| christian grantham | |||
| Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD. | |||
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April 05, 2005
(via GayOrbit) - As Robert Shurbet's wanted poster spreads all over the Internets after Michael Rogers had his website yanked, now comes a comic strip from Chris Muir (Day-By-Day) shedding light on the Blogactive author.
10-Headed Hydra: some sites carrying the poster:
- Classic Values
- Lime Shurbet
- Gay Orbit
- Haight Speech
- Nice Doggie
- Yippe-Ki-Yay!
- The Politiker
- My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
- Six Meat Buffet
- Frizzen Sparks
"Outing" as my post shows...is an outdated term. Effective today, It's no longer used on blogACTIVE.com, except when quoted (and then I will be sure to explain to folks what a silly word it has become.)
[Michael Rogers - BlogActive - 03-28-05]
filed under: Coming Out
, Free Speech
December 17, 2004
Remember Virginia Congressman Ed Schrock? He was the Republican Congressman from Virginia who supported anti-gay legislation and was later "outed" with embarrassing audio tapes allegedly exposing Schrock as seeking anonymous extramarital gay sex.
"Uh, hi, I weigh 200 pounds, uh 6 foot 4, laid back, blonde hair, very muscular, very buffed up, uh, very tanned. Um, I'd just like to get together with a guy from time to time just to, just to play. I'd like for him to be, uh, in very good shape, flat stomach, good chest, good arms, well hung, cut, uh, just to get naked, play, see what happens. Nothing real heavy duty, but just a fun time. Go down on him. He'd go down on me and just take it from there. Hope to hear from you. Bye."
[alleged voice of Ed Schrock - transcript - Blogactive]
After a long and painful summer dealing with the public humiliation, he's back on Capitol Hill working as a staffer for Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-VA).
I think it's great that Schrock is getting back to work, but take a look at what he went through personally over the summer.
It could not be learned immediately yesterday whether Schrock is attempting any kind of a public comeback. A reporter's efforts to locate him were unsuccessful.The personal allegations and related pressures apparently took a toll on Schrock's health this summer.
He was not eating well, was not getting a lot of sleep, he lost weight and "when it came to a head at the end of August, he did go to a hospital to kind of help him get some peace and quiet" and rebuild his strength, Schrock's spokesman said this week.
"He was basically dehydrated," added the aide, Tom Gordy. The aide declined to disclose where Schrock was hospitalized or exactly how long he stayed. He said it was less than two weeks.
[Schrock finds job in Congress - Times-Dispatch - 12-17-04]
Was this a desired affect by Michael Rogers who "outed" Schrock on his website, Blogactive? Part of me wants to believe this experience might have made Schrock less inclined to engage in bigoted legislative attacks on gays and lesbians. Part of me feels kinda sorry that Schrock didn't have better morals in the first place.
So, I ask you, is "outing" an effective political tool? GayPatriot, an anonymous gay Republican blogger, had this to say:
These allegations were never proven. Rogers had a taped personal ad but the voice was never identified as Schrock, except by Rogers himself. This is nothing more than the gay version of the McCarthy-era tactics. Once again, the Left is becoming what they accuse the Right of being.
[Republicans are human, too - GayPatriot - 12-17-04]
filed under: Coming Out
December 08, 2004
The New York Times has a report on the Point Foundation, which offers scholarships and other support to young people punished by their parents for coming out. The story focuses on Ryan Kim, who, after his parents refused to pay his tuition at New York University, found himself living a marginal existence in Los Angeles -- and is now finishing his first semester at Princeton. His resourcefulness and resilience are truly impressive.
Ryan Kim embodies the variety of factors the foundation seeks in recipients - need, merit, leadership potential. From the time he first moved to Los Angeles, with $2,000 saved from an after-school job and his high school graduation tassel dangling from his car's rear-view mirror, he had entirely supported himself. He won designation as a "national scholar" from the College Board because of his scores on 10 Advanced Placement tests. He put together a Day of Silence commemoration at his high school in memory of Matthew Shepard, the gay man who had been beaten and left to die in Wyoming in 1998.Beyond those accomplishments, Ryan bristled with the insistence that nobody should feel sorry for him. In his application to the Point Foundation, he recounted the high school graduation ceremony his parents skipped, and his decision to leave for Los Angeles a few days later. "In a way, I felt free," he wrote, "and as gruesome as the analogy, it was like being one of those animals that gets caught in a bear trap and has to gnaw off their paw to get away. I was hurt, but I was alive, and it was magnificent."
[A Refuge for Gay Students When Families Turn Away - New York Times - 12-08-04]
filed under: Coming Out
December 06, 2004
It's worth remembering that "equality" is not just about marriage, but access to the full responsibilities of citizenship, such as serving your country in uniform without having to pretend to be heterosexual.
Today 12 gays who were separated from the military under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy imposed under President Clinton will file a federal lawsuit in Boston. They will challenge the ban under the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned state laws prohibiting gay sex last year.
Justin Peacock, a former Coast Guard member from Knoxville, Tenn., who is among the plaintiffs in the planned U.S. District Court lawsuit, was kicked out of the service after someone reported he was seen holding hands with another man."I would love to rejoin, but even if I don't get back in, at least I could say I tried to get the policy changed," Peacock said.
[Pentagon Policy on Gays Is Challenged - Washington Post - 12-06-04]
Strong men and women like these can inspire all Americans with their honesty, integrity, and service -- if only they are allowed to serve without lying.
filed under: Coming Out
October 27, 2004
Having feminine qualities, is, apparently, a bonus in the workplace these days:
Metrosexual.That's the buzz word, engendered by the popular TV show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," for a straight urban man who has become increasingly interested in appearance, grooming, home furnishings, the arts and food.
In other words, a man who pays more attention to his "softer" or "feminine" side.
And this cultural phenomenon for men is "moving into the workplace at a rather fast rate," according to Nancy Halpern, senior vice president of The Strickland Group, an executive coaching organization based in New York that focuses on executive development.
Halpern, who has an MBA and has been in her profession since 1996, says the reason for the trend is--you've guessed it--the huge numbers of employed women.
"The impact of women in the workplace has had an enormous effect on how men are expected to behave as leaders," said the executive, who first noticed the change and the advent of metrosexuals in 2002.
I have to wonder, however, if the pheonomenon is limited to metrosexuals or whether honest-to-god homos see benefits as well.
Workplace Moves to Metrosexual Mode [MSN Careers]
filed under: Coming Out
September 28, 2004
Take a listen to Alan Keyes (Clip1 | Clip2) dodging questions about his daughter, Maya Keyes. These clips were provided by WBBM 780AM.
Keyes silent on gay daughter rumor - UPI via Washington Times - 09-28-04
also read: Archpundit, 3yearsofHell
filed under: Coming Out
September 28, 2004
As predicted, the media wants to know how Alan Keyes can hold such dispicable positions on equality for gays and lesbians when he has a lesbian daughter. More importantly, America wants to know how Alan Keyes can hate such a beautiful daughter and powerful young lady that Maya Keyes is becoming.
At a Town Hall meeting Monday night on Chicago's Southside, the television, print and internet media almost outnumbered the black community members who came to hear Keyes emphasize the plight of the black community and answer audience issue questions at Chicago Southside's Israel Methodist Community Center.But the press was anticipating that Ambassador Keyes would break news Monday night in response to web-related questions which began to appear over the weekend on gay blogs and gradually found their way onto Rich Miller's CapitolFax Monday morning.
[Keyes refuses to answer speculations concerning 19 year old daughter - Illinois Leader - 09-28-04]
Yesterday, Maya deleted her Yahoo profile and scrubbed her online journal of as many, but not all, references to her public professions of being a lesbian. So many people continue to try to read Maya's online postings to her father's Senate Campaign Yahoo group, that the bandwidth has been exceeded, and Yahoo shut the site down for the day. It's is still down today under the weight of interest.
Maya is as out as Mary Cheney, and the media ought to feel as comfortable with that as is Maya. Go read the few April selections Maya has made available within the past few hours on her journal before her beautiful voice is silenced by her father's outrage and hate.
This is for everybody. Remember always that you are in charge of your own destiny. Life can be hell, yes, but no matter what happens the choice to live is always yours and yours alone.And a special note to my A n j u l s: Remember always who you are. You are strong and you are beautiful and don't forget it. Don't let them get to you. Keep fighting.
[Maya Keyes]
filed under: Coming Out
September 27, 2004
For people interested in pictures publicly available online, here is Maya Keyes, daughter of Alan Keyes, as identified by the Illinois Leader. Besides her beautiful smile, notice her ear rings and necklace.
Now, check out this photo of Maya and her cute girlfriend. You can see this photo in her girlfriend's online profile at GAY.com under "GraceFire," or Bria Grace. Gracefire calls the photo "Me and my Anjul." Notice how "Anjul" is spelled just like "DangerousAnjul," the Yahoo username Maya Keyes used to post to her father's Senate Campaign Yahoo group. Maya deleted that earlier today. You'll also notice Gracefire links to Maya's GAY.com profile. I'm sure after we post this, that will soon be removed as well. Notice the exact same ear rings?
Now, check out this picture of Maya snogging Gracefire. Check out the same necklace and ear rings as in the Illinois Leader photo. How can Alan Keyes deny something special like that? Also notice the "George Bush YOU'RE FIRED!" button. Maya is a self-proclaimed anarchist, and she isn't sure if she's going to vote for John Kerry. She's considering Ralph Nader. If Alan Keyes is going to blow a prayer gasket over his daughter, let it be over that.
filed under: Coming Out
, Exclusives
September 27, 2004
Meet Maya Keyes, the 19 year old daugher of virulently anti-gay Illinois candidate for U.S Senate, Alan Keyes. Maya's blog is Xmisled0youthX, where she is pictured making out with another girl and openly writes about being a lesbian. Xmisled0youthX is also known as Dangerousanjul, whose Yahoo profile also describes her as a 19 year old named Maya. On the KeyesForSenate2004 Yahoo Group, Dangerousanjul idenitifies herself as Maya Keyes, and many people on the group confirm Dangerousanjul is the daughter of Dr. Alan Keyes.
Modern Veterbrate shares some compelling lesbionic excerpts from Maya's blog. Alan Keyes had a lot of advice for Vice President Dick Cheney regarding his lesbian daughter. If his own daughter is a lesbian, that makes the behavior of Alan Keyes that much more disgraceful.
"If my daughter were a lesbian, I'd look at her and say, `That is a relationship that is based on selfish hedonism.' I would also tell my daughter that it's a sin, and she needs to pray to the Lord God to help her to deal with that sin."
[Alan Keyes - Chicago Tribune - 08-31-04]
UPDATE 1:37PM: Maya has now made private all the links from here to her blog entries. She has also deleted her Yahoo account, but that doesn't delete the posts made to the Keyes For Senate 2004 list. Take a look at them and her signature file.
UPDATE 1:42PM: Because of an apparent barage of hits, the Yahoo Group can no longer display Keyes For Senate 2004 messages "because this group has exceeded its download limit." Can you say "media frenzy?"
also read: Chillinois, Daily Kos, Atrios, Wizbang
filed under: Coming Out
September 26, 2004
Take a look at this sweet story in the Boston Herald.
Mary Lou Fuller, 75, and Kay Amsden, 73, spent most of their 25 years together telling people they were just "roommates'' or "good friends.''
When they moved into Havenwood two years ago, they counted as "a two-person household.'' All the titles fit, but now, in their twilight years, the women are calling themselves partners.
"I feel that advanced age has given me a new frame of reference,'' said Fuller, sitting in front of the home she and Amsden share with their dog, Rosey. "A spiritual rite of passage, if you will, to speak up.''
[Elderly gay couple out of closet after 25 years - Boston Herald - 09-26-04]
filed under: Coming Out
September 25, 2004
Michael Shackelford, 17, lives in rural Oklahoma and has struggled with his homosexuality, which prompted harassment from classmates.For Michael Shackelford, blond and earnest, the question of salvation is a serious one. But his concerns about eternal life are eclipsed by the here and now of being a gay teenager in the rural town of Sand Springs, west of Tulsa. There are only a handful of openly gay students at Charles Page High, and they are subject to ridicule and vandalism. This year, they also became a convenient outlet for the fury against gay marriage, which is why Michael wanted to keep his sexuality a secret.
With the Shackelford family's permission, The Washington Post spent hundreds of hours following Michael over the past year as he came to terms with being gay, a journey that paralleled Oklahoma's fight against same-sex marriage. The events and direct quotes in this story were witnessed by this reporter.
[In the Bible Belt, Acceptance Is Hard-Won - Washington Post - 09-25-04]
filed under: Coming Out
August 31, 2004
Louis Hanson, a writer for the Virginia Pilot, did a sloppy job reporting the news of U.S. Rep. Ed Schrock's retirement, stating several times there was no proof offered to back up allegations he is gay.
A Washington-based activist claimed on his Web site that Schrock engaged in homosexual activity, but offered no evidence.The site did not offer any proof of its allegation that Schrock engaged in homosexual activity.
Locally, a Web site called Virginia News Source reprinted the claims and challenged Schrock to respond to them, but offered no corroboration itself.
No mainstream newspapers, television stations or Web sites published the allegations.
[U.S. Rep. Schrock drops re-election bid over ''allegations'' - Virginia pilot - 08-31-04]
BlogActive.com clearly provides what it calls "the audio file of Congressman Schrock seeking gay sex off of gay sex lines." Hanson's disingenuous failure to note that fact, and failure to ask Rep. Schrock's office to confirm or deny it is him, does a great disservice to the readers of Virginia Pilot.
Below is the transcript of the audio tape BlogActive claims is "the audio file of Congressman Schrock seeking gay sex off of gay sex lines."
Uh, hi, I weigh 200 pounds, uh 6 foot 4, laid back, blonde hair, very muscular, very buffed up, uh, very tanned. Um, I'd just like to get together with a guy from time to time just to, just to play. I'd like for him to be, uh, in very good shape, flat stomach, good chest, good arms, well hung, cut, uh, just to get naked, play, see what happens. Nothing real heavy duty, but just a fun time. Go down on him. He'd go down on me and just take it from there. Hope to hear from you. Bye.
Also read: BlogActive, Atrios, SlantPoint
filed under: Coming Out
August 30, 2004
The Washington Post is far too kind to not speculate on the unspecified "allegations" cited as reasons by U.S. Rep. Edward L. Schrock (R-VA) to abruptly retire.
In a five-paragraph release issued by his office, Schrock said he has "come to the realization that these allegations will not allow my campaign to focus on the real issues facing our nation." He continued: "Therefore, as of today, I am stepping aside and will no longer be the Republican nominee for Congress." The release said he would not comment further on his decision, nor did he comment specifically on the allegations he is facing.
[U.S. Rep. Schrock Abruptly Announces Retirement - Washington post - 08-30-04]
Maybe an outing campaign by activist Michael Rogers exposing Schrock as gay has something to do with it.
Before we move on to the next member of Congress and highly placed officials in the Bush Administration, here's the news on outed by blogACTIVE.com Congressman Schrock. Ed Schrock in a stunning turnaround has announced he will no longer be a candidate for his House Seat in November. "The time has come for these gay homophobes to step up or be outed...Schrock is the first...more will follow."
[Schrock faces accusations: CANCELS CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN - BlogActive - 08-30-04]
Listen to the shocking 33 second audio of "Schrock seeking gay sex." This audio is posted on BlogActive and is transcribed below.
Uh, hi, I weigh 200 pounds, uh 6 foot 4, laid back, blonde hair, very muscular, very buffed up, uh, very tanned. Um, I'd just like to get together with a guy from time to time just to, just to play. I'd like for him to be, uh, in very good shape, flat stomach, good chest, good arms, well hung, cut, uh, just to get naked, play, see what happens. Nothing real heavy duty, but just a fun time. Go down on him. He'd go down on me and just take it from there. Hope to hear from you. Bye.
See also: Beaverhausen Blog, Atrios, Back Country Conservative
filed under: Coming Out
