Florida Agenda

Future historians can be forgiven if they look back at the number of paradigm-shifting events—some related, all of tremendous moment and consequence—that took place in LGBT rights during 2012. An abbreviated list of the year’s highlights:

President Obama Endorses Marriage Equality

In May, President Barack Obama became the nation’s first head of state to affirm his support for marriage equality. During an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Obama spoke of his evolution from supporter of civil unions to proponent of full marital rights.

“When I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said.

Supreme Court Takes Up DOMA and Prop 8

On December 7, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped into the charged debate over same-sex marriage by agreeing to review two court challenges to federal and state legislation that restricts the legal definition of marriage to the union between a man and a woman.

The justices announced that they would not only review the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law that denies married gay couples the same federal benefits received by heterosexual couples, but that they will also consider the challenge to California’s Proposition 8, the state law that prohibits gay marriage which was narrowly approved by voters in 2008.

The high court is expected to hear arguments in the two cases as early as March, with a decision to come by the end of June.

Maine, Maryland, and Washington Approve Same-Sex Marriage, Minnesota Rejects Anti-Equality Amendment

In November, voters in Maine, Maryland, and Washington state approved measures supporting marriage equality, while those in Minnesota rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The four made history by becoming the first states to approve—or not reject—gay marriage at the ballot box.

Maine voters changed course for a second time concerning same-sex marriage, as a previous effort at passage of marriage equality had failed.

In Maryland, voters were asked whether to uphold the gay marriage law championed this year by the governor that was put on hold after opponents gathered enough signatures to force a public vote.

Washington state voters likewise approved a same-sex marriage referendum that upholds a measure signed into law in February.

Minnesota voters killed an amendment to the state constitution that would have defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman—the first state to reject a constitutional amendment limiting marriage equality.

While same-sex marriage remains illegal in Minnesota, the absence of a constitutional amendment prohibiting it removes a major obstacle to its eventual adoption.

In addition, same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and the District of Columbia, where measures were enacted by lawmakers or through court decision. Before last month, 32 states had rejected marriage equality initiatives.

Tammy Baldwin: First Openly Gay U.S. Senator

In an upset victory, U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) defeated former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, a moderate Republican, for the state’s open U.S. Senate, becoming the nation’s first openly gay senator.

“I am well aware that I will have the honor to be Wisconsin’s first woman U.S. senator,” Baldwin acknowledged. “And I am well aware I will be the first openly gay member of the United States Senate.”

Sunshine Warriors: Floridians Elect Two Openly-Gay Lawmakers

On November 20, David Richardson of Miami Beach (District 113) and Joe Saunders of Central Florida (District 49) were sworn in as Florida’s first openly-gay members of the state House of Representatives. Before last month, Florida was the largest state not to have elected an openly-gay member to its legislature.

Richardson, 57, is a former Defense Department auditor who had never run for elected office. Saunders, 29, was born in Fort Lauderdale. Both are Democrats.

Hate Crime Conviction in Rutgers Bullying Suicide

On March 16, a Middlesex County, NJ jury convicted former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi—who had used his Webcam to spy on his gay college roommate’s intimate encounter with another man—of all 15 counts against him including bias intimidation and invasion of privacy, which is considered a sex crime in New Jersey.

Ravi—who was 18 years old at the time—set up a Web camera on September 19, 2010, after his roommate, Tyler Clementi, requested privacy in their room for several hours that night. Unbeknownst to Clementi at the time, Ravi and a female friend had watched the encounter. Ravi then posted on Twitter: “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with another dude. Yay [sic].”

Clementi, 18, jumped from the George Washington Bridge three days after the Webcam viewing, on Sept. 22, 2010—barely three weeks into the men’s freshman year.

Clementi’s suicide tragically altered what might have been—in the words of his dormitory’s resident assistant—“a roommate issue” into something with far more ruinous consequences for both men, and changed the way we think about cyberbullying.

FDA Approves Home HIV Test

In July, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first over-the-counter HIV test, enabling the test for the virus to be administered at home. The OraQuick test detects the presence of HIV in saliva by using a mouth swab, with results inside of 40 minutes.

2012 Role-Models: From Rocket Scientist to Real Army, Heroes Who Belong to Us All

To be an LGBT Hero doesn’t require that one actually be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (or Questioning or Intersex, for that matter); it demands a willingness to fight for the same equality enjoyed by all members of the human family.

These individuals did just that—and all, coincidentally, fulfill both criteria of being LGBT AND a Hero.

R.I.P. Sally Ride: Woman of Space and Science

America’s first woman in space, astronaut Sally Ride lived quietly for 27 years with her partner, Dr. Tam O’Shaughnessy. Although she had married fellow astronaut Steven Hawley in 1982, the two divorced five years later, and when she died of pancreatic cancer in July, the self-written obituary for the 61 year old space pioneer and physicist (an entry which only mentioned “her partner of 27 years” in passing) was the instrument of her personal outing.

The author—some with O’Shaughnessy—of seven children’s books about science, Ride championed the cause of inspiring American youths to pursue careers in math, science, engineering, and technology. She also helped to establish the GRAIL MoonKAM program, which allows children around the world to take pictures of the lunar surface, using a NASA satellite that is currently in orbit around the moon.

After her posthumous coming out, Ride’s sister offered, “Sally didn’t use labels. Sally had a very fundamental sense of privacy, it was just her nature.”

Gen. Tammy Smith: An Army of One

Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith, United States Army Reserve (USAR), is not “just” the first openly-gay flag officer to come out while serving in the U.S. military: She is also the first married gay general officer (her wife, Tracey Hepner, co-founded and directs the Military Partners and Families Coalition, an organization that serves the same-sex partners of military servicemembers and veterans).

Smith—who holds a Master in Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College, among other academic credentials, including a doctorate—received her general’s star on August 10, in a private ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery, the same day she came out.

In her promotion speech, the Afghanistan War veteran spoke about “standing on the shoulders of giants” and saluted the military women (“firsts,” she called them) who preceded her, and who had “broken glass ceilings, but got scratched in the process.”

Nate Silver: A Beautifully-Ordered Mind

Last month, 34 year old Nate Silver earned his place among the pantheon of notable political analysts in American history, correctly predicting the winner in the presidential match between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In 31 out of 33 U.S. Senate races, Silver’s predictions came true (with exceptions Montana and North Dakota, in which he forecasted twin Republican victories; both went to the Democrats).

This gay power-wonk (statistician being the “least” of his cryptic-sounding disciplines, which include expertise as both a sabermetrician and psephologist) first gained notice for developing a system for predicting the performance and career development of Major League Baseball players.

In 2009, Silver was named one of “The World’s 100 Most Influential People” by Time.

Silver’s sexual identity became the subject of salacious—and irrelevant—ad hominem attacks during this year’s election cycle, when pollster Dean Chambers of UnSkewedPolls referred to him as “a man of very small stature,” and “a thin and effeminate man with a soft-sounding voice.”

Refusing to rise to Chambers’ bait, or lower himself to that level, Silver tweeted, “Unskewedpolls argument: Nate Silver seems kinda gay + ??? = Romney landslide!”

He ends 2012 most assuredly with a bang. His book, “The Signal and the Noise,” published in September, reached The New York Times bestseller list for nonfiction, and was named the Best Nonfiction Book of 2012 by Amazon.

Duncan Hosie: Challenging the “Supreme” Right

Is it every Ivy League student’s dream to one day address the U.S. Supreme Court? Just a month after coming out, Princeton University student Duncan Hosie got his own personal day in “court” (of a sort) when he called to the carpet no less august a personage than Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and took him to task for remarks the jurist had made equating same-sex marriage with bestiality and murder.

As we previously reported (Florida Agenda, December 12, 2012: “At Princeton, Scalia Grilled about Questionable Gay Remarks”), the December 10 exchange occurred following a lecture Scalia gave to promote his new book, “Reading Law.”

Hosie confronted the 76 year old Scalia—the longest-serving justice on the current high court—whose glib reply (“If we cannot have moral feelings against homosexuality, can we have it against murder? Can we have it against other things?”) merely served to stoke the embers of Hosie’s righteous outrage.

“I think his response was absurd in many aspects,” Hosie offered MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell. Case closed.

Thomas “Bozzy” Bosworth: Fair Play, On and Off the Field

You might never have heard of 18 year old Thomas “Bozzy” Bosworth if he hadn’t exhibited a measure of courage and grace that is to be found missing in adults twice—three times—his age. The teenage rugby player from Wales (UK) devised his own personal effort to fight homophobia in sports, posting a lengthy Facebook entry about his own experience coming out to his family and his teammates.

“To clear all the gossip up and shit that has been going around about me,” Bosworth wrote. “Yes I am gay and I never choose this and it’s the hardest thing [I’ve] ever had to deal with in my life.”

Courage, grace, persistence, and self-awareness: A champion like Bosworth exhibits all of these.

Cheryl Chow: Seattle’s Best

“Parents and kids: don’t be afraid of saying that you’re gay. I was afraid for over 60 years and those 60 years were wasted.” With those heart-wrenching words, former Seattle City Councilwoman Cheryl Chow, who is dying of brain cancer, came out.

The 66 year old former educator and said she remained closeted for decades because she feared the reaction of her family, and in particular her mother, restaurant owner and elected official Ruby Chow.

Chow said that although her mother was one of Seattle’s first restaurateurs to welcome a gay clientele, “that didn’t mean that she wanted me to be gay.”

They Came Out in ’12

Although Anderson Cooper’s July coming out occurred smack dab in the middle of 2012, his simple admission in an email to Andrew Sullivan (“The fact is, I’m gay”) set the tone for what turned out to be the Annum Mirabilis (great year) for LGBT rights.

There were many newsmakers whose coming out stories made headlines this year; these 15 had memorable—and, we think, enduring—personal “outings.”

Gillian Anderson: “X” Marks the Spot

The 1990s cultural icon that was “The X-Files” established Fox as a solid fourth network, and launched the career of prim but powerful ginger actress Gillian Anderson, who as Agent Dana Scully became a favorite among gay audiences, male and female. In March, Anderson admitted a gay relationship in high school, one which persisted “for a long time.”

Her acknowledgement of an early same-sex relationship came after the death of her high school love, of which Anderson said, “I felt like I was honoring her memory in some way simply by admitting its existence.”

Sheriff Paul Babeu: Just the Facts

A poster child for the Modern West (and the Modern Right), Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu coming out was more like the crashing open of a jell cell than a closet door. The right-wing foe of undocumented workers was pushed out in February, when his ex-boyfriend—who was himself an undocumented Mexican immigrant—accused Babeu of threatening to deport him.

Admitting his sexual orientation but denying the accusations, Babeu was reelected Sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona last month.

Anderson Cooper: “Other People’s Stories”

When he gave permission for Andrew Sullivan to write in his—Anderson Cooper’s—words, “The fact is, I’m gay,” the CNN anchor and son of the storied Gloria Vanderbilt was acknowledging one of America’s worst-kept secrets. Cooper explained that as a journalist, “[I] prefer to stick to my job of telling other people’s stories, and not my own.”

But he recognized that a greater good would be accomplished by taking matters out in the open. “I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle,” the 45 year old Emmy-winner said, adding, “I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.”

Drake Jensen: Country Boy Can Survive

“As a child, I always knew there was something different about me above and beyond the gay thing,” Canadian country singer Drake Jensen told fans in February. Jensen fired from both barrels this spring when he came out and introduced his husband to fans by way of his video for Jensen’s single, “On My Way to Finding You.”

The video was dedicated to Jamie Hubley, a gay Ottawa teen who was bullied and committed suicide.

“I’m a homosexual musician telling my story through songs and spreading the message of love,” said Jensen. “In a perfect world, what could be wrong with that?”

Frank Ocean: Making Waves

Singer-songwriter Frank Ocean declared his independence on July 4, in an open letter on Tumblr in which he told of his first true love, which was for another man when he was 19 years old. Ocean thanked his family and friends, writing, “I don’t know what happens now, and that’s alrite [sic]. I don’t have any secrets I need kept anymore…I feel like a free man.”

In response, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons applauded the 25 year old musician. “Today is a big day for hip-hop. It is a day that will define who we really are,” he wrote. “How compassionate will we be? How loving can we be? How inclusive are we?” To Ocean, he added, “Your decision to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear.”

Shaun T: Controlled “Insanity”

Fitness guru Shaun T. (for “Thompson”) came out in October, announcing his marriage to partner Scott Blokker. The chiseled 34 year old trainer has an impressive physique, and an impressive testimonial list, including former Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who credits Shaun’s “Insanity” workout DVDs with whipping his own body into better shape than his campaign.

Lee “Uncle Poodle” Thompson: A Gay Heart and a “Redneck”

TLC network’s “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” made stars out of 7 year old beauty contestant Alana Thompson and her family, including the 7 year old’s uncle, named Lee but better known as “Uncle Poodle.” Unapologetically out, Uncle Poodle is even less apologetic about his rural Georgia roots.

“I’m gay, but I’m as redneck as I can get,” Poodle howled. “If you want people to accept you, you have to show you don’t have a problem with yourself and just be up front about who you are. If you do, you earn people’s respect.”

Lana Wachowski: Leaving Larry Behind

For more than a decade, rumors had persisted that Lana, the older of the Wachowski filmmaking siblings—who was still identifying as “Larry”—was transitioning gender from male to female. Reports indicated that Lana completed her transition after the filming of 2008’s “Speed Racer.”

Lana made her first public appearance after transitioning in July, appearing in a special features video for the film “Cloud Atlas.” When she received the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Visibility Award in October, she acknowledged a contemplating suicide when she was young.

After accepting the honor, she said, “I wasn’t talking so much about myself. I was thinking about someone who was like me when I was young, feeling that I was fulfilling the example that I was looking for when I was young.”

Same-Sex Superheroes

Follow Northstar to Freedom

Although Marvel Comics introduced superhero Northstar in 1979, a few years later, comic creator John Byrne decided it was time for the character to come out of the caped closet. But Marvel’s editorial policies against openly-out characters meant another 20 years would pass before Northstar would announce in 1992, “I am gay.”

In place in the June 27 issue of Astonishing X-Men #51, Northstar (whose secret identity is Canadian Jean-Paul Beaubier) tied the knot with his long-time boyfriend, Kyle Jinadu.

Green Lantern Comes Out—with a Vengeance

When DC Comics rebooted its fictional universe, publishing executives hinted that a same-sex superhero would soon be gracing the streets of Gotham. Little did fanboys realize that the “New 52” would include a re-imagined Green Lantern who spoke the love that now couldn’t be stopped speaking its name, even in print comics.

Alan Scott—a formerly married father of two, who first appeared in print in 1940—was re-launched this year as a gay man with a same-sex partner. During a trip to China with his boyfriend, Sam, the train they are on crashes, killing Sam within minutes of a marriage proposal. After the tragedy, the newly-created Green Lantern (whose powers emanate from the charged-up engagement ring) vows vengeance against the perpetrator—a militant champion for a newly-empowered age.

Intersex Babies are a Community Matter

There are two types of babies: There are boys and there are girls. Correct? Most people would probably answer, “yes,” but they would be leaving out 1.7 to 4 percent of the population, according to a 2009 study from researchers Zeiler and Wickstrom. That’s the estimated amount of children who are born intersex.

Regardless of which statistic you go with, intersexuality appears to be more common than Down syndrome in both the US and Europe. However, few people know about the condition.

Expecting parents are often eager to learn the sex of their baby, but they do not usually consider that their child could be somewhere on the continuum between male and female. (Most people don’t even know that sex is on a continuum, but it is.

The people who fall somewhere between on this continuum are referred to as “intersex.” This means that their chromosomes and genitalia are not exclusively male or female.

Imagine the surprise of new parents when doctors tell them that it is unknown whether “it’s a boy” or “it’s a girl.”

Doctors assist in judging whether an intersex child is more likely to be male or female based on the presence of male or female genitalia and ‘XX’ or ‘XY’ chromosomes. These are common standards by which sex is determined, but parents ultimately decide the child’s legal sex as well as the course of treatment. Too often, their choices consist of multiple surgeries and procedures that cause the children physical and psychological trauma.

According to 2006 research by Anne Tamar-Mattis, intersex children are usually given female bodies, regardless of what other tests indicate, simply because it is easier to construct a vagina than a penis. But what happens when you raise a child as a little girl and she grows up to tell you that she’s a boy?

Gender Identity Disorder is common among people who undergo intersex-related “corrective” procedures in childhood. As cited in 2002 by Chau and Herring, many of these children never feel comfortable or identify with the body given to them.

To put it another way, dressing a child in blue and giving a Hot Wheels set to play with won’t make that person male. Similarly, constructing a vagina for an infant won’t make a child female.

Is it ethical to perform cosmetic surgery on an infant and ultimately decide the child’s sex for her/him? Tamar-Mattis found that “the strongest argument against genital-normalizing on infants is that every intersex person who has spoken publicly on the subject has spoken against surgery.”

Genital mutilation and castration are irreversible. It is impossible to know whether a person so young is male or female, and a drastic decision like surgery should not be undertaken without a person’s consent.