Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Five LGBT Victories from Election Day 2010 [USA] – by Michael A. Jones – November 3, 2010 - Change.org


You've heard the saying that the glass is either half empty, or half full? Well, for many an LGBT voter, particularly on a federal level, that glass might be looking a little empty this morning, as a slew of anti-gay politicians have been given marching orders to the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and a few state executive offices, too…

5. Say hello to the first transgender trial judge in U.S. history. Alameda County in California made history last night, by electing the country's first transgender trial judge, Victoria Kolakowski (pictured above). Talk about busting through a glass ceiling. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Kolakowski won by 1.5 percentage points. In an interview with Change.org earlier this summer, Kolakowski said that if she was elected, she would view her appearance on the court as a sort of sensitivity training for the legal system. "Just like people become more comfortable with us as gay and lesbian people when more of us come out (I am a lesbian as well), having an out, visible transgender judge will demonstrate to the judges, attorneys, staff and police who interact with the courts every day that we can be capable professionals, like everyone else." Amen…

2. California dreamin', on a such a bleak post-Election Day. Thank you, oh wise and wonderful Golden State, for making sure that the Election night didn't end on a total downer. Jerry Brown, who made his support for marriage equality a huge centerpiece of his campaign, beat Meg Whitman in the state's race for Governor. Why is that important? Well, among other things, it ensures that California's executive branch won't be interested in meddling in the federal court case challenging Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage. Better still? While the race hasn't been called yet, it looks like Kamala Harris has squeaked ahead of her opponent, Steve Cooley, for California's Attorney General seat. That's another important seat, with Harris poised to become perhaps one of the nation's fiercest allies for LGBT rights… 
Read complete report:


Spokesman for embattled Belgian [anti-gay] archbishop quits, cites loss of trust - November 2, 2010 – Reuters

RICKY MARTIN COMING OUT AS A GAY MAN AND A NEW DAD - FIRST TELEVISION INTERVIEW: November 2, 2010 – Oprah.com - (NP)

“Someday, maybe, there will exist a well-informed, well considered and yet fervent public conviction that the most deadly of
all possible sins is the mutilation of a child’s spirit.”


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