compiled by Howard Israel
"Tonight love and hate met in St. Louis. And love outnumbered the hate, in poetic thousands. Hate left. But love stayed. + Together, we sang."
– Lady Gaga, in a tweet to her fans after the Westboro Baptist Church protested her St. Louis concert, http://goqnotes.com, July 22. Gaga fans outnumbered the small group of Westboro protesters.
"Don't be afraid to let kids explore gender differences. It's normal and healthy. Don't make a big deal out of it. Parents can't make their kids gender variant. Not all children have words for explaining to adults that their brain and spirit do not match their body. Don't assume they aren't gender variant if they don't actually tell you they are. Support gender variant kids from an early age. Understand that gender variance is not the same thing as sexual orientation. It is about who people are, not about sexual attraction."
– Lynne Michelle Howard, co-founder of Trans Youth Education and Support Colorado, in a posting titled "Guidelines for Parents of Gender-Variant Children," http://xxboy.tumblr.com, June, 2010.
"The homosexual movement is built, not on facts or research, but on mythology. Unfortunately, these myths have come to be widely accepted in society – particularly in schools, universities and the media. It is our hope that by understanding what these key myths are … the reader will be empowered to challenge these myths when he or she encounters them."
– Peter Sprigg, Senior Fellow Family Research Council, author of "Outrage: How Gay Activists and Liberal Judges are Trashing Democracy to Redefine Marriage," in his pamphlet titled "The Top Ten Myths About Homosexuality," http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10F01.pdf.
"Visibility has been a cornerstone objective of the LGBT movement for equality since its beginnings. Of the slogans chanted from the front lines of the gay liberation movement in the '60s and '70s, the call to 'come out!' was perhaps the loudest. And in the four decades since the Stonewall Riots marked the beginning of modern LGBT activism, the self-affirming phrase 'Gay Pride' has evolved into a synonym for the movement itself."
– Eleanor Moonier, in a column titled "With Increased Visibility, Cultural Attitudes Toward Gays and Lesbians Shift," http://www.huffingtonpost.com, July 2.
"For me and my generation, (LGBT equality) is a pressing issue. I believe that whatever history I'm a part of, I'm responsible for. If I feel something is unjust or unequal, I feel a responsibility to do something about it."
– Hudson Taylor, University of Maryland wrestling champion, in an interview, about being an outspoken straight ally for LGBT rights in the athletic world, http://www.outsports.com, Feb. 22.
"This is the victory of an egalitarian vision that pursues people's happiness."
– Miguel Angel Pichetto, national senator, about the approval of a bill allowing Argentina to become the first country in Latin America to let gay couples marry, http://www.buenosairesherald.com, July 16.
