivor benefits that heterosexual widows and widowers are entitled to. If we are fortunate enough to be able to afford a senior living community or retirement facility, we may be forced back into the closet, because very few of these places are queer-friendly, nor are they prepared to care for geriatrics living with HIV/AIDS or even recognize our relationships.

Harold Markham also reminds us of a side of our community that we are embarrassed to admit exists, the Bookstore Culture. Everyone from the dog catcher to the corporate executive visits the the adult bookstores for a quickie now and then, but no one wants to admit it. To those people Harold Markham was just the guy behind the counter, but he was also a human being and deserves to be remembered with dignity and respect.

It is difficult enough to get Roanoke's mainstream media to cover our stories. Most of them don't even bother to cover Pride any more. So it's up to us to tell our own stories, to seek them out and listen to them.  The most important lesson we can draw from this tragedy is, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

Couple Sought in Murder of Elderly Gay Roanoke Man

Roanoke City Police are searching for a young married couple suspected in the brutal beating death of 80-year-old Harold Markham in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The couple had been tenants of Markham's, who made a modest living by giving $4.00 haircuts in his home and working six nights a week at Video World on Williamson Rd.

Neighbors called 911 after overhearing an argument between Markham and 23-year-old Justin Musser and his wife Meghan, 20. The Mussers wanted to borrow Markham's car.

The Roanoke Times reports:

Markham died at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital on Tuesday after what neighbors described as a fierce beating by his two tenants, one of whom emerged from the house laughing and smiling, said neighbor Donnie Duncan, 21, who said he heard the assault begin and ran to tell his mother to call the police.

"We killed the old man," gloated the tenant, according to Duncan.

The boarders, husband and wife Justin Lyn Musser, 23, and Meghan Melissa Musser, 20, escaped after fighting with each other in the street outside the house. Police are searching for them with arrest warrants charging them with murder. The Mussers had lived with Markham for about a month, neighbors said.

Detectives thought Markham's death was "suspicious," and determined it was a homicide after an autopsy, police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson said.

According to the story a neighbor stopped by at about 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning to drop off a pack of cigarettes when he heard Markham yelling, "Stop! Stop or I'll call the police!" The neighbor ran home and told his mother to call 911.

According to witnesses, the Musser's laughed about the killing and fought with each other in the street afterward. Police arrived after the Musser's had left the scene. Read the full story here.

This tragedy underscores the plight of elderly LGBT people who often have no family or other support systems. Without the benefits of marriage and children and no Social Security survivor benefits, queer seniors often live in poverty and must work well past retirement age and take in boarders. This is a call to action for all of us to take responsibility for the welfare of the senior members of our community. 

Democrats Sweep Roanoke City Council Race

It what can best be described as signs of intelligent life in the Star City, three democrats swept yesterday's city council elections. The Roanoke Times reports:

Democrats David Trinkle, Ray Ferris and Bill Bestpitch swept Roanoke City Council elections Tuesday, shutting out the first full ticket of Republicans since 2002 and ensuring the continuance of a Democratic monopoly on the council.

Trinkle and Ferris cruised to easy wins, racking up margins in the Lee-Hi and two South Roanoke precincts, where turnout was much heavier than the city average.

Bestpitch narrowly finished third, besting Republican Bob Craig by 426 votes -- or at little more than 2 percent of the vote. The rest of the field included Republicans Mike Powell and Tony Walker and independent Carl Cooper, in that order.

"A win is a win. I don't look at whether it was a narrow win," said Bestpitch, who rejoins the council after serving a term from 2000-04. "You're on city council for the same four years whether you win by 4,000 votes or 400; it doesn't make any difference."

As the leading vote-getter, Trinkle will become vice mayor for the second time when the new council terms begin in July, barring any major change when the Tuesday vote is certified. Trinkle was also vice mayor from 2006-08. He also joins Councilman Sherman Lea as the only sitting council members to win concurrent terms.

Roanoke Equality's Presents a FREE "Strength Through Diversity" LGBT Workshop on Saturday

Just another reminder about this Saturday's FREE workshop/seminar called "Strength Through Diversity", presented by Roanoke Equality and The Conflict Resolution Center.

Since the days before Stonewall, the LGBT rights movement has focused on convincing straight society to accept us and grant us our rights, but virtually nothing has been done to help us understand and embrace each other within our own community. This one of a kind workshop is designed to help us break down the walls that divide the LGBT community and help us work together to achieve our common goals.

Join us on Saturday, May 8th from 11am - 2pm at the Claude Moore Educational Building, 109 N. Henry St. in Roanoke.

Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia do exist with our diverse community. Join us and share you stories and experiences as we explore ways to address these issues and embrace our differences.

Hosted by local activist and Roanoke Equality Co-Founder Frank House (www.GLBTRoanoke.com) and yours truly, this exciting discussion group will be facilitated by the amazing and talented staff of Roanoke's Conflict Resolution Center. I promise you we'll all have a great time.

Did I forget to mention all the free stuff? Not only is there free parking and free lunch, we've got some pretty cool door prizes, including $50 coupons for dinner at The Library Restaurant, graciously donated by my good friend, restauranteur Lowell Hill. We've also got some cool swag from The Shadowbox Community Micro-Cinema, Roanoke's newest showcase for truly independent films.

This event is sponsored in part by The Roanoke Pride Committee and The Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge.
Come out and join us for a fun and engaging event that is the talk of Roanoke's LGBT community. Share your stories, bring your friends, learn something about your community and have a great time!

Visit the FaceBook event page or GLBTRoanoke.com to RSVP or simply shoot me and e-mail at rev.stevescyberpulpit@yahoo.com.

FREE Strength Through Diversity Seminar/Workshop for Roanoke's GLBT Community

I just want to take a few minutes to update you all on a project that I am so excited to be part of. Our local GLBT rights group, Roanoke Equality has been working non-stop in partnership with the Conflict Resolution Center to put together an amazing one of a kind workshop designed to help our community overcome our differences in order to work together more effectively.

From the earliest days of the GLBT rights movement our focus has been on getting straight society to accept us, but nothing has been done to help us get along with each other within our own diverse community. Join us on Saturday, May 8 from 11am to 2pm at the Claude Moore Education Complex, 109 North Henry St., in Roanoke for a rousing discussion of the issues that divide us with a focus on overcoming them.

We've put together a great team of top-notch presenters from the Conflict Resolution Center, along with Frank House of Roanoke Equality and of course, yours truly.

Did I mention all the free stuff? We'll be serving a free lunch and will have a free drawing for door prizes, which include CD's by LGBT artists, T-shirts and a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Library Restaurant, graciously donated by my good friend, restaurateur Lowell Hill.

Are you a lesbian mom, a gay dad, a trans teen or a bi-curious, bi-racial, big-boned beauty who just wants to connect to the community outside the bar scene? Are you a little "too old", "too big", "too small", or "just too damn fabulous"? Then we want to hear from you!

To register for this free event, go to the FaceBook event page for "Strength Through Diversity" and click attending. This is your chance to make your voice heard. Bring your ideas, concerns and experiences to the table. This is your community. Let's learn how to work together to make it better.

Diva Alert: Liza is Coming to the Star City!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the legendary Liza with a Z will be performing with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro David Wiley, at the Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum on Friday, September 10th at 8:00pm.

This has all been confirmed by the Civic Center website and Liza's own site, however an inside source tells me that tickets will go on sale this Friday, April 16 through Friday April 23 for symphony subscribers and to the general public on Saturday April 24 at 10am. Go to HomeTownBankTIX.com and enter promo code: LIZA.

Word has it that this will not be just your average concert by a 2nd generation mega-star diva. This will be an all out extravaganza complete with a sit-down dinner, prepared by Encore Catering by Ovations, with VIP seating available for purchase.

For more information, go to RoanokeCivicCenter.com.

Army Sec. McHugh clarifies: "No, seriously. Don't tell." Speak up for those who can't!

Secretary of the Army John McHugh says he misspoke earlier this week when he said that gay and lesbian soldiers would not be kicked out during the year-long study on the effects of Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal. Despite wanting to talk to queer service members during the course of the study, McHugh says he didn't mean to infer that a stop-loss would be in place. So that whole "feel free to ask and tell" thing isn't part of the deal.

Advocate.com reports that McHugh released a statement on Thursday saying, "Until Congress repeals 'don't ask, don't tell,' it remains the law of the land and the Department of the Army and I will fulfill our obligation to uphold it," McHugh said in a statement Thursday. "There is no moratorium of the law and neither (Gates) nor I would support one."

So the year-long study will not include any input from the people most affected by DADT and its repeal, if it ever happens. Is it just me, or does anyone else see this as a major slap in the face? Its just one more way the administration says to the LGBT community, "Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Now shut up and sit down."

We will not shut up and sit down. We will not allow our voices to go unheard as this year-long stalling tactic takes place. We will not only ask, we will demand that our leaders stand up for our rights. We will tell our stories as clearly and loudly and as often as it takes until our rights are fully protected under the law.

I am putting out the call to all gay and lesbian military veterans in the Roanoke area to join me tomorrow, Saturday, April 3rd at 3pm at Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea, 112 Campbell Ave. (on the City Market) as we meet with Terry McGuire from the Human Rights Campaign to plan a lobbying session at the Roanoke office of Sen. Jim Webb, asking for support in the effort to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Terry has been organizing these lobbying efforts throughout the commonwealth over the last several weeks. Webb's office has not yet responded to Terry's numerous attempts to make an appointment. He will be in the Roanoke area over the next few days to get the details nailed down.

Like a lot of bloggers, I've been critical of some of the statements coming from HRC president Joe Solmonese, but I also believe in giving credit where credit is due. This is a truly worthwhile effort. This is our chance to prove that Southwestern Virginia's LGBT community can and will stand up for our rights.

Speak out for those who can't without losing their jobs. Join us tomorrow to find out what you can do to change this unjust law that not only discriminates against our community, but seriously impairs our nation's ability to defend itself.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Army: Gays will be discharged if they speak up (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• U.S. army warns gay troops they still can be discharged (ctv.ca)
• U.S. ban on gays in military still in effect (cbc.ca)
• Army: Gays will be discharged if they speak up (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Pentagon faces hurdles in 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' study (cnn.com)
• Army Backtracks On Relaxed 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' Enforcement (huffingtonpost.com)

Attention LGBT Veterans: DO Ask, DO Tell

Roanoke Equality needs your help. We are working with the Human Rights Campaign in a lobbying effort here in the Roanoke and Blacksburg areas to lobby Senator Jim Webb for his support on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. This will be just a small meeting in the senator's local offices with his staff. We need to hear from Gay and Lesbian vets who served under DADT and are will in to tell their stories and fight for their rights.

Senator Webb has said he wants to wait until after the Pentagon completes its year-long study on the effects of DADT repeal before he makes up his mind on the issue. This is not acceptable.

If you or anyone you know wants to take part in this exciting effort, please let me know. I am waiting to hear more details about the date, time and place for these meetings and will pass that info along as it is made available. The meetings will most like be during the week, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. You don't need to travel to DC to make your voice heard. These are local events. Please e-mail me at rev.stevescyberpulpit@yahoo.com to take part.