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White House Reception Recognizes LGBT Pride and Stonewall 40th

Forty years after the Stonewall riots sparked the gay rights movement, President Barack Obama hosts an historic reception for LGBT activists and their families to honor LGBT Pride and the 40th Stonewall anniversary. The speech, carried live on CNN and other networks, marks the first time a sitting president has given a live televised speech on LGBT issues.

The President, who has been criticized by many LGBT rights advocates for inaction on his many campaign promises, says his Administration has made some progress on behalf of gay Americans and will do more. Full remarks AFTER THE JUMP:

"I know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that," Mr. Obama said at a reception for LGBT Pride Month at the White House. "It's not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-century ago."

"But I say this: We have made progress," the president continued. "And we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I've made, but by the promises that my administration keeps."

Obama spoke about the "movement" created some 40 years ago: "The riots at Stonewall gave way to protests, and protests gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a transformation that continues to this day. It continues when a partner fights for her right to sit at the hospital bedside of a woman she loves; it continues when a teenager is called a name for being different and says, 'So what if I am?'; it continues in your work and in your activism, in your fight to freely live your lives to the fullest."

The list of attendees was forwarded by the White House Press Office to Rod 2.0. (Full list AFTER THE JUMP.) Invited guests included openly gay Administration officials such as Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg, Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry and Asst. Labor Secretary Mary Beth Maxwell. Leading LGBT advocates such as Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese, and Jarrett Barrios, the new president of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

There were a number of prominent black and Latino LGBTs that should be familiar to Rod 2.0 readers: Phil Wilson, Black AIDS Institute; HRC's Donna Payne; Andre Leon Talley; Connecticut State Rep. Jason Bartlett; Denise Simmons, Mayor of Cambridge, MA;  Cornelius Baker, National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition; San Diego City Commissioner Stampp Corbin; actor Wilson Cruz; Bishop Yvette Flunder, City of Refuge United Church of Christ;  Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides; Lupe Valdez, Dallas County Sheriff; and black Chicago lesbian leaders Mary Morten and Vernita Gray, interviewed in my Advocate cover story on Obama and Hillary Clinton.

An historic occasion and we should be mindful of the progress being made and how much further we have to go. It was also a pleasure to hear Obama allude to the black Civil Rights Movement. The occasion would have been more meaningful if there were more substantive policy initiatives to announce. The guest list was pleasantly diverse ... but very Stonewall 1.5. Online LGBT activists are leading the fight for equality and none were represented. Very out of character with the Facebook, YouTube and BlackBerry-driven White House.

WHEN YOU JUMP, Obama's full remarks and the guest list.

Really? 50 Cent "Beards" with Gay Icon Bette Midler

And by "beard" of course we're referring to 50 Cent's butch, new facial hair. The campy gangsta rap superstar shows off his new beard ... and the fabulous Better Midler at last night's benefit for the Divine Miss M's New York Restoration Project.

The guest list included a who's who of gay fabulousity—such Andre Leon Talley and Tim Gunn, who probably approved of 50 Cent's Gucci shirt and belt. Oh and Dolly Parton, too. I'm loving this new look and crowd for Fiddy.

 

50 Cent and Bette collaborated on the development of a public garden in his childhood neighborhood in Jamaica, Queens. Bette Midler recently talked about going in the studio with Fiddy for another collaboration: To sing jazz duets. "It’ll be the little Jewish lady and the great big rapper. He’s such a doll. I love him. He’s gorgeous. I was hoping we’d sing songs from the Depression."

WHEN YOU JUMP, close-ups of 50 Cent's new beard, the menu and the invitation.

News: Esquire, Andre Leon Talley, Obama, NH Marriage, JR Rolley

· The first PFLAG chapter in the country "dedicated specifically to the African-American LGBT community"  launches in Portland.

· Introducing JR Rolley.

· Will the New Hampshire same-sex marriage bill die in the state Senate? "New Hampshire's Senate Judiciary Committee holds a public hearing on the bill on Wednesday ahead of a full senate vote expected this month or early in May. Several senators in the Democrat-controlled legislature contacted by Reuters speculated the bill would face defeat, citing Democratic Governor John Lynch's opposition, or be tabled indefinitely so lawmakers can avoid taking a stance on the issue ahead of elections next year."

· Homophobia much? Esquire apologizes for the June cover story "How To Be a Man" which "recommended throwing around curse words to show your machismo. This included the phrase 'sh*t-sniffing faggot', which Esquire advised you use when talking to your neighbor."

· California Court of Appeal rules transgender woman living out of state may change her California birth certificate.

· Prada's futuristic high-top shoe

· Republican National Chairman Michael Steele launches an attack on President Obama "in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the ‘blame America first’ crowd."

· See André Leon Talley wear this and other fabulous robes in Valentino: The Last Emperor.

· Sales of menswear up slightly.

· Michelle Obama becomes the first First Lady to hire a full-time makeup artist. Ingrid Grimes-Miles travels with Mrs. O and is credited with making her eyebrows look less "angry."

· Hopefully he is better at writing books than giving speeches. The Daily Beast reports right-wing publishing house Regnery Publishing signs conservative, anti-gay Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to a book deal. "The book will be about his life and policy ideas, but it won’t take up very much of his time—he’ll be co-authoring it with Peter Schweizer, who has written books about Bush family and President Reagan. There’s speculation that the book deal reveals Jindal’s interest in a 2012 Presidential run."

Michelle Obama Covers "Vogue"

Last night Rod 2.0 reported First Lady Michelle Obama would grace the March cover of Vogue, becoming only the second first lady in history to do so. The embargo has been lifted and here is your first look at the cover.

The cover was photographed in January by Annie Leibovitz at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington. The magenta silk dress is by inaugural gown designer Jason Wu. In the two interior portraits, the First Lady wears a curve-fitting Narciso Rodriguez dress and a J.Crew salmon wool cardigan and tweed skirt.

"I love clothes," Obama says in the profile, written by Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley and  chock-full of Talley's typical and insuffrerable name dropping and fabulousity. "I first met Mrs. Obama at an impromptu dinner at Oprah Winfrey's house in Santa Barbara, California, on the eve of the divine Ms. O's Legends Ball in 2005. I was seated between the then Senator Barack Obama's wife and Tina Turner. ..."  Skip past Talley's self-indulgence and the article is a fascinating read.

With the exception of Bess Truman, Vogue has photographed every first lady dating to Lou Hoover in 1929. This is only the second time in Vogue's 117-year history that a first lady has made the cover. (Hillary Clinton was first in December 1998.) Michelle Obama is also one of the very few black women to cover Vogue. Congratulations to First Lady Michelle Obama for becoming the new muse of American fashion.

News: Recovery, Michelle Obama "Vogue", Illinois, Matthew Mitcham

· The Senate passes President Barack Obama's $838 billion economic recovery plan. Only three Republicans supported the plan on a 61-37 vote and they're "already signaling they'll play hardball to preserve more than $108 billion in spending cuts made last week in deal making. Obama wants to restore cuts in funds for school construction jobs and help for cash-starved states."

· Wall Street not impressed with the spending plan. Dow Jones falls 382 points.

· Education Secretary Arne Duncan: $39 billion in aid to states proposed in stimulus bill is "not nearly as much as we need." Duncan cites a new University of Washington study that estimates  "almost 600,000 education jobs are at risk of state budget cuts."

· Michelle Obama covers March Vogue. She becomes only the second First Lady to grace the cover and will wear a "magenta silk dress by inaugural gown designer Jason Wu." Obama is captured by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz—who lensed the image at right for Paris Match—and "also shot inside photographs for the article by André Leon Talley, who discloses that he is a 'passionate supporter' and 'volunteered in the campaign trenches.' "

· Openly gay legislator in Illinois files legislation to allow same-sex marriage. "Two years ago, a civil union bill introduced by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) died when the session ended and conservative groups already have made it known they will fight the marriage bill. They [are] pushing for a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage they hope will make it to the ballot in 2010." Harris admits "it will be tough" to get a vote in the House.

· Telstra, Australia’s largest phone company, signs openly gay Olympic gold medal diver Matthew Mitcham to a one-year deal. Oustports reports, "This is Mitcham’s first endorsement contract since the Olympics. While no dollar figure was disclosed, Mitcham said it would be a 'significant' help as he trains for competitions, with his goal being a repeat gold medal-winning performance in the 2012 Games in London." Mitcham covers the current issue of The Advocate.

· After Elton has a list of Mitcham's fantasy endorsements a considers it their "gay-given duty to help him keep his shirt off for as long as possible."

· Utah's governor supports civil unions? "Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. backs a legislative effort that would provide some rights to gay and transgender Utahns. Even more, the Republican governor favors civil unions," reports the Salt Lake Tribune, noting the position runs counter to his political party "and against the majority of Utahans—70 percent of whom oppose civil unions, according to a recent  Lake Tribune poll"

Fashion Week: Diane von Furstenberg

A few pictures from the weekend presentation of Diane von Furstenberg's Fall 2006 collection. Above, the designer and Vogue editors André Leon Talley and Anna Wintour, sans sunglasses. (By the way, did you know that Rod 2.0 and Condé Nast are in love?) The designer famous for the wrap dress called this collection her tribute to Working Gals and the 1940s influence is unmistakable—heavy on the checks, tartans and bold houndstooth. DVF also is giving us a significantly looser silhouette and more designs in silk. Very forties fabulous—any moment you expected Rosalind Russell or Myrna Loy to walk the runway.

They didn't, but, DVF fave and supermodel Alex Wek was one of the star attractions. This is among the reasons why we love the designer so much. One more reason: Her atelier is just steps away on 12th Street.

PS. The Diane von Furstenberg diary of the show is here. Also, full collections from all the designers can be found at the Olympus Fashion Week site. Even better: Watch live streaming video of all the shows at IMG Fashion World.