Lighting Up the Blogosphere with LGBT

From March 1-5, 16% of the week’s links in the blogosphere were about gay rights issues in the news, according to the New Media Index from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. This is the second time in a month when the topic has been among the most discussed subjects. During the first week of February, gay issues including the military’s policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” were a major subject of discussion. It is also the sixth time the subject finished in the top five since PEJ began its New Media Index in January 2009.

The above paragraph is an excerpt from Journalism.org which explains a spike in post about LGBT issues across the blogosphere. What I find to be unsurprising, yet interesting, is how equality related issues have taken flight. As the post points out, again not to my surprise, the split amongst bloggers who are pro and con with equality seem to be pretty even. One may think that since the LGBT community is the minority, the number of blogs that advocate against LGBT equality would be much greater, however there doesn’t appear to be a great number more who are against LGBT rights than those who support equality. Does this mean the average straight blogger doesn’t support discrimination? I’m not certain, but I suppose the point I’m trying to make is that it looks promising that those who oppose the LGBT community themselves appear to be a minority similar in size to those of us in the LGBT community. Of course with everything else, I would think you could place issues of homosexuality on a continuum and find that 5% fall to the extreme right (being completely against the LGBT community) and 5% would fall on the extreme left (working feverishly towards gaining equality) and the remaining 90% fall somewhere in the middle, not really considering the issues as they don’t feel directly affected by them.

Either way, I think it’s a promising sign that issues of LGBT equality are ranking the highest for coverage by bloggers. I believe this lends to the notion the LGBT rights movement has become just that…a movement, and one of large scale. I firmly believe this to our advantage as getting the issues out and having them heard is half the battle.

Autostraddle: Prom Update

This is the kind of news that makes people who are open-minded and truly believe in equality for all smile! According to Autostraddle:

Clearly the world loves Constance McMillen just as much as her daddy and her girlfriend do. Not only has a New Orleans restaurant owner offered to bus & host the prom, but now the American Humanist Association has offered to plan and fund a prom for the Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Mississippi:

“It’s shameful that closed-minded members of the school board are prepared to deprive an entire class of students their prom over their outdated religious mores.” said Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the AHA. “People can hold to any belief or no belief in this nation, but the school board misuses their position when they try to impose their beliefs on the student population in Itawamba.”

Read more here!

Anti-Gay Senator Arrested Leaving Gay Club

There is a saying,  truth is stranger than fiction,  you really couldn’t make it us, early Wednesday morning, the anti-gay California State Senator, Roy Ashburn was  spotted and  stopped by the local police.   Ashburn was then arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Now this news on it’s own is nothing unusual.   Politicians all over the world like the odd tipple,  and it’s quite common for them to be charged with drink driving and things like that.   But  what turns this story upside down,  has created a media frenzy is where this opponent of gay rights was  seen leaving  Faces,  a gay nightclub in downtown Sacramento!

Yep,   this campaigner against our equal rights, not only gets himself busted drink driving coming out of a gay club,  but he also had an unidentified male in the passenger seat,  and let me tell you,  it wasn’t any of his staff!

The ashamed father of four issued a statement -

“I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me – my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate.”

For more  see the local TV news report of the incident!

Jason Shaw,  Brighton,  England.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court OKs Third Sex

From Equal Ground:

Pakistan’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry ordered the government on Wednesday to allow transvestites and eunuchs to identify themselves as a distinct gender as part of a move to ensure their rights.

While hearing the case, the Chief Justice also advised the authorities to hire the services of the eunuchs to recover monies (Rs193 billion) loans from the bank loan defaulters – a practice, he said, already being followed in India!

Known by the term “Hijra” in Pakistan as well as in India and Bangladesh, transvestites, eunuchs and hermaphrodites are generally shunned by society nor do they enjoy any rights – legal, political human or even religious.

They often live together in slum communities and survive by begging and dancing at carnivals and weddings. Some are also involved in prostitution.

CJ Iftikhar ordered the authorities to issue national identity cards to members of the community showing their distinct gender and to take steps to ensure that they were not harassed.

“The government’s registration authority has been directed to include a separate column in national identity cards showing them as hijras,” Mohammad Aslam Khaki, a lawyer for hijras told Reuters.

“By doing so, they think they will get a distinct identity and it will help them get their rights.”

More here!

UK’s Prime Minister Supports Gay Rights!

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday praised Britain’s gay armed forces,  and his support of ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.


Last night at his official home,  Number 10 Downing Street,  a reception was held to celebrate February’s lesbian gay bisexual and transgender  history month.  Gordon  Brown singled out those lesbians, gays and bisexuals from the Army, Navy and Air Force who attended the event in uniform.       “You are the pride of our country and we thank you very much. We know this debate continues in America today. I would say to people who still favour ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, look at our experience in Britain.” He told them.

The PM also spoke of  James Parks, a police officer who was injured in Liverpool last year in an unprovoked  homophobic attach and has spent a great deal of time recovering from the attack.    “We all went into shock and morning as a spate of homophobic and transphobic attacks  happened and as James Parks was hospitalised our thoughts were with him.”    James Parks was at the reception along with his newly-wed civil partner, Tom.

Gordon Brown has on many occasions supported gay groups, gay rights and has stood up for equality.   Last night,   he reaffirmed that support –   “I will not give up on the fight for justice until justice is achieved.”




For more information on Gordon Brown,  read a transcript in The Times of his interview with Piers Morgan here.




Jason Shaw,  Brighton, England.
GayAgenda.com’s United Kingdom Correspondent.






Jason’s blog,  The Seafront Diaries,  the true life tales of growing older,  though not necessarily wiser! www.seafrontdiary.com

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