Queer Quote: Speaker Boehner Lies About ENDA (Again)

Speaker John Boehner has been under increasing pressure to allow a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) since the measure passed the United States Senate recently. Boehner's response to LGBT advocates calling for leguslative action to outlaw anti-LGBT workplace discrimination has generally been to lie about what the law does.

He was asked about ENDA on Thursday and repeated his false statements on the bill, which is today's Queer Quote:

I am opposed to discrimination of any kind — in the workplace and any place else. But I think this legislation — that I have dealt with as chairman of the Education Workforce Committee long before I was back in the leadership — is unnecessary and would provide a basis for frivolous lawsuits. People are already protected in the workplace. I am opposed to continuing this.

Listen, I understand people have different opinions on this issue, and I respect those opinions. But as someone who has worked in the employment law area for all of my years in the statehouse and all of my years here, I see no basis or no need for this.

It must be repeated that this statement is simply not true, and that if Speaker Boehner really believes this is a true statement, then he must be an idiot. The fact is that 29 states do not have laws that protect LGBT people from being fired based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Since it is probably not the case that Boehner has risen to be second in line to become President of the United States while being an idiot, one can only conclude that Speaker Boehner is deliberately repeating a lie in order to deflect attention from the call to allow a vote on ENDA.

FILM REVIEW: Dallas Buyers Club

Thanks to being a member of Outfest, the organization that puts on the Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Film Festival every summer, I was invited to attend a special preview screening of Dallas Buyers Club, a movie about what life was like at the heart of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, before there were any effective treatments at all. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof, Jared Leto as Rayon and Jennifer Garner as Dr. Eva Saks. 

The story follows Woodroff, a Texas good ol' boy who is partying hard in 1985 until he finds out that he has tested positive for HIV and is given 30 days to live. Woodroof does not take the news well and tries to continue his dissolute lifestyle but soon discovers that the stigma again AIDS in 1985 was universal, especially among the straight, white rodeo-attending construction workers that made up Woodroof's primary social circle at the time.

McConaughey's Woodroof is difficult to watch; he looks at least fifty pounds underweight, with a skeletal frame and sunken eyes that brings to mind the uncomfortable memories of the 1980s. However, the physical transformation is just the most notable but not the most significant aspect of his performance in Dallas Buyers Club. That would be the level of humanity and emotional resonance he brings to a little-known story that has a built-in level of pathos and tragedy hard to match. In addition to McConaughey's Woodroof, Leto's Rayon is another revelatory performance. Leto has undergone a similarly dramatic physical transformation, looking as gaunt and unhealthy as McConaughey, but he raises the stakes by also being transgender. Woodroof's reflexive homophobia and Rayon's sassiness combine to produce some of the best scenes in the film, and their (non-sexual) chemistry together is palpable.

Ultimately the story is about one man's fight against The Man. When Woodroof finds out that there is only one drug being actively considered by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to fight AIDS called AZT and the hospital where Garner's Dr. Saks works is running clinical trials he tries to finagle his own personal supply. Woodroof is not one who lives his life obeying rules and he's certainly not going to face death obeying them. He finds out (by doing research in a public library with microfiche, before the Internet or Google!) that there are other drugs that are used in other countries to fight AIDS but the FDA is the primary obstacle to him (and other desperate Americans dying from AIDS) getting access to them. So, he goes off to Mexico and finds out that the drugs are cheaper and they alleviate his symptoms and save his life (or at he very least postpone his death). Always someone quick to recognize a get-rich scheme Woodroof realizes that he could bring back these Mexican drugs and sell them to desperate people with AIDS. The film depicts his struggle to interact with the gay men and intravenous drug users in Dallas in order to sell them medication which he honestly thinks will save their lives. This is where he connect with Rayon and the two go into business together, only to earn virulent opposition by the FDA and the local medical establishment. Woodroof is equally emphatic in his opposition to AZT, which he calls poison and actively encourages Rayon and others not to take it. Eventually they figure out a loophole to the FDA's drug importation regulations; they form a buyer's club where members pay a steep membership fee and membership earns you access to free drugs. When the FDA seizes his drugs at the Mexican border, Woodroof flies all over the world (Japan, Europe, Asia) to get access to the drugs that foreign governments are using to fight AIDS. Eventually the FDA relents to allow dying Americans to get access to drugs that are not formally approved through a compassionate use program. Woodroof still sues the FDA in federal court for preventing him access to unapproved drugs (like peptide T) that has been instrumental in prolonging his life. Dr. Saks eventually joins forces with Woodroof when she realizes that even though his methods are unorthodox, in his own way he is doing the same thing that she is doing: fighting AIDS and giving dying people the hope they need to survive.

The movie is based on a true story so one basically knows going in that it doesn't have a happy ending, but even so the story itself is very compelling, if sometimes difficult to watch, especially as a gay man. However, since there are so few depictions of stories with LGBT characters Dallas Buyers Club is still an important addition to the genre, and an effective illustration of the power of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Title: Dallas Buyers Club.
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée.
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, nudity and drug use.
Release Date: November 1, 2013.
Viewing Date: October 20, 2013.

Writing: B.
Acting: A.
Visuals: A.
Impact: B.

Overall Grade: A-/B+ (3.50/4.0).

This Yearbook Picture Violates "Community Standards" In Texas. Why?

It is becoming clearer that the next frontier for LGBT equality is in the area of public accommodations for transgender people. This story about Jeydon Loredo caught my eye. The school board of La Feria High School in La Feria, Texas is refusing to allow Jeydon to appear in his yearbook picture wearing a tuxedo, saying that it offends "community standards."

A major milestone in life would be summed up in one image: Jeydon in a crisp tuxedo with his hair neatly combed. As time passes, this may be the only image his classmates have to remember him by.

That’s why Jeydon, a transgender student, was upset to learn from the school district’s superintendent that his photo would not appear in the yearbook because it supposedly violated “community standards.” Jeydon, while he grew up female, is now a young man. He is transgender, meaning that his gender identity is different from what he was assigned at birth.  District Superintendent Rey Villarreal told his mother that Jeydon’s photograph would be included only if he wore stereotypically feminine attire, such as a drape or blouse.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve grown up with the kids here,” Jeydon said. “I’ve seen those in my community go through troubles, and denying my tuxedo photo would be a way for the district to forget me and everything I’ve brought to this community. The yearbook is for the students, not the faculty or the administration. It is a way for us to remember each other.”

The Human Rights Campaign and the Southern Poverty Law Center are fighting for Jeydon's right to appear in the senior yearbook picture that his family paid for and have sent the La Feria School Board a strongly worded letter explaining why the school board's (in)action is discriminatory.

HRC and SPLC are encouraging people to contact the school board.

NM Religious Extremists Petition SCOTUS To Allow Anti-Gay Discrimination

The high profile case of a New Mexico wedding photographer who refused to take the job when they learned that it involved a same-sex commitment ceremony and was then successfully sued under that state's anti-discrimination law is now before the United States Supreme Court. The case, named Elane Photography v. Willock, is being handled by the notorious heterosexual supremacist organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), who have filed a writ of certiorari before the nation's highest court with a novel idea: the photographer's first amendment rights of free expression are being violated by the New Mexico statute.

SCOTUSblog discusses the case:

On the premise that taking photos is a form of story-telling — recall the old idea about how many words a picture is worth — an Albuquerque studio on Friday asked the Supreme Court to protect its owners from having to send the message that the uniting of same-sex couples in marriage-like ceremonies is acceptable.

The new case of Elane Photography v. Willock does not ask the Court to rule on any right of gays and lesbians to marry, but it does seek a decision on how far a state may go to protect same-sex couples from discrimination in the marketplace.  The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in August that the studio violated a state anti-discrimination law by turning away a request to take photos of a same-sex commitment ceremony.

As more legislatures — including Congress — pass or at least consider bills to outlaw discrimination against homosexuals, the spread of marriage or civil unions among gays and lesbians is now raising more issues about how those laws apply to such relationships.  The Elane Photography case could help provide an answer.

The owners of the Albuquerque studio — Elaine Huguenin and her husband John Huguenin — told the Court that they “object as a matter of conscience to creating pictures or books that will tell stories or convey messages contrary to their deeply held religious beliefs.” Among their beliefs, they said, is that marriage “is the union of a man and a woman.”

The boundaries of where religious freedom ends and anti-gay discrimination begins is the next frontier in the battle over LGBT equality. This photography case has been a cause célèbre among religious extremists and heterosexual supremacists who oppose marriage equality; they make the claim that allowing marriage equality without an exemption for religious people to not participate in providing services or recognizing marriages that they object to tramples their religious freedom. Funny how they don't make that same claim about interracial marriage now even though there was significant opposition to interracial marriage that was based in religious belief.

Proponents for LGBT equality like myself see this claim for religious exemptions as thinly veiled attempts to exempt religious people from the basic tenets of public accommodations law.

In the three huge legislative victories for LGBT people last week (Illinois, ENDA and Hawaii) the extent of religious exemptions was a key point of debate, and this argument is not going away as religious homophobes realize they are ultimately going to lose the fight to stop marriage equality and LGBT non-discrimination nationwide so they want to limit its effect as much as possible.

We shall be watching this case very carefully to see if the U.S. Supreme Court accepts it for review. It should be noted that the New Mexico Supreme Court ruling being appealed was unanimous in favor of the public accommodations law and other cases where LGBT anti-discrimination and religious belief have all gone in favor of anti-discrimination. However, in cases where LGBT rights and other first amendment fights have been in conflict have generally gone against us (Boy Scouts of America v. Dale and Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston).

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

White House Issues Statement on Marriage Equality in Hawaii!

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 12, 2013

Statement by the President on Marriage Equality in Hawaii

I want to congratulate the Hawaii State Legislature on passing legislation in support of marriage equality.  With today’s vote, Hawaii joins a growing number of states that recognize that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be treated fairly and equally under the law.  Whenever freedom and equality are affirmed, our country becomes stronger.  By giving loving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry if they choose, Hawaii exemplifies the values we hold dear as a nation.  I’ve always been proud to have been born in Hawaii, and today’s vote makes me even prouder.  And Michelle and I extend our best wishes to all those in Hawaii whose families will now be given the security and respect they deserve. 

###

80% Of British Commonwealth Countries Have Sodomy Laws

While progress on LGBT equality is accelerating at at an amazing pace in the United States we should not grow complacent about how homosexuality is treated around the world. For example, a new report indicates that 41 of 53 members of the Commonwealth declare homosexuality to be illegal.

Homosexuality is illegal in 41 out of the 53 Commonwealth countries, a report released on Monday reveals. Despite this, the forthcoming Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in Sri Lanka has elected not to discuss the issue of anti-gay discrimination. Commissioned by the Kaleidoscope Human Rights Foundation and compiled by LGBT activists throughout the Commonwealth, the report calls for Commonwealth countries to repeal anti-gay legislation, with an immediate moratorium on enforcement. 

“If you look at the world as a whole, around about 40% of nations have state-sponsored homophobia,” said Kaleidoscope’s spokesman, Douglas Pretsell. “Half of those – about 54% – are in the Commonwealth. If you look at the rest of the world not inside the Commonwealth, it’s only 24.5% – so the Commonwealth has a big problem. “These are laws that make it illegal to be gay.”

The other half and I visted two of these Commonwealth countries earlier this year (Barbados and Grenada) and I can confirm to you that homosexuality may be illegal but there is most definitely homosexuality there!
Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

2013 ATP TOUR FINALS: Djokovic Beats Nadal To Defend Title

As I predicted, World #2 Novak Djokovic beat World #1 Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-4 in the finals of the year-end championships to defend his 2012 ATP World Tour championship. Djokovic now trails 17-22 in the head-to-head with Nadal and leads 10-9 in tour finals and is currently on a 22-match winning streak. Nadal had the better year of the two, ending with an overall 76-7 record (compared to Djokovic's 72-9) including 2 major championships and 5(!) ATP Masters titles in Indian Wells, Rome, Madrid, Cincinnati and Montreal. Djokovic won one major, reached the finals of two others and won 3 Masters series shields (Monte Carlo, Shanghai and Paris). The 9th Masters shield was won by Andy Murray (over David Ferrer, who ended the year at #3).

Djokovic will play for Serbia against defending champions Czech Republic this weekend to attempt to win back the Davis Cup.

Heterosexual Supremacists Claim Enough Signatures To Force Transgender Referendum

Over the summer Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1266 into law. AB 1266 was sponsored by openly gay legislator Tom Ammiano of San Francisco and is also known as the Student Success and Opportunity Act; its primary purpose is expand the Los Angeles Unified School District's policy of allowing students to participate in school-based activities in a way that conforms with their gender identity, regardless of sex. It is the first transgender student bill of rights that has been enacted statewide in the country.

So, of course, heterosexual supremacists, who have previously (unsuccessfully) tried to repeal legislation that insures that all California students be informed about the historic contributions of LGBT Californians and the establishment of May 22 as Harvey Milk Day, were outraged by AB 1266 and vowed to pursue a referendum to prevent the law from going into effect and eventually overturning it at the ballot box.

Over the weekend PrivacyforallStudents.com announced that they have collected 620,000 signatures, which is more than the 505,000 needed to qualify a referendum on AB 1266, but less than the 700,000 that most campaign experts think that you need to assure qualification. If the measure does qualify, then a ballot question would be on the November 2014 ballot.

It should be noted that the people who were responsible for Proposition 8, such as political strategist Frank Schubert (who has been the campaign manager for almost all of the anti-gay marriage ballot measures of the last 5 years all over the country) and the National Organization for Marriage, have all been active in the movement to repeal AB 1266.

As I have said before, the fight over marriage equality and LGBT equality is intimately linked to the role of gender in society. Heterosexual supremacists and homophobes  often base their arguments in patriarchal views of the world and espouse a conservative ideology about the roles of males and females in society. Same-sex marriage and LGBT equality directly challenge what these people feel about what a "real man" and a "real woman" should be and this explains the visceral and virulent nature of their opposition. Of course, their view is that men and women are different in various ways, with men being superior to women. They oppose the central tenet of feminism that men and women should be treated equally under law and that all people should be able to reach their full potential, regardless of their gender.

As the ultimate successful disposition of marriage equality becomes clearer, the people who have based their professional lives in fighting against marriage equality and LGBT equality will begin to focus on related but adjacent issues, such as enhancing the role of religious belief in the public square and attempting to institutionalize their sexist beliefs in public policy.

Of course, the political fight over AB 1266 will have a direct impact on gender non-conforming children in California schools.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

EYE CANDY: Chris Jammer (encore)

Chris Jammer is a male model who has appeared as Eye Candy here before (April 1, 2013). He is one of the rare models whose pictures I have posted even when I do not know basic information like age, height and weight because I think he is so stunning.

Happily, Chris apparently has started becoming more active on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.

Recently, Gorgeous Sexy Guys posted some more pictures of Chris (taken by photographer Joseph Bleu) and I have decided to share some of those with y'all. You're welcome!

2013 ATP TOUR FINALS: Djokovic-Nadal XXXIX

The last official match of the 2013 tennis season will be tomorrow night in London at 8pm local time (12pm PST and 3pm EST). It will feature World #1 Rafael Nadal against World #2 Novak Djokovic meeting for the 39th time in their careers (Nadal currently lleads 22-16).

Despite my prediction to the contrary, Nadal dispatched Roger Federer 7-5 6-3 in a match that was a bit closer than the score would indicate. Federer returned serve very well but ultimately made too many unforced errors against his arch-nemesis to extend his unbeaten streak in indoor hard court matches to 5-0, losing instead. They two played four times in 2013 with the Spaniard winning every time. Nadal is playing in his 14th final of 2013 and has won 10 titles so far and has 75-6 record for the year.

Djokovic has won 21 matches in a row since losing to Nadal in the finals of the US Open. He took care of Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3 6-3 to reach his tenth final of the year (6 titles so far). Djokovic won this title by defeating Federer last year; Nadal has never won the year-end championships.

The two have faced off 5 times in 2013 already with Nadal winning 3 times and Djokovic twice. Djokovic won 2 of the three finals they played but Nadal won both meetings in the grand slams. They are currently tied 9-9 in ATP tour finals. Djokovic won the last time they played, in the finals of the China Open in Beijing a few weeks ago.

I believe that Djokovic will win on Monday, although I do believe that Nadal deserves to be #1 for the amazing year that he has had and could very well come away with the victory, capping a very good year and earning nearly $2 million more in prize money.

MadProfessah pick: Djokovic.

WATCH: Trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The second film in the trilogy being written, directed and produced by Peter Jackson about a book written by J.R.R. Tolkien is The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. It is in theaters on December 13, 2013 and a new 3-minute trailer is out now!

Federer-Nadal XXXII: Semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals

Roger Federer took a significant step towards rehabilitating his 2013 season by winning a tough showdown with Juan Martin del Potro for the very last slot in the semifinals of the ATP World our Finals in London today. Despite being down a break in every single set, the Swiss great fought back to win two sets and earn the right to play World #1 Rafael Nadal for the 32nd time in their careers.

Federer won his match with del Potro 4-6 7-6(2) 7-5. After coming back in the second set to force a tie-break which he won, Federer was broken early in the 3rd set and was down 0-3 when I woke up this morning and started watching the match. Maybe it was a happy coincidence, but from that moment, Federer won 3 consecutive games to even the match and when earned his opportunity to break at 15-40 in the 11th game, he seized it and served out the match with style, saving a break point and ending with an ace.

Federer improved his career head-to-head record to 15-5 against del Potro and got revenge for the second time in as many weeks for losing to the Argentine in his hometown final of Basel. It was also the 11th time in 12 consecutive appearances that Federer has qualified for the semifinals of the tournament, with his one gap being 2008.

He will play his arch-nemesis Nadal, who although he has a 21-10 overall head-to-head edge over Federer is 0-4 at the year-end-championships, which is played on indoor hard courts. Frankly, Nadal has never done well at this tournament, having only reached the final once before. On hard courts, Nadal now leads 7-6 thanks to wins earlier this year on the surface at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the ATP Masters in Cincinnati during his unprecedented hard court winning streak which saw him capture his 2nd US Open crown. Nadal is not playing his best tennis, and neither is Federer, but I believe that Federer will find a way to win this match tomorrow in order to reach the final again and have a chance (theoretically) to win his 7th year-end championship.

In the other semifinal, surprisingly is another Swiss player, Stanislas Wawrinka playing in the year-end championships for the first time. He is facing Novak Djokovic, who is on a 19-match winning streak and will almost certainly beat Richard Gasquet later today and Wawrinka tomorrow in order to reach the final where he can defend his year-end championship from 2012. Wawrinka and Djokovic played two of the best hardcourt matches of the year in Melbourne and New York but the Serbian has a crushing 14-2 edge in their head-to-head and dismissed Wawrinka in two lopsided sets on his way to winning the ATP Paris Masters last week.

MadProfessah's Pick: Federer-Djokovic final (won by Djokovic).

HISTORIC! Hawaii House Passes Marriage Equality Bill 30-19!

The Hawaii House of Representatives made history last night by giving final passage to an amended marriage equality bill 30-19. This legislative action practically insures that the Aloha State will become the 16th state to have enacted marriage equality, and the second state legislative house to make history this week, following Illinois on Wednesday. The Hawaii Senate still needs to pass the amended bill and send it to the Governor, who intends to enthusiastically sign it into law:

"I commend the House of Representatives for taking this historic vote to move justice and equality forward.  

"After more than 50 hours of public testimony from thousands of testifiers on both sides of the issue, evaluating dozens of amendments, and deliberating procedures through hours of floor debates, the House passed this significant bill, which directly creates a balance between marriage equity for same-sex couples and protects our First Amendment freedoms for religious organizations. 

"I applaud Speaker Souki, Judiciary Chair Rhoads, Finance Chair Luke, Majority Leader Saiki and the rest of the leadership team for their patience, fairness and hard work in shepherding this bill through the House.  

"I am confident that the Senate will address the bill in the same spirit. I look forward to a successful conclusion to this major step in affirming everyone's civil rights."

There's an extra resonance in Hawaii joining the burgeoning group of states embracing marriage equality because twenty years ago it was widely expected to be the first state to end marriage discrimination against same-sex couples. However, it didn't turn out that way and now Hawaii will be the 16th state instead of the first. Oh well, better late than never.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

2013 CHENNAI: Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship Starts Soon!

The highly anticipated world championship chess match between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen is starting soon. 22-year-old Carlsen is the #1 rated player in the world, with an astonishing rating of 2862 while 43-year-old Anand has been at the top of the chess world for well over a decade, considered the world champion since 2007. Anand's current rating is 2779 and he is ranked #9 on the latest world chess rankings.

The 12-game match is happening in Chennai, India (the capital city of the state ofTamil Nadu) where Anand was born and raised. Most people, including former World Champion Garry Kasparov, believe that Carlsen will win, but everyone expects a tough, exciting contest.

CNBC reports:

"We have youthful energy and exuberance from one of the greatest chess prodigies of all time pitted against age and experience. Since I am considerably older than the defending world champion, there is a part of me who wouldn't mind seeing age and experience do OK," said [Wall Street financier Chris] Flowers, who is 56. 

Besides being so far apart in age, the competitors are also far apart in style. [Harvard Economics Professor Kenneth] Rogoff used a tennis analogy to compare the two. 

"Anand has the bigger serve, and Carlsen is more of the baseline, persistent player," he said. "Carlsen in particular just has an indomitable will to win. He aims for quiet positions where nothing seems to be going on and says, 'Well, nothing's going on, but you're going to lose.' Whereas Anand sparkles at everything, but particularly in very complicated positions, and he'll try to steer Carlsen into these messier things, where Carlsen maybe has less of an edge than in simpler positions."

Since I personally know Anand and used to play in similar tournaments with him decades ago I am rooting for him, but I think it will be hard for him to withstand the challenge from his youthful opponent.

You can follow the matches online at chennai2013.fide.com.

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: "Boy Genius" Ronan Farrow Is Gay

Ronan Farrow is Mia Farrow's son, and is either the son of Frank Sinatra or Woody Allen. He is 25-years-old and has already graduated from Yale Law School (4 years ago!), won a Rhode Scholarship and served in the Obama administration. And apparently he is gay, according to Vice, although you wouldn't know that from recent media articles:

It's not as obvious to me that Farrow's sexuality needed to be mentioned in the Times profile, though again there's a dog-whistle issue: "When he wasn’t busy navigating world events, [Farrow] was adding some panache to the Washington social scene, often appearing at political fetes with Jon Lovett, a former Obama speechwriter”; and "he is guarded about his private life, suggesting a persona more carefully calibrated than he lets on." OK, maybe that's a little louder than a dog-whistle. It’s possible that the piece’s author, Michael Schulman, who often writes about gay celebrities, couldn't get anyone to verify Farrow's sexuality on the record. 

[...] 

As a gay man, I find Farrow's sexuality highly relevant—he's literally the gay Mia Farrow! It’s only by accepting a homophobic logic that we can perform the mental acrobatics required to decide sexuality should be off the table. It’s just as interesting as any other detail, and no more embarrassing. As a New York court ruled last year, outing is a banality—identifying someone as a homosexual never qualifies as defamation, even if it isn’t true.

I also find Farrow's sexuality relevant. And I support "outing," although I prefer the term Michelangelo Signorile used at the time: "equalization." To me the point is to equalize the treatment of celebrities' homosexuality with their heterosexuality by the media. The notion that homosexuality is some horribly shameful secret while tabloids will reveal every other piece of information about a person is just simply wrong in my opinion. One can argue that nobody's private sexual behavior should be discussed in tabloids, but if you're going to talk about it when straight people do it, I insist you give LGBT people the same treatment.

HISTORIC ACT: ENDA Passes U.S. Senate 64-32!

As expected, the  Employment non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed the United States Senate today. The vote was 64-32, with ten (!) Republicans joining all 54 voting Democrats to pass the measure.

The White House responded with a statement:

For more than two centuries, the story of our nation has been the story of more citizens realizing the rights and freedoms that are our birthright as Americans.  Today, a bipartisan majority in the Senate took another important step in this journey by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would help end the injustice of our fellow Americans being denied a job or fired just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.  Just as no one in the United States can lose their job simply because of their race, gender, religion or a disability, no one should ever lose their job simply because of who they are or who they love.     Today’s victory is a tribute to all those who fought for this progress ever since a similar bill was introduced after the Stonewall riots more than three decades ago.  In particular, I thank Majority Leader Reid, Chairman Harkin, Senators Merkley and Collins for their leadership, and Senator Kirk for speaking so eloquently in support of this legislation.  Now it’s up to the House of Representatives.  This bill has the overwhelming support of the American people, including a majority of Republican voters, as well as many corporations, small businesses and faith communities.  They recognize that our country will be more just and more prosperous when we harness the God-given talents of every individual. One party in one house of Congress should not stand in the way of millions of Americans who want to go to work each day and simply be judged by the job they do.  Now is the time to end this kind of discrimination in the workplace, not enable it.  I urge the House Republican leadership to bring this bill to the floor for a vote and send it to my desk so I can sign it into law.  On that day, our nation will take another historic step toward fulfilling the founding ideals that define us as Americans.

Woo hoo!

FILM REVIEW: Gravity

The film Gravity has turned out to be a huge box-office hit ($200+ million) and crtical favorite, an unusual bright spot in Hollywood's fall box office, when more serious, dramatic films that vie for Oscars and other awards are released. But Gravity is also a realistic contender for end-of-year awards, with an impressive pedigree of the people involved with the production. It is directed by an Oscar-nominee Alfonso Cuarón (who co-wrote the script with son Jonas) and starring two popular Oscar-winners Sandra Bullock (Best Actress for The Blind Side) and George Clooney (Best Supporting Actor for Syriana).

Gravity has received some of the best reviews of the year, with a 97% rating (87% from audiences) on rottentomatoes.com. Interestingly, it is also one of the rare movies released in 3-D which most people seem to think takes advantage of the new technology in a way that justifies the ticket price hike.

I saw Gravity at one of the best theaters in Los Angeles (the Arclight Cineramadome) in 3-D and enjoyed it immensely. The film is quite immersive, with a cast that basically consists of only Bullock and Clooney. The story is set in space, and depicts a disaster that occurs while their characters are doing a space walk on a Shuttle mission to repair the Hubble telescope.

Gravity has stunning visuals and a suspenseful (if somewhat far-fetched) plot that left me with my pace elevated and on the edge of my seat. Some have criticized the film for scientific inaccuracies in the depiction of orbital mechanics and logistics of living and working in space. But for the vast majority of viewers, including yours truly, Gravity is the first movie which really makes you feel like you understand what it is like to be in space, and it is both exciting and terrifying.

Although the film stars both Clooney and Bullock it is really carried by Bullock who if she had not won her Oscar in 2010 would probably be a lock to win this year and is almost guaranteed to be nominated for her performance as Dr. Ryan Stone. It is Dr. Stone's first time in space so she is the person who the audience identifies with (since it is our first time in space also). Clooney plays Matt Kowalski, a veteran space captain who is on his very last mission and he is the person both Ryan and the audience look to for help and reassurance when things go awry early in the film.

Overall, Gravity is an amazing cinematic experience that one should not miss, and one that most people will remember for quite a long time after they leave the theater.


Title: Gravity.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón.
Running Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences,  some disturbing images and brief strong language.
Release Date: October 4, 2013.
Viewing Date: October 10, 2013.

Writing: B+.
Acting: A.
Visuals: A+.
Impact: A+.

Overall Grade: A (4.0/4.0).

Lesbian Mayor Of Houston Re-Elected To 3rd Term!

This week Annise Parker was re-elected as Mayor of Houston, Texas for a third and final term. Parker is the first openly LGBT chief executive of a Top 10 city.

With 35% of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Parker had secured 57% of the vote compared with 28% for Hall. Hall conceded less than two hours after the polls closed when early returns showed Parker securing the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

Parker's victory is in contrast to high-profile losses by other female candidates running for Mayor of major cities in 2013 such as Christine Quinn in New York City and Wendy Greuel in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Times analyzes why Parker won:

“The mayor has an image as a technocrat, a policy wonk, not an in-your-face left-wing activist. She’s not someone who really alienates conservatives,” said Mark Jones, chair of the political science department at Rice University in Houston.

While Hall lived in a mansion just outside Houston until last year, Parker graduated from Rice, worked in the oil and gas industry and lived with her domestic partner, Kathy Hubbard, and three children in an older home in the city’s historic Heights neighborhood.

Parker started out as a gay activist in college, was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus and has been open about her family, attending black-tie events with Hubbard. But, Jones said, “she doesn’t make a political issue out of it.”

“She’s first and foremost a mayor who focuses on policy,” he said. “Her life is one that people in Houston can really identify with.”

Before she was first elected mayor in 2009, Parker served on the City Council and as Houston controller. During her first mayoral term, she handled budget cuts without raising taxes, which Jones said earned her respect from conservative and centrist voters.

Congratulations to Mayor Parker!

Nadal Clinches Year End #1 For 2013

Rafael Nadal clinched the year-end #1 for 2013 by winning his second round robin match at the ATP Tear End Championships in London on Wednesday. He defeated Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6(5) 7-6(6) for the 12th consecutive time. It was the 3rd time in the Spaniard's career that he finished the year at #1, repeating that accomplishment at 2008 and 2010.

From the ATP:

This is the 10th straight season that the year-end World No. 1 ranking has been held by Nadal (2008, ’10, ‘13), Federer (2004-07, ’09) or Novak Djokovic (2011-12). 

Nadal returned to World No. 1 on 7 October for the first time in more than two years after reaching his 13th final of a phenomenal season at the China Open in Beijing. He made his comeback in February with a No. 5 ranking following a seven-month injury layoff and won 10 titles, including Roland Garros, US Open and five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 triumphs. He also went undefeated on hard courts (26-0) through the China Open final, when he finished runner-up to Djokovic.   

Nadal first attained the No. 1 ranking on 18 August 2008 for a period of 46 weeks, becoming the first Spaniard to finish a season at the summit of men’s professional tennis. He regained the top spot from Federer on 7 June 2010, for another 56-week stretch, before relinquishing No. 1 to Djokovic following the 2011 Wimbledon final. Nadal competes in London at No. 1 for the 107th week in his career.

Nadal has won 10 titles in 2013 and is currently 73-6. He has never won the ATP Year-End Championship but reached the final in 2010.

Seattle Elects Openly Gay (Married) Mayor

Openly gay Washington state senator Ed Murray has been elected Mayor of Seattle. Murray, 58, is the first openly gay person to be elected to run Washington's largest city and the 22nd largest city in the United States.

Washington votes by mail so results are not final but the current tally has Murray ahead of the incumbent mayor, Mike McGinn, 56 to 43 percent.

SEATTLE MAYORMike McGinn 43 percentEd Murray 56 percent

Murray is well-known as one of the architects of marriage equality in the Evergreen state and is himself married to a man, Michael Shiosaki, who appeared in his husband's television ads.

Congratulations, Seattle!