Pride & Opinions

You know us gays - it doesn’t take much for us to have a party.  In fact, sometimes we just have a party because there is nothing else to do.

This time it seems as though Hurricane Gustav is going to make a mess of the Gulf Coast in the next few hours and since he has screwed up the biggest and best parts of the Southern Decadence gathering in New Orleans, I felt compelled to have a little dance party here at Pride and Opinions HQ.  In honor of the weather I have mixed up a batch of Pat O’Brien’s Hurricanes that I picked up on my last trip to the French Quarter and I will now proceed to get my drink on and my dance on.

Drink up and buckle up, kids.  This is gonna be a bumpy ride!  The latest report says that it is still a Category 3 Hurricane with 115 MPH winds.  Talk about one hella good blow job!  Gustav may be my new lover.

Michael’s Note:  Let me say that with this post I am in no way making light of the current weather situation in the Gulf region.  I worked at a Red Cross Disaster Relief Shelter for Katrina / Rita victims here in Birmingham three years ago and my thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives, livelihoods and cherished possessions are in jeopardy.  If that is what you were thinking when you read this post, you really need to get a freakin’ hobby already.  Sheesh.

Gay businessman Ben Elliott - who left the Atlanta area immediately after the controversial closing of popular gay bar Hoedown’s last year - was arrested Wednesday on federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

Shortly after taking control of the bar when his family became the majority stockholder, Elliott drew the ire of gay patrons who loved the country themed establishment when he replaced it with drag shows and theme nights.

The Southern Voice reported that Bill Elliott was arrested by the Franklin County Tennessee Sheriff’s Department before being transferred to Chattanooga and into the custody of federal authorities. 

Southern Voice reported last summer that Elliott faced two federal civil lawsuits and a federal investigation centered on allegations that he used a direct mail business to make multiple unauthorized withdrawals, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, from the bank accounts of car dealerships that had been his clients. A third civil lawsuit, from a company Elliott used to do direct mail work, claimed Elliott owed more than $1 million in unpaid bills.

The 21 counts he has been charged with total some $30 million dollars, but law enforcement officials decline to comment on the case at this time.

In the interest of fairness, I feel obligated to tell my dear readers that Elliot t was very outspoken about these charges, claiming that he was entitled to the money and that the auto dealerships were victimizing him.

Poor guy.  I hope he finds himself a nice warm cell mate named Bubba to keep him warm at night.  I mean…the guy is sorta cute after all. And criminals need love, too.

source:  Southern Voice (www.sovo.com)

Southern Decadence has descended upon New Orleans once again.  If you have never heard of or attended this aptly named weekend of debauchery, you might not understand its popularity.  This annual rite of passage that always takes place on Labor Day Weekend began just a couple of days ago, but with the news that Hurricane Gustav is now a Category 4 storm how will the events of this popular gay destination be affected?

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An Alabama gay pride organization files a federal lawsuit last week against Mayor Larry Langford of Birmingham, Alabama on the grounds of discrimination.  Langford refused to allow city workers to hang banners in the city honoring Gay Pride Week.

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The feisty, power-packed character actor who made Beverley Leslie one of the most beloved recurring roles on TV’s Will & Grace will appear for two nights in Birmingham, Alabama next month.

Leslie, whose performance as the unforgettable "Brother Boy" in the gay cult classic film Sordid Lives made him a favorite of gay audiences everywhere, will bring his one person show "My Trip Down the Pink Carpet" to Birmingham in the form of two benefit shows for the Terrific New Theatre on Saturday, September 6th and Sunday 7th.

Leslie Jordan won a Prime Time Emmy Award in 2006 for his character on Will & Grace, as well as the Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in the summer of 2000 for his role as "Brother Boy" in Sordid Lives alongside Delta Burke, Beau Bridges and Olivia Newton-John.

Jordan, who has also appeared on television shows Boston Legal and Ugly Betty, will be performing at Terrific New Theatre at 8:00 pm on both nights.  The cost for Saturday’s show which will include wine and hors d’oeuvres and the show is $100.  Sunday’s show will include wine, cocktails and dinner at Robert Hill Antiques and costs $150.

For more information or to get tickets to the shows, contact:

Terrific New Theatre
2821 2nd Avenue South
Birmingham, AL  35233

or call:
(205)328-0868

Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis, so it is suggested that you get them early.

If you have an event that you would like to see spotlighted on Pride and Opinions, send Michael a message with the pertinent information, or add the Pride and Opinions MySpace Page to your friends list!

Michael’s Note:  This news appeared in my local newspaper today - one day after I wrote an article for a client on gay adoption.  I wish I’d had this information when I wrote it!

Little Rock, AR - A proposal created with the express intent of banning gay men and lesbians from fostering or adopting children was cleared on Monday August 25, 2008, ensuring that it will appear on the ballot this fall in Arkansas.  Not only would this measure make it impossible for same sex couples to adopt or join the overburdened foster care program, it would further prohibit unmarried couples who are living together from fostering or adopting as well.

Let me toss this into the crapper:  on July 24, 2008 the Arkansas News Bureau reported that the organization behind this initiative -  the Family Council Action Committee - had fallen about 4,000 short of the number of signatures required to bring the issue to the fall ballot.  They were granted a thirty-date extension by the Secretary of State’s office.

Family Council Executive Director Jerry Cox was then quoted as saying that the adoption initiative this year aims to "blunt a homosexual agenda."

Buckle Up…here comes a blunt homosexual for ya…

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Pride and Opinions is sad to report the death of Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) today from a cerebral aneurysm she suffered while driving.

Tubbs Jones was a longstanding supporter of the GLBT community, having voted just this past November (2007) to prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation.  In July of 2006 she voted NO to a Constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman, having voted no in 2004 on the amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage.

The Human Right Campaign rated Stephanie Tubbs Jones a 100% in December of ‘06, indicating that she was staunchly pro-gay rights while the NAACP rated her 97% on her pro-affirmative action stance.  Here are a few other civil rights-related key points from her career:

• Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
• Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender. (Mar 2001)
• More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes. (Apr 2001)
• Rated 92% by the ACLU, indicating a pro-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
• Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks. (Dec 2005)
• Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment. (Mar 2007)
• Supported legislation on violence against women & safety. (Jul 1999)
• Supported funding for women’s and disadvantaged businesses. (Jul 1999)
  source: ontheissues.org

Tubbs Jones was scheduled to speak at the upcoming Democratic National Convention where the loss of her commanding presence and jovial demeanor will not go unnoticed.

It is important for the GLBT community to not only mourn the losses and celebrate the lives of those who are members of our community or celebrities, but also to those who support us despite the potential fallout and never back down.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones was just that sort and her loss is a great one.

One thing that readers of Pride and Opinions may not know about me is that I once founded and ran a nonprofit organization dedicated to teen suicide prevention.  It is a subject about which I am passionate and devoted, and while I no longer work in that capacity I am no less devout in my support of anyone who does.

Teen suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are on average three times more likely to attempt suicide.  Suicide is a tragedy regardless of the age of the person involved, but suicide among youth is particularly terrible as many young people lack the coping skills that come along with age and experience and often don’t see any alternative to taking their own lives.

When I read earlier this week about the Trevor Project’s 24-hour suicide hotline dedicated to LGBT youth, I couldn’t help but to be happy that someone has taken the initiative to reach out to this often ignored segment of our society’s youth.  Through a new ad campaign called “I’m Glad I Failed”, the project reaches out by representing young people who have attempted suicide.

For anyone wishing to help spread the word about this project on their own web site, The Trevor Project has made a collection of ads available from their web site in several sizes and options.  You can find a page with all of these downloadable ads here.

The Trevor Helpline, 866-4-U-TREVOR, is a free and confidential service that offers hope through its trained counselors.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, I urge you to contact the Trevor Helpline, or at least tell someone how you are feeling.  If you are on LiveJournal, I moderate a community there called “Suicide Support” where community members offer support to one another and you are welcome to join as well.

Apparently the streets are too gay in San Antonio, Texas.  So says the Second Street Baptist Church, who petitioned the city council to change the name of a street that runs adjacent to the church’s property.

The street’s name is just so Gay.  In fact, it is Gay Street.

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Pride and Opinions joins with the worldwide leather community in mourning the loss of Larry Townsend, author of the groundbreaking 1970’s book "The Leatherman’s Handbook" and dozens of other titles.

Larry Townsend
27 October 1930 - 29 July 2008

Larry Townsend was a personable and highly adored public figure whose presence will be greatly missed by all who knew him.  There will never be another man who can fill his boots. 

I count myself blessed to have spent time with the man and to have learned and laughed in his presence.

Sadly yours,