Cool Site of the Week: The Bilerico Project

This week's pic for Cool Site of the Week is long over due. When I first started blogging last year, some of my biggest supporters were the folks at The Bilerico Project, Started in 1998 by Bil Browning and his partner Jerame Davis as a website focused on LGBT issues in Indiana, called Bilerico.com, the site has grown into a nationally recognized source of news, information and opinion, featuring over 75 regular contributors, including a weekly Vlog from out comedian Kate Clinton.

Last year, as I was struggling to find my way in the blogosphere, Bil was kind enough to post one of my stories as a guest blogger. I was bowled over that he and Weekend Editor, Dana Rudolph of Mombian.com liked my story enough to post it. I was even more blown away when they published a second submission a couple of months later.

Dr. Jillian Weiss, Associate Editor of the site, has been an invaluable source of information for me on transgender issues and has been a tireless lobbyist for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and provides regular updates on its status.

What I love best about Bilerico is that it's a one-stop shop for a true diversity of opinions, commentary and humor from every corner of our community and sets the standard of excellence for bloggers every where. Bil has become a nationally recognized citizen journalist and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post on LGBT issues. He and Jerame recently relocated to DC, when Jerame took a new job there. This puts the Unambiguously Gay Duo right in the heart of the fight.

If you're looking for a site that is truly representative of the diversity of the LGBTQIA community, I strongly recommend that you check out The Bilerico Project, just don't forget to stop by and see The Rev. now and then. Don't make me come looking for you.

 

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LGBT Bloggers Receive Courage Award in NYC

In an award ceremony last night in New York, bloggers Pam Spaulding (Pam's House Blend), Bil Browning (The Bilerico Project), Joe Jervis (Joe.My.God) and Andy Towle (Towleroad) received the 2009 Courage Award from the NYC Anti-Violence Project for calling attention to anti-LGBT violence.

Congratulations to four of my favorite bloggers who inspire me daily. Their work has not only kept our community informed and motivated, but has caught the attention of the haters as well, who regularly monitor their posts.

Pictured from right to left, Pam Spaulding, Andy Towle, Bil Browning and Joe Jervis.

Joe.My.God posted a story on Monday about an incident involving a comment on his site that questioned whether the fight for LGBT Rights was on the verge of becoming violent. Joseph LaBarbera of the Liberty Counsel has filed a complaint with the FBI over the comment


Pam's House Blend has full coverage of last night's Courage Awards ceremony.

Still Stirrin' Shit Up

On Thursday I wrote a piece called "WTF is up with "Gay Sports?" where I went off on a tangent about how I hated sports as a kid and still do. I got some positive feedback from friends who read it, so I submitted it to The Bilerco Project for a guest post when I got home from work on Thursday night.

When Friday came and went and I hadn't heard back from Bilerico's editors, I figured they either didn't like it or didn't have room for it in their weekend edition.

Saturday morning I checked Bilerico.com from work, just to see if maybe they had posted it. I was thrilled to find that they had, especially when I noticed that my picture was larger than those of other contributors. But something wasn't quite right. The paragraphs had been rearranged, giving the article a disjointed and somewhat psychotic tone.

Not only that, but the comments were overwhelmingly negative as gay jocks raked me over the coals and universally panned my work.

One reader wrote:

"I am just amazed at the amount of messed up assumptions. I can see the comedic touch but are you kidding me? Wow."

Another wrote:

"This is really all negative with only a touch of comedy, c'mon lighten up dude."

The one that really got to me was directed to Bilerico's founder, Bil Browning:

"Bad call Bill, even being willing to publish this pile. Should have been shoveled out of the stalls while it was still steaming."

As usual for a Saturday morning at "Shminko's", I was alone until my mid-shift coworker showed up and there was nothing I could do about it.

As soon as I got home, I sent an e-mail the Bilerico's weekend editor, Dana Rudolph of Mombian.com, and asked about the way the article looked. Dana wrote back and apologized, saying her editing software has screwed it up or possibly that she had mixed things up in the cut and paste process.

Dana quickly fixed the problem and to my relief, the tone of the comments changed:

"I thought it was pretty funny. I was never any good at sports either."

"Rev Steve .. Just a note to say that I loved your entry!"

"Finally! Someone actually says out loud what a great number of us (not all, mind you) think about the obsession with sports..."

Bil Browning himself posted the following comments:

"Pshaw. Sports suck. Give me a book, the internet or even yard work any day of the week before organized sports.

But - wow - how many folks were irritated by this post. It's not that deep; it's just comedy making fun of stereotypes. I'm thinking Steve hit a nerve... Still, it's interesting to see how many of our sporting brethren are up in arms and how few of us are in here admitting we've got no interest in sports either. I assumed the post would get a bunch "You tell 'em," or "Amen, sister!" comments and that would be it. LOL

Goes to show you what I know, eh?"

A big thanks goes out to Bil and Dana for giving me another shot. They seem to like my work, so I'll keep sending articles for as long as they want to keep posting them.

Woo Hoo! I'm a Real Blogger Now!

I am honored to announce that the Bilerico Project has posted one of my articles. I was inspired to write the piece called, "What's in a Handshake" after attending a party last weekend at the home of one one my friends from work.

Thanks to Belrico Editor Bil Browning for his encouragement and to Dana Rudolph of the blog, "Mombian", who serves as Bilerico's weekend editor. Dana told me by e-mail that she had no edits for the article itself, just for the bio I submitted. It never occurred to me that I could edit my bio. Maybe next time I'll include a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.

The Bilerico Project is one of the nation's top LGBT blogs made up of fifty contributors from all over the country. Bilerico announced this week that its efforts to expose the homophobia behind Rockstar Energy Drink paid off in the form of a $100k settlement.

It is truly an honor to be chosen as a guest blogger. I feel just like Pinocchio when he became a real boy. You can read my guest post at Bilerico.com.

LGBT Bloggers, Activists and Orgs Win $100k in Dispute with Rockstar Energy Drink

Back in April, LGBT blog, The Bilerico Project, posted an article exposing the connection between conservative homophobic talk radio host Michael Savage and Rockstar Energy Drink. In the article, guest blogger Michael Jones of change.org, revealed that Rockstar was founded by Savage's son Russell Weiner with Savage's financial backing.

Savage is well known for his homophobic rants, where he has compared gays and lesbians to rapists and pedophiles, saying,

"When you hear 'human rights,' think only someone who wants to molest your son, and send you to jail if you defend him. Write that down, make a note of it."

"When I see two puffy white males kissing each other, I want to puke. When I see two women kissing each other, on the lips, as lovers, I want to vomit."

The article has kicked up a storm of controversy over the past few months, with Rockstar attorneys threatening to sue Bilerico and change.org unless they removed the post. They claimed that Savage was not affiliated with the company and disavowed any anti-gay comments he may have made.

However, Savage's son, Rockstar CEO Russell Weiner himself has a blatantly homophobic past. Weiner and Savage are co-founders of the right wing Paul Revere Society. According to the Bilerico article, "At a Rockstar-sponsored concert at Concord Pavilion in 2004, Russell Weiner warmed up the crowd by chanting "Who's heterosexual and proud? If you're not, hopefully you will be soon."

Although the bloggers posted some clarifications, they refused to back down and called for a boycott of Rockstar's products.

Yesterday, Rockstar caved. Bilerico's Bil Browning announced in a joint press release with change.org and Rockstar Energy Drink, that the company, while admitting nothing, will be donating $100,000 to a cross section of LGBT organizations and programs and is changing it's employment practices to include a greater respect for the diversity of its employees and its local Las Vegas, NV community.

"(From Bilerico.com) ROCKSTAR Energy Drink CEO Russell Weiner announced today that the beverage company will expand its LGBT corporate policies and make $100,000 in donations, shared among several prominent LGBT organizations. The donations represent a significant contribution given ROCKSTAR's relatively small staff of 120 employees.

The contribution will be shared among the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), and The Trevor Project, and ROCKSTAR Energy Drink will also financially sponsor the National LGBT Bloggers Initiative. The donations and affirmation of LGBT-friendly corporate policies mark steps by ROCKSTAR to demonstrate support for the LGBT community.

"It has recently come to ROCKSTAR's attention that there might be a misconception about our company's policy and my personal support for LGBT rights," said Weiner. "We apologize for that misunderstanding, and want to make clear today that our company fully supports our LGBT employees and our LGBT customers."

You can read the complete press release at The Bilerico Project.