2014: A Year In Review

As we say goodbye to 2014, here's a look back at some of the major milestones, both good and bad, that occurred for the LGBT community around the world this year.

JANUARY

• Boy Scouts of American begins welcoming openly gay youth to join their ranks.
• Nigeria passes a law making same-sex marriage illegal along with public displays of same-sex relationships and belonging to homosexual groups.
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus repeals Criminal Code provisions which punishes consensual sexual acts between adult men.

FEBRUARY

• Scottish parliament approves same-sex marriage bill.
• Facebook changes its gender options give users more then fifty options.
• Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, signs into law the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that criminalizes consensual same-sex relations.

MARCH

• Same-sex marriages begin to occur in England and Wales thanks to the Marriage (Same-Sex) Act 2013.

APRIL

• Malta's parliament approves a civil partnership bill.
• India officially recognizes a third gender.

MAY

• Oregon and Pennsylvania legalizes same-sex marriage.
• Laverne Cox becomes the first transgender person to be on the front cover of Time magazine.
• American football defensive end Michael Sam becomes the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team after he was picked by the St. Louis Rams during the seventh round of the NFL draft.

JUNE

• The Presbyterian Church (US) votes to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies to be held within the church.
• Luxembourg parliament approves same-sex marriage bill.

JULY

• Croatian Parliament approves a civil partnership bill.
• President Obama signs an executive order expanding employment protections for federal workers and contractors to include gender identity, which also bans sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination for companies with federal contracts.

AUGUST

• The Constitutional Court of Uganda rules the Anti-Homosexuality Bill as invalid.
• Cleveland, Ohio hosts the Gay Games with 8,000 participants from 48 states and 51 countries competing.

SEPTEMBER

• The New York Saint Patrick's Day Parade committee announces it's ending the ban on LGBT-affiliated groups marching in the parade.
• California becomes the first state to ban “trans panic” or “gay panic” as a legal defense in court.
• The Congress of Coahuila in Mexico votes to legalize same-sex marriage.

OCTOBER

• Colorado, Indiana, Alaska, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Nevada, North Carolina, Wyoming, Arizona, and Idaho legalize same-sex marriage
• Estonia recognizes same-sex partnerships
• Missouri recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states.
• Adoption to same-sex couples in Virginia is legalized.

NOVEMBER

• South Carolina, Kansas, and Montana legalizes same-sex marriage.
• The Parliament of Finland approves a citizen's initiative to legalize same-sex marriage. The new law will take effect in 2016.

DECEMBER

• Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Scotland.

2014 was definitely the year to come out. Celebrities, athletes, models,  Olympians, and even a politician or two all make this year's list of notable people who came out as LGBT

• Michael Sam
• Pat Patterson
• Tim Cook
• Ellen Page
• Daniel Franzese
• Andreja Pejic (transgender)
• Billy Gilman
• Ty Herndon
• Samira Wiley
• Derrick Gordon
• Kristian Nairn
• Ian Thorpe
• Tyler Glenn
• Sam Smith
• Jin Tai
• Vicky Beeching
• Patricia Yurena Rodríguez
• Lauren Morelli
• Jay Kelly (transgender)
• Emily Rios
• Djuan Trent
• Geena Rocero (transgender)
• M.K. Nobilette
• Matt Llano
• Jim Ferlo
• John Fennell
• Paul Masvidal, 
• Sean Reinert
• Connor Franta
• Ruby Rose (gender fluid)
• Tom Luchsinger
• Liam Davis
• Lauren Neidigh
• Rob Kearney
• Lee Ryan
• Marcus Juhlin
• Kristen Kish
• Monica Raymund
• Edgars Rinkēvičs
• Thomas Hitzlsperger
• Mark McAdam
• Eric Radford

This has been quite a year for the LGBT community. There were a lot of ups and downs, but overall this year was a step forward, not a step backwards, for the community. I hope you all had your share of good times this past year and have a wonderful New Years!

I'll see you all in 2015 =)

Never Forget Leelah Alcorn

Today I learned about a story from Ohio that has hit me hard. It is one that needs to be told and spread like wildfire.

On December 29, a young transgender woman named Leelah Alcorn took her own life by stepping out in front of a semi truck. She was born "Joshua Alcorn" and was only 17 years old. Leelah was bullied for years by her own parents who were extremely religious. Her parents sent her to Christian therapists who only added to Leelah's pain.

Before she took her own life, Leelah left a message on her Tumblr page. This message needs to be read by as many as possible.

SUICIDE NOTE 

If you are reading this, it means that I have committed suicide and obviously failed to delete this post from my queue.

Please don’t be sad, it’s for the better. The life I would’ve lived isn’t worth living in… because I’m transgender. I could go into detail explaining why I feel that way, but this note is probably going to be lengthy enough as it is. To put it simply, I feel like a girl trapped in a boy’s body, and I’ve felt that way ever since I was 4. I never knew there was a word for that feeling, nor was it possible for a boy to become a girl, so I never told anyone and I just continued to do traditionally “boyish” things to try to fit in.

When I was 14, I learned what transgender meant and cried of happiness. After 10 years of confusion I finally understood who I was. I immediately told my mom, and she reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, that I am wrong. If you are reading this, parents, please don’t tell this to your kids. Even if you are Christian or are against transgender people don’t ever say that to someone, especially your kid. That won’t do anything but make them hate them self. That’s exactly what it did to me.

My mom started taking me to a therapist, but would only take me to christian therapists, (who were all very biased) so I never actually got the therapy I needed to cure me of my depression. I only got more christians telling me that I was selfish and wrong and that I should look to God for help.
When I was 16 I realized that my parents would never come around, and that I would have to wait until I was 18 to start any sort of transitioning treatment, which absolutely broke my heart. The longer you wait, the harder it is to transition. I felt hopeless, that I was just going to look like a man in drag for the rest of my life. On my 16th birthday, when I didn’t receive consent from my parents to start transitioning, I cried myself to sleep.

I formed a sort of a “fuck you” attitude towards my parents and came out as gay at school, thinking that maybe if I eased into coming out as trans it would be less of a shock. Although the reaction from my friends was positive, my parents were pissed. They felt like I was attacking their image, and that I was an embarrassment to them. They wanted me to be their perfect little straight christian boy, and that’s obviously not what I wanted.

So they took me out of public school, took away my laptop and phone, and forbid me of getting on any sort of social media, completely isolating me from my friends. This was probably the part of my life when I was the most depressed, and I’m surprised I didn’t kill myself. I was completely alone for 5 months. No friends, no support, no love. Just my parent’s disappointment and the cruelty of loneliness.

At the end of the school year, my parents finally came around and gave me my phone and let me back on social media. I was excited, I finally had my friends back. They were extremely excited to see me and talk to me, but only at first. Eventually they realized they didn’t actually give a shit about me, and I felt even lonelier than I did before. The only friends I thought I had only liked me because they saw me five times a week.

After a summer of having almost no friends plus the weight of having to think about college, save money for moving out, keep my grades up, go to church each week and feel like shit because everyone there is against everything I live for, I have decided I’ve had enough. I’m never going to transition successfully, even when I move out. I’m never going to be happy with the way I look or sound. I’m never going to have enough friends to satisfy me. I’m never going to have enough love to satisfy me. I’m never going to find a man who loves me. I’m never going to be happy. Either I live the rest of my life as a lonely man who wishes he were a woman or I live my life as a lonelier woman who hates herself. There’s no winning. There’s no way out. I’m sad enough already, I don’t need my life to get any worse. People say “it gets better” but that isn’t true in my case. It gets worse. Each day I get worse.

That’s the gist of it, that’s why I feel like killing myself. Sorry if that’s not a good enough reason for you, it’s good enough for me. As for my will, I want 100% of the things that I legally own to be sold and the money (plus my money in the bank) to be given to trans civil rights movements and support groups, I don’t give a shit which one. The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights. Gender needs to be taught about in schools, the earlier the better. My death needs to mean something. My death needs to be counted in the number of transgender people who commit suicide this year. I want someone to look at that number and say “that’s fucked up” and fix it. Fix society. Please.

Goodbye,
(Leelah) Josh Alcorn

This whole story breaks my heart and enrages me at the same time. Parents are supposed to support and love their children no matter what! From the moment they are put into your care, you should be there for them. Who cares if later in life they realize their gender isn't the one they were born with!? They are still your CHILD.

As a community, it's stories like this that show just how much we've been letting the transgender community down. Transgender persons, especially youth, need to know there is support and help out there for them. If you do nothing else, remember Leelah Alcorn and how her suicide was completely preventable if only she'd had the love and support she deserved.

From looking through her Tumblr page, I've learned Leelah was a great artist with a spit fire personality. She is someone I wish I could've met in this life. She will never get to grow up and become the amazing woman I'm certain she would've been, even more so then she already was, but there are others like her who can still be helped, still be saved.

There are countless stories like Leelah's that occur every year, yet most of the time they never make the news much less get spread all over. Leelah's story is beginning to show up all over the internet, especially the site Tumblr.

In her note, Leelah begs us to fix society. It's time we do just that. The time to spread transgender support and help educate others on being transgender is now. Let's start remembering the T in LGBT.

Below are links to Leelah's Tumblr page as well as a news article that was written about her suicide.

http://lazerprincess.tumblr.com/

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2014/12/transgender-teen-commits-suicide-cites-christian-parents-in-blog/

Recently, the first transgender suicide hotline run completely by transgender persons was created for the US and Canada. You can reach Trans Life at 877-565-8860 (US) and 877-330-6366 (Canda).

FDA Lifts Ban On Gay & Bisexual Blood Donations

This year is wrapping up with one more step in the right direction for the LGBT community here in the states.

On Tuesday, the FDA announced its plans to lift the lifetime ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. The ban was put in place in 1983 during the AIDS epidemic. Back then, very little was known about HIV or what causes the disease, nor were there any quick tests for the disease. Thanks to advances in science and medicine, much more is known, and understood, about HIV now.

While the FDA has lifted the original ban, it is keeping a ban on donations by men who've slept with other men in the last year. This decision brings the US up to par with many European countries, including Great Britain, who adjusted their lifetime ban to a 12-month ban back in 2011. So while the ban isn't completely gone, it is a step in the right direction.

This decision has had mixed feedback. Some believe this is a step in the right direction. “This is a major victory for gay civil rights,” said I. Glenn Cohen, a law professor at Harvard who specializes in bioethics and health. “We’re leaving behind the old view that every gay man is a potential infection source.” However, he did admit that the policy was “still not rational enough.” While others were not so impressed. GMHC, an advocacy group formerly known as Gay Men’s Health Crisis, called the new policy “offensive and harmful.” and AIDS United, a Washington-based lobbying group, said the policy was a “step forward,” but that it “continues to perpetuate discrimination against gay and bisexual men.”

Overall, I agree that this is a step in the right direction, but it does feel like the FDA is saying only gay and bisexual men can carry HIV. However, all things take time and I'm going to count this as a win for the LGBT community. Let's hope it leads to even bigger, more significant wins in the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/health/fda-lifting-ban-on-gay-blood-donors.html?_r=0

Biggest Influential Coming Outs Of 2014

2014 was a great year as far as people in the media coming out. From all sectors of the media - broadcasting to acting to professional sports - this was the year to stomp on stereotypes and prove you can be anything you want to be no matter your orientation.

Here's a list of those whose coming outs made some of the biggest impacts in 2014.

1. Ellen Page - a Canadian actress who came out at a gay youth conference back in February.

2. Kristian Nairn - an Irish actor from the show "Game Of Thrones" who came out in March, wanting to challenge those who stereotype what gay men are supposed to look like.

3. Vicky Beeching - a British Christian singer who came out in August and became an advocate for gay rights in churches.

4. Daniel Franzeze - an actor best known for his role in the film "Mean Girls" who came out by writing a letter to his character from the film.

5. Tyler Glenn - the lead vocalist and keyboardist for the band Neon Tree proved when coming out that you can be gay and Mormon.

6. Andreja Pejic - a model for Elle and French Vogue who stunned the fashion world when she came out as a transgender woman.

7. Mark McAdam - a Sky Sports presenter who came out in September.

8. Maria Walsh - won the Rose of Tralee (a competition to find the "ultimate Irish woman") in August.

9. Michael Sam - the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year challenged the stereotype that gay men can't play football when he was drafted by the NFL.

10. Derrick Gordon - became the first openly gay National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 play when he came out in April.

11. Thomas Hitzlsperger - the highest profile soccer player to ever come out as gay which he did a mere 4 months after retiring.

12. Wang Ann-Jiun - the magazine editor-in chief came out as lesbian right in front of Taiwan's Parliament.

13. Sam Smith - the singer's debut album about unrequited love for a man was released this year.

14. Kellie Maloney - a former boxing promoter and UKIP politician had one of the most publicized coming outs this year.

15. Richard Quest - a CNN reporter who became one of the few out and proud gay journalists working for a national publication.

16. Djuan Trent - the first ever veteran Miss American contestant to come out.

17. Ian Thorpe - an Australian championship swimmer came out this year after years of media rumors circulating about his sexuality.

18. Charlie King - after earning his fame from the show "The Only Way Is Essex", the reality star came out on live UK morning television.

Thomas Hitzlsperger

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 basketball player - See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/18-coming-outs-changed-world-2014101014#sthash.ymnfI9qc.dpuf

Daniel Franzeze

Daniel Franzeze

It's people like these individuals who help pave the way for the younger generations. They're the ones who show others that their orientation does not limit their potential to be or do anything they want.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/18-coming-outs-changed-world-2014101014

Kristian Nairn

Kristian Nairn

Kristian Nairn

Kristian Nairn

2014 LGBT Enemy and Ally Of The Year

Today an article was released by Grindr, naming Vladimir Putin as Enemy of the LGBT Community 2014.

This really shouldn't be too big of a surprise to anyone. In mid 2013, he passed a law banning “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” to minors. Those found breaking this law are fined, some even arrested. This law caused quite the international uproar and numerous protests during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi earlier this year. Not to mention being LGBT in Russia overall is dangerous due to the majority of general populous being against same-sex relationships and LGBT rights in general

On a lighter note, Hillary Clinton was named Straight Ally of the Year. She has publicly condemned Russia’s treatment of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people, and has consistently fought for LGBT rights. In 2011 she was quoted as saying, "Gay rights are human rights."

These results were from a poll given to Grindr users in the UK, US, and Australia. Grindr is a social networking app popular with gay and bisexual men for those of you who haven't heard of it.

Spreading Christmas Hate

(Finally back! Sorry about that rather long hiatus...)

Ever notice how there always seems to be something new for homophobes to be upset over? Well, the newest thing causing a homophobic uproar online is really for rather ridiculous reason (even more so then usual). So what is this new thing you ask? A documentary about SANTA CLAUSE.

A recently released documentary entitled "I Am Santa Clause" delves into the world of professional santas and the men that play them. The film follows four seasoned santas and one rookie to show what it takes to play Santa, and what their lives are like the rest of the year. I first learned about this film because it stars (and was produced by) WWE legend Mick Foley, who outside the world of professional wrestling is a big fan of Santa Clause. It actually looks like a truly fascinating documentary. Unfortunately, the film has experienced a large amount of homophobic backlash simply because one of the santas is gay.

The men featured in the film aren't just your run of the mill professional santas. These men are truly dedicated, altering their appearances and wearing Christmas themed clothing throughout the year. One of the men, "Santa Jim", is kindhearted man in his 70's who loves to spread love and joy in the spirit of Santa Clause and just happens to be gay. Mick Foley stated, "I would dare anyone to watch the film and not like Santa Jim.  I think there are going to be two types of reactions to Jim: some will be touched by him, and others will have to work hard to convince themselves that they were not touched by him. Jim clearly does an outstanding job of making children feel special."

Backlash has included posts featuring homophobic messages on the film's various social networking sites and threats to both Santa Jim and Mick Foley.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, Santa Clause has been a widely known and beloved part of Christmas celebrations for centuries. As a child, I remember how it was always exciting to experience a visit to Santa. Now, as an adult, I have a large appreciation for the men who dedicate themselves to filling such a special role in the hearts of children everywhere. So why should it matter who they love outside that role? Last time I checked, nowhere does it say you have to be straight in order to bring joy to children.

The fact that some people are so upset over a gay man playing Santa Clause just proves to me that the world is filled with horrible people who aren't happy unless they are constantly finding something to be upset over. The man clearly loves what he does and is very good at it. I, for one, would be proud to take my child to see Santa Jim or any other Santa who is part of the LGBT community. People have a right to be happy with who they are and what they do with their lives. These homophobes seriously need to find some happiness themselves and stop trying to rob it from others.

http://www.themarysue.com/i-am-santa-clause-gay-santa-backlash/

Polls Show Improving Numbers

Good news has come via a poll by CBS and The New York Times!

The poll has run for several years with the exact same wording, asking voters,“Do you think it should be legal or not legal for same-sex couples to marry?". The results revealed less people are opposed to same-sex marriage than in previous polls.

The long-running poll showed 56% of Americans in favor of same-sex marriage with only 37% opposed to it. These numbers show a 3% drop in opposition since July of this year when 40% of Americans were opposed to same-sex marriage. Comparatively, the new numbers show a big drop in opposition from July 2012 numbers where 44% were opposed.

This news made me really happy. It's things like this that show how things are slowly but surely changing for the better for the LGBT community in the US. It's important to take notice of small stories like this to remember to always have hope for a better, more equal future.

A Step Forward In Israel

Some exciting, and somewhat surprising, news came out of the Middle East this week. Israel has announced it will extend the benefits of the Law of Return to ALL married couples, including same-sex couples. This also allows Jews to immigrate to Israel with their non-Jewish same-sex spouses. Due to a directive that was made public on Tuesday, immigration authorities have now been informed by Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Saar to not differentiate between hetero and same-sex couples. 

“The Law of Return deals with the ingathering of all members of the Jewish people,” Saar wrote to his ministry’s Population and Immigration Authority,“In this regard, I see no reason to distinguish between Jews married in heterosexual marriages and Jews legally married abroad to a same-sex spouse. Both are Jews in terms of the Law of Return.”

In the last few years, the Israeli government has only naturalized non-Jewish persons whose same-sex spouses were Jewish after threats were made to send petitions the Supreme Court. It appears those threats were not in vain and helped push this new directive forward.

Israel does not allow same-sex couples to marry inside the country but does recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other countries. Furthermore, gay people openly serve in the Israel's parliament and military. The Israeli Supreme Court also grants family rights, such as inheritance and survivors' benefits, to people that are gay.The country as a whole is actually quite tolerant of gay people. 

I have to admit that learning all this was a bit surprising to me. Unfortunately, most countries in the Middle East are automatically labeled as being homophobic and bigoted. It is important to remember that countries from all parts of the world are moving forward with human equality, and that anyone can be an LGBT ally regardless of where they are from. 

Same-Sex Parents Create Happy Kids

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Melbourne in Australia, children of same-sex couples are happier and healthier then children from "traditional" families. The study was aimed to "describe the physical, mental and social well-being" of children with same-sex parents as well as "the impact that stigma has on them".

A research team surveyed 315 same-sex parents and a total of 500 children. The results show, on average, the children with two moms or two dads scored 6% higher on measures of general health and family cohesion. When it came to temperament, mood, behavior, mental health and self-esteem, the children scored the same as children with heterosexual parents.

Head researcher, Simon Crouch, believes an emphasis on skills rather then traditional gender roles is a major factor in the survey results. "So what this means is that people take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes. What this leads to is a more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and wellbeing." Crouch explained. 

I think this is a brilliant idea because it helps show children that their gender does not make them who they are. Society as a whole still as a stigma that if you are a certain gender you can only like certain things or do certain things. Such as only girls can enjoy baking, and only boys can be grow up to be mechanics. As a society we need to do away with the idea of traditional gender roles for the sake of future generations. 

In my opinion, the results of this survey make perfect sense. Unlike heterosexual couples, no same-sex couple has a child accidentally. Whether they are from fostering, adoption or surrogacy, having a child is a meticulous process that requires time and planning for any same-sex couple. Most importantly, every child raised by same-sex parents knows they are wanted. 

For the full results of this survey, visit http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/635/abstract

Conversions In Washington State

Monday marked a change for same-sex couples in Washington state. The majority of registered domestic partnerships have now been converted into marriages by the state. 

Before Washington state voters legalized same-sex marriage in 2012, there were roughly 10,000 domestic partnerships registered with the secretary of state's office. Since the same-sex marriage law went into effect at the end 2012, over 7,000 same-sex couples have been married. Not all of the marriages were previously registered domestic partnerships, but many of them were. Those domestic partnerships that weren't previously converted into marriages by the actual couples have now been converted by the state as of Monday. 

This change was a component of the state's same-sex marriage law. However, the conversion only went into effect for couples who are both under the age of 62. Domestic partnerships can now only be filed if one of the partners is over the age of 62 because seniors risk losing certain retirement benefits if they marry. This stipulation for domestic partnerships holds true for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. It was estimated that around 3,600 couples have been effected by the conversion. 

Couples were notified of the impending change last year, and then again in March of this year. They were also instructed on what to do if they wanted to end their domestic partnership before the change went into effect. However, according to the corporations director for the secretary of state's office, Pam Floyd, despite best efforts by the state, there will be inevitably a few couples that have broken up and moved to a different state without legally ending their partnership who don't know about the conversions. Those couples will now need to get a divorce to dissolve their partnerships.

Washington citizens have shown mixed feelings about this decision. Some couples feel like their right to decide when they want to be married was taken away, and some were frantically trying to dissolve their partnerships before the change went into effect. Dissolving a domestic partnership is similar to a divorce in a marriage. You have to go to court and file an action. Other couples didn't mind the change because they either already got married, or they feel as though it saved them a step. 

Washington isn't the only state to convert domestic partnerships into marriages. New Hampshire and Connecticut have done the same. 

Surprising News From The White House

Today, at the annual LGBT Pride celebration at the White House, President Obama gave some astounding news.

Last year, the President promised the LGBT community he'd make sure the Affordable Care Act was implemented to insure no one could be denied health insurance based on their sexual orientation OR gender identity. He didn't disappoint. Now he's taking on another challenge for the LGBT community, this time within the work place.

He announced plans to sign an executive order protecting all Federal workers from gender identity discrimination. This order is designed to help protect transgender workers. Previously this month, he announced plans to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Federal employees are already protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Together, these orders will insure all LGBT Federal employees and contractors are protected from discrimination for being who they are.

While these most recent executive orders for transgender persons are a big step forward, they apply only to Federal employees, and there is still a lot of work to be done around the country to insure everyone is treated equally. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, only 37% of Americans live in an area of the U.S. that protects employees on the basis of gender identity. However, these orders by President Obama have set a good example for (hopefully) the rest of the country to follow.

Obama had called on Congress to pass federal legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but they would not. So the President decided to issue executive orders instead.

“The majority of Fortune 500 companies already have nondiscrimination policies to protect their employees because it’s the right thing to do and because many say it helps to retain and attract the best talent,” Obama said. “And I agree. So if Congress won’t act, I will.”

Pride 2014!

Earlier this month I attended my second LGBT Pride festival here in my town. It's not nearly as big of an event as places like Seattle, Toronto, Portland etc. but it was still tons of fun!

I get why some people in the LGBT community don't think Pride should still exist. In this day and age, it shouldn't matter what orientation you are, everyone should just be the same. There shouldn't still be a need for Pride festivals, but since the fight for equality is still happening, Pride still means a great deal to a lot of people. It's a time where you can celebrate the ability to be you without the threat of jail time or being put to death for your orientation. Considering there is still a lot of places in the world where that is legal, it's a relief to those who are in a place that celebrates Pride because they don't need to worry about those threats.

That being said, I highly recommend going to a Pride festival if you have the chance. Whether you are part of the LGBT community or an ally, they are a lot of fun. There is access to all kinds of information and services not to mention there's usually fun activities for the kids, performances, and even a parade. You can meet all kinds of new people and learn new things. Plus there's just something about Pride that is comforting to be around.

I wore a shirt to Pride that said "100% Asexual, 100% Out, 100% Proud". I had people stop me to ask about asexuality, tell me they knew someone that was asexual, and even one young lady tell me she was asexual too! It was great to help spread visibility and educate people.

So if you have the chance, grab some friends like I did and go experience a Pride festival. You won't regret it! =)

Coming Out At 73

I know in the past I've done a few posts mixing LGBT news with WWE wrestling. I'm sorry to those of you this bothers, but I'm about to do it again. Frankly, this story means too much to me not to post about it.

This past Thursday on the WWE Network reality show "Legends House", wrestling legend and Hall-Of-Famer, Pat Patterson, came out for the first time publicly in a tearful confession to his fellow legends.

What made me want to post about this story wasn't the fact that it involves wrestling, but because of the circumstance surrounding Patterson's coming out and what we can learn from it. What really stood out to me is the fact that Pat Patterson is 73 years old and has been in the closet for over 50 years. He also had a partner for 40 years that hardly anyone knew about. That is a long time to hide a fairly big part of yourself away.

What we should all take from this story is that it is NEVER too late to show the world your true self. Your right to feel secure in your own skin in public does not have an expiration date. Coming out, whether to yourself or to others, isn't something that you only get to do before a certain age. Whether you are 18 or 88, you always have the right to say "This is ME and I'm gonna be happy".

If you are struggling with accepting yourself or with the idea of coming out, remember there is no deadline. You don't need to rush yourself. You have your whole lifetime to find out who you really are.  

I've included a link to an article giving more details on Pat's coming out. Even if you have no idea who he is, I highly encourage you to read the article and watch the video clip.

http://www.out.com/entertainment/popnography/2014/06/13/wwe-legend-pat-patterson-comes-out-gay

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

-George Eliot

Animated Films For The Win

The newest spoiler for the upcoming movie "How To Train Your Dragon 2" from Dreamworks has revealed that one of the characters will be coming out.

Supposedly, the character Gobber will subtly address his sexuality after watching a husband and wife arguing. Dean DeBlois, a writer-director for the film, said "I think that's a really fun [and] daring move to put in. I love the idea that Gobber is Berk's resident gay." Deblois himself is openly gay. 

This isn't the first time in recent years that an animated character has been portrayed as being gay. 

In the 2012 film, "ParaNorman", the character of Mitch was revealed to be gay by responding to being asked out to a movie by a girl with the line, "You're gonna love my boyfriend. He's like a total chick-flick nut!".

Then in the 2013 mega hit, "Frozen", the owner of the trading post, Oaken, was shown to have a husband and kids. 

I think throwing LGBT characters into animated films is a brilliant idea. The trend so far has shown characters to mention their sexuality offhand, or it is merely shown, like in Frozen. None of the filmmakers are making a big fuss about these characters' sexuality, having a big spectacle of coming out, or even really having other characters react much. They are merely slipping them so kids watching won't think twice about Mitch having a boyfriend or Oaken having a husband instead of a wife.  

Children aren't born bigoted or homophobic. Those are learned behaviors. If you tell a child they can love and marry either a boy or a girl, they'll accept it. It's that simple. So by putting LGBT characters into films directed towards children, children are being shown those characters are regular people too. These filmmakers are teaching children that people come in all kinds of variations, and that they should all be represented. It is especially great for the children who feel they are gay (or lesbian or bisexual etc) to see these characters because it shows them they aren't alone, and they ARE normal. 

I really hope this trend continues to grow until having animated LGBT characters is just an everyday thing. 

WWE & NOH8 Campaign - Tag Team Of The Year

Don't you just love when two of your passions collide? If anyone were to ask me what I'm most passionate about I'd say the LGBT community and WWE wrestling. Weird combo right? Well, I'm proud to say that back in January of this year, those two things did in fact combine when a large portion of the WWE roster did a NOH8 photo shoot.

I've been excited about this for months. Back in August 2013, a WWE Superstar named Darren Young (real name Fred Rosser) came out as gay in a TMZ interview. The outpouring of support from the rest of the WWE was immense, and, while that made me very happy and proud, I was extremely excited to see they went even further in showing their support of the gay, lesbian, bisesxual, and transgender community by teaming up with the NOH8 Campaign. Backstage photos were posted back in January after the shoot, but the final photos have FINALLY been published!

Without further ado, I give you WWE NOH8! =D

WWE Superstar & COO Triple H & his wife Principle Owner Stephanie McMahon

WWE Superstar -Big Show

WWE Superstar - Daniel Bryan

WWE Divas - Nikki & Brie "The Bellas"

WWE Superstar - Batista

WWE Superstar - The Miz (my fav!)

WWE Divas - Cameron & Naomi "The Funkadactyls"

WWE Superstars - Jimmy & Jey "The Usos"

WWE Superstar - Jack Swagger

WWE Superstar - Darren Young (aka Fred Rosser)

WWE Broadcaster - Renee Young

WWE Diva - Tamina Snuka

WWE Diva -Natalya & husband WWE Superstar - Tyson Kidd

WWE Superstar - Ricardo Rodriguez

WWE Superstar - Antonio Cesaro

                                              

To view all the photos from the shoot, please visit http://www.noh8campaign.com/article/wwe

First Gay Hug

If you are active in the online world (which if you are reading this I'm assuming most of you are) then by now you would have at least heard of, if not seen, the video that's been taking the internet by storm the last two weeks entitled "First Kiss". In the video twenty strangers were asked to kiss for the first time. Later it was discovered the video was actually an advertisement for an LA based clothing company (interesting form of advertising!).

Ever since that video was posted, there have been numerous parodies of it popping up all over, but it's the one posted by The Gay Women Channel that I'm really excited about. The video is called "First Gay Hug (A Homophobic Experiment)" and the concept behind it was to ask fifteen homophobic people to hug gay strangers.

I'll admit that before I pushed play I was a bit worried about how the experiment would turn out. I had a sinking feeling that not all the interactions would go well. However, I was very pleasantly surprised.

This video shows you that sometimes all it takes for a homophobic person to start changing their way of thinking is to have a good experience with someone that is gay. I'm not saying the homophobic people in this video are suddenly going to go join PFLAG or attend a Pride event, but you can see some of the tension and awkwardness start to fall away throughout their interactions.

To me, the reason this video is so interesting and so touching is because it shows how powerful a hug can be, and how, if you strip away labels, underneath everything we are all just people.There is no hidden agenda or sexual undertones to this video, it's just about hugging.

My favorites in the video are the elderly woman, the woman with her daughter, and the man in the striped shirt. They really made me smile!

I hope you all find this video as touching and inspiring as I have!
xoxo

s

https://www.facebook.com/TheGayWomenChannel 

A Win In Arizona

Wednesday marked a good day for the Arizona LGBT community. Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, vetoed a bill (SB 1062) which would have given Arizona businesses the right to LEGALLY refuse services to gay and lesbian customers. The heavily Republican legislature passed the bill last week where it continued on to the governor.

This controversial anti-gay bill was created using the idea of "religious freedom" as its grounds for being legal. However, in response to that, Governor Brewer was quoted as saying, "Senate Bill 1062 does not address a specific or present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona. I have not heard one example where business owners' religious liberty has been violated."

In the days leading up to Brewer's decision, the bill faced a lot opposition. Arizona Republican Senators, Jeff Flake and John McCain, both called on the Governor to veto the bill. Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney voiced his opposition to the bill through a tweet.

Also opposed to the bill were many major corporations including Apple, Marriott, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Intel, AT&T, and Major League Baseball. Many feel this bill would have had adverse effects on Arizona's economy (to which I think "well... duh".). Especially concerned about the bill were Phoenix area businesses including the Super Bowl Host Committee. The 2015 Super Bowl is scheduled to be held in Glendale, AZ.

As much opposition as there was for the bill, it still had its supporters. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh believed Brewer was "being bullied by the homosexual lobby in Arizona and elsewhere."

Honestly, even though I don't think Brewer should have needed a few days to decide on this bill, I'm still very happy she did indeed veto it. The fact that it was supported by several well known Republicans and vetoed by a Republican Governor surprised me a bit.  Only because past history has shown that the majority of the Republicans in the US aren't usually in favor of the LGBT community. Not to mention Arizona hasn't always been the most LGBT friendly state. I think vetoing this bill was an excellent decision and having it backed by Republicans was a nice change of pace. This has added to my hope for the future of the country's LGBT community.

Unfortunately, this bill isn't the only one of it's kind being pushed on legislature. Similar bills have been proposed in Maine, Kansas, South Dakota, and Tennessee.

A First For Disney

Earlier this week, Disney showed their support for same-sex families through one of their Disney Channel shows, "Good Luck Charlie". The episode aired on January 26th and was the first time a same-sex couple was featured in a Disney program.

Disney first announced information about the episode through GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), who also worked with Disney as consultants on the episode to ensure it was written in a way that would be well received by Disney's young viewers.

In the episode, Charlie (the family's preschool age daughter) has a play date with her friend, Taylor. While waiting for the Taylor and her family to show up, Charlie's parents, Bob and Amy, briefly argue over the friend's mom's name as they both believe they have met her. Bob says Cheryl while Amy says it's Susan. It is after the family arrives and they open the door that they discover they were both right as Taylor has TWO moms!

I saw the full episode personally, and frankly, I think they handled this episode beautifully. They treated the same-sex couple like any other couple bringing their kid over to a friend's for a play date. There was no spotlight on the fact that both parents were women nor did they make it seem like there was awkwardness between the two sets of parents. It portrayed them as if they were just a regular family because that's the truth!

By not making a huge deal out of Taylor having two moms, it helps kids watching the episode make the connection that there isn't anything not normal about having two moms or two dads rather then a mom and a dad. Shows doing things like this help young kids realize early on that not every family is has a mom and a dad and that families come in all forms.

I definitely give Disney props for this one.Way to go Disney! You are giving hope for the future.