This is Bisexual Awareness Week

This week is Bisexual Awareness Week (#biweek) which works to accelerate the cultural acceptance of bisexual people. Sept. 23 is Celebrate Bisexuality Day (CBD), an international awareness day that is also referred to as Bi Visibility Day and Bisexual Pride Day. Three bisexual advocates–Wendy Curry, Michael Page and Gigi Raven Wilbur–conceived of the event as a…

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My queer relationship with Jesse Helms

I had many reasons to enjoy a successful and meaningful career as a gay diplomat with the United States government. I traveled widely and enjoyed the company of other diplomats, foreign professionals and international businesspeople. I had intestinal parasites, robberies and anti-American types who pointed guns at me and threatened me with knives.   My worst and…

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Vatican ‘takes offense’ over Obama’s guest list for papal visit

Ahead of next week’s visit of the Pope to Washington, the Vatican has “taken offense” at a decision by the Obama administration to invite former Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to hold that position; an activist nun, Sister Simone Campbell, who is executive director of Network, a self-described “Catholic social justice lobby”;…

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ABA names recipients of Stonewall Award honoring LGBT advancements in the legal profession

CHICAGO — Three longstanding LGBT legal activists will be honored by the American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity with its third annual Stonewall Award during a ceremony on Feb. 6, 2016, at the ABA Midyear Meeting in San Diego. Named after the New York City Stonewall Inn police raid and riot…

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Task Force congratulates the International Imperial Court System on their 50th anniversary

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National LGBTQ Task Force is congratulating the International Imperial Court System on their 50th anniversary. The Court System, one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ community service organizations, will be hosting its Golden Jubilee Gala State Dinner at the Sentinel Hotel in Portland, Oregon Oct. 23 to celebrate its anniversary. “Congratulations to the International…

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Amanda Simpson becomes the highest ranking openly transgender official in the Obama administration

WASHINGTON – Amanda Simpson, the highest ranking transgender appointee of any administration in history was today sworn in as the deputy assistant secretary of defense (DAS) for Operational Energy. Prior to her new position, Simpson has been active in politics and recognized at the federal level for her work. She was the first openly trans…

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Newly released emails reveal damage Mike Pence’s anti-LGBT RFRA law had on Indiana’s economic climate

Emails just released by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) reveal the tremendous damage Gov. Mike Pence’s anti-LGBT “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” (RFRA) inflicted on Indiana’s economic climate. In light of the fact that there is still no law in Indiana at the state level protecting LGBT Hoosiers from unjust discrimination, the emails reveal the…

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Bush, Huckabee defend Kentucky clerk who broke the law

Yesterday’s second Republican presidential debate, predictably saw candidates rush to the defense of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who not only refused to follow the rule of law and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but also refused to permit her deputies to issue marriage licenses. Both Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush defended Davis, with Huckabee…

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