December 2011

 

On Tuesday, December 6, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a landmark speech that outlined the United States' stance on the rights, issues and plight of LGBT people in many countries.  She made her address on global gay rights to United Nations member countries.

 

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," Hillary Clinton declared. "It is clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or even who we are. Because we are human, we therefore have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them."

 

She said, "My own country's record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home."

 

Commenting on LGBT rights as a genuine human rights issue, Hillary stated, "We are honoring rights that people always had, rather than creating new or special rights for them. Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights."

 

Addressing what gay or human rights violations are, she specified...

 

--When a person is beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave.
--When governments declare it illegal to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished.
- When lesbian or transgendered women are subjected to so-called corrective rape, or forcibly subjected to hormone treatments.
--When people are murdered after public calls for violence toward gays, or when they are forced to flee their nations and seek asylum in other lands to save their lives.
--When lifesaving care is withheld from people because they are gay, or equal access to justice is denied to people because they are gay, or public spaces are out of bounds to people because they are gay.

 

Hillary expressed her opinion of those who hold outdated views, by saying, "Some seem to believe it is a Western phenomenon, and therefore people outside the West have grounds to reject it. Well, in reality, gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths; they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes; and whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbors. Being gay is not a Western invention; it is a human reality."

 

Speaking to LGBT people worldwide, she said, "Wherever you live and whatever the circumstances of your life, whether you are connected to a network of support or feel isolated and vulnerable, please know that you are not alone. People around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. That is certainly true for my country. And you have an ally in the United States of America and you have millions of friends among the American people."

 

LINK:

 

Advocate Mag: Eight Must-Read Moments From Hillary's Speech

December 2010

 

CNN reports that a women’s soccer coach at Belmont University, a Christian School in Nashville, Tenn, may have been fired from her post for being a lesbian. According to the report, the coach was relieved of her job after she announced that her lesbian partner was pregnant.

 

Howe told her team that she would be leaving late last week, shortly after announcing that she and her partner were expecting a baby in May. Howe had been denied permission to share this information with her team.

 

The university, which is treading hot water over the decision, according to Sports Illustrated, denies the accusation, saying that the coach – Lisa Howe – was planning to leave after six successful seasons and that it was a “mutual” decision. But her team’s players aren’t so sure they agree and staged a sit-in.

 

Members of the soccer team believe that it was Howe's decision to tell them of her impending motherhood that led to her termination. Junior Ashley Hudak told the Tennessean that, "[Howe] said she needed to resign or she was going to be fired because of the choices she had made with her life."

 

 

LINKS:

Huffington Post: Soccer Coach Fired for Being Gay
Click Click Expose: Was a Belmont Coach Fired for Being Gay?
Gay Rights: Belmont Faculty Stand Up for Fired Coach
News Portal: Was Soccer Coach Fired for Being Gay?

 

November 12, 2010

 

Fort Worth, Texas City Councilman Joel Burns made history last month, when he used a city council meeting to tell his own story of growing up gay, contemplating suicide, but hanging on and building a life that made him both happy and proud. It was the type of spontaneous moment in politics that is, unfortunately, all too rare and all too human. And the world was touched.

 

Well, everybody but Texas radio host Chris Krok. The KLIF radio personality took to the airwaves to blast Burns for his open talk about homosexuality, and for sharing his experience about the difficulty of growing up a gay youth. Krok even donned his best lisp to imitate the gay lawmaker and added that Burns ought to just shut up and stop talking about gay bullying.

 

Talk About Equality covered Krok's rant, and noted that his reaction to the Burns story is troubling in the message of intolerance it sends to both gay and straight young people.

 

"Krok personifies the intolerance and ignorance that LGBT kids face on a daily basis," they write. "We will be investigating this further and finding out the advertisers associated with this show and asking people to make calls to the show’s supporters as well."

 

The rest of Krok's comments were just as aggravating as his mock lisp. He blamed Burns for being selfish in taking advantage of a news cycle dominated by stories of LGBT suicide to talk about his own story. And then he accused Burns of trying to raise homosexuality up so that children would convert.

 

"You're promoting the gay agenda," Krok said. "You have no business bringing this up at a city council meeting."

 

How tragic that a shock jock would belittle what was probably the most authentic moment in American politics this past year.

 

Check out Krok's segment below. A fair warning that it might offend. After listening, feel free to send the folks over at KLIF a message that they should demand better from their radio personalities. Yes, their radio hosts might have differing views on homosexuality and various issues related to the LGBT community. But do dedicate nearly ten minutes to bashing an openly gay lawmaker for talking about suicide among LGBT youth? It's tactless and insensitive.

LINK:

Listen to the KLIF Radio Broadcast
View Joel Burns' Speech to Fort Worth City Council