Rod 2.0:Beta

New Surgeon General's Only Brother Died of HIV-Related Illness

When President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Regina Benjamin for the post of Surgeon General, there was considerable reason to be impressed with the credentials. The rural Alabama doctor won a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" last year, became the first black woman to be president of a state medical society and the first black woman and the youngest doctor elected to the American Medical Association's board, etc. etc.. But this little-reported biographical data point from Dr. Benjamin's remarks at the White House were most impressive:

Public health issues are very personal to me. My father died with diabetes and hypertension. My older brother, and only sibling, died at age 44 of HIV-related illness. My mother died of lung cancer, because as a young girl, she wanted to smoke just like her twin brother could. My Uncle Buddy, my mother's twin, who's one of the few surviving black World War II prisoners of war, is at home right now, on oxygen, struggling for each breath because of the years of smoking.

Very promising that the next Surgeon General has a personal and immediate understanding of HIV. HIV/AIDS has dramatically increased in the inner cities and the South. Black gay men are the most likely to become infected with the virus. Those numbers are unfortinately increasing.

Dr. Regina Benjamin's nomination for surgeon general requires Senate confirmation. She is almost certainly to be confirmed.

Burris Will Not Seek New Term

Roland Burris (D-IL), the only black member of the Senate and the embattled and controversial replacement of President Barack Obama, says he will not seek a new term in 2010. It's all about the Benjamins.

Burris' fundraising has been lackluster; he raised only $845 during the first three months of 2009. Polls have shown he has little voter support and he doesn't have the backing of top Illinois politicians, including fellow Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who has said repeatedly he would not support Burris for a full term. [...]

Equality Illinois political director Rick Garcia said he thinks Burris made the right decision, but he attended Friday's event to show his support because the Chicago Democrat has been a backer of the gay community. "One thing about good politics is you're not only with people who are on their way up, you've got to be with them on their way out," Garcia said.

Interesting the AP quoted prominent Rick Garcia, the prominent Chicago gay activist mentioned earlier. Burris, first black elected to statewide office in Illinois, was one of the first state officeholders to hire prominent openly gay staff when he was the state attorney general. Two weeks ago during Gay Pride, Burris "proudly" came out against the military's failed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and promised to vote for a repeal when a bill is introduced.

Burris will not face perjury charges for statements made before the Illinois House impeachment committee.

Nick Cannon in "Giant"

Abtastic actor and Hollywood "it-boy" Nick Cannon covers the Giant's July "Power Issue". The 28-year-old actor slash comedian slash producer is now a mogul, recently named honorary chair of Nickelodeon’s teen division and a consultant to its TEENick network. The profile by Ben Detrick says Cannon has his fingertips on the pulse of the tweens and Twitter crowd (@NickCannon) and is "perfectly positioned to mold the minds of America's pliable youth."

Cannon makes Number 17 in the magazine's list of "50 Influential People", which is topped by President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce Knowles.

Giant, incidentally, is edited by Emil Wilbekin, the out former editor of the now-shuttered Vibe.

AFTER THE JUMP, the cover and more of the editorial lensed by Atlanta-based fashion photographer Cameron Krone. The photography definitely captures Cannon as a major power player and a subtle  fashionista—such as the Prada suit above, D&G and Tom Ford. It's not as over-the-top homoerotic or fashionable as Nick Cannon's gorgeous editorial for Flaunt a few year ago. Unfortunately.

Russian Gay Activists Cancel Obama Moscow Protest

The protest scheduled today by Russian gay activists supporting gay rights and same-sex marriage—in the United States and Russia—in front of the United States Embassy has been canceled due to safety concerns, Reuters reports.

City authorities said last week they had refused a request by gay activists to protest because they said another group had already booked the area in front of the U.S. embassy and that most Muscovites were against the demonstration. [...]

Activists, though, said they would protest anyway, running the risk of clashes with police. But Monday Nikolai Alexeyev, one of their leaders, said they had canceled the protest. "In the context of another unlawful ban by the authorities on a public event as well as the special measures taken in the Russian capital during the visit by U.S. President Barack Obama, we have decided to cancel the event due to concerns over the safety of our members," he said in a statement.

President Barack Obama arrived in Moscow on Monday. There is very high security throughout the Russian capital.

Russia has been criticized by the State Department for its widespread human rights violations. This includes repressive anti-gay measures that are often state-sponsored, such as the Moscow's riot police violent dispersal of a gay rights protest in June.

Some Background...
Russian Gay Activists to Protest Obama in Moscow [R20]
Riot Police Violently Break Up Moscow Gay Pride Rally [R20]
State Department Criticizes Jamaica and Nigeria for "Widespread" Human Rights Violations of Gays [R20]

WaPo's Kurtz: "Can Black Women Objectively Cover Michelle Obama?"

Washington Post columnist and media "reporter" Howard Kurtz continues to shock and awe with a lack of self-awareness in his latest column.

Kurtz reports on the number of black female reporters following First Lady Michelle Obama and admits that "no one raises questions when an Irish American male reporter covers a pol named Murph"  but yet still writes a two-page column asking, "Obama is a black woman from the South Side of Chicago [and] are the beat reporters inadvertently invested in her success?"

Rachel Swarns of the New York Times and The Washington Post's Robin Givhan were among those herded behind the rope Monday. They and the other main beat reporters -- Newsweek's Allison Samuels, Darlene Superville of the Associated Press and Politico's Nia-Malika Henderson -- have something in common: They are all African American women.

Perhaps this gives them a richer cultural understanding of Obama as a trailblazer. Indeed, most write with enthusiasm, in some cases even admiration, about the first lady as a long-awaited role model for black women. [...] Whether racial and gender identification produces a gauzier, more favorable portrayal of Obama is perhaps too early to judge.

Washington Post reporter Robin Givhan won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006, becoming the first fashion critic to do so. Kurtz, who has no Pulitzer, neglected to mention this data point.

Adam Serwer at Tapped: "You would never ever see a media critic like Kurtz questioning the ability of white men to cover other white men objectively, or for that matter the ability of white men to cover women or people of color, despite the fact that if newsroom coverage were to be affected, it would be by the prevailing cultural biases of the better represented population in the newsroom."

You will also never see media critic Howard Kurtz report on the scandal at his own newspaper after the publisher offered to sell "off-the-record" chats with reporters and Administration officials. Can rich, white, male corporate "reporters" "objectively" cover the nation's health and economic woes, Howie?

Roland Burris Comes Out Against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

This was probably buried under the all the pre-Pride hoopla and the recent tensions between gays and the White House: Roland Burris,(D-IL) the Senate's only black-member and the controversial replacement of President Barack Obama, comes out against the military's failed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The Chicago Free Press reports: "Burris said he chose to come out against the policy, which prohibits gays and lesbians from openly serving in the Armed Forces, in celebration of Pride Week and the upcoming July 4 holiday. 'It’s time to promote unity and respect and progress,' the senator said. Burris called Don’t Ask Don’t Tell 'wrong strategically and wrong based on America’s principals,' noting the number of talented men and women discharged, particularly during wartime."

Burris was the first black elected to statewide office in Illinois. As Illinois Attorney General he was one of the first state officeholders to hire prominent openly gay staff.

Burris will not face perjury charges for statements made before the Illinois House impeachment committee.

Anthony Woods in WaPo: Speaks Out Against DADT, Prop 8 Racism

The latest on Anthony Woods, the West Point graduate who earned the Bronze Star serving two tours in Iraq and was discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Woods is running in a special election to replace the outgoing Rep. Ellen Tauscher in CA-10 and is profiled in the Washington Post where he says DADT is the least of President Obama's problems.

Woods tells WaPo: "Of all the huge problems that he's confronting, I actually think this one is the easiest. Look, we're a country at war fighting in two different places and trying to combat terrorism all around the world. We need every able-bodied American who wants to serve their country to be allowed."

Woods also shared his frustration on the ongoing race-baiting in the aftermath of Proposition 8a—such as these comments earlier in a post on Lt. Dan Choi, also discharged under DADT. "It's going to be defeated in the future when we build a coalition of African Americans and Hispanics and folks from every swath of life in California. ... It's not at all helpful for the LGBT community, right or wrong, to scapegoat the African American community. That's the exact group of people who you need to speak to immediately and get them on board. What I hope I can do in the future is be a bridge for that. I'm a member of both of those communities and that's how we're going to be able to start speaking to each other in a language we both understand."

Last night was the end of the fundraising quarter for congressional candidates. There's going to be considerable focus on Woods' numbers, so, if you can, please donate to Anthony Woods' campaign or his ACTBlue page.

If you have never heard Anthony Woods speak, he is incredible. AFTER THE JUMP, Woods talks to AMERICAblog's Joe Sudbay. If you can, please donate to Anthony Woods' campaign.

 

Log Cabin Republicans "Blast" Obama for "Throwing a Pride Party"

After ignoring and defending the anti-legacy of the Bush-Cheney Administration for eight years, the capitals gains tax cut-obsessed queens at the Log Cabin Republicans continue their march toward irrelevance and "blast" the Obama Administration for "throwing a Pride Party.' Priceless.

"President Obama's comments smack of a lack of authenticity and true understanding of the issues that face our community,” states Terry Hamilton, Chairman of the Board of Log Cabin Republicans.

"While the President draws attention to advances resulting from the Stonewall Riots 40 years ago, LGBT Americans are still being denied the most basic protections on his watch today. Under the direct order of his appointees, mission-critical gays and lesbians are still being kicked out of the military, families are being torn apart due to unjust immigration laws and life-long partners are still not being recognized in family planning matters."

Log Cabin Republicans spokesperson, Charles T. Moran makes the following statement: "It is pretty entertaining to watch the President throw himself a "Pride Party" after taking a pass on acting upon several issues that would have fulfilled his promises to our Community. He seems to be proud of advances made by the LGBT Community that he had nothing to do with.”

Funny. Don't recall any angry emails from the gay Republicans "blasting" the Bush Administration for gay-bashing their way to the midterm elections by proposing a marriage amendment.  There were quite a few "entertaining" press releases defending John McCain and Sarah Palin after they supported Proposition 8, objected to the right of gay couples to adopt children, and spoke out against the gay "lifestyle", among other things.

Lt. Dan Choi Recommended For Discharge, Vows to Keep Fighting

Lt. Dan Choi, the Army National Guardsman and Arabic translator who openly challenged the military's failed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy after coming out on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, has been recommended for discharge.

The Federal Recognition Board's findings were despite the fact "every witness on both sides" testified the West Point graduate and decorated Iraqi combat officer was an asset to his unit. Choi vows to take his fight all the way to the Secretary of Defense and the the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

Choi's dismissal comes on the same day Defense Secretary Robert Gates claims the Pentagon hopes to make DADT investigations more "humane." WHEN YOU JUMP, watch MSNBC's report on Choi's dismissal. Also watch the Rachel Maddow segment where this West Point graduate came out and risked his military career. Lt, Dan Choi, another highly decorated and "humane" casualty of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Gates: Pentagon "Looking for Flexibility" in "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Apparently the pressure on the White House is working. Less than 24 hours after Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said there would be no change in the implementation of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and President Obama said the only solution was a legislative solution, Defense Secretary Robert Gates now signals the Pentagon is "looking for flexibility" to apply the law.

The Pentagon boss said he discussed the issue last week with US President Barack Obama and that there also has been discussion among senior military and legal counsel about possible changes in how they apply the law, which he described as "very restrictive." Gates added: "What I discovered when I got into it was it's a very restrictive law. It doesn't leave much to the imagination, or a lot of flexibility."

The defense secretary said one possible modification might be consider the circumstances under which a service member is "outed" in determining whether or not he or she must leave the military. Gates offered as an example "when we're given information from someone with vengeance in mind or blackmail, somebody who has been jilted. "If somebody is outed by a third party, does that force us to take action?" he said. "That's the kind of thing we're looking at -- seeing if there's a more humane way to apply the law until it gets changed."

Gates' surprising new announcement contradicts White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who said yesterday on MSNBC the President "hasn't, himself, been involved in meetings with the Pentagon."

The welcome policy shift signaled by Gates could potentially save many careers. Some experts on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the failed policy that prevents gays from serving openly, have estimated a majority of servicemembers' "outings" are brought by jilted lovers.

Last week, some seventy-seven congressmen sent a letter to the President urging him "to take immediate action" and stop DADT investigations. Also last week, the Center for American Progress produced a set of recommendations for the White House to begin ending DADT. The Administration rebuffed both of these.

Thanks RAVENBACK!