MetaFilter posts tagged with homosexuality and lesbian

Ellen DeGeneres and the shifting US attitude towards homosexuality

filthy light thief — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:57:59 -0800

How Ellen DeGeneres Helped Change The Conversation About Gays

"Ellen DeGeneres is ... almost a litmus test of where we have been as a society," [Dietram Scheufele, a communications professor at the University of Wisconsin] says. "When she first came out and really put the issue of same-sex partnerships on people's agendas, and I mean people who really wouldn't have thought about it, I think the country was still in a very different state."

From her first stand-up performance on national TV in the US in 1986, the same year that the Supreme Court ruled that states have right to enforce code of sexual behavior, to 2008, when Ellen married Portia de Rossi, after California's Supreme Court ruled a previous ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional, Ellen's public life has mirrored the broader shift towards accepting homosexuality. Ellen DeGeneres started out as a stand-up comedian. Her personality was warm and non-threatening. Her comedy was safe. The same year she appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Bowers v. Hardwick, in favor of the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law criminalizing oral and anal sex in private between consenting adults when applied to homosexuals. In 1994, the first episode of Ellen the TV sitcom aired, in which Ellen played a tomboyish character who couldn't find the right guy. Then in February 1996, she played the lead in Mr. Wrong (full movie; trailer; Wikipedia), in which her husband-to-be isn't what he seems. That Fall, the Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law by then President Bill Clinton. It was around the same time that there was public speculation on Ellen's sexuality. In April 1997, Ellen was on the cover of TIME magazine, with the caption "Yep, I'm Gay," so the coming out episode of Ellen a month later (part 1, part 2) wasn't too startling. Still, it was't an easy performance for Ellen, and many people were watching, even in parts of Alabama where the show pulled from the air. There were even GLAAD promoted "Come Out with Ellen" parties, for which supplies ran low. Some saw the episode as a publicity stunt, as there were reportedly 22 lesbian or gay characters in supporting roles on television, and back in 1989, at the height of the AIDS crisis, ABC reportedly lost $1 million in advertising when an episode of thirtysomething showed two gay men in bed together. Not too surprisingly, some advertisers pulled funding, and even Oprah was a target after her interview with Ellen (part 2). But the negative attention and loss of advertisers didn't kill her sitcom. The show lasted to 1998, and in 2000, Ellen's 3 and a half year relationship with Anne Heche ended. The heightened public scrutiny of her personal life lead to Ellen withdrawing for a while, but not too long. She came back, hosting the Emmys in 2001 (part 2, part 3). Ellen came back to television full-time with her own talk show in 2003. In 2008, she married her girlfriend of four years, Portia de Rossi, and later that year, CoverGirl signed Ellen on as a new spokesperson, which baffled these CBS News hosts, as the 50 year old Ellen DeGeneres didn't seem to them to be an obvious fit for a makeup company. But Ellen is still a spokesperson, cheeky as ever. Last February, Ellen entered into a partnership with JC Penney, one of the companies that pulled advertising for her show in 1997, under pressure from Rev. Donald E. Wildmon and the American Family Association. JC Penney was once again petitioned to break ties with Ellen, but this time, JC Penny stuck with Ellen.

Love One Another: A Discussion on Same-Sex Attraction

dephlogisticated — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:20:40 -0800

"The experience of same-sex attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is. Even though individuals do not choose to have such attractions, they do choose how to respond to them. With love and understanding, the Church reaches out to all God’s children, including our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters."

The Mormon Church has launched a new initiative that encourages compassion towards the LGBT community.

"In this country, I can marry ANYONE I WANT! Because there's CHANGE in this country now!"

Kattullus — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:16:34 -0800

However long it takes for a real victory to be certified—no matter what happens on Election Day, it will be too early to unfurl a "Mission Accomplished" banner—the once ragtag march of lovers has acquired an air of inevitability. Edith Eyde's prophecy is almost fulfilled: gays are more or less regular folk. All the same, many who came out during the Stonewall era are wondering what will be lost as the community sheds its pariah status. They are baffled by the latter-day cult of marriage and the military—emblems of Eisenhower's America that the Stonewall generation joyfully rejected. The gay world is confronting a question with which Jews, African-Americans, and other marginalized groups have long been familiar: the price of assimilation.

—Love on the March by Alex Ross. In a brief post-election follow-up, Ross reflects:

Writers live in dread that their stories will be overtaken by breaking news. I'm elated, though, that one line in "Love on the March"—my long essay on gay rights and gay culture in America, which appears in this week's issue—is about to be rendered obsolete. Same-sex marriage will shortly be legal not in six states, but in eight or nine: in yesterday's election, voters in Maryland and Maine approved ballot measures to that effect, and voters in Washington appear likely to have done the same. Furthermore, Minnesotans turned down an attempt to codify a "one man, one woman" definition of marriage; Iowans declined to unseat David Wiggins, a judge who ruled for gay marriage in 2009; and, most breathtakingly, Wisconsinites elected Tammy Baldwin as the first openly gay senator in American history. Lesbians and gays who are accustomed to electoral setbacks even in years when the liberal cause advances—California Proposition 8, in 2008, was one stinging example—now savor something rich and strange: the feeling that the great silent majority is moving to their side.

The Bully Pulpit

zarq — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:54:30 -0800

Late last month, after vocally anti-gay evangelical author and blogger Jonathan Merritt's essay defending Chick-Fil-A appeared in The Atlantic, Azariah Southworth outed Merritt on his blog. An interview with Merritt about his sexual orientation. Follow-up column from Southworth: Why I outed a Christian star. Southworth is the former host and producer of The Remix, a once-popular Christian reality TV show, which was pulled from the airwaves back in 2008 after he came out. Jonathan Merritt is the son of Dr. James Merritt, former President of the Southern Baptist Convention. "Outing" public figures as gay or lesbian (who hide their sexual orientation, typically out of fear of homophobia) without their permission is not a new practice, but it remains controversial. The term "outing" gained prominence in March 1990 after Michaelangelo "Mike" Signorile wrote a cover story for the now-defunct magazine Outweek: "The Secret Gay Life of Malcolm Forbes." (pdf of that issue here, archive of Outweek's entire run, here.) Profile of Signorile from June 1990. In 2007, he wrote about the Forbes story. Throughout his career, Signorile has outed many celebrities and public figures, and was likely one of the first to do so as a form of pro-gay political activism, by outing those whose rhetoric or political policies were anti-LGBT. In 2009, a documentary by Kirby Dick called Outrage was released. (Previously.) It's available in its entirety on YouTube in nine parts. English, with Portuguese subtitles. The movie outed a number of closeted gay politicians who create or vote for discriminatory, anti-LGBT legislation. NPR's review of the film was censored prior to press, to remove the names of three politicians. For American media, there is no industry-wide standard regarding the ethics of outing. Back in 2010, a panel discussion about outing public figures was held during the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association's 20th annual national convention in San Francisco. Signorile was one of the panel members.

Portia Nuh Play

Kattullus — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:04:25 -0800

"Portia Simpson Miller, the former and newly re-elected Prime Minister of Jamaica and representative of the People's National Party, recently took an historically significant position by openly supporting GLBT legal protection in Jamaica, a country internationally notorious for a "culture of homophobia." Miller's statements come at a time of great cultural change in both Jamaica and dancehall music. This is for her." This is a mixtape of dancehall music and some of it is NSFW.

Tell

zarq — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 07:22:53 -0800

"I finally said, you know what, I'm going to tell my story. The first American injured in the Iraq war is a gay Marine. He wanted to give his life to this country." ~Eric Alva, 40, former Marine and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Tell: An Intimate History of Gay Men in the Military Single page version

Marriage Commissioners must wed same-sex couples

Lemurrhea — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:34:28 -0800

Right before the 10th anniversary of the first same-sex marriage in Canada, Saskatchewan's highest court has ruled that a proposed law allowing provincial marriage commissioners to refuse to wed same-sex couples is unconstitutional. Thecourt.ca gives its thoughts on the decision and the social context surrounding it.

Th Kingdom in the Closet

reenum — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 17:12:53 -0800

Even though it's punishable by death, homosexuality thrives in Saudi Arabia.

DADT stands.

jaduncan — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:58:19 -0800

Cloture to force a vote on the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill has not been achieved. DADT will stand. Chances are not better in a possibly more Republican Senate post-November, and the bill is unlikely to pass before then. Republican voters against cloture: Every single senator; Democratic voters against cloture: Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor.

Study: Lesbian Parents Raise Better-Behaved Kids

zarq — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:06:39 -0800

A nearly 25-year study has concluded that children raised in lesbian households were psychologically well-adjusted and had fewer behavioral problems than their peers. Results were published this month in Pediatrics: the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Abstract. Free PDF. Scribd). Time Magazine: Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better Than Their Peers FoxNews: Children of Lesbian Couples Do Well in School, Life Gawker: The Secret to Having a Perfect Child: Be A Lesbian Background on the issue from Religious Tolerance.org: Same Sex Parenting / Results of Studies / Beliefs of Conservative Christians / Conclusions

They’ll bury me before they hear the whole story.

anthom — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:54:59 -0800

After a seven-year hiatus full of rumor and speculation, Christian singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp has returned to touring and recording. Apparently, some rumors were true. Knapp may not be a household name, but within the genre of Contemporary Christian Music, she's a well-known, respected artist who took the "Lilith Fair" confessional folk-rock style and married it to honest, soul-searching lyrics about faith and doubt. In 2004, she took an abrupt leave from recording and performing, citing exhaustion. Less than a year ago, she quietly started a Twitter account, playing shows and eventually releasing news of her upcoming album. Reaction to her coming out (especially amongst Evangelicals, who comprised most of her fan base) has been mixed; some positive, some thoughtful, and some more predictable reactions. This is not the first time a high-profile CCM artist has come out of the closet.

These days, Wheeler is a "food defense specialist" for the American Institute of Baking.

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:44:19 -0800

Bill O'Reilly alerts the nation to the roving lesbian gang menace.

Thief of Souls

Morrigan — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:31:45 -0800

Romaine Brooks (1874-1970), American expatriate artist known for her haunting portraiture and striking palette, suffered a childhood so dark that she entitled her (unpublished) memoir "No Pleasant Memories." She went on to become an important figure in early twentieth century art and earned the Legion d'honneur in 1920 for her contributions to France in World World I. A pivotal figure in the Paris lesbian salons, Brooks was the model for characters in novels by Radclyffe Hall, Compton Mackenzie and Djuna Barnes. Although said to be "fully herself only when alone," she had a fifty year relationship with Natalie Clifford Barney. Her art has enjoyed a reappreciation in recent years and her work has been featured in exhibitions at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the Berkeley Art Museum. Her life and work have been the subject of several books and have a startling contemporary resonance.

“Allowing parents to select their children’s sexual orientation would further a parent’s freedom to raise the sort of children they want to raise.”

mek — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 14:51:01 -0800

Cure for teh gay? I was relaxing in front of X-Men 3 when a friend mentioned that the United States "gay sheep" experiments were wrapping up (though not uneventfully), with considerable successes. Lesbian tennis champ Martina Navaratilova has been fighting to end the tests for some time, but it appears a "gay vaccine" for pregnant mothers may be inevitable. Meanwhile, the GOP's only gay congressman retires.

Mary's Family Matters

alms — Tue, 24 Feb 2004 08:11:34 -0800

Dear Mary, your father, recently said he would support adding anti-gay prejudice to the US Constitution, making you and millions of other Americans second-class citizens. As an open lesbian who has worked for years as a public advocate for gay civil rights, you are in a unique position to defend yourself and your community in this dire hour. You're right, this is very personal.

Dear Mary:

archimago — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 06:23:44 -0800

Mary Cheney: "The next time you walk into a gay public place, be prepared for a chorus calling you everything from a quisling and a betrayer to a selfish, fiendish, nasty example of a human being." Michelangelo Signorile's open letter to the VP's gay daughter.

Shhh.

WolfDaddy — Wed, 09 Apr 2003 10:45:19 -0800

Since 1996, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network has sponsored an annual national Day of Silence event to help create safer schools for all students, "regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression". Today is the 7th time such an event has been held across the country. Are you participating? What is school like for you in this context?

The state wants to watch you have sex...

eas98 — Thu, 27 Mar 2003 06:59:29 -0800

The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments about the constitutionality of homosexual sex. While this may not be news, just listening to some of the comments by the conservatives on the court can be a chilling experience, whether you are straight or gay. Is it possible that there can be supreme court justices, supposedly the best of the best, who are really this ignorant?

Attackers carve slur on young lesbian.

donkeyschlong — Thu, 28 Mar 2002 21:34:09 -0800

Attackers carve slur on young lesbian. I'm going to be sick.

tranquileye — Fri, 31 Aug 2001 07:00:09 -0800

We're getting some new cable channels in Canada, and one of them is PrideVision, the world's first gay, lesbian, and bisexual television network. Even ten years ago, would anyone have thought we'd someday see programmes like Closeted Hollywood, Dyke TV, Queer as Folk, and Metrosexuality on North American television? And as a category 1 service, Canadian cable companies are required to make PrideVision available as part of their digital service.

Gay Games VI Under the Gun

joeclark — Tue, 17 Jul 2001 08:00:55 -0800

Gay Games VI Under the Gun “What has sparked the concern is a three-page E-mail from the executive committee of the Federation of Gay Games two weeks ago that raised the possibility of the 2002 Games being moved or forfeited. The executive committee of the Federation will visit Sydney from July 21–28 for a status report that will be critical. [...] Also, he said a comparison of Sydney's budget to Amsterdam and New York is flawed, because using the exchange rate doesn't matter. ‘We're not buying any of our goods and service in the US.... $11 million Australian is still $11 million Australian.’ ”

palegirl — Sun, 01 Oct 2000 20:15:25 -0800

Television stations in New York are refusing to run ads questioning Hillary Clinton's sexuality: "The ads were prepared by the Virginia based Christian Action Network. The 30-second TV ad features pictures of Hillary Rodham Clinton with the following narration: "It is rumored that Hillary Clinton is a lesbian. It is rumored that Hillary Clinton supports homosexual marriage. It is rumored that Hillary Clinton will leave her husband upon taking office. It was rumored that Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky. Sometimes rumors are true." The narrator then says to contact CAN for 'more information on traditional family values.'" whoa, that is so classy! way to go, christian action network!

veruca — Mon, 08 May 2000 19:38:26 -0800

Should same-sex couples be banned from adopting children? Last week, Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove signed legislation banning gay and lesbian couples from adopting children. The new law takes effect July 1, and three other states already have similar restrictions.