Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

• The Obama administration announced Tuesday that they will be using the enticement of foreign aid to other countries as a way to promote gay rights around the world. The administration also vowed to combat efforts by other countries that criminalize homosexual conduct or abuse/ignore abuse on gay citizens. “Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct, but in fact they are one in the same,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. (NY Times)

• Rod Blagojevich, former Governor of Illinois, was sentenced to 14 years in prison this week on federal corruption charges that related to him trying to sell/trade a United States Senate seat that was left vacant when President Obama was elected to the White House. Blago is expected to serve at least 12 of the 14 years in federal prison. (NY Times)

• The Obama administration rejected a request to let anyone of any age buy the morning-after pill, Plan B, directly off of drugstore and supermarket shelves. The Department of Health and Human Services vetoed the FDA’s decision to make the contraceptive available without any restrictions. This split decision stunned both women’s health advocates and abortion opponents. President Obama said that he agreed with Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ decision though he “did not get involved in the process.” (Washington Post)

• On Thursday, the Senate failed to approve President Obama’s pick, Richard Cordray, to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The bureau become the symbol of the administration’s efforts to rein in Wall Street excess and abuse. Until there is a confirmed director, the consumer bureau can’t regulate financial products from non-banks, including student loan providers, debt collectors, payday lenders and check cashers. It also can’t regulate mortgage originators and servicers, something that played a role in the recent financial crisis. President Obama said that he is considering sidestepping Congress with a recess appointment. (CNN Money)

• Finally, in 2012 news, CNN polls released on Wednesday show that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is the frontrunner in three of the first four states to vote for the Republican nomination. The polls also show that it is still anyone’s race to face President Obama in 2012, as less than half the people questioned in each state say their minds are made up. The Iowa caucuses are January 3rd, followed by the New Hampshire primary on January 10th. (CNN)

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

• Debt Ceiling: There is still no agreement on the debt ceiling, with August 2nd quickly approaching. However talks continued this week between the president, Democrats and Republicans. On Thursday CNN reported a possible deficit reduction deal could be emerging. Talks are now  reported to be focusing on a deal to cut $3 trillion in the federal deficit over the next 10 years and this would be accompanied by a debt ceiling increase. New polls show that Americans support a combination of of both spending cuts and tax increases as part of an agreement on the debt ceiling. Also, an increasing amount of Americans say that action is needed on raising the debt ceiling… Still confused about the debt ceiling? Here is the debt ceiling made easy.

• Gay Rights: President Obama seems to be moving closer to supporting gay marriage. President Obama said this week that he  supports the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which is the ban on same sex marriage that President Clinton signed into law in 1996. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said: “He (Obama) is proud to support the Respect for Marriage Act … which would take DOMA off the books once and for all. This legislation would uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples.” (CNN). Also, the Pentagon is finally set to certify that the U.S. military is prepared to accept openly gay and lesbian service members, and doing so will not harm military readiness. This will also officially mark the end of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and an announcement regarding the certification could come today (CNN).

• Space Shuttle Atlantis came back to Earth on Thursday, ending the 30-year shuttle program that has sent hundreds of astronauts into space. A new CNN poll shows that 50 percent of Americans say that the end of the space shuttle program is bad for the country. What do you think: is the government stopping the space shuttle program a good idea?

• Finally, a heat wave responsible for at least 22 deaths has moved across central and southern United States to the East coast. 99problems wants to remind you to stay hydrated and drink lots of fluids throughout the day. Stay indoors as much as possible, and if you must be outside take frequent breaks.  Check on your friends and family to make sure they are are doing okay, especially the elderly and try to stay healthy through this heatwave. Dehydration is nothing to play around with, if you feel you have a heat-related illness go to your local emergency or call 911.

It’s been a long time coming, sort of.

The Pentagon is finally giving the OK for military recruiters to accept openly gay and lesbian applicants, BUT!

(There’s always a but)

Potential recruits will be informed that the ban on “don’t ask, don’t tell” can be lifted at anytime. Because of that, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an advocacy group representing men and women who are currently in the military, have been cautioning gays from applying at this time.

There has been a ban on gays serving openly in the military for 17 years, so this comes as a milestone in the progression of equal rights.

With the recent developments within the Gay Rights legislation, repealing the military’s long-time “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the breaking news scandal of homosexuality involving Bishop Eddie Long, I found one particular reoccurring video clip on CNN very disturbing. The clips depict Bishop Eddie Long’s crusade against homosexuality where he walked hand and hand with Elder Bernice King who is the daughter of famed civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The question that comes to mind is that when Martin Luther King Jr. said he had a dream of people of all color living peacefully and in unity, did that not encompass gay people too?

Having a brother who serves in the United State Army, I personally know of the tolls it takes for a loved one to make the commitment to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, not knowing if they would ever come home alive again. I found it grossly appalling and disgusting that the United State of America would even dare adopt a policy filled with such hatred as one that would discriminate against any man or woman who was brave enough to suit up in our military’s finest uniforms and fight for the protection of our nation because of their sexual orientation.

Being both of the Christian faith and an elected officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for several years, I can understand and respect the churches stance on their refusal not to accept homosexuality within the church simply because it goes against biblical doctrine, but then again we are speaking of the same Bible that says despite it all, we are to show each other love.  So if the Bible doesn’t preach hatred, what message was Long and King attempting to send out to the world by hosting this mega crusade against homosexuality?

The book of Revelations say in order for Christ to return the Earth, the last and evil days sets the earth to be corrupted, so what is the worry with these leaders of great faith when the Bible is reveling itself? I want to scream out prepare for your departure, and let destiny happen. Nonetheless, not accepting homosexuality is one thing, but the audacity to begin blatant discrimination and implementation of unnecessary policies such as  “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, that takes us back a step in a history to a place in time that I am sure Dr. King fought so hard to overcome.

According to the Twitterverse, Prop 8 has officially been overturned, on the basis that the anti-gay marriage proposition is unconstitutional. A sample from the judge’s ruling:

“Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same sex couples.”

I leave you with this:

prog·ress

1 a (1) : a royal journey marked by pomp and pageant (2) : a state procession b : a tour or circuit made by an official (as a judge) c : an expedition, journey, or march through a region

2 : a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal) : advance

3 : gradual betterment; especially : the progressive development of humankind

In a new study published in Pediatrics journal, researchers Nanette Gartrell and Henry Bos found that “children in lesbian homes scored higher than kids in straight families on some psychological measures of self-esteem and confidence, did better academically and were less likely to have behavioral problems, such as rule-breaking and aggression.”

The data was taken from “planned lesbian families”, or households where both mothers identified themselves as lesbian and went through artificial insemination.

The study also found that “children in same-sex-parent families whose mothers ended up separating did as well as children in lesbian families in which the moms stayed together.”

One theory presented was that lesbian parents tend to be very involved in their children’s lives, although that is not exclusive to lesbian households. Parenting that involves communication about social differences and prejudices are more of a priority in same-sex families which also may influence the findings.

Gartrell is a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco and a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Bos is a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam. Both have been studying gay and lesbian families for 24 years.

Big shout out to a former LYVEF employee! Last night, Kip Williams, co-founder of the gay rights group GetEqual, called out on Obama on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell during a fundraising speech for Barbara Boxer.

The President’s response was disappointing, at best. He told Kip that he should “buy a ticket to a guy who doesn’t support his point of view, and then you can yell as much as you want there”, and that he must “not be reading the newspapers”.

There’s no point in yelling at “a guy who doesn’t support” repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell when there’s a guy who does and has the power to make it happen but just isn’t doing it.

Check out Kip’s letter about the exchange and join the call for Obama to issue an Executive Order repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell!

Let’s look at the facts. Clarence Thomas is not married. He’s pretty stout. Look at that haircut. He went to college in Massachusetts, which we all know is a hotbed of lesbianism. And no one has ever issued an official statement that he isn’t a lesbian.

All of this is to say, I don’t give a rat’s ass whether Elena Kagan is a lesbian or not, and I think it’s pretty weird that it’s not just conservatives who are obsessing over the question. People are relying on a pile of rumors and stereotypes that don’t apply any better to Elena Kagan than they do to Clarence Thomas. And even if she is a lesbian, Obama’s clearly not making any bold statement about gay rights by appointing her, as the administration is denying it.

So let’s all get over it and talk about her actual qualifications. Not only is the lesbian question a stupid distraction from the real questions at hand, but it’s forcing all of us to think about Supreme Court Justices naked, and that’s some pretty dangerous territory.

le sigh. I haven’t been doing a great job lately staying up on my home state Mississippi news, but just saw this factoid which is a couple days old though my outrage feels fresh:

After a federal judge ruled in her favor, Constance McMillen, a lesbian student at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, MS, took her girlfriend to the big event last Friday. Only problem: The big event was a sham. McMillen, along with only five other students, two with learning disabilities, was tricked into attending a “fake prom.” As documented on Facebook, the rest of the senior class held a secret parent-organized prom some 30 miles away.

Constance McMillen, you may recall from Biko’s earlier post, is a very brave young woman who happens to be a lesbian in an area of the country that is struggling to adopt its traditional (archaic/bigoted, yes, sometimes) family values to the realities of life today.

I still love you, MS, but listen: the future of our state is in the black and white and brown and yellow hands of the young gay and straight and undecided men and women and transgendered people who by blood and birthright call you home.

Wake Up!

Ricky Martin is no longer denying the rumors: He’s confirming that he is gay.

In a statement posted via Twitter in both Spanish and English, Martin said: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

For many, Monday’s announcement will come as no surprise; the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer’s sexuality has been speculated about for years. But the Puerto Rican star, who got his start as a child in the teen group Menudo, never directly addressed it and was usually seen at events with beautiful women on his arm.

Martin, 38, said he decided to reveal the truth after working on his memoirs helped him realize that he had to be free with himself, and not keep any more secrets.

jacked via here

If there’s something I personally hate, it’s when people abuse their power to accomplish their own personal vendettas. When TV hosts, politicians and famous people use their social standing to attack topics they have no right or basis to speak about. Especially when that topic is love.

This is why it makes my blood boil when discrimination about marriage or sexuality comes into play. When someone beats their definition of marriage as ‘it was in the bible’ into law, knowing this because they are religious and white, it undermines the progress towards unity that we’ve made over the past 50 years.

Frankly, some of these people know about as much about ‘traditional marriage’ as Falcon “Balloon Boy” Heene knows about flying – basically nothing.

Nevertheless, bigots pushing their own dated views are nothing new. Let’s take a look at a Justice of the Peace who denies marriage licenses for interracial couples and a bunch of politicians who are calling for a Department of Education appointee to be kicked out because he is.. wait for it.. gay. Stay tuned, after the jump.

Keith Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Louisiana, has repeatedly broken the law by refusing to marry interracial couples. His argument: we have to save the children!

“There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage…” Bardwell said, “I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way.” But it’s okay, settle down folks! He’s not a racist – he invites people of all races into his house! “I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.”

Yes, that’s right. Even his bathroom.

But as if that story didn’t make you eerily uncomfortable, here’s something that might: politicians in the house are calling for the firing of Kevin Jennings – the “safe schools czar” – because he “lacks ethical standards.” Oh, and cause he’s gay.

I repeat: politicians are calling for Kevin Jennings’ firing because he is gay.

Here’s the reasoning for it:

As the founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Mr. Jennings has played an integral role in promoting homosexuality and pushing a pro-homosexual agenda in America’s schools-an agenda that runs counter to the values that many parents desire to instill in their children. As evidence of this, Mr. Jennings wrote the foreword for a book titled Queering Elementary Education: Advancing the Dialogue About Sexualities and Schooling. Throughout his career, Mr. Jennings has made it his mission to establish special protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students to the exclusion of all other students. The totality of Mr. Jennings’ career has been to advocate for public affirmation of homosexuality. There is more to safe and drug free schools than can be accomplished from the narrow view of Mr. Jennings who has, for more than 20 years, almost exclusively focused on promoting the homosexual agenda.

People who spread hate like this make my blood boil.

Let me be clear: I have no problem with personal or spiritual viewpoints, but when people start to force their undeniably internal positions on others’ clear rights, they start to damage the fabric of our country. Even as someone who was raised in a religious household, I see the obvious and glaring error in defending this sort of posturing by hiding behind God.

But again, maybe I have as much right to talk about these things as ol’ Falcon Heene. What do you think?

If you were around Greenwich Village anytime during the end of June, chances are you caught glimpses of flashy colors, costumes and rainbow flags. Gay Pride festivities in New York span an entire week, with parties, parades, rallies, and festivals to celebrate and commemorate a landmark event in gay rights.

This year’s “Pride Week” was awe-inspiring not only in terms of the celebrations put on by the LGBT community, but also in the wider political context of this year’s festivities– especially the parade. With marriage equality a pivotal topic of contention between the gay community and conservatives, this year’s festivities were decidedly more pointed at the issues gays still face, rather than fun and frivolity. It was a widespread hope amongst the gay community that this year’s parade would sway some of the silent or indecisive voices on the issue of gay equality in their favor. The hope for change was even stronger this year than most; adding to the weight of the event was the 40 year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which took place on June 28, 1969, and spawned the Gay Rights Movement in The Village. The riots were, at the time, the gay community’s only response to continued police harassment and raids of known gay bars.

Many in the LGBT community see this anniversary as a bittersweet celebration. While they’ve been both fighting and celebrating for the past 40 years, their rights have been stalled. With no end to the marriage equality debate, many gays see this reluctance to extend these rights as yet another example of the “Separate but Equal” acts against blacks before the Civil Rights Movement.

But the fact of the matter is that since the days of Brown vs. Board of Education, this country has officially acknowledged that there can be no such thing as “separate but equal”. Civil unions do not give gays the same rights that heterosexual couples gain from marriage. At the time of this year’s Pride Celebration, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa were the only 6 states that recognized same sex marriage. This means just over 10% of the 50 US states have passed laws allowing gays the right to marry, and federal legislation has been at a standstill while the debate continues on either side. To make matters worse there are 29 states that have actively and aggressively banned it. The road to marriage equality is long, with no clear end in sight.

Today, Gay Pride events are held annually throughout the world toward the end of June in remembrance of the Stonewall demonstration. The annual parade, which is consistently beautiful, fanciful, and crowded with out-of-towners who flock to the city every year to celebrate. The first Gay Pride marches took place in Los Angeles and New York On June 28, 1970, commemorating the anniversary of the riots. Similar marches were later organized in other cities and continue to grow as the Gay Rights Movement advances.

99Problems.org is founded on the principles of empowerment through open discussion and debate. We value open discussion that allows you, the reader, to see all sides of the issue. That’s why we’re introducing a feature we’d like to call..

(*drumroll please*)

This week, we’re covering the most controversial movie star in recent history: Sacha Baron Cohen and his movie Brüno, which is set to be released next week. Some think that Brüno’s release is going to have a huge detrimental effect on modern perspectives of the homosexual male. We asked our reporters this question:

Check out what they had to say, after the jump!

After months of waiting on Obama’s campaign promises, the gay community will finally observe a small victory tonight when President Obama announces the implementation of certain benefits for same-sex partners of government employees. But is it really a victory worth celebrating?

While on the campaign trail, Obama made countless speeches promising the gay community that he would extend full health benefits to same-sex couples. Tonight is the first time since his election that he will broach the topic, and health coverage is not on his list. This is huge: it’s an omission which has left many gay rights advocates screaming “WHAT THE %&*#?”

Critics aren’t buying the official excuse that health coverage would require further legislation and red-tape, pointing out that the Obama administration has not begun the necessary bureaucratic process or even indicated that they wanted to do so.

Many are frustrated not only at Obama’s empty promises, but also at his reluctance to address gay issues in the first place. The White House has refused to speak to issues such as the ban on homosexuals in the military or same-sex marriage, a fact which has left many critics questioning the sincerity of tonight’s announcement.

Turns out they may just be on to something. Last week, several gay donations were withdrawn from the Democratic National Committee fundraiser scheduled for next week.

Could Obama’s announcement be just another political strategy; one small step for gay rights, one giant leap for . . . appeasement politics?

In a sign that decency and honor might actually be on the rise in our fair country, Senator Patrick Leahy from Vermont has proposed a bill that would allow legal immigrants in America to pursue residency for their same-sex partners if they are not yet citizens.

President Obama has immigration reform on his agenda, though the specifics of all the pending legislation is, of course, hotly contested.  Senator Leahy’s bill appears particularly ambitious with its union of immigration and gay rights, certainly two much talked about issues with massive energy on both sides.

Here’s an explanation of the current system, from the NYTimes:

Under family unification provisions in immigration law, American citizens and legal residents can petition for residency for their spouses. There is no numerical limit on permanent residence visas, known as green cards, for spouses of American citizens, and this is one of the main channels for legal immigration to the United States. Same-sex couples, though, cannot petition for partners, and many face the prospect of an immigrant partner’s deportation.

Right now, any American citizen can petition for a green card for their non-resident spouse, but that ability does not extend to same-sex couples.

Leahy’s bill is titled The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), and its numbers in Congress are S. 424/H.R. 1024. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for the bill began TODAY, and if you’re interested in watching the hearing live you can pick it up here.

We’ll be back later with updates as they come.

-sam

A few moments ago, in California, the decision to overturn Prop 8 was struck down. For gay rights activists, a sense of anger was in the air outside the California State Supreme Court today, as the CA State Supreme Court upheld a controversial ban on gay marriages that was voted in on November 4th. However, the court stated that those marriages that were enacted during the six month period of legalization before Prop 8 will remain legal, in a somewhat awkward state of limbo.

This does not mean the fight is over. This only means that those who fight must keep going. Take League/99Problems ally Kip Williams of One Struggle, One Fight for instance. Before the decision, Kip was quoted by the Associated Press about his passion for the cause: “We believe it’s time to put our bodies on the line to show that separate is not equal.”

At times like this, we must remember that individual anger about injustices must be manifested into a passion to change the state of the country. Take this statement by Robert F Kennedy, for instance.

“Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

By working together, we can bring down these walls of resistance.
Expect more voices, passion and attitude in the near future about this decision at 99Problems.org.

LIFT THE FEDERAL BAN TO FUND SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS

* One third of people with HIV in the United States were infected through injection drug use.
* Blacks account for 50% of all injection drug users infected with HIV in the US.

Allen Kwabena Frimpong is the Outreach Coordinator for an adolescent HIV/AIDS prevention program for HIV testing and education in New York City. He also works as a consultant with the Harm Reduction Coalition, a national organization that works through advocacy and capacity-building efforts to promote the health and dignity of those impacted by drug use.

GET INVOLVED!  http://www.champnetwork.org/

Call your congressperson: 202-224-3121

League Executive Director Biko Baker shared the stage with Cleve Jones, the legendary gay rights activist, at a rally in San Francisco, California.

Biko’s powerful message is one we can all relate to.  Often times we face the conflict between doing what we know is right, and facing the social intimidation that can come with it. 

But what challenge isn’t challenging? Who are heroes, except those who act heroically?

“In the end, we have to be on the right side of history.”

.

The problem: LGBT people are not allowed the same rights to marriage as heterosexual people. Some watchdog and religious groups have spent millions to get Prop 8 passed. Now, the thousands of LGBT couples who rushed to the altar to marry when they had the right to do so in the state of California are unsure of where their union stands.

Benjamin Manson and Sarah White waited 23 years before their marriage was deemed legal and honored by the United States of America. Their formal yet non-binding wedding ceremony in 1843 while enslaved is one of the few documented. Today, it’s viewed as a testament to the injustices of slavery and the heart wrenching tale of love conquering all. After their wedding, they returned to their respective plantations to work for their masters, spending most of their “marriage” living apart.

On April 19, 1866, 23 years, nine children and one Civil War later the two were officially acknowledge as man and wife.

Ninety-two years later, Mildred and Richard Loving eloped in Washington D.C. to avoid prosecution. She was black, he was white. Under their home state of Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act they could not marry. The Jim Crow era was in full effect. Their marriage wasn’t legal in Virginia. The two were arrested one night while they slept. Someone tipped off the local police about their nuptials. They were found guilty of being married and sentenced to either one year in jail or extradition from the state. It took a decade and a Supreme Court ruling to overturn the laws.

Today, thousands of LGBT couples, families and their supporters will take to the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall to announce the Civil Rights March to Sacramento, a 5-day march from San Francisco to Sacramento to call on the Supreme Court to overturn Prop 8.

They are walking for what they feel are their rights, not as men who love men or women who love women, but people who love people.

The Solution:

Benjamin and Sarah were people in love. Over time they were allowed to marry.

Mildred and Richard were people in love. Over time they were allowed to marry.

Raymond and Byron are people in love. Over time they will be allowed to marry.