Out politician Barney Frank talks about future of GLBT community

In an exclusive to Out & About, Mark Segal shared his interview with Barney Frank.




Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is one of two openly LGBT representatives in Congress and is presently Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Frank, who has been a U.S. representative since 1981, has been called eloquent, witty and caustic. He spoke with Mark Segal about the convention, how the Democratic Party has changed and what the LGBT community should expect from a new president.



MS: What are your thoughts on the latest Harris Poll which shows that 68 percent of gays and lesbians support Obama and 10 percent support McCain?

BF: What I don’t understand is why if you were a rational human being at this point you would be undecided. I don’t know what they are waiting for. The later people decide, the less I’m impressed with the quality of their decisions. The distinctions are very clear. The 10 percent, I think, essentially reflects people who are gay mostly, very few lesbians: I think this is one where you are mostly talking about men whose own lives are such that they personally don’t experience much gay discrimination. And many of them also tend to be upper income. Obviously not all gay people are rich but, as with any group, we have an element who are wealthy and I think they are voting their pocketbook to a great extent because they are not themselves facing discrimination. In cases where there are partners, they both have healthcare. Some of the material aspects of discrimination, many of these people are immune from them.




full interview

Hope - By Cyndi Lauper

As I toured all over the country this summer with True Colors, I saw something in the eyes of the audience I have not seen in a very long time, it was HOPE. Each night as I talked about the power of voting, it was evident through their reactions that the crowd wanted to change how this country is run. That is the one good thing that President Bush has done in the past seven years, he has created a movement within the country to change how things are done in Washington DC. But, what mattered to me the most is that everyone cared enough about their own lives and the future to register and vote.

I believe we are at a crossroads and the next ten years will determine the future of this country. Like I said from the stage, this is not voting for the American Idol, it is much more important, this is voting for the American President. And now that I’m home again, and off stage, I wonder, will we become the country that respects the diversity that is our backbone or will we continue down this path of the few ruling the many? I wonder to myself are we gonna make that change in a big way and when I think about it I believe that the change can happen in the form of Senator Barack Obama.

Because, America is a quilt of many fabulous fabrics and we have a sorted history that has not always respected that. And because, for far too long groups of people have been singled out and discriminated against simply because of such things as the color of their skin, their religious beliefs or whom they love. And, that these very acts undermine the basic principles this country was founded on, the time has come to finally break down the barriers that keep America from fulfilling its destiny.
full article on LGBTforObama.com

Gay-rights group HRC declares Biden 'a proven and effective advocate for fairness and equality'

by Steve Rothaus, The Miami Herald

WASHINGTON – Today, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, hailed the presumptive Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama’s selection of Senator Joe Biden as his Vice Presidential running mate. During his career in Congress, Senator Biden has a proven record of fighting for and supporting issues of fairness and equality.

“In selecting Senator Joe Biden as his running mate, Senator Obama has chosen a proven and effective advocate for fairness and equality that our entire community can be proud of,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Senator Biden’s record in the United States Senate is one of support and understanding that has been unwavering throughout his career.”

full article

Obama challenges McCain on stalled hate crimes bill

by LOU CHIBBARO JR
The Washington Blade

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is challenging his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), to end his opposition to a federal hate crimes bill following reports of a recent surge in anti-gay and anti-transgender hate crimes.

In a conference call Monday, an official with the Obama campaign’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Steering Committee noted that Obama is a strong supporter of the Matthew Shepard National Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act while McCain opposes the legislation.

full article

LGBT political leaders launch LGBTforOBAMA.com

by Steve Rothaus
The Miami Herald

PORTLAND - LGBT supporters of Barack Obama launched today an online community portal for information and discussion about the campaign and easy to use tools for getting involved. The website, LGBTforOBAMA.com, is the idea of longtime gay activist and Democratic Party loyalist Terry Bean of Portland, Oregon.

"After devouring many polls and talking to friends, it was apparent that many GLBT people were unaware of the stark differences on our issues between Barack Obama and John McCain," explained Bean. "I was appalled that George Bush got 24% of the GLBT vote in 2000 and again in 2004 and vowed to do all that I could to prevent that from happening again with John McCain." After conceiving the idea, he soon realized that website was also the perfect vehicle to keep our community updated daily on election news and to provide a much needed forum for LGBT specific fundraising.

full article

Obama fact or Obama fiction?

The source of this information is WordNetDaily so, naturally, I have some doubts. But after reading the article I felt a need to publish it:

The accompanying YouTube video contains sexual language that some will consider offensive. The article itself contains material that is inappropriate for children.

WASHINGTON – The electrifying presidential campaign of Barack Obama faces a new challenge – a Minnesota man who claims he took cocaine in 1999 with the then-Illinois legislator and participated in homosexual acts with him.

When his story was ignored by the news media, Larry Sinclair made his case last month in a YouTube video, which has now been viewed more than a quarter-million times. And when it was still ignored by the media, Sinclair filed a suit in Minnesota District Court, alleging threats and intimidation by Obama's staff.

Sinclair, who says he is willing to submit to a polygraph test to validate his claims, will now get his chance – thanks to a website offering $10,000 for the right to record it and $100,000 to Sinclair if he passes.

"My motivation for making this public is my desire for a presidential candidate to be honest," Sinclair told WND by telephone. "I didn't want the sex thing to come out. But I think it is important for the candidate to be honest about his drug use as late as 1999."

Sinclair, who lives in Duluth and describes himself as "gay," claims he "personally engaged in sexual activity and personally used illegal drugs in November 1999" with the man who is now the leading Democratic presidential candidate. He claims the activity took place in the back of Sinclair's limousine and occurred again, later, in his hotel. Sinclair also says he personally no longer uses drugs.

In his lawsuit, filed last week, he charges his civil rights have been violated by Obama and the Democratic Party. Named as defendants in the case are the presidential candidate, David Axelrod of AKP Message and Media in Chicago and the Democratic National Committee.

Sinclair charges Obama smoked crack cocaine in the limo while Sinclair snorted powdered cocaine provided by the legislator. He says the two met in an upscale Chicago lounge before leaving in Sinclair's limousine where the drug use and sex took place for the first time.

full article

Obama who? Hillary is our longtime friend.

Hillary was a senator 5 years prior to Barack becoming one.

Hillary has been a friend to the gay community LONG before Barack ever showed up on the radar!

Politicians are known for being liars. Let us not be deceived!

Many say she is for civil unions instead of marriage, and they are right. But they seem to forget the other part she said: “FULLY EQUAL TO MARRIAGE”. Of course those of you who watched the Logo “debate” heard this many months ago.

Those of you who wish to quibble over words are not helping our community. Federally mandated equality is what we want folks!

March 2007: Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) casts herself as a moderate on gay marriage before mainstream audiences, but in a Saturday address to a pro-gay lobby group she promised that if elected President in 2008 she would secure a range of gay rights victories, including adoption for same-sex couples.

March 2000: Woodside St. Patrick's Day Parade, and its first marcher, First Lady and New York Senate candidate Hillary Clinton.


"I've seen how Hillary Clinton's experience, commitment, and leadership have made a difference for the LGBT community," said New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.


Hillary Clinton supports the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and supports the rights of gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

Clinton said she would work to pass a federal law outlawing employment discrimination based on sexual orientation

Hillary Clinton, in line with HRC, co-sponsored legislation to bring Medicaid coverage to low-income, HIV-positive Americans and the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act which would expand federal jurisdiction to reach serious, violent hate crimes perpetrated because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability of the victim.

Hillary’s words:

I am fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of LGBT Americans.

· I am proud that as Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee in 2006, I worked closely with LBGT community to develop a smart strategy that defeated the Federal Marriage Amendment. I am proud of fighting the FMA as divisive wedge politics at its worst.
· I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act which would grant the same benefits (including health insurance) to domestic partners of federal employees that are currently offered to employees’ legal spouses.
· I am proud to have authored the Early Treatment for HIV Act, which expands access to vital treatment options for low-income individuals living with HIV, and fought to fully fund the Ryan White CARE Act.
· I am proud that I hired a National Director of LGBT Outreach within a month of announcing my candidacy for President and to have openly gay and lesbian staffers serving at all levels of my campaign.
· I am proud to have a National LGBT Steering Committee of over 130 that includes openly LGBT elected officials, Board members and opinion leaders on issues ranging from transgender rights, to HIV/AIDS, to “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.
· I am proud to have marched in Gay Pride parades as both First Lady and as Senator and to have spoken in front of so many LGBT audiences ranging from the Human Rights Campaign, Empire State Pride Agenda, the Hetrick Martin Institute, PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis), and the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
· I am proud to have fought Republican efforts to demonize and marginalize the LGBT community, and I will continue to do that as President.

My father was a conservative Republican, who held very traditional views for much of his life. Yet in his last years, it was a gay couple who lived next door who provided much of the compassion and comfort he and my mother needed as he grew ill. And it was that same neighbor who held his hand as he died. If my father can move, America can move.

Obama website says "let them eat cake"

In regards to the Donnie McClurkin debacle, the blog at BarackObama.com says:

Like Obama said, "You will not agree with everything I say, but, I will always tell you what I believe, where I stand on issues, and will open up these issues to everyone in order to find common ground." So, if this minor flare-up is going to cause you to flip-flop on your support like Hillary on issues that are uncomfortable to you, then by all means please go support her or whoever else. This campaign needs steadfast and supportive grassroots who can weather whatever obstacles that we may encounter.

Ellens' season premiere guest is Hillary Clinton

Ellens' season premiere show will air on Tuesday, September 4th. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the house guest for the show.

Meantime, the Tyra Banks Show will be taping on Sept 27th and Barack Obama will be the guest.

Gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson Endorses Barack Obama

Gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, a New Hampshire resident, came out in support of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

http://www.towleroad.com/2007/08/gay-episcopal-b.html