LDS Mother of Gay Children Protest the Protest

Mormon mothers of gay children are staging a candlelight vigil in Salt Lake City to oppose the LDS Church’s support of California’s proposed gay-marriage ban. The event is being co-hosted by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Equality Utah, the Utah Pride Center, the Inclusion Center, Affirmation and the Human Rights Campaign. The event will be held today at 6 p.m. at Library Square, 210 E. 400 South.

In a news release, organizers invited all allies and members of the GLBT community - Mormon and non-Mormon - to join the vigil to support civil rights.

WSU Rally Supports GLBT Students

Hundreds of students from Washington State University gathered at noon yesterday (Tuesday) at the Glenn Terrell Mall to show support of gay students who were recently attacked. There have been three hate crimes this month alone including two assaults on campus and one on College Hill.

Most of the students wore red in a show of support and carried signs that said, “End Hate.”

Radio station KRPL reported that WSU President Elson Floyd canceled a business trip to return to campus for the rally. Students stopped him from speaking, saying this was the administration’s time to listen.

How to Gain GLBT Support from Co-Workers

As president of the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Carla Corley advises corporations on how to create welcoming environments for GLBT employees. Yet straight employees often need help, too. They may want to support their gay colleagues, but without cues and input from them, they are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. Gay and lesbian workers mistake that silence as rejection. The result: A workplace on eggshells.

GLBT employees can help their straight colleagues in a number of ways to create a more supportive workplace for all.

Don’t Conceal Your Personal Life

One of the most important ways to make your workplace more comfortable for both GLBT and straight colleagues is to put a picture of your partner on your desk. “So many times, straight people say ‘I wasn’t sure you had someone,’” Corley says. “Seeing a photo gives them permission to talk.”

Similarly, she says, if coworkers discuss their personal lives, you can talk about your own. It does not have to be heavy-handed. “People catch on if you consistently mention the same name.”

Read the rest at career-advice.monster.com.

Straight Couple Show Support For Gay Marriage

When Marisa Miller married David Wolfson last year, the couple added a statement to their vows that they both passionately believe in the right of all people to marry regardless of sexual orientation.

With gay friends making up about 20 per cent of guests and two openly gay religious clergymen officiating, it seemed appropriate to note they felt “somewhat out of step with society’s views on marriage.”

“I thought it was really, really beautiful and very healing,” said the Rev. Nate Walker, who presided with Rabbi Frank Tamburello. “It brought tears to my eyes, thinking that I am legally entitled to marry this wonderful couple but I am not entitled to have the same joy in my own life.”

Such statements have become more common at heterosexual weddings. But not all gay guests appreciate the gesture. Some, like Pattrice Jones, compare straight couples’ efforts at solidarity to a white person joining a whites-only country club and making a quick statement of support for blacks who are excluded.

“Just don’t join the club, it’s that simple,” said Jones, a lesbian author.

Read the rest at canadianpress.google.com.