News Briefs 1/19/2009
Sundance Dispatch: Little Proposition 8 fall-out, The New York Times, Michael Cieply.
Was Sundance’s Prop 8 compromise just lip service? Defamer.com, Kyle Buchanan.
Gay-rights supporters protest Rick Warren’s role at inauguration, The Los Angeles Times, Tony Barboza.
Getting over the Rev. Rick [Warren], The San Francisco Chronicle, David L. Kirp.
Ideas for Change winners announced, Join The Impact.com. Referring to the contest at Obama’s Change.org site. “Pass Marriage Equality Rights for LGBT Couples Nationwide” made it into the top ten.
Historic First: Washington, DC Gay Men’s Chorus performs at Obama Inauguration Concert, Towleroad.com, Joe Jervis. Follow the link for a video.
Gene Robinson delivers Invocation at Inaugural Opening Ceremony, Towleroad.com, Andy Towle. Again, you can follow the link for a video.
HBO blames Obama Transition Team for Robinson blackout, The Advocate.
Analysis: Obama’s comprehensive support for gay equality, PinkNews.co.uk, Tony Grew.
Excerpts from the above headlines follow:
Sundance Dispatch: Little Proposition 8 fall-out
The Sundance Film Festival appears to have sidestepped those early calls for a boycott by opponents of California’s Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state. The activists were trying to put the squeeze on Mormon-owned businesses here, because some Mormons had contributed heavily to the successful pro-8 campaign last fall. But festival officials have stepped carefully around such demands, making certain, for instance, that no film is screened only in the Holiday Village theater in Park City, operated by Cinemark, a chain whose chief executive, Alan Stock, donated to Proposition 8’s backers in the November election. The idea is to give anyone who has qualms about Cinemark the opportunity to see a movie somewhere else.
Was Sundance’s Prop 8 compromise just lip service?
After Proposition 8 passed and some in the film community were calling for a Sundance boycott, fest director Geoff Gilmore promised to take special steps to appease their concerns about supporting anti-gay businesses. Did he?
Gay-rights supporters protest Rick Warren’s role at inauguration
About 100 gay-rights supporters staged a peaceful protest Sunday outside Saddleback Church in Lake Forest against pastor Rick Warren, a gay-marriage opponent tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to give the invocation at Tuesday’s inauguration.
Getting over the Rev. Rick [Warren]
There has been much gnashing of teeth, and not only in the gay community, over the selection of the Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the premier prayer at tomorrow’s Inauguration. Understandably so -after all, the televangelist had famously likened same-sex marriage to incest, polygamy, and “an older guy marrying a child.”
Ideas for Change winners announced
Change.org, an online action network for progressive change, announced the winners of the Ideas for Change in America competition. In December we brought this contest to your attention in the post IMPACT the White House Part 2, and asked you to vote for your idea. Among those top ten winning ideas was Pass Marriage Equality Rights for LGBT Couples Nationwide. We were invited to attend the announcement ceremony in Washington, D.C. Friday morning.
Historic First: Washington, DC Gay Men’s Chorus performs at Obama Inauguration Concert
In a historic first, yesterday the Washington DC Gay Men’s Chorus performed to a national audience in the live broadcast of Barack Obama’s inauguration concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Backing pop stars Josh Groban and Heather Headley, the chorus performed My Country, ‘Tis Of Thee wearing suits adorned with the red AIDS ribbon. The ribbon was the only indication that the chorus was gay, because like several other choruses that performed yesterday, their name was not announced or listed onscreen.
Gene Robinson delivers Invocation at Inaugural Opening Ceremony
HBO blames Obama Transition Team for Robinson blackout
But Robinson’s invocation never aired on television – he was cut from the telecast of the Lincoln Memorial event.
In a call placed to HBO, the premium pay channel on which the Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial aired, a spokesperson told After Elton the decision not to air Robinson’s prayer was made by the Obama transition team.
Analysis: Obama’s comprehensive support for gay equality
What can lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Americans expect from the new President of the United States?
Barack Obama, who will take the oath of office tomorrow afternoon at noon (5pm GMT), is the most gay-friendly politician to lead America.
