Last week for World AIDS Day, Penn Medicine honored me with its Red Ribbon Pioneer Award. Truth is, it really hadn’t dawned on me, why me?     ...

Last week, as I turned the pages of my local daily newspaper, the newspaper of record, I saw a few pages of ads from the city notifying the public of the coming elections, where the polling stations were and what was on the ballot. This is common pra...

Is Lil Duval truly living his best life,  really? This is what he says in the lyrics of his hit song. It has to be hard to believe that living your best life is a possibility when you have said harmful and hateful things regarding transgender in...

"The agency’s proposed definition would define sex as either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals that a person is born with, according to a draft reviewed by The New York Times. Any dispute about one’s sex would have to be cl...

There is one vote in particular that every LGBT person in this nation must make: You absolutely must vote for your Democratic congressional candidate. It is the most important vote you can ever make — one that will change our history. You have a chan...

Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump think federal law shouldn’t protect transgender people. They think it should be legal to fire someone just because she’s trans. Five federal appeals courts disagree. On Wednesday, the ACLU asked the Supreme Court to let...

I'm sure most folk saw the news yesterday, with the leaked memo from the current administration, re: a new initiative to protect religious freedom.   ...

Dear Equality Supporter,   Over the weekend, the New York Times published an article about the Trump administration considering a proposal to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people by redefining gender in Title IX in extrem...

There are people like Harvey Milk, Matthew Shepard and Barbara Gittings that give meaning to our fight for equality. And there is no truer image of that struggle for equality than that of Stonewall, the bar in New York where, in June 1969, the commun...

Nikki Haley, one of the few sane people — and even fewer women — in top positions in the Trump administration and a former Republican South Carolina governor, resigned this week as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. You’re asking yourself, Wh...

Attention LGBT media, mainstream media: Don’t you think it’s time to stop asking softball questions of the leadership of the Catholic Church? Let me give you some examples:   ...

Philly Archbishop Chaput and his wacky “pray-the-gay-away” campaign has scheduled workshops for his priests — sort of a how-to session. Please take note, ACT UP, along with those who care about the separation of church and state, the nonprofit status...

Most of the world has finally begun to laugh at the idea of “praying away the gay.” That is, with the exception of Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. The celebrated homophobe has taken a step back to the 1950s with his own “pray the gay away”...

New allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman add to the mounting reasons that Brett Kavanaugh is no ally to women, despite Senate Republicans’ desperate attempts to paint him as such in order to downplay the very real threat he pos...

So how bad is it? Let’s take a look at what he’s done in almost two years in office.    ...

This is the week that most columnists dread, since most of you are on vacation squeezing out the last bit of summer. So we sometimes let you in on our musings or items that we’ve thought about but haven’t put on paper. Thus, this column.   ...

There is not a more important position that this community has to make a stand on than the Catholic Church’s institutionalizing child rape by their priests, bishops and cardinals. Did you read that? CHILD RAPE! That’s what is in the Pennsylvania Atto...

History is repeating itself 42 years later. That’s where my thoughts were as Jason and I were on Amtrak on our way to a reception at the Pennsylvania's Governor’s Residence this past Monday. ...

The Facts of LGBT Discrimination   This week, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney won a major court case that will most likely make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court and affects our community more than the super-hyped wedding-cake case. And guess wh...

Hello Equality Supporter, Last month, PROMO joined coalition partners, Advancement Project, Missouri Health Care For All, Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates, NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, National Council of Jewish Women, and SEIU Missouri State...

As representatives of faith groups and organizations serving the LGBTQIA+ community, we are appalled to learn of the “Revoice” conference, happening July 26 through July 28 in Downtown St. Louis. The conference claims to “promote LGBT flour...

Ah, summertime — the living is easy. We toss our cares to the wind, head for a little R&R and, for many, that great summer vacation. So it should be a time to relax, lay back and enjoy the sunshine.   ...

It’s official: I’m history. Just saying that I am humbled is not enough: It is an honor of a lifetime. ...

It's been a month since the announcement of the latest iteration of the GOP administration’s ban on Transgender service in the U.S. military, jeopardizing up to 15,000 currently serving US troops as well as possibly preventing future Trans volunteers...

This week I had a great honor. While we in the United States are concerned with the state of our struggle for equality, and worry each day how the Trump administration wants to dismantle the gains we’ve made, I had the opportunity to meet this week a...

A whole bunch of us queer folk, our organizations, our allies, family, and friends fought hard for decades for the simple, basic, human right to marry.   ...

I doubt very many of us thought 2017 would be a banner year in terms of civil rights gains in our community.   ...

OK, someone has to say it. We’ve survived the first year of the trump administration, but it has done damage to both the country’s reputation and our community. And if you feel that way, 2018 is your year to correct that path. ...

When I was young, about 11, Jewish kids didn’t acknowledge Christmas as anything other than just another day, but we appreciated that it meant something important to our Christian neighbors. The reality was, since our neighbors were Christian, it was...

Approaching the holidays, it’s not hard as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community to run afoul of non-affirming faith based ideas, groups, and people. ...

I am an openly gay man, so you might say you hate the sinner part of me but love me as a person. You also might tell me my civil rights are special rights that infringe on your beliefs. But most importantly, you’d say the LGBT community is immoral. ...

Much has been made of the lack of attention to human rights by President Trump on his recent excursion to Asia. ...

Is it not obvious by now who is controlling President Donald Trump and his anti-LGBT crusade? Vice President Mike Pence, who made a national name for himself as governor of Indiana by pushing “religious-liberty” laws to allow citizens to ignore LGBT ...

I’m going to take a liberty and break one of my major rules about LGBT publishing that dictates that all coverage must be about or for the LGBT community. ...

I came of age in the 1980’s, a decade of immeasurable loss in the gay community. I watched and lived through the often painful march towards (more) equal rights in the workplace, in social services, in media and in the eyes of the public. Most import...

I’ve been traveling out of the country for the last couple of weeks, and with what seems to be so much disagreement in our community on a range of issues, and the ongoing doubts about where our struggle is leading, I thought I’d share with you a few ...

Dictionary.com describes the definition of funny as “causing laughter or amusement; humorous.” Further, it goes on the define a comedian as a professional entertainer who amuses by relating anecdotes, acting out comical situations, engaging in humoro...

Donald Trump and his fake excuse and misdirected attack on the NFL players who are kneeling for social justice have some people saying it’s a sign of a leader cracking down on the First Amendment, which leads to an authoritarian state. Think that’s a...

I saw a picture today of a young gay couple standing next to an older heterosexual couple. Then, I noticed that the two men were holding up their hands to show their wedding rings and the older couple must be one of their parents. It brought tears to...

This month, NLGJA: The Association of LGBT Journalists has its annual convention, held this year in Philadelphia. The organization and its membership may not be what you expect. For the most part, the focus is not on LGBT media, but rather the organi...

A few weeks ago, at a campground in southeastern Missouri, I eavesdropped on a group of middle-aged gay men reminiscing about their criminal pasts. ...

It’s the last week of August — or what are known as the lazy, hazy last days of summer. Soon schools will open and, as many of us will recall, many teachers will ask their assembled students, “What did you do with your summer vacation?” ...

To the entire LGBT community: Let’s begin as a community to state the truth without putting lipstick on a pig. Personally, it sickens me when I see someone from GLAAD or HRC on television calling conversion therapy “praying the gay away.” That is dow...

A great deal of attention has been paid to the decisions of Chicago Dyke March organizers who requested the removal of a handful of LGBTQ Jews from the march. Seemingly most of what's been written has relied either on information that's been thorough...

I’m writing this column on Jason’s and my third wedding anniversary. Since marriage is something new for our community, and us, I thought I’d share what has been a learning process. ...

Hard headline, so let me make it more clear. Whoever is in charge of the Chicago Dyke March has their heads up their asses. If you’ve read this column before, you’ve never read language like that from me before, but I’ll let you judge. Here are the ...

I went to my first Pride Parade in L.A. in 1985 (or was it 1986?) It seems a long time ago, now. But I vividly remember sitting on the curb of Santa Monica Blvd. watching Dykes on Bikes roar by, sharing sips of Wild Turkey from a bottle someone passe...

Pride is very special to me, since I helped in the first Gay Pride march in 1970. At that time it was not a “Gay Pride” march, but rather a march to show — using today’s terms — our resistance to society’s portrayal of us. It was also a celebration o...

For those who are here, I’m actually ecstatic that you clicked the link instead of knee-jerking over the headline. To begin, I offer you brilliant readers a shout-out of thanks. You’re a dying breed and I hope you can encourage others to go forth and...

Right now I should be writing a paper for grad school. Instead I am focused on my disappointment in Pride St. Louis, Inc. and the role they've played in single handedly making this the most capitalistic pride we have had thus far by deciding to charg...

A couple of years ago, the author and director of the Academy Award-nominated “How To Survive a Plague,” David France, contacted me for his next project. We chatted a few times and then he arrived at my door with a complete film crew and research sta...

Editor's note: This piece is in response to Mike Murphy's Op/Ed "Whither Pride St. Louis" which was published earlier this week. “Diversity” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the inclusion of different types of people (such as people of different r...

There can be little question that Pride St. Louis, Inc. is one of the most successful and visible LGBTQIA organizations currently operating in the St. Louis region. Pride St. Louis has been in existence (in some form) since 1979. In 2016, the annual ...

This week, I’m writing about an issue that sheds new light on a subject we all think we know: Stonewall. Earlier this week, my husband Jason, who teaches creative writing at Boston University, handed me an anthology of the best science-fiction storie...

Sometimes there seems to be a language problem in understanding, to quote a current president, “what the hell is really happening here.” Here’s an example. ...

I asked, you answered. Every so often I ask my Facebook and Twitter friends (about 30,000) to suggest subjects for me to address in this column. Here are some recent suggestions: ...

How many of you watched the ABC miniseries “When We Rise”? Not many, according to the ratings. ...

Over the last few weeks I’ve been interviewed, filmed, taped and recorded numerous times. I’ve also been going through files — or, more like, boxes of papers and objects that haven’t seen the light of day or artificial light literally for decades — f...

Mr. President: I write to you today regarding your lifting of the federal guidance on transgender rights in schools. While I am not privy to discussions within your White House, this is viewed by many of us as a victorious win for the bigotry of the...

The last couple weeks have saddened those of us who love the freedoms this country offers and who have tried over the last few decades to make those freedoms inclusive — but there is a silver lining. Masses of people are taking up this cause of resis...

Last night I watched the HBO documentary on the relationship between Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” saga. The film, “Bright Lights,” is a wonderful trip thr...

There is no other U.S. president who can stand even close to the legacy of President Barack Obama on LGBT issues. In fact, you could stack all the LGBT gains accumulated from every president before Obama together and they wouldn’t come close to those...

“There needs to be more gender variant role models and I am so happy to take on that role and be genderqueer and gender non-conforming in a different way. I feel like there’s not enough representation of different trans stories. I consider myself tra...

We’ve reach that time of year when we look back, take stock of the year and begin to think about what will be in the New Year. This year, that is somewhat clouded and overshadowed — as is everything at this point — by the election of Donald Trump as ...

In some circles, I might be referred to as a “fanboy”. This term is typically used to describe someone who is obsessive about some element of pop culture, usually science fiction, comic book or films. When I attach myself to something, it sticks. ...

This is a column about a diva. We don’t have enough diva’s anymore, not in the bigger-than-a-story kind of way. Today’s crop of names like Mariah and Beyonce and Rihanna and Khardashian are only minor specks in the firmament of divas, hardly worth ou...

When I was 20 years old, there was an op/ed ran in my college newspaper, The Journal, at Webster University, about how our annual drag show should be eliminated because it would create confusion. I’ve never seen an article divide so many people ...

Though many people haven’t noticed it, what might be considered the most earth-shattering election moment for the LGBT community took place this year. ...

Several months ago, in this column, I offered my view of the last two candidates standing as choosing between a lesser of two evils. In the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, of those choices, I voted for Hillary. ...

1. Trump is President-elect. If that angers or frightens you, don’t get upset, get involved. ...

I woke up this morning with heavy feelings of sadness, despair, confusion and isolation. The United States has elected Donald J. Trump to the presidency and Michael Pence as his number two. This scenario seems incredibly surreal to me and let me expl...

You have no choice but to vote for Hillary Clinton. Your very life depends on it. ...

You most likely thought I’d be talking in this column about the race for president but I’m not. This column is instead about a subject close to my heart: our homeless LGBT youth and homeless transgender people. ...

Last week, after a trip to Miami for the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association’s annual conference, I had a couple of days on my calendar that were blank and decided a break was in order. For me a short break means just resting someplace...

When you read this column, once again I’ll be on a plane 35,000 feet in the sky on another trip I never expected to be taking. ...

We’re heading into September and, while most of you are out enjoying your last taste of summer, others are beginning to look at what will happen in the presidential sweepstakes after Labor Day — when the full presidential campaign take shape and all ...

In June, I had the pleasure of addressing the staff of the Democratic National Convention during a Gay Pride luncheon. As all speaking gigs go, I spoke about the issues of the day and then took questions. ...

If you’ve been doing anything for a long period of time and people believe you to be somewhat knowledgeable on a particular issue, they ask all types of questions. ...

It’s August and finally a time to write a non-political column. The biggest question I get these days as I’ve traveled the country on my book tour is about my grandmother, whom I portrayed in the book. Fannie Weinstein has, it seems, become somewhat...

At ACLU of Missouri, we work every day to protect our constitutional freedoms. And no civil right is more important in our democracy than the right to vote. That's why we want to make sure you know what you need to participate in Missouri's Primary E...

In LGBT media this week you’ll see history on the move. So here’s a sample: ...

This year’s election for president will be the first in history where LGBT people and the American public will be voting on the issue of marriage equality, and you get to do that state by state. ...

Like many of you in the LGBT community, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from allies here and around the world after last month’s mass shooting in Orlando. But I also have many questions and am perplexed by what I’m seeing and hea...

When you used to say the word “Orlando,” it brought up the image of Harry Potter, Disney World castles and waterparks — but it now conjures a different image: that of mass murder at the Pulse nightclub. In time, that image will cease to exist for mos...

We all have different ways of coping with tragedy. Mine is to write. I feel that when something, anything happens – it’s always best to write what you’re feeling in the moment. ...

The Philadelphia soda tax is a local story, but it’s also one that is playing out nationally. And, if you haven’t already begun to pay attention to it, you should. ...

When you’re in the media, you get invited to events where you see other media professionals with whom you work. So it was no surprise when I showed up at a press conference last month to preview the Fourth of July Wawa Welcome America celebration tha...

We talk about coming out as if it’s something you only do once. In my experience it’s an ongoing part of life. Sometimes it’s easy, and other times it makes my stomach flutter. ...

This week’s column is (mostly) not about Donald Trump. Instead, as I do from time to time, I asked my Facebook friends to suggest topics. So here goes: ...

This last sleepy, dreary, overcast Saturday, you might have missed President Barack Obama as he gave what many might say in the future was one of his best speeches of his presidential years. It was a commencement address at Howard University, and it ...

This is a tough election year cycle for me. ...

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program Tuesday, Donald Trump asked why people didn’t look into the reports that Ted Cruz’s father was pictured with Lee Harvey Oswald, seeming to suggest that Cruz’s father was a part of the assassination of President John F...

Almost a decade and a half ago, I was sent by my grandmother to Teen Challenge. Teen Challenge is a program primarily for alcoholics and drug addicts, but homosexuality is seen as a similar life controlling issue. This was before I realized that I wa...

Listen up, LGBT history fans. When you think of LGBT history, you likely think of San Francisco or New York City, but the truth is, 40 years ago, Pennsylvania was at the vanguard of the American struggle for LGBT equality. You’re probably thinking I...

Last Friday I attended a meeting of the National Gay Media Association, an organization of the publishers of the LGBT legacy publications. At one point when we came back from a break, Lynn Brown, publisher of The Washington Blade, asked all to rise b...

After Republican senators announced they would unequivocally not “advise and consent” to any nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court that President Obama seeks to appoint, I wrote in my Feb. 18 column that “by taking such an approach, the GOP has handed li...

Jason and I went to a heterosexual wedding last weekend. (I wonder if heterosexuals say, “I went to a gay wedding last weekend”?) Anyway, it was the first one we’ve been to since our own wedding. We were honored to be asked to be a part of the ceremo...

Nate Silver of The New York Times’ “FiveThirtyEight” website, and the most accurate of political pundits, attempted this week to bring sanity to the presidential race after this past Super Tuesday’s presidential primaries, with Donald Trump winning b...

OK liberals, the Republicans, in their “wisdom,” have said they won’t consider President Obama’s nominee to replace Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. By taking such an approach, the GOP has handed liberals a golden opportunity — and shown the...

There seems to be yet another controversy in our community this week. The issue du jour is over HuffPost changing its dedicated LGBT site’s name from “GayVoices” to “QueerVoices.” While there are strong opinions on both sides of this issue, when I he...

Finally, the Iowa caucuses have come and gone and with them come the pundits and candidates with their spin. But what about the LGBT spin? Let’s look at what those races meant and maybe do a little crystal-ball predicting. ...

One of the first things I had to do when I decided to revive this column is to reconcile that I am no longer part the younger generation. Post-fifty, I challenged myself: from what perspective are you going to write about the relevant issues of the d...

Very simply, there are many LGBT people out there trying to revise LGBT history. ...

I’ve often shared emails I receive with you, and one that came in last week remarkably represents how far we have traveled on that road to LGBT equality (yes, that was a plug for my book!). But this is by far one of the most endearing emails I’ve rec...

This is a very special week here at Philadelphia Gay News. On Jan. 3, we marked the 40th anniversary of the first issue of PGN. We’ll have an official 40th-anniversary edition and event later in the year; stay tuned for that information. ...

What a year, and what a ride. As we all do, I’m beginning to look back at my year. And for me, it certainly was a special year, one in which I learned a lot. Let me share with you some of the lessons I took from 2015. ...

This will undoubtedly be the most unusual Christmas column I’ve ever written and it has to do with a hate crime. ...

If you’re like me, you often get a question from one of our non-LGBT allies that goes something like this: “I’m not LGBT but I’m an ally. What can I do to help?” ...

Let me ask you, readers, if you feel I’m going a little far when I suggest that I’m frightened that some people running for the highest office in the land are encouraging mob action like it has not be seen since 1938 Europe? ...

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure to speak at Baltimore University about my new book “And Then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBT Equality.” This was just one of many stops on the promotional tour over the last six weeks. Each stop has seemed t...

Unless you live under a rock, you know that the president and chancellor of the University of Missouri, where I teach law, have resigned in response to protests over their failure to respond to several (three identified) racist incidents on campus. A...

Listen up, LGBT America. Tuesday’s election showed a sharp contrast in LGBT rights across the country — but also illustrated how we can win that battle. ...

Recently, while browsing social media, I encountered many articles and editorials about anti-LGBTQ bullying. The deluge of articles came in light of the anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s brutal beating death which took place October 12, 1998. Though m...

These last few years have been incredible for us as a community, and for me personally. My just-released memoir, “And Then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBT Equality,” is my view of my almost-50 years of activism. I had no expectations for it once...

One of my favorite movies as a kid (and to this day) was “Auntie Mame.” ...

  Today, September 23, is Celebrate Bisexuality Day, part of Bisexual Awareness Week. There are many myths out there regarding bisexuality, but there's one in particular that I've noticed gaining increasing traction lately. ...

We are less than a week away from Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. ...

While you’re reading this, I’m on a plane on my way back from San Francisco where I spoke at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention for the first time about a project I’ve been quietly developing the last few years — and the ...

Donald Trump. When many hear that name, they want to laugh — but don’t. He’s hit a certain nerve in some people that we don’t often talk about, and maybe we should. ...

Oh, how I hoped to not be writing another column about the World Meeting of Families in September, but actions by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput and the Catholic League’s Bill Donohue must be answered. ...

I’ve spent a lot of time in airports in the last few months, and I’ve noticed wonderful phenomena: LGBT couples holding hands. ...

  It’s been amusing and angering watching the debate and suggestion of a boycott over the forthcoming film Stonewall. The reality is that nearly all the people on both sides have one thing in common: They weren’t there. And they are speaking ...

  PROMO, Missouri's statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy organization issued the following statement to mark the one year anniversary of the fatal shooting of African American teen Michael Brown by a white police o...

In recent months, it has occurred to me that a little research on my past was in order for a project that has occupied my time for the last few years. ...

Your Holiness, Many of us in the United States are looking forward to your visit, especially here in Philadelphia, where you will attend the World Meeting of Families. You have told us time and again that the “Church isn’t a toll house” but the hous...

Falling in love with someone for the first time can be a scary and exciting experience. It can also sometimes lead to a reevaluation of plans, goals, and personal values. ...

Archbishop Chaput in his actions this week proves to be exactly what our friends in Denver, whose archdiocese he previously led, warned Philadelphia about: a man with little respect for humanity.   ...

  Dear Equality Supporter, This past Tuesday, Governor Nixon issued Executive Order 15-04, directing state agencies to implement the Obergefell decision and ensure ALL married couples have access to the same rights and benefits.   ...

Republicans, it’s no longer 1950. But, if you continue to take positions that are held by only those born in 1950, like opposition to marriage equality, you are destined to go the way of the dinosaur. So how are the Republican presidential candidates...

  I was an altar boy while I was growing up in Hicksville, Long Island, NY. I attended St. Ignatius Catholic School and went to Mass at St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church. Starting in the fifth grade, becoming an altar boy and serving at Mass...

  Visibility is so very powerful. Seeing individuals who reflect and represent you and your ideas and identities is so very important. I would argue it is as vital to the transgender rights movement as it is to the gay and lesbian movements. ...

Last week, my phone rang and the voice on the other end very apprehensively said their name and then, “I’m the one who has been in a ‘conversion-therapy’ camp.” Then, they began to cry. Here’s how this saga began: ...

  I made it through the first 11 minutes and 4 seconds of the Jenner-Sawyer interview.  From a societal perspective, I saw a typical interview.  The questions were exactly the inquiries Americans have been demanding for weeks now. &...

There is a national spotlight on the 50th anniversary of the first LGBT demonstrations in front of Independence Hall that took place every July 4 from 1965-69. While it was a pivotal change in the struggle for equality, some are revising our history ...

  Some moments in life never lose their power. There are two moments, two short hours, that I will always, ALWAYS, remember. And both came together on the  evening of Sept. 11, 2014.   ...

  I started performing drag over five years ago. I guess you could say it was my little in into the St. Louis LGBT Community. I was young and naïve and at the time a self-identified lesbian. I named myself “Sum Yung Wang” because my unaware, ...

   The Human Rights Campaign announced on July 30th that it would publicly support efforts to end the anti-trans “intention” of the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (the intention is the policy to exclude trans women from the festival on ...

  The “T” has been silent for way too long. This year we will change that.   As I attend events put on for the “LGBT community,” I notice the intense relevance of the "LGB" community and the stunning lack of “T” representation. This is...

  In early 2013, my partner Allan and I began hearing talk that nine of our friends and acquaintances were thinking of filing a lawsuit against the State of Arkansas challenging the ban and non-recognition of same-sex marriage. We were eager ...

  A few years ago I asked Judy Shepard how she felt about Fred Phelps, the founder of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church which had picketed the funeral of her son Matthew in what was to become the seminal event that put Westboro into the na...