TS/TV/CD/LGBT News and opinion from around the world for Wednesday June 9th 2010

This year's honorees include five Capital Pride Heroes whose work has positively impacted the local LGBT community, and five Capital Trans Pride Engendered Spirit Award honorees whose work greatly contributes to the transgender community. Capital Pride's 2010 Super Hero is Deacon Maccubbin, honored for his lifetime work as an outspoken LGBT activist and owner of the iconic Lambda Rising stores.

While Rush and Elton do make strange bedfellows, no pun intended, the ironic twist to all this is that Elton John reportedly has plans to donate most, if not all of the money he earned playing for Limbaugh, to a LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) teen group.

Duprey said in her statement that one of the arguments against the Equal Rights Amendment was that it would force all public bathrooms to be unisex. "Clearly this has not happened, and it is unclear to me how some people who oppose civil rights and anti-discrimination legislation seem to have bathroom problems," Duprey said.

"I understand there are going to be some folks who try to make this election about the fact that my medical history includes a gender transition, but I'm running for office because I believe I'm the best candidate to fight for jobs, education, and transportation I understand that state government runs best when it focuses on helping small businesses create jobs and guarantees all of our children can get a great public education.

An eight-year-old boy was expelled from a private school in Hingham because he has two moms. Last year, an 11-year-old Springfield boy, taunted for being gay by his peers, hanged himself after coming home from school. And United States Senator Scott Brown places a higher value on the right to discriminate against gay and lesbian members of the United States military than on our national security.

The mayor also noted that fellow commissioners had not requested the item to appear on future city government agendas for discussion.

Local activist Eric Ethington expressed disappointment at the group’s dissolution. “You know … I’m going to miss these people,” Ethington wrote on his blog, PRIDE in Utah. “There really wasn’t anyone else in Utah who made the LGBT community look so good! Oh well, salute and adieu Sandra, we’ll remember you fondly!”

I’ve had it easy by some standards. When I transitioned, I only lost almost everything. My family, home, friends, money. I’ve been spat on and abused in the street, filmed by smirking youths on their phones, ignored by neighbours, even ridiculed by NHS staff. I know I’ve faced discrimination at work, but like the black person who might once have arrived at a job interview to find all the vacancies mysteriously 'filled', I’d find that hard to prove.

But hey, no-one has left me bleeding on a pavement just because I affronted them by merely existing. I’m lucky. I have carried on in my journey because I had to. People like me are born this way, and the medical evidence to say so is mounting.

The good neighbor looks beyond him, her, or hirself, discerning those inner qualities that make all human beings human -- and therefore a family. Repealing DADT may not help my trans siblings, but it helps my brothers and sisters in the broader LGBT community.

So On April 20th, I joined with five of my fellow LGBT veterans, and handcuffed myself to the White House gates.

In March, Darling granted a marriage certificate to a transsexual woman who was born male and her female partner. Before issuing the license, Darling said she consulted the California Department of Health and was told to reference the birth certificate listing the woman’s sex at birth as male.

Teresa Pires and Helena Paixao, both divorced mothers in their 30s who have been together since 2003, married at a Lisbon registry office.