Ugandan Clergyman Shows Gay Porn to His Congregation

Pastor Martin Ssempa decided to show gay pornography to his church in hopes of gaining support for a proposed law that would give some gay people the death penalty. Noma Padade, from the African gay rights group Behind the Mask accused the pastor of perpetuating violence by his anti-gay campaign. "Showing pornography in church in the presence of minors is twisted homophobic propaganda, where homosexuality is equated to pedophilia and pornography."

Homosexuality is already against the law in Uganda and people convicted of same-sex love are sent to jail. However, supporters of the new bill, including Pastor Ssempa want more severe punishments. He justified his decision to show gay pornography to about 300 people, saying: "We are in the process of legislation and we have to educate ourselves about what homosexuals do."
Although the anti-gay proposal has gotten wide support from Ugandan MPs and conservative groups, President Yoweri Musevini recently hinted that he might scrap the proposals due to international pressure.

Queer Activists Chain Themselves to the New York Marriage Bureau

Last week, we were talking a lot about activism and apathy towards the very real problems that are facing the world. For some of us, the never-ending list of things we need to fix is overwhelming and stops us from going out and doing anything. Where are the angry people that will go out do the radical things that will get attention and spark discussion?

Well, a couple days ago, after 20 same-sex couples were rejected marriage licenses by the New York Marriage Bureau four activists chained themselves to the building, blocking the entry. They were arrested. Following the rejection of the same-sex couples, a lesbian and a gay man applied to be married and were approved as a couple for a marriage license. In protest, between 50 – 100 marriage equality supporters held a rally across the street.

Anyway, I know these activists aren’t our age, but it’s nice to know that there are angry people out there fighting for rights. And remember, it’s really important to remember to exercise the rights that you do have, because if you don’t, they will be taken away from you.

MIQA T-Shirts!

Don't forget to be thinking about designs for the MIQA T-Shirts. Remember, we don't want the year incorporated into the design, that way it'll be timeless. Here's a picture of the T-Shirt we're going to get sans design. Also, remember to vote on what color you want the design to be in. Last meeting I heard some people talking about dark purple, navy, and dark grey. Maybe seeing the shirt will help you choose.

Internship Opportunity

Hey guys, I just got an e-mail about an internship opportunity. The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC) is a rapidly growing and dynamic non-profit organization working to expand the economic opportunity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) business community. They're currently looking for interns to assist in the growth of various initiatives within their organization. Here are some posts: communications/technology, corporate relations, supplier diversity, meetings and events, programs/chief of staff.

If you want more information or an application, please email me at miqamiqa@gmail.com

Sign the Petition to Televise Prop. 8 Trial

On Thursday the state Supreme Court will hear arguments on three lawsuits challenging Proposition 8, the controversial constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. California's high court will hear both sides of the gay marriage argument.

Those against Prop 8 believe that people were lied to by all the hate groups lobbying so hard to get the bill passed and they fell prey to the idiocy. The voters are definitely complicit when it comes to the passage of Prop 8 but they were not alone in pushing it through. Church groups and other anti-gay groups spent millions on getting this thing passed. The grassroots efforts of the opposition never stood a chance.
Charles Cooper, a lawyer for the sponsors of the measure said that his clients oppose televising the trial. He said the Proposition 8 sponsors are concerned about possible intimidation or harassment of witnesses. Some witnesses have said "they will not be willing to testify at all if the trial is televised or webcast,". Theodore Boutrous, a lawyer for the same-sex couples, told the judge that his clients "strongly support televising the trial in order to afford the public meaningful access in this exceptionally important case."

If the Proposition 8 trial is televised, it would be the first federal trial to be broadcast in the West, and one of the first in the nation. Cameras have previously been allowed in some federal appeals court hearings as well as in California's state court system. Charles

If you want the trial to be televised please sign this petition.

B'MORE PROUD

The B'MORE PROUD Queer College Coalition is the primary intercollegiate network and clearinghouse serving college & university students/faculty/staff in the Baltimore-Metro LGBTQIA community. They seek to promote personal and professional growth of this community through leadership development, academic scholarship, educational programming and social networking opportunities.

On February 20th, they will be hosting an LGBT Leadership Summit where there will be keynote speakers, break out sessions, a Local/Regional LGBT Organization Fair, as well as a drag ball. The program will start at 9:00AM and end between 8:00PM and 12:00PM. This is a great opportunity to learn more about raising awareness and providing education about marginalized groups, get more involved in the larger Baltimore LGBT community, strengthen your leadership skills, and let you meet other students who share similar interests.

To sign up go to this website: www.bmoreproud.org

We hope to see you all there!

Amanda Simpson, One of the First Transgender Presidential Appointees

Amanda Simpson will be starting her new job as Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce on Tuesday. Her background has been dedicated to understanding military technology. She was a former test pilot and has been active in aerospace and defense industry for the past 30 years. Simpson has also been active in LGBT issues. In 2005 she successfully worked to have the Raytheon adopt gender identity into its Equal Employment Opportunity Policy. Although she is transgender, she does not want people to assume that she was hired because of her sexual identity but rather on her merits.

Congratulations Amanda Simpson, we hope you succeed!