Friends vs. Real Friends

I've decided to do a long over due clean-up in this department. To the so called friend who wanted to continue a friendship with me after dating, well, you are SOL. Yeah, you know who you are! I can't keep the lines of communication open with you - if you aren't willing to do so the same.

Ignoring me when you see me out, is another story which I won't get into on here. I keep reading your blog and please, stop playing the poor ol' pity me card. I've opened myself up to you way too many times to count, only to be ignored by you.

You don't deserve my friendship any longer, because you are too high maintenance. So, Poof you're gone! Also, I won't even take the time to wish you good luck because why bother, you'll just shit on it anyway.

As for another friend of mine, I've known for almost 21 years, I'm through with you as well. Like the one mentioned above, you are much more maintenance then I can care to manage anymore.

Both of you have too much drama and I won't want to be a part of it anymore.

I have a lot of other really good friends who care enough about me to share what's going on in their life and in return want to know what's going on in mine. They also keep the lines of communication open no matter what the circumstances are.

These are true friendships which I value...

We need to stop the hatred

Logo online is taking it a step further. When you go to their website, you are directed to this video. Kudos Logo for getting the message out there. Spread the word



And then theres this great video too.

30th Sydney Mardi Gras Draws To A Close

The 30th annual Mardi Gras went off over the weekend in Sydney, drawing a crowd of at least 300,000.

AP: "What began in 1978 as a protest march by 1,500 brave homosexual, lesbian and transsexual men and women that was harshly disbursed by police has grown into one of the world's largest and most flamboyant gay pride events. This year's procession of 150 floats was led by the '78ers' — a group of 186 of the original marchers and their partners, who drew rapturous cheers."

Below, coverage from the Australian video featuring Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin (who arrived there, of course, on the pink flight from San Francisco, and Carson Kressley, whom they identify as Carson Daly:

Ellen Speaks Out

I like the fact that Ellen does not use her sexual orientation on her show to promote being gay, but with this clip, I think her message comes across loud & clear. I only hope she has some sort of impact with the public about this.

Italy: Men Can’t Grope...Themselves

Whatever their reason might be, a passing hearse or simple discomfort, Italy’s highest court ruled that men may not touch their genitals in public. The ruling settled an appeal by a 42-year-old worker from Como, north of Milan, who was convicted in May 2006 of “ostentatiously touching his genitals through his clothing,” though his lawyer argued it was a problem with his overalls. But the court struck against a broader practice: a tradition among some Italian men of warding off bad luck by grabbing the crotch. The court ruled that this “has to be regarded as an act contrary to public decency, a concept including that nexus of socio-ethical behavioral rules requiring everyone to abstain from conduct potentially offensive to collectively held feelings of decorum.” The judges suggested that if they need to, men can wait and do it at home.

[this is the dumbest thing I've ever heard... but...just sayin']

Open Letter from Barack Obama to the LGBT community

I'm running for President to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters. It's wrong to have millions of Americans living as second-class citizens in this nation. And I ask for your support in this election so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans.

Equality is a moral imperative. That's why throughout my career, I have fought to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans. In Illinois, I co-sponsored a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, housing, and places of public accommodation. In the U.S. Senate, I have co-sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

The next president must also address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When it comes to prevention, we do not have to choose between values and science. While abstinence education should be part of any strategy, we also need to use common sense. We should have age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception. We should pass the JUSTICE Act to combat infection within our prison population. And we should lift the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. In addition, local governments can protect public health by distributing contraceptives.

We also need a president who's willing to confront the stigma – too often tied to homophobia – that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. I confronted this stigma directly in a speech to evangelicals at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, and will continue to speak out as president. That is where I stand on the major issues of the day. But having the right positions on the issues is only half the battle. The other half is to win broad support for those positions. And winning broad support will require stepping outside our comfort zone. If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones – and that's what I've done throughout my career. I brought this message of inclusiveness to all of America in my keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention. I talked about the need to fight homophobia when I announced my candidacy for President, and I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign – from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin Luther King once preached.

Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.

Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike.

Vanessa Williams accepts Human Rights Campaign Award

Wow, now she has class! Not just because she is supporting the GBLT community, but because she is truly an amazingly strong woman. I can't believe she's almost 45... damn, she looks great for her age and takes good care of herself. I know she's done botox, but at least she isn't over doing it like some other celebrities out there. Kudos Vanessa!