FYI
2008 PlanetOut Travel Awards
  • Canada, best country
  • Buenos Aires, international city
  • New York City, domestic city
  • Provincetown, domestic gay resort town
  • Royal Palms, Fort Lauderdale, gay resort
  • Zoom Vacations, small tour operator
  • Atlantis, large tour operator
  • Celebrity and  Norwegian, cruise lines
  • Virgin America/Atlantic, best airline



22% of high-ranking military officers support eliminating "don't ask, don't tell" as a means of increasing troop recruitment

58% of high-ranking military officers support lowering education standards as a means of increasing troop recruitment

Under DADT two people every day are dropped from the military for being gay.

However, increasing numbers of high-ranking military vets are pushing for a repeal of DADT. Read more here.

Center for a New American Security, a non-partisan, national security think tank in Washington DC
Announcements
Want to add your own announcement for an anniversary, marriage, union, birthday, congratulations, or remembrance?

Quotables
You have to make a big effort to try to have a life, and that's important to you only if you spent your entire childhood not having one.

— out Academy Award-winning American actress, director, and producer Jodie Foster
Savage Love
I'm 16 and gay. I recently got into an argument with my parents over whether HIV is spread by saliva, or if you can be infected during oral sex...

—Good Gay Boy



For me and my muscle-bound bondage boy, Dan, a large part of the turn-on would evaporate if somebody were "within earshot at all times," per your advice last week... Dumb! When I leave my boy roped up and go to a movie, knowing that he's working fiercely, angrily, and uselessly to get free while I'm gone, well... I'd hate to be denied that pleasure because some moron left her husband tied and gagged for a whole damn day. I leave my helpless goldfish home alone. Why not my tied-up plaything? Can't an exception be made for those of us who actually have a brain?

—Mr. Roper


Dan Savage's response
Links ‘n’ Stuff
Google's GLBT News
Fort Collins Weather Forecast
Movies at Fandango & MovieFone
press at ColoradoConfidential.com
GLAAD's What's LGBT on TV
Queery.com's TV Gay Guide Pick
Google Mail and Maps
Life.com's Sudoku
movies at youtube.com
fun from CaféPress.com
search amazon.com
explore 10percent.com
visit 10percentGIRL.com
+ FortPride to your IE Favorites
FortPride your IE home page
Appreciation and credit
   for news to The Advocate, 365gay.com, NPR.org, CNN.com, CBS News.com, Coloradoan.com, People.com, Time.com, ACLU.org, USA Today.com, FakeGayNews.com, Topix.net and uk.gay.com; and
   for history to glbtq.com and WikipediA and the Yahoo groups at --gayhistory and Pridelets; and
   for movies we mostly thank the posters at youtube.com
Videos
KUDOS to ABC's "Grey's Anatomy"


submit a comment more videos email FortPride
News
  

25 Years After Discovery Of HIV Search For Vaccine Goes On : (Toronto, Ontario) The despair that set in after the failure of the latest effort to develop an AIDS vaccine has given way to a renewed determination on the part of the scientific community, says the Canadian scientist leading an international effort to maximize global activity in the field.
Conservative Law Group Urges Pastors To Break IRS Ban On Partisan Politics : (New York City) Conservative legal advocates are recruiting pastors nationwide to defy an IRS ban on preaching about politicians, in a challenge they hope will abolish the restriction.
Australian Territory Passes Scaled Down Civil Unions Bill : (Canberra) The Australian Capital Territory has passed legislation creating civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, but without a provision that would allow for couples to have ceremonies after the federal government it would veto the bill if the section remained in the legislation.
Arraignment Delayed In Gay Teen Murder Case : (Oxnard, California) The arraignment of a 14-year old charged with murder in the shooting of a gay classmate has been postponed until June so that his lawyer can prepare a motion challenging the constitutionality of charging the youth as an adult.
from Amazon, 10percent.com & CaféPress
more fun stuff

Querelle Zyklus
by Jurgen Draeger. 23x33" print, from the film (available on DVD) adapted from French author Jean Genet's novel, staring the handsome, bi, thief, sailor boy prostitue and serial killer Querelle played by likely-bi Brad Davis

Celebrate Diversity Colorado
sweats, Ts, bags, hats, bumper stickers and great coffee cups!

Rainbow Side Affect
enormous selection of art on men's, women's and baby clothes, as well as stickers, buttons, magnets, mugs and more

Pride Flag Magnet
4x2" and browse more magnets

Cute from Behind
inside: "Don't turn around; it's another birthday!" from the gay card selection at 10percent.com

Girl Play
Best Film awards at the 2004 Santa Barbara, Philadelphia and Fort Worth Film Festivals
more fun stuff
Local Events    Sunday   May 11, 2008
May 15th will be the last weekly print version of the Rocky Mountain Chronicle, Fort Collins' only independent newspaper.   The FortPride staff feels it's been a privilege for our wee, pseudo-liberal community to have enjoyed their work.   We thank the RMChronicle, its staff, and its insightful editor Sadie Moore for their fresh thoughts and outside-the-box commentaries.
OGLBT coffee, pastries and bagels TUESDAY 9:30am at La Dolce Vita, 2555 S. Shields in the Raintree Shopping Center
PFLAG on MONDAY at 7pm features a panel discussion with leaders from several local churches: "Open and Affirming: Making Church More Welcoming." Plymouth Congregational Church, 916 W. Prospect
7:30am StPaul Sunday service and at 10am. 1208 W. Elizabeth
9:00am FUC Sunday service and at 11am. 1815 Yorktown Ave
9:00am Namaqua_Unitarian service at E. 7th St. and Washington Ave. in Loveland
9:00am PCC Sunday service and also at 10:45am. 916 W. Prospect. Education & youth group meetings 10:45am Sept-May
10:00am BCB hike to Young Gulch with the car pool starting at Cache La Poudre Elementary School parking lot
5:00pm-7:00pm GLBTSS presents CSU's "Lavender Graduation" in the Lory Student Center
5:00pm MCC Family in Christ Sunday service at Christ United Methodist 301 E. Drake Rd
5:15pm Lutheran_Campus_Ministry service, 805 S. Shields, across from Moby
7:00pm-12:00am Choice_City_Shots "Men's Night"
9:00pm Washington's Bar & Grill "Family Night" with bar specials and free pool. 132 LaPorte 484-3989
Editorials & Opinions
History
Switzerland, 2007: The U.N. labor agency reports on worldwise discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace. Homosexuality remains illegal in over 75 countries, "subject to corporal punishment and even the death penalty." The United States stands alone as the only industrialized nation yet to commit to either the equal-pay or anti-discrimination accords.
Washington DC, 1993: "Gays in the military?" No!   Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf tells the Senate Armed Services Committee, "I have experienced the fact that the introduction of an open homosexual into a small unit immediately polarizes that unit and destroys the very bonding that is so important for the unit's survival in time of war."
     "What about our troops' rights? Are we really ready to do this to the men and women of our Armed Forces and to risk a possible decrease in our Nation's ability to defend itself simply to force our servicemen and women to accept a lifestyle of a very well-organized, well-financed, and very vocal, but what turns out to be a very small minority of our society?"
etc.
Younger Gays Want Long-Term Relationships & Kids
Penn State and NYU published their urban study in the Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling. More than 90% of young lesbians and more than 80% of gay males expect to be partnered in a monogamous relationship after age 30. Two thirds of females and more than half of males expressed likelihood that they would raise children in the future; of these, 58% of males and 54% of females expect to be raising their own biological children. The mainstreaming of lesbian/gay youth will significantly impact culture and politics.


Denver PFLAG has worked to compile this list of GLBT-friendly congregations
If you have any additions or thoughts, please contact Chuck Willis at chuckwillis@comcast.net. Our thanks to him for this enormous effort.


for HS graduating seniors


Be aware of a new Larimer County service for businesses and organizations that provides inservices on techniques to let your clients know you are culturally competent in GLBT issues
For example, it is distressing to realize that thousands of gay people live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities without any staff or other residents knowing critical parts of their lives. These elders are deprived the opportunity to be themselves and to tell their story. They miss out on true inclusion in their own community because they have to be guearded about what they say. As a result, staff and residents never get to truly know them. Finally, they are deprived the life review process necessary for a good death.

Contact: Tina Barker, Larimer County Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 498-6803 or email tbarker@larimer.org


the Sylvia Rivera Law Project
"SRLP works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence."
    The project is named for civil rights pioneer Sylvia Rivera, veteran of the 1969 Stonewall uprising and a tireless advocate for all those who have been marginalized as the "gay rights" movement has mainstreamed.
Be an ally...
  • As in Boston, NYC, SF and DC, work to push the homeless shelters to place residents according to gender identity and safety rather than birth gender.
  • To prevent harrassment and foster safety, establish gender-neutral bathrooms where you work, shop, go to school, eat or get services.
  • support inclusion of trans health coverage in the benefits package at your job, school, or state Medicaid program.


The Human Rights Campaign offers its Buying for Equality 2008
[pdf download]. It's a guide to companies, products and services that support glbt equality, a way to vote with your business and purchasing practices.

RainbowShoppingNetwork.com also has gay-friendly and gay-owned recommendations as well as discounts and money-saving coupons. Ten percent of the site's revenue goes to GLBT non-profit organizations, currently donating to national PFLAG.


Employment Non-Discrimination Act
≡≡  13 states have ENDAs that protect sexual orientation as well as gender expression

≡≡  7 states have ENDAs that protect sexual orientation but not gender expression

≡≡  30 states have no laws to protect GLBT workers


Meet Betsy Markey
who is likely running alone in 2008 against Marilyn Musgrave to represent our 4th Congressional District.  Betsy has 177 days left to garner your respect and engage your support.  Visit MarkeyForCongress.com, and check her Wikipedia entry.


There are an estimated 65,000 lesbian and gay servicemembers currently in the U.S. military.
Gays serve openly in the mililary in 23 of the 26 NATO countries. The United States, Turkey and Portugal are the exceptions.

10,870 gay military personnel have been discharged under the “don't ask, don't tell” policy since it was enacted in 1993.


Human Rights Campaign publishes its 6th Annual Corporate Equality Index showing significant improvement in employers' treatment of glbt employees, consumers and investors.


Violence and Suicide
A new study from the Univ of CA at Davis reports that Nearly four in 10 gay men and about one in eight lesbians and bisexuals in the United States have been the target of violence or a property crime because of their sexual orientation.   Survey respondents had an average age of 39. Most had attended some college. Two thirds were white, 16% black and 13% Hispanic. Data collection for the study was supported by a grant from the Gill Foundation.

The FBI announced that hate crimes against gays make up 16% of total documented hate crimes in the United States in 2006, up from 14% in 2005.

The American Academy of Pediatrics reported last year that 47 percent of gay and lesbian teenagers have seriously considered suicide and that 36 percent have attempted it.   The National Institute for Mental Health notes that this number may be low, because some teenagers who commit suicide may not be out to their families or friends.


Transfusion complication risks from Poudre Valley Hospital data
allergic reaction 1:100
bacterial contamination 1:38,000
Hepatitis B 1:137,000
Malaria 1:250,000
Hepatitis C 1:250,000
HIV 1:1,900,000


"Transgender" & "Transsexual" — from ABC News 20/20 in April 2007


Gay & Lesbian Medical Association — "GLMA"


Human Rights Campaign resources
GLBT Census
World United States Colorado
Pop. 6,667,070,385 Pop. 304,061,740 Pop. 5,026,029
GLBT 333,353,519 GLBT 15,203,087 GLBT 251,301
Note that there are more GLBT persons in the World
than there are residents in the United States.


Population statistics are based on U.S. Census Bureau clocks
for the U.S. and the World.

Colorado estimates are from the Colorado Health Info Dataset.

GLBT estimates use the conservative 5% portion of adults
who self-identify as gay or lesbian. Updated hourly.
Weather