Obama Press Secretary Gibbs’ Answer to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Change.gov is the website for the Obama Transition team. It has been taking questions from average citizens and allowing others to vote those questions up or down based on popularity. If there was ever a time that LGBT citizens can get involved in the planning processes of an upcoming administration, now is it.
When asked if Obama will repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, incoming Press Secretary Gibbs gives a clear and emboldned response.
“Yes”
What Really Matters
What Really Matters
In 2009 West Virginia remains last in many things. In my travels outside of West Virginia I have to challenge the stereotype of the uneducated hillbilly. People think we are at the lower end of the gene pool. They don’t know why we continue to live in a state with little opportunity for individual financial advancement, and they really don’t understand why we appear to be racially, and socially intolerant of people. I have had many friends of mine remark that when they actually visit our beautiful state they never knew people could be so nice and welcoming.
We have to create a welcoming community in West Virginia. We have to create it to bring jobs, people, and money in to this state. We need to create a welcoming community so many of us don’t have to choose to make the gay exodus to the east coast, west coast, or the nearby urban centers of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Many people ask me why I stick to helping with a pride celebration in little Charleston, West Virginia. Some of them say it is under attended, some of them question its validity, and some of them can’t get over the fact that we goofed and had to crown three drag queens last year in order to create peace in the drag community. I continue to tell them that GLBT Pride is needed to remind the people of West Virginia that we are here and we aren’t leaving. I try to remind those with doubt or non constructive criticism that hiding in a closet, or pouting at home about the denial of their rights will get us nowhere.
Some people are still complaining about a drag pageant that happened over eight months ago. Some have even gone off to pout, start other organizations, or just refuse to come to the table and join groups already in existence. Meanwhile, a lesbian couple in the southern part of the state is being told by a Circuit Court Judge, elected by the people, that they are unfit parents. That court is going to take away a foster child they have practically raised from the cradle.
We (including myself) should thoughtfully consider what really matters.
I will pledge to you that in 2009 we are going to do our level best to make the Miss Pride of West Virginia Pageant a success(with only one person walking out with a huge tiara.) However, I want people to know that we have a full array of events that will attract different groups within the GLBT community. We have people that need our help, support, and influence. Pride should help us reach those people or at least create an environment where the free flow of information about our community and ideas to improve it are shared. We are all more powerful than we truly think.
Further, I invite you to a meeting at the office. The meeting calendar can be found at http://pridewv.org/events.htm . You can email us at rainbowpridewva@yahoo.com if you are interested in getting involved. We plan a 10 day celebration on a shoestring budget and with very few volunteers. We can use all the help we can get. All voices are heard in our meeting, and if the feedback is constructive, and it comes from a person committed to helping make change they want to see; then we might just try it out. However, you can’t be heard, and we can’t help make change if you don’t come to the table.
Come be a part of change, and come help us make the changes that really matter.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Happy Holidays!
On behalf of everyone at Rainbow Pride of West Virginia I would like to wish you and your friends and loved ones a happy holiday season and a joyous new year. With the season of giving here I hope you will take some time to consider a donation to some local charities in the Mountain State that are doing good things for us.
1. Caritas House-391 Scott Avenue, Morgantown ,WV 26508
Online at:http://www.caritashouse.net/
Caritas House provides services to those impacted by HIV and AIDS in Northern West Virginia. Vice Versa and many other people in Morgantown work to keep this organization going and providing help to those in need.
2. Tri State AIDS Task Force- 1028 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701
Online at: http: http://www.tsatf.net/
TSATF provides services to those impacted by HIV and AIDS in the Huntington metro area. They do a lot on a shoestring budget.
3. Covenant House- 600 Shrewsbury Street, Charleston, WV 25301-1211
Online at: http://www.wvcovenanthouse.org/
Covenant House is the AIDS and HIV service organization in the Charleston Area. In addition to their outreach work to victims of HIV and AIDS they run a drop in center for the homeless, and work to decrease smoking in GLBT West Virginians.
4. The Living AIDS Memorial Garden- P.O. Box 11704 Charleston, WV 25339
Online at: http://www.livingaidsmemorialgarden.org/
This wonderful garden in Charleston is within the line of site to the State Capitol . It is a fitting memorial to those who have given their life to AIDS. They are always in need of assistance. From donations to improve the garden, to volunteers to help weed the flower beds, and pick up trash your money or time would most assuredly be appreciated. You can even memorialize a friend with a brick on the garden path.
5. The West Virginia Foundation for Equality- 501 Elizabeth Street- Room 11 Charleston, WV 25311.
Online at Http://wvfe.org
The Foundation for Equality is the organization in West Virginia that will hopefully grow in 2009 it is currently gearing up for a tough fight for equal rights in the state legislature. They desperately need your help to fund the battle for equal rights.
6. Rainbow Pride of West Virginia- PO BOX 2624 Charleston, WV 25326
Online at Http://pridewv.org
Of course I do hope you would chose to give Pride a donation to help build our organizational budget. We have grown for the last three years, and in 2009 we have some exciting changes coming! We hope you chose to donate or become a dues paying member.
With the fight for equality looming I hope you make a donation to help fuel change in West Virginia. That change comes in many forms. Giving time or money to help your community is the best way to make that change happen.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Guest Writer – One Dream, One world, One Community
“One Dream, One world, One Community”
by Chris Kimes
- Chair of Membership and Fundraising, Rainbow Pride of WV
- Vice President, Kanawha Stonewall Democrats
Cross-posted at Kanawha Stonewall Democrats
“One Dream, One world, One community”
I recently read these words about a program for Martin Luther King’s Birthday and began to think of their implications for our community, the GLBT in West Virginia. Too many times we find ourselves making excuses for instances when we plainly should be trying to come to some resolve.
I do believe that most GLBT citizens of West Virginia want to live in a state that recognizes them as active citizens and treats them with the same respect and dignity it does of all its other citizens. This is not an unreachable dream; it just takes people from throughout the state becoming visible and making the commitment of working with one another to fulfill and ensure this occurs. While this posting shall not elaborate on politics; the principle idea, mobilizing the masses, is what is at the root. We need to mobilize people around the principle of unity, not in one of division and segregation.
This point is very important because as a recent newcomer to the Kanawha Region, I kept remembering how I felt when I lived in different sections of the state. I had the ideal that if you were from the northern part of the state, then your opinions were not seen as value to the community in the Kanawha/Huntington region. How far from the truth was I to hold these ill-fledge ideas. Within the coming months I have been welcomed with open arms into various groups and have seen first hand the desire that these organizations have for state wide involvement. People in these groups speak of their efforts to get others to join or become active and unfortunately have no avail.
It is to this later end that I send a heartfelt appeal to the GLBT community of West Virginia. Please do not fall within the trap that I had before about what seems to be the rationale for you or what seems to be comfortable. The organizations that have helped to lead the cause for GLBT rights, i.e. West Virginia Foundation for Equality and Rainbow Pride of West Virginia, need support and the assistance from people throughout the state. Too many times people get absorbed into drama of this or that and forget the true purpose of what we are trying to accomplish. Please overcome these shortfalls and help either of these organizations in their attempt to strive for acceptance in West Virginia. Together as a united front we can help to achieve the vision of one community.
I shall strive to continue to post ways that I feel that together we can help to achieve our dream of “One Community”
Top Questions to Ask a Gay or Gay Friendly Business Owner
Is it enough for a business to be Gay owned or Gay friendly?
A heterosexual friend of mine in the tourism industry once referred to us as SINKS and DINKS. He meant to say Single Income No Kids and Double Income No Kids. He remarked that he loved gay travelers because they had more money to spend because those people tended to be single or in a relationship with no children. I don’t think he meant it to be disrespectful, but more as an observation.
We are equal consumers in the marketplace. They gay dollar is just as green as the straight dollar. However, with corporations, local businesses and club owners competing for our business, it is important to ask if they are gay friendly or gay supportive.
Meaning: Do you support the gay community? Or do you just advertise to it?
Here are some things I think you should consider before you get that next haircut, visit the mall, browse the car lot, and buy that next drink or meal:
- If they have advertised in gay publications or openly solicit GLBT clientele.
- Do they just advertise? Do they actually fund any GLBT friendly not for profit groups or charities?
- Do they openly admit they support the acceptance of GLBT people in mainstream culture?
- Were you treated better or worse because of your orientation? (Ideally, you should be treated the same.)
- Are they active and supportive of the local gay culture?
These questions are only the tip of the iceberg. I really encourage you to find out if the establishments and businesses you give hard earned money to actually reinvest it in the community.
The Best Gifts For Any Lesbian On Your List…
With the holidays now only a few weeks away here is my list of great gift ideas any lesbian would be happy to recieve… These are the 20 best gifts and range from Butch to Lipstick and range in price from about $15 dollars on up. Enjoy…..
Melissa Etheridge: A New Thought For Christmas
© Pricegrabber.com
Melissa Etheridge is our hero. And her new Christmas album is just the ticket for her fans. With standards like Blue Christmas and a handful of Melissa originals, this is the perfect addition to your holiday music collection.
© Rigged Outfitters
Allposters.com
GooGooGayGay.Com
Ellen Shop
© Pricegrabber
© Pricegrabber.com
Pricegrabber.com
Always remember, Diamonds and/or Sterling Silver with rainbow inlay are a girl’s best friend. Dear Wife, are you reading this? Oh, and honey, I wouldn’t kick you out of bed for Platinum, either. (Range in Price)
dottiesmagicpockets.com
Harlyn Aizley is my idol and go-to-girl for anything remotely related to lesbian parenting. Her book, Buying Dad, and anthology, Confessions of the Other Mother, were vital guides in helping my partner and me navigate the process of starting a family and having a baby. ($14.95)
The Butch Cookbook, ed. Lee Lynch, Sue Hardesty and Nel Ward
© Pricegrabber.com
© Pricegrabber.com
© Pricegrabber
Ah, the power of suggestion! Buy this book as a gift for your sexy “straight” office mate and let us know how it turns out–or just buy it for yourself and see how many of the stereotypes you can check off the list.
© Photo by Erica Beckman
© Renee Jacobs
© Pricegrabber
© Pricegrabber
Baby Steps
California was dealt a setback on Election Day with the passage of Proposition 8. Overnight thousands of Californians were denied equal recognition of their relationships. One thing we seem to overlook is the long struggle they had to make to get legally married in the first place. Eventually marriage will be a right for all of us to enjoy. If we as a community want to make that to happen in West Virginia we must first provide basic laws that guarantee safety from violence and protect us in the workplace.
It is no secret to us that equality and fairness legislation exists in urban centers where many members of the GLBT community live. Some believe that these urban centers are almost like a Mecca to GLBT Americans and that these laws just get passed overnight. However, the reality is that Connecticut and California’s non discrimination laws passed in 1991 and 1992. Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey all have non discrimination laws on the books that protect people in public accommodation, housing, and employment. They all have some form of marriage or civil union legislation.
The same can be said about hate crimes. All of the states previously mentioned have laws on the books that deal with hate based crime. Even Kentucky has a hate crimes law that protects the Gay and Lesbian community.
If you would like to view issue maps on non discrimination and hate crimes the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has a wonderful series of resource maps. They can be found at: http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/issue_maps/hate_crimes_7_08_color.pdf
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/issue_maps/non_discrimination_7_08_color.pdf
The point I hope you take from this weekly post is that GLBT people want marriage equality in West Virginia. We want it as fast as we can get it. However, we have to balance that want with the understanding that in California their nondiscrimination law was enacted in 1992 and marriage came over 15 years later. The powers that be in the legislature and the religious community are going to fight, and they will fight hard. However, if we even want to get the marriage debate on the table we have to pass fairness and equality legislation that protects us in our homes and in our jobs.
The 20th World Aids Day – Monday, December 1,2008
World AIDS Day’s Charleston events will start with YogAid, a yoga seminar led by instructor Dan Connery. A gentle session appropriate for all skill levels, donations will go toward Covenant House and a children’s AIDS organization. 5:00 PM at Asbury United Methodist Church, 501 Elizabeth Street
Join us for a short program lifting up the impact of AIDS on the Mountain State and its people. Poetry, motivational message. 6:00 PM at Asbury United Methodist Church, 501 Elizabeth Street
Candlelight Procession from Asbury to the Living AIDS Memorial Garden, a vigil, memorial service, and refreshments. 6:30 PM from Asbury United Methodist Church, 501 Elizabeth Street to the Living AIDS Memorial Garden, 1600 block Washington Street East
Americans must be reminded that HIV/AIDS does not discriminate. With over 1 million HIV-positive individuals living in the U.S., and approximately 40,000 new infections occurring every year, the U.S., like other nations around the world, is deeply affected by this disease.
Buy Gay Friendly. Check out the HRC Buyers Guide
Many of you were up at the crack of dawn last Friday standing in lines at Target and Wal-Mart or at your favorite mall to take advantage of holiday sales. Some of you were out buying big ticket items, and some of you were out buying small gifts for loved ones. Regardless of what you are putting under the tree this year; I am sure you can all agree that you should purchase it from companies that share and value your commitment to diversity.
Every year the Human Rights Campaign issues a buyers guide to help guide you to the choices you make in your daily living.
Companies with 500 or more employees are asked to participate in a survey and then rated on their diversity. This year HRC has coded the companies by color Green for companies you can rest assured are working to fulfilling equality in the workplace, Yellow for those who are improving their diversity, and Red for those companies that did not respond to the requests for a response or have a serious need to improve conditions for GLBT workers at their companies.
In addition to retail stores, the guide ranks banks, restaurants, hotels. I discovered that Pride has a banking relationship with a bank that has a perfect equality score, but I personally bank with a company that needs work. Rest assured I will be evaluating where I do my banking in 2009.
On an interesting note, Chase bank scored a perfect 100% on the equality index while Huntington and BB&T banks scored 75% and 48% respectively. Those are the three largest national and commercial banks in the Kanawha valley.
Take a look at the guide and make important purchases and day to day living matter. The guide can be found at http://www.hrc.org/buyersguide2009
Welcome to The Rainbow Report
Welcome to The Rainbow Report!
This is a new project for Rainbow Pride and we are excited for the opportunity to inform, educate and entertain the GLBT community of West Virginia and its allies. We are starting out slow and we are hoping to grow with more reporters. Right now our site is in real time. This means as we post articles they are viewable to you the reader!
Three reporters and the Chairman of Rainbow Pride of West Virginia make up the editorial board of The Rainbow Report. They are:
Charlie Rouse, Chairman of Rainbow Pride. He will be chiming in every week with his opinion and political news and events relevant to the West Virginia GLBT Community.
Dave web designer and blogger will be writing about online action for the GLBT community and on events of interest to the local community. David also works to design our parent site http://pridewv.org.
Caroline Starr, local lady about town, activist, mom, and sister in pride will be covering our Charleston Beat section and Lez B Friends. The Charleston Beat will focus on local events and be the society page for GLBT Charleston. Lez B Friends will focus on issues and information to the Lesbian Community of West Virginia.
Jeremy Elswick, A.K.A. Milla Rich, will be covering the state drag circuit. Our resident friend and diva will provide a colorful review of female impersonation in West Virginia.
Do you have a talent for writing? Would you like to submit a weekly, monthly or quarterly article to The Rainbow Report?
We are currently looking for people to write about the following regions and/ or topics:
Morgantown Beat
Wheeling Beat
Parkersburg Beat
Beckley, Bluefield and Southern WV
Central West Virginia (Fairmont, Clarksburg)
Eastern Panhandle (Charlestown, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry)
If you would like to write for us or have an idea for a recurring article send us a email at rainbowpridewva@yahoo.com.