It’s probably a little harsh to say there’s no positive commentary on lesbian or gay parenting but after reading the a ridiculous Denver Daily article on gay parenting that suggested all us gays would turn our child gay I was slightly upset (and very angry).
My anger was however immediately soothed by an amazing article entitled Growing Up With My Lesbian Parents in the Irish Herald.The piece is written by Ailbhe Egan, a 17 year old with lesbian parents and is a really inspiring read where she talks about how whilst her Mum’s partner is not her blood relative
“She is still very much my mother”
She also discusses how her friends may have been wary at first but now don’t see it as anything special at all, realising that it is the love and support a parent gives that is most important not what sext they are.
Her words illustrate that this is a young lady who is a lot more mature than many double her age and this no more obvious than when she discusses the reasons for why she thinks people have a negative attitude to gay parenting
“People are often afraid of things they don’t understand, or which don’t conform to the norm, but I think once people connect on a human level and get to know individuals from varied backgrounds, the barriers of prejudice are broken down and the fear is removed. It’s harder to fear and hate someone when you hear their personal story.”
It’s a really great piece and definitely worth a read.
I’ve just finished reading a really interesting piece about the parade marshals at Gay Pride over in Vancouver this year and found it a really interesting and inspiring read.
The reason I found it so inspiring is because one of the parad marshals at the Pride was Sahran Abeysundara who set up the first gay rights organisation and Pride in Sri Lanka.
Now that might not sound like much in this age of increased Western acceptance of the GLBT community but Sri Lanka is still a country that criminalises homosexuality.This criminisation was first put in place by us Brits when we took control of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1814 (another great British mistake!) and has been in place ever since. There have been many attempts to get this repealed. They’ve failed and actually lead to lesbians being included when the government noticed the law was gender-biased.
Sahran Abeysundara organised the first ever Pride in Sri Lanka three years ago. It was a small affair in a local nightclub but showed that there was a community in Sri Lanka, proud of their sexuality and wanting to show it.
This was something that Sahran was passionate about nuturing and he did so through the setting up of Equal Ground which provides the gays and lesbians of Sri Lanka with the support, advice and community they so wanted and needed. His work still continues and Sahran is passionate about moving forward with the fight for equality, a brave thing in a country that criminalises his sexuality.
It’s a piece you really should read and hearing about Sahran’s work was incredibly humbling for me, a person who is reeping the benefits of those who have before me had the same battle here in the UK.
You can find out more about Sahran and fellow Gay Pride Marshall, Gilbert Baker at the Equal Ground Blog and can help the support the movement by becoming a member of Equal Ground.
News.com.au have reported that the Australian Red Cross refused to take a gay man’s blood, not because he was HIV but because he was gay.
The reasoning that the Red Cross Society gave for their refusal was that the proportion of HIV infected people in Tasmania that contracted the virus through gay sex was 17% higher than the national average (83% as opposed to 66%).
I fully appreciate their concern about the blood being HIV contaminated but to actually refuse merely because someone said they were gay is completely out of order in my book.
It will be interesting to see what the tribunal that’s ongoing in Australia says.
What do you think? Is it fair to deny someone the option to give blood merely on sexual preference as opposed to sexual behaviour?
According to Topix Gay News, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has said he believes it’s is possible for gay relationships to “reflect the love of God” in a way that is similar to marriage.
It is really positive to hear such a powerful figure in the Anglican church say this but it’s no longer enough for people to just say things and feel that solves the issue. We need to see change within the Anglican church that causes it to be more inclusive.
Personally I think Rowan Williams is the one who can make those changes happen. Whether he will is a completely different story.
Incredibly strong piece of poetry on the subject of homophobia
“I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.
I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.
I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.
We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.
I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room.
I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me.
I am one of the lucky ones, I guess. I survived the attack that left me in a coma for three weeks, and in another year I will probably be able to walk again.
I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.
We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.
I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.
I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.
I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.
I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male.
I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.
I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that.
I am the man who died when the paramedics stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual.
I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didn’t have to always deal with society hating me.
I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don’t believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind.
I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most: Love.
I’ve just been reading a really interesting post over at Adland about the recent issues there have been with the gay community and television adverts.
The one we’re all most aware of is Heinz and the pulling of their Deli advert that saw two men kiss (which actually wasn’t really a gay kiss because one man was meant to be the Mum of the family anyway…). However did you know that two other adverts have been pulled for the opposite reason.
They’ve been deemed offensive to the gay and lesbian community.
The first is a Snickers advert here in the UK.
This features a speed walker doing his speed walking thing who is then approached by Mr T in a tank and told to be a man and run.
I’m not sure I’ve done that justice. You better watch it instead:
Now I might be being thick but I don’t find it offensive. Maybe if I was a speed walker I would.
The next set of adverts that had to pulled was by sports giant Nike.
This advertising campaign was for their new basketball shoes and had the tag line “That’s Not Right”.
What was not right? It was the fact the defender was getting a hot, sweaty crotch in his face as the dunker’s new shoes allowed him to perform the Hyperdunk.
Now I’m 50/50 on this one. I can see how the campaign could be seen as homophobic but I’m not sure it really is. Surely the “That’s Not Right” is more to do with not wanting sweaty, smelly mens bits in your face?
Am I being naive? Do you totally disagree with me? Let me know when a little comment below.
According to a new study by Harvard us gays actually want to get married.
Really. I wouldn’t have thought…
Seriously it’s good to see such a well established and well thought of academic establishment putting time and effort into gaining data that further generations of happily married gay people will be able to study and see what we had to fight to get them.
I’ve not been saying much about the US Presidental election race for two reasons:
1. This is a UK blog and I want the focus to be UK focused
2. Once I get started on politic matters I don’t tend to be able to stop.
However I just read a piece over at the Mombian site that I couldn’t ignore.
It concerns LGBT families and the views of the two main candidates - John McCain and Barrack Obama.
Now it’s long been obvious that Mr McCain doesn’t really like our sort (which is fine because I don’t really like him either..) however Barrack Obama had seemed slightly wishy-washy to me and whilst being more positive towards the LGBT community wasn’t really directly saying one thing or another.
Until now.
John McCain’s response to LGBT families was:
“I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption.”
Barrack Obama’s response was:
We have to do more to support and strengthen LGBT families. Because equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights is not some abstract principle; it’s about whether millions of LGBT Americans can finally live lives marked by dignity and freedom. That’s why we have to repeal laws like the Defense of Marriage Act. That’s why we have to eliminate discrimination against LGBT families. And that’s why we have to extend equal treatment in our family and adoption laws.
Now I know that politicians say things to get votes to get into power but as Dana, of Mombian, says Obama really is the best hope that LGBT families for a much brighter future and I hope that he becomes President and when he does he follows through on what he’s been saying.
What do you think? Do you think Obama can make a difference? Do you think he will? What about Brown here in the UK - could he be doing more?
Straight companies across the land may be feeling the credit crunch but it’s a differen story for gay media publishing house City Pride Publications who have been expanding month by month.
This growth has seen City Pride Publications, based in Brighton, take its regional free title - 3SIXTY magazine - to national status, and expanded its free gay newspaper, one80news, for the city of Brighton and Hove. Growth in employment has also occurred with the company now having a full time team of eight, which is soon to be nine and a search for London office also ongoing.
“The credit crunch isn’t crunching us,” says Publisher David Harvey. “It true that less people are calling up to advertise but we’ve increased our efforts in reaching those brand managers that understand that when times are hard they need to advertise more to beat their competition. The money is out there as gay people have a much higher disposable income than their straight mates.”
