THANKS TO YOU; RNM44andWOOF.com Blog, 6/30/15

RNM44andWOOF.com Blog; THANKS TO YOU:

"Finding our voices as gay people wasn’t easy. Checking out with a bunch of flowers at the supermarket, the very friendly cashier asked me if they were for my girlfriend. I replied “no…they’re for my boyfriend.” No big deal, but it dawned on me that these small gestures…still not completely comfortable…are what changed the mind of the American people. We started feeling our self esteem kick in…and the simple act of switching pronouns started a revolution...

We don’t come out of the closet once and that’s that. We have to do it over and over…when we dance together at a wedding…put our arms around our boyfriend or girlfriend in a movie theater…kiss hello or goodbye in public…and embrace who we are.

There is certainly more work to be done….(In most of my home state of PA, people can still be fired or evicted just because they’re gay…REALLY). Our voices are stronger, our resolve is solid, and while we all go about our lives we need to keep marching…stay active politically…and most of all, align ourselves always with the truth of who we are. Friday’s decision by the Supreme Court was built on the peak of a gigantic pyramid…and millions of us built that with a million little gestures and a whole lot of simple but very powerful words."

Misty Copeland makes history as first black female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre; Washington Post, 6/30/15

Lillian Cunningham and Drew Harwell, Washington Post; Misty Copeland makes history as first black female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre:

"Misty Copeland made history on Tuesday when she was promoted to principal dancer of the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, becoming the first African-American ballerina to reach the elite dance company's top rank.

Copeland, 32, has become one of America's most famous female athletes, revered for her unlikely ascendance in an art world notorious for showcasing only lithe, white ballerinas."

CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH WITH THIS LIST OF 63 LGBT MARVEL/DC CHARACTERS; ComicBookResources.com, 6/27/15

Brett White, ComicBookResources.com; CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH WITH THIS LIST OF 63 LGBT MARVEL/DC CHARACTERS:

"After the events of this past Friday, June 2015 is definitely a Pride Month to remember. Thanks to a monumental ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, marriage equality is finally the law of the land. After decades of fighting for this right, every person in the United States is now free to marry the person they love, regardless of how they identify their gender. This is a big deal, and it's really the perfect way to end this year's monthlong celebration of LGBT pride.

This ruling comes at a time when comics at the Big Two are focusing on representation in a major way after a few... speed bumps... in the past. Just this past March, I was asking "Where Have All The LGBT Heroes Gone?," but events since then have indicated that representation is once again returning to Marvel and DC. A-Listers like Iceman and Catwoman have come out as gay and bisexual, respectively, and DC has launched queer-led series like "Constantine: The Hellblazer" and "Midnighter." "Secret Wars" series "A-Force," "E Is For Extinction," "Runaways" and "Where Monsters Dwell" also feature LGBT characters. Marvel and DC have come a long way over the past few decades, and you can no longer count the out LGBT characters on one hand.

To celebrate a Pride Month for the history books, we've compiled a massive -- but still nowhere near comprehensive -- list of the LGBT heroes, villains, allies and civilians that populate the pages of Marvel and DC Comics."

Justice Anthony Kennedy’s Tolerance Is Seen in His Sacramento Roots; New York Times, 6/21/15

Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times; Justice Anthony Kennedy’s Tolerance Is Seen in His Sacramento Roots:

"Today, advocates of same-sex marriage predict Justice Kennedy will take the next big step, by ruling it is protected under the Constitution. But Mr. Cappuccio, the former clerk, warns that “it would be a mistake to take Justice Kennedy’s vote in the same-sex marriage case for granted, because he also has a lifetime of experience as a judge who takes seriously the limited role of the federal courts.”

Here in Sacramento, where the county courthouse is now named in Mr. Schaber’s honor, those who knew him cannot help but wonder if the justice is thinking about his old friend. Shortly after Mr. Schaber died in November 1997, more than 750 dignitaries, judges and lawyers gathered in a downtown Sacramento auditorium to honor him on what would have been his 70th birthday. President Bill Clinton sent a letter; Robert Matsui, the Democratic congressman, spoke.

But all eyes were on Justice Kennedy, the American Bar Association newsletter reported, as he delivered the eulogy, with Mr. Schaber’s familiar round face displayed on a giant videoscreen.

He recalled Mr. Schaber’s record of helping others: “the student who needed financial aid,” or “the professional whose career was on the brink of ruin and just needed a second chance.”

And he talked of Mr. Schaber’s commitment “to a law that seeks compassion, to a law that seeks justice.” As he spoke, Justice Kennedy “paused to look up at Schaber’s face on the screen,” the newsletter said, “as if to seek approval from his longtime friend.”"

A Supreme decision on gay marriage; Washington Post, 6/26/15

Jonathan Capeheart, Washington Post; A Supreme decision on gay marriage:

"The Supreme Court caught up with a nation that has signaled for years that it supported the right of same-sex couples to marry. A nation that has witnessed a breathtaking and positive sea change in its overall support for the equal protection under the law of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans. This is not the United States that saw the FBI launch a “sex deviates” program (1951-1978) to rid the federal government of gay people. This is not the United States that saw a federal official declare gay men “uniquely nasty.” Thank God.

But work remains to be done. Same-sex couples in 28 states can marry on Sunday and lose their jobs, homes and children on Monday. The Supreme Court decision doesn’t address that. Eliminating the sting of discrimination for LGBT Americans is the next fight. A fight made more possible to win thanks to today’s landmark ruling. Thanks to Justice Kennedy."

From Ice Cream To Ian McKellen: Reactions To Same-Sex Marriage Ruling; NPR, 6/26/15

Bill Chappell, NPR; From Ice Cream To Ian McKellen: Reactions To Same-Sex Marriage Ruling:

"There was jubilation among supporters of same-sex marriage Friday, after the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is legal in all 50 states. We've rounded up some of the best reactions, below."

Evan Wolfson: What’s Next in the Fight for Gay Equality; New York Times, 6/26/15

Evan Wolfson, New York Times; Evan Wolfson: What’s Next in the Fight for Gay Equality:

"The classic pattern in our history is that when opponents fail to block civil rights gains, they try to subvert them, often abusing the banner of religion. But the American people know that religious freedom is protected in the Constitution and is fully compatible with civil rights. A Public Religion Research Institute poll reports that 60 percent oppose special carve-outs for businesses trying to discriminate, even under the guise of religion.

In addition to the political and legal work, the movement must focus on cultural acceptance. That includes combating the bullying and homelessness that too many young people endure, as well as ensuring that seniors can age with dignity and not be forced back into the closet. The real goal, after all, is not just good law, but good lives.

Happily, the freedom to marry will be a gift that keeps on giving. The transformative power of seeing couples marry — and the empathy that inspires — will energize us advocates as we keep pushing toward the more perfect union America promises.

Getting our country to where it needs to be won’t be easy; winning marriage equality certainly wasn’t. While the campaign I lead — led! — has now succeeded and will close its doors, the work of our movement, and the broader quest for justice, is far from over."

A Profound Ruling Delivers Justice on Gay Marriage; New York Times, 6/26/15

Editorial Board, New York Times; A Profound Ruling Delivers Justice on Gay Marriage:

"And yet, in the midst of all the hard-earned jubilation surrounding the decision, it was difficult not to think of the people who did not live to see this day.

People like John Arthur, who died in October 2013, only months after he married his partner of more than 20 years, Jim Obergefell, on the tarmac of Baltimore-Washington International Airport. They lived in Cincinnati, but Ohio would not let them marry; voters there had passed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in 2004. As Mr. Arthur lay on a stretcher, dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he and Mr. Obergefell took a private medical jet to Maryland, where same-sex marriage is legal. They were married in a brief ceremony and then flew home.

When Ohio officials refused to put Mr. Obergefell’s name on his husband’s death certificate, he sued. Last November, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled against him and other couples challenging bans in Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. Same-sex marriage, the court said, is a “social issue” for voters, and not the courts, to decide. Friday’s decision reversed that ruling.

The humane grandeur of the majority’s opinion stands out all the more starkly in contrast to the bitter, mocking small-mindedness of the dissents, one each by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr. and Antonin Scalia.

Faced with a simple statement of human equality, the dissenters groped and scratched for a way to reject it."

It Is Accomplished; The Dish, 6/26/15

Andrew Sullivan, The Dish; It Is Accomplished:

"I think of the gay kids in the future who, when they figure out they are different, will never know the deep psychic wound my generation – and every one before mine – lived through: the pain of knowing they could never be fully part of their own family, never be fully a citizen of their own country. I think, more acutely, of the decades and centuries of human shame and darkness and waste and terror that defined gay people’s lives for so long. And I think of all those who supported this movement who never lived to see this day, who died in the ashes from which this phoenix of a movement emerged. This momentous achievement is their victory too – for marriage, as Kennedy argued, endures past death.

I never believed this would happen in my lifetime when I wrote my first several TNR essays and then my book, Virtually Normal, and then the anthology and the hundreds and hundreds of talks and lectures and talk-shows and call-ins and blog-posts and articles in the 1990s and 2000s. I thought the book, at least, would be something I would have to leave behind me – secure in the knowledge that its arguments were, in fact, logically irrefutable, and would endure past my own death, at least somewhere. I never for a millisecond thought I would live to be married myself. Or that it would be possible for everyone, everyone in America.

But it has come to pass. All of it. In one fell, final swoop.

Know hope."

Supreme Court's landmark ruling legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/26/15

Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Supreme Court's landmark ruling legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide:

"Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement: “This historic ruling is a victory for LGBTQ Pennsylvanians and allies. ‘Gay marriage’ is now simply marriage and the pursuit of happiness will no longer be denied for same-sex couples.

In Pittsburgh, the Delta Foundation and numerous co-sponsors are organizing a rally tonight at 7 p.m. in Shadyside in response to the ruling. The rally is planned to center at the intersection of Ellsworth and Maryland avenues.

"It's a great day for the LGBT community," said Delta spokesperson Chris Bryan. "We are anxious to celebrate with the community tonight.""

#ProudToLove - Celebrating Marriage Equality and LGBT Pride Month; YouTube, 6/26/15

YouTube; #ProudToLove - Celebrating Marriage Equality and LGBT Pride Month:

"Published on Jun 26, 2015

YouTube is #ProudToLove the LGBT community and marriage equality.

SHARE THIS VIDEO: https://youtu.be/WSiehK2asbI

MUSIC: Until The Shadows -- from Random Forest by Echelon Effect"

Our Weddings, Our Worth; New York Times, 6/26/15

Frank Bruni, New York Times; Our Weddings, Our Worth:

"In 2015, on the last Friday of a month fittingly associated with both weddings and gay pride, there’s something bigger than a crack. There’s a rupture.

Following a few extraordinary years during which one state after another legalized same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court rules that all states must do so, that the Constitution demands it, that it’s a matter of “equal dignity in the eyes of the law,” as Justice Anthony Kennedy writes.

I can speak for a 50-year-old man who expected this to happen but still can’t quite believe it, because it seemed impossible when he was young, because it seemed implausible even when he was a bit older, and because everything is different now, or will be.

Tomorrow’s 12-year-old won’t feel the foreboding that yesterday’s did. Tomorrow’s 16-year-old will be less likely to confront, sort through and reject so many sad stereotypes of what it means to be gay or lesbian.

There won’t be so many apologies and explanations for the 20-year-old, 30-year-old or 45-year-old, and there won’t be such a ready acceptance of limits. There won’t be the same limits, period.

And that’s because the Supreme Court’s decision wasn’t simply about weddings. It was about worth. From the highest of this nation’s perches, in the most authoritative of this nation’s voices, a majority of justices told a minority of Americans that they’re normal and that they belong — fully, joyously and with cake."

Obama on Same-Sex Marriage Ruling; Associated Press via New York Times, 6/26/15

Associated Press via New York Times; Obama on Same-Sex Marriage Ruling:

"The president spoke after the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution guarantees a nationwide right to same-sex marriage, saying, “When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.”"

How We Changed Our Thinking on Gay Marriage; New York Times, 6/26/15

Catrin Einhorn; Photographs by Chad Batka, New York Times; How We Changed Our Thinking on Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage Backers Win Supreme Court Victory; New York Times, 6/26/15

Adam Liptak, New York Times; Gay Marriage Backers Win Supreme Court Victory:

The decision, the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, came against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of same-sex marriage.

Justice Kennedy said gay and lesbian couples had a fundamental right to marry.

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” he wrote. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”"

“It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage,” Justice Kennedy said of the couples challenging state bans on same-sex marriage. “Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”"

Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage Nationwide; Huffington Post, 6/26/15

Dana Liebelson and Amanda Terkel, Huffington Post; Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage Nationwide:

The decision is a historic victory for gay rights activists who have fought for years in the lower courts. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia already recognize marriage equality. The remaining 13 states ban these unions, even as public support has reached record levels nationwide.

The justices found that, under the 14th Amendment, states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex unions that have been legally performed in other states. Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the majority opinion and was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. In a rare move, the four dissenting justices each wrote an opinion."

Facebook only hired seven black people in latest diversity count; Guardian, 6/25/15

Rupert Neate, Guardian; Facebook only hired seven black people in latest diversity count:

The most recent EEO filing available shows Facebook hired an additional seven black people out of an overall headcount increase of 1,231 in 2013. At that time Facebook employed just 45 black staff out of a total US workforce of 4,263. Facebook’s black female headcount increased by just one person over 2013 to 11, and the number of black men increased by six to 34. There were no black people in any executive or senior management positions.

Over the same period the company’s white employee headcount increased by 695. There were 125 white people holding executive and senior management positions at the firm.

The spokeswoman was unable to say when it would file its 2014 EEO report.

Facebook also made little progress increasing the proportion of female employees, 68% of its global employees are male – a decrease of 1%. Among its employees working on its core technology 84% are male, down from 85% last year."

Diversity doesn't mean much without inclusion; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/17/15

John Denny, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Diversity doesn't mean much without inclusion:

"So, back to that Regional Investors Council meeting, which was attended by 300-plus business, community and philanthropic leaders. We had gathered to address a pressing problem that’s popping up in many cities and regions, including Pittsburgh: We simply don’t have enough talent for the work that needs doing!

This is both a people problem and a diversity problem. Pittsburgh needs to include more people with talent, especially from the black community and our fastest-growing minority groups, to keep our community growing.

When we broke into more than 35 groups to discuss this issue, I sat at a table made up primarily of African-Americans, which I am not. Soon we got to the core of the problem: Diversity is one thing, but inclusion is something else entirely.

Who cares if you’ve got a lot of diversity if everyone isn’t included in the decision making? If communities, boards, companies, nonprofits, associations, foundations and governments don’t include minorities in critical discussions and promote them within their ranks, there is no inclusion. And without their voices, we are missing out on many, many opportunities and new ideas."

Iggy Azalea cancels Pride appearance, but critics wary; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/8/15

Chris Potter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Iggy Azalea cancels Pride appearance, but critics wary:

"Organizers of this weekend’s Pittsburgh Pride activities announced Monday evening that Australian pop star Iggy Azalea, the controversial headliner for a Pride in the Street concert on Saturday, was canceling her appearance at the LGBT event.

It remains to be seen whether the move appeases critics of the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, which sponsors Pride.

“We’re sorry that our headliner choice caused a division within our community but we believe that change happens through conversation,” Delta said in a statement. “We are meeting with key LGBT leaders to start a discussion that will make our collective community even stronger.”"

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook: Diversity Is ‘the Future of Our Company’; Time, 6/8/15

John Kell, Time; Apple’s CEO Tim Cook: Diversity Is ‘the Future of Our Company’ :

"Apple’s CEO Tim Cook doesn’t mince words when asked about the importance of diversity: “I think the most diverse group will produce the best product, I firmly believe that.”

In an interview with Mashable ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) Monday, Cook told the website that Apple is a “better company” by being more diverse. He says a lack of diversity in tech isn’t because women don’t want to be involved in the sector. Instead, Cook places the blame on the broader tech community saying generally, “We haven’t done enough to reach out to show young women that it’s cool to do it and how much fun it can be.”

Apple is certainly part of the problem. A workforce data report last year showed that just 30% of its global workforce is female. And leadership positions at Apple skew even more white and male than the broader workforce. Cook has in the past said he’s not satisfied with the numbers."