Towleroad Talking Points: Another Tragic Day

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at today's top stories

GAY ISSUES

There is a heartbreaking story out of Oregon today, where a 15-year old boy has taken his own life after incessant anti-gay bullying. Our hearts go out to his family. 

Life must go on as they say and on a bright note it appears that President Obama is continuing to make sure that LGBT rights are present in his new immigration reform plan. Despite whatever John McCain may have to say about it. One Tumblr user shows that sometimes coming out can be a piece of cake and some people in Modesto, CA are doing their best to make sure LGBTQ youth are well cared for. Also it appears that some anti-gay marriage groups are rapidly running out of funds. Awesome!

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WINGNUTTERY

Surprise, Surprise. Bryan Fischer has a few asinine remarks about the rumored lift on the Boy Scouts' ban on gays! A Catholic adoption agency in Colorado says that they will not place kids with gay parents because it isn't safe. And despite Whitey Houston's status as a gay icon, her mother would not have been happy had the late singer been a lesbian.

 

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ENTERTAINMENT

The gay teen from New Jersey whose awesome coming out speech went viral last week has been making the talk show rounds. Today he appeared on Anderson and got a chance to meet his idol. Check out new videos from former Drag Race contestants Sharon Needles and William. And just when we thought Chris Brown could not be more insufferable, he compared himself to Jesus and proved us all wrong. 

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VIDEOS OF THE DAY

No, this is not the inside of some cool new themed gay club. This is what happens when a town is overrun by sea foam. And check out Lawrence O'Donnell's kiss off to Sarah Palin.

High School Student's Senior Project Documents the Coming Out Stories of 10 Gay Men from Ages 15 to 82: VIDEO

Devon Yaffe, a high school senior in L.A., sent us this clip of his Senior Project, a 90-minute documentary in which ten gay men talk about their experiences growing up and coming out. Its concept is simple and compelling.

Writes Devon:

When given the guidelines, I decided to do more than  just a high school project. I wanted to take this beyond high school and into the world. I felt so strongly about my project that there was no turning back and that deep down I knew this was going to be something life changing. During the process of this project my world had been changed, as my eyes were opened to a community in which I regretfully wasn't active. Now, after learning so much about this incredible world,  I feel I would love to be involved with the community and possibly become a gay rights activist. I am proud of my project and feel that I did, in fact, do it justice. I explored unknown territory for many gay teens. I hope that gay youth all over can see what I have created and be inspired to add their voice to the community. I feel I have created one of the best kinds of documentaries there is: the true life testimony of those who have grown up gay in a heterosexual world.

Devon knew everyone in the documentary personally except for the two eldest men, whom he met down the street from his school at a Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing center. A few of the classrooms at his school have screened his short film and his Gay-Straight Alliance is hosting a screening night.  We think he deserves an A+.

Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP...

French Parliament Begins Debate on Marriage Equality Bill: VIDEO

France's government began a two-week debate on President Francois Hollande's bill that would allow gay people to marry and adopt children, France 24 reports:

But key areas of the bill, which redefines marriage as "contracted between two persons of different sex or of the same sex”, have been dropped in a bid to appease opponents.

A clause that would allow same-sex couples access to medically-assisted fertility treatment has been left out – for the moment.

Plans to ditch the words "father" and "mother" from official documents – to be replaced by “parent 1” and “parent 2” have also been removed when it concerns heterosexual couples.

Marches for and against have brought hundreds of thousands into the streets of Paris in recent weeks.

Watch an Al Jazeera report on the recent demonstrations, AFTER THE JUMP...

Boy Scouts Taking Phone Calls, Email Feedback on Gay Ban

The Boy Scouts of America are taking feedback from the public as they consider putting an end to their ban on gay scouts and leaders. Their board is scheduled to discuss the matter next Wednesday. Right wing groups are already churning their followers to take action.

Calls are being answered at the National Service Desk at 972-580-2330. A representative will answer and ask if you are for or against the policy change.

Emails are also being accepted at nationalsupportcenter@scouting.org (this is a CORRECTION as the earlier email information was wrong).

GLAAD also suggests posting a message of support on their Facebook page.

(via the dallas voice)

Reuters: Gay Marriage Foes Deep in Debt, Struggling to Meet Supreme Court Costs

ProtectMarriage.com, the group defending Proposition 8 before the Supreme Court, is deep in debt and struggling to raise funds to fight that case, not to mention its past debts, Reuters reports:

The 2012 accounts are not yet available. ProtectMarriage.com says it has since covered the 2011 shortfall. However, it is still $700,000 short in fundraising for its Supreme Court costs, according to a ProtectMarriage.com attorney, Andrew Pugno. That message has gone out to donors, with some urgency, as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in March in its first thorough review of same-sex marriage.

"Unless the pace of donations starts to pick up right away, we could soon be forced over a financial cliff," ProtectMarriage.com said in an email to donors earlier this month.

ProtectMarriage.com's lead outside counsel, Charles Cooper, has not stopped work on the Supreme Court case, although he declined to comment on financial arrangements with clients.

Meanwhile, while they are being "vastly outspent" in races around the nation, Pugno tells Reuters that he does not believe that changing attitudes are behind the group's inability to raise funds.

"I don't detect a decrease in enthusiasm. What I detect is a certain degree of fatigue after having to essentially fight this issue non-stop since 2004, when the mayor in San Francisco started issuing marriage licenses."

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1295

MARRIAGE NEWS WATCH: AFER's Matt Baume with the lates from Rhode Island and Colorado.

MDNA: The making of Madonna's latest tour.

PANHANDLER PARTY: A NYC subway prank.

COOLING TOWERS: The Slo-Mo Guys show off their biggest project yet.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.