Focus On The Rainbow

The following is from GOProud,

(Washington, D.C.) – The Human Rights Campaign announced Monday October 5, that President Barack Obama would address their black-tie dinner in Washington, D.C. this weekend. “We think it is time that President Obama came clean with gay Americans,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud. “Talk is cheap, but unfortunately with this administration talk is all you get. It’s time President Obama told gay Americans just how unimportant they are to him and his administration.”

GOProud, the only national organization for gay conservatives and their allies, unveiled a new web ad this morning entitled “Come Out Barack.” The ad calls on Obama to “come out of the closet” about his record on, and his commitment to, gay issues.

The ad points out that despite capturing almost ¾ of the gay vote, raking in millions of gay dollars, and lofty campaign promises, Obama’s record on gay issues has been abysmal. “Whether it’s failing to deliver on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal, or his administration’s homophobic court filing in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, or his total unwillingness to confront tyrannical anti-gay regimes like Iran – President Obama’s record speaks louder than his words,” continued LaSalvia.

“Instead of delivering on campaign promises, Obama has chosen to play politics and trade away the promises made to gay families in secret backroom deals,” said LaSalvia.

“It is time President Obama came clean and was held accountable for his failures. GOProud is committed to making sure the gay community, and the rest of America, knows the truth about President Obama’s record and his priorities,” concluded LaSalvia.

My friend Michael Snell has posted a story on his website New Gay Travel Guide regarding to men from Canada who were detained in Dubai in August for 28 days for … 

A – Having Celebrex .. B – They are Gay .. C – Both

Here’s part of his article.

A gay Toronto couple was detained for 28 days in Dubai for carrying the prescription arthritis drug Celebrex, which is banned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Rocky Sharma and Stephen Macleod, who have been together for 10 years, were stopped upon arrival in Dubai on Aug 2, where they planned to spend the day before returning to Toronto from a vacation in India.

Macleod had a bottle of the prescription arthritis medication Celebrex in his suitcase. They were told Celebrex is a controlled substance in UAE and, even though they did not present themselves to border officials as a couple, both partners were detained.

“I think they thought we were gay and we would have some party drugs with us,” says Sharma, who is now safely back at home with his partner. “They were definitely targeting people who are young, from the western world and nicely dressed, like they are going to party.”

They were not given an opportunity to contact a lawyer or consular officials but Sharma managed to contact friends at home on his Blackberry, which he had on him at the time of his arrest. Those friends gave him the emergency contact number of the Canadian embassy in Abu Dhabi, which Sharma called before his Blackberry was confiscated. Sharma’s family also contacted DFAIT in Canada but their efforts were stymied by the long weekend.

Read more of the article at the link above.

FACT – Homosexuality is punishable by death in UAE

Written by Jeff Shaff/ChicagoPride.com

The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) has selected Cleveland, Ohio as the site for the 2014 Gay Games.  Cleveland was chosen over Boston and Washington D.C. which had been competing for the eight day event.

The Gay Games, also known as the Gay Olympics, will expect to draw over 12,000 athletes from around the world.  Chicago hosted the Gay Games in 2006.

As a mid-sized city, Cleveland offers a unique venue to the games. Transportation in and out of the city is excellent, and unlike other major cities where the games have been held in the past, Cleveland will prove to be much more affordable to athletes, spectators and the event itself. Hotel and daily living rates will likely cost half what larger metropolitan cities command.

Unlike subsidized and sponsored International Olympic Committee (IOC) athletes, participants in the Gay Games shoulder their own costs of training, travel and participation. Lower costs could boost athlete and spectator participation.

Activity and cash starved businesses in the Cleveland/Akron area, hit especially hard by the recession and automobile crisis will be offering great facilities, enticing pricing and open arms to the 2014 Gay Games. The City of Cleveland and the Akron/Summit County Convention and Visitors Bureau (ASCVB) together have committed $800,000 to the event.

“Right now, we’re over the moon. This is the largest event that has ever come to our area as far as the number of people, economic impact and national exposure,” said Susan Hamo, ASCVB President.

And as you’ll see in the promotional video for Washington, DC, getting the Gay Games for a city is taken every bit as seriously as cities hopeful for getting the Olympic Games. To follow the developments of the 2014 Gay Games, schedules, accommodations and tickets, bookmark GayGames.com.

GAY GAMES VIII COLOGNE 2010

Get ready to giddyup pardner if you have the time and money as this year’s season of gay rodeo will be coming to an end later this month in New Mexico.

The IGRA was started back in the 80’s and over the years has gained more and more participants and fans from all over the United States and Canada.

The International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) is an organization comprised of numerous regional Gay Rodeo Associations from across the United States and Canada. IGRA, in collaboration with member associations, assist these associations in raising and donating thousands of dollars to charity in their communities each year. The Gay and Lesbian Communities of the United States and Canada have been enriched by the educational efforts of IGRA through its sanctioning and sponsorship of the various events and activities which are a part of what we call “Gay Rodeo”.

The preparation and physical training for each rodeo that our men and women are involved in help to heighten our awareness of Gay Rodeo’s responsibilities to the Gay and Lesbian Community. The IGRA and its regional associations have committed themselves to the raising of funds from their activities to distribute back into the community for charitable use. Over 2 million dollars, as reported by our Member Associations, has been raised and distributed to charitable organizations who care for and seek cures for those with the HIV disease, as well as other emerging GBLT health and social welfare needs.

Should you decide to go to this year’s finals or perhaps start becoming a gay rodeo fan in 2010, you can make all your travel arrangements through the IGRA Travel Site and in turn help support the IGRA.

You’ll find more information about the finals, camping and hotel accommodations, events during the weekend and of course purchasing tickets by going here.

So whether you bring your own pardner or want to meet some new ones, IGRA rodeos are great sporting and fun events for all gays and lesbians to follow and even participate in.

Watch the documentary “Gidyup! On The Rodeo Circuit”

The Triangle Community Center In Norwalk Has A Bowling League You Can Join

Below is a portion of a commentary currently at Media Matters in regards to the Conservative Right media, including Fox News and the anti-gay bashing of Kevin Jennings, the director of the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

Led by Fox News, the right-wing media have claimed that 21 years ago, when Jennings was a 24-year-old teacher at Concord Academy in Massachusetts, he “cover[ed] up statutory rape” by not reporting to authorities a conversation he had with a student who told him about being involved with an “older man.”

The attacks on Jennings, the latest Obama administration official in the right’s crosshairs, have been disgusting, misleading, baseless, and at times pointedly anti-gay.

WorldNetDaily’s Erik Rush called Jennings a “radical homosexual druggie.” The conservative Washington Times contended in an editorial that “Jennings has made extremely radical statements promoting homosexuality in schools.” Right-wing radio’s big kahuna, Rush Limbaugh, and Fox News’ Sean Hannity both claimed that Jennings supported promoting homosexuality in the schools, while conservative blogger Michelle Malkin wrote that Jennings was a “controversial homosexual rights’ advocate” who founded a “controversial” organization that “aggressively pushes sexually explicit” books.

The controversial organization of which Malkin speaks? GLSEN — the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network — which, according to the organization’s website, is “the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. … GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.”

In addition to the right’s attacks aimed at Jennings’ sexual orientation, conservative media outlets sought to paint Jennings as complicit in covering up a crime — specifically “statutory rape.” A Washington Times editorial accused Jennings of “encourag[ing]” a relationship that amounted to “statutory rape.” Led by Hannity, Fox News also baselessly claimed that Jennings “cover[ed] up statutory rape” and violated Massachusetts law by not reporting to authorities his 1988 conversation with the student. Limbaugh took things a step further, claiming that Jennings had “encouraged” and “facilitated” a sexual relationship between the student and an adult. Fox News’ Bill Hemmer continued the conservative network’s attacks on Jennings by claiming that Jennings knew of a “statutory rape” case involving a student but “never reported it.” MSNBC’s Pat Buchanan went even further, asking if Jennings had “a sense of solidarity with the man, rather than with the kid.”

365Gay has an excellent article written by Michael Duffy, one of our military’s finest, now a veteran who served in Iraq.

He looks at military suicide and how it has particularly become an exponentially larger issue for gay men and women soldiers who can not speak about the difficulties they may be having with mental issues openly in group sessions or on an individual basis because of  DADT.

I am now a “veteran,”  home after a year in the desert. We have been the guinea pigs for a new attempt by the military to focus on the mental health and well- being of soldiers as we reintegrate back into the civilized world. This “yellow ribbon” program is part in response to the tragic truth of the number of suicides committed by our soldiers – all too often our young men and women.

There was no confidentiality in the setting. The same people I spent the entire year hiding my sexual orientation from sat around me expecting to hear my problems. There is no way I could be honest even now, when the military acknowledges that being honest is the best way to ensure a soldiers well-being.

Many of the people in the room commented, rather passionately, that they would not be open to speaking in front of their fellow soldiers. They didn’t want to be mocked and ridiculed. I sat quietly in the shadows. How would I begin to discuss my issues? Not only would I be subject to mockery and ridicule – I’d also be fired.

You can read Michael’s entire article, “Suicide – The Soldiers Left Behind” at 365Gay.

Let me preface this writing by saying I went to Danbury High School with Gary Goncalves, he’s a great fella and I’m sure a good and devoted man to his family and friends.

But Gary Goncalves is not the man to sit in the office of Mayor of Danbury in these economic times.

Perhaps if we had a glowing economy as was such during the James Dyer and Gene Eriquez administrations then Gary might be a good choice for someone with no political experience who can just float along with a good economic tide and be a showpiece for the Danbury Democratic Town Committee.

However in the disastrous economic times we live in, now more than ever we need stability in our City Hall and with our current mayor Mark Boughton.

Among some of the “visions” and faults that Gary has with the current administration is the closing of City Hall on Fridays. Goncalves also says he will hire a full-time Economic Development Director and lower taxes and bring about tax reform sounding more like a Republican than a Democrat.

No one wants to have their taxes raised nor does any rational politician regardless of party choose to raise taxes when not duly needed. Particularly when those tax increases can turn off and away business.

But in tough economic times, tough decisions need to be made, just as we do in our own households.

Goncalves with his work experience of 30 years with General Reinsurance Corporation in Stamford CT and as the Vice President – Global Finance should know that while it makes good political rhetoric to lower taxes, reopen City Hall on Fridays and hire a full-time Economic Development Director at best it shows his naivety, at worst shows he is the wrong man in these times for Mayor.

And in the same breath in his and the Danbury Democratic Party’s “vision”, Given this global economy, our children are competing for jobs in this country with very bright and well educated children of other countries. That being said, it is imperative that we increase the School Board budget with local tax dollars to ensure that we are providing the finest education we can for our children.

Where, Mr. Goncalves will those tax dollars come from ? To shift from Peter to pay Paul, to raise taxes as you have said you would not and indeed lower taxes ? Or do you have a money tree which you plan to plant on Deer Hill Avenue ?

Another vision is, offer tax incentives for our Police and Fire personnel to entice them to live in town and be able to respond immediately in an emergency situation.

Why can’t average folks who live and work in Danbury get those same tax incentives ?

And why should a paid fireman or police officer have to live in Danbury ? I don’t know too many who are called to respond to an emergency while they are off-duty at home.

That’s why we have had for decades volunteer fire fighters and fire stations, which is part of the backbone for firefighting and emergency needs in Danbury.

Again another “vision”, Working closely with CityCenter, I will look to revitalize the downtown which has been neglected for so long. Well Mr. Goncalves, I don’t know in what you reality you live, but what more can be done to downtown Danbury, where businesses close due to the economy and we have the downtown blight of the daily morning gathering of immigrants, legal or otherwise, at Kennedy Park, flagging down vehicles in search of work.

Clean up that blight of downtown Danbury and I’ll vote for you.

Let’s face it Gary, Danbury is not the town you and I grew up in nor our parents.

I for one do not go downtown, I drive through it.

Danbury is more than a cityscape and a downtown. It encompasses a variety of “hamlets”, Germantown, Great Plain, Hayestown, Mill Plain and countless others. Goncalves talks about “revitalizing downtown” but says nothing about Danbury as a whole.

While running for National and State representatives can be as much for ego stroking as anything else, when it comes to a village, town or city, the head office at City Hall is one of business and not for ego stroking, a popularity contest nor to be a party showpiece.

Unlike when we needed change on the National level in last year’s election, in this year’s election in Danbury, we need continuity and stability.

We need a Mayor with a proven track record, who can continue to make the tough choices, as hard as those pills may be to swallow now, until things get better not just for Danbury’s economy, but for the Nation’s.

And I dare say I have more political experience than Gary Goncalves as having been the election night anchor at Democratic Headquarters in Danbury during my tenure at WLAD/WDAQ and being a “political junkie”.

When I was once asked back in the late 70’s if I would consider getting into Danbury politics I replied, “I’d rather report political news than make political news”. And one thought for my former classmate, this commentary, as the line goes in ”The Godfather”, isn’t personal, it’s business.

Welcome to the world of politics Gary.

Visions are great and wonderful when they are realistic and when based on the reality we have, not the reality we wish we could have.