30 Years After Gay March Activists Head to DC

A Democrat in the White House. Demands for sweeping civil rights protections. Religious opponents working to undo a string of state-based victories.

That was the backdrop in 1979 when gay rights activists staged their first national march in Washington. Thirty years later, with the landscape looking much the same, thousands of advocates are preparing to rally again in the nation’s capital this weekend.

And they are demanding many of the same things: a bill to outlaw job discrimination based on gender, a law that would treat attacks on gays as federal hate crimes, and a presidential order allowing gays to serve openly in the military.

“Thirty years ago was our introduction to the nation. It was ‘These are the things we stand for and are about,’” said David Mixner, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton. “This march, more than any other, is a declaration that we are a full-fledged civil rights movement, we are here to win our freedom now and we won’t wait any longer.”

Read more at: Steve Rothaus – Gay South Florida!

Gay Discrimination Case Tossed in Florida

A federal court in Miami has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Washington state lesbian who was not allowed to visit her dying partner at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

“The hospital took the position that we thought was pretty extreme — that it has no duty, no legal obligation, to allow visitors [of any sort] in the hospital. The court agreed,” said Beth Littrell, a staff attorney for Lambda Legal, a national gay-rights group representing Janice Langbehn, whose partner of 17 years died at Jackson in 2007.

Langbehn’s partner, Lisa Pond, suffered a fatal brain aneurysm on Feb. 18, 2007, shortly before they were to sail with their three children on a Caribbean cruise for gay families.

At Jackson, Langbehn said, a social worker would not let her visit Pond because Florida is “an anti-gay state.” Pond, 39, died the next day.

From the beginning, Jackson said Langbehn was not discriminated against and defended social worker Garnett Frederick, who denied making the comment.

Langbehn, with the help of Lambda Legal, sued the hospital. The case, which received publicity around the country, was thrown out Tuesday.

“We’re obviously devastated and disappointed in this decision,” Littrell said. “It highlights how vulnerable same-sex couples and their families are.”

Jackson on Tuesday again denied that gay patients and their families are treated differently.

You can read more of this story by Steve Rothaus at: MiamiHearald.com!

If You Live In South Florida, Please Read This

United Way of Broward has launched an Internet census to glean detailed information about South Florida’s large gay community.

Among the very personal questions asked:

• What sex were you born (and what is your current gender)?

• How many sex partners have you had this year? (And did you practice safe sex?)

• Have you ever suffered physical or mental abuse because of your sexual orientation or gender identity?

The $10,000 nonscientific survey — funded by the Florida Department of Health — contains 67 questions ranging from basic demographics to health and community issues, said Dave Wallace, United Way senior development manager and co-chair of the agency’s Broward County LGBT Task Group.

The survey, called The Count, is geared to South Florida’s ”lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning community,” according to a United Way of Broward website.

”We want to get a clear picture of what we look like in the community [and] with that, to build awareness for the issues in the community,” Wallace said. “With the hard data we get from this, that will help get funding for programs. Without that data it’s hard to justify getting funding dollars to South Florida.”

Read more and get the link to the survey at Steve Rothaus’ Gay South Florida!

2009 Miami Latin Gay Film Festival

The Miami Latin Gay Film Festival has unveiled the line-up of the best Latin Gay and Lesbian films from around the world that will be featured during the 4 day event from April 16 to 19. The announcement was made today by Executive Director Jim Dobson with Festival Director Ellen Wedner.

Read the rest at Steve Rothaus’ Gay South Florida!

Gay Marriage Protest Scheduled for February 12th

On National Freedom to Marry Day, Thursday, February 12, 2009, at local marriage counters in cities all over the country, same-sex couples will request marriage licenses at their local County Clerk’s Offices to raise awareness of the harms and impact the inability to marry causes on their families.

Read the rest of this post by Steve Rothaus by clicking here.

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