Support Sean's Last Wish and Kevin Jennings

The Fourth of July holiday is almost upon us and I am going to accomplish something during my time away from work.

I will be updating my Anti-Gay Lies and Liars webpage. The update is sorely needed because I haven't put anything new in the timeline since before the Ms. California/Perez Hilton nonsense.

But there are two things that I ask that you do for me.

The first is to look at the following video featuring Elke Kennedy, head of Sean's Last Wish.

Elke began this organization after her son, Sean, was murdered in a vicious hate crime in 2007. She travels the country educating people on the need for the lgbt addition to hate crimes legislation as well as ways to stop violence against lgbt youth.



Unfortunately, the man who murdered her son, Stephen Andrew Moller, was released from his 5-year suspended sentence today; a week before he was supposed to be released.

He was indicted for only involuntary manslaughter and sentenced on June 11 2008 to a 5 year sentence suspended to three years.

His sentence had already been reduced by two months after receiving a good behavior credit for receiving his GED while in prison.

I've said it once and I will say it again: that's some bull@!*&

The second thing involves Kevin Jennings.

Goodness knows I've talked enough about how the religious right is playing the game of character assasination against him since his appointment as Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for the Department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

The organization that Jennings founded, GLSEN, has an online petition that you can sign thanking US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for Jennings's appointment and asking that he hold firm against these attempts by the religious right to smear Jennings:

Dear Secretary Duncan,

We are thrilled that you have selected Kevin Jennings, founder of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), as the new Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for the Department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. This appointment is a tribute to Kevin’s many contributions to education and his commitment to the safety and well-being of all students.

Having worked in education for more than 20 years, first as a teacher and then as an advocate for student safety, Kevin has devoted his life to improving the educational environment for all of America's youth. His nearly 20 years of work with GLSEN has helped propel the issue of student safety to the forefront of education reform efforts, and we are delighted that he will be able to continue his groundbreaking work in this new capacity.

With gratitude,

I've already signed it. Please sign it too. We can't let the right impugn Jennings or the good work he has done for lgbt youth.

Other HB/HM posts on Kevin Jennings and the religious right:

The religious right thinks that character assasination is a Christian virtue

The war against Kevin Jennings - now it's getting pathetic

Attacks on Kevin Jennings sleazy, un-Christian

More right wing lunacy on Kevin Jennings courtesy of Kevin McCullough

More attacks on GLSEN'S Kevin Jennings - Now the Family Research Council gets in the act''

'Fistgate' and President Obama - religious right pushes a pitiful attempt of guilt by association

Thursday midday news briefs

My Post-Pride Dream: Memories, Observations and Hopes for a Fragmented Community - The single best piece I have ever read on the state of the lgbt community. And I am not talking about our fight for equality. When that is over (after we have won), the lgbt community will have to face just how homophobia has damaged us as a people in terms of how we relate to each other.

X-Factor Comic Gets First Gay Kiss - Rictor and Shatterstar kiss. Makes me sorry I got rid of my action figures of the two.

As gay discharges continue, sailor is murdered - This ain't good at all.

Obama White House Not Appealing Transgender Ruling - Good.

KC volunteer assaulted at Omaha Gay Pride - I'm all for "killing with kindness," but if someone puts me in a headlock, I'm kicking his ass.

Maggie Gallagher Just Doesn't Trust Men Who Want Children - Gee Maggie, why don't you just say it directly instead of hemming and hawing. Yet another religious right figure exploiting the Frank Lombard situation.

And because I believe in a diet rich in fiber, a bit from One News Now:

'FistGate' tapes go public; GLSEN doesn't deny - Another attempt to attack Kevin Jennings. Long story short - of course GLSEN did not deny the accuracy of the tapes because neither GLSEN nor Jennings had anything to do with the so-called Fistgate incident.

Famous lgbts of color

With all of the efforts to play the divide and conquer game on the gay and black communities, it's important to remember those who intersected both identities:

The rights of a child

This is somewhat of a respost but I like it so much that I want it to stand alone:

It galls me how religious right groups try to undermine every type of parenting except for the one they approve of.

It especially drives me crazy how they try to reduce the complexity of parenting to a single irrelevant talking point of "every child has a right to a mother and a father."

Well here is what I feel a child has a right to:

A child has a right to have a home full of love and support.

A child has a right to clean clothing, good hygiene, and a full satisfied stomach every day.

A child has a right to be able to laugh for no reason at all.

A child has a right to good advice and good discipline.

A child has a right not be feel loved or unwanted.

A child has a right not to be kicked, slapped, verbally, or sexually assaulted by anyone; especially a so-called loved one.

A child has a right to have his or her tears wiped away with a soft hand and a kind word.

A child has a right to as many good Christmases and birthdays as possible.

A child has a right to be applauded to the point of embarrassment for his or her participation in a sport event, a school event, or just for the hell of it.

A child has a right to be indulged every now and then by adult participation in water balloon fights, pillow fights, and imaginary tea parties.

A child has a right not to tolerate any type of bullying.

A child has a right to have someone there to tell him or her not to be afraid of thunder or the dark.

Lastly a child has a right to be nurtured into a responsible adult.

I have absolutely nothing against "two-parent mother and father" households. But until someone can tell me that those households have the patent on these things that a child needs, I refuse to give them precedent over any other household, especially same-sex households.

Feel free to spread this to as many folks as possible.