Cyndi Lauper Advocates Equality on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’

Iconic 80’s pop star Cyndi Lauper has taken her gay and lesbian advocacy to the hit show Celebrity Apprentice.

The Grammy-winning singer debuted on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice Sunday night and is creating a buzz about her LGBT charity, The True Colors Fund.

One of the 56-year-old singer’s goals is to get the straight community involved in the support of LGBT equality. Over the past two years, True Colors has raised over $200,000 for organizations like HRC and PFLAG.

(Full story: SheWired.com)

Washington Post defends front cover gay kiss

The Washington Post stands by its decision to publish a front-page photo of a gay couple kissing that generated a high volume of complaints from readers.

The newspaper published the photo online and in print last week. It captures Jeremy Ames and Taka Ariga kissing outside D.C. Superior Court on the first day same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses in the District. Weddings began on Tuesday.

A few of the readers have engaged in rants, often with anti-gay slurs. One complained about the paper, “promoting a faggot lifestyle.” Another complained, “That kind of stuff makes normal people want to throw up. People have kids who are being exposed to this crap. I will be glad when your rag goes out of business. Real men marry women.”

The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, the watchdog group for media coverage of LGBT issues, applauded TheWashington Post for publishing the photo.

(Full story: The Advocate)

Anti-gay group says Obama wants kids ‘trapped’ and 'indoctrinated’ by 'drag queens’

Anti-gay hate group ’The Traditional Values Coalition’ has launched a new website designed solely for the purpose of stopping the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This bill “would provide basic protections against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The group goes on to claim that ENDA would cause kids to be “trapped in classes taught by drag queens,” “indoctrinated,” and “forced to learn about bizarre sexual fetishes”.

(Full story: Media Matters Action Network)

Jason Mraz & Elton John for Marriage Equality

While touring the San Diego LGBT Community Center last week and after attending attending Elton John’s Oscar Viewing party, Jason Mraz has come up with an idea that he hopes will bring together the Heterosexual and LGBT communities through the power of music.

Jason Mraz hopes to collaborate with Elton John on a modern day version of the song “Ebony and Ivory” that would bring together separate classes as the original song did in the 1980’s for racial issues of the time. Mraz has been a long-time straight ally who supports the right of homosexual couples to legally wed.

Abby Schwartz, a coordinator at the San Diego LGBT Community Center, told GLTNewsNow.com, “Jason realizes he has a platform that many do not and wants to use it to share a message of love, acceptance and equality for all.”

Harvey Milk National Stamp Campaign

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the group who works to provide political power to the LGBT community, is co-sponsoring the Harvey Milk National Stamp Campaign. “This stamp would serve to further remind Americans that by honoring Harvey Milk, you honor a true American Hero and Champion of Civil Rights for all people.”

If you would like to show your support for this campaign, please write a letter to:

Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee
c/o Stamp Development
U.S. Postal Service
1735 North Lynn Ste Suite 5013
Arlington, VA 22209-6432

(Stamp Design by Jim Leff)

TV shows with gay characters could lose Florida tax credits

A new bill being considered for Florida could mean that television shows or films with gay characters within them that are shot in the state could miss out on vital tax credits because they are not deemed “family friendly”.

Current state law grants tax credits on productions considered “family friendly” - with no smoking, sex, nudity or profane language.

The proposal by Republican Rep. Stephen Precourt of Orlando would expand the field of disqualified productions as those that include any “exhibit or implied act” of nontraditional family values and gratuitous violence.

Stephen Precourt told the Palm Beach Post that shows with gay characters were not “the kind of thing I’d say that we want to invest public dollars in”.

Sean Hayes (Jack from Will and Grace) Comes Out as Gay

Step back, Jack: The man who played TV’s iconic and over-the-top sidekick steps out of the shadow of his famous character to speak for the first time about living openly, his contribution to the gay movement, and his much-anticipated Broadway debut.

Read the interview at Advocate.com »

Vote Out Homophobia From Big Brother Brasil

According to Made In Brazil, There are three openly gay contestants in Big Brother Brazil this season: a gay boy, a lesbian and a drag queen. The house was a very LGBT-friendly, but Marcelo Dourado was the only homophobe.

During the show, he’s made some homophobic comments, saying that the HIV virus is spread exclusively through homosexual sex. He claims that being called gay is as bad as being called a thief or a nazi. Opponents have been using the #ForaDourado hashtag on Twitter (Portuguese for “Out Dourado”).

The series is at the final 3 contestants. Who will you vote out?

• The lesbian (Angélica)
• The gay drag queen (Dicesar)
• The homophobe (Dourado)

Vote to eliminate one »
(Hurry, voting closes Tuesday at 10:30 PM!)

Thanks for the tip, Tatiana Presser!

Same-Sex Couples in Armani Exchange Ads Anger Parent Group

Armani Exchange is featuring gay couples in a new Valentine’s Day ad campaign. It attracted the attention of American Family Association’s OneMillionMoms.com. According to their website:

Malls, where teens hang out, have retailers whose window displays poison our children with 10-foot posters that are nothing but soft p*rn. In particular, Armani Exchange has recently displayed Valentine’s posters with partially dressed “couples” holding one another. These couples consist of two men, a man and woman, and two women. The women are scantily dressed while it is questionable if the men have any clothes on at all. Two of these models are used a couple of times to represent bis*xuals. If it could get any worse the text written is “SHARE THE LOVE.”

Read the full story at nymag.com »

(via Matt Beetar on Equalitopia’s facebook)