When the United States Supreme Court ruled in 2003 in Lawrence vs. Texas on a 6-3 vote that the state had violated the liberty of the plaintiffs protected by substantive due process under the Fourteenth Amendment, it not only legalized consensual sex between two adults regardless of gender, but it overturned Bowers vs. Hardwick (1986)…
In preparation for WorldPride, June 20-29, Toronto has literally laid out a welcome mat in the form of rainbow-painted crosswalks for the hundreds of thousands expected to attend the celebration. WorldPride Toronto is an event that “incorporates activism, education and the history and culture of global LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities.” According to Andrew Weir, vice president of…
This morning, the Senate confirmed three federal judges. On the one hand, they are not unique; like all of the President’s judges and judicial nominees, they have the necessary intellect, experience, integrity, and temperament. But they are special in that each of them is a trailblazer on their courts: Judge Darrin Gayles, confirmed to the…
A documentary about people, pride and power, Breaking Through features several openly LGBT elected officials and their journeys from self-doubt to triumph. The Special Edition DVD of Breaking Through (SRP $19.99) will include an extended director’s cut, the festival cut, a music video and a featurette on the filmmaker’s journey. Directed by Cindy L. Abel,…
The media continues to lavish both praise and criticism on Italy’s treatment of the LGBT community after it reported in TheDailyBeast.com that Italy’s High Court has allowed a couple to remain married even though one of them has successfully completed his transition to a woman. “For 20 years, [Alessandro] Bernaroli struggled openly with gender dysphoria,…
In 2007 I became a blogger at Pam’s House Blend, and went on to become what Melissa Harris Perry called “the first national transgender blogger.” In 2008 I became one of the first two transgender reporters who were credentialed to cover the Democratic National Convention. In 2009 I became the first transgender reporter to cover…
TORONTO – As Toronto prepares for its role as the first North American municipality to host World Pride, City Council today called on the federal government to help fund the development of the world’s first LGBT-led sport hub, spearheaded by The 519 Church Street Community Centre. A motion put forward by Councillor Pam McConnell and…
The frozen food company Findus has created what TIME reports to be the first gay-friendly ad in Italy. The ad, which does not show faces, features a mother and her son, Luca, who are discussing the microwaved pasta cooked by Gianni, Luca’s roommate and boyfriend. “Mom, there is another small surprise … Gianni isn’t just…
CHICAGO, Ill – Chicago is the home to a new web series, Dudes which premiered on Friday, April 11, 2014. Created and written by Andrew Pemberton-Fowler, Dudes is a wry, comedic story centered around three gay friends who are all on the wrong side of thirty – and they know it. This smart, witty, and slightly…
San Diego’s leaders and public officials flooded the hall at the Balboa Park Club Friday as Assemblywoman Toni Atkins was ceremonially sworn in as this city’s first speaker of the assembly and the California State Assembly’s first lesbian speaker. Even though Atkins’ official swearing in happened last month in Sacramento, a jubilant atmosphere filled the…
