Time For Change

Since I began writing this in 2008, there have been some improvements in our world. Things are much better for our LGBTQ+ community. Marriage equality in the United States has been a huge step forward.

California voters approve Proposition 8, making same-sex marriage in California illegal, but then Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional. The next year, President Obama said his administration would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which banned the recognition of same-sex marriage. Then in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

In 2009, The Matthew Shepard Act expanded the 1969 U.S. Federal Hate Crime Law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. (Matthew was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming back in 1998 because of his sexual orientation).

In the past ten years, a number of countries have decriminalized homosexuality, including Belize, India, Angola, and Singapore. Several countries now legally recognize non-binary or third gender classifications. Blood donation policies for men who have sex with men have changed. These are just a few steps forward that have been made.

Sadly, there have also been changes in the other direction. There is still hate, even within progressive communities. There are also countries where being gay is punishable by death. Pride month is a good time to reflect on the advances, but it is also a reminder that there is still work to do. It is time for a lot more change!

No kings, but queens are good

Over 1,000 communities across the country today are holding events for a "No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance." Queens are a different matter. Let me introduce you to the Absolute Empress XXV of San Francisco.  The name Garry McLain might not be familiar to you, but for so many - even folks on the other side of the world, the San Francisco establishment he ran for many years was not only familiar, but it was also a destination! 

Mclain is much better known to many as Marlena the Magnificent, who owned Marlena's bar.  Marlena’s was a neighborhood institution for twenty two years and for many regulars, it was a home away from home - a place like Cheers, "where everybody knew your name." It was also where you could play a quick afternoon game of pool or come to see one of the best drag shows anywhere. Of course the fundraisers and community events are firm in so many of our memories too. Santas. If you had been there at Christmastime, you know about the santas. 

Marlena's was such a wonderful part of San Francisco, but it was the man at the top, Marlena himself, who made this all happen.  So many know him as a drag queen or as a bar owner, but if you have spent any time in the community or if you have visited his namesake saloon, you know him as someone who gives back - someone who makes a difference in this world. He has given money- he has given time - he has given a stage for new performers - he has given a place for folks with nowhere else to go. To put it quite simply, Garry McLain has a heart of gold.

During Pride Month, I pause to thank all the wonderful drag performers in our world, past and present.  God save our queens!

The LGBTQ+ Music

The LGBTQ+ anthems on my list might not be the same as yours, but during the Pride Month, I was thinking of the songs I would list.  Here are this years's top twentyfive (according to me):

25: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - Abba, 24: Same Love - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, 23: Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland, 22: Ice Cream Truck - Cazwell, 21: Believe - Cher, 20: The Night I Fell in Love - Pet Shop Boys, 19: If I Had You - Adam Lambert, 18: Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston, 17: You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester, 16: True Trans Soul Rebel - Against Me, 15: Tainted Love - Imelda May, 14: Born this Way - Lady Gaga, 13: No More Tears - Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer, 12: Express Yourself - Madonna, 11: True Colors - Cindi Lauper, 10: Take Me Or Leave Me - Rent, 9: It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls, 8: Constant Craving - kd lang, 7: YMCA - The Village People, and a favorite of mine 6: Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other - Willie Nelson. The top five -- 5: Your Song - Elton John, 4: I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor, 3: I Am What I Am - John Barrowman, 2: Raise Your Glass - Pink, and 1: I’m Coming Out - Diana Ross.

Does this list do the LGBTQ+ community justice?  Should it be revised? What song would you add? Are there any that just have to be dropped from this list? I tried to keep this list vast and diverse, but I don't know how I did, so feedback really would be appreciated.  Just how does a song become a gay anthem anyway?  

Nobody makes mix tapes anymore, right?  At least we have YouTube!  I think I'll cue up Gloria Gaynor singing 'I Will Survive.'

.Remembering Pulse

It was just a few years ago on June 12, 2016, that a man shot and killed 49 people and wounded another 53 people in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL. Every year I write about it here in this space. In the midst of all our Pride Month celebrations, we also must not forget any of our tragedies.

I do not write about the Perpetrator, preferring instead to focus on remembering those who died. Pulse had been hosting a "Latin Night," and most of the victims were Latino. It was the deadliest incident of violence against lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the history of the United States, surpassing the 1973 UpStairs Lounge arson attack in New Orleans.

Here are the lives that were lost. Remember their names.

Stanley Almodovar III, 23

Amanda Alvear, 25

Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26

Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21

Martin Benitez Torres, 33

Antonio D. Brown, 30

Darryl R. Burt II, 29

Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24

Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28

Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, 31

Juan Chavez-Martinez, 25

Luis D. Conde, 39

Cory J. Connell, 21

Tevin E. Crosby, 25

Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, 50

Deonka D. Drayton, 32

Mercedez M. Flores, 26

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22Juan R. Guerrero, 22

Paul T. Henry, 41

Frank Hernandez, 27

Miguel A. Honorato, 30

Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40

Jason B. Josaphat, 19

Eddie J. Justice, 30

Anthony L. Laureano Disla, 25

Christopher A. Leinonen, 32

Brenda L. Marquez McCool, 49

Jean C. Mendez Perez, 35

Akyra Monet Murray, 18

Kimberly Morris, 37

Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27

Luis O. Ocasio-Capo, 20

Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32

Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25

Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37

Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24

Christopher J. Sanfeliz, 24

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34

Shane E. Tomlinson, 33

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25

Luis S. Vielma, 22

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37

Jerald A. Wright, 31

Officials have characterized the shooting as an act of terrorism, but it has not been called a hate crime. It has been argued that the shooter was not targeting the club because of gay patrons. While that may be true, the injured and the lives lost were mostly from the LGBT+ Community.  May we never forget these lives cut short.

We need to know our history

I began this month by writing a bit about LGBTQ+ celebrations and reasons why they are necessary.  I also wrote a little about some of the people who have made a difference.  Hearing a story recently about someone who wasn't quite sure who Marsha P. Johnson was, I knew I needed to head in that direction.  We need to know our history,

Marsha P. Johnson was an activist in New York City from the 1960s to the 1990s. Co-founder of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, Marsha was also a visible presence at protests and marches and at the same time was a mother figure to young trans women. Facing ridicule, bullying, and harassment, Marsha did not yield from being her true self, and in doing so made a huge difference. (The middle initial P, according to her was Pay it No Mind).

Many of us are aware of those who make a difference in the town where we live, but folks in other places do things that lead to a better life for us all.  Whether you are from New Jersey where Marsha was born, New York where she became known, or the other side of the earth, it's important to know that things she did, made a difference.   

Although the police report her death as suicide, there is much evidence to suggest that her death was as a result of a hate crime.  As part of her legacy, we should all pledge to do everything possible to end the plague of hate crimes against our trans sisters and brothers.

Adam's pictures

The Pride Celebrations each June, the rainbow flag, and The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt are all things that make a visible difference.  Who doesn't recognize panels of The Quilt when you see them, or the rainbow flag?  Well, the NoH8 Campaign is another example.  Photographer Adam Bouska created this visual program along with partner Jeff Parshley, back in 2009 in response to California's Proposition 8, the ballot proposition opposing same-sex marriage.

Openly gay Bouska has really made a difference taking pictures of thousands in the past eight years.  I remember seeing a friend at work with the NoH8 on his cheek.  It made an immediate impact on me.  There is something very empowering seeing your favorite celebrities, including many non-gay people, in these poses with the duct tape and the NoH8 lettering. 

Our LGBTIQ+ community is fortunate to have so many great leaders.  There just aren't enough days in the month to mention everyone, but I encourage you to mention some others for me, using the comments section below.

If you want to keep up with Adam Bouska's NoH8 pictures, check out their website at http://www.noh8campaign.com/ - you can donate money to this great campaign through their website too.  (I love looking through all the pictures).  Adam makes a difference in many other ways as well.  I really appreciate all of his positive and encouraging tweets.  You can keep up with him at his website http://www.adambouska.com/ 

The other Harvey

Last night Harvey Made me very happy (and not for the first time). You may assume I'm talking about Harvey Milk, we celebrated his birthday last month and his name has been in the news this month. I just wrote about him on Friday though.  This time it's Harvey Fierstein that I write about.

You might remember him from a classic episode of Cheers, or from his roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day, Garbo Talks, or The Year Without a Santa Claus, but for me he will always be Arnold Beckoff from Torch Song Trilogy and Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.

Fierstein is much more than a fine actor though. He is also a wonderful voice actor, occasional columnist, and a playwright, and was one of the first openly gay celebrities in the country and put a face on the LGBTIQ+ community.

His Torch Song Trilogy gives a portrait of gay life, for those who don't really have a clue. He brought the performance to both the stage and to film and wasn't afraid to show two men in a loving committed relationship. The movie version of Torch Song is one of my all-time favorites!

By being visible, even if it might have held back his career, Harvey Fierstein has made a difference. He continues to bring us joy and pride too with every single performance. Already the recipient of four Tony Awards, last night Harvey was awarded the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.  That made me very happy.