HUD Announces LGBT Housing Discrimination Study, Proposes New Rules

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Thursday that it will be undertaking a study to determine the level of housing discrimination against LGBT Americans. This is big.

Every ten years HUD conducts a study of housing discrimination in rental and mortgage lending practices where race, ethnicity, sex, religion and national origin are the primary factors. This is the first time ever that the federal government has included sexual orientation and gender identity in its study.

The agency has also proposed a new rule that would make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Thursday's announcement included the following statement:

As the Nation’s housing agency, HUD administers programs designed to meet the goal of ensuring decent housing and suitable living environment for all.  In pursuit of this goal, it is HUD’s responsibility to ensure that all who are otherwise eligible to participate in HUD’s programs have equal access to these programs and have the opportunity to compete fairly for HUD funds without being subject to arbitrary exclusion.

There is evidence, however, that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families are being arbitrarily excluded from some housing opportunities in the private sector. Through this proposed rule, HUD strives to ensure that its core programs are open to all eligible individuals and families regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

In a statement announcing the study and the rule change, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said, "This is a fundamental issue of fairness. We have a responsibility to make certain that public programs are open to all Americans. With this proposed rule, we will make clear that a person’s eligibility for federal housing programs is, and should be, based on their need and not on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”


HUD provides financing through grants and loans to create quality, affordable rental housing for low income families as well as assisting first time home buyers with HUD backed loans. I was a HUD housing counselor in a previous career and taught seminars that helped first-time home buyers qualify for their first mortgages. This is great news!

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Study: Lesbian Moms Don't Abuse Their Kids, Like EVER

A twenty four year study of families led by lesbian moms reveals that the kids in those families are never, ever, physically or sexually abused by their parents or care givers. The ongoing study has followed the lives of  these families to determine how the lives of these children are impacted by being raised by lesbian moms.

Researchers at UCLA's Williams Institute questioned a group of  78 17-year-olds as part of the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study and found that none of them reported ever being physically or sexually abused, compared to 26% of kids raised by straight parents reporting physical abuse and 8.3% reporting sexual abuse.

The report goes on to bust another right-wing myth about gay parents indoctrinating their kinds into "the homosexual lifestyle". Only 2.7% of boys and 0.0% of girls in the study reported being exclusively homosexual in orientation, for a statistical average of 1.4%.

The same group released a study earlier this year which concluded that these same kids do better in school, are more emotionally well adjusted and have better coping skills than their hetero-raised counterparts.
The message is clear. If the U.S. wants to be more competitive in the global market, wants to reduce crime and violence against women and children and become a force for peace in the world, all of our children should be raised by lesbians. 

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When did you choose to be straight? (video)

I saw this video posted on Face Book last night and I thought it was very thought provoking, especially for all those annoying people out there who still think sexual orientation is a choice. The notes on the YouTube page say, "Street interviews conducted by Travis Nuckolls and Chris Baker in Colorado Springs prove that asking the right question can be more important than anything you can tell someone." 

Watch: Federal Judge Rules Against DADT Discharge (video)

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A federal judge in Tacoma Washington ruled late today in the case of Major Margaret Witt that not only was her presence not a threat to morale and unit cohesion, but in fact, the opposite is true. Judge Ronald Leighton ordered that Major Witt be reinstated. His ruling says, in part:

 "...it was Major Witt's suspension and ultimate discharge that caused a loss of morale throughout the squadron. In addition, several other former service members testified about their military experience as closeted gays or lesbians and the positive reaction of their fellow servicemen and women once they acknowledged their sexual orientation." 

 Watch Rachel Maddow discuss the ruling and what has become known as the Witt Standard with Major Witt and Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, who is also fighting to get his Air Force job back.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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LGBT Groups Send Open Letter to Pelosi Urging Movement on ENDA

Eight LGBT groups sent an open letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, calling on her to stop the delays, stop the lies and schedule a floor vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA):

From San Francisco Pride at Work, One Struggle, One Fight, GetEqual, Harvey Milk Democratic Club, Transgender Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, El / La, and National Pride at Work

An Open Letter to the House Speaker on ENDA

We are writing to express how extremely troubled we are that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) has not yet been scheduled for a vote by the full House of Representatives. We believe a floor vote must be scheduled for ENDA immediately.

It would be devastating for LGBT workers for this Congress to not complete its work on ENDA before the end of this session. ENDA would be historic in the number of LGBT people who would benefit from its passage. During this economic crisis, it is more important than ever to prohibit the often impoverishing effects of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Most LGBT workers have no protections from workplace discrimination. ENDA would provide legal protection against discrimination nationally. Over and over we have been promised that a vote would be scheduled on ENDA, and these promises have been repeatedly broken. In 29 states, it is still legal to fire someone solely because they are lesbian, gay or bisexual. And in 38 states it is legal to fire someone solely for being transgender. The current version of the bill would outlaw discrimination on both sexual orientation and gender identity.

A 2006 study by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and the Transgender Law Center found that 60 percent of transgender people in San Francisco earn less than $15,300 per year, only 25 percent have a full-time job and nearly 9 percent have no source of income.

Only 4 percent reported making more than $61,200, which is about the median income in the Bay Area. More than half of local transgender people live in poverty, and 96 percent earn less than the median income. Forty percent of those surveyed don't even have a bank account. What this study reveals is that even in a city that is considered a haven for the LGBT community, transgender workers face profound employment challenges and discrimination.

A 2007 meta-analysis from the Williams Institute of 50 studies of workplace discrimination against LGBT people found consistent evidence of bias in the workplace. The analysis found that up to 68 percent of LGBT people reported experiencing employment discrimination, and up to 17 percent said they had been fired or denied employment.

Public opinion polling shows that Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of making sure LGBT Americans get the same employment opportunities as everyone else. In fact, the latest surveys shows that nearly 90% of Americans support workplace fairness for LGBT workers.

As you know, in a few weeks, Congress will finish it's legislative business for the year so that they can return to their districts to run for re-election. Last month at a LGBT Pride event, Congresswoman Jackie Spier announced to the LGBT community that not only would we not get ENDA before the end of the legislative session, that she did not think we would get it for five years because we won't have enough votes in Congress again to ensure passage. It is ironic that Congress plans on leaving town and going home to campaign for their own jobs while leaving thousands of LGBT workers without protections for the next five years. When 90% of Americans support workplace fairness, it is challenging to believe that anyone fears a backlash from the voters. The time to pass ENDA is now. The American people support it, the politicians promised it. No more broken promises. We demand that a vote be scheduled now.

Sincerely,

SF Pride at Work, One Struggle, One Fight, GetEqual, Harvey Milk Democratic Club, Transgender Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, El / La and National Pride at Work 

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National Association of Realtors: Equal Housing Rights for Gays and Lesbians

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has updated its housing non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation, according to an article on the group's site. The nation's largest organization of real estate agents has amended its code of ethics to include the following verbiage:

• REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional service to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation.

•  REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation.

• REALTORS® in their real estate employment practices shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation.

The move was the brain-child of Eric Kodner, who issued a call to action on his blog back in 2007 for the NAR to include sexual orientation in its fair housing policy. "The entire process made me proud to be a REALTOR®," says Kodner. "I’ve been so impressed with the way NAR has handled this issue."

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DADT Survey to 400k Active Duty Troops and Reservists (video)

The long anticipated survey of U.S. troops regarding the impact of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell has begun. On Wednesday the Pentagon started sending out the survey via e-mail to 200,000 active duty service members and 200,000 reservists asking them a variety of what seem to be biased questions about how they would react to a variety of situations involving serving with or under out gays and lesbians.

A lot of LGBT bloggers, most notably Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, are taking issue with this report by CNN's Chief Pentagon Correspondent, Barbara Starr. There is an exchange where some say Starr appears to be defending the survey, which full of  slanted questions, that from what Starr reports, sound a lot like "You don't want to shower with a bunch of queers, do you?"

From what I can make of it, Starr is simply explaining the Pentagon's twisted rationale for this survey, not defending it. I think that sometimes our community likes to create an issue where none exists. The real issue here is not Barbara Starr, but the stupidity of the study and the bias in the questions. The video below was edited down for later airing, deleting the Q and A with Barbara Starr. Is CNN covering up or was it simply a case of editing for time? Is Barbara Starr showing a pro-Pentagon/anti-LGBT bias? What do you think?

In a new development, Aubry Sarvis of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has released a statement advising gay, lesbian and bi service members not to take part in the survey due to privacy concerns.

SLDN released the following statement this morning:

"A number of service members have contacted SLDN to seek guidance on surveys concerning the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- the discriminatory law barring gay and lesbian service members from serving with integrity. At this time SLDN cannot recommend that lesbian, gay, or bisexual service members participate in any survey being administered by the Department of Defense, the Pentagon Working Group, or any third-party contractors. While the surveys are apparently designed to protect the individual's privacy, there is no guarantee of privacy and DOD has not agreed to provide immunity to service members whose privacy may be inadvertently violated or who inadvertently outs himself or herself. If a service member still wishes to participate, he or she should only do so in a manner that does not reveal sexual orientation."

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British Medical Association says Gay to Straight Conversion Therapies are Harmful

The British Medical Association joined the ranks of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association and a multitude of other groups of medical professionals around the world by declaring at its annual meeting this week that therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation don't work and can be psychologically damaging to those in treatment.

Pink News reports:

The body met in Brighton yesterday and more than two-thirds of doctors present backed a call for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other mental health standard-setting bodies to reject the treatments and ban their use in codes of practice.

Health departments should also investigate alleged cases of conversion therapy being funded by the NHS, the meeting agreed.

Research published last year found that a sixth of registered British therapist and psychiatrists have attempted to "cure" patients of homosexuality.

Tom Dolphin, the proposer of the motion and the vice-chair of the BMA's junior doctors committee, said: "Sexuality is such a fundamental part of who a person is that attempts to change it just result in significant confusion, depression and even suicide.

"You can’t just wish away same-sex attraction no matter how inconvenient it might be."

But Cardiff consultant neurophysiologist Gareth Payne said there was no "gold standard" evidence that conversion therapy did not work and was harmful.

He added that it was important to respect the wishes of patients who asked for the therapy.

Earlier this year, gay journalist Patrick Strudwick published an expose of 'ex-gay' therapists and began a campaign group to persuade medical bodies to condemn the treatments.

He went undercover for the article, telling two therapists he was struggling to cope with attraction to men and wanted to be straight. One therapist, named only as Linda, tried to convince him he must have been sexually abused as a child by a member of his family.

The other, who PinkNews.co.uk later revealed was homophobic former Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson's advisor, tried to make Mr Strudwick sexually aroused during his therapy.

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Doctor Treating Pregnant Women to Prevent Lesbian and Unfeminine Babies

The Bio-Ethics Forum at the Hastings Institute is reporting about the use of a controversial drug to prevent lesbian babies and little girls who display an "abnormal" disinterest in babies, don't want to play with girls' toys or become mothers, and whose "career preferences" are deemed too "masculine." 

Dr. Maria New, of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Florida International University  has drawn fire for overstepping in her use of the drug, dexamethasone (dex), a hormone used to treat female fetuses for a condition called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), a gestational condition resulting in the "masculinization" of female genitalia. This is the first time the drug has been used for the purpose of changing sexual orientation or the degree of femininity in little girls. There have been no clinical trials to support the use of dex in this manner.

Alice Dreger, Ellen K. Feder, Anne Tamar-Mattis of The Hastings Center write on the Bioethiocs Forum:

While everyone has been busy watching geneticists at the frontier of the brave new world, none of us seem to have noticed what some pediatricians are up to. Perhaps it is because so many people are fascinated by the idea of a “gay gene” that prenatal “lesbian hormones” have slipped past public scrutiny. In any case, we think Nimkarn and New’s “paradigm for prenatal diagnosis and treatment” suggests a reason why activists for gay and lesbian rights should be wary of believing that claims for the innateness of homosexuality will lead to liberation. Evidence that homosexual orientation is inborn could, instead, very well lead to new means of pathologization and prevention, as it seems to be in the case we’ve been tracking.

Needless to say, we do not think it reasonable or just to use medicine to try to prevent homosexual and bisexual orientations. Nor do we think it reasonable to use medicine to prevent uppity women, like the sort who might raise just these kinds of alarms. Consider that our declaration of our conflict of interest.

Wow! Now reparative therapy can happen in vitro without all the pesky psychological damage. What part of "we don't need to be fixed" do they not understand? 

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Virginia Partisans Send Message to Atty. General: "Kiss My Cooch!"

Via The Washington Post:
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be the special guest at the Capital Pride Festival this weekend -- only he doesn't know it yet.

The Virginia Partisans, a gay rights group with thousands of members in the state, will ask parade attendees to "kiss" a life-size cutout of the controversial attorney general in an event they are affectionately calling "Smooches for Cooch."

The group will send a collection of photos of people kissing Cuccinelli to the attorney general along with the message that Virginia is for all lovers. The same motto will appear on stickers and banners at the group's booth along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route Sunday.

Cuccinelli, who advised public colleges that they could not legally prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, has called the practice of homosexuality "a detriment to our culture" and "wrong."

The Partisans hope Cuccinelli will be just the draw they need to recruit members. The group considered a petition drive, but abandoned it because members thought it was too passé.

"We're sending our love to Ken Cuccinelli,'' said Terry Mansberger, president of the Virginia Partisans. "He's the gift that keeps on giving."

A spokesman for Cuccinelli had no comment.

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Obama Administration Passes the Buck on Fair Housing for LGBT Americans

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Monday that all applicants for funding must comply with all state and local laws prohibiting discrimination of the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Currently there is no federal law prohibiting such discrimination. Only 20 states and the District of Columbia have laws providing protection based on sexual orientation and only 10, plus DC have protection based on gender identity or expression.

HUD provides funding to federal, state and local agencies for affordable housing programs and oversees the Federal Housing Authority, which insures loans made to low income and first-time home buyers.

“We‘re using every avenue to shut the door against discrimination,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “Today, we take an important step to insist that those who seek federal funding must demonstrate that they are meeting local and state civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

This is one of those "no news is good news" stories. While this is a step forward in federal recognition of the fact that LGBT Americans have no rights, it does nothing to expand our rights. All it does is require lenders, landlords, and others involved in buying, selling or renting living spaces to abide by the state and local laws -- that they are already required to abide by -- if they want money from HUD.

Several years ago I was a HUD-certified housing counselor and conducted first-time home buyer counseling and seminars for a local debt counseling agency. I know from having written HUD grant applications that the agency already requires you to submit paperwork showing that your organization is in compliance with all federal, state and local fair housing laws. Failure to provide such documentation means no money.

This whole story smacks of more Obama lip service. It is no coincidence that this announcement comes during Pride Month. This summer we are dealing with some very serious issues. The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and getting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed are two that come to mind. Why isn't the president pushing congress to pass a trans-inclusive ENDA? Why has there been no movement on repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)?

The only real news, buried at the end of the press release, is that HUD will now require that all applicants for FHA-backed loans be considered on their income, creditworthiness and other relevant factors and not their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

The HUD statement also announced... wait for it... a study. Yes, in what's becoming a hallmark of the Obama administration, if you want to be perceived as doing something, while actually doing nothing, launch a long, expensive study. This one is relying on the LGBT community to offer suggestions on how the study should be conducted by visiting a web site and leaving comments.

While all of this is being greeted by the LGBT community with much fanfare, there is not much about this announcement that is new. Contrary to what you might read elsewhere, this is not historic. There is no change, or proposed change, to the Federal Fair Housing Act, just a passing of the buck to those states and municipalities that have the balls to stand up for LGBT Americans while the federal government, once again, does nothing.

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California Assembly Approves Resolution Urging Congress to End DADT

The Navy Times is reporting that the California State Assembly voted 51 - 17 to approve a resolution on Thursday telling Congress and President Obama to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the bill that would repeal the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that prohibits Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual military personnel from serving openly.

Navy Times Reports:
“We set one standard above all others that makes us a unique place in this world, and that is equal treatment,” said Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia, who voted for the resolution.

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, said that he served in the Marine Corps for a decade, fought in the Iraq war, and saw the negative effects of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy directly.

“There is nothing in sexual orientation that affects their love of country, affects their patriotism, affects their commitment to their fellow Marines and servicemen of our great nation; and there’s certainly nothing that affects their ability to give their life,” Fletcher said. “It’s time to remove the barrier that stops some of our amazing individuals from serving openly.”

Opponents said the Legislature should focus on solving the budget crisis, not telling the federal government what to do.

Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, a Marine colonel, said that sexual tension and raging hormones are a big problem among young people in the military.

“Your job is to ... destroy the enemy,” said Cook, who voted against the resolution. “And in an infantry organization, you have a very tight-knit group, and you want to hold that together.”

Equality California, a nonprofit group that sponsored the resolution, said in a statement that more than 24 other nations allow gay, lesbian and bisexual people to serve openly in their militaries, including Canada and the United Kingdom.

The resolution now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Join Us tonight for a free showing of "Ask Not", the PBS documentary chronicling the stories of gay and lesbian military service members who've been kicked out under the 17-year-old policy and some that are still serving. The film has been made available to Roanoke Equality by the Human Rights Campaign and will be shown tonight at Metropolitan Community Church in the downstairs meeting room. MCC is located at 806 Jamison Ave. SE, Roanoke. HRC's Terry McGuire will be on hand to lead a discussion group following the film. Free Parking. Free soft drinks and snacks will be available.

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Saturday Edition: Gates and Mullen Call for Push-back of DADT Repeal, Pelosi Calls for Moratorium on Dismissals

 
Friday was a very busy news day for Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal, both locally and in Washington. Developments have been unfolding almost by the hour.

Friday, the members of Roanoke Equality along with Rev. Joe Cobb of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge and Terry McGuire of Human Rights Campaign met with Martin Mash, Field Representative for Senator Jim Webb, in an effort to urge Senator Webb to commit to moving forward on full implementation of repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Among those in our group were three gay veterans who shared their very moving stories living in fear of exposure while trying to serve their country, a fear that all of them agreed, kept them being able to fully focus on their jobs and giving their best to their country.

Also among our vets was a straight ally in the fight for equality who helped drive home the point that for most straight service members, the sexual orientation of the soldier beside them is less important than that soldier's ability to do his/her job.

Rev. Joe Cobb spoke compared being called to serve your country with being called to serve God and how crushing it is to be faced with rejection and discrimination in both.

Our group spoke with Senator Webb's field representative, Martin Mash for about 40 minutes. Mash promised to relay our message to the senator. We all left the meeting feeling very good about our first lobbying effort and cautiously optimistic about the outcome.

By the end of the day Friday, however news broke about a letter from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urging congress to wait until after the Pentagon study to be completed and analyzed before taking action on DADT, which would in push back repeal until 2013:

As we discussed with Martin Mash on Friday, with the mid-term elections coming this Fall, the political landscape could be very different from what we see today, resulting in a more conservative environment for many years to come. The window of opportunity is closing fast. If repeal of this discriminatory policy is to happen, it must happen this year. 

House Speaker Pelosi released a statement Friday night in response to Secretary Gate's letter in which she called for a moratorium on dismissals under DADT while the study is allowed to proceed, pending the full implementation of repeal. 

Pelosi said, "We all look forward to the report on the review of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy by the Defense Department. In the meantime, the Administration should immediately place a moratorium on dismissals under this policy until the review has been completed and Congress has acted."

We have not forgotten the president's State of the Union address to the nation in which he asserted his commitment to repealing DADT this year. We understand that the Pentagon's mission is to study the impact of repeal, not to determine whether repeal should happen. We intend to hold the president to his word.

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Transgendered Activist was once Brother-in-Law to Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell

This article was posted Wednesday on the Washington Post's Virginia Politics Blog. It may explain a lot about why Bob McDonnell is such a flaming homophobe.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's former brother-in-law, who is transgendered, was one of several speakers at a rally outside the Capitol today pushing for a state law to provide protections for workers based on sexual orientation. Robyn Deane said she decided to go public today to offer her former brother-in-law help in coming around on his views on gay rights issues. "I believe Bob is in a unique position,'' she said in an interview. "I want to help him."


Deane, 55, of Richmond, was married to First Lady Maureen McDonnell's younger sister, Ellen, for 17 years. The couple divorced 1999 and has three children, ages 26, 22 and 19.  About 50 protesters, many wearing red, gathered under umbrellas and rain coats at a rainy rally in Capitol Square held by the gay rights group Equality Virginia. They urged legislators to "Don't Hate/Legislate," asking that lawmakers change write legal protections for gay residents into state code. Some held signs that read "Equality is Good." 

"This is a personal matter,'' McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said. "The Governor wishes Robyn the very best."voices.washingtonpost.com, Virginia Politics Blog, Apr 2010

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The Backslide Continues: Va. Gov. McDonnell Proclaims April Confederate History Month

In the 23 years since I moved to Virginia, I've never seen a more blatantly bigoted administration in control of the commonwealth. From Governor McDonnell's deliberate omission of sexual orientation as a protected class against employment discrimination to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's anti-gay crusade against our state colleges and universities, this administration has quickly set about putting its backwoods brand on the former home of the Confederacy. As if to seal the deal, Gov. McDonnell has declared April "Confederate History Month".

As we know, Virginia has never been a bastion of equality, peace and brotherhood, but most of our leaders have had the sense to keep their intolerance on the down low. That's why it was so shocking when our former governor George Allen called a member of the press corps "Macacca", putting an end to his senate race and all of his political ambitions. That's the way it ought to be. Bigotry should be something that ends a career, it should never be a foundation on which to build one. When bigotry rears its ugly head, that head should be cut off.

Conservatives have always wanted to roll back the clock on social progress to a time when straight, white men  wielded all the power, women stayed home and had babies, African-Americans knew their place and LGBT people were invisible. In the first four months of his administration, Gov. McDonnell and his henchman, Ken Cuccinelli, have put their stamp on the commonwealth  As Cooch himself told the Associated Press, "I don’t think anything I’m doing should be surprising to anyone who’s seen my political history or heard me on the campaign trail.” The same can be said of Bob McDonnell.

Throughout the culture wars -- in most of the U.S.-- there have been liberals and progressives to fight back, engage in the debate and hold right-wing conservative extremists accountable. Where are Virginia's liberal and progressive leaders now when they are needed the most? They're in Richmond, quietly shaking their heads in disapproval and sitting on their hands.

I'm reminded of the bumper stickers and t-shirts that I've seen over the years that proudly display the confederate flag with the words, "History, Not Hate". Why is it that only bigots display those kinds of messages? 

Be ashamed, Virginia. Be VERY ashamed.

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"Lipstick on a Bigot": Homophobic Watch targets McDonnell and Cuccinelli, issues Call to Action

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli continue to call attention to the Commonwealth of Virginia for their bigoted, homophobic policies. Recently the YouTube channel, "Homophobic Watch" posted the following video showing how Virginia's colleges and universities, specifically, the College of William and Mary, are standing their ground against legalized bigotry by not changing their equal protection policies that include sexual orientation and gender expression and identity.

Homophobic Watch's message is simple and direct:

You can put lipstick on a bigot, but its still a bigot, and if McDonnell doesnt put his money where his mouth is with an executive order, his true intentions become clearer. Ladies and gentlemen, confront this homophobia, and here is what you should do:

Respectfully contact Virginina Governor Robert McDonnell by going to governor.virginia.gov or calling (804) 786-2211.

Respectfully contact Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II by going to oag.state.va.us or calling (804) 786-2071.

Respectfully support the College of William & Mary's policy of banning discrimination against gay people by contacting them at web.wm.edu/contact/contact.php

Respectfully urge defense contractor Northrop Grumman to reject Virginia as the location for its new national headquarters. To contact them, click on the link in the description box to this video

https://appserv.northropgrumman.com/R...

Continue to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would protect LGBT people from discrimination everywhere in the country. To find your Reprsentative, go to writerep.house.gov. To find your Senator, go to www.senate.gov and select your state at the top right corner of the website.

Only when you do something will you make a difference.

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MetLife Survey: LGBT People More Likely To Age Alone

According to a new survey by insurance giant MetLife (you know, the ones with the cute commercials with Snoopy and Woodstock?) LGBT Baby Boomers expect to put off retirement until age 70 or beyond, fear being overly dependent on others for care, but feel that being LGBT and coping with the associated discrimination, has better prepared them for dealing with life as they age.

LGBT people are more likely to have a chosen family of close friends that they rely on for emotional support and are likely to be more dependent on them in later life. We already knew that, but it's nice that mainstream America gets to find out.

From the survey: Born between 1946 and 1964, LGBT Baby Boomers advanced the U.S. gay rights movement and within one generation succeeded in changing social attitudes from seeing homosexuality as a psychiatric condition to winning same-sex marriage rights and acknowledgment of their civil rights in an increasing number of states. Many unanswered questions emerge as this cohort ages into retirement and beyond and its ability to change the face of aging as much as it has changed attitudes about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Some of the findings of the MetLife survey include:

• 60% of LGBT Boomers fear being unable to care for themselves as they age; 35% fear becoming dependent on others

• Nearly two-thirds of LGBT Boomers say they have a "chosen family," a group of people they consider family, even though they are not legally or biologically related

• Nearly half of the LGBT Boomers and four in ten Boomers from the general population say they don't expect to retire until age 70 or older

• Men in both the LGBT and general population are nearly as likely as women to be giving care to another adult

Click here to go to the MetLife site for a PDF of the full survey results.

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