Get Out There And Make Obama Do It.

An audience member attending the 2009 Brooklyn Book Festival, stood up and questioned the book panel, tackling the subject of "The Great Repression" if he should continue to maintain his faith in President Obama. Naomi Klein immediately responded with, "Obama needs your pressure, not your faith". She then shared the following anecdote she heard about FDR:

Eleanor Roosevelt said that when FDR would meet with civil rights leaders who would make demands that he didn’t think was politically possible at the time, he would respond, paraphrasing FDR: "That sounds like a great idea - I want to do it. Now get out there and make me do it. Create the conditions in which I can do it.”that's "that's a good idea, now get out there and MAKE me do it!"

Faith is defined as a belief that is not based on proof. President Obama is not God, therefore cannot perform miracles, so our faith, in and of itself, does not help him achieve what he has promised.

Do you think the banksters, the corporate elite, the international power brokers, etc. rely on their faith in Obama to get what they want? Hell no! They harass, and continuously exert as much force as they can muster. So, it's absolutely essential that we, the people, get off our collective ass and counter that force by organizing and creating independent movements that can offset the power and wealth of that infinitesimally small group of elites, who can only hope we, the people never rise up and challenge them. They will cave when the only alternative is revolution.

Breaking up the banks, who caused the meltdown, and ensuring that they never are allowed to get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy would be a good start.

This applies not only to our economy, but to all the issues President Obama addressed while campaigning, including education, health care, and equal rights for GLBT citizens.

Politicians cannot afford to appear weak when campaigning, therefore they make promises that sound as if they can handle it as long as they have our support, because they would never get elected if they campaigned by telling the public, "I promise....but, only if you force me to do it." So, especially in times like these, it's not enough to place our hope in President Obama, we must make him do it. That's not only what Obama desires, it's something he requires.

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Same Sex Couples Necessary For the Survival of the Species.

Neil Patrick Harris and partner David Burtka
Homosexual coupling occurs in over 1,000 species, from locusts and fruit flies, to penguins, dolphins and primates and the latest studies claim the pairing of same sex couples is not only widespread, but a "necessary biological adaptation for the survival of the species."

For a number of reasons, same-sex bonds have played a significant role in keeping a variety of species from possible extinction. For example, male-male pairings in locusts killed off the weaker males; female-female pairings in the Laysan albatross population raised offspring due to a shortage of males; same-sex couples amongst the dolphins engage in interactions to facilitate group bonding, and many of us have heard about the gay male penguins who hatched the egg rejected by its biological parents.

These are just a few examples that indicate, that not only has natural selection shaped same sex couples, but that same sex coupling acts as a selective force in and of itself. Therefore, it could be said that prohibiting marriage on the basis of a partners' gender is not only unconstitutional, but could adversely affect the evolution of human beings in the long run.

There is no doubt that same sex couples predate recorded human history, cross all social and cultural boundaries, and have played more than an instrumental role in creating culture which is so crucial to human survival. We don't come equipped with built in defense mechanisms like so many other species, as we lack the speed; endurance; strength; "molar" power; ability to fly; ability to camouflage ourselves; and/or shoot poisonous substances, etc.

Yet, in the transition from hunter-gatherers to modern day humans, despite the aforementioned deficiencies, we continue to thrive. While it is true, that our superior intelligence and our innate power or capacity to create factors heavily in our continued existence, it is our exigency to share the world with others that seals the deal.

Gay men and women, all throughout history - from Alexander the Great to Julius Caesar ["every women's husband, every man's wife"] to Leonardo da Vinci to Barney Frank - have overwhelmingly participated in the process of constructing, maintaining and innovating the culture and civilization we depend, not only for the evolution of our species, but the quality of our lives.

Not that it should matter, but sexuality is not a choice. Aside from the fact that gay men have larger penises, recent studies have demonstrated biological differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals. Amongst many other discoveries, Dr. Allen and Dr. Gorski at UCLA found that the part of the brain structure called the anterior commissure, a "cord of nerve fibers that allows two halves of the brain to communicate with one another, is larger in homosexual men than it is in either heterosexual men or in women." Who is to say that this anatomical difference not only affects sexuality but other spheres as well? Perhaps this difference accounts for what appears to be gay men's large contribution to our political and cultural landscape.

So, if thousands of gay and lesbian couples are forced to leave their American homes and move to one of the countries that do acknowledge homosexual relationships, or we go along with what the right-wing Christian group Family Research Council wants,

"I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to society." -- Peter Sprigg, FRC's Vice President for Policy

there is no question American culture would suffer tremendously, if not collapse all together.

And the real reason for the existence of homophobia:

"Uncovered Kinsey Report data show homosexual members have hetero ones by a head."

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Commemorating Carl Walker's Birthday. The National Day of Silence.

Approximately one week ago I blogged about how children bullying other children can mutilate a child's spirit which can lead to bullicide (suicide by bully), as it did in Carl Walker's case. Sexual orientation is cited as the second most common reason given for bullying after appearance.

Yesterday, April 17, which would have been Carl Walker's 12th birthday, had he not taken his own life, also marked the National Day of Silence. This day is supposed to "bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Each year the event has grown, now with hundreds of thousands of students coming together to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior."

Essence Magazine interviewed Carl's mother who provided more details of her son's tragic death. Although Carl, only 11-years old, had not declared his sexuality, he was teased for what the other children perceived to be his sexuality.

"He told me that he was being called names and the kids were saying, "You're gay; you act like a girl."

It can't be emphasized enough that 30% of GLBT youth successfully take their own lives, and all of those deaths can be attributed to the acceptance of homophobia throughout all areas of our society. Unfortunately, this includes the child's own family, and friends. Unlike other minorities, who can seek comfort or support within the family, church, or many times, their community, children who are either gay, or perceived to be gay - sometimes before they even know that they are - have no support system whatsoever.

Is it any wonder that the suicide rate is so high within this group of young people?

Homophobia is Killing Our Youth

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Gay Americans are Leaders in Online Usage

An online study shows the GLBT community is reading and responding to more blogs than heterosexuals and more receptive to blog advertising.

When asked to choose from a list of online activities, 27 % of gay adults reported posting a comment on a blog in the last month, compared to 13 % of heterosexuals.

In addition, more than one out of five (21%) gay respondents said they had written a personal blog in the last month, compared to 7 % of heterosexuals.

"Studies consistently show that gays and lesbians are leaders in online usage, are very keen to find relevant and timely information, and feel more strongly about staying on top of latest trends. Blogs are fast shaping the media landscape, and it is one medium that marketers and advertisers can�t afford to ignore, especially when it comes to reaching gay and lesbian influencers, voters and consumers." -- Wes Combs, President of Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc.

Therefore, it's only fair that the GLBT population can access collaborative space online with the freedom to express oneself without the homophobic commentary that so often presents itself in online gaming/geek communities.

"After years of trying to find ways to connect with like-minded geeks, I realized there was a real need for a collaborative space where we could all feel at ease to express ourselves. It's just about being real - If I think a game character is cute, I want to be able to say so without incurring the wrath of an anonymous online homophobe. I honed the necessary skills to build a site like iGaymer.com through my work and career -- this, coupled with my life-long passion for all things geeky, finally coalesced and iGaymer.com was born," -- Steve Lunny, Head Geek and Creative Director at iGaymer.com (a.k.a Stevie Spin

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Gay or Not, "Best Places to Work for GLBT Equality" is a Must See

The “Best Places to Work for GLBT Equality” is a list everyone should consult when looking for employment. If a company is chosen by The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation’s largest GLBT civil rights organization, it almost guarantees the company is an all around fair employer. In order to be chosen, 195 companies must score a perfect 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index which measures policies and practices implemented to promote fairness and equality in the workplace for GLBT employees.

Advertising

Star Company MediaVest Group (SMG) - Chicago, IL


Aerospace and Defense:

Boeing Co. - Chicago, IL

Honeywell International, Inc. - Morristown, NJ

Northrop Grumman Corp. - Los Angeles, CA

Raytheon Co. - Waltham, MA


Airlines

AMR Corp (American Airlines) - Fort Worth, TX

US Airways Group - Tempee AZ


Apparel, Fashion, Textiles, Dept. Stores

Abercrombie and Fitch - New Albany, OH

Gap, Inc. - San Francisco, CA

J.C. Penney Co. - Plano, TX

Levi Strauss & Co. - San Francisco, CA


Automotive:

Chrysler LLC Auburn Hills, MI

Ford Motor, Inc. - Dearborn, MI

General Motors, - Detroit, MI

Subaru of America - Cherry Hill, NJ


Banking & Financial Services:

American Express, Co. - New York

Ameriprise Financial, Inc. - Minneapolis, MN

Bank of America Corp - Charlotte, NC

Deutsche Bank - New York, NY

Wachovia Corp - Charlotte, NC

Wells Fargo - San Francisco, CA


Chemicals & Biotechnology

Choicepoint - Alpharetta, GA

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) - Armonk, NY


Computer Hardware & Office Equipment

Apple - Cupertino, CA

Dell, Inc. - Round Rock, TX

Lexmark International Inc. - Lexington, KY

NCR Corp. - Dayton, OH


Computer Software

Adobe Systems - San Jose, CA

Intuit, Inc. - Mountain View, CA

Microsoft Corp. - Redmond WA

Oracle Corp. - Redwood City, CA


Consulting, Business Services

Accenture Ltd. - New York, NY

Bain & Co. Inc. - Boston, MA

Boston Consulting Group - Boston, MA

Deloitte & Touche USA LLP - New York, NY

Ernst & Young LLP - New York, NY


Education, Childcare

Bright Horizons Family Solutions - Watertown, MA


Hotels, Resorts, & Casinos

Carlson Companies - Minnetonka, MN

Global Hyatt - Chicago, IL

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. - Las Vegas, NV

Marriot International Inc. - Washington DC

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide - White Plains, NY

Wyndham Worldwide - Parsippany, NJ


Internet

Google, Inc.


Law Firms

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP - Washington DC

Alston & Bird LLP - Atlanta, GA

Arnold & Porter LLP - Washington DC

Bingham McCutchen Boston, MA

Bryan Cave LLP - St. Louis, MO

Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP - New York, NY

Crowell & Moring LLP - Washington DC

Dewey Ballantine - New York, NY

Dickstein Shapiro LLP - Washington, DC

Dorsey & Whitney LLP - Minneapolis, MN

Faegre & Benson - Minneapolis, MN

Foley & Lardner LLP - Milwaukee, WI

Heller Ehrman LLP - San Francisco, CA

Holland & Knight LLP - New York, NY

Jenner & Block - Chicago, IL

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP - New York, NY

Latham & Watkins LLP - New York, NY

McDermott Will & Emery LLP - Chicago, IL

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo - Boston, MA

Nixon Peabody LLP - Rochester, NY

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP - Los Angeles, CA

O'Melveny & Myers - Los Angeles, CA


Mail & Freight Delivery

United Parcel Post, Inc (UPS) - Atlanta, GA


Oil and Gas

BP Oil - Warrenville, IL

Chevron - San Ramon, CA


Pharmaceuticals

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Ridgefield, CT

Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co - New York, NY

Eli Lilly & Co - Indianapolis, IN

GlaxoSmithKline plc - Philadelphia, PA

Hospira Inc. - Lake Forest, IL

Johnson & Johnson - New Brunswick, NJ

Merck & Co. Inc. - Whitehouse Station, NJ

Pfizer - New York, NY

Schering-Plough Corp. - Kenilworth, NJ


Publishing & Printing

New York Times Co. - New York, NY


Retail & Consumer Products

Best Buy - Richfield, MN

Borders Group, Inc - Ann Arbor, MI

Clorox Co - Oakland, CA

Estee Lauder Companies - New York, NY

Gamestop Corp. - Grapevine, TX

Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams - Taylorsville, NC

Newell Rubbermaid, Inc. - Atlanta, GA

Recreational Equipment, Inc. - Kent, WA

S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. - Racine, WI

Sears Holding Co. - Hoffman Estates, IL

Starbucks, Inc. - Seattle, WA

Walgreens - Deerfield, IL


Telecommunications

Alcatel-Lucent - Murray Hill, NJ

At&T - San Antonio, TX

Cisco Systems, Inc. - San Jose, CA

Motorola Corp. - Schaumburg, IL

Sprint Nextel - Reston, VA


Transportation, Travel

Travelport, Inc. - Parsippany, NJ


Waste Management

Waste Management - Houston, TX

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