The Watercooler: 3 Gay LGBT News Stories You Need To Know

1. Gay activists from GetEqual interrupted the speech of Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) at the Hillsborough County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner in Tampa, Florida on Saturday. The activists screamed “All families matter” and “Include our families in immigration reform!” The Florida Republican has vowed to scuttle any bill that includes a provision for gay married binational couples.

2. An arrest was made in the senseless murder of Mark Carson,  in New York’s West Village, on Friday night. Elliot Morales, 33, was arraigned on Sunday, and was charged with second degree murder as a hate crime. The accused killer taunted the victim and his friend with anti-gay slurs, prior to  pointing a gun at the victim. The New York Police Department has reported a sharp rise in anti-gay incidents this year.

3. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), gay marriage bans and anti-gay laws have a negative effect on the mental health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Stress-related disorders dropped in states that enacted marriage equality legislation.

NPR reporter Shankar Vedantam writes:

“Mark Hatzenbuehler, a psychologist at Columbia University who studies the health effects of social policies, analyzed the data gathered before and after the bans to determine how the mental health of people who identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual had changed in those states.”

"Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals who lived in the states that banned same sex marriage experienced a significant increase in psychiatric disorders," Hatzenbuehler says.

"There was a 37 percent increase in mood disorders," he says, "a 42 percent increase in alcohol-use disorders, and — I think really strikingly — a 248 percent increase in generalized anxiety disorders."

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Republicans Behaving Badly Imperil The Party’s Future

Amid great fanfare on March 18th, 2013, Reince Priebus, the chairman of the the Republican National Committee released their multi-million dollar research study entitled “Growth and Opportunity Project” to “grow the party and improve Republican campaigns.”

While the report looked back at the failed 2012 Romney Ryan presidential campaign, the primary focus was on the future. The study recommended that Republicans “modernize the Party, and learn once again how to appeal to more people, including those who share some but not all of our conservative principles.”

The study emphasized that the overwhelming public perception that “Republicans don’t care,” was problematic for the party. The report said that the GOP should be there when people need them, so they can quickly get back on their feet. They also said “We should be driven by reform, eliminating, and fixing what is broken, while making sure the government’s safety net is a trampoline, not a trap.”

The study also addressed social issues, and said the GOP must be more inclusive and welcoming. The study stated that if the Republican party failed to adapt to our changing times, that women and young voters will continue to reject the party, and imperil their future.

So how is the GOP doing?

Just three and a half weeks after this report was published, the Republican National Committee (RNC) met in Los Angeles, California for their spring meeting. The RNC passed resolutions urging the Supreme Court “to uphold the sanctity of marriage,” and reaffirmed the party platform that defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

I guess their commitment to being a political party that’s more welcoming and inclusive, has been put on hold.

Over the last month, Republicans in the US Senate have managed to scuttle expanded background checks for gun purchases, which is overwhelmingly supported by the American people.

They boycotted the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, to avoid voting on the President Obama’s nominee to head the EPA. They did this after demanding that nominee Gina McCarthy answer over 1,100 written questions about the EPA, which is unprecedented, with 650 questions from Senator David Vitter (R-LA) alone.

Republicans on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee postponed a vote twice on the President’s nominee for Labor Secretary, and then invoked a rarely used procedural rule to delay consideration again.  Thomas Perez, the current chief of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, was the Secretary of Labor for the state of Maryland. In his current role at the Justice Department, he’s known for his aggressive stance enforcing voting rights, investigating police abuse and brutality, and promoting fair lending practices.

As The Washington Post notes, Democrats are fans of Thomas Perez because he champions the little guys, and Republicans dislike him exactly for that reason.  

At a Senate hearing last week, Republicans affected indignation — and strained credulity — by insisting that Mr. Perez had failed to stick up for a federal contracting program designed mainly to benefit minority and low-income workers. It was novel to hear GOP lawmakers posing as champions of the disadvantaged, but their protests were nothing but a pretext.

Republican members of Congress have been attempting to pin a “scandal” on President Obama, because a couple of rogue staffers in a regional Internal Revenue Service (IRS) office in Cincinnati, Ohio, gave extra scrutiny to conservative tea party applications seeking tax-exempt status. Every political organization that bills itself as a political “social welfare” group, worthy of tax-exempt status, should receive extra scrutiny. Give me a break!

Too many political action committees have been classified as a 501(c)4 tax-exempt social welfare groups, when they’re just a front for political action committees. Republicans can cry foul - while the American people should demand that all groups receive the same extra scrutiny.

And the Republican old men in the US Senate continue to make hay with the Benghazi mess, after slashing funding for embassy security around the world,  instead of tending to the business of the Senate, which includes getting people back to work.

The coup de grace was the fact that the Republicans in the US House of Representatives voted to repeal Obamacare for the 37th time last week. The GOP has no alternative proposals to replace Obamacare - they just want to get rid of it - despite the fact that it reduces future budget deficits, while extending health insurance coverage to millions.      

Will the bipartisan immigration bill get anywhere in this toxic climate? Excluding gay binational couples from the immigration bill will be more evidence that the millions of dollars spent on the Growth and Opportunity Project study was like flushing the money down the toilet. Then again, Republicans in Congress have been flushing taxpayers money down the toilet for years, starting with the Iraq war.

Republicans have been acting to reinforce that they don’t care, they aren’t welcoming and inclusive, and if they were in charge there’d be no growth and no opportunities for anyone.  

It’s the same Grumpy Old Party of old white men, and I see no evidence that Republicans will stop behaving badly in the near future. They’ll certainly pay for their transgressions in public opinion polls, and at the ballot box. Since they keep failing to adapt to our changing times, gay voters, women, the youth vote, Hispanics and people of color, will continue to reject the Republican  party.....now and into the future.

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Millions Of U.S. Children Afflicted With Untreated Mental Health Disorders

In a new study entitled “Mental Health Surveillance Among Children” which was published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), they examined federal data and research related to the mental health of our nation’s youth from 2005 to 2011.  The report estimates that up to 1 in 5 American kids experience a mental health challenge each year, while only 21% of those afflicted receive treatment.

The study found that millions of kids live with major depressive disorders, ADHD, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette’s syndrome, and many other mental health maladies. The CDC reports that this study “is an important step to better understand childhood mental disorders and help children reach their full potential in life.”

Ruth Perou, PhD of the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities stated “ Children of all ethnic backgrounds, races, genders and ages, in every area of the United States live with a mental disorder. We need surveys and data systems that provide the necessary mental health information to improve children’s health and wellbeing at home and in school. This will help children reach their full potential while reducing societal costs.”

In The Washington Post, Tony Pugh writes:

Childhood mental disorders that alter the way children learn, behave and cope with their emotions affect 13 percent to 20 percent of youths under age 18, the CDC said Thursday. They also cost families and society at large an estimated $247 billion a year in treatment, special education, juvenile justice and decreased productivity, it stated.

Although the prevalence, early onset and effect on society make childhood mental problems a major public health issue, only 21 percent of affected children get treatment because of a shortage of pediatric sub-specialists and child and adolescent psychiatrists, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

“Our current healthcare system does not meet the needs of these children,” Martin J. Drell, the group’s president, said last week in a statement about the problem.

Making matters worse, fewer medical students are opting for careers in children’s mental health, while the current crop of professionals is aging out of the workforce. The dearth of providers means troubled youngsters in underserved rural and urban areas are less likely to get timely care.

“Children with serious medical conditions should not have where they live determine what kind of health care services they receive,” said Thomas K. McInerny, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

It  breaks my heart to learn that there are millions of kids across this country who face mental health challenges, with little to no help in understanding the challenges, or receiving the proper treatment and advice to cope with the adversity.  Every mental health disorder is treatable, and some can be cured.

We have to equip our children with the tools to succeed in the future, and tending to their mental health needs is integral to ensuring their overall success in life. Hopefully a study like this will have an effect on our nation’s psyche, and it will force change.

The future of our country and our planet lies in the hands of our children. I feel strongly that it’s our responsibility as adults, to love our children unconditionally, and do everything in our power to ensure that we provide a solid education to every kid, with the best healthcare we can possibly provide.  A good education and access to healthcare, isn’t a privilege. It’s a right, particularly for our children.

I hope that one day our nation’s laws will comport with the moral values I feel so strongly about.  I’ve always believed that it is our responsibility to make the world a better place,  so that we leave an enduring legacy for the generations that  follow. Making a commitment to the mental health needs of our children would be a great place to start.

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Jive Five: The 5 Most Popular Blog Posts of April 2013

The 5 most popular blog posts in April were actually the 7 most popular blog posts in April 2013, and they’re blog posts that I’m really proud of. I wrote about the history of gay marriage and the legal challenges that preceded the historic US Supreme Court oral arguments in March, and that was the most viewed blog post in April.

If you haven’t seen the performance of the one minute poem that indicts Rep. Michele Bachmann for her extremist views, it’s worth watching. The other popular blog posts were related to gay marriage, the lesbian Prime Minister of Iceland, Barbara Walters, Project Runway, Bill Clinton, and Fox News.

1. Historical And Legal Analysis: The Evolution Of Gay Marriage

2. Must See Video: 1 Minute Poem Destroys Michele Bachmann

3. The Watercooler: 4 Gay LGBT News Stories You Need To Know

4. USC Student Duped Barbara Walters And “The View”

5. TV Talk: Project Runway Is Still Gay Gay Gay!

6. Bill Clinton Is The Most Anti-Gay President We’ve Ever Had  

7. Fox News Calls Anti-Gay Hate Groups “Christian Ministries”

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Celebrate Yourself - Today Is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Today is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).

“The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is a celebration of achievements and a reminder to all that human rights are universal and apply to everyone, including LGBT people,” Graeme Reid, LGBT Rights director at Human Rights Watch, said.

If you’re  lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender --- celebrate yourself --- today and every day.

Stand tall and be proud --- fight homophobia and transphobia!

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The Anti-Gay American Center for Law and Justice Cited For Exporting Hate

In honor of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights program at Human Rights Watch, named their 2013 candidates to their Hall of Shame, for a disgraceful disregard of basic human and civil rights.

Graeme Reid, the LGBT Rights director at Human Rights Watch, said “Since our last ‘Hall of Shame’ there have been significant strides in many parts of the world toward equality for LGBT people, including in Uruguay, New Zealand, and France. The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is a day to celebrate these achievements and to challenge discriminatory practices against LGBT people.”

The 2013 Human Rights Watch “Hall of Shame” inductees were selected for endangering the lives and dignity of LGBT people in 2013. They strongly contributed to a homophobic and transphobic environment during the past year.

1. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) exports hatred, homophobia and transphobia to the continent of Africa.

The American Center for Law and Justice, for attempting to export homophobia to Africa. Founded in 1990 by the Baptist Minister and televangelist Pat Robertson, and headed by Jay Sekulow, its chief counsel, the ACLJ strongly opposes LGBT equality and reproductive rights in the United States and across the globe. It works through offshoot organizations such as the East African Centre for Law and Justice (EACLJ) in Kenya, the African Centre for Law and Justice (ACLJ) in Zimbabwe, and the Brazilian Center for Law and Justice (BCLJ) in Brazil. The EACLJ unsuccessfully lobbied against Kenya’s progressive new constitution in 2010 solely on the basis that the constitution’s anti-discrimination clause could eventually be used to advance LGBT equality and that it allows for abortion when the mother’s health is at stake.

2. Yahya Jammeh, President of Gambia, for hateful homophobic rhetoric, and his support of anti-gay legislation. 

Yahya Jammeh, the president of Gambia, for his homophobic vitriol and promotion of anti-gay laws. At the opening of the Gambian Parliament in Banjul in March, Jammeh gave a stark warning to LGBT people in Gambia: “If you are convicted of homosexuality in this country, there will be no mercy for offenders.” Claiming that homosexuality is “anti-God, anti-human, and anti-civilization,” Jammeh issued a threat to all gay people in Gambia: “Homosexuals are not welcome in the Gambia. If we catch you, you will regret why you are born.” Jammeh's homophobia has been persistent. In 2008 he promised “stricter laws than Iran” regarding homosexuality and to “cut off the head” of any LGBT person found in Gambia. In 2012, 20 people were charged with committing “unnatural offenses,” but were acquitted because of lack of evidence. Because Gambia is the host country of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, its laws pose a threat to LGBT rights defenders throughout Africa who regularly conduct advocacy in Banjul.

3. Vadym Kolesnichenko, a member of parliament in Ukraine, for introducing anti-gay legislation that codifies discrimination against Ukrainian lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents.

Vadym Kolesnichenko, a member of the Ukraine parliament, for initiating one of two draft laws currently before parliament that would discriminate against LGBT people and infringe on their fundamental rights to free expression. The first bill would prohibit the dissemination of positive information about homosexuality, including through such activities as rallies, parades, demonstrations, discussions, or special courses. The second bill provides for similar prohibitions on the publication and distribution of written or recorded products that present homosexuality in a positive light. Violators of the laws would face up to six and five years in prison, respectively.

4. Svoboda, a Ukrainian political party, published a party platform that advocates the arrest and imprisonment of anyone who speaks or writes about gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people or issues, in a positive way.

The Ukrainian political party Svoboda, which holds 12 percent of seats in parliament, for including a pledge to “introduce criminal responsibility for propaganda of drug use and sexual perversions” as part of its party platform. The party repeatedly speaks out against LGBT people’s rights and has announced its support for homophobic bills. On May 14 Iryna Farion, a Svoboda member of parliament, told media, referring to LGBT people: “They should be cured. I do not make comments about sick people. I don’t understand what you are asking me about. They need to be cured.” In July and December 2012, Svoboda party members were involved in attacking a peaceful protest against homophobic laws.

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Anti-Gay Bullying Tied to Teen Depression, Suicide

Suicidal thoughts more likely for kids victimized over sexual orientation, research finds.

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Students targeted because they're believed to be gay -- as many as one in seven young teens -- are much more likely than others to be suicidal and depressed, a new survey finds.

More than 10 percent of eighth-grade boys and girls reported that they're victimized because of perceived sexual orientation, according to a large survey of students in Washington state.

"It has a profound impact on their quality of life and the way they think of themselves," said Donald Patrick, a professor of health services at the University of Washington in Seattle. "Those in eighth grade are in a particularly vulnerable position."

These children "feel alone in life, that they don't feel as good as other people and their self-esteem is highly affected," Patrick said.

The survey results, published online May 16 in the American Journal of Public Health, don't offer insight into whether bullying contributes to depression and suicidal thoughts in its victims. It's possible that kids with existing mental illnesses may be more likely to be bullied and perceived as gay.

Nor does the research establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship between bullying and suicidal thoughts. But Patrick said "it's clear that there's an association, and I wouldn't be so worried about the causation." Prior research has also suggested that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children are more likely to be suicidal and hurt themselves.

A string of teen suicides in 2010 -- including the death of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi -- put the issue in the public eye. Syndicated columnist Dan Savage launched a campaign called "It Gets Better" to give hope to gay teens that their lives will improve. Participants have included numerous celebrities and politicians, including President Barack Obama.

Based on the new findings, bully-prevention programs must address kids picked on because of their sexual orientation, the study authors said.

The study is based on a 2010 survey of nearly 28,000 students in grades eight, 10 and 12. Among boys, 14 percent of eighth-graders, 11 percent of 10th-graders and 9 percent of 12th-graders reported being bullied within the previous month because they were thought to be gay. The numbers were 11 percent, 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively, for girls.

The survey defined bullying based on sexual orientation as being "bullied, harassed or intimidated at school" because they were thought to be gay or bisexual. It defined other types of bullying as when one or more students "say or do nasty or unpleasant things" to another person or tease someone "repeatedly in a way he or she finds offensive." In most cases, more students reported being bullied for other reasons.

Compared to kids bullied for other reasons or not bullied at all, those targeted because they were perceived to be gay were much more likely to have considered suicide in the past year, to have been depressed in the past year and to say they don't feel good about themselves.

For example, 26 percent of male 12th-graders targeted for being perceived as gay said they had been suicidal within the past year, compared to 8 percent of those not bullied. The rate also was more than three times greater for female seniors.

Brian Mustanski, an associate professor in the department of medical social sciences at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, said the survey has some strengths but fails to ask whether those bullied are actually gay and not just perceived to be.

"Because of this, it is a major underestimate of the rate of bullying among gay youth," he said.

Mustanski agreed with Patrick that teachers and school leaders need to promote comfortable and safe environments. "While family and peer support have important positive effects for gay youth and reduce feelings of suicide and depression, you cannot 'support away' these toxic effects of bullying," he said.

"Schools and communities need to put in place policies and practices that make schools and neighborhoods safe for all kids," he said.

More information

The Trevor Project offers a confidential suicide hotline for gay teens and those questioning their sexuality.

SOURCES: Donald Patrick, Ph.D., MSPH, professor, health services, University of Washington, Seattle; Brian Mustanski, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.; May 16, 2013,American Journal of Public Health

Last Updated: May 16, 2013

Health News Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Minnesota Is The 12th State To Say “I DO" To Gay Marriage

I’m thrilled for Minnesota, and happy for the great people of the state, as well as my friends and family.

I spent a lot of time when I was a kid, during the hot summers - in the “land of 10,000 lakes” - better known as the state of Minnesota. My maternal grandparents were born and raised in the north star state, and we had lots of fun visiting relatives in Edina, and Minneapolis, before we’d make the trek to the southwestern corner of the state, to a bustling suburb of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

I would describe Pipestone, Minnesota as a small prairie town. It’s also the county seat of Pipestone County, with a reported population of 4,317 people in the 2010 census. It’s not a bustling suburb of Sioux Falls, though that’s the largest city in close proximity to the town. My grandparents were born and raised in Pipestone, and I loved visiting our extended family during those long hot summers.

Because of my family connection to the state, and my many fond memories, I’ve paid close attention to politics in Minnesota. Gay rights have been a thorny issue in the state for years, and before the state Republican party imploded in Minnesota, they had blocked any real progress for many years.

Rep. Michele ‘Bozo’ Bachmann owes her political career to her anti-gay crusades as a Minnesota state Senator. Before she became famous for trying to make out with President George W. Bush on the House floor, she was widely known in Minnesota for her contretemps with another bush. During a rally for gay rights at the state capitol, she was caught spying on the assembled crowd, while she was ducking behind a bush.

When I learned that the Minnesota state Senate passed their gay marriage legislation yesterday, I was beyond thrilled and was brought to tears. Senator Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) and many of his DFL colleagues in the House and Senate, have worked tirelessly to pass this bill. John Helmberger, chairman of Minnesota for Marriage, and his staff and volunteers worked their tails off to defeat the anti-gay ballot measure in last November’s election, and rallied the troops to lobby the public and state politicians on behalf of the legislation, over the past seven months.

In the Minneapolis Star Tribune, reporters Baird Helgeson and Jim Ragsdale described the frenzied crowd in the state capitol.

Amid roaring chants from supporters and tears from opponents, the state Senate took a historic, final step Monday to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota. 

The 37-30 vote came after a failed, last-ditch attempt by opponents to scuttle the measure.

“I’m going to be a married man in Minnesota!” DFL Sen. Scott Dibble, the Senate’s only openly gay member, proclaimed to supporters after emerging from the chamber.

One Republican, Sen. Branden Petersen, joined a majority of DFL legislators to make Minnesota the 12th state to legalize gay marriage. Three DFLers voted against the measure.

Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, pleaded with colleagues to vote the bill down: “Don’t vote what you know is morally wrong,” said Hall, a former CEO of Midwest Chaplains. “May God help us." 

Minnesota becomes the first Midwestern state to legalize same-sex marriage by legislative vote, and the latest victory for those working to extend marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples across the nation. Monday’s action technically repeals a state statute that had prohibited such unions.

In the St. Paul Pioneer Press, reporter Megan Boldt described a similar scene in the state capitol, and the jubilation of the assembled crowd.

With deafening cheers ringing throughout the Capitol corridors, the Minnesota Senate approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage Monday, May 13, positioning the state to become the 12th to put marriage equality into law.

It passed on a 37-30 vote, with one Republican crossing party lines to vote "yes" and three Democrats voting "no."

Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to sign the bill Tuesday, and gay couples could begin marrying Aug. 1.

"Sometimes the simplest bills are the most powerful in affecting peoples' lives for the better," said bill sponsor Sen. Scott Dibble, a Minneapolis DFLer who previously married Richard Leyva in California.

"With just a few words, we have the ability to bring loving families across the entire state of Minnesota into the full sunshine of equality and freedom that they've been denied for so long."

Gay marriage supporters far outnumbered opponents Monday at the Capitol. Decked in orange and blue, they chanted, "We've got your back," as lawmakers left the Senate chamber.

St. Paul already has planned a celebration for Tuesday, with Dayton's 5 p.m. bill signing on the Capitol steps and a "Love is Law" ou

tdoor concert afterward at Ecolab Plaza downtown.

I’m thrilled for Minnesota, and happy for the great people of the state, as well as my friends and family living there. They are the 12th state in the nation to embrace marriage equality, and the 3rd state in 3 weeks to do so.

I wish that I could have watched Rep. Michele ‘Bozo’ Bachmann (R-MN)  weep when she heard the news. She’ll probably blame this marriage loss on Satan. Right - that’s a plausible explanation!

Bachmann’s hatred for all things gay, motivated so many of us to make a commitment to take up arms and work to defeat the anti-gay campaign that she, and so many others like her, have fueled for so many years.

Every time we speak authentically and truthfully, and cite facts instead of innuendo, we’re counteracting the lies and misinformation that these anti-gay hucksters try to sell to anyone who will listen.

‘Bozo’ Bachmann wouldn’t know the truth if it was staring her in the face, and the truth of the matter is that at 5:00pm today when Governor Mark Dayton signs the bill, gay marriage will be legal in the state of Minnesota.

The Bachmann Brigade and her ilk lost the battles in Rhode Island and Delaware and Minnesota, and they lost the war a long time ago. The only thing standing in the way of full marriage equality in all fifty states is destiny.

As the Late Late Show’s Craig Ferguson likes to say, “it’s a great day for America!”

A great day indeed.

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