marriage equality

Super Hot Superhero Lesbian Action: Batwoman Gay…and Engaged

“Girl, have you read the latest?”

Mm-hm…that’s right: Kate Kane loves women!

DC Comics has completely revamped Batwoman’s character arc—her original purpose was solely to be Batman’s (pre-Catwoman) love interest.  In a queer-centric sea change, Batwoman’s independent crime-fighter status has taken new twists and turns.

In brand new storylines pulled from current and relevant events, Batwoman, a.k.a. Kate Kane, has now been dishonorably discharged from the United States army during “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”  Her stunning, strong, intelligent detective girlfriend Maggie Sawyer didn’t yet know her secret identity in this new, modern narrative.

Surely you’d heard that news by now.

Back in 2009, “Lesbian Batwoman” was revealed as DC Comics’ first LGBT superhero.  Since DC comics poured new life into the graphic novel, gone is the safe, staid 1950s character that the world thought they knew.

While these lesbian-themed elements are old news, (just like “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is!), this flame-redheaded lesbian superheroine continues to break new ground.  In a timely romantic gesture, Batwoman’s latest dish is that she’s proposed to her girlfriend, Captain Maggie Sawyer.

These new layers that have been woven into Batwoman’s character arc aren’t only a “win” for lesbian women and LGBT allies, but the new incarnations also bring about strong imagery and encouragement for women in general.  Feminist twists in gaming and comic book storylines are still considered to be edgy, underground, and rare.

Originally created by Sheldon Moldoff, Jack Shiff, Bob Kane and Edmond Hamilton, Batwoman’s more secretive birth narrative had to do with the minds of the writers (Moldoff, Shiff, Kane and Hamilton), who dreamed her up as—essentially—a beard, created to fend off rumors that Batman as depicted in comics was a latent homosexual (mind you, this was in 1956).

The more things change, the more they stay the same…

DC Comics contributing writer Greg Rucka announced to the Comic Book Resources web team, “We have been waiting to unlock her,” he said. “Yes, she’s a lesbian.  She’s also a redhead.  It is an element of her character.  It is not her character.”

With a dreamy desire to rescue you, two (count ‘em, two) power-dyke jobs, humongous guns, and a strong woman who loves her, Batwoman’s a lesbian fan girl fantasy no longer.

This s___ just got real.

C’mon, admit it: powerful women are hot.  You know you love Ms. Lesbian B. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

#ProudToLove: Rainbow-Hearted Reflections on YouTube’s First LGBT Pride Celebration

Loving Equality: Making Summer of Love More #ProudToLove

England’s marriage equality law becomes official in a matter of days.  Marriage Equality and DOMA decisions in the United States continue to send a positive beacon of hope to LGBTQ folks everywhere.

“Set those precedents,” the Litigating Angels seem to be telling us, blowing their glittery faery dust around the world.

Okay, sure…“faery dust” is a bit much—but c’mon: this is the queer “Interwebs” we’re talkin’ about!

With the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court (lifting the same-sex marriage ban) and California following suit, the launch of YouTube’s official LGBTQ-themed #ProudToLove channel rides the waves of change that continue to ripple worldwide.

Continuing its yearly site-wide support of gay rights, parent company Google Inc. created YouTube’s #ProudToLove channel http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbpi6ZahtOH6Ep59vnHOZ0KBngOp-XiUP) and video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDm0zsw9vjY) on June 27.

In like fashion, Google relaunched its customary Rainbow Colored search results just in time for the summer of pride.  This yearly Easter Egg that revealed itself when visitors typed  LGBTQ-focused keywords like “gay,” “lesbian,” “transgender,” “marriage equality,” LGBT” or “bisexual”  (Google’s rainbow search results have been a tradition since 2008—or eons, in Internet years).

Graced with the soundtrack of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love,” YouTube’s #ProudToLove video featured military “coming out” confessionals, Ellen DeGeneres, teenaged hero Jonah Mowry, Davey Wavey, Latrice Royale, Chaz Bono & Cher, Dan Savage, George Takei, Barack Obama at the White House LGBT Pride Month Reception, Willam Belli, and several uber-romantic LGBTQ-themed marriage proposals, all culminating in emphatic yeses.

Prominent and renowned LGBTQ advocacy organizations–if they weren’t already

partnered with the campaign–quickly posted #ProudToLove content in solidarity, chiming in with words, images, videos and sentiments of their own.

Other #ProudToLove ripple effects and highlights include:

Detractors have tried to troll this hashtag and idea, finding little success so far.  Such is the beauty of hashtags: creating instantaneous solidarity and community-building becomes easy-to-understand and propagate.

Pride Month’s really happening all summer long.  Isn’t that always the way?  Kudos to all for making Pride newsworthy every single day.

Being #ProudToLove is an international thing—how do you show your pride?  Who or what are you #ProudToLove? Share your thoughts, videos and tweets with us.  Make sure to include the hashtag, so your peeps can find you!

 

Two Religious Zealots Condemn Homosexuality and Gay Marriage

Two States Considering Gay Marriage Won’t Get Archbishops’ Votes

If St. Paul’s Archbishop John Clay Nienstedt, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, has his wish, Minnesota will not have gay marriage after November 2012 or ever! The Most Reverend Nienstedt has repeatedly asked parishioners to vote and pray against marriage equality.

The Bible Tells Him (and others) So…

Archbishop Nienstedt defends his position by quoting paragraphs 2357, 2358, and 2359 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, rooted in Scripture and based on the Natural Moral Law. He goes a step further and says that Catholics are bound in conscience to believe this teaching and if they don’t, then they “ought not to participate in the sacramental life of the Church.”

Letter to Mother in 2010 SAYS IT ALL

Nienstedt’s views are not new. In 2010, he wrote to a mother who pleaded for acceptance for her gay child, in which he tells the woman she must reject her son according to Catholic teachings, or she might go to Hell as well. “I urge you to reconsider the position that you expressed in your letter. Your eternal salvation may well depend upon a conversation of heart on this topic.”

Catholic Teachings Vs. Mother’s Love of Gay Son

Minnesota Viking and GLBT ally Chris Kluwe wrote an open letter to the Archbishop and Pope Benedict XVI, a rebuttal to Nienstedt’s gay marriage views that appeared in the Star Tribune. Here’s an excerpt from Kluwe’s letter:

“ …It fills me with great sadness and regret that a steward of the Catholic Church on this Earth feels the need to take a stance of oppression, intolerance, and fear.Nowhere does Jesus preach hate or intolerance or loathing.”

“Millions of children grow up raised in the Catholic faith. Some of these children will be gay, through no choice of their own, but because of how God created them. What will these children think as they are belittled and tormented due to teachings you espouse?

“ What purpose does the Church serve attempting to influence the affairs of a secular state? The federal benefits under law currently denied gay couples certainly fall under the realm of Caesar, don’t they? No one is forcing the Catholic Church to marry gay couples if that is not the Church’s wish.”

“All I ask from you, Archbishop Nienstedt, and from you, Pope Benedict XVI, is to practice the most basic teaching found in the Bible – empathy. “ To read the entire letter from Kluwe, see

“Chris Kluwe Tackles Archbishop Who Told Woman to Reject Gay Son or Burn,” Queerty, 10/10/12.

Catholic Church Soldiers On Against Marriage Equality

Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Catholic Diocese of Yakima, Washington, has been urging his parishioners to vote against  the ballot measure Referendum 74 for marriage equality.  Why? Tyson espouses the following:

  • R 74’s concept of marriage is wrong: any two consenting adults desire.
  • It’s offensive to Basic Human Rights and Equality.
  • It redefines marriage and ignores the significance of the human body as well as sexual difference and complementarity, understood in spiritual, biological, psychological, and emotional fullness.
  • As a law, it conditions our society to forget or ignore basic human rights and equality and leaves children the most vulnerable.

Gay Marriage will Endanger Religious Liberty

In his pastoral letter dated October 6, 2012, Bishop Tyson says that gay marriage endangers our religious liberty and the right of conscience. Once marriage is redefined as a genderless contract, it will become, according to him, legally discriminatory for public and private institutions such as schools to promote the unique meaning of marriage…

“The acceptance of R-74 means that so-called same-sex “marriage” will replace real marriage – the union of a man and a woman – as the legal frame of reference for all public discourse.”

From The Pulpit to You: Preserve Marriage

Experts, political analysts all agree that marriage equality has sharply divided the state’s Catholicism. Catholics for Marriage Equality have delivered rebuttals by issuing letters and videos opposing marriage equality to Tyson and his fellow bishops in Seattle’s Archdiocese of Seattle and Spokane.

The Right Reverend Tyson has asked worshippers in his 41 parishes to donate money to defeat Referendum 74. Washington, has received, to date, nearly $6 million for its Washington United for Marriage whereas Preserve Marriage Washington has received less than $500,000 in donations.