October, 2015 News (116 Articles with 706,864 total views)

On the cover of the print edition for October, 2015 Pride Fest revellers dancing to Billy Winn (on stage). Photo by Tammie Johnson

This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus

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Calendar of Local GLBT Events

Up to date listing of events and meetings.

Local and Regional News

Pride Fest Recap

Downtown Erie blazed rainbows on Saturday, August 29, as over 300 members of the LGBT community and their allies celebrated at the Pride Fest and Parade organized by NW PA Pride Alliance.
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Dining Out For Life in WNY Oct 6


Dining Out For Life in WNY Oct 6

Dining Out For Life is an annual HIV/AIDS fundraising event in western New York held on October 6. Benefits Evergreen Health Services. Services! More info: 716 664-7855 Email lmatson@evergreenhs.org. 
Participating Southern Tier restaurants:Alfies Restaurant (716) 488-7410 Donating 50% Dinner; Brazil Craft Beer & Wine Lounge (716) 490-0487 Donating 50% Dinner; Forte! the Restaurant (716) 484-6063 Donating 33% Dinner; Andriaccio's Restaurant (716) 753-5200 Donating 25% Lunch, Dinner; Ellicottville Brewing Company West(716) 679-7939 Donating 25% Lunch, Dinner; Landmark Restaurant (716) 720-5633 Donating 25% Dinner Scallion Bistro (716) 763-0051 Donating 25% Dinner.
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Lake Erie Gala Oct 28-Nov 1


The 2015 Lake Erie Gala, sponsored by the Erie Sisters and Brothers, will be held at the Avalon Hotel Oct. 28-Nov. 1 The event is moved up from our traditional week before Thanksgiving this year, to lessen the possibility of the kind of severe weather we had last year that blocked members from Buffalo and Canada. This year, being centered around the week of Halloween, the Gala will naturally be Halloween themed. Registration will open Wednesday morning, and our first event will be cocktail hour and dinner at Molly Branigan's, followed by bowling. Tours kick off Thursday morning, and will include a tour of the catacombs below Union Station, aka BrewErie. Our group had the first tour of the underbelly of the terminal years ago as part of a Gala tour after several years of begging to see it. If you've never seen it, it could fit right into one of those "paranormal experience" shows. Other legs of the Thursday tour include Fuhrman's Cider Mill, Arundel Cellars, and Penn Shore Winery. Thursday evening will welcome back illusionist Cliff Hopkins, who performed for us in 2011 and gave a terrific show.
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New group for trans youth


A new support group for transgender youth will be starting in Erie on October 4. The groups will be held from 2pm to 5pm the first Sunday of each month at Lake Erie Counseling (301 West 10th St., Erie PA). All trans youth are welcome! Info: (814) 504-1507 cmn0626@gmail.com or Caitlin: (814) 823-1969. caitlynxpress@gmail.com.
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2nd Annual Jamestown Pride Conference Oct 24


2nd Annual Jamestown Pride Conference Oct 24

The Jamestown Pride Society will present the Second Annual Jamestown Pride Conference on October 24 at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena, 319 W 3rd St, Jamestown, NY. 1-4:15 PM. Speakers, performers, vendors, free luncheon, cash bar, over $2,000 in prizes. Performances: Comedian Aidan Park, Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus, Laura Cimino, Nat Shafer and the James Miller Band! Speakers on topics like GENDA, bullying, health and human services, plus community leaders and government officials. Over 30 local vendors. Following conference is the Miss Gay Chautauqua County Pageant (starting 7pm) in affiliation with Imperial Court of Buffalo, and the Masquerade Ball (11pm) with DJ, costume contest, 50/50.
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GEAE Celebrates PACA


It's time for our last GEAE Gives Back! event of 2015. Please join the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality from 6:30 – 9 pm on October 14th at PACA - the Performing Artists Collective Alliance (1505 State St., Erie PA) for a chance to help GEAE give back to this excellent organization! PACA will soon be opening a performing arts program for youth. To help out with this, we are asking for you to bring donations of art supplies, musical instruments, and dance/character shoes among other much needed items. GEAE will match the donations of supplies, instruments, and shoes up to $300. Catering will be provided through Zodiac Dinor and PACA will be sharing with us about their program and providing some entertainment (special performances of Rocky Horror numbers!) to help make this an evening of education, service, and fun! Head to our GEAE Gives Back! Facebook event page for a list of needed items Info: www.facebook.com/GreaterErieAlliance

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Entertainment and Travel

BUA proudly presents Daniel's Husband

Buffalo United Artists proudly presents Daniel's Husband. Michael Howard does not believe in gay marriage. His partner Daniel Bixby does. Life does what life does, as these two men learn the consequences of their points of view. A WNY premiere right after its world premiere in Florida last May. Daniel's Husband by Michael McKeever and is directed by Jaview Bustillos and stars Tyler Brown, Timothy Patrick Finnegan, Anne Hartley Pfohl, Eric Rawski, and Michael Seitz. The play runs October 16th to November 7 on Friday's and Saturdays at 8 PM at the Alleyway Theatre, One Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo NY. Tickets are $25.00 general admission, $23.00 for seniors, $20.00 for members, $15.00 for students. Call the box office at (716) 886-9239.
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USA Rugby and International Gay Rugby sign Memo of Understanding to eliminate homophobia in Rugby

BOULDER, Colo.- September 15, 2015 - USA Rugby signed a memorandum of understanding with International Gay Rugby (IGR) Thursday, setting forth a partnership that will see the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States promote a diverse and inclusive environment in all levels of Rugby, working to end homophobia in all areas of the game.
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Political, Activism and Legal

GLSEN Statement on Resignation of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

NEW YORK (October 2, 2015) – GLSEN's Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard, issued a statement in response to the announcement that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be stepping down in December. President Obama has selected Deputy Secretary John King, who was previously Commissioner of Education for New York State, to replace Secretary Duncan.
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Report: Pope Francis Met with Gay Couple During Trip to U.S.

WASHINGTON - October 2, 2015 -- Today, in response to reports that Pope Francis met privately with a local same-sex couple during his visit to the nation's capital, Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released the following statement:
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CNN Opinion: 'U.S. Must Welcome Syria's Oppressed LGBTI Refugees'

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 2, 2015 - Neil Grungras, Executive Director of the Organization for Refuge, Asylum, and Migration (ORAM), authored a guest CNN Opinion piece, "U.S. Must Welcome Syria's Oppressed LGBTI Refugees ", calling on "the U.S. State Department and President Obama to reserve 500 slots for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) refugees in 2016."
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GLSEN Statement on Start of LGBT History Month

NEW YORK (October 1, 2015) - GLSEN's Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard, issued the following statement acknowledging the start of LGBT History Month recognized every October. Started in 1994 by high school history teacher, Rodney Wilson, with support from GLSEN, the Gerber/Hart Library and Archive and other educators, LGBT History Month is an opportunity for educators to teach students about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, history and events, which plays a significant role in creating positive school climates for LGBT students. 
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Supreme Court Plaintiff Jim Obergefell Heads to Capitol Hill to Lead Lobbying Effort for the Equality Act

WASHINGTON - October 1, 2015 –  Today, U.S. Supreme Court marriage equality plaintiff Jim Obergefell will head to Capitol Hill to lead dozens of advocates in a day of lobbying for the Equality Act on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign, (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization. HRC also announced today that it will bring more than a dozen of the top U.S. companies together to launch a coalition later this month to advocate for passage of the Equality Act.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook To Be Honored at the 19th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner

WASHINGTON - October 1, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, announced that Apple CEO  Tim Cook will receive the organization's Visibility Award at the 19th annual HRC National Dinner on Saturday, October 3, 2015, in Washington, DC.
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Lead Supreme Court Marriage Equality Plaintiff Jim Obergefell Writes Open Letter to Defiant Clerk Kim Davis

NEW YORK - September 30, 2015 – Jim Obergefell, plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case that established nationwide marriage equality today authored an open letter to defiant Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis who refuses to issue marriage licenses to all eligible couples, citing religious objections to same-sex couples.
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HRC Responds to Reports of Papal Meeting with Kim Davis; Urges Church to Embrace LGBT Catholics

WASHINGTON - September 30, 2015 -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, weighed in on news reports that indicate Pope Francis met privately last week with Kim Davis, the Rowan County, Ky., public official who continues to violate the law by openly discriminating against same-sex couples seeking to marry in the community they call home.
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Sneak Attack In North Carolina General Assembly Puts LGBT Rights At Risk

WASHINGTON - September 29, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization blasted anti-LGBT legislation that could be rammed through the North Carolina Assembly and signed into law today. In an eleventh hour sneak attack, anti-LGBT legislators scheduled SB 279 -- which would strip away the ability of local municipalities to enact ordinances that protect LGBT people from discrimination -- for an up or down vote in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The legislation, which would also override existing municipal non-discrimination ordinances, could move to the Senate and the Governor's desk as soon as today.
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At Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, HRC To Launch Global Corporate Coalition To Advance LGBT Equality

NEW YORK - September 29, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, will announce the creation of a groundbreaking global coalition committed to advancing LGBT workplace equality around the world. The announcement will be made on stage during the closing plenary of the 2015 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York.
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New Guide Promotes the Safety and Well-Being of LGBT Youth in the Justice System

(San Francisco, CA, September 29, 2015)—Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) announces the release of a groundbreaking publication entitled, "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in the Juvenile Justice System." This comprehensive practice guide, written by NCLR Youth Project Director Shannan Wilber for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides juvenile justice agencies the tools to meet their obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of LGBT youth in their care.
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GLSEN Statement on Planned Parenthood's Pink Out Day

NEW YORK (September 29, 2015) – GLSEN's Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard, issued the following statement in recognition of today's Pink Out Day, launched by Planned Parenthood Federation of America in response to recent efforts to discredit and defund the organization. Pink Out Day calls on those who support women's health to stand with Planned Parenthood via social media, by wearing pink and attending rallies. 
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A New Name-Outright Action International- for a Storied Global LGBTIQ Organization

(NEW YORK - September 28, 2015) -- The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, marking its 25th anniversary, on Monday announced a new name---OutRight Action International-at its annual gala in New York City.
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ORAM Launches Petition Calling on U.S. Government to Safeguard 500 Slots for LGBTI Refugees

San Francisco, CA - September 28, 2015 – Days before the October 1st start of the 2016 Fiscal Year where President Barack Obama recently announced the United States would hold 10,000 additional spaces for Syrian refugees, the Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM) today launched a petition urging the U.S. government to safeguard 500 of those 10,000 slots for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) refugees.
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New HRC Issue Brief Addresses Need to Improve Workplace Climate for Bisexual Employees, Provides Practical Guidance

WASHINGTON - September 25, 2015 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released an issue brief to help employees and employers build more inclusive workplace environments for bisexual people.
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Vice President Joe Biden to Deliver Keynote Address at the 19th Annual HRC National Dinner

WASHINGTON - September 25, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, announced that Vice President Joe Biden will deliver the keynote address at the 19th annual HRC National Dinner on the evening of October 3, 2015, in Washington, DC. In addition, HRC announced that seven-time Emmy Award winner Allison Janney will present HRC's National Vanguard Award to Academy Award nominated actress Ellen Page for her courage and leadership. Retired NBA athlete Jason Collins and Blossom Brown are also slated to address the sold-out gathering. As previously announced, multi-platinum selling Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen, and multi-platinum selling Grammy award-winning A Great Big World – joined by Hip-Hop artist Futuristic – will perform.
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BREAKING: Rep. Daryl Metcalfe Defends White Nationalist

(HARRISBURG, PA - September 24, 2015)— Following a hearing on an "English-only" bill in the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee, it was reported today that Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Cranberry Township) invited a known white nationalist, Robert "Bob" Vandervoort, to testify on the bill.
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HRC Announces Carly Rae Jepsen, A Great Big World, and Futuristic to Perform at 19th Annual HRC National Dinner

WASHINGTON - September 24, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, announced that multi-platinum selling Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen and multi-platinum selling Grammy award-winning act A Great Big World – joined by Hip-Hop artist Futuristic – will perform at the 19th annual HRC National Dinner on October 3, 2015, in Washington, DC.
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HRC Asks Congress to Investigate Turing Pharmaceuticals' Exploitative Price Gouging

WASHINGTON - September 24, 2015 –  Today, the Human Rights Campaign, (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization announced that it sent letters to three Congressional committees late yesterday seeking an investigation into recent actions by Turing Pharmaceuticals to increase the price of the drug Daraprim (pyrimethamine) by 5000 percent.
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HRC Releases New 'Coming Home' Guide for LGBT Catholics

WASHINGTON - September 23, 2015 - Today, just hours after Pope Francis began his historic trip to the U.S., the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released a guide to help LGBT Catholics who are seeking to reconnect with their faith and build more inclusive church communities.
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton To Address Human Rights Campaign

WASHINGTON - September 22, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, announced that former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will speak to the organization on the morning of Saturday, October 3rd. Approximately 800 grassroots leaders from across the country – including the HRC Board of Directors, HRC Board of Governors, HRC staff, and volunteer leaders and supporters from the organization's over 1.5 million members and supporters in all 50 states – will hear from Secretary Clinton ahead of the organization's National Dinner.
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Unreal: Governor Herbert To Welcome Hate Into State With Open Arms

WASHINGTON - September 22, 2015 –  Today, the Human Rights Campaign, (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, strongly criticized Utah Governor Gary Herbert for his decision to address thousands of attendees at a massive gathering hosted by the World Congress of Families this October.  Designated an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, WCF's upcoming conference in Salt Lake City will convene some of the most virulently anti-LGBT extremists from across the country and around the world.
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HRC Calls For Full Investigation Into Treatment of Transgender Woman By TSA Agents at Orlando Airport

WASHINGTON - September 22, 2015 - Today, in response to a disturbing story about the way a transgender woman was reportedly treated by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at an Orlando, FL, airport, Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, sent a letter to TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger calling on TSA to "conduct a swift and thorough investigation of the incident, and take immediate action to ensure transgender travelers are treated equally and with full respect."
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HRC President Chad Griffin Calls on Drug Manufacturer to Roll Back 5000 percent Price Hike On Life-Saving Treatment

ACLU Asserts Rowan County Clerk's Office Failed to Comply with Prior Orders from District Court

NEW YORK - September 21, 2015 - The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a motion in Kentucky District Court asserting that the Rowan County clerk's office has failed to comply with orders that directed deputy clerks to issue marriage licenses without interference by Clerk Kim Davis.
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OutServe-SLDN responds to Mike Huckabee's attack on the nomination of Eric Fanning for Secretary of the Army

(Washington, DC) - September 21, 2015 - Statement by Matt Thorn, Interim Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN on Governor Mike Huckabee's statement on Secretary of Army nominee Eric Fanning.
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New Infographic Details the Challenges of Being Bisexual in America

Denver, September 21, 2015 — Despite comprising more than half of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGBT) population, bisexual people face high levels of stigma, legal inequality, and a lack of bisexual-specific data that all contribute to poor outcomes for bisexual people in the United States.
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New Report Provides Recommendations to Address Tensions Between Religious Freedom and Equality Around the World

NEW YORK - September 21, 2015 - The International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO), of which the American Civil Liberties Union is a member, today released a report that addresses tensions between freedom of religion and equality rights and proposes resolutions to those tensions in three areas: LGBT rights, reproductive rights, and religious appearance.  
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HRC: Mike Huckabee is Blinded by His Own Bigotry, Unfit to be Commander in Chief

WASHINGTON - September 19, 2015 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, reacted to Mike Huckabee after Huckabee said today that President Obama was "more interested in appeasing gays," in nominating Eric Fanning to lead the Army.
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ABA names recipients of Stonewall Award honoring LGBT advancements in the legal profession

CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2015 — Three longstanding LGBT legal activists will be honored by the American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity with its third annual Stonewall Award during a ceremony on Feb. 6, 2016, at the ABA Midyear Meeting in San Diego.
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OutServe-SLDN Congratulates Eric Fanning on being nominated for Secretary of the Army

(Washington, DC, September 18, 2015) - Statement by Matt Thorn, Interim Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN on Eric Fanning being nominated by President Barack Obama as the next Secretary of the Army.
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In a Historic First, Openly Gay Eric Fanning Nominated To Serve as Secretary of the Army

WASHINGTON - September 18, 2015 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, praised the news that Eric Fanning, who is openly gay, will be nominated to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Army by President Barack Obama. Fanning currently serves as Acting Under Secretary of the Army.
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Military Officials Deny Chelsea Manning Clinically Recommended Treatment for Gender Dysphoria

Ft. Leavenworth, Kan. - September 18, 2015 - The United States military today issued another denial in response to Chelsea Manning's ongoing request for permission to follow female grooming standards – including growing her hair – while serving a 35 year prison sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
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Alabama Supreme Court Refuses to Recognize Lesbian Mother's Adoption from Another State

(Montgomery, AL, September 18, 2015)—Today, the Alabama Supreme Court refused to recognize an adoption by a lesbian mother of her three children granted by a Georgia court in 2007.  Even though she had raised the children from birth and adopted them over eight years ago, the Court ruled that Alabama does not need to respect her adoption because it found that the Georgia court didn't properly apply Georgia law when it granted her adoption.
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Amanda Simpson Sworn In As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy

WASHINGTON - September 18, 2015 – Earlier today, Amanda Simpson, who previously served as the the Executive Director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives, was sworn in as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DAS) for Operational Energy. As the highest ranking openly transgender official in the Obama Administration, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization praised the news and issued the following statement:
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BREAKING: Newly Released Emails Reveal Damage Mike Pence's Anti-LGBT RFRA Law Had on Indiana's Economic Climate

WASHINGTON - September 18, 2015 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, responded to emails just released by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) revealing the tremendous damage Governor Mike Pence's anti-LGBT "Religious Freedom Restoration Act " (RFRA) inflicted on Indiana's economic climate. In light of the fact that there is still no law in Indiana at the state level protecting LGBT Hoosiers from unjust discrimination, the emails reveal the deep scars and risks that still remain.
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LGBT SSI Recipients Appeal Case Challenging SSA Efforts to Collect Overpayments Caused by Delay in Recognizing Marriages

Oakland, CA - September 18, 2015 - Today, Justice in Aging, along with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), and Foley Hoag LLP appealed a district court's cursory dismissal of a class action lawsuit seeking to stop the Social Security Administration's (SSA) demands to recover overpayments from a group of SSI recipients married to a person of the same sex. The suit charges that the administration discriminated against married SSI recipients in calculating their SSI benefits for more than a year after the Supreme Court ruling struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in U.S. v. Windsor in June 2013.
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In A Historic Step, Nepal Ratifies New Constitution That Includes LGBT Protections

WASHINGTON - September 17, 2015 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed the passage of a new constitution in Nepal that provides explicit protections for LGBT people from discrimination, violence, and abuse--a historic first for a nation in Asia.  Nepal joins only a handful of countries, including South Africa and Ecuador, that have enshrined equal rights protections for LGBT people in their national constitutions.
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Illinois Bed & Breakfast Violated Law in Denying Gay Couple Use of Facility for Civil Union Ceremony

CHICAGO - September 17, 2015 -- In a decision that has broad implications for how Illinois will protect LGBT persons seeking services from businesses offering their services to the public, the Illinois Human Rights Commission today ruled in favor of a downstate same-sex couple denied access to a bed & breakfast to hold their civil union ceremony after civil unions became available in 2011. The Commission found that the denial of use of the facilities was based on their sexual orientation in violation of Illinois law.
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HRC To Welcome Pope Francis with Plea to Bridge Gap Between Acceptance in the Pews and Rejection by Bishops

WASHINGTON - September 16. 2015 - In anticipation of the historic visit of Pope Francis to the U.S., the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, is releasing polling data on Catholic attitudes toward equality, highlighting the stories of teachers and staff fired from Catholic institutions because of who they love, and asking the pontiff to embrace the LGBT faithful.
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In New HRC Video, Rowan County Couple Asks Candidates: Will You Defend the Constitution, or Government Officials Who Wan

WASHINGTON - September 16, 2015 – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, has released a new video featuring a Kentucky couple who were denied a marriage license by Kim Davis. In the video, avid Moore and his partner, David Ermold of Rowan County, Kentucky ask the candidates whether they are willing to defend the constitutional right of same-sex couples to get married, or whether they will support government officials who discriminate against LGBT people for religious reasons. Watch the video here.
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New Poll: Overwhelming Public Opposition to Allowing Public Employees to Discriminate Against LGBT Couples

WASHINGTON - September 16, 2015 –The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, has released the results of new polling it commissioned showing that an overwhelming majority of Americans do not support allowing government officials or public employees to discriminate against LGBT couples on religious grounds.
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U.S. District Court Rules Fired Transgender Woman Can Sue Former Employer For Sex Discrimination

NEW YORK- September 16, 2015 - A U.S. district court judge ruled yesterday that a transgender woman fired because of her gender transition may sue her former employer for sex discrimination under federal law.
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GLAD Files First-of-its-Kind Lawsuit Against Mutual of Omaha for Denying Gay Man on Truvada Long Term Care Insurance

September 16, 2015 - Today, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) filed a claim with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) charging that Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company discriminated when it denied a gay man long term care insurance because he is taking Truvada.  Truvada, a form of PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is a medication prescribed to HIV-negative people to prevent the transmission of HIV.  This is the first lawsuit in the country challenging discrimination against a person on PrEP.
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NCLR Applauds USA Rugby Commitment to End LGBT Discrimination in the Game

(San Francisco, CA, September 15, 2015)—Today, USA Rugby and International Gay Rugby formed a partnership to help promote a diverse and inclusive environment for players, at all levels of rugby, and to end LGBT discrimination in all areas of the game.
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2nd Annual Bisexual Awareness Week (#biweek) September 20 – 26, 2015, Events Across U.S. and online

September 15, 2015, Los Angeles, CA  The 2nd annual Bisexual Awareness Week (#biweek) will run from September 20-26, with September 23rd marked as the  International Celebrate Bisexuality Day.  Events throughout the week will touch on diverse issues related to bisexual visibility, identity and community. With events in cities across the country and several online opportunities for participation for the bi community and allies, this year is expected to be the most successful yet.
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New Report Urges Collaboration Between Racial Justice and LGBTQ Organizations to Address School Discipline Crisis

WASHINGTON - September 14, 2015 – Research shows that students of color and LGBT students are more likely to be disciplined than their White, non-LGBT peers.  Students with intersectional identities, such as Black transgender youth or gay undocumented youth, are at even greater risk. 
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Australian Leadership Ousts Prime Minister Who Stood in the Way of Marriage Equality

WASHINGTON - August 14, 2015 - Today, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who last month refused to allow a vote for marriage equality in the Parliament, was ousted from his position and replaced by Malcolm Turnbull through a leadership ballot. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, praised the news and urged the new Prime Minister to take action by allowing a vote on national marriage equality legislation.
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ORAM Applauds President Obama's Action To Help Syrian Refugees

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - September 11, 2015 - Neil Grungras, Executive Director of ORAM - Organization for Refuge, Asylum, and Migration, applauded the Obama administration for yesterday's announcement that the United States will embrace 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016.
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Statement on San Francisco Sheriff's Plan to Move Transgender Women into Daytime Programming in the Women's Jail

(San Francisco, CA, September 10, 2015)–Today, San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi announced that he is implementing a policy that will allow transgender women to receive programming in the women's jail. Although the women will participate in classes, job training, physical recreation, and other programs in the women's jail during the day, they will remain in the men's jail during the evenings and overnight
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GLSEN's Day of Silence Advertising Campaign Named Finalist in OMMA Awards

NEW YORK (September 10, 2015) - The advertising campaign around GLSEN's Day of Silence has been named a finalist in the Online Marketing Media and Advertising (OMMA) Awards. GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for all students. Since 2004, the OMMA Awards have honored agencies and advertisers that push the potential of digital advertising.
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With Endorsement from Target, Corporate Support for Equality Act Continues to Grow

WASHINGTON - September 10, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed Target for its announcement this morning that it is has endorsed the recently-introduced Equality Act, a landmark federal bill that would guarantee explicit, permanent protections for LGBT people from discrimination in many of the most important aspects of their lives.  Ina statement posted on its website, Target said, "Today, we're proud to announce another important milestone: Target has signed on in support of the Equality Act."
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Alabama Nursing Home Settles Employment Discrimination Case after Firing a Woman for Being Transgender

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - September 10, 2015 – Summerford Nursing Home Inc. has agreed to pay an undisclosed financial settlement and implement a workplace nondiscrimination policy prohibiting sexual orientation and gender discrimination after firing a woman for being transgender, the Southern Poverty Law Center announced today.
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Health

AHF Lauds Gov. Brown for Signing California Sex Ed Bill (AB 329)

SACRAMENTO (October 2, 2015) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California, today applauded Governor Jerry Brown for signing Assembly Bill 329 (Shirley Weber, D, Sacramento-District 79), which would require sexual education in all California public schools. Under current law, sex ed is permissible, but not required. AHF was an active supporter of AB 329, and lobbied the Legislature and Governor hard for enactment of this important public health measure.
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Introducing PERSAD Center's New Video

It's been a big year for PERSAD Center. The move to our new facilities in Lawrenceville in March has opened the door to expanded services, affirming our commitment to improving the well-being of the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV.
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Stuck in the (Bisexual) Closet

I am a closet bisexual. I have been with a terrific guy for about 10 years' now. We have a great sex life and a good life together. But, I have never been with another woman sexually and I want to experience that. So, last month I told my boyfriend and he freaked out. He said that this was a dealbreaker for him and that we agreed to be monogamous and that this totally fucks with his ability to trust me. What do I do now?
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Kenya Accelerating Progress against HIV, TB and Malaria

NAIROBI - September 15, 2015 – Kenya and the Global Fund signed seven grant agreements today worth a total of US$333 million to expand interventions for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, including efforts to reach one million people with treatment for HIV by 2017.
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10 ways Obamacare improved LGBT access to health coverage

10 ways Obamacare improved LGBT access to health coverage
Now, more than ever, it's worth celebrating how far access to health coverage has come for the LGBT community. And a big part of improved access to health insurance is due to the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare.
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Imagine A Day with HIV

CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On one day, Tuesday, September 22nd, Positively Aware and TPAN are inviting everyone, regardless of HIV status, to get in the picture and participate in A Day with HIV, the magazine's sixth annual anti-stigma photo campaign. On 9/22/2015 people across the world, whether HIV-positive or negative, will visually capture and share a moment of their day – A Day with HIV – to focus attention on what it means to live in a world with HIV.
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Letters, Columnists and Opinion

The Amazon Trail: Lesbian Vacations

Right this minute, friends are traveling through France. I am excited for them—the vacation of a lifetime. They post photos of their adventures on Facebook so I'm following them across France: Paris, Cassis, Marseilles, geocaching in Aix-en-Provence!
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Contests

Win The X-Files FAQ by John Kenneth Muir from Applause Books!

Win The X-Files FAQ by John Kenneth Muir from Applause Books!
Win The X-Files FAQ by John Kenneth Muir from Applause Books! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between November 3 and November 24.
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Win A Life Awakening Trilogy by Ryan Stevenson!

Win A Life Awakening Trilogy by Ryan Stevenson!
Win A Life Awakening Trilogy by Ryan Stevenson! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between October 20 and November 10.
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Enter to win Levels from Nick Jonas!

Enter to win Levels from Nick Jonas!
Enter to win Levels from Nick Jonas! “LEVELS”, the new hit single from multi-talented musician NICK JONAS. Available Now: http://smarturl.it/NickJonasLevels. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between October 16 and November 6.
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Enter to win We The Generation from Rudimental!

Enter to win We The Generation from Rudimental!
Enter to win We The Generation from RudimentalWE THE GENERATION, the new album from London-based electronic group, RUDIMENTAL. Including "Lay It All On Me" ft. Ed Sheeran and "Rumour Mill" ft. Anne-Marie & Will Heard. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between October 13 and November 3.
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Win You Don't Own Me: The Life and Times of Lesley Gore from Backbeat Books!

Win You Don't Own Me: The Life and Times of Lesley Gore from Backbeat Books!
Win You Don't Own Me: The Life and Times of Lesley Gore from Backbeat Books! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between October 9 and October 30.
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Enter to win a signed copy of Michael Graves' new novel, Parade

Enter to win a signed copy of Michael Graves' new novel, Parade
Enter to win a signed copy of Michael Graves' new novel, Parade. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between October 6 and October 27.
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Enter to win Hustling Culture Signed Vinyl LP by The Expanders

Enter to win Hustling Culture Signed Vinyl LP by The Expanders
Enter to win Hustling Culture Signed Vinyl LP by The Expanders. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between October 2 and October 23.
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Win Lyle from Breaking Glass Pictures!

Win Lyle from Breaking Glass Pictures!
Win Lyle from Breaking Glass Pictures. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between September 29 and October 20.
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Enter to win Hunting High And Low: 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition from a-ha!

Enter to win Hunting High And Low: 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition from a-ha!
Enter to win Hunting High And Low: 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition from a-ha! It's shaping up to be an epic year for a-ha as the Norwegian trio marks its 30th anniversary in 2015 with a series of album reissues as well as a highly anticipated reunion tour and their first new album in six years. Enter now for your chance to win Hunting High And Low: 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition - the new commemorative set from the iconic a-ha - featuring four CDs, one DVD and a 60-page hardback book filled with rare photos and stories! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between September 25 and October 16. The set includes a remastered version of the original album, various b-sides, more than two dozen rare and unreleased demos, a full version of the album in early and alternate mixes, a DVD containing an unseen slightly alternate cut of the 1985 "Take On Me" video as well as the 1984 version and of course the "classic" video. Available Now!: http://smarturl.it/HHAL30SuperDeluxe.
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Enter for a chance to win a STONEWALL prize pack!

Enter for a chance to win a STONEWALL prize pack!
Enter for a chance to win a STONEWALL prize pack! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between September 22 and October 13. Roadside Attractions presents  STONEWALL  Where Pride Began!  STONEWALL is a drama about a fictional young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall riots. Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) is forced to leave behind friends and loved ones when he is kicked out of his parent's home and flees to New York. Alone in Greenwich Village, homeless and destitute, he befriends Ray (Jonny Beauchamp) and a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the local watering hole The Stonewall Inn; however, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. As Danny and his friends experience discrimination, endure atrocities and are repeatedly harassed by the police, we see a rage begin to build. This emotion runs through the entire community of young gays, lesbians, drag queens and trans people who populate the Stonewall Inn and erupts in a storm of anger. With the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born. From Director Roland Emmerich and Writer Jon Robin Baitz.  Starring Jonny Beauchamp, Otoja Abit, Vladimir Alexis, Jeremy Irvine, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ron Perlman, and Joey King.
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History

LGBT History Month - Evan Wolfson - Marriage Equality Advocate

Evan Wolfson is the founder of Freedom to Marry, a group that advocates for samesex marriage rights in the United States. He is one of the first attorneys to publicly champion marriage equality and the author of the book "Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry." Wolfson was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People. As a lawyer, he argued Boy Scouts of America v. Dale before the Supreme Court.
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LGBT History Month - Edie Windsor - Marriage Equality Hero

Edith "Edie" Windsor was the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case United States v. Windsor, a landmark legal victory for marriage equality.
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LGBT History Month - Tim'm T. West - Performer

Tim'm T. West, born Timothy Terrell West, is a hip-hop performance artist, poet, activist and educator. He has produced nine albums, written extensively about hiphop culture and has been a spokesperson for a new generation of openly gay musicians.
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LGBT History Month - William 'Big Bill' Tilden II - Tennis Champion

Bill Tilden is considered one of the greatest men's tennis champions in history. He was the No. 1 player in the world for six years, from 1920 to 1925. During that time, he became the first American to win Wimbledon.
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LGBT History Month - Tom Stoddard - Equality Attorney

Tom Stoddard was a lawyer who helped advance LGBT rights in America. He served as an early executive director of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund in New York from 1986 to 1992, where he fought against discrimination in employment, housing, health care and the military. Under his leadership, Lambda became one of the most important LGBT legal organizations in the country.
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LGBT History Month - Dusty Springfield - Singer

Dusty Springfield was an English singer and record producer best known for her sultry, soulful sound. Born Mary Isobel Bernadette O’Brien in London (she got the nickname Dusty for playing football with the boys), Springfield was one of the most successful British female performers in history, with six top 20 singles in the United States and 16 in Europe. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame.
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LGBT History Month - Barbra Siperstein - Transgender Advocate

Barbra "Babs" Siperstein is the first openly transgender at-large member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Born Barry Siperstein, she transitioned when she was nearly 50 years old. She legally changed her name in 2007. Siperstein is currently a member of the DNC's executive committee. She serves as deputy vice chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee and is the political director of the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey.
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LGBT History Month - Michael Sam - Football Player

In 2014 Michael Sam became the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL. The defensive end was drafted by the St. Louis Rams and spent time on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. He signed with the Montreal Alouettes in 2015, but stepped away from the team just months later, citing "personal reasons."
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LGBT History Month - Sahaykwisa - Transgender Native American

Sahaykwisa was a female Mohave Indian shaman (a healer with supernatural powers), who specialized in the treatment of venereal diseases. Scholars have limited information about her life. She was a gender-nonconforming lesbian, or hwame (a female who choses to live as a male), and often told people she had been turned into a man by white man's magic. Sahaykwisa was also a hunter and an industrious farmer— jobs typically performed by men.
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LGBT History Month - Robin Roberts - TV Broadcaster

Robin Roberts is an award-winning broadcast journalist and co-anchor of ABC News' "Good Morning America." She became an outspoken advocate for cancer research, after being diagnosed twice with the disease. She won a 2012 Peabody Award for her reporting on the issue.
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LGBT History Month - Frances Perkins - U.S. Cabinet Member

Frances Perkins was the first woman appointed to the U.S. cabinet, serving as U.S. secretary of labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945—longer than anyone else who held the post.
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LGBT History Month - Antonia Pantoja - Educator and Activist

Dr. Antonia Pantoja was an educator and activist dedicated to the improvement of Latino communities through education. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Pantoja spent much of her life living and working in New York City. In 1957, after receiving her master's degree from Columbia University, she founded the Puerto Rican Forum (originally called the Hispanic American Youth Association, or HAYA), which helped promote economic equality.
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LGBT History Month - Elaine Noble - Politician

Elaine Noble served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for two terms starting in 1975, becoming the first-ever openly gay candidate elected to a state office. Noble says that during her controversial, groundbreaking campaign, her windows were shot out, her car was vandalized, and she and her staff suffered ongoing harassment. She still managed to win the election.
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LGBT History Month - Jack Nichols - Gay Pioneer

In 1961, along with Frank Kameny, Jack Nichols cofounded the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C., the the first gay civil rights organization in the nation's capital. Four years later, Nichols and other members of the organization conducted the first gay rights protest at the White House.
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LGBT History Month - Frank Mugisha - Ugandan Activist

Dr. Frank Mugisha is one of the most famous and outspoken advocates for LGBT rights in Uganda, a country where being gay is a criminal offense. He is the executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and advocates on behalf of LGBT Ugandans who face prison or even death for being openly gay. He has received both the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for his work.
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LGBT History Month - Edna St. Vincent Millay - Poet

Edna St. Vincent Millay was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet known for her feminism and social activism. From an early age, she spoke out against injustices against women, often rebelling against authority at home and at school. She published her first poems when she was 15. By the time she enrolled in Vassar College, which was then exclusively female, she was having affairs with her classmates. Her poem "The Lamp and the Bell" is about the love shared between women.
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LGBT History Month - Jackie 'Moms' Mabley - Comedian

Born Loretta Mary Aiken, Jackie "Moms" Mabley was one of the first, most successful women to work in comedy. Mabley appeared on popular television variety shows like 'The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." A veteran of the African- American vaudeville tradition known as the Chitlin' Circuit, the comedian overcame a tragic childhood (her parents were killed and she was raped) to become one of the raunchiest, most beloved comedians of her generation.
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Lawyer who defeated DOMA to speak at Free Library of Philadelphia

Edie Windsor, charismatic, stylish and articulate, found herself widowed just shy of her 80th birthday. She hadn't yet been married two years to her spouse, Thea Spyer, who died of complications from a heart condition on Feb. 5, 2009.
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Dick Leitsch: History is unavoidable

For my friend Dick Leitsch, the last president of the Mattachine Society of New York, who last May turned 80, history was unavoidable. I met Dick in two different periods of my life. At 20, I attended my first and only meeting of the New York Mattachine Society, at the old Wendell Wilkie House near Bryant Park in New York City. He moderated, handsome, stylish, with a soft-spoken Kentuckian polished air. I was turned totally off: Mattachine was strictly out of my world as, new to New York, I struggled to make sense of myself. Two years later, a few months after Stonewall, I joined the Gay Liberation Front. GLF offered me a valid political understanding of why queers were being destroyed in American society, and what we had to do, often rowdy as we were, to change it. Both Dick and Mattachine were loathed by many of my young GLF brothers and sisters, some of whom had been in it and, like unruly kids, resented their dowdier parents.
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LGBT History Month - William Rufus King - U.S. Vice President

William Rufus King was the 13th vice president of the United States for six weeks before he died of tuberculosis, making him the shortest-serving vice president in American history. He was the third vice president to die in office.
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LGBT History Month - Angelina Jolie - Actress

Angelina Jolie is an Academy award-winning actress whose films include "Girl, Interrupted," "Changeling" and "Maleficent." She is among the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, having cemented her international success portraying such diverse characters as a video game heroine in the "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" franchise and an HIV-positive supermodel in "Gia." She made her directorial debut with the "Land of Blood and Honey," a drama set during the Bosnian war. She also wrote and produced the film.
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LGBT History Month - Mick Jagger - Rock Star

Mick Jagger is the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, a British rock band whose popularity has spanned more than 50 years. As one of the most influential and charismatic front men in history, Jagger has received many awards and accolades. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and was knighted in 2003. Rolling Stone magazine names him among the top 20 on its List of 100 Greatest Singers.
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LGBT History Month - Emery Hetrick & Damien Martin - Educators

In 1979 Dr. Emery Hetrick and Dr. Damien Martin founded the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a nonprofit organization in New York, originally named the Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth. The doctors created the institute to advocate for at-risk youth aged 13 to 21. The idea came after hearing about a 15-year-old boy who had been beaten and thrown out of an emergency shelter because he was gay.
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LGBT History Month - Arthur Dong - Filmmaker

Arthur Dong is an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker best known for chronicling Asian-American history and LGBT life. He earned an Oscar nomination in 1984 for "Sewing Woman," about his mother's immigration to America from China, which he produced as film student at San Francisco State University. As a result of the film's success, he founded DeepFocus Productions to produce, direct and write projects close to his heart.
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LGBT History Month - Samuel Delaney - Author

LGBT History Month - Elsie de Wolfe - Interior Designer

Elsie de Wolfe, later known as Lady Mendl, introduced the world to the art of interior design. She saw the home as a medium for self-expression.
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From Stonewall to the White House, and activist to author

"I'm standing across the street from Stonewall in Sheridan Square. Here I was, an 18-year-old kid living at the YMCA in a $6-a-night room with no job, no prospects for the future, no real place to live and no money in my pocket. I'm thinking, What am I going to do? And it came to me: This is exactly what I want to do. I'm going to be a gay activist."
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'The Women of San Quentin' comes amid historic changes

A new book chronicling the lives of nine transgender women across the country who have been incarcerated comes amid historic progress for such prisoners.
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LGBT History Month - Clive Davis - Record Producer

Clive Davis is a record producer who has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was the president of Columbia Records from 1967 to 1973 before founding Arista Records in 1975. He created J Records in 2000 and is currently the chief creative officer at Sony Music Entertainment.
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LGBT History Month - Laverne Cox - Transgender Actress

Laverne Cox is an American actress, producer and LGBT advocate best known for her role as a transgender prison inmate in the Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black." She is the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award for acting and the first to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
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LGBT History Month - Jason Collins - Basketball Player

Jason Collins is a retired professional American basketball player who played for 13 seasons with the NBA. During the 2012-13 season, Collins came out in Sports Illustrated before signing with the New Jersey Nets, making him the first openly gay athlete to play on any professional sports team in North America.
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LGBT History Month - Staceyann Chin - Poet/Performer

Staceyann Chin is a spoken-word poet and performance artist dedicated to LGBT rights. She has been out since 1998, soon after co-writing and performing in the Tony-nominated Russell Simmons "Def Poetry Jam" on Broadway. She has also appeared in one-woman Off-Broadway shows and at the famed Nuyorican Poets Café. Her work has been featured in more than 21 publications, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. Born in Jamaica, Chin is of Chinese- and African-Jamaican descent, a subject she has written about often. She appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss what it was like growing up gay in Jamaica.
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LGBT History Month - Richard Blanco - Inaugural Poet

Richard Blanco is the youngest, the first Latino and the first openly gay person to be named a U.S. inaugural poet. He read his poem "One Today," written soon after the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, at President Barack Obama's second inauguration. He describes the poem as "a unique snapshot of where we are as a country."
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LGBT History Month - Miriam Ben-Shalom - Soldier

Miriam Ben-Shalom is the first openly lesbian service member to be reinstated by the U.S. Army after she was discharged in 1976 for being gay.
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LGBT History Month - Jane Addams - Activist

In 1889 Jane Addams cofounded Hull House, a social settlement on Chicago's Near West Side. Social settlements were established to attract educated, middle- and upper-class people to poor urban areas. Addams also cofounded the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization created in 1920 to defend and preserve individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
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LGBT History Month for October

Erie Gay News is proud to once again participate in LGBT History Month, a project of Equality Forum. This project is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015.
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P.L. Travers: A spoonful of speculation

P.L. Travers, author of "Mary Poppins," was born Helen Lyndon Goff on Aug. 9, 1899 in the city of Maryborough, in Queensland, Australia, (not in England, as many assume). She moved to England in 1924, and used the name P.L. Travers, an abbreviation of her pseudonym Pamela Lyndon Travers, which she used in her days as a dancer and Shakespearean actor on the Australian stage. Reportedly, her wealthy relatives did not approve of Travers performing, so, being independent-minded, she moved to England where she forged a career as a writer.
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Transgender Forward

As the gay and lesbian community celebrates marriage equality across the United States, the transgender members of the LGBT community continue to work diligently to place their civil rights front and center, as we move into the next chapter of LGBT equality. To many, it seems as if the transgender movement has come from nowhere in the last decade, but the reality is that transgender Americans have been fighting for civil rights right along with the lesbian, gay and bisexual members of our community for decades. Here are a few key high- lights of transgender people within the tableau of American LGBT civil-rights history:
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