Archive for October 18th, 2008 Issue
In the past few weeks, the nation has looked to Wall Street with shock, confusion and anger as the stock market and every other part of the U.S. economy seemed to do nothing but slip away.
When the Dow Jones dropped 777 points on Sept. 29, after a failed attempt by Congress to pass a Wall Street bailout plan, folks on Main Street took notice — in a big way. Even after President George W. Bush signed a more than $800 billion bailout plan, the Dow stumbled again — more than 600 points. In early October, for the first time since 2004, the Dow plummeted below 10,000 points — reaching an unheard of more than 5,000-point drop in only one year. At press time, the markets were still struggling from their dangerous Oct. 10 dip below 8,000 points.
This election season much is at stake for the LGBT community. On a federal, regional and local level gay and transgender citizens are still fighting for basic rights such as employment and housing non-discrimination, hate crimes legislation and the ability to provide hospital care for their partners. It is important, [...]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Appearing at a lecture at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte on Tuesday, former Human Rights Campaign (HRC) executive director and former Sen. Hillary Clinton supporter Elizabeth Birch praised the leadership abilities of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and blasted the Republican presidential ticket. Sitting down with Q-Notes prior [...]
While both candidates for president have made statements that they want to combat HIV/AIDS, a comparison of the voting records, public statements and other actions shows Sen. John McCain, (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) have differing agendas when it comes to HIV/AIDS testing, prevention, treatment, healthcare access and more. [...]
CHARLOTTE — Ten years ago this month, a brutal attack left a gay University of Wyoming student dead. That man, Matthew Shepard, became a symbol for years to come of the end result of unbridled anti-LGBT prejudice and hate. His mother, family, friends and fellow students have spoken out for [...]
When Howard McQuirter Jr.’s parents found out he was gay, they disowned him. Stripped of his car, cell phone and financial support just two weeks before starting his educational journey at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), McQuirter says he was forced to make some serious adjustments in his life.
Click here to view more photos from NC Pride in Q-Notes‘ photo galleries When it comes to NC Pride, 2008 was a very good year for the 24th annual celebration. An outstanding turnout estimated at 10,000 gathered at Duke University’s East Campus in Durham Sept. 20 to march in the [...]
How long will it take before gay marriage comes to the Carolinas? 5-10 years 10-15 years 15-20 years 20 years or more View Results
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Lambda Legal has filed suit against this eastern Tennessee city and Police Chief John Lowry on behalf of a man arrested in a September 2007 public sex sting. As reported in Q-Notes last October, the Johnson City Police Department arrested 40 men in late September — [...]
CHARLOTTE — The Pride Charlotte Task Force of the Lesbian & Gay Community Center has announced new details for its 2009 festival planning, including news on next year’s festival date and location, a theme contest and two upcoming community events. According to Pride Charlotte 2009 spokesperson Robert Touchstone, the organization [...]
At the end of September a South Carolina gentleman sent out a letter to local LGBT leaders and news publications. His “beef” was with the recent announcement that the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement had officially requested its board of directors for permission to legally change its name [...]
Ed. Note — The following guest commentary is a response to the Oct. 4 commentary, “No support for censored play,” by Norman Flowers. Ryan Wilson is the president of the South Carolina Pride Movement. What happened to “Naked Boys Singing” with The State newspaper is truly typical of how The [...]
I am supporting Obama because I respect him and am excited about his plans to help the people of our country, not because Palin is a frightening and offensive woman who wants to take my daughters rights away. It is not because McCain is an erratic and frightening man with [...]
Hours after taking office, South Africa’s new president announced he was removing Manto Tshabalala-Msimang as health minister. At last, Dr. Beetroot has been uprooted. Dr. Tshabalala-Msimang truly earned her reputation as an international laughingstock during her tenure as health minister. She met South Africa’s AIDS crisis with all the medical [...]
Within the past four weeks, two events point toward significant progress in the fight for trans equality. The first comes as a result of the District of Columbia District Court’s finding in the case of Schroer v. Billington. We spoke of Ms. Schroer previously this summer in the context of [...]
Karen Higgins, mother of Equality Ride co-director Katie Higgins, and co-director Jarrett Lucas speak with members of Columbia International University campus leadership. Photo Credit: Soulforce Q Equality Ride Photo Credit: Soulforce Q Equality Ride Ed. Note – Katie Higgins is the Soulforce Q 2008 Equality Ride co-director. Soulforce is a [...]
Connecticut marriage victory HARTFORD, Conn. — In a 4-3 split decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court awarded full access to marriage to the state’s gay and lesbian residents. With this Oct. 10 ruling, the Nutmeg state joined Massachusetts and California in recognizing the right of same-sex couples to wed. The lawsuit, [...]
Charlotte Guild welcomes national publishers CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Business Guild (CBG) will hold its monthly meeting on Oct. 21 at the VanLandingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Speakers for the evening will be Tim Mikkelsen and Phyllis Wright, owners of MikWright, a greeting card, book [...]
‘EastEnders’ kiss enrages viewers LONDON — Some viewers of the popular British soap “EastEnders” are enraged over the BBC’s decision to include a kiss between a gay male couple. The kiss was between characters Christian Clarke and Lee Thompson, played by actors John Partridge and Carl Ferguson, respectively. The kiss [...]
There’s nothing quite like the Appalachian Mountains in the autumn. The trees along the legendary Blue Ridge Parkway start turning to their rich, deep and warm colors at the end of September, giving way to the cool, brisk nights of October. Ah, yes, the harvest season is here. As the [...]
