Ameriqueer

Great news from Oregon !

Its going to be a good weekend for the staff over at the Victory Fund . With over 45% of the vote , out and proud super-millionaire Jared Polis has defeated former state Senate President, Senator Joan Fitz-Gerald and secured his party's nomination in Colorado's heavily democratic 2 nd District, representing Boulder, after a heated three-way race. Jared is not expected to face much opposition in the General Election, and will likely join　Ｒｅｐｓ　Ｔａｍｍｙ　Ｂａｌｄｗｉｎ　ａｎｄ　Ｂａｒｎｅｙ　Ｆｒａｎｋ　ａｓ　Ｃｏｎｇｒｅｓｓ’ｓ　ｔｈｉｒｄ　ｏｕｔ　ｌａｗｍａｋｅｒ．　　 Ｍｅａｎｗｈｉｌｅ，　ｄｏｗｎ　ｕｎｄｅｒ，　ｔｈｅ　Ａｕｓｔｒａｌｉａｎ　Ｃａｐｉｔａｌ　Ｔｅｒｒｉｔｏｒｙ’ｓ　ｎｅｗ　Ｃｉｖｉｌ　Ｐａｒｔｎｅｒｓｈｉｐ　ｌａｗ　ｉｓ　 ｔａｋｉｎｇ　ｏｆｆ　ｆａｓｔｅｒ 　ｔｈａｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｗｍａｋｅｒｓ　ｗｈｏ　ｃｒａｆｔｅｄ　ｉｔ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔｅｄ．　　Ｔｒｕｅ，　ｏｎｌｙ　ａｂｏｕｔ　２５　ｃｏｕｐｌｅｓ　ｈａｖｅ　ｒｅｇｉｓｔｅｒｅｄ，　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔｉｎｇ　１５，　ｓｏ　ｔｈｉｎｇｓ　ａｒｅ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔｅｄ． Ｆｉｎａｌｌｙ，　ｇｉｖｅ　ｉｔ　ｕｐ　ｆｏｒ　Ｔｏｐ　Ｍｏｄｅｌ，　ｗｈｏ　ａｒｅ　ｂｒａｖｅ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ　ｔｏ　ｇｉｖｅ　ｎｏｔ　ｏｎｅ，　ｂｕｔ　ｔｗｏ　 ｔｒａｎｓ　 contestants 　ａ　ｃｈａｎｃｅ　ａｔ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　Ａｍｅｒｉｃａ’ｓ　Ｎｅｘｔ　Ｔｏｐ　Ｍｏｄｅｌ．　　 Ｉ’ｍ　ｗａｔｃｈｉｎｇ　 ｔｈｉｓ　ｓｔｏｒｙ 　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　ｗｈａｔ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ’...

Its a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. The people that put together the ballot proposal to write discrimination into the California Constitution are giving up on forcing the state to reword the ballot proposal. Their original submission merely stated something to the effect 'to limit marriage to one man and one woman' and was written before May 15th, 2008, when the California Supreme Court struck down the California ban on same-sex marriage. The State Attorney General's office reworded the ballot language to say it would eliminate the right to marriage for same-sex couples, and that it may result in the loss of tens of millions in tax dollars for California. The Project Marriage Coalition quickly brought the Attorney General's office to court accusing the office of twisting the language to turn voters against the ballot proposal, however, Friday Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled that there was nothing inaccurate about the descri...

AfterEllen.com posted this great article about the out lesbian athletes in Beijing this summer in the Olympics. Sure, most are there for softball, handball and soccer--no big stereotype breaker there--but these ten out and open women are a breath of fresh air for this nation that tends to sweep all LTBG issues under the rug. Strangely, and unrelated, 365gay.com has this article about the record number of openly gay delegates to the Democratic National Convention . I have it on good word that there are plenty of gay men at the Republican National Convention as well, but that the majority are NOT openly gay. Two friends who attended the last convention said that there was a STRONG undercurrent there. So why are they out at the DNC and not at the GOP ? I'm not saying there are no closeted men at the DNC either, but I find it curious that so few of the gays at the RNC are open about it. What could bring the "Big Tent" party around to finally fulfilling that role? P...

As we round the bend here in 2008, we know what we've got ahead of us for the next few months: possibly one of the most important elections in America in the last decade. However, win or lose this November, what are the big issues going to be for the LTGB community in 2009? Will it be immigration equality? Gender Identity issues? Military openness? What about tax reform for domestic partnerships? Could it be housing or employment non-discrimination rights? Or could it be Hate Crimes legislation? We have hundreds of issues that we individually face every day. For example, being that my partner and I are a bi-national couple, I find immigration equality is a big one for me. We are constantly praying that this year's entry into the 'Green Card lottery' is the one that's going to finally be picked. There are many issues we face because of this--we can't go to California or Massachusetts to marry because that may compromise his Visa , as it may be seen as...