Washington, U.S.A. - A week after President Obama announced his support for ending marriage discrimination against same-sex couples, Freedom to Marry and Service members Legal Defense Network (SLDN) announced  Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry, a new national campaign that will highlight the stories of military families harmed by the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

The campaign launched with the release of an online video illustrating the real injury inflicted on gay and lesbian military families who, because of the federal government’s refusal to respect their marriages legally, are denied the support and protections that all other military families receive.

“Last week the President described how the stories of service members and their families made a difference in his decision to support the freedom to marry.  In deed, the faces and stories of military families impacted by the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act illustrate the unjust ways this law treats our nation’s most courageous patriots.

It’s unconscionable that we would ask American citizens to put their lives on the line for us in war zones while treating them and their families as second-class citizens at home.  All service members and their families provide the same service, take the same risks, and make the same sacrifices.  When it comes to recognition, support, and benefits, they must all be treated equally.  There cannot be two classes of service members,” said Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.

Because of the ‘gay exception’ created by DOMA, America’s legally married gay and lesbian couples are denied 1,100+ federal responsibilities and protections including Social Security survivors benefits, equal treatment under U.S. immigration laws, and the opportunity to take leave to care for a spouse.

“Many people assume that, with the repeal of ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” gay men and lesbians serving our country are now being treated fairly and equally, but that’s not the case.  We ended the ban on open military service for gay and lesbian Americans, but there is still a federal ban on treating married service members as what they are: married,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry.

“The so-called Defense of Marriage Act’s ’gay exception’ keeps the government in the business of discriminating against families, such as those of service members, and burdening employers, such as the military, who are prevented from treating their employees fairly and equally.”

The Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry campaign will include video and other multimedia content spotlighting the harms of DOMA on military families, including the denial of health insurance, survivor benefits, and access to military bases and housing for service members’ spouses.  Additionally, the campaign will invite the public to sign an online petition calling on Congress to “end this discriminatory and unequal treatment of our service members and veterans by repealing DOMA.”

In October 2011, SLDN filed landmark litigation on behalf of eight married gay and lesbian service members and veterans challenging DOMA and three other federal statutes that may be interpreted to prevent the military from providing the same protections and support to all families.

Freedom to Marry’s federal program works to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and make the case for marriage to government officials, opinion-leaders, and political operatives’ in Washington, DC. Freedom to Marry is a leader of the Respect for Marriage Coalition, a diverse group of nearly 70 organizations working together to repeal DOMA, and regularly hosts salons to engage Democratic, Republican, and independent opinion-leaders and operatives in conversations about why marriage matters to same-sex couples.

Since the introduction of the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’, the bill that would repeal DOMA, the number of cosponsors has increased from 18 to 32 in the Senate, including every Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and from 108 to 144 in the House of Representatives.

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Logo is evolving its programming focus with new series and development deals that reflect gays and lesbians’ increasing integration into mainstream culture today and their desire for shows that appeal to their multiple interests.

In the 6 years since Logo launched, there has been a seismic shift in culture and the network’s new programming slate reflects that. From the push for marriage equality, to the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and even the mass appeal of broadcast TV shows like “Modern Family” all signal a significant movement in today’s culture where “out” characters are celebrated for their success and values and the majority of gays and lesbians define themselves by multi-dimensional notions other than purely on their sexual orientation.

“Culturally, we’re past the tipping point. For gays and lesbians, it’s part of who they are, but they don’t lead with it, because many are leading fully integrated, mainstream lives,” said Lisa Sherman, Executive Vice President of Logo. “Our goal at Logo has always been to honestly reflect our viewers’ lives. We’re now reinforcing our commitment to them with programming that truly mirrors how many of them are living and want to be entertained today.”

Further evidence comes from a new study Logo conducted in partnership with Starcom Mediavest Group and its Beyond Demographics series.  Coming out this spring, the identity research gives light on how lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender community lives today.  For instance, early findings show that 53 percent conveyed that Gays don’t hide being gay, but that for them it’s not a priority to showcase it. And only 30 percent indicated that they preferred living and socializing in exclusively gay and lesbian communities.

“The gay community continues to evolve in size, influence and identity,” said Starcom Mediavest’s Esther Franklin, EVP, head of SMG Americas Experience Strategy.  ”Beyond Demographics allows us to understand the needs of this critical community as they emerge and to paint a clearer, more specific picture of what’s meaningful and relevant in their lives.”

Ellen Rakieten (Ellen Rakieten Productions), Ken Mok (10X10 Productions, “America’s Next Top Model”) and J. Paul Buscemi, Tony DiSanto and Liz Gately (DiGa), Go Go Luckey Entertainment (“Laguna Beach”) and T-Group (“Storage Hunters”) have all signed on to produce a diverse array of projects for Logo, covering docu-reality and competition genres.

Topics cover the ambition behind children’s beauty pageants, the stress of adopting a child, the dramas of running a West Hollywood family business and their passion for pets.  The network is also expanding the mission behind its hit series “RuPaul’s Drag U,” produced by World of Wonder, while adding programming that covers and comments on the pop culture that Logo viewers love.

“These new projects are anchored by stories that go deep into today’s world: Eden Wood has already accomplished more than most of us will in our entire lives.  Wanting to start a family is a universal desire, no matter who you love.  Families in business together during a recession could be the ultimate drama.

And pets are now surrogate children for a lot of people — who go to great lengths to celebrate them,” said Brent Zacky, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Logo.  “An expanded vision for ‘RuPaul’s Drag U’ and shows that review the more notorious elements of pop culture fill out our diverse menu of themes that will further engage and grow Logo’s audience.”

Image Courtesy of  Kobby Dagan / Shutterstock.com

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In a dramatic late night vote, New York State became the sixth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriages. The state senate waited until around 10:30 p.m. on Friday night to hold the much anticipated vote. Governor Andrew Cuomo, a staunch supporter of the bill, signed the legislation into law just before midnight on June 24^th.

The timing could not be any better as New York City hosts gay pride weekend following the signing. With the new legislation in New York, the number of gays and lesbians that can legally marry in the United States has doubled. In addition, New York State has no residency laws to marry and gay couples from across the nation will be flocking to the state to marry in late July when the law takes effect.

A religious exemption was also built into the bill to assuage some opponents. “Whoever opposes the rights of gays and lesbians to marry – whatever religious institution, whether it’s the Catholic Church, Orthodox Jews, anyone else – they are not required to marry any couple they do not want to marry,” Elizabeth Cooper of Fordham University Law School explained.

Why this was so important to opponents is unclear to me. Can’t churches already decide who to marry? Catholics do not let non-Catholics marry in their church. But this sticking point delayed the vote while senators met in backrooms to negotiate the deal. Republican State Senator Stephen Saland was one of those that negotiated the deal and was also one of the last senators to support the bill. He reported that he agonized over the decision. “I have defined doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality, and that equality includes the definition of marriage, and I fear that to do otherwise would fly in the face of my upbringing.”

Both sides of the debate expressed their feelings regarding the monumental vote. Many gay rights proponents believe that the vote will build momentum toward same-sex marriage across the country. Gov. Cuomo talked about the important vote while signing the bill. “We made a powerful statement,” Cuomo said. “This state is at its finest when it is a beacon of social justice.”

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Here is the story of a lady. God, how beautiful she used to be. Wait, what? Why am I using the past tense? Well, dear reader, that is because this is a pretty sad story which involves inequality, hate, and stupidity. Never would I have imagined that such a thing could happen. But let’s start from the beginning, then you will able to have your own opinion.

Not so long time ago, I was in the Southeast country of the continent where giraffes and rhinoceros have breakfast together. I was supposed to make a photo report, but well, the sun was too hot, and let’s just say that the bar makes a better argument than a roasting hot car.

Now that we have a location and a bar as you might expect, what about the character?

She was the waitress at the bar I used to go to. She was so gracious, that I have the impression that the very air would obey her. She had the perfect height for a woman, her black hair would kiss her back and meet it like the lazy dew sometimes comes to caress flowers. Her sweet face was a wise compromise between the joy and straight. An air of comfort seemed to come off of her. I couldn’t fall into her charm. I didn’t want to date her in the least. She was something too pure and too perfect to ask out. So we began to talk each other, she told me she was from one of the townships who fence off the big city. She told me how she had to give up her studies to take care of her brother and sister, and how her life wasn’t very fun. This wasn’t because of her work, or the fact that she had to take care of her family, but because of what she was: a lesbian. I was quite surprised by this, a lesbian? Thanks to you, a million guys are happy on youporn.

But apparently, in her country, «men take youporn for the real life…». I was quite afraid by her thoughts.  Did she mean that people hand job themselves on the streets? A whole country of wanckers. After all why not, the French are not so different. But what was she said to me was way too far away from my worst thoughts:

“Actually, if you are a lesbian here, well you have a lot of chance to be rape. Not because you’re prettier, but because you’re a different. You see, despite of the 2002[1] and 2008[2] law about the homosexual way of living, lots of guys consider being a lesbian to be like a disease. And the cure to this is rape. According to them, girls will ‘experience’ the full joy of ‘boy’s love’ if they experience it, no matter what, and using the force is something  legitimate.”

I have to admit, I was quite shocked by this speech. Not knowing what to say, I simply and naïvely asked: “And what about the cops?” The reaction I saw was a veil of darkness, mixed with sorrow covering her face, but her joy was still there. Not really joyful but a kind of brightness that didn’t leave her face. Then she continued: “But you know, stupidity is something normal in our society. I’m sure that things will change. They have to. After all, our greatest president stayed in jail 27 years. That’s everything I know.”

Her optimism was a human example. Despite of everything she was living through, she could still keep a smile.

On the way back to my hostel, I couldn’t think of anything else besides what she had just told me, such attitudes were too cruel to exist still. I bought some cigarettes and asked the guy at the counter what he thought about lesbians. His face seemed to puke before he spoke:

“I hav’ no time to rape ‘er b’t fortunat’ly someone do!” “But I have a friend who raped. He broke her tooth, hit her, bit her, then left her with garbage, place she deserved, they have to be corrected.”

That’s it, a corrective rape. Unfortunately, I think the name speaks for itself.

I politely smiled and thanked him for my cigarettes, while I was regretting my question. That is a fact, lesbian girls in South Africa are usually raped and nobody cares. They are humiliated and treated like a poor piece of sick meat that should be cured, and nobody says anything.

On the last day of my stay, I went to the bar to say bye to my friend. She wasn’t there.

“Surely sick” was the answer of the bartender. I was quite sad to leave this country without saying good bye to her, and all I could do was just leave her a note.

Two days ago I was in Paris, and in the french newspaper Le Monde, I read an article which was titled  “A young lady hit to death”. The first thing I saw was her name. Teeth, ears, eyes, everything were gone, according to the article. Why? Because she used to love women.

I never was in South Africa. I read an article in Le Monde and I felt so sorry for those involved, that I wanted to write a short fiction story about the events. I hope everything will change really soon.

Here is a video from the website Youtube edited by the newspaper the Guardian:

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