Ken Mehlman, the former manager of President George W. Bush and former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), has announced that he’s gay.
Mehlman told Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic it’s taken him 43 years to come to terms with his identity. Now Melman says he wants to advocate for gay marriage. He’s supporting a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), a group challenging Proposition 8, California’s ban on gay marriage.
But some question Mehlman’s political activities only a few years ago as George W.’s campaign manager and during his time in the RNC. Ambinder’s article points out Mehlman knew Karl Rove and some other Republicans put anti-gay initiatives and referenda on November ballots in 2004 and 2006.
As Jake Tapper of ABC News reports, George W. supported a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Check out the ABC News video below, which shows an excerpt from an interview Mehlman did on “Meet the Press” during the time that George W. was saying marriage “should be between a man and a woman.”
Photo by Kat Ruddy via flickr under Creative Commons license. Ken Mehlman.
What famous Hollywood star wouldn’t want to come out of the closet on reality television show that carries those classic television series?
Howard Bragman, the “Coming Out Guru” who assisted Meredith Baxter, Chely Wright, and other stars is working on a new reality series for A&E: “Coming Out.”
He did a little crowd-sourcing for leads of gays and lesbians that might be candidates for the series. At a panel on this past weekend’s Outfest film festival he asked the crowd for help:
“if anyone knows a high-profile celebrity” who’s ready to tell the world that they’re gay, he has “a great TV opportunity.”
Seems like a cover of US Weekly or People might be more appealing than a tv program following Dog The Bounty Hunter, but then again, sometimes those magazine covers are reserved for what’s hot, rather than who’s gay now.
Meredith Baxter, Chely Wright, and other stars have asked Howard Bragman to help them come out of the closet and embrace their sexual preference for the same sex.
He is known as the “Coming Out Guru” so it’s only natural that a reality show with him as the star is in development for A&E
He will help other public figures come out of the closet. At a panel on this past weekend’s Outfest film festival he asked the crowd for help:
“if anyone knows a high-profile celebrity” who’s ready to tell the world that they’re gay, he has “a great TV opportunity.”
and other captivating programming may not attract any A-listers, but that probably won’t be of concern for someone who wants to come out of the closet on a television reality show.
Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage today, after a 14 hour debate that ended just after 4 in the morning. Gay marriage is legal in other parts of Latin America, but Argentina is the first country to grant gay rights nation wide.
The vote ended with 33 voting in favor of gay rights, 27 voting against, and 3 abstaining. The lower house has already approved the bill, and President Christina Fernandez is a strong supporter. The bill will become a law when it gets published on the Argentina’s official bulletin, reports the Times.
The law was passed despite significant resistance from the Catholic Church. More than 60,000 people marched on congress in opposition of the bill.
The new law grants gays the right to marry, as well as benefits like the right to adopt, and inherit wealth.
For 44 years, Tommie Smith held the record for the 200 meter straight sprint. Smith’s 19.5 second run was the fastest time ever on a 200 m straight track, until Tyson Gay lowered the mark by .09 seconds.
American sprint star, Tyson Gay, set the record on a specially designed track at Manchester’s Great City Games. Gay completed the first 100 meters in 9.88 seconds, and finished with a 19.41 second time.
The 200 meter straight track race has become a rare race. Largely in part to the fact that modern tracks don’t usually have space for a straight away of 200 meters.
Gay’s accomplishment makes him one of the biggest competitors to Usain Bolt, although Gay admits that Bolt is still on an entirely different level.
“He’s in another class right now but I’m working hard to get there,” Gay said. “The challenge is for me to work hard to get to where he is at.”
The Rev. Mary Glasspool, 56, has become the first openly lesbian bishop consecrated in the Episcopal Church.
The consecration at the Los Angeles diocese angers some within the Anglican Communion who view homosexuality as a sin. The Anglican Communion is an association of churches of which the Episcopalian Church is a part.
The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke in opposition to Glasspool’s consecration, saying it “raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole,” CNN reports.
However, Los Angeles bishop Jon Bruno told CNN that Glasspool is “highly qualified and experienced,” noting her 28-year record as an ordained priest, her commitment to her partner of nearly two decades, and Glasspool’s “example of living service and ministry.”
The Episcopal Church is not the only church wrestling with traditional views of homosexuality and the issue of gay marriage.
Some Catholic schools, mostly recently a school at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boulder, Colorado and St. Paul Elementary School in Hingham, Massachusetts, have refused to enroll children with gay parents. While many support these moves aimed at protecting the church’s religious teachings defining marriage as a union only between a man and woman, a number of Catholic clergy oppose these decisions and are urging the schools to enroll the children.
“The idea that a child might be punished because he does not live with his two biologic parents is antithetical to notions of Christian charity and Catholic social justice,”
said Patrick Whelan, president of Catholic Democrats.
Country music artist Chely Wright has officially come out in interviews with The Advocate, a leading gay publication, ABC World News and other national media outlets, speaking about her lifelong struggle to reach the point where she felt she could publicly acknowledge her homosexuality.
In Wright’s interview with The Advocate, the 39-year-old singer-songwriter said the reason she’s coming out now is because she hopes that her doing so will encourage and give hope to others, particularly young people, who may feel isolated and alone, under undue pressure from society to keep a secret no one should ever have to keep. Wright said she felt the stress of this secret for years, and mentions reaching a point in her life where she was suicidal. She realized she needed to fully come to terms with her identity, telling The Advocate:
“I had to finally come to realize that there was more to me than just country music. I had to figure out a way to become a fully-realized human being, or I wasn’t gonna last.”
Such a powerful, true idea Wright described in her quote, the mission:
“To become a fully-realized human being”
Would that all people, no matter their sexuality or belief system, would embark on this mission, the main thing, the meaning of life, the reason we are all here together on this Earth. How much different would the world be if everyone had the courage to fully take on the most important mission.
While acknowledging the risks to her country music career of coming out, Wright told The Advocate she hopes her fans will know she’s still the same Chely Wright as she is in her songs, still the same artist who “plays military hospitals and supports the troops,” and she hopes all her fans will continue to support her. Wright has traveled to Iraq to help boost the morale of American troops risking their lives in the desert thousands of miles away from home. Her Web site has many pictures of her with soldiers. In some photos, she can be seen wearing a helmet and flak vest.
Readers left supportive comments on The Advocate’s Web site. One commenter named “Annie” said:
“We have loved Chely and her music for a long time, and that’s not going to change. I admire and applaud her tremendous courage and fortitude, and wish her much continued success, both professionally and personally.”
Wright’s announcement coincides with the release of “Lifted Off The Ground,” her first new album in five years. In addition, Wright is releasing a memoir, “Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer.”
Note: The video below is of Chely Wright performing for American troops at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see Chely when I was over there in Iraq in the Army (2003-2004). Let’s keep in mind, not all American musical artists or celebrities are willing to travel to places like Iraq; indeed, few people anywhere are willing to increase risk to themselves, and I can’t explain how much a show like that can make a soldier feel better, what a smiling face, a song and a little bit of home can do for your morale.
Chely, thank you. My hat’s off to you. I wish you the best on your journey.
Most people are saying, “no kidding!” right about now. After all, many people have suspected Ricky Martin to be gay for a long time now. But, now Ricky Martin has officially come out of the closet on his personal website. According to Ricky Martin, “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”
We agree! And we’re so happy that Ricky Martin finally feels comfortable enough to come out. Ricky has recently started writing his memoirs, a process which he says helped him feel comfortable enough to come out.
He started the statement on his blog by saying, “A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life. From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating.”
It doesn’t seem that too many people are surprised by the news of Ricky being gay. He’s never admitted it before, but he’s also never denied it, which had us all believing that he must, in fact, be gay.
The first same sex couple was married today in Washington D.C. as gay marriage was legalized in the Nation’s capital.
Today was the first day that same sex couples could marry, and more than a dozen couples showed up to exchange wedding vows.
But of course, what would a same sex marriage be without protesters? Members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Ka, came in to protest the weddings.
Gay couples did, however, have religious support on their side as well.
Rabbi Arthur Blecher of Temple Beth Chai said. “Religious institutions have changed the concept of marriage over time, and the biblical precedent does not apply.”
Same sex marriage is now legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusettes, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Although only a handful of couples have actually married, more than 300 have applied for their marriage licenses.
Senator Roy Ashburn was arrested for driving under the influence this morning at roughly 2 am after allegedly leaving a gay nightclub. His black, state owned, Chevy Tahoe was swerving down the road when police pulled him over.
The Senator was arrested for DUI, the male passenger that he was with was not arrested.
Senator Ashburn has apologized for his actions, saying “I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment, I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did.
The senator does not address the accusations that he was leaving the gay nightclub “Faces,” when the arrest occurred.
Many sources have reported that the anti-gay senator was seen at “Faces” prior to his arrest. According to CBS, the senator has voted against every Gay rights bill that has come across the senate.
Ken Mehlman, the former manager of President George W. Bush and former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), has announced that he’s gay.
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