Gay USA

Gay USA with Ann Northrop and Andy Humm

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 12:37:42 -0500

ON GAY USA THIS WEEK:

We're taking a break from the news this week for a one-hour panel on where the LGBT movement is going in the United States in the wake of some recent political setbacks. We'll talk about how we're doing with President Obama and the Congress as well as what direction activism is going in. Joining Ann and Andy for a lively discussion are:

Jason Haas, Melissa Sklarz and Allen Roskoff
photo by Bill Bahlman

Jason Haas is a gay activist in New York who won a famous case brought by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders fighting anti-gay harassment in Boston schools. He was active with the Obama for President campaign in 2008.

Melissa Sklarz was the first out transgendered person to win elective office in New York State. She is now the co-chair of the National Stonewall Democrats

Allen Roskoff has been a gay activist since 1970 and the co-author of the nation's first gay rights bill in New York City. He is currently president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, named for the early gay leader.

We will be back next week with all the latest news, including the movement toward an end to the ban on out gays and lesbians serving in the US military.

Gay USA with Ann Northrop and Andy Humm

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:14:16 -0500

Ann is away this week and will be back next week. Chris Cooper is Andy’s co-host.

ON THIS WEEK’S GAY USA SHOW

Our side has rested in the federal case against Prop 8 in California and the defendant sponsors of the anti-gay measure are now presenting their case. The US Supreme Court has forbidden video of the trial, but we can show you the deposition of one of the experts on the other side who ends up supporting our case under questioning from co-counsel David Boies.

To keep up with the Prop 8 trial, go to:
www.Prop8trialtracker.com
www.equalrightsfoundation.org

We’ll analyze the debacles in the Massachusetts Senate election and at the US Supreme Court and how they will affect the fight for LGBT rights

President Obama is supposed to announce something tonight in his State of the Union address about what he’s going to do about repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that keeps out gays and lesbians from serving in the armed forces

The US Justice Department has joined the fight of a gay teen in upstate New York who is suing his school for not doing anything about the anti-gay harassment he was being subjected to

An Italian gay couple has gone on a hunger strike to protest the fact that they cannot marry

Andy will review a new stage version of Oscar Wilde’s “Dorian Gray” and David Ives new “Venus in Fur” starring Wes Bentley at the Classic Stage Company

Gay USA with Ann Northrop and Andy Humm

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:11:51 -0500

The latest LGBT News

Gay USA with Ann Northrop and Andy Humm

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:10:04 -0500

HELPING THE PEOPLE OF HAITI

The Rainbow World Fund has set up a special LGBT fund to help the people of Haiti recover from yesterday’s horrible earthquake. To support the fund, go to:
www.rainbowworldfund.org

ON THIS WEEK’S GAY USA SHOW

OUR GUEST IS STEVEN GOLDSTEIN, CHAIR OF GARDEN STATE EQUALITY, the New Jersey LGBT lobby group. He will explain how they were betrayed by Republicans and Democrats in the New Jersey State Senate’s 14-20 vote against opening marriage to gay couples and how they are going back to New Jersey’s high court with Lambda Legal Defense to say that gay and lesbian couples are NOT getting the equal rights ordered by the court in 2006 through civil unions and must be accorded the right to marry.

Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality
Photo by Bill Bahlman

You can learn more about the fight at: www.gardenstateequality.org

ALSO IN THE NEWS ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK:

THE FEDERAL SUIT AGAINST PROP 8 is underway, challenging the constitutionality of California’s ban on same-sex marriage. You can follow the ongoing trial at www.prop8trialtracker.com and learn more about the case at www.equalrightsfoundation.org

DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER IDENTITY is banned in US federal employment by President Obama. Go to www.usajobs.gov for more information.

A LESBIAN LEGISLATOR IN UTAH is carrying a child for two gay male friends

HAROLD FORD, JR., who supported a US constitutional ban on same-sex marriage as a Congressman from Tennessee, now says he supports the right of gay couples to marry as he mounts a Democratic primary challenge to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Alan Van Capelle of the Empire State Pride Agenda says Ford is “a snake oil salesman.”

PORTUGAL votes to open marriage to gay couples and the Pope calls it “a threat to creation”

UGANDA may change or cancel its bill ordering the death penalty for some homosexual activity

NORTHERN IRELAND’S power-sharing government may be brought down as anti-gay MP Iris Robinson, 59, wife of one of the coalition leaders, is exposed for having an affair with a 19-year old man to whom she was funneling funds for his business. There’s a report on the scandal at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoKjTST0HeI

Gay sex comes to HBO’s “Big Love”

Gay USA with Ann Northrop and Andy Humm

Sat, 9 Jan 2010 14:24:28 -0500

Happy New Year!

Ann and Andy reunite for this week's show with thanks to Chris Cooper for filling in last month and to Pauline Park, Joe Jervis, and Bill Dobbs for a provocative year-end panel. We would also like to thank Drew Taylor who was our Guest Director for two weeks while Rich Speziale was on vacation.

IN THE NEWS ON THIS WEEK'S SHOW:

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE starts in NH and looks safe in Iowa and DC as the Prop 8 case goes to federal court on January 11 and NJ's Senate is set to vote on marriage equality on Thursday. In breaking news, the federal case will be carried after a delay on YouTube.com

RI's next Speaker of the House is an out gay man

Lisa Miller, who says she is an ex-lesbian, runs away with her child to keep her former partner, Janet Jenkins, from getting custody. There is an Amber Alert out for Isabella, their daughter.

A gay professor at Indiana University and well-known author is murdered

A major transgendered appointment by the Obama administration

A gay couple marries in Argentina

Turmoil in Africa over LGBT rights expands as NY Times notices Uganda

The ban on visitors with HIV ends in two countries. There are 57 to go.

Beat,
Ann, Andy & Bill