Gay pride march banned in Serbia
(Belgrade, Serbia)  Serbian authorities have banned a gay pride march and an anti-gay protest planned in the nation's capital this weekend to avoid violence. When two similar events occurred side by side in Serbia's capital last year, about 100 people were injured, cars were burned and shops were looted in clashes between police and the anti-gay, far-right extremists. So the gay pride march and the anti-gay protest planned in Belgrade on Sunday have been banned "to avoid bloodshed," Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Friday. Anti-gay prejudice is widespread in Serbia, a predominantly conservative Balkan country. The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, has called gay pride marches a "parade of shame" that are "foreign to our history, tradition and culture." But Serbia has been urged by the West to protect the human rights of gays and other minorities, if it wants to one day join the European Union. On Friday, Serbia's President Boris Tadic backed the ban of Sunday's events, saying it was imposed to "prevent violence and the possible loss of lives." Gay pride organizers said the ban represents a defeat for the state and shows that authorities have not cracked down on the far-right extremists since the clashes a year ago. "It is totally unbelievable that police have not clamped down against the extremists," said Goran Miletic of the organizing committee. "We have spent four months preparing the gay pride march, and the authorities have done nothing." But the ultranationalist Obraz, or Honor, group said that the ban presented a "victory for the Serb patriots." Police said anti-gay extremists had planned to set buildings on fire in the suburbs of Belgrade on Sunday and to clash with police in the center of the capital. Foreign diplomats had planned to attend the gay pride march in a show of support for human rights in Serbia. Minister Dacic said the ban would prevent a possible repeat of the burning of U.S. and other Western embassies in the capital that occurred in 2008 during protests against Kosovo's declaration of independence.
Contributer:

Goodbye, from Ali Davis
During the run-up to the 2008 election, I started phone banking to try to stop Prop 8. I’m an introvert, and phone banking involved plunging into a room full of strangers to call more strangers to talk about one hell of a touchy political issue. Also there was occasional motivational chanting. I called my friend Jenny Hagel and ran out her voicemail wondering why I do these things to myself. After she was done laughing at me, Jenny suggested I get in touch with the wonderful Jennifer Vanasco and send her a piece about what it was like. Jay said my article needed to be at least 350 words long. I believe I sent her five pages. And thus one of my favorite freelancing relationships ever was born. In addition to working with one of my favorite editors ever, I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the site. 365Gay is the first place I turned when Prop 8 passed to try to make sense of things. It was a place to get real information, to see the story covered by the people it affected most, and to see the huge spectrums of reaction across the LGBT community. Reading 365Gay helped me sort out the difference between productive and unproductive anger and decide what I was going to do about it. I also got an education on how broad the LGBT political spectrum can be. Checking out the responses to articles – or simply discovering that a substantial portion of our audience hated, hated, hated “RachelWatch” – was interesting, funny, and infuriating. And it was a level of diversity in the community that I needed to know about. 365Gay is why I went to Washington for the Equality March and met so many cool readers… And then went back again to compete with the hilarious James Withers for Most Conspicuous Reporter at the Glenn Beck rally. It has tested my ability to research, explain, and make jokes on tight deadlines. And it has cemented my belief that making fun of bigots is good for the soul. 365Gay been a haven, a touchstone, and a place where I am schooled just when I think I have a handle on things. Thanks for the warm welcome, 365Gay staff, contributors, and readers. I will miss this place. Stay strong, smart, funny, and fabulous. I hope I see you on the outside.
Contributer:

Where should you go for LGBT news?
That's the question we've been hearing over and over, once we announced that 365gay was closing. There is Twitter, of course, which is a great way to get the absolute latest in news. But here are my suggestions of LGBT news-focused sites to read regularly, based on a combination of what I read, what people I know read, and accepted wisdom. Note that I have NOT included mainstream sites like the NY Times, though they do a very good job of covering gay issues. And I'm limiting it to news (or news-ish) sites. I'm sure I've left folks out - be sure to put your faves in the comments. Support your local - and internet - gay media so they can support you! News: Updated daily The Advocate: http://www.Advocate.com [1] The Washington Blade: http://www.washingtonblade.com [2] Philadelphia Gay News: http://www.epgn.com [3] Steve Rothaus' Gay South Florida: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/ [4] Gay Voices (new site for the Huffington Post): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gay-voices/ [5] Good Regional pubs  Metroweekly: http://www.metroweekly.com/ [6]  Gay City News: http://www.gaycitynews.com/gay_city_news/front/ [7] L.A. Frontiers: http://www.frontiersla.com [8] Bay Area Reporter: http://www.ebar.com [9] The  Wisconsin Gazette: http://www.wisconsingazette.com/ [10] Windy City Times: http://www.windycitytimes.com/ [11] Blogs LGBT/POV: http://www.lgbtpov.com/ [12] Americablog Gay: http://gay.americablog.com/ [13]  Towleroad.com: http://www.towleroad.com [14]  Pam's House Blend: http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/ [15] Queerty: http://www.queerty.com [16] Bilerico Project: http://www.bilerico.com/ [17] Plus - Follow our contributors! Jennifer Vanasco: @JenniferVanasco http://www.Twitter.com/JenniferVanasco [18] (LGBT news from around the web) http://www.JenniferVanasco.com [19] (soon to be a new site...) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-vanasco [20] James Withers: http://whattheworlddoesnotneed.blogspot.com/ [21] https://twitter.com/#!/JamesWithers3 [22] John Culhane: http://wordinedgewise.org/ [23] Ali Davis:  @Ali_Davis http://twitter.com/#!/Ali_Davis [24]  http://davisexmachina.wordpress.com/ [25]   http://www.afterellen.com/tv/gay-girls-goggles-dancing-with-the-stars-snap-cap-13-2 [26] (Dancing with the Stars recaps) Jon Fairbanks: http://www.Twitter.com/JonFairbanks [27] David Badash: http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/ [28] Lisa Keen: http://www.keennewsservice.com/ [29] Michael Derry (Troy)http://www.troycomics.com/ [30] Ask the Expert (Joe Kort! Herman Chan! Shawn Hollenbach!) lives on at: http://www.NewNowNext.com [31] [1] http://www.Advocate.com [2] http://www.365gay.comhttp:://www.washingtonblade.com [3] http://www.epgn.com [4] http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/ [5] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gay-voices/ [6] http://www.metroweekly.com/ [7] http://www.gaycitynews.com/gay_city_news/front/ [8] http://www.frontiersla.com [9] http://www.ebar.com [10] http://www.wisconsingazette.com/ [11] http://www.windycitytimes.com/ [12] http://www.lgbtpov.com/ [13] http://gay.americablog.com/ [14] http://www.towleroad.com [15] http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/ [16] http://www.queerty.com [17] http://www.bilerico.com/ [18] http://www.twitter.com/JenniferVanasco [19] http://www.JenniferVanasco.com [20] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-vanasco [21] http://whattheworlddoesnotneed.blogspot.com/ [22] https://twitter.com/#!/JamesWithers3 [23] http://wordinedgewise.org/ [24] http://twitter.com/#!/Ali_Davis [25] http://davisexmachina.wordpress.com/ [26] http://www.afterellen.com/tv/gay-girls-goggles-dancing-with-the-stars-snap-cap-13-2 [27] http://www.Twitter.com/JonFairbanks [28] http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/ [29] http://www.keennewsservice.com/ [30] http://www.troycomics.com/ [31] http://www.NewNowNext.com
Contributer:

Appeals court tosses gays in military lawsuit
(San Francisco)  A federal appeals court refused Thursday to decide the constitutionality of the military's now-repealed "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning openly gay troops, saying the issue has been resolved since Americans can enlist and serve in the armed forces without regard to sexual orientation. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco tossed out a lawsuit that had challenged the military policy as a violation of gay service members' civil rights. In doing so, the appeals court also dismissed a Southern California trial judge's year-old ruling that the policy was unconstitutional. The gay rights group Log Cabin Republicans filed the lawsuit in 2004 challenging the policy. The group's lawyer, Dan Woods, said he would ask the full 9th Circuit to review the panel's decision. The group recently argued the lower court ruling, which also barred enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell" should remain in effect despite this month's repeal because future administrations and lawmakers could reintroduce a ban on gay service. The three judges strongly disagreed in their Thursday opinion, saying the case is moot because there is nothing left to challenge regarding the policy enacted as section 654. "This suit became moot when the repeal of section 654 took effect on Sept. 20," the ruling said. "If Log Cabin filed suit today seeking a declaration that section 654 is unconstitutional or an injunction against its application (or both), there would be no Article III controversy because there is no section 654." The panel specifically rejected Log Cabins' assertion that the appeals court should decide the underlying constitutional issues to prevent future limitations or outright bans on military service by gay and lesbian Americans. "We cannot say with virtual certainty that the Congress that passed the Repeal Act - or a future Congress whose composition, agenda, and circumstances we cannot know - will reenact don't ask, don't tell," the judges said. "We can only speculate, and our speculation cannot breathe life into this case." Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper said he was disappointed, noting that the favorable ruling his group obtained in the lower court played a major role in persuading policy makers to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." "Log Cabin Republicans v. United States said more than `don't ask, don't tell' should be repealed - it stood for the fundamental constitutional rights of service members not to be discriminated against by the nation they serve," Cooper said. "This decision by the 9th Circuit denies more than 14,000 discharged gay and lesbian service members an important means of obtaining justice for the wrong perpetuated against them under the ban, and leaves open the possibility of future violations of service members' rights." One of the three panelists, Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain, went out of his way in a concurring opinion to dispute that either the U.S. Constitution or the Supreme Court's interpretation of it provided "a member of the armed forces (with) a constitutionally protected right to engage in homosexual acts or to state that he or she is a homosexual while continuing to serve in the military." O'Scannlain also criticized the lower court judge who invalidated "don't ask, don't tell" last year, U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips. He accused Phillips of willfully failing "to apply established law" so she could issue a ruling "that invalidated a considered congressional policy and imposed a wholly novel view of constitutional liberty on the entire United States."
Contributer:

With NY gay teen’s suicide come spotlight, caution
(Buffalo, NY) Taunted since grade school for hanging out with girls, 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer told his parents things were finally getting better since high school started. Meanwhile, on a blog his parents didn't know about, he posted increasingly desperate notes ruminating on suicide, bullying, homophobia and pop singer Lady Gaga. A few days later, he hanged himself outside his home in suburban Buffalo, quickly gaining a fame like that described in one of his idol's songs. Activists, journalists and Gaga herself seized on the suicide, decrying the loss of another promising life to bullying. A cherubic school picture of him pervaded the Internet and television, as well as a video he had posted earlier about his experience. But what the incomplete and conflicting portrait of Rodemeyer's life did not convey were the complexities of the teenage mind and the reality that bullying is rarely the sole factor at work. It also highlighted the risk of creating an icon at the price of glamorizing suicide as an option for other bullied or attention-seeking teens. "If we portray it as something that is admirable and very sympathetic, vulnerable youth may hear that as, `Look at the attention this case is getting and everyone is feeling sorry and praising this individual,' and it can form a narrative that can be compelling," said Ann Haas, senior project specialist at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Like in other prominent teenage deaths linked to bullying or intimidation - notably Phoebe Prince, an Irish immigrant in Massachusetts taunted by classmates after she dated a popular boy, and Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University freshman whose roommate is accused of spying on his same-sex encounter via webcam - police are investigating to see whether any bullying constituted a crime. Tracy Rodemeyer said her son was hurt deeply by words from the time he was very young. Boys started picking on him in elementary school, she said. "People would say, `Oh my god, you're such a girl. What are you, gay? That kind of stuff," she told The Associated Press in an interview last week. By middle school, the bullying was overwhelming, she said. His friends would report the abuse, and school officials would pull the boy and the alleged bullies into the office. Rodemeyer also regularly saw a school social worker, who would call his mother after meetings. "People would be like `faggot, fag,' and they'd taunt me in the hallways and I felt like I could never escape it," he said in a YouTube video posted in May as part of columnist Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" project, which seeks to give voices and hope to bullied gay and lesbian teenagers. The teen's video has now been viewed more than a million times. He had talked about suicide in the past but denied recently that the bullying had carried over to high school, which he started shortly before his death, his mother said. He was making plans to attend dances with girlfriends and had talked about the next family vacation and Halloween. His parents monitored his Facebook posts but said they didn't know about a separate Tumblr blog, on which he identified himself as gay, filled with troubling posts like "Stop bullying people. Maybe they won't commit suicide" and "Ugh today makes me wanna kill myself." His final blog and Twitter posts on Sept. 18, the day he died, thanked Gaga. He also wrote: "I pray the fame won't take my life," possibly a reference to her song and album "The Fame." When Gaga projected his image on a screen during a concert in Las Vegas last weekend and dedicated a song to him, his celebrity status was undeniable. When a Gaga song began playing at the school homecoming dance the day of the teen's wake, his sister and her friends began dancing and chanting, "Jamey." Some schoolmates responded by yelling that they were glad he was dead, his father, Tim, told the AP. School officials are investigating. Neither Savage, who appeared on network news shows after the suicide, nor Gaga have responded to AP requests for comment. Gaga has promised to push President Barack Obama to make a law in his memory. If he does, Rodemeyer wouldn't be the first gay suicide victim to be memorialized with such legislation. Two New Jersey lawmakers are pushing a federal anti-harassment and cyberbullying bill bearing Clementi's name. New Jersey's own anti-bullying laws were tightened following the death of 18-year-old Clementi on Sept. 22, 2010, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and New York amid a rash of suicides nationwide that brought attention to the problem. Clementi's roommate has been charged with a hate crime and invasion of privacy. The death of Prince, a heterosexual teen who killed herself in Massachusetts in January 2010, resulted in civil rights charges against five of her classmates and then plea deals, as well as state legislation called "Phoebe's Law" to crack down on bullying. Suicide prevention and human rights groups, saying some of the news coverage of those and other deaths was oversimplified or sensationalized, collaborated last year on guidelines for talking publicly about suicide with the hope of preventing copycat deaths. The problem has occurred to Tracy Rodemeyer, who wrestled with whether to continue her son's anti-bullying message. "You don't want to glorify this and make it where the kids are going to be copycats," she said, describing conversations she had with her son's peers while dropping off his no-longer-needed rented cello at school. "All the kids I talked to at school, I said: `Look at this, children. Would you want your family to have to have to go through this?'" David McFarland, acting executive director and chief executive of the Trevor Project, a help line for LGBT teenagers who may be contemplating suicide, said the focus should be on educating families, schools and communities. Anti-bullying curriculums in schools are not without controversy, as in the case of Minnesota's Anoka-Hennepin School District, whose policy came under criticism after six students committed suicide in less than two years. In July, five current and former students sued, saying a policy requiring staff to remain neutral when sexual orientation is discussed in the classroom prevents teachers from effectively protecting kids perceived as gay. School officials have defended the policy as a reasonable way to balance the family ideologies seen in the suburban Minneapolis district. McFarland urged looking beyond the individual. "There's the personal story about Jamey and his family, and our hearts go out to them and that community," McFarland said, "but as a whole, this is an issue facing youth across this country, particularly LGBT youth." The boy's mother said she does want other children to know about help lines like the Trevor Project when contemplating suicide. "The very second Jamey made that decision and followed through was the very second he found out it was a mistake, but there's no going back," she said she told her son's schoolmates. "I want to say I know my boy's at peace with himself, but there are other ways" to handle life's problems.
Contributer:

Troy 289: Happy Days
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]   Cheers to 365gay.com [7]! They’ve been publishing my silly, little comic for about 10 years now. They will surely be missed. Best of luck to all my fellow 365gay.com [7] contributors in their new endeavors, especially to Jennifer Vanasco, who’s been my editor for the past five years. I hope all you readers will continue to follow Troy over at TroyComics.com [9]. Michael Derry [1] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Troy289HappyDays_1.jpg [2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Troy289HappyDays_2.jpg [3] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Troy289HappyDays_3.jpg [4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Troy289HappyDays_4.jpg [5] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Troy289HappyDays_5.jpg [6] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/Troy289HappyDays_6.jpg [7] http://365gay.com/ [8] http://365gay.com/ [9] http://www.TroyComics.com
Contributer:

Withers: The sister of a dead boy is mocked
Few days left before we close shop. Before today's rant, I want to make sure you all saw Jay's [1]invite for a drink this Friday. If you are in NYC, drop by and say adios. I love this country for multiple reasons. It birthed the music of Duke Ellington [2], Billie Holiday [3], and Howlin' Wolf [4]. The Constitution is a document that grants rights and protections. When first penned it was an imperfect, but debate, amendments, a Civil War, and elections have expanded the meaning of freedom (much to the chagrin of Rick Santorum [5]). [6] Another reason for my country love is that asshat status is no crime. No one really likes jerks, but fool status doesn't lead to jail time. If it did our clown in residence [7] and Doanld Trump [8] would be serving triple life. Thinking about douches this morning after reading this story about Alyssa Rodemeyer [9] (thanks to Towleroad for the link). Her younger brother, Jamey, was buried this past weekend. He took his own life after enduring years of taunts for being gay. Alyssa goes to a homecoming dance. A tribute song is played for her dead brother. The kids who bullied him yell the following: "We're glad you're dead" and "You're better off dead." Now these were children, cowardly ones at that, but what can be gained from yelling at the sister? Let's say these kids didn't  like Jamey (their right), are they so depraved they felt  a need to share that with a family member?     [1] http://www.365gay.com/news/in-nyc-come-toast-the-end-of-365gay-on-friday-with-the-editorial-team/ [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOlpcJhNyDI [3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDlKb2cBAqU [4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBLzTD2wTzg [5] http://www.365gay.com/news/081811-thursday-watercooler/ [6] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-bullying-child-school-top.jpg [7] http://www.365gay.com/news/092611-monday-watercooler/ [8] http://www.365gay.com/blog/050311-trump-compares-gay-marriage-to-unattractive-putters/ [9] http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/alyssa.html
Contributer:

Census: 131,729 gay couples report they’re married
(Washington) Increasingly visible, the number of gay Americans telling the U.S. census they're living with same-sex partners nearly doubled in the past decade, to about 650,000 couples. And more than 130,000 recorded partners as husband or wife. Census figures released Tuesday provide a rare snapshot of married and unmarried same-sex couples in the U.S. based on the government count conducted last year, when gay marriage was legal in five states and the District of Columbia. It comes at a time when public opposition to gay marriage is easing and advocacy groups are seeking a state-by-state push for broader legal rights. Some 131,729 same-sex couples checked "husband" or "wife" boxes on their decennial census forms, the first time people could do so, after gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts starting in 2004. That 2010 tally of married gay couples is higher than the actual number of legal marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships in the U.S. Even after New York legalized gay marriage in June, a Census Bureau consultant, Gary Gates of UCLA, put the actual number of legally recognized gay partnerships at 100,000. "There's no dispute the same-sex population increases from 2000 and 2010," said Martin O'Connell, chief of the fertility and family statistics branch at the Census Bureau. In cases of couples who reported they were living in a marriage relationship, "they basically responded that way because that is truly how they felt they were living." The total of 646,464 gay couples in the U.S. was a downward revision of the Census Bureau's count of 901,997 released last month. The bureau said Tuesday it had to make the adjustment after determining that coding errors resulted in an exaggerated count for the initial number. Still, researchers believe the new estimate could be as much as 15 percent lower than the actual number of gay couples in the U.S. because of social stigma, discrimination or other concerns about confidentiality. In a small number of cases, younger gay couples also may not have been counted in the census if they were "doubling up" in a home where neither was the head of household. Based on revisions made to the 2000 census figure as well, the number of same-sex couples nationwide rose 80 percent from an adjusted 2000 figure of 358,390. Previously, the Census Bureau had reported there were 594,391 same-sex couples in the U.S. in 2000. Nationwide, about 51 percent of the couples last year were female. Nearly one in five of the same-sex couples was raising children at home - widely distributed among those who reported being in marriage relationships and those who were not. Broken down by state, the highest rates of increase in gay couples - both married and unmarried - were in lesser-populated states such as West Virginia, Montana, the Dakotas, Oklahoma and Kentucky, each rising at least 150 percent from 2000. In contrast, the larger, more traditional gay places including the District of Columbia, California and New York, posted the smallest percentage increases - 60 percent or less. Gay rights groups say the latest census numbers are an important step in increasing visibility and helping to dispel notions that they live primarily in big cities on the two coasts. Still, because the census forms do not ask about sexual orientation, some activists have complained that single gays - as opposed to those with live-in spouses and partners - have no means of gaining collective representation through the census. "Every step is a step forward in acknowledging that, yes, we do exist," said Lois Farnham, of Burlington, Vt., who recorded a civil union with Holly Puterbaugh the first day they were allowed in 2000 and then legally married her in 2009. Farnham, 67, said she expected the census numbers would underestimate the number of people in such relationships, noting that many same-sex couples keep quiet about their married status. "They can't share that with a lot of people for family or job security reasons. It's still an issue and people are still being discriminated against," she said. Puterbaugh, 65, said many couples live as if they're married without making it formal. "You have to remember that there are many straight couples who have chosen not to marry for whatever reason that may be," she said. Brian Moulton, chief legislative counsel at the Human Rights Campaign, described the latest census numbers as a "tremendous increase," demonstrating a culture shift and sending a signal to local officials and governments that gays and lesbians exist and deserve rights and benefits. "A lot of couples who are reporting they are same-sex are in places where it's been legally and culturally more challenging for our community," he said. "That's not a reflection of couples suddenly popping out of nowhere - the culture is changing in those places to a degree people feel comfortable coming out on the census form." The new same-sex data come as battlegrounds lie ahead over gay rights. Voters in North Carolina and Minnesota will be deciding next year on the fate of constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, while the Maryland Legislature is expected to consider a bill that would legalize it. An August poll by The Associated Press and the National Constitutional Center found a narrow majority of Americans support legal recognition of same-sex marriage - 53 percent to 44 percent opposed. That is largely unchanged from last year but a shift from 2009, when a slim majority opposed government recognition of gay marriage. In 2000, citing the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Bush administration directed the Census Bureau to re-code same-sex couples who identified themselves as married to be counted as unmarried partners. Pressed by gay-rights groups in 2009, the Obama administration reversed that policy, allowing the bureau to count same-sex couples as married. Last week, the U.S. military passed a historic milestone with the repeal of its "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly. The census figures were welcomed by many gay people. "It makes me feel like I am part of this country," said Al Koski, 69, a retired Social Security claims representative from Bourne, Mass., who married his partner Jim Fitzgerald in 2007 after they were together for more than 30 years. "I don't have to be in the background anymore. I am glad people are coming out of the closet and are not afraid to check that box." Koski said he is hopeful that the census count will help in the push to legalize gay marriage in other states. "Every time I see something happening, like `don't ask, don't tell' falling by the wayside, every time something happens, it's another little domino falling," he said. The highest share of households with reported same-sex couples - both married and unmarried - was in Washington, D.C., at nearly 2 percent. Washington was followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Delaware, New Mexico and Washington state. On the other end of the scale, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming had the smallest shares, each with less than one-third of 1 percent.
Contributer: