gaypersonsofcolor's Open Salon Blog

Does it matter that Tim Cook happens to be gay?

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 07:08:21 -0400

Hailed by some as the "world's most powerful gay man," Tim Cook was announced Wednesday to replace Apple founder, Steve Jobs, as CEO of the American multinational corporation. Jobs is stepping down from the role to face continuing health problems.

Does it matter that Cook happens to be gay? If the world were truly everyone's oyster, and if everyone truly meant everyone, regardless of what gender they love, then no, it wouldn't matter. But, in our current, unequal global context, it does, especially for those in the corporate world needing to look up to someone who might just be a minority like them, at least in terms of sexual orientation.

Tim Cook is a gay role model, and has been for quite a while for those in the know. Now, however, thanks to a hierarchical system of professional titles that most of us seem to value and use to define ourselves, the potential of Cook's power to influence other gay people across the globe has increased exponentially.

I'm just happy Mr. Cook breaks many of the stereotypes of gay people as historically constructed by ignoramuses basing their general assessments of "ho-mo-sexuals" on a number of limited non-encounters via television and movies. Sure, we all form opinions of people we have never actually come into personal contact with. I have never met Mr. Cook, but I definitely would like to, and therein lies the difference...

Petition: Stop LGBT Discrimination in Cameroon!

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:08:41 -0400

The good folks at Care2.com are sponsoring a petition urging Cameroonian President, Paul Biya, and his government to stop violating international human rights laws and to repeal Section 347a of the Cameroonian penal code, a section that criminalizes same-sex sexual acts.

The petition follows the arrest on July 25, 2011, of two young men, a 19-year-old known only as Jonas, and a 20-year-old known as Francky, in a car outside a nightclub in the capital, Yaounde. Currently in jail awaiting trial, they could face up to five years in prison.

Jonas and Francky are only the latest Cameroonian citizens to be charged under Section 347a. In March 2011, Jean-Claude Roger Mbede was sentenced to three years in prison for text messages he sent to a male acquaintance. The Guardian reported that Mdebe was the "victim of entrapment by the security forces, which regularly target and prosecute gay men."

And, to make matters worse, there is a very real danger, reports Care2.com, that due to the current pervasive homophobic climate in Cameroon, "all of these men and others are being subjected to ill-treatment by guards and fellow prisoners."

Please sign the petition here. As we have seen in other campaigns for justice, signing petitions really can make a difference.

Watch: Day 3 of the 2011 Queer of the Year contest

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:08:09 -0400

The 2011 international Queer of the Year contest is well under way with the completion of the third day of activities—The Healthy Lifestyle Challenge. After a sexy ice skating obstacle course, a sweaty bike race, and a sensual hula hoop face-off, the winner of the Challenge was...

You can continue to follow the six candidates, along with host Mikala Bierma and special guests, on Youtube, and remember to vote for your favorite contestant at the 2011 Queer of the Year site.

Nearly a third of Major League Baseball supports gay people

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:08:34 -0400

Tampa Bay Rays' manager Joe Maddon and players Johnny Damon, Sam Fuld, B.J. Upton, and Sean Rodriguez will be featured in an upcoming "It Gets Better" video to support teens dealing with anti-gay bullying, reports the St. Petersburg Times. The new video will be recorded before the team's August 23 game against the Detroit Tigers. The Rays are the ninth Major League Baseball team to commit to participating in the campaign started by Dan Savage in 2010 after a string of teen suicides were reported.

For those keeping track, four teams—San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles—have already filmed videos for the It Gets Better campaign.

Five teams—Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Tampa Bay Rays—have committed to the project.

Major League Baseball comprises 30 teams, which means nearly one third of the league supports gay people through the It Gets Better Project. Not bad, but we can still do better. Head to change.org to sign those petitions.

DOMA to break up seven-year marriage and 19-year bond

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 18:08:39 -0400

This is why the American Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) needs to be repealed. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have denied immigration benefits to a bi-national married gay couple in San Francisco and have ordered the expulsion of the Australian spouse who is the primary caregiver to his American, AIDS-afflicted husband, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

Anthony John Makk, a citizen of Australia and American Bradford Wells have lived together for 19 years and were married seven years ago in Massachusetts where marriage equality was legalized in 2004. However, citing DOMA, the U.S. government have denied Makk's application to be considered for permanent residency as a spouse of an American citizen.

President Obama actually expressed earlier this year that DOMA was unconstitutional on equal protection grounds and that the administration would no longer defend it in court. Nonetheless, the administration said it would continue to enforce the law, while exercising discretion on a case-by-case basis, which brings us to today. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, said Pelosi has contacted immigration officials on behalf of the couple and "will be working to exhaust all appropriate immigration remedies that are open to pursue."

DOMA is an American federal law, signed by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996, whereby the U.S. government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. As of today, there are only a little above 15,000 signatures on the Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Now petition. A lot more people need to sign this to make a difference. So just do it. Now. Here.

Thank you.