The Black List Boycott

There is a black list that has been published and is now circulating the web for the LGBT community to use for boycotting those who donated money to pass Proposition 8. This information is considered public record and lists businesses and individuals and the amounts they contributed. Some in the LGBT community are even writing letters to those who donated to let them know that they'll never spend money with them again. If you're interested in checking it out for yourself click on the black list.

New York City Marriage Equality Protest

Today Bill, his mother and I went to the nationwide Prop 8 protest here in Manhattan. At first the weather promised to put a damper on the day with the threat of rain. Shortly after we arrived at the protest site at City Hall, the sky cleared and the sun came out.

A very nice police officer came over to us and said he estimated 20,000 - 25,000 people showed up. He also said that the NYPD didn't expect the kind of turnout that we actually got. A couple of celebrities, Whoopi Goldberg and Judith Light came out to support us and took to the stage to make speeches. It was a peaceful rally with no reported arrests.

We ran into some old friends that I hadn't seen in about ten years. Overall it was a very successful day with hundreds of rallies taking place simultaneously throughout the country.

The mainstream media coverage on the major networks briefly covered the event while most of their focus was on the fires in California. We did have local coverage, here in New York, as well. As usual the media reports downplayed the number of protesters. What I know for sure is that the crowd was huge and although most of the protesters were on the City Hall side of Broadway, there was an overflow crowd behind barricades on the other side as well.

I was excited and proud to be part of this movement in civil rights history. The passage of Proposition 8 in California might just very well prove to be a blessing in disguise. It has sparked new enthusiasm in the LGBT community, with many referring to it as the second Stonewall. A national single protest is being planned for sometime next year.

Nationwide Protest Planned for Saturday

This Saturday, November 15, 2008, in 175 cities across the nation, more protests are planned. The national event will take place simultaneously beginning at 1:30 PM eastern time.

For locations in your area check out Join The Impact.

Some Select Cities Across the U.S.:
Atlanta, GA
Georgia State Capital Building
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334

Chicago, IL
Federal Plaza
Corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets

Dallas, TX
City Hall
1500 Marilla Dr
Dallas, TX 75201

Houston, TX
City Hall
901 Bagby
Houston, TX 77002

Los Angeles, CA
LA City Hall
200 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA

Miami Beach, FL
Miami Beach City Hall
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL

New York, NY
New York City Hall
260 Broadway
New York, NY 10007

San Francisco, CA
SF City Hall (Civic Center Park)
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl.

Washington, D.C.
U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool
100 Constitution Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002

Gay Rights Advances in New York & Connecticut

Yesterday marked a historic day for the LGBT community, with Connecticut becoming the third state in the U.S. to allow gay marriage; however, California just lost its fight, once again leaving Massachusetts as the only other state with that civil right. Two steps forward, one step back. That's the way progress is made.

Meanwhile last night, the Empire State Building glowed in lavender, leaving me to believe it was in support of Connecticut's new law. It truly was a beautiful sight to see. We attempted to take several photos of it but as luck would have it they didn't turn out -- ugh!

At any rate, a pale purple light was cast over the city while a reported 10,000 or so protesters demonstrated outside of the Manhattan Mormon Temple in opposition to California's Proposition 8. The news reports were down playing the turnout. I heard one news station reporting a turnout in the hundreds; however, event organizers estimated it to be between 10,000 - 15,000.

The good news is that well known supporters of the gay community turned out in support of the protest. Whoopi Goldberg, as well as Judy Gold held signs and shouted with the best of them as they marched south to Columbus Circle.

Last night many younger LGBT individuals also participated in the demonstrations. This is a very good sign. The sad news for me, though, is that I have a group of friends in their early to mid 30s that would rather go out for dinner and drinks than to show their support for this cause. It's this type of complacency that leads to others deciding their future rights. What they don't really "get" is that the generations before them that fought in the Stonewall riots, is what now allows them to be open about their sexuality. Without previous protests and demonstrations they wouldn't have the freedom they now take for granted.

This Saturday in 175 cities across the nation, more protests are planned. The national event will take place simultaneously beginning at 1:30 PM eastern time. In New York City the protest will be at City Hall:
260 Broadway
New York, NY 10007

For locations in your area check out Join The Impact.

Commentary on Same-sex Marriage

If you don't watch Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC or just in case you missed it last night, Olbermann's Special Comment was an impassioned defense of same-sex marriage. Yes, he's a die-hard liberal but as you will hear he had no personal agenda for expressing his view.

He was almost on the verge of tears several times during his oration. It is important to the LGBT community that our allies stand up for us and this proves to be no exception; unfortunately, many who need to receive the message will just tune it out. At least, though, it's getting out there.

New Yorkers will Protest in Solidarity

Join the peaceful demonstration against Proposition 8 on Wednesday November 12, 2008 in New York City. Spread the word to your friends and straight allies. If you have time make protest signs, but most importantly just show up and be ready to demonstrate.

Date: Wednesday November 12, 2008
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: Manhattan Mormon Temple
125 Columbus Ave at 65th Street

Transformation for the Holidays

Over the weekend, Louis Vuitton's Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan was transformed into a holiday show-palace. For nine long months, my spouse Bill and a team of others worked hard for this moment to occur. From conception, it was going to be a rather large undertaking, but in the end it certainly appears to have been worth it. A rather mundane city building is now the center-point of luxury retailers in the area.

On Sunday morning, the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street was buzzing with New Yorkers and tourists alike staring and pointing and posing for photos in front of the store. It certainly has everyone's attention. Holiday windows from other luxury retailers paled in comparison.

The Louis Vuitton windows display a carnival of color broadcasting their exclusive Murakami signature emblem for all to see. Whether one is in the market for luxury goods or just good old fashioned window shopping this holiday season, this store is irresistible. If you make it to New York City over the holidays, make sure to drop by for a look.

The entire team behind this project at Louis Vuitton should be commended. Congratulations.

Anger is the Catalyst for National March

Days after the 2008 election, demonstrators protesting the passage of Proposition 8 are still taking their anger to the streets of California, from Los Angeles to San Francisco. A boycott of Utah has begun because of the Mormon Church's support of Proposition 8; and, gay rights bloggers are in a frenzy working on a grass-roots effort to organize a national march for gay marriage.

Many civil rights marches have occurred on the mall in Washington D.C. over the decades, including Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s demonstration and his I Have a Dream speech. Gay rights marches have also taken place in the very same spot over the years. I participated in the 1993 march for gay rights. Reverend Jesse Jackson and Cybil Shepard led the way for us, through the streets that year. Our group organizers estimated that a million of us participated, but the United States' Park Police contradicted that, saying the figure was 300,000.

The newly elected President Clinton was a no-show but instead sent a letter of support for the gay community. I guess he meant well by his statement, saying "I stand with you in the struggle for equality for All Americans, including gay men and lesbians," the President wrote. "In this great country, founded on the principle that all people are created equal, we must learn to put aside what divides us and focus on what we share." That never really got us very far except for the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which backfired on gays in the military. Clinton then turned on us completely by supporting the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.

Like many, I am hopeful that President Elect Obama will support the LGBT community as he implied in many of his speeches but that remains to be seen. Until then, we as a community, along with our straight allies, need to rise up and demand equal marriage rights. Now is the time to harness our energy and anger and put it to use. The plan for a serious civil rights march on Washington in support of marriage equality is starting to form. I've read comments, from those in the gay community, on other blogs starting to brainstorm. Check out some ideas from readers of Joe My God in a post entitled The Next March on Washington.

The Gay Rights' Movement Continues

It's not over until it's over. While the Los Angeles Registrar's Office stopped issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, three legal challenges have been filed with the California courts in an attempt to fight the passage of Proposition 8, the state amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a women.

Last night in West Hollywood, California thousands of people gathered to protest the passage of Proposition 8. The protest turned angry and they took to the streets in a march. Below is a CNN ireport video, from one of the protesters involved in last night's demonstration. Fight on!

The video starts off dark but quickly improves.

Daily Kos Disappointed with California Voters

Today at the Daily Kos more sentiment about the passage of Proposition 8 was expressed, "...the flashpoint in the culture wars is gay rights, and I have to say, as wonderful as yesterday might've been, losing Prop 8 hit me hard. That California would vote for a black president with a margin of 61-37 and then shit on gays was horrifically disappointing." To read more from Kos click here: Proposition 8.

A Reminder to Love and Fight On

Andrew Sullivan, of The Daily Dish, posted this commentary in response to a reader's email today. It's very powerful because it reminds me to keep the faith when I too am feeling down about the passage of the anti-gay measures in California, Florida, Arizona and Arkansas. It's important to remember that others are vowing to fight on, as so should we. Link to Andrew Sullivan's Email of the Day.

Gays, the new Blacks

Last night just moments after eleven PM, eastern time, Senator Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. This event marks a generational shift in our country. Race is no longer a barrier in achieving the highest dream possible. We, as a country, can also now turn the page on a devastating time in our history. We can look forward to a brighter future. And those of us in the LGBT community can look forward to having a friendly White House, no longer hostile to our needs as United States citizens.

That is the good news. Unfortunately, there is some bad news too. President Obama, when he takes office in January, will have inherited a mess of historic proportions. We are in the middle of two wars, our economy is in the gutter, health care needs to be addressed and the list goes on.

This morning, as joyous as it is, is bitter sweet for me. Please don't get me wrong. I have waited on the edge of my seat through 21 months of pundit speak and analysis, hoping for last night's outcome; however, I woke up this morning still feeling like a second class citizen. As a gay man who had just recently married his partner of 10 years in San Francisco, I have learned that California voters might have over-turned my marriage. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, results from the ballot measure banning same-sex marriage are too close to call.

If the ban on same-sex marriage in California goes through, it will be written in the state's constitution and my marriage will no longer exist. The impact of that will change my rights as a New York state resident. New York legally recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries. So with the new California amendment, our rights vanish in New York. My partner and I will now have to scramble to get married again, either in Massachusetts or Connecticut, two of the only states remaining that allow gay marriage.

Devastating news on the same-sex marriage front, was echoed in Florida last night. The state overwhelmingly passed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. My partner and I also reside in Florida and own a house in Miami. Our partnership together has centred around our life we have built there. Miami is the place we consider to be our home. We, among countless others, are disfranchised in our own home states. Where is our representation? Where are our rights?

While we wait for those questions to be addressed and, with hope, eventually changed in our favor, today is a new day. A more progressive administration will take office in January along with a new Congress. Time will tell how far we can advance in spite of the bigots standing in our way of our basic civil rights.