Best,

Ryan

Drag Queens have been out and proud for many years before the Gay movement started in Philadelphia or any organized equality group such as HRC. The first organized Drag Queen group was the Imperial Court in 1964. Many Drag Queens’ offer support to the community in many ways, from Bingo’s to pride festivals and to raise money for both the red and pink ribbons. I have never seen a pride event without a Drag Queen riding on a float, displaying her crown or gracing the makeshift stage to entertain you during the festival. Drag Queens will be there when it counts.

What makes a Drag Queen is true grit, dedication and a strong sense of pride. A Drag Queen has to be strong to take the ridicule that many people even from our own community dish out because of misunderstanding. They must be strong because many will never have the chance of being a CEO of a bank or upper management of a large corporation. Not because Drag Queens are uneducated, on the contrary they are very intelligent and can hold a very educational conversation. Many have college degrees and also they advance their education through the community college system. But because of the fact that most choose to wear their badge of honor as a Drag Queen can only do. This outer pride causes many in our community to feel a drag queen is to flamboyant and only good for a show on a Saturday night at the club. I can relate because I am proud to be a transgender/drag queen myself. I have been in meetings with some LGBT organizations that speak of drag queens as a lower part of our community. How easy they forget the sacrifices that Drag Queens have made in recent history. Being a Drag Queen is not just wearing woman’s clothes but also is a state of being who they are.
.
Drag Queens have a sense of loyalty to each other in the Drag community. Oh sure there is atamonsity and arguments among each other but never holding a grudge. I have seen arguments and hard feelings, and then in the next minute they are helping each other through a crisis or with getting ready for a show. Never for one minute think you can get over on one without the whole lot of them jumping back on you. Drag Queens’s stick together no matter what city they travel they have friends off commonality. Drag Queens are a unique people and are very family oriented, unlike others of the LGBT community.

Doing Drag takes a very talented dedicated person to move from armature to professional statues. It takes a lot of financial support for makeup; material to make clothes if you know how, or like me buy some anywhere you can lol. It takes a lot of preparation whether just doing one number or doing a pageant. To a Drag Queen it is a privilege to entertain on stage, she never makes back what she spends. So the next time you see a Drag performer entertaining at the club, show your support by tipping her. Give her, her honor due.

Early voting starts April 19th at some sites, though most others start on the 23rd. It goes through May 5th. Please make the effort to go out and vote!

But let me say something that may make you feel better – when this amendment passes overwhelmingly on May 8 (between 60-70 percent of the vote), nothing will change. Nothing at all. Nothing is being taken away from gays because no relationship recognition is afforded to them in the first place. 30 other states have passed similar amendments, some broader than this one (like Virginia), and none of the consequences the opposition keeps screaming about have happened. None.

But guess what? I actually OPPOSE the amendment. I believe it is wrong because I am gay. Which is why the arguments that have been used to defeat it focusing on its broad scope are poorly reasoned. They won’t work. People will ultimately see this as a gay issue, and that’s why you should be talking about gay people and gay families and why they deserve rights, not this “wide-reaching consequences for straight people” crap. Never has worked, never will.

Its almost insulting that the NO campaign feels as though gay people are not important enough to talk about, as if NC voters can’t be persuaded for those reasons. But they can. And they will have to be, if you ever want same-sex marriages to be legal in this state. Just some advice from someone who knows a great deal about gay-related ballot measures and how they work. Change the arguments.

State Sen. James Forrester may have pushed this amendment through because he truly hated LGBT people. But most of the GOP legislators who voted for it did it out of political convenience. I’m going to the polls on May 8th and voting AGAINST, sending them a message that playing with others peoples’ lives for their own political gain will NOT fly in this state.

Bishop Jugis, I was there when your congregation demonstrated with a candle light vigil, the play,[The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told] on February the 8th. I saw nothing wrong with saying the Holly Mother’s prayer over and over. The fine members of the church who were present did nothing to make me feel uncomfortable at all, as a matter of fact I wanted to join them because I am a believer of God and a Catholic also, but did not because of the reasons you and they were there.

Yes I am the transgender that was standing at the top of the stairs taking your picture. I my friend was not there solely for the play but also as Gods witness for what you are doing. I remained quiet about the play because I felt that you were ignorant to the facts. But I will not stand by and watch you, a mortal, ruin a man’s dream and work with the church because of who and what he is.

I as a Catholic have studied the Catechism and understand completely about our doctrine. I understand and know about the persecution of Catholics over the centuries. We as Catholics know what it is to be discriminated against. Bishop Jugis I as a fellow Catholic request that you kneel before God and ask him if he thinks you are right by persecuting the children of God who are Gay.

In closing, I do hope you take my advice by praying to God for his guidance. Also I would like you to recall the persecution of the people of our faith. To persecute others is wrong in Gods eye’s.. Let me remind you the Lord Hates one who sows discord among brothers. Look beyond your personal feelings and be the understanding man of the cloth that you are intended be.
Sincerely Janice Covington a proud transgender

For my part, I find the content of the play and it’s assault on sacred scripture offensive and do not believe this is “fair game” even if the Virgin Mary isn’t part of the parody. Nevertheless, people can express their displeasure without being hateful.

I myself have had awesome miracles and blessing happen in my life. Within the last 6 months I have begun volunteering my talents with Elevation Church and seen my heart and life opened in ways I’d never even dreamed. Ultimately I feel the voice in my heart calling me to further work with those in the community who struggle with all of life’s struggles. From addiction, to financial, to spiritual I’ve faced the test of them all in my own life first hand. In the end, my test with these great challenges in life have become my testimony to others.

That being said, we should all be so inspired to follow our hearts and serve those in need.

Congratulations Matt and best of luck!

the mormons founded Natl ORg for Marriage and also sponsored the Thurs nite debate.

They are corrupt and found guitly on 13 counts for Prop 8.

http://goqnotes.com/6047/raleighs-avenue-q/

Good luck going forwards!

When asked for the best way of finding a mate he said something like “Join a tennis club. I did my research into couples in the fifties so I don’t know its equivalent today. Just spend time with a large group of people who meet to do something they enjoy, somewhere there is little or no alcohol and where you get to talk without shouting over the music.”

I found my partner (i’m gay by the way) at a political meeting and we’ve been together 35 years

Young Adult (Ages 14 – 28)
Young Adult with Dependents
Adult (Ages 29 – 64)
Adult with Dependents
Senior (Ages 65+)
Senior with Dependents

http://www.ymcatriangle.org/Durham_YMCAs/Membership.aspx

A night out at the bar isn’t ridiculous unless you make it out to be such. Granted, it doesn’t seem to be your favorite place to spend time, but just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it worthy of your derision or contempt. That’s sort of like bashing someone because they like green tea (or women) and you don’t.

If you have issues with some aspects of LGBT culture and community, it’s better to examine them and see if they are legitimate complaints (as in, bar culture seems overly superficial to me) or rooted in some internalized homophobia that might be contributing to some insecurities (as in, disliking effeminate men because they don’t fit the modern construction of what’s acceptable for males.)

For what it’s worth, the advice given you is sound; if you don’t like the bar scene, there are plenty of other places to find kindred souls. I don’t like going to bars much either and have found “chat” sites to lead me towards self-defeating habits instead of dates. What I don’t need to do is to ridicule the venues in order to retain my self-worth. What I did, and perhaps what might work for you, was examine*why* I dislike those things in order to avoid potential pitfalls in other situations as well.

Being the editor of a small publication is an all but impossible job. Good luck to the new guy – or gal!

First, why are you even on a LGBT Media site?

Second, despite your vocabulary, your response seems to show how ignorant you are to the real facts.

If you want to get technical, most of the world participates in sodomy. Sodomy is defined as sexual intercourse involving anal or oral copulation.
Paraphilia is a condition characterized by abnormal sexual desires, typically involving extreme or dangerous activities. Considering same sex intercourse has occurred in all species for as long as anyone can remember, I would say that fits under the definition of normal. Also, there is nothing extreme or dangerous about it. Now, BDSM and activities similar could be classified as extreme, but homosexual couples have just as much typical plain sex as straight couples. The idea that same sex intercourse is dangerous is laughable. No matter who you have sex with, there are health risks. That is why EVERYONE should remember to keep it safe with protection and always get tested.

Saying “You people” is derogatory. If you have a fact or opinion, it is easy to state it without using that kind of attitude. It is just as bad to do that to homosexuals as it is to people of different ethnic origins and religions.

Homosexuality is not an illness, that has long been proved repeatedly. Those statistics are high because of the pressure surrounding being LGBT. You might get drunk or high if people were constantly harassing you too. If narrow minded people got to vote on whether you could marry the person you love you might get depressed too. If your parents couldn’t accept and love you for the person you are you might kill yourself too. Being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans isn’t what does that to the people in this community. The ignorance and hate of people who don’t understand is what causes it. It has nothing to do with our “perversions”. Who we love isn’t perverted. The way the world twists it is. For most of the community, it isn’t even just the sexual desire. It is the fact that they are emotionally, mentally, and spiritually attracted to them as well. The same as any heterosexual relationship. If it was just a perversion, we would be just as happy having sex without marriage. LGBT wouldn’t care about equal rights and acceptance if it was only a sexual impulse. Did you ever think about that? Why fight so hard for equality if its just sex? Because its not. Its more than sex. It is about being yourself and being with who you love.
If you don’t like gay marriage, then don’t marry someone of the same sex. If you don’t like homosexual sex, then don’t participate. But leave the people who do alone. If it doesn’t involve you then you have no right to tell someone that its wrong and that they don’t deserve their rights.

Going back in the closet doesn’t change the fact that we are this way. We are still gay no matter if we are closeted or not.

I am proud of who I am, and I will not hide it and be ashamed. It is you who should be ashamed. I pity you for your ignorance and hope one day you may see the truth, not a fearful and uninformed delusion.