Equality Magazine Summer 2010

LGBT-FRIENDLY Hospitals?

HOW TO Protect Your Rights

h u m A n

David Cicilline PROVIDENCE’S Gay Mayor TALKS TO EQUALITY

r i g h t S

Hoops! the WNBA AND HRC Team Up

A TWO-MOM FAMILY ON THE BIG SCREEN DIRECTOR SCORES WITH KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

c A m p A i g n

S UMMER 2010

Longtime Ally on her New Film, Her New Book, Schoolyard Bullies & Why Giving is So Important

JULIANNE OUR Interview with

MOORE

Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors, now with access to the resources of Bank of America, are committed to providing financial advice to the LGBT community. They understand there can be unique financial challenges faced by same-sex couples and can offer comprehensive solutions tailored to meet these unique needs. To learn more, visit ml.com/help2

™ 2 help achieve

Investing involves risk. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer and Member SIPC. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value Š 2009 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. AR-96604, 11/2009 Help2achieve is a trademark of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

HRC SENIOR STAFF Joe Solmonese President Ann Crowley Membership & Online Strategy Director Robert Falk General Counsel Andrea Green Finance Director John Greene Human Resources Director Allison Herwitt Legislative Director Anastasia Khoo Marketing Director Don Kiser Creative Director Cathy Nelson Vice President for Development & Membership Betsy Pursell Vice President for Public Education & Outreach

Working for Equality Behind the Scenes

Jim Rinefierd Vice President for Finance & Operations Marty Rouse National Field Director Fred Sainz Vice President of Communications & Marketing

T

hanks to your generous support, the Human Rights Campaign’s tireless work to secure full lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality continues to gain momentum.

Recently, Congress took a critical step forward with the historic votes in the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House of Representatives to begin the process of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” But the fight is not over, as the full Senate could vote on the Department of Defense bill later this fall.

We’re also celebrating big victories such as President Obama’s announcement of new sick leave and long-term care benefits for LGBT federal employees and their families, and his directive that hospitals respect the visitation and decision-making rights of LGBT people.

These critical advances are the result of years of efforts by the unsung heroes of the LGBT civil rights movement, who spend long hours researching the impact of intolerance, lobbying lawmakers and policymakers, and building support among fair-minded straight allies. I count dedicated HRC members like you in the ranks of these pro-equality champions, because our remarkable progress in improving the everyday lives of LGBT people simply wouldn’t be possible without your personal commitment.

Today, LGBT Americans and their families are increasingly recognized and respected in our society, while gay history and culture, which were long ignored by the mainstream, are now being honored and celebrated. In this issue, we look at a new major film, The Kids Are All Right, about a lesbian couple, their children and their relationship. We also feature stories on actor Julianne Moore; the film’s openly lesbian filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko, best known for her classic High Art; and artist Skylar Fein, whose recent New York City exhibition focused on a

2

EQUALITY

SUMMER 2010

1973 fire in New Orleans that killed dozens of gay men and others — a story widely ignored by the media due to homophobia.

We also have an interview with David Cicilline, the openly gay mayor of Providence, R.I., and current congressional candidate, who is among a growing number of openly LGBT leaders who are running for public office — and winning. And in a story about HRC’s newly released Healthcare Equality Index, we explore how changes in policies and practices of the healthcare field are affecting LGBT Americans and their families.

As we continue to fight for full LGBT equality, we are encountering increasingly desperate resistance from enemies of fairness like Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has declared that he will use all the tools at his disposal to stop the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” But with your ongoing commitment and the unflagging efforts of the activists working behind the scenes, we will overcome that opposition to achieve equal rights for every American.

Thank you again for all that you do.

Gratefully,

Susanne Salkind Managing Director David M. Smith Vice President of Programs Christopher Speron Development Director Cuc Vu Chief Diversity Officer HRC EQUALITY STAFF Janice Hughes Publications Director Carolyn Simon Staff Writer Sarah Streyle Senior Graphic Design Specialist Robert Villaflor Design Director OTHER CONTRIBUTORS Tim Bahr, Maggie Campbell, UiSan Cheah, Tiffany Dean, Michael Fountas, Justin Giaquinto, Sharon Groves, Ellen Kahn, Anastasia Khoo, Don Kiser, Jason Lott, Mike Mings, Brian Moulton, Cathy Nelson, Susan Paine, Chris Perry, Jeremy Pittman, Karin Quimby, Margot Rosen, Marty Rouse, Ben Shallenberger, David Smith, Chris Speron

Equality is a publication of the Human Rights Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Equality (ISSN 1092-5791) is published quarterly by HRC, 1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: Free to members. Printed in the USA. The Human Rights Campaign and HRC Foundation names and Equality logos are trademarks of the Human Rights Campaign and HRC Foundation.

To join HRC, call 800-777-HRC3, visit www.hrc.org or TTY at 202-216-1572.

Are you an HRC member? Have a question? ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­HRC’s Member Services Team, led by Dana Campbell, works every day to provide HRC’s more than 750,000 grassroots members and supporters with the best membership experience possible. To contact Member Services, e-mail membership@hrc.org or call 800-727-4723.

Joe Solmonese P.S. Now is the time to give the fight for LGBT civil rights an extra boost. So please mail a generous donation today or give online at www.hrc.org/2010summer. And if you can possibly elevate your commitment by becoming an HRC monthly Partner or joining HRC’s strongest supporters in our Federal Club, I urge you to do so. Thank you!

All advertisers in Equality magazine are Human Rights Campaign National Corporate Partners.

Because of HRC’s commitment to improving the lives of LGBT Americans in the workplace, all of our National Corporate Partners must demonstrate their own dedication by achieving a score of 85 percent or greater on the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index. Companies such as these have advanced the cause of LGBT equality through their own policies, and we encourage you to consider them when making purchase decisions. For specific scores, criteria and more information on the Corporate Equality Index, please visit www.hrc.org/CEI.

SUMMER 2010

INSIDE Photo: www.politeinpublic.com

FEATURES 9 Special Interview David Cicilline: From Mayor to Capitol Hill 11 Countdown 2010 Votes Loom in Congress on Pro-Equality Bills

5

13 New HRC Report Hospitals Need to Open Doors, Especially to Transgender Patients 15 Teamwork HRC & WNBA Partner Up in Nationwide Effort

Photo: Barry Gossage

18 cover: Julianne Moore

Leading Actor and Longtime Straight Ally Talks to Equality 21

Changing the Conversation Acclaimed Lesbian Director’s Groundbreaking Family Film, The Kids Are All Right

15

23 Our History The Story of the Tragic New Orleans Fire — An Artist Reminds Us Personal Leadership, Political Change Our Leaders & Supporters

Cover photo: Jordan Strauss

Photo: Bree Gant

28

IN EVERY ISSUE 4

Sound Off

5

Up Front

35

Scene Out Upcoming Gala Events National Corporate Sponsors

35

SOUND OFF

Board of Directors Lacey All WA, John Barry IL, Bruce Bastian UT, Terry Bean OR, David Beckwith CA, Les Bendtsen MN, Ken Britt GA, Stephanie Carreon TX, Dan Cochran NY, Jane Daroff OH, Tim Downing OH, Linda Elliott AZ, Anne Fay TX, Jody Gates LA, Kirk Hamill DC, Sandra Hartness CA, Mike Holloman TX, John Isa DC, LeeAnn Jones GA, Barry Karas CA, Tom Kovach NV, Jani Lopez TX, Anton Mack CA, Joni Madison NC, Michael Palmer VA, Terry Penrod OH, Dana Perlman CA, Steven Reid AZ, Henry Robin NY, Mirian Saez CA, Cathi Scalise TX, Linda Scaparotti CA, Meghan Stabler TX, Faye Tate CO, Rebecca Tillet NY, Alan Uphold CA, David Wilson MA, Frank Woo CA, Lisa Zellner OH

I don’t regret it.

I believe I’m doing the right thing.”

Board of Governors

Photo: Eric McCandless

Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, on difficulties he has faced since refusing his church’s orders to stop counseling lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Senyonjo, who spoke at HRC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., is an outspoken advocate for human rights.

“we all know that while we make people laugh, we can also open their minds to change.”

Actor Eric Stonestreet, left, who was nominated for an Emmy Award in his role as a gay, stay-athome dad on the hit TV sitcom “Modern Family.” The show received 14 nominations, including one for openly gay actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, right, who plays Stonestreet’s partner on the show. Stonestreet, a straight ally, spoke at HRC’s Cleveland Gala.

“Sharron Angle recognizes the traditional family as the foundation of America’s society.

From the description of Sharron Angle’s “family values” on the website created for her campaign to defeat Nevada Sen. Harry Reid’s re-election effort. A former Nevada Assembly member, Angle worked to pass a discriminatory state law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman and also supports the Federal Marriage Amendment. Longtime extreme-right leader Phyllis Schlafly, the Concerned Women for America and others have endorsed Angle.

4

EQUALITY

SUMMER 2010

Robert Abernathy IL, Rick Aishman TX, Lili Alpaugh LA, Steve Amend NV, Andrew Arnold CA, Karen Aronoff OH, Varo Asorian CA, Matthew Bacon MA, Jessica Bair CA, Phillip Baker AZ, Joel Baldazo TX, Kevin Bass CA, Vanessa Benavides TX, Bob Berry IL, Blake Beyer TX, Dana Beyer MD, Scott Bishop NC, Wendy Blenning OR, Eric Blomquist NY, Patricia Bolton WA, Chris Boone WA, Sarah Booth DC, Ebonee Bradford GA, Byron Brady NC, Daniel Brennan TX, Tim Bresnahan IL, Barbara Browning MA, Brian Browning TX, Charles Buchanan TX, Deiadra Burns TX, Nancy Caldwell TX, Todd Canon TX, Carlos Carbonell FL, Christopher Carolan NY, William Castellani DC, Jeffrey Caywood OH, Fidel Chavoya CA, Kevin Cheng CA, Luana Chilelli UT, Dawn Christensen NV, John Cramer TX, Jeremy Davis TN, Fiona Dawson TX, Candace DiGirolamo OH, Robert Dogens NC, Michael Dunning MO, Nikki Eason NC, Patty Ellis NY, Jill Federico CA, Steven Fisher CA, Brian Flanagan NJ, Tom Floyd CA, Donna Flynn TX, Jennifer Foster FL, Bruce Franck MN, Ralph Freidin MA, Charles Frew GA, Tucker Gallagher DC, Jeffery Garofalo NV, Krystal Gilliam TX, Madeline Goss NC, Amos Gott TN, Deb Graves MN, Paul Guillory TX, Ron Guisinger OH, Edward Guzek MN, CM Hall OR, Suzanne Hamilton OH, Jim Harrison TX, James Healey NV, Jason Held IL, Ted Holmquist CA, Miranda Hooker MA, Ajit Joshi DC, Eric Kenney CA, John Kerrigan TX, Thomas Knabel MN, Thomas Kovach NV, Christopher Labonte PA, Jason Lambert FL, Stephan Lampasso FL, John Leonard TX, Tedd Lesch CA, Billy Leslie TN, Ryan Levy TX, Alex Lindquist CO, Michael Long OR, Raymond Manci CA, John Mancuso MO, April Martin KS, M. Mason OH, Robert Mason CA, Keith McCoy IL, Sharlea McMurtry CO, Martha McQuade VA, Lori Megown NY, Andrew Melissinos CA, Ryan Messer OH, Gwen Migita NV, Patrick Miller LA, Tim Morneau CA, Kevin Moser WA, Dyshaun Muhammad MN, George Page TX, Paul Palmer FL, Bryan Parsons NY, Darrell Parsons TX, Lester Perryman LA, Steve Pospisil MN, Anna Prow DC, Michael Reiser MO, Susan Reyes LA, Brian Rice CT, Wendy Ringe TX, Mark Robertson NY, Jason Roundy CA, Andy Rubinson MA, John Ruffier FL, Terri Rutter MA, Minita Sanghvi NC, Elizabeth Schleigh TX, Heidi Schreiber MN, Jon Shaffer OH, Lynn Shepodd CA, Mark Shura MA, Robert Sikorski TN, Molly Simmons GA, LaWana Slack-Mayfield NC, Michael Smithson OH, Steven Spencer-Steigner CA, Chuck Stephens GA, Brian Stranghoner AZ, Dan Tanner FL, Donna Tarabella OR, Andrea Torrence MO, Nathan Treanor AZ, Marjorie Troxel-Hellmer MO, Timothy Walker OH, William Weeks IL, Richard Welch MA, Bruce Wessler MO, Edward Westreicher GA, Pam Wheeler TN, Sharon Wong MD, Julie Wood GA, Kathy Young AZ, Lisa Zellner OH Foundation Board Kim Allman MD, Gwen Baba CA, Vic Basile MD, Terry Bean OR, Lee Carter NC, Edie Cofrin GA, Lawrie Demorest GA, Anne Fay TX, Garry Kief CA, Marty Lieberman WA, Andy Linsky CA, Hilary Rosen DC, Judy Shepard WY, Mary Snider DC * As of June 2010.

UP FRONT

10,000 Photo: Jacob Smith

The number of veterans identified and mobilized by the Human Rights Campaign in six key states — Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Virginia and West Virginia — to take action in the effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” HRC placed extra emphasis on those states, as senators there were identified as key votes on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Four of the six targeted senators voted to repeal DADT.

and In the Lone Star State Photo: www.politeinpublic.com

Texas GOP Targets Straight Allies

oh snap!

Since it opened 15 years ago, the Human Rights Campaign’s shop in Provincetown, Mass., has drawn more than 1 million people to hear about HRC’s mission and, well, to shop.

Hundreds of visitors dropped in recently to the store’s special, one-day photobooth — including a newlywed couple from Connecticut (bottom) and high schoolers from Massachusetts (middle). Even HRC’s Brad Mayer and a friend couldn’t resist (top). See the nearly 100 other snapshots at shop.hrc.org/photos.

It’s no surprise that the Texas Republican Party is an opponent of equality. But did you know that its party platform — a document that states its principles and goals — seeks to punish straight allies?

It’s true. In the platform, the party clearly outlines its support for legislation “that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple and for any civil official to perform a marriage ceremony” for a same-sex couple. HRC has called on Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele to repudiate the platform. More than 64,000 people have signed an HRC petition urging Steele to do so.

Join us at www.hrc.org/GOP. If the platform language sounds a bit familiar, it’s because it’s eerily similar to a proposed bill in Uganda that would outlaw homosexuality and also punish anyone who fails to report lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to the government. HRC and its coalition allies protested the bill and urged the U.S. State Department to develop a plan to address the criminalization of homosexuality in African countries.

To find out what HRC is doing to advance LGBT equality in your area, visit www.hrc.org/your_community.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

5

Work together.

Make a difference.

Citi is a proud sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign.

For 30 years, HRC has led the way in

promoting

Lesbian,

Gay,

fairness

for

Bisexual

the and

Transgender community.

We commend their efforts and thank them for making the world a better place.

Š 2010 Citigroup Inc. Citi and Arc Design is a registered service mark of Citigroup Inc. Citi never sleeps is a registered service mark of Citigroup Inc.

Up front

Ahead of the Curve Does your city and county protect against employment discrimination based on gender identity? More than 130 localities — even in traditionally conservative states such as Kentucky and Utah — have passed ordinances that extend these protections that are not yet covered by federal law.

Visit www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/ equal_opportunity/gender-identitycity-county-laws.htm to see if your city and county have fully inclusive employment non-discrimination laws. Here’s a look at some places with recently passed laws: > Allegheny County, Calif.

sparking change The next generation of religious scholars are creating whole new frameworks around faith, sexual orientation and gender identity.

cial assistance and one-on-one mentoring to help her advance research on ethical issues of race, gender and sexuality.

That’s why the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Religion & Faith Program launched a scholarship and mentoring program to help promising religious scholars and theologians interested in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

And 14 other graduate students whose scholarship focuses on LGBT issues were selected to attend the Summer Institute, a five-day workshop at Vanderbilt University School of Divinity.

They will work with prominent clergy, scholars of religion, public theologians and media experts to explore how their scholarship can spark a new religious dialogue that affirms LGBT equality in their schools, seminaries, congregations and the larger community.

HRC's LGBT Dissertation Scholarship — for doctoral students who are advancing research on LGBT issues in theological studies — went to Thelathia "Nikki" Young, a fourth-year doctoral candidate at Emory University's Graduate Division of Religion. Young receives both finan-

See www.hrc.org/seminary for more.

> Leon County, Fla. > Tampa, Fla. > Kalamazoo, Mich. > Missoula, Mont. > Akron, Ohio > Cleveland, Ohio > Summit County, Ohio > Yellow Springs, Ohio > Charleston, S.C. > Fort Worth, Texas > Logan, Utah > Park City, Utah > Salt Lake City, Utah

Photo: Marty Rouse

> Salt Lake County, Utah > Summit County, Utah > West Valley, Utah

For most transgender people, securing identity documents can be a nightmare. But the process of changing one’s gender identity on a passport should now be a lot easier.

A new policy directive from the U.S. State Department allows a transgender person applying for a U.S. passport to make changes to his or her gender on the document simply by presenting certification from a doctor that he or she has undergone “appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition.” Previously, an applicant had to present a doctor’s certification that he or she had completed gender reassignment surgery.

“This new policy takes the decision about what constitutes ‘appropriate clinical treatment’ out of the government’s hands and puts it where it belongs — with each transgender person and his or her doctor,” said Allyson Robinson, HRC’s associate director of diversity.

The policy also allows for a limited-validity passport for those in the process of gender transition.

The Human Rights Campaign advocated for this change as part of its Blueprint for Positive Change, a series of policy recommendations made to the Obama administration beginning in November 2008.

Pride in Asbury Park!

Every summer, the Human Rights Campaign reaches out — rain or shine — to the millions of festivalgoers at more than 90 prides across the country, from New Jersey to L.A. It’s the first time many people hear of HRC and its mission of equality. In fact, 70 percent of HRC members and supporters first become acquainted with the organization at a pride event. This year, more people than ever before signed up with HRC.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

7

for all families.

Please join our mission to make the world a more comfortable place. For everyone.

Featuring: Jude chair in creme leather, Nic and Brandon (age 5): two of the seventy-five spirited children from our award-winning onsite daycare.

8

EQUALITY

SUMMER 2010

www.mgbwhome.com

david

Cicilline R.I. Mayor seeks To join ranks of 3 other Openly Gay house Members

D

Photo: Victoria Arocho Photo: Victoria Arocho

avid Cicilline, the two-term, openly gay mayor of Providence, R.I., recalls once getting a letter from a man, a local deacon, who wanted to support him in a race for office but was worried about one thing. “I would like to help out at your campaign but I want to be sure,” the man wrote. “Do you have a ‘gay agenda?’”

Cicilline shot back an answer right away. “Yes, I do have a ‘gay agenda,’” he replied. “I want good schools, low taxes, safe neighborhoods and good jobs.” The man ended up being a huge supporter.

Cicilline, 49, the son of an Italian-American father and Jewish mother, served four terms in the Rhode Island Legislature and now, as he ends his eighth and final year as mayor, is vying to represent the state’s 1st congressional district in Washington. As mayor, Cicilline has worked to reform the police department, build up the city’s financial reserves and revive the city’s downtown.

If he wins in November, Cicilline will join three other openly gay or lesbian members now in Congress. One recent afternoon in July, he sat down and spoke with Janice Hughes, managing editor of Equality magazine, in his home on Providence’s East Side. Excerpts follow.

What first led you to go into politics? I was very interested in politics at a very young age.

My parents used to drop me off at the town council meetings and the school board meetings when I was 13 or 14 years old. In college, I started the College Democrats chapter at Brown [University] with John Kennedy Jr. — he was in my class. After college, I went to law school in Washington, D.C., then became a public defender and worked in the juvenile division.

My interest grew from the fact that I recognized that one of the best ways that you can impact people’s lives is in public service and holding

elected office, and helping to really change the policies and set the right priorities that actually improve people’s lives.

You’re from the smallest state in the country.

Can you make a difference as a newcomer on Capitol Hill? I think I will make a difference.

It’s an opportunity for a new class of members in the U.S. Congress to come together and try to develop some consensus about a new approach to the way that Congress works and a new commitment to advancing the interests of ordinary Americans. I think it is a different time. One way you can have an impact early is breaking this connection between money and politics in Washington. … We need a new way of funding campaigns and a new way of reducing the influence of big money on politics in Washington, by passing the Fair Elections Now Act and proposing a lifetime ban on lobbying [by members of Congress after they leave office]. Public service is an honor and should never be for sale.

Your sexual orientation hasn’t been an issue in your campaigns. Why not? People are looking at which candidate has a record of real accomplishments and who can deliver the most for our state. We’re a small state with some very big challenges. … The person’s sexual orientation is irrelevant. In my first campaign for mayor, some of my opponents raised the issue, but I am very proud of the residents of this city. They evaluate the candidates based on the strength of our ideas, our vision for the city, what we stood for, what we achieved and I think [sexual orientation] was irrelevant to them and it continues to be irrelevant.

tion for mandatory AIDS education. Those are all important public health priorities of mine and they’ll continue to be priorities for me.

You’ve been quite active on HIV/AIDS issues, including pushing for mandatory AIDS education in schools and also supporting needle-exchange programs. Would you do that at the federal level? We have the country’s most progressive needle-exchange law and I was the lead sponsor of that. I sponsored legisla-

Are you meeting with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community while on the campaign trail? What kinds of conversations are you having? Yes, I am. I’m really fortunate to have lots of support

You’ve also been a strong supporter on expanding educational opportunities for children. Any thoughts on stopping bullying and harassment in schools? It is absolutely imperative that every child has the opportunity to learn in a safe, nurturing learning environment. Kids can’t learn and teachers can’t teach if people are being bullied. We have a responsibility as an absolute prerequisite, as a bare minimum, to ensure that kids feel safe and are safe in school.

continued on page 33

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

9

The strength of our

The strength of our

diversity business The strength of our The strength of our The strength of our The strength of our diversity business At Paul Hastings, diversity is much more than a policy or diversity business statement — it is who we are and how we do business.

At Paul Hastings, diversity is much more than a policy or

A Paul diverse and inclusive environment is anthan integral partor At Hastings, much more policy statement — diversity it is who iswe are and how wea do business. of our firm’s and growth.

Andbusiness. it is our statement — culture itand is who webusiness are and how weis do A diverse inclusive environment an integral part to this core value todayisthat helps drive the Acommitment diverse inclusive an integral part of ourand firm’s cultureenvironment and business growth.

And it is our of our clients and our firm.

To learn please ofsuccess our firm’s culture Andmore, it is our commitment toand this business core valuegrowth. today that helps drive the visit us at www.paulhastings.com. commitment value thatTo helps theplease success to of this our core clients andtoday our firm. learndrive more, success of our clients and our firm. To learn more, please visit us at www.paulhastings.com. visit us at www.paulhastings.com.

18 Offices Worldwide Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP www.paulhastings.com

18 Offices Worldwide Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP www.paulhastings.com 18 Offices Worldwide

Time is running out to get more pro-equality legislation passed in this session of Congress. With midterm elections looming, the power could shift in the U.S. House of Representatives, making it that much more difficult to get these bills to President Obama’s desk.  That’s why the Human Rights Campaign is launching a campaign to mobilize members and supporters to urge lawmakers to enact the Employment NonDiscrimination Act and to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The campaign, Countdown 2010, partners with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal effort. Together, HRC and longtime ally SLDN will build on the on-the-ground work in a dozen key states.

The votes could be imminent — on ENDA in the U.S. House of Representatives and on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in the U.S. Senate.

“We need people to act now,” said Marty Rouse, HRC’s national field director, urging members and supporters to contact their representatives to pass ENDA and their senators to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Countdown 2010 is building on the success of HRC’s No Excuses campaign, which resulted in hundreds of face-to-face meetings between constituents and their congressional representatives in their districts, and tens of thousands of letters and phone calls to congressional offices.

Members of Congress heard the demands of HRC members and supporters. Shortly

after HRC’s No Excuses call to action in 2009, Congress passed inclusive hate crimes legislation and President Obama signed it into law.

“Now, more than ever, people in the LGBT community need to speak up and make their voices heard,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

You can help advance equality with these three simple steps:  Visit www.hrc.org/ countdown2010.  Type in your ZIP code to identify your congressional representatives and find a script for the exact message that you need to tell them.  Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 to connect with your lawmakers and schedule a face-to-face meeting so you can share your message about why Congress needs to act NOW. “The more urgent we are in reaching out to Congress, the more likely we are to see action on ENDA and DADT,” said Solmonese.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

11

American Airlines is proud to support the community that supports us. That’s why we’re the first and only airline to score 100% on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index every year since 2001.

AmericanAirlines, We know why you fly, AA.com and AA.com/rainbow are marks of American Airlines, Inc. oneworld is a mark of the oneworld Alliance, LLC.

Helping Hospitals Protect Transgender Patients HRC’s HEI Works to Make Facilities Much More Welcoming

By Carolyn Simon

W

hile an increasing number of hospitals have policies that ensure equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients, there is much work to be done — especially when it comes to protecting transgender patients.

The latest Healthcare Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Family Project shows that just 7 percent of 200 of the largest hospitals in the U.S. protect patients from discrimination based on gender identity.

Transgender people face unique challenges in healthcare settings that can even deter them from seeking care in the first place.

“When a hospital does not include gender identity in its protected non-discrimination policies, a transgender person may be placed in a room or ward with patients of his or her birth gender; may be addressed by hospital staff using inap-

propriate name or pronouns; and may be denied their usual medications,” said Dr. Rebecca Allison, the head of cardiology at CIGNA Medical Group of Arizona and current president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

Identifying inclusive healthcare facilities can help bridge the gap for transgender patients, said Allison, who is also on the HEI Advisory Council.

“Recognition by the HEI indicates a hospital is sensitive to the unique needs of transgender persons in times of illness and vulnerability,” she said.

The HEI 2010 rates survey responses from healthcare facilities about their policies related to patient non-discrimination, visitation, cultural competency training and employment non-discrimination. Of the 178 facilities nationwide, 11 individual facilities received perfect ratings, and many have made advances over the last three years since the HEI began.

Major Network Gets Top HEI Ranking Notably, Kaiser Permanente became the first healthcare network to have a fully inclusive non-discrimination policy and is the first health network to achieve Top Performer status in the HEI — meaning that it responded “yes” to each of the rated questions that applied to it.

“Kaiser Permanente is deeply committed to providing equitable, compassionate and highquality care to our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients and their families, a level of care that is standard across our diverse patient population,” said George Halvorson, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer. “In the Healthcare Equality Index report, we are proud to be able to highlight our commitment to these high standards of care, as well as our efforts to promote a supportive work environment for all our employees.” continued on page 33

Health Wise What You Can Do Here’s your action plan to protect your rights at healthcare facilities:  Complete advance healthcare directives to make sure the people who know you best will be able to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.  Complete hospital authorization forms to ensure the visitors you choose are permitted to see you.  Carry information related to your advance healthcare directives and visitation authorization forms in your wallet or other readily accessible area for emergencies.  Talk with your primary care physician about your preferred visitors and advance healthcare directives.  Check the hospital’s Patients’ Bill of Rights/nondiscrimination policy. Make sure that it includes “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression.”  Ask to see the hospital’s visitation policy. It should ensure equal access for our families with an LGBTinclusive definition of family.

Visit www.hrc.org/protect-your-rights for more information.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

13

Take pride in who you are...

...and where you are going.

You’ve got a vision, and there’s nothing that’s going to stop you. With your tenacity and our technology, you can accomplish anything. At Microsoft, we believe people are free to be themselves, and be amazingly successful at it. We applaud the efforts of the Human Rights Campaign to achieve equality around the globe.

Lead more

www.microsoft.com/citizenship

hrc & the wnba

TEAMW RK

By Carolyn Simon

Photo: Barry Gossage

C

alling all hoops fans! The Women’s National Basketball Association, now in its 14th season, has the fastest, fiercest and most talented women’s basketball players in the world. The league has long embraced diversity and inspired change.

Donna Orender. “The WNBA welcomes fans regardless of age, race, background or sexual orientation,” said Orender. “It is this openness and diversity that underlies the league’s ongoing growth and success.”

This summer, the Human Rights Campaign and the WNBA worked together at pride festivals and other events across the country. The partnership was a no-brainer, according to WNBA President

At pride events in eight cities — Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, Seattle, the Twin Cities and Washington, D.C. — fans

Tammy Sutton-Brown (No. 8) of the Indiana Fever battles for the tip-off against the Phoenix Mercury in the final game of the WNBA finals last fall in Phoenix, Ariz. The Mercury won the best-of-five series, 3-2, for the league’s 13th championship title.

were able to meet and take photos with WNBA team representatives, win prizes and buy discounted tickets for LGBTthemed game nights for the local team.

HRC will be hosting special events with the Atlanta and Phoenix teams. Visit www.hrc.org/events for details.

Check out www.wnba.com/tickets for more.

By Carolyn Simon

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

15

It’s people from all walks that make the world run.

The world is a vast collection of people, cultures and ideas. Wherever we operate around the world, we embrace the unique vision that a truly diverse workforce brings. With the broad experience of our more than 60,000 employees, we harness the most powerful energy of all — human energy.

To learn more, visit chevron.com.

T:9.75”

CHEVRON, the CHEVRON HALLMARK and HUMAN ENERGY are registered trademarks of Chevron Intellectual Property LLC. ©2009 Chevron Corporation. All rights reserved.

T:7”

Grabbing life by the cherries

LAURA LINNEY

©2010 Showtime Networks Inc. All rights reserved. SHOWTIME is a registered trademark of Showtime Networks Inc.

A new series about living…with cancer.

series premiere

MONDAY AUGUST 16, 10:30 PM Immediately following the Season Premiere of WEEDS

ET PT

TO ORDER:1-800-SHOWTIME OR GO TO SHO.COM

the thing is: everyone loves Julianne Moore. From The Hours to Boogie Nights to A Single Man, Moore has built up a following among critics and filmgoers alike. she is especially beloved in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community for taking on so many roles, with such nuance and elegance, in boundary-busting films about our lives. now, Moore — clad in big, clunky rubber boots as a sweet, struggling landscaper — hits the big screen again as Jules, the long-time lesbian partner of Nic (played by another A-List actress, Annette Bening) in the acclaimed The Kids Are All Right. Moore, who lives in new york city with her husband and two kids, has a third children’s book coming out that includes a two-mom family. Equality spoke with her recently.

julianne Actor, Longtime LGBT Ally Talks to Equality

By Janice Hughes

Equality: Some of your previous film roles have been pretty risky, like Boogie Nights and Chloe, for example. Did you consider your role as Jules to be risky as well?

Julianne Moore: No, not particularly. [Laughter.]

She’s a mid-40s mom in the west side of Los Angeles. They’re living in a two-parent household with one working parent and one stay-at-home parent, which is pretty unusual these days. They’re obviously very comfortable financially, their children are very well cared for and loved and educated. … The wonderful thing about the movie is that it’s a representation of a pretty ordinary, lucky kind of family.

And then also an exploration of what it means to be in a long-term relationship and a middleaged marriage.

Equality: Some people would call it “progress” that leading actors like you and Annette Bening took on lesbian roles.

Moore: I think it’s great. … I feel that movies actually more than influence, they reflect popular culture. This is a family that we see all over the United States and all over the world. There actually has been amazing progress, I think, in the last 15 years or so. This would have seemed somewhat transgressive earlier and it simply doesn’t now. My kids are growing up in a world where there are plenty of children who have two

18

EQUALITY

SUMMER 2010

moms or two dads. Not even that, but two moms or dads that split up and that are living with other partners. So even another, more baroque iteration of the modern family — and they are fine with it. That’s the world that we’re living in.

Equality: In the film, the family is such a real one. There are so many honest, touching scenes. There’s the one scene, in particular, near the end, when the oldest child, Joni, is leaving for her first year away from home, at college.

Moore: I was very moved by seeing it, too. It was beautifully written, and then I was happy that we were able to pull it off the way Lisa [Cholodenko] wrote it. She talked about how the moms start to cry and then how Joni sort of resisted and then they can feel her body start to shake. It just makes you choke up, because you think about how hard it is to let a child go. And how hard it is to grow up.

Equality: Now, of course now, besides Annette Bening [Laughter.] …. Have you ever had a crush on another woman?

Moore: Yes. I remember a girl when I was in the 4th grade through the 6th grade, I was just crazy about. She was just beautiful and I loved her and I wanted to be her. And then there was a girl in college who was a senior when I was a freshman that I worshipped. So yeah, absolutely.

Equality: You’re an author of two children’s books.

Your third book includes a two-mom family…

Moore: Well, it’s not published yet. It’ll come out next year sometime … It’s the two characters that I’ve written about before, Freckleface Strawberry and Windy Pants Patrick [of the Freckleface Strawberry series], and they talk about the things that make them different, and then they go through the things that make them the same. And there’s a line where they say they both have families, and it says, “Describe your family.” And Windy Pants Patrick has two moms.

Equality: And you’ve also written about bullying — that topic can especially resonate with our community and kids that have LGBT parents.

Moore: What I posit in my book is that bullies are afraid of something. Freckleface Strawberry is very afraid of this boy with this ball, about getting hit with this ball, and then it turns out that he’s afraid of monsters. Once they are able to figure that out and be together and not be afraid, then everything’s OK. But generally, children who bully — there’s something very wrong.

We don’t instinctively bully one another.

Equality: You’ve been a vocal advocate for Planned Parenthood and other groups. Why is philanthropy important to you?

Moore: It’s that old adage, “To whom much is given.” I’ve been really fortunate. I was born loved and well cared for and I’ve been successful in my private life and in my career. I think one of the things I learned growing up particularly is that this stuff is not earned, it’s often just an accident of birth. When you realize that, you know it’s necessary to try to even it out. So I think you have to make an effort to even it out.

Equality: You’re so accepting of LGBT equality. Early on, did you know someone who was gay or was someone in your family gay?

Moore: I didn’t meet anyone that was gay, or I didn’t understand that anybody was gay until I was 18 and I went to college. I lived on a coed floor and met gay people. I was like “Oh, how exotic!” [Laughter.] But of

moore course, I had met gay people before, I just didn’t know. I was a theater major, so of course there’s so many gay kids, bisexual kids, transgender kids … there’s a lot of pansexuality in a sense, and it’s not so “other.”

There was an article on the front page of The New York Times a little while ago on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and why it was important that it be repealed. And it was because what changes public opinion — or personal opinion — is proximity and knowledge and information. So if you’re a soldier in a unit with another soldier who happens to be gay, and you’re like, “Oh wow, I’ve been in this unit this entire time. They’re gay … that’s not so different.” Once you have intimate knowledge — personal knowledge — suddenly you’re like that’s not “other” anymore.

It’s like they say, people who say they have a gay brother or a gay niece

Photos: Suzanne Tenner

continued on page 27

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

19

feel free Celebrate 20 years of travel with Olivia, THE leader in lesbian vacations!

Olivia brings women together on extraordinary all-lesbian vacations. Have fun, make friends, and maybe even find that special someone.

Book your lesbian dream vacation!

Call (800) 631-6277 or visit olivia.com/hrc2010 for a list of our exciting trips.

Photo: Suzanne Tenner

Yes, the Two Moms and Their Kids Are All Right Lesbian Director’s New Film — with Julianne Moore and Annette Bening — May Help Change the Conversation

By Melissa Silverstein

I

n the late 1990s, filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko made a groundbreaking film about a young woman living and working in the big city who finds herself falling for another woman.

The film — full of love, lust and ambition — gave Ally Sheedy a meaty comeback role as a Nan Goldin-esque photographer on a self-destructive path.

“It was one of the first films about lesbians that had such authenticity, that it transcended the coming-out story,” said Kathy Wolfe, founder of Wolfe Video, the largest distributor of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender films. “It had no agenda to make us look good; it was edgy, gritty and high-quality filmmaking and story-telling.”

The critics, too, loved High Art which had earlier won a special award for best screenplay at the Sundance Film Festival in 1998.

“I knew that there was something powerful about it, but I wasn’t sure that it would burst out of a more rarefied audience,” Cholodenko told Equality magazine in an interview.

Now, Cholodenko’s latest film, The Kids Are All Right — which she both directed and co-wrote — is creating its own big buzz. Reviews have been stellar. The New York Times suggested that it was the “best comedy about an American family” in memory. Its opening weekend box-office numbers were the year’s highest per-screen average.

In fact, the performances of Julianne Moore and Annette Bening in the film — at the family dinner table, in the tub, in the backyard — began generating Oscar talk at its January premiere at Sundance. As Jules and Nic, Moore and Bening are pitch-perfect as a lesbian couple with teens.

The film couldn’t have been released a better time, noted Ellen Kahn, director of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Family Project.

“More and more, LGBT folks are having families with all different options, and society at large is increasingly accepting of our families.” Even the White House included praise for families with two moms and two dads in its proclamations on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

rected Laurel Canyon — as a gay or issue-driven filmmaker, because she’s clear to point out that the reason why the film works is because it “wasn’t focusing on lesbian issues per se but more on other complicated issues.”

In the past, just having a film with gay and lesbian characters was radical. Now, Cholodenko turns the whole premise on its head. The radical thing in the film is that being gay is an afterthought to the two moms. Getting a mainstream audience to buy into the normalcy of this family — which we have never seen on screen before — was very deliberate on the part of Cholodenko and fellow writer Stuart Blumberg.

Together, they decided to “package this in a way that is very Crate & Barrel [such that] people are going to be able to absorb it,” she told Equality.

The Kids Are All Right — touching and disarmingly funny — could very well influence the conversation about LGBT relationships in this country, said Tania Modleski, a professor at the

But don’t classify Cholodenko — who also di-

continued on page 27

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

21

© Goldman, Sachs & Co., 2010. All rights reserved.

Our greatest asset is what makes us different.

Goldman Sachs is a proud supporter of the Human Rights Campaign.

At Goldman Sachs, diversity is not an initiative. It’s how we do business and it’s reflected in our people. Our Office of Global Leadership and Diversity (GLD) was founded specifically to support diversity throughout the firm. One of the many ways the Office carries out this mission is to coordinate with the firm’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network (LGBT). Some of their efforts and achievements include: educating co-workers on issues of sexual orientation and promoting mentoring and community. As one of our business principles states: “Being diverse is not optional; it is what we must be.” The success of our firm depends on it.

Remembering the Upstairs Lounge Our History: Finally Telling the Story of a Tragic New Orleans Fire

By Janice Hughes

O

ne Sunday evening during the summer of 1973, a fire suddenly roared up a stairwell to a second-floor gay bar in the old French Quarter. The fire swept across the popular establishment in seconds, killing 32 people. Many died at the front windows, trapped by the metal bars stretching across them. Some patrons who made it to open windows leapt to their death. Dozens of others were injured. It was the worst fire in New Orleans’ history.

In the following days and weeks, after a burst of sensational media coverage about the blaze and the bar, the Upstairs Lounge, a kind of silence prevailed. Only one church in the city allowed memorial services for the victims. No city official made any statement. Most witnesses, many of

them gay and not out, declined to speak to the police. The main suspect — believed by some to be a disgruntled gay man — was never charged.

women from across Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina and even Illinois — were mostly forgotten by the public.

Little by little, the tragedy at 604 Iberville Street faded into the past. Those who died — men and

That is, until New Orleans artist Skylar Fein created an installation — based on months of carecontinued on page 25 WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

23

Greetings

from

Wish you were here!

L I V E I T U P AT T H I S C I T Y W I T H I N A C I T Y. A U G U S T 1 2 — 1 5 , 2 0 1 0 , J O I N T H E L G B T C O M M U N I T Y I N L A S V E G A S F O R E X C L U S I V E V I P E V E N T S , PA R T I E S , L O U N G E S A N D M O R E . B E C O M E A FA B U L O U S I N S I D E R AT M Y FA B U L O U S V E G A S . C O M .

R E C E I V E U P D AT E S A N D H A V E F I R S T A C C E S S T O S P E C I A L PA C K A G E S I N C L U D I N G T I C K E T S T O T H E S O L D - O U T M O N S T E R B A L L T O U R S TA R R I N G L A D Y G A G A .

An MGM MIRAGE Event

Remembering cont’d from page 23

ful research about the Upstairs Lounge and gay life in the French Quarter in the early 1970s — a large, haunting work about the incident, its victims and the aftermath. The installation opened in fall 2008 during the inaugural New Orleans Biennial in the city’s Contemporary Arts Center, drawing a crowd of more than 3,000 people on its opening day, and some 50,000 in total. The show ran again recently in New York City.

Fein, one of a few nationally known artists with pieces on long-term loan at the Human Rights Campaign’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., first started making art from the wooden debris in the streets after Hurricane Katrina. Selftaught, he set up a makeshift studio of sorts in his backyard. His work gradually caught the eye of architects and artists in town. His piece at HRC is a large wooden profile of Abraham Lincoln, similar to a piece recently purchased by the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Photos: Veronica Wilson

A few years ago, Fein — who is openly gay — was walking through the French Quarter when he spotted a small plaque on the sidewalk about the Upstairs Lounge fire.

“Why don’t I know anything about this?” Fein said he asked himself. That’s when he knew he had to do something. And he did.

ArtForum magazine described Fein’s show, Remember the Upstairs Lounge, as “amazing”

— and “harrowing.” In it, visitors relive a time and place, first walking through a pair of big swinging wooden bar doors — part of a tall, imposing, recreated façade of a New Orleans bar — into a small room of dark curtains and red-flocked wallpaper. A long hallway lies ahead, lined with police reports, salvaged items and graphic crime scene photos, many never shown before.

Photos of those who died hang on the walls.

In the next rooms, there’s a mix of back-lit signs from the My-o-My, the Seven Seas, Wanda’s and other real-life bars near the Upstairs Lounge.

Posters of Mark Spitz and Burt Reynolds from the 1970s, just like those that hung in the bar, are on the wall. A bust of Hercules, like the one that sat behind the bar, is there. The show is both “fabulously campy and a poignant reminder of the cost of gay visibility,” ArtForum noted.

“When I first started working on this installation, I thought no one would care, except three or four older gay men who remembered the fire,” Fein, 41, told Equality magazine. In New York, the show was restaged in Chelsea, home to many of the city’s art galleries, by the No Longer Empty non-profit art organization. It was curated

by Dan Cameron, a major player on the national art scene.

Fein, who lives near the French Quarter in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, was born in Greenwich Village and grew up in the Bronx and came out when he was 19. Tall and serious, Fein talks easily about the show and its importance.

He’s seemingly part-historian, activist and artist.

Visitors to the New Orleans show included some firefighters who responded to the blaze that warm June night. Groups of high school students also came, as did a group of women in their 70s. They used to dance all night at the bar, they said. One drag performer, who sang regularly at the bar, also came through, pointing at every person whose photo hung in the installation, remembering each of them.

Some visitors were angry, including several Catholics who were still upset that archdiocese leaders banned churches in the city from burying or holding memorials for the victims, even the Catholic ones. A number of those people who came, in both New Orleans and New York, said it reminded them of a loss they had experienced.

“People want to know history — history with a heart,” Fein said. “For some reason, the story was pushed into the recesses. All of a sudden, people were ready to hear this story.” Officials still aren’t certain about what happened, he noted. Police know it was arson but could never find hard evidence.

“What happened to make this possible? A gay man was willing to tell the story without shame, to tell the truth,” Fein said.

Most of all, he says, it’s about art for people who believe the world needs to be changed.

Artist Skylar Fein at the installation in New York City.

(Top left) Photos of the victims of the Upstairs Lounge fire, the worse blaze in New Orleans history.

(Lower left) Fein’s recreation of the French Quarter bar’s swinging wooden doors — the entry to the installation.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

25

Who am I?

I wonder if people really want to know how I spent my weekend.

When they ask me, I sometimes avoid the question.

When I focus too much on what people might think, I’m not being true to myself.

When I am true to myself, I worry that people will only see what I am rather than who I am.

See things through my eyes and share my experience.

Meet some of our people and see how we’re confronting the real issues of today’s workplace at pwc.com/diversity

26

EQUALITY WINTER 2010

© 2008 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. “PricewaterhouseCoopers” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

Moore: I’m just being flip. I think once again, any kind of celebration … Look, I’m not a proponent of outing, in the sense that I think that everyone has the right to do whatever they want with their personal lives and stuff. But to bring these things into the open and acknowledge it is good for all of us.

Moore: Well, it’s so interesting because people ask, “What did you do for research? Did you

talk to people?” [Director] Lisa Cholodenko and I have talked about this a little bit, and we were laughing, saying, “We didn’t do any research.” That’s kind of the whole point: A family is a family is a family. Relationships are — we’re all pretty much alike. Speak to anybody — two men, two women, or a man and a woman — about a long-term relationship and you’re going to hear the same kind of stories.

I think that’s the most important thing about this film and the trauma that is universality. …

I keep stressing how entertaining it is. It’s so funny and so relatable. It’s really, at the end of the day, about love.

Cholodenko cont’d from page 21

do anything on this film that is ‘flag waving.’”

for children to grow up in same-sex households.

University of Southern California who teaches film and popular culture.

And it’s exactly that approach that makes the film work so well, notes Modleski. “The film takes an important risk precisely by not giving in to any temptation to prettify the family so as to make the idea of gay families palatable to mainstream viewers. Rather it shows the toll living in a nuclear family can take on individuals at the same time it extols people struggling to make their relationships work,” Modleski says. “The LGBT community is richer for it.”

But the film is sure to help sink such myths, dispelled by study after study over the last 25 years, noted HRC’s Kahn. “Overwhelmingly, the research has shown that the kids in these homes are just fine.” In fact, a study of lesbian families, published in June in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ official journal, found adolescents in our families to be quite healthy, and have more competencies, on average, than their peers in heterosexual families.

The abundance of humor in the film, she continues, is critical. “Comedy and politics are often at odds because comedy, to be effective, can never toe a party line. Good comedy blows up the lines rather than toeing them.”

The kids are fine. And the film — another groundbreaker — is bound to change a lot of minds.

Meanwhile, even before its release, The Kids Are All Right came under attack by anti-LGBT groups and others, charging that it is unhealthy

Silverstein, the founder and editor of Women & Hollywood, is a writer, blogger and marketing consultant.

Moore cont’d from page 19

or a gay parent … it just ceases to become an issue once you have the information. And segregation and silence, unfortunately, just perpetuates intolerance.

Equality: Thanks for bringing up “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” We’re working on it and we’re fighting for its repeal. I know you have spoken out recently about the public skirmish this summer that arose when a writer for Newsweek argued that gay actors cannot convincingly portray straight characters … Can you talk a little bit about your reaction to that?

Equality: Is there anything else you want to add that I haven’t asked you … Or anything that people seem to get wrong?

Moore: Yes! I was absolutely furious. Absolutely furious … Give me a break, gay actors have been playing straight characters for centuries …

I was really shocked at Newsweek, for allowing it. That the editorial and [its] staff allowed that.

Photo: Suzanne Tenner

Equality: Well, thank you for speaking out on that. I know you’ve gone to a lot of our gay pride festivals.

Moore: Well I don’t like the trash. [Laughter.]

We just had the gay pride parade in Manhattan [that’s in our neighborhood in the West Village] and my husband was going nuts. He said, “We’re here, we’re queer, and we make a lot of traffic!”

Equality: Well, what’s the best thing about it?

The film — which opens on the wide, white streets of suburbia — begins when the eldest child Joni (Mia Wasikowska) turns 18 and is encouraged by her skateboarding younger brother Laser (Josh Hutcherson) to find their sperm donor dad. Dad turns out to be Mark Ruffalo playing an easy-going restaurant owner whose entrance into the family dynamic unearths fault lines and shakes the whole family to its core.

Cholodenko, the mom of a 4-year-old conceived through a sperm donor, with partner, musician Wendy Melvoin, knows all too well how high the stakes are for this film and that every nuance of the film will be highly scrutinized by both the left and the right. She and Blumberg worked hard, the filmmaker says, “to be really careful not to

“I think it’s exciting. I’m glad I got here first,” Cholodenko says.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

27

You’re their Rock. Let us be yours.

Life insurance is a vital part of planning to protect your loved ones. At Prudential, we understand the challenges gay and lesbian couples face when it comes to passing on your assets.

That’s why every life insurance policy from the Prudential companies offers Rock Solid® benefits that include:

Life Insurance from The Rock

®

• Legal wealth transfer to your partner or child, not subject to probate • You choose your beneficiary, under a legally binding contract • Helps replace assets lost to the federal unlimited marital deduction • Accelerated death benefits for terminal illness or nursing home costs* And, Prudential agents receive ongoing training to better serve your needs.

Visit prudential.com or call 1-877-538-8459 to find a Prudential financial professional.

Let us be your Rock.

©2008 Life Insurance issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ and its affiliates. Our policies contain exclusions, limitations, reductions in benefits and terms for keeping them in force. Our licensed financial professionals can provide you with costs and complete details. *Subject to terms and conditions of the benefit.When we pay a claim under this rider, the amount you receive is reduced for early payment and a $150 processing fee. Each policy used for the same claim will have an additional processing fee of up to $150. The accelerated benefit received may be taxable and may also affect your eligibility for public assistance programs, so we urge you to seek the advice of a personal tax advisor if you wish to make a claim. The Living Needs Benefit is not available in Minnesota to new purchasers over age 65 until the policy has been in force for one year, and the nursing home option is not available in New York or the District of Columbia. This rider is not available in Massachusetts.

IFS-A158355 Ed. 02/09

FIGHT FOR EQUALI-T.

Cicilline cont’d from page 9

from my community, volunteering and working on my campaign, contributing to my fundraising effort, helping to develop good policy papers.

A lot of people are saying that gay and lesbian people care about the same things everyone cares about: an economy that is recovered, good jobs, good schools, safe communities and infrastructure that’s been rebuilt … the same things that everyone wants. They want to be free from discrimination based on their sexual orientation. I think members of our community recognize that we only have three members in the Congress who are openly gay and lesbian and that the best way to see real progress in achieving full equality for our community is to increase our numbers.

If there were 20 members in Congress who are out, it would change the dynamic of that body almost overnight. We can only do it one person at a time, but it makes a difference to have an openly gay or lesbian person in Congress, voting on legislation, speaking for our community …

What should LGBT voters know about you?

That I was one of the early sponsors of marriage equality when I was in the state House of Representatives, about 15 years ago. At that time, there was a [committee] vote, I think it was 14 to 1 against. I was the only one voting for it. … I was able to tell a colleague, “This affects me

HEI cont’d from page 13

Kenneth Cole FOR HRC T-Shirt Designed exclusively for HRC by Kenneth Cole, a leading designer and longtime activist, to raise awareness about the need to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This limited-edition T-shirt features the HRC logo on the back of the neck.

Unisex sizing: XS-XXL. $35

100% of your purchase goes to HRC’s fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.

Click shop.hrc.org Call

888/932-7472

SHOP Washington, DC San Francisco, CA

Provincetown, MA

After its release, the HEI received a significant amount of media attention — from CNN and the Miami Herald to the Philadelphia Gay News to the Bay Area Reporter.

More hospitals will be adopting inclusive policies in the near future, thanks to upcoming rules that will protect the visitation and healthcare decision-making rights of LGBT people — rules ordered by President Obama in a directive to the Department of Health and Human Services. A draft regulation released in late June requires most hospitals to establish written rules that patients have the right to designate visitors of their choosing — including same-sex domestic partners — and the right to visitation privileges regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The draft was in a 60-day public comment period as Equality went to press.

Meanwhile, the Joint Commission, the nation’s largest healthcare accreditation organization,

and affects people in my community.” It gives you a certain kind of ability to convince people as a result of that personal experience. It is not a theory for us. It is not just a conceptual thing.

It is a real circumstance in our lives as gay and lesbian people.

Do you feel you’ve changed anyone’s perspective about LGBT people? During my first campaign, I went to see a pastor from the largest and fastest-growing African-American church in the city. A fundamentalist Baptist church. We talked for an hour. He asks, “Is there anything about you that would be upsetting to my congregation?” I replied, “Well, I was a criminal defense lawyer…” And he looked at me, saying, “I understand that you’re very supportive of gay rights.” And I said, “Oh yeah, that.

I am gay.” “What should I tell my congregation?” he asked. “You should tell them that this is how God created me and that they should respect the creation of God,” I replied. The next Sunday, the pastor was in his pulpit telling his congregation to support me for mayor. He became a really strong supporter of mine and served as chair of my religious council for my first term. Even if I had lost that campaign, there was value in the conversation. … When you are an out person, there are conversations that could have meaning at the kitchen tables all across your district.

And that’s good.

has established new standards that will also require non-discrimination policies in hospitals.

HRC worked with both the Obama administration and the Joint Commission on these issues.

After HHS issued its draft regulation, HRC urged hospitals to make these changes immediately instead of waiting for the new policies to be implemented, and also offered resources to assist these facilities in the process.

Janice Langbehn is also pushing for immediate change. In 2007, she was denied the right to visit her partner, Lisa Pond, as she lay dying at a Florida hospital from a brain aneurysm.

The HEI 2010 is dedicated to Pond’s memory and Langbehn’s advocacy — inspirations for Obama’s directive. “The work of the HRC Foundation and Kaiser Permanente should put healthcare facilities on notice: Move toward greater inclusiveness, sooner rather than later, because that’s where America is headed,” Langbehn said.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

33

SUPPORT OUR NATIONAL CORPORATE PARTNERS*

scene out

American Airlines Bank of America Citi Microsoft

GOLD Deloitte Ernst & Young Lexus Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Prudential

SILVER Beaulieu Vineyard Chevron Google Harrah’s Entertainment MGM Resorts International Nike Shell Wells Fargo Advisors

BRONZE Chase Concierge Travel/Pineapple Point Cox Enterprises Dell Goldman Sachs Olivia Orbitz Paul Hastings PricewaterhouseCoopers Replacements, Ltd. Showtime Starbucks Coffee Sweet Tylenol PM Waste Management *Current as of July 1, 2010

1

3

2

4

5

6

7

8

1 Wanda Sykes, center, with Federal Club Council members and presenting sponsors of the HRC New Orleans dinner, Richard Candelaria (left) and Michael Kelly. 2 Candace Gingrich-Jones, who heads up HRC’s youth and campus outreach, with student Juin Baize at the Mississippi Safe Schools’ “Second-Chance Prom.” 3 Bravo TV host Andy Cohen and NeNe Leakes of the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Atlanta at the HRC Atlanta Dinner. 4 HRC Columbus Dinner Co-Chair Brock Leonti speaks at the event. 5 Veterans Lobby Day participants meet with U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., on Capitol Hill. 6 At Pride South Florida, HRC volunteers recruit more supporters for the repeal of DADT. 7 Philadelphia pride attendees show their support for repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” 8 At HRC’s booth at D.C.’s Capital Pride, Virginia residents call Democratic Sen. Mark Warner to urge him to support the repeal of DADT.

HRC’s Upcoming Gala Events Orange County / Long Beach Garden Party, Aug. 21 • Private Residence / Newport Coast, Calif.

• Co-Chairs: David Gibson & Catherine Reid • www.hrc.org/oclbps Portland Gala Brunch, Aug. 22 • Pure Space / Portland, Ore. • Co-Chairs: CM Hall & Donna Tarabella • www.hrc.org/portlandgala Las Vegas Gala, Aug. 28 • Paris Hotel / Las Vegas, Nev. • Co-Chairs: AJ Jenveja & Frank Gregory • www.hrc.org/lasvegas Twin Cities Gala, Sept. 11 • The Minneapolis Depot / Minneapolis, Minn.

• Co-Chairs: Beth Mejia & Creg Schumann • www.twincitieshrc.org Pacific Northwest Gala, Sept. 25 • The Westin Seattle / Seattle, Wash.

• Co-Chairs: Kevin Moser & Chris Boone • www.hrcseattle.org/dinner St. Louis Gala, Sept. 25 • Hyatt Regency / St. Louis, Mo. • Co-Chairs: Robyn Berkley & Don Eakins • stlouis.hrc.org National Dinner, Oct. 9 • Walter E. Washington Convention Center / Washington, D.C. • Co-Chairs: Marjorie Chorlins & Kirkland Hamill • www.hrcnationaldinner.org

San Francisco Gala, Oct. 23 • The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel / San Francisco, Calif.

• Co-Chairs: Melissa Morgan & Densil R. R. Porteous II • sfbayarea.hrc.org/dinner San Antonio Gala, Oct. 23 • Grand Hyatt / San Antonio, Texas • Co-Chairs: Eric Alva, Clarissa Rivas & Anne Margaret Trujillo • sanantonio.hrc.org Dallas Black Tie Dinner, Nov. 6 • Sheraton Dallas Hotel / Dallas, Texas • Co-Chairs: Nan Arnold & Ron Guillard • www.blacktie.org Palm Springs Garden Party, Nov. 6 • Garry Kief’s Casa Encanta / Palm Springs, Calif.

• Co-Chairs: Raymond Manci, Read Brown, Kevin Bass & Garry Kief • www.hrc.org/oclbps Chicago Gala, Nov. 6 • Hyatt Regency Chicago / Chicago, Ill. • Co-Chairs: Katie Thomas & Bob Berry • www.hrcchicago10.com New England Gala, Nov. 13 • Hynes Convention Center / Boston, Mass.

• Co-Chairs: Deb Taft & Andy Rubinson • www.hrcboston.org To buy tickets for HRC Gala Events, please contact Box Office Tickets, 800-494-8497, or www.hrc.org/boxoffice.

WWW.HRC.ORG

SUMMER 2010

35

Photo credits: Claire Colbert, Steven Forster, Bree Gant, John Laignol, Ray Lavoie, Pat Ryan, David Contreras Turley, Karin Quimby

PLATINUM

Cox Communications employees and their families at th e San Dieg o Gay Pr ide Par ade in July 2 009.

Cox Communications employees and Cox Communications employees and thethireir families at the San Diego Ga families at th y e San Dieg o Gay Pr Pride Parade ide Par ade in in July 20 09 July 2 009. .

_Ad_8.125by10.5.indd 1

It’s Not Just a Parade At Cox, we love a parade as much as anyone. But after the confetti’s cleaned up, we’ll still be celebrating our best and our brightest every day, just like we always have. It’s good for our business. It’s good for our communities. It’s good for all of us.

At Cox, we love a parade as much as anyone. But after the confetti’s cleaned up, At Cox, we love a parade as much as anyone. But after the confetti’s cleaned up, we’ll still be celebrating our best and our brightest every day, just like we always we’ll still be celebrating our best and our brightest every day, just like we always have. It’s good for our business. It’s good for our communities. It’s good for all of us. have. It’s good for our business. It’s good for our communities. It’s good for all of us.

It’sNot NotJust JustaaParade Parade It’s

5/5/10 2:58:06 PM

Be Proud.

Be Free.

Be Proud.

Be You. Be Free.

BV. Be You. BV.

BEAULIEU VINEYARD® IS PROUD TO CONTINUE ITS LONGTIME SUPPORT OF HRC. PLEASE VISIT US AT BVWINES.COM AND AS ALWAYS, PLEASE ENJOY BV® WINES RESPONSIBLY. BEAULIEU RUTHERFORD, CA. SUPPORT OF HRC. BEAULIEU VINEYARD© ® 2008 IS PROUD TO VINEYARD, CONTINUE ITS LONGTIME PLEASE VISIT US AT BVWINES.COM AND AS ALWAYS, PLEASE ENJOY BV® WINES RESPONSIBLY. bv_ad.indd 1

© 2008 BEAULIEU VINEYARD, RUTHERFORD, CA.

8/6/2008 11:13:12 AM

SPORT DOESN’T CARE if you’re

gay straight lesbian bisexual male female transgender married a virgin beautiful ugly boring rich last season’s MVP a mother a father a teenager mean sweeter than cotton candy autistic unranked #1 in the world the President poor old an outcast popular from Moldova endorsed by a major sports retailer unemployed blind black white blue or any other color of the rainbow.

It only cares about how good you are. Which is what matters to us, both in the office and on the playing field. The more diverse our talent, the better we will be. It’s why we support an open workplace for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, and why we support the Human Rights Campaign.