Ameriqueer

After a false start last week, the list got a bit of a make-over. Here it is. This fall we have a lot of LGBT issues to watch from Capitol Hill to Bangor. Its hard to sort through and tell which ones REALLY need your help NOW. Every single LGBT issue--local or national--needs your attention and support through time, spreading the word and recruitment as well as financially. However, none of us have thousands of dollars to give to all of these causes all of the place. I myself have about $100 to spend on LGBT issues this fall, and I want my $100 to make the most impact possible. In order to help you direct your attention precisely where it will be best served, this week I will tell you all about the top 10 local LGBT fights happening THIS FALL which you can donate just $10 to make a difference. With $100 you can help make a radical difference in the Equality Agenda across this land this year--and you won't break the bank! 10 . Wisconsin Domestic Partnership Benefits Supreme Court ...

My newest post on Bilerico is up-- What's so mutually exclusive about being radical and being rational . I am the biggest queen you never met. I love Madonna and dancing and fashion and cooking and all of the shallow, stereotypical things that the nonpolitical superficial sissies are interested in. I long for the day that I won't have to even think about queer politics, and I can wander my Malibu mansion in Versace with my sugar daddy and my custom Maserati or Bugatti and listen to my vintage Madonna vinyls while cooking French cuisine in my expensive kitchen with my scantily clad pool-boy. But since, as of yet, it's difficult for me to reach my American dream when I can't even keep a job if I'm gay, I choose to fight. So which camp to fight in? The far left, tear-the-system-down, reject-all-authority, kill-the-straight-man camp; or the non-threatening , champagne with the Senators, cigars with executives, compromise, don't make waves, 'Gay, Inc.' camp...

Ameriqueer has been getting published regularly for less than 9 months now, but it has grown greatly. Ameriqueer now gets more than 50 hits a day, and some days has gotten hundred of hits from readers hungry for LGBT information. The mission of Ameriqueer has changed as well. Ameriqueer began over a year ago as a way to isolate the happy LGBT stories on the web, but quickly began to evolve into something more. Ameriqueer is trying to engage the American LGBT community and our allies in the stories most affecting us today, then compelling us and mobilizing us into action by helping to keep us informed. We want to study and capture the power of social media and mobile content to get LGBT people excited about the momentum of our movement, and to get up and get involved locally and nationally. I've been tweeting from @Ameriqueer for some time now, after it became clear I needed something unique to tweet our stories from. @Ameriqueer now has more than 300 followers and gets its twe...

Please read my newest Bilerico post, A great light has gone out: R.I.P. Ted Kennedy . Few Senators draw such strong emotional reactions from folks as Senator Ted Kennedy. He was almost more of an idea than a person. At least to most Americans. He was the Liberal Lion of the Senate who refused to back down or compromise his beliefs. Love him or hate him though, he was more than a metaphor--he was a father, brother, son, husband, uncle and he was a True Patriot. He loved this great nation of ours dearly and dedicated his entire life tirelessly to it. No one was as much of a constant and conspicuous presence on the hallowed floor of our Capitol as Ted Kennedy. Ted Kennedy passed away at 77 from brain cancer last night in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts--a state he spent the vast majority of his adult life in service of--he was one of only six U.S. Senators to serve more than 40 years. Kennedy was a ferocious fighter for healthcare and bills that expanded access to American institutions to al...

The Ameriqueer 10 LGBT races to watch list is going back to the shop for a few days. Campaigns are a very tricky thing. They are very fluid, dynamic systems, and many things change quickly. At the same time, they are ruled by a HUGE set of rules--both written and unwritten--that put a lot of pressure on them to tread lightly. For the last month I've been compiling this list, and trying to work on it at least every other day. I have come to realize that I'd never want to be a party chair for a county, state or for the country. That is all.

My latest contribution to the Bilerico project is up; Gay Tithe: Assuring your donation doesn't work against you . Back in Detroit, I grew up in the Catholic School system. I was raised a very strict Catholic, and even in school we were given collection envelopes in which we were encouraged to give 'the price of a comic book, a milk shake or a candy bar' (you can tell whoever made the envelopes grew up in the Davey Crockett raccoon hat era, it was funny to me even at 7), at our weekly Children's Mass. I've been tithing since a very early age. I now hop around from church to church. I'm no longer Catholic--nor even really Christian, for that matter--but I still have a strong sense of spirituality and feel the need to explore that part of my life on a weekly basis. Somehow, the Catholic church was able to instill in me a love of tithing: giving feels good. However, for many gays, its difficult to tithe in good conscience because you can't possibly know in ma...

This fall we have a lot of LGBT issues to watch from Capitol Hill to Bangor. Its hard to sort through and tell which ones REALLY need your help NOW. Every single LGBT issue--local or national--needs your attention and support through time, spreading the word and recruitment as well as financially. However, none of us have thousands of dollars to give to all of these causes all of the place. I myself have about $100 to spend on LGBT issues this fall, and I want my $100 to make the most impact possible. In order to help you direct your attention precisely where it will be best served, this week I will tell you all about the top 10 local LGBT fights happening THIS FALL which you can donate just $10 to make a difference. With $100 you can help make a radical difference in the Equality Agenda across this land this year--and you won't break the bank! 10. Wisconsin Domestic Partnership Benefits Supreme Court Challenge 9. Anthony Woods U.S. House California 10th District 8. Charles Pugh ...

OK, so I'm turning 25 again this year, but Facebook's Cause application won't let me lie... SO, while I'd rather you donate $25 to my cause in honor of my birthday... the only increment I'm allowed to suggest you donate is 27. Please don't ask me what 27 means... it hurts far too bad. And you'll figure it out. As you may know, LGBT youth are 4x more likely to attempt and succeed at suicide. They are also far more likely to be homeless, be rejected by their peers, drop out of high school, abuse drugs or alcohol, be disowned by their families, and miss out on opportunities to better themselves. Instead of getting me a $500 Williams Sonoma gift certificate or a new Mac Book Air; in honor of my birthday, please make a donation to NYAC to help expand programs that give LGBT youth the support to survive AND thrive! If you want to send the Mac Book or the gift certificate TOO, I certainly wouldn't be opposed! Hey, I survived being young, out and gay in High...

Facebook | STREET FIGHT CLUB STREET FIGHT CLUB Global Basic Info Name: STREET FIGHT CLUB Type: Common Interest - Activities Description: THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE GAY, PUNK ASS FIGHT CLUB WANNABE GROUPS. THIS IS HARDCORE, GET FUCKED UP AND GO OUT AND START A BRAWL SHIT FOR ALL YOU AGGRO SKINHEAD, EX-CON PECKERWOODS WHO GET OFF FUCKIN UP SOME STREET SCUM... Recent News DIRTY TRICKS AND HOT TIPS (WATCH FOR REGULAR UPDATES): (1) PRETEND YOU'RE GONNA LET THAT SICKO FAGGOT THATS BEEN FOLLOWING YOU AROUND SUCK YOUR DICK THE WAY YOU KNOW HE WANTS TO AND LURE HIM TO SOME PLACE THAT'S DARK AND DESERTED (ALLEYWAY, PARKING GARAGE, PUBLIC RESTROOM). GET 'EM DOWN ON HIS FUCKIN SICK ASS KNEES AND WHIP YOUR DICK OUT AND AS SOON AS HE STARTS DROOLING AND GOING CRAZY TRYING TO GET YOUR COCK IN HIS MOUTH, PUNCH AND/OR KICK HIM IN THE FACE SEVERAL TIMES TILL HE'S BLEEDIN REAL GOOD AND THEN TAKE HIS FUCKIN WALLET, WATCH AND ANYTHING ELSE OF VALUE, PISS ON 'EM AND WALK AWAY. BEC...

UPDATE: LANE I FIXED YOUR LAST NAME IN THE TITLE! I'M SOOOO SORRY! So... I don't know if you heard about this whole Netroots Nation Bill Clinton getting heckled rigmarole, but in case you hadn't heard, legendary blogger (and my bud from way back) Lane Hudson, got up and started loudly questioning Clinton during his speech at the Pittsburgh liberal bloggers conference, because he was frustrated that there would not be a question/answer section. Lane confronted Clinton on DADT and DOMA--in polite language, but with a sort of eye-of-the-tiger confrontational look on this face (and a LOT of finger pointing), and Clinton DEFTLY handled his answer in what may go down as one of the single most important LGBT-related videos of the last month... if not year. Clinton--in no uncertain terms--called for the repeal of DOMA and DADT and VERY SMARTLY explained his role in the entire process succinctly and smartly (albeit abdicating a little more responsibility for DOMA than he probably ...

There was no recap today because I was feeling pretty sick, but I promise to be back soon. I get a lot of mixed feedback about the recaps--many of my friends say they don't really look at them. Still others say they like it. I check out my page view totals, however, and my recaps have some of my highest hit counts of any posts. Do you read the recaps? Do you enjoy them? How could I make them better? They do take a lot of time to put together, and the new 'copy and paste' from the Twitter feed is admittedly harder to read, however gets put together a LOT faster than the previous way of paragraphs. I don't have time to be Joe Jarvis and post my view in a separate post on each of those stories. Besides, I think the Twitter following is growing faster than the blog following. Still, I'm in it for the blog, and that's where my energy will be. Maybe I could get a little of column A and a little of column B. Maybe there's a happy medium? Tell me your views o...

Don't just read this one, folks, act on it. Please call the Director of Illinois Department of Public Health and the Governor, make sure that Chicago gets the HIV/AIDS prevention funds it NEEDS! Read my Bilerico post-- HOLD THE PHONE: Chicago HIV/AIDS Budget Still being reviewed . Yesterday I posted that intense lobbying by advocates like Rep. Greg Harris, Sara Feigenholtz, Heather Steans and Mayor Daley, Governor Quinn (whose initial budget had included a 30%+ ax of AIDS funding) had used his discretionary funds to save the Illinois HIV/AIDS budget for the most part, and maintain funding at about 97% of what it had been. Well, today, word has it that--while the across-the-board cuts are being minimized--for some reason the Chicago Health Department AIDS/HIV prevention budget is still under review. There is concern in the public health community and with Chicago area lawmakers like Rep. Greg Harris and his allies that funding may not be allocated "where science sees fit,...

Don't just read this one, folks, act on it. Please call the Director of Illinois Department of Public Health and the Governor, make sure that Chicago gets the HIV/AIDS prevention funds it NEEDS! Read my Bilerico post-- HOLD THE PHONE: Chicago HIV/AIDS Budget Still being reviewed . Yesterday I posted that intense lobbying by advocates like Rep. Greg Harris, Sara Feigenholtz, Heather Steans and Mayor Daley, Governor Quinn (whose initial budget had included a 30%+ ax of AIDS funding) had used his discretionary funds to save the Illinois HIV/AIDS budget for the most part, and maintain funding at about 97% of what it had been. Well, today, word has it that--while the across-the-board cuts are being minimized--for some reason the Chicago Health Department AIDS/HIV prevention budget is still under review. There is concern in the public health community and with Chicago area lawmakers like Rep. Greg Harris and his allies that funding may not be allocated "where science sees fit,...

Initially I wanted to write about the resignation of Utah's pro-gay Republican Governor, Jon Huntsman , who is now the US Ambassador to China, or about Focus On the "Family"'s budget deficit forcing them to hand over their "ex-gay" conference, '"Love" Won Out' to "Exodus" International. But this is too good to be true. Apparently Rockin' Rick Santorum is tossing his hat into the Republican nomination ring for 2012, and I just can't WAIT to tell ALL of my Republican friends to vote for him in the Primaries! This crazed lunatic is someone that most of the people on the RIGHT like to keep at arm's length, let alone mainstream moderate America. While other gays are starting to panic at the thought of a Rick Santorum presidency, I'm reveling in the idea of a Rick Santorum presidential campaign! If you were lost in the woods for years and years, and only emerged after the 2006 elections, you might need to be told that...

Well, I'll be back for more Lundon Calling tonight with Ace and Lance, for episode 38, but for now you can listen to last week's show (where Lance ditched me to chat Health Care with Ace all by my liberal lonesome), and see what happens when you try to interrupt Ace Lundon when he's trying to make a point! I'll be sure to remember my place from now on. Please listen to last week's Lundon Calling with Ace Lundon and Lance Helms (sans Lance!) and yours truly!

Please read my newest Bilerico post, Governor Quinn saves most of Illinois AIDS/HIV budget . According to the Windy City Times , the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and other AIDS/HIV programs around Illinois have a lot to be thankful for this week. While other states are cutting their AIDS/HIV funding to the bone, Illinois will not be so pressed. Though there will be no increases in funding this year, and though the state was facing a 50% cut in the budget, Governor Pat Quinn stepped in and… READ THE REST AT newest Bilerico post, Governor Quinn saves most of Illinois AIDS/HIV budget

HERE'S YOUR PWA/LGBTQANEWS FOR THURSDAY JULY 30, 2009! FOR UP TO THE HOUR BREAKING LGBT NEWS, FOLLOW AMERIQUEER ON TWITTER : twitter.com/ameriqueer ! @ drjilliantweiss Please call today's #ENDA legislators MT Baucus, Tester http://bit.ly/jgwRR NEW ON AMERIQUEER FIRST, @ bilericoproject Governor Quinn saves most of Illinois AIDS/HIV budget http://bit.ly/M5bI9 #lgbt Please please read my Ameriqueer post on this http://bit.ly/19SlyL I hear MAINE is beautiful in fall! BRADLEY TRAYNOR'S BIG GAY NEWS FOR TODAY FIRST @ rainbownews Audio: President Obama bestowing Harvey Milk posthumous Medal of Freedom http://bit.ly/4PdLQ @ TheAdvocateMag ABA, NEA Come Out for Gay Rights http://bit.ly/ADUyM @ michaelajones Rick Santorum dips anti-LGBT toes into 2012 Presidential campaign http://tinyurl.com/ryb2rp ; @ JoeMyGod former Sen Santorum (R-Pa) Considering Presidential Bid http://bit.ly/1196hU OUR|ILLINOIS FIRST, @ WindyCityTimes1 LGBTI health summit in...

HERE'S YOUR PWA/LGBTQANEWS FOR THURSDAY JULY 30, 2009! FOR UP TO THE HOUR BREAKING LGBT NEWS,  FOLLOW AMERIQUEER  ON  TWITTER : twitter.com/ameriqueer !   NEW ON AMERIQUEER FIRST, Ameriqueer: Tim Horton: Anatomy of a WTF  http://bit.ly/10JK4p NEXT, Ameriqueer: BILERICO-GAYNERATION GAP: Where have all of the gay big brothers gone? http://bit.ly/13Lib5   BRADLEY TRAYNOR'S BIG GAY NEWS FOR TODAY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2009 ! @ bilericoproject  Legislators of the Day: ND Conrad, Dorgan & Pomeroy  http://bit.ly/u9rlX support  #ENDA  (S1584, HR 3017)   FIRST @ rainbownews  NOM on Hortons: 'we're only stripping gays of liberty. What's the big?'  http://bit.ly/gEHrN @ queerunity  NOM Invites Gays to Renew Vows at Anti-Gay Event? WTF  http://bit.ly/ndKmX @ rainbownews  Trans Woman Fired In A Case Of Discrimination  http://bit.ly/258BbP   HERE IN ILLINOIS @ VictoryFund  IL Gov. Quinn shows Schwarzenegger budget cuts shouldn't hurt HIV/AID...

Please read my latest Bilerico post, Gayneration Gap: Where have all the gay big brothers gone ? This is the 10th anniversary of my first gay summer. I had come out the year prior, during the early winter of 1997/1998 (take that, Ellen!), but hadn't made any gay friends. The spring of 1999, I began hanging out with our openly gay religion teacher, Mr. Z. Mr. Z. impressed upon me the importance of self-acceptance regardless of how I choose to "be gay." Up to that point I really wasn't sure what I was going to do about the whole thing--I certainly didn't want to be gay or meet other gay people. But after that, I was ready to start seeking gay friends, besides the other closeted gay guy at school. So that summer, I met my first gay big brother, Christopher, who took me to Ferndale, MI (the gayborhood) and Pronto in Royal Oak (my first gay bar; I still remember hearing Kristine W's "One More Try") he gave me my first gay literature, One in Ten : a guid...

In case you were dead this weekend, or you were just born this morning (congratulations on your academic progress if you're already reading this!); gays hated Tim Hortons for about 15 seconds this weekend. What happened? So Maggie Gallagher and NOM is trying their damndest to turn Rhode Island into the Hate State. They're throwing a big party there on Sunday the 16 th , to try and teach people how best to hate others. The whole thing is taking place at the beautiful, picturesque Aldrich Mansion in Warwick, RI, so if you were ever thinking of doing ANYTHING at the Aldrich Mansion, make sure you know that they hate you. Apparently, the brochure prominently features "Tim Hortons" as a sponsor of the event. What's this all about? A local Rhode Island franchise of Tim Hortons had offered to sponsor the event and supply some free stuff for the haters (and haters in training), despite being against the Oakville, Ontario Canada's corporate policy. So some Rhode I...

If you're interested in becoming a regular Ameriqueer contributor email me at gaytriot.ameriqueer@gmail.com . I'll hook you up! HERE'S YOUR PWA/LGBTQA NEWS FOR THURSDAY JULY 30, 2009! FOR UP TO THE HOUR BREAKING LGBT NEWS,  FOLLOW AMERIQUEER  ON  TWITTER : twitter.com/ameriqueer !   @ drjilliantweiss  Call the  #ENDA  Legislators of the Day: OH Voinovich, Austria and Tiberi  http://bit.ly/vMkwo   IN IL: @ JoeMyGod  HIV/AIDS Services Survive Cuts In IL http://bit.ly/2v1hC4   BRADLEY TRAYNOR'S BIG GAY NEWS FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2009 , because I couldn't get MY news up!   FIRST @ JoeMyGod  Tim Hortons Pulls Out Of NOM Event http://bit.ly/mGwsZ @ michaelajones  Tim Horton's pulls sponsorship from anti-LGBT event in RI hosted by NOM  http://tinyurl.com/lh6kl8 @ michaelajones  Daniel Radcliffe makes major donation to Trevor Project suicide helpline  http://tinyurl.com/nu27la   IN.D.C. FIRST, @ EqualityAmerica  NEA & ABA back GLBT rights, i...

(10:34:10 AM) philipot00 [Auto-Response] now I'm leaving. Bye Champaign! See you Monday! (7:25:34 AM) clararinwd70 Whats up?! (10:34:24 AM) clararinwd70 hey there cutie??? (11:57:13 AM) clararinwd70 who is this again? Sorry I don't recognize the name lol (11:57:13 AM) philipot00 [Auto-Response] now I'm leaving. Bye Champaign! See you Monday! (11:57:28 AM) clararinwd70 Oh Ok LOL,Nice!how you doin?? (12:46:10 PM) clararinwd70 I'm actually working right now what are you doing exactly?? (12:46:12 PM) philipot00 [Auto-Response] now I'm leaving. Bye Champaign! See you Monday! (12:46:25 PM) clararinwd70 nice, nothin I work from home just starting doing these cam shows :) It's pretty fun actually lol (12:46:26 PM) philipot00 [Auto-Response] now I'm leaving. Bye Champaign! See you Monday! (12:46:39 PM) clararinwd70 I am a little busy right now cant really talk here but I would LOVE if you came to watch and give me some company, and maybe a GOOD rating ?? (12:46:39 PM...

The California Secretary of State requires that ballot initiative language be in by September 25 of the prior year—which is really really soon. There will be no way to have the repeal of Prop 8 on the ballot for 2010 unless the language is in by that date. That puts the California LGBT groups in a pickle—they have to raise the money to do the research to have that in on time. Courage Campaign is trying to raise $200,000 by August 13 in order to do so. Why do you need money to write a Ballot Initiative? They aren't turning something in drunkenly scrawled on the back of a napkin, y'all. According to the Courage Campaign website: "That's how much money it will take to determine -- through research, polling and focus groups -- the most effective initiative language and messages that will move voters to support marriage equality." It's going to take more than bickering to repeal Prop 8 (actually… maybe we should consider the possibility that bickering may be...

You know, I love my old hometown. I grew up in Detroit and had a really great gay experience there. That is one pro-gay town. I remember probably five or six years ago, then Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick—a disgrace himself, but son of one of my favorite lawmakers, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick—when asked about Marriage Equality for same-sex couples on Bill Maher , didn't even blink when he voiced his support. This made NO news at the time—in fact, a lot of gay news sources missed it, but picked this unsubstantiated gaywired.com blurb about him being anti-gay and ran with it (apparently they don't watch Bill Maher)—but for me it was spectacular. The sitting mayor of Detroit basically aligned himself with San Francisco's Gavin Newsome in stating that Marriage needs to be open to all committed, loving adult couples. I know Carolyn feels this way too! According to the Detroit Free Press , openly gay Charles Pugh —the former Fox2 anchor—handily took first place in the crowded City ...