columnists

S/he said

Compiled by Howard Israel

Originally printed 6/25/2009 (Issue 1726 - Between The Lines News)

"Every so often, the American social order is reshuffled. And that upheaval is typically accompanied by a prominent face. Yet the gay rights movement, which is about to enter its fifth decade, has never had a such a leader despite making remarkable strides in a relatively short period of time. Gay people have no national standard-bearer, no go-to sound-byte machine for the media. So when President Obama last week extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, there was no alpha gay leader to respond with the movement's official voice, though some activists criticized the president for not going far enough."

- Jeremy W. Peters, in an article titled "Why the Gay Rights Movement Has No National Leader," writing about the absence of a national LGBT community leader, New York Times, June 21.

"I remain optimistic over the long term because the American public is ready for change. What we need now is leadership from the president, Congress and state officials to deliver that change. I'm frustrated and disappointed that the administration has not yet delivered on the vision we share for a more equal America."

- Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, a national organization for marriage equality, in an article titled "Gay activists impatient with Obama and Congress," about President Obama's campaign promises to the LGBT community, Associated Press, June 18.

"What's going to change the way the community is feeling is seeing the introduction of a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' Gay rights advocates want to see a president who is fulfilling the promises he made on the campaign trail."

- Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council, a Boston-based advocacy group, commenting in an article titled "Obama Invites Gay Rights Advocates to White House," about White House reception on June 29 for some LGBT leaders to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, New York Times, June 22.

"As more and more gay guys adopt the dating strategies of straight women (no sex without dating), people like me are getting less and less sex. I'm from the old school. I believe in sex before dating. A straight woman says, 'I'm sorry, I can't have sex with you until I get to know you.' A gay man says, 'I'm sorry, but I can't get to know you until I have sex with you.' More and more gay men find these dating strategies appealing. Maybe it's a reaction to the constant effort of avoiding HIV infection. Maybe safe sex fatigue is making gay men approach sex a little more romantically. Quit acting like a straight chick. God gave you raging hormones. Use them!"

- Mike Alvear, Host of HBO's sex advice series "The Sex Inspectors," in a tongue-in-cheek column titled "Women Are Ruining Sex for Gay Guys," about the dating practices of gay men and straight women, Huntington Post, June 20.

"This is another line in the sand of sorts. I can call my sister a tramp - but you can't. Intent is key to whether I find something funny or offensive. Chris Rock can make jokes about black people and you laugh with that - the intent is clear, and it's coming from a place of love. This is a tricky line. Jokes coming from within a group are often deemed acceptable, while jokes about that group coming from outsiders may not be. Bear in mind ... everything (Sacha Baron Cohen) does is going to be one degree more gross and more outrageous than most other people. So you have to go into it with an open mind. I can't imagine anybody going into the Bruno movie and seriously expecting to see an honest depiction of what a real gay person is like."

- Jim Colucci, author of "Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored," in an article titled "Is 'Bruno' Harmful to Gay and Lesbian Causes, or Just Really Funny?," http://www.FoxNews.com, June 19.

"The issue of same-sex marriage boils down to a question of basic fairness. Gays and lesbians have contributed to the diverse fabric of Rhode Island and the rest of the country for generations, strengthening our communities in innumerable ways. We all know someone who is openly gay or lesbian, and almost all of us share the same basic aspirations: a safe town and an affordable home to live in; a good job to provide us and our families with economic security; good schools for our children; quality health care; and, perhaps most importantly, someone to love and share our lives with. Once you acknowledge that homosexuality exists not by choice, the next obvious step is to grant gays and lesbians the same liberties and freedoms as every other American."

- Lincoln Chafee, former mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island and a former U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, in a column titled "It is time for us to make marriage equality in Rhode Island a reality," http://www.BayWindows.com, June 17.

"I'm a long way from sixth grade, but I still have the same struggles. Just a few days ago, I was at the bus stop in the wrong part of town when I saw a friend. Part of me wanted to hug him like we usually do whenever we run into each other. But another part of me wanted to pretend I didn't even see him. I didn't want everyone to know I was gay. In a flash, I got over myself. Because I realized, if I want the world to accept me for who I am, I have to let the world see me for who I am. So I opened up my arms in front of everyone, exposed and vulnerable, but so proud. And I have a feeling somebody who was watching us from the bus, or driving by in a car, or looking down from a window, was proud of us, too. I know hugging my friend in East Oakland doesn't make me some gay rights leader. But it's the little battles that give me hope we'll win the wars, like the one we're fighting about the right to marry. For me, the issue isn't marriage. It's equality.

- Anthony Waters, 18 years old, in a guest column titled "The Gays of Our Lives," commenting on LGBTQ equality, http://www.YouthRadio.org, June 17