'Bubbles and racism in the lgbt community' & other Thursday midday news briefs

Now Is the Time to Start Talking About Racism in the LGBT Community - WONDERFUL piece, which I have a small disagreement with. It's not so much as racism than it is bubbles. Unfortunately, large segments of my lgbt community live in bubbles which unfortunately insulates them from the fact that our struggle is multicultural and other voices and people need to be heard, celebrated and lifted up as leaders. Think of this from the perspective of a gay man. We have folks like Larry Kramer, Michelangelo Signorile, Vito Russo, Harvey Milk, Evan Wolfson. I refuse to believe that out there aren't gay men of color out there who we can see as reaching the same status in the lgbt community as these wonderful leaders have. They are out there, but do they get attention or time to shine? And do their opinions get as much respect as the folks mentioned? Or their contributions to the totality of the lgbt struggle for equality? I ask this question as a person who has wondered about this regarding the projects I have created and the posts I have written. 

Okay, let's talk about 'silencing' - And before folks accuse me of whining in the news item above, this wonderful post by Jeremy Hooper serves a dual purpose. It outlines just how the game is run on lgbts regarding "professional victimhood" and so-called censorship by the anti-gay right and their collaborators. Insulting a community and then pulling the "stop trying to silence me" card when you get responses for your comment is yet another way of "gaming the referee." It's an ugly tactic, but thanks to certain degrees of laziness by folks who should know better, it generally works.  

Gambian Dictator On LGBT People: ‘If You Do It Here, I Will Slit Your Throat’ - Remember what I said about the "multicultural struggle."  

Texas Bill Could Protect Welfare Providers Who Force Kids Into Gay Conversion Therapy - I won't "mess with Texas." I will just throw some holy water and anointing oil at the state.  

Marriage protection bill passes another hurdle in Alabama Legislature - You know, folks used to wait until AFTER the Supreme Court ruled in a way they didn't agree with before showing their proverbial asses.