The Votes Are In! Two African-American Gay Candidates Win on Election Day
November 6, 2009
Despite the setback in Maine for LGBT equality, there were wins for the majority of the 79 LGBT candidates who were running for public office around the country. Notably, two African-American candidates―Charles Pugh and Jass Stewart―were among that group of newly elected officials.
Charles Pugh went from being a former FOX2 television journalist to the first openly gay president-elect of the Detroit City Council. The Detroit News reported:
A trio of first-time candidates topped the council ticket. Former broadcaster Charles Pugh, whose mother was murdered when he was a child, will become council president in January. He was followed by former Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown, whose firing led to the fall of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and former council aide Saunteel Jenkins.
Pugh, who also got the most votes in the primary, came into his victory speech playing “Victory” by Yolanda Adams.
“We are No. 1,” said Pugh. “The change we have been waiting for is finally here. This change has been long overdue.”
Pugh also alluded to recent scandals involving the foreclosure of his Brush Park condo, saying: “You stick by the people you believe in no matter what. Thank you Detroit for always having my back.”
And support is what he had. Pugh received about 88,704 votes—nearly 10 percent of the vote overall. However, there was a concern from others that Pugh being openly gay might hurt his chance on winning. In an interview with The Michigan Messenger, Pugh said the following:
For those people who thought it would be an issue, they were short sighted. They did not see that Detroiters already knew my sexuality and were willing to accept it and say, “You know what? You’re welcome here. We love you. Now let’s get to work to fix our collective problems.
He went on to say in the same interview, that his win sent a clear message:
There has been a fear in the past by people in the LGBT community to stay in the closet for safety sake. So they won’t be fired, kicked out of the family, kicked out of the church. But this is a strong and clear message that that’s not required. That you can be who you are and be accepted into Detroit’s family if you step up with class and dignity and a willingness to help make our city a better place.
History was also made in Brockton, Massachusetts. Jass Stewart, 38, became the first African-
American person and the first openly gay member of the city council in its 128 year history. The Enterprise News reported that Stewart, who ran for mayor of the city in the past and lost, was happy, yet subdued when he learned that he had won.
Stewart stood among the crowd at Progressions Lounge on Montello Street, accepting the well-wishes of supporters like Madden who came in moments after the results were confirmed.
“I heard I won, but I haven’t seen the numbers,” said Stewart, a 38-year-old openly gay black man, subdued on a night when celebration was clearly in order.
He had made it to the City Council with 5,920 votes or 15.6 percent.
The gathering of some 25 people cheered, congratulating the man who twice ran and lost the mayor’s race and finally made it to City Hall as a councilor-at-large.
GLAAD congratulates Pugh and Stewart!
Related Posts:The LGBT Community Mourns the Loss of Senator Edward M. Kennedy
August 26, 2009
Senator Edward M. Kennedy – a champion for equality since 1962 – died late Tuesday night at his home in Cape Cod at the age of 77. Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2008 and had been battling the disease ever since.
LGBT people and national organizations are now mourning the loss of one of the community’s fiercest allies.
GLAAD’s incoming president, Jarrett Barios, reflected on Sen. Kennedy’s legacy as an advocate for LGBT equality in a statement released today:
“It is impossible to fully describe the transformative impact of Ted Kennedy in the Senate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. From the outset, he valued our contributions and supported our equality. In those early years, his support may have turned heads but didn’t dampen his support–and eventually helped change hearts and minds about LGBT equality in the Senate and around the country.”
President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Joe Solmonese, also noted Senator Kennedy’s significance to the LGBT community in a statement:
The loss to our community is immeasurable. There was no greater hero for advocates of LGBT equality than Senator Ted Kennedy.
HRC went on to report recent legislation that the Senator supported in his devotion to total equality:
Senator Kennedy has been an unwavering supporter of the LGBT community, leading the charge on important legislation like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act and forcefully opposing discriminatory proposals, including the Defense of Marriage Act and the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Similarly, President and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Chuck Wolfe, remembered Kennedy’s prominent role in the fight for LGBT equality:
[Senator Kennedy] will always occupy a special place in the hearts of LGBT Americans who saw in him a fierce champion for their full equality.
The National Stonewall Democrats said in a statement on Wednesday that Kennedy gave a fighting voice to those who were too often overlooked by their government:
Ted Kennedy was an ally to all Americans, but particularly to those forsaken by their peers for any reason. He fought to bring equal opportunity to the poor, and to bring equality under the law to women and racial minorities. And he was an uncompromising champion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
For a complete record of Sen. Kennedy’s leadership on equality legislation, please visit here.
Related Posts:The Episcopal Church Says “YES” to Ordination for Gays
July 16, 2009
On July 14, LGBT leaders in The Episcopal Church proclaimed, ”Amen,” as the decades of struggle of ordination for gay people came to an end. The House of Delegates and the House of Bishops voted to allow ordination of gay and lesbian priests and bishops. All affirmed that God could call to ordination anyone, including people living in a same-sex marriage or partnership.
The Episcopal Church House of Bishops supported inclusion by a 99-45 vote, with two abstentions and it was overwhelmingly ratified by the House of Delegates comprised of laity and priests. The new resolution officially ends a 2006 moratorium on ordaining openly gay bishops. The moratorium was initially meant to halt any further division within the church after the ordination of Gene Robinson but unity was not maintained and no efforts for unity were offered by conservatives.
Earlier this year conservatives, now identifying themselves as the Anglican Church of America and claiming 100,000 followers, abandoned The Episcopal Church while unsuccessfully laying claim to buildings belonging to The Episcopal Church. The group’s leader, Robert Duncan, said that women and gay people are not “capable” of holding the 
office of bishop. The breakaway group is not recognized by the greater Anglican Communion.
One time LGBT supporter, Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, did not support lifting the moratorium, but delegates voted yes on all inclusive resolutions so far. One delegate from Western Massachusetts told the Associated Press that it was the right thing to do, “I personally believe we had to do this. It’s the way we see the Gospel.” Archbishop Williams met with gay and lesbian deputies while at the convention but expressed regret over the decision.
The bishops will vote on resolutions related to blessing same-sex unions, transgender equality and adaptation of theological resources and liturgies to be more inclusive of gay and lesbian couples.
Related Posts:Ptown Diaries Screening at Outfest: Saturday July 18
July 15, 2009
Ptown Diaries, the new documentary from director Joseph Mantegna and narrated by Tony-winning actor Alan Cumming, has been added to the Outfest schedule and will be screening this Saturday at 3:30 at the Red Cat Theatre in Downtown LA.
Ptown Diaries
Ptown Diaries, narrated by award-winning actor Alan Cumming, takes an in-depth look at Provincetown, Massachusetts and how it came to be “the” travel destination for throngs of gay and lesbian vacationers. This film festival favorite documentary identifies Ptown as the gay capital of the Northeast and a place of refuge throughout its history starting with early pilgrim settlements. The documentary demonstrates how the keystone of the town – freedom – has allowed it to develop into a culturally rich area where famous artists, musicians, authors and playwrights launched their career and transformed popular culture.
In addition to Cumming, the film features Michael Cunningham, Lea Delaria, Hedda Lettuce, David Mitchell and many of Ptown’s colorful residents. Ptown Diaries also examines Provincetown’s rich artistic history with writers and playwrights such as Norman Mailer, Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill.
A week after the Outfest screening, Ptown Diaries will be having its world premiere on Logo’s Real Momentum on Saturday, July 25. Visit the Logo website for airtimes.
Related Posts:Anti-Gay Group Targets LGBT Prom and Exploits Youth.
June 30, 2009
LGBT youth proms like the one that BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth) hosts annually in Boston, MA give young members of the LGBT community an opportunity to participate in and enjoy high school prom in a safe and supportive environment that affirms who they are.
On May 9, 2009, MassResistance, an anti-gay group self described as “a pro-family action center” sent a 20-year-old referred to only as “Max” to infiltrate the BAGLY prom. When he returned, he wrote a report about the prom on the group’s website that was picked up by WorldNetDaily staff writer Chelsea Schilling. She wrote about the event and Max’s report in her article “Kids attend prom from ‘sexual hell’”.
Max’s report uses offensive and dehumanizing language in reference to the prom attendees, often misconstruing the sexual orientations and gender identities of those he writes about. He underplays the security of the event, which included 100 adult chaperones (including BAGLY staff, police officers and parents), mandatory bag checks and metal detectors. He refers to the adults present as “homosexual recruiting gangs,” and paints a crude, deliberately misleading picture of what was actually an inclusive and celebratory event for young people.
The report targets these LGBT youth and puts them in harms way by exploiting and misrepresenting what was suposed to be a safe and inclusive opportunity to relax and have fun. Max misrepresented himself as a member of the community and took photos of these young people, which were posted on the MassResistance webpage without the permission of the attendees or their parents or guardians. An event that was supposed to serve as a safe space for local LGBT youth was turned into the opposite by MassResistance.
This incident highlights exactly why LGBT proms and similar events and institutions are especially important. It is essential that young people have a safe and secure environment to express themselves without being subjected to harassment. Groups such as BAGLY are vitally important because of their dedication in providing these kinds of safe spaces for LGBT youth.
Related Posts:Pat Robertson Tells A Mother That Her Gay Son Is “On Their Way To Hell”
June 16, 2009
In a June 9 interview on the Christian TV program The 700 Club, Pat Robertson used his platform as a televangelist to promote a hurtful and disproven myth that being gay is caused by sexual abuse.
In responding to a question from a Christian mother of a gay son, Robertson stated that people are not born gay:
TERRY MEEUWSEN (co-host): This is Theresa. This is difficult. She says, “How should we, as parents of a homosexual son, handle the ongoing challenges facing us, such as staying true to our faith and following the commandment to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’? This is very difficult for us.”
ROBERTSON: Well, first of all, he’s not your neighbor. He’s your son; that’s a different thing. You owe him, you know, advice and counsel and guidance. You’re his parent. First of all, you didn’t say how old he is. Secondly, I am not at all persuaded that so-called homosexuals are homosexuals because of biological problems. There may be a very few, but there are so many that have been made homosexuals because of a coach or a guidance counselor or some other male figure who has abused them and they think there’s something wrong with their sexuality. So you need to get deep into why he is what he is, instead of just saying, “Well, he’s a homosexual so how do I handle him, and how do I be Christian?” Well, I think you ought to tell him, “Listen, son, you know, here’s what the Bible says about this, and it’s called an abomination before God, so I’ve got to tell you the truth because I love you.” That’s what I think. All right, what else?
Robertson, host of The 700 Club, went on to tell the woman that she needs to “rescue” her son from going to hell.
These types of remarks, in addition to perpetuating misconceptions and fears, only divide LGBT people from their families and faith traditions, sending a harmful message that can affect the happiness, well being and safety of young LGBT people.
While Robertson has a long history of anti-gay statements, it is important to note that his outlandish opinions of the LGBT community are not shared or reiterated by all in the faith world. Jeff Lutes, Executive Director of Soulforce, released the following statement in response to Robertson’s remarks:
As a therapist, it is hard for me to believe that there are still so many who refuse to even consider the growing body of social science research on this subject. Robertson ought to be deeply ashamed of himself for giving the mother who wrote him, and his television viewers, such misguided, erroneous, and dangerous advice. I hope this young man’s parents will ignore Robertson and seek more reputable information – his very life just might depend on it.
EqualityVA also released a statement:
For years, Robertson has been toting the same tired message that being GLBT is a dysfunction, likely caused by something traumatic in a GLBT person’s life. The overwhelming truth, supported time and again, is that most GLBT people have normal childhoods and are living healthy lives. Abuse is no more or less prevalent in the GLBT community than it is in the straight community. At the end of the day, the most prevalent trauma that GLBT people endure in life is the social discrimination they receive at the hands of misinformed people like Robertson.
A growing number of faith leaders have been rallying behind the LGBT community especially in support of anti-discrimination and marriage equality laws. Massachusetts ministers even released a video through The Empire State Pride Agenda to debunk all the myths surrounding marriage equality legislation. Recent polls have also shown that there is increasing support for equality of LGBT among people of faith.
To find out more on all the great work that faith leaders are doing in support of LGBT people, visit GLAAD’s Religion, Faith and Values page.
Related Posts:Massachusetts Clergy Debunk Myths
April 29, 2009
The Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA), New York’s statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights advocacy organization, recently released the web video “Marriage Equality and Religion: The Massachusetts Experience.”
ESPA’s “Pride in the Pulpit” staff invited Massachusetts clergy – the Reverend Nancy Taylor of Old South Church; the Reverend Thomas Shaw, Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts; and the Reverend Michael Wayne Walker of Messiah Baptist Church in Brockton – to discuss how laws that require civil marriage equality do not impact each faith tradition’s ability to decide who they will or will not marry.
In a press release, Executive Director Alan Van Capelle stated: “The Empire State Pride Agenda is committed to refuting myths that have been articulated across the country about the consequences of marriage for same-sex couples. This issue is too important for our families and us to let them go unanswered in New York.”
