Compiled By Howard Israel
S/he Said
"There has been a tremendous amount of important progress over the last few years. But the kind of momentum we're seeing can be a double-edged sword. While it has provided vital protections for LGBT people and their families, it can also bring with it a risk of complacency, and potentially the false belief that LGBT people are actually equal. The advances since 2009 give us good reason to be optimistic. But we must be careful to not allow this accelerating progress to obscure the experiences of millions of gay and transgender Americans who still live in daily fear of being unfairly fired from their jobs, enduring harassment or physical violence, facing a medical crisis without their partner standing by, or losing custody of a child, just because of who they are."
-Ineke Mushovic, executive director, Movement Advancement Project, in a press release titled "LGBT Americans See Significant Advances Alongside Ongoing Inequality," about the 2011 MAP Momentum Report which measures LGBT progress, http://www.lgbtmap.org, Aug 3. MAP is an independent think tank that provides research, and analysis promoting equality for LGBT people.
"Most people assume that men are naturally better athletes and write off the ability of a trans guy switching over to compete as male because he isn't seen as competition. Regardless of gender, I will beat a lot of athletes at races, and I will get beat by some."
-Chris Mosier, transgender triathlete, in an article titled "For Transgender Triathlete, a Top Finish in New York Is Secondary," will compete in the New York City Triathlon for the first time as a man, http://www.nytimes.com, Aug. 5.
"Heterosexual Pride Day is not anti-gay but a protest against the privileges the gay community enjoys. I respect gays and I am against any kind of aggression made against them. I have no trouble coexisting with gays as long as their behavior is normal."
-Carlos Apolinario city councilman, Sao Paulo, Brazil, author of council-approved legislation that creates Heterosexual Pride Day, Associated Press, http://www.hosted.ap.org, Aug 3. As an example of "gay privilege," Apolinario cites Sao Paulo's huge annual gay pride day parade that is held every year on one of Sao Paulo's main thoroughfares, while the March for Jesus organized by evangelical groups is not allowed to march on the same avenue. Sao Paulo's mayor must sign the legislation for it to become law. In a recent report, 260 gays were murdered last year in Brazil, up 113 percent from five years earlier.
"We are open and tolerant, and we want to make sure our members are offered the opportunity to be happy and free in their lives. This lined up with our values as a tribe. We don't discriminate."
-Leonard Forsman, chairman, Suquamish Tribe, about the 100-plus member tribal council's unanimous vote to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples on its reservation, an hour northwest of Seattle, http://www.seattletimes.nwsource.com, Aug. 2. The new law allows the tribal court to issue a marriage license to two unmarried people, regardless of their sex, if they're at least 18 years old and at least one of them is enrolled in the tribe. Washington state does not allow same-sex marriages. The state recognizes marriages from other states as official domestic partnerships that include legal benefits.
