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FENUXE Contents
06.17.2016
06 08 20
CALENDAR: 8 GREAT THINGS TO DO OUT & ABOUT PHOTOS
22
COMING OUT & LEADING UP
24 26 28 34
BOOK REVIEW: STAND BY ME
36
GAY NEWS AT A GLANCE
ORLANDO: TRAGEDY
CHOICES IN THIS LIFE WERK HEY GIRL HEY
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OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THOSE BRUTALLY MURDERED IN ORLANDO
GEORGIA EQUALITY’S
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EVENING FOR
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JUNE 19
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JUNE 18
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JUNE 18
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CALENDAR
EQUALITY JUNE18, 2016 Host Committee $350 Couple Host Commitee Individual $200 General Admission $100
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WOMENS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Tuesday, June 21 Join the annual Judson Women’s Leadership Conference, created to help young women achieve greatness in their lives through thought leadership, positive mentorship, and education enabling, today from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center
THEATER
WHITE PARTY
Saturday, June 18 The White Party is an annual cocktail party to celebrate diversity and inclusivity. All proceeds from this annual celebration benefit CHRIS Kids, which serves LGBTQ and all youth of Atlanta who suffer from trauma and neglect. The night will feature food, drinks, a silent auction, dancing and live performances with DJ Yvonne Monet. 7 – 11 p.m., Mason Fine Art, 415 Plasters Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30324
OUR HISTORY
Sunday, June 19 Join the LGBT Institute, Touching Up Our Roots and Atlanta Pride today at the Center for Civil and Human Rights to board the trolley with LGBT friends and allies to explore our LGBT history. This two-hour tour, narrated by local LGBT historian Dave Hayward and legendary drag diva Diamond Lil, will begin at 2 p.m. and offer a glimpse into the past while enjoying an afternoon of fun.
MUSIC CHARITY
SIGNIFICANT OTHER
GAY MEN’S CHORUS
Wednesday, June 22 Actor’s Express continues the gay-themed romantic comedy “Significant Other,” written by “Bad Jews” writer Joshua Harmon, at 8 p.m. tonight, running through June 19, www.actorsexpress.com
Friday, June 24 Stories of the complex relationships between fathers and sons returns to the stage in three performances of “The Story of U.S.” by the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, with an 8 p.m. show tonight and a 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. show Saturday, Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, 1026 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306
PRIDE JUNE 24
JUNE 21
BUSINESS
Saturday, June 18 Your midsummer dream has just manifested - Join the Atlanta Radical Faeries for a magickal night of community, ritual, and reverlry on Saturday, June 18th at the Atlanta Arts Exchange, 750 Kalb St SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
JUNE 24 05.03.15
Saturday, June 18 Celebrating it’s 12th year, Evening for Equality is expected to draw some of Georgia’s most important leaders for the presentation of Georgia Equality’s Equality Awards. Guests will gather to celebrate the contributions of several leaders in the movement to advance fairness & opportunity for Georgia’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender & allied communities. 6 p.m.
MIDSUMMER
JUNE 22
EVENING FOR EQUALITY
SFQP Friday, June 24 Southern Fried Queer Pride (SFQP) is a queer and trans Pride festival in Atlanta celebrating the robust Southern queer communities that exist amidst the Bible Belt and the Deep South. SFQP aims to provide a weekend of full-flavored community and intersectionality, without all the corporate and capitalist additives. southernfriedqueerpride.com FENUXE.COM : 6
PRESENTS
GEORGIA EQUALITY’S
12TH ANNUAL
EVENING FOR
EQUALITY JUNE18, 2016 Host Committee $350 Couple Host Commitee Individual $200 General Admission $100
TICKET INFO: GEORGIAEQUALITY.COM
OUT & ABOUT
08: June 17, 2016
PHOTOS
DOGGIES ON THE CATWALK BENEFITING CANINE ASSISTANTS PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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OUT & ABOUT
10: June 17, 2016
PHOTOS
PALS BENEFIT @ PARK TAVERN PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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OUT & ABOUT
12: June 17, 2016
PHOTOS
PARTY @ OSCARS PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
Come View our Decorated Model
Towns at Druid Hills Townhomes from the low $500s For more information, please call Bakari Maxwell or Tarecia Johnson at 404.634.4485.
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* Available only when you close on a to-be-built home in the Towns at Druid Hills community pursuant to a contract you sign on or between May 15, 2016, and June 15, 2016. Seller provided “Use How You Choose” credits may be applied to closing costs, design center options, lot premiums, finished basement and other structural options. Upgrades and options available solely through Seller’s Design Center. Availability of items may vary by community. Offer does not have any cash value. ** Receipt of closing cost credit is subject to limits and is contingent upon buyer closing a loan with our affiliated lender, CalAtlantic Mortgage, obtaining title insurance from our affiliated title agent, CalAtlantic Title, and using our preferred closing attorney. The combined value of seller incentives, credits and other seller contributions may exceed lender limits established for the loan program for which buyer qualifies. Buyer should ask his or her lender about the impact of such limits. Prices, plans, and terms are effective on the date of publication and subject to change without notice. Depictions of homes or other features are artist conceptions. Hardscape, landscape, and other items shown may be decorator suggestions that are not included in the purchase price and availability may vary. CalAtlantic Mortgage, Inc., NMLS# 203897 , Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee License #24225, 8660 E Hartford Drive, Suite 200A, Scottsdale, AZ; 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 210, Alpharetta, GA License #68278. RA2065
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OUT & ABOUT
14: June 17, 2016
PHOTOS
DAVID SCOTT’S WACKY HAT PARTY PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
Come View our Decorated Model Towns at Breton Ridge Townhomes from the upper $300s For more information, please call Heather Isaac at 678.627.0772.
Limited Time Only! Purchase a To-Be-Built Home and Receive:
15,000
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Use How You Choose Credits*
AND
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5,000
$
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* Available only when you close on a to-be-built home in the Towns at Breton Ridge pursuant to a contract you sign on or between May 15, 2016, and June 15, 2016. Seller provided “Use How You Choose” credits may be applied to closing costs, design center options, lot premiums, finished basement and other structural options. Upgrades and options available solely through Seller’s Design Center. Availability of items may vary by community. Offer does not have any cash value. ** Receipt of closing cost credit is subject to limits and is contingent upon buyer closing a loan with our affiliated lender, CalAtlantic Mortgage, obtaining title insurance from our affiliated title agent, CalAtlantic Title, and using our preferred closing attorney. The offer to pay closing costs does not include payment of prepaid taxes, property or mortgage insurance, or mortgage installments. Pre-payments of HOA assessments are typically subject to lender limits. The combined value of seller incentives, credits and other seller contributions may exceed lender limits established for the loan program for which buyer qualifies. Buyer should ask his or her lender about the impact of such limits. Prices, plans, and terms are effective on the date of publication and subject to change without notice. Depictions of homes or other features are artist conceptions. Hardscape, landscape, and other items shown may be decorator suggestions that are not included in the purchase price and availability may vary. CalAtlantic Mortgage, Inc., NMLS# 203897 , Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee License #24225, 8660 E Hartford Drive, Suite 200A, Scottsdale, AZ; 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 210, Alpharetta, GA License #68278. RA2065
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OUT & ABOUT
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OUT & ABOUT
18: June 17, 2016
PHOTOS
PARTY @ FELIX PHOTOS BY: ANDREA DWYER
OUR PAST OUR PRESENT THE FUTURE SAVE THE DATE
ATLANTA PRIDE 2016 OCTOBER 10-11, 2016 PIEDMONT PARK
BRITNEY BASH @ THE EAGLE ATLANTA PHOTOS BY: FERNANDO QUINTERO
COMMUNITY
28: June 03, 2016
OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THOSE BRUTALLY MURDERED IN ORLANDO
By: Maria Potolowski
Copyright NY Times 2016
A single event that is both the worst terror strike on American soil since 9/11 and the worst mass shooting in American history is big trouble because it was so efficient. One gunman in a single shooting spree killed at least 50 people at an Orlando gay nightclub. This was an attack not just on America, but on our gay community, who by degrees greater than most westerners, are denied our dignity in the places where global terror spawns. The killer was quickly identified by authorities as Omar Mateen, a security guard and known ISIS sympathizer. In the days ahead we will learn if he was a lone wolf or the spearhead of an attack coordinated in the fever swamps of the Middle East. If a single gunman can do this, the terror mega-strike has become extraordinarily easy to launch and almost impossible to stop. And if Orlando is a solo job, then ISIS has shown one person who knows what he is doing can assemble the arms and case potential targets without leaving a digital footprint – the traces that have foiled larger operations involving more people, more computers and more cellphones. While the September 11 attacks in 2001 killed on a scale far greater than Orlando,
they were enormously complicated. Four strike teams that totaled 19 men came in through the visa system and were backed by many more al-Qaida planners in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and central Asia. The 9/11 attackers planned and trained for years to pull off the coordinated takeover of airplanes and turn them into bombs targeting the Twin Towers, the Pentagon & probably the U.S. Capitol. Monday morning’s attack in Orlando had far fewer moving parts. And from the perspective of terrorists, far less expense in men and material. The 2015 San Bernardino and 2016 Orlando shootings have become standard operating procedure for today’s terrorists to create maximum mayhem with minimum investment.
This was an attack not just on America, but on our gay community.
What does that mean for Americans? It means we have few options. With the United States awash in an estimated 300 million guns, we will not stop this with gun control — not in our
generation. But we can begin thinking long-term about how we start making it more difficult for bad people to get their hands on guns. We can strengthen surveillance with stronger laws and more federal agents, but again, terror that requires the assembly of so few assets is almost impossible to prevent. Tighten surveillance too much in this country and you may do far greater damage to our basic freedoms. So what can we do? We can take a page from another free people who, like us, are hated for their values and their way of life. We can learn to live like Israelis. Since the Munich massacre of 1972 killed 11 Israeli Olympic athletes, the people of Israel have had to learn to live with the almost constant specter of Islamic terror. What they have learned is that terror only works if it forces you to hunker down & live lives in fear — to surrender your rights in a Democratic society. Israelis live courageously. When terror strikes their homeland, it’s their national duty to return their lives to normal as quickly as possible. When a bus is blown up in Israel, Israelis get back on the bus. When a cafe is shot up, a
day later, Israelis are sipping coffee there. We will need to practice that same courage. Finally, we in this country need to understand that terrorism is communication by other means. ISIS is talking to us. They want something. What they want is to turn hearts and minds. And not ours. They want to persuade all Muslims to accept the caliphate they are trying to build in the Middle East. They want to make Americans so angry that we lose our wits and blame all Muslims for every act of terrorism. If we overreact and do things like ban all Muslim immigrants from this country or shut down Syrian refugee programs, we play into the hands of ISIS, which hopes our actions will persuade the world’s Muslims to side with them. At the moment, ISIS is losing the hearts and minds of greater Islam. Virtually every Muslim country despises ISIS and its efforts to dominate the Middle East and North Africa. By maintaining our perspective when they strike our shores, we deny ISIS a victory. And ultimately the free world will triumph. FENUXE.COM : 21
MUSIC
Written by: Bill Dickinson
Coming Out & Leading Up For those of us who are LGBTQ, we have almost certainly experienced some form of isolation, rejection, or tepid acceptance. This reality is simply a part of our story; but, what I have come to learn in the past 18 months is that we all have beautiful,heart-breaking stories of truth. [Editor’s Note: Bill sent me this story ten days before the horrific massacre in Orlando and I felt it was that much more appropriate to run this story of courage and leadership during this time of tradgedy. ] My story is really no different. What I do know, however, is that I can tell my story because so many of you paved the way for truth telling for the common good. Thank you. I do not have your scar tissue; but your courage has inspired me. You see, I came out at age 55. I know, WTF? It’s never easy. But, when you get to be my age—a few grey hairs (and not just peppering my head), crows feet, and a few knocks—you develop some steely boys. Yes sir. Yes mam. A little wisdom, over time, and a lot of grace does make a difference. I’d like to believe I came out with dignity and authenticity. Like many of you,
22: June 17, 2015
it was a process. But, I do leadership development, consulting, and coaching for a living. So, I felt the responsibility to also be a leader as I made this life changing decision, and then to inform my family, friends, and colleagues. Let me be clear, I am out and proud. I told everyone. I didn’t grandstand. But, I chose to have a “plan” with who I would call (and in what order) versus who I would inform versus who I would email; and, of course, how I would tell them. I’d like to believe I was thoughtful and sensitive? I knew some of my audience would be welcoming, and others would be questioning. But, fortunately I had the innate care and the developed skillset, as a leader and as a member of the human family, to be honest and honorable. We each have a way. I’m simply sharing mine. Oh, and as some of this readership knows, when I came out, I also left 25 years of ordained priesthood with the
Roman Catholic Church. I actually loved ministry. Service and faith, and a love of God, are important to me still. But, like many of you know, or who have harshly experienced, there are many faith traditions that do not welcome nor have respect for those of us who are LGBTQ. In my tradition, this would have been true for me; and, not acceptable. In other words, I could no longer, with integrity, teach leadership development, and serve as a coach consultant for pastors and bishops within the Church if I knew, generally speaking, they would not accept me as a priest who would choose to come out and still want to remain a public figure doing ministry and leadership. This unfortunate reality left me with only one choice; and, I chose to come out and leave at the same time. And, before I did come out, I sought professional help, and engaged in some coaching to help me work through and validate the “how” and the “when” both interpersonally and professionally.
Of course, I already knew the “why”. I am a proud gay man who embraces his identity with a clarity that is absolutely liberating and thrilling at the same time. So, here I am in Mid-town Atlanta with a man I love, Cesar Mendoza, and with friendships we have developed and cherish. Has there been an adjustment period? Yes. Has it not always been easy? Yes. Do I wrestle with some family that don’t accept me or talk to me? Yes. Am I the happiest and most fulfilled I have been in my life? Yes. I know, WTF! As much as I hope all of us in our community are in a very good place with our selves, our relationships, and our professions, I would venture to say that some of us are still working through “stuff”. Quite frankly, who isn’t? But, for those of us who are LGBTQ we know a different kind of “stuff”. And, navigating how we proceed, how much to share, when we do this, and who to inform can be tricky; and requires some form of selfleadership and a flexible plan. What I want to encourage us, as LGBTQ, is to feel confident and sometime courageous enough to reach out for help and guidance if you experience doubt, fear, shame, lack of acceptance, or uncertainty—personally or professionally. There are tremendous resources here in Atlanta. Check out the Gay Community Yellow Pages, MAAPS, the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chambers of Commerce, a mental health professional, a leadership coach, or a friend who is in a good place, etc. As we come into our own as proud LGBTQ persons, and as our innate dignity becomes more and more respected, as it should be—normative as well as beautiful—let’s choose to exercise the kind of self-leadership that models health and wholeness, as well as our love and acceptance for all persons different from us. In truth, we are all different, valued, and good.
Bill Dickinson is a leadership development professional and executive coach; and, a proud member of our Atlanta community. Bill.Dickinson12@icloud.com A version of this story appeared in Believe Out Loud
FENUXE.COM : 23
REVIEW
By: Terri Schlichenmeyer
BOOK REVIEW:
You had no idea.
“STAND BY ME”
How could you know? No one ever told you, nobody sat you down to explain what was what. You were blissfully unaware, kept in the dark for far too long, but read “Stand by Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation” by Jim Downs, and you may see the light on a few things. Years ago, when he was a college student, Downs spent evenings with his best friend in a back room in the William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Philadelphia, poring through archives. Then, he had no idea of the value of the old newspapers he’d found but after seeing a documentary on the 1970s and AIDS, he suddenly understood. Bothered by conclusions drawn in the movie – specifically, what he felt was a focus on promiscuous sex – he returned to the archives. It was there that he saw how much of LGBT history is unknown. His research led to this book. One of the more shocking things he discovered was “the [Editor’s note: now second] largest massacre of gay people in American history.” It happened on June 23, 1973 in New Orleans: a group of 120 gay, lesbian, and straight worshippers were holding a church service on a Sunday night on the second floor of a building in the French Quarter. They were members of the Metropolitan Community Church, which had been established so that LGBT individuals had a safe, inclusive place to worship. On that night, they were raising their voices in song when a still-unknown person threw flammable liquid on the stairs, trapping the congregation. Thirty-two people died that night. Downs writes of a New Yorker with a “vision” of a bookstoreslash-gathering-place for “homophiles” to mingle and share ideas, rather than their bodies. He explains how a soon-to-be-famous writer was relentless in his search for gay history in Nazi Germany. He examines how activism and gay politics spurred the creation of gay newspapers, and how LGBT publications affected “people of color” and domestic workers. Coming full-circle, he shows how gay churches and newspapers supported gay men in prison. In any history, there’ll always be surprises, facts, and tales that are forgotten or ignored until someone finds and reveals them
anew. And that’s exactly what author Jim Downs has done here in “Stand by Me.” Starting with upset over what he perceived to be a simplistic premise for a documentary, Downs moves on to a story that was largely ignored by nationwide news outlets, then to activists and beginnings of an LGBT press. His narrative encompasses the years roughly prior to Stonewall through about the late 1970s, and it includes a number of coincidental connections that are nicely revealed. This book is informative, sometimes horrifying, interesting and, unlike your old high-school history books, it’s never dry. Older LGBT readers may not see anything new or shocking here, but younger gay men and lesbians will truly find some eyeopeners. If you don’t know what you don’t know, “Stand by Me” will give you some ideas. By: Always Overbooked... Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm Sez, LLC bookwormsez@gmail.com The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill with two dogs and 14,000 books.
FAITH
Spiritual Fitness
CHOICES IN THIS LIFE
We all are confronted with choices to
make every day. The choices we make impact our lives, but do not define who we are. Plain and simple there are good choices and bad choices. Sometimes you can be challenged with two good choices or two bad choices. It is up to you which choice
26: June 17, 2016
you make. A statement I often reflect on is by Dr. Tim Carey: “When making choices it is imperative to look for important goals in the background and understand the purpose behind them.” The definition of CHOICE, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the act of picking or deciding between two or more possibilities, the opportunity
BY JOSHUAH NEAL
or power to make a decision; the act of choosing. Good choices are obviously decisions that keep us headed in the right direction even when sometimes we would like to choose another option. Bad choices have no good ending and will lead to being stressed, developing bad habits, confused, depressed and in despair. Your LIFE will be affected by the choices you make whether good or bad. There are times when we are forced to make a make a quick decision. I would say to you to think of the important goal in the background and the purpose. If you come to a CROSSROAD and don’t know what decision to make, then the best thing is to be STILL and weigh out the PROs & CONs. Oprah said once when she visited the school of Harvard that we will make wrong choices in life. We will have failures in life. However failures and wrong decisions are there to WAKE you up and to be learned from. If you get stuck, be STILL and ask yourself what is the next RIGHT move and then after that, what is the next RIGHT move etc. Eventually you will see yourself heading the direction you want to go, “if” you truly want to be headed the right way. There are times where we are confronted with two or more GOOD choices to make. These are time, as mention in my last article, FAITH and HOPE comes becomes important. Believing in a higher SELF or more importantly, especially for me, Trusting in GOD will help you make the right decision. There are also times when we are confronted with two or more BAD choices. These are times again where you have to step out on FAITH and have HOPE in knowing what the best choice is. NOW, Here is a BRICK WALL that we often face: not aware that both choices are bad. This typically occurs because you might not be in the right position, you might not be around the right
people, or you just in the wrong environment. So when approaching the BRICK WALL, be STILL and evaluate the possible outcomes of the choices. The good thing about bad choices is that you can either change them and/or learn from them! Personally I have forced myself to make GOOD CHOICES THAT DON’T SEEM TOO GOOD IN THE BEGINNING BUT ULTIMATELY HAVE LONG TERM SATISFACTION & POSITIVE REWARDS. This can be quite hard to accept at times but you must 1. Believe in yourself 2. If you fail get up and try harder 3. Be the best you can be 4. Have FAITH & HOPE 5. Trust GOD or Higher Self There are many common choices that we all face in life every day. A few are eating certain foods, exercising, drugs, alcohol, family, friends, job, lifestyle, relationships, sex and environment. I personally can never judge a decision that one makes because everyone has a story including myself. I am human and have made some BAD CHOICES however I have made many right choices. No matter what, I learning and living the life that I love. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring but I am trusting in God that he will continue to direct me in the right path. If I make a bad choice TRUST me I will learn from it. It would be really nice if we could make the right choice every time or have an ANGEL on our shoulders letting us know when we are headed in the wrong direction. Researchers, Writers, Doctors, Counselors and Therapist are far from the only ones who wonder this question as it is relevant for people of all walks of life. That’s why it is imperative that we stop judging and criticizing one another and try to help one another. When trying to help someone
thats making bad choices be upfront with your intentions and let them know to their face that you want to help. It will help! Dr. Tim Carey said that just because an individual is less able to exert cognitive control over impulses, and I relate impulses to “choices”, should not by definition call into question their standing as a human being. We are all different from each other. We are complex machines and by improving our understanding of the nuts and bolts that make us function we can only improve our ability to make the best of our capabilities while understanding our strengths and weaknesses. Any other way is wishful thinking or defeat ourselves and neither is a GOOD CHOICE. Live your life with good intentions and choices and understand the Purpose and Goal behind them. The choices we make do not define who we are as a person but every choice delivers either short term or long term results whether good or bad. That is for you to know that, feel that and believe that!! I hope this helps, Joshua Neal Behavioral Health Coach & Fitness Expert www.TinyHabits.com www.AnytimeFitness.com www.CrisisTextLine.com Behavioral Health & Development 2 Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 657-225
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28: June 17, 2016
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Hey Girl Hey! My friend that passed away was not a victim in the shooting but passed away of a heart attack unrelated to Orlando. When I saw the Facebook post, I immediately put the two together. Regardless, this has been a tough day, for everyone. I love you and am grateful to have you in my life!!!
Holler Poodles! There are no words to describe the depths of sadness I feel for our brothers and sisters in Orlando. My heart weeps for their families and friends whose loss will be forever felt. I can’t make sense of tragedies like this because they simply don’t make sense. I’ve sat at my computer for hours now trying to come up with words to help our community but I can barely see my screen for the tears that keep stinging my eyes. Yet, through the tears, I am reminded of our resilience! An attack on our community won’t scare us back into the closet. We don’t cease to exist because someone hates us. We’re used to fighting for our lives and for our brother’s and sister’s lives. We’ve found our voice and will not be silenced by fear! We’ve learned that our diversity is our strength and our ability to love each other and come together as a community and as a nation will help to heal our pain. Ultimately, this will make us stronger and this attempt to strike fear in our hearts will have failed. In the days and weeks to follow, I hope the conversations that are had are tempered with the understanding that we must lead with love. Though I’m saddened our society seems to have forgotten how to agree to disagree and will often resort to personal attacks and sometimes more, we must be the change we want to see in this world. We are stronger than all the hate that can be summoned and directed our way because we know that love wins! #LeadwithLove Love and lashes,
Mary Edith Pitts Mary Edith Pitts
PS. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please email me at maryedith99@gmail.com or on twitter @maryedithpitts
Gay News At A Glance OBAMA: RAINBOW WHITE HOUSE WAS ‘ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL MOMENTS OF MY PRESIDENCY’ President Barack Obama reflected this week on the day nearly a year ago when The White House was illuminated in rainbow colors in celebration of marriage equality. ‘One of the most special moments of my presidency was that warm summer night last June when we lit up the White House out there,’ Obama said at the eighh and final LGBT Pride Reception of his presidency on Thursday (9 June). The memorable gesture came on the day that a US Supreme Court ruling made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. ‘It was a powerful symbol here at home, where more Americans finally felt accepted and whole, and that their country recognized the love that they felt. It was a beacon for people around the world who are still fighting for those rights,’ Obama said.
‘It was a reminder that when the change we seek comes, and when we move a little bit further on our journey toward equality and justice, we still have a responsibility to reach back and help pull up others who are striving to do the same.’ During his remarks, Obama reflected on the marriage breakthrough and other progress such as a federal hate crime law and the end of the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. He stressed there is still more to be done. ‘We still have more work to do when gay and bisexual men make up two-thirds of new HIV cases in our country,’ he said. ‘We have to work hard to make sure that jobs are not being denied, people aren’t being fired because of their sexual orientation. We still have work to do when transgender persons are
attacked, even killed for just being who they are. We’ve got work to do when LGBT people around the world still face incredible isolation and poverty and persecution and violence, and even death. ‘We have work to make sure that every single child, no matter who they are or where they come from or what they look like or how they live, feels welcomed and valued and loved.’
ISLAMIC STATE CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ORLANDO CLUB SHOOTING Copyright Getty Images
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the shooting at the gay club Pulse in Orlando, Florida that left 50 dead and 53 injured. Authorities identified the suspect as Omar Mateen, 29, from Orlando and have been investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism as well as a hate crime. But its not clear at the time of this writing if Mateen was working with international terrorists or acting as a lone wolf. He was killed at the end of a protracted gun battle with police. The Islamic State claim is being reported by the Amaq news agency, which has links to the group. There are also reports Mateen swore allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al Bahdadi in a 911 call around the time of the attack, NBC News reports. CNN reports he also mentioned the Boston bombings. A senior FBI official also said Mateen may have had leanings towards Islamic extremism and Islamic State. Mateen is a US citizen of Afghan descent from Port St Lucie Florida. His father Mir Seddique said his son’s actions were motivated by homophobia after he witnessed a gay couple kissing in Miami. ‘This had nothing to do with religion,’ Seddique claimed, adding: ‘We are saying we are apologizing for the whole incident. We are in shock like the whole country.’ President Barack Obama has called the shooting an act of ‘terror and hate’. 36: June 17, 2016
POLICE IDENTIFY LOS ANGELES PRIDE SUSPECT Police officials identified the man arrested before the start of today’s, 12 June, Los Angeles Pride. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, the suspect is James Wesley Howell from Indiana. The police performed a traffic stop on Howell’s vehicle after a call from a citizen. The suspect was sitting in his car when the police arrived. Officers discovered three assault weapons, high capacity magazines and ammunition, and five gallons of chemicals that could be used to make an explosive device. Santa Monica Police Lt. Saul Rodriguez held a press conference today, noting all Howell said was he wanted to attend pride events. The bomb squad was used to check the vehicle and surrounding area. Presently there is no connection with the Orlando, Florida attack. Howell is being held on $500,000 bond.
PULSE CLUB OPENED BY FOUNDER FOR GAY BROTHER WHO DIED AFTER BATTLE WITH HIV Pulse Club in Orlando was opened to honor its founder’s brother who died, having battled HIV for several years. Barbara Poma used to go out to gay clubs with her brother John frequently
during her childhood. She visted her first gay bar when she wsa only age 14, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Despite being raised within a strict, Catholic-Italian family, her brother flourished after coming out and was accepted by his family. ‘To Barbara, John wasn’t gay. John was simply her loving brother that did her makeup, put highlights in her hair, and taught her EVERYTHING she need to know about fashion.’ The club was named Pulse for John’s heartbeat, and in memory of the fun nights she and her brother had when they were young.
MISSISSIPPI BUSINESSES FEELING IMPACT OF ANTI-LGBT LAW
Some business owners in Mississippi are starting to worry about how their profits might shrink because of HB1523. Considered by many as the worst of the anti-gay bills protects state employees if they refuse to issue a marriage certificates to same-sex couples and sanctions the use of ‘conversion therapy’ to ‘cure’ LGBT citizens. Linda Hornsby, executive director of the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association, said some of her members are seeing major events canceled. The Mississippi Tourism Association said, ‘Our members statewide are reporting calls, emails and social media posts from people cancelling or postponing trips to Mississippi due to media reporting on this new law. Many of these tourists are known to our members personally because they are repeat guests that have visited our state before, loved it, and have become regular visitors.’ Roy Decker, a Jackson developer and architect, told the newspaper an unnamed investor, who has done work in the state before, pulled out from a project due to the bill. Decker insists other business people are finding the law a roadblock: ‘If we’re not promoting business that generates taxes and revenue and the ability for us to pay for services, like education, what kind of sense does it make?’ The law becomes official on July 1st.
via Facebook (Mark McCabe, left; Buck Cooke, right)
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