“Marriage has also been unusual; philanthropists generally tend to be more apolitical in their giving, and same-sex marriage has always been viewed as a politicized issue. The fact that marriage equality was able to attract foundation funding at all is a very good sign for what’s possible in the future on other LGBT issues.”
“Whereas marriage giving has mostly leveled out in recent years, overall LGBT foundation funding has grown quite rapidly over the past decade, from about $30 million in the early ’00s to $130 million in 2013.”
“The flip side is that there’s still plenty of room for growth, since LGBT funding still represents only about a quarter of 1 percent of total foundation giving in the U.S., which is closer to $50 billion a year.”
“Transgender veterans will be able to receive primary care, hormonal therapy, mental health care and other services at The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, starting this month.”
“Dr. Megan McNamara, a primary care and women’s health doctor who began working with transgender patients a couple of years ago, will head up the clinic. Her team will be made up of other VA staffers including a nurse, psychologist and social worker.”
“McNamara said studies show that the number of transgender veterans seeking services at the VA is five times higher than it is in the non-veteran population.”
“‘I feel there are a lot of transgender patients in the veteran population who haven’t been able to find the care they need,’ she said. ‘I really want to be able to provide comprehensive, one-stop care for those patients in a welcoming environment.'”
“As the transgender community prepares to mark one of its darkest days on the calendar — the Transgender Day of Remembrance — members of the House LGBT Equality Caucus announced this morning they will hold the first-ever congressional forum on violence against transgender people next week.”
“Rep. Mike Honda of California — whose granddaughter is trans — said in a statement he will chair this effort to raise awareness of the issues facing the transgender community.”
“’This week, as we seek to raise awareness of the issues facing the trans community, it is important to renew our commitment to help trans individuals be free of the fear of violence or bullying just for being who they are,’ said Congressman Honda. ‘It is my hope that by launching this workforce and holding a first-ever forum, we will reach some of my colleagues and encourage them to stand with the trans community. It is only through social change that we can truly elevate the conversation in this country and reach a place of true understanding and embrace all people for who they are.’”
“A transgender woman’s longtime quest to live in the United States after fearing for her life in her native Honduras is finally over. On Oct. 22, the Atlanta Immigration Court granted a withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture, ruling that Marisela Castro would “more likely than not” suffer persecution if she returned to her home country.”
“The case dates back to early 2012, when the Georgia Asylum Immigration Network referred the matter to the law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, who agreed to take it on pro bono. But Castro’s journey to escape Honduras and live in America began long before the matter ever landed in a courtroom.”
“’I believe that the enemy has invaded them. I just don’t think they were born that way.”’
“This commentary is the opening line of ‘Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church’, a new movie which frames the stories and problems young African American LGTBQ lives of the Black Church.”
“In the realm of humanity and LGTBQ rights, slow strides are being made in regards of awareness of the amount of physical and mental abuse faced by black youth. Many continuously endure the tribulations of devout faith, religion, and their own sexual identities.”
“’The church is a root of African American culture…’ said Clay Cane, the documentary’s developer and producer. ‘What happens to a person when they are taught they are an abomination? How can someone value their life when they are told that their existence is a sin?’”
“After parents complained about a newly formed Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Club at Rutherford County K-12 public charter school, the school’s board of directors suspended all clubs’ activities.”
“Parents, teachers, pastors and concerned citizens voiced a mix of opinions to the club during Lake Lure Classical Academy’s regular board of directors meeting Thursday.”
“The board voted 5-3 to suspend all club activity until it can seek legal counsel on club protocol.”
“Visual arts teacher Layne Long said she allowed a female student to hold the club’s meetings in her classroom and gave the student a poster from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to display. One grandmother complained that the poster meant she had to explain the meaning of “gay” and “lesbian” to her elementary school grandchild.”
“’This is not a religious club. This is a human rights club,’ Long said. ‘My father is a Christian and I’ve been brought up to understand that God is love. Jesus wants to help people.’”
“At about 3 a.m. on Nov. 5, someone scrawled graffiti in a Duke University freshman dorm. It read, “Death to all fags @Jack.” “Jack” is Jack Donahue, 18, a gay first-year student at the elite Southern university that has witnessed multiple episodes of well-publicized racism in recent months and now this anti-LGBT hatred. “What this tells me is that it’s still not okay to be queer [at Duke]. To talk gay, to dress gay or be gay,” said Tyler Nelson, president of the LGBT student group Blue Devils United, at a rally in support of Donahue. ”
“It’s a somewhat novel approach to being an evangelical in public life: engaging debates about sexuality on their own terms. As [Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president, Albert] Mohler himself admits, this hasn’t always been the case. “While Christians were secure in a cultural consensus that was negative toward same-sex acts and same-sex relationships, we didn’t have to worry too much about understanding our neighbors,” he said. “We did horribly oversimplify the issue.” Now that norms around LGBT issues are changing, evangelicals can no longer afford that kind of glibness, but it’s tricky to balance civility with steadfastness. Mohler said he’s not “trying to launch Culture War II,” but he also doesn’t want evangelicals to back down on their beliefs. ‘Christians have not had to demonstrate patience, culturally speaking, in a very long time. The kind of work and witness we’re called to—it could take a very long time to show effects.’”
“The cultural project he’s proposing is complicated, both intellectually and politically. But it’s most complicated because it’s uncomfortable. For so long, evangelical Christians implicitly owned American culture. Now, Mohler and co. are asking to be taken seriously by the new moral majority, whose lifestyles, marriages, and families they deeply oppose.”
In this weekly newsletter, the Campaign for Southern Equality highlights the voices and experiences of LGBT people living in the South. Send feedback and story tips to felicia@southernequality.org
