Pride Month 2023

 I promised my dear husband Tomais to post this great meme on this almost dead blog.

We are celebrating pride again, both in our first and second lives. We do it because we can, for those who cannot, and to aggravate the haters.

Happy Pride Month Everyone!

#GAYSAREHERE

(via J.M.G.)

I couldn't have said it better myself!

With DJ Cupric at The Shipwreck

"The Gay Archipelago" (GA) is a huge collection of gay and lesbian owned sims that collaborate on a voluntary basis in various projects and joint ventures in SecondLife. Every year the GA hosts a huge Summer Festival and Pride celebration with loads of different events, parties and exhibitions spread out over many of the sims.

This years Summer Festival is going full force at the moment, so after having rested all afternoon I decided to drop in on one of the many parties.

As I landed at The Shipwreck the first thing that met my eyes was the sight of the talented and creative Regi Yifu's delicious and perky ass wiggling about in all its bareassed glory.

DJ "The Coop" (Cupric)

The party had just started so people were still dropping in all over the place, but DJ "The Coop" Cupric had already set the tempo which he meant to follow throughout the party.

The high tempo suited my mood perfectly. I accepted a dance invitation and started looking around at the assembled hotties. That's one of life's simplest pleasures that I thoroughly enjoy.

After a while I was joined at the party by my son Guyke and a well-rested and benign Butch.

When Butch was informed about where I was teleporting him he said stoically, "Oh, then I had better undress a little."

I (far left), Regi (center) and the always studly Draghan Marksman (second from the right)

Regi's luscious globes center stage

Uncle Vaan

GA lead Garth Raleigh-Underby and hubby Mitch Underby-Raleigh

Gay Archipelago LGBT Summer Festival 2013

From a press release by Gay Archipelago.

PRIDE & PROGRESS' - LGBT Summer Festival, 2013

JULY 4TH THROUGH JULY 14TH, 2013

The Gay Archipelago in Second Life proudly hosts the LGBT Community at the annual Summer Festival beginning July 4th and wrapping up on July 14th!

Our Festival theme this year celebrates and reflects the simple joy of individual Pride and Community Pride as well as the tremendous Progress that has been made recently, and sometimes quickly, within the arena of LGBT civil rights around the world.

On behalf of the GA Festival Team, I welcome you all to enjoy the custom-created Dream Delta festival sim and the many events we have planned during the 11 days of the celebration.  We have the some of the finest entertainment to be found in Second Life on deck for you.  You can find the complete daily calendar at  www.ga-weblog.com  any time.

Thirteen beautiful GA estates beckon to the tourist in you to see the highly-popular 'Vistas & Blossoms' multi-sim landscape and garden exposition.  Grab your cameras, get lost in jungles and explore mythical regions in the '11 most beautiful days of Summer.'  Oh, and when have completed your grade tour, feel free to cast your vote for your favorite destination at the Peoples' Choice voting station at the Program Start Point.  There's $L33,000 in awards to be made on July 14th in this friendly and fun event.

Like to build in SL?  Think you have what it takes to take home the top prize of $L10,000?  Or perhaps you would like to watch and learn new and varied  techniques of creating a build.  Its all good in this year's LGBT Sandbox Build Contest to be held Sunday, July 7th.  Entry applications are available, open and for more information contact the LGBT Sandbox Manager, Alum Dagger.  Everyone is welcome!

Stroll through the remarkable sand castle 'Market Fair' for an unsurpassed shopping experience - and pick up unique quality free items from some of your favorite SL merchants and organizations.

You are invited to tour of one of our many exhibits hosted on multiple regions; dance to your favorite DJ's as they whoop it up to celebrate LGBT Pride Season; see Role Play from the Gay Archipelago in action; or take in one of the live performances that make our calendar shine!

Come along and hang out on our beach - meet some new friends or enjoy some time with old friends and family.

Be safe.  Be Proud! Happy Summer, 2013!

Garth Raleigh

Lead, Gay Archipelago

Your transport to the festivities

For a complete calendar of events please visit Gay Archipelago Weblog

Open Letter to A Well Meaning Woman

My son Guyke will undoubtedly tell me, that writing this post is creating drama, but as I have told him in my opinion people who say that others are taking part in drama are often not willing to take a position on an issue or unwilling to declare their opinion in public. They instead accuse those who are willing and dare to do so of creating drama.

After logging off from SecondLife tonight I was tired and going to bed but wanted to check the latest updates on my blog list.

I happened to notice the following title on one of the "recent posts" on a blogroll, it read (translated to English and to English/American customs): "Second Pride Festival. Isn't That Like Brussel Sprouts at the Christmas Dinner Table?"

The post was on a Swedish SecondLife blog that I haven't been reading for several years, due to the fact that the blog owner (on this blog unlovingly referred to as "the mudslinger" ) made a personal attack on me by challenging whether my late partner Ars Northmead has ever existed.

The writer of this post was however not the mudslinger herself, but one of her sisters, cousins, friends, whatever, a woman with a more reputable image.

As far as I am aware, neither the writer, nor the blog has any connection or affiliation whatsoever to or with any LGBTQ person, organisation or community, be it in first life or SecondLife. This fact however in no way daunts the writer of the blog post from expressing her opinions on when and where the LGBTQ  community as a whole and worldwide should celebrate Pride and how they should do it to appear less gimmicky. 

The writer utilises the interesting and insidious technique of phrasing all her statements as questions, which makes it completely impossible to hold them against her. I will however say this to her in an open letter:

My dear madam,

Your views on when, where and how we should celebrate our Pride, however well meaning they may be - and I must stress that I see them as well meaning - are from a purely heteronormative perspective and are, in my most humble opinion, lopsided, inaccurate, uniformed and/or false.

The fact of the matter is that every day, in every nation (yes, even in Sweden), in the virtual worlds and cyberspace and in every walk of life LGBTQ persons are verbally and emotionally harassed, underpaid compared to their straight (or closeted) equals, less likely to be promoted compared to their straight (or closeted) equals, emotionally, physically and mentally abused, violated, maimed and killed. 

We will continue to celebrate Pride as we ourselves see fit, even if you should happen to disagree and consider, it more of a stunt or gimmicky. We do this to come together to rejoice over our past victories, for mutual support and to support our brothers and sisters in less democratic countries where they are forbidden to express their homosexuality in private as well as in  public under the risk of fines, imprisonment or death penalty, where they are also forbidden to demonstrate their pride in any way, shape or form. And we will continue to do so as long as we see it as necessary and fitting.

If you should wish to see and experience what Second Pride is all about, please let me inform you that the festival has always been open for everyone to visit and take part in. Alas the festival for 2013 was concluded a week ago but I would be happy to accompany you and show you around the exhibitions and the parties at next years Second Pride Festival.

Yours kindly,

Bock McMillan

P.S. I have made the following list on the present status of samesex marriages worldwide to correct the false facts you give in your post. The information is readily available for everyone on Wikipedia. (I have updated the information on California according to recent developments)

As of May 2013 the following thirteen countries have legalized same-sex marriages

1. Argentina, 
2. Belgium, 
3. Brazil, 
4. Canada, 
5. Denmark,
6. France, 
7. Iceland, 
8. The Netherlands,
9. Norway,
10. Portugal, 
11. Spain, 
12. South Africa and 
13. Sweden

In August 2013 the following two countries will also legalize same-sex marriages (laws have already been enacted that that will come into force at that time)

1. Uruguay and 
2. New Zealand

As of May 2013 several sub-national jurisdictions in the following countries have legalized same-sex marriages

1. parts of Mexico and 
2. parts of the United States.

As of June 26, 2013, the following sub-national jurisdictions (states) of the United States have legalized same-sex marriages

1. California.
2. Colorado, 
3. Iowa
4. Maine
5. Maryland, 
6. Massachusetts, 
7. New Hampshire, 
8. New York, 
9. Vermont and 
10. Washington

In the following countries bills allowing legal recognition of same-sex marriage have been proposed, are pending, or have passed at least one legislative house in

1. Andorra, 
2. England and Wales, 
3. Finland, 
4. Germany, 
5. Ireland, 
6. Luxembourg, 
7. Nepal, 
8. Scotland and 
9. Taiwan 

In the following sub-national jurisdictions bills allowing legal recognition of same-sex marriage have been proposed, are pending, or have passed at least one legislative house

1. parts of Australia, 
2. parts of Mexico and 
3. parts of the United States.

Say It the Country Way

(via J.M.G.)

"Girls and Boys" an It Gets Better Country Song, written and performed by Richard Hefner.

I don´t really like country music that much, but to this song I might even learn the words and singalong sometimes.

Pride Divided - Updated

The purpose of the LGBT Pride Festivals are several, but I would believe the main reasons are

• to manifest our existence and increase our visibility as a social group, 
• to promote the struggle for full and equal rights,
• to condemn discrimination and bullying and last but not least
• to build community and to celebrate our diversity together and with our straight allies.

I have heard that there are about 1,000,000 or less active users in SecondLife. With the varying time zones about 80,000 residents are in-world at the same time.

Let´s - for the sake of this discussion - assume that the residents belonging to the LGBT-group amounts to about 10 % of the total amount of residents, which would mean that there are about 100,000 active LGBT-users of which 8,000 are in-world at the same time.

The question I would like to ask is: "Do we really need more than one Pride Festival in SecondLife?"

Of course I realize that an argument could be made that the more Pride Festivals there are the prouder we are, but to me that argument is totally absurd.

One of the main reasons with celebrating a Pride Festival is to build community and to celebrate our diversity, to get to know each other across the national divisions, the language divisions and the time zone divisions, not to mention getting Lesbians and Gays to attend the same festival.

To me it seems totally absurd and counterproductive to the causes we claim we are promoting if we all have our own festivals with a few weeks in-between, Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transsexuals, Transgendered, Francophone, German speaking, Spanish speaking, English speaking, Americans, Euros, Australians and New Zealanders,  the Gay Archipelago and Second Pride.

ADDENDUMI have no objections to all these different subgroups celebrating their variety of Pride all year long if they wish, or leading up to one big main event. By all means go ahead and do that, but once a year we should all come together to one event, to show our strength in numbers and conviction, to show support for the greater causes and each others struggles and to rub shoulders, meet, discuss and talk and party

I get very sad and upset when such an important event for the gay community as celebrating Pride suffers because of petty rivalry between people who should know better. 

Either we have the same agenda or we don´t, and if we don´t we should stop pretending we have anything that unites us. Let´s get our act together and show we can unite for the good of us all! 

Upbeat

Nah, I don´t really like the song but it is upbeat, fun and some of the guys are really cute. I think they call themselves "Pac and Man", but I´m not sure.

I need something cheerful today when St. Petersburg’s Legislative Assembly passed a homophobic law penalizing the dissemination of material promoting "homosexuality and pedophilia among minors".

Promoting in this case also makes it illegal for any person to write a book, publish an article or speak in public about being gay, lesbian, bi or transgender. The law imposes fines of up to $16,000 on individuals and up to $160,000 on legal entities for the promotion of homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender practices among minors and was passed by 29-5, with one abstention.

The new legislation also effectively outlaws any Gay Pride events. 

A Message From Love

"Dear Bock (I edited the name from my first life one),

If you are a transgender person in Sweden wanting to change your legal gender, you are forced to undergo surgery that will render you permanently infertile and unable to have children in the future. That's right: in 2012, Swedish law still mandates forced sterilization in order to do something as simple as changing the gender on your driver's license.

Despite a massive push to repeal the law, including support from 90% of Swedish MPs, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has stayed silent on the issue: allowing one small conservative party to block the change.

Right now a reform of the law is being debated in Sweden. We need a massive show of support across Sweden and Europe that finally convinces PM Reinfeldt to speak out and break the deadlock. Will you take one minute to sign our urgent letter? RFSL, the Swedish federation for LGBT rights, will publicly deliver our signatures directly to the Prime Minister and demand that he intervene right now: www.allout.org/stop_forced_sterilization

Forced sterilization has a long and frightening history in Sweden. Beginning with programs in the 1930s that tried to eliminate certain "undesirable" traits in society by forcing individuals to be sterilized, Sweden has long grappled with the painful history of stripping from citizens what we now consider to be a basic human right. Even Prime Minister Reinfeldt has publicly called sterilization law a "dark chapter in Swedish history".

Now he has a chance to close that chapter for good. A reform of the law is ready to be presented directly to the Parliament - where 90% of MPs are in favor of banning forced sterilization - but without a push from the Prime Minister, the conservative KRISTDEMOKRATERNA party will use its seat in the government to block the change.

We know he is on our side: whether you are straight, gay, lesbian, bi or trans, will you take a moment to raise your voice and ask Prime Minister Reinfeldt to take a stand for human rights?

Our friends at RFSL, the Swedish LGBT Federation, will deliver your signatures directly to the Prime Minister's office.

www.allout.org/stop_forced_sterilization
Thank you for going All Out.

Best, Andre, Emmy, Erika, Flavia, Guillaume, Jeremy, Joseph, Oli, Tile, Wesley and the rest of the team at All Out"

----

If you haven´t done so already I think it is time for you to sign the petition now! ... and Love is actually a Swedish male name, if you were wondering. It´s pronounced like the young man does in the beginning of the video.

Stop Forced Sterilization

In Sweden sex change is regulated by the "Act (1972:119) concerning the determination of sex in some cases", which includes both transsexuals and intersexuals.

The Swedish law today requires that any person who on the basis of transsexualism applies for sex change should be:

- Unmarried (i.e. unmarried, widowed, divorced and not  in a partnership)

- Swedish citizenship

- Eighteen years or older and

- Sterile

to be granted permission for new legal gender identity and gender corrective surgery.

The current requirement of sterility has by the Swedish National Board of Legal Council and the courts been interpreted as requiring that no viable reproductive cells from the person may be available.

An investigation on social care and assistance for transsexuals has, in its recommendations 2010, proposed a number of legislative changes among those that the requirement to be unmarried and sterile should be removed without being replaced with other requirements. As for the citizenship requirement it proposes that this should be replaced by a minimum level of domicile in the country of at least one year.

The Swedish government has so far refused to act on the recommendations of the investigation. The inaction on the governments part is due to the influence of the Christian Democratic Party, which is a part of the ruling so called "Alliance".

The Christian Democratic Party holds the The Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs under which this issue falls. Although there is an overwhelming majority in the Swedish parliament for the proposed changes (including the other three parties that make up the governing Alliance) the extremely socially conservative Christian Democrats have succeeded in deadlocking the government from taking any legislative action.

On Thursday we were reached by rumors that the government has reached an unofficial agreement between the four parties that form the Alliance to propose a renewed investigation on the issue of whether sterilization should still be mandatory. 

This unholy agreement was reached in spite of the fact that the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in a so-called issues paper entitled "Human Rights and Gender Identity" already in July of 2009, found that any requirement to undergo medical or surgical procedures to obtain a legal change of sex is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights and suggested all Council members to stop the sterilization or forced treatment.

---

This issue doesn't affect many people but it is still a very important one. It is time for Sweden to change this anachronistic, heinous and discriminatory law, especially bearing in mind our earlier sordid history on forced sterilizations. 

All Out and RFSL (The Swedish National Organisation for Equal Rights of Homosexual, Bisexual and Transgendered persons) have joined forces to collect signatures for a change. Go there and sign the petition to tell the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and the others that it is time to move ahead for human rights, for human dignity and against the bigotry of the 4 % that vote for the Christian Democrats.

Please sign the petition here (url).

Second Pride Has A New Website

Second Pride has a new website! Make sure to add this url to your favorites http://second-pride.com/

Second Pride was born around 2005 and in small gathering of LGBT groups in the LGBT region of Province Town in Second Life. Back then the participants were almost all from the same few groups and it is only later that it grew when they decided to make their celebration event available to all of SL by making it much bigger.


Beginning in 2007, the Second Pride Committee has chosen a Real or 1st Life charity to designate as the recipient of proceeds raised above and beyond those required for the “business” of organizing events leading up to the annual Second Pride Festival as well as the Festival itself. Over the years, Second Pride has raised thousands of dollars in support of these Real World organizations whose mission and goals dovetail with our own. As Second Pride moves into a new era we will be supporting “in-world” Second Life groups and organizations that share our interest and concern and further LGBT causes.

Brilliant Sarcasm

(Click to enlarge)

Read the full story here; Gay community apologizes to Amy Koch for ruining her marriage.

Thank you John Medeiros in Minneapolis, Minnesota, you made my day by proving to me that brilliant sarcasm works!

...but I must hasten to add that I can understand why Amy Koch fell for the hunky Michael Brodkorb. (Yet another of those very delicious bad boys that have wrecked the lives of so many good women and men...)

Tears of Happiness

(via J.M.G.)

I am a pushover, I got big tears in my eyes when I was watching this video of when the young couple break the happy news to her dad´s that she is pregnant..

"Gay Rights are Human Rights", Clinton Says

Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a wonderful speech at the International Human Rights Day held yesterday at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, about the Obama administrations new policy to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians abroad by using foreign aid and diplomacy to encourage reform.

"Some seem to believe it is a western phenomenon and therefore people outside the west have grounds to reject it. 

Well, in reality gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths, they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes.  

Whether we know it, whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends and our neighbors.  

Being gay is not a western invention, it is a human reality." 

Hillary Clinton spoke in front of an auditorium full of ambassadors, many of them representatives from countries where homosexuality is a criminal offence.

You can see the full speech here (but you can find it all over the Internet)

I do not think her hairdo is particularly flattering - and I feel soooo gay and simpleminded when I write that - but do not let that unimportant fact distract you from listening to this great speech, focus on her eyes and words instead. (And yes Vanadis, I actually would say something like that even if it was a man speaking!)

A Festival of Lights

Second Pride 

presents

A Festival of Lights

All Businesses, Clubs, Artists and other Organizations are invited to join us for a Festival of Lights on December 28th. We will have a tree decorating contest for this event! Then a party to admire and celebrate the Season!

Tree Decoration
You may reserve one tree to decorate, you may not use more then 200 prims, you may only use one scripted item.
The tree will be provided, decorating starts December 1st

Contest
Each group will enter the contest by using the picture contest board. Contestants will encourage people to vote for their tree, each Vote will cost 10 lindens. ALL Money will go to Second Pride- Voting will end on the 26th of December at midnight

Contest Prizes
10k Cash Prize, Prime advertising spot at festival, 3 month Banner Advertisement on SP website

The Festival of Lights Celebration Party
Party will be on the 28th of December, it will be a split party so all may attend
10am -1pm SLT and 6pm - 9pm SLT
6 DJ's

Winners will be presented their prizes at whichever party they chose to be at

Be Creative!!!....Have Fun!!!

You can downlaod our latest Prism Newsletter by clicking here.

The Second Pride 2012 Team

A Festival of Lights

Second Pride 

presents

A Festival of Lights

All Businesses, Clubs, Artists and other Organizations are invited to join us for a Festival of Lights on December 28th. We will have a tree decorating contest for this event! Then a party to admire and celebrate the Season!

Tree Decoration
You may reserve one tree to decorate, you may not use more then 200 prims, you may only use one scripted item.
The tree will be provided, decorating starts December 1st

Contest
Each group will enter the contest by using the picture contest board. Contestants will encourage people to vote for their tree, each Vote will cost 10 lindens. ALL Money will go to Second Pride- Voting will end on the 26th of December at midnight

Contest Prizes
10k Cash Prize, Prime advertising spot at festival, 3 month Banner Advertisement on SP website

The Festival of Lights Celebration Party
Party will be on the 28th of December, it will be a split party so all may attend
10am -1pm SLT and 6pm - 9pm SLT
6 DJ's

Winners will be presented their prizes at whichever party they chose to be at

Be Creative!!!....Have Fun!!!

You can downlaod our latest Prism Newsletter by clicking here.

The Second Pride 2012 Team

It´s Time - Everywhere

This Australian video has had close to 1,8 million hits in only four days. Lets see if we can help to increase that!

Please share this with friends and loved ones.
Donate to put on Australian TV: http://tiny.cc/gkuwp
Sign petition: http://www.getup.org.au/marriagematters

Music: Oliver Tank "Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion"

"GetUp! Action for Australia" is an independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy.

Anton Gets A Stonewall Award

The Swedish pro soccer player Anton Hysén (20) has been awarded a Stonewall Award as "Sportsperson of the Year". The Swedish player was praised for taking a stand in the sport.

Anton is the world’s only openly gay professional footballer since he came out as gay to the Swedish football magazine Offside in March 2011.

Now let´s see if the Swedish Soccer Federation have balls large enough to celebrate him tonight at their big party with many awards handed out.

The Stonewall Awards is an annual event to celebrate people who have had a positive impact on the lives of British LGBT people.

Anton Hysén of course also has his own blog, Anton Hysén.

UPDATE: Nope, Anton didn´t receive any recognition by the spineless bastards of the Swedish Soccer Federation. They had an excellent opportunity to strike a blow at the rampant homophobia in sports - and they blew it.

PayPal Update - Drops 4 Hate Groups

Many SecondLife residents use the excellent services of PayPal to securely transfer money in to or out of SecondLife. 

In a post a few days ago I urged you to join in a petition to ask PayPal to stop serving ten anti-LGBT hate groups; Tell PayPal: Stop supporting hate groups.

PayPal has now stopped it´s service to four of the ten groups, but let´s keep up the pressure until they drop all ten. 

If you haven't done so earlier please go to the post I link to above for all the necessary information and the link to the site with the petition.

----

Ten Extremist Sites Served by PayPal

Abiding Truth Ministries (International) Extremist group that makes the outrageous claim that “the Nazi Party was entirely controlled by militaristic homosexuals.”

New Generation Ministries (Latvia/International) Extremist church based in Latvia with branches in 15 different countries. The church's members have been tied to the homophobic murder of Satendar Singh. In one video, at an anti-LGBT rally, church leader Alexy Ledyaev says, “homosexuals are not happy or spiritual people, because they were molested and abused in their childhoods, but that does not give them the right to abuse and rape others!”

Noua Dreaptă (Romania/Balkans) Ultra-nationalist group that has been linked to organizing demonstrations and planning violent attacks on Pride celebrations in Romania and Moldova. 

Truth in Action Ministries (formally Coral Ridge) (United States) Extremist church that spreads anti-LGBT lies such as “bible-believing Christians would quickly find themselves unwelcome in Barney Frank’s new pansexual, cross-dressing military.” 

Dove World Outreach Ministries (United States) Infamous "Burn the Quran" hate church whose pastor preaches that “homosexuality makes God throw up.” 

Julio Severo's Last Days Watchman Site (US/Brazil) Brazilian anti-LGBT leader and writer/ideologue who fled Brazil after LGBT activists brought a lawsuit against him for incitement of hatred. Julio regularly repeats the lie that 10% of gay people are pedophiles, and goes further to say that most gay men “drink urine, swallow feces and experience rectal traumas on a regular basis”, while they are “drunk, stoned or in orgies.” 

Faithful Word Baptist Church (United States) This church's Pastor Steven L. Anderson has described gays as “sodomites” who “recruit through rape” and “recruit through molestation.”

Family Research Institute (United States) Known for saying that gay people are predatory and diseased perverts who victimize children.

Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (United States) This group claims homosexuality is a “lethal behavior addiction,” a “dangerous” practice that is “neither normal nor benign.”

American Society for the Defense of Tradition Family and Property (International) International Catholic extremist group originating in Brazil and with active branches in Argentina and the United States. They are known for organizing homophobic rallies all over the United States and buying advertising asking people to “join the Crusade” of “conscientious resistance” to “the homosexual ‘moral revolution.’”

Ask and Tell

Photography by David Goldenberg

The United States has ended the military´s shameful and discriminatory “Don´t Ask, Don´t Tell” (DADT) policy.

DADT was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. 

From Wikipedia: The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. The restrictions were mandated by United States federal law. 

The policy prohibited people who "demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because their presence "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability."

The act prohibited any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces.

The act specified that service members who disclose that they are homosexual or engage in homosexual conduct should be separated (discharged) except when a service member's conduct was "for the purpose of avoiding or terminating military service" or when it "would not be in the best interest of the armed forces".

The "don't ask" part of the DADT policy specified that superiors should not initiate investigation of a service member's orientation without witnessing disallowed behaviors, though credible evidence of homosexual behavior could be used initiate an investigation.
Yesterday the law repealing that shameful policy - signed by president Obama in July - went into effect, and the United States of America joined the other democratic nations of the world that allow Gay and Lesbians to serve openly and honestly in their armed forces.

This is a great victory for the LGBT movement as the Unite States government embraces equality over the policies of hatred and division, thereby putting an end to institutionalized homophobia in the United States military.

It also means that gay and lesbian servicemen now can talk about their lives and loves with other servicemen without lying or withholding information.

Watch this touching video of a young soldier telling his father he is gay.