Dan Savage’s itgetsbetterproject in YT

updated 20100924@15:28 – what this post needs is a theme song. take it away, Jill

Dan Savage has done many good things (remember Santorum?) and spearheaded many worthy causes, but the itgetsbetterproject is likely to be his crowning achievement.

take a bow, Dan.  in memory of Billy Lucas, the many more suffering today, and of all of us who made it out alive. *

* I’m not LGBT, notthatthere’sanythingwrongwiththat, but I can’t help thinking that the itgetsbetterproject also applies to the nerds, the weirdos, the outsiders, the do-not-fits, all of us great unwashed who look back on our high school years as far from “the best times of our lives”

If you’re gay or lesbian or bi or trans, and you’ve ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, “Fuck, I wish I could’ve told him that it gets better,” this is your chance. We can’t help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don’t think they have a future—and we can help them….READ MORE about the It Gets Better Project, in Savage Love, here: http://bit.ly/bYtxBd

via YouTube – itgetsbetterproject’s Channel.

so, CNN doesn’t completely suck. neither does Arkansas, apparently

this. is. awesome.   missed it when first aired because I stopped watching CNN a while back.

Will Phillips wont’ recite the Pledge of Allegiance until there is "justice and liberty for all"

found via Shakespeare sister blog

[partial transcript]  entire at link

Will Phillips: Well, I looked at the end [of the Pledge] and it said "with liberty and justice for all." And there really isn't liberty and justice for all. There's—um, uh, gays and lesbians can't marry.

Roberts: Mm-hmm.

Will Phillips: Um, uh, there's still a lot of racism and sexism in the world, um, yeah.

Roberts: All right. So you, so you think that the country isn't living up to the ideals of the pledge and you took it upon yourself to sit down and not recite the pledge of allegiance until the country comes in line with, to embody the ideals that are embodied in the pledge?

Will Phillips: Yes!

Roberts: All right. So, your teacher, who is a substitute teacher at the time, was giving you some grief about not standing up. And this went on for a few days. What did you eventually say to that teacher?

Will Phillips: I eventually very solemnly with a little bit of malice in my voice said, "Ma'am, with all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge."

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I heart Sir Ian

Sir Ian McKellen: There is nothing to know

http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/s…

When people think offensive remarks about homosexuals, it offends me. Many are offended … it may offend their religions … some stick to their religions. What’s behind it is homophobia—the worry, the fear, the life. It’s a perfectly normal, minority group of people in the world who should not be discriminated against whatsoever. People don’t get it who have never met a homosexual person, or read or watch anti-gay people in the media, but when they discover that maybe their child is gay, there can be the most amazing turnaround. It means that people have to discuss the situation, and the situation is that there’s no need to make life miserable for those who contribute to the community and the nation.

amen.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Equality. Now

Equality Across America

http://equalityacrossamerica.org/

On October 10-11, we will march on Washington with one single demand: equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. This march is a first step to build a grassroots network in all 435 Congressional Districts to make this demand a reality.

'twas a gorgeous day for political activism.

the National Equality March, organized by Equality Across America saw folks from all 50 states gather to march and demand equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

I wasn't there.
not in person

some pictures yanked from the Equality Across America flckr photostream

Since 1965

Crowd

Equality

NEM button

Wives

tons and tons more pictures

about NEM

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

ok. you make this happen, and I’ll forgive you

Obama to End ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Military Policy – WSJ.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12552…

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama pledged to end the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military in a speech Saturday, but acknowledged to a cheering crowd that the policy changes he promised on the campaign trail are not coming as quickly as they expected. "I will end "don’t ask-don’t tell,’" Mr. Obama said at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay civil rights advocacy group. (…) Mr. Obama also called on Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits. He also called for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners.

 here's video of the speech from MSNBC:

Obama’s speech at the Human Rights Campaign annual dinner

NOTE: for those of you outside the US, here's a link to the speech in YouTube

updated 10/11/2009@1420: added video and link of Obama's speech

Read and post comments | Send to a friend