Show Your (Gay) Pride

Carson Kressley, that former fashion and style guru of the hit series “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” was recently seen having a lot of fun at the beach Down Under. Who’s he with? That’s his long time boyfriend.

Here’s Carson showing the world how happy he is! (and may I just add that Carson has one pretty good PACKAGE?)

Barack Obama, one of the U.S. presidential hopefuls, has released this statement concerning his thoughts and projects for the LGBT community. Will the following message help you decide whom to vote for?

“I’m running for President to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters. It’s wrong to have millions of Americans living as second-class citizens in this nation. And I ask for your support in this election so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans.

Equality is a moral imperative. That’s why throughout my career, I have fought to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans. In Illinois, I co-sponsored a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, housing, and places of public accommodation. In the U.S. Senate, I have co-sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

The next president must also address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When it comes to prevention, we do not have to choose between values and science. While abstinence education should be part of any strategy, we also need to use common sense. We should have age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception. We should pass the JUSTICE Act to combat infection within our prison population. And we should lift the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. In addition, local governments can protect public health by distributing contraceptives.

We also need a president who’s willing to confront the stigma – too often tied to homophobia – that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. I confronted this stigma directly in a speech to evangelicals at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, and will continue to speak out as president. That is where I stand on the major issues of the day. But having the right positions on the issues is only half the battle. The other half is to win broad support for those positions. And winning broad support will require stepping outside our comfort zone. If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones – and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career. I brought this message of inclusiveness to all of America in my keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention. I talked about the need to fight homophobia when I announced my candidacy for President, and I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign – from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin Luther King once preached.

Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.

Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike.”

Bless Ric Weiland’s soul!

For those not in the know, Ric Weiland  is one of the very first employees hired by computer and technology giant Microsoft. And yes, he was the very first who was also openly gay.  Weiland, who unfortunately took his own life last year, has left a whopping $65 Million to LGBT, HIV/AIDS and education organizations.

Now that’s what I call amazing generosity! Here’s hoping that the money will be used in the best ways possible.

My heart and well wishes go out to all gays in Moscow!

I just learned that the gay pride organizers have asked the European Court of Human Rights to order the city of Moscow to pay one-million Euros (about $1.5 US)!!! This, because of the fact that Moscow has been banning pride parades over the past two years.

The complainants have filed the lawsuit against the city government and City Mayor Yuri Lushkov.

Over the years, Lushkov failed to grant the pride organizers permits to hold their gay pride festivals. Apparently, the mayor was “concerned” with possible violent scenarios.

Which is totally funny because really, how violent can we homosexuals really be? (not counting the matters exchanged in bed, of course! LOL) In any case, most, if not all, of the so-called violent scenarios are usually results of provocation!

Found these two videos today. I have a feeling people will be talking about these in the next few days.

These are parts of Pastor Jeff Miner’s sermon. Listen, listen, listen!

The moment I saw this, I knew I had to read on!

Don’t you just want to throw yourself to this beautiful crowd? Yes, it’s the start of this year’s much-awaited Winter Party Festival!

One of Show Your Gay Pride’s valuable sponsors, SoBeGayInfo (Gay South Beach Information; Everything Gay From the Beach to the Bay <— I just love that! —> please check out their website through the link on the right! Muchos gracias! :D), is featuring the WPF. (You know what this means…the Gay Pride festivals are also just around the corner!)

So just what is the WPF and what can you expect there? Here’s something from the official WPF website:

Launched in 1994 as a one-time charity dance event on the sands of beautiful South Beach, Winter Party Festival has evolved into a six-day festival benefiting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on the national and local levels. Over 10,000 guests from all over the United States and abroad attend at least one of the 20 events - including music, fashion, art, comedy and more — that take place in Miami and Miami Beach. The Festival climaxes with the Winter Party Beach Party, a dance event on the sands of South Beach that draws a crowd of more than 5,500 revelers. The 15th Annual Beach Party will be the centerpiece of the 2008 Winter Party Festival. This fabulous celebration, benefitting the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, is also an important fundraiser for the LGBT community. To date, the Festival and its sister event, the Miami Recognition Dinner, have raised over $1.6 million for organizations serving the South Florida LGBT community.

Anyways, the Winter Party Festival will start on February 23. Check out the updated schedule HERE.

Who’s going?

Here’s a nice twist to the usual erotic stories, poems and pictures that homosexuals like us usually see in the Internet these days. Check out The Masque (click on their ad on the right side of this blog) - an erotic renaissance of the days gone by.

If you’re as curious as I am on how the masquerade balls of yesteryears went - then imagine THAT mixed with curious pictures, curious poems and sexually charged stories for the LGBT community.

I particularly like the presentation — instead of something direct and “spoonfed,” The Masque presents it with class, distinct taste and passion. The Salon, for instance, is a category where odes to the likes of Sappho and Thamyris are presented. Before you strike that confused look, however, The Salon boasts of stories and poems like a co-ed’s first time lesbian experience with her roommate, a bisexual newlywed seduces and is seduced by her professor and an older female attorney who falls for a young female paralegal. Ah…I can imagine how the protagonists throw themselves in the throes of passion in those stories!

Other categories in The Masque include The Attic, The Conservatory and The Library.

Visit The Masque today and see why I’m excited about this website!