05/22/2013
Videographer and activist Sean Chapin, along with Andrea Shorter, Randall Mann, Sister Roma, Courtney Walsh, and Aaron Wimmer, produced a powerful reading of Harvey Milk's famous "Hope" speech at the top of the Castro in honor of today, Harvey Milk Day in California.
Walsh and Wimmer are two actors from Dear Harvey, the recent New Conservatory Theater play about Milk's life, Mann is a local poet and winner of the 2003 Kenyon Review Prize in Poetry,Sister Roman is a 20 year veteran of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and Shorter is a lesbian political consultant who serves on the city's Commission on the Status of Women.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
Chapin writes:
"What came to be called 'The Hope Speech' was initially conceived as a stump address, wherein Milk attempted to embolden a strong GLBTQ nationalism within the Castro, while also appealing for an alliance with other disenfranchised groups and straight folks," wrote Jason Edward Black and Charles E. Morris III in their anthology An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk's Speeches and Writings (University of California Press, 2013). Milk would revise the speech and recite it several more times at various appearances, according to the introduction written by Black and Morris to the version they included in their book. It was a defiant speech about gay self-acceptance that included Milk's call for LGBT people to come out of the closet and inspire others to do so. For as Milk said, particularly of LGBT youth, "And you have to give them hope. Hope for a better world. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope for a place to go if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be alright."
Milk would have been 83-years-old today.
Continue reading "On Harvey Milk Day, Activists Remind Us That His Words are More Powerful Than Ever: VIDEO"
Posted May. 22,2013 at 8:42 AM EST by Andy Towle in Harvey Milk, News, Sean Chapin |
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Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, released the following statement yesterday:
"We condemn in the strongest possible way the murder of a gay man in New York by a killer who apparently hurled anti-gay insults at him moments before the killing. This senseless act cannot be condoned in America or anywhere, and we urge that the perpetrator be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our heart goes out to the family of the victim, and we hold them in our prayers. While this killing appears to have no connection to the current debate about redefining marriage, there is no room for violence toward any American — whether they support traditional marriage or not. No person should be subjected to violence because they are gay or lesbian or because they believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. There is no place for violence, period."
Posted May. 22,2013 at 8:20 AM EST by Andy Towle in Brian Brown, Gay Marriage, New York, News, NOM |
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ABC7 last night took a look at anti-gay hate crimes in NYC after two more, one against a nightlife promoter in NYC's East Village and one against a couple in Soho, were reported.
CBS2 spoke with that nightlife promoter, Dan Contarino, about the attack that sent him to the hospital.
Watch both reports, AFTER THE JUMP...
Contarino's attacker, has been arrested. ABC7 has more:
In one incident, the victim, 45 year old Dan Contarino, and the suspect both live at a nearby homeless shelter, on Avenue D. They left the shelter to have drinks and then went to get pizza.
Police said the victim said at some point they had a conversation about homosexually. The suspect became enranged, yelled anti gay remarks and struck the victim several times in the face. Contarino went unconscious and woke up at Bellevue Medical Center.
The suspect, 39-year-old Gornell Roman turned himself in to a police precinct in the Bronx late Tuesday night. Roman is charged with felony assault, felony aggravated harassment and misdemeanor assault, all as hate crimes. Roman has more than two dozen prior arrests, many drug-related charges. Roman is charged with assaulting 45 year old Dan Contarino after they went out for drinks and pizza in the East Village Monday night.
They started up a conversation about homosexuality while walking back to a homeless shelter where they both were staying. Roman assaulted Contarino on the way back to the shelter, yelling anti gay remarks and striking the victim several times in the face. Contarino went unconscious and woke up at Bellevue Medical Center, where he was treated.
Watch both reports, AFTER THE JUMP...
Continue reading "Arrest Made in NYC Attack on Gay Man Amid 'Alarming Spike': VIDEO"
Posted May. 22,2013 at 7:58 AM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, New York, News |
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A new Man of Steel trailer features a masked look at General Zod (Michael Shannon), who has "journeyed over an ocean of stars" to reach Earth, which is sheltering Kal-El (Henry Cavill, aka Superman).
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Remember Terence Stamp's Zod, from Superman II. One of best sequels ever.
Continue reading "New 'Man of Steel' Trailer Features Arrival of General Zod: VIDEO"
Posted May. 22,2013 at 7:39 AM EST by Andy Towle in Film, Henry Cavill, News, Superheroes |
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Eric Garcetti is thge new mayor-elect of Los Angeles, deffeating Wendy Greuel, the L.A. Times reports:
Garcetti will be the first elected Jewish mayor of the city. At 42, he will also be the youngest in more than a century. He is scheduled to take office July 1.
"Thank you Los Angeles," Garcetti wrote in a Tweet posted at 2:52 a.m. "The hard work begins but I am honored to lead this city for the next four years. Let's make this a great city again."
During early returns Tuesday, Greuel led the mayor's race by a slight margin. But as the night wore on, Garcetti's lead grew. Election tallies from the City Clerk's office posted at 1:38 a.m., with nearly 73% of precincts reporting, showed Greuel had fallen eight points behind Garcetti.
After seeing those numbers—Greuel 46%, Garcetti 54%—she called Garcetti at 1:42 a.m. to concede the race.
Read a profile here of Garcetti's activism in LGBT rights from Frontiers writer Karen Ocamb.
Posted May. 22,2013 at 7:27 AM EST by Andy Towle in Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles, News |
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Nearly two years after stepping down from Congress after his sexting scandal, former Rep. Anthony Weiner has launched himself into the NYC mayoral race with a YouTube video.
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In a new Quinnipiac poll, 49 percent of voters say he should not run:
The poll, taken before Mr. Weiner’s candidacy was announced by video early Wednesday, found that his possible candidacy was given a thumbs-down by 49 percent of voters, while 38 percent approved. White voters were especially critical, with nearly 2 to 1 saying he should not run. Women were also turned off by the idea, with 52 percent saying he should not run and 35 percent saying he should.
Just a month ago, the same question yielded more-mixed results, with 44 percent of voters disapproving of the general idea and 41 percent approving.
Continue reading "Anthony Weiner Gets into the NYC Mayoral Race: VIDEO"
Posted May. 22,2013 at 6:43 AM EST by Andy Towle in Anthony Weiner, New York, News |
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