What's killing gays and lesbians more than anti-gay violence?

Drug and alcohol abuse are a major problem in our community and its killing us:

"He explained how he didn’t have a way to socialize with other members of the LGBT community that didn’t involve alcohol and other drugs. His first experience with drugs was with crystal meth.

Schneck explained how drug use in the LGBT community was an issue to address and that the only way to begin addressing it was to be aware of it.

Using drugs in his early years of college was a result of issues involving his family’s shunning of his lifestyle coupled with the environment of the LGBT community.

His college didn’t have an LGBT resource center, which made the LGBT community move underground to clubs and bars.

These resources may be crucial to making LGBT students feel as though they fit into the college community as well."

Drug and alcohol abuse are a HUGE problem in our community, and like the Dean here says, are largely a product of our community's isolation and discrimination. We need to fight this because its a major blight--we lose too many of our beautiful queer brothers and sisters to addictions. I love a good drink--I'm not saying don't drink--I'm saying we must address this issues more often, and talk about it openly. We can't keep losing one another to suicide and overdoses. If you know someone with an addiction problem, talk to them and help them find the help they need.

Of course, ANYONE try to take my daily pot of coffee away, and we're going to have problems. That's a whole 'nother ball of wax. I'll deal with that issue when I can. For now, leave me be!

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Chair of Joint Chiefs of staff: DADT "goes counter to who we are as institution."

Admiral Mike Mullen was on This Week this week. Forward to 4:40 for 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' portion. <img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src=" " /> Are these the last days of this discriminatory institution?

Chris Geidner: In Iowa, judges are ousted.

Via Chris Geidner's Poliglot blog at Metro Weekly:

"

In Iowa, which declared Iowa's marriage ban unconstitutional under the state's constitution in 2009, the National Organization for Marriage got one of its first electoral victories this year. The judicial retention elections appear to have resulted in the replacement of all three justices up for a vote this year.

Here, as of 3:35 a.m. and with 1767 out of 1774 precincts reporting, are the Iowa Secretary of State's election results:

Supreme Court Justice David L. Baker
Yes 443437 45.75%
No 525865 54.25%

Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Streit
Yes 442459 45.6%
No 527921 54.4%

Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus
Yes 437118 44.99%
No 534486 55.01%

The court was unanimous in its 2009 ruling that Iowa's constitution required marriage equality."

HEY #p2!--CALLING ALL PROGRESSIVE ALLIES!

-HEY #p2! (Progressives).

We can't do this alone.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans have been fighting for over half a Century to have basic Civil Rights. We have so much to do, and we are such a small group. Without an army of Progressive allies, we can't win. Our rights as American citizens are constantly being compromised, despite life-time service to our nation as good, contributing citizens. We can't wait any longer. We need our Progressive allies to step up and go to bat for us TODAY.

We must demand Progressives have got to make LGBT rights a top priority in 2010, or we will keep being put on the back-burner.

There will ALWAYS be something more important than LGBT equality affecting America--issues like Health Care Reform and the Economy effect LGBT people too! However, when we are discriminated against under the law every single day, we can't give our all to fixing these problems. We are long overdue to be counted as equal citizens. That&#…

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