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Bill Clinton on "DADT" and Defense of Marriage Act at Netroots Nation

Photo by Andrés Duque

While delivering the keynote address at the Netroots Nation 09 conference in Pittsburgh, former president Bill Clinton was interrupted by a question on "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act. Washington D.C.-based netroots gay activist and blogger Lane Hudson yelled: "Mr. President, will you call for a repeal of DOMA and 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' right now?"

Clinton joked that Hudson, who was heckled by some in the audience, should take his behavior to a town hall meeting on health care reform, then explained he "didn't have any choice at the time" and "nobody regrets how this was implemented anymore than I do."

You wanna talk about ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, I’ll tell you exactly what happened. You couldn’t deliver me any support in the Congress and they voted by a veto-proof majority in both houses against my attempt to let gays serve in the military and the media supported them. They raised all kinds of devilment. And all most of you did was to attack me instead of getting some support in the congress. Now, that’s the truth.

When Gen. Colin Powell came up with this ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ it was defined while he was chairman much differently than it was implemented. He said, 'If you will accept this, here is what we’ll do. We will not pursue anyone, any military members out of uniform will be free to march in gay rights parades, go to gay bars, go to political meetings, whatever mailings they get, whatever they do in their private lives, none of this will be a basis for dismissal.' It all turned out to be a fraud [due to] enormous reaction against it among the middle-level officers and down after it was promulgated and Colin was gone.

On DOMA, the former president maintains he was attempting to block a constitutional marriage amendment: "Something had to be done to try to keep the Republican Congress presenting that. The president doesn’t even get to veto that. It’s the Congress that can refer constitutional amendments to the states. I didn’t like signing DOMA, and I certainly didn’t like the constraints it would put on benefits."

Writing at Firedoglake and the Huffington Post, Lane Hudson says he was "shocked" by the response from fellow progressives: "The immediate response shocked me at the time and still does. Those surrounding me yelled at me, booed, and told me to sit down. One elderly lady even told me to leave. While I was among the supposed most progressive audience in the country, they sought to silence someone asking a former President to speak out on behalf of repealing two laws that  took away the rights of a minority."

Lane Hudson adds: "What happened that was really important, however, is that President Clinton did address the issues that I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have without my forcing the conversation."

AFTER THE JUMP, via Firedoglake, video of the exchange.

Riot Police in Dominican Republic Disperse Gay Pride Gathering

"A small gay pride gathering that took place Saturday evening in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was interrupted" by riot police, according to Blabbeando's Andrés Duque, who offers a rough translation of the report "Democratic Modernity and Homophobic Repression in the Dominican Republic" in Diario Digital.

Even though LGBT Dominicans have celebrated a number of public gay pride events every June since 2001, there hasn't been a single event in which organizers have not run into opposition by Dominican authorities in the form of permit delays and denials and outright interventions. In this case, authorities had denied a request from Santo Domingo's Metropolitan Church to hold a gathering at Duarte Park and host a religious event in observance of gay pride on Saturday. Despite the lack of a permit, a few LGBT individuals decided to gather at the park and celebrate, which led to the police intervention.

The events described in the park sound very much like the events at Stonewall. The translation continues:  The park was surrounded "with agents from the National Policeand Politur and police vehicles with emergency lights on, while uniformed agents took photos of those who were present with the clear purpose of intimidation."

As recently as June 2007, Duque reports "close to 250 people congregated ... in a show of LGBT public visibility" "without incident at Santo Domingo's Duarte Park.

Maxwell Covers "Billboard"

A handsome and quite fab Maxwell covers the June 27th issue of Billboard as his long-awaited and eagerly-anticipated new CD BLACKsummers'night drops in about two weeks.

Soulbounce notes the singer "channeling Smokey, Sam, Marvin and Teddy on stage [and] the tantalizing headline", which refers to the singer's seven-year hiatus from the studio. Maxwell says in the interview: "'People ask, "Why so long?" and I say, "It's easier to take something that's of the moment, but so much harder to say something that will resonate today, tomorrow and for all times." I want my music to last forever. I never want my music to be dated.' " 

AOL Music's hip-hop/R&B PORTAL, The Boombox, is rolling out a track a day, with the entire album (nine tracks) streaming on June 26. The in-store date is July 7. Today the track "Love You" debuts.

Oh and you'll also be very! happy! to discover that Maxwell, like all other cool kids, is on Twitter. Writes Andres Duque: "And he's been trying his damndest as of late to prove that he is the 'real' Maxwell by uploading Twitterpics of himself misbehaving."

WHEN YOU JUMP, via SOULBOUNCE and STR8 OUTTA NYC, a look inside the magazine. There is also the music video for "Pretty Wings". Welcome back, Maxwell.

Sunday Candlelight Vigils for Victim of Brooklyn Hate Attack

Sadly, there are few new developments to report in the tragic case Jose Sucuzhanay, the 31-year-old Ecuadoran immigrant viciously beaten last weekend in Brooklyn. Sucuzhanay was declared brain dead and remains on life support at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens as arrangements are made for the family to fly from Ecuador.

As detectives comb the streets of Brooklyn searching for clues, local and national activists harness the power of the internet to show their support.

Activists are using Facebook, Twitter and other social networking utilities to encourage participation in a Sunday vigil that begins at 2PM at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Grove Street. "Take the L to Myrtle/Wyckoff," the message reads. "We will then walk to the site of the attack (Bushwick Avenue and Kossuth Place) for a vigil at 4pm. Bring your friends. Spread the word! Let's all show our support for Jose's family in this tragic and difficult time."

Andres Duque reports local artist Meg Hitchcock is organizing another vigil for Sunday evening at 7 pm. "They are meeting up at the Archive Cafe (49 Bogart Street, right by the Morgan stop on the L) and walking to the scene of the crime a few blocks away. They ask that people bring candles and show support."

A view of the crime scene, courtesy of Google Earth.

Jose Sucuzhanay was attacked with a baseball bat as he walked arm-in-arm with his brother Romel early Sunday in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Witnesses say they heard men in an SUV shouting anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs at the brothers. Author and activist Nathan James, who has been promoting awraeness of the shocking crime, says, "A human being was beaten to death in our streets not because of what he was or what he had done, but because of blind, insensate bigotry and homophobia. We must never permit atrocities like the murder of Jose Suzuchanay to pass in silence."

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LGBT Blogger Initiative: Sunday Morning Session

Day two of the LGBT Bloggers & Citizen Journalist Initiative. The morning session included a history of the gay rights movement lead by uber-activist Tim McFeeley. That was followed by a media training session lead by Joel Silberman. Silberman is one of the top gay media strategists  in broadcasting and has advised  gay political candidates, activists, Democratic politicians and President Bill Clinton. Thanks to Andres Duque for the photo.

Of course you can see Pam's House Blend sitting near the front. Standing up in the background is Michael Crawford talking to Tamara at ThatGayGirlTamara. Tamara is based in North Carlina and this was her first blogger's conference. And of course you can see Mike Rogers standing behind Pam. This summit is his brainchild and everyone is having a great time. 

Thousands Protests Outside New York City Mormon Church

The Upper West Side of Manhattan becomes a sea of protesters. More than 10,000 New Yorkers descended upon the Mormon Temple near Lincoln Center to protest the church's endorsement and financial support of Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban that recently passes in California.

Above, Phillip Howze of Brooklyn is one of many demonstrators carrying signs. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Gay, straight, black, white, marriage is a civil right," and "separation of church and hate."

The demonstration was largely organized by Corey Johnson on Facebook and Michelangelo Signorile on Sirius OUTQ radio, who invited yours truly as a guest on yesterday's show. Signorile describes the demonstration as a "phenomenal" success. "There was an electricity in the air, something I haven't felt in a long time at a street demonstration. ... Thousands of people converged on the temple chanting, 'Shame!' and filling up two large areas on both sides of the street, and eventually partially surrounding the temple. Meanwhile, thousands more were still underground, coming up from the subway, and slowly making their way out as the crowd swelled.' "

These photos via Andres Duque at Blabbeando and Joe Jervis at Joe.My.God. Joe also uploads an most excellent slideshow.

Marriage equality supporter Whoppi Goldberg was one of the celebrities spotted. Boy Culture author Matthew Rettenmund snaps Whoopi, Kate Clinton and more celebs supporting the gays.

The massive demonstration happened on the same day Connecticut issued its first marriage licenses to same sex couples. New York state may be next in line. Gay City News reports, "State Senator Bill Perkins, a Harlem Democrat, along with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn among the few politicians spotted, was an early supporter of President-elect Barack Obama. 'I believe in transformation,' he said, adding that the Legislature in Albany will pass a marriage equality bill despite the obstruction of his colleague, Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Bronx Democrat."

A nationwide protest is scheduled for Saturday.

News: DeMarco Majors, Obama, Arkansas, California Marriage

· After 8 days of consecutive loses and its worst week ever, the Dow Jones roars back with a 936-point gain. "The surge came as executives from leading banks were summoned by the Bush administration to Washington to work out a plan to get loans, the lifeblood of the economy, moving again. And it followed signals that European governments would put nearly $2 trillion on the line to protect their own banks."

· Paper catches up with Shirts & Skins star DeMarco Majors and asks, How you’d end up in a Beyonce video? "I had never been to New York before so someone said I needed to check out APT. I went and a guy came up to me and said 'I want you to be in a video what are you doing tomorrow?' So I went to Steiner Studios the next morning at 7 a.m. and the next thing you know Beyonce is walking right past me, turns around and looks at me. I was caught off guard and just said, 'Hey, how you doing Beyonce?' While we were shooting she pulled me upfront to dance right beside her."

· Arkansas reverses its gay foster parent ban and will allow unmarried and same-sex couples to take in foster children. For now. In November, voters will consider a ballot initiative that would ban unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children.

· Three weeks to Election Day and polls project a major victory for Barack Obama. But do polls lie about race?

· Obama surges past McCain in fundraising. The Democratic nominee has "more than $77 million in the bank ... and is on a pace to raise at least $100 million more by election day. That would mean a cash advantage over McCain of better than 2 to 1. In a sign of his flush finances, Obama plans a half-hour prime-time broadcast on CBS and NBC on Oct. 29, the first time in years that a presidential candidate has made such a substantial investment in national TV.

· An editorial published in Los Angeles' La Opinion asks Latino voters to vote 'NO' on California's Proposition 8. "It is subjective to claim that the voluntary marriage between two adults is a threat to an institution which, ironically, these people are fighting to join. The true threats to marriage are lack of communication, infidelity, domestic abuse, and economic pressures."

Andres Duque at Blabbeando: [The editorial] "counts quite a bit. La Opinion is the Spanish-language paper with the largest circulation in the United States. While not surprising—the paper also supported the same-sex weddings that took place in San Francisco under Gavin Newsom's watch back in 2004—the editorial comes at a key time when foes of same-sex couples seem to have the upper hand and Latino and African-American voters are being mentioned as a reason why the ban could pass." Duque reports the bi-lingual San Diego newspaper La Prensa also published an editorial which was "a whole lot sweeter since this is a smaller Latino community newspaper and, unlike La Opinion, a little bit more unexpected."

Wilson Cruz Headlines New List of Prominent LGBT Obama Supporters

Sorry for being late on this one, since we took off a few days earlier this week. The Barack Obama presidential campaign announces the names of 40 national LGBT supporters, adding to the original list of about 60 gay, lesbian and transgender supporters it announced last April. The boldface names are headlined by actor Wilson Cruz.

Obama LGBT advisor Eric Stern, who recently arrived from the Jonn Edwards campaign, tells Kerry Eleveld in The Advocate, "the new additions would be reaching out to people based on their particular spheres of influence, be they elected officials, transgender activists, or union leaders. 'This isn’t just a list,' he said, 'it’s a group of individuals, all of whom are highly skilled and bring a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to the campaign.' "

This is a great group of people and a strong cross-section of the community. The names include blogger and activist Andrés Duque, transgender activists Donna Rose and Marti Abernathy, Hans Johnson, president of Progressive Victory, Jeremy Bishop, the executive director of AFL-CIO's Pride at Work, and, Dyshaun Muhammad of the Young Democrats of America. Noah's Arc co-star Wilson Cruz also tops a new list of prominent LGBT Latinos for Obama, first reported by Andrés Duque.

Just as an fyi, it's obvious that we have some criticisms of the Obama campaign, which is mostly limited to strategy and the tone of the campaign. But fair is fair. No one could deny the campaign offers a strong message of inclusion and this obviously resonates with many people in the LGBT community. Congrats to the Obama campaign.

Obama Rolls Out More LGBT Suporters [Advocate]
LGBT Latinos for Obama [Blabbeando]

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After Elton on Breakthrough Film Roles for Black and Latino Gay Men

With the exception of Maurice's Jamal's soon-to-be-released independent feature Dirty Landry—which we profile in the next (?) issue of The Advocate—the cinematic landscape for black gay men has been practically barren. "It’s barely a landscape," notes veteran television producer Kevin E. Taylor at a comprehensive new analysis at Logo-owned After Elton. "It’s a window garden at best."

The editors After Elton asked us to survey and analyze the more important roles for black gay men and Latinos on the big screen. The piece went live last last week and has caused a strong buzz in comments and across the e-telligentsia. Was Brother to Brother more important than Patrik-Ian Polk's PUNKS? Should Isaiah's role in Get On on the Bus be reevaluated give recent developments? Rev Kev, director Maurice Jamal and critics such as Keith Boykin ,J. Brotherove, and author Fred Smith express cautious optimism.

On the other hand, several Latino voices say they have even fewer choice and are largely unimpressed with their portrayals in Hollywood, including the well-received Quinceañera, seen above. "There are actually very few instances where Latino gay life has been depicted in American film,” says Andrés Duque, the well-known New York City-based advocate for Latino LGBT issues at Blabbeando, Repoter and novelist Johhnny Diaz and poet Emanuel Xavier agree, saying some of the most complex portrayals of Latino gay men are seen in Spain and Almodóvar movies. “It's interesting that countries supposedly plagued by religion are putting out the most provocative cinema [for gay Latino roles]," adds Xavier.

After Elton's Breakthrough Black and Latino Roles on the Big Screen is easy to read, but, clocks in at some five jump pages. Grab your morning coffee (or two) and enjoy the article. It's important issue and thankfully is getting some much-needed recognition.

More After Elton HERE.