“Until all women are lesbians there will be no true political revolution.”

–Jill Johnston, first openly lesbian US journalist, 1971
quoted in Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, by Alisa Solomon, Oct 26-Nov 1, 2005, in Village Voice
(as cited on p. 139 in Gay Power, by David Eisenbach)

Excerpted from Anti-Gay Christians ‘Out of Touch’, by Marc Shoffman, published Nov 26, 2006, by the pro-homosexuality Pink News:

[After various actions opposing homosexuality by the Catholic church, the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, and the US Presbyterian Church…]

Mr Solmonese (pictured right) described these leaders as “out of touch.“

He said: “It’s a sad commentary that these religious leaders are out of step with most Americans of faith in terms of equality and fairness for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith.

“The real story is that more Americans of faith understand that God’s love is expansive, not exclusionary. In fact, church programmes welcoming GLBT people are on the rise and have in the last year experienced a growth of between 10 and 20 percent. ”

Continue reading at Pink News…

Excerpted from Historic Controversy: Anti-gay Activist Launches Campaign Against Kameny’s Acceptance at Library of Congress, by Yusef Najafi, published Nov 30, 2006, by the pro-homosexuality Metro Weekly:

If Peter LaBarbera had his way, there would be a caution sign next to all of Franklin Edward Kameny’s 70,000 artifacts documenting the gay rights movement for the past 50 years, recently archived at the Library of Congress.

LaBarbera, founder of the anti-gay organization Americans for Truth (AFT), even suggests some language for such a sign: “Frank Kameny is a radical who uses hateful rhetoric against his foes.

…”We’re concerned that only one side of Frank Kameny is presented,” LaBarbera says. ”Kameny doesn’t belong in the category of ‘Civil Rights Heroes.’ He can be a very harsh activist. When you write a bunch of Christians and you say, ‘Gay is good, gay is godly, you are neither,’ it’s sort of an in-your-face approach and I want to make sure that is not white-washed in this presentation.”

Continue reading in Metro Weekly…

By Peter LaBarbera

The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, a leftist homosexual organization, honored Frank Kameny at its 2006 Creating Change conference Nov. 8-12 in Kansas City, Missouri. At the event, Kameny referred to Christians with venom, calling them “Christianofascists” and “nutty fundamentalists,” according to an Americans For Truth reporter who attended the conference and heard his acceptance speech.

The author of the “gay is good” slogan, Kameny–whose papers have just been accepted by the Library of Congress and the National Museum of American History–also told conference attendees that “gay is moral and virtuous,” as part of his ongoing crusade to redefine ancient moral truths through catchy activist slogans.

I’ve known Kameny for years. I respect his zeal, but loathe his ideology, just as he loathes mine. He is brilliant but wasted his considerable intellect and talents on homosexual activism, which is a shame. Like others in the pro-family movement, I have been on the receiving end of Kameny’s angry and pointed letters, or should I say screeds, in which–if my memory serves–he would repeat his patented slogan, “Gay is good,” followed by, “Gay is godly. You are neither.” Kameny is a feisty old bird who agreed to sit down with me and Ken Ervin for an extended interview back when Ken and I were both working at Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. One of the things we learned in that interview is that Kameny is an atheist, which makes his “gay is godly” assertion a tad disingenuous. But hey, anything to advance the homosexual cause, right?

From the Smithsonian website: Dr. Franklin Kameny presents a picket sign to Brent D. Glass, Director of the National Museum of American History and Harry Rubenstein, Chair and Curator, Division of Politics and Reform, National Museum of American History. Photo: Harold Dorwin

We’ll have more about Frank Kameny later, but suffice it to say that this man with a penchant for anti-Christian bigotry and questionable sloganeering does not deserve to be honored as a “civil rights” pioneer by America’s national library. Somehow my mind just can’t get around the idea of putting Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman in the same category, historically speaking, with a homosexual and “fervent atheist” who says “gay is godly” and “gay is moral and virtuous,” just to sock it to the Christians.

TAKE ACTION – If you agree that Frank Kameny’s dishonorable legacy and outspoken bigotry against Christians is not worthy to stand alongside the noble legacy of great Americans like Frederick Douglass, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, please call or write these officials:

Library of Congress
Dr. James H. Billingham, Librarian of Congress
LM-608
101 Independence Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20540
phone – (202) 707-5205
fax – (202) 707-1714
Contact via e-mail

Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Brent Glass, Director and
Richard Darman, Board Chairman
phone – (202) 633-3129
Contact via e-mail

From the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History:

In a ceremony [held Oct 6, 2006,] at the U.S. Library of Congress, long-time civil rights activist Franklin Edward Kameny officially presented more than 70,000 letters, documents and memorabilia to the nation. The gift represents a lifetime of Kameny’s personal papers destined for the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress along with several rare protest and picket signs to be made part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

In addition to these gifts to the federal repositories, many of the remaining picket and protest signs will be donated to gay and lesbian history archives throughout the United States for their collections.

“Nearly fifty years ago, the United States Government banned me from employment in public service because I am a homosexual,” Kameny said. “This archive is not simply my story; it also shows how gay and lesbian Americans have joined the American mainstream story of expanded civil liberties in the 20th century. Today, by accepting these papers, the nation preserves not only our history but marks how far gay and lesbian Americans have traveled on the road to civil equality.”

To make this once-in-a-lifetime gift possible, a volunteer donor group offered to support Kameny and his wishes. With advancing years and limited means, Frank Kameny was not eligible for a federal tax deduction, as is common with such an extraordinary donation. Following an expert appraisal of the documents, several individuals and groups stepped forward to partner with Frank Kameny and to establish the brief-lived Kameny Papers Project. It also has long been Kameny’s wish to ensure the papers – once stored in his Washington , D.C. attic – remain in the Nation’s Capital, his home for over five decades and that they ultimately are made available to all for historical research.

The gift was made possible through an original matching grant from a former Member of Congress, the Honorable Michael Huffington, as well as additional generous contributions from organizations and individuals including The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Gill Foundation, Bohnett Foundation, Log Cabin Republicans and the Liberty Education Forum as well as Donald Capoccia, Charles Francis, M el Heifetz , Gregory King, Elizabeth Koontz, Jonathan Rauch, Ellen Ratner and Stephen Salny, as well as pro bono contributions from Joiner Law Firm, Attorney Michele Zavos, and Witeck -Combs Communications, Inc. Richard Rosendall serves as ‘attorney-in-fact’ for the Kameny Papers Project.

Excerpted from Dem triumph raises gay hopes, by Joshua Lynsen, published Nov , 2006, by the pro-homosexuality New York Blade:

…Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said the Democratic victories, which included the election of several gay-friendly lawmakers across the nation, signified “a great day for LGBT Americans.”

…Stafford, Solmonese and others said Democrats would give new priority to gay initiatives when the 110th Congress convenes in January.

Perhaps the greatest push will be to advance a trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

“An inclusive ENDA is a very top priority for our community, and I think Congress will put that at the top of their agenda,” Stafford said. “That is something that is very doable.”

Other priorities included a federal hate crimes bill that covers crimes motivated by hatred of gays and transgender people, and a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military’s ban on openly gay service members.

“Could we have a hate crimes vote in the first six months? Could we have a hearing on gays in the military?” Solmonese said. “Absolutely.”

…Americans for Truth, which is billed as “the only national organization devoted exclusively to exposing and countering the homosexual activist agenda,” pledged to counter efforts by HRC and others.

President Peter LaBarbera told the Blade, “conservative groups and pro-family groups” are “gearing up” to derail ENDA and the hate crimes bill.

Continue reading in New York Blade…

From Human Rights Campaign:

WASHINGTON — This year, the Human Rights Campaign flexed its political muscle in unprecedented and strategic ways that helped alter the political dynamic in key races across the country. With victories for strong pro-equality candidates like Florida’s Ron Klein and Arizona’s Gabrielle Giffords, the 110th Congress promises to be the most fair-minded in history. Voters in Arizona also made history last night, defeating that state’s discriminatory domestic partnership ballot initiative.

Out of the 225 candidates that HRC endorsed, 208 proved triumphant, with several races still too close to call. HRC was involved in 18 Senate victories, 179 House wins and 11 successful governors’ races. HRC also helped to defeat some of the most anti-gay voices in Congress such as John Hostettler and Rick Santorum, signaling that the era of gay-bashing for political gain is coming to an end.

“Last night we saw unprecedented victories for fair-minded candidates and for equality; we also witnessed a stinging rebuke of anti-gay elected officials in this country,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The historic rejection of the domestic partnership ban in Arizona is a symbolic turning point in the march toward marriage equality. We congratulate Arizona Together for their work in defeating the discriminatory, un-American measure.”

HRC Helps Candidates Win in ‘06

Human Rights Campaign — the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization — aggressively targeted races and leveraged millions of dollars and extensive staff resources to ensure victories for pro-equality candidates. And those efforts paid off, with wins in some of the most closely watched campaigns this year.

“American voters sent a clear message yesterday that the era of gay-bashing to win elections is over, as voters flatly rejected anti-gay and divisive candidates,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

Conservative extremists pulled a chapter out of their 2004 campaign playbook to exploit the gay community for political gain, but their efforts fell flat with an electorate angry and disillusioned by rampant corruption and the Iraq war quagmire. The failure of right-wing candidates to mobilize their base with anti-gay messages this year is a clear sign that scapegoating GLBT Americans for political points is a recipe for failure.

Although some races are still too close to call, including the Virginia Senate race, HRC’s efforts successfully helped the following candidates make historic wins:

Key Senate HRC Endorsee Victories:

* Sherrod Brown (OH)
* Maria Cantwell (WA)
* Ben Cardin (MD)
* Bob Casey (PA)
* Amy Klobuchar (MN)
* Robert Menendez (NJ)
* Debbie Stabenow (MI)

Key House HRC Endorsee Victories:

* Michael Arcuri (NY)
* Melissa Bean (IL)
* Bruce Braley (IA)
* Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
* John Hall (NY)
* Ron Klein (FL)
* Tim Mahoney (FL)
* Harry Mitchell (FL)
* Patrick Murphy (PA)
* Ed Perlmutter (CO)
* Joe Sestak (PA)
* Chris Shays (CT)
* Tim Walz (MN)

Statements by Some of the 2006 Election Winners:

Said Senator-Elect Bob Casey (Pennsylvania):
“HRC got behind my campaign early and has been a tremendous help. The energy and commitment they put behind our campaign was extraordinary. I look forward to working with HRC’s incredible staff and membership, especially to advance hate crimes legislation in the Senate.”

Said Senator-Elect Sherrod Brown (Ohio):
“HRC’s presence throughout the state of Ohio during this election was nothing short of extraordinary. It demonstrated the best that we can achieve when we work together and stand up for what is right. I was proud of HRC’s financial and grassroots support for my campaign, it made a difference in the larger fight for social and economic justice for every American.”

Said Congresswoman-Elect Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona):
“I have stood up for equality in Arizona, and I am grateful that HRC and the GLBT community stood with our campaign during the primary and the general elections. We can accomplish so much for our families when we work together. Fairness is an essential American value, and when we champion fairness, we can win decisive victories in even the most competitive congressional districts.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

“The 10th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner honored Bond, who received the evening’s National Leadership Award, and local honorees TWN and philanthropist Bob Cole, recipient of the Miami Herald Humanitarian Award. In his keynote address, Bond lambasted the tactics of opponents of marriage equality for same-sex couples. The event raised more than $270,000, two-thirds of which will be donated by the Task Force to organizations serving the Miami-Dade LGBT community.”

Excerpted from Former President Makes Surprise Appearance At Gay Event, published Nov 6, 2006, by the pro-homosexuality 365Gay:

Former President Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance at a benefit on the weekend for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Clinton was in South Florida to campaign for Democratic candidates. An aide called the NGLTF about an hour before to say that Clinton would like to attend.

The former president mingled with the 650 people who attended the dinner and stayed to see old friend NAACP Chair Julian Bond receive an NGLTF leadership award. Bond has been a longtime supporter of LGBT issues…

“All of this makes me heartsick and angry at the root causes of these scourges. Angry that an entire industry has been built around demonizing, defaming and dehumanizing gay people. Angry that we now live in a nation where lying about a blow job is an impeachable offense, but lying that leads to the literal blowing up of thousands of human bodies is not. Angry that homophobia is once again polluting the political discourse in this election — at this very moment in time — in both subtle and crass ways.” – NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman

Continue reading at 365Gay…