Straight Allies Spotlight: Why We Love Chris Kluwe

“Society’s trending towards more equality, and you see that in the locker room.”

– Chris Kluwe (to Larry King, on “Larry King Now” broadcast)

 

Oh, Chris: how do we love thee? Let us count the ways.

First off, few people can bring themselves to hate him.

As the Oakland Raiders’ American NFL football punter, Chris Kluwe comes off as a fresh-faced, cheery, potty-mouthed and an unabashedly proud “gamer geek.” Kluwe’s spoken up—loudly—about everything from NFL labor disputes to honesty in the media. Now, he’s championing gay rights and marriage equality—and it’s not his first time rocking the mic for LGBTQ inclusivity.

The UCLA alum combines dashing good looks and dorky gamer references (he owns a fantasy gaming store for goodness’ sake), and let’s just say his wife Isabel isn’t the only one who finds him easy on the eyes.

Hm…male model? Athletic cover boy? What? Okay, losing track of the numbers here.

Still, there are so many reasons to adore him.

As articulate as he is awkward, Chris recently appeared on “Larry King Now”  to promote his  book, “Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies: On Myths, Morons, Free Speech, Football and Assorted Absurdities.”

On the show, he briefly mentioned his personal protest of the Minnesota Marriage Amendment and his ever-expanding record of LGBT advocacy, which started hitting its stride last year.

Sharing a viewpoint with Larry King that’s rarely been shared by celebs publicly, Chris went on to express a bittersweet regret about the Prop 8 decision, saying  we could have pressed even harder to get more mileage from the opportunity to make permanent changes.

“I liked the DOMA decision,” said Kluwe, “Because obviously it extended federal benefits to married couples. Not a big fan of the Prop 8 decision, because while it allowed gays to be married in California as soon as they vacate the stay, the problem is, the Supreme Court had a chance to extend those rights across the entire country…whereas they could’ve made a statement.”

“They have a precedent,” he continued. “They have Loving v. Virginia—that says

marriage is a human right. They could’ve extended that out to say, ‘Same sex marriage, that is a human right, and you can’t discriminate against that.’”

Trying to keep realistic, he tied things up by saying, “So now we’ve just got to go to all the other states that—right now—gay marriage is illegal in, and get that passed.”

Earlier this month, in what could have been a media disaster, Kluwe shared a stinging truth (citing ex-New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez’s murder charges) in the following exchange with Conan O’Brien on the “Conan” show:

“Now what about the NFL? Where’s the NFL in all of this?” Conan O’Brien asked.

“They pretty much just left me alone,” Kluwe answered, “As long as you’re not out shooting people…”

Here’s the deal: straight allies often put their foot in their mouths, no matter how good their intentions may be. Chris Kluwe’s using his “big-mouthed” persona to our advantage. You just can’t hate on somebody for that.

Chris Kluwe loves World of Warcraft, loves the game of football, loves to raise consciousness and awareness, and is all about a message of transparency, fairness and equality.

In his “Larry King Now” appearance and his Out of Bounds blog, Kluwe rants on with this through line: if we are not honest with ourselves and protecting our own, our civilization is doomed. He simply won’t back down from the idea, and his new book likely puts that sentiment on full blast.

Well-played Chris Kluwe—and play on.

What’s your take on Chris’ mouthy antics? Do you think he’s trying to co-opt Gay Rights to get attention? Does that matter, either way? Wait…you’re too busy looking at his “Out” magazine cover spread, aren’t you?

Don’t leave us hanging, y’all—what’s the T? Let us know what’s on your mind, and you can holler at your boy Chris Kluwe @ChrisWarcraft on Twitter.

Will Phillips Ends His Silence: The Pledge from A Historic Young LGBT Activist

After more than three-and-a-half years, Will Phillips finally got to say the Pledge of Allegiance in a nation with greater equality.

Will’s journey as a young gay rights activist started when he was 10. In his 5th grade class in the West Fork School District in Arkansas, Will decided that he couldn’t in good conscience stand for the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, which got him in trouble with the entire school. On the original CNN interview he did with his father in November 2009, the reason that he decided to stay seated was because, in his words, “I’ve always tried to analyze things because I want to be a lawyer… I really don’t feel that there’s currently liberty and justice for all.”

He took the stand, or more aptly kept his seat, because he thought if gays and lesbians couldn’t get married, then he didn’t want to repeat a dishonest pledge. His parents are straight and married, but the family was working to be an ally to the lgbt community, had attended pride parades, and were dismayed by what was going on in the country on the subject of equal rights. He was constantly bullied by peers after this declaration, but has since never backed down because of them. When responding to comments about being un-American, he said that being an American means, “Freedom of speech. The freedom to disagree. That’s what I think pretty much being an American represents.”

Since his protest, he’s been recognized internationally. The National Center for Lesbian Rights awarded him with the “Fierce Ally Award,” the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) awarded him a Media Award for “Outstanding TV Segment,” and he has spoken at several Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) events encouraging people to stand up for protecting equal human rights and for denouncing hate groups’ efforts against gay marriage legislation.

To honor him, Will got to be the Grand Marshall in both the 2010 Fayetteville, and then the 2011 San Antonio, Arkansas Gay Pride Parades. Social conservatives saw this as “brain-washing” and using a child as a spokesperson for immoral subjects, while Will’s parents constantly denied this point, saying it was his idea and his design.

On Saturday June 29 this year, after the Supreme Court’s decision on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8, Will got to recite the Pledge of Allegiance publicly after the Northwest Arkansas Pride Parade.

During his speech before the pledge, he stated that there is still more work that needs to be done throughout the country. He mentioned bullying in schools, job discrimination, marriage discrimination in the remaining 37 states lacking or banning marriage equality, women’s rights, reproductive rights, immigration reform, and exercising everyone’s important obligation to vote.

Even with everything that needs to happen, Will reminded the crowd to enjoy the historic time. “Spread rainbows around the world and make it a more beautiful place. Today is a day to celebrate. We’ve earned this. The court decision on DOMA and Prop 8 is a huge step in the right direction and opens the door to so much more change.”

You can see his speech and recital of the Pledge of Allegiance here

If you want to relive the words or see from where he’s come, you can watch the original 2009 CNN interview below:

Supreme Court Delivers Gay Marriage Victory

BREAKING NEWS:  Supreme Court Delivers First Gay Marriage Victory

Profound Victory for basic human rights as the Supreme Court issues rulings on Gay Marriage.

In 5-4 ruling, U.S. Supreme Court justices overturn Defense of Marriage Act, saying it is unconstitutional. DOMA is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment. Roberts, Scalia, Alito, Thomas issue Dissents. Chief Roberts and Scalia believe there is no jurisdiction. Opinion is by Justice Kennedy, joined by the four liberal Justices — Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan. Kennedy states, “DOMA singles out a class of persons deemed by a State entitled ot recognition and protection to enhance their own liberty.”

In plain terms, same-sex couples who are legally married will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law such benefits include income taxes, social security benefits and over a thousand other federal laws and programs. The Court explained that by denying recognition to same-sex couples who are legally married, federal law discriminates against them. This decision means that same-sex couples who are legally married must now be treated the same under federal law as married opposite-sex couples..

In Proposition 8 ruling, court dismisses based on standing. Gay Marriage Ban in California is struck down. From Chief Roberts “”The Court does not have before it, and the logic of its opinion does not decide, the distinct question whether the States . . . may continue to utilize the traditional definition of marriage.” The Ninth Circuit was without jurisdiction to consider the appeal. The judgment of the Ninth Circuit is vacated, and the case is remanded with instructions to dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.

In plain English because the State of California would not defend the law, proponents of the ban filed the suit challenging the ninth circuit courts decision.  The supreme court has ruled that the suit had no standing as the proponents have no legal rights to bring the case.

At 10am the Supreme Court and it’s nine justices convened to issue rulings on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which limits the definition of marriage to being specifically a male/female relationship for the purpose of federal benefits, and a California state law banning gay marriage AKA proposition 8.

Both cases, which were argued in March, could shape the debate profoundly on weather gay men and women have the right to marry their same-sex partners. The cases come before SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) at a time when opinion polls show growing support for gay marriage.  While only 12 (13 with California) states recognize gay marriage, there are still over 30 states that prohibit it with many more with laws that try to provide some rights to gay couples while not officially calling it “marriage”.

The DOMA case before the court was brought by Edith Windsor of New York who was married to a woman, Thea Spyer, legally at the state level in New York, but was unable to get the federal estate tax deduction available to heterosexuals when their spouses die due to the 1996 DOMA law.  When Spyer died in 2009, Edit Windsor was forced to pay federal estate taxes in the amount of $363,000.  Windsor case files suit against the federal government seeking a refund of the same amount.

While the Obama administration once defended the law, Attorney General Eric Holder said the law was unconstitutional in 2011. The administration asked the Supreme Court to strike the law down. making Obama the first sitting president to support gay marriage.

The California case, Proposition 8,  was a state ballot measure that was approved by voters in 2008 just months after the California’s supreme court ruled in favor of gay marriages. A federal judge struck the proposition 8 law down two years later in 2010 as a violation of the US Constitutions guarantee of equal protection.

2 boys voted ‘Cutest Couple’ at NY High School

Courtesy of Carmel High School

Photo Courtesy of Carmel High School

The senior class at a suburban New York High School voted two boys as ‘Cutest Couple’ this year. Carmel High School seniors Dylan Meehan and Brad Taylor started dating each other a year ago.

“Yeah, our friends are giving it to us about being Internet famous,” said 18-year-old Dylan Meehan, a senior at Carmel High School.

“We’ve never had any problems at all,” added 17-year-old senior Brad Taylor. “As a matter of fact, before the results, people were telling us ahead of time, ‘You guys are going to win hands down.'”

However, officials were concerned enough that they checked with the boys and their parents before the “cutest couple” selection was memorialized in the yearbook.

Congratulations to Carmel High School for being accepting of the LGBT Community. Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Jay Brannan On The Road Again

The wonderfully talented and dashingly handsome actor, musician and all round nice guy Jay Brannan is on the road again with the next update of his tour schedule.  It seems this boy is always off on some leg of some tour or other,  last year he played various dates in many European cities, including my home town of Brighton, England.  I caught up with him back then and was surprised at not only how intimate a night with Jay is, but also how much effort and passion he packs into his performances on stage.    There is no big production,  no cast of hundreds,  first there is often an opening act,  but then it’s just Jay, a guitar and a mic and a who room full of happy and thoroughly entertained music fans.

Here’s the dates and details of Jay’s latest tour,  I’m sure he’d love it if you pop along and say hello,   just tell him Jason Shaw sent you!

Date City Venue / Tickets More Info
Apr 29, 2013   Washington, DC Rock & Roll Hotel Facebook Event Page opener: Justin Trawick
Apr 30, 2013   Philadelphia, PA World Café Live (Upstairs) Facebook Event Page opener: Josh Schurr
May 01, 2013   Boston, MA Middle East (Upstairs) Facebook Event Page **EARLY SHOW**
May 03, 2013   New York, NY Joe’s Pub Facebook Event Page *sold out* / no opener!
May 06, 2013   Chicago, IL Schuba’s Tavern Facebook Event Page *sold out*
opener: julie meckler
May 08, 2013   Austin, TX Lambert’s Facebook Event Page no opener!
May 10, 2013   Los Angeles, CA Hotel Café Facebook Event Page opener: Terra Naomi
May 11, 2013   San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Facebook Event Page openers: Rin Tin Tiger & The Plastic Arts

More details on Jay’s own website

 

If you want to read my review of his show at the rather oddly named venue ‘Sticky Mikes Frog Bar’ click here.

 

Youtube Coming Out Videos Debate

Youtube.com Logo

I’m sure all of you have looked at coming out videos on Youtube at some point. Each day somebody who is gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgenered submits videos to share their stories with others. These videos help out many kids or even adults who are dealing with coming out. You have a choice to watch these videos or not. The people who are submitting these videos get a lot of feedback either positive or negative. I would like to share with you all one of the negative feedbacks from somebody that is straight. Check out the video below:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogC_v9C_y_Q]Here’s the Link to “35. Why is it with the gay and lesbian issue and coming out? Zippy Poozelah” Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogC_v9C_y_Q

Question: Is it okay for LGBTQ people showing their coming out stories online especially when straight people don’t get to say hey I’m straight?

My stance is that it is okay to post coming out videos. I am gay and these videos and blogs out there on the web have helped me deal with my own sexuality. My view is if you don’t like a certain video than don’t watch. Everybody is entitled to their own views. We all wish we could be straight and life would be easier. I feel straight people mostly don’t understand what we have to deal with on a daily basis. Be sure to share your views about this in the comments section.

Middle Schooler trying to Start GSA in Florida

Middle Schooler trying to Start GSA in Florida

ACLU Gets Involved

Bayli Silberstein, 14, an openly bisexual, is attempting to form a gay-straight alliance at her Carver Middle School in Leesburg, Florida.  However, rather than letting her do so, the school board is considering eliminating all non-academic clubs from middle and high school campuses.

Parents, Community Members, and Students Protest

On February 18, 2013, dozens of students, community members, and parents attended a meeting of the Lake County School Board on Monday.  In unity with Bayli, they wore read “Standing with Bayli” shirts.  They urged the board to allow the gay-straight alliance according to the newspaper the Orlando Sentinel. A decision from the board is not expected until April.

The American Civil Liberties Union

Bayli said her application was denied last school year.  She reapplied last November, but didn’t hear from the school’s principal about the status of the application. The school board has not denied Silberstein’s second application.  However earlier in February, it drafted a policy that would put an end to any club that is not tied to a specific class. If this policy goes into place, Bayli’s gay-straight alliance club will not form.

The American Civil Liberties Union reported that Silberstein wanted to form the alliance to combat bullying against LGBT students.  Bayli’s application cited instances of physical abuse and name calling.  Citing the federal Equal Access Act, the ACLU has advised the school district that it cannot pick and choose which clubs to allow based on what they think students should or should not discuss.

Those Opposed to GSA

Some think the real issue is bullying and that students would not get the support they need in a gay-straight alliance.  One school board member feels that gay-straight clubs were tantamount to “social engineering.” Just two years ago, a teacher in Lake County told his students that gay men and women should be allowed to openly serve in the military “only if they were sent to the front lines with no weapons.”

Soccer player Robbie Rogers comes out

Robbie Rogers

Robbie Rogers, a professional soccer player decided to come out as gay and quit the sport. At the age of 25, he was released from the Leeds United last month and explained why he quit soccer on his website.

“Now is my time to step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football. It’s 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended.”

Roger’s played for the Columbus Crew of the MLS before playing for Leeds and most recently League One’s Stevenage. Born and raised in LA, currently living in London.  By coming out, makes him one of a small number of pro-footballers since Justin Fashanu in 1990 to announce publicly.

The Chicago Fire of the MLS owns his rights and head coach Frank Klopas said this after hearing about Rogers’ coming out: “Yesterday I thought he was a very good player and I still think that today. Should Robbie want to return to the game, we would still be open to him being part of the Fire.”

Roger’s also writes on his website:

“For the past 25 year I have been afraid, afraid to show whom I really was because of fear. Fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations.   Fear that my loved ones would be farthest from me if they knew my secret.  Fear that my secret would get in the way of my dreams.”

He tweeted by writing this on his twitter account:

@RobbieRogers “http://www.therobbierogers.com/ Just getting some sh*t off my chest. http://fb.me/2G6VcA57v

Support for Professional Soccer Player Robbie Rogers is spreading across the world. He wrote Saturday a update on his twitter account by saying:

@RobbieRogers “Thank you everyone for all of the support and love. Wasn’t expecting this.”

Share your support or opinions in the comments section. Do you think it was a good decision to step away from the sport to deal with his own personal issues reguarding his sexuality? Should he return to soccer in the future? Share your thoughts.

Tyler Clementi Center Opens at Rutgers University

Family of Suicide Victim Dedicates Research Center on February 4, 2013

Two years after the suicide of their son Tyler, a freshman at Rutgers University, Jane and Joe Clementi and their sons James and Brian unveiled the Tyler Clementi Center at Rutgers. Tyler, in September 2010, took his own life after becoming the victim of cyberbullying. He discovered that his roommate used a webcam to spy on him having sex with another man.  Two days later, he jumped off the George Washington Bridge.

The Center Itself: Near Rutgers Campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey

The Center will draw from academic disciplines across the university and throughout the nation to create new programs and approaches to address issues that confront young people, specifically vulnerable youth making the transition from home to college. The new programs and policies to assist first-year students and high school seniors may be used as models for institutions of higher education throughout the country.

It will offer lectures, training and symposia on such topics as the use and misuse of new technologies and social media; youth suicide, especially among LGBTQ youth, during the transition to adulthood; adjustment and assimilation into college life, bullying and cyberbullying, and promoting and understanding inclusive and safe environments.

The goal of the center is to provide scholarly support for the work of policymakers, social activists, community leaders and other advocates for vulnerable youth or as Jeff Longhofer, associate professor of social work and co-director of the Tyler Clementi Center said the Center “will be devoted to putting theory and academia into action.”  Susan Furrer, executive director of the Center for Applied Psychology, is co-director. Its first lecture in March will be “growing up digital.”  In April, there will be a conference on transgender issues.

What the Center Means to Clementis and College

According to Tyler’s mother Jane, the center’s aim is to “continue the conversation that began twenty-eight months ago.” “ Our hope,” said Mrs. Clementi, “is to take a terrible newsclip and turn it into something positive.  By keeping the dialogue going, we believe we can hopefully make a change in other youths’ lives.”

Joseph Clementi stated that he would like to see the center be “proof that people listen. That people worked harder to reach our youth and help them get through their dark times. That the conversation changed to make sure that personal respect and human dignity was conveyed in person and in the online community.”

Rutgers University executive vice president for academic affairs, Richard L. Edwards, stated “Tyler’s death deeply touched the Rutgers community and brought the issues of cyberbullying and the suicide of gay youth to the attention of the world.  Rutgers has a history of being responsive to the needs of our LGBTQ community as well as offering forward-thinking scholarly work to impact broader cultural change.  It was our sincere wish to work with the Clementi family to turn this tragedy into an effort that would help young people not only at Rutgers but beyond. There are young people like Tyler in every community and in making life better for them we transform Tyler’s experience and enormous promise into a global opportunity for social change.”

Washington Trying to Honor Clementi’s Name as Well

On Capitol Hill, local lawmakers are still fighting to get a bill named after him passed.  The proposed Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act would require all universities to have an anti-harassment policy.

 

 

 

 

 

Boyscouts to end ban on gays

Breaking news:  No details as of yet, but a spokesperson for the Boyscouts of America indicates it will end the restrictions against gay youth from joining their ranks.  The organization has come under increasing pressure after activists such as Zach Wahls, an Eagle scout with two lesbian mothers. Wahls founded the organization Scouts for Equality, which collected more than 1.2 million signatures opposing the anti-gay policy.  Scouts for equality includes 3,151 other Eagle Scouts within its roll. Details to follow.