Big Queer Blog - Entries from July 2007 - Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (LGBT)

Wednesday, July 18. 2007

Rachel Tiven & Bill O'Reilly Discuss Gay Immigration

Rachel Tiven, Executive Director of Immigration Equality and a Big Queer friend, discussed the Uniting American Families Act yesterday with Bill O'Reilly on Fox News.

Mr. O'Reilly couldn't get past the bedroom as he insisted that the only way to know for sure if gays were in committed relationships would be to go into their bedrooms since we can't show a marriage certificate like straight couples can. Ms. Tiven went head to head with Mr. O. trying to set the record straight (pun intended) that there's more to getting a green card for straight couples under current laws than just simply showing a marriage certificate and gay couples would also have to prove they are actually interdependent couples.

Currently 16 countries support same-sex immigration and allow their citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners that are not citizens including Brazil, South Africa, Australia, and Israel. In many cases queer Americans are leaving the US, their extended families and their homes and jobs to live in countries that don't force them to choose between love and country. This is a great loss for the US on many levels including, some argue a brain drain and loss of tax revenue.

So what do you thinks? Should US citizens be allowed to sponsor their same-sex partners for green cards? Should Americans be forced to choose between our partners and our countries? Take our Big Queer poll.

Posted by Sascha in News, Politics, Videos at 15:01 | Comments (6) | Trackbacks (0)

Defined tags for this entry: bill o'reilly, fox news, immigration equality, rachel tiven, UAFA, uniting american families act

Tuesday, July 10. 2007

Giuliani & Transgender Rights: The Untold Story

As Rudolph William Louis Giuliani pursues his candidacy for for the Republican nomination for president of the United States, the former mayor of New York City is almost invariably described by the mainstream media as "pro-gay rights." That reputation is largely based on a few high-level appointments to his administration and his signing a domestic partnership bill into law while mayor. But as Giuliani attempts to court the religious right in his drive for the Republican nomination, he seems to be retreating from his support even for such limited measures as domestic partnership. And there is nothing in his record as mayor to suggest that he was or is supportive of transgender rights, despite his now-famous (if not notorious) appearance in drag as 'La Rudia.' As members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community evaluate Giuliani's candidacy they should carefully consider his opposition to Int. No. 24, the transgender rights bill ultimately enacted by the New York City Council as Local Law 3 of 2002 after he left office.

Continue reading "Giuliani & Transgender Rights: The Untold Story"

Posted by Pauline Park in Commentary & Opinion, News, Politics at 09:39 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)

Monday, July 9. 2007

City of Roses, City of Books

I spent most of last week in Portland and it was a wonderful chance to re-connect with Oregon's largest city as well as with friends of mine who live there and with whom I stayed.

So what's so special about Portland? Actually, quite a lot. Portland has the largest and most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. And the International Test Rose Garden and the annual Rose Festival has given Portland its sobriquet, the City of Roses.

Pauline with rose

While I missed the Rose Festival, I did get to the Rose Garden at just the right moment, when the roses were in bloom — all too briefly. I was overwhelmed by the beauty and the variety of the flowers there — over 550 different types of roses. Some roses were named for famous people (Diana, Princess of Wales; Madame Caroline Testout), while had evocative names (Moondance, Fragrant Memory), and others appeared to be named for the effect their creators hoped they would exert (Liebeszauber (Magic of Love), Strike It Rich), while others had highly theatrical names (Broadway, Opening Night). Even with the overcast sky above, the Rose Garden was a veritable garden of earthly delights.

Continue reading "City of Roses, City of Books"

Posted by Pauline Park in Travel at 08:25 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)

Defined tags for this entry: city of roses, oregon, portland, travel

Thursday, July 5. 2007

Altar-ed to Fit

I had the good fortune this past week of attending the first U.S. Social Forum as an Artist Delegate. Based on the World Social Forum, the gathering is essentially the progressive movement's response to the World Economic Forum and a show of power that the future of the world is not going to be shaped only by the moneyed few determining world economic policies, but by society and its people determining the needs of society and its people.

On top of serving on some artsy-fartsy cultural panels, I of course put on my Big Mouth pants and headed over to observe some queer stuff including a workshop called "Sex, Queer Relationships, and Radical Politics." There was good stuff and bad. I want to focus on the good, so give me just a second to pump out the bile before getting down to business. In fact, to skip the bile, just don't read the following paragraph in brackets.

[So despite the awesome title of this panel and it's seemingly inherent promise of hard political discussion, this event turned into a really annoying, "I'm OK, you're OK" lovefest/group therapy session. "I'm polyamorous, but I get really jealous, what do I do?" and "How do I reconcile my lesbian identity when I'm dating two men named Joe?" You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. It was all I could do not to stand up and scream, "This isn't Oprah, mofos! THIS ISN'T OPRAH!!!"]

OKAY - so now, get ready for the good stuff.

Continue reading "Altar-ed to Fit"

Posted by Bigmouth in Politics at 10:11 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

Defined tags for this entry: 2008 presidential election, gay marriage, politics, Queer Rights

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