Showing posts with label gay rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gay rights. Show all posts

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Repost (2015): Remember Stonewall

This is essentially a re-post of a post I have run the last few years, with some minor changes. We must remember our history and the giants whose shoulders we are standing on!

 
Let us always be proud and thankful to the trannies who finally had enough of the harassment and fought back 46 years ago on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn. We owe you, guys and girls!


Read more on Wikipedia Stonewall riots.


Before Stonewall
  • a person with homosexual inclinations was considered to be mentally ill, 
  • a person taking part in homosexual sexual activity was considered to be a criminal, 
  • a person suspected of being homosexual could be abused or harassed without risk of penalty - except in the most extreme cases, 
  • a homosexual parent was considered unfit to take care of his/her own children, 
  • Civil unions or same-sex marriages were unthinkable. etc., etc. 
All of us should always remember the gratitude we owe the trannies.

----
We must also remember that many of our sisters and brothers worldwide still on a daily basis live with the very real risk of

  • being murdered, incarcerated, hospitalized, abused, raped and harassed
  • losing custody of their children 
  • losing their employment 
simply for being homosexual.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

The Irish Referendum

Tomorrow Friday, May 22, the Irish electorate will take to the polls to vote on the Marriage Equality Referendum.

The electorate will be asked whether or not they approve of a Thirty-Fourth Amendment of the Constitution which proposes to add a new clause to the Article 41 of the Irish Constitution. If the referendum is passed, Article 41.4 will be added and read as follows: "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex."

I had originally planned to write a rant about how cowardly the Irish politicians are to let a matter of human rights be decided by a referendum, how gay rights are human rights and how it is every human beings inalienable right to pursue happiness in the way they choose.

However when reading up for this post, I encountered several reports stating that any change to the Irish constitution must be put to a vote, so there will be no rant today, alas... (If I have misunderstood something in this regard, please don't hesitate to tell me so, I feel a strong urge and need to have a good rant to cleanse my system!)

Instead I feel encouraged by the polls that seem to show that a huge majority of the wonderful Irish people will vote for the amendment, even if the naysayers seem to be catching up slowly as the day of the referendum has gotten closer.

Please join me in keeping your fingers crossed and hoping for a win for "Yes" in tomorrows referendum.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Re-Post: Remember Stonewall (2014)

This is essentially a re-post of a post I have run the last few years, with some minor changes.

 
Let us always be proud and thankful to the trannies who finally had enough of the harassment and fought back 45 years ago on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn. We owe you, guys and girls!


Read more on Wikipedia Stonewall riots.
---

Before Stonewall
  • a person with homosexual inclinations was considered to be mentally ill, 
  • a person taking part in homosexual sexual activity was considered to be a criminal, 
  • a person suspected of being homosexual could be abused or harassed without risk of penalty - except in the most extreme cases, 
  • a homosexual parent was considered unfit to take care of his/her own children, 
  • Civil unions or same-sex marriages were unthinkable. etc., etc. 
All of us should always remember the gratitude we owe the trannies.

We must also remember that many of our brothers and sisters worldwide still live with the very real risk of
  • being murdered, incarcerated or hospitalized, abused, raped and harassed
  • losing custody of their children 
  • losing their employment 
simply for being homosexual.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

When the Games End

The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, are coming to an end tomorrow. I am proud to say that I have been able to avoid it almost completely, the exception being listening to my co-workers discussions at lunches.

The reason for my personal boycott of these games are the state sanctioned heinous treatment of the LGBT community in Russia and the homophobic so called "Gay Propaganda" laws that the country has adopted with the full support of President Vladimir "Little Father" Putin.
"Stop the Hate" Photography by Tomais Ashdene
The eyes of the world have been focused on Russia during the months leading up to and during the games, which may very well have put a lid on some of the violence and outrages that would otherwise have occurred. Once the games have ended things may very well change to the worse. I am extremely worried for my LGBT brothers and sisters in Russia and for what may come in the near future.

Russia has a sad tradition of state sanctioned persecution against marginalized groups throughout it's history with pogroms, bullying and violence against Jews, Cossacks, Chechens to mention a few. Now the LGBT community is being used in the same way, to deflect anger and unrest in the population from rising against the regime and instead supplying the malcontents with an easy scapegoat to persecute without legal sanctions.

Of course I am aware that Russia is by no means the worst of the countries that are persecuting it's LGBT citizens, but I (wrongly) had higher expectations of Russia than for Uganda, Saudi Arabia and some other nations.

Climax - A 12 Hour Celebration

"Reach your climax as we celebrate out athletes and victories within the LGBT community from 12pm to 10pm SLT on February 22nd. We'll have plenty of music and dancing as we honor LGBT athletes who have overcome all odds and wowed us with their athletic talents.
Schedule:
DJ Jynxx 10am – 12pm
DJ Regi Yifu 12pm – 2pm
DJ LLedge 2pm – 4pm
DJ Gingersnap 4pm – 6pm
DJ Hotboy 6pm – 8pm
DJ Abi Bracken 8pm – 10pm
We look forward to seeing you at the Second Pride sim for this exciting event."

Friday, January 31, 2014

#liveandletlove


(via J.M.G.)

About the clip
2,000 people of the city of Stockholm gathered at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium to show their support to the LGBT people of Russia and to sing the most beautiful national anthem in the world.

You can do the same, make your own rainbow version of the song and upload under the hashtag #liveandletlove. You'll find sheet music and lyrics on www.liveandletlove.se.

...

Watch, like on YouTube and share! Show Little Father Putin, the Olympic Committee that we will not forget their homophobia and the Russian LGBT community that we support them in their struggles against the horrendous and discriminating "Gay Propaganda" laws. Gay Rights are Human Rights!

The Olympic Games, Russia & Putin

I was tipped about this post by John Aravosis on the AMERICAblog by the longtime Bock in SecondLife reader, my dear brother, Dejerrity Mycron.

Despite Dej's present sufferings in an old Manhattan building with a malfunctioning boiler and a worthless managing company in the midst of the coldest winter in New York for ages, my lovely and loving brother takes the time and makes the effort to send me tips. Isn't it clear from that fact alone, that the man is completely loveable?

Oh guys, he is single too at the moment so if you would want to meet this gruff diamond in disguise just drop a notecard on my profile and I may set you up for an introduction.

Send your notecards to The McMillan Matchmaking Agency (a part of the BMcM Corporation), c/o Bock McMillan.

If you pass my scrutiny, I may introduce you! First come, first served! 
---

The AMERICAblog; "How Vladimir Putin sent 'Brand Russia'  into the toilet". The post starts like this:
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has done more to harm the image of Russia internationally than anyone in a generation.
Putin’s baby, the 2014 Winter Olympics being held in Sochi, Russia in just under two weeks, was meant to demonstrate to the world that Russia had entered the modern age.
Then a funny thing happened. The world actually paid attention to Russia, and found it to be a third-world cesspool run by a despot.
If Brand Russia had already been bruised by Putin’s reign, in the past 12 months it’s been utterly destroyed."
---

I hope "Little Father" Putin reads it and takes notice, but that may be a vain wish.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

India: Government Asks For Court Review

Through Joe Jervis at J.M.G. I see that the BBC News website (url to full article)  today has this encouraging news.
"The Indian government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking it to review its decision to reinstate a 153-year-old law that criminalises homosexuality.
The government asked the court to review its order saying it believed it "violated the principle of equality".  There has been outrage over the ruling seen as a huge blow to gay rights. There have been street protests and many activists and even government ministers have criticised it. The Supreme Court order on 11 December overturned a landmark 2009 Delhi High Court ruling which had decriminalised gay sex.
In its ruling, the Delhi High Court had described Section 377 - the colonial-era law which says a same-sex relationship is an "unnatural offence" and punishable by a 10-year jail term - as discriminatory and said gay sex between consenting adults should not be treated as a crime.
But the Supreme Court said it was up to parliament to change the law and the courts did not have the mandate to rule on it.
"The government has filed the review petition on Section 377 in the Supreme Court today. Let's hope the right to personal choices is preserved," Law Minister Kapil Sibal tweeted on Friday.
In its petition filed in the Supreme Court, the government says "the position of the central government on this issue has been that the Delhi High Court verdict... is correct".
The Supreme Court's earlier order was widely criticised in India. The president of the ruling Congress party Sonia Gandhi described it as "an archaic, unjust law" and Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the ruling had taken India "back to 1860".
---

Let's maintain our support for our Indian brothers and sisters up and keep hoping that something good comes out of this.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Poor Judgement

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) contains a statute (Section 377. Unnatural offences.) which states "Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."
Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters
Although the law was introduced in 1860 under the colonial days of British rule, to criminalize and prevent homosexual acts, it also strikes at the insertion of a penis in any human orifice except a vagina, thus even consensual heterosexual acts such as fellatio and anal, nasal and auditory canal penetration are punishable under this law. (I am not sure if armpits or cleavages can rightly be defined as human orifices, but I wouldn't risk it!)

According to reports the law has rarely—if ever—been used to prosecute anyone for consensual sex, it has however often been used by the police to harass homosexuals.

The High Court of Delhi, in 2009 found (Kaushal v. Naz Foundation) the statute to be unconstitutional insofar as it criminalized consensual adult sex acts in private. The high court stated that the law violated "the Indian constitution, which states that every citizen has equal opportunity of life and is equal before law."

The high court's decision was appealed to the Supreme Court of India by a wide variety of fundamentalist religious groups (Muslim, Christian and Hindu).
Dishon'ble Mr Justice G. S. Singhvi
Dishon'ble Mr Justice S. J. Mukhopadhaya
The Supreme Court (Hon'ble Messrs Justices S. J. Mukhopadhaya and G. S. Singhvi)  delivered it's long awaited decision on the matter this week, (the decision in extenso) in which it set aside the high court's decision and upheld the constitutional validity of Section 377 of IPC. The justices, however, kindly suggested "that the parliaments should debate and decide on the matter."

Homosexuality is thereby yet again a punishable offence in India, as well as fellatio and heterosexual anal intercourse. 

This decision is in my opinion anachronistic, discriminatory, bigoted and cowardly as it completely bypasses the human rights issues concerned in the case. Gay rights are human rights, the sooner it gets into the bigots minds that we do not choose our sexual identity but are born that way the better. The LGBT community deserves the same protection under the law as any other disenfranchised or minority group, what is so difficult to comprehend about that?

The LGBT community in India have been struck a terrible blow as it cannot be expected of the utterly fractionated parliaments to proceed in this matter, especially considering the widespread homophobia in Indian society and the upcoming elections next year.

Chanakya Sethi, a graduate student at Yale Law School, summarizes my reaction well when he writes on Slate.com, "The majority passes a law that the minority believes discriminates against it. The minority goes to court seeking relief from the majority. But because the minority group constitutes a 'minuscule fraction of the country’s population,' the court will defer to the will of the legislature—that is, to the will of the majority."
---

As a reaction to the decision a “Global Day of Rage” is being organized with a string of worldwide protests that will take place tomorrow, Sunday December 15, 2013.

Events will be held in major cities like Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, New York, Cambridge, London, Boston, Sydney, Toronto, see the organizers Facebook page for information on other locations.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Meanwhile, at The Red Square in Moscow...

Pyotr Pavlensky, a Russian performance artist, today stripped naked and nailed his scrotum to a Red Square cobblestone. The performance is called "Freeze".
The artist sitting naked outside Lenin's Mausoleum in
Moscow, Russia, before police covered him with a blanket.
The Saint Petersburg-based artist said in a statement posted on the Grani.ru website that he was trying to draw attention to Russian society's development into a 'police state'.
Update 11/12/13: The video is taken down by YouTube with a peculiar statement of reasons.

Pyotr now faces up to 15 days of administrative arrest for disorderly conduct.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Urgent Appeal

This is an appeal from All Out that I choose to share with you and ask you to support!

"In 5 days the United Nations is set to elect Russia to the most powerful human rights body in the world. That's right – in Russia, lesbian, gay, bi and trans people are being arrested... shot... humiliated...and now Russian leaders will be in charge of global human rights?!

All Out members aren't going to let that happen without a fight. Russia's expecting to breeze through the vote and they haven't planned for anyone opposing this sham process.

But, if we can get to 500,000 signatures by Monday, we'll deliver our petition straight to the UN offices of every member country so they'll know the whole world is watching this vote. We're already over 385,346, so we know we can get there fast. Tell world leaders that they can't quietly let Russia get away with the anti-gay crackdown AND lead on human rights. Sign now:

https://www.allout.org/russia-attacks

Before running for the Human Rights Council, Russia published a pledge that claims they ban "any form of restriction on the rights of citizens on social, racial, gender, ethnic, linguistic, religious or any other grounds." But those words don't match what's actually happening in the country – Russian authorities are failing to protect people from discrimination and violence and to take action even in the most blatant cases. Check it out:"

FIRED for coming out at work
ATTACKED by thugs this week at a meeting of LGBT activists
BULLIED by an extremist hate group who has claimed hundreds of victims
TORTURED for being gay
BEATEN at a Pride parade
Straight and DETAINED for standing up for LGBT rights...

Saturday, October 19, 2013

HRC Wins "Best Social Media Campaign 2013"

From the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) blog:
"Tuesday night at Mashable’s inaugural award show in New York City, HRC was recognized as this year’s “Best Social Media Campaign” for the Supreme Court digital strategy that launched the red equality logo.
The Mashies celebrates the best in digital across marketing, advertising and social media. HRC was nominated alongside Wieden+Kennedy’s Nike Greatness campaign by and Ignition Interactive’s Prometheus Integrated campaign.

HRC’s campaign, which included the viral red equality logo, captured the attention of millions in the lead up to the historic Supreme Court’s marriage equality decisions. From actors to musicians and athletes to TV personalities, dozens of celebrities shared the modified HRC logo or supportive messages about marriage equality with millions of followers. According to an official Facebook analysis, 120 percent more people changed their profile picture on Tuesday, March 26 – the first day of oral arguments -- when compared to the previous Tuesday. It is the largest social media campaign analysts have seen to date."

Thursday, October 17, 2013

XELLE - Red Flag


(via J.M.G.)

Join the I Raise A Red Flag movement for worldwide LGBT equality at iRaiseARedFlag.com.

Red Flag (Lyrics written by Zach Adam, JC Cassis, Rony G.)

I feel like we are moving back in time
The world seems upside down
We're crashing to the ground, yeah

Although I know some battles have been won
We've got a way to go
Until we win the war

Ain't gonna stop until I get there
Ain't gonna rest until I get fair
Ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop
I have a dream, have a dream dream dream

Ain't gonna rest till I get respect
Can't let history repeat itself
Ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop
I have a dream, have a dream dream dream

People shutting people out, I see a red flag
People taking people's rights, I see a red flag
See a red flag, see a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters
When they take away your freedom, it's a red flag
When they take what makes you human, it's a red flag
It's a red flag, it's a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters

This is about you
This is about me
This is about us all
Not one community
You're no authority on what is right or wrong
When you make somebody weaker, it doesn't make you strong
What if someone tried to take away your rights?
Told you who you can love, who you can marry, how to live your life?
Freedom shouldn't come with a price-pricetag
Time to raise your voice, raise your head, raise a red flag

Ain't gonna stop until I get there
Ain't gonna rest until I get fair
Ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop
No, no, no

Ain't gonna rest till I get respect
Can't let history repeat itself
Ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop, ain't gonna stop
I have a dream

People shutting people out, I see a red flag
People taking people's rights, I see a red flag
See a red flag, see a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters
When they take away your freedom, it's a red flag
When they take what makes you human, it's a red flag
It's a red flag, it's a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters

There's blood in the streets
And fear in the air
Won't let 'em convince us
That we shouldn't care
'Cause we know what's wrong
And we'll stand together
Let's make a change that lasts forever

People shutting people out, I see a red flag
People taking people's rights, I see a red flag
See a red flag, see a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters
When they take away your freedom, it's a red flag
When they take what makes you human, it's a red flag
It's a red flag, it's a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters

People shutting people out, I see a red flag
People taking people's rights, I see a red flag
See a red flag, see a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters
When they take away your freedom, it's a red flag
When they take what makes you human, it's a red flag
It's a red flag, it's a red flag, gotta stand up for my brothers and my sisters

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

"Over the Rainbow"


The American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato sings "Over the Rainbow" at BBC's "Last Night of the Proms 2013".

From the WXQR Blog: "Last Night of the Proms Tinged With Themes of Equality" by Brian Wise

"DiDonato has long been identified with the song popularized by Judy Garland, but this will be the first time she has sung it in public since Russia passed anti-gay legislation earlier this year. Writing on her blog, DiDonato said:
'We programmed ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ ages ago, but as the Russian law came into focus and I felt this impending sense of dread wash over me, I knew that I simply had to personally dedicate my performance on Saturday to all of those brave, valorous gay and lesbian souls whose voices are currently being silenced – either by family, friends, or by their government.'
Acknowledging that the Proms has strict rules against political messages, DiDonato said she will not speak from the stage, however.

"It’s not as if she’s doing it in Russia, where the problem is," noted Morrison. "The UK is a pretty tolerant place for gays and everyone else. I think she’s using the global televised audience for this event to make a point. That's fair enough."


---
I would like to thank Loan (Loo Berensohn) deeply for her kindness in bringing this performance to my attention. I have never in my life heard the song sung better and the hairs of my whole body stood in salute at the end. This is magnificent and totally incredible!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Petition: Strip Sochi of the 2014 Winter Games

"Respect for basic human rights, including the right to choose whom you love and being able to show it, must be a fundamental requirement of allowing anyone to stage the Olympic games. Russia doesn't fulfill this requirement with the recent laws against so called "gay propaganda" and should therefore be stripped of the games!"
Bock McMillan (through my primatar)
If you agree please sign the petition at Change.org; International Olympic Committee (IOC): Strip Sochi of the 2014 Winter Games

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Causing A Disturbance in Second Moscow

The Red Square and the Vasilij Cathedral in Second Moscow looked calm as usual from afar yesterday, but if you got closer you could see that there was something out of the ordinary going on.
A handful of women and three men had gathered outside the cathedral. One of the men was The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls and sovereign ruler of The Southern Enchantment Region with Outer territories. All of us wore the brightly colored knitted balaclavas that have become the trademark of the Russian feminist punk rock protest group Pussy Riot.

Pussy Riot is of course well known for staging unauthorized provocative guerrilla performances in unusual public locations. Their lyrical themes include feminism, LGBT rights, opposition to the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they rightfully regard as a dictator.

The gathering had been - or so I believe - organized by Vanessa Blaylock, virtual world artist and blogger, today going under the name Yoko Ono. We were there for a Pussy Riot Solidarity manifestation and I was also there to protest the infamous and homophobic Russian "gay propaganda" laws.
We started crawling all over the place, some of us assembled on a statue while others somehow managed to get up onto the roof of the cathedral itself. A while later I jumped up on the roof of a police car parked nearby.
When my buddy, the sexy, sublime, brilliant, humble etc., etc., Butch Diavolo arrived I started using him as part of my protest by pointing at him and shouting: "Look at Butch Diavolo, he is the incarnation of GAY PROPAGANDA!"
I was at the manifestation for an hour and 49 minutes and had loads of fun. However, my bosom buddy Apmel Goosson, who was there in the guise of his alt Ms. Apmelina Slingshot, reports on his blog "My Avatar's Name Is Apmel" that the real fun didn't start until after I had left. Apparently all the protesters and the Moscowites that had joined them were thrown off the sim and banned.

It seems totally unfair to me that Apmel always gets to have all the fun. That man has been banned in more places than the infamous performance artist SaveMe Oh, whom I for some reason am starting to suspect is non other than Vanessa Blaylock, but it may be my post-election paranoia playing pranks with me.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Throwing My Pink Money Around

Pink money - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"Pink money describes the purchasing power of the gay community, often especially with respect to political donations. With the rise of the gay rights movement, pink money has gone from being a fringe or marginalized market to a thriving industry in many parts of the Western world such as the United States and United Kingdom. Many businesses now specifically cater to gay customers, including nightclubs, shops, restaurants, and even taxicabs; the demand for these services stems from commonly perceived discrimination by traditional businesses. Worldwide in 1998, pink money was valued at £350 billion ($560 billion) across a variety of sectors — especially entertainment and consumer goods. Purchasing power in 2012 in the United States is expected to increase to $790 billion.
The economic power of pink money has been seen as a positive force for the gay community, creating a kind of "financial self-identification" which helps gay and lesbian individuals feel like part of a community which values them. Indeed, upwards of 90% of gay people support businesses which target pink money, while actively shunning "anti-gay" companies. However, criticism has been leveled at businesses which target pink money from gay groups, arguing that this segregates the gay and lesbian community from society, and holds back gay rights.
It's been considered more often than not a market exclusive for USA, UK and some places in Europe, but its extension covers a large amount of Latin America and part of Asia, making its actual earns larger by year and giving marketing options some impulse and variety."
---

Well, whatever the pro's and con's may be, I am not going to use my gay money on products or services owned, operated or in any way associated with Russia or Russian citizens or companies until that country's government abandons it's present official homophobic stance and continues to allow and support attacks and assaults on my Russian LGBT brothers and sisters and continues to deny them their basic human rights.

It's my money and I use it as I like, I suggest you do the same.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Newlyweds

Proposition 8 plaintiffs Sandy Stier & Kris Perry
Proposition 8 plaintiffs Jeffrey Zarilllo & Paul Katami
Following the amazing news from the Supreme Court of the United States yesterday all four plaintiffs in the groundbreaking California Proposition 8 case got married today. I wish to congratulate the two couples from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you for taking up the struggle against a bigoted law and for the fundamental human right to choose whom we love and wish to marry  You made it happen girls and guys, enjoy the moment and may you live happily together ever after.

Congratulations Kris & Sandy and Paul & Jeffrey!

I would also like to congratulate the surprising ad hoc legal collaboration of political opponents created by jurists David Boies and Ted Olson, who with their legal teams joined forces to overturn a legislation that they saw as as deeply immoral and bigoted.

Congratulations to a job well done David and Ted, and the many men and women of your legal teams, for your diligent and outstanding work to bring this case to justice and to rectify a wrongdoing.

Repost: Remember Stonewall

This is essentially a repost of a post I did two years ago and last year, with  a minor update.

 

Let us always be proud and thankful to the trannies who finally had had enough of the harassment and fought back 44 years ago on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn. We owe you, guys and girls!


Read more on Wikipedia Stonewall riots.
---

Before Stonewall
  • a person with homosexual inclinations was considered to be mentally ill, 
  • a person taking part in homosexual sexual activity was considered to be a criminal, 
  • a person suspected of being homosexual could be abused or harassed without risk of penalty - except in the most extreme cases, 
  • a homosexual parent was considered unfit to take care of his/her own children, 
  • Civil unions or same-sex marriages were unthinkable. 
  • etc., etc. 
All of us should always remember the gratitude we owe the trannies.

This important historical event and the birth of the movement for gay liberation and gay rights will be commemorated at the Second Pride Festival this evening with a special party. Please come back for information about this later today, meanwhile check out this post for some info about it Bock in SecondLife; Advance Notice - Second Pride Remembers Stonewall (url).

We should also remember that many of our brothers and sisters worldwide still live with the very real risk of
  • being murdered, incarcerated or hospitalized, abused & harassed
  • losing custody of their children 
  • losing their employment 
simply for being homosexual.