Discrimination no longer an electoral asset

November 6th 2012 was a great day for LGBT political progress to equality, at all levels of American government.

Marriage ballots

Voters had never before approved marriage equality in a direct ballot, but this week they did so in four states simultaneously. In Maine, they reversed a ballot decision from 2009, re-instating the law passed earlier that year. In Maryland and Maine, they approved the legislation that had been passed earlier by the state legislatures, and that had been stalled by opponents belief that voters would overturn it. In  Minnesota, voters resisted attempts to entrench marriage discrimination in the state constitution.

This will embolden new marriage initiatives from state legislatures and citizens' ballot propositions, to upgrade civil unions to full marriage, to introduce civil unions where they are not yet available, or to overturn existing constitutional bans. Keep an eye on Rhode Island, Illinois, Delaware, Hawaii, Oregon, and Colorado.

The resounding voter support will also send a strong message to the justices of the Supreme Court, as they decide on how to respond to the assorted appeals - on Proposition 8 in California, and challenges to DOMA. If they decide not to consider the appeal on the Proposition 8 ruling, it will stand. Proposition H8 will have been overturned, and marriage equality will return to the state. If they do take up the issue, they may well agree with the lower court, that Proposition 8 was invalid - but if not, voters will surely take up the issue, as they did in Maine - and will win. Either way, marriage equality will return, and within the next year or two. We just cannot say how, or when.

Congress

Washington will have its largest queer delegation yet. Tammy Baldwin is the first LGBT person elected to the Senate, and three gay men joined two incumbents as congressmen: Mark Takano in California 41, Sean Patrick Maloney in New York, and Mark Pocan in Wisconsin 02.  Kyrsten Sinema in  Arizona 09 became the first openly bisexual Representative elected. Together with the existing Reps Jared Polis (Colorado) and David Cicilline (Rhode Island), that's a total delegation of seven, spanning the East Coast, Midwest, Southwest and West Coast.

States

The big news and headlines have concentrated on the national results, but it is at state and local levels that many of the decisions are made that affect our lives most directly - and there are some really interesting stories lower down the ballot. 

• In Minnesota, where Republicans in the  state legislature, with Catholic bishops as cheerleaders, initiated the proposed constitutional ban, the GOP lost both houses of the state legislature.
• In New York, where the NOM and the rest of the religious right went after four GOP state senators who supported gay marriage last year, the Republicans appear to have lost the state senate, which they have held for years. (One key race has not yet been settled, but the Democrat holds a still lead).
• In Iowa, where the Democrats control the state senate and have resisted attempts to initiate a repeal of gay marriage, the Republicans failed in a determined attempt to take control. Also in Iowa, where two years ago voters unseated three of the judges who had ruled in favour of gay marriage, this year a similar conservative assault on a fourth judge failed. Same - sex marriage in Iowa is here to stay.
• In Colorado, where the GOP Speaker of the state House blocked a bill for civil unions that would have passed simply by refusing to allow a vote, the Democrats have regained control. Speaker McNulty will soon be ex-Speaker, and is likely to be replaced by  - an openly gay man. Expect civil unions, or even full marriage equality, to feature high on his to-do list for 2013.

This will send a strong message to the opponents of equality in other state legislatures. The National Organisation for Marriage and their allies had promised to demonstrate that Republican support for equality would damage their careers. The reverse is true - it's discrimination, not support for LGBT equality, that is now an electoral liability.

As recently as 2004 the Republican strategist Karl Rove prompted Republicans in key states to put up gay marriage bans in the federal election. The object was to anger the base and draw Christian conservatives and religious black voters out to the polls, and in so doing bolster the vote for George Bush jnr. It worked, and for a time some Republicans believed they could use fear of gay marriage to maintain a permanent majority.

The results across America on Tuesday night appear to put the notion to rest 

- Sydney Morning Herald

State House election gains:

The electoral gains at congressional level were repeated right down the ballot. Gay Politics reports that

Seven state legislatures gained their first or only openly LGBT state lawmakers this year, including North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, New Mexico, Texas, Pennsylvania and Florida, which went from zero to two gay legislators.  And in Oregon and Colorado, state legislative election results have positioned two out lawmakers to become House Speakers.

Those supported by the Victory Fund and elected included:

California - Senate

• Ricardo Lara
• Mark Leno

California - State Assembly

• Tom Ammiano
• Toni Atkins
• Susan Eggman
• Richard Gordon
• John Perez

Colorado - Senate

• Jessie Ulibarri
• Patrick Steadman

Colorado - State House of Representatives

• Dominick Moreno
• Paul Rosenthal
• Mark Ferrandino
• Joann Ginal
• Sue Schafer

Florida - State House of Representatives

• Joe Saunders
• Dave Richardson-State House of Representatives

Georgia - State House of Representatives

• Simone Bell
• Karla Drenner
• Keisha Sean Waites

Illinois - State House of Representatives

• Deb Mell
• Sam Yingling
• Kelly Cassidy

Massachusetts - State House of Representatives

• Denise Andrews
• KateHogan
• Carl Sciortino
• Sarah Peake

Maine -  State House of Representatives

• Justin Chenette
• Andrew McLean
• Matt Moonen
• Terry Morrison

Minnesota - State House of Representatives

• MN-Scott Dibble

Minnesota -  State House of Representatives

• Susan Allen

Missouri -  State House of Representatives

• Mike Colona

Montana -State Senate

• Christine Kaufmann

Montana-State House of Representatives

• Bryce Bennett

North Carolina -State House of Representatives

• Marcus Brandon

North Dakota - State House of Representatives

• Joshua Boschee

New Hampshire -State Senate

• David Pierce

New Hampshire -Executive Council

• Chris Pappas

New Mexico - State Senate

• Jacob Candelaria

Nevada - State Senate

• NV-David Parks

Nevada - State Assembly

• James Healey
• Andrew Martin

New York- State Senate

• NY-Brad Hoylman

New York - State Assembly

• Harry Bronson
• Matthew Titone
• Danny O’Donnell

Ohio - State House of Representatives

• Tim Brown
• Nickie Antonio

Oklahoma - State Senate

• Al McAffrey

Oklahoma - State House of Representatives

• Kay Floyd

Oregon - Secretary of State

• Kate Brown

Oregon - State Supreme Court

• Virginia Linder

Oregon - State House of Representatives

• Tina Kotek

Pennsylvania - State House of Representatives

• Brian Sims

Rhode Island-State Senate

Donna Nesselbush

Rhode Island-State House of Representatives

• Gordon Fox
• Deb Ruggiero
• Frank Ferri

South Dakota -State Senate

• Angie Buhl

Texas - State House of Representatives

• Mary Gonzalez

Vermont -State House of Representatives

• Herb Russell 
• Matt Trieber
• Suzi Wizowaty

Washington -State House of Representatives

• Jamie Pederson
• Marko Liias
• Jim Moeller
• Wisconsin

WI - State Assembly

• JoCasta Zamarripa

West Virginia -State House of Delegates

• Stephen Skinner

Wyoming -State House of Representatives

• Cathy Connolly

That's a long list, but it's incomplete. There will be more who should be added: there are others who did not seek or accept help from the Victory Fund, some races are still not yet decided (pending absentee or provisional vote counting, and recounts), and others may have been omitted in simple error. 

Then there's a whole slew of new representatives elected still lower down - ballot, at local level - but I'm not going into that. See the complete list (including also the candidates who lost) at Gay Politics' Victory Fund Celebrates Huge Night for Gay Candidates

  

Related articles

• US Election's Big Winners: LGBT (and Straight Ally) Catholics (queeringthechurch.com)
• Gay Marriage Equality On The March - Voters Give Support At The Polls (dekerivers.wordpress.com)
• The Single Biggest Night For Gay Rights In Electoral History (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
• Sweeping 2012 Victories Show Promise Of LGBT Equality's Future (thinkprogress.org)
• Maine Becomes First In the Nation to Adopt a Voter-Initiated Marriage Equality Law (pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com)
• Decision 2012: Obama, Baldwin, Maloney, Marriage Equality, and What It All Means (towleroad.com)
• Michelangelo Signorile: Gay Mega History in the Making: The Landslide Victory on LGBT Rights (huffingtonpost.com)
• How Gay Marriage Advocates Will Learn to Love the Ballot - Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
• How Gay Marriage Finally Won at the Polls (slate.com)
• Historic Night for Same-Sex Marriage (commonwealmagazine.org)

David McReynolds (1929 - ). Political activist, and first gay presidential candidate.

b. October 25, 1929

American democratic socialist and pacifist activist who described himself as "a peace movement bureaucrat" during his 40-year career with Liberation magazine and the War Resisters League. He was the first openly gay man to run for President of the United States.

Born in Los Angeles, in 1951 he joined the Socialist Party of America (SPA) and in 1953 he graduated from UCLA with a degree in political science. Between 1957 and 1960, McReynolds worked for the editorial board of the left-wing magazine Liberation. McReynolds is openly gay and wrote his first article about living as a gay man in 1969.

He was staunchly anti-war and a draft resister, and in 1960 joined the staff of the War Resisters League (WRL), where he remained until his retirement in 1999. On November 6, 1965, he was one of five men who publicly burned their draft cards at an anti-war demonstration at Union Square in New York.

In his political career, McReynolds ran for Congress from Lower Manhattan twice and for President twice. In 1958 he ran as a write-in SPA candidate and then in 1968 as a Peace and Freedom Party candidate for Congress in the 19th district.  In 1980, he ran for President of the United States as the SPUSA candidate, and again for President as the SPUSA candidate in 2000. In both 1980 and 2000, McReynolds received the endorsement and ballot line of the Liberty Union Party in Vermont. In 2004, he ran on the Green Party ticket for the New York Senate, running an anti-war campaign against Democratic incumbent Chuck Schumer. 

61% of UK Christians back equal rights for gay couples - Survey

<p style="text-align: justify;">There is extensive evidence that the US is moving to embrace full equality for lesbian and gay couples, and that Catholics are more supportive than the population at large. American Evangelicals though, remain (mostly) hostile. There has not been nearly as much polling for the UK, but a new survey shows even more support than in the US - including from 61% of all Christians.</p>

<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/14/uk-study-61-of-christians-back-equal-gay-rights/">61% of Christians back equal rights for gay couples</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/14/uk-study-61-of-christians-back-equal-gay-rights/"><img src="http://queeringthechurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/bible3.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>Results of a poll released today say 61% of people in the UK who identify as Christian back fully equal rights for gay couples.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>The 2011 Ipsos MORI study explored the “beliefs, knowledge and attitudes” of people who identified as Christian after the nationwide census last year.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>74% of respondents said as Christians they thought religion should not have a special influence on public life.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>The survey was conducted on behalf of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>Six in ten respondents, 61%, agreed that gays should have the same rights in all aspects of their lives as straight people.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000080;"><em>Only 29% said they disapproved of sexual relationships between gays. Nearly half said they did not actively disapprove.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/02/14/uk-study-61-of-christians-back-equal-gay-rights/"> - full report at  PinkNews.co.uk</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: justify;">A word of caution here, is that the survey was sponsored by the explicitly secularist Richard Dawkins Foundation, which is using the results to demonstrate that the UK is a secular society, and not a "Christian country". It does not appear to have released the full questionnaire or tables. The only results currently available are those selected for inclusion in the press release by the Foundation. In particular, the description "Christian" appears to be used for those who describe themselves as such - many of whom do not actively practice their religion.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">There is no reason to disregard the main thrust of the finding though, which is in agreement with what previous research is available. British opinion is firmly on the side of LGBT inclusion - and that includes those who think of themselves Christian.</p>

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Guido Westerwelle, German Vice Chancellor

b 27 December 1961

Guido_Westerwelle (right)  and partner Michael Mronz  (L)

Guido Westerwelle is a German liberal politician, currently serving as the Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel (since 28 October 2009). He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions. Since 2001, he has been the chairman of the Free Democratic Party of Germany. A lawyer by profession, he has been a Member of Parliament since 1996.

Westerwelle joined the FDP in 1980. He was a founding member of the Junge Liberale, the youth organization of that party, and was its chairman from 1983 to 1988.

Having been a member of the Executive Board of the FDP since 1988, he first gained national prominence in 1994, when he was appointed Secretary General of the party. As such, he was a notable proponent of an unlimited free market economy and took a leading part in the drafting of a new party programme.

In 1996, Westerwelle was first elected a member of the German Bundestag, filling in for Heinz Lanfermann, who had resigned from his seat after entering the Ministry of Justice. In 1998, Westerwelle was re-elected to parliament.

In 2001, he succeeded Wolfgang Gerhardt as party chairman, who however remained chairman of the FDP's parliamentary group. Westerwelle was then the youngest chairman in the party's history,

Until 2004 he was not openly gay, although this was fairly common knowledge in the general public. On 20 July 2004, Westerwelle attended Angela Merkel's 50th birthday party accompanied by his partner, businessman Michael Mronz, thereby tacitly acknowledging that he was gay. It was the first time that he attended an official event with his partner. Today, he is frank about his homosexuality and lives together with his partner Michael Mronz. The couple registered their partnership on 17 September 2010 in a private ceremony in Bonn

Related articles

• German Vice Chancellor Guido Westerwelle Marries His Hot Piece Michael Mronz (queerty.com)
• German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle Ties Knot with Partner Michael Mronz in Civil Partnership (towleroad.com)
• German Foreign Minister Marries ... er, "Social Unions" Partner (gayrights.change.org)

Ballot Box Progress, Tues 8th November

Tuesday seems to have been a generally good night at the ballot box for LGBT Americans:


Iowa
"Democrats have held a crucial senate seat in a special election in central Iowa Tuesday. Had the seat fallen to Republicans, it would have allowed the Iowa Senate to potentially proceed with revocation procedures of legal gay marriage in the state." ChicagoPride.com

Michigan

Voters in Traverse City, have overwhelmingly voted to keep a nondiscrimination ordinance that protects LGBT people from bias, after conservative voters attempting to derail the proposal forced a referendum.

Houston

Annise Parker has been re-elected as mayor  without a runoff election.

Mike Laster is now  the first openly gay man elected to the Houston City Council.

Montana

Out lesbian Caitlin Copple has been elected to the Missoula council, defeating a hostile, anti-gay incumbent.

Cincinnati

Has its first openly LGBT city councillor, with the election of Chris Coolbach, who had earlier led a campaign to repeal an anti-gay city ordinance.

Charlotte, NC

Has its first openly LGBT city councillor. LaWana Mayfield won her runoff, after earlier defeating an incumbent in the Democratic primary.

New Jersey

Tim Eustace, already the mayor of Montgomery, has been elected to the state assembly - the first openly gay non-incumbent to do so.

Bruce Harris was elected mayor of Chattam Borough - the first African American, openly gay Republican mayor anywhere.

Connecticut

Pedro Segarra was easily re-elected as mayor of Hartford.

Indianapolis

Zach Adamson, who becomes the first openly LGBT city councilmember

Virginia

Adam Ebbin, a Virginia Delegate, who became the first openly gay State Senator

Massachusetts

Alex Morse became the first openly gay mayor of Holyoke

Uzi Even: Scientist, Politician, Military Officer, Israeli equality pioneer

b. 18 October 1940

Professor Uzi Even (Hebrew: עוזי אבן) is an Israeli professor of chemistry in Tel Aviv University and a former politician, who has made several landmark contributions to gay equality in Israel.

In the military:

In 1993 he told the Knesset that the IDF, where he served as a Lieutenant Colonel, had sacked him and removed his security clearance after they discovered he was gay. His testimony led to Yitzhak Rabin's government changing the law and regulations to allow homosexuals to serve in the army in any position, including one requiring high security clearance.

In employment:

In 1995 he successfully challenged his employer, Tel Aviv University, for spousal rights for his partner.

In politics:

A member of Meretz, he narrowly missed out on being elected to the fifteenth Knesset in 1999, but as the next placed candidate on the party's list, he became an MK when Amnon Rubinstein resigned in 2002, making him the first openly homosexual member of the Knesset.

In 2006, Even announced he was leaving Meretz and joining the Labor Party, feeling comfortable doing so after he noticed that Labor promised equality to all citizens in its election manifesto.

A member of Meretz, he narrowly missed out on being elected to the fifteenth Knesset in 1999, but as the next placed candidate on the party's list, he became an MK when Amnon Rubinstein resigned in 2002, making him the first openly homosexual member of the Knesset.

In family law:

On March 10, 2009, the Tel Aviv family court ruled that Even and his nowadays ex-partner, Amit Kama, can legally adopt their 30-year-old foster son, Yossi Even-Kama, making them the first same-sex male couple in Israel whose right of adoption has been legally acknowledged.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Icelandic Prime Minister

b. October 2nd,  1942.

When she became Iceland’s first female Prime Minister in 2009 following more than a year of public protests over Iceland’s handling of the financial crisis, he broke yet another important barrier by becoming the world’s first open lesbian head of government. The LGBT community around the world cheered, but Sigurðardóttir had no time for celebrations. She had her hads full with the collapse of the island nation’s entire banking system and the stock exchange losing some 90% of its value. She renegotiated Iceland’s payment of bank deposits to holders in Netherlands and Britain — much to the outrage of Icelandic taxpayers — and her government launched several criminal investigations of the banking collapse. Under her stewardship, Iceland’s economic free-fall has been halted, and investors are beginning to return. Iceland has also been working on joining the E.U. since June 2009, which has also helped boost investor confidence.

Jóhanna has been in a Registered Partnership with Jónína Leósdóttir since 2002. When Iceland enacted its marriage equality law in 2010, Jóhanna and Jónína became among the first to convert their legal partnership into a marriage."

Box Turtle Bulletin

Polish Election: Tusk leads, Bigotry loses

There' a a long way to go before Poland formally embraces LGBT equality, but there are two encouraging elements from Sunday's general election: the most significant force for institutional bigotry, the conservative Law and Justice party of Jaroslaw Kaczynski was firmly rejected, and for the first time, there is parliamentary representation for a a new left-wing party that supports gay rights, the legalization of marijuana and other liberal causes was poised to gain representation in parliament.  

Tusk leads:

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk enjoyed a strong lead over his conservative rival and predecessor Jaroslaw Kaczynski in parliamentary elections, with his centrist party set to become the first ever in Poland's post-communist era to win a second consecutive term.

That feat underlines the growing political stability in Poland, a central European nation of 38 million whose economy has flourished since it joined the European Union in 2004."

The new party, Palikot's Movement, was in third place in the exit poll with 10 percent. Led by entrepreneur and maverick lawmaker Janusz Palikot, the party gained popularity promising to fight the power of the Roman Catholic church in public life. Unlike in secular Western Europe, the church still has great influence in public life, which can be seen in the strict abortion laws and in the presence of crosses in many public offices.

Elio Di Rupo, Belgian Politician, PM in waiting?

b. 18 July 1951

As leader of Belgium's Socialist Party, which emerged from the general election in June last year as the largest of the Francophone parties and the second-largest party overall, there was early speculation that Di Rupo might conceivably become the next Prime Minister, and with it the world's first openly gay male head of government (there is already a lesbian PM, in Iceland). This was not a foregone conclusion: there were some mutterings as to his suitability - but the interesting thing is that these had nothing to do with his sexuality, and in any case seem to have been pushed aside. His current Wikipedia entry does not even refer to his sexuality, although he is known to be openly gay. As the designated "formateur" entrusted with heading the complex negotiations over forming the next government, Di Rupo is, in effect, Belgium's next Prime Minister - and is widely described in press reports as Belgium's "Prime Minister in waiting".

Following the 2010 Belgian general election, in which the PS emerged as the largest of the Francophone parties and the second largest political party in Belgium, speculation emerged as to whether Di Rupo could be the Prime Minister in a new government. The RTBF raised questions, however, about whether Di Rupo's limited fluency in Dutch would be a stumbling block in seeking that office, since this was one of the reasons why a francophone has not held the prime minister's post since 1979. In May 2011, he was appointed Formateur by the Belgian king, which gave Di Rupo the task of forming a government. Traditionally, the Formateur will also become the Prime Minister of the government he formed

Di Rupo has been openly gay for years, and has publicly acknowledged patronising young male prostitutes. At the height of the Belgian public horror at the pedophile Marc Dutroux, and the disclosure of his abuse and murder of young girls, this appeared briefly to provoke a conservative backlash against the gay male community, but has never seriously damaged Di Rupo's political career. He has already served as "burgomaster" (mayor) of Mons, as regional Minister-President of the Walloon Region, and as national deputy prime minister.

Related articles

• Gay PM for Belgium?

• Belgium's PM-to-be targets 2012 budget deficit cuts (expatica.com)
• Stage set for Di Rupo to become Belgian PM

Why the Democrats learned to love same-sex marriage

 "When Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) announced this summer that he will sponsor a same-sex marriage bill in next year’s legislative session, he heard from Edwin F. O’Brien, the archbishop of Baltimore, who pleaded with the governor to change his mind. “Maryland is not New York,” O’Brien wrote. He urged O’Malley not to allow his position on “the definition of marriage to be determined by mere political expediency.”

And the archbishop is right about something else, too: O’Malley’s announcement, which was lauded by advocates and sympathetic legislators, was testament to a tipping point we have reached in American politics. President Obama may be the last nominee for president from his party who does not openly declare support for same-sex marriage. It is now not only acceptable but encouraged for Democratic politicians with national ambitions to advocate full marriage equality for gay couples.

O’Brien is correct: Maryland is not New York, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) was widely hailed for shepherding a bill legalizing same-sex marriage through his state’s divided legislature in June."

- Read more at The Washington Post:

LGBT "Activists", from Matt & Andrej Biographies.

Matt & Andrej Kowalsky "Biographies of Famous GLTB People (Or who tried it at least once...)" lists an extensive collection of short biographies, with an indication in the headline for each entry if the country of origin, dates and main occupation or claim to queer fame. The list below is a selection from the full listing of those who are described as "activists" or social reformers, and are described as "living" (at least at the time of the original posting). 

(For a companion listing of those who are no longer still living, see the entry at "Ir's a Queer World").

Australia
Croome, Rodney	Activist
Barbados
Dear, Darcy	Activist
Canada
Adam, Barry	Activist
Bagares, Elmer	Activist
Bearchell, Chris	Activist, journalist
Bédard, Paul	Activist
Billet, Murray G.	Activist
Birch, Elizabeth	Head of the Human Rights Campaign
Bishop, Anne	Activist
Blachford, Gregg	Activist
Bourassa, Kevin	Activist
Cambly, Dennis	Activist
Carter, Chris	Activist
Dayman, Ron	Activist
Desmarais, Harold	Activist
Douglas, Michelle	Activist
Fuller, Janine	Activist
Goodwin, Terry	Activist, farmer
Gottlieb, Amy	Feminist, activist
Graham, Phil	Gay activist
Greenbaum, Mona	Acivist
Hellquist, Gens	Gay activist
Holmes, Dr. M. Morgan	Intersex activist
Huen, Donna	Activist
MacDonald, Paul	Activist
Marchildon, Gilles	Activist, journalist
Marquez, Nitto	AIDS activist
McCaskell, Tim	Activist
McLeod, Albert	AIDS activist
Metcalfe, Robin	Gay activist, writer
Miller, Harold	Gay club president
Miniely, Patrice	Activist
Minnema, Bonte	Activist
North, Richard	Activist
El Salvador
Hernández, William	Gay activist
France
Bonnet, Marie-Jo	Activist, scholar
Cardon, Patrick	Activist
Fortin, Jacques	Activist
Huet, Alain	Activist, mathematician
Iran
Alizadeh, Hossein	Gay activist
Israel
Freedman, Marcia	Peace & women's activist
Hasman, Rami	Activist
Italy
Grillini, Franco	Activist, politician
Jordan
Al-Sameed, Suhail Abu	Gay activist
Korea
Han, Ju Hui "Judy"	Activist
Mexico
Hinojosa, Claudia	Activist, writer
Norway
Eikvam, Turid	Activist, journalist
Friele, Karen Christine	Gay activist
Puerto Rico
Diaz-Cotto, Juanita	Activist
Russia
Alexeyev, Nicolas	Activist
Debryanskaya, Yevgeniya	Activist
Serbia
Aleksov, Bojan	Activist
South Africa
Botha, Kevan	Activist
Ditsie, Beverley	Activist
Mabele, Prudence	AIDS activist, healer
Spain
Fluvià, Armand de	Activist
Taiwan
Chia-Wei, Chi	Activist
Turkey
Demir, Melike	Activist
Eren, Ibrahim	Gay rights leader
UK
Bell, Colin	Activist
French, Gavin	Gay activist
Grey, Antony	Gay activist
Hallidie Smith, Andrew	Activist clergyman
Horsfall, Allan	Activist
Mason, Angela	Activist
USA
Abbott, Sidney	Activist, writer
Adams, Gregory	Activist
Adoma, Kofi	Activist, psychologist
Anderson, James D.	Professor, activist
Baker, Jack	Activist
Balka, Cristie	Lesbian activist
Bastian, Bruce	Philantropist, activist
Bastow, Thomas	Activist
Bauman, Robert	Conservative gay activist
Beckman, Chris	Activist
Bellinger, George	AIDS activist
Bellos, Linda	Activist, politician
Bennett, Jeff	Activist
Berman, Ruthie	Activist
Besen, Wayne	Activist
Bettencourt, Troix	Gay activist
Bottini, Ivy	Feminist, lesbian activist
Bradley, Alexa M.	Lesbian activist
Brinkin, Larry	Gay activist
Brydon, Charles	Gay activist, Seattle businessman
Bunch, Ken	Founder of queer nuns
Burns, Randy	Activist
Bye, Larry	Activist
Byham, Kim	Integrity activist
Byrne, Shannon	Activist
Campbell, Dani	Firefighter, activist
Carter, Mandy	Activist
Carter, Robert S.	Political organizer
Cathcart, Kevin M.	Activist, lawyer
Cavanaugh, Donald	Activist
Chase, Cheryl	Activist
Cheetam, Carlene	Activist
Colín, Anthony	Activist
Comegys, Duke	Gay fundraiser
Córdova, Jeanne	Activist, writer
Curry, Dee	Transgender activist
Davis, Sharon	African American transgendered author, activist
Doerr, Tom	Activist
Doherty, Will	Activist
Duke, Raymond R.	AIDS activist
Duque, Andrés	Activist
Dyer, Christopher	Gay rights worker
Ellis, Fred	Integrity member
Evans, Arthur	Gay activist
Evertz, Scott	Republican gay activist
Flippen, Justin	Activist
Fougeray, Jacky	Activist, journalist
Fouratt, Jim	Gay activist
Garry, Joan M.	GLAAD director
Gilberto, Gerald	Activist
Gingrich, Candace	Activist
Glavin, Matthew	Activist
Glaze, Lee	Bartender, activist
Glover, Billy	Activist
Gold, Ronald	Gay activist
Harlow, Ruth	Legal director Lambda
Headley, Jubi Jr.	Activist
Henkle, Deerk	Former student, activist
Henson, Brenda and Wanda	Founders of Camp Sister Spirit
Hicks, Garrett	Activist, Administrative Disney Company
Hill, Ray	Gay activist
Hunter, Joyce	Lesbian activist NY
Hyde, Sue	Activist
Ireland, Patricia	President NOW
Mason, Abner	Activist
Mathews, Dan	Activist
McCorvey, Norma	Anti-abortion activist
McKeage, Alice	Activist
Nabozny, Jamie	Activist
Nakagawa, Scot	Gay-rights and anti-racism activist
Norman, Pat	Activist
Northrop, Ann	Activist, journalist, TV producer

Out in Politics: S.D. Transgender Council Member Reemerges

"A former city council member in Rapid City, S.D., is returning to the public eye as she prepares to run for a city council seat after coming out as transgender, the Associated Press reports.

After several years of keeping to herself in her Rapid City home, Marla Murphy, now 55, is ready to see if her town has changed since she made her announcement while on the city council. But she has received numerous threats over the years, and she says she still is nervous when approaching a voter's front door."

- more at The Advocate