compiled by Howard Israel
"So what do you do when you see a ridiculously cute guy on the bus? He gave me a beautiful smile as I sat across from him. I couldn't stop stealing glances at him and each time I did he was smiling back at me. So what did I do? Got off at my stop, without saying anything to him. This is what the closet does to me. I don't know what to do. Some days I feel like my youth is slipping away from me and I'm missing so many opportunities. On the other hand I know my life would be hell if I came out now and I don't know if I'd be able to handle it. Being in the closet is OK until you realize what your missing, and that happened big time today. Someday soon everyone will know and I'll be free at last."
– Craig – the Gay Footballer, a closeted gay semi-pro soccer player in England, on his blog named "One In Eleven, Thoughts of a Gay Footballer Exposed," http://www.gayfootballer.com, March 30.
"The inflexibility shown by (Catholic) church leadership, whether it comes to discussions around celibacy or discussions around women's ordination or discussions around welcoming LGBT groups on church property, the church has essentially put their fingers in their ears and screamed 'LALALALALALALA.' The result has been to create a church hierarchy mired in dysfunction. Instead of falling back on tired and discredited talking points about homosexuality, wouldn't it be nice to see the institutional Catholic Church take this disgusting set of lemons, and make some productive lemonade out of it?"
– Michael A. Jones, in his column titled "The Catholic Church Sex Scandal Is Not a 'Homosexual' Problem," http://gayrights.change.org, April 1.
"About a month into my transition, as I was walking down the street, somebody leaned out of a car window and yelled, 'Nice fucking pants, faggot!' It was the first time I had been verbally attacked as a queer man. I should have been irate. I should have yelled, 'Screw you, asshole!' and flipped him the bird. Instead, I beamed, because at least he'd noticed I was a guy."
– Asher Bauer, in his column titled "Pass or Fail?," http://www.carnalnation.com, April 2.
"Imagine, we have thousands of administrative hearings just to determine whether or not someone is gay or straight, when these good soldiers should be focused on missions like killing Osama bin Laden."
– Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-Penn.), first veteran of the Iraq War elected to Congress, in a column titled "Telling About Gay Warriors and Asking for Votes," about Murphy's efforts as lead sponsor of the bill that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," http://www.nytimes.com, April 9.
"It seems that the case of Constance McMillan has inspired not only more gay teens (and their supportive parents) to demand equal access to school functions but also school officials to fear the media glare and inevitable lawsuits that come with discriminatory policies. In this economy, cash-strapped schools have good reason to fear. A gay student who was the victim of bullying in upstate New York just settled his lawsuit against the school district for $50,000 – that was only a settlement and not a jury award which might also have included punitive damages. Change is happening, and support is out there for LGBTQ students. … Will all of this high-profile support end the discrimination and stop the violence and hate? No, but it certainly helps by sending a powerful message."
– Tim McElreavy, in his column titled "On Proms, Pariahs, and Political Pressure," http://carnalnation.com, April 9.
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"When the selection of Ellen was announced, my 10-year-old daughter heard her name as 'Ellen The Generous.' For a few weeks, she walked around thinking that Ellen The Generous would be the new Idol judge. I decided to tell her what else I knew about Ellen. I explained that 13 years ago, Ellen had a television sitcom, and she decided to use that show as an opportunity to tell the world that she was gay. I explained that this was a big deal, because even a decade ago, celebrities were not so open about being gay. Her reply? 'You mean she is a lesbian, not gay.' Um, yes, a bit taken aback by her worldliness, 'I mean she's a lesbian. And there were a lot of people back then who thought that was a bad thing, and neither Ellen nor other stars wanted people to know that about them.' 'Oh' – that was the end of the conversation."}
– Karen Paul-Stern, in her column titled "Ellen DeGeneres – The Generous Idol Worshipper," http://www.CurrentMom.com, April 10.
"Gayborhoods were born in the second-half of the 20th century in relatively run-down, forsaken parts of cities, away from the establishment that could give a damn about man-on-man public displays of affection, and side-by-side with others who found themselves similarly sidelined: the poor, drug addicts, ethnic minorities. Gays became the Marines of gentrification, storming and conquering destitute places. Disposable incomes turned vacant factories into lofts and abandoned lots into community gardens. They brought a live-and-let-live attitude, a sense of style, and several places to eat sushi."
– Matt Katz, in his column titled "There Goes the Gayborhood," eulogizing gayborhoods like Greenwich Village and Dupont Circle, http://www.obit-mag.com, April 6.
