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America, we've got our guy!

NBA Center and current free agent Jason Collins has penned an extremely moving coming out editorial for Sports Illustrated that will be examined by future civilizations for millennia to come. In a moment that is nothing short of historic, Jason becomes America's first openly gay athlete who currently plays in one of the nation's five major pro sports.

Writes Jason:

I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.

I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.

My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons.

I've played for six pro teams and have appeared in two NBA Finals. Ever heard of a parlor game called Three Degrees of Jason Collins? If you're in the league, and I haven't been your teammate, I surely have been one of your teammates' teammates. Or one of your teammates' teammates' teammates.

Now I'm a free agent, literally and figuratively. I've reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.

Jason's editorial appears in the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated.

From now on, these honors will go to "the first openly gay player in the NFL," "the first openly gay player in the MLB" and so forth. Here we all were waiting for a football to smash open sports' antiquated closet door and Jason Collins and his basketball comes along to knock it down first. Bravo, Jason.

As a sports fan since childhood, and gay since birth, I've awaited this day my entire life. Big moment.

Regardless of whether you just came out of the closet or have recognized that you are bisexual for fairly some time, it can be hard to know where to meet bisexual women or other lesbians. If you're not into the bar scene and are not ready to put yourself out there for dating, but just want to meet bisexuals or other lesbians for friendship, where do you go? Here are some ideas of best places to meet bisexual women and other lesbians.

The Bisexual and Lesbian Bar
If you’re over 21, this might be the most obvious place to try and meet bisexual women. Some women have luck meeting partners in bars, others find the atmosphere superficial and hard to get to know someone. And alcohol can always alter your judgment. My suggestion is to go to a bar with some friends. Check the scene out and see if you feel comfortable.

Gay and Lesbian Center
If there’s a gay and lesbian center in your town, it can be an excellent place to meet bisexual women, lesbian and gay. Many gay and lesbian centers have support groups, rap groups, book and movie groups and political action activities. Find one that feels right to you and you’re sure to meet bisexuals and open-minded lesbians.

LBGT rally
If you really want to find some bisexual women, attend a rally for gay rights. You are likely to run into at least a couple there. However, if you are uncomfortable being at such an event, then you don't need to be looking for a bisexual woman to date anyway.

Bisexual Women Dating Site

Plenty of Bisexual Fish
Sure most people think of the Internet as a place to meet bisexual women to date, but it can also be a best place to meet bisexual women for friendship. You can put an profile up that says you’re just looking to make friends and answer other women’s profiles that say the same thing. Who knows, you may even hit if off with someone and take it further than just friends.

Sports Teams
Many cities have recreational sports teams, whether it be softball, volleyball or basketball. It’s no secret that lesbians love sports. Some have whole leagues for gay and lesbian athletes, other have teams that are “known”to be the teams lesbians play on. You don’t have to be an athlete to get in on the action. Sports like softball and rugby often have many lesbians in the stands watching. It can be a great place to people watch and start a conversation with a stranger.

Activities
The best place to meet bisexual women with interests similar to your own is to get involved in activities that interest you. Volunteer at the local animal shelter. Join the local gardening club or bird watchers group. The bisexual women who are there may be few, but you know you’ll have something in common with them.

Through Friends
Let friends and coworkers know that you want to meet bisexual women. Have them invite you over for dinner or game night. Let them know you’re just looking to make friends. Once you meet one or two bisexual women that you get along with, you may end up meeting their friends and be welcomed into a whole new circle of people.

Church
If your area has a church that is an “open and welcoming” congregation, that means the church is welcoming to gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Also Metropolitan Community Churches, United Church of Christ and Unitarian Churches, among others are known to be welcoming of gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

You are here: Home > Miami Beach / Miami wins 2017 worldOutgames
Miami Beach / Miami wins 2017 worldOutgames

by GLISA on MARCH 2, 2013 in UNCATEGORIZED
Antwerp, Belgium 28 February 2013 – Miami Beach, Florida, will host the 2017 World Outgames, an international sporting event that is organized to help advance gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender human rights around the world. The decision was taken by a committee in the presence of mayors from both finalist cities, including Mrs. Matti Bower, Mayor of the City of Miami Beach and Mr. Jon Gnarr, Mayor of Reykjavik. “The selection process required a lot of effort, the visit in Antwerp has been very exhilarating, and we are ready to put on an amazing event in 2017” said Mayor Bower.
“Our members had to choose between two fabulous cities this evening. Miami Beach and Reykjavik are very different from each other but each is equally exciting in its own way,” said Paul Brummitt of the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA). GLISA organizes the World OutGames and Paul is chair of its Site Selection Committee. GLISA co-president Daniel Vaudrin added “By winning the 2017 World Outgames, Miami has beaten fierce and worthy competition from major cities around the world. It is wonderful that such influential cities support our endeavour of raising human rights issues through sports.
“It was a very inclusive and democratic decision-making process, with members connecting by videoconference from as far afield as Australasia, Mexico, and Tonga,” Vaudrin explained. “We are thrilled that Miami Beach and the voters are offering us the opportunity to organize the World Outgames in the United States. Miami is a particularly important place for us to be raising gay, lesbian and bisexual human rights issues because of its strong links to Latin America and the on-going political discourse within the US itself.”
The first World Outgames was held in 2006 in Montreal and attracted more than 12,000 participants. The event was based on three components: Sport, Culture and Human Rights. The second World Outgames was held in Copenhagen in 2009. It was an attractive, open and inclusive event that welcomed the local and international LGBT community as well s the wider population of Copenhagen and Denmark. “We’re thrilled that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender athletes will have the opportunity to build on the human rights legacy of Copenhagen and Montreal. It is wonderful that Miami Beach will be carrying the flame of our international community in 2017,” Vaudrin said. In the meantime, the next edition of World Outgames will be hosted this year in Antwerp, Belgium, from 31 July to 11 August.About the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association
Established in 2004, the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association is a democratically governed, international association of sport, culture and human rights organizations that work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. GLISA’s mandate is to support and grow an international LGBT movement by organizing continental associations, continental Outgames, and global World Outgames every four years.

PEOPLE & THINGS: Issue of Boy Scouts and gays

BY PETER WICKHAM |

Several weeks ago, commissioner of the Boy Scout movement Dr Nigel Taylor made several comments which have ignited a debate on what should properly be contextualized as discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The issue has however morphed into one which has been viewedfrom the perspective of human rights, which is perhaps unfortunate for reasons which space will not permit me to explore.

The initial comments seemed relatively innocuous and it would appear that in this instance, the presentation of these comments by THE NATIONshould be the proper location of this discussion. Naturally, I am anxious to jump on the pro-gay bandwagon and attack Dr Taylor for his apparent backwardness, but something seems odd about  this situation.

If the report is properly read, Dr Taylor indicated that they were closely monitoring the international Boy Scout movement’s evolution as it relates to attitudes towards gays and atheists. He continued to note that the policies of the local movement were traditionally linked to thoseof the international movement and as such, the organization is hostile to openly gay people and sexual deviants, and defers to “God”as the creator. Certainly this has always been the case and people like myself and Dr Taylor who were or continue to be associated with the local movement were/are comfortable with these restrictions. 

In my own case, I was once sufficiently comfortable with these restrictions to be a member. However, I have now evolved to the point where I find these stipulations to be both backward and offensive. In the case of Dr Taylor, he is comfortable taking a path of lesser resistance and I am entirely comfortable that this is within his right as a minister of religion and a clinical psychologist.

The simple fact is that this issue, which was projected as a “no gays” policy of the local Boy Scout movement, is neither new, nor does it run afoul of our nation’s constitutional principles.

We live in a country where there are laws that are fundamentally more discriminatory than any policy of the Boy Scouts, and these laws are presumed to be appropriate by the majorly of us. One should therefore ask why discrimination on the part of the Scouts would be either a surprise or a disappointment. 

To the best of my knowledge, membership in the Scouts is, as with membership of any church, entirely voluntarily and at the discretion of the leadership of both organizations.

It is ironic that both organizations are becoming more irrelevant with each day that passes and neither appreciates the wisdom of inclusion as opposed to exclusion. However, this is merely an observation that speaks to the organization’s “wisdom” and not a mandate for change.

In both instances, the “right” of these organizations to be exclusionary is not questioned, but prudence of their attitude can be challenged from several different perspectives.

The most significant of these is a perspective that should be obvious to Dr Taylor who has, for the last three years, chaired the National HIV/AIDS Commission (on which I served as a member). One of “our” key strategies in the battle to stop and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS was a frontal attack on stigma, discrimination and I also presumed homophobia.

There can be several different approaches to the definition of discrimination; however it would be challenging to identify one that excludes the apparently unrepentant attitude of the local Boy Scout movement.

On a personal note and in Dr Taylor’s defence, I should declare that I know the commissioner personally, having served under him on the HIV/AIDS commission, I generally found him to be committed to ending stigma and discrimination.

He appeared to be one of the more progressive ministers of religion in this country when it comes to such issues.

He has not attempted to clarify his position in the wake of this initial report and one therefore continues to wonder whether he is closely monitoring developments in the international Boy Scout movement and counting down the days till we can fall in line and end discrimination in ours, or if his intention as commissioner here is to “swim against the tide”.

• Peter W. Wickham is a political consultant and a director of Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES).

Will the Issue of Gay Marriage Ever Be Addressed in Caribbean Nations?

L. Kimberly Smith

As the Supreme Court of the United States prepares to rule on the issue of same-sex marriage and gay rights in June 2013, proponents and opponents alike have kept a close eye on this increasingly polarizing issue.

On trial is the legality of the “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) which in a nutshell states that the federal government of the United States only recognizes marriage as being between a man and a woman. Opponents of the DOMA say that it discriminates against people based on their sexual orientation.

At this time, it is of course unknown how the Supreme Court will rule, but popular opinion seems to suggest that DOMA will be struck down. It has become an increasingly unpopular law, with some rather serious financial implications for those it affects directly.

It has been interesting the watch public opinion shift on this issue over the last five years or so. In 2008 at the same time that the United States was electing its first African-American President, Prop 8 (the California state constitutional amendment that limits marriage to one-man-one-woman couples) was being enacted with huge support from the African-American community.

Now, almost five years later, if public demonstrations and social media were to be used gauges, the very same African-American community strongly supports the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

Caribbean and African-American cultures have long been viewed as “alpha male” and “over-sexualized female” cultures; the quintessential male and female icons. It is partly this view of Black culture from within that has unfortunately, also perpetuated homophobic views throughout the Afro-Caribbean community. Many gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) members of the Caribbean community feel alienated and often ostracized by their own race.

The LBGT population in the Caribbean must deal with, and address, many of the same issues as the LGBT community in the United States; fair domestic partner rights and legalized same-sex marriages. But will Caribbean islands ever seriously address the issue of gay marriage; and if so, how will they deal with the issue of legalized same-sex unions? Embrace them or reject them? Do the powers that be in government truly care about making legalized same-sex marriage a priority?

Perry Christie, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, has come out boldly to say that he does not believe in same-sex marriages and does not feel that it is, or should be a priority in the Bahamian court system. Christie has stated openly that gay marriage is a non-issue for him personally, but he makes it very clear that he is only speaking for himself and will not personally add the question of gay marriage to the government referendum. Christie does also say that he does not speak for the entire government, and if the issue does arise, then he will listen to what his government has to say.

Saba, an island located in the Dutch Caribbean, recently had their first gay marriage ceremony. Two men were married on the island, and since that ceremony, Juliet Woods of the Civil Registry office has said that calls have been coming in non-stop from gay and lesbian couples who want to be legally married.

Diana King

Saba, being a municipality of the Netherlands, must legally honor same-sex marriages. But Bonaire and St. Eustatius, which are also a part of the Netherlands, complied with the gay marriage laws but have not embraced the idea of gay marriage or the gay community. Saba is now seen as a welcoming place for the homosexual community in the Caribbean, a place to escape the reported prejudices, hostility, violence and death threats.

The island of Aruba, though also a part of the Dutch Caribbean, honors same-sex ceremonies but is not required by law to legalize gay marriage due to their more relaxed self-governing and independent relationship with the Netherlands.

In Jamaica in 2007 the Reggae Compassionate Act was introduced to help limit the use of anti-gay lyrics pervasive in Jamaican music and in June, 2012, reggae songstress Diana King posted a note on her Facebook page titled “Yes!! I Am Lesbian.”

Legalities aside, laws are not known for necessarily changing attitudes. Legalizing gay marriage in the Caribbean does not mean that personal views towards the LGBT community will change. According to Barbadian historian Peter W. Wickham, the issues of gay rights and gay marriage are in alignment with what he calls, “garden variety human rights”, but has been hijacked by the church. In his article “People and Things”, Wickham talks about how the Christian church attempts to move these issues out of the realm of human civil rights into concepts defined by Christianity.

Many people argue that the subject of gay marriage is a moral issue instead of a serious human rights concern. Is this the case? And if it is, is it possible to maintain your religious beliefs and still support a basic human right?

We don’t know how many government officials in the Caribbean feel the same way as Bahamas’ Perry Christie, but we can conclude that there is much work to be done on many levels when it comes to the politics and attitudes towards the LGBT community in general.

No love for gay bashing

BY ALEXA D. V. HOFFMANN

| THU, APRIL 04, 2013 - 12:00 AM

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I am writing to express my disgust at the front page news headline of the March 30 SATURDAY SUN, in which it was printed No Gays!, heralding the decision of the Chief Commissioner of the local Boy Scouts movement to exclude openly gay persons from membership.

While I understand that Dr Nigel Taylor’s decision sits squarely on the local chapter of the Boy Scouts movement my displeasure lies with the presentation of this ever-so-brief topic as such a headlining story, as well as the use of such a subject matter as a headline.

It is to my understanding that this is not the first time that such presentations of an Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) – related issue have been put forward, open to the bigoted scrutiny and even mockery of members of the Barbadian population.

 Such examples include a brief article in a MIDWEEK NATION, in late 2012, where it was pointed out that a Disturbing Trend Among Boys involved secondary-school boys engaging in sexual acts with men for money.

Another instance was in a SATURDAY SUN gossip column January 19.

If you are looking to promote, establish, and nurture a culture of rampant homophobia and unjustifiable bigotry and ignorance among other ills, may I say that you are succeeding beyond your wildest dreams. I am certain that you are aware that whatever the media puts out, the people will reflect, sometimes verbatim.

For example, in Uganda, the “Kill the Gays” bill and it’s mentality amongst the people is fuelled, not just through major political opinion and/or religious doctrine, but through the pandering affirmation of the media, which in some cases, went as far as to publish photos of openly gay men in their newspapers.

Needless to say, these persons were murdered or assaulted shortly after, and there was no legal recourse for the families or the victims themselves. I’m speaking of a culture where if a man is gay, he is lynched publicly, with no questions asked as to whether there was proof of his sexuality, and if a woman is a lesbian, she is raped and beaten as a means of “correcting” her sexuality, even by police officers and health care professionals.

Jamaica is infamous for its staunch homophobia, to the extent where the killing of a gay man is lauded by society, if not ignored simply because the victim was a homosexual. Again, this stems primarily from media’s gift of a platform to homophobic messages, though usually through music, it is also fed via printed media.

It is this type of platform which trickles down to us in Barbados, and is further fed by the media here, especially, where this letter is concerned,THE NATION newspaper.

Having said this, it should be no doubt clear to you that THE NATIONnewspaper, being the “most popular” in the island, has the ability to either gradually change attitudes for the better, or to effortlessly and quickly perpetuate and nurture prejudices for the worse.

Given that you, the editor, have the ability to control what is published and what, in turn, reaches the public domain where your watch is concerned, you have the singular power to either effect these changes for the better or enable the perpetuation of said prejudices.

The decision is entirely up to you