Lesbian mom wins court battle

The biological mother of a child conceived through in-vitro fertilisation could not bar her former lesbian partner from interacting with the boy, the Western Cape High Court has ruled.

It would be in the best interests of the four-year-old child to have a relationship with two parents, acting Judge Nalini Gangen said last week after the partner, who had separated from the biological mother, applied to the court for full co-parental responsibilities and rights.

The application had been opposed by the mother, but Ann Skelton, of the Centre for Child Law, who acted in the child’s best interests, had argued that there was no reason why the applicant should not be treated as a man would be in a heterosexual relationship.

A male in the applicant’s position would have been recognised as the father figure and the bond with the child would have been recognised as that of a parent, said Skelton.

In her ruling, Gangen said the child was brought up in a family unit where both parties were regarded as his parents and felt he was entitled to continue that relationship and bond with the applicant.

“There are many parents who do not care for their children and it is significant that the applicant wants to be part of the child’s life and is willing to contribute to his maintenance,” she said.

The parties cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor child who, the court heard, viewed both women as his parents – referring to the applicant as “mom” and the biological mother as “mommy”.

According to court documents, the couple began living together in May 2005 and moved to London a year later, and lived there until June 2010. In December 2006 they applied to the Cape Fertility Clinic to undergo artificial insemination and as a result of the procedure done in 2007, they had a baby boy who was born in England the following year.

When their relationship soured in 2010, the applicant continued to have contact with their son until 2011 when the biological mother said it was not in the child’s best interests that such contact continue.

However, the applicant contended that she was being denied her role as a parent, saying that it had been the intention of both of them to have a child together

In support of her argument, the applicant produced documents relating to the in-vitro fertilisation procedure which showed that she was listed as the husband.

A document also referred to the couple’s lesbian relationship as the reason for their fertilisation “problem”.

The applicant further submitted written evidence to show that her former partner had acknowledged her as the child’s other parent.

The biological mother, however, pointed out that only she was registered as a parent on the child’s birth certificate.

But, the applicant explained, this was because they were informed in England that it was not possible to have both of them registered as parents.

In 2003, the Constitutional Court ruled that a child born by artificial insemination to a lesbian couple was to be regarded as legitimate, and that the partner who was not the biological parent was entitled to be regarded as a natural parent and to be recorded on the child’s birth certificate.

http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/lesbian-mom-wins-court-battle-1.1286120

High Court directs police to protect Bathinda lesbian couple

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday directed police protection for a Bathinda lesbian couple facing death threats.

Swaran Kaur, 20, a police constable, and her childhood friend, Harsharan Kaur, 28, moved the court, saying they have been forced to go into hiding as their families were threatening to kill them for their relationship. The couple, from Bathinda district's Blahar Vinjhu village, have been staying together for the last nine months. They appeared before the court briefly.

"Hardeep Kaur (mother), Harbhajan Kaur (sister), Jaswinder Singh (brother) are family members of Harsharan Kaur, and Jagpal Dass (father), Mukhtiar Kaur (mother), Bhupinder Singh (brother) are family members of Swaran Kaur, who are opposing our relationship," they told the court.

The couple sought protection citing the Delhi high court's 2009 judgment legalizing same sex relationship. The two pleaded that that they are in a lesbian relationship which is not punishable under any provision of law. They said they moved the court for protection only after they failed to settle the matter amicably. "Our adamant family members are bent on eliminating us,'' they said.

"We have not committed any offence. We are major and capable of differentiating between right and wrong. We are living in hiding and can be eliminated when traced by our families," the couple said in their petition.

Swaran, who is posted at Maur police station in Bathinda, said she is in government service and could maintain her partner as in any other relationship. She told the court that the Bathinda SSP ignored her plea to provide them protection from their families.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/High-Court-directs-police-to-protect-Bathinda-lesbian-couple/articleshow/12874220.cms

Pro-Family Need Not Be Anti-Gay

Republicans, gay and straight, are united in the belief that strong families are critical to a free society. We recognize that governments respect marriage because of its vital role in fostering greater liberty and independence, thereby lessoning dependency on the state. Unfortunately, this principle is undermined by the exclusion of same-sex couples from legal recognition as devoted parents and committed, loving partners.
Log Cabin Republicans are committed to advocating for legislation to strengthen American families. I personally strive to secure the freedom to marry because I am a Christian and a family values conservative, not in spite of being one. Yes, Log Cabin’s work is about equality, but it's also about commitment. In an ironic twist, gay and lesbian Americans are among the strongest promoters of conservative family values today.
Fellow marriage equality advocates boldly speak for the importance of commitment and taking responsibility for each other in an era when cohabitation and divorce are commonplace. While too often, fatherhood amounts to paying child support, gay couples are fighting hard for the ability to adopt children in need of homes. Where groups like the National Organization for Marriage contend marriage is about (exclusively procreative) sex, gay couples are reminding America that family means much more than that.
The legislative reforms sought by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans are not intended to secure special rights or tear down social institutions. We seek only the ability to build lives together for richer or poorer (without unjust taxation tilting the scale toward poverty), to care for our loved ones in sickness and in health (through equal access to health care and without suffering from a "domestic partner penalty"), and to be by our partner's side until death (without the fear that the absence of a marriage license would add complications and heartache).
The importance of marriage and family in American law derives not from mere tradition or the honor rightly given to these institutions by various religions. As conservatives, we believe in the ties that bind us, that society is stronger when we make vows to each other. My ability to be a responsible, contributing member of society and committing to raise a family with a spouse is not defined by my sexual orientation. The prayer I make in my local Episcopal parish and the pledge I recite in my Masonic lodge are not predicated by my sexual orientation. There is nothing about being gay that makes my prayer, pledge or even a marriage vow mean any less.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/04/24/are-family-values-outdated/pro-family-need-not-be-anti-gay

Chaps on display at outback Mardi Gras

It began as a conversation between a couple of mates at a pub in the small town of Elliott, about 250 kilometres north of Tennant Creek.

Shelley McDonald was one of them.

"There was a group of us sitting at the bar one night and we decided we needed a party to bring the whole town together.

"And the drunker we got the more outlandish the ideas got.

"So the Elliot Mardi Gras started from that."

But Australia's most remote mardi gras wasn't born without ruffling a few feathers.

One of the key organisers, Steven Norris, also happened to be a local policeman in the town, and he copped a bit of flack after the first parade in 2005.

"My boss at the time didn't like what we did so we had a few words.

"He didn't like my attire, because I was wearing chaps, and I didn't have much on underneath."

And perhaps the costume wasn't his only objection.

Rumours have it that one of the float vehicles used in the parade up and down the main street looked suspiciously like a police car.

But as the event grew objections became more serious, particularly at the time of the Northern Territory Intervention.

Shelley McDonald says the heightened anxieties around sexual behaviour led some locals to question the appropriateness of having a mardi gras in a town like Elliott.

"Some people seemed to think that it was appropriate, but most of us Elliott people have no problem with gays and lesbians.

"But you get that anywhere you go, so you work through it."

And work through it they did.

Now in its eighth year, nearly 50 people from around Australia made the pilgrimage up the Stuart Highway to attend the street parade and party.

"The people are very unique", said Steven Norris.

"I mean look at that guy.

"He's hardly got any clothes on and he's happy; nice bum too."

James Billings from Tennant Creek makes the trip each year to the Elliott Mardi Gras.

He says he hasn't had too many issues being a gay man in a small town.

"I'm accepted.

"It's pretty cool actually.

"There's a few gays in Tennant Creek, but we keep to ourselves and do what we do."

Pixie Scabs from Katherine, hasn't found it so easy.

"It's difficult actually, but I'm actually quite a straight-acting person in my normal day to day life, so this is a bit exciting to frock up so yeah."

And frocked up he was.

Mr Scabs was wearing a glow-in-the dark crotchless, bottomless and hipless, fluoro-green, fishnet bodysock.

On the whole, the issue of sexuality seemed to be a non-issue for people at the Elliott Mardi Gras, whether they were gay or straight.

Robert, a nurse from Tennant Creek, says he thinks the event is more about community and celebrating difference in the town, whose population is only 500.

"For me it's about a community showing itself off.

"It probably means that it exposes everyone to something a little bit different that happens mainly in cities."

Eleven Greenstones from Alice Springs agrees.

"It's not about sexuality it's about culture

"And Elliott's one of those places that's a town on my way to somewhere else."

And perhaps that's the greatest achievement of having a Mardi Gras in a town like Elliot; it makes people come here.

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2012/s3483380.htm?site=darwin

Portrait: Christine Quinn, une femme à la tête de New York?

Homosexuelle militante, cette démocrate américaine pourrait devenir le prochain maire de New York. Elle n'a pas annoncé sa candidature aux élections que déjà les sondages la donnent gagnante. En cas de victoire, la démocrate Christine Quinn deviendrait simultanément la première femme et la première homosexuelle à accéder à la fonction de maire de New York en 2013. Elle remplacerait du même coup l'indéboulonnable Michael Bloomberg, aux commandes de la ville depuis 2001.
A 45 ans, cette descendante d'Irlandais, fille de syndicaliste et orpheline de mère à 16 ans, a de l'ambition à revendre et déjà une longue expérience de la politique. Originaire de Glen Cove, sur Long Island, une banlieue résidentielle de l'agglomération new-yorkaise dont elle garde un accent prononcé, elle rejoint le conseil municipal de la ville de New York en 1991 après un début de carrière dans le social. En 1996, le maire de l'époque, Rudy Giuliani, champion autodéclaré de l'ordre et de la sécurité, et d'une sensibilité politique différente, la nomme directrice de son projet antiviolence. En 1999, elle est élue conseillère municipale par les habitants du troisième district, qui comprend entre autres quartiers le sien, Chelsea, bastion de la communauté homosexuelle. Puis ses pairs la désignent à la quasi-unanimité porte-parole du conseil municipal en 2006. Un poste hautement médiatique, qu'elle occupe encore aujourd'hui.
En vingt ans de service public, elle a successivement dénoncé des détournements de fonds à la mairie, défendu le droit à l'avortement, combattu la malnutrition dans les quartiers pauvres et milité pour le mariage gay. "D'aussi loin que je me souvienne, j'ai toujours voulu faire de la politique", a-t-elle confié au Elle américain. Chaleureuse et sans chichis, volontaire et proche des gens, elle peut aussi se montrer dure et cassante. Malgré son étiquette de démocrate, elle est "fiscalement conservatrice". Une position qui pourrait lui valoir de décrocher le Graal

http://fr.news.yahoo.com/portrait-christine-quinn-femme-%C3%A0-t%C3%AAte-new-york-075426556.html

The Art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - 1864-1901

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a prominent 19th century French painter known for his impressionist images of the Parisian night scenes. Many of his paintings featured actresses, dancers, circus performers, or prostitutes. He spent weeks--sometimes months--in brothels painting scenes.

It was by watching women prostitutes that Lautrec became acquainted with lesbian love, finding that these women often turned to each other for love. He found artistic inspiration in their love, and of two women sleeping entwined on a bed, he once said: "This is superior to everything. Nothing can compare to something so simple." The images presented here are among his best known lesbian scenes.

http://www.sappho.com/art/lautrec.html

Le Musée des arts gay et lesbien de New York reconnu officiellement

NEW YORK [17.04.12] – L’État de New York vient de reconnaître officiellement le désormais « Musée des arts gay et lesbien » afin que celui-ci puisse intégrer le circuit touristique officiel de la ville. Les fondateurs du lieu soutiennent la spécificité d’un art homosexuel.
Des émeutes de Stonewall à la récente reconnaissance du mariage gay dans l’État de New York, l’histoire de la communauté homosexuelle avance à grands pas. Les arts visuels viennent d’y faire une entrée significative. Originellement fondation, le désormais Musée des arts gay et lesbien. de New York vient de recevoir l’aval officiel des institutions de l’Etat de New York, selon le ArtDaily. 20 ans après son ouverture, le lieu intègre ainsi le circuit touristique validé par les services culturels de la ville et s’apprête à recevoir des subventions visant à conforter son programme d’exposition.

Fondé par Charles Leslie et Fritz Lohman en 1967 le musée des arts gay et lesbien est le seul lieu à s’être spécialisé dans l’exposition d’œuvres créées par la communauté des LGBT. Son inauguration est concomitante à l’émergence d’un débat sur la spécificité d’un art homosexuel, position que défend le Musée depuis son ouverture : « L’expérience homosexuelle et l’art qui en résulte ont une singularité propre », confie son fondateur, Charles Leslie. En France, l’affirmation d’un art spécifiquement homosexuel est notamment défendue par le magazine GayHouse, qui après AA Bronson et Elmgreen & Dragset consacre son dernier numéro à George Tony Stoll.

Installé dans le quartier de SoHo, le Musée des arts gay et lesbien est dirigé par l’historien de l’art et commissaire Jonathan D. Katz. C’est lui qui a organisé à la National Portrait Gallery une exposition contestée « Hide/Seek », sur l’impact du désir homosexuel dans l’histoire de l’art américaine. Jusqu’au 7 juillet, il présente au Musée des arts gay et lesbien « The Piers: Art and Sex Along the New York Waterfront », qui analyse la représentation des docks de l’Hudson Rover dans l’iconographie gay.  

http://www.lejournaldesarts.fr/site/archives/docs_article/99632/le-musee-des-arts-gay-et-lesbien-de-new-york-reconnu-officiellement.php

GLAAD supports lesbian mother ousted as den leader from young son's Cub Scout chapter

GLAAD JOINS OHIO MOM JENNIFER TYRRELL IN CALLING ON BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA TO END DISCRIMINATORY RULES

New York, NY, April 17, 2012 – GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today joined Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell in calling on the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to change a discriminatory policy that prohibits LGBT people from serving as troop den leaders.

For more information: http://glaad.org/equalityscouts

Bridgeport, Ohio resident Jennifer Tyrrell was told that she would no longer be able to serve as a den leader of her son’s Cub Scout chapter on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by the District Councilmember. In response, parents and scouts from the troop have planned a peaceful protest outside of the local BSA chapter on the evening of Tuesday, April 17, 2012 to show support for Tyrrell.

Tyrrell, who served as a den leader for more than a year after registering her son for the Boy Scouts, has launched a Change.org petition calling on BSA to end its pattern of discrimination against LGBT people. GLAAD is encouraging supporters to join Tyrrell’s action here: http://glaad.org/equalityscouts

"The Boy Scouts of America is one of the only cultural institutions to categorically discriminate against LGBT Americans," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "Sending the message to America’s youth that they or their parents are somehow less than everyone else is dangerous, inaccurate and should be changed immediately."

BSA has a long history of discriminating against both gay youth and LGBT families. Most notably, in 2004 the BSA adopted a new Youth Leadership policy which strips Boy Scout leaders of their positions in the organization and often denies them access to the organization all together. Just last year, the BSA removed an out lesbian from her volunteer post with a local Potomac Falls, VA chapter because of her sexual orientation (as reported on news outlets including Towleroad). None of BSA’s various websites currently contain non-discrimination policies with enumerated protected classes.

Tyrrell wrote on Change.org: “There was an outcry of support for me by the parents of my Tiger Scouts, many of whom waited for hours to voice their concerns to members of the council and the pack's charter organization, but were turned away without the opportunity to do so.”

“Lesbian and gay parents have proven themselves time and time again to be dedicated, caring, and trustworthy Scout leaders and volunteers, as evidenced by Jennifer and many others who have served in welcoming local Scout groups,” said Dana Rudolph, founder and publisher of popular LGBT parenting blog Mombian. “It is shameful that the Boy Scouts have chosen to stigmatize Jennifer's son by not letting his parents participate in the same way as those of his peers.”

For more information, visit: http://glaad.org/equalityscouts

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2012/04/glaad-supports-lesbian-mother-ousted-as-den-leader-from-young-sons-cub-scout-chapter.html

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2012/04/glaad-supports-lesbian-mother-ousted-as-den-leader-from-young-sons-cub-scout-chapter.html#storylink=cpy

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation names Herndon Graddick president

Chicago, IL — The National Board of Directors of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced Saturday that they have named Herndon Graddick as GLAAD's new President. Herndon is currently serving as the organization's Vice President of Programs and Communications.
"Herndon is already a well-respected leader within the LGBT movement, and we believe will be a visionary and strategic leader for GLAAD's culture-changing work," Sheri Fults, national co-chair of GLAAD's board of directors, said in a statement.

"Right now GLAAD and our partners in the LGBT movement are making a significant difference at a time when a difference needs to be made," said Graddick. "I look forward to working with our dedicated staff to create a culture where there is a welcoming and respected space for LGBT Americans. GLAAD's work with the media to inspire Americans to speak out against anti-LGBT actions and support equality is needed today more than ever."

"Herndon is already a well-respected leader within the LGBT movement, and we believe will be a visionary and strategic leader for GLAAD's culture-changing work," Sheri Fults, national co-chair of GLAAD's board of directors, said in a statement.

"Right now GLAAD and our partners in the LGBT movement are making a significant difference at a time when a difference needs to be made," said Graddick. "I look forward to working with our dedicated staff to create a culture where there is a welcoming and respected space for LGBT Americans. GLAAD's work with the media to inspire Americans to speak out against anti-LGBT actions and support equality is needed today more than ever."

Herndon is the current Vice President of Programs and Communications at GLAAD, a position he assumed in 2010. In his role, he has lead GLAAD's media initiatives and oversees the organization's National & Local News; Entertainment; People of Color; Religion, Faith & Values; Advertising; and Spanish-Language Media programs. Under his leadership, GLAAD has engaged in numerous highly visible and impactful campaigns including 'Stand Up For Ellen,' which prompted the group One Million Moms – a project of the American Family Association – to end their call for J.C. Penney to fire Ellen DeGeneres as its new spokesperson because she is gay.

Prior to his work at GLAAD, Herndon served as the Executive Producer of the Global Observatory, a media and communications effort which aimed to bring public awareness to the climate change crisis. He also served as Supervising Producer at E! Networks and the day-of-air news division director at CURRENT TV, the youth-oriented news and entertainment network created by former Vice President Al Gore. As a producer at CNN, Herndon also contributed to the creation of daily primetime programming such as "Paula Zahn Now," "Anderson Cooper 360," and "Live from the Headlines."

http://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/28456276

Lesbiennes, c’est par où les sorties ?

A Paris, un bar-resto et une boîte historiques pour homosexuelles risquent de fermer. Petit à petit, la capitale se vide des lieux pour filles, alors que les espaces gays fleurissent.
Dans l’étroite rue Quincampoix (IV^e arrondissement), tout près de Beaubourg, du monde clope devant le Troisième lieu en ce début soirée. A 18 h 30, il est encore tôt, mais la plupart sont venus soutenir ce bar-restaurant lesbien historique, ainsi que le petit magasin de disques juste à côté (My electro kitchen) et, à une dizaine de mètres de là, la boîte des Filles de Paris. Les trois appartiennent à la même association, les Ginettes armées, et sont menacés de fermeture par la justice. D’«afterwork» solidaire en pétition en ligne, les soutiens se mobilisent depuis quelques semaines, alors que plusieurs audiences ont déjà eu lieu. Lors de la dernière, le 15 mars, le tribunal de commerce de Paris a accordé trois mois de répit supplémentaires pour trouver une solution.
«Avant tout, ce sont des problèmes d’argent, explique la fondatrice, Yauss Gane, petite brune aux cheveux courts, la quarantaine. Comme tous les bars à Paris, on a régulièrement des contrôles fiscaux, mais là on en a eu trois à la suite. On a l’impression que c’est de l’acharnement.» D’ici à juin, la société doit présenter un plan de continuation qui prend en compte la dette fiscale qu’elle conteste.
Abordable. Le Troisième lieu a été fondé en janvier 2004, par Yauss et les Ginettes armées, association lesbienne féministe et militante, avec un but : créer un espace de socialisation festif abordable pour toutes. «Pendant des années, j’ai coorganisé des soirées "Je hais les dimanches" un peu partout dans Paris, raconte Yauss, accoudée au bar. Mais j’avais toujours eu envie d’avoir mon bar.» Le lieu est rapidement devenu un carrefour de la communauté lesbienne, notamment pour les plus jeunes, en partie à cause de la disparition d’autres acteurs. Fermeture du Pulp, la boîte electro du boulevard Poissonnière (II^e arrondissement), arrêt du lieu collectif autogéré La Barbare à Montreuil en 2007 ou encore rachat de Chez Moune (IX^e) en 2008 par les propriétaires du Baron…
La communauté lesbienne possède finalement peu d’espaces culturels et festifs identifiés, alors qu’«il y a environ 200 lieux pour les gays dans le Marais», note le sociologue Colin Giraud, qui a travaillé sur la construction des espaces homosexuels à Paris et Montréal. «Historiquement, ce sont des quartiers et des commerces qui ont été pensés par des hommes, les lesbiennes n’ont pas été impliquées», juge le chercheur.
Le Troisième lieu s’étend tout en long. Sur la gauche, le bar, de l’autre côté, des tables en bois, un peu camping, pour mélanger les groupes, un baby-foot et, au fond, des tables noires basses pour deux, un peu plus intimes. «Ce qui est important pour nous, c’est qu’il y ait vraiment tous les types de filles, mais aussi des hommes, et on a voulu que l’endroit reste abordable», défend Yauss. Elle regarde la salle. «Pour le quartier, la bière n’est pas chère, les plats sont à dix euros.» Du coup, économiquement, ce n’est pas facile. «Avec la crise, les filles consomment moins, déjà qu’elles ont des salaires inférieurs aux hommes. Avant, elles prenaient une planche chacune, maintenant c’est une pour deux», regrette-t-elle.
Mélange. Un autre soir, Lucille, étudiante, est attablée devant une salade. Elle vient «de temps en temps» ici et confirme : «Ça brasse une population différente, des avocates, des infirmières, des jeunes, des employées. Y a assez peu d’endroits comme ça, parce que les lesbiennes sont plus dans l’invisibilité que les gays.» Ce mélange ne plaît pas forcément à toutes. A la même table, deux femmes, la quarantaine, blousons en cuir noir et cheveux longs, viennent de terminer un croque. «Nous, on vient rarement là, dit Marie. On est venues s’encanailler, voir des filles différentes, mais bon, elles sont un peu moches.» Sa camarade pouffe. Lucille soupire : «Les lesbiennes adorent cracher sur les autres lesbiennes.» Marie continue : «On a mangé, on a bu, on en a eu pour 18 euros, je ne sais pas comment elles font pour tenir.» Elle montre la note. «Au début, j’ai cru que le 1 était un 4, et ça ne m’aurait pas choquée… Nous, en général, on préfère se faire des soirées privées entre copines, et là on n’hésite pas à dépenser beaucoup», ajoute-t-elle.
Sur le trottoir, Casey, 18 ou 19 ans, pas plus, sweat à capuche et piercing au coin de la bouche, fume en compagnie de son amie Minh Tinh, en débardeur malgré le froid. «Nous, on vient souvent là», raconte la première. «Pour boire des litres de bière», ajoute-t-elle en riant. Plus sérieusement, «si le Troisième lieu ferme, on est dans la merde, c’est pratique quand tu vas sur Paris et que tu descends à Châtelet». Même s’il y a parfois trop de monde le week-end, elles apprécient l’endroit car elles peuvent danser et draguer sans être emmerdées par des mecs. Une autre cliente, Stéphanie, vient se joindre à la conversation. Les lesbiennes n’ont pas la même culture de la fête selon elle, «elles prennent moins de drogues et dépensent moins que les gays», d’où un nombre de lieux plus limités.
Marie-Ange participe à la gestion des trois établissements auprès de Yauss. «Il faut l’avouer, les lesbiennes sont parfois un peu chiantes. Dès qu’elles ont des copines, elles arrêtent de sortir», regrette-t-elle lors d’un afterwork de soutien. «Elles ne vont pas chercher une troisième partenaire dans les bars par exemple, pour un plan d’un soir.» Au fil des semaines, Yauss semble de moins en moins optimiste : «On a commencé à faire visiter à des gens qui sont intéressés par le rachat du fonds de commerce. L’autre jour, c’était pour un pub avec des grands écrans plats !» Elle soupire : «Nous, c’est quand même autre chose.»

http://next.liberation.fr/sexe/2012/04/10/lesbiennes-cest-par-ou-les-sorties_810514

Gay-rights groups ‘flier back’ against anti-gay leaflets in Montgomery schools

Gay-rights groups launched a flier assault Wednesday morning to counter what many educators and advocates called an anti-gay message that was sent home with high school students in February.
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, a Virginia-based group, distributed fliers to five high schools in February with the message that homosexuality is not innate and gay people can change their identities.
Many students, and educators, including superintendent Joshua Starr, protested the message, calling it intolerant or potentially damaging to gay students. The school board decided this spring to reconsider its flier distribution policy, which currently allows any non-profit to send home leaflets at certain points throughout the year.
And now Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, along with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Equality Maryland Foundation have responded with their own fliers.
By Wednesday morning, they had delivered 50,000 fliers to all 25 high schools in the country to be distributed this week. The goal is to “counter misinformation” spread by the PFOX fliers, a press release said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/maryland-schools-insider/post/gay-rights-groups-flier-back-against-anti-gay-leaflets-in-montgomery-schools/2012/04/11/gIQAh2aTAT_blog.html?tid=sm_twitter_washingtonpost

Miss Representation - Take action

MissRepresentation.org is a call-to-action campaign that seeks to empower women and girls to challenge limiting labels in order to realize their potential, and to encourage men and boys to stand up to sexism. Join the movement. Start taking action today
Together we are sparking millions of small actions that will ultimately lead to large-scale change. Click on a campaign below and get started.
_Be a rep
_Elect a woman
_Represent us
_#notbuyingit
_educate, engage, empower

http://www.missrepresentation.org/take-action/

Take the pledge to be the change

Do you know Epochalips ?

Who Are You?
We are out and proud lesbians who cleared the way for queer/bi/transgender youth. We are athletes, artists, musicians, entertainers, writers, businesswomen, adventurers, foodies, mothers, daughters, nurses, doctors, teachers, coaches, retirees, volunteers, and much more.

A few of our contributors: Kate Clinton, Nicole Conn, Marga Gomez, Monica Palacios, Page Hodel, Margie Adam, Jewelle Gomez,  Robin Lowey, Eleanor Palacios, Jody Cole, Kim Powell,  Leslie Larsen, Rachel Wahba, Melanie Nathan, Shawn McAndrew, Lise Weil, Katharine Cole, Echo Brooks, and YOU! Please submit a 500 word essay and get involved.

What’s the Mission of Epochalips?
Epochalips is where we go to share our stories, become informed and create an ongoing conversation with our community.  Our mission is to become a modern alternative to the ways lesbians supported each others’ endeavors by building community through now defunct bookstores/coffeehouses/women’s rags etc. By featuring a wide range of content and spreading the word on a global platform about what is going on for us, we provide a valuable resource for our community.

Epochalips is a cyber environment that empowers and heals us, and validates our common experience. Unlike any other site out there, we are committed to staying uncluttered and non-commercialized. Get involved and help us grow!

What are people saying about us?
Meredith Baxter says: “What a wonderfully creative forum for women that’s fun, irreverent and insightful!”

My Lesbian Radio’s Lesbian Lounge: “Cool Website of the Week: www.Epochalips.com – an online magazine run by and created by out and proud lesbians who help promote and support new and exciting projects, people, content and endeavors by building community, spreading the word, and providing a valuable resource of support and exposure. Check out interviews with Meredith Baxter and contributing writers Marga Gomez, Nicole Conn and Robin Lowey’s work”

http://www.epochalips.com

Abbott firm on lesbian sister

Supporters of gay marriage hope confirmation that Tony Abbott's sister is in a lesbian relationship may convince Federal MPs to back their campaign.

But there appears a hardening position within the Liberal Party that it cannot countenance any change, in part for fear of undermining its efforts to paint Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a liar on the carbon tax.

It comes after a story at the weekend on Mr Abbott's sister and her lesbian relationship.

Christine Forster, 47, is the youngest of Mr Abbott's three sisters.

Previously married and with four children, Ms Forster came out as a gay woman in 2008.

She met Virginia Edwards, who had sons at the same Catholic school in Sydney's northern suburbs as Ms Forster, and now lives with her.

Despite her high-profile brother, Ms Forster had sought to keep publicity about her relationship at a minimum.

But a photograph of her holding a sign saying "I Love Her!! Marry Me?" with Ms Edwards in Sydney last year has been posted online.

Mr Abbott said that he and his sister had had "discussions" rather than arguments about his view on gay marriage.

He also conceded that while he respected his sister's choices he could not in "every sense understand it".

"She's a very level-headed, down-to-earth, pretty tough-minded individual," he was quoted as saying.

"She's more politically centrist than I am but she's no bleeding heart lefty either."

Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Alex Greenwich said the story of Ms Forster helped explain to opponents of gay marriage the pain their stance caused.

"Advocacy from loved ones is by far the most effective way of changing hearts and minds," he said.

"Ms Forster proves the point that this reform is about the importance of family, love, and equality, not politics."

A Senate inquiry into a private members' Bill to allow gay marriage has been inundated with public submissions. It has received so many that it will not be able to publish all of them online, while it has a series of public hearings to conduct around the country.

Mr Abbott has hailed his sister's bravery for coming out but says it will not shift his view.

"We've had a lot of interesting discussions and we'll keep those discussions going, but fundamentally I want to be a politician that keeps my commitments," Mr Abbott said.

"We went into the election with a position and that's the position we will keep."

Shadow attorney-general George Brandis said the Opposition shadow cabinet had decided in 2010 not to support a conscience vote on gay marriage. In an echo of the Opposition's attacks on Ms Gillard, he said yesterday that it was important "that promises be kept".


http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/13372623/abbott-firm-on-lesbian-sister/

Gay students at strict Mormon college come out in web video

Students from a strict Mormon college that prohibits "homosexual behavior" have launched a Web video aimed at reassuring other gay and lesbian youth struggling with their faith and sexual orientation.

The video recently posted to YouTube by 22 Brigham Young University students is the first of its kind with ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which forbids gay sex and marriage. By posting the video, the students could face excommunication from the church and expulsion at BYU, where gay students are prohibited from touching or kissing.

The campaign is part of columnist Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" project, which seeks to give voices and hope to bullied gay and lesbian teenagers. In the video, several BYU students confess that they considered suicide because they didn't think they could be Mormon and gay.

"In our religion, there is a lot of misunderstanding and ugliness about homosexuality," said Kendall Wilcox, a former BYU faculty member who produced the video and serves as an adviser to the school's unofficial gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender support group. "We wanted to send this message that God loves you just as you are."

The video has sent tremors through the Mormon community and represents the latest effort to reconcile the church's conservative values with a growing acceptance toward gay relationships.

The video estimates there are more than 1,800 LGBT students at BYU. It also notes that the school is consistently ranked as one of the most unfriendly campuses for those students in the nation.

A mere five years ago, BYU students weren't allowed to discuss their sexual orientation without risking expulsion under the school's strict honor code. A clarification in 2007 stressed that "one's stated sexual orientation is not an Honor Code issue."

In 2010, BYU lifted a ban on advocacy of homosexuality. That same year, students formed Understanding Same-Gender Attraction. The support group drew eight people to its first meeting. This semester more than 80 students have attended the weekly meetings on campus.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/07/gay-students-at-strict-mormon-college-come-out-in-web-video-1848138555/#ixzz1rQsdCBHh

London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Report

As the 26th BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival closed last Sunday at the BFI Southbank, one could be grateful for a number of things, not least the unseasonably balmy weather and the enthusiasm with which the LGBT community embraced the programme, both of which cast a warm glow over the proceedings.
Flash back a year to the 25th anniversary festival, which should have been a joyous celebration of a quarter century of queer cinematic culture, but instead was a seven-day austerity festival with an uncertain future, the legs pulled out from under it by government funding cuts to the BFI, itself the custodian of Britain's cinematic heritage. What a drag that was, no pun intended.
Having lived to fight another year, the festival returned to a near full-strength 10 days, enough to allow multiple screenings and events, but not so much that supply would exceed demand. The sun shone, the Dyke March returned and the queer community had something to celebrate again. If the LLGFF is something of an anachronism in retaining the moniker ‘lesbian and gay’, it has certainly reached beyond that binary to embrace other aspects of the LGBT community, which has expanded markedly over the last 26 years.

A certain reflectiveness might be in order, such as that evinced in the documentary Vito, about film historian and activist Vito Russo, who noted that public attitudes to homosexuality were formed by mass media and especially films. His groundbreaking book The Celluloid Closet dissected anti-gay themes prevalent in the movies, as well as teasing out hidden queer characters. He could only have dreamt of a day when researching LGBT cinema would be as simple as doing a web search, or indeed visiting the BFI’s Mediatheque and new library on the Southbank.
Another champion of civil rights was celebrated in the world premiere work-in-progress screening of Pratibha Parmar's Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth, which gave the veteran director a chance to take the spotlight and discuss her decades-long history with the Pulitzer-winning writer, a close friend. Although the Q&A was cut short by a fire alarm that emptied the venue, a selection of seven clips was screened, which included interviews with and readings by Walker and comments by Jewelle Gomez, Quincy Jones and Steven Spielberg. Parmar hopes to complete work on the film in the autumn.

he previous evening the same director hosted a programme comprising her 1991 doc A Place Of Rage, accompanied by two new shorts made for an upcoming DVD release. Though two decades old, the interviews with Walker, Angela Davis and the late June Jordan still hit home, as they explain the motivation behind their activist work and writings as African-American women. Not everything has changed for the better, as Parmar noted that, although the film was commissioned by Channel 4, nowadays it would definitely not be possible to get either the funding or the platform for such a work on British terrestrial television.
That her Walker film is being funded by a combination of US sources and crowd-funding is a sign of the times, and there was a paucity of UK features this year. The one exception was Campbell X's Stud Life, a comic drama grounded in black London butch and femme culture. As ‘stud’ JJ ponders her complicated relationships, she gives a running commentary to YouTube, a nod to modern social media.
In the future, directors may need to go online to create virtual worlds, a point made explicitly in Ben Walters and Gavin Butt’s This Is Not A Dream, which traces the breakthrough of queer voices into the realm of alternative television, from cable in the 1970s to today’s YouTube ‘stars’.
The perils of stardom are at the heart of Kieran Turner's profile Jobriath A.D., which got its first screening outside of the USA. While Jobriath's brand of 1970s pomp rock is not to everyone's taste, his story is a cautionary tale. Calling himself "the true fairy of rock and roll", Jobriath was openly gay at a time when many of his contemporaries were hinting at bisexuality to seem daring. But it backfired spectacularly, as low sales saw the musician dropped by his record label and Svengali manager Jerry Brandt. Re-emerging in the early 1980s as a piano bar singer called Cole Berlin, Jobriath finally seemed to have found his calling, before he fell ill and died of complications from AIDS in 1983. Appearing at the post-screening Q&A with Marc Almond, Turner was curious to get audience feedback on whether Jerry Brandt is the villain of the piece, and a show of hands indicated a pretty even split of opinion.

http://thequietus.com/articles/08457-london-lesbian-gay-film-festival-2012-report

Une transexuelle pourrait être élue Miss Canada

Suite aux pressions effectuées par l'organisme GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), la transexuelle Jenna Talackova (23) résidente de Vancouver, pourra participer au concours de beauté le plus prestigieux! L'organisation du pageant, détenue par nul autre que Donald Trump, avait précédement disqualifié la candidate née homme. GLAAD a finalement obtenu raison et a communiqué ce matin que « The Miss Universe Organization will allow Jenna Talackova to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada pageant provided she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions. » 

http://www.985fm.ca/arts-et-spectacles/nouvelles/une-transexuelle-pourrait-ecirc-tre-eacute-lue-m-135123.html

Lesbian & Gay Immigrant Families File Suit Challenging Federal Defense of Marriage Act

NEW YORK, April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Five Couples Ask Court to Recognize Families for U.S. Immigration Purposes

Five lesbian and gay couples filed suit today in the Eastern District of New York, challenging Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prevents lesbian and gay American citizens from sponsoring their spouses for green cards. The lawsuit, filed on the couples' behalf by Immigration Equality and the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, alleges that DOMA violates the couples' constitutional right to equal protection.

"Solely because of DOMA and its unconstitutional discrimination against same-sex couples," the lawsuit states, "these Plaintiffs are being denied the immigration rights afforded to other similarly situated binational couples." Were the Plaintiffs opposite-sex couples, the suit says, "the federal government would recognize the foreign spouse as an 'immediate relative' of a United States citizen, thereby allowing the American spouse to petition for an immigrant visa for the foreign spouse, and place [them] on the path to lawful permanent residence and citizenship."

The five couples named in today's suit are:

Edwin Blesch and his South African spouse, Tim Smulian. Edwin and Tim, who have been together for more than 13 years, were married in South Africa in August 2007. While their marriage is honored by Edwin's home state of New York, their green card petition was denied on March 14, 2012. They reside in Orient, New York.

Frances Herbert and her spouse, Takako Ueda, who is originally from Japan. Frances and Takako, who have known each other for 22 years, were married in April 2011. Their petition for a green card was denied on December 1, 2011. They reside in Dummerston, Vermont.

Heather Morgan and her spouse, Maria del Mar Verdugo, a native of Spain. Heather and Mar have known each other for 14 years. They were married, in New York, in August 2011 and have a pending green card petition, which is expected to be denied. They reside in New York City.

Santiago Ortiz and his spouse, Pablo Garcia, a native of Venezuela. Santiago, a Puerto Rican American, met Pablo in 1991 and registered as domestic partners in 1993. In May 2011, they were married in Connecticut. The couple have filed a green card petition, which is expected to be denied. They reside in Elmhurst, New York

Kelli Ryan and her spouse, Lucy Truman, a native of the United Kingdom. Kelli and Lucy have been a couple for more than 11 years and entered into a civil union in July 2006. They were married in March 2010 in Connecticut. Their petition for a green card was denied on March 27, 2012. They reside in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.

The plaintiffs in the suit include a retired professor of English at a New York college (Blesch); a home elder-care provider (Herbert); a marketing director for a global non-profit organization (Morgan); a retired school psychologist (Ortiz); and two doctors of immunology (Ryan and Truman).

"The families in today's lawsuit meet every qualification for immigration benefits, with the sole exception that they happen to be lesbian or gay," said Rachel B. Tiven, Esq., executive director of Immigration Equality. "Solely because of their sexual orientation, they have been singled out, under federal law, for discrimination and separation. That's not only unconscionable; it is unconstitutional. We know DOMA cannot withstand careful review, and we know we will prevail on their behalf."

Immigration Equality is widely recognized as the country's premiere national organization providing legal counsel to LGBT immigrant families. In 2011, the organization fielded 1,431 legal inquiries from binational couples like those in the suit filed today, a 141% increase over the previous year. A recent analysis from the Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles estimated 36,000 couples - and the nearly 25,000 children being raised by them - are impacted by the United States' refusal to recognize lesbian and gay relationships for immigration purposes.

"Whether the federal government recognizes a couple's marriage can determine whether a family may remain in the United States and live together, or may be torn apart," the suit states, adding that, ". . . the federal government also has set the preservation of families as national priority."

"As a nation," the complaint filed with the court says, "we want to keep families together, not rip them apart."

"These families represent the tens of thousands of others like them who are threatened with, or have already been forced into, separation or exile," Tiven said. "Their victory in court will end the threat that has hung over their families, their homes and their marriages for far too long."

DOMA, the lawsuit concludes, "threatens . . . marriages while purporting to 'defend' marriage. It does violence not only to these five couples, not only to the institution of marriage, but to the Constitution of the United States."

A copy of the lawsuit, biographies of each plaintiff couple and other information are available online at www.immigrationequality.org/lawsuit .

Immigration Equality is a national organization fighting for equality under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive individuals

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lesbian-gay-immigrant-families-file-suit-challenging-federal-defense-of-marriage-act-2012-04-02-171900

Ala. civil rights museum exhibiting lesbian photos

IRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Founded to teach about human rights and the fight for equality during the days of racial segregation, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is introducing a new topic: Lesbian awareness in the South.
The museum opens a new exhibit Friday night featuring photographs of lesbian couples and families living in the Deep South. Some women are depicted arm-in-arm or embracing with their faces fully visible. Others who weren't comfortable being identified publicly are pictured with their backs to the camera. Some photos include the women's children.
The 40 images are stark and plain. Shot against a white background, there's nothing but the women and their kids to draw viewers' eyes.
Two women are shown in military uniforms with their faces to the side; two female ministers were photographed in clerical garb. The women are young and old; While one couple is kissing there's nothing sexual about the photos, and everyone is fully clothed.

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Ala-civil-rights-museum-exhibiting-lesbian-photos-3445010.php