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Articles tagged with: LGBT History Month

Michael Guest, diplomat (LGBT History Month)

Friday, 14 October 2011 – 10:03 AM | Comments Off on Michael Guest, diplomat (LGBT History Month)
Michael Guest, diplomat (LGBT History Month)

Michael Guest is the first openly gay Senate-confirmed U.S. ambassador. He was nominated by George W. Bush. After serving for 26 years, Guest resigned from the State Department due to its discriminatory policies toward same-sex couples. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Michael Guest

Ambassador Michael Guest of the United States speaking during a session on elections at the OSCE's Review Conference in Warsaw, Poland, 1 October 2010.“Leaders are judged not only by the challenges they tackle, but by those they fail to address.”

Michael Guest (born October 26, 1957) is the first openly gay Senate-confirmed U.S. ambassador. He was nominated by George W. Bush. After serving for 26 years, Guest resigned from the State Department due to its discriminatory policies toward same-sex couples.

Born in South Carolina, Guest received a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Furman University, and a master’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. In 1982, Guest joined the State Department as a Foreign Service officer. During his early career, he was part of a delegation that facilitated the reunification of Germany.

In 2001, Secretary of State Colin Powell swore in Guest as ambassador to Romania. At the ceremony, Powell recognized Guest’s life partner, Alex Nevarez. Advocates expressed hope that this would herald a more inclusive State Department attitude towards LGBT employees and their partners.

Guest’s work in Romania was characterized by condemning corruption, advocating for the rule of law and aiding preparations for Romania’s entry into NATO. When Guest’s ambassadorship ended, Romanian President Ion Iliescu presented him with the Order for Faithful Service in the Rank of Grand Cross.

Guest ended his 26-year career with the State Department in December 2007 after having sought, without success, to end the State Department’s discriminatory treatment of the partners of gay and lesbian Foreign Service Officers in foreign postings.  In his  farewell speech at his retirement ceremony, he publicly criticized Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

For the past three years, I’ve urged the Secretary and her senior management team to redress policies that discriminate against gay and lesbian employees. Absolutely nothing has resulted from this. And so I’ve felt compelled to choose between obligations to my partner, who is my family, and service to my country. That anyone should have to make that choice is a stain on the Secretary’s leadership, and a shame for this institution and our country.

Since I’m leaving over this matter, I ask that you indulge me for a moment. It’s irrational that my partner can’t be trained in how to recognize a terrorist threat, or an intelligence trap. How is that in our overseas communities’ interests, or in those of the Department? It’s unfair that, because we’re not married and indeed cannot marry, I have to pay his transportation to my assignments. It makes no sense that partners cannot sit in otherwise vacant seats to learn the informal community roles expected of them as Ambassadors’ or DCMs’ partners. Why serve in dangerous or unhealthful places, if partners’ evacuations and medevacs are at issue? And shouldn’t gay and lesbian partners have separate maintenance allowances, when employees answer the call to duty in Iraq and elsewhere? Does their service and sacrifice somehow matter less?

I’ve spoken with many, but not all, of you about this over time. To those who are hearing this for the first time, I want to make clear that this is not about gay rights. Rather, it’s about the safety and effectiveness of our communities abroad, of the people who represent America. It’s about equal treatment of all employees, all of whom have the same service requirements, the same contractual requirements. It’s as much a part of transforming diplomacy as any issue the Secretary has chosen to address. And fundamentally, it’s about principles on which our country was founded, principles that you and I are called upon to represent abroad — principles that in fact are symbolized by this flag, which ironically has been offered to my partner.

Upon Barack Obama election as President of the United States, Guest served on the State Department’s transition team. He advised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on discriminatory State Department policies, helping influence Secretary Clinton to change policies to provide equal benefits for same-sex couples. In May 2009, he, along with 23 other LGBT rights advocates, coauthored the Dallas Principles, a set of eight guiding principles for the achievement of full LGBT equality.

Guest received the Leadership Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Christian Herter Award for Constructive Dissent from the American Foreign Service Association. He also received the State Department’s Charles E. Cobb Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development, the Meritorious Honor Award, and five Superior Honor Awards.

Guest is the senior advisor and cofounder of the Council for Global Equality, which works to advance an American foreign policy inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. He was married in 2011 by U.S. District Court Judge Joe Gale, who is the first openly gay Senate-confirmed federal judge. Guest and his husband reside in Washington, D.C.

Guest continues to be engaged in international diplomacy.  He headed the U.S. delegation to the Warsaw portion of the OSCE Review Conference in September and October 2010. OSCE — the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe — is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization; the conference reviewed the progress made by member states in implementing commitments relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, democracy, and tolerance and non-discrimination. As the Review Conference wound down, Ambassador Guest was interviewed about the role of the OSCE, the value of such conferences, and the importance of NGO access.  Watch:

For more about Michael Guest, visit the senior staff page at the Council for Global Equality, his LGBT History Month page, or his Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Ambassador Michael Guest of the United States speaking during a session on elections at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Review Conference in Warsaw, Poland, 1 October 2010. Photo by OSCE/Curtis Budden; used in accordance with Creative Commons Attribution – No Derivative Works license.

Lady Gaga, singer (LGBT History Month)

Wednesday, 12 October 2011 – 12:52 PM | Comments Off on Lady Gaga, singer (LGBT History Month)
Lady Gaga, singer (LGBT History Month)

Lady Gaga is a world-famous performance artist and singer. She is best known for her chart-topping singles and outrageous costumes. She has had three consecutive best-selling albums and one of the highest-grossing tours. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga at the National Equality March, 2009“I’m just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time.”

Lady Gaga (born March 28, 1986) is a world-famous performance artist and singer. She is best known for her chart-topping singles and outrageous costumes. She has had three consecutive best-selling albums and one of the highest-grossing tours.

Born Stefani Germanotta, she is the first of two daughters born to working class parents in Yonkers, New York. She describes her younger self as an “artsy, musical-theatre, nerdy girl who got good grades, who learned the tricks of self-reinvention, and [had] a look that veered between a bit too sexy and a bit strange.” Raised Roman Catholic, she graduated from Convent of the Sacred Heart School before attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She left the school after two years to work on her musical career. In 2005, she was signed by Def Jam Recording and worked as a songwriter for Britney Spears and The Pussycat Dolls.

Lady Gaga’s persona is derived from her unique, androgynous, vintage-themed fashion sense and constructing her own costumes. In 2008, Gaga produced her first album, The Fame. The album has two international hits, “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.” The Fame Ball Tour premiered Lady Gaga’s innovative use of performance art and glam rock to form a multimedia party.

Born This Way (album) by Lady GagaHer second album, The Fame Monster, received critical acclaim. The hit song “Bad Romance” earned Lady Gaga two Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video. Her third album, Born This Way, topped the charts within days of its release. She has sold 15 million albums and 51 million singles.

Lady Gaga has won five Grammy Awards and holds two Guinness World Records. She was named 2010 Artist of the Year and the top-selling artist of 2010 by Billboard. In 2010, Time magazine named her Most Influential Artist, and in 2011, Forbes listed her among its World’s Most Powerful.

Openly bisexual, Lady Gaga is an outspoken LGBT equality advocate. She spoke at the 2009 National Equality March in Washington, D.C., calling it “the single most important event” of her career. She was a leading activist for the repeal of  “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Through her music, concerts and demonstrations, she continues to fight for LGBT rights.

Here’s Lady Gaga’s speech at the National Equality March on October 11, 2009.  Watch:

For more about Lady Gaga, visit her website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Lady Gaga speaking at the National Equality March, 11 Oct 2009. Photo by Ryan J. Reilly (ryanjreilly on Flickr), cropped by DynaBlast; used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Denise L. Eger, rabbi (LGBT History Month)

Tuesday, 11 October 2011 – 8:00 AM | Comments Off on Denise L. Eger, rabbi (LGBT History Month)
Denise L. Eger, rabbi (LGBT History Month)

One of the first openly gay rabbis, Denise Eger served as rabbi for the world’s first gay and lesbian synagogue. She is the first female and the first openly gay president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Denise L. Eger

Rabbi Denise Eger“I believe God made me just as I am. That is all I need to know, that I am exactly who God created me to be!”

One of the first openly gay rabbis, Denise Eger (born March 14, 1960) served as rabbi for the world’s first gay and lesbian synagogue. She is the first female and the first openly gay president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

Eger was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. Active in her synagogue, she taught religious school from the time she was 12. She studied opera as a teen, intending to be a voice major in college.

Eger received a bachelor’s degree in religion from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree from Hebrew Union College (HUC) – Jewish Institute of Religion. In 1988, she was ordained a Reform rabbi.

Following ordination, she served as the first full-time rabbi at Congregation Beth Chayim Chadashim, the first gay and lesbian synagogue. In 1991, Rabbi Eger cofounded West Hollywood’s LGBT-welcoming Congregation Kol Ami, which means “all my people.”

Rabbi Eger was the founding president of the Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Interfaith Clergy Association. She worked with the Central Conference of American Rabbis to pass the resolution that allowed Reform rabbis to officiate at same-sex commitment ceremonies.

A noted speaker on Judaism, spirituality and LGBT and family issues, Rabbi Eger is a frequent commentator on radio and television. She has written extensively for periodicals, including the Los Angeles Times, The Advocate, Huffington Post and The Jewish Journal. She has also contributed to a number of books, among them Twice Blessed: On being Lesbian, gay, and Jewish, Positively Gay: New Approaches to Gay and Lesbian Life, and Lesbian Rabbis: The First Generation.

In 2008, Rabbi Eger officiated at the first legal wedding of a lesbian couple in California. The National Women’s Political Caucus named her one of its 12 Remarkable Women in 2010. The Human Rights Campaign presented her with the Community Equality Award in 2011.

Rabbi Eger lives with her son in Los Angeles.

In 2010, Rabbi Eger recorded a video for the It Gets Better Project. Watch:

For more about Denise Eger, visit her page at the Congregation Kol Ami website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Rabbi Denise Eger at Meet in the Middle for Equality, Fresno, California, 30 May 2009. Photo by Paul Schreiber; used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Alan Cumming, actor (LGBT History Month)

Monday, 10 October 2011 – 2:30 PM | Comments Off on Alan Cumming, actor (LGBT History Month)
Alan Cumming, actor (LGBT History Month)

Alan Cumming is an award-winning film, television and stage actor. He has appeared in more than 100 films and television series, as well as major theatrical productions in London and on Broadway. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming“We need to do everything we can to counteract hatred and shame and we need to be strong in this fight.”

Alan Cumming (born January 27, 1965) is an award-winning film, television and stage actor. He has appeared in more than 100 films and television series, as well as major theatrical productions in London and on Broadway.

Cumming grew up on the east coast of Scotland, the son of a forester and a secretary. As a teenager, he began appearing in high school plays and local theater productions. In 1982, he enrolled at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where he received a B.A. in dramatic studies.

After graduation, Cumming worked in Scottish theater and television before moving to London. In 1985, he married fellow acting student Hilary Lyon. The couple divorced eight years later.

In London, Cumming performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. He received two Olivier Awards, including Best Actor in a Musical for playing the Emcee in “Cabaret.” In 1998, he reprised this role on Broadway, receiving a Tony Award and a New York Drama Critics award for his performance.

Cumming’s many film credits include “Golden Eye,” “Emma,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Nicholas Nickleby,” “X2,” and “Burlesque.” On television, he has appeared on “Frasier,” “The L Word,” “Sex and the City,” Logo’s “Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World,” and on the hit series “The Good Wife” as conniving campaign manager Eli Gold.

In 1998, Entertainment Weekly named Cumming one of the 100 Most Creative People in the World. In 2008, he received the Trevor Hero Award from The Trevor Project for being “a true role model for gay and questioning youth through his spectacular and highly successful career.”

Cumming and his longtime partner, Grant Shaffer, entered into a civil partnership at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London. Cumming and Shaffer live in New York City.

Alan Cumming as the Emcee and the cast of the Broadway revival of “Cabaret” peformed “Wilkommen” at the Tony Awards in 1998. Watch:

For more about Alan Cumming, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Alan Cumming during the 2011 New York Fashion Week, 11 Feb 2011. Photo by Christopher Macsurak (cropped from original); used in accordance with Creative Commons licensing.

Aaron Copland, composer (LGBT History Month)

Monday, 10 October 2011 – 9:11 AM | Comments Off on Aaron Copland, composer (LGBT History Month)
Aaron Copland, composer (LGBT History Month)

Aaron Copland was a world-renowned composer, teacher, writer and conductor. He was a key figure in forming the early 20th century American style of music and composition. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland“To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.”

Aaron Copland (born November 14, 1900, died December 2, 1990) was a world-renowned composer, teacher, writer and conductor. He was a key figure in forming the early 20th century American style of music and composition.

The youngest of five children, Copland was born in Brooklyn to Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Encouraged by his mother, he became interested in music. His older sister taught him to play the piano. At 16, Copland began lessons with composer Rubin Goldmark, who introduced him to the American style of music.

After graduating high school, Copland played and composed works for dance bands. Inspired by modern European music, he moved to France and attended the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau. There he studied under Nadia Boulanger, who was his muse throughout his time in France.

Copland’s compositions are famous for rejection of the neo-Romantic form and his creation of a unique American style. He composed a wide variety of music, including piano and orchestral arrangements, ballets, and Hollywood film scores. His compositions for film include “Of Mice and Men” (1939), “Our Town” (1940) and “The Heiress” (1949), which won him an Academy Award for best score. His score for Martha Graham’s ballet “Appalachian Spring” (1944) earned him a Pulitzer Prize.

During the communist witch hunts of the 1950s, Copland was brought before Congress and questioned about whether he was affiliated with the Communist party. Although he was cleared of charges, Hollywood blacklisted him. His composition “A Lincoln Portrait” was withdrawn as part of the inaugural concert for President Eisenhower.

Copland dedicated the remainder of his life to composing, conducting and teaching. He had a major influence on the style of the next generation of American composers. His protégé, Leonard Bernstein, is considered the best conductor of Copland’s work.

Copland died in North Tarrytown, New York (now known as Sleepy Hollow). His estate established the Aaron Copland Fund for Composers, which annually bestows over $500,000 in grants.

“Fanfare for the Common Man” is one of Copland’s most famous works, written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens. Here is is performed by the New York Philharmonic. Listen:

For more about Aaron Copland, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Aaron Copland. Library of Congress.

Dan Choi, soldier & activist (LGBT History Month)

Saturday, 8 October 2011 – 8:26 AM | Comments Off on Dan Choi, soldier & activist (LGBT History Month)
Dan Choi, soldier & activist (LGBT History Month)

Lt. Dan Choi is a West Point graduate, Iraq War veteran and Arabic linguist. He was the nation’s leading activist for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Dan Choi

Lt. Dan Choi at New York City pride march in 2010.“Action and sacrifice speak much more loudly than the best crafted, eloquent speech.”

Lt. Dan Choi (born February 22, 1981) is a West Point graduate, Iraq War veteran, and Arabic linguist. He was the nation’s leading activist for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).

Choi was born in Orange County, California, and raised in an evangelical Korean-American household. His father is a Baptist minister; his mother is a nurse. Inspired by the film “Saving Private Ryan”, Choi decided to attend West Point.

After graduating from West Point with degrees in Arabic linguistics and environmental engineering, Choi served as an Army infantry officer in Iraq. In 2008, he transferred from active duty to the Army National Guard. That same year, Choi and a group of West Point alumni founded Knights Out, an organization supporting the rights of LGBT soldiers.

In 2009, Choi appeared on the “The Rachel Maddow Show” and said something that would change his life forever: “I am gay.” Within a month, the U.S. Army notified him that he was being discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

When he received his discharge papers, Choi knew he had to fight back. He wrote an open letter asking President Obama to repeal the policy and reinstate him, calling his discharge “a slap in the face.”

Choi sent his West Point graduation ring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. It was a reminder to the senator of a promise he made to repeal the ban on gays and lesbians in the military.

Choi became the leading activist and national spokesman for the repeal of DADT. His media savvy drew attention to the issue. In 2010, he was arrested three times for handcuffing himself to the White House fence during protests.

Later in 2010, Choi was invited to the White House to witness President Obama signing the bill repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law. Afterward, Senator Reid invited Choi to his office, where he returned Choi’s West Point ring.

“The next time I get a ring from a man,” Choi responded, “I expect it to be for full, equal American marriage.”

Choi continues to advocate for LGBT civil rights and for veterans’ health benefits. He is a graduate student at Harvard University. He resides in New York.

In March 2009, Lt. Dan Choi said “I am gay” on Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show. Watch:

Lt. Choi was interviewed again by Rachel Maddow in May 2009, after he was discharged from the Army for being gay.  Watch:

For more about Dan Choi, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Lt. Dan Choi at New York City pride march, 27 June 2010. Photo by Boss Tweed (on Flickr); used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Rita Mae Brown, author (LGBT History Month)

Friday, 7 October 2011 – 9:15 AM | One Comment
Rita Mae Brown, author (LGBT History Month)

An author and screenwriter, Rita Mae Brown is best known for her semi-autobiographical lesbian-themed novel, Rubyfruit Jungle. She is a groundbreaking activist for lesbian and civil rights.. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Rita Mae Brown

Rita Mae Brown“Don’t ask to live in tranquil times. Literature doesn’t grow there.”

An author and screenwriter, Rita Mae Brown (born November 28, 1944) is best known for her semi-autobiographical lesbian-themed novel, Rubyfruit Jungle. She is a groundbreaking activist for lesbian and civil rights.

An only child, Brown was adopted and raised in York, Pennsylvania. At age 11, her family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Brown’s interest in political activism began with the black civil rights movement. In 1964, after losing her scholarship at the University of Florida due to her involvement in a rally, Brown was forced to drop out of school. She hitchhiked to New York where she lived in an abandoned car before enrolling at New York University (NYU).

At NYU, Brown cofounded the Student Homophile League. In 1968, she joined the National Organization of Women (NOW). She worked there until a schism over whether or not to support lesbian issues caused her to resign in February 1970. She says she was “kicked out” for raising the gay issue.  Betty Friedan is largely blamed for Brown’s expulsion from NOW. Years later, Friedan publicly apologized and admitted her actions were wrong.

After severing ties with NOW, Brown became a member of Lavender Menace, an informal group of radical lesbian feminists formed to protest the exclusion of lesbians and lesbian issues from the feminist movement at the Second Congress to Unite Women in New York City on May 1, 1970. Brown was also a member of the Redstockings, a radical feminist group. She helped form the lesbian feminist  newspaper Furies Collective. Thereafter, she earned a Ph.D. in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C.

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae BrownBrown’s coming-of-age lesbian novel, Rubyfruit Jungle, sold over 70,000 copies and made her a champion of lesbian rights. The book’s success encouraged her to author other lesbian novels.

In addition to more than 50 books, Brown has written numerous television screenplays. She received Emmy nominations for the variety show “I Love Liberty” and the miniseries “The Long Hot Summer.”

Brown lives on a farm outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. She is a Master of Fox Hounds and advocates for animal rescue.

In December 2009, Rita Mae Brown sat down with Emmy-winning interviewer Ernie Manouse (InnerVIEWS) for a wide-ranging discussion on her memories of the Civil Rights Movement, the qualities that go into being a good writer, and her often rocky relationship with the National Organization for Women. Watch:

For more about Rita Mae Brown, visit her website, LGBT History Month page Wikipedia article, or 2008 interview in Time Magazine.

Photo credit: Rita Mae Brown at Carroll Community College, Westminster, Maryland, 12 Nov 2005. Photo by Bryan Costin (bcostin on Flickr); used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter (LGBT History Month)

Wednesday, 5 October 2011 – 10:01 AM | Comments Off on Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter (LGBT History Month)
Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter (LGBT History Month)

Dustin Lance Black is a screenwriter, director and producer. In 2009, he received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Milk,” about openly gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Dustin Lance Black

Dustin Lance Black at the 81st Academy Awards, 22 Feb 2009“I heard the story of Harvey Milk and it gave me hope that I could live my life openly as who I am.”

Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is a screenwriter, director and producer. In 2009, he received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Milk”, about openly gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk.

Black grew up in a devout Mormon household in San Antonio, Texas. After his mother remarried, he moved to Salinas, California. As a young boy, Black knew he was gay. He believed he would be “hurt and brought down” because of it and that he was going to hell. He says his “acute awareness” of his sexual orientation made him gloomy and sometimes suicidal.

The Journey of Jared Price, written & directed by Dustin Lance BlackIn high school he fostered a love of the dramatic arts and began working on theatrical productions. He enrolled at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and graduated with honors. In 2000, he wrote and directed two gay-themed films, “The Journey of Jared Price” and “Something Close to Heaven.” Black was the only Mormon writer for the HBO series about polygamy, “Big Love”, for which he received two Writers Guild of America Awards.

"Milk" — screenplay by Dustin Lance BlackCaptivated by the story of Harvey Milk, Black researched Milk’s life for three years, culminating in a screenplay. Academy Award-nominated director Gus Van Sant signed on with the project. In 2009, “Milk” received eight Academy Award nominations and won two. Black received an Oscar for his screenplay and Sean Penn won for best actor.

Black’s recent works include the screenplay for “Pedro”, profiling AIDS activist and MTV personality Pedro Zamora. He is the screenwriter for “J. Edgar,” a film about FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

8: The Mormon Proposition, narrated by Dustin Lance BlackIn 2010, he narrated the documentary film “8: The Mormon Proposition”, a documentary about the involvement of the LDS church in anti-marriage equality Proposition 8 in California.

In 2009, Black topped The Advocate’s list of the “Forty under 40” most influential openly gay people. He is an outspoken LGBT activist, serving on the boards of The Trevor Project and the American Foundation for Equal Rights. Black frequently speaks about gay rights to college students across the country.

He resides in Los Angeles.

In May 2008, YouTube videographer castrointhestreets ran into Dustin Lance Black at the unveiling of Harvey Milk’s new statue in San Francisco’s City Hall, and interviewed him. Watch:

For more about Dustin Lance Black, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Dustin Lance Black at the 81st Academy Awards, 22 Feb 2009. Photo by Greg Hernandez (greginhollywood on Flickr), used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

John Berry, government official (LGBT History Month)

Tuesday, 4 October 2011 – 8:33 AM | Comments Off on John Berry, government official (LGBT History Month)
John Berry, government official (LGBT History Month)

John Berry is the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He is the highest-ranking openly gay federal employee in U.S. history — and has a mountain in Antarctica named after him! Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

John BerryJohn Berry

“Each time we act against discrimination, we add a ring of life to the American tree of liberty.”

John Berry (born February 10, 1959 ) is the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He is the highest-ranking openly gay federal employee in U.S. history.

Born in Rockville, Maryland, Berry is the son of two federal government employees. His father served in the U.S. Marine Corps and his mother worked for the U.S. Census Bureau.

Berry earned his Bachelor of Arts in government from the University of Maryland and a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University. His first federal government job was as legislative director for U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer. Thereafter, he served as deputy assistant secretary for law enforcement at the U.S. Treasury Department.

After two years as director of government relations at the Smithsonian Institution, Berry was appointed assistant secretary for policy, management and budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior in the Clinton administration.

Prior to joining the Obama administration, Berry pursued his interest in environmental conservation as the director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and subsequently as director of the National Zoo.

In 2009, President Obama appointed Berry to his current position, where he is responsible for recruiting, hiring and benefits policies for 1.9 million federal employees.

With Berry’s appointment came accolades from the LGBT and mainstream communities. “The selection of John Berry is a meaningful step forward for the LGBT community,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Humans Rights Campaign. John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, described Berry as the “perfect choice for the OPM. He’s smart, courageous, and has all the right experience in policy and in politics.”

In 2009, Berry served as the keynote speaker for the International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference in San Francisco.

One of the few Americans to stand on both the North and South Poles, Berry’s government career has taken him around the globe and literally to the ends of the earth. There is a mountain in Antarctica named after him: the Berry Bastion.

In December 2010 John Berry recorded a video for the It Gets Better Project. Watch:

For more about John Berry, visit his LGBT History Month page or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: John Berry, official portrait, 13 April 2009, United States Office of Personnel Management.

Alison Bechdel, cartoonist (LGBT History Month 2011)

Monday, 3 October 2011 – 12:04 PM | Comments Off on Alison Bechdel, cartoonist (LGBT History Month 2011)
Alison Bechdel, cartoonist (LGBT History Month 2011)

Alison Bechdel  is a celebrated cartoonist and author of the long-running comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For. Her groundbreaking graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, was awarded the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel“The [comic] strip is about all kinds of things, not just gay and lesbian issues—births, deaths and everything in-between happen to everyone.”

Alison Bechdel (b. September 10, 1960) is a celebrated cartoonist and author of the long-running comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For. Her groundbreaking graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, was awarded the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book.

A native of central Pennsylvania, Bechdel and her siblings grew up in a small town. Her parents both taught at the local high school and her father, the subject of her first memoir, was the town’s mortician. Bechdel attended Oberlin College, where she graduated with a B.A. in 1981.

Dykes to Watch Out For was published in 1983 and became a syndicated comic strip in 1985. With her signature subtle wit, Bechdel took on the complex and often stereotyped world of lesbian relationships through her comic alter ego, Mo. The strip has become a cult classic.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison BechdelIn the late 1990’s, Bechdel began work on her first graphic memoir about her family, Fun Home. The memoir focuses on her relationship with her father and his death. Time Magazine honored Fun Home as No. 1 of the 10 Best Books of 2006, calling it “a masterpiece about two people who live in the same house but different worlds, and their mysterious debts to each other.” The book won a Lambda Book Award, an Eisner Award and the 2006 Publishing Triangle’s Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award. It was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award.

The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison BechdelDykes to Watch Out For continued production for 25 years. In 2008, Bechdel suspended work on the award-winning comic strip to create a graphic memoir about relationships. The same year, Houghton Mifflin published a complete collection of her work, The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For.

Bechdel resides outside of Burlington, Vermont.

Alison Bechdel was interviewed by MiND TV about her bestselling graphic memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Watch:

For more about Alison Bechdel, visit the Dykes to Watch Out For website, the Alison Bechdel page on Amazon.com, her LGBT History Month page, or the Wikipedia article about her.

Photo credit: Alison Bechdel came to Brussels to promote her new autobiographical book Fun Home. She signed her book in the comic store Brüselm 29 Oct 2006. Photo by Tineke on Flickr; used in accordance with Creative Commons license.