Tweets, photos, videos and other posts about LGBT people and the GOP National Convention.
HRC Twitter campaign: 'Tell Ann Romney: My Same-Sex Marriage is Real, Too'
Tuesday night, Ann Romney told the Republican National Convention that she and Mitt have "a real marriage:"
"I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a storybook marriage. Well, let me tell you something. In the storybooks I read, there never were long, long rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once, and those storybooks never seemed to have chapter's called M.S. or breast cancer. A storybook marriage? Nope, not at all. What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage."
Wednesday, HRC (Human Rights Campaign), launched a Twitter campaign: "Tell Ann: My Same-Sex Marriage is Real, Too."
Last night during Ann Romney’s keynote at the Republican National Convention, she lauded her “real marriage.”
Across the country, there are thousands of legally married same-sex couples that equally understand Ann’s “deep and profound love” for her husband, and we applaud the Romneys 43 years of wedded bliss.
Lesbian and gay couples feel the same love, honor and commitment the Romneys feel for each other. Thanks to marriage equality legislation, couples in six states and D.C., are able to celebrate their own “real marriages.”
Let’s congratulate Ann and Mitt on their “real marriage” by reminding her of the love same-sex couples also share.
Because of #marriagequality, my same-sex partner & I have a #realmarriage too, @AnnDRomney #GOP2012 @hrc
Barbara Walters to host event celebrating first anniversary of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal
News release from SLDN, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network:
ABC News Legend Barbara Walters to Host Celebration of American Troops
September 18 event in New York City will mark one year anniversary of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, honor Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
(New York, NY) – Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), OutServe, and the Interbank Roundtable Committee (IRC) today announced that journalist Barbara Walters will serve as emcee for the upcoming event, “Celebrating Our Heroes,” scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 18 aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum in New York City. Marking the first anniversary of the repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law, the event will be a tribute to all American service members and will honor former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, who played a significant leadership role in repeal, which took place on September 20, 2011.
“The addition of Barbara Walters as our emcee for the evening makes an already exciting lineup even more spectacular. It’s only fitting that America’s most influential and accomplished journalist - who has made history herself a time or two - would join us for this historic and emotional event,” said Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.
Walters has arguably interviewed more political figures and celebrities than any other journalist in history. She is so well known that her name and a brief biography is listed in the American Heritage Dictionary. In September 2004, after 25 years as co-host and chief correspondent of ABC News' 20/20, Ms. Walters left the show to begin a new phase in her career at the network as co-owner, co-executive producer and co-host of The View. She remains an active member of the news division and network, substantially increasing the number of primetime ABC News specials, in addition to her "Barbara Walters Specials." Through the years she has interviewed such world figures as Russia's Boris Yeltsin, China's Premier Jiang Zemin, Great Britain's former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Libya's Moammar Qadaffi and Iraq's President Sadaam Hussein. She was also the first American journalist to interview Russia's President Vladimir Putin and the first to interview President and Mrs. Bush following September 11. She has interviewed every American President and First Lady since Richard Nixon. She made journalism history by arranging the first joint interview with Egypt's President Anwar Sadat and Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin in November 1977.
"Having someone of Barbara Walters’ depth of world experience and caliber is a perfect match for this tribute to Admiral Mullen's courage in helping our nation live out its promise of equality for all,” said Elizabeth Birch, former President of the Human Rights Campaign and a key organizer of the event.
The September 18 celebration in New York City will be the first in a series events hosted by SLDN and OutServe across the country during the week to commemorate the first year of open service by America's gay and lesbian service members. The anniversary of repeal is September 20.
The September 18 event is sponsored by: UBS - Verizon - BNY Mellon - GlaxoSmithKline - Bank of America - DiversityInc - Winston & Strawn LLP - Viacom - MillerCoors - Absolut - Citigroup - UPS - Renna Communications - Ernst & Young - Honda - General Motors - Human Rights Campaign - Merck - Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP - Credit Suisse - SAP - Interbank Roundtable Committee - Financial Services Industry Exchange (FSIX) - The Out NYC - XL Nightclub - KTCHN Restaurant
The event will begin with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m. A general admission event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will conclude at 9:30 p.m. For more information, to sponsor the event, or to purchase tickets, visit www.sldn.org/intrepid2012.
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ABOUT SLDN: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members with questions are urged to contact the SLDN hotline to speak with a staff attorney: Call 1-800-538-7418 or 202-328-3244 x100. For more information, visit www.sldn.org.
ABOUT OUTSERVE: OutServe is the association of actively-serving LGBT military personnel. With more than 5,500 members and 50+ chapters worldwide, it is one of the largest LGBT employee resource groups in the world. OutServe works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. For more information, visit www.outserve.org.
ABOUT INTERBANK ROUNDTABLE COMMITTEE: The Interbank Roundtable Committee’s (IRC) is a voluntary NY-based ‘network of networks’ with representatives from 28 financial services industry organization’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Employee Resource Groups (ERG). The IRC serves as an open forum where members share best practices on promoting inclusive work environments and policies, engaging senior management and straight allies, building ERG membership and coordinating networking, professional development, and philanthropic activities across the industry. The IRC helps members build their professional network within the financial industry, while also promoting the financial industry as the industry of choice for LGBT individuals. For more information, visit www.interbanknyc.org.
Gossip Extra: Mark Foley, Grover Norquist work gay GOP convention shindig
From columnist Jose Lambiet of Gossip Extra:
While Ann Romney lavished praises on her would-be president husband Mitt Romney on the stage of the Republican National Convention in Tampa last night, former U.S. Congressman Mark Foley worked a different kind of crowd a few miles east.
The Lake Worth native, 57, who represented on Capitol Hill a district that stretched from Palm Beach to St. Lucie counties, mingled with partygoers at the gay Republicans’ wingding.
Thrown by GOProud, a group of gay conservatives, and dubbed Homocon, No Ordinary Song and Dance, the shindig quickly became a major convention event.
New Zealand passes first stage of gay marriage law
BY NICK PERRY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- New Zealand lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly cast a first vote in favor of a gay marriage bill that was given impetus by President Barack Obama's public support of the issue.
The 80 to 40 vote in front of a packed and cheering public gallery was the first of three votes Parliament must hold before the bill can become law, a process that typically takes several months and allows the public to weigh in. Only a simple majority was needed to ensure a second vote, and the margin is a strong indication that the bill will be passed.
Should New Zealand pass the measure into law, it would become the 12th country since 2001 to recognize same-sex marriage. Some states in the U.S. also recognize such marriages, but the federal government does not.
Polls indicate about two-thirds of New Zealanders support gay marriage. It also has the support of most of the country's political leaders.
Russians sue Madonna over her support of gay rights; she tells U.S. fans to appreciate freedom
BY MESFIN FEKADU, AP MUSIC WRITER
PHILADELPHIA -- As she kicked off the U.S. leg of her "MDNA Tour" in Philadelphia, Madonna said she was happy to party in the USA after touring Europe for three months.
The pop icon told the crowd Tuesday night they should "never forget how lucky you are to live where you live and to have the freedom that you have." She made the comments after talking about the arrest of three members of the punk-rock female band Pussy Riot. The women were sentenced to two years in prison after performing a "punk prayer" at Moscow's Christ the Savior cathedral in which they called on the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from its leader, Vladimir Putin.
"In my travels around the world the one thing I truly witnessed is we in America have freedom of speech, freedom of expression," the singer said.
Russian activists recently sued Madonna for millions of dollars, claiming they were offended by her support for gay rights during her show in St. Petersburg. A law passed in February makes it illegal to promote homosexuality to minors, and the author of that law has pointed to the presence of children as young as 12 at Madonna's concert on Aug. 9. (Minors also attended Madonna's U.S. show.)
San Francisco 49ers to LGBT teens: It Gets Better
The San Francisco 49ers have released an It Gets Better video telling LGBT teens to believe in themselves and look to the future. The video ends by telling teens in crisis to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK or The Trevor Project, 1-866-488-7386.
GOP platform backs constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man, one woman
BY PHILIP ELLIOT AND ALAN FRAM, ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA, Fla. -- Republicans emphatically approved a toughly worded party platform at their national convention Tuesday that would ban all abortions and gay marriages, reshape Medicare into a voucher-like program and cut taxes to energize the economy and create jobs.
MARRIAGE: The platform affirms the rights of states and the federal government not to recognize same-sex marriage. It backs a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
'The Sterile Cuckoo' starring Oscar-nominated Liza Minnelli to be released Oct. 16 on Blu-ray, DVD
The Sterile Cuckoo, the film that made Liza Minnelli a movie star and earned her a first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, will be released Oct. 16 for the first time on Blu-ray and DVD.
From Olive Films:
August 28, 2012 – The Sterile Cuckoo will be released on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time on October 16, 2012 by Olive Films. Alan J. Pakula’s 1968 directorial debut stars Liza Minnelli (Cabaret) as Pookie Adams, a relentlessly kooky coed who falls in love with a reserved young college student, Jerry Payne (Wendell Burton). She actively pursues the shy boyish-man and helps him through the tough first months in school. They both benefit from the relationship; he gains self-confidence and she’s now able to come to grips with her unhappy home life, but sadly he gradually outgrows her. This very realistic and heartbreaking love story received two Oscar® nominations, one for Minnelli (Best Actress) and one for Fred Karlin and Dory Previn for their song, “Come Saturday Morning”.
“The Sterile Cuckoo is a kook named 'Pookie,' a wacky, wisecracking, motherless, outrageously adorable, collegiate gamin (from a novel by Jack Nichols) who comes on like gangbusters. Liza Minnelli plays the role, and her fragile, funny, freshman love affair with an undergraduate entomologist (Wendell Burton in his first screen role) is in a class by itself … It is Minnelli's one-woman show.” - The Hollywood Reporter
1969 | Color | 107 Minutes | Rated PG | Anamorphic Widescreen
Young Conservatives and Log Cabin Republicans call for Freedom to Marry in full-page ad in Tampa
News release from Log Cabin Republicans:
Young Conservatives and Log Cabin Republicans Call for Freedom to Marry in Full-Page Ad in Tampa
Also Highlighting Marriage as Conservative Value in Brunch During RNC
(Tampa) - With the Republican National Convention in full swing, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry and Log Cabin Republicans will be running an ad in Wednesday's Tampa Tribune calling on the GOP to support the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples.
The full-page color ad, featuring photos of same-sex couples and their families, emphasizes that the freedom to marry is fully consistent with principles valued by conservatives: freedom, personal responsibility, and the importance of family. The ad comes in the wake of the party's extreme stance on marriage in its draft platform, which includes support for a federal constitutional amendment banning the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Tony Perkins, the president of the anti-gay Family Research Council, authored the marriage plank, which is expected to be ratified at the convention.
"Gay or straight, Republicans are united in the belief that strong families are critical to a free society," said R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans. "As fellow conservatives, Log Cabin Republicans actually agree with Tony Perkins about the importance of family values. The difference is, we believe that the freedom to marry is directly in line with the core ideals and principles of the Republican Party - less government, more individual freedom, personal responsibility and the importance of family."
"The writing is on the wall for the Republican Party: Stand up for the values they say they believe in, or risk being seen as irrelevant with younger conservatives," said Sarah Longwell, Vice President at Berman and Company and a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee. "This is a party that should support freedom - for all people, and all families."
The ad reads:
"The Institution of marriage is the foundation of civil society. Its success as an institution will determine our success as a nation."
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, GOP PlatformWe agree. That's why Log Cabin Republicans and Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry believe that government should stop denying marriage licenses to committed gay and lesbian families. As conservatives, we believe that the freedom to marry is directly in line with the core ideals and principles of the Republican Party.
Family values means valuing ALL families.
Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is hosting a complimentary brunch at the convention today, in partnership with Log Cabin Republicans. The program will be MC'ed by Margaret Hoover, a political strategist and CNN contributor who also is a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee. Andrew Langer, the president of the Institute for Liberty, will also speak.
