Images from the 3rd LGBT Pride in Nuuk, Greenland

in: http://sermitsiaq.ag/

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Starten i Katuaq Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Starten i Katuaq Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Lyngby-Taarbæks borgmester Søren P. Rasmussen og Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq borgemester Asii C. Naarup åbnede Gay pride i Nuuk. Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Nuka Bisgaard Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

Foto: Leiff Josefsen

http://sermitsiaq.ag/

Happy Birthday: Christine Jorgensen

in: http://www.advocate.com/

Although Jorgensen was not the first transgender woman to undergo gender-reassignment surgery, she is the first to have been widely known.

George William Jorgensen Jr. (May 30, 1926 – May 3, 1989) grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., with the signature traits of early gender dysphoria. She was an introverted boy who felt at odds with other boys her age. In 1945 she was drafted into the military. And today would have been her birthday.

After her service, Jorgensen began exploring the possibility of gender-reassignment surgery. She began taking the female hormone ethinyl estradiol on her own. She researched the subject with the help of Joseph Angelo, a physician who was the husband of one of Jorgensen's classmates at the Manhattan Medical and Dental Assistant School.

Sweden was the only place where doctors were performing the surgery. During a trip to Copenhagen to see relatives, however, Jorgensen met Christian Hamburger, a Danish endocrinologist and specialist in rehabilitative hormonal therapy. Jorgensen stayed in Denmark and began more advanced hormone therapy as well as the first of a series of operations.

A few years later in the United States, Jorgensen underwent a vaginoplasty under the direction of  Angelo and another doctor, Harry Benjamin, who was integral in advancing transgender rights worldwide.

Jorgensen was preternaturally suited to being one of the first spokespeople for her community. She was unafraid of publicity and made the most of her media fame.

Her sense of humor helped her deal with most situations, but she stood her ground whenever offended.

New York radio host Barry Gray once asked her if 1950s jokes such as "Christine Jorgensen went abroad and came back a broad" bothered her. She laughed and said it didn't bother her at all.

But another encounter demonstrated that Jorgensen could be offended by at least some queries: Jorgensen appeared on an episode of The Dick Cavett Show,during which the host asked about the status of her romantic life with her "wife," and Jorgensen walked off the show. Because she was the only scheduled guest, Cavett spent the rest of the night talking about how he had not meant to offend.

Jorgensen had a fairly successful entertainment career, recording, performing in clubs, appearing on radio and television shows, and writing books and articles. Her autobiography was eventually made into a film.

She became the go-to reference for anything to do with gender reassignment.

The Associated Press wrote more stories about Jorgensen in 1953 than anyone else — more than the new president Eisenhower or Marilyn Monroe. The world did not fear transgender people then as much as hold them in awe, and she was the perfect first experience for many.

Jorgensen imitated many of her favorite stars in her nightclub act: Marlene Dietrich, Talullah Bankhead, and, strangely enough, Doris Day. They all became fans and friends, along with many other entertainers of the day.

She was thwarted by legal technicalities several times when trying to be legally married to a man — a problem that continues for transgender people today. And at the end of her life she said she never regretted the surgery.

http://www.advocate.com/

Eurovision Song Contest Winner 2012, Sweedish singer LOREEN, give support to Belgrade Pride 2012

Jane Lynch praises Obama on gay rights in campaign ad

in: http://news.yahoo.com/

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jane Lynch is lending President Barack Obama a hand after Obama came out in favor of gay marriage.

The "Glee" star narrates a new campaign ad for Obama, in which she lauds his push for equality.

"In 2008 our country elected a leader who not only acknowledged the LGBT community, but who embraced it," Lynch's narration begins."We elected a man who understood our struggle and who has pushed the nation forward towards equality."

Lynch goes on to claim that Obama has made "more significant advances for LGBT Americans than any other president who came before him."

Earlier this month, Obama gave his support to gay marriage during an interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts.

"I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama said.

Watch Lynch show her own support in kind in the video at http://thewrap.com/media/column-post/jane-lynch-praises-obamas-gay-rights-record-campaign-ad-video-41396

 http://news.yahoo.com/

Russian police detain 40 including activist Nikolai Alexeyev as gays push for Moscow Pride parade

in: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/

BY ALEXANDER TIKHOMIROV, ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW -- Gay activists tried to stage two demonstrations in Moscow on Sunday to demand the right to hold a gay pride parade in the Russian capital, but they were blocked first by Orthodox Christian opponents and then by police, who detained a total of about 40 people from both sides.

The gay activists first gathered outside the city council building, where a few scuffles occurred as their opponents tried to disrupt the demonstration, decrying homosexuality as a sin. After police broke up that protest, another group tried to stage a second protest at city hall, but once again police moved in and detained participants, including prominent gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev.

The majority of those detained were gay activists, but some of the Christian demonstrators also were pushed into police buses. Police said about 40 people were detained in all.

Click here to read the complete article.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2012/05/moscow-police-detain-40-as-gays-push-for-parade.html#storylink=cpy

http://miamiherald.typepad.com

UK to allow lesbian couples equal access to IVF

in: http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10083

Same-sex couples will have the same access to IVF treatment as heterosexual couples under guidelines issued by the UK’s health advisory service, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The upper age limit for government-funded IVF will rise by three years to 42.  

Government health authorities in England and Wales are to fund intra-uterine insemination (IUI), using donor sperm, for lesbians. If they fail to conceive after six cycles of IUI, they will considered for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), which is much more costly and involved.

The health system in the UK normally pays for up to three cycles of IVF for couples who have been trying to get pregnant for at least three years. Previously, women had to be under age 40 to qualify. Many government-funded clinics already treat gay and lesbian couples, but the guidelines now make that explicit, though they are not binding.

The London Telegraph points out that the change follows a relaxation in the law, made under Labour in 2008, to put same-sex parenting on an equal legal footing. Under the the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, IVF clinics no longer had to take into account a child’s need for a father or a male role model before agreeing to treatment. Same-sex couples or single women now need only show they can provide "supportive parenting".

In the wake of this, there was boom in lesbian couples undergoing IVF. The figure rose from 178 in 2007 to 417 in 2010.

Josephine Quintavalle, founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, described the same-sex move as "absurd".

"We are not prepared to accept what constitutes fertility from a biological perspective. Fertility treatment is very important but in this case what we are trying to do is rewrite biology."

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/10083

15 GLBT Romances That Rocked My World

in: http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

GLBT romances are becoming more and more popular. I love reading them! They fall into as many categories as the m/f romances (Contemporary, Regency, Paranormal, etc.) so there is something for everyone. Below is the list (in alphabetical order) of my favorites.

1. Bad Boyfriend - K. A. Mitchell - After Quinn Maloney is dumped by his closeted boyfriend of ten years, he decides to approach a twink in a club and ask him to accompany him to the christening of his ex-boyfriend’s baby. Eli Wright turns out to be much more than just a date. Mitchell is a solid writer whose books always contain such great characters.
2. Dance with Me - Heidi Cullinan - Ex semi-pro football player Ed Maurer and dance instructor Laurie Parker have conflict over the separate classes they are teaching at the community center. In a bargain, Ed agrees to be the assistant in Laurie’s ballroom dancing class. Ed’s neck injury and Laurie’s pressure from friends and family to perform on stage once again cause problems in their relationship.
3. Death of a Pirate King - Josh Lanyon - I couldn’t make a list of GLBT romances without including Josh Lanyon. Death of a Pirate King is the fourth book of his Adrien English series. Adrien and his closeted-ex Jake have been broken up for two years, but are thrown back together when Adrien sits next to a man at a dinner party who dies while at the table
4. Fair Game - Josh Lanyon - In this one Lanyon also writes about estranged lovers and an investigation. Elliot Mills, a former FBI agent but now a professor, is asked by a student’s parents to investigate the disappearance of their son. Elliot’s ex, Lance Tucker, is the FBI agent assigned to the case.
5. Frat Boy and Toppy - Anne Tenino - He always thought that he was straight, but Brad is slowly realizing that he is indeed gay and is extremely attracted to Sebastian, the teaching assistant for his history class.  This one had me laughing out loud because of Brad’s thoughts as he processes his real sexual orientation, his coming out to his family and friends, and his clumsy attempts to get Sebastian’s attention.
6. Handle with Care - Josephine Myles - This one has a one has a diabetic hero who is on home dialysis and is waiting for a kidney and pancreas transplant. He finds himself attracted to the purple-haired skateboarder who delivers his regular orders of DVD porn.
7. Moving in Rhythm - Dev Bentham - Mark Apostolos is cripplingly shy and cannot find the words when he is speaking to strangers. In fact, he tends to avoid people whenever possible. (He even teaches online courses.) When he accompanies his pregnant sister-in-law to dance class, the handsome instructor, Seth Miller, makes Mark want to overcome his shyness.
8. Muscling Through - J. L. Merrow - This is a funny and sweet book about a man, Al Fletcher, with a low IQ who falls in love with a Cambridge art professor, Lawrence Morton. I like that the story is told through the eyes of Al.
9. Pricks and Pragmatism - J. L. Merrow - Luke Corbin is an English student who like many students doesn’t have a lot of money. He trades sexual favors with rich men in order to keep a roof over his head. When Luke’s latest throws him out for another man, Luke’s friend gets him a place to stay at Russell’s house. Russell is not rich and he is a total nerd. He is also saving himself for someone special.
10. Regularly Scheduled Life  - K. A. Mitchell - I reviewed this one here.
11. Retreat From Love - Samantha Kane - This one, a part of the Brothers in Arms series, is a ménage a trois story of Frederick Thorne, Duke of Ashland, and his love for wounded soldier Brett Haversham. Freddy finds out that Brett is in love with Anne Goode who was Freddy’s first love. Since Brett resists Freddy’s attempts at seduction, Freddy decides to push Brett and Anne together.
12. Scrap Metal - Harper Fox - Since the death of his brother and mother, Nichol has come home to help his grandfather on the sheep farm. They are close to losing it because of debts. One night Nichol catches a man, Cam, breaking into his barn. Everything starts to change. The amazing thing about this story is that the cold, wet, sheep farm and surrounding area become a third person in the story.
13. Stolen Summer - S. A. Meade - Evan Harrison and Colin Williams’s relationship turns from best friends to lovers right before Evan goes off to Pakistan on a journalism assignment. There he is taken hostage. Once he is freed he has trouble dealing with what he went through, and it threatens his and Colin’s relationship.
14. Strawberries for Dessert - Marie Sexton - This was the first GLBT romance that I read. Accountant Jonathan agrees to a blind date with globe-trotting twink Cole Fenton. After a disastrous first date, they try again and eventually decide to enter into a casual relationship and get together whenever Cole is in town.
15. The Only Gold - Tamara Allen - In late 19th century New York Jonah Woolner is angry and disappointed to be passed over for promotion by newcomer Reid Hylliard. Jonah is sure that Reid’s methods will cause problems for the bank, and Reid’s attempts to be friends with Jonah don’t work.

Do you have a favorite GLBT book?

Photo Credits: Nephelim (www.nerobizzarro.com)

http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

Jim Parsons Reveals He's Gay In NY Times Profile

in: http://www.advocate.com/

Award-winning actor Jim Parsons reveals he's gay and in a 10-year relationship, according to a New York Times profile.

Parsons, best-known as Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, discusses his work in last year's production ofThe Normal Heart, Larry Kramer's searing chronicle of the AIDS epidemic in New York City during the early 1980s. The Times' Patrick Healy writes, "The Normal Heart resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship..."

The 39-year-old actor publicly thanked his partner Todd Spiewak from the podium of the Golden Globe awards ceremony while accepting the trophy for best actor in a comedy series.

Parsons, who will recreate his role in Normal Heart in director Ryan Murphy's forthcoming film adaptation, is currently headlining the revival of the classic comedy Harvey as Elwood P. Dowd which will open June 14 at New York's Studio 54 theatre.

http://www.advocate.com/

Curta-metragem para crianças aborda romance gay

in: http://cinema.terra.com.br/

O filme conta a história de amor entre dois peixes
Foto: BBC Brasil

Um curta-metragem animado para o público infantil provocou polêmica na França ao contar uma história de romance homossexual. O desenho animado O beijo da Lua conta a história do peixe Félix, que se apaixona por outro peixe, León.

O curta de 20 minutos mostra sob diferentes pontos de vista uma história de amor homossexual. O objetivo dos produtores era abordar os temas de intolerância e homofobia.

Uma associação conhecida como Collectif pour l'enfant (Coletivo pelas Crianças) criticou o desenho por abordar temas considerados por eles não apropriados para crianças. O desenho é voltado para crianças de 8 a 10 anos.

O diretor do filme, Sébastien Watel, disse à BBC que é homossexual, e que sua intenção foi mostrar às crianças que não há diferenças entre romances gays e romances heterossexuais.

http://cinema.terra.com.br/

Marvel Comics plans June wedding for gay X-Men superhero Northstar and boyfriend Kyle Jinadu

in: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHILADELPHIA -- Wedding bells will ring this summer for Marvel Comics' first openly gay hero, super speedster Northstar.

The New York-based publisher said Tuesday that Canadian character Jean-Paul Beaubier will marry his beau, Kyle Jinadu, in the pages of "Astonishing X-Men" No. 51. That's due out June 20.

Northstar revealed he was gay in the pages of "Alpha Flight" No. 106 in 1992. He was one of Marvel's first characters to do so.

Since then, numerous comic book heroes and villains have been identified as gay, lesbian or transgender.

Marjorie Liu is writing the series. She says the decision to have the pair marry was fitting, noting that the relationship between Kyle and Northstar has grown in recent years.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2012/05/marvel-comics-plans-june-wedding-for-gay-x-men-superhero-northstar-and-boyfriend-kyle-jinadu.html#storylink=cpy

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/

May 22 - Harvey Milk Day

"Hope will never be silent." -Harvey Milk

Psychiatrist who supported 'cure' for gays and lesbians now apologizes to LGBT community

in: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/

"I owe the gay community an apology," writes Dr. Robert Spitzer, according to a New York Times report published Saturday, in which the psychiatrist, now nearly 80 and suffering from Parkinson's disease, repudiates his 2003 theory that gay people can be "cured" through reparative therapy.

Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, a group that tracks the ex-gay movement, first reported Spitzer's turnaround in April.

Besen, who appears in the New York Times article reports on Saturday:

"This was a very intelligent article that puts the entire Spitzer study into its proper perspective. It is a telling and compelling narrative that places a definitive period at the end of a long, and often troubling, run-on sentence. For his part, Dr. Spitzer should be applauded for doing the right thing. It is never easy, particularly for successful people who are leaders in their field, to apologize or acknowledge wrongdoing. But, this is exactly what Dr. Spitzer did and we at Truth Wins Out are grateful that he is a man of integrity and conscience.

"Unfortunately, there are still slippery organizations, like Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX), who refuse to take Dr. Spitzer’s repudiated study off of their website. The good news is that by leaving it up they further erode their already tattered credibility and reputation by showing how blatantly dishonest they truly are."

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/

Homossexualidade pode levar a pena de morte em 5 países

in: http://noticias.terra.com.br/

O casamento entre duas pessoas do mesmo sexo é permitido em dez países, enquanto a homossexualidade é ilegal em 78 nações e pode implicar em pena de morte em cinco, informou um estudo global publicado nesta terça-feira.

O documento "Relatório sobre Homofobia Patrocinada pelo Estado", divulgado hoje pela Associação Internacional de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais e Transexuais (ILGA) mostra um panorama sobre a situação da homossexualidade no mundo.

O texto revela que 113 países autorizam a homossexualidade, enquanto 78 consideram que praticar sexo entre duas pessoas do mesmo gênero constitui um ato ilegal, entre eles, dez do Caribe.

Entre as nações que penalizam a homossexualidade com pena de morte estão Irã, Arábia Saudita, e Iêmen, Mauritânia, Sudão, as regiões do norte da Nigéria e o sul da Somália.

Enquanto isso, quinze países fixaram parâmetros para determinar a idade de consentimento para relações sexuais heterossexuais e homossexuais. Contudo, o relatório também mostra que 24 nações proíbem a incitação ao ódio baseado na orientação sexual.

Com relação ao reconhecimento de direitos, dez nações permitem o casamento homossexual. Por ordem cronológica são eles: Holanda, Bélgica, Espanha, Canadá, África do Sul, Noruega, Suécia, Portugal, Argentina, e Islândia. Em outros 14 países, os casais do mesmo sexo contam com o reconhecimento de suas uniões civis, com direitos similares aos casais heterossexuais.

A adoção de crianças por casais homossexuais é admitida em 12 nações em igualdade de condições que os casais de sexo diferente, entre eles o Brasil, e 18 possuem legislação específica para as pessoas que passaram por um processo de mudança de gênero.

A Europa é a região do mundo onde os direitos dos homossexuais são mais atendidos. Só o norte do Chipre proíbe as uniões do mesmo gênero. No entanto, os homossexuais europeus ainda sofrem discriminação e violência, além de não terem a liberdade de expressão e demonstração de identidade totalmente reconhecidas.

Na América Latina, o maior problema enfrentado pelos homossexuais é a violência, pois a maioria dos países não possui uma legislação que proíbe a homofobia, o que permite que muitos crimes fiquem impunes.

Metade dos países da Ásia ainda criminaliza a homossexualidade e na África "a homofobia patrocinada pelo Estado aumentou na última década", disse a ILGA.

http://noticias.terra.com.br/

Transgender teenager wins place in the Miss England semi-final

in: http://www.etalorsmagazine.com/

A teenager who had the world’s earliest sex change at just 16 has moved a step closer to becoming the new Miss England.
Jackie Green, now 18, has clinched the public vote and will be the first transgender contestant to reach the semi-finals of the national pageant.

As the International Business Times is reporting, Jackie Green entered the Miss England pageant after being spotted by scouts at “Britain’s Next Top Model” in London just two years after she underwent gender reassignment surgery in Thailand, where such procedures are available to minors. She has now reportedly won enough of the public’s vote, and so throughly impressed the panel of judges, to secure a spot in pageant’s semi-finals.

Whether Green will fare better than her predecessors in the beauty pageant world remains to be seen. Last month, the Miss Universe Organization announced a few weeks ago that it would allow 23-year-old Jenna Talackova, a transgender woman, to enter the Miss Universe Canada pageant after a sizable controversy over her qualifications.

Jacky Green on YOUTUBE

The semi-finals of the Miss England competition take place on May 30.
The final is due to take place at the end of June.

http://www.etalorsmagazine.com/

Lesbian couple reportedly banned from high school prom

in: http://www.necn.com/




A Lexington, Kentucky high school student claims she was barred from prom because she planned to bring a date of the same sex.

Hope Decker, 18, says administrators at Lexington Catholic High School sat her down Friday and told her she could not attend with her girlfriend, Tiffany Wright, who is also a student at the school.

"What I experienced in the Dean's Office was blatant homophobia," said Decker, a senior at the school. "We were told that this school has Catholic principles and so they couldn't let it happen."

"At first I was really upset," said Tiffany Wright, Decker's date for the dance. "I mean, we both cried and then I was like, this is ridiculous. There's gotta be something we could do about this."

Decker, Wright and dozens of their friends still dressed up for the occasion and even attempted to get into the school for prom.

When turned away, they decided to have their own outdoor version outside of the school.

"I just think it's ridiculous that a school that claims to foster love and equality is doing something like this to its own students," said Wright.

The group of students said they have started a petition they plan to send to the school's president and principal, along with the bishop, in the hopes their situation might lead to change for future couples.

They said they have already received more than 100 signatures from other students opposed to what happened.

The school's assistant principal said he could not comment on the situation, but added that Lexington Catholic adheres to the guidelines set forth by the Catholic Church.

http://www.necn.com/